#he's ready to fight maximus on sight

[beyondedenton]

What is Fair || Maximus + Sophia + Henry || December, 2020

Continuation from [x]

 Maximus: "I believe," he hesitated, "she has found a more satisfying party favor, one she intends to be a permanent fixture in the foreseeable future." This was not the worst his mistress could scheme. Unforgettable nights of horror based on little more than jealousy and spite were once commonplace. Scarred in memory rather than skin by her will. "Perhaps find some excuse to retire for the evening."

 Sophia: Sophia’s lips drew into a thin line and she looked back out into the darkness. She didn’t know what would be worse, to stay here and endure the sight or to leave and be left with her imagination of the horrors.

“Catch fucking 22,” she muttered to herself.

 Maximus: "Your well-being is my only concern, m'lady. Please, allow your decision to be a selfish one."

 Sophia: Selfish she could do. It was in her bones given what she was. But she would fight it. She always did.

She just closed her eyes, crossing her arms as if to fight off a chill. “I care about your well-being too.”

 Maximus: "I understand, and it means the world to me that you care. Truly. Knowing lingers when you're gone."

 Sophia: “And if there was something- anything I could do to stop it… and I had left…”

 Maximus: "That's," his eyes dropped to his feet, then hers, "a dangerous way of thinking, the possibilities. They'll swallow you whole if you let them."

 Sophia: She gave a slight smile at that and looked back at him. “Maybe that’s why it’s so easy to get lost in it.”

 Maximus: "If you might take anything away from my experiences, Sophia, let it be knowing when to wake up."

 Sophia: Sophia set her jaw. “I am awake, Maximus. I just hate what comes with it.”

 Maximus: "I agree," he said softly. "If it's any consolation, you've made the hours outside of daydreaming tolerable."

 Sophia: “It’s a little bit of one, I guess,” she replied. Tolerable. That was what it had to be, didn’t it? Not happy, not peaceful— tolerable.

She glanced back at the party within. How much longer did she have before they’d be missed?

 Maximus: Tolerable was the softest word of choice. Some days, when given several hours to himself, able to spend in Sophia's company, it was much more. It was indeed peaceful, truly happy. But these were blips. Tolerable was the umbrella. Sophia pulled him from the daydreams that had maintained his sanity for over a lifetime of torment.

In their last spare moment, Maximus took her hands and kissed them. These hands, sometimes stained in blood, were pure and precious.

"I love you." A whisper too low to carry. It was time to move. The scratch of an invisible fingernail over the back of his neck signaled the hour.

 Sophia: “I love you.” Sophia reached forward, hooking her arms around his neck in a quick embrace. They were safe, in the shadows.

But it wouldn’t last.

“I’ll take the back way out,” she said softly, pulling back and pivoting with grace despite her heels. She couldn’t think too much about it, leaving. She’d stop again. And they didn’t have time for that.

Perching on the railing, she tucked her purse strap across her shoulder. The wind tugged at her hair, and loosened it from its pins. She looked back at him one more time. “Take care of yourself.”

 Maximus: Graceful as always, and as she would always be in his eyes. Not a blunt instrument to be used against him. They would not win against this love.

A bow as a final farewell, Maximus turned, ready to face the potentials of the next room. Of Henry Buchanan, willing or unwitting accomplice for a second time. He would not assume his behavior, regardless of their last encounter. He expected brutality. Better or worse without Sophia's presence, he would soon know.

 Henry: He was lounging on one of the sofas at the far end of the room. A human woman was draped along his lap while a vampiress perching on the arm of the sofa drank from her wrist.

The flicker of red caught in his eyes as Maximus returned to the fold.

 Maximus: Just as expected, as Maximus had warned. Berger had made arrangements. A party should always carry favors. Given her servant's previous performance and the assumed still-present company, the crossroads demon was just delighted to make her announcement. This time, her hand was held towards Henry Buchanan.

The same words, like a repeated song. "For the next hour, you belong to Henry Buchanan. You will address him as his lordship. You will obey him as my word, as scripture. Do you understand?"

This was worse than Vlad Teppes. To hope otherwise would be foolish. Maximus was fairly certain their recent history was of little consequence. He needed to return to daydreaming.

Gently, Maximus bowed his head. "Yes, m'lady."

 Henry: Henry pressed his tongue to the back of his front teeth as the instructions were given.

A woman like Berger did nothing without thought. He imagined his little show of taking control of the demon at the last party made her think he’d be an easy pawn in her games.

Henry Buchanan only ever played his own games.

Or so he told himself.

“A generous offer, Ms. Berger,” he called. The donor in his lap slid off of him into the waiting arms of another vampiress that had sank to his side, and he stood.

 Maximus: Maximus would not be so assuming as to begin undressing without permission or command. The only tell Henry would find being the gentle swallow with his approach. That was what he had wanted before, was it not? He had to wonder. As much as he wanted to daydream, nonsensical thoughts would not come.

 Henry: Henry circled the demon a moment, enjoying the eyes that were on him even among the clamor of the party.

“Miss me?” he breathed as he came to stand in front of Maximus.

 Maximus: Eyes remained forward, refusing to fall in Henry Buchanan's presence. Not any night before, and not tonight. How could he, when he knew the intimate details of his strained expression, and the soft skin of his throat beneath his fingers?

"Always a pleasure to be in your company, m'lord."

 Henry: Henry tucked his hands behind his back and cocked his head to the side, studying the demon. “We both know I’m not a lord. Don’t we, Ms. Berger?” Henry looked from Maximus back the double doors of the balcony he had come from.

Sophia was nowhere to be seen now.

“Thank you for the gift,” he called back to her. The main parlor was too crowded, he felt, for someone as undecided as he was in that moment for how the night would go. “Perhaps somewhere quieter, Townsend?”

 Maximus: Henry's response caught both demons off guard. Only one gave a visible response. Gray eyes quickly glancing at Henry directly, eyes forward again.

Berger's smile matched her fluttery laugh.

"You stand as your employer's will. You are much deserving of reward. Please, enjoy the fruits of your labors." She, meanwhile, would turn her attention back to the darling young thing in a silk mermaid dress.

Maximus bowed to his new master, waiting for Henry to lead elsewhere.

 Henry: It would be to a smaller parlor that Henry led them to, not far from the location of another in appearance.

He snapped his fingers at a young pair of vampiress wrapped in an embrace by the fire, and they scattered to leave them quite alone.

“I don’t do well with condescension,” Henry replied evenly, pouring himself a glass of whiskey. He made no offer to the demon.

 Maximus: Maximus stood to the side of the door, remaining silent as Henry sought the comfort of whiskey.

It had been a statement, not a command, not a question, so he saw no benefit in response. His gaze fixed forward, waiting for one or the other.

 Henry: Henry took a burning sip and turned back to Townsend. “Sophia up and left, I take it?”

 Maximus: A question he would have to answer. A slow breath was taken, first.

"I imagine for a proper hunt, m'lord." His voice remained cool.

 Henry: “Hardly.” Another sip, and he took a few steps towards the demon. “And what you do you call this, then?” He pointed between the two of them.

 Maximus: "I believe this to be a token of friendship, by my mistress to your family, Master Henry."

 Henry: Henry’s lips curled in a smile. “You can speak plainly. It’s not just that.” He was master here. Berger’s words. He stood directly in front of him then. “What’s she got up her sleeve?”

 Maximus: "If you wish for me to speak plainly, please know this: I am yours to command, but I am still duly tethered." His eyes remained forward, just shy of Henry's direct contact. No master would look him in the eyes unless to make a point, and those ocean eyes seemed determined for just that.

 Henry: He watched him, hands behind his back. “I just get the leash, you mean. Until midnight and we all turn to pumpkins.”

 Maximus: Interesting response, considering the source. A little more poetic than expected. He was tempted to speak again, but rather, he bowed his head. Henry had it exactly right.

 Henry: Henry would take the bowed head as a small win. He turned away and set about a turn of the room. He’s given permission for the demon to speak. Let him. If he dared.

 Maximus: Henry had presented questions, and the demon, his temporary demon, had answered. Now silence filled their private space. Warm and palpable, fixed only by the gently crackling fire and gentle ticking of the ornate mantel clock.

This, Maximus could do, as he was certain Henry knew. Standing perfect, shoulders wide and tight, eyes forward, admiring the fire. Would he not be presented at all, tonight? If not, surely Henry intended something worse.

Henry: Henry stopped at the fire and turned to face Maximus again. “Too talkative one minute and silent the next. It’s like you’re determined to spite me.” Of course he would be. “Tell me. How do you want this to go?”

 Maximus: To be considered talkative was truly the insult. At what point had he offended, he wondered. His association with Sophia, or was it their last back-and-forth that warranted him the wagging tongue?

"Without violence," he said gently.

 Henry: Henry very nearly scoffed. Sophia wasn’t here, and it hadn’t stopped them the first time the demon had been offered, so it warranted very little by way of a show.

“Or what, you gonna choke me out?”

 Maximus: It seemed Henry still held a grudge. Their last meeting had done little to mollify, unfortunately. He should have expected such.

"I cannot harm the one holding the leash."

 Henry: Vampire and violence were synonymous, weren’t they? Henry stood again, moving towards Townsend. “Until time is up, of course.”

 Maximus: "Not often am I granted permission to defend myself," the demon answered coolly.

 Henry: Henry smirked. “Bet you had fun doing it, too. Don’t tell me it didn’t feel good.” Another step, just out of arms reach, and he produced a cigarette pack, lit one.

 Maximus: He'd felt several things in that moment years ago. Irritation, relief, satisfaction, even a trace of pride. For himself, and for Sophia's resolve. He'd felt pity for the man in his clutch. Curiosity as well. He wanted to know how Henry had felt.

Slowly, Maximus raised his hand to his collar, loosened his tie, pulled aside the fine fabric to expose his throat and shoulder. The lone freckle on his clavicle like a beacon.

 Henry: Henry watched him for the better part of a minute as he smoked, pale eyes roaming along the expanse of the demon’s throat. He swallowed the thirst that swelled at the sight.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

 Maximus: "You didn't present me with one," he countered.

 Henry: “I would have thought you’d have caught what was implied.”

 Maximus: "Implications don't move my tongue."

 Henry: “Clearly.” He was going to make him rephrase, wasn’t he? If he wanted an answer. So he would. Slowly. “How did it feel? All that strength and no way to use it. Then suddenly.” He lunged forward in a blur to stand right in front of the demon, clapped his hands one. “Bam. Opportunity.”

 Maximus: There was power in the rephrasing. Regardless of potential violence won upon the next forty-five minutes, his small victory would be savored.

It seemed to have spurred a different intimidation tactic. He breathed slowly, eyes remaining forward.

"I am forced to do many things I am not proud of. Your mouth concerned me, as did your intent."

 Henry: “And what was my intent?”

 Maximus: Though answering a question with a question would have been nostalgic, Henry's status had become elevated.

"Domination."

 Henry: Henry considered the answer, shrugged. “What can I say? I was in a mood.”

 Maximus: "Does your mood move you towards my throat now, m'lord?"

Henry: Henry’s lips twitched into a smirk. “Do you want it to?”

 Maximus: He could only lie and skirt so much. "No. Your manner of foreplay is rather verbal."

 Henry: He laughed, and it was hollow. “Is it?”

 Maximus: Gray eyes met blue, staring deeply and patiently, despite previous statements. He would rather this torment be over and done with. It was Henry's unpredictability that was slowly knotting his stomach. At least Vlad Teppes' intentions had been clear.

 Henry: He watched Townsend for the better part of a minute. Then, without much warning either way, he leaned forward and produced a pen. A flourish of ink and a room number on a bit of stationary by the sofa.

“I tire of whatever that woman has up here sleeve.” At least not without his own power play in the mix. “You’ll find me there. I know well enough you’ve free time after these things.” Sophia positively reeked of him, after all. And it wasn’t from brushes at parties like this one.

“Good night, Townsend. Do what you like until our time is up.”

And with that, he made to make his own exit.

 Maximus: The demon remained still. Eyes returned forward at nothing while Henry wrote. His hand was almost reluctant to move from his collar, having expected this to be some method of trickery in letting his guard down. The Henry from the gala and this Henry were the same, but confusing. This change of pace was surreal.

It was only a minute into the silence did Maximus finally move to fix his clothes. He then to examined the note. If he stared long enough, he might decipher the meaning behind the scribble.

And then he remembered to breathe. Deep loose breaths disallowed on duty.

What did this mean? Why would Henry offer something like this? The choice was his own, and he found himself more curious than concerned.

The bit of paper was folded and tucked away. He would remain in privacy until the appointed time. In a way, giving Henry a head start in his departure. Why he gave him this, and why he was prepared to lie, he couldn't explain to himself, but the truth would spill from his lips before the final goodbye.

And Maximus would find himself standing in front of the jotted room number an hour before sunrise.

 Henry: Henry set his glass down on the bedside table. He hadn’t expected Townsend to come, or rather, he’d expected the chance that he wouldn’t would be greater than the chance he would. He’d discarded his dinner jacket when he got in, and he answered the door now in white shirt and black slacks.

“Look at you showing up,” he said. He smiled a crooked smile and stepped to the side. “Come in, Mr. Townsend.”

 Maximus: The man Henry regarded as David Townsend stood tall. This, despite the significant loss of color to his cheeks. Already pale skin now faded and bloodless, calling attention to blush lips and gray eyes. The demon scanned what he could of the room from his position, reluctant to take the next step forward.

"What is it you want, Henry?"

 Henry: “Just to talk.” He looked past Townsend to ensure they were alone. “Without your mistress.”

 Maximus: She would not know of this evening. Too far from her imagination that her servant would stand in this doorway. Whatever Henry intended would be their secret. Perhaps, if not for Sophia.

He would step through the door. What was one more mistake in eternity.

 Henry: The door closed behind him, and Henry moved to lounge on the sofa in front of the fire place. It was a modest suite, older in its styling, but to his taste.

“Sit. Stand. For Christ’s sake I just couldn’t stand being treated like a pawn in someone else’s game.”

He wasn’t sure what had prompted the invitation. Loneliness, perhaps. Or the ongoing feeling that he and Townsend had unfinished business.

“Contrary to our first meeting, I much prefer someone who can talk back in my company.”

 Maximus: This must be a dream. Gone too deep in his own imagination. He was probably still standing in the parlor of Berger's home, awaiting further instructions. Lost in his thoughts still as -

He remembered again to breathe, sharply inhaling through his nose. A small noise to cut his silence.

"The last guest," he struggled for her name. Not normally an issue. "Danica Cutler, Berger's new favorite, satisfied her intention."

 Henry: Henry pointed to his own face. “Hence the paleness,” he said. “We’re all fucking animals, didn’t you know?”

Why he said that, he didn’t know.

“Sophia know you’re here?”

 Maximus: Coming from Henry, he caught a scoff in his throat. Swallowed down with a sotto voce apology. Never would he have imagined seeking Henry's forgiveness, which confirmed, this wasn't a dream. He was very much awake.

Exhausted and finished, his shoulders began to relax. The shake of his head was short and subtle.

 Henry: Henry steepled his fingertips, feet propped on the coffee table. “You gonna sit or what?”

 Maximus: "I would rather know how you intend to use me."

 Henry: Henry dropped his feet and leaned forward. “I could have bitten you already if I wanted to. During my hour, remember?”

He shrugged and sat back. “Leave. If you want.”

 Maximus: "Kindness to purchase my time and trust?" He was not so easily bought. Not for a lifetime, but for five minutes more, perhaps. Another two steps forward, hesitating not from Henry's hospitality, but the sting like sharp needles ascending in a cascade through his spine. He had not yet fully healed. Standing there, just feet away from Henry, he was reluctant to remove all guard. To discard his coat and reveal his change of clothes. Proof of the damage Danica had caused.

 Henry: “If you want to think of it that way.” Henry shrugged. “But it’s like I said. I’m not playing anyone else’s game.”

Henry let out a breath. “And you aren’t either, going off of your arrival tonight.”

 Maximus: Another painful swallow. This was an opportunity. Perhaps not the one Henry intended, but one he might utilize.

"I wish to understand you."

 Henry: He bit back a laugh, lounging further back against the sofa. “Why?”

 Maximus: Maximus came to stand beside the sofa. His version of at ease in the form of resting fingertips on the leather surface.

"Why not?"

 Henry: “Could think of a few reasons.” One of which was petite, blonde, and pretty. “I fear you’ll be disappointed, Mr. Townsend.”

 Maximus: "That you're corruptible, angry, desperate to prove yourself, jealous, beyond redemption? Where might I be disappointed?"

 Henry: Henry’s lips twitched. “Pick one.”

 Maximus: "Disappointment requires a higher standard than what I've been given."

 Henry: Henry considered the statement, then simply shrugged.

 Maximus: Maximus stared at nothing in particular for a time. "Do you wish to be understood, or remain an enigma?"

 Henry: “But you already seem to know me so well.”

 Maximus: "That is, if it is true or not."

 Henry: “And you suspect it isn’t.”

 Maximus: If he were frank with himself, he was simply too tired for this conversation. Curious, but tired. His wit had diminished with blood loss. And since he could not sleep, existing within the event horizon of Henry Buchanan had been an idea. A good idea? No, but it was an idea.

"I suspect nothing. I harbor curiosity."

Rather than wait for another bout of silence, he continued, asking, "What makes you think you were Berger's pawn?"

 Henry: “I didn’t say I was. Just that she thought she could use me as such.” He didn’t miss a beat, looking down at his hand a moment. Many people thought that, and there had been a time when he had been at that mercy. He was not vulnerable anymore. “I don’t envy you there,” he added. “She’s a right foul bitch, that one. Bit like—“ He paused. Composed himself. “Like someone I used to know.”

 Maximus: "Treated, yes."

Weathered gray eyes studied the vampire again. There was something there. Like a vague figure behind frost glass. He knew that figure; the details lost behind ambiguity.

"May I ask you something? Something... meaningless to anyone but myself?"

 Henry: He looked back at the demon. Curiosity killed the cat. But satisfaction… “Yes.”

 Maximus: "That night, at the gala..." The act of asking is where Maximus lost his will. The words buried in his throat, shut in by closed lips.

 Henry: Henry turned and sat down on the bed. He watched him. He felt a mixture of a thrill as seeming to have the upper hand with Maximus’s silence and something else he couldn’t place. Something not soft. But not hard, either.

“Go on, then,” he prodded. His voice wasn’t harsh, but it wasn’t exactly gentle either.

 Maximus: "It means nothing, to know, how you felt. With your teeth in my neck the entire time. Means nothing to anyone but me." Henry could feel whatever he wanted. It was a price to pay for answers, when he doubted he would ever have an opportunity again.

 Henry: He blinked and thinly managed to hide the shock. “You… do yourself a disservice,” he said. He was starting to feel that pushing more buttons than he had would result in the demon having enough, turning, and leaving.

And perhaps he wasn’t ready just yet. To be alone.

And the question had stumped him. Hard, if he was being honest with himself. Why had he reacted as he had? “Your taste, for one thing.”

He slinked closer, watching Maximus. “Why do you want to know?”

 Maximus: As Henry rose to his feet, Maximus felt an instinctual pull to back himself in a corner. Like a child. As his father had felt. As Mays had felt. As Shore, and every other predator.

And yet, in contradiction, he didn't feel he was alone in his vulnerability. He realized, standing his ground, fighting the urge to lower his chin more than the inch it had, that this wasn't the first time he'd felt this way with Henry. That night, years ago now, answering questions with questions, he'd felt the same.

"Many reasons have been given to me since before I died. Why people... do things to me. I want to know... yours."

 Henry: Henry stopped in his path a few steps from Maximus. “I wouldn’t say it was personal. There was plenty at play, wasn’t there?” He shrugged. Perhaps it was jealousy. Jealousy that… she had still found friendship with Maximus at an intimacy that set his teeth on edge— Emotional, not physical. That—

“Status, power, vanity… pushing various buttons.” He shrugged. “As I said. Nothing personal. Not until…” he was saying too much, and he hated it. The words died there, and he looked away into the fireplace.

 Maximus: Maximus was aware of his effect on people. Whether darkened by their deeds, or those kind enough for sympathy. There was something about his demeanor that made people want to involve themselves. Press upon their intentions to elicit a reaction. That quiet, patient nature also made him a confidant. Henry was not-so-living proof, as Maximus had seen time and again.

He didn't mind. Freely offered information was a weapon. But at times, it was another pebble on his shoulder, weighing his body into mud.

"Not until she tended to me," Maximus assumed to finish.

 Henry: Do you love her? He remembered Townsend asking him. Henry ran a hand along his well-groomed beard and looked back at the demon.

He’d rather him simply think he was irredeemable, that he really was as awful as his worst deeds— a cardboard cutout of the melodrama’s villain.

It was safer.

“We all have soft spots,” he finally managed. “I never handled them well. Soft spots make you weak, and irrational. But damn if they aren’t still there. No matter how inhuman you become…”

Henry watched Maximus as he spoke. “Vlad told me how you helped her track down the slayer last year, you know.” He didn’t know why he said it, perhaps to indicate that he was well aware she was one of Townsend’s soft spots, too.

 Maximus: "It's a simple spell. I could teach you."

Maximus wasn't the only one with an innate ability to evoke reactions. There was something about Henry. Perhaps the reason he had come to this hotel in secret. He wanted something from the vampire, and he had yet to articulate what. The answer for the gala was barely satisfactory. He didn’t know which was worse, personal, or impersonal.

"Soft spots are our humanity. Without it, we're... little more than beasts. These soft spots. Their stronger than... vanity, or illusions of power. Every... pain inflicted, I would have inflicted again."

 Henry: Henry arched a brow. “I wasn’t talking about the spell. But… thank you.” He wasn’t talking about the offer with his thanks, either. It was all subtext, all something Townsend would have to read between the lines for.

“Humanity.” He scoffed. He had spent decades trying to forget his human years, and yet Townsend was claiming it worth preserving. “So, you deem it worth keeping, obviously.”

 Maximus: It was an impersonal offer adjacent to their conversation. A window of escape, should Henry take it. An olive branch.

"What is the point of living without it? You and I... will live forever. What is the meaning behind it? Coins and respect from those we'll never equal in age? For how long? A few decades? Centuries? Until they're bored."

 Henry: His eyes flashed at that. “I’m building something. Me. Not just for Vlad.”

That had hit a nerve. He could see his sire Veronica, pretty petite and blonde. He could see how she cast him aside when she was done…

Henry turned about-face and took off in a near blur before stopping at the decanter of whiskey on the bedside table.

“Do you drink, Mr. Townsend?”

 Maximus: Henry's tone almost seemed to reverberate with inflection. His own imagination, surely. That bit of fear, like a string in his stomach, Henry could tug with his fingertip. Not always, but sometimes.

But also, he wondered, if he had not heard something... youthful.

"Bourbon," he acquiesced. "Please."

 Henry: He calmed down as he poured the two glasses. He paused before turning to offer out the glass.

As for his part, he had to fight to keep from downing the burning liquid in one go.

 Maximus: The offer was a simple yet effective method to get Maximus to move from the safety of his distance. Deeper into the room. Deeper into this conversation and into Henry's hands. This wasn't some grand manipulation. He didn't have to come. This was a bed they'd both made.

"Thank you," he said, taking his glass in both hands.

 Henry: Henry drained half of the glass, gulped it down. He found himself unable to decide what to do next, so he turned and topped the glass off again.

He’d pay for it the next day.

“When was the last time someone offered you whiskey?”

 Maximus: Maximus stared into the drink as he considered telling the truth. There was no harm and no shame in the telling of it. It was simply private.

"Weeks ago." His voice barely carried.

 Henry: “Oh?” Why had he expected it to be longer?

 Maximus: "You wish for me to elaborate?"

 Henry: He sat down on the sofa that ran along the sitting area. “If you want.”

 Maximus: If you want. Everything felt like a game with this man.

"A friend. Unlike, and not unlike Miss Sophia."

 Henry: “So you do this a lot. Sneak out…”

 Maximus: "And how will you use this to your advantage?"

 Henry: He arched a brow. “My advantage?”

 Maximus: "You say you're no one's pawn, but is that what you intend of me?"

 Henry: He shrugged and sat back. “I haven’t decided yet.”

 Maximus: "You wouldn't be telling my mistress anything she doesn't already know."

 Henry: “I didn’t say anything about her,” he pointed out.

 Maximus: After a sip, his glass was placed upon the table.

"That's not terribly original, Henry."

 Henry: “What isn’t?”

 Maximus: "Using me."

 Henry: Henry crossed one leg over the other. “What would you prefer then?”

 Maximus: "I would prefer we... not be enemies."

 Henry: Henry’s lips twitched. “And what would that look like, David?”

 Maximus: "What does this moment look like?"

 Henry: Henry smiled, flashing teeth. “That’s not very original.”

 Maximus: "Asking you questions?"

 Henry: Giving him a taste of his own medicine. Henry just shrugged and settled into comfortable recline on the sofa and watched the demon.

 Maximus: Could very well be our love language, he mused. His glass was returned to his lips.

"Thank you, for tonight. No matter your intention, or the outcome."

 Henry: Henry arched a brow. For one reason or another, that hadn’t been expected. Civility had been foreign to them up until now. “You’re welcome.”

Maximus: He couldn't say what compelled him to move, other than the obvious nature of his profession, embedded in his very soul. Must have been one of the last hotels left in the entire city to use a wood fireplace. As so much of history, he would mourn its passing.

His hand outstretched, soft words in Italian, he swiped his hand from left to right. The three logs crackling within the hearth replicated, stacked over the original.

Rather than assume, he would venture to ask, "Do you appreciate music, Henry?"

 Henry: Henry’s eyes trailed after Maximus, ever a predator, even at rest. He arched a brow at the question. It was unexpected, in some regards.

“I do.” His silence spoke the next question. why?

 Maximus: Multiple times tonight, taking Henry by surprise, and he was oblivious to all. His own doing.

"I thought you would say no."

 Henry: A huff of a laugh left him in an exhale, and he rested his hands behind his head. “Yeah? Why?”

 Maximus: "It's a coin toss." He glanced at the vampire. "It's not entirely personal. I don't like comparing you to monsters, but you've lent yourself to the stereotype. They either hate it, or love it."

 Henry: “Do they?” He considered the assessment. It wasn’t far off, surprisingly. He had just never considered it. “How old are you?”

 Maximus: There was no need for his age to be a secret. There was nothing to gain or lose from the knowledge.

"I was born in autumn, 1870."

 Henry: “Huh. Interesting.” He looked to the fire as it sparked to life. “We’re five years apart.”

 Maximus: "Would it insult you to know older, or younger?"

 Henry: He smiled. “Hardly. I’m older.”

 Maximus: For what felt like the first time in their relationship, Maximus' smile was earnest, lacking the veil of professionalism. A soft, delicate warmth reached his eyes, and slowly faded as his gaze returned to the fire.

"A little Henry, ruling the nursery when I was born."

 Henry: “Nurseries weren’t exactly where I was…” He grit his teeth at the thought, and he stood up to refill his glass of whiskey in one fell swoop.

“Always American, I assume?” He asked.

 Maximus: By now, Henry was being studied. Gray eyes following his every move. His expression remained gentle.

"My mother was from Grosseto. She met my father in New York, when he was visiting family. Italians weren't looked upon favorably, at the time. If anyone asked, she was French." The Louisiana drawl filled in the unexplained, or so he assumed it would.

Henry: Henry let the bite of the whiskey pull him back to the present. “You don’t sound like you’re from New York…”

Maximus: "I should hope not." There, some humor for the vampire.

Henry: He bit back a a laugh and covered with a prompt drain of his glass. “It is kind of a shit hole isn’t it?”

Maximus: "It has its charms. None of which being accent."

Henry: Henry sucked in on his cheeks and nodded. “And how do you feel about the Brits?” Not that he had identified as one for years.

Maximus: Maximus' smile was gentle and fleeting. "Been blessed to know a few... to have given me fond memories."

Henry: He’d count himself out of that list. “I see.” The liquor started to swim with the blood he’d consumed earlier. An echo of warmth was in his porcelain cheeks.

Maximus: "A specific area to question. Is that for a reason?" His gentle expression remained as he looked at the vampire.

Henry: Henry shrugged. “Thought it would be obvious.”

Maximus: "Are you walking a scenic route towards a personal question?"

Henry: “What sort of personal question do you have in mind?”

Maximus: "I'm supposed to have the answer to a question you haven't asked?"

Henry: He shrugged. “Humor me. Read my mind…” Henry bit back a dry laugh and wiggled his fingers through the air, lounged back on the sofa.

Maximus: "I... " His mouth slowly shut. He couldn't even say that. In fear of breaking his spell.

Henry: He turned his head and looked back at the demon. “Hm?”

Maximus: "You... will ask me something or not."

Henry: He let out a huff of a laugh, dry, a sort of ease in his chest. “By all accounts, you should hate me. What made you come?”

Maximus: A question which seemed to relax his shoulders. A great soothing ease from his throat to his stomach.

"You're familiar."

Henry: “How so?”

Maximus: "Your damage. Your bite. Your presence." The obvious and the poetic.

Henry: He smirked. “More comfortable than comfort, huh?”

Maximus: "Misery is familiar, isn't it?"

Henry: “So it would seem.”

Maximus: "You asked for me, just to see if I would?"

Henry: “I was curious… and I thought I would see what you were like without an audience.”

Maximus: The next question should have, could have been of Henry's assessment. Instead, the demon softly sighed.

"I have to go."

Henry: That simply wouldn’t do.

He flickered from the couch to stand in front of Townsend, a flame in his own right in the firelight— ethereal and just as hard to pinpoint in any physical with the speed.

“Tell me. Man to man. What you want from me. Familiarity.” He waved the thought away like a gnat. “In your heart of hearts, why did you come?” What did he want? “You could have refused. Yet here you are.”

Maximus: By now his speed no longer startled him. No more lowering his chin. No urge to back himself against the wall. Exhausted, but half an hour was enough time to acclimate to the vampire.

"I told you," he said, soft as silk, "I had a question. I'm curious about you. I want to understand you. I think we can be more than foul with each other. We have enough villains fixed on using us. I've given you every answer."

Henry: The corner of his eye twitched, the intensity of the moment snapping taught on his features. He could all but feel Townsend’s heat, could taste it when he breathed.

“You have,” he conceded, and his voice was softer. Like the wind was out of his sails.

Maximus: "What is it you want from me, Henry?" A hint of insistence in his voice, because despite their conversations, he felt as though he was grasping at smoke. He had the shape of him, but nothing so important as the nuance. He had said he was curious, but surely there was something else.

Henry: Grasping at smoke, indeed. Henry reached forward, grabbing the demon by the lapel of his coat.

Not violent, exactly. But not gentle either.

He leaned closer still.

“Your attention,” he hissed. “Your focus. Whatever wildness is wrapped up neatly in those fucking manners…” Like the night they had met. The night he had fought back.

Maximus: His violence was, just as he thought before, poetry. At that very moment, clothes gripped in his fist, he reminded him of sculpture.

You want me. Of all people, all things, you want me. You fool. You mistake.

Henry would be denied his gaze. Eyes closed as he took a breath. Just a moment to consider this affront on his life. The ramifications of his actions.

The demon leaned forward by an inch, opened his eyes.

"Earn it."

Henry: Henry smirked in satisfaction when he found his gaze. Earned it? As far as he was concerned, he already had.

The trick was keeping it.

He inclined his head to the left. “What’s your price?”

Maximus: He too wondered what price he could possibly bargain for. His chest rose high, allowing Henry's hand to press deeper. The question repeated as a chant. He was just... exhausted. Tired of this night. Tired of his mistress. Tired of being used. Tomorrow would be the same. And the next day. And the next day. This was his sentence. This man another method of torture.

"I have enough monsters in my life, Henry. Would you be so kind... and show me something else?"

Henry: Henry was a monster too. That was the truth of it all. Perhaps a different kind, with the rot and stink of a London street thug for roots instead of status and silver spoons, but a monster nonetheless.

He felt a pang in his chest at the thought, at some far flung grief he thought he had cut out.

“Sit down,” he breathed, releasing Townsend and nodding to the sofa in front of the fire.

Maximus: He didn't have to. He could leave at any time. Hadn't felt the magnetic pull of a demonic circle trapping him in this hotel room. He had no reason to obey, other than harmful curiosity.

And so he crossed the room, taking a seat with his elbow on the arm of the couch.

Henry: Henry kept his gaze on the wall directly behind where the demon had stood until he sat down.

“Is that what she gives you? Something less monstrous?” He watched him, prowled a step closer. But the menace was gone, and he didn’t bother specifying who he was referring to.

Maximus: "She reminds me of someone," he confessed. His eyes remained on the dwindling fire, but what he saw was a memory. A kind, gentle face. Soft eyes hidden behind bend gold spectacles. His reason for being eternal damnation.

"Someone that did a monstrous thing, but... it's not her nature any more than it was his."

Henry: Henry sucked in on his cheeks, taking another step forward. Another.

Finally, he sat at the other end of the couch, one long leg crossed over the other.

“Opens up all sorts of moral questions, that statement.” Henry situated himself a bit more comfortably. “Monster. The definition varies, you know.”

Maximus: Henry's voice pulled him from New Orleans and back to the hotel room. Funny, he couldn't remember seeing the vampire sit.

"I believe, given what I am, that I would be rather an expert."

Henry: He actually laughed at that, but it didn’t have the bitterness to it. This was the closest he’d ever been to a real conversation with the demon. At the very least the closest he’d been to letting a wall fall.

Even if it hadn’t yet. Not completely.

“Are you? And what’s your definition, then?”

Maximus: Maximus took a deep breath as he considered. He knew in his heart of hearts but had never articulated.

"What someone desires to do... when left to their own devices, determines a monster. I can tell you every vulgar act forced upon me when left in a room with other demons. I am given no mercy. I can tell you, when I am left alone with her, the thought never crosses her mind."

Henry: “It wouldn’t, would it?” Bitterness leaked in. Receded. He had known that soft touch, and hadn’t had a clue what to do with it.

Henry let out a breath. He cut his eyes back to Townsend, a quick glance more than anything.

“And you… what monstrous acts have you committed? To claim such expertise on the matter but never walk in their shoes? Doesn’t really add up.”

Maximus: Henry was given his full attention. Somewhere complex between humor and enlightenment in his eyes.

"Do you understand what I am? Why I am under Ruth Berger?"

Henry: “Besides the obvious…? You’re a demon. What’s your game?” He smirked, moved his hand in a cross through the air like a priest. “Tell me your sins. All that jazz.”

Maximus: His eyes closed to the cross. He felt nothing, fortunately. Not from a vampire. Not from Henry.

"If you've heard the myth of crossroads, then you know the deal I made. I broke the deal. I ended my life. My monstrous act. I am a servant. I am at the mercy of the unmerciful. This is my expertise, because this is my Hell."

Henry: Henry used the excuse of closed eyes to watch Townsend. He didn’t pity him. But he did find some measure of… something. He made no movement to comfort. Not in the softer way Sophia would.

“Berger’s a manipulative bitch,” Henry muttered. “I know her type. Only the names change…”

Maximus: "I would much rather her ilk," the demon said, softly. There was suddenly a faraway look in his eyes. A little disassociation. "It's the ones she offers me to as punishment... "

Henry: “Like me?”

Maximus: "You made an impression."

Henry: “I did, did I?” That wasn’t a surprise, but interesting way to phrase it. “On who?”

Maximus: "Who else?" The demon blinked, sucked in a breath as though for the first time.

"You're not the worst or I wouldn't be here."

Henry: “‘Not the worst’.” That wasn’t something he heard a lot. He shrugged. “I guess there’s something to be said for the potency of vampire venom.”

Maximus: "You think I'm inclined to you because of your bite?"

Henry: “I don’t know. Humans can be. It’s how we keep the ones around that are particularly… desirable.” He shrugged. “That said, human or not— it’s not unpleasant. Makes an impact.”

Maximus: The demon gently scoffed. He wondered how Henry had interpreted this conversation. Something seemed lost in translation. What's worse, he felt a desire to confess things to Henry. Things he hadn't shared with anyone. A beast like Henry could accept the horrors when he would be reluctant to give them to those he dearly cared for.

"The impression you left on my mistress makes her believe you'll behave the same as those that skin me alive or use my body any way they see fit, until returning me at midnight. Twelve is her lucky number. And I... I don't know why I'm still here if only to lay my confessions on you."

Henry: “Your mistress isn’t as good at reading people as she likes to think. It wasn’t personal, you know. That first night.”

He flicked a bit of lint off his pants and chuckled darkly.

“I’m not a priest, much as I might look it.”

Maximus: "You made it personal when you did it twice."

The demon softly smiled. To himself, of course. He was having trouble looking at the vampire now, embarrassed by his honesty.

"Forgive me. Churches give me a rash."

Henry: “You have a point, I guess.” He was a jealous being, at the heart of it all. But as obvious as that might be, he wouldn’t admit to it. Ever.

“I suppose they would, wouldn’t they?” Ironic. They didn’t do it to him. “Go on then…”

Maximus: He could go on, tell him every last detail of torture at the hand of other demons, witches, but shook his head. He shouldn't have said anything to begin with. Shouldn't have joined Henry on the couch. Shouldn't have come here at all.

"Does it please you to hear?"

Henry: Henry considered the question. Did it please him?

His life was a patchwork of evil, violence for the sake of violence… but did it please him?

No. Not precisely. It was a necessity he had learned to enjoy.

“Not… exactly.” Was that one expected, he wondered?

Maximus: Henry would find his guest staring. Gray eyes gently confused. A subtle wrinkle in his brow. No, not the response he expected. What he had expected would have had him leaving with a scoff, affirmed to his behavior.

Must have been a lie. A pseudo demon cleverly playing his role.

To say he must leave yet again would be redundant. After a few blinks, he forced himself to his feet. Henry was determined to keep his presence. He was better prepared, this time, to stand his ground.

And would continue in silence as he straightened his clothes, preparing to leave.

Henry: For the first time in a long time, Henry felt… clumsy. It made him lurch, for a moment, and what could only be described as a light of innocent surprise crossed his cruel features as Townsend stood.

He had thought he was offering an olive branch, however twisted. As if not taking humor from another’s pain was enough.

“You’re off then?” He managed, attempting to compose himself.

Maximus: Attention, focus, and wildness. Those were Henry's words. In return, he had asked for something left of monstrous.

His obedience and ounce of kindness would be rewarded. A gift Maximus assumed the vampire would appreciate. It was only a guess. Assumptions based on nothing more than body language.

"Stand up."

Only to kiss his cheek and depart.

[spiltcandycoatedpunkblood]

I got bored and put all the characters from the Playmobil movie into the tags to see what comes up

[primergon]

Hi! I’ve seen you doing matchups in the tags I follow, and I just saw your most recent ones and I was really impressed by your dedication to doing them. It’s clear you really put in a lot of effort and care into each one, which is really amazing. I’ve never been compelled to send an ask after seeing those kinds of things but after seeing your writing responses to them and how thought provoking they are, I really feel compelled to try it myself, if that’s okay! So, I guess I should ask; could I get an idw matchup?

I’m a transman, bisexual, with all the package deals for mental problems; depression, ptsd, anxiety, adhd. I’m going to college for psychology, but I also have a soft spot for history and the classics. I know everyone on campus though, because I love making friends with people and I especially love helping my friends when they need it. Cheering up people and making them laugh is my favorite thing in life. My favorite clothes make me look like a jock too, but I just call myself a himbo because I am also a little dumb at times, but in a good way.

For my hobbies I love baking, writing, gardening, that kind of stuff. I love baking food to give to people, and I love cooking too, because love is stored in the soup broth. I love all kinds of animals too, which is really funny when I go visit friends and their pets all decide I’m the bees knees- I go visit farms occasionally and tend to get followed by the horses, which is cute. I also love music and singing, and I don’t mind if I’m not good at it, because love is ALSO stored in the actions you perform from your heart.

On fears, though, I’m kind of terrified of driving, despite that I drive my car for work all the time; something about going 70mph in a steel box that wants you dead kind of puts it all in perspective. I get around being afraid by trying not to think about it, which, hey, if it works it works!

Some fun facts about me: I once got my hand caught in a bear trap, I legally changed my middle name to Glennjamin, I have gotten sick from eating ONLY chocolate cake for 2 days straight, and when I go running to exercise I put on music like I’m being chased by a serial killer.

A/N : Hi Anon ! Thanks for sending this in, I hope you're doing well. I'm glad you enjoy my previous works, I do try my best to personalise each ask to make them more meaningful (ˊ•͈ ◡ •͈ˋ) I hope I don't disappoint with this one because I'm going to pair you up with IDW Ultra Magnus ( minimus ambus ) and Fortress Maximus !

IDW ULTRA MAGNUS

01| While Ultra Magnus may come off as intimidating to most, you were more than happy to approach him with a friendly greeting. You were always making conversation with the officer, either waving at him as you pass down the halls or stopping to ask him about his day. Even if he didn't show it, Ultra Magnus was touched by the gesture. A lot of people tend to steer clear of him when it comes to matters outside of work. So whenever you try to cheer him up and reassure Ultra Magnus it's not his fault whenever danger strikes, he can't help but smile at your thoughtfulness. He's naturally introverted and somewhat aloof, so don't blame the poor mech when his attempt to get to know you come off as awkward. He's attracted to your lively personality, it's one of the many reasons that pushed him into actually confessing to you.

02| Ultra Magnus is calm and practical. His strong will and sense of duty allow him to act as a natural problem solver. So whenever you struggle with your mental problems, Ultra Magnus is always there to help. While he's known to be impatient, Ultra Magnus is very understanding when comforting others. He has his own experiences in dealing with his mental wellbeing, so he's more than happy to be the shoulder for you to lean on whenever you feel overwhelmed. When you found out about the Magnus armor, Minimus was more than thankful for how accepting you are of it. He can't help but feel bashful when you tell him it doesn't make you love the mech any less. Minimus admires your study in psychology and is very supportive of you, gifting you with stationaries and a brand new study corner.

03| Everyone knows Megatron isn't the only resident lover of all things literature and classics. Minimus enjoys hearing you talk about history. The workaholic would love to take breaks and spend the remaining time with you. (Rodimus tells you you're the only one who can convince him to rest.) He also likes to watch you cook. It's relaxing to the point where he had accidentally fallen into recharge somewhere in the middle ( he woke up from the best sleep he had in ages and reassured you it was not out of boredom.) Minimus also watches you garden in the little greenhouse above the Lost Light, helping you pick the ingredients needed for baking. (It's funny how he would eye every single chocolate cake menacingly after you told him it made you sick once.)

04| Arguments are rare when it comes to Minimus. Although he can be too rational and very by the book, he's always adjusting to find win-win solutions for the both of you. You know he wants to talk and resolve a problem when he goes "Glennjamin." ( He thinks it makes him look more serious. He heard it from Whirl.)

05| Ultra Magnus understands your fear of being in a car. His alt-mode is a truck bigger than the ones you've seen on Earth, so it can sometimes get nerve-wracking whenever he has to drive you around. But whenever he slides his seatbelt across you and assures you it'll be alright, you can't help but feel safe and loved. Knowing that Minimus won't let anything happen to you.

IDW FORTRESS MAXIMUS

01| Fortress Maximus was surprised to see you approach him, wondering why you aren't afraid of him after the whole incident with Rung and Whirl. While others have forgiven him, he finds it hard to excuse himself from his past. Yet you were warm and open and more than happy to befriend him. The gesture warmed his spark and gave him the confidence he needed to feel better about himself. The two of you became each other's support systems. Whenever he feels weighed down by his mental health, he'll always find comfort in spending time with you. And whenever you're feeling anxious and conflicted, Fort Max is never far from helping. While Fortress Maximus carries this sense of responsibility for his community, there's no denying that he has a soft spot for you.

02| Both of you share a love for animals. Fort Max is thankful that you were there to help reverse the Roboids' damage. ( He's even more moved when you volunteered to leave the Lost Light to accompany him.) There's something about you being so gentle and kind towards animals that made him fall in love even more. Fort Max's journey would sometimes take you to foreign planets. He worries when the native animals you fed along the way start to follow you, but once he thinks it's safe, he can't help but smile at the sight. ( He would rather fight an entire ship than admit his fantasy of living a domestic life with you by a secluded farm.)

03| Ever since you told him about the bear trap story, Fort Max has been more protective of you. He'll insist on carrying you around even if you tell him you're fine. He knows you like to go on runs so he'd accompany you to do your exercise from time to time. The first time you run with your headphones in, Fort Max thought you were actually being chased at how fast you were going. It was a funny mishap that you both laugh about from time to time. He likes to watch you write and garden, praising you whenever you read to him one of your works or come home with a good harvest.

04| Fort Max is naturally adherent to tradition. So in disagreements, when he is suddenly forced to try unvetted solutions, the mech may become uncomfortable and stressed. But he is more than ready to put his stubbornness aside to find a solution that is best for both of you. Besides, he can't stay mad at you when you make him laugh.

05| Although it makes Fort Max sad that he can't eat the food you cook for him, he does love to help out. He would even sometimes taste the soup you're cooking. You're afraid it'll make him sick, but he assures you if it does, it would be worth it. ( You immediately called First Aid after he said this.) Fort Max has never been happier. Rung tells you that his optics shine brighter whenever you're around. The psychologist says you're good for each other, and you can't agree more.

I hope you enjoy this Anon ! xx

[remmushound]

Bay/rise 34!! @brightlotusmoon @errorfreak88 @digitl-art-monstr @selfindulgenz @yarchurr @dakotafinely @yarchurr @sententiously-sarcastic @sprinklestheditty

“This is fucking stupid.” Raph was pacing anxiously, his frustrations coming out in the form of heavy breaths.

“I totally agree.” Donnie agreed, “But you know Leo. He’d not gonna let this go.”

“He he fucking ought to! We ain’t got time for this shit!”

The Leo’s were both separately getting ready for the spar, but with such an open space it was nearly impossible for them to get out of each other's line of sight. This resulted in what could only be described as a heated staring content between the both of them as they sharpened their katana and odachi almost passive-aggressively. The brothers and sister of both proud ninja were intermingled in a group together— their brothers’ antics weren’t enough to drive them apart completely, but it was enough for a wedge to be stuck between them.

“Is Leo gonna be okay?” Michelangelo appealed to Donatello, grabbing a hold of the older teens arm.

“I don’t know Michael.” Donatello sighed, sticking his nose in the air in his frustration, “Leon’s always getting himself in this kind of trouble! It’s gonna catch up to him eventually!”

“Hopefully not today.” Michelangelo said, looking to Leo. “Other Leo is very large. He’s jumbo sized!”

“Sadly, his brain didn't get the memo.”

Mikey was looking between both of the Leo’s with no small amount of guilt. Donnie had given him the clear after he had calmed slightly and the pain in his chest wasn’t so bad, but now the pain had been replaced with an intense sadness. Michelangelo nudged his brother and pointed to the sad box turtle, and then both brothers nodded at each other with similar intent as they marched over and each took a seat beside Mikey. 

“Why the long face?” Michelangelo pouted.

“I dunno, Mike, seems kinda… oblong to me.” Donatello motioned vageuly to Mikey’s face.

Mikey gave the slightest chuckle before he started to cry softly. Michelangelo frowned and looked to Donatello, who quickly pulled a tissue from out of his battle shell and offered it to Mikey. Mikey accepted it and, after a moments thought, said,

“You just carry tissues around wherever?”

“I never know when I’ll have to break out the dramatics~!” Donatello struck a pose.

“Are you okay?” Michelangelo gave Mikey a gentle stroke on the shoulder. “You look sad.”

“I’m just… useless.” Mikey hung his head.

That statement caused both Hamato brothers to erupt in loud, overlaying denial as they practically swarmed Mikey trying to convince him otherwise.

“You’re not!”

“You’re really not.”

“You’re incredible!”

“I once tried nunchucks for a day. Hit myself in the head, cried in a corner, slept in said corner. Very traumatizing.”

“You can do lots of things!”

“Except fight, apparently…” Mikey pouted, crossing his arms. “I just watched my dad and your dad get taken and I did nothing!”

“You’re not the only one who did nothing!” Donatello offered.

Michelangelo swatted Donatello and scowled at him a second before turning back to Mikey. “You panicked— that’s nothing to be ashamed of!”

“We were there! We— we could’ve helped stop them! We—“

“What could we have done…?” Michelangelo asked softly, laying a hand on Mikey’s knee.

Mikey gave a long, tired sigh reminiscent of someone far older with many more years of life bearing down on his shoulders. “Nothing.”

“Exactly.” Michelangelo said, “But what we could’ve done is gotten hurt! He took out all your brothers in one swing! All we would’ve ended up doing is getting taken out with them.”

“But don’t you think—“

“Come on.” Mikey’s words were interrupted by his Leo, who had lost what little patience remained as he strutted forward with the confidence of gods. “Let’s get this over with.”

Leo was the first in the dojo and he stood there as if he was still challenging Leonardo to back down at the cost of his honor. Leonardo didn't move from his place where he was still polishing his odachi.

“Well?” Leo prompted, “Come on! You challenged me to this, remember! Don’t you want to defend your honor?”

Leonardo thought for a second, and then shrugged. “Eh, never really had much of that to begin with. And I have all the time in the world baby!”

Despite his words, Leonardo seemed to accept his counterpart's challenge and stood from his seated position, giving his odachi a few experimental swipes before he came to join Leo in the dojo.

“This ain’t gonna end good...” April shook her head. Her face was painted to match Leonardo’s markings and she brandished a blue flag in support. Upon seeing Leonardo entering the dojo, however, she promptly cheered, “WHOOP WHOOP! YOU GOT THIS LEON!”

The rest of the gathered mutants— all except Raphael, who was still sleeping off his exhaustion— gathered in a tight group to watch as the scene unfolded. Donnie split from the group one last time in an attempt to appeal to his brother.

“Leo, this is crazy!” Donnie said, but it was like talking to a wall, “You can’t fight him!”

“Why not?” Leo asked calmly without dignifying Donnie’s concern with even a glance.

“Well, one, he's a child.” Donnie deadpanned, “And two, we need to be focusing on finding Master Splinter.”

“Trust me Don, this isn’t gonna take very long.”

“What you gonna do, punt the fifteen year old?!”

“He’s the one who picked a fight.” Leo growled.

“Yeah. Oh course he did.” Donnie leaned closer to his brother and spoke slowly, as if Leo were dense, “He’s. A. Teenager. A dumb, confident teenager!”

“So are we.”

“We’re gonna be twenty next month— I hardly think it counts!”

Leo didn't respond. He stared forward with a determined look and simply walked away from Donnie, leaving his younger brother staring after him with a frustrated disbelief.

Leo faced his counterpart. “Do you know the duel rights?”

Leonardo shrugged almost cartoonishly.

“Of course not.” Leo sighed, then carried on, “Rule number one: The offending party has the right to an apology and, if it is accepted by the offended party, then the duel will not carry to term.”

“Okay, so you gonna apologize them?” Leonardo asked, almost hopefully.

Leo narrowed his eyes and gave no answer. “If there is no apology met, then the next rule of order is to choose a second. The seconds are the judges— they try to reach a peace, and if a peace is unable to be met, then we move onto phase three. My second is my brother Raphael.” 

Raph grunted softly and split off from the group to hesitantly come to Leo’s side. 

“Don, you feeling up to it?” Leonardo looked to his brother.

Donatello gave it a moment's thought before shrugging and sauntering off almost in a bored fashion to Leonardo’s side.

“How do we win?” Leonardo asked.

“To win, you must knock down your opponent and hold your blade to their throat. Rule number three! The seconds try to negotiate a peace.” Leo gave a nod, and Raph lumbered forward to meet Donatello in the middle. The two of them quickly fell to a hushed discussion.

“Hello.” Donatello said, his eyes half-lidded and his voice dull.

“Hey— can’t you just try and get your Leo to apologize?” Raph almost pleaded, “You know this ain’t exactly a fair fight.”

“I know.” Donatello replied with little enthusiasm. “Your Leo’s gonna get knocked flat on his Gluteus Maximus. That’s science terms for buttocks. Aka: ass.”

Raph gave a half-amused snort. “No offense, pancake, but I think we both know that ain’t right.”

“Oh wowwwwww, so original.” Donatello slumped, “I’m so hurt. Then again you do have a good point.

Raph smiled, thinning himself victorious until Donatello added,

“I mean, there’s nothing Maximus about his Gluteus.” Donatello motioned to Leo with his thumb.

“No—” Raph growled and forced a smile as he addressed Donatello with slow words, “What I meant was that your brother is gonna end up with the same fate as a firework on Fourth of July.” He made an explosion motion and added his own sound effects, “I mean— come on! It’s like a dodge against a semi-truck— your bro stands no chance!”

“I think we can stand to disagree on that.” Donatello defended his brother calmly.

Raph fixed Donatello with a deadpan expression. “You’re not gonna back down are you?”

“Negatory.” Donatello finally smiled— little more than a slight curve of his lips, but still a smile. “Or way— would that be an affirmative? Eh. Doesn’t matter. Either way I believe we are done here.”

Without another word, he spun on his heels and carried himself confidently over to his brother’s side. Raph grumbled as he often did before taking his leave a few seconds after. There was a minute of stressful silence as both seconds reported to their brothers before Leo stepped forward again.

“Rule four. Draw your weapon only once there is a medic on sight with his back turned.”

Leonardo whistled. “I mean, not that I couldn’t beat you with my back turned, but seriously?”

“Not you.” Leo growled, “Donnie will be our medic on standby.” Leo motioned the tech genius to turn around, and Donnie hesitantly obeyed. This left only the Mikey’s watching. Once Leo was satisfied, he went on, “Rule five would usually include dueling at dawn, but I hardly think it matters down here.”

Leonardo looked up at the high ceiling and then down at Leo. 

“Rules six and seven are also moot given our particular circumstances. Unless you have a god you pray to…?”

“Eh, some may describe me as a God, but I think I forgive myself for my sins~”

It took everything Leo had to keep his cool. “Rule number eight. Your last chance to set the record straight.”

“Hey! That rhymed! Good for you!”

“Wait are you just getting these from the Hamilton Musical?” Donatello started to ask, but was interrupted; even as Leo spoke over him, he still continued to talk until he finished the sentence.

“Rule number nine! Look your enemy in the eye.” He and Leonardo locked gazes, “Meet your enemy in the middle…”

Leonardo and Leo took four paces each until they were directly in front of each other.

“Summon your courage in any way necessary.” Leo said cooly, giving a bow that Leonardo returned, “Take a minute to breathe, then take ten paces back.”

The Leo’s were almost in perfect sync as they took their paces backward, now several paces behind their seconds while still facing each other.

“Ready your sword…”

Twin katana and a single odachi were held at the ready.

“Take one final breath…”

No one in the room breathed.

“And count to ten. One… two… three… four...”

“...five...six…seven… eight... nine...”

“Ten.”

[kydrasnowhoe]

Daily Writing Challenge - Day 9 "Colors/Disappear"

"And what is it exactly, we are doing here...?" Kal'ren's voice growled. Around them the smell of sweat and blood carried in the air as a goblin announcer shouted from above.

"Two new challengers have arrived at the Brawl'gar Arena! Do they have what it takes to take on the Epicus Maximus?!"

Kydra inhaled deeply as a rueful smirk made its way onto her face. "To make money and see if we're still in shape. After all... if we can handle the realm of death, who is to say we can't do some casual brawls?"

The demon hunter shook his head, clearly in opposition to the idea. But eventually, he relented to purchase a voucher for Kydra and register her to the arena. As he began to fill in the form, he turned to her.

"What do you want your challenger name to be?" He asked sounding somewhat curious.

"They should call me... Death Strike!"

"A bit over the top with that, don't you think?"

"Says the man who just heard the announcer call a challenge by Epicus Maximus..."

"Alright, point taken... Fine. And... they ask for notable scars with a summary?"

The monk seemed to pause at this and then waved a hand in front of her face. "I'm blind. That counts for something... Say that... I got blinded by the light of the Sunwell."

"Is that 'really' how you lost your sight?" He asks as he places a hand on her shoulder.

She had wanted to brush his hand off of her shoulder. But she grew stiff. "This is a conversation for another time."

After the application found its way back, Kydra was asked to enter the gates to the arena. The high-pitched shriek of a guitar rang out in front of her as she turned in the direction of her opponent.

Kal'ren hung over a small fence that barricaded the audience from the brawlers. Fortunately, he wasn't the eccentric type to begin rooting her on with some words of encouragement or taunts.

The sound of bells dinging went off nearby. Already the fight was underway and her opponent was ready to attack. The smell of salt and brine invaded her senses as the jaws of a flying shark opened wide in front of her. Instinctively, she rolled beneath the shark and listened intently.

The sounds from the crowd and her opponents disoriented her thoughts as she was forced to be on the defensive. Precision lasers weaved their sights towards her as it locked on. The heat followed behind the attack as the gun whined loudly.

Unfortunately, she hadn't the perception to identify the laser until it struck her. Stumbling back along her bare feet, she felt her back collide with the railing of the arena. Orc viewers promptly reached through the bars to shove her back into the fray.

Atop the devilsaur, the Forsaken struck his guitar and the devilsaur beneath him roared to signal its next attack. In an effort to defend against its reach, she sprung up with a rising tiger kick.

Even with her lack of vision, she could feel the color of blood as it rained down around her. But the victory was a short one. After all, she was facing 3 opponents. The shark whirled around with his rockets and the tail was propelled against her front. Her arms hardly had the chance to raise as the blunt end of the fin found her chest. She felt her feet leave the ground. And the foundation of her sight vanished. As if it had disappeared.

Even the color of white fell victim to unending darkness when her eyes had closed. But she felt the fight still in her as she landed on the ground. The sheer surge of pain coursed through her as both hands felt along the ground to support her upper body when she sat up. When she rose, her feet settled down on the floor.

"Bring it on!"

@daily-writing-challenge

@kalren-daelish

[arse-crack-thistle]

a firstprince meet-cute

the heroes of olympus au

in which the roman son of apollo meets the greek son of themis

Henry—the quiet son of Apollo and Centurion of the 3rd cohort—leads a team of five demigods through the Long Island woods. Their task: spy on the Greeks and bring information back to Octavian. The golden-haired boy wishes he could’ve refused, but anyone who goes against the Pontifex Maximus gets severely punished and he will not let any harm come to his legionaries. Not again.

The group weaves through the trees, dodging the sight of any patrols. Henry has no idea how he’ll get close enough to hear anything, but he might be able to interpret some battle strategy from the Greek’s night preparations. As his fellow soldiers fan out beside him, Henry inches up the hill. He’d say a prayer to his father if he thought it would help, but he doesn’t. After many unanswered prayers about his sexuality, about his rather fucked up influential family, he doesn’t bother with Apollo anymore.

Henry gestures for his right-hand man—Pez, son of Mercury and the only one who actually knows he’s gay—to peer over the hill with him; the others stay back, keeping watch. The Centurion readies an arrow just in case, while Pez has his hand on the hilt of his blade, and they watch Greek demigods reinforce their buildings, sharpen their weapons, and prepare medical tents. None of them are practicing formations, which doesn’t help Henry or Octavian at all. He has to come back with something, so he puts the arrow away and crawls forward.

This could be really stupid, but he has to try—not for Octavian but for New Rome. It’s the only place that’s felt like home to him. Back in England, there’s his grandmother, the CEO of an underwhelming home goods empire. The stuff is cheap, but they’re still the number one seller back home. His mother and brother have a part in it. His sister ran off a few years back, and he has no idea where she is or if she’s even alive. His father—or rather ex-step-father—hasn’t wanted much to do with him since about three years ago when he found out Henry’s mother had an affair at a music festival fourteen years before.

They had a scandalous divorce, covered by every major news outlet, and Henry found out his true identity when a handsome demigod knocked on his door and told him he was in danger and had to be take to California. Several monsters, a few thousand miles, and a few months with a wolf goddess later, he found himself at Camp Jupiter. Everything that happened to him up until then—the blurry images of creatures at the corner of his eyes every time he turned a corner, the dyslexia that made his passion for writing frustrating, the way he never really fit in with his family—finally made sense. He was a demigod! And when the sign of Apollo appeared over his head after he made his first bullseye at the archery range, he truly felt like he found where he belonged.

Pez whispers for him to come back, but Henry lifts a hand in warning. Just then, someone—a dryad probably—screams an alert to his enemy, and all Underworld breaks loose. His legionaries get in formation behind him, readying themselves for the Greeks. They were taught never to run from a fight, but Henry can’t allow this to happen. He’s been in enough battles to know when he can win and when he can’t. Eventually, they’ll be outnumbered because Octavian won’t send him reinforcements if he can help it. He doesn’t know how violent the Greeks will be, but if they willingly fired on New Rome when their defenses were down, then he can’t take the risk. And he won’t repeat what happened in the Titan war.

Henry orders his soldiers back, telling Pez to take temporary control of the cohort and share the minimal information they gathered with the Pontifex. If they’re to be any casualties tonight, it will only be Henry and the Greeks he can take down with him.

•••

The last thing Alex—the wise-ass son of Themis—wants to do in the middle of the night is go to a counsel meeting at the Big House. He wipes the sleep from his eyes as he walks up the creaky steps. Inside, Chiron and the other counsellors gather around a table. It’s times like this he wishes it was a year ago when the children of minor gods were left out of meetings and decision-making. But as soon as he slaps himself awake, he regains his undying need to get involved and raise hell—fair and just hell, of course.

He sits down next to Nora, the temporary head counsellor of the Athena cabin. She’s bouncing in her seat—no doubt high on caffeine and nectar and ready to get back to developing war strategy. She gives him a wink and taps her fingers like she’s back home typing on a computer. Chiron clears his throat and tells the demigods of a Roman scout team that was spotted an hour ago. Unfortunately, most of the soldiers got away, but they did manage to capture one. He’s being held in one of the Big House’s guest rooms.

Now it’s Alex’s turn to bounce. He’s been waiting for an opportunity like this. A prisoner of war means they’ll need to get information. There will need to be a lawyer present—or a lawyer in training that is. He can preside over the questioning, be the voice of justice, and maybe even get the Roman to see the right side is his. He can picture it now: Camp Half-Blood safe from the Romans and that dude reformed in his ways, joining them to stop Gaia. Yes, this is his chance to step out of his sister’s shadow.

He volunteers to mediate for whoever is charged with the interview. Alex ignores Chiron’s obvious hesitation; just because he can get a little heated—thank gods Leo isn’t here cracking a dumb pun joke at that, which would inevitably leave them both laughing on the floor—doesn’t mean he can’t be objective. So he hates the Romans’ guts and thinks they should go back to their stuck-up little camp, so what? Once he’s in the real world, going to college, running for congress like his father, he’ll have to deal with a shit-ton of people he doesn’t like. Looking at you, Bitch McConnell.

Just as Chiron decides he, Nora, Will Solace, and reluctantly Alex will talk to the Roman boy, a camper from the Aphrodite cabin bursts through the door and tells him one of the Hephaestus girls accidentally blew up a boy from the Ares cabin. Apparently, armor strapped with projectile explosives wasn’t the best idea. So Chiron declares they will talk to their guest in the morning, and in the meantime, they’ll take shifts in pairs guarding him. Alex raises his hand to get the first watch, but Chiron appoints Drew Tanaka and Connor Stoll. They both roll their eyes at the idea of being stuck together for the next few hours. Alex’s chest deflates.

Ever since his sister left—he and June are some of the rare demigods that have the same mortal and immortal parentage without being twins—the responsibility of the Themis cabin has fallen on his shoulders. He wanted it, of course, but his siblings also elected him to the head counsellor position, thinking he’d follow in June’s footsteps: ruling with truth, justice, and wisdom. Just like their mother.

Back in his cabin, Alex stares at the marble statue of her that presides over her children. Her iconic image—blindfolded, holding a sword in one hand and balancing a scale in the other—reminds him he’s definitely no June.

She was a leader of quests; Alex has never been on one. June was the voice of reason at counsel meetings; he struggles just to sit still, let alone calm a room with one enlightening sentence. When the children of minor gods were finally given their own cabins, there was no question who should run theirs. Now, he hears his siblings whisper whether they should hold another election. Gods, you call out your conservative brothers one time—it was way more than once—and suddenly, you’re imposing your opinion on everyone.

That’s not it though. Alex has never been given a chance to step up. No matter how many times he tries to convince the counsel they should establish a court system at camp—nothing settles an argument like a nice, fair trial—he always gets shot down.

Not anymore. He’s not going to sit back this time. Not when the threat to camp is this great. He’ll get what he needs from that Roman. If June were here, she would’ve been trusted to go ahead without Chiron, so Alex will do the same.

•••

Henry wakes up to angry whispers outside of his door. The twelve Greeks overtook him easily, but he did put up a good fight. At least, he did until he was knocked unconscious. On the table beside his bed, a note sits atop a plate of food.

Eat well. Hydrate. Rest. We’ll speak with you soon. -Chiron

A glass of juice spiked with nectar sits next to the plate. Why would those imbecilic Greeks give him what’s essentially strengthening serum? He intakes his surroundings: a bed, a table, a dresser, and a chair. Window to the left. Only door out to the right. There’s a clean set of clothes at the end of the bed, but Henry would rather go to Tartarus and back than put on another camp’s shirt.

He jimmies the window, but it’s locked and to hard to break. He lightly tries the doorknob, but it’s locked as well. By the sounds of it, three maybe four people argue outside his door. Romans never had this much trouble changing guard shifts. Henry fiddles about the room, looking for anything to 1. unlock the door and 2. use as a weapon. He can handle four Greeks, and he’ll do everything in his power to get back to his cohort.

Henry hears the click of the door unlocking. Gods, they’re thick, aren’t they? He grabs the wooden chair, and as the door swings open, he thwacks the person walking in with it. Just as he suspected, the chair breaks, and he uses one piece to press against the throat of the careless demigod he’s pinned to the floor.

The boy beneath him groans. He’s got light brown skin and dark curly hair, and if Henry weren’t about to kill him, he’d think he was quite cute.

“Gods, can you Greeks do anything with finesse? Even your hero, Percy Jackson, as talented as he may be, flies by the seed of his trousers.” Henry grits his teeth.

“Ha!” the boy coughs out. “Jumping to conclusions, are we? I thought you guys were supposed to be strictly trained soldiers. You miscalculated.”

He points behind him, and when Henry looks up, a girl stands battle-ready with a sword in her hand. The distraction is enough for the boy below to wrap his legs around Henry and flip them. The Greek holds a dagger to his neck.

“Listen here, pretty boy, are we going to talk or am I going to go all American Revolution on your British-ass?” He presses the dagger, and Henry yelps.

The boy’s brown eyes peer into Henry’s, and some strange part of him likes it. The Greek looks about his age and, while clearly not as capable as he, definitely has some fight in him.

“I’d like to see you try, graecus. But be forewarned, if you send me to the Underworld, I’ll drag you and your camp down with me.” He keeps his face plain and uncaring, though he can feel the heat in his cheeks. Apollo help him.

The girl interrupts them to remind her partner what they’re here to do. She sheaths her sword and closes the door.

He’s called Alex. Henry swallows. And they need information.

Alex releases him. The two get up off the ground. No one moves to sit or get more comfortable. The boys just stare at each other, long and cold.

Henry can tell this guy is a complete and total arse, and yet he can’t shake the swirling feeling in his stomach. A memory from a quest eighteen months ago flashes in his mind. In Vegas, a priest of Venus dressed like Elvis told him great tragedy would befall his love life, but with the goddess’s blessing, he’d find happiness again.

He already lost someone. The demigod who found him, Daniel, son of Ceres, his sponsor when he joined the camp, his Centurion. Everything was quiet between them—few words needed for mutual understanding. Daniel brought him fresh lavender; Henry played him a tune on the lute. But then the Titan war came. And Daniel disobeyed the Praetors’ orders to save the boy he loved. Henry barely had time to grieve before he took control of the 3rd cohort and lost four other demigods in the process. Not a day goes by when he doesn’t think of the five who died because of him. Because of love.

No. This feeling he has is the desire to beat the Greeks, nothing more. He doesn’t give a damn about happiness in love or this obnoxiously hot demigod before him. Like even as Alex breaks eye contact first, puts his sheathed dagger in his boot, ruffles his hair, puts his hands on his hips, and sighs, Henry feels nothing. Elvis can go fuck himself.

“So,” Alex says, “what do you have planned, and how can we convince you to stop? We’d really like to prevent another demigod civil war.”

Henry laughs, and even though nothing would make him happier than to stop fighting, to rest as Chiron suggested, he tells Alex, “You’re really a dickhead if you think I’m giving you anything.”

•••

“It was an accident!”

“You expect me to believe with our two camps in a centuries-long feud that the one time we let down our defenses, your lot just attacked us on accident? Right, and I suppose Pluto is actually a sweet guy once you get to know him, too?”

“My buddy Leo was being controlled by Gaia!”

“Your mate Leo should come up with a better lie.”

“You’re impossible!” Gods, Alex really hates this guy. “Nora, can’t we just—”

She shakes her head before he can finish. He’s not really sure what he was going to say. Have Drew come back and charmspeak him? Feed him to the harpies? Pin him down again? Wait—what?

“Listen, dude. We’re really on the same side here. Right now, both Greeks and Romans demigods—our friends—are fighting against a greater threat than the world has seen since the beginning of time. That’s got to count for something,” he says.

The Roman is quiet. Alex hates how he looks like a goddamn prince even after a fight. But maybe he got through to him. After all, it is true. For all the shit he talks about Romans, he knows they’re not bad, just different. They actually have more in common than they’d like to acknowledge. Jason Grace taught him that. If there was ever a Roman WASP he could get behind, it’s Jason.

So Alex tries a different approach. He gestures to the bed. “You want to?” The blond boy stiffens, and Alex clarifies, “Sit?”

“How about we start over?” He sits. Nora takes the opportunity to march to the other side and bellyflops onto the bed. “I’m Alex, son of Themis, the goddess of justice. And you are?”

He watches the Roman look from the undefended door to Alex and back again.

“You could run,” Alex says. “But then we’d have no chance to broker peace. Hera thought she could do it by trading heroes, but I think you and I both know it takes more than one person to heal two armies.”

Power swells in his chest. Alex can’t know for sure, but maybe his mother is looking out for him. This is how he can bring the demigods justice for Gaia’s destruction. June would be the better choice, but Alex is here and he has to try.

“Let’s work together. Or at least, get along long enough for the prophesized seven to come back home,” he says.

The Roman hesitates. Alex can see in his light blue eyes the number of strategies racing through his mind. But ultimately, he decides to sit. Nora snores next to them. Five a.m. and a caffeine/nectar crash will do that to you.

“So your name?” Alex asks. “It’s only fair.” Dumb pun but he winks.

The boy coughs, but then he looks into Alex’s eyes. “I’m—er—Henry, son of Apollo, Centurion of the 3rd cohort.”

so this is a little late but we’re just going to ignore that...

i just finished reading toa a couple of weeks ago, and i can’t stop thinking about it!! so when i saw the meet-cute prompt, i couldn’t resist a percy jackson-ish fic! i hope you enjoyed this little short piece. <3

rwrb romance week | @rwrb-fests

[smartzelda]

Okay, first off, I know I said we would start where I left off in Corona, but I need to take a second to recognize something I forgot in Toy Box when rewriting the last post. Yozora.

Sora's "I never looked this good"

And Donald and Goofy like, "He looks kinda like Riku. Must be him."

And the Kingstagram post: "Yozora looks so much like Riku! I have GOT to play this game someday!"

Soriku bro😔👌

Okay, now back to Corona😂

So, where we left off, Gothel took Rapunzel back to the tower, and I'm skipping to Gothel's Rapunzel trap working on Flynn, and Flynn slowly dying

So, starting with Rapunzel, she starts off pretty confident, talking about how she'll run and run and run from Gothel forever, but in one moment, she becomes more submissive

If only she could just use her hair to save him.

Though obviously these are two different feelings going on, we're gonna start with this loose parallel of Rapunzel to Sora, who also in a single moment or from a single event, goes from confident to crying on his knees

If only Sora had his friends to give him the power to drive back the demon hurricane.

And of course, neither Flynn nor Riku will let it be this way. Flynn can't let her give up her dreams and her freedom to save him, and Riku just can't let Sora give up and believe he can't do anything.

["Sora, I believe in you. You won't give up."]

So, what do they do?

Flynn cuts off Rapunzel's hair, condemning himself to death, but saving Rapunzel's life (or at least, right to truly live)

Riku takes a shot at the demon tide, sacrificing himself in hopes of saving Sora's life.

In other words, they do a true love's sacrifice/act of true love

Quick intermission since here is where Gothel becomes the heartless and final boss. I still suck at this boss. It took me an hour or two to beat her. However, this is also when I started abusing shotlocks for the first time, so there's that. Abuse ultima shotlocks, cast magic, time your dodges, and hope whenever you attack you don't get attacked 😂

So, by the time Sora, Donald, and Goofy get up to the tower, I think we're supposed to presume Eugene is nearly dead, but Rapunzel is holding on, not wanting him to die

And of course, Sora desperately reaches for the light, calling for Riku. I guess you could say he's holding onto Riku.

["Riku! Riku, answer me!"]

Rapunzel sings her healing song that talks about reversing time, bringing back "what once was mine", changing "the fates' design, ect, and then her tear drops onto Eugene's face. And so, after both of them risked their own lives in acts of true love, both of them cheat the different deaths which would have been thrust upon them, changing fate's design

In similar fashion, due to what I believe to have been Kairi holding Sora's form together and Riku's act of true love saving Sora's heart, Sora too has cheated death (at least for now), and after reaching for the light, calling for Riku, and flying into it, he goes for Riku's heart first, saves all of his friends (minus Kairi till the light tunnel, though Sora doesn't save her) and not only reverses, but rewrites the destined events to happen in the timeline. I'd say it parallels Rapunzel's healing song, and even though he does save everyone and not just one person, there definitely is something to the fact that he specifically goes for Riku, specifically calls his name, and ends up wresting him from his fate first.

(Don't worry, bro, his heart'll be okay now)

Also, side note: During Rapunzel singing her healing song, she and Eugene confess that the other was their new dream and that just my heart

Bro, Eugene like, "Did I ever tell you... I've got a thing for brunettes?"

He really be the Riku parallel in this scene, don't he😏

Now of course, being me, I can't pass up the next parallel in this world

Sora: Well, if he comes back and tries to bother Rapunzel again, then Flynn will keep her safe.

Donald: Come on. Rapunzel's the tough one, if you ask me.

Flynn: True. But nevertheless, I won't let her out of my sight.

I mean, maybe it's just me, but it seems this parallels Riku wanting to have the strength to protect Sora, attaining that strength, but also being aware that Sora can take care of himself and has his own strength

And of course, this world is ended with a funny sex joke and Flynn getting stared down by Maximus and wet willied by pascal

Since here we're done with the worlds in the first area of gummi space and launched into the next, I'm gonna add that after every world I spend forever in gummi space farming meteorites and occasionally fighting the heartless and some boss battles, and every time I get launched into the next area of gummi space, I get all the treasure planets and the warp zone things too (apparently actual words evade me for both those things today). Legit though, farming meteorites is so helpful in getting synthesis materials you can use for upgrading your keyblades

So next was on to Monstropolis. I don't have much to talk about here.

Sora, Donald, and Goody freaking out over each other's monster forms? Hilarious.

Monster Sora? He will never not be adorable. Same with Boo

The big blue turtletoad unversed are annoying, and ngl, I had to dodge around a lot and play safe so I wouldn't die in like 2 hits.

Both the keyblade forms for Oathkeeper amd the form for Ultima on monster Sora are just so epic!!!

I still hate light rails with a passion.

Poor Sora so tired of dealing with computers thst when Goofy suggests smashing it, he's completely ready

Monstropolis: Randal nearly becomes leather wear before Vanitas saves him

The fact that Sora, Donald, and Goofy talked about Sora's weird kh1 smile and afterwards actually came up with a name for it. "Do the silly face special!" Also, when Monster Sora does it, it's definitely cute compared to the kh1 scene

The final boss unversed still sucked and took me plenty of tries, but I think I did better than my proud run.

YEETUS VANITAS

Ngl, I chanted YEETUS VANITAS cause I knew when it was coming

Poor Vanitas. He just need some love. From what I can tell in kh3, he's probably not hurting like he was in bbs and is less angry, and because there was a hole in his heart, he believed he had to join with Ventus to fill it even though their hearts have grown apart. Vanitas probably needs love to fill that hole

Poor Sora hurting and falling to the ground while Vanitas tells him that Ventus is in his heart

And last but definitely not least! Sora's Kingstagram post on the Vanitas scene where he learns that Ven is in his heart. And at the end of it, after talking about how apparently Ven is in his heart and stuff (I think) he's just like, "Would Riku know?" And the fact that Sora's included Riku in the Kingstagram posts means he was probably thinking about him and the fact he thinks Riku might know these things just... aaaaaaaa brooooo

And now onto Arendelle, home of many a Soriku parallel and where I did a lot of backtracking to save points

[whitecatindisguise]

Let Me Make You Proud 21

The Saporians’ are finally ready to attack Corona. And Corona... is less than prepared.

------

It was the middle of the night. The moon was high in the sky, its light shining down on the bare fields. Varian could see the wall dividing them from Corona from where he was seated inside the automaton. 

It was two days after his revelation about the true form of his power. No, not power. A curse. A curse that led to nothing else, but death. His hands curled on the handles controlling the machine, as he reminded himself of his decision. If it comes to the worst, he will find a way to use everything he got against the Saporians. 

It still hurt whenever he came back to his last conversation with Zhan Tiri. He really did betray Corona, didn’t he? The proof was all around him. Saporians armed with alchemical weapons of his design. Himself, inside the automaton built to help them fight.

Traitors pay with their lives… The Saporian motto echoed in his mind and he laughed sadly at how true it was. His fate was already decided, wasn’t it? Whatever the outcome, he will die tonight. Whether it will be by Saporian or Coronan hands, or because of his curse. 

His eyes moved up and he stared at the night sky. It was full moon tonight. According to what he learned, this was the time he was the most powerful. He… and Cass. 

He looked down and looked at the woman standing in the shadows. She appeared yesterday, brought by Zhan Tiri. She was going to aid them in the attack, she said, as they had a common goal. 

Varian still didn’t understand what happened to change her so much. She was the Princess’ Lady-in-waiting, her guard and best friend. How come she now had the powers Rapunzel was destined to claim, standing against the one she swore to protect. 

He tried to talk to her the day she arrived at the hideout. Tried to understand her. And, most of all, to warn her about the curse she claimed together with the Moonstone. But she didn’t listen. She didn’t even spare him a glance, walking away with Zhan Tiri, leaving him alone in the hallway. 

A movement somewhere to his left caught his attention. He saw a figure making its way towards where they were hiding, in the woods directly opposite the wall. The moon looked out from behind the clouds, and he noticed long black hair, braided and tied at the top of the head. 

Juniper approached Andrew with a pleasant grin on her face.

“Only ten guards, spread all over the wall.” She reported quietly, but Varian was close enough to understand what she was saying. Andrew hummed thoughtfully in response and grabbed his chin, eyes scanning the perimeter of the wall. 

“Which place is the least guarded?” He asked, his gaze staring into the distance. 

“Surprisingly, the part they rebuilt last year, after it was broken down by the rocks.” Juniper laughed and pointed at the specific point. Even from the distance, Varian could see the difference in wall colour, showing exactly which part was renovated. 

“Surprising, indeed.”  Andrew nodded as he scanned the particular spot. “I figured they would guard it better, since it doesn’t have the resistance the other parts have gained through the years. And, it’s the part that connects to the old road.”

“Exactly my thoughts.” Juniper agreed and laughed again. “Coronans are really stupid, aren’t they?”

“Makes our job easier.” The male simply stated and turned to Cassandra. She was sitting on a nearby rock, sharpening her sword with a piece of black rock. “Think you can make a door for us, Cassie?”

“You don’t get to call me that, Hubert.” She seethed and few of the men chuckled at the response. Andrew glared at them and they quickly silenced. 

“Whatever you say, Cassie.” He replied with a shrug. “Can you do it or not?”

“What I can or can’t do is not your concern.” Cass stood up and marched up closer, towering over the man. “But if you keep annoying me, I won’t hesitate to kill you. You need me, not the other way around.” 

“Fine, fine.” Andrew lifted his hands in the air but the smirk didn’t leave his face. “Just do your part.”

“With pleasure.” Now Cassandra smirked too and turned towards the wall. 

She closed her eyes and let out a deep exhale, before opening them again. She lifted one hand and black rocks sprouted from the ground. Slowly at first, they soon sped up, rushing towards the wall. Varian could pinpoint the exact moment the guards noticed them, as they froze at first and then started to scramble away. 

The rocks reached the wall but didn’t stop, climbing up the stone bricks. When the last rocks appeared on the top of the wall, Cassandra clenched her fist.

The stones exploded, chunks of the wall falling down to the ground with a loud thud. The smoke covered the area and Andrew gave the signal to move. By the time the smoke started to clear, they were already climbing up the debris. 

Varian could hear the guards shouting commands to step away. Probably the villagers heard the commotion and went out to see, what’s happening. The thought made his stomach drop, as he remembered where he was. The moment they see the alchemy bombs, or the automaton, they will know it’s him. And they didn’t really forgive him for his previous mistakes. He was only adding oil to the flame. 

~~~~~~

Rapunzel was grinning. She kept on pestering her dad for days, since Ruddiger came with the message. She didn’t feel at ease with sending only two additional guards to the border of the kingdom. So she asked and asked, dropped hints until the King decided to give her some men to go and check out the wall herself. 

She knew, it was only so she stop asking and he didn’t really believe the message was true, but it was more than enough. So this was how Rapunzel found herself sitting in front of Eugene on Maximus, following Captain and other guards towards Old Corona and the border. It was the middle of the night, but the Princess refused to wait until the morning, and her father reluctantly agreed to go now. 

She could already see the village in the distance. The sight made her stomach drop, as he remembered the big castle-like building by the wall. She visited Quirin the same day Ruddiger returned. She brought the raccoon with her and relayed whatever she managed to learn. 

She remembered the moment she jumped down from Max’s back, Quirin meeting her in the doorway. His eyes lit up when he saw the raccoon but dulled soon after, when he realized his son wasn’t with him. She felt tears threatening to fall, as the man kneeled down to pick up the animal and hugged it to his chest, praying for Varian’s safety. She didn’t stay long after, deciding to leave the two alone. 

And now she was back, entering the village with a group of guards, heading for the wall. She looked up and saw two guards, frantically scrambling away from a particular part of the stone. Captain noticed it too, and gave a sign to stop, his eyes staring into the wall. 

That’s when she heard it. A familiar sound, something she dreaded to hear again. It went up the wall and reached the top. Everything went silent for a few moments. And then the wall blew up. The stones and bricks exploded, falling down in large chunks. The smoke and dust reached them in no time, irritating her eyes and throat. 

“Everyone to the wall!” She heard Captain yelling and felt Max moving through the smoke. 

She heard aroused voices of the villagers, leaving their homes to check what happened. The guards tried to stop the crowd from approaching, shouting to stay away. The smoke slowly cleared out and she coughed to clear her throat. 

“Knock knock, Corona.” A too-familiar voice sounded in the night and her eyes flew to the damaged part of the wall. 

There, standing on the debris, stood Cass. Her blue hair moved gently in the wind and she smirked evilly at the gathered crowd. More figures climbed the debris and her stomach dropped as she noticed the Saporians. And then, as if it wasn’t enough already, something even bigger made its way up the broken wall. The mechanical head with red-coloured glass window appeared over the bricks, before the whole machine stood at the top, behind the Saporians.

Rapunzel’s stomach dropped even more, when she noticed a person sitting inside. There, staring right at her with wide blue eyes… was Varian. 

[taehyungsgrowl]

’m sorry about this one, I love my boys I just want them to be okay 🥺 ~~~ Duncan couldn’t bring himself to make the call, Nate was clear as day, he doesn’t want to talk to either of them. Maybe it was better to tell her the truth, even if it would be hard to hear.

“So? Is he coming?”

 Y/N asked out as she pulled out plates for their meal.  Duncan walked in and planted a kiss on the top of her head. 

“He..he said he doesn’t want to talk to us anymore”

 he saw a her face fall at the news.

 “Hey, it’s okay, you’ve got me. We’ve got each other..”  

When Duncan reached home that night he decided to move Nate’s box from his car to the back of his closet. He decided he was better off taping it shut than going through the contents and stressing himself out.    — It wasn’t easy for Y/N to hear that Nate  wouldn’t talk to either of them, but Dunc was right, she had him. Having him over was something she hadn’t even realized how much she’d missed.  Their plan to “take things slow” went out the window in just a few nights. It had been nearly a year since the last time they’d been 

together, 

so when things didn’t, uh, 

come together

 like before

, 

she held no ill will.  

“Was that okay? How are you feeling?” 

Duncan asked from beside her. His nerves were starting to creep in, thoughts of what Nate had told him were bubbling up. Self doubt began overtaking his thoughts. What if he wasn’t as good as Nate? What if things were worse than they remembered? What if she hated it so much she broke up with him?  Y/N could feel Duncan beginning to tense up. She grabbed his face to kiss him, 

“I missed you, Dunc. How about a round two, if you’re ready?”

 She said peppering his face until he was smiling as hard as her. While Duncan was out for his run the next morning, Y/N was just trying to find the clothes she’d left with him the year before. He’d said they were in a box somewhere, but when she found the one in his closet. Yes, it had her things in it, but it had Nate’s too. Why did Duncan have a box with all of their pictures-? He must have tried to talk to Nate after their fight.. Nate said he didn’t want to talk anymore, but this seemed like he didn’t want to even think about her. Why didn’t he have the guts to just say this to her face? After all of their time together you would think she at least deserved that. 

—

  Nate spend most of his time trying to block out and forget those last few months. Hookups were difficult, everything reminded him of 

her,

 he had to change things. No more old friends, it’s not like it was hard for him to find someone who wouldn’t have any expectations for him afterwards. He buzzed his hair off, why did they always try to push it back? Nate spent his nights alone for the most part, no matter how late someone was over, they weren’t sleeping there. Not anymore.  Every day was harder than the last. Every day he saw Y/N and Duncan grow closer. She hadn’t tried to call him again, Shepherd had probably given her the box, told her what happened. Nate knew he could have called her, checked in for old times sake.. But she said their time together didn’t mean anything, so why should he give her any more of it. If Y/N was anything, she was persistent, it took nearly a month for her to stop calling and texting Duncan, and a few weeks after that to stop trying to talk to him in class. If she wanted to talk to him, she would have tried already, she wouldn’t have given up on him so easily.  –  Nate knew he’d been neglecting himself, forgetting to take his meds, slogging through the days

. 

He just wanted it to stop, everything to stop, but it wouldn’t. It couldn’t.  Rather than do something reckless, he dropped Maximus off at Y/N’s. Tied him to the porch with a bag of food, everything she’d need to take care of him, and a note. Even if she was still upset about what he’d told Duncan, he knew she’d take good care of his boy.  Nate voluntarily admitted himself to the inpatient psych ward. ‘

It’s just for a couple of weeks, maximum,’ 

he told himself. Just long enough to get his head back on straight, let his meds kick in again, sort himself out..

–

ma’am you made me cry :( 

i meant to have this out earlier this weekend but allergies have been kicking my ass so i’ve been sleeping sm vsjkvhsge yeehaw

–

As Y/N pulled into her driveway, she caught sight of Maximus on her porch. Confusion and worry immediately set in. She hurried out of the car and ran towards the dog. 

I’m sorry. For everything. Please take care of Maxie. Spending a few weeks to get better at St. Anthony’s Hospital.  

Y/N reread the note tied to Maxie over and over. She felt so guilty. Why didn’t Nate reach out to her is he was struggling? 

Why didn’t you check on him? The voice in her head shamed her. 

“Oh, Maxie.” she knelt down and hugged his dog tightly. Maxie whined and let her cry it out. 

After what felt like a long time, she brought him and his thing in. She had to see him. Had to know if Nate was okay. He wouldn’t do this unless things had gotten pretty bad. 

Maximus followed her around the house as she tried to make sense of everything. 

Duncan arrived, carrying in food he’d picked up for them. Y/N sat at the table, head in her hands as she looked down at Nates note again. Maxie began to bark as soon as Duncan opened the door. 

“What’s going on?” worry flashed Duncan’s mind seeing Maximus there. Was Nate there too? Had he been over to apologize to Y/N?

She called Maxie over and looked up at Duncan, tears in her eyes. 

“Baby,” Duncan rushed over, “What’s wrong?” he knelt on the ground and took her hands in his. 

“It’s Nate,” her voice trembled. Duncan looked down at Nate’s dog and back up at Y/N, still not understand. Was he .. was Nate okay?

Y/N couldn’t continue to explain without her voice giving out so she handed the note for Duncan to read. 

“It’s my fault.” she wiped at her tired eyes with the back of her sleeves. Duncan could tell she’d been crying for a while by how red and irritated her eyes were. 

“C’mere,” Duncan stood and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. 

Duncan didn’t know what to say. What could he say? He knew Y/N was beating herself up for this and he knew it wasn’t her fault. Part of him wanted to blame Nate for making her feel bad - but he knew that wasn’t right. 

“He’s getting help because he thinks he needs it, Y/N. It’s not your fault.” he looked into her eyes, taking his thumb to wipe her tears. 

“I know you still care about him. And you know he still trusts you.” Duncan looked down at Maxie at their feet. “Sit down, babe.” he kissed her head again and helped her sit. 

“I should have known he wasn’t okay.” she looked down at the table idly tracing patterns into the wood. 

Duncan wasn’t sure how to feel. Even now Nate was still holding the cards in their relationship. 

“He didn’t wanna talk to us, babe.” Duncan sighed. “Look, why don’t we have dinner and try to relax a little and tomorrow morning we can see what we can find out.” he glanced at his watch, “Besides, it’s late now and you won’t get any answers tonight.”

That night, Y/N asked Duncan to stay at her place. Far too sad to be alone. He held her close that night with Maxie resting on her other side. She dozed off to sleep, softly petting his fur.

-

Nate looked out the narrow window of his temporary room. He instinctively tried to run his hands through his hair, but when he was met with his buzzed head, he let out a deep sigh. 

He just wanted to feel like himself again. 

He got ready for bed, taking his medication, brushing his teeth, changing into a pair of fresh sweats. He laid in his too small bed, staring up at the ceiling. 

He’d put everyone’s feelings before his own for so long; he need help focusing on himself. 

Nate’s mind started to wander when that started? Was it when he resigned any potential he could have with Y/N by making Duncan tell her how he felt? Was it before that when he settled to be Y/N’s friend when he wanted more? 

Maybe neither of that - maybe it was a slow progression that led to it. Thinking about it now didn’t help. He tossed and turned most of the night.

He missed his bed. Missed Maxie.

He felt his stomach drop realizing it was only the first night. 

Nate closed his eyes and tried to think of happy memories, but all the ones that came to mind involved Y/N. 

He wanted to be able to be happy on his own. 

[smittenvixen13]

Tangled Au with Gabriel as Mother Gothel and actual Sundrop Adrien Agreste as Rapunzel. What ever person you ship with Adrien could be Eugene, Marinette, Nino, Luka, Kagami, whoever! Maybe it’s a group! Honestly I just need Adrien with sun magic and pretty long hair and powerful magic.

Adrien, like Marinette, deserves a harem simply because they’re bodies of adorable sweetness and love and so much sass. But I shall do the typical Marinette because I have plans >w>. I’m still working on a few...ideas that only  @lenoreofraven has been privy to, so this will be bullet points again!- Gabriel as Mother Gothel works so much, it actually kinda hurts?? Sweet baby boy does not deserve that sort of mental abuse, just like Rapunzel didn’t.- Gabriel had found the sundrop flower long ago, using its magic to keep himself youthful and to find Emelie, his long lost love (Emelie ran off from his control, gone into the wind, but Gabriel’s sure she’s been abducted).

- Adrien’s actual parents are going to be Tikki and Plagg, because I say they are, plus he got his eyes from Plagg but sweetness from Tikki- He’s kidnapped, as the story goes, and taken away to a looming tower. I’m going to add in some story elements I remember from my old books and make Nathalie the raven/crow that watches over him too, a faithful companion to Gabriel and all his wicked deeds. Pascal is Nino for sure, the chameleon has sass.- Nathalie seems like a daunting enemy, but she does care for Adrien and will playfully tug at his blond locks of hair or call out when Gabriel approaches so Adrien can ‘correct‘ himself. She’s still loyal to Gabriel, and will outright glare at Nino, but she still loves Adrien.- Marinette, on the other hand, is an orphan child who swiftly became the eldest of the group as time went on; she baked and read and created for her younger ‘siblings‘, going out of her way to try and better their lives. She never knew her parents, but she does wish to be like The Scarlet Savage, a pirate who took what she wanted and gave to those she loved for, who spoke of justice for those without voices and willing to fight even against the ‘noble‘ ones.- She left the orphanage with a plan to steal loot when she could, taking on the nickname Miss Fortune, donning on red and black coloring in honor of her childhood idol.- She teamed up with the Traitorous Three: Lila, Chloe, and Felix. She knows she could easily be outnumbered, but she needs the numbers to pull off bigger heists. Plus, it’s just fun to annoy the three, at least Felix is bearable.- Back to our little darling, Adrien tries out new hobbies as much as possible: piano, fencing (broom handles), singing, dancing, chess, making up stories of how the outside is, and recently he’s attempting to paint but he mostly just gets dirty.- On Adrien’s eighteenth birthday, he finally readies himself to ask his father if they could go see the paper lanterns. In true Gothel/Gabriel fashion, he says no outright and works on SEVERELY intimidating  Adrien into never asking again, threatening to take away the things he likes. Cowed into agreeing, Adrien sees Gabriel off until he comes back for dinner.- At the same time, Miss Fortune and the Traitorous Three obtain the Prince’s crown and ring. Like Flynn, she kinda outs herself and gets them being chased outside of the castle. She tricks the three with the treasure and runs off to save herself and leave the three to be captured. She encounters Kagami, the horse lol, because come ON, Kagami would be in command horse like Maximus. She would kick ass no matter what.- Well, Kagami and Marinette get into a tussle which results in Mari finding the tower hidden away from sight. With it as her best escape, she hurries to it, using arrows from the guards to climb up the gigantic tower...- ONLY for Adrien to smack her on the back of her head with the iron pan.- Adrien hides Marinette in the closet, under some blankets. That’s when he sees her bag. The crown goes about the same way as the movie, but the ring...the ring connects with him. He goes to keep it, a prize to show off to his father, when he hears Nathalie. He quickly hides the pack and ring, ready to SHOW his father he is strong enough to handle the outside world.- It....goes about as well as the movie does. When Gabriel leaves to go fetch some new paints, the ones like mom left behind (because of course mr. obsessed still has some of the things he gave her while he held HER prisoner).- Adrien makes a deal with the bandit, for her to take him to the festival, which she’s forced to agree to.- Through their journey they slowly begin to grow affectionate for each other, especially at the bar where all the “bad guys“ is the class, jagged, alya, and luka because it’s funny.- Kagami adores Adrien and begrudgingly agrees to behave with Miss Fortune. They both encourage Adrien to feel like he’s his own person, letting him explore with all his very thick hair.- Instead of his hair being brown when cut, I think it going from a bright blond to a more dirty blond/light brown is what should happen, mostly because he IS a sunshine child.-The Traitorous Trio team up with Gabriel to get at the pair, with Felix suggesting that he could feign being Adrien-mostly his voice because he doesn’t have that long hair-to trick Marinette later.- Adrien heals Marinette’s injured arm, which is how she discovers he has healing powers and that he has a very cute singing voice. Hey, she’s still twitterpated, after all.- He does have trouble with his hair partway through, but it’s Marinette who braids it instead, the pair talking about their childhood and this is how he learns her name isn’t Miss Fortune (because he’s an oblivious sunshine child). He doesn’t condone stealing, but he does understand her reasoning.- Marinette shows him around the kingdom and all the wonders, grinning at how much he spun around and asked questions and ate as many sweets as he could get his hands on. Boy had a big sweet tooth.- The scene on the water is just very very soft, with the both of them just so in love but still so nervous over the fact that they developed feelings within a span of like TWO days.- Then the sads happens- Gabriel convinces the trio that they WANT Adrien, whos hair is strong and powerful and more expensive than spun gold. People WANT to live forever. Marinette is tricked to follow Felix’s voice, and she’s strung up and sent off in the direction of the castle to be arrested. Gabriel then tricks the trio and convinces Adrien he came to save him.-  Adrien is heartbroken, thinking Marinette gave him up, following his father back to the tower to forget about ‘all this nonsense’.- Kagami sees this and goes to get reinforcements, but...Nathalie sees this too. As much as she loves Gabriel, she loves Adrien too and the trickery pained her heart. She goes to follow Adrien and Gabriel, ready to tell him the truth.- Adrien finds out the truth, thanks to Nathalie gently urging him the crown, mimicking the word ‘prince’ so Adrien finally connects the dots. Gabriel, not wanting another person to run out on him again, attacks Adrien from leaving.- Marinette meanwhile is captured, but she agrees to go quietly...at first, until she sees the trio in a cell and snarls, anger raging through her as she pulls a Eugene and gets her hands on Felix. She KNOWS he’s in trouble and that he needs her help, her begging falling on deaf ears.- The bandits go to rescue Marinette and gives her a chance to run off to save her prince. Nathalie calls from above, guiding her towards the tower and swoops down, ‘Danger! Danger!‘ but Marinette ignores it, in favor of saving her Prince.- Gabriel stabs Marinette when she enters into the tower, smirking down to her, “Now see what you’ve done, Adrien? Now this whole situation is a mess, thanks to you; emotional, just like your mother. Now she will die here with our SECRET!”- Adrien begs to let her live, bargaining that he won’t fight Gabriel’s control, so long as Marinette can live. He goes to heal her, only for Marinette to decide “fuck that, your freedom is more important. that hair needs to go“, so a slice by a mirror shard has his pure golden hair fading down to a  dirty blond, much to Gabriel’s terror.- With his death, the tower is quiet. Marinette whispers a soft ‘I love you‘ to Adrien, making him tear up and whisper is back, his tears landing on her pale skin. By way of the last drops of sunlight, she’s healed.- All ends well! The pair get together and Adrien finally meets his true family, with Marinette being an honorary member as Adrien’s lady-love.-And of course, Marinette asks Adrien to marry her years later.

[eugeneismyqueen]

Rapunzel’s First Christmas

Rapunzel had never had a proper Christmas before. Living in the tower away from civilization hadn’t allowed her many possibilities to celebrate. Mother Gothel had never been big on affection or presents but she had allowed Rapunzel to decorate a small tree every year. However, Rapunzel had read about many grand Christmases in faraway places, where stockings were hung, presents were tied with pretty bows for loved ones, and the smells of baking gingerbread filled the air. This was her first Christmas in Corona, her first one with Eugene. And he intended to make it the most special Christmas she could ever dream of.

“Good morning and merry Christmas Eve, Blondie.” Eugene strolled into the princess’s room, setting down a tray of hot cocoa for two and pulled open her curtains. She sat up in bed, wiping a trail of drool from her chin and rubbing her eyes.

She yawned, “Eugene.” There was a smile on her face as she watched him parade around her room, still in his own bed clothes. He knew she liked seeing him relaxed like this, not trying to rush into the day but enjoying the moments as they came.

“Hot cocoa in bed, your highness?” Eugene carried the tray of cocoa to Rapunzel’s bed, sitting down in front of her and putting the tray between them. He leaned against her bedpost, sipping from his mug, watching her savor her first sips of hot cocoa.

“You’re the best boyfriend ever, Eugene.”

“Oh come on, Blondie, the day’s still a bit early to be saying that.” He winked at her and she giggled.

“I know, but I’m sure my day is already booked with princess duties.”

“Actually, your parents declared today a snow day.”

Rapunzel’s eyes widened. “A snow day?”

“Mhmm, which means you are officially mine today.” His eyes twinkled with that flirty look that made her insides flip flop. Rapunzel set her mug down on the tray and jumped into Eugene’s arms.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you made it snow just to have a date day with me,” she laughed, nuzzling her nose against his neck.

He wrapped his arms around her, setting his own mug of hot cocoa down to pull her closer to him. He pressed his lips against her forehead and brushed a hand through her short, brown hair. Winter morning cuddles with his Rapunzel was the best thing he had ever experienced in life and he had the smallest hope that he could just hold her in his arms in this bed with their hot cocoa for the whole day instead of everything else he had planned.

“I’ve never been in snow before,” she whispered against him. “What does it feel like?”

“To be honest, I’ve never really liked snow. At the orphanage and out on my own, snow just always meant cold. When I was a kid, I guess I played in it. It used to be fun, especially for Lance and I. We built snowmen and had snowball fights, and for a few moments, none of us were poor, sad orphans. We were just kids having fun. I don’t really remember that feeling when it comes to snow anymore.” His eyes glazed over, some dark part of his past haunting him still.

“Hey,” Rapunzel took his face into her hands. “We can make it fun. Will you experience snow with me, Eugene?”

“For you? I’d do anything, Rapunzel.”

Eugene watched Rapunzel pause at the top of the palace steps, eyes glazed over in wonder and amazement at the blankets of snow covering the whole front lawn of the palace. The stairs had been cleared and the pair of them were dressed in warm furs to keep the cold out. They were ready for the perfect snow day. Eugene stepped towards Rapunzel, recognizing her stillness as worry that the snow won’t be everything she dreamed of.

“Hey,” he whispered in her ear, lacing her hand in his. “Shall we?”

She grinned at him and tugged Eugene down the steps, before jumping into the snow. The bright sun glittered off the snow and Rapunzel looked bright, and clear, and happy. He threw snowballs at her, built a snowman with her, they went sledding, and made snow angels. Eugene felt like a kid again, and finally the snow wasn’t something he hated anymore. It was something he found beauty in, at the help of Rapunzel.

When the sun began to set, Eugene pulled Rapunzel close and whispered in her ear that he had one more surprise for her.

“Eugene!” Rapunzel gasped at the sight of Maximus pulling a sleigh behind him. She got on her tiptoes and kissed Eugene’s cheek. He offered her his hand and she climbed into the sleigh. He followed her and tucked a blanket around them, wrapping an arm around her and holding her cold hands in his free hand. Maximus took off through Corona and the pair watched with amazement as the storefronts came to life with light and Christmas spirit. Feldspar’s shop was decorated with miniature shoes of varying types and styles. Uncle Monty’s sweet shoppe looked like a gingerbread house, complete with peppermints in the windows and a wreath made from licorice. Rapunzel laughed at all the beautiful Christmas decorations, feeling so much joy in her heart to finally see what a proper Christmas feels like.

Maximus led the sleigh into the forest as it began to lightly snow again. Rapunzel leaned into Eugene, laying her head on his shoulder and sighing happily. “This has been the best day ever.”

“Everyday is the best day with you, Rapunzel.”

She lifted her head to meet Eugene’s eyes. He leaned in for a kiss, concealing a small jewelry box in his hand. He opened it in front of her while they kissed and held it out for her. She pulled away to look at the purple and gold sun emblem of Corona connected to a delicate gold chain.

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed.

He fastened it around her neck. “Merry Christmas, Sunshine.”

“Merry Christmas, Eugene. You’ll get your gift back at the castle.”

“Oh you didn’t have to get me anything.”

“I just can’t help spoiling you, Eugene,” Rapunzel grinned, a twinkle in her eye, running her fingers over the delicate pendant at her throat.

When they returned to the castle, Rapunzel led Eugene to her room and pulled out a thick package she had carefully wrapped in white paper and tied with a bow. She handed him the package and sat on her bed, patting beside her for him to join. He carefully undid the bow and tore the paper and found a big book inside the wrapping.

“It’s The Tales of Flynnigan Rider,” Eugene said, beginning to flip through the book. “Wait. Rapunzel. Are these your drawings?”

“Yep! I thought I’d illustrate some of the stories. And, here, this one’s my favorite Flynn Rider story.” Rapunzel flipped the pages towards the end of the book. This was a new story, one he wasn’t familiar with reading, but one he knew very well all the same.

“You wrote our story, Blondie.”

“And illustrated!” Rapunzel laughed, loving the look on Eugene’s face as he looked at their story, how they met and fell in love within the pages of this book, mixing with all the Flynnigan Rider stories he’d read as a boy.

“This is the best gift anyone has ever given me, Rapunzel. You are the best gift. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Eugene. You’re my best gift, too.”

Eugene set his book down and pulled Rapunzel into his arms, holding her close and brushing her lips with his.

“This really is the best Christmas ever,” he sighed before kissing her again.

Rapunzel and Eugene enjoyed the rest of their cozy Christmas Eve by the fire with more hot cocoa as snow fell down outside, love in their hearts for each other and for the joys of Christmas.

[pixiegrl]

And At Last I See The Lights

Hey! @calumsclifford said that Muke is very Rapunzel/Flynn and mentioned in passing that she would love a Tangled AU based on the lantern scene. No one asked but I wrote it anyway for her to avoid the next part of Stardust AU. 

It’s also here on ao3. (https://archiveofourown.org/works/25023496) Enjoy! 

Luke’s been holding Michael’s hand since they walked into the kingdom.  Michael supposes it makes up for the fact that he was forced to spend the last part of the journey with Maximus glaring at him and Petunia, perched on Luke’s shoulder, sending him her own disgruntled look.  Michael never knew that horses and lizards were capable of expressing human emotion, but here he is, with two animals shooting daggers at him the whole way.  Michael’s not even sure what he did, other than existing and maybe stealing a crown (okay so Michael knows what he did).

Michael’s trying to not to focus on where Luke’s fingers are laced with his.  His hands are soft and warm, like the rest of him. Luke’s wearing one of Michael’s rings, after he pouted and batted his eyes at Michael for it.  Even the metal is warm across Michael’s hand. Luke insists that it’s magic that makes his hair glow, but Michael thinks that it’s just who Luke is, sunshine and warmth coming from within.  Luke’s been swinging their arms back and forth gently, smiling softly, dimple indented on his cheek.  Michael can’t seem to pull his eyes away from Luke, whose smile gets bigger the closer they get to the kingdom.

Luke is utterly oblivious to his traveling companions.  Even since the top of the castle came into view, he’s been tugging Michael along urgently, speeding up his pace as if he’s worried the kingdom will vanish if he doesn’t move fast enough.  Although, he has spent the last 20 years locked in a tower in the middle of nowhere.  As he’s been telling Michael since the moment they met, getting to see the lanterns has been his dream since he was a child.

“Michael come on,” Luke whines, tugging at Michael’s hand and pulling him across the bridge.  Michael catches his foot on Luke’s hair and stumbles forward, trying to regain his balance in time with his dignity intact.  Luke barely notices, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he pulls Michael into the town square, coming to a stop and tilting his head back to look up and around at the banners and decorations set up for the lost prince’s birthday celebration.

“Well Luke, is it everything you ever dreamed of?” Michael turns to look at Luke, whose face is filled with awe and wonder as he turns around in a circle to take it all in.

“Oh Michael. This is. So much better than anything I could have pictured,” Luke’s voice is barely above a whisper, filled with disbelief and wonderment, eyes wet and shining.  He turns to Michael and pulls the man into a tight hug. “This is the best present ever.”

Michael returns the hug, wrapping his arms around Luke and holding onto him tight.  Wrapped up in Luke’s arms, face pressed into soft blonde curls, Michael’s heart aches.  He can’t imagine what this must be like for Luke to go through so much in the last few days, for his whole life, and he’s still so optimistic and happy.

Michael pulls back to look at Luke, to say something to him that will encompass everything Michael is feeling, when he catches the flinch of pain on Luke’s face.  Michael frowns, opening his mouth to ask Luke what’s wrong, when Luke’s hand flies to his head and he whimpers.  They both look down and Michael realizes that due to the long nature of Luke’s hair, everyone is stepping on it and tugging it.

“Here, let me,” Michael fumbles, making a grab at Luke’s hair and trying to help him gather it up.  They look at each other helplessly once they’ve gathered all the hair, yards and yards of it bundled up and tangled in their arms.  

“How are we supposed to do anything now?” Luke cries, eyes wet with tears for an entirely other reason. “We can’t go anywhere or look at anything or light the lanterns if I have to hold my hair the whole time!”

Michael looks around desperately, hoping to find a solution, even if it’s something as simple as a basket so that Luke’s birthday isn’t ruined.  He catches sight of a small group of girls by the fountain, brushing and braiding each other’s hair.  He wriggles a hand free from Luke’s hair, grabbing onto the other boy’s hand, and tugging him towards the girls. “Come on, I have an idea.”

----

“Michael can’t you walk any faster!” Luke whines, pulling Michael towards the boats for the lantern release.  Michael probably could walk faster, but he feels stuck, catch off guard by the way Luke looks in the setting sun.  The braid the little girls crafted earlier is still firmly in place and the flowers Luke’s acquired and stuck into it are bright against the blonde.  Luke’s practically glowing like this and Michael’s been caught off guard, feeling like he missed a step along the way.  

Michael doesn’t have time to analyze this feeling, Luke finding a boat and turning to look at Michael expectantly.  There’s a beat where Luke and Petunia look at Michael and Michael looks at them, each waiting for the other to make a move before Michael realizes that Luke’s never been on a boat before. He doesn’t know what to do.  Michael’s heart is filled with fondness and he steps down gently into the boat, turning to Luke and holding his arms out.

“Come on, I’ll help you,” Michael offers motioning to Luke to come closer. “I promise I won’t let anything bad happen.” 

Luke takes a caution step closer and once he’s in range, Michael grabs onto his waist and lifts him up, swinging him around. Luke shrieks, grabbing on tightly to Michael’s arms, until Michael sets him down gently on both feet. Michael looks up slightly at Luke and is struck by how close their noses are, how blue Luke’s eyes are. Michael’s breath catches and he still feels like he’s missing something, like there’s a step he’s missed along the way.

The moment places and Luke releases his hold on Michael, looking away and cautiously sitting down on the boat’s front bench. Michael unties the rope and takes a seat behind Luke, picking up the paddle and rowing them away from the dock.

“Where are we going Michael?”

“Well, it’s your birthday and you wanted to see the lanterns. Figured I’d give you the best seat in the house.” Michael ceases rowing, letting the boat come to a stop in the middle of the lake, the perfect place for the light show that’s about to start.

Luke falls silent, looking up at the darkening sky in wonder.  Petunia pops out of Luke’s hair, gazing up at the sky with him.  Michael’s heart aches for this boy.  They’ve been through so much over the last few days and Luke’s pushed through everything, determined and resilient each time, optimism never faltering.  He knows their adventure, their pact, was only supposed to last until Michael brought Luke here to the lanterns but Michael can’t find the words to tell Luke he doesn’t want this to end.  Michael’s not ready to have to walk Luke back to his tower and say goodbye to him. He’s only shown Luke a tiny fraction of what the world has to offer and he knows there’s so much out there for Luke.  Luke wasn’t meant to be locked away from everyone, trapped in his lofty prison, forced to gaze out on the world below in longing.  Michael feels like taking Luke back will be betraying this soft, sweet boy, who’s never looked at Michael with anything other than trust and affection, even when they were fighting bitterly the first few days.  Michael wants to give Luke one last present, wants to steal Luke away from his tower, from his mother, and show him the world, take him on adventure after adventure until they're old and gray and there’s nothing left to explore.  Wants to promise Luke that he’ll protect him from whatever waits out in the world for them, that he’ll be Luke's protector, his home, his family in the way Luke’s mentioned never having.  At the same time, Michael knows Luke is too wonderful, too amazing for Michael to keep. Even if Michael could steal him away, Luke’s talented, beautiful, artistic and free.  Eventually Luke will outgrow Michael and leave him for bigger, better things and it would be cruel of Michael to force him to stay, trapped again. 

Michael’s so caught up in his own thoughts, heart stuck in his throat and eyes wet, that he almost misses the sad sigh Luke lets out. He glances at the boy, sees Luke dip a hand into the water below and swirl it around.  He looks small and sad, like the Luke that tied Michael to a chair demanding to know who Michael was and if he was going to hurt him.  It breaks Michael’s heart to see the sweet, confident boy he’s gotten to know vanish.

“Lukey what’s wrong?”

“I’m terrified,” Luke whispers.

“Why?”

“I’ve been looking out a window for 20 years, dreaming about what it might feel like when those lights rise in the sky,” Luke looks up to the sky and Michael studies his profile in the moonlight. Sharp upturned nose, strong jawline, pink lips, framed by soft blonde curls falling around his face and pink flowers tucked into the folds of his hair.  Blue eyes shining in the moonlight. Michael tries to memorize this moment, catalogue it away for when there’s nothing left of Luke except this one perfect memory of this one perfect night. “Michael, what if it’s not everything that I dreamed it would be?”

“It will be,” Michael whispers back, reaching out and taking Luke’s hand. Luke looks back at him and Michael’s struck by the intensity of emotion in his eyes.

“And what if it is? What do I do then? Until a few days ago, I’d never left that tower and now I’m here. I did the one thing I always dreamed of. Where do I go now?”

“That’s the good part I guess Sunshine,” Michael reaches up to brush a stray curl behind Luke’s ear.  He hears Luke’s breath catch when Michael’s fingertips graze his earlobe. “You get to go find a new dream.”

They sit in silence, gazing at each other, Michael’s fingers caught in Luke’s hair.  It’s comfortable and peaceful.  Luke opens his mouth, but is distracted by the first lantern floating up into the sky and whips his head around to stare intently at it.  More lanterns follow it into the sky.  Luke scrambles to the front of the boat, gripping onto the wood tightly as he stares up at the night sky, candlelight lighting up the night sky and basking him in their glow.

There’s a few beats where Luke gazes at the sky with awe before he whips around to look at Michael, face full of despair. “Michael! I don’t have a lantern!”

“Don’t worry Sunshine,” Michael chuckles, pulling two lanterns from where he'd hidden them under the seat when Luke was getting his hair braided, lighting them, and holding one out of Luke.  “You didn’t think I’d forget the most important part of your present.” 

Luke makes his way back to the bench. Lowering himself down gently and reaching out to take the lantern. He pauses and then turns around, grabbing Michael’s satchel from under the bench and holding it out to Michael. “I have something for you too. I should have given it to you before, but I was scared. But I’m not scared anymore Michael. You helped me realize that and I want you to have it.” 

Michael realizes that Luke’s holding the crown out to him. The crown that Luke’s been holding on to for the entirety of their trip, as blackmail to keep Michael helping him. Michael’s not sure when his helping Luke stopped being about the crown, when it stopped being the most important part of this adventure, but Michael can’t find it in him to take the satchel from Luke. He shakes his head, holding the lantern out to Luke. “You keep it. Think of it as a...souvenir of your birthday adventure.”

Luke smiles softly, dropping the satchel, and taking the lantern from Michael’s waiting hands.  He looks expectantly at Michael, until Michael lets his go and Luke follows suit.  Luke watches in awe as the lanterns float up to join the rest of them.  He grabs Michael’s hand, pointing excitedly at a lantern floating towards them.  Luke lets his hand brush it, pushing it up towards the sky, smiling softly. 

Michael finds his eyes drawn to Luke, who’s leaning over the edge of the boat, illuminated in candlelight.  His hair practically glows in the warm light, eyes and face lit up with a smile.  Michael’s heart aches suddenly from the want that fills it.  Luke looks like the sun, bright and shining, glowing from within.  Michael knows about the magical whatever that Luke’s hair has with the glowing, but in this moment, Michael thinks that the glowing is just Luke.  Luke is bright and shining from within and Michael is hit with this overwhelming feeling of. Love. 

“Luke,” Michael whispers, tugging on Luke’s hand until Luke turns his face towards Michael.  His eyes are sparkling and there’s another curl falling into his eyes.  Michael, at a loss for what to say, gently brushes the curl from Luke’s face and tucks it behind his ear.  There’s a beat where Michael gazes into Luke’s eyes before he tugs Luke’s face forward with both hands and kisses him. Luke makes a noise of surprise before melting softly into the kiss.

Luke’s lips are warm and soft. Michael can feel Luke smiling against his lips.  He feels warm, basking here in Luke’s sunshine, pulling back from Luke to catch his breath, cradling Luke’s face in his palms.

Luke’s quiet for a moment, eyes closed and lips parted as he catches his breath.  Luke giggles and leans forward, burying his face into Michael’s neck.  He glances up at Michael through his lashes, smiling softly.  

“Hey Mikey.”

“Yeah Sunshine?”

“I think I found my new dream.”

Michael grins, feigning ignorance at Luke’s statement. “Oh really? What could that be?” 

Luke huffs, smacking Michael in the chest. “Michael!”

  “Okay okay Princess jeez. Yes, Luke I want to explore the world with you too. God, you make me do all the hard work in this relationship.” Michael rolls his eyes, but he pulls Luke in close to his chest in a hug. 

Luke snuggles in close to Michael, letting his eyes fall shut and smiling softly.  “Good because otherwise I’d have to send Petunia and Maximus after you.”

A laugh startles it’s way out of Michael and he leans down, kissing the top of Luke’s head.  In this moment, with the lanterns lighting up the sky and Luke basking in the warm glow, Michael decides that maybe he has a new dream too.

[spiltcandycoatedpunkblood]

i changed my profile pic and i didn’t think i’d be able to properly gauge just how angry he looks but when i ended up zooming in far enough i couldn’t stop laughing, he iS SO ANGRY LOOK AT HIS EYEBROWS

[werewolves-are-real]

Hello! if it isn't too much to ask, can you share a short snippet of whatever you're currently working on? I am particularly fond of your Temeraire fic, but anything would be good - I am enjoying your latest immensely, although Star Trek is not my fandom.

:) Thank you! It’s always nice to hear people enjoy the writing.

I’m having a lot of fun writing more Star Trek - it’s nice to write something different. It seems like I only talk about Temeraire these days, ha, so I included excerpts from a Temeraire fic *and* a Star Trek fic below

The Temeraire snippet is from a fic where things... escalate at the start of book 2, The Star Trek fic is from an old, old WIP I never posted, where I wanted to address the way the crew (and especially McCoy) tend to criticize Spock’s heritage. It’s old and.. not so great, but I like pieces of it, so I’m considering rewriting it (once I’m done with other fics, hopefully)

(Temeraire)

Laurencewakens slowly after the battle. The last thing he remembers is thefighting; Temeraire was flying, the boarders had been repelled, andthen a Petit Chevalier was falling upon them...

“Sir,”says Mr. Allen. “Are you awake? Do not try to rise, please.”

Ignoringthis, Laurence levers himself up with an elbow. He looks around;Digby and Allen are crouched around him, each holding a hand over thehilts of their swords. The three of them are behind the bend ofTemeraire's leg, and in the distance Laurence can hear an argument.

“Iswear to you,” Admiral Barham's voice rings out, “If CaptainLaurence resists we will use force...”

“Goodgod, man, shut up,” Granby snaps. Laurence winces in mortification;the lieutenant will get himself booted from the service, using thatkind of language against an admiral. “Captain Laurence is injured,and you must wait to see him.”

ButBarham's threat has already roused Temeraire. Above them theCelestial lowers his head, snarling. His ruff is blood-streaked andgory from the battle; with his teeth bared he looks savage.

Barhamroars, “You will control that beast, Lieutenant! All of you willstand down, or we will take action - “

“No,Sir,” Granby snaps. “No farther, not one damned step. Temeraire,if these men make ready you may knock them down.”

Thatis too far. Laurence struggles to his feet, ignoring Digby's objects.“Help me up,” he snaps, when Allen insists on waiting for thesurgeon. “I must speak with the admiral.'

Reluctantly,they support him from under the protective shadow of Temeraire's leg.Barham scowls tremendously as soon as he appears.

“Thereyou are,” he says. Granby looks furious. “Did you think you couldhide here like a coward? You are under arrest, and if you prevaricateany more than by god I will have the Sergeant shoot you.” Hegestures to a nearby officer, who reluctantly levels a gun inLaurence's direction, flinching under the weight of Temeraire'sgrowl. “And stand down that animal, at once!”

“Iwill not stand down,” Temeraire says. “And you are not comingnear Laurence, not at all.”

Temeraireraises a claw. At the same moment Granby makes a quick gesture.Immediately the nearest aviators jump behind Granby, forming a line.They start to raise their rifles.

Ashot rings out.

Laurenceslides to the ground, startled. Granby shouts. More gunshots.Temeraire roars – loud enough to rattle his bones – and above thetreeline, at the edge of the clearing, Maximus suddenly looms up. Hepeers over with alarm, alerted by the commotion. All over the covertother dragons rise to look their way too.

“CaptainLaurence!” Digby cries. His hands are covered in blood, and hepushes futilely at Laurence's side. Laurence stares at him, thenlooks down. His jacket is soaked and red.

Laurencerealizes that Allen is holding him by the shoulders, bearing all hisweight.

He'sbeen shot.

“Oh,hell,” Laurence says aloud, and knows nothing more.

______________________________

It'snight when Laurence awakens. He looks up at the star-studded sky,trying in vain to remember the name for the little cluster of lightsabove his head. He's lying atop Temeraire and recognizes the scalesbeneath himself without any issue; maybe this is why it takes him toolong to remember the shooting, and Barham's yells, and the screams.

Laurencetries to stand.

“Oh,there you are,” says Mr. Allen. “Please do not get up, Sir, notagain. Roland, can you tell the lieutenant he's awake?”

Emilyscuttles away. Looking around, Laurence sees that for some reasonhe's resting in a a jumble of blankets and medical-supplies atopTemeraire's back. He becomes aware of people speaking in thedistance; then they cut off, abruptly, and under him Temeraire jolts.“Laurence!” the dragon cries. “Are you well?”

“Yes,my dear,” Laurence lies. His leg is throbbing in time with hisheart, and Laurence doesn't think he could stand,even if Allen let him try; the wound in his side makes him feelqueerly like he could snap in half if he made any wrong movement.“What has happened?”

“Well,I killed that awful admiral,” Temeraire explains. “So now we areall rebelling, but everyone is arguing about how to do it, eventhough I'm not sure how anyone would fight us.”

Laurencestares at him helplessly for a moment. Then he manages to prophimself on one elbow, looking around.

Thereare other dragons crowded into Temeraire clearing; more have sweptaway the trees to combine their space with that of Maximus. There aredragons coiled atop one another, heavy-weights on the bottom withclusters of Yellow-Reapers and Longwings and Bright Coppers clingingto their backs. And in between the dragons are the crews, andservants from all over, with a group of men and women wearingcaptain's-bars standing in a semi-circle before Temeraire.

Andeveryone is craning to look at Laurence.

Laurencedoes not immediately give speech to his dawning horror; Granbyscrambles up Temeraire's side, looking profoundly relieved. There's astreak of blood across his forehead; he doesn't seem to notice. “Sir.I'm glad you're awake – should we call the surgeon?”

“Forgetthe damn doctor,” says Laurence. “What the devil happened?”

(Star Trek)

McCoy has now been aboard for fourteen days, or two Terran weeks.Spock is well aware that his own interactions with the doctor couldbe interpreted as increasingly hostile. He feels no need to censurehimself. If he cannot risk reporting the doctor or properlyreprimanding him, he at least refuses to meekly submit to the man'sslurs. He has survived worse, and he will not give this human thepleasure of victory.

To this end he continues to verbally spar with the man, but howevermuch he makes the doctor sputter and grumble the man always comesback. And however efficiently and logically Spock can cut him down,humans do not much appreciate logic. Officers who watch theirarguments continually express amusement, and this rankles worse thanthe man himself.

After one too many incidents of open disrespect that leave hisscience department highly amused at his expense, Spock resolves tofinally reprimand the irrepressible doctor when he next acts in a wayunfitting a Starfleet officer. Public humiliation is never pleasant,but he is long past the point of having to tolerate racism. McCoyshows every sign of staying aboard for a long while, and Spock willnot let this situation continue.

Then the captain develops Vegan Choriomeningitis.

There is little warning when it happens. The bridge is quiet andcalm, officers moving with easy efficiency. It's only the second hourafter the shift's beginning - late enough for the officers to haveproperly woken, and early enough that everyone is still energized.Except, unusually enough, for the captain.

Spock notices the captain's blinking eyes and the quick, painedgestures he makes to his head. A headache, obviously, but these arefairly frequent among humans. Not a matter of much concern, howeverunpleasant. The captain seems tired as well, but he assumes this is aside-effect.

When Yeoman Tracey hands the captain a requisitions form, though,the man just seems puzzled. Instead of skimming and signing thedocument, he stares at it blankly for some two minutes, Traceystanding awkwardly by his side.

No one else seems to notice, but Spock keeps his attention on theentirety of the bridge. So he hears Tracey hesitantly ask, “Issomething the matter, Sir?” and turns just in time to see thecaptain crumple to the floor.

“Send for a medical team,” Spock snaps efficiently before Uhuracan even turn to see the source of the noise. Jumping, she quicklycomplies.

Spockwaves off the frantic yeoman impatiently, checking the captain'scondition with quick, careful fingers. His skin is significantlyhotter than normal for a human - 39ºC (102.2ºF)- but he seems not to have injured his head in the fall, which isgood. The man's pulse is a rapid flutter, but weak. Spock tilts hishead. The captain must have realized he was sick, and ignored it, tohave come to this state. Illogical.

The door slides open, and in a whiskof blue uniforms and terse orders McCoy takes Kirk straight toSickbay.

______________________________

The whole ship gains a certain tensionwhen the captain is in sickbay. Spock also finds, unpleasantly, thatmore eyes watch him. People want assurance that they are underadequate leadership. Spock wonders if people are comforted by hisdirection. He doubts it.

When the immediate crisis will likelybe over, and the doctor thus free to speak, Spock hands the con toSulu and makes for the infirmary.

“Took you long enough,” McCoysnaps at the sight of him.

Spock doesn't bother with a rebuttal.“Report on the captain's condition.”

Face darkening, a scowl on his face,McCoy complies. “It's not good. Vegan Choriomeningitis. Damn thinghas a high enough fatality rate as is, and Jim, the idiot, has let itgo on much longer than advisable.”

Spock nods. “To my understanding,Vegan choriomeningitis is fatal if left untreated within 24 hours.”

“I can't tell when he picked it up -the incubation period is unpredictable. All we can do at this pointis treat him and hope for the best.”

Spock considers the situation, andsays honestly, “Given the captain's nature, it is quite possible hehas been suffering for far longer than twenty-four hours. Death islikely.”

From what he knows of the captain'snature this is true. Indeed, had Kirk not collapsed on the bridge helikely would have struggled through the entire shift, though Spockknows that this particular disease causes extreme pain in the musclesand extremities. He is an admirably determined man - but, in thiscase, sadly misguided. His death will be... truly regrettable.

But McCoy seems suddenly angry.

“Damn it, man, do have a heart atall?” He bursts.

Spock blinks, wondering at thenon-sequitur. “I fail to see how my physiology is relevant to thepresent situation,” he says, honestly puzzled.  McCoy's sole focusshould be on the captain.

The doctor seems, if anything, evenmore furious. “I'm not in the mood for your damn logic, and I don'tknow what Jim sees in you. A computer has more feelings than aVulcan!”

This being said, McCoy dramaticallystomps into his office, leaving Spock blinking and perplexed in themain portion of Sickbay.

So, with little else to do, Spockleaves.

_______________________________

Later, this is what Spock learns;

Kirk goes into a critical state. Hisbody starts to overheat from the disease, and inflammation to thebrain causes him to have a seizure. After he is stabilized, McCoythrows caution to the wind and tries an experimental drug regimen -dangerous, untried, and wholly inadvisable by every tenet of logic.

It also works.

Quickly, asa matter of fact. The nurses and some biologists talk about theincredible benefit this will bring to the medical community; everyoneelse is just glad to hear that the captain is awake and talking lessthan a day after his collapse.

He is, of course,also tired. Spock assesses the captain's condition when he visits himin Sickbay. Kirk seems to have grown more pale during his shortillness. His face shines with sweat, his hair limp and lifeless. Hismovements are slow and fatigued, made only with great effort. But heseems relieved.

“It was close.And not a pleasant experience.”

“As you nearlydied, I would not expect it to be.”

Kirk smilesweakly. “Oh, not just the pain. Though that wasn't fun. I gotdelirious at the end.”

“That is acommon symptom of the disease,” Spock consoles.

“Whichisn't much of a comfort when you've rambled out all your secrets.”Kirk gives an embarrassed laugh. “I'm just glad it wasBones,” he says. “I trust him, you know? The things I said...”He shakes his head. “Anyway, he said to stop by sickbayimmediately, in the future,if I'm feeling off. What a pain; do you know how often this job givesme a headache?” He shakes his head. “But, I can deal with it forBones. Only for him! I'm not typically a fan of doctors - I'm glad Iconvinced him to come aboard.”

“It is indeedfortunate,” Spock murmurs, trying not to imagine this man dead.

Soon afterwardKirk drifts into sleep. And Spock, reluctantly, resigns himself totolerating Leonard McCoy for so long as he can safeguard thecaptain's health.

[spacklefritz]

A New Dawn

A/N: Okay so I wrote a thing. A short drabble-ish thing  for Trollhunters. I’ll do better next time. I wasn’t quite as ready to dive into this fandom as I thought.

Rating: K

Summary: Set somewhere after Part 3. In which the residents of Arcadia Oaks deals with the aftermath of the Eternal Night.

Arcadia Oaks.

Just a regular suburban town that had all the underpinnings of an average life. But, it was much more than that. In addition to being home to the greatest food, ever (the Diablo Maximus), it had some of the greatest people in it too.

In the aftermath of the Morgana’s  swipe at grandeur to bring about oh-the-Eternal-Night, with a capital E., Arcadia Oaks was showing…just a little bit of some wear and tear, sure there were open craters cracks in the road, and an influx of babies without a home, but Jim’s mom and Strickler were working on the latter. And the trolls moved much faster than any heavy machinery could do, at least until the roads smoothed out and the trucks could actually drive on the road.

But, it was nothing they couldn’t handle. The people in Arcadia Oaks were resilient and surprisingly flexible. But then this was the same town whose residents stood to fight the Gumm-Gumms before the evacuation. Coach Lawrence was already forming the first ever Troll-Humans Games. It was a way to smooth the way for relations between Trolls and humans. One of many initiatives planned by Councilwoman Ñunez to quell any possible conflict. But honestly, Toby thought everyone was pretty chill with the Trolls. After all, these were the same beings that helped to save their hometown.

That wasn’t to say there weren’t any hiccups. Now that the Gumm-Gumms were out of the way, other not-so-good Troll creatures were coming out of hiding. Of course, that’s where Aarrgh! and Toby’s warhammer came into play. They were Arcadia Oaks’ remaining Trollhunters and they had a duty to protect their town. It was what Jim had tasked them with.

But…it sure would’ve been more fun if Jim and Claire were there. Or if he were there with them.

“Wing…man?”

Aarrgh’s voice rumbled behind him. Toby quickly swiped at his eyes, rubbing away whatever moisture was there, and turned around. “Hey big guy, just uh.., looking at the sunset. Any latest from Bagdwella on the Goblin sightings?”

“Miss. Jim. Too.”

Toby sniffled and hugged Aarrgh. It wasn’t just that Jim was gone. Everything changed and before they even had time to process it, they were off again on the next mission. What if things were different when Jim returned? What if ---

A buzzing interrupted Toby’s thoughts. He looked from underneath Aarrgh’s arm to see his phone blinking, and scrambled to the phone. Aarrgh perked up.

“Jim message?”

Hey Tobes. About to turn in for the day. Merlin and Blink think we’re close to finding the new HeartStone. How’s everyone doing? Say hi to Aarrgh for us. Wish you were here. We miss you.

Toby smiled and typed a quick reply. He didn’t know what got into him. This was Jim. Jim who was game for every harebrained plan they’d concocted in elementary school. They’d been friends from kindergarten. They’d fought the bad guys together, weathered the changes being Trollhunters brought. They texted each other every day. Multiple times, in fact. They’d be fine.

This was just another part of being a Trollhunter. He looked out at the dawning rays outside his window. This was just another part of their journey, one that was filled with hope and new beginnings. He shouldn’t be down like this. Sure Jim, Claire and Blinky were gone. But they weren’t going to be gone forever. And when they returned, there was too much to look forward to.

[yes-i-write-fanfiction]

Im sorry but can I send an emergency ask?A year ago i was baker acted when i tried to kill myself, and ive gotten much better since then. But my im not close with my sister, and the other day she was yelling at me and said that all the problems my family has is because of my selfishness and “craziness”, and that i should just go away and finish the job. Im really hurt by it, cuz i felt so proud of my progress, now i feel like crap, how would the LL bots react to liaison in a similar situation?

*I know how you feel in a way. My sister is often emotionally and verbally abusive towards me, despite knowing about my mental history, so I recognized myself in this one. I just wanna tell you that I think you are an incredibly strong person to have gotten so far and is so willing to get better, not everyone can do that.*Rodimus is so furious at your sister that he almost burst into flames right there and then. How dare she!? After all you’ve been through! But as much as he wants to give her a piece of his mind he knows that you need him right now. So he takes you to his habsuite, proceeds to roll you into a blanket burrito and then just hold you. You know she’s wrong, right? It’s not your fault and her blaming you like that is wrong and totally uncool. She’s a real buttfart. He then proceeds to call her all the childish insults he can so he can make you laugh. Yeah, forget that meanie and just have fun, you deserve it.

Ultra Magnus/Minimus Ambus stares at her for a few seconds before the biggest frown ever appears on his face. He then asks her, with the coldest and most emotionless voice you’ve ever heard from him, to never talk with you again unless what she’s going to say is an apology. You are one of the strongest and most capable people he knows and while you may have had problems in your past you managed to overcome them. When the two of you are alone later he will pop out of his armor and just hold you in his true form. He doesn’t say anything but he doesn’t have to. Sometimes words are not needed.

Megatron’s plating flares and for a fraction of a second he’s the decepticon warlord again, full of hate and malice. Your sister must have seen the look on his face and decided that she didn’t want to die and ran away. Megatron turns back to normal and collects himself. As much as he wanted to hurt that hateful person he would not have done it. So he directs his attention to you instead and gently reminds you that what she said is not true. Trust him, he’s heard enough lies in his life to be able to see right through them and your sister is the worst liar he’s ever seen.

Drift looks at your sister in a way that only an ex-decepticon can do, optics cold as ice and full of disgust. Then, with an overly polite and sweet tone, he smiles while asking your sister to kindly go to the Pit and stay there. Seriously, he is pissed. How dare she? After all you’ve been through, after everything you’ve overcome? Drift doesn’t hate a lot of people but she just became one of them. He makes sure to comfort you, holding you close and whispering how wonderful you are into your ear. You are just so wonderful and strong, he adores you so.

Swerve sputters for a moment, his mind racing before he lets out a loud “WHAT?” cause he just cannot believe what she just said. Then he starts ranting. And he rants for a long time. Most of what he says doesn’t even make sense because he’s so angry that the words just mix together and become nonsense. Then he abruptly stops because he remembers that you are more important than that prick, picks you up and runs away. You know what this calls for? Movie night and cuddles. And he’ll tell you how perfect you are the whole time while kissing you.

Ten loudly gasps before a series of angry tens flow out of him. You don’t know what he’s saying but you don’t need to be a genius to see that he is upset. After he’s done telling her off Ten picks you up and leaves your sister, stomping angrily as he does. But the moment your sister is out of sight and earshot he starts fretting over you, extremely worried. He might not be able to vocalize how he feels but he can show you. He brings you in for a big hug and nuzzles you. He’s not letting you go for a while.

Skids is like “nope, fuck this, I ain’t gonna stand by and let you treat my wonderful s/o like this” so he takes you in his arms and flees to the vents. Well, not exactly fleeing, more like strategic retreat cause he ain’t letting this go. But right now you need his comfort so his vengeance will have to wait. Luckily he’s kinda prepared for this kind of scenario so there’s a hidden part of the vents where he’s stacked a bunch of pillows, blankets and snack. It’s your own little safe haven. So if you need to talk, talk. Feel like crying? The cry. He’s got tissues. And he won’t leave until you’re feeling better.

Riptide calls her a Unicron’s afthole before picking you up and leaving. He might have wanted to stay and yell at her but he knows that you are more important than her and needs his full attention. He takes you on a walk around the ship since he knows it’s easier to talk while walking and right now you probably need to talk. Hey, s/o, your sister is a real jerk, you now that? Hopes her nether regions rust over, or whatever the human equivalent of that is. You want a hug honey? Cause he’ll give you as many hugs as you want. And kisses. And if you want you can hold hands and cuddle!

Rung pauses for a second before taking of his glasses and outright begins glaring at your sister. He is mad, incredibly so, but he doesn’t yell as he tells your sister just how utterly wrong she is. He can see right through her, see all the little insecurities and fears that she has and a few carefully selected words is enough to send her running. Good, now that she is gone he can focus on you. He will take the day off just so he can spend it with you, comforting you and making sure that you won’t go into that dark place again. You’ve come so far and you are so strong, don’t let inconsiderate people drag you down, he knows you can do it.

Whirl is fucking ready to fight. Where is that bitch? He’ll punt her into a black hole! After he’s done comforting you of course. Hey, fleshy, you know that “sister” of yours was lying completely, right? She just wanted to be mean and get a rise out of you. Trust him, he does the same shit to others all the time, though he would never say something that low. Besides, nothing that she said was true. She’s only jealous cause you got together with the hottest Wrecker of them all and she didn’t! And you know he cares about you, right? He cares about you more than he dares to admit.

Fortress Maximus stomps down hard on the ground so it starts to shake, making your sister fall over. Then he leaves with you in his hands, not even bothering to look back at her. Mostly because he knows that if he did then he would start yelling and he knows that you don’t need to hear that right now. He’s really upset though and keeps muttering to himself while holding you close to his spark. Max does his best to comfort you and talk about your feelings but if you’d rather talk to someone else he understands. Just know that he’s there for you, ok?

Tailgate picks you up, cradles you to his chest, points to your sister and says “I never want you to speak with me or my wonderful wonderful s/o ever again”. Then he takes his hoverboard and flies out of there, with you still in his arms. He’s huffing and puffing the entire way back to your habsuite where he proceeds to sit down on the bed, drape a large blanket over the both of you and just cuddles you. Don’t listen to her s/o, she’s just a big ol meanie! A smelly pile of old energon! And… And it’s not your fault, any of that. You are not selfish, you are the most kind and incredible person he knows!

Cyclonus is, oh boy, he is NOT happy. Not one fucking bit. That sister of yours better run and run quickly cause right now Cyclonus is ready to stab a bitch. When he calms down he asks you how you’re feeling and it doesn’t matter what your answer is because Cyclonus will pick you up and carry you for the rest of the day. He doesn’t say a lot but he makes sure that you don’t feel bad and if he notices that you’re starting to get sad he will say something to cheer you up. All in all he acts like a guard dog. For your feelings. He will bark at those bad thoughts till they leave.

Chromedome gets seriously pissed. For a bot without a visible face he sure looks mad. Subtly he brings out the needles in his fingers, scaring your sister off. Yeah, she better run. Not that he would hurt her but he would scare the crap out of her. Then he turns his attention to you and oh boy he does a complete 180. He goes from angry murder machine to worried kitten in 0.3 seconds. Are you ok? Do you need a hug? Something to snack on? Whatever you need he will get it.

Rewind may be tiny by cybertronian standards but he’s still taller than any human so when your sister starts bullying you he stands up and looms over her threateningly. You know, he catched this entire conversation on camera and he can easily put it up on the internet so everyone will know what she said and what kind of person she is. So, she should probably shut her mouth and leave before he accidentally releases it, yes? Yeah, he thought so too. After this Rewind will absolutely pamper you cause you didn’t deserve to hear that and he fucking loves you.

Brainstorm gets eerily quiet at first. Then, slowly, he points a gun at her and tells her she’s got ten seconds to get out of his sight. He starts counting down. Your sister decides not to risk anything and runs off. Without saying a word Brainstorm picks you up and starts cradling you. His wonderful, amazing s/o. Please don’t believe her. You are fantastic, extraordinary. And if he ever lost you he wouldn’t know what to do (probably go back in time again). He absolutely refuses to let you out of his sight for the rest of the day and he takes every chance he gets to cuddle you.

Perceptor glares at her for a solid ten seconds before he tells her to leave and never show himself in front of you or him ever again. Pure bloodlust seems to radiate off him and she heeds his warning and runs off. Once she is gone he returns to normal though there’s a visible frown on his face. You know she’s just saying that to get under your skin, right? Not any of it was true. If anyone is selfish then it’s her since she can’t seem to think of anyone but herself. Do you… do you need to talk? He might not be that good at it but if you need him he’s there for you. So don’t… try anything stupid. He will always be on your side.

First Aid starts shaking out of frustration. He clenches and unclenches his servos and nearly cries in anger as he tells your sister how wrong she is. And if she believes what she said then she is the dumbest person he’s ever met cause none of that is your fault. Sometimes people feel like nothing matter, like they are empty inside and those people are the strongest because no matter what they continue to live, to love the people around them and try to get better. First Aid is still shaking as he embraces you. Please don’t ever let people like her get to you. He couldn’t stand losing you.

Ratchet explodes and starts yelling at your sister. He absolutely destroys any of her attempts to explain herself and once he’s done yelling at her she orders her to never, ever show her face around her again or he will eject her into the cold vacuum of space! He’s still pissed when she’s gone but he calms down for your sake. He is very gentle as he hugs you and he hugs you for a long time. Forget about her and what she said, ok? She’s a toxic person and will only bring you sorrow, believe him, he knows. You are not bothering anyone and he loves you more than anything else.