#he was an adventurer when he first arrived for a couple years but retired to tend Keathan’s home and later also Ishi’s. he was a Paladin.

[roanofarcc]

FRESH OUT THE SLAMMER

pairing: boone x fem!reader

summary: years spent in the a mediocre relationship with your “highschool sweetheart” comes to an abrupt end. instead of the heart break you thought would consume you, you feel free. and that freedom leads you right to boone’s front door. 

warnings: sad boone, relationship issues, unrequited love (or so one thinks!), a curse word or two, mentions of drinking (brief). I am a firm believer of buying boys flowers :)

word count. 2.7k || masterlist

“Welcome, everyone, to my humble abode,” Boone said, dramatically gesturing to the small house at the end of a dirt road. The place was decorated in a very Boone-like fashion with odd scraps of metal loitering the side yard, junk cars they oftened used for scrap parts when any of their vehicles broke down, and some wildflowers that his mother had sprinkled around the front steps when he first moved in a couple years post-high school. 

His road consisted of three other houses, miles away from anything besides corn fields. The houses had all changed, but Boone kept his the same considering he wasn’t there for much of the spring and summer months, and he spent the winter holidays in Florida with his retired mother and father. 

“Thanks for letting us crash at your place,” Kate said, rubbing the back of her neck. “I don’t think I could’ve slept in one more motel.” 

Javi nodded. “I’m still scarred from the roaches.” The last couple of places they’ve stayed had been less than ideal. They were grimy and bug-infested. All of the Wranglers were excited to stay at an actual home for once. 

They all hopped out of the truck, meeting up with the rest of the crew who pulled in right behind them. Boone enjoyed his home more when there were others inside of it. He didn’t like the quiet and he hated his clear view of his neighbor's home.  

The darling little blue house had stood there since Boone had moved in. The porch had been painted and the landscaping changed a hundred and two times, but the house was still sky blue and always decorated for the seasons. 

He made the mistake of looking at the house for a beat too long. It was like the universe was looking down at him, laughing and serving up some karma alongside his arrival. The front door swung open, and you walked out. He should have looked away and followed his friends inside, pretending like he never saw you, but he couldn’t. You looked up after locking your door and your gaze fell right on him. For a moment you looked at each other from across the street before a smile broke out on your face and you hurried across your front yard, right towards him. 

“Oh, man,” Boone muttered under his breath, hands reaching to fix his hair and smooth out his wrinkled cutoff. 

“Boone?” Tyler said, clapping his shoulder before his eyes fell upon you. “Oh.” Tyler didn’t need to say more than that. He knew about Boone’s stupid crush on you since the moment he moved in. And as many times as he tried to shake it, you made it impossible to let it go. 

You’d been in a long-standing relationship, not married nor even engaged, but dating for as long as Boone could remember. It was awful of him to like someone who was already dating someone else, but there was something about you that made it impossible to rid his brain of it. Every time he saw you, it only made it worse because you were the epitome of neighborly. You baked him cookies and remembered his birthday. You offered to water his flowers and mow his lawn when he was away. You waved at him from the mailbox and told him stories and invited him over for coffee. You always asked about his storm-chasing adventures and listened with so much intent it drove him crazy. 

It was a pathic thing, he knew that, pining after a taken woman, but he couldn’t help it. And he’d never act on it, despite how much he loathed your boyfriend. Boone didn’t find himself around your boyfriend that often, for many reasons. But the times he had, he noticed how lackluster he was in comparison to you. Bland and boring with a touch of douchy-ness that rubbed Boone the wrong way. He knew most of his opinion was formed in jealousy, but the rest of it was the little tidbits of information you offered up to him. You didn’t necessarily complain but rather vented. Like the time he forgot your anniversary and tried to apologize with some lousy dinner at his friend's bar. Or all of the times he brushed off your excitement for certain things. The biggest thing though, that you had only admitted to Boone once on a winter’s night after you had wandered over after drinking a couple glasses of wine, was how he never wanted to talk about marriage. Every time you brought it up, he shut you down and left you waiting for some kind of sign of forever. 

Boone was pretty sure you didn’t remember telling him that, but he did. He couldn’t imagine someone being with you and not wanting to settle for forever. And sure, not everyone wanted to get married, but it was clear that you did and were waiting for some kind of initiation from him that never seemed to come. 

“Boone!” you shouted from the edge of his driveway, a bright smile on your face that twisted his gut into knots. He waved and walked forward just as you gave him a hug. You were always warm and smelled sweet, and you never failed to hug him when you caught him returning home. 

“I didn’t know you were due back yet?” you said, pulling away but staying close. 

Boone cleared his throat and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Y-Yeah, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing; no one wanted to stay another night at a motel.” 

“Can’t blame ‘ya there.” Your eyes sparkled in the sunlight, captivating. “Why don’t y’all come over tonight for some drinks?” 

Dani and Lily cheered from behind Boone and everyone aside from Tyler nodded their heads. 

Boone couldn’t say no; he had no reason to other than spending time with you was certainly going to make his affection worse. Tyler looked at him, unsure and sympathetic, but Boone ignored him and offered you a lopsided smile. “Sure thing.” 

You clapped your hands and bid them a good afternoon as you strolled back to your home. It wasn’t until Boone turned around that he dropped his head in his hands. 

Tyler whistled, slinging an arm around Boone’s shoulder as they all headed towards his house. “You’ve still got it bad, huh?” 

Kate turned around, curious. “Got what bad?” 

Boone said nothing as he unlocked the door and ushered everyone inside. Tyler answered for him as he pulled off his boots in the entryway. “A bad crush on the neighbor.” 

A gasp sounded from Lily. “No way! I didn’t know you had a hometown honey!” 

“I don’t,” Boone sighed, plopping down on the couch that was a little dusty from lack of use. “She’s got a boyfriend.” 

“Oh, man,” Javi said with a slight wince. “That’s rough.” 

“You’re tellin’ me.” 

Later that night, Boone shook off his nerves as he led the group of Wranglers over to your house. It was an uncomfortable mix of feelings that twisted around inside his gut. He always liked seeing you and catching up with you, but at the same time, he always found himself flustered and hit with the brick of guilt for liking you. He thought about moving to avoid his achy heart, but that seemed a bit extreme considering he was hardly home anyway. And he wasn’t sure he could give up seeing you, even in passing. You were a friendly face above all else, a calmness to his otherwise chaotic life. 

He knocked on your door, and you opened it with a wide smile, ushering everyone into your backyard. In the dim light of the evening, a fire was cracking in the pit and different beverages were resting in a small cooler. 

Boone ended up sitting beside you, your knees knocking against his. He fiddled with the tab of his beer and worked up the courage to ask, “What’s James up to tonight?” 

You seemed to hesitate before answering, “He’s out for a work thing.” 

There was an itch for him to ask more, but he decided against it and resorted to sipping his beer and listening to his friends start to recant their chasing stories to you. It all was in good fun, a nice night despite the close proximity to you. The fire crackled and smoke danced upwards, melting with the deep blue sky peppered with stars. 

The conversations flowed like you had been a part of the Wranglers since they started. You were easy to get along with, sweet and talkative. Boone wasn’t even sure what the time was before the group started stifling yawns. Finally, Tyler made the decision to head back, prompting everyone to tiredly agree. 

They offered you a mix of hugs and handshakes, a nice goodbye while you offered them a ‘come around any time.’ Boone lingered behind, picking up trash while you smothered in the fire. 

“Your friends are nice,” you said. 

Boone smiled lightly. “Yeah, they’re pretty great.” 

You grabbed a couple discarded cans and hugged them to your chest as you double-checked that everything was picked up. Pressing your lips into a thin line, you looked conflicted. A crease sat between your brows, something worry-filled or upsetting, he couldn’t quite tell. Maybe he wasn’t as close with you as he was with the Wranglers, but his ever-growing feelings led to him becoming extra observant whenever he was around you. Subtleties in your actions were as big as wild gestures in his mind. 

“Are you okay?” he asked gently, not wanting to pry or overstep. 

You met his gaze for a second before you sighed. “I’m…I don’t really know.” 

He made a bold step forward, lessening the gap between you just slightly. “Do you wanna talk about it?” 

“You asked about James earlier,” you started, suddenly fascinated by the grass under your feet. “I lied.” 

“About what?” he scrunched his face in slight confusion. 

“He’s not out for work. We…we got into a fight, actually. A big one. He said he needed to cool off but…that was three days ago.” 

The confession caught Boone off guard. He nearly lost his balance. “O-Oh,” was all he could mutter. 

You let out a shaky laugh, but not a humorous one. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this,” you continued. “It’s just…I haven’t really talked to anyone about it. And then you showed up and I…Well, I like talking to you.” 

Boone tried not to think about your words too hard, but his heart beat a little quicker inside his chest. He couldn’t muster up the right words before you started talking again. “You know the worst part about it? I’m not even that upset. I should be, right? If we were so in love, I should be upset that he walked out without even trying to talk things through. But I’m not. I should feel different, but I don’t. I don’t even miss him.” 

You groaned loudly and dropped down onto the old log that had been fashioned into a bench. You let the cans tumble into a pile on the grass as you held your head in your hands. “I’m sorry,” you rushed out. 

“Don’t be sorry,” Boone said, slowly lowering himself beside you. “You can’t really help how ‘ya feel, or so I’ve been told.” 

“We’ve been together for ages,” you sighed. “It should hurt but it doesn’t. I think we’ve just been, like, stuck and too scared to admit that things don’t feel the way they did back when we first got together.” 

Boone felt like he was treading into dangerous territory without proper equipment. Like he was barreling right into a twister without anything to keep him grounded. But he knew he couldn’t think of himself, he had to think of you. You were upset; he didn’t like that. He couldn’t fix it, but maybe he could offer some generic, Hallmark advice and it would be okay. 

“Maybe he does just need time to cool off,” Boone suggested. “Space isn’t always a bad thing, right?” 

You shrugged. “We’ve fought before, but this felt different. And if I’m being honest, I don’t know if I want him to come back.” 

Boone let out some air from his cheeks, unsure of what to say and unsure of what you wanted him to say. Luckily, you spoke before he had to come up with something. 

“Gosh, I’m sorry, again. You should get back to your friends. I’m just rambling.” You laughed nervously, standing up once more and recomposing yourself. But he noticed the way you brushed your hand under your eyes and ducked your head. 

“You should do whatever makes you happy,” Boone said, quietly. “If you're not happy with him then…you know…” 

You smiled softly and nodded, and Boone took that as his moment to leave. He hurried back to his home, his heart racing inside his chest underneath the moonlight. 

You chewed on your nails nervously, pacing your kitchen for what felt like the millionth time that morning. After sleeping on your split feelings to Boone, you felt a weight grow heavier and heavier on your chest, a crushing feeling that tried to break your bones every time you saw the storm chaser on his brief visits home. It was wrong, you knew that, to feel something towards someone else while in a committed relationship. You’d never act on them while dating your boyfriend, but you subconsciously found yourself thinking of Boone. 

For a while, you thought maybe it was just a rush of intense friendship that you hadn’t felt in ages, and you confused that with romantic feelings. But the less and less you and your boyfriend felt like a real couple, the more you started to think about Boone beyond the bounds of friendship. It was all fantasy, something to keep your heart occupied while your boyfriend drifted further from you each time you desperately tried to pull him back in. 

The truth was you weren’t working anymore. Whatever spark you’d both been trying to fan for years finally gave way and left you both cold. But for some reason, you both were scared to end the first real relationship you’d ever known. 

After your fight, the absence of your boyfriend didn’t make you miss him, it made you comfortable in the quietness of your home and your freedom. So, you made the call. After trying and failing to bring your relationship back from the dead, you called it off and he agreed with a heavy sigh full of relief. 

Your heart was still tender and jumping into another relationship right away wasn’t what you wanted, and spring was still young. Boone left with his team to finish out the rest of the season chasing, and you worked on yourself until you found yourself in a place much better and brighter than you’d ever been in before. You felt lighter, a newfound sense of life in your veins. 

Once the months started to turn into crisp breezes and shorter days, you found yourself on the front porch of Boone the day after he returned home. 

He swung open the door with a smile and polite, “Hey.” 

“Hi,” you greeted, pulling out something from behind your back. It was a small bouquet of flowers picked from the patch in your backyard. “These are for you.” 

He blinked in surprise. “For me?” Boone chuckled and took him with a carefulness, like he was scared the breeze would take them. “Why in the world are you bringin’ me flowers?” 

You couldn’t stop grinning; your cheeks hurt. “I came to ask you a real important question.” 

He looked beyond confused but nodded for you to continue. 

“Would you want to go on a date with me?” 

Boone looked like he had short-circuited, eyes bulging out of his head and body frozen for a stretch of time that made you start to second guess your bold proposal. It took several moments for him to shake himself loose and ask, “Are you serious?” 

You nodded, heart beating nervously against your chest. His face broke out in a grin almost as wide as yours had been and he lurched forward, picking you up by the waist and spinning you around in front porch light. You threw your head back laughing, nerves subsiding in a moment of bliss. 

He sat you down but kept his hands on your hips, a little breathless and shinning. “Hell yeah I wanna,” he replied, as if his reaction didn’t tell you everything you needed to know.

[candycryptids]

I’m sad as hell but I made one of my old DnD OC’s in final fantasy properly because he’s been in 1 (one) screenshot before I really dug my teeth into Customizing and Modding my blorbeans to look like my blorbeans which is great, cos he’s my baby boy baby… he does the gardening…. He’s retired…. He has anxieties….

Anyways here’s Sebastian (Sasha) Orlev he’s from a Curse of Strahd campaign and became my baby boy baby (and also a wereraven, but don’t worry about that, also disregard the carbuncle n minion I’m hanging onto my happiness by my fingernails rn and that’s an emotional support carb in a onesie okay,)

He’s also Keathan’s retainer and Ishi’s [unofficial Gardener].

[mokulule]

The Number You Have Called Cannot Be Reached - Part 12

First | Masterlist

Ship: Dead on Main (Danny/Jason)  Fandom: DP x DC Summary:

Danny is just trying to build a portal home, becoming a thief was just an unfortunate side effect of that goal. Now if only this vigilante family would just leave him alone. Especially Red Hood - the semi retired crime lord whose ghost-like presence keeps drawing Danny to him.

Part 12:

Danny asked himself why he even bothered with this game of cat and mouse with the bats. They already knew he could go intangible, so what was the point?

It was another day, another chase; another case of Red Helmet not showing up. This was the third time, not counting when he’d sneaked back invisibly and intangibly in the morning for another roll of heavy duty cable after that first night Red Helmet hadn’t shown.

Was he alright? Was he hurt? Had he just given up?

His core cried out in sorrow lamenting the connection he couldn’t make. It didn’t matter that he never had a connection to begin with, now he felt not only lost, but abandoned. 

It was stupid. 

He didn’t want to do this anymore. Yet here he was, playing chase. He’d already lost two vigilantes tonight, but they kept popping up like wack-a-moles. His current tail was Sunshine, who was a rare participant, he’d only showed up recently but unlike the others he had powers, which made losing him in the traditional sense hard.

He should just leave, but what if Red Helmet showed?

Also it was habit. Habit was a comfort to his hurting core. Ghosts were creatures of habit and mischief. The chase even while it exhausted him was the only bit of play he had. It used to be, early in his stay in Gotham, that he actually had fun. He wasn’t sure at what point it became more habit than fun. It had probably been a gradual sneaking thing.

When Danny first arrived in this world through a training accident and a random portal, he hadn’t been worried. Sooner or later he would find a new natural portal to return to the Ghost Zone and from there he could find home. Natural portals happened all the time, they were like vents, opening and closing to relieve pressure and keep the balance between worlds. Danny had a knack for finding them. He didn’t know whether it was due to dying in a portal or because of his adventures with the Infi-map, but it was a skill he’d developed. So while a couple of years prior he would have been worried about going through a portal, not so much anymore.

He didn’t recognize the city he landed in, it was a regular metropolis with towering skyscrapers, chrome and glass. One building had a giant globe on top with a sign pronouncing it the Daily Planet. Flying about invisibly and people watching, he’d first come to the conclusion he had to be in the future. The technology was just way too advanced when it came to what every day people had in their pockets.

His sightseeing had taken him to a place called Star Labs - how could Danny not check it out with a name like that? And he was not disappointed. They seemed to be doing a little bit of everything; medical research, weapons, strange things he didn’t even know what was (and Danny knew strange things), but best of all spacecraft. 

He’d been looking at a nanotech self-repairing coating for a future spacecraft when it happened; Alarms blared. The lights changed to red. Alert, Danny had remained still and invisible. He wasn’t necessarily the cause of the alarm, and making a sound now would only make him the cause of alarm for the suddenly nervous scientists in the room.

They all waited to see what would happen and eventually the doors opened admitting white armored security guards - the color immediately sent his hackles rising, the lights flickered momentarily but thankfully nobody noticed. All were focused on the security guards scanning the room with their anonymous visors.

Someone pointed towards the corner and guns were raised. The poor scientist standing there raised his hands frantically babbling, begging that he hadn’t done anything, please don’t shoot- The stream of words became just that to Danny, like water rushing in his ears. 

They weren’t pointing at the scientist; they were pointing at Danny. 

He moved, only just in time, flying up through the ceiling. The guns whirred behind him, with a high pitched charging sound and not like normal gunshots at all, no too much like-

Heat erupted in his side and he screamed. It took all his willpower to keep his invisibility, to keep his form. His head snapped around frantically, even in a new room he saw only armored white closing in. Place was crawling with them. A wail was building in his throat. No! He was in a city, he couldn’t! Panic fueled him as he kicked off the floor in a burst of speed, up up up. Floor after floor until the evening sky opened up above him in burning reds and oranges. 

He hadn’t stopped, he’d sped away from the city. 

At present Danny pressed himself against a wall, watching Sunshine reconvene with Purple from his hiding place above them. Seeing the two vigilantes were busy he sneaked carefully around the  corner of the building to put the building between them. He kept in the shadow of a pipe as he started jogging. 

Thinking about Star Labs he couldn’t help but touch a hand to where the energy blast had hit him - he’d scarred. It hadn’t been ectoplasm based, Danny would have known, but if they could hurt him, they could find a way to capture him, to keep him captured. 

That was why Danny had tried to limit the usage of his powers in Gotham. If he could pass for just a regular thief, maybe someone with cloaking tech,  If they guessed what he was they would be one step closer to- No! He couldn’t think about that, he needed to keep his head in the game. 

The midget sprung down in front of him, and Danny changed directions. How many of them were out here today? And with how many what were the odds Helmet wasn’t out here somewhere? Danny was tiring. But maybe there was hope? 

His thoughts drifted again as he ran.

When Danny had taken a moment to catch his breath after his escape from Star Labs, he’d started to look for a portal. He’d had enough of this future, but he hadn’t found a single one. He’d flown around trying to sense one until he’d been forced to set down in a forested area, transforming from the exhaustion. 

He hadn’t understood then why he was so tired.

Strangely breathless he’d pulled out his phone and called Tucker. If he could trust one person to always be near his technology it was Tucker - The number couldn’t be reached. Next he’d tried Sam, then Jazz, then Mom and Dad, none of the numbers could be reached. 

Terrified of what could have happened to them, Danny had started walking. He needed somewhere he could access technology. He’d discovered the burn on his side had carried over to his human form, because his shirt stuck to the blistering mess. He’d been in too much shock to notice the pain. But as he walked it became more and more apparent. He didn’t have anything in his backpack to dress the wound. 

As evening encroached, Danny had come upon a road. He picked right for his direction, walking in the leafy underbrush on the side of the road. The road was long and straight and relatively well travelled even as evening moved on into twilight, which was already pretty dark due to the shadows of trees. The now fewer cars had blinding headlights and Danny was careful to look away from them - not just for his poor eyes’ sake, but he really didn’t need to cause an accident, he never knew when his eyes would decide to reflect light like some sort of cryptid roadside ghoul. 

Danny was exhausted - too exhausted, but he tried to ignore the tumble of worried thoughts that wanted to be released from where he’d chained them up. He was considering just finding a soft spot to lie down for a nap, but some niggle of fear he couldn’t explain told him he might just be more exhausted if he stopped. No, walking on was safer. He needed to get to a place where there were people, and he didn’t risk getting mauled by wildlife because he was tired.

A truck stopped just ahead of him after a crescent moon had risen in the sky. Danny felt more full dead than half dead as he walked up to the truck. The window was rolled down.

“My wife’ll kill me for picking up hitchhikers so near Gotham if you’re a serial killler,” a rough female voice spoke from the cabin. 

Danny blinked. What? He managed to say, “uh?”

The driver leaned over far enough that she could open the door and actually see him. She had short cropped curly hair, a nose that looked like it had been broken before and judging dark eyes that swept up and down Danny’s arguably pitiful state of being. 

“Well, are you?” She enunciated.

“What?” “A serial killer?” Danny held his arms out helplessly. “I’m not, but if I was, that would also be my response, ma’am.”

She huffed a short bark of laughter. “So you got a bit o’ sass. Jump in then. Heading to Gotham?”

“Sure.” Danny replied, and climbed up. He’d never heard about a town by that name, but it was the second time the lady had mentioned it and who really knew where he was except somewhere in the US. He buckled in under watchful eyes, and in moments they were off.

“So you from somewhere in the Midwest?”

“Illinois, ma’am.” It was a safe enough topic, and Danny was so relieved to sink into soft seats and relax. His backpack was safely between his knees, even if it didn’t hold much of value and the cabin warm but not too warm.

“What brings you all the way out to Jersey?”

“Would you believe me-“ Danny covered his mouth as he was a assaulted by a yawn. “Sorry. If I said I don’t know?”

She glanced away from the road towards Danny momentarily. “Wouldn’t be the strangest thing.”

She reached into a cooler box and pulled out a sweating can that she handed to him. “Here, you’re pale as a ghost.” He accepted the can with shaking hands. Only his heart had jumped at the comparison, not his whole body, he reassured himself. He frowned thoughtfully as he examined the can. Zesti Cola the cursive lettering declared.

“Is this a local brand?” Danny asked thoughtlessly as he opened it up.

He realized his mistake as soon as it was out of his mouth at the incredulous look he got. “It’s only the biggest brand worldwide.”

Danny coughed. “Guess I must have grown up more sheltered than I thought.” 

He’d take the pitying look over any suspicion. He took a sip and it tasted a bit sweeter than the cola he was used to. His body welcomed the sugar and the liquids. He was usually more resilient than this. 

After finishing the pop, and putting the can in the trash bag as directed it wasn’t long until he fell asleep. 

He woke a bit disoriented when they stopped at a gas station an unknown amount of time later. And as memories flooded in he immediately knew what had been wrong with him. There had been absolutely no ambient ectoplasm in the air. He’d burned up his own rapidly using his powers for hours and healing a wound to boot. The difference was blatantly obvious now that he was in an area with ectoplasm in the air. He didn’t feel near as tired, his muscles and the wound ached less.

He stepped out of the truck along with the driver, and pulled his backpack back on. He looked up to the dark cityscape towering above them - so Gotham was definitely not a town. 

“Hey, kid.”

Danny resisted the instinctual urge to protest that he was nineteen, so not a kid, but that was personal information he didn’t want to give. 

“Yeah?” She walked around the truck to face him. “Gotham is a very good city to disappear in, but it’s also a good city to disappear in, you feel me? So take care?”

Danny swallowed at the ominous warning, but he was confident he could protect himself. He nodded. “Thanks for the ride, ma’am.”

Danny snapped out of the memory as a staff came down for his head. Jumping back he saw the midget had been joined by criss-cross bandolier guy.

He changed direction again and mused, that at this rate he’d go through all the vigilantes of Gotham tonight; but there was only one he wanted to see. He wasn’t showing and that was good, he reminded himself.

Zesti Cola and Gotham had been the clues Danny needed to know he was not in the future but in an entirely different reality. The following days he’d explored the limits of Gotham’s ambient ectoplasm. He’d quickly realized that to leave Gotham would be extremely dangerous to him. He might survive on human food, but any use of his powers would leave him weak and vulnerable, and as someone who didn’t even have an identity in this world - nobody would notice if he did disappear. 

Clockwork didn’t answer him. He couldn’t rely on anyone finding him here, they could become just as stuck as him. The only real solution was to build a portal. 

Danny was too late to divert from his path when he realized he was running towards a dead end, brick walls on two sides and concrete on the last, going up several stories. It was just as good a sign as any that it was time to end the chase. His stupid core could mourn Red Helmet’s absence just as easily from his hide-out as it could from here. 

He was prepared to turn intangible and go through the wall straight ahead. 

It was a relief the chase would be over. Weariness dragged at him more so now that he knew it would soon be over. Just three more long strides and the next would take him through the wall.

One. Two-

Electricity flared bright blue and flickering, dancing dangerously across the wall. Danny froze in place, in a way only possible due to his powers, as he instantly cancelled his momentum. Momentum that would have otherwise- No, he couldn’t think about that now. He had to focus, no panic, he could panic later, when he was free. He spun around. Electricity sparked all around him turning into a blur of dancing lightning. He dug his nails in to the palms of his hands. The path he’d come from was blocked by the bats. Blue Bird with his terrifying sticks, had joined the other two. 

The world wavered around him. He couldn’t breathe. His heart was so loud in his ears. He bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood in his mouth. It was not over yet. 

He sunk into the ground, but pain, terrible and familiar lanced up through his legs and he jumped up with a yelp. He stared down at the asphalt beneath his feet in terrified realization; there were live power lines running through the ground.

Danny gritted his teeth and faced his pursuers grimly.

Bandoliers gave Danny a triumphant smile. “Gotcha.”

-

There you have it, Tim's plan to capture Danny, helped along by Danny being distracted. Next time we will see if it works ;)

I don't know that I'm entirely happy with this chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it anyways. Now that it's written and out at least I can hope to get something I'm more satisfied with for the ao3 version.

You can subscribe to the story by subscribing to the masterlist

Update: next

[spaceorphan18]

Which book should I read next?

Inspired by @ckerouac - I picked out one book from each of my eight bookshelves** - one that I haven't read and that's been on my TBR list for a while. I'm letting you guys decide which one to read! Let me know what you think! And I'll read the one you pick next....

**- one of the bookshelves is dedicated to Young Reader books, and sitting on top of it are a couple of books that my bother loaned me, so I've included that instead of an actual YR title.

Info about the books under the cut

From the Fiction/Classics bookshelf: Less by Andrew Sean Greer

You are a failed novelist about to turn fifty. A wedding invitation arrives in the mail: your boyfriend of the past nine years now engaged to someone else. You can’t say yes--it would all be too awkward--and you can’t say no--it would look like defeat. On your desk are a series of half-baked literary invitations you’ve received from around the world. How do you arrange to skip town? You accept them all.

From the Graphic Novels bookshelf: Sandman by Neil Gaiman (Vol. 1)

In PRELUDES & NOCTURNES, an occultist attempting to capture Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. After his 70 year imprisonment and eventual escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power. On his arduous journey, Morpheus encounters Lucifer, John Constantine, and an all-powerful madman.

From the Sci-fi/Fantasy bookshelf: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them. One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.

From the Mystery bookshelf: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders. But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it's too late?

From the Non-Fiction bookshelf: The Great Green Room by Amy Gary

The extraordinary life of the woman behind the beloved children’s classics Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny comes alive in this fascinating biography of Margaret Wise Brown. Margaret’s books have sold millions of copies all over the world, but few people know that she was at the center of a children’s book publishing revolution. Her whimsy and imagination fueled a steady stream of stories, book ideas, songs, and poems and she was renowned for her prolific writing and business savvy, as well as her stunning beauty and endless thirst for adventure.

From the Agatha Christie bookshelf: The Science of Murder by Carla Valentine

Agatha Christie is the bestselling novelist of all time, and nearly every story she ever wrote involves one―or, more commonly, several―dead bodies. And the cause of death, the motives behind violent crimes, the clues that inevitably are left behind, and the people who put the pieces together to solve the mystery invite the reader to analyze the evidence and race to find the answer before the detective does. Nearly every step of the way, Christie outlines the nuts and bolts of early 20th-century crime detection, relying on physical evidence to tell the real story behind the facades humans erect to escape detection.

From the Young Adult bookshelf: Scythe by Neal Shusterman

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control. Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

From (on top of the) Young Readers bookshelf: What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it. Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things. But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?

[crimsonwing62]

Stranger Things HC (Based around the Christmas holiday but not really a Christmas HC)

Its the late 2010s? Everyone's grown up, they have their own families, their careers, their own lives.

Steve's a support worker at the local all through years school.

Robin currently teaches a humanities subject at the local university. 

Nancy worked as a journalist eventually building her own paper from the ground up and just celebrated its 10 Yr anniversary. She and Robin have travelled the world and still plan on new adventures.

Eddie's was discovered in '88 he toured throughout the 90s and early '00s. He still makes music but likes to focus more on Music Producing so he can spend more time at home with Steve and the kids (15f, 10f, 6m). Robin and Nancy are their Godparents

The four get together for an adults only dinner at least once a week, alternating who's hosting - everyone secretly prefers Steve's cooking but no-one ever says it. Robin often pops in to the Harrington-Munson household for a cup of tea and a gossip throughout the week anyway.

Dustin works at NASA (or an equally impressive physics institute), in Florida which they all simultaneously give him shit for and are jealous of bc he can go to Disney and Orlando whenever he wants to. 

Lucas and Max have been married for 7 years now. Max still skates, Lucas still plays basketball with his friends on Saturdays. They have a two kids (12f, and 4m). 

Erica is also a world renowned scientist in her field. She often gets brought on to teams as a consultant and has worked with Dustin on a couple projects.

Will has his own Gallery in California which Jane (El) sometimes volunteers at. Mike works across the road at a job he loves but not as much as his Husband, Will.

Jane's taking life easy taking in experiences, learning what she can about the world. Max and Jane often meet up for girlie days.

Jonathan tours new exhibitions, releases photobooks, does photography around the world. He travels with his partner (or roommate depending on which country) Argyle. His most recent photobook has been his biggest success. It featured a collection of his earliest work of the Upside Down Gang. Themes of Queer Platonic Family and Queer Joy could be explored through the photos and the accompanying pieces written by Nancy.

Hopper and Joyce retired together and finally married in the 90s. Hopper gets antsy so he still does some volunteer work here and there.

Karen finally left Ted Fucking Wheeler after his reaction to the revelation of the the '86 earthquake actually was, was less than appropriate (he under reacted, which made her realise how much of an ahole he was) she remarried to a lovely chap called, Dan, a few years later. The Wheeler kids warmed up to him eventually. And Holly Wheeler exists somewhere but doesn't really apply here.

Anyway every year they made a promise to go away for Christmas.

Robin usually researches the place to go, Steve co-ordinates the kids, hopper-byers', and Karen and her Husband's Schedule to find the best dates to book it for, and everyone's order of arrival. Nancy organises the travel for the four and Steddie's kids whilst everyone else organises their own. (Will books Jim and Joyce's flights for them. Joyce is okay with a computer, much better than Jim, but if it goes wrong she can't fix it) Eddie wrangles their kids, packs and gets their family ready to go as Steve is often to focused on the craziness of  school the run up to winter break.

Steve, Eddie, their kids, Robin and Nancy are the first to arrive, two days after their schools finishes. Eddie and Nancy are usually sent into the village to get a Christmas tree whilst Steve and Robin unpack the food, the drinks, snacks, the decorations. The kids, after exploring and claiming beds, get involved in the decorating part, often making paper rings, snowflakes. The eldest acts like she hates it but secretly loves making them better than last year.

When Eddie and Nancy get back, most of the decorations are up except for the Tree. They do that together, Christmas music blasting in the background.

The Jim, Joyce, Will, Mike, Karen, Dan, arrive mid morning the next day having met up  after the airport and drove up together.

Lucas, Max, their two kids and Jane, Jonathan and Argyle arrive at the same time mid afternoon.

Dustin's the last one to arrive late evening that day.

The whole time is full of fun, buzzing energy, exchanging stories from the year and generally enjoy being in each others presences after being away for so long. A family walk outside on Christmas Eve. One day, They play in the snow and end up in a massive snowball fight. Inevitably there's at least one evening, when the kids have gone to bed, and a couple bottles of alcohol have been consumed so the everyone's a little tipsy and honest, the topic of that place comes up. Most of them have dealt with the trauma it caused, gone to therapy (either paying for it themselves or via Eddie, Jonathon, or Nancy covering the cost). Night terrors were few and far between, paranoia about flickering lights or animal screeching noises have turned into a dulled response. The initial flinch will always be there but panic and worry that used to follow doesn't anymore. This particular year, it hits the party that Lucas and Max's eldest is the same age as the younger party members were when Will went missing, and Jane turned up on Mike's door step. And Steve and Eddie's eldest is a year younger than the elder party members were, and their middle daughter the same age as Erica when she was brought into the fold. Lucas, Max, Steve and Eddie make a mental note to keep a closer eye and hug them a little tighter this year.

----

Jonathan's photography book is based on one of my favourite head canons by @schrijveer

I

This headcanon was inspired by a house i saw in an interior design book and thought it looked like a perfect place for the Party's Christmas get together…

I'm also 60% sure my brain was also consulting the Music video for Last Christmas for ideas of activities...

[queen-scribbles]

Since we all know I need minimal encouragement(ty Alex and Claire <3) to ramble about my children, Swallowtail family backstory incoming(mostly Orion and Minnie). :D

---

Jas inherited three things from her father: green eyes, red hair, and serious wanderlust, though Orion had spent all of his shortly before the family came along.

He was part of an adventuring group, typical monster slaying/ruin delving for a handful of decades until the day they bit off more than they could chew. Ruined castle, infested with monsters, they heard. We can handle that, they said. No, we can't, they realized two dead and three wounded later. Orion was the most seriously wounded, not even conscious by the time they stumbled into the tavern in the nearest hamlet.

They got rooms for the next couple nights, got a healer to look at Orion and the less wounded. No healing magic, bc this was a very small town and the group's cleric was one of their dead. :)) With funds lower than expected since they didn't get the haul they were counting on, the healthy/walking wounded members skipped out on their tab, leaving Orion behind.

He came to a couple days later with heavily bandaged injuries, none of his friends around, and the kindly but exasperated tavernkeep informing him as the last member of the group still under his roof, Orion was responsible for the tab his "friends" ran out on. ("Some friends, if they just left ya for dead" the man groused, and he can't really argue with that)

The tavernkeep being a fair man, even if he has a business to run, offers to let Orion work it off since he has about 2 silver 3 copper to his name. They can start with very easy, light labor jobs like folding linens up to more demanding things as he feels ready, if he wants. Orion agrees--not like he has much choice since he can't exactly go anywhere and it would be dishonorable to try and weasel out. Turns out most of the bill is his room and the healer(he finds out later the tavernkeep and his wife paid for a couple extra visits; "We weren't gonna letcha die, lad") so it feels even more fair for him to work it off.

Minnie is the tavernkeep's daughter. Over the months of Orion recovering and ostensibly working off his debt, they become good friends. Orion has lots of tales from adventuring, always relayed with flair and a fond smile for the life, and Minnie an avid listener; patient and kind with his recovery, and charming besides. She falls for him first, but doesn't say anything bc she expects him to return to adventuring and move on soon as he's healed + worked off what he owes her parents. It's somewhere around the eight-month mark she slips up and says something around him, and Orion gently informs her he finished working off the debt two months ago, and was well enough to travel even before that(he does wind up with a limp, but it's not anything that would hamper traveling). The beastie that almost killed him knocked the wanderlust clean out; a more settled life sounds perfect to him now. Like, say, working at a tavern. Also, he's been sweet on her for a while, too, and just too tongue-tied to figure out how to tell her.

So they court, get married, take over the tavern when her parents are ready to retire. Orion has some fairly impressive scars he's always happy to spin a tale about. He has it perfected to enrapture any audience. Minnie knows running a business inside and out, charming customers and smoothing ruffled feathers with ease.

And then come The Girls. Delilah first, Maren a couple years later. When Mila follows, Orion starts joking about being outnumbered and when Magdala and Jasiri arrive in quick succession it turns to playful resignation. By the time Avalee joined the throng, it wasn't even a surprise. xD All the girls adore their daddy, even if Maren and Jas take after him the most, constantly asking for stories and piggyback rides. Delilah and Avalee are momma's girls, Mila and Magdala intent on forging their own paths--though they both have a fair bit of both parents in them.

They're a close knit group, the Swallowtails, though with Orion's wanderlust in their genes, it's not really a surprise when half of the girls turn to the adventuring life. They always wander back home from time to time. Until Jas gets her own kingdom and an angel boyfriend. All the sisters have accomplishments to their names, some further afield and some closer to home. All of them love each other. All of them make their parents proud.

(Minnie, Delilah, and Avalee are "civilian" enough I wouldn't give them offical D&D/Pathfinder classes, BUT I'd say Orion's a Ranger(Gloom stalker), Maren's a Bard, Mila's a Fighter, and Mags and Jas are both Clerics.)

[supereffectivemoonblast]

Frozen Memories

Halloween/Holiday OneShot 2023

For Halloween this year, I DM'd a OneShot called Frozen Memories (Guide Online), but because of scheduling issues, it had to be pushed back to the end of November. Given it is a winter themed OneShot, I guess it counts as a Chrismas adventure too.

The adventure began with a bounty. Elemine Hemlock, a famous monster slayer, has gone missing while on a mission in the north. This group of four heroes accepted the quest to retrieve Elemine alive, or if she was killed, find the thing that killed her and slay it. Here is the party:

Voradox, a Vedalken Necromancer. She goes super goth, and is somewhat regretting her outfit in this cold north. She carries a unique magic box, that allows her to carry corpses in her pocket for when she wants to reanimate them. She is inquisitive and curious, observing every detail with a fine-toothed bone comb.

Bronson, a Bugbear Bug Keeper Bow wielder. He is a master tracker, able to follow his quarry at range, sharpshooting with the help of his swarm of bees. Bronson feels most at home in the forest, but his sharpened senses help him to read the lies of men.

Herejana, a High Elf ice witch who serves a patron of glaciers and death. Her past connects her with the frigid north, and her haunting appearance wards strangers off her. Her imp familiar Brotis speaks for her patron, and he has a cheeky unhelpful streak in him.

Zorr, a Kobold sneak thief and trickster. The only member of the group that fights up close, but uses pack tactics to synergise with the summons of his magickly inclined allies. When not in the mood to be in danger, Zorr uses mind tricks and illusions to trick his foes.

The session begins with the group having travelled a couple weeks towards their destination, and are now a day or so away from the town she was last seen, Brumendall. Bronson finds a shortcut under the ice that could cut their arrival time down to a few hours, and then enter a cave. Awaiting them is an ambush of Goblins, led by a Hobgoblin. Thanks to a careful approach, the adventurers actually do the surprising, and a combination of Web, focused fire, and strategy leave the party victorious. Voradox takes the hobgoblins corpse for later.

When they arrive in Brumendall, all seems well. Their first stop is the local pub, where they book rooms for the night and query the barkeeper, Ruby, for rumours. As they get more info, they notice a strange lack of fire in what should be a respite from the cold, and patrons eyeing them suspiciously. Ruby gives the group a list of points of interest in Brumendall and they head out.

The main image was based on a joke in the session where Voradox stuffed the Hobgoblin into her mini casket.

The next stop is a curiosity shop, where they meet Rilke. This elf is not a native the area, but has her worries about the rumours. She sells Voradox 2 magic items and promises the party another job should they finish their current one. After that, the party head to the Apothecary, where they meet a nervous Gladessa, and her strange husband Armand. Bronson smells something strange, and Zorr spots a strange cauldron in the back. It is also way too cold in here too.

Satisfied with their initial investigation, they retire to the tavern for the night. In the middle of their sleep, Herejana and Voradox's room is invaded by what seems to be some of the suspicious characters they spotted in the tavern earlier. The other two are roused and begin a brief bout of combat that ends with the attackers collapsing into goo. Bronson saw similar goo in the cave before town and Voradox saw this goo coating the inside of the town well. The noises rouses Ruby who helps them move into another room, and starts to clean up the goo.

The next morning, the party discuss some possibilities about what this goo means, and after talking to Ruby once more, they decide she's probably in on whatever conspiracy is afoot. They leave town towards a small mountain, where Ruby and Gladessa say Elemine is likely to have headed, searching for a dragon's hoard. The first couple days are tense, but they encounter no trouble. The night before they reach the mountain, they are attacked by a large horde of green and red ooze monsters. Through the use of fire and illusions, they manage to survive the onslaught, and finish an uneasy rest.

At the base of the mountain, the group finds remains of a camp, and equipment nearby reveals this is probably Elemine's last stand. They gather what equipment of hers they can find and head up the mountain. At its peak is a few idols and shrines to various local deities, but no sign of treasure, and no sign of Elemine,=. Ruby had lied to them. Herejana happens to find a shrine to her own patron, and prays for some answers. She is told their quest will end back in Brumendall and that Elemine is no longer living. They conclude their attack the previous night was probably similar to Elemine's fate, and they need to end this infestation on Brumendall.

Their return trip to Brumendall is less dangerous, and when they arrive back, the residents they see seem to be behaving like nothing has happened. Herejana's familiar Brotis scopes the area for way into the tunnels under Brumendall, where they previously saw masses of slime via the well. One sneaky infiltration later, they are in the caves fighting more of the small red oozes.

After this fight, they finally confront the cause of it all, two large red slime monsters known as Oblex. Each has used the memories of people they killed and absorbed to create puppets, connected to the main body by an almost invisible string. Their puppets included some of the bar patrons, Ruby, as well as Armand and Elemine. After a difficult battle, the Oblex and their puppets are destroyed. The party still find some of their smaller spawn as they're leaving town however, and work with Gladessa and Rilke to clear around the rest of the tunnels over the next couple days, ensuring the infestation will not rise again.

On the right is Official Art of the a Oblex from Mordenkainen's Monsters of the Multiverse

Although thankful the nightmare is over, the townsfolk wish the strangers to leave them to rebuild. They accept Rilke's job to escort a supply cart down south to get supplies for Brumenhall, then continue onward to their next adventure.

***

Originally when organising for this session, I had 4 more friends making characters for if they could join, but in the end we decided to just run for whoever could make it. Although I'm not constructing a greater campaign for this group of characters, I think my friends are keen to reusing them for more Oneshots in the future under a very loose canon. So hopefully sooner rather than later, we might see more of this group.

[dougrobyngoold]

Travel Adventures - Prague, Czech Republic

We had an interesting day of traveling today. We arrived at the Budapest train station early, just to make sure that we had time to figure everything out before our 8:40 departure (we had to go by train to Vienna and then by bus to Prague). When we checked out the screen in the terminal to see what platform we were departing from, there was a special message in RED running across the screen next to our train. Of course, it wasn’t in English so we had no idea what was happening. I found a lady who spoke enough English to interpret it for me and, basically, it was saying that there would be no 1st class section on this particular train. I thanked her for helping us out and we went on our way. Except for one small piece of information that we didn’t notice until we tried to get on the train - the wagon (car) that we had reserved seats in was not attached to this train! Apparently, our reserved seats were in first class and, of course, that was not going to be part of this train. Instead, we had NO reserved seats. We wandered around until we finally found a couple of seats that no one was in and did not appear to be reserved. What a mess!

Luckily for us, we ended up sitting next to 3 couples from Hungary who were traveling to Vienna to go to the Pink concert tonight. We made instant friends with them when Doug gave them the rest of our Hungarian money (we had no use for it) - only about $20. Instantly, they were offering us beer and liquor and snacks - they were already pre-gaming for the concert! They were awesome - one of the guys spoke English and he played interpreter for us during the trip. They were fascinated when they learned that we had retired 10 years ago - he just couldn’t believe that we had pulled that off. In the middle of all of our socializing, I should note that the air conditioning on the train was not on in our car (as our Hungarian friend stated “2nd class in Hungary” - no AC). They would turn it on for just a few minutes, probably to get the car down to below 90 degrees so that nobody passed out, and then they would turn it off. It was pretty miserable - hot and humid, with no air moving. We were so happy to arrive in Vienna and get off that train!

We arrived in Vienna with only a few minutes to catch our bus to Prague. We hustled through the train terminal and over to the bus terminal, which was right next door (luckily, we had checked out its location when we were previously in Vienna). We arrived at the platform for our bus just as the driver was closing the doors - he saw us and was nice enough to not drive off. We hopped on the bus with our backpacks, relieved to have made it! The people in the seats in front of us had fully reclined their seats - we couldn’t even get in to our seats! We asked them to put their seats upright and, fortunately, they were kind enough to do that. We made a rookie mistake, we did not put our backpacks in the baggage compartment of the bus and they absolutely did not fit in the overhead storage area of the bus. So, we had to store them on the floor between our legs for the entire trip to Prague. Oh well, at least we made the bus and the bus had AC! I took the picture above on the highway to Prague - it was a little surreal to see Slovakia on the back of that truck. Sometimes I just forget where exactly we are and what countries we are close to!

We arrived in Prague and hiked over to our Airbnb to meet our host. We are in a lovely apartment next to Wenceslas Square. We were happy to get settled after our long day of travel. We unpacked and immediately went next door to Beer Point Craft Beer Pub - we think we earned it!

Prague National Museum at the top of Wenceslas Square.

The view from our front door - craft beer pub right where the people are sitting....this is a little too convenient!!

This cool little pub has 14 taps available. It is interactive, you buy a card and put some money on it, then you lay the card on a sensor next to the tap you want to try and pour yourself as much of the beer as you want. The amount you pour is taken off the card - it is a great way to try a few different beers. Each tap has an explanation about the beer, including IBUs and alcohol content. 

[notebook91286]

Captain Swan FanFiction

Everything will change

KillerQueen86

Chapter 2

In the following days she and Killian were never seen again, Milah took care of her, bringing her a change of clothes and water to wash, helping her write a letter addressed to Elsa to warn her of her arrival in Arendelle and accompanying her to eat in the galley when the other pirates were busy doing other things. It was rare for her to meet a pirate, Milah had been good at making sure she could get out of her cabin when hardly anyone was around. She was curious about this woman: she was clearly Killian's lover, she had understood it by the sweetness with which they looked at each other, by the tone she used when she called him, but she didn't know if she was aware of their bond, if Killian had ever talked about his friendship with the princess of Misthaven.

“Much to go yet?” asked Emma, while the two women were eating in the latter's cabin, in religious silence.

"Just a couple of days," she replied, smiling at her, perhaps in an attempt to reassure her, to calm her down.

Emma's nervousness, however, was not so much for her "imprisonment" but for what would happen once they landed: facing a journey on foot from the port to the castle alone with Killian Jones would have been more tiring than these days at sea, because they would be alone for the first time since the beginning of that journey and they hadn't spoken a word since the first day.

“Why did a woman end up in a crew of pirates?” the blonde asked, trying to take her thoughts away from the Captain.

"I was a very unhappy woman: Killian gave me what I wanted most" she replied gently, confirming to Emma that the two were lovers.

"A man's love?" she asked shyly, confused, because she was certain that a woman as beautiful as Milah could have any man she wanted at her feet.

“No, the adventure,” she replied with her eyes shining.

“Love came later,” she admitted as she sipped on some wine.

He envied Milah, she was a happy woman, independent and satisfied with her life, Emma instead in the last year and a half had discovered a deeply unhappy woman, forced into a marriage she didn't want with a man she had learned to despise more than love. Her decision to accept her marriage proposal had broken her parents' hearts more than they had admitted, they had always wanted a life filled with love for her, but her fate had decided otherwise.

She missed her parents, she missed the castle where she grew up and her friends. Snow White and Prince Charming had surrounded her with love, their war council consisted mostly of their most trusted friends: not nobles, but the men and women who had helped them defeat the Evil Queen and King George.

Up until a few years earlier he had been able to count Killian and his brother among those friends, but then everything had changed: Camelot, always an ally of his parents, had put his own interests ahead of any promise of loyalty and soon the news of the death of his friends. Another consequence of the about-face of the king of Camelot had been the need for her parents to enter into new agreements, which had forced her to accept the marriage proposal of the Dark Lord's son and to move away from what she held most dear: her home. and his family. In the agreement it was foreseen that she would close all relations with her parents: according to the Dark One it was the best way to be protected and protect her secret, which is that she was in possession of the purest and most powerful magic, the magic born of true love of his parents. And that meant she couldn't even send them a stupid letter to inform them that she was fine, because anyone could intercept it and use it to hurt her.

After dinner each night Milah retired to the cabin she shared with the Captain, the one next to hers, and Emma couldn't help but stay awake until she heard Killian retire for the night, after which she usually always managed to falling asleep. That night, strangely, she wasn't so lucky: she felt agitated and felt its power vibrate in her veins, she didn't know if it was because she was more and more nervous as they approached Arendelle, she just wanted to get on deck to breathe without anyone following her.

So in an instant, she put on the dress in which she had come aboard and, trying to be as quiet as possible, she opened the door of her cabin just a little bit to be able to check if there were any pirates around. Her eyes, however, only showed her the darkness of the corridor; in the distance she heard the voices of the pirates locked in their cabins, so she plucked up her courage and left her cabin, being very careful to close the door behind her. She waited a moment longer trying to pick up some sound from Killian's cabin, but nothing: luckily everything was silent for her and she therefore decided to go on and go on. She climbed the stairs and already felt better, a light breeze came from the deck: she was thrilled at the idea of seeing the sea and the night sky, she had always liked traveling by sea, and, despite her current situation, what remained it reassured her.

Keep Reading

AO3 EFP

[merrock]

CHARACTER INFORMATION

face claim: Bradley James

full name: Kellan Brooks Newman

nickname(s) / goes by: Brooksie

pronouns & gender: cis man he/him

sexuality: straight

birth date: August 1st, 1983

birth place: Merrock, Maine

arrival to merrock: local

housing: countryside

occupation: blueberry farmer, retired soccer player

work place: Newman Family farm

family: eldest child of the Newman family- siblings Cage and Clementine

relationship status: single

PERSONALITY

Kellan in some ways is your typical boy next door- he places a strong value on family and values imparted on him by his parents, he believes in working hard, and he’s kind but not easy to open up. His friends would say he’s shy but not quiet and despite some confidence issues, has a big and goofy personality underneath this shyness. Someone who believes in having a strong purpose and goals, the last few years have been a trial when his life was upended, but he still remains big hearted and hopeful for the future.

WRITTEN BY: Lindsey (they/she), est.

BACKGROUND/BIO

TW: parental death

Kellan didn’t know how lucky he was growing up in a family filled with so much love, or without the weird amount of pressure that was always placed on oldest children. The Newman family always tried to treat their kids fairly and helped mitigate some of the pressure that he’d shoulder if his family were any other way. Growing up, he wanted nothing more than to be a star in the eyes of his little brother and any other siblings that came along the way, and was always given his due praise throughout his childhood. That doesn’t mean his life was easy, though, and the passing of his mother put a whole new perspective on his life. It felt like he was suddenly forced to grow up a little bit quicker, especially with his father’s focus going so much on the small child she left behind.

It was early on that he realized he was very skilled at many sports, especially soccer. He started playing at a young age and always has fond memories of his mother cheering him on at his matches and taking him for ice cream afterwards. In high school, he became a star player and may have let his skills get a little bit to his head, but his family always kept him humble. He accepted a sports scholarship that took him away from Merrock to the West Coast and despite his hesitation at leaving the family and the blueberry farm, he knew that he had to venture out in order to make his dreams come true.

After staying on the straight and narrow, he was signed to a good team…only to spend his whole first season barely on the field. Still, Kellan knew this was the lot of a rookie, and he remained positive that one day he’d be called to stardom. He was always well liked amongst his teammates and made many lifelong friends, and always made sure to visit home as frequently as he could. He tracked the progress of his younger sister with pride and met with Cage for drinks or a wild adventure whenever their paths converge. (And even when Cage’s path got a bit too crazy and some tough love was involved.) In a messed up way, Kellan sort of envied the way flirting and charming came easily to his brother, and it wasn’t until he was well in his 30s that he found himself able to talk to a woman without feeling awkward.

The death of his father was devastating to Kellan, and even more devastating was that he couldn’t be around for much of his illness. He had to be dedicated to his work, after all, and that’s what his dad insisted. Still, even if he was able to say his goodbyes, he carried guilt with him back to his team. He was past the age of reaching the level of success he craved, he knew that deep down, but kept playing and trying, determined to return home only once he had a golden moment. The moment that came, instead, was a devastating injury to his leg (coupled with a very nasty bump to his head) and a dismissal from the league. After completing his first few steps of recovery, he let Cage talk him into returning home and staying at the homestead while he sorted things out.

Since returning home, Kellan has slowly begun to return the family farm to its former glory, with the help and loving support of his family and friends.

[bigfan-fanfic]

El Dorado (Hunter!Reader x Nathan Drake)

Requested by @slowkib for  hello! I've seen your headcanon about nate drake x Male!reader! I love it so much thank you for writing it!!! And also, can i request Nate drake x male!reader, where reader is a hunter like in supernatural and sometimes have to go for a "trip" (actually just went for hunting) ok to the request, imagine nate's reaction that his boyfriend saved him from a monster(demon, vampire or other monster, it's up to u to decide) when nate went for a adventure for another treasure. And reader had to explain nate about monsters and etc.

It's hard to get out of the game.

Now, tell me whether this statement refers to your "retired" treasure hunter boyfriend or you, the "retired" monster hunter.

Sometimes, in the hunting community, there are events that occur that require the assistance of several hunters - and the Beast of El Dorado is one of those.

A powerful vampire, the monster shows up in the wilds of South America every 50 years or so and causes havoc unless it is relocked in a charmed location.

So you tell your boyfriend you'll be out for a couple weeks visiting friends. He nods and says he'll make sure the apartment is okay.

This is a lie from the both of you.

You're going hunting to help re-seal the Beast of El Dorado

And Nate is going to find the city of El Dorado itself.

Hunters don't tend to be the best when it comes to information. Most of them have little in the way of education and generally have few competencies in technology and such.

So Nate, who has experience reading maps and dealing with radar and checking historical documents, finds it far easier to look for and reach the hidden city before a large group of hunters who likely don't even speak Spanish.

Which means that although Nate finds himself in a city made of gold, he also is completely defenseless against the higher vampire living in it.

Nate is literally running from the vampire when you arrive, and it is just such a shock to see him there that he runs into you and knocks you over.

He watches in awe as you and the other hunters drive the powerful monster back

You have to time your shots and blasts of holy water to repel it, and force it back down into the ritual circle that contains it, all while the city's traps activate around you.

Nate helps the hunters avoid the traps, and leads you all safely out of the city after the ritual is complete and it begins to implode.

Apparently, this is par for the course for good ol' Nathan Drake.

"Hey... uh, you okay?" you ask.

Nate nods. "Weirdly enough, that's not the first time I've encountered something weird like that in an old ruin."

You chuckle at his reaction, because like everything about him, it's unexpected.

He is surprised to find how prevalent monsters are in the modern day, and a little worried, but...

"Wait, why are you laughing? Nate?"

"Sorry, sorry. It's just... I just realized - your secret job is WAY more dangerous than mine is!"

Nate's not going to become a hunter or anything, but he will insist you both be more open and not have secrets about what you're going to be doing.

And he suggests bringing you with him next time he takes a big expedition. You know - in case there's monsters.

[atlabeth]

hey! i love your zuko fics so much and was wondering if you’d like to write this, because the idea just popped up: maybe a zuko x reader fluff that takes place before/during LOK? maybe they’re reminiscing about their past adventures w the Gaang while helping out the new Team Avatar? idk it’s just that every time I see old zuko it makes me soft and emotional 🥲🔥❤️ anyways, much love! (and don’t feel pressured to do this at all, I was just thinking abt who I could submit this request to, and obvi my first choice was you 💕)

reminiscence - zuko x fem!reader

summary: just because you and your husband are retired doesn’t mean you don’t have amazing advice for the new team avatar.

a/n: this is so cute omg!! thank you so much for requesting this and thank you for much for your kind words i'm honored <33 im so sorry this took so long

sorry im posting so much lately im trying to stop slacking and publish things that have been wips for over a month sdkjfh

wc: 1.3k

warning(s): none bc i choose to ignore the news of zaheer’s plan right after this scene

-

Retirement was… nice.

You had spent your childhood fighting with the Avatar to end the Hundred Year War, a feat that was only made more difficult with your Fire Nation roots and connection to the banished prince. But all that’s well ends well, and you ended up getting your happy ending together — you had to fight hard for it, though.

You married Zuko at nineteen, three years after he ascended to the throne, and spent the subsequent years balancing your duties as Fire Lady and taking care of your daughter. Ruling the Fire Nation was a lot, but you knew you could get through anything with your husband at your side.

When he told you his plans to abdicate the throne, you were more than supportive. One of Zuko’s biggest fears was becoming his father, and by giving up his position willingly to Izumi, it guaranteed that he wouldn’t fall victim to the power-obsessed ways of his ancestors. It also gave him a well-deserved break after decades of being Fire Lord, and you were more than ready to get out of the world of Fire Nation politics. You had sat through enough meetings to fill multiple lifetimes.

But just because the two of you weren’t as involved in every day affairs of the world didn’t mean that you were completely out of it. No, that was far from the truth. You and Zuko were still some of the most important people in all of the nations, which meant it wasn’t a rare occurrence for your husband to be called off on some sort of mission.

One such mission was stopping the Order of the Red Lotus for the second time; Zuko had been part of the team that stopped them from kidnapping Avatar Korra as a child, so it was no surprise that he had been called to help for a second time. You knew even in his old age that your husband was powerful, but you couldn’t help but feel concerned about everything he was doing.

This concern was ultimately what led you to join Zuko on his trip to meet with Chief Beifong and Chief Tonraq in the Misty Palms Oasis. He had originally been against your involvement, claiming that the Red Lotus was far too dangerous, and he didn’t want to risk you getting injured in any way. You, of course, weren’t having it. “The Avatar’s in trouble, and I’d like to think I know a few things about getting out of trouble.”

One thing was certain after you arrived — it had been far too long since you had ridden on the back of a dragon. You truly adored Druk, and you felt bad for everyone that would never have the opportunity.

After conversing with Lin and Tonraq inside, you all exited to greet the new Team Avatar. If what you were told was true, then they had been through quite a lot since leaving Zaofu. For as long as you had been involved in foreign affairs, you had never met Avatar Korra nor her friends, so you didn’t know what to expect — an awestruck boy that could barely speak wasn’t at the top of your list though.

“Oh my gosh. It’s Lord Zuko and Lady Y/N. I can’t believe it!” He stared at the two of you with wide eyes, his voice getting higher and higher as he whimpered. He looked like he was going to fall over until another black-haired boy pulled him out of the way, his tone apologetic.

“Uh, forgive my brother,” he said as he put his fist against his open palm, his brother following suit. “We’re just really honored to meet you both.”

“It’s no problem,” you smiled as you and Zuko returned the greeting. It had been years since someone had reacted that way towards you, and you would be lying if you said it didn’t amuse you. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.”

The two boys straightened again as the taller one gestured to them each in turn. “I’m Mako, and this is Bolin. We’re Korra’s friends.”

“Ah, she’s got her own Team Avatar?” You inquired with a twinkle in your eye. “You know, I traveled with Avatar Aang years back along with my husband.”

“Of course I know!” Bolin exclaimed. “Oh, I’ve heard so many stories about your adventures, they’re all so amazing!” His eyes widened and you actually thought that he was going to fall over. “Oh, oh, could you tell us about some of the things you went through?”

“Bolin, we really shouldn’t bother them—” Mako started, but you laughed and waved it off.

“I assure you, there’s nothing to worry about. It’s not often I get to relive my journeys to such avid listeners. What would you like to hear about?”

He thought for a couple seconds then shot back up again. “What was it like when you escaped the Boiling Rock together? You guys were the first people to ever break out, right? That had to be amazing!”

You and Zuko both laughed as you shot him a look. “It was… interesting,” he said.

“By interesting, he means it was a complete disaster,” you corrected. “Everywhere something could’ve gone wrong, it went wrong. They had originally come there to rescue Sokka’s dad, but instead they found Suki and I. Then Zuko got found out and thrown into prison, our first escape plan failed, Sokka almost got found out, Azula showed up… it was honestly a miracle we made it out at all.”

“It wasn’t that bad!” he protested. “Getting thrown into prison was part of the plan, we wouldn’t have been able to get the cooler out if I hadn’t been found out.”

“I guess I can’t complain,” you chuckled. “I did get to punch you a couple times.”

“They are so cool,” Bolin whispered as the two of you went on in the background. He elbowed Mako in the shoulder and gestured towards the couple with his head. “Come on, ask them something! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!”

“I’m not going to ask them something, Bolin—”

“Excuse me, my brother has something he wants to ask too!” Mako shot him a dirty look which quickly disappeared when you and Zuko turned to him attentively.  

“Oh, um…” He coughed and scratched his head. “I guess.. is there any advice you have for us? With this whole Team Avatar thing, I mean.” You smiled at Mako and took Zuko’s hand.

“The friendships you forge during your journey are the most important thing — they’re the things that will keep you going during your darkest moments, and they will last a lifetime. There will be mountains and valleys, ebbs and flows, but no matter what, you will hold an unbreakable bond.”

You felt Zuko squeeze your hand and turned your smile on him as you returned the sentiment then nodded for him to continue. “Never take anything for granted, and trust in fate. You’re where you are for a reason — everything will end up working out in the end.”

You grinned and kissed him on the cheek, humming in agreement. “It did, didn’t it?”

-

After a few more minutes of talking with the two brothers, they went off to join the rest of their group. It was strange being on the outside of it all after how intense your childhood was, but it was… refreshing not to have the weight of the world on your shoulders anymore.

“The world’s in good hands with them,” you murmured as you leaned your head on Zuko’s shoulder.

“They all have that same fire you had when I first met you,” Zuko chuckled. You watched the four of them conversing and a smile graced your lips.

“Oh? Then I think the world’s in very good hands.”

-

perm tag list: @dv0412 @siriuslyslyslytherin

[leorizanzel]

Alright, in the interest of getting this off my chest because I will literally never write this, here's my rough outline for an "everyone lives, no one dies or Falls" AU for Star Wars but make it The Godfather and also sickeningly sweet. And you know it's going to be DinLuke, so why even bother asking?

Most of this is copy-pasta'ed from our group chat with some edits, but here we go!

What if Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi never found Anakin Skywalker on Tatooine, and therefore never becomes a Jedi? What if he attracts the attention of Jabba the Hutt, gets pulled into Jabba's Palace as a Force-sensitive kid that can just Do Things and Make Things Happen, and then eventually grows strong enough and earns enough clout to kick Jabba out of his seat? Anakin Skywalker: Crime Lord of Tatooine.

He'd save his mother from slavery, make sure she was comfortable, and dismantle the slave trade on Tatooine. Possibly even the entire Outer Rim with time. There will be crimes! But y'know, cool crimes.

He could still meet Padmé at some sort of function and they could still get married - he needs a legitimate face to his new empire, and she clearly has a penchant for bad boys - and things can happen apace. He would be neither Light nor Dark, just out here trying to get rich and run his crime empire, nbd.

You’d have Luke and Leia being raised in very different lifestyles - Padmé raising Leia as a stateswoman and Luke being groomed to take over dear old dad’s Extremely Legitimate and Totally Not a Crime Empire business. You could even have a more direct Michael Corleone parallel and have Padmé and Anakin send Luke off to pursue a career path that has nothing to do with crime, but well, who else is going to take over when it's time to retire?

You’d still have interactions with some of our favorites scoundrels like Han, Lando, and Boba that wander through from time to time. Perhaps we have some interactions from Obi-Wan Kenobi, who begs Anakin to at least get some training to handle his Force sensitivity. Once the twins are born, he asks to take the twins to the Temple (to which Anakin threatens to chase him right out of the palace). There's a lot of fun to be had with Luke and Leia in their early twenties, still getting their feet underneath them while contending with the fact that their father is the most feared crime boss in the Outer Rim.

Skipping forward a few years, Anakin's decided it's time to retire and well, it's now on Luke to take over the Family Business. Leia would crush the job, but she has to be as legitimate as possible; it's the best way to keep the business going.

The first major task Anakin gives Luke is to hire a bounty hunter and snatch some dude up that has it coming. No spending limit; only the best for his boy. Of course, Luke reaches out to the Guild and gets Din to take the puck. Not even a couple days pass and Din arrives on Tatooine at the palace with the asshole in tow. It's love at first sight for Luke, but it's another job for Din. Luke Pines with All of His Heart, but it's just not meant to be. He still remains in Luke's patronage throughout the years as he finally takes over for Anakin, and Luke starts considering Din a part of his inner circle. Luke ensures that Din never comes to harm and has safe passage pretty much anywhere he can reach; everyone knows that's Lord Skywalker's bounty hunter.

Anyway, stuff happens and now Din's got a green child and a magic sword and a destiny he doesn't want. Oh, running away from your problems? Need a place to hide?? A place not even the Empire or other Mandalorians would think to find you, much less touch you??? Why don't you come live in my bed palace and settle down here?

Din’s always had a soft spot for Luke - he’s his benefactor, after all. Din’s also oblivious and has no idea Luke’s been holding a flame for him all these years. He’s heard gossip about how strange it was that Lord Skywalker never seemed interested in anyone despite his father marrying Senator Amidala at a very young age, but he figured that was none of his business.

When he arrives at the only place he can think to go, Din’s suddenly swept up in Luke’s loving, caring nature - the child immediately has a crib and a room, Din has some of the best chambers in the palace made up for him, Luke insists upon taking care of the child while Din rests from his ordeal - and he’s like. Wait.

Italicized oh.

Suddenly the fearsome Lord Skywalker, Terror of the Outer Rim, is cuddling Din’s child in his arms and oh no this all makes sense now.

Eventually Bo-Katan and the No Fun Crew show up, and Luke’s about to blow them out of the sky before Din asks him to hear them out. Luke does because Din literally has the man wrapped around his finger, it's so stupid. They show up and demand that their Mand’alor come home; they can’t be without a king. Din’s straight up like nope nope nope and of course Luke wants whatever Din wants, so he tells them to get out. They won’t be denied, so Luke threatens to marry Din right there so they’d have to deal with their MaNd'AlOr being married to the most powerful crime lord in the galaxy.

Meanwhile, Anakin and Padmé, comfortably retired on Naboo, hear about all of this and they’re so proud. Anakin thought his son was just treating the Old Firm like a business - successful, but boring. Now he hears that his baby boy’s starting interplanetary wars because he’s taken in the Mand’alor and protecting him from both Mandalore and the remnants of the Empire? Oh, Anakin's practically glowing.

Din, meanwhile, is adjusting to being a Kept Man. One part of him longs for the stars and adventure again, but another's also like, this bed is comfortable and the food is good and hunting is annoying. Luke doesn't pressure him at all - he knows that he never actually made his feelings plain before and he doesn't want a relationship if it means Din feels obligated to be with him. Ruins the whole point! He gave Din his protection because they've been good friends for years and Luke is nothing if not fiercely loyal, regardless of his emotional connections.

But Din comes around because oh, he's so good with the baby and wow, I never noticed that Lord Skywalker, Terror of the Outer Rim, is actually a very beautiful man and jeez, he's so kind and gracious and loving. So y'know, they decide to get married about it or whatever.

And so ends the tale of Crime Lord Luke Skywalker and Bounty Hunter turned Sugar Baby Din Djarin; I'm never going to write this because I have too many ideas and not enough time, but please have my trash anyway.

[cryoculus]

oddity - xiao/reader

one of my closest pals is celebrating their birthday, and i took it upon myself to write a little lantern rite piece! i don't usually post my stuff on tumblr, but it wouldn't hurt to try ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

pairing: xiao/gn!reader word count: 3,549 words premise: you and him are nothing but outsiders beneath the sea of lanterns — that’s all there is to it. ao3 link here!

“Traveler, what brings you here?”

The wind whistles through the reeds of Dihua Marsh when you hear his voice. The yaksha emerges from the shadows that cloak his form, piercing yellow eyes studying you with rapt attention. Your chest heaves as your sword glimmers out of existence before wiping a sheen of sweat off your brow. A smile graces your face — one that makes him arch an eyebrow. 

“Xiao,” you acknowledge him with a nod. “Just clearing out hilichurl camps for a commission.”

“And your friend?” he asks, arms crossed. “The loud one that floats around?”

You immediately think about how quick Paimon ditched your daily commissions just to get a head-start with the festivities down at the harbor. You didn’t particularly mind the fairy’s excitement, but it was a little lonely without her squawks of encouragement as you shilled monster after monster for the sake of scraping up some mora. But the peace of mind offered by Paimon’s absence is something you liked to indulge in every once in a while as well. Instances like this could bring about new experiences.

Such as running into the Vigilant Yaksha himself, for example.

“Paimon’s gotten quite engrossed with the Lantern Rite.” A lone sigh flees from your lips as you your gaze rivets upward. South from here, the lanterns offered to heavens can be still seen — even all the way in Bishui Plain. They dot the sky even brighter than the stars, burning through the darkness of the night so the heroes could find their way home. 

Somewhere much nearer is Wangshu Inn, its massive tree rising above the fog that began to roll in come sundown. You aren’t too far from his stronghold, but what reason does Xiao have to crawl out of his seemingly-eternal solitude? Last you’ve seen him was during that whole Starsnatcher fiasco, and you didn’t think you would cross paths again so soon. But the curious glow of his eyes — devoid of the indifference he’s worn like armor — tickles the back of your head. 

If you’re able to…could you try to convince Xiao to go with you?

Right. Verr Goldet asked that specific favor the last time Huai’an commissioned you to repair the Inn’s rickety staircase (again). You took her request without a second thought, despite being wholly unsure of how you’re even going to drag an adeptus back to Liyue Harbor. Though the rift between the land’s guardians and its people has long been mended, Xiao’s hostility wouldn’t be so easily quelled. But it’s as if the stars have guided your fates to intertwine tonight — holding each other’s prudent gazes as you both waited for the other to speak. 

Xiao is the first to break the silence. 

“I see,” he murmurs, resting his back against a sturdy tree. He draws his eyes up for only a moment before meeting yours once more. “Don’t you have a festival to celebrate, Traveler? If my memory serves me right, there’s only a few hours left before they release those pyro flowers into the sky. It’s…a popular spectacle among humans.”

You crane your head slightly, not quite catching his drift. Pyro flowers? A popular spectacle among…  

“You mean fireworks?” you snort.

“Yes, whatever those are.” Though his face doesn’t bear any hint of being flustered, the tips of Xiao’s ears turn the lightest tinge of red — barely visible in the lacking light, but you see it regardless. The yaksha mumbles something under his breath before saying, “I assume a lot of people await your return. What are you doing squandering your time here in the marsh, then?”

If Paimon were here, she would have swooped in and taken this as her one and only chance to make good on your unspoken promise to Verr Goldet. Even in the absence of your floating companion, you begin to consider your chances as well. It’s not like you assured the brooding adeptus would be present during the Rite. Just that you’d try to make sure he was there. 

And try, you did when you ask, “I was wondering if you’d want to come along, actually.”

You’re more than aware how…forward your invitation just sounded, but it’s not like you minded whatever answer he’s going to give you. In all honesty, it’d be easier if he rejected the offer and went on his way — doing whatever retired adepti do with their thousand years’ worth of free time. But as you steel yourself for his typical, cold-hearted dismissal, Xiao tilts his chin in the direction of the lanterns released en-masse in the south, gaze softening with a tenderness that’s all sorts of foreign to you. 

“I suppose I can spare a few hours.”

The lights down the docks seem a little too bright, and the jovial music rings a little too loudly when you’re conscious of an introverted companion. Xiao’s aversion to human interaction is no secret to anyone, but the adeptus manages to play it cool as you wade across a throng of festival-goers. He flinches a little when strangers bump into him, but does nothing to antagonize them. (Although you do hear the slightest hint of a growl when the stranger in question doesn’t apologize for the inconvenience.) Nonetheless, you make sure to hover around close to make sure you don’t lose him in the crowd. 

You consider holding his hand for but a sliver of a moment before chucking the idea out of the window. Xiao would probably hurl you into the next world if you touched him unsolicited, and the mere thought sends an unpleasant shiver down your spine. 

It doesn’t take long for you to spot Paimon in the midst of it all — wearing one of those peace talismans around her neck as she nibbled on a stick of grilled tiger fish. The fairy perks up at the sight of you, but she nearly gapes when she sees who it is on your trail. 

“You managed to drag that loner here?!” she shrieks, but the shock in her voice was thankfully obscured by the loud music. “How much almond tofu did you give him? Paimon bets it takes an army to make enough almond tofu to convince him to go out of hiding!” 

“No such coercion happened for them to bring me here,” Xiao clarifies. “I simply want to witness how things have been faring in the harbor since Rex Lapis’ departure. Hmph. Humans still do so much all in the name of traditions that have long lost their meaning.”

Paimon gasps, as if personally offended. “Lost their meaning…? You! You have no idea how important the Lantern Rite is to Liyue Harbor’s citizens, do you? Come on, Traveler!” The fairy huffs, tugging on your arm insistently. “Let’s enjoy the rest of the festival without the immortal party pooper.”

You gulp. “Paimon—”

“Honorary taste-tester, there you are!”

The familiar lilt of Xiangling’s voice pierces through the deafening melodies of the Rite. She bounds towards your little group with a devious smile curled across her lip — eyes shining with enough intent to scare you. Paimon is a bit more oblivious to the young chef’s intentions. Your companion even greets her once she was close enough.

“I have a huge custom order for the Qixing dinner at midnight, and I was wondering if you could try out my stuff!” She hums, spinning Paimon around gleefully enough to make the fairy forget that she was even frustrated with Xiao. Xiangling, however, notices belatedly that the said adeptus is in her company. “Oh, the guy from Wangshu Inn! What brings you here?”

“Nothing that would interest you,” the yaksha grumbles with a clipped tone. “Didn’t you say something about taste-testing for the Qixing?”

“Ah, right! Traveler!” Xiangling turns to you. “Can I borrow Paimon for a while? I’ll make sure my dad doesn’t turn her into emergency food. I promise!” 

“Hey!” Paimon protests. “Who’s turning who into emergency food?” 

With the slightest nod of your head, however, the chef is already on her merry way — dragging poor Paimon back to Chihu Rock despite her plethora of complaints. You sigh, telling yourself you’d make it up to her after you’ve attended to Xiao. Speaking of which…

“Is there anything you’d like to do?” you ask, eyes darting around for anything worthwhile to show the adeptus. When you spot Ruijin somewhere at the end of the baywalk, your brain clicks in place. “How about you and I play a few rounds of Theater Mechanicus?”

Xiao’s nose wrinkles at the unfamiliar name. “Is that another one of those strange human contraptions?” 

“Uh… You can say that.”

You’ve played a couple of rounds with Xingqiu yesterday when the Feiyun heir practically dragged you here after collecting your rewards from the Adventurers’ Guild. So to speak, tower defense games were not your strong suit. At first, dozens of imaginary enemies have slipped past your elemental wards all because of your poor strategizing skill. It’s a good thing that Xingqiu was quick to pick up on the rules, though. He managed to win you both enough peace talismans to make the Xiao Market turn maximum profit. 

Your current comrade, however, is probably just as terrible as you are.

“I don’t get this,” Xiao snarls, banging a fist on the wooden table. “Why can’t I just attack the enemies myself when they arrive? The towers are too weak to defend anything.” 

Ruijin chuckles, ruffling the yaksha’s hair as if he was a child. “Patience. The more you play, the stronger the mechanici become. Besides, warriors grow to be more powerful the longer they stay on the battlefield. You know that pretty well, right?”

You have to nudge Xiao’s leg from underneath the table to keep him from pouncing at the game master right there. When you manage to catch his gaze, you shoot him a stern look to keep him in check. Deep inside, though, you’re actually panicking. What if he turns the harbor into some anemo wasteland all because of a silly board game? If that happens, Zhongli might just declare you persona non grata even if he was already retired. 

Thankfully, Xingqiu’s knowledge about Theater Mechanicus has rubbed off on you enough to win you a round. Ruijin rewards you both with only half the amount of talismans you garnered when teaming up with the Feiyun heir, but Xiao doesn’t really need to know that. He stares at the jade-carved sigils disinterestedly before pocketing them in his garbs, walking away without a word. As your shoulders droop, you sigh and shoot Ruijin an apologetic look before chasing after your charge.

“Sorry if that wasn’t really your type of past time,” you tell him, matching the adeptus’ pace as he marches forward. “We could always try other—”

“If you’re going to play diplomat between myself and the harbor, listen here,” Xiao interrupts, shooting you a yellow-eyed stare. “Neither of us belong in this city. You’re an outlander, and I’m an adeptus — two creatures that aren’t meant to delve too deep into human affairs. And if you have even an ounce of respect left for our respective origins, you won’t tell me off for being needlessly hostile.”

Huh. So he’s aware that he’s being needlessly hostile. 

Though he spoke each word with an even-toned seriousness, all you could hear was a boy that didn’t want to be scolded at. You were a bit surprised to see him lose his patience over such a trivial thing earlier, too. Your mouth quivers into a soft smile, marveling at how human Xiao can be despite insisting he was anything but. 

“I’m heading up to Mount Tianheng for a while,” he announces once the two of you reach the end of the road. “Are you coming or not?”

You have half the mind to tease him for checking in on you despite the fact that he can pretty much leave you in the dust if he wanted to. Xiao glances at you impatiently when you don’t give him an answer, and you decide to push away any thought of discouraging him for another time. 

“Sure. What are you going to—”

Several things happen all at once. Xiao cuts your words short when he dons his mask, clouds of miasma curling around his form in black wisps. He scoops your knees from underneath you, cradling you to his chest faster than you can blink. And you can only gape in disbelief as he princess-carries you across the city — jumping from roof to roof with the grace of a feline. Xiao doesn’t spare you any looks the entire time, keeping his eyes forward as he holds you securely in his grasp. This reminds you a little of the time he saved you from falling to your death when the Jade Chamber collapsed, but you dared not think of it too much. 

You resign yourself to the fact that there isn’t much you can do when Xiao is in Bane-of-All-Evil form and observe the way the tattoos on his arm glow with each precise movement instead. In spite of the corrosive energy emanating from the rest of his body, the aura that those blue-green marks emit is…serene. It’s not all that different from the feeling you get whenever you stand near a Statue of the Seven in Mondstadt. Hm. Maybe Venti’s personally keeping an eye on this one. 

The yaksha only stops when he’s gotten to a high enough vantage point, setting you back to your feet. You’re just about to thank Xiao for the ride, but you notice the way his knees buckle once his mask dissolves from his face.

You’re quick to rush to his side, supporting his weight with yours as he shoots you a disgruntled look. All those millennia of keeping to himself probably made Xiao unused to your efforts, but you don’t give him enough room to complain. 

“You’re hurt,” you observe as you help him down to the grass. “I thought I was just seeing things when we went to the karma-heavy cavern, but that obviously isn’t the case. Does that have anything to do with the Abyss?” 

“You think I’d let myself be tainted with that kind of corruption?” Xiao scoffs, chest heaving as he catches his breath. “This miasma…is all my own. This is the price I have paid for eons of endless slaughter — I’ve already told you that, haven’t I?”

You shoot him a pointed look. “Hasn’t anyone told you that you’re too hard on yourself? No wonder Zhongli is still worried about you until now. The medicine he asked me to give — it’s for that…miasma, isn’t it?”

 Xiao closes his eyes, sighing. “Traveler, I don’t wish to discuss this.”

“Well, you don’t have to.”

That makes him stare back at you inquisitively. Xiao’s gaze narrows slightly as you lift your hands — palms facing the clueless adeptus before you. Your eyes flutter closed, recalling the way you purified a dragon’s tears all those months ago. This is essentially the same, right? Xiao is a creature who has borne the weight of suffering for countless millennia, much like Dvalin when the Abyss manipulated him into their favor. You managed to purge the murky tintage of their corruption despite the odds being against you. 

Who’s to say that easing Xiao’s suffering — even just for a moment — is impossible?

Flecks of starlight dance across the tips of your fingers, glowing in time with the marks of anemo he bears on his arm. Xiao watches you, stunned into silence as he lets you do as you please. He spots a brush of qingxin flowers just a few meters away, but the gentle breeze that wafts across his face makes him feel like he’s not sitting atop Mount Tianheng, but on another peak entirely. When the yaksha closes his eyes, the qingxin blooms have morphed into gentle cecilias, dancing to the rhythm of a lone bard’s lyre. 

Peace, he thinks. He hasn’t known peace in a long, long time. 

When Xiao opens his eyes again, it’s to the feel of his head resting on top of a plush surface. The moment his mind registers your face staring down at him with a kind smile, he nearly scrambles out of your lap out of reflex, but you keep him securely in place. 

“You napped for quite a while there,” you inform him, one hand smoothing down his hair. “Any interesting dreams you want to share?” 

He relaxes back onto the grass when he realizes there’s no escaping you. This oddly reminds him of the quieter days of the Archon War, when Guizhong would let him doze on her lap for hours on end. 

“I’d like to…apologize,” he whispers.

“For what?”

After a few moments, Xiao sits upright and this time you don’t stop him. Demonic yellow eyes turn to the vastness of harbor before him — reminding him that the war has long ended, and a new era is in bloom. 

“When I told your friend that these traditions have lost their meaning… I bear no ill will to the words,” he murmurs, fingers grazing the blades of grass beneath the both of you. The lanterns have grown in number this year, and they’re much more beautiful compared to when he watched them every year from his balcony in Wangshu Inn. “They offer their lanterns, they offer their wishes to lead their heroes back home. But humans have always enjoyed the leisure of being blissfully ignorant.

“Only a handful of adepti have survived to this day. The heroes they sing their praises to have long passed — unable to hear a word of their gratitude. So forgive me if I deem such traditions pointless.” He closes his eyes and thinks of all he’s lost — his fellow yakshas and the gods that have fallen to defend Liyue alongside Rex Lapis. Though he’s convinced himself he’s already desensitized, Xiao still feels the slightest twinge in his chest. “It’s not as if we ever expected recompense for our deeds. We protected what needed protecting because it is our duty. Nothing more, nothing less.”

He expects you to wear the crestfallen look that Verr Goldet always shows him whenever he rejects her invitations to come along to the Lantern Rite. Xiao has been faced with that expression year after year by countless others, and he thinks it would be no different if you look at him the same way, too. But instead of a tight-lipped frown, your mouth twitches into a grin — barely containing your own laughter as the adeptus starts to glare at you.

“Oh no, I didn’t think someone like you would take that so literally,” you say, wiping a tear off your face. “Xiao, listen to me. The Lantern Rite isn’t just for thanking those who protected Liyue; it’s also to honor their memory. Sounds to me like you’re really downplaying how much the people respect the adepti. Isn’t that little truce with Ningguang enough proof of that?”

Xiao stares at you listlessly, and gets the feeling that he’s being made fun of. “I…might have failed to consider it in that light.”

You sigh, pulling your knees to your chest as you rest your chin on top. “So Zhongli isn’t the only adeptus who has rocks for brains here.”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing! Say, do you want to let me hitch another ride and we can craft some lanterns down at the harbor? My treat.” 

He decides to overlook the backhanded insult you just made about himself and his lord. This is an era of peace — everyone jokes about things like that more often now. And though it comes as quite the pain to him, Xiao thinks it was time he learns the way of the people from this era sooner rather than later. 

As you scribble your own wishes on the sides of the lantern you crafted, Xiao watches attentively on the sidelines. You told him to write down his own as well, but people like him only wish to serve the purpose he’s been summoned to make. Xiao has already fulfilled that eons ago.

When you both let the lanterns drift up above, the pyro flowers — fireworks, he mentally corrects — bloom across the night sky. They come in dazzling colors that make even him, an adeptus, wonder how human craftsmanship has evolved to this day. Perhaps you were right. Xiao does downplay many a detail about the people of Liyue, and that goes beyond their utter respect for the adepti. 

However, the citizens are the last thing on his mind as his yellow eyes continue to observe you — the soft gasp that escapes your lips when the display of fireworks has reached its end; the golden lanterns shining across your eyes as you beam with delight. Xiao doesn’t remember the last time he’s ever thanked anyone — fearful that they’ll react the same way he does when faced with pure gratitude. Would you turn away indifferently? Would you dismiss his sentiments even after quelling the darkness in his heart with a single move? In the end, he decides that none of it matters.

You and him are nothing but outsiders beneath the sea of lanterns — that’s all there is to it.

[tigerseye46]

Red Sand/Shark AU

So this is an au where Sha Wujing is the one who retired and Red is his successor.

I had a lot of amazing help from my anons and others for this au and I just want to thank them for that! You all made the au 100% more awesome! So here’s the au (re-uploaded cause it wouldn’t appear on my dash):

Sha Wujing: Sha Wujing takes Wukong’s place as the teacher and retired hero of this au and is the mentor of Red Son, albeit a reluctant mentor. Sha Wujing, unlike his canon counterpart, has not calmed down and is still rage-filled due to isolating himself for centuries. He has isolated himself due to Tripitaka’s death at the hands of a demon which he believes he, Bajie and Wukong could have prevented even though the other two were nowhere near at the time. He has a strained relationship with them because of this belief. Due to the monk’s death, he started picking fights in the mortal realm with any demon and sometimes human he could. The other three tried to stop him at multiple points but he wouldn’t listen and they had no choice but to give up. Eventually he came to the conclusion that this isn’t what Tripitaka would want and decided to pick one last fight to seal the Spider Queen before retiring.

He has rarely spoken to anyone else in centuries, he is extremely closed off to people. and has a lot of rage pent up. He lives on a mountain around the city that has a small house on his mountain and it has a river. He has the basics, oven, microwave, fridge, he also has a tv. Although he doesn’t use the television as much and considers it good background noise while he’s cooking or training. He absolutely despises it when any trace of his past adventures come onto the screen due to the events that have happened. He has a bunch of training equipment around that he uses to at least better manage his rage. He also builds inventions similar to his counterpart and it is something he and Red have in common. He does love tea and cats in this au but doesn’t own any cats in the beginning. He keeps a shrine of Tripitaka in his home and talks to it at certain points, he also has Tripitaka’s old staff.

Fun fact, he didn’t even want a successor and the only reason Red became his successor is because Guanyin appeared to him a couple years before the au and told him that trouble was brewing. She knows he gave up fighting so she proposes that he find a successor and she knows the perfect candidate, Red. After watching him for a bit, he agreed with her and waited for something to happen but wasn't exactly happy at the thought of having to train someone since it meant having prolonged social interaction, especially someone that almost killed his brother even if he isn’t Wukong’s biggest fan by that point. He is rather grumpy while training Red and they clash at certain points but they do have a respect for each other. He is more blunt and honest here.

Red: Red Son is the successor of Sha Wujing and formerly the disciple of Guanyin who after noticing how far he had come decided to let him go to the city to meet new people. He arrives at the city 2-5 years before the events of the au start and keeps a human form. While they still have somewhat of a temper, it is nowhere as bad as canon. They were initially confused by the city as due to being under Guanyin’s teaching, they weren’t as exposed to technology. It wasn’t until they met Mei who showed them the ropes that they finally got the hang of things. They build inventions like their counterpart but aren’t as skilled as canon Red since they’ve only been doing this for five years tops.

Mei actually gave her a place in the beginning since they didn’t have anywhere to go since they were still new. Red refused at first but gradually gave into Mei’s persistence. They were roommates for a while while the demon figured out where they could work. They noticed Mei’s struggle with her parents and encouraged her to be open about it, resulting in her becoming happier as a person and embracing her dragon heritage. Mei introduced them to Tang and got taken in by the human. Tang gave Red a place at his shop, although he works more at the cover business since he wants some sense of normalcy but he does do things like stock supplies for the magic side sometimes.

He hasn’t told anyone who his parents are nor has he found them again and prefers to keep a low profile. He also keeps the fact that he’s a demon a secret along with his fire powers. The fire powers only show up when he’s overcome with rage but since they aren’t as rage filled as their canon counterpart, that is rare. He isn’t exactly thrilled to be someone’s successor since it meant giving up his normal life but does it to further atone for his actions.

Mei/Long Xiaojiao: Xiaojiao remains here as the descendant of the Dragon of the West and is Red’s best friend. She found Red Son wandering the city one day and allowed him to stay with them until they found a place to work so Red has actually been inside her house before. Throughout his stay, she accidentally vented about her troubles with her parents which Red helped her with and because of that, she is less insecure about her place as descendant of the Dragon of the West. From that point forth, she was more open about her problems. She also obtained the dragon blade relatively early thanks to Red and her parents’ urging.

She, like Red, works for Tang but at his magic business and spends time being Tang’s assistant. Her job is to sometimes collect ingredients and deliver if the client asks. She is more reckless here due to having the dragon blade for years and because of the amount of demons she faced. She is slightly more protective here because of Red since she thinks he doesn’t know how to expertly fight as he hasn’t revealed who he is to her yet.

MK/Qi Xiaotian: Xiaotian is the biological son of Syntax and the only human of the Spider group. After the incident when he was around 12 that resulted in his dad becoming a spider, his life was completely changed and they were taken in by Huntsman and Goliath. Learning of their plan to free the Spider Queen, Syntax offered to help, knowing from Goliath that she would protect his son. They raised him where he turned into a mix of all of them. Since he is Syntax’s son, his father made sure he got the best education and taught him many things because of this, he knows a lot about tech and sometimes uses technology based insults like his dad, the other insults he uses are the more crass ones because of Huntsman. While he knows a lot about tech, he’s bad at practical applications and ends up setting things on fire.

They know how to hunt because of Huntsman and spar with him regularly in an effort to get strong to protect their family. Since they’re the only human, they feel the need to prove themself to the Spider Queen who doesn’t really give them a thought in the beginning as she’s more concerned with returning the spider demons to their former glory. The issue of him as the only human has caused somewhat of a disconnect between him and his father.

He is rather cocky and reckless here because of Huntsman and Syntax who both have massive egos, something that was passed down to him. Although deep down he is a sweetheart thanks to Goliath. He uses the tech insults to insult his rival, Red Son and makes fun of him on a daily basis which is great because Red only slightly knows what those mean. He is still an artist here and was encouraged by his father to pursue his passion, he is also still a slight Monkey King fan because of stories he heard when he was little. While he makes fun of Huntsman for wanting to date his dad, he does want to be able to call him his stepdad one day. He has a staff given to him by his dad when he was around 15 that contains some cool things.

Sun Wukong: takes Tang’s place kinda. Actor and scholar. Sun Wukong in this au is the owner of a theatre that for the most part does JTTW plays, he is also an actor and scholar. He spent about 300-400 years in retirement before finally deciding to enter the world again and do something. He has a rivalry with Macaque since both are scholars and always have academic arguments. He remains king of Flower Fruit Mountain but mainly lives in the city now. He maintains a human form to not attract attention from demons.

Before owning the theatre, he was a big name actor (well still is) that did mostly Monkey King related stuff to honor his past adventures and family. He even directed, starred and wrote stuff for his own movies and tv shows, something he does for the theatre now. He also produced some video games. He used to bring his monkeys on the set sometimes and does that now for his theatre, people have no idea where the monkeys come from. Some joke that he’s gotten really into his role and there are those that call him the “Monkey Actor.”

He carries a good amount of guilt over Tripitaka’s death especially after what Wujing said to him and believes he doesn’t really deserve to be called a hero. He also feels bad that he couldn’t help Wujing and that the incident resulted in the demon closing off. He hides all of this under a confident attitude. He hardly uses his staff anymore but still has it. He’s had off/on contact with Zhu Bajie over the years and misses him and the rest of his family deeply. When they meet up around the time the series starts, the pig informs him that he’s found Wujing but they don’t go talk to him since they know the other doesn’t want them around. Instead, the two hang out again with Wukong absolutely dreading the idea that they’ll lose contact again. Bajie actually introduces him to the kids he sometimes babysits and they eventually begin calling Wukong “yéyé.” He met Tang when he heard a rumor about his magic business and decided to check it out, he stuck around even after finding out the human was harmless because he met Red again, he hasn’t told Red or Tang who he is.

Tang: Tang is surprise, surprise, Tripitaka’s reincarnation. He does get dreams sometimes but he writes them off as fantasies. Compared to his counterpart, he is a lot tougher than his normal counterpart and actually fights. He runs two shops with one that is a secret magic shop (mostly temporary enhancements and minor spells), he’s proficient in both hand to hand combat and magic.

He is slightly more serious in this due to running a business now but not as serious as Pigsy would be. His nerdiness is toned down here but still present. In fact when Red is working, Tang likes to bring up different stories from the past despite the fact that Red knows them already. He gave Red the apartment above the shop and has no idea that the kid he adopted is actually a demon. He is rather annoyed and angry at the fact that Red was chosen by Sha Wujing to be his successor even though he is partially a fan of the demon and totally doesn’t have a celebrity crush on him. While he isn’t aware of everything Red has gone through, he is aware that the kid has had a rough life and wants to protect him.

Zhu Bajie/Pigsy: Zhu Bajie, after years of loneliness, came out of hiding and wandered the mortal world as he needed something to occupy his time. He’s had off/on contact with Wukong throughout the years. Eventually he settled into the city where he’s known as a beloved and involved member of a small part of it. He is seen as an ‘uncle/grandpa figure’ there and is sometimes asked to watch over the kids. The kids absolutely adore him and he in turn adores them. He takes them out a lot to places and spoils the heck out of them. He actually met Wukong again when he took the kids out to see the plays at Wukong’s theatre and enjoys taking them there because he gets to see the king, he’s become a huge fan. He memorized the surrounding mountain range there and partially chose the city as there is a path that leads to Wujing, he hasn’t told Wujing he’s tracked him down. He’s just kept tabs on him, mildly happy with that since he knows his brother doesn’t want to see him.

While he retains his snarkiness here, his temper isn’t as bad here due to not being business focused since he doesn’t own one. He retains his parental instincts here since he’s a grandpa now. He has grown a lot since the JTTW days and is proud of this fact. He is on the more reasonable side of things between Wujing who is unnecessarily angry and Wukong who believes he doesn’t have the right to be considered a hero.

Macaque: Macaque in this au is retired from fighting and does not have much of a grudge against Wukong as he does in canon. Although they do have a rivalry as fellow scholars and constantly complain about each other’s theses suck. They are usually one debate away from fighting each other in the parking lot of Wukong’s theatre.

Demon Bull King: Demon Bull King takes Macaque’s spot as the one who trains and plans to take Red’s powers. After their son became Guanyin’s disciple, the two were extremely worried about their child and held resentment for Sun Wukong and his gang that continued long after the gang defeated him. Princess Iron Fan and him had a falling out that resulted in them parting ways (although still married) but they still love each other very much. DBK heard rumors floating around about someone that had become Sha Wujing’s successor and that someone matched his son’s description. Angered over the fact that his son was forced to become someone’s successor, he found a spell that would take his powers. He crafted a plan to lure his son out to do so so his son could be relieved of that pressure along with protecting him and so he could use that power to take revenge on those around them.

Princess Iron Fan: Princess Iron Fan is the main villain of the Red Sand/Shark au. Due to the loss of her son and the fall out with her husband, Princess Iron Fan has become rather desperate to get her family back and she’ll do it by any means necessary. She has kept herself hidden for years, plotting ways to bring her family together. Once she found out that Red Son became Sha Wujing’s successor, it caused her to lash out as her son was within reach but forced to be what she considered a weapon, a pawn. She took advantage of the blood oath she made, promising the twins that if they joined her, she would make people cower before them. She used them to attack on New Years in the hopes of grabbing her son and taking over the world. While that might have failed, she has other tricks up her sleeve and will make Red join her, no matter what.

Spider Queen: Spider Queen once led a powerful army that threatened to disrupt the mortal realm. She was feared by mortals and respected and loved by her subjects. This ended when she faced Sha Wujing and was actually the last demon Sha Wujing fought before he retired. He decided to seal her, citing her as a danger. Due to her containment, the various spider clans started declining as their royal line had been deposed of. Things have become desperate and it is believed that the Spider Boys are part of the last generation before they are wiped out entirely, although there may be more out there. They have decided to free the Spider Queen as her era was the last time the spiders were prosperous and believe she is the key to saving their future.

Goliath (Strong Spider): Goliath remains a total sweetheart in this au and is one of the reasons Xiaotian contains sweet qualities. He is completely supportive and encouraging of Syntax and Huntsman’s feelings for each other and wishes they would just admit it. He bakes in his spare time and gets help from Xiaotian. He is also the other’s confidant and manages to keep secrets relatively well. He does suggest that they speak about these issues but doesn’t push them.

Huntsman: Huntsman is the same here but has a more fatherly side to him as he’s helped Syntax raise MK and has actually developed feelings for the nerd spider. He taught Xiaotian to be an excellent hunter and spars with him on a regular basis. He cheers the kid on during fights unless he has to do something like go save him for a reckless endeavor. He doesn’t admit how much the kid and the others mean to him often but will slip up and admit it. He and Syntax have snarky banter with each other and have a trusting relationship that neither acknowledges.

Syntax: Syntax is the biological and single father of Xiaotian. He was a relatively hardworking and great father that taught Xiaotian to make different things, gave him the best education he could and encouraged him in art endeavors. He was turned into a spider by a horrific lab accident when his son was around twelve. Resentment, horror and terror piled up in him because of that incident. He had absolutely no idea what to do, he was a human turned spider all because of what happened, there is a possibility that no one was going to treat him the same after this, people would assume he had malicious intent and might try to separate him from his son. After that, he spent a good portion trying to return himself back to normal but no matter what he did he could not. Afraid for the safety of him and his son, Syntax began to research the spiders, learning they were almost gone but there may be some out there. He took Xiaotian with him where they bumped into Huntsman and Goliath who were trying to find ways to bring the Spider Queen back. He joined them as Goliath had assured the queen would offer them protection. Along the way, he had come to see them less as allies and more as family, not that he would admit it. He began falling in love with Huntsman after getting to know him for years and seeing deeper sides of him. When Xiaotian was around 15, he crafted a sci fi tech staff for his son which contains some tricks and traps, including a GPS that can be used for when his son is in trouble.

Yin and Jin: Yin and Jin take Spider Queen’s place here. They trapped Red in the calabash just like they did with canon MK and after that incident, they continued popping up with a variety of plans, most that have failed. Red eventually stopped taking them seriously and treated them more as nuisances than real threats. In an effort to be taken more seriously they created a partnership between them and PIF. They shook with excitement at New Years when they began to topple people around them, this died down when the plan didn’t work but they continued to listen to PIF’s instructions, little do they know she’s just using them to get her son back.

White Bone Spirit and Mayor: These two are nowhere near as dangerous as they are in canon and actually replace Yin and Jin as the comic relief although the Mayor is still slightly creepy. WBS probably has a much older host or has shapeshifted to give herself a human form. She tries to get revenge for her defeat at the hands of Sun Wukong and since Red is the closest thing she messes with him instead. She believes she is a powerful antagonist but is more of the average shape-shifting demon and the Mayor serves as her minion. They come up with schemes similar to Yin and Jin but unlike Yin and Jin don’t ever come up with a way to be taken more seriously.

[omgrachwrites]

The Princess and The Duke - Chapter Six

Pairing: Sirius Black x Reader

Summary: As the   Princess of  Spain, you were always supposed to marry King James of   England to make  an alliance between Spain and England. When he marries a  woman at his  court for love, you are married off to his best friend, Sirius Black the  Duke of Bedford to keep the alliance. However, the   court is riddled  with secrets and a rebel in the North starts to rise   against the Throne.  Royal AU.

Warnings: fluff, fluff and more fluff! Mentions of sex, little bit of angst

Words: 2458

Disclaimer: This gif does not belong to me and I’m so sorry if this Spanish is wrong!

Translation: espero vivir para ver tu hermoso rostro una vez mas - I hope to live to see your beautiful face once more.

A/N: I hope you guys enjoy this part, please let me know what you think and let me know if you would like to be tagged! I love you all! xxx

Chapter Six - Onwards to England

The first day of summer heralded with a clear blue sky and an almost sweltering heat, it arrived a couple of days before Sirius and his wife had to leave for England. Sirius wanted to make the most of the hot summer’s day before it was too late. The weather in England was temperamental, though it was now summer, the weather in England couldn’t always be guaranteed. That was why he was taking some time away from his work to spend time with Y/N.

Sirius grinned as he put the finishing touches together before he left the garden in search of Y/N. He found her in the grand ballroom speaking with some of the staff about the ball they were throwing on the night before they left for England. When Y/N spotted him she bid goodbye to the servants and wandered up to him with a bright smile on her face.

“Good afternoon,” she cupped his neck and greeted him with a sweet kiss, “I haven’t seen you much today, what have you been doing?”

“Well,” Sirius started, pulling his beautiful wife close, “if you come with me, I’ll show you,” he grinned as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Y/N laughed as she raised an eyebrow, “I’ll go with you, only if it won’t sacrifice my honour,” she teased as she took his arm and they walked from the ballroom.

Sirius smirked as he held in a snorting laugh, “oh Princess, your honour was sacrificed on our wedding night, over and over again.”

“Sirius,” Y/N gasped and giggled as she slapped his arm lightly, a flush forming on her cheeks. Sirius chuckled and kissed her perfumed cheek.

Sirius led her over the beautiful sun kissed grounds, through the water gardens and through the small thicket of trees that were on the edge of his estate. Y/N gave him a quizzical look as he got an old rusty key out of his pocket, lifted the curtain of ivy and unlocked the heavy door.

Y/N gasped as she ventured inside and gazed at the garden and the flowers that were growing all around her, “I didn’t even know that this was here, it’s so beautiful.”

Sirius smiled and wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his head on her shoulder, “I didn’t find it until a couple of years ago, I found the key in one of the cabinets in the chateau. I tend to it but I’ve never brought anyone else here,” he chuckled, suddenly feeling nervous.

Y/N let out a little laugh as she turned to face him and he saw the tears that were sparkling in her eyes, “I love it Sirius, thank you for bringing me here,” Sirius smiled as he pressed a lingering kiss to her lips.

“Come on,” he led her down the stone steps and through the flowers that grew around their feet to the spot beneath the tree where he’d set up the picnic, “I wanted us to make the most of the remaining time we have left here. I made sure to get all of your favourite things together.

Y/N smiled, “you are simply the best husband in the world,” she giggled as she popped one of the ripe strawberries into her mouth as Sirius uncorked the wine.

There weren’t many things that were sweeter than ripe strawberries and summer wine but Y/N’s lips were definitely one of them. Their stomachs were full and they had resorted to kissing in the shade of the tree. When Sirius’ hand dipped beneath Y/N’s skirts she giggled against his lips and placed a hand on his chest, pushing him away gently.

“Where did you find all the time to do this? What about your work for the King?”

Sirius sighed, biting his lip, he wasn’t sure how Y/N would take the news, “I’ve got it all sorted, Regulus is going to Cumbria as a spy. He offered.”

“What?” Y/N sighed, sitting up, “why didn’t you tell me? I’ve sent some of Spain’s best men to investigate the threat,” she narrowed her eyes.

“Look Y/N, if it is rebels then Regulus will be in a much better position to deal with them. Our family were awful; they would have done anything to overthrow the Potters. James and I were tutored together as children and we became best friends. I hated my parents and their ideals. James’ parents took me in as their second son. If it is rebels in Cumbria then they’ll think that Regulus is one of them. He’ll be taking passage to England with us before he rides to Cumbria.”

Y/N sighed as she fiddled with her fingers, “it seems like you’ve got it all figured out, I just wish that you had both spoken to me about it,” she looked so hurt, “we were supposed to be in this together.”

Sirius nodded as he cupped her cheeks, pressing a kiss to her mouth, “we are in this together, I’m sorry Y/N.”

Y/N smiled as she combed her fingers through his hair, “I forgive you, it’s hard not to with that pretty face,” she giggled, tracing his lips with her thumb, “I want another try at making a baby, we may have made one already but if we haven’t then I want another try.”

In that moment where she was lying against the tree she had never looked more beautiful and he had never wanted her more. He was glad that his new wife liked to be intimate with him, “as my Princess wishes,” he hesitated, looking down at her. He wanted to tell her, he needed to tell her, even if she didn’t feel the same, “I love you Y/N.”

Y/N smiled as she gazed up at him, tears sparkling in her eyes again, “I love you too Sirius, truly,” she beamed, leaning up to kiss him.

After their picnic – and their love making – they came across Remus in the corridor and he was looking unusually grim. Before Sirius could ask him about it, he had blurted it all out, “Do you remember that Lord who wanted me to meet his daughter, Mary? Well, I’ve invited him to the ball,” he took a deep breath, “you’re right; sometimes we have to do our duty to the King. Sometimes we have to choose duty over love.”

Sirius was rendered silent. What was Remus doing? Why was he giving up everything?

“What about Sophia? Have you thought about her, My Lord?” Remus just gulped before shaking his head and striding down the corridor without another word.

Y/N heaved a huge sigh as she gave Sirius a worried look, biting her lip, “Sophia will be heartbroken.”

Sirius nodded as he clenched his jaw, “I know my love, I’ll try and talk to him.”

The ball quickly came around the following evening and Y/N looked beautifully ethereal in a dress of golden satin and a crown of bronze leaves in her hair. She looked stunning and it seemed that many of the guests thought so too. Many Lords and noblemen were vying for her attention and Sirius felt an itch of jealousy as he watched stranger’s eyes roam over his wife. Though as soon as Y/N kissed him passionately in the middle of the ballroom his jealousy melted away and all he could focus on was Y/N.

The ball was going splendidly so far, there had been no drunken brawls to speak of and it seemed that everyone was getting along fine; Sirius didn’t want a fight to break out in his home. However, Y/N had been right, Sophia seemed completely heartbroken; she ended up spending most of her time outside in the balmy summer air beneath the setting sun. When she came inside in short intervals to get another drink her eyes were red and bloodshot. It was painfully obvious that she’d been crying her eyes out and she ended up retiring from the party early. What was worse was the fact that Remus had refused to look her way all evening. The Lady Mary was charming and beautiful but it was clear that Remus’ heart just wasn’t in the right place.

Sirius smiled as he danced with his wife while she gazed up at the beautiful artwork of the angels that had been painted on the ceiling, “are you looking forward to going to England Y/N?”

Y/N tore her eyes away from the ceiling and smiled at him beautifully, “well, it will certainly be an adventure,” she grimaced, “onward to England I say.”

Sirius pulled her close, “I’ll be right by your side, I promise, I’m not going to leave you Y/N.”

Y/N beamed at him as she nudged her nose against his and she kissed him long and deep, “I love you Sirius.”

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The voyage to England was just as rough and unpleasant as you remembered from when you travelled from Spain. You spent most of the trip with your head in a bucket as Sirius stroked your hair. When you weren’t ill you were reading stories such as the Arthurian legends and tales of pirates and mermaids that dwelled in unknown corners of the world.

Finally, after what felt like forever, the ship docked in Portsmouth and England welcomed you with a blue sky and just the hint of a sea breeze. You smiled as you watched the sun shine on the surface of the sea, making it shimmer like diamonds. It was a beautiful sight to see.

When Regulus parted ways with you to leave for Cumbria you hugged your brother in law, “good luck Regulus and be careful.”

He smiled as he kissed your hand, “espero vivir para ver tu hermoso rostro una vez mas.”

Sirius scoffed at his brother’s words and you fought back a giggle, you were especially glad that Sirius couldn’t understand Regulus; otherwise you doubted that Regulus would be leaving here alive. As you rode through the pretty English countryside you gazed over the rolling hills, spying little chapels and cottages that were nestled among the trees. Sirius told you tales of his childhood with James, how they stole the piping hot bread from the kitchens and they tried to smuggle a peacock out of the menagerie.

You giggled and looked over at Sophia, she was smiling but you could see the sadness in her eyes and you couldn’t blame her, it seemed like Remus would be getting married before the year was out, “it’ll be alright Sophia,” you promised.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” she sniffled, “I just wanted him to love me,” you wished that you could take away her pain but words could only do so much.

As you and Sirius were lead into the throne room there were many chatters and murmurs as you and Sirius approached the King and Queen. You ignored the many jealous filled looks that the ladies of the court awarded you. Queen Lily had a hand resting on her stomach and you hoped it was because she was pregnant.

“Duke and Duchess, welcome. Thank you for coming back to court, it’s an honour,” King James began.

You curtseyed while Sirius sank into a low bow, “the honour is all ours, Your Majesty,” Sirius smiled.

“The two of you must be exhausted after your long trip. Why don’t you get settled in your chambers and we’ll have a feast this evening to welcome you,” Queen Lily radiantly smiled at the two of you.

The chambers that you and Sirius were going to be staying in were very comfortable and spacious, there was a grand fireplace in the middle of the room but hopefully you wouldn’t be getting use out of it this summer. There was a portrait of two beautiful little boys hanging over the fireplace and you frowned as you looked at it, wondering who it was. It was then that you recognised those grey smiling eyes.

“Is this you and James?” you smiled at your husband as he flopped down on the huge bed.

“Yes, these were my chambers when I leaved at court, before I moved to my estate in France. I’ve missed these rooms very much.

You smiled as you wandered over to him and sat next to him on the bed, running your fingers through his long hair as he rested his head in your lap. You leaned down and kissed his forehead, “well, you were a very beautiful child,” you giggled as he flushed and kissed your hand, “I want a portrait like that of our children,” you admitted with a smile.

Sirius gasped and sat up, looking at you with wide eyes, “are you saying that you’re pregnant?” there was so much hope in his eyes and you hated to disappoint him but you didn’t know yet, you hoped that you were. Nothing would make you happier than being the mother of his children.

You shrugged as you cupped his cheek, almost wincing as you saw the disappointment in his eyes, “I can’t be sure, we haven’t been intimate long enough for me to tell. But, as soon as I know, you’ll be the first one I tell,” you promised him with a kiss.

Sirius nodded, pulling you into his arms, “and I’ll anxiously be awaiting the day.”

A few weeks later you and Sophia joined Queen Lily and Lady Mary – the woman that Remus seemed to be courting – for breakfast. It was a warm summer’s morning as you sat on the balcony, the day was so clear that you could see the hills that loomed and blanketed the villages. Sophia had been very quiet all morning, it seemed like she had been shocked into silence, because Queen Lily had announced that Lady Mary would be coming to court as one of her ladies. Mary was very charming and kind but you just couldn’t find it in your heart to like her, not when your best friend’s heart had been shattered.

Lily sighed as she popped a raspberry into her mouth, “do you think it makes me less of a woman, the fact that I can’t conceive a child?”

You sighed as you reached across the table and took her hand, “it will happen Your Majesty, I promise.”

Lily smiled at you prettily as she offered around a plate of strawberry tarts, “I know they’re your favourite Y/N.”

You smiled weakly as you took a tart off the plate and took a little bite; you almost grimaced as the sweet flavours filled your mouth. They usually were your favourite, the strawberries were impossibly sweet and the pastry was wonderfully flaky. However, you had lost your liking for them and you thought you knew why. It was something that you could not tell the Queen. Not yet.

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