#i haven't written this much in ages
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writing fic for the first time in over 2 years and i'm almost 3k words in and the main ship hasn't even met yet... oh we are SO back babey!!!!
#i don't know if this will ever be finished or published#but god it feels good to write again#i haven't written this much in ages
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14,023 words (10,745 of them being t-fics) have been written by me in the past 10 days for the nameless fandom I've fallen victim to.
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I did a short fic for the sif is out au! Juust to get a feel for writing the characters, hope you enjoy :D
#siffrin? more like sif is out au#isat#I haven't written in a month which isn't that much but it feels like ages so this is my unrusting one shot
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i've been trying to rationalize why clay terran's death hits me more than pretty much any other victim, even though the exact intricacies of his character are not the most plot relevant, and i think i finally got it. some of it's that he's the series' first new science freak in a while, yeah, but i think above that it's the emphasis on his ambition.
ace attorney does not like to kill real characters. it doesn't. referring to the main series for the rest of this post, we very rarely get to see a character for one section of one case before they die, with a few notable exceptions. as a result, because we don't get to know the characters very well, we as players are left to pick up the remnants based on the reactions of those still alive. ace attorney creates tragedy and emotional impact through the emotions of those who knew the victims. the victims' personas, therefore, are shaped by others' experiences with them: were they nice or mean, compassionate or abusive, nurturing or strict? while their relationships to others are crucial to their selves, they aren't everything about them.
clay is an astronaut. and unlike pretty much every victim in this series, that's not just his job, it's his life's purpose. the majority of clay's character is shaped through apollo's perception of him, sure, but what's also emphasized is his dream of being an astronaut. he wanted to be an astronaut since he was a child. he went to cosmos, became acquaintances and friends with the employees, surrounded himself with space. and he got the job. i know ace attorney ages can be taken with a grain of salt, but he was going to go into space at twenty-three, where the youngest astronaut in real life was twenty-five. any sizable gap in age below the norm tends to get lawyers deemed prodigies, excluding most themis students, so clay could probably be considered one as well. he was brilliant and remarkably hardworking and dedicated his entire life to reaching this goal, and he... didn't. he died with his dream ten steps in front of him.
when a character is an exception in one way, they tend to be in many, and they also tend to be defense attorneys, for some reason. the two victims with the most ambition at time of death, from my perspective, also have the most pre-death screen time: mia fey and dhurke sahdmadhi. their ambition may be on different scales, but they both died with tasks unfinished. mia had yet to reveal the corruption of redd white and the truth to dl-6, and dhurke had yet to restore stability to his country's legal system. they were both incredibly committed to fulfilling these goals and died while actively pursuing them.
the contrast between these two and clay is the individualism factor. dhurke wanted to see his revolution through, but he wanted a better future regardless of whether he was its leader or not. mia's connection was due to her familial involvement, but she also just wanted to uncover the truth behind redd white's obscurations and reduce corruption in the legal system. these goals are personal, but they aren't limited to them. they are goals that these two aspire to achieve, but they themselves don't need to be the ones to achieve them; in fact, they aren't. phoenix apprehends white, exposes manfred von karma, and discovers misty fey's disappearance for mia, while nahyuta and apollo work to reform khura'in's courts for dhurke. clay wanted to go to space. while a less noble goal than those i'm comparing him to, it's also more intrinsic to himself. he was supposed to be the one in space. there's no one to take over his dream because it's his alone. when he dies, that's it. it'll never be done. while his compassion definitely implies that he would be proud as long as sol starbuck touched the stars again, that isn't his dream. it's not the same as him doing it himself.
another similarity between mia and dhurke is that they are also the victims with the most post-death screen time. mia is channeled constantly through the first trilogy, to the point where she's almost as constant as any living character. dhurke lives for days, concealing his death while being channeled and not revealing the secret until almost the end of 6-5. as a result, these two get front row seats to their goals being fulfilled by their successors. mia's there to help phoenix take down white in 1-2, is certainly made aware of the results in 1-4, and even reunites with diego and re-defeats dahlia in 3-5. dhurke assists apollo leading up to the final court case, and his presence sticks with apollo as he develops his defense office.
clay does not get post-death screen time. he's only mentioned, like any other victim, after his death, and the large bulk of it is regarding the minutes before he's killed. not only is his dream unable to be fulfilled, but he wouldn't get the chance to see anything come of it, if that was even possible. he's not aura, staring out of a prison cell as part of her life's work flies off without her input. he's dead. no seeing the future, no willing on a successor to continue for him, no closure. dead and gone.
i'm not going to go crazy in depth right now, but, considering all major victims, the final truth of clay's death is done pretty poorly. as the successor to investigations, a duology that deals with international affairs in incredible detail, dual destinies is notably lacking. the organization behind the phantom isn't explored in the slightest; what was the point in making them a part of something bigger in the first place? there's no inciting event, no motive, not even a name, and from my point of view it just makes dual destinies feel unfinished, like there were plans that couldn't be made reality. there aren't any hints towards what the organization is doing, no legs to theorize on besides real life events, and it's not portrayed in a way that leaves it as a clever mystery. some international organization wants to sabotage the rocket launches for an unknown reason, so people die. that's all. clay dies due to reasons completely unknown to players, which is just so unsatisfying. not only does he not get closure, but we don't either. it makes me desperate for any new information to justify his death, to make his murder mean something, just like others who are integral to plot. this isn't entirely the point i was trying to make, but i think it's significant enough to mention. or maybe i just wanted to talk about it. not too sure.
clay terran suffers the awful fate of too much ambition and too little closure. this alone made his death have the greatest lasting impact on me. i'm not sure how it is for others, but the sadness of those left behind didn't usually trigger a large emotional reaction in me. however, the way clay's extraordinary dedication, implied intelligence, and nigh inevitable success were ripped from him right at the very end, with no possibility of a successor due to his own personal stake in the goal, made his death hit me through the heart like no other ace attorney victim. and also, just a little bit, because he's a new science freak.
#import em#ace attorney#aa5#clay terran#tempted to tag mia and dhurke bc i talk about them so much. i think i won't but i want to#long post#very long post my bad#fun fact i actually didn't like clay at all when i was actually playing dd#i was so pissed over the 3d models and the changed vas that i kinda hated everything#but i was also mad about how he was written (badly)#now he's my favorite though#i think it's pretty obvious that i'm obsessed with him based on the length of this alone#one essay down. many more to go#i haven't actually played any aa in ages so if any of this is super wrong lmk lol
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Leliana, It is not in my interest to entertain the common gossip that you are so adapt at parsing through, but for the sake of the official record, I will dispel the worst of them for you. To be blunt, Lavellan is no Tranquil. I took it upon myself to examine her and I found no evidence of the Rite ever being performed on her. Further questioning of the Herald uncovered that she had limited knowledge of the Rite to begin with. I see no reason in pursuing this ridiculous subject any further. The prisoner Herald has the capacity to perform as well as the rest of us, mage or not. That she is of a...dreadful nature which requires observance is its own issue that is being personally dealt with as we speak. As for your inquiries, I can only repeat what Josephine has no doubt already reported: Lavellan traveled alone from the Northern Banks of the Minanter River as an envoy from her clan with the single of purpose of attending the Conclave and returning with her intel. She has had few interactions with human civilization prior to that by her own admissions. She is Dalish, trained by their leader--however I find this dubious given her actions. I have wondered if there is a chance she may be a maleficar but Solas has assured me that he has seen no signs of blood magic. How much I trust him, I can not say. But the worst I have seen of Lavellan so far is her habit of screeching at the top of her lungs during battle while performing her spells--and her penchant for vanishing for hours on end. I can fault her for nearly bursting my eardrum, but nothing else. If you must worry of any rumor, it is of the men spreading the name 'Banshee' around for her. It is doing nothing for their imaginations. I would ask that you and Josephine do not attempt to 'use' the name to your 'advantage' but I expect you already have...ugh, plans for it. I won't bother to stop you, as it is a fool's errand. Cassandra
we do love oc templates in this house and this time I'd like to thank @mt07131 for this template!
#eurydice lavellan#writing#dragon age inquisition#inquisitor lavellan#female inquisitor#thanks to Jaz for inspiring me to write a new codex for this!#I haven't written Cass in forever this is so much fun
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Incredibly stupid Our Life AU - Ribfest
Background: Where I live there's an event going on called "Ribfest" where a ton of vendors come out, selling, as you can guess: ribs! It's really good! But... to get people interested in their stalls, they have 'conventionally attractive' people standing out front, wearing tank tops and shorts and handing out samples (mostly BBQ sauce to get you interested in their products). Because I'm a silly little goose, my mind went to: 'what if the OLBA boys were those conventionally attractive people standing out front to get people to try their BBQ'... Synopise: OLBA boys volunteer their time to help a friend in a rib competition by attracting customers to their stands with samples. (would take place in Step 4 after all the events for the sake of y'all being friends!)
Cove
Would be generally comfortable in the outfit (reminder: tank tops and shorts because it's hot af outside, but also designed to attract the customers ;) ), but trying to persuade passer-bys to try the sample would be hard at first
We know he can do that kind of stuff because he volunteers for ORCA and he's done it in the past for the funraising event
BUT
this time he knows the concept around why he was choosen and is dressed up like this
he's eye candy to get people to try BBQ
If he got to do it with someone else (i.e. Derek or MC) I think he would relax a bit more and maybe get into it, especially by Step 4 I see him a lot more comfortable in his own skin
If he was working with Baxter, I think he would still be awkward af (you'll see in a minute)
but if he's left on the front lines all by himself, he would be blushing and awkwardly standing there as people check him out and the booth he's working at
might be sweating bullets
get this man some WATER before he passes out
but since he did volunteer he would try his best and be geninuely friendly, I think? 'No pressure if you don't wanna try! But you should!! It's really good!!' *smiles*
btw would go 10x as red and be 10x as awkward if MC whistles and cat calls him (as a joke)
in the end he would try his best!
Baxter
Step 4 Baxter would get into it
Maybe a little embarrassed by the concept at first, knowing why he was choosen as eye candy to get people to try BBQ, but it wouldn't take him long to get into it
he understands a good business opportunity when he sees one
I think he would really get into it
like giving people a sly wink and a smirk
urging them to come over with his nice voice, almost purring
like I think this man is smooth when he's just playing
when he's not and genuinly likes someone, he's awkward af (but that's another story)
I think he would also be really good at remembering repeat customers??
like he would know why they're coming back, but would still play with them and be like 'Oh, how wonderful~ You came back for more?' with a smirk and a wink
making people giggle and blush
If he's working with the others I think he would play off them well, even try to help someone as nervous as Cove to relax a bit (or a nervous MC)
In the end I would think he would somehow find himself in the back, running the show rather then being up front. Somehow - even if he doesn't really know the friend he's helping. He just has good business sense
Derek
Derek is mister sunshine
If he's been asked to help, even if it's from a distant friend, he's putting 110% effort into it
Embarrassed by the concept of why he's dressed that way/put on display... BUT!!
he still tries REALLY hard
I think he would be the type that's kind of loud - cheering and getting people's attention?
But if that was getting a bad reaction (depending on the crowd) he would be calm and super nice, like Cove. Not wanting to pressure you into trying the BBQ, but SUPER excited when you do
If he got a sale because of his samples, he would high five who ever he's working with - or maybe a random stranger lol
he's just such a happy go lucky guy on the outside (although we all know the truth... but shush...)
working with others he would get really pumped up - especially with Cove and MC
Might be awkward with Baxter at first but I honestly see them getting along???
tbh Derek will just be a great sales person
big hype man
a/n: Hi, this is dumb but I couldn't get this out of my head and being really into Our Life lately has gotten me wanting to write again.. :))) Maybe I'll write more? Also I apologize if any of the characters seem OOC or anything. I was really trying to get them down right, but idk :))))
dividers by: @/cafekitsune
#our life#our life beginnings and always#crowdire writes#our life mc#olba#olba cove#cove holden#our life cove#olba baxter#olba mc#olba derek#derek suarez#baxter ward#this is such a dumb au but it wouldn't leave my head#I have other ideas don't worry#just gotta get the dumb ones out first#I haven't written in AGES my god I use to write so much#how do you make a post look pretty? omfg this took me so long
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do you have the extra scratch to bleach your pretty little asshole?
[ now available on ao3 ]
~~~
It's the second time that Shane goes blond that really does Ryan in. He'd been affected the first time, but who hadn't been? What a change! His friend, usually so conservative about his appearance even with the wild shirts and strange colour combinations, making such a change? Not something Ryan would have anticipated at all.
And then. And then Shane did it again. Went to the salon, asked for and received a colour treatment and Ryan just--well. He's lost the plot. He's not to be blamed for any of what happened after that, he's not. He can't be. Anyone would have done the same when faced with Shane and his blond hair and the attitude adjustment it came with.
So. Anyway. Not his fault, is what Ryan means. Definitely the ammonia fumes in Shane's hair colouring. Or something. Ryan doesn't know.
He should really stop thinking about this here, where he is balls deep in the hot clutch of Shane's body, his bare hand pressed against Shane's bare spine while Shane writhes under him, asking without asking for Ryan to move, to do something, to do anything. Ryan's not moving. He's already told Shane he won't. This is a non-negotiable part of the scene. Shane's gotta ask for it. He's gotta look back over his shoulders, pretty eyes wide, eyelashes clumped together, and open his mouth and ask for what he wants.
That's the deal.
Shane shifts and Ryan presses in, like he's not already all the way sheathed. The air goes out of Shane's lungs in a high wheeze, but he's nodding into the pillow so Ryan leans down further, covering Shane with his body, so he can put his mouth right next to Shane's ear.
"You want it, baby?" Ryan husks. "You know how to get it. You know all you gotta do is just tell me what you want. I can wait here all day, Shaney-boy, you and I both know it--"
Shane whines and squeezes his eyes shut tight. He clenches around Ryan, his body a ripple of sensation that makes Ryan have to bite his own lip and breathe through.
"Ry--" Shane starts, and stops.
"Come on," Ryan cajoles, sing song, "or I'll think you're holding out on me. Is that what you're doing? Getting off on the denial? Think you can come just like this? Keeping my dick warm in your pretty little asshole?"
Shane mutters something under his breath, but he hisses as Ryan shifts his knees. "Please," Shane says, finally, and it sounds like he's dragged it out from the soles of his feet. "Ryan--Da--" Shane stops himself and Ryan grins, wolfish.
"Who's gonna take care of you, baby?" Ryan asks. "Who makes sure you have the money for your hair appointments?" Ryan runs his hand down Shane's flank. Shane squirms both into and way from the touch. "Who gives you that extra scratch to keep your pretty little asshole bleached?"
Shane groans. "Fuck. Please, Ryan--fucking move, daddy, I need it."
"Good boy," Ryan says, leaning up and back and before snapping his hips. "Come on your daddy's cock, Shane."
And Shane does. Almost immediately.
#jess answers#anonymouse#shyan#skeptic believer#wow thank you so much anon for this great prompt i haven't written shyan fic in a dog's age#really appreciate you coming in to break up the discourse hours with something fun like this!
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GreedxLing Week Day 2: Crossover
Read on AO3
Ling had been certain that he and Lan Fan were ready to take down a witch.
They'd gotten the other 99 souls required easily, far faster than any other student at the DWMA had ever managed. (Well, anyone besides Maka Albarn, but she was a freakishly intense prodigy so that was hardly a fair comparison. And she'd had to start over anyway so it barely counted.) Their soul resonance was nearly flawless. When they fought together Lan Fan’s blade was like an extension of Ling's arm. Every strike landed precisely and powerfully, and their special attacks never failed.
No witch should have stood a chance against them.
And they hadn't gone into the fight alone. Ed and Al were with them, and the two brothers were nearly as good as Ling and Lan Fan. The weapon meister combination of a giant suit of armor and a guy way too small to wear it was unconventional, and Ling was pretty sure Ed having his friend make him an oversized prosthetic arm so he could wear one of everything from the pauldron down, then and having Al fight beside him only counted “wielding a weapon” on the barest technicality, but they made it work. Ed was very good at punching things until they stopped getting back up, and Al stepped in perfectly to watch his back.
And Professor Hawkeye and her meister, Mustang, had accompanied them on this mission, so really they were as safe as could be.
Okay, maybe the adults had less accompanied them and more failed to notice the students sneaking along on a mission they'd been explicitly told to sit out because it was too dangerous. Something something ancient and powerful witch, blah blah dark soul magic, yadda yadda artificially created weapons who could operate autonomously, achieve soul resonance within themselves, and perform feats that no human weapon and meister team could hope to match. Whatever. If anything that was all the more reason for them to come along instead of leaving the old people to try and face all of that on their own.
Really, Hawkeye and Mustang should be grateful they were there, considering Mustang got himself critically injured fighting the first enemy they came across; a beautiful woman who could summon spears to her fingertips that grew to whatever length she wanted and apparently could cut through anything. The man did manage to kill her before succumbing to blood loss, though, which Ling could admit was kind of impressive considering how she shook off what should have been mortal wounds and healed almost instantly from any damage. But still, if the rest of them hadn't been there to provide cover and a distraction Hawkeye never would have been able to drag her unconscious meister to safety and call for more backup.
Hawkeye threatening them all with a “serious conversation” when they got back to school and swearing she'd expel them if she found out they'd stayed to fight if there was a chance of running away seemed pretty rude and uncalled for to Ling, but the woman was under a lot of stress.
So they ran deeper into the witch's compound–a confusing warren of underground tunnels that Ling wasn't entirely confident he'd be able to easily find his way back out of even with his normally perfect sense of direction–smashing delicate lab equipment, yelling for any cowards in the place to come face them, and generally just making a commotion to try and draw attention away from their injured companions.
Ed seemed particularly thrilled at all the destruction they were wreaking. Ling thought it was pretty fun too, but the other meister was delighted in a way that was a little concerning, laughing maniacally as he grabbed flasks of some unidentifiable green liquid off a lab table and flung them against a wall where they promptly exploded.
Al heaved a long suffering sigh at his brother, but didn't try to stop the rampage, and also shoved over an entire shelf of the exploding potions as they left the room they'd found them in and giggled to himself about it because he was only “the normal brother” in the sense that anyone would seem sane and rational standing next to Edward Elric.
They succeeded in calling attention to themselves.
They didn’t draw out the actual witch, at least not yet, but the two minions who came after them were terrifying enough on their own.
One was a short fat man, who partially transformed into a…meat grinder? Some sort of construction equipment maybe? It wasn’t anything Ling would call a weapon in the traditional sense, but the sight of the man’s abdomen splitting open to reveal rows of spinning metal teeth was more alarming than any blade or hammer or gun could hope to be. Luckily he didn’t seem very smart, and kept stopping to look around and call for someone named Lust who never showed up, so it wasn’t too hard to dodge his attempts at pulverizing them.
The other person was more of a problem. They were taller and much more agile, and clearly knew their way around the witch’s headquarters, which made evading them in the tight corridors a challenge. And they never seemed to run out of ways to transform their body. Ling would dive back to avoid the swing of an arm that had become a blade only to immediately have to roll to the side when that same arm turned into a cannon aimed right at his head.
They also never shut up. Every attack was followed up with a comment about how “You pathetic humans never should have come here,” or “You’ll never make it out of here alive, you worms!”
And of course, Ed also didn’t know how to shut up.
“I’d rather be a pathetic human worm than an ugly freak like you and your buddy!”
“Who are you calling ugly, you tiny little pest?”
Their hand turned into some sort of glowing gun that fired a laser at Ed. Frankly, Ling thought turning into a sci-fi bullshit weapon was cheating.
Al just managed to yank his brother out of the way and hold him back from rushing in for an attack.
“Tiny?! We’ll see who’s tiny after I rip your legs off!”
“Oh, I’d love to see you try and–Gluttony, would you focus?”
The fat man, Gluttony apparently, turned back from where he’d been starting to wander away down a cross hall.
“But Envy, I need to go look for Lust. I don’t know where she is.”
Envy shook their head. “We can look for her after we crush these intruders, alright? You don’t need to worry about Lust, she can take care of herself.”
“But–”
“Ling, we should try and get out of here while they’re distracted,” Lan Fan said, speaking into Ling’s mind as she always did in her sword form and drowning out the argument in front of him.
“Right,” Ling whispered back, trying not to draw attention back to them. They were at the junction of two hallways, and there was just enough room that they could slip around their pursuers and go back the way they’d come if they were quick about it.
“Ed, Al, let’s get out of here,” he added only slightly louder. Both Elric brothers nodded their understanding.
Ling led the way, moving as quickly and quietly as he could along the far side of the hall from Envy and Gluttony to rush back past them.
Something slammed into the wall inches in front of Ling’s nose, and he barely stopped in time to avoid running into a giant mess of metal and wires and tubing that was shaped like a crude, nightmarish hand, reaching nearly from floor to ceiling and completely blocking his path.
The hand connected to an equally haphazard mechanical arm that shrank as it got further from the wrist, all the way down to Envy’s human looking shoulder. They’d stopped talking to Gluttony, their focus entirely fixed on Ling and his friends.
“I didn’t say you could leave,” they hissed.
“New plan,” Ling gasped, backpedaling a few steps away from where Envy’s hand was slowly pulling away from the new crater it had left in the solid stone wall. “We run away as fast as we can and worry about finding an exit later.”
“I like that plan!” Al said, already turning back up the hall and dragging Ed with him.
“Very sensible,” Lan Fan agreed.
The following chase was a blur of sprinting over uneven floors and taking corners at speed while ducking out of the way of blades and gunfire and giant mechanical hands, as well as the occasional attempt to grind them into a paste. (Gluttony referred to this as “eating them,” which, bad!) Ling completely gave up trying to keep track of where they were or the direction they were going, just concentrating on staying alive and hopefully losing the monsters on their tails.
It was a surprise when, after darting around another corner and through an archway, they found themselves out of the claustrophobic hallways and in a cavernous room. Tubes wrapped and tangled around each other up the walls and across the ceiling, coming together in the center of the room and trailing down to connect to a large throne, its occupant shrouded in shadows so deep Ling couldn’t make out a single detail of his face. A sense of creeping evil permeated the entire space, and Ling realized that this must be the witch’s inner sanctum.
There was no other door but the one they’d entered through.
The only other occupant of the room was an older man standing next to the throne, unremarkable other than the eyepatch over one eye. He strode forward with a glare as Envy and Gluttony burst into the room behind Ling and the others.
“What is the meaning of you fools allowing these humans to make their way here? You’ve disturbed Father’s work.”
“Hey, these little insects are fast,” Envy protested. “And I didn’t see you helping stop them, Wrath! Or Sloth and Pride for that matter.”
“Our brothers are away on an errand for Father,” Wrath said dismissively. “You shouldn’t need their help to squash a few bugs anyway. Or mine, but I’ll go ahead and lend it to you since it seems to be the only way anything gets done around here.”
Envy growled, and the growl deepened and distorted as they transformed.
In the open space of this room they were able to change more than just their arm. Their whole body stretched and twisted as they grew into a giant robotic thing. It looked a bit like a mech suit from an anime, if that mech suit had been welded together from a thousand disparate parts by a madman into a body horror nightmare amalgamation, bristling with every weapon imaginable. They dropped down onto all fours–their new form no longer bipedal–and the impact shook the room so badly Ling nearly lost his footing.
“Fine,” Envy said, in a voice like grating metal. “You take care of the one with the sword, that seems more your speed. I’ll take the armor and the runt.”
For once in his life, Ed didn’t immediately freak out about being called a runt. Maybe even he recognized they were in serious enough danger to let something like that slide. Instead he said, “Actually, I think I’m just gonna leave.” and darted toward Envy’s flank, maybe trying to use their large size against them to slip by them and back out the door before they could twist around for the attack.
Ling wasn’t able to watch and see how that tactic worked out for his friend because, faster than seemed possible, Wrath was no longer across the room but right in front of him, swinging a sword toward his neck. Only Lan Fan calling out a warning allowed Ling to react in time to block the attack, and the force of the blow sent him stumbling back.
Ling could hear Ed and Al fighting Envy, and it sounded like they were struggling (it also sounded like Ed had landed at least one blow because he yelled “that’s for calling me a runt!” So much for letting things go in a dangerous situation), but he couldn’t go to help them or even spare a glance in their direction. It took all his energy to match Wrath, and he spent more time blocking and dodging than making his own attacks, unable to find an opening.
He didn’t know if the man was one of the witch’s created weapons. He must have been, from the weird name and how unnaturally fast he moved, but he didn’t appear to transform his body in any way.
But he could pull seemingly infinite swords from somewhere, rearming himself instantly the one time Ling managed to disarm him, and throwing them with as much deadly accuracy as he wielded them when Ling tried to retreat and put some distance between them.
Gluttony, apparently unable to decide who he should be attacking without explicit instructions, just took a swipe at whatever intruder happened to be in range of him at any given time as the fight took them around the room. It was better than having to fight two at once, but the added need to keep track of distance from him wasn’t something Ling appreciated.
He tried to keep circling to Wrath’s left, to put himself in the blind spot created by the eyepatch. His success was limited, but the strategy was letting him keep his head attached so far, and he didn’t see any better options so he kept to it.
The witch eventually grew impatient with the fight.
“Enough,” he said, not yelling but somehow projecting his voice across the room and over the sound of fighting.
Ling didn’t look over, refusing to be distracted.
But then Al asked: “Dad?”
At the same time Ed snarled: “Hohenheim!”
That got Ling’s attention.
“Your dad’s a witch?” That was the type of thing he’d hope his friends would tell him before it came up mid-battle.
The witch did look a lot like Ed, an old man with graying blond hair that had probably once been the same shade as Ed’s braid, and eyes the same distinctive golden color.
Whether the Elrics were going to answer him, or keep yelling at the witch that was maybe their dad, Ling never found out. Envy took advantage of the distraction and slammed one giant hand down into Ed and the other into Al, pinning them both to the floor.
“Ling!” Lan Fan yelled, and he jumped back away from Wrath’s sword.
He just barely got out of the way, a stinging cut opening on his cheek instead of the intended decapitation.
Wrath followed up by throwing his sword, and the thin blade slotted cleanly into the loop at the back of Lan Fan’s hilt, ripping her out of Ling’s hand. The sword continued on its path, and buried itself deeply into the wall.
Ling dashed over and yanked on the sword, but it didn’t budge.
“Duck!” Lan Fan shouted, and Ling dropped to the floor right as the blade of yet another sword hit the wall where his head had been with enough force to shatter the tempered steel.
Ling rolled to the side and sprung back to his feet. He and Wrath circled each other again, but this time Ling tried not to let himself be moved too far from Lan Fan.
“Ling, just go,” Lan Fan cried. Her voice, already faded in Ling’s mind from a few feet of distance, sounded desperate in a way he’d never heard her before. “Get out of here, please!”
“I’m not leaving you,” Ling snapped. He wouldn’t leave any of them. There had to be a way to–
Something slammed into Ling’s side, tackling him to the ground. Too late, he realized he’d forgotten to keep track of Gluttony.
As he struggled beneath Gluttony’s weight, watching the grinding teeth of whatever his weapon form was inch closer and closer, Ling really wished he’d been a little less confident in his abilities and chosen not to come here.
“Wait,” the witch called.
Gluttony stopped a second short of turning Ling into mince meat.
The Witch walked slowly towards Ed and Al.
“You two are Van Hohenheim’s children?” he asked.
“What’s it to you, you bastard?” Ed growled.
“Yes, we are,” Al, ever more diplomatic, rushed to answer. “You–um well– you look a lot like him.”
“Yes, I suppose I do,” The man muttered. Then, louder, he added, “We’ll be keeping these ones alive, Envy, so do try not to crush them too much if you haven’t already.”
“Um, alright,” Envy said, shifting to put less weight on the Elrics.
“As for the others,” the witch turned back to look at Ling. “We don’t need them. You can go ahead and eat that one, Gluttony.”
“No!” Ed yelled. “No, please, they're our friends!”
“But I have no use for them. A measly two souls aren’t even enough to use in my experiments. Although…” He tilted his head, regarding Ling with a more considering eye. “I suppose it might be time to give Greed another chance.”
The witch stood up straighter and clapped his hands sharply. “Wrath, Gluttony, bring the boy over here. I have use for him after all.”
Gluttony whined in disappointment, but obediently shifted off of Ling and grabbed one of his arms. Wrath grabbed the other, and the two of them began dragging Ling toward the throne in the middle of the room, ignoring his struggling as if it were nothing.
“No!” Lan Fan screamed.
Ling twisted to look at her.
She’d taken her human form again. The sword that had been harmlessly hooked through the loop of her pommel was now stabbing her arm just below her right shoulder. There wasn’t much blood, the blade completely filling the wound, but that arm flopped limply as she struggled, reaching toward Ling.
“Let him go! Bring him back!”
“Lan Fan, stop moving,” Ling yelled. “Your arm! You’ll make it worse if you don’t hold still!”
“I don’t care,” Lan Fan reached up to yank at the hilt of the sword. She managed only the slightest movement of the blade, and blood began oozing more quickly from around it. “Let him go! Take me instead!”
The witch and his weapons ignored her. Ling was dragged in front of the throne and forced to his knees as the witch retrieved a small flask of some viscous red liquid from a table nearby.
Gluttony moved to hold both of Ling’s arms, and Wrath took ahold of his chin, forcibly tilting his head up.
“This may hurt,” the witch said calmly, sounding almost like a doctor about to administer a shot.
“Let him go, you bastards!” Ed snarled.
“Please, stop this!” Al begged.
“Ling!” Lan Fan’s yell sounded more like a sob.
And then the witch tipped the contents of the flask into the cut on Ling’s cheek, and he couldn’t hear anything over his own screaming anymore.
—
Ling’s body twisted and writhed in ways it was never meant to, his bones breaking and rehealing over and over, his insides feeling like they were being boiled.
It was excruciating.
It was too much.
Ling retreated from reality into the place inside himself he accessed for soul resonance training with Lan Fan. Not quite inside his own soul, but not in his body either. A quiet and empty void.
Except it wasn’t quiet or empty now. The pain followed him down, though it wasn’t as strong as it had been, and the space was full of a thousand overlapping screams.
And there was another soul there.
The soul wasn’t normal. Not in the twisted, evil way the kishin eggs Lan Fan consumed on their missions were. It just looked like it had been put together hurriedly from the pieces of many others, somehow coming together into a cohesive whole.
It was almost beautiful, in an alien way.
As Ling watched, the soul’s shape changed, until he was looking at a large, shadowy face with jagged teeth and glowing white eyes.
“Well, what do we have here?” The voice came from the face in front of him, though its mouth didn’t move. “Am I supposed to be using your body now?”
“What’s happening to me?” Ling asked.
“They didn’t explain, huh?” the thing asked. “Yeah, they wouldn’t. The names Greed, kid, and if I had to guess, what’s happening is they put me in your bloodstream and now your body’s trying to adapt to my power. Probably doesn’t feel too good.”
Maybe Ling was going crazy, but the floating head sounded a little sympathetic.
“Look, you should probably just let go. Let yourself fade back into your soul or whatever. Only one person’s ever survived this, as far as I know, and it’s not a pretty way to go. I can keep you from feeling it, but not when you're fighting to stay conscious like this.”
“If I die, will they try again with someone else?”
“Huh?” One of Greed’s eyes got bigger than the other, giving the impression of raising an eyebrow he didn’t have. “Yeah, probably, if there’s anyone else around. Won’t be your problem anymore, though, will it?”
Ling thought of Lan Fan, pinned to a wall with a mangled arm and still fighting to get to him, to help him.
He couldn’t let her go through this.
Ling stood up as straight as he could while floating in a void and glared at Greed.
“I’m not going to die,” Ling willed himself to believe his own words as he spoke. “There are people counting on me. I’m going to save my friends, and I’ll take on all your power to do it if I have to.”
Greed stared at him silently for a moment, somehow looking stunned despite being mostly sharp teeth and empty eyes. Then he burst out laughing.
The laugh sounded more delighted than mocking, which was not what Ling would have expected.
“Oh, I like you,” Greed said when he was done with his laughing fit. “This is gonna be fun. Alright then, you take my power, and we’ll see what we can do for your friends. I got a score to settle with the old bastard myself.”
Greed moved closer to Ling, his mouth finally opening, stretching wide enough to swallow Ling whole. A blinding white light shone from between Greed’s teeth as they rushed toward Ling. The screaming around them crescendoed, growing louder and louder until Ling realized he was screaming along with it. Everything became so overwhelming, he was certain he was about to be ripped apart, and then–
—
Ling’s eyes opened, but he wasn’t the one to open them.
His body was still kneeling on the floor, right where it had been, his arms stretched out to either side of him.
Wrath and the witch stood looming over him. Gluttony had wandered away, not in Ling’s direct sight anymore, though he didn’t dare hope he’d gone far.
The pain faded rapidly, energy crackling around him as his body healed, until he felt fine. Better than fine. Maybe better than he’d ever felt in his life.
Ling’s head raised, his eyes looked around, but once again it wasn’t him behind the movements.
“Ling?” Ed asked. “Are you okay?”
Greed looked over at where Ed was still pressed to the floor by one of Envy’s hands. He smiled, and Ling could feel it pulling at his face in a way his own expressions never did.
“Oh, is that his name?” Greed asked. “Sorry, but Ling can’t come to the phone right now. Greed’s running the show from here on out.”
Hey, that’s one of my friends! Ling protested. You said we would–
Shut up and let me sell this, Greed hissed back inside the shared space between their souls.
“Greed,” The witch said. “Welcome back to the family, my son. Your past transgressions shall be forgiven, if you agree to once more work with us for our common goals.”
Ugh, I hate this guy, Greed muttered.
Out loud, he said: “What else could I do, when you’ve so kindly given me a second chance, Father?” He bowed Ling’s head in what might have been a convincing show of respect to someone who couldn’t hear his thoughts. “I promise, I won’t waste my new life.”
“Very good,” the witch hummed his approval. “Then rise, and tell me, how does the new body feel? And what form does the weapon inside you take now?”
“It feels pretty great,” Greed answered as he stood up.
He raised both of Ling’s hands to eye level, and instead of the horrible twisting transformation Ling had been halfway bracing himself for, all that happened was a coal black something covering the skin to about halfway up his arms. The nails grew a bit longer and sharper, but nothing as dramatic as the woman Mustang had killed. (who Ling supposed must be the missing Lust)
“Still got my shield,” Greed added. Obviously, don’t know what else the asshole expected to happen.
“How disappointing,” the witch said. “I had hoped that combining your melted essence with a skilled swordsman such as this one would allow you to take a more useful shape, something suited to attacking rather than weak defense. Still, it can’t be helped I suppose. I can still find use for–”
“Monster!” Lan Fan shrieked from her place against the wall. “Give Ling his body back! Get out of him!”
Greed didn’t turn to look at her.
Ling wished he would, desperate to check on her.
Ling was grateful he didn’t, not wanting to see the pain he could hear in his best friend’s voice on her face.
“Fraid I can’t do that, sweetheart,” Greed drawled. “Not exactly a thing where I can just jump back out of the body once I’m in it, you understand.”
Don’t talk to her like that! Ling snapped, and was surprised to feel his hands twitch in response to his own emotion.
Greed couldn’t jump back out, but maybe Ling could still get back in control.
Stop that! Greed admonished. I told you, I have to sell this. Just trust me for a minute, would you?
The witch turned to regard Lan Fan. “I’m afraid you’ve outlived your usefulness,” he said. “Wrath, dispose of her.”
No! Ling thrashed where he was trapped within his own body, but before he could make any progress, Greed moved.
Taking advantage of the witch’s distraction, the moment Wrath stepped away, Greed plunged one of Ling’s hands into the old man’s chest.
Whatever his shield was made of, it punched through flesh and bone as easily as a knife passing through butter.
“Like I said, Dad,” Greed spat. “I’m not wasting the chance you’ve given me.”
The witch looked very unconcerned for a man with a hand in his chest.
A wave of force slammed into Ling’s body, throwing him and Greed to the floor.
“So disappointing,” the witch sighed. His chest was healing with the same crackling energy that had surrounded Ling’s body moments before. “You do so much for your children, but in the end you can’t prevent them from making the same mistakes again and again. Oh well. Wrath, leave the girl and kill your brother for me.”
Wrath lunged at them, his movements almost too fast to follow. For the second time that day, Ling was in a fight with the ridiculously skilled swordsman, but this time he wasn’t even able to control his body. He had to rely on Greed to dodge and block fast enough, using his shielded hands to deflect blow after blow in a deadly dance.
Can’t you put that shield over more of my body? Ling asked as Wrath managed to cut his face, again. At least this time it healed almost before the pain could register.
That would take too much energy to power it up in the middle of a fight. Greed answered. Still kinda settling into my new body here, you know? This is what we have to work with for now.
Too much energy…
Ling knew one way to boost a weapon’s power and allow for high energy attacks.
I’m going to try soul resonance. Ling said.
No way, Greed argued, ducking a slash from Wrath’s sword so close Ling was pretty sure it cut an inch off his ponytail. We don’t even know if you can match my wavelength, and if you do it wrong the distraction will get us killed!
We’re going to get killed eventually anyway if we do nothing. You can’t keep this up forever. And anyway, if our souls weren’t at least somewhat compatible my body would have rejected you, right?
Maybe? I don’t actually know how that works.
I can do it, Ling said. He couldn’t lie to someone sharing his body like this. He had to make himself believe it. I know I can. Just–trust me for a minute would you?
…Fine, Greed said. But hurry up, alright? You weren’t lying when you said I couldn’t keep this up forever.
Even as Greed spoke, Wrath got another hit in. This time it was on Ling's left arm above the shield, and felt much deeper. It still healed right away, but it was clear that Greed was losing ground.
Ling forced himself to ignore the fight, instead turning his attention to Greed’s soul.
The soul was unfamiliar, and reaching toward it felt strange. Ling didn’t know if that was because it was artificially constructed, or if he just wasn’t used to resonating with someone who wasn’t Lan Fan. She was the only weapon he’d ever worked with before.
(Wrath knocked Greed off balance, and Ling distantly felt himself falling. He didn’t let it distract him.)
Greed’s wavelength was much more aggressive than Lan Fan’s. There was a sense of desperately reaching for something to it, whereas Lan Fan felt more grounded and content.
(Greed hit the floor, and before he could try to get back up or even roll away, Wrath was standing over him, one foot on either side of Ling’s torso, trapping them in place. Ling ignored it.)
And yet, Ling discovered that matching this new wavelength wasn’t as difficult as he’d feared. Even as frenetic as it was, there was a clear opening within it. An empty space that Ling found he slotted into nearly perfectly.
(Wrath’s sword swung down toward their neck.)
Ling’s soul wavelength matched Greeds completely.
The shield spread up from their arms and over their whole body. It reached their neck a millisecond before Wrath’s blade, and the sword snapped on impact.
The shield kept spreading up. Ling felt it cover their head, but he wasn’t thinking about it’s progress anymore.
Wrath stumbled back a step, and they surged to their feet. Ling wasn’t sure who was controlling the body anymore. He didn’t think it even mattered at this point.
This didn’t feel like soul resonance with Lan Fan.
That always felt powerful in a safe familiar way, a close connection with the best friend he’d known his whole life. They worked together well because they had been close for as long as either of them could remember. It was a comfortable teamwork that Ling treasured.
This was something else entirely. Greed’s soul was unfamiliar, and yet it felt like an expansion of Ling’s own. It was brand new and exciting; a little frightening as Ling felt himself swept along Greed’s wavelength, but exhilarating as he could tell Greed was moving along with him just as much. It was a dance, and a struggle for dominance, and an embrace all at once. Ling didn’t know what they would do–what they could do–together, but the possibilities felt endless.
Wrath backed away as they stepped toward him. He threw more blades as they approached, but Ling couldn’t even feel them when they bounced off the shield.
“Oh what the hell?” Envy yelled from where they were still restraining Ed and Al near the door.
There was a noise like cannon fire from that direction, and something exploded against Ling and Greed’s back. It didn’t even break their stride.
The clawed tips of their fingers had grown longer than before. Watching Wrath retreat got abruptly boring, and they rushed forward, sticking those sharp claws into Wrath’s abdomen just below the ribs.
“This is for my friends,” they growled.
Ling didn’t know who’s anger was fueling them more, if they were taking revenge for Lan Fan’s injury or something that had happened in Greed’s past.
It didn’t matter which it was.
It was both.
They lifted their arm and flung Wrath over their head. He flew through the air and collided with the back of the throne with a sickening crunch.
They turned to the witch, but before they could take a step in his direction he made some complicated gesture with his hands and an orb of shimmering red force closed around them.
A soul wavelength painfully disparate from theirs surrounded them on all sides, and the resonance abruptly ended.
They fell to their knees, the impact jarring as the shield retreated to only covering their forearms once again.
Now Ling could tell it was Greed who clapped their hands over their ears against the onslaught.
“That’s enough of your little tantrum,” the witch said, barely even looking at them. “Gluttony, you can eat him.”
“Thank you father!” Gluttony yelled.
Ling couldn’t move. Couldn’t try to wrestle control back from Greed. Could barely think.
He could only watch as Gluttony leapt toward them, grinning and eager to devour them.
And then a blade passed through Gluttony’s head at the level of his eyes.
A blow like that must have severed the monster’s brain.
His body fell to the ground, the smile still wide on the lower half of his face.
Lan Fan stood behind him. Her left arm turned into a blade just below the elbow.
Her right arm was gone from the shoulder, nothing but a bloody stump.
Ling didn’t turn to look, but he was sure the arm was right where it had been, pinned to the wall, and now cut away.
“You will not touch him,” Lan Fan growled. The rage in her voice was like nothing Ling had ever heard.
“Lan Fan,” he gasped out, back in control of his own voice.
“Ling?” Lan Fan’s eyes widened. “You are still in there! Ling, you have to fi–”
“This is completely unacceptable,” the witch said. He was glaring at Lan Fan, showing something other than vague disinterest for the first time since Ling had laid eyes on him.
Now he looked pissed.
“You break into my home. You ransack my research laboratories. And now you kill one of my children.”
He stalked toward Lan Fan as he spoke. She stood firm, but Ling could see her beginning to sway on her feet, the blood loss no doubt catching up to her.
With his focus on Lan Fan, the sphere of disrupting soul wavelength around Greed and Ling began to dissipate. They struggled to their feet.
“This will not stand!” the witch roared, raising his hands in preparation for some spell.
Lan Fan raised her one remaining arm to block whatever was coming.
Whatever it was, they’d never find out.
Greed once again punched through his father’s rib cage with one clawed hand. Not willing to leave anything to chance this time, Ling slashed the claws of their other hand across the back of the witch’s neck, cutting through the spinal cord.
His body tumbled to the floor, and it didn’t move again.
A moment of stunned silence.
Then Envy screamed.
“Greed, you traitor! How dare you side with these worms? I’ll kill you for this!”
They jumped over Ed and Al to rush at Greed.
Before they got there, the wall opposite the door exploded inward, and more teachers from the DWMA poured into the room.
Ling didn’t care to stand and watch the fight that followed. He ran to Lan Fan’s side, just making it in time to catch her as she fell and lower her gently to the floor.
“You idiot,” Ling said, surprised when it came out like a sob. He realized that he was crying. “Why would you cut off your arm for me? You could have died!”
“You could have died,” Lan Fan said.
Ling pulled off his jacket and pressed it against what remained of her shoulder. She cried out in pain, and Ling felt like scum, but he didn’t let up the pressure.
After a few gasping breaths Lan Fan continued: “And I would have had to watch you die, useless and stuck to the wall. This was the only way.”
Ling shook his head. “Still. Your arm–”
“Well I for one am grateful that you saved my ass!” Greed put in, shoving Ling out of control mid-sentence.
Lan Fan narrowed her eyes. “I was saving Ling, not you.”
Greed shrugged casually, but Ling could tell how careful he was not to let the gesture jostle Lan Fan's shoulder where he was still holding the jacket against it.
“Yeah, well. Same ass, so thanks anyway.”
“I hate you,” Lan Fan said, without much force behind it. “Also, I’m going to pass out now, so don’t let Ling die before I wake up.”
“No!” Ling reclaimed control of their body. “Lan Fan, don’t pass out, okay? You need to try to stay awake.”
“Can’t. Sorry,” Lan Fan murmured, and then her eyes closed and her head lolled limply against the ground.
“Lan Fan!” Ling screamed.
Distantly, he was aware of the sounds of fighting coming to a close, of someone–Professor Stein maybe–trying to tug him away from Lan Fan and saying to let him look, of Greed taking back control to make him obey.
He heard Greed in their head more clearly than the noises around them.
Let the doctor guy look at her, Ling. She’ll be okay. She’s tough, I can already tell.
Ling couldn’t pull their eyes away from Lan Fan. He appreciated Greed trying to comfort him, but he couldn’t answer.
He wouldn’t believe she’d be okay until he saw her awake again. And until then, nothing else mattered.
—
Lan Fan woke up the next day.
Ling and Greed were sitting in a chair they’d dragged next to her bed in the infirmary. They’d refused to leave her side since she’d been out of surgery.
A few times some of the higher ranking meisters and death scythes had tried to draw them away for a debrief, but they’d refused to go.
Surprisingly, Professor Hawkeye had taken their side. Glaring from where she sat in her own chair beside Mustang’s bed, she snapped at the would-be interrogators to have some patience and respect.
Ling was pretty sure they wouldn’t have been allowed to stay no matter how much he wanted them to if she hadn’t stepped in.
He promised himself to always pay attention in her class from now on, and never let any other students get away with badmouthing her.
Lan Fan woke slowly, and smiled when she saw Ling leaning over her, hovering with indecision between running to get help and staying by her side.
Then the smile fell away, and she looked down at where her arm should be. Where it never would be again.
Ling cleared his throat. “Winry can make you a new one, once you’ve healed. Like Ed’s.”
“Right,” Lan Fan agreed. Her voice sounded hollow.
Greed slid into control of the body, and Ling felt a shit eating grin grow across their face.
“You should have her make you something with spikes and flames and shit. Something real cool, better than the old boring one.”
Lan Fan turned and glared at Greed. “I don’t want your opinion on what I do with my arm.”
She was angry, but Ling thought she might also be glad for the distraction. At the very least there was life in her eyes again.
Greed shrugged. “Fine, do what you want. Get a lame normal prosthetic and waste the chance of a lifetime for badass body modification. See if I–”
“So,” Ling interrupted before Lan Fan could decide to try and strangle Greed one handed. “You’ll never believe what stupid shit I heard Black Star and Kid got up to this time.”
—
They were still talking about nothing important, Ling holding Lan Fan’s hand, a few hours later when the door to the infirmary opened and Stein walked in.
Ling couldn’t say he was a fan of Stein’s bedside manner. The man always gave the impression that he’d rather peel your skin off and look at what was under it than give you a bandaid(not least because he occasionally waxed poetic about the joys of peeling skin off to look at what was under it), but he was the closest thing the school had to medical professional after the former nurse turned out to be a crazy snake witch bent on plunging the world into madness.
And, to be fair, he never actually experimented on any of the students in his care.
As far as Ling knew.
So he assumed the man was there to check up on Lan Fan or Mustang, and didn’t pay him any mind.
Until Lord Death himself walked in behind him.
It was rare to see their school’s headmaster outside of his office. He only made visits to other areas when something very important came up. And since there wasn’t an imminent threat to existence as they knew it, that could only mean that they were in big trouble.
“Hi, howdy, hello, everyone!” Lord Death greeted them brightly. “I hear you young people have had quite the adventure.”
Ling wished he could take the good mood as a sign he wasn’t about to be expelled, or arrested, or worse, but Lord Death was always like that.
Before Ling could figure out a safe answer, Greed took control again.
“Oh, now what the fuck are you?”
“Shut up!” Ling hissed, shoving Greed back out of the way. “Lord Death, I apologize. He didn’t mean it how it sounded, really! Please forgive–”
“No need for that, Ling,” Lord Death said, waving an oversized hand dismissively. “I know the way I present myself is less than impressive. Don’t want to scare the students, after all! And that little outburst did prove that what the Elrics said was true. You really do have someone else rattling around in that head of yours.”
Ling could feel Greed trying to get control again, no doubt to insult Lord Death again, but he held his ground. That surprised Greed enough that he stopped reaching to take over.
What gives, Ling, he complained.
Lord Death is in charge of this school, Ling explained. He can expel me–or throw us both in a cell–if he wants, so please just stay quiet for now.
That’s in charge? Greed asked. This place is even weirder than the old man’s hideout. But fine, whatever, I’ll be good.
Lord Death turned to Stein. “Is there anything that can be done? I hate the thought of leaving the poor Yao boy stuck like this.”
That was marginally insulting.
Stein shook his head. “Unfortunately, no," he intoned, absentmindedly tightening the screw through his cranium. "As far as I’m aware, there’s no way to separate a meister and weapon who have been fused like this. I’ve been looking into it for Crona, and I haven’t been able to make any progress. It doesn’t help that I can’t experiment on them.” At everyone in the room’s concerned looks, he quickly tacked on: “Not that I would. They’ve had enough experimenting in their life, and respect their bodily autonomy. And Marie would kill me if I tried it.”
“Lord Death, Professor Stein, we don’t want to be separated,” Ling said.
Everyone turned to look at him like he’d grown a second head.
“It’s–I know I didn’t ask for this,” Ling tried to explain. “But Greed and I work well together. We get along. And, especially if trying to break us apart would be dangerous, I’d rather we stay this way.”
You really mean that? Greed asked. Ling could feel the disbelief coming off him in waves.
With a sinking heart, Ling realized he’d never actually talked to Greed about this.
I do, Ling said because it was true. But I guess I shouldn’t speak for both of us. If you want your own body, we can see if Stein–
“You heard him, we’re staying like this,” Greed said like he was daring anyone to argue with him.
Lord Death sighed. “No offense intended, Greed was it? But you are an unknown entity, one we have no experience with, and it would be irresponsible of me to endanger my students by–”
Hawkeye snorted, which was the most undignified and unprofessional thing Ling had ever witnessed her do.
“Endanger how? With all due respect, Lord Death, he’s been here for over 24 hours already and all he’s done is sit by Lan Fan’s bedside and make a few jokes in poor taste. If he meant to pose a threat, surely he’d have done so by now.”
“Professor Hawkeye is right,” Lan Fan spoke up. “Greed has done nothing to hurt any of us. He didn’t choose to be fused with Ling, and Ling would have died–we all would have died–if Greed hadn’t killed Wrath and the witch. If–” Lan Fan paused, her voice suddenly very watery.
Ling was alarmed to see tears gathering in her eyes.
Lan Fan swallowed heavily before continuing. “If Ling wants Greed to be his new weapon now that I’m crippled, then–”
“No,” Ling interrupted her. “No, no way Lan Fan! I’d never abandon you like that! You’re my best friend. Greed may have helped me kill the witch, but I got those other 99 souls with you. We started this journey together, and that’s how we’ll finish it!”
“But you said–”
“Death the Kid has two weapons. I don’t see why I can’t do the same.” Ling placed a hand on her hair. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily. I think the three of us could be a really good team. If that’s okay with the two of you?”
Lan Fan sniffled and nodded.
Greed took back over the body, and smiled in a way Ling didn’t trust.
“Fine by me,” Greed said. “I’m always down for a three way.”
Ling shoved him to the back of their mindscape.
“Ew! Don’t phrase it like that!”
Lan Fan just laughed.
Ling was shocked by that reaction, but also grateful to Greed for making it happen. It was the first time he’d heard her laugh since things started going bad at the witch’s stronghold.
“Alright, you’ve convinced me!” Lord Death said. “Greed can stay, and be enrolled as another student of the DWMA. I always do love giving people a chance. Of course you know, Ling, this means you’ll have to get double the souls of all the other meister students. 99 kishin eggs and one witch apiece.”
Ling nodded. “That’s very fair, Lord Death. I can handle that. After all, Lan Fan and I already got her 99, and Greed and I killed a witch.”
“Well, actually,” Lord Death started, and Ling could already tell he would hate the rest of this sentence. “Since you went after a witch and failed to kill him with Lan Fan’s blade, the two of you will have to start over.”
“What!” Ling and Lan Fan screeched in perfect unison.
“Yes, I know it’s no fun, but them’s the rules!” Lord Death said. “The same applies to the Elric boys. Let that be a lesson for you all about stowing away on missions you’ve been told you’re not ready for!”
“Also, not to kick you when you’re down,” Greed put in. “But everyone keeps talking about me and Ling killing the witch, and he is for sure not dead.”
“Huh? But we stabbed in the heart and cut his spine!”
“Yeah, and did you see a soul?” Greed asked. “He figured out how to siphon most of it off for safekeeping in a different container ages ago. That’s what all the tubes were for. You were kind of checked out, but I saw Envy get away with his body and Wrath. They definitely retrieved the soul before they booked it to another safe house. Oh, Wrath also isn’t dead. His brain was still attached and he wasn’t a pile of ash, so he can heal.”
“Oh god, this is the worst,” Ling groaned, putting his head in his hands.
Lan Fan patted him on the back, and Greed did the mental equivalent of the same.
“We can handle it,” Lan Fan said.
“Oh yeah, it’ll be no problem,” Greed put in.
Ling supposed that, if he had to start from square one on gathering twice the souls he’d thought he’d ever need and eventually deal with an ancient witch’s inevitable revenge plot, he could at least do so with good company.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Ling said. “We’ve totally got this.”
#greedxlingweek2024#fma#greed fma#ling yao#greedling#lan fan#edward elric#alphonse elric#soul eater#but don't expect any soul eater characters to show up for more than 2 seconds#oh crossover that'll be easy i thought#i love so many characters with a gay ass body sharing situation!#i'll just do a quick little scene of them talking to eddie and venom or jaime and khaji da#and it'll be no prob-#inspiration grabbing me by the throat and looking me dead in the eyes: soul eater universe fusion#me: but that's so much work and i haven't even watched soul eater all the way through since highschool couldnt i just#inspiration tightening its grip with every word: soul. eater. universe. fusion. or nothing.#this got a little out of hand#the concept was so cool and i wanted to explore it#and then i'd written 3 thousand words before greed even showed up#the yapper strikes again#anyway like i said i haven't watched soul eater in ages#so if you see anything that doesn't make sense within the rules of that universe#no you don't
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Imagine crawling under the Horned King's robe to cuddle with him ... It doesn't necessarily have to be a sexual situation (though it could possibly lead to that if you're both up to it - I mean does he even wear anything else underneath there?👀), but could also simply be a tender moment of both physical and emotional closeness.
Author's note: This was originally supposed to be an imagine at best or simply just me yelling out my thoughts about the Horned King, but somehow it kind of accidentally turned into a short story. Things you do at 5am I guess. This man probably has to much control over my mind at this point (not that I'm complaining).
The Horned King x Reader - Cuddling under his robe
It's cold this evening, though this is not something particularly unusual. The wind is howling around the walls of the castle, and you're snuggling a little closer to the Horned King as you're resting in your shared bed together. You feel his grip around your waist tighten ever so slightly, when suddenly an idea sparks up in your mind. Maybe there is an even better way to escape the cold than just pressing yourself up against him ...
He tilts his head, but doesn't say anything yet when you wriggle yourself out of his embrace and crawl towards the foot of the bed. You hesitate for a moment, but eventually decide to lift the hem of his robe.
"What are you doing, my dear?"
You can hear mild confusion in his voice, and stop in your motion for a moment, one of your hands pulling up the fabric a little while the other is resting on his calf.
"Just trying to escape the cold ..."
With that, you lean forwards and start crawling under the king's robe. The thick fabric holds off any light, so you let your hands follow the contours of his body as you move upwards, careful not to put your weight onto him in an uncomfortable way. You can feel a smile forming on your face as you finally stick your head through the collar - which luckily is wide enough to fit both of you.
"I thought it might be warmer underneath here, and I have to say that I'm not disappointed. But I also just wanted to be close to you ..."
The Horned King's gaze turns soft - over time you've learned to read his more subtle facial expressions - , and when you lean forwards a little to press a kiss onto his lipless mouth, you can feel him eagerly reciprocate the motion, to the best of his abilities at least. He lets out a content sigh as you rub your nose against his cheek and wraps his arms around you, resting his hands on your back. You allow your body to relax completely as you lay down on top of his own, and although he's not giving off any body warmth, you relish the feeling of being pressed up against his bare skin.
"This is perfect ..."
You mumble as you're nuzzling your face into his neck. Your eyelids are starting to get heavier as he gently rubs your back, and a yawn escapes you.
"Rest now, my dear."
Your king's soothing voice still reaches you as your consciousness starts to drift off into the shadows.
"Rest well. I will not be going anywhere right now ..."
#I haven't written any proper (fan)fiction in ages I have actually no idea where the hell this came from#it was such a good feeling though! I think I usually overthink way too much about the build-up of the scenario#or whether I'm portraying the characters' personalities properly that I'm too anxious to actually start anything#but here I was like 'I'm going to write this cute scenario just because I want to' and the words started forming basically on their own#I hope inspiration like this strikes me for my other loves too at some point#also ik I've been all about the king in the past days but be assured my love for my other faves is as strong as ever <3#I have a feeling he's probably going to end up up there with my main f/os at some point though#f/o: 💀#the horned king#the black cauldron#disney villains#the horned king x reader#x reader#villain x reader#f/o imagine#self ship#fanfiction#writing#selniaswriting#suggestive#(not really but just to make sure)
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i have so many thoughts for so many different fics maybe that's my problem
#🎐maddie speaks#jesus christ#i should've finished parfum d'etoiles before starting bllk#cos now i wanna write for bllk#oh man#i feell ike i haven't written for hq in ages (two days ago)#i think i just need to finish one fic at a time#cos i keep on thinking of new ideas while i write#nto to mention that writing requests is like the hardest thing ever im not JOKING#like i feel like i need to cater to what they asked but it really just doesn't resonate with how i've imagined the character#idk it's hard for me to write outside that imagination#i wanna open requests up again so bad but i really need to finish these ones first#god#i wanna js finish parfum d'etoiles asap#but it requires so much effort#i think i like writing one shots more but like#ugh#ppl r expectant of parfum as well#whatever i'll write tomorrow
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What do you think about the fab five polycule
(Dick x donna x wally x garth x roy)
i'll be SO honest i wish i had like. insightful interesting opinions on them but i've always been a Young Justice kid and sort of. breezed past consuming Fab Five Teen Titans content-
but of what i *do* know, from the few comics i've read with these characters is this is one of the best ships for Dick, honestly. it always deeply annoys me when fanon content breezes past the Titans as if they're just some distant teammates and not some of Dick's closest friends, if not a second family. *especially* the Fab Five. for most, if not all of them, it's the first time getting to actually connect with other teen heroes. so there's something fun about how sort of terrible they are at it, at first. they all care about each other a lot. but they're kind of chucked into the deep figuring out how to work with each other and get along with *very* different personalities, so it's fun to see where the conflict comes.
as a ship, i do really love it. the Titans are a family. like we call a lot of teams found families, but for the Fab Five, that shit is the truest. they depend on each other and trust each other. when Dick and Bruce are on outs and Bruce fires him, he goes to the Titans.
i also enjoy how, to an extent, all of them are outsiders of some kind. Donna is alone in a new world she's never experienced, the same as Garth. Roy is still new and awkward to living the rich life with Oliver. Wally doesn't connect to his parents well. and of course, Dick has lost his parents and only has Bruce, who isn't the most emotionally available. of course they're going to cling to each other, as the first people they can really develop connections too. they're very clingy with each other and i think that's both cute and *fun* to explore like, codependency issues with them. how protective they can be of each other, how they default to trusting each other over their mentors, etc. it's all very interesting for a polycule, especially since for most of them, it's their first real relationship. i'm a big fan of "none of us know what dating looks like bc we've had such strange childhoods so we don't understand the Rules very well. we're all just going to date each other bc why would i date only one of you. do teamups count as dates now." vibes with teenage polycules. and the Fab Five just. have that on lock. they each fulfill a different "niche" in the group. Garth is the softer, more emotional one you can go to if you're upset. Donna is the one for planning bright fun trips and making sure you don't wallow. Roy is protective and can pretend to be suave, but he shows affection through gift giving and grand gestures where words fail him. Wally can cheer any of them up with jokes and distractions. and of course Dick is the logical one who makes sure they all keep their heads on and don't drown in the responsibility.
overall i think it's a really cute ship and i do wish i just. knew more about them to be able to write them/read fic of it because i do love their dynamic. and i'm just a firm believer in the Titans being Dick's family, just as important to him as the Batfam. they're a disaster and for that you gotta love them.
#necrotic answerings#fab five#ty for asking!!#i love getting asks liek this even if on things i don't know a ton about#i think the only real comics i've read of the fab five are world's finest: teen titans and teen titans: year one#and some of the silver age stuff but only ever for the plot not for those characters specifically#so like. i know enough to vaguely understand the characters#but i did have to approach it from the perspective of dick bc obviously i know him the best#i am interested in reading more about garth. he's a little cutie. i love him.#he seems very easy to whump. you could do a lot of dead dove things to that boy.#also this is darker in concept#but i find the way bruce dislikes the titans and dick working with them pretty fascinating#bc the reasonable answer is it's the first time dick is operating outside of bruce and it just gives bruce anxiety#but the *fun* answer is: brudick vs fab five polycule#where bruce is hyper possessive of dick developing other potentially romantic bonds#or just bonds in general#so he tries to come in between it#if i ever wrote a fab five polycule fic#that's the route i would take personally. very dark controlling brudick with the titans slowly taking notice and growing more concerned#otherwise tho i leave this ship to be written by ppl who understand them more#bc i know next to nothing about a lot of them#dick and roy i understand#garth i'm interested in#couldn't tell you much about wally or donna tho#and i prefer wally as flash when i do read him. bc he's a disaster man.#i really haven't read much titans content in general i fear#i've read some new teen titans for like. slade content and whatnot#and some of the 2003 run but besides that. i was always on the yj side of the fence#that said i will say *as* a core four truther#the fab five are *always* going to be closer as a team than the core four.
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Homelander super-hearing you getting off and is there within SECONDS
homelander x f!reader 18+ lite daddy/mommy kink, oral sex, toys, masturbation, dirty talk, lite voyeurism, creampie, established relationship, spanking. AO3 link. Christ, this is fucking pathetic, Homelander thinks, despite the broad smile he's wearing for the public. These publicity patrols are boring as dirt. While the initial wave of adoration is pleasant enough, the longer he mingles, the emptier it leaves him feeling. The faces all begin to blend together, and the shrill excitement in their voices grates more and more on his ears.
That's when he listens for you.
He can pinpoint the sound of your heartbeat in a hundred mile radius with ease. He's come to know it as intimately as his own. The cadence of it never fails to bring him comfort when he knows that, as you've said yourself, it beats for him.
Homelander frowns. Your heart rate is up. An eager fan offers him a photograph, their voice drowned out by the elevated sound of your heart in his ears. He signs the photo automatically, forcing a smile back into place, but he is lost to the unusual rhythm your heart has adopted.
Broadening his focus, he listens for the rest of you. Your breaths are shallow. For a horrifying moment, he thinks you're in pain. He feels himself panic, but the sentiment is cut short when your moan resonates in his ears, the sound of it going straight to his cock. He sucks in a sharp breath, and something cracks in his hand.
Looking down, he realizes he's just snapped the sharpie that he was signing with, the ink splattered over his gloves. He blinks, the sound of the world around him suddenly crashing back in on him. He laughs in a way that even he realizes sounds fake. "Whoops, sorry about that," he says breathlessly, licking his lips. His mouth feels dry.
"Apologies, folks, but there's someone out there in urgent need of a hero," he says, broadening his smile and offering a wide wave, followed by a salute, before he abruptly takes off into the air. The speed with which he ascends shocks a ripple through the crowd, who gasp and marvel as they watch him disappear into the sky.
When he lands on the balcony of his penthouse, the door is already open. He doesn't need to focus anymore; the heated sounds of your breaths and your pitchy little moans are all he can hear, along with a familiar, deliciously wet noise.
Homelander finds you on the bed, wearing nothing but a sleep shirt, legs spread as you fuck yourself with a striped red, white and blue silicone cock. You haven't even noticed him yet, too enraptured in your pleasure, in whatever fantasy is playing behind your closed eyelids.
"Just couldn't wait 'till I got home, huh?" Homelander asks, his voice low, thick with desire. He listened to you the whole way here. His cock is already throbbing in his pants.
You gasp, his voice startling you to a stop. The fear dissipates quickly when you realize it's him at the foot of the bed. You laugh breathily, your hand still between your thighs, clutching the flared base of the toy. "I wanted to be ready for you when you came home," you say, giving the toy a slow, deep thrust. His eyes flicker down to watch it sink back into you. "You're early."
"I heard you," he says, walking around to the head of the bed, pulling off his ink-stained glove. "I listened for you, and I could hear you fucking yourself," he says, coming to stand next to you. He reaches out to thumb at your lips, cupping your chin. "How was I supposed to stay out there smilin' for a crowd of mindless sycophants while you were moaning in my ear?"
You give his thumb a sweet kiss. "I'm not going to apologize if it means I get you to myself."
With his other hand, Homelander unzips his pants. You watch with half-lidded, hungry eyes as he draws his cock out, giving it a couple slow pumps. Without hesitation, you scoot closer to the edge of the bed, opening your mouth, tongue out, an open invitation that Homelander readily accepts.
You both moan as his cock slides heavy into your mouth. "Don't stop," he tells you, voice already tight. "Keep fucking yourself."
With a hum that makes him shudder, you start pumping the toy in and out again, spreading your legs wide to ensure he has a good view. He pushes his hands into your hair, cupping your head to hold you steady while he begins to fuck your mouth in earnest, gaze bouncing between your mouth and your pussy, watching that toy disappear over and over.
Your cheeks hollow as you suck him, your tongue pressed up firm to the underside of his cock. He always tastes clean, fresh and woodsy. You've never seen him sweat. The thought of him spying on you as you got yourself off makes your whole body throb hotly, but the fact he immediately ditched his job to finish you off really pushes you over the edge, makes you feel incoherent with arousal.
Homelander's breaths have turned harsh. He runs his tongue along his teeth before biting down on it. You look so fucking perfect like this, flushed with pleasure, moaning sweetly around his cock while he fucks your mouth.
God, he wants to kiss you so fucking bad. The thought overwhelms him so thoroughly that he abandons his encroaching orgasm for it, pulling his cock from your mouth so that he can taste it for himself, bending down and licking hungrily into it. You keen loudly against his lips, fucking yourself faster with the toy, the sound of it music to his ears.
The disappointed noise you make when he suddenly takes the toy from your hands, tossing it onto the bed, is goddamn adorable. "Don't you worry, sunshine. Daddy's got the real deal for you," he says, effortlessly manhandling you onto your knees, head down and ass up, perfectly presented to him where he stands at the edge of the bed.
You laugh breathlessly, folding your arms under your head. "Don't tease me, then. Fuck me," you demand, spreading your legs further apart. He startles you with a sharp slap to your ass with his one gloved hand.
"Language, young lady," he purrs. His voice is like honey in your ears, as warm and sweet as the rest of him. It makes you tingle all over.
You bite your lip, smiling through it. "Or what?"
Another sharp slap pulls a low moan from you. He's grinning now, too. "Or there will be consequences."
"Promises, promises," you say, arching your back deeper. He spanks the other cheek this time, and then again, and then a third time. Each strike feels like a crack of electricity, stimulating your already sensitized pussy. The thought of someone with the strength to hurl a car would have been mortifying, but Homelander has proved he can handle you without breaking you. He knows intimately exactly how you love to be touched.
Homelander rubs soothing circles on your reddening ass before he moves his hand to your hip, pulling you towards his leaking cock. The head of it makes a wet sound as it presses against your soaked clit.
Your answering moan is so sweet he can practically taste it melting on his tongue like sugar. He drags his cock up and down along your pussy a few times just to make you writhe, holding you still to keep you from pushing yourself back onto it.
“Oh, god, John, would you just– fucking hurry–” you’re cut off by another smart slap to your ass, your words breaking off into a half laugh, half moan.
“You spoil yourself when I’m not around, huh?” He asks, and though you know he’s trying to sound teasing, you can hear the restraint untethering in the shake of his voice.
“It’s nothing compared to how I’m gonna spoil you,” you reply, looking over your shoulder at him. “C’mon, baby. Fill me up. I want my pussy dripping while I take care of you.”
Homelander nearly doubles over, his vision temporarily tunneling. Fuck, you’re so goddamn perfect. He can’t play at being the restrained one anymore. He holds you steady while he bottoms out in one slow, smooth slide, the two of you moaning in tandem. The toy was good, but Homelander is so much better, throbbing hot and alive. He opens you wider than the toy had, hits every spot inside you just right. You claw at the bed, twisting your fist into the fabric.
“Ffffuck,” Homelander hisses, teeth clenched. He holds your hips firm between his hands, the dull nails of his ungloved hand biting into your skin. Your cunt feels unreal, puffy and soft from how you fucked yourself, clenching around him like a hot vice. It takes everything in him not to pound you into the bed with all his strength.
While he shakes beneath the weight of his restraint, you push back against him. He lets you, pulling you in by your hips, but allowing you to control the pace. He watches, transfixed, as you bounce back against him over and over, using his cock as beautifully as you did the toy. “Faster,” he murmurs, pulling you back more sharply on each deep thrust, punching breathy little moans out of you.
After a particularly hard thrust that rattles all the way up your spine, you reach back and grab hold of his bare wrist, thumb stroking tenderly. “Don’t break me, baby,” you say softly.
That snaps Homelander’s attention up from where he’s driving into you. He meets your gaze, his lips parted. He looks wrecked, flushed with arousal, eyes blown black. There’s a fraction of a delay before he nods at you. “Never. Never. I’m going to keep you forever,” he says fervently. Your stomach flips. You believe him. He takes over the pace, fucking you deep and good, leaving you no choice but to take it while he chases his release. You move a hand down between your legs to feel your own cunt, to let his cock slide between your middle and index finger before dragging them back up to rub slow circles on your clit.
Homelander keeps a relentless pace, the rhythm stuttering the closer he gets to his climax. His cock has you stretched so nicely that you swear you can feel every throb of it, and when he comes, the rushing heat of him spilling inside you paired with the movement of your own deft fingers tips you over the edge with him. Homelander doubles over you, covering your back with his chest, both of his arms wrapping around your waist as he fucks the last of his release deep into you, gradually slowing to deep, pointed thrusts, milking the last of your respective orgasms.
You give a full body shudder, his weight sinking you down fully to the bed. The only sound in the room is the loud huffs of both of your breaths, the ambience of the city drowned out. The world has narrowed down to just the two of you, and the sound of your rapidly beating heart. The sound that brought him here in the first place.
Homelander lets out a shaking breath, nuzzling at your spine. After a while, he exhales a soft laugh. “Wowie.”
You laugh, too. “You should listen in on me more often.”
“Foolish of you to think I don’t already,” Homelander answers lazily, a slight slur to his words. “Got lucky today.” Gently, he eases himself off of you, giving you the chance to adjust. You roll onto your back, and then reach out to catch him, pulling him right back down on top of you.
“I’m the lucky one,” you say, drawing him close for a languid kiss, pushing your hands into his hair. Homelander presses in deep, savoring the feel of you on his lips, the taste of you. Everything about you intoxicates him. He feels love drunk, heavy-limbed and satiated as the two of you kiss, unbothered by the mess between you.
You eventually start working on undoing his shirt, peeling away the layer of fabric fastened across his chest. “Let’s go,” you murmur, pushing the suit down his shoulders. “Let’s take a bath. I promised to take care of you.”
Homelander rumbles out a pleased noise, nuzzling at the crook of your neck before leaning back, helping you undress him. “Sounds like an excuse to wash my hair,” he accuses, sounding no less content with the thought.
“Someone has to rectify the wrongs of your stylist,” you respond playfully. You’ve already made quite the mess of his hair, which had started off neatly slicked back.
He chuckles. “It would go everywhere when I flew if they didn’t glue it in place.”
“Excuses,” you dismiss, kissing him again. You feel him grin against your lips before he scoops you up into his arms, carrying you towards the bathroom. You smile up at him, touching the side of his face. He turns into it, aggressively and repeatedly kissing into your palm until you laugh. His eyes are never softer than when he makes you laugh.
Every sound you make soothes him. Whether it be your breaths, your laughs, your words, or the beat of your heart, your very existence creates a white noise that drowns out the noise of the world. Whether you are near or far, you bring him peace.
He is most certainly the lucky one.
#you set me OFF my friend#i haven't written this much in a single day in ages hahaha#homelander x reader#homelander x you#ask and you shall receive#my writing#smut#white noise
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me: I should write this story I've got a publisher's deadline for.
my brain: ...or you could write the Interview with the Vampire RPF fanfic you were mentally writing in the car while driving home from campus.
#interview with the vampire#brain why#we haven't written fic in ages#but it was so clear and so much like how i used to write#just turning up and shouting and bright and vivid#for the record it's assad/eric
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Dragon's Tongue
✧ Nebarra x human!LDB, ft. Xelzaz & Khash ✧ Fluff, minor angst; 1300+ words ♫ "You And I (Stripped)" - PVRIS ✒ Something short n sweet today, I'm feeling soft
Nebarra was loath to admit it to himself, and he'd die before ever saying it aloud, but the Rift really was beautiful. Nothing compared to Alinor, to be sure, but... all the gold reminded him of home. And when he passed by a small, isolated farm, he could almost see himself on its porch, see his brother leaning against the door.
The illusions were younger, happier versions of themselves. So much more innocent, faces bright with naivety, eyes shining with plans for the future.
And then he'd gone to war.
He'd lost... so much of himself, in the deserts of Hammerfell. They had scorched and burned him inside and out, slowly bleeding him dry with every comrade he saw fall. And all that, for what? For all the Altmer's supposed superiority, the campaign had failed on all fronts – Hammerfell's walls and people defied them, and Cyrodiil remained in power, weakened but still unbroken.
How could the Thalmor still strut about, arrogant to Aetherius and back, when they had failed so miserably? How could they look at the faces of the families whose children and lovers they'd sent to die and only tell them they'd "served their purpose"?
Nebarra couldn't.
He couldn't face them at all. Not even through pen and paper, leagues away from ever having to look them in the eyes, ever having to see the pain and loss in their gaze.
Where the Thalmor were heartless, he was a coward.
And he didn't know which was worse.
~~~
Night fell, and you called the group to halt, to make camp until dawn. Nebarra set up the tent as you argued with Xelzaz, trying to convince him that no, he shouldn't summon a flame atronach and then kill it for its fire salts, no matter how good it would make dinner taste. Khash merely looked on, muching on some clover she'd picked up somewhere.
At last though, you got Xelzaz to relent, though he asked you to gather some herbs in exchange, listing off the plants he wanted you to find.
"Ah... and take Nebarra with you."
The elf froze. Turned slowly towards the lizard. Demanded, "What? Why?"
"Two eyes are better than one," he shrugged, "and that much safer, as well. We don't know what's out there, and I'm pretty sure we passed a necromantic altar on our way here."
At that, you groaned, head rolling back like a teenager who'd just been told to do their chores. "Gods, not another one. Why do we always seem to run into those?"
"Luck of the Dragonborn? Anyway, off with you now – I have to get set up. Let's see, in whose pack did I leave my cooking pot...? Khash! Come help me with this!"
And just like that he walked off, leaving you and Nebarra alone by the campfire. A chuckle escaped you, and he glanced over to see you shaking your head. "I'm surprised he didn't tell us to hold hands, too, so we don't lose each other in the dark."
"Yeah, I'm not holding your hand," Nebarra snarked. And it was true. Absolutely true. Totally, one-hundred percent true.
"Oh wow, Nebs, that one almost hurt." Your soft laugh seemed to echo in his ears, his mind. "Come on, let's go – I don't suppose you heard any of the plants he wants?"
Blue and yellow mountain flowers, to restore and fortify. Purple for rejuvenation, and to give to Khash. Scaly pholiota for fiber and strengthening. Wild gourds and dragon's togue for flavour.
He snorted from behind his helm. "That would require paying attention to him."
"Should have known," you sighed. "Alright, listen up before I forget: blue, yellow, and purple mountain flowers, scaly pholiota, and dragon's tongue. And be careful with the purple mountain flowers, they're gifts for Khash. Oh, he also wants some wild gourds. Got it?"
"...Yeah, yeah. Let's just get going."
He definitely hadn't feigned ignorance just to hear your voice some more. Definitely not.
~~~
"Ah, back at last! Perfect," Xelzaz said, stirring something in a pot over the fire. "Now I can get the real meal started."
"Then what's this?" Nebarra demanded as Xelzaz handed him a bowl, in exchange for the plants the Altmer carried. Even through his gauntlets he could feel its warmth, and a rich, savory scent drifted up through the slits of his helmet.
"Something amazing, from the smell," you sighed, and Nebarra didn't have to look to know you were drooling.
"Just a little sometime to hold you over," the Argonian demurred, handing you a bowl as well. "Thought I'd experiment with some of the flora I've gathered thus far."
That gave Nebarra pause. "Wait – experiment? That's settled, I'm not eating this."
"If you don't want it–"
Your words were drowned out by Khash's eager shout of, "I'll eat it! I'll take your bowl!" She rushed over to him, red eyes trained on the food.
"Khash, you had your share," Xelzaz chided. "Any more and you won't have room for the rest of dinner."
"Yes, I will! I have room for anything you make."
"She's got a point," you laughed, and Nebarra slowly, wordlessly handed her the bowl.
"I'll go keep watch," he grumbled, turning away.
"Oh, don't be like that! Nebarra!" When he didn't respond, you sighed, calling after him, "Alright, go sulk! I'll make sure Xelzaz doesn't poison your share, though you kind of deserve it!"
His back still towards you, Nebarra raised his hand in a rude gesture, and your laughter rang through the night.
Some thirty minutes later, he heard footsteps approaching; he didn't need to turn to know it was you. Your tread was distinct from the others, weighted with determination and confidence, whereas Xelzaz's was soft and steady, and Khash's light and hesitant.
"Here. Eat." Despite the short words, your tone was gentle, and Nebarra looked over to see you holding a plate out towards him, laden with a slab of meat and wild berries to the side. "It's delicious, and unpoisoned."
"How would you know?" he sniffed, catching a whiff of the food in the process. It... did smell amazing. "Did you try it?"
"I did, actually. Stole some of your steak when Xelzaz wasn't looking. And since I'm still standing here pestering you, I guess that means it's clean."
Nebarra paused, eyes training on your face. Half of it was wreathed in shadow, only the gleam of your eyes visible; the other half was illuminated by the campfire, revealing the soft smile you wore.
You... had a nice smile.
And before he could stop himself, he mumbled, "You're not... pestering me."
Surprise flickered in your gaze – surprise, and something else. Something he told himself he didn't recognise, refused to recognise.
After a moment, you said softly, "That's... good to hear, then. Because I have something else for you, too." Reaching down with your free hand, you pulled something from your belt and held it out before him. "I saved one, 'cause it reminded me of you."
Nebarra stared. There, held gently between your fingers, was a dragon's tongue flower, petals open wide and colours vibrant in full bloom. "This... reminded you of me?"
"It's gold. Just like you."
"...You really do have trouble with your eyesight, don't you? These are orange."
"Eh, close enough." You shrugged, the smile never leaving your face.
Slowly, Nebarra reached out and, ignoring the plate of food, took the flower carefully, delicately from your grasp, cradling it in his palm. "...Am I supposed to say thank you?"
"You just did." As he raised a brow from the shadows of his helm, you set the plate on a nearby rock and tapped the gauntlet that held the flower. "You accepted it."
He couldn't deny it. "Think you got me all figured out then, huh?"
Something in your smile shifted, your gaze flickering. "No. Not yet, anyways. But... I think I'd like to." And with that, you turned on your heel and walked away, leaving him alone in the dark, stunned.
And that night, as he sat in the shadows of the campfire, he stared at the flower for a long, long time.
#nebarra#nebarra skyrim#skyrim nebarra#skyrim#tes 5#whisper writes#finally wrote that thing from my tags ages ago#and by ages i mean like a week lmaoo#also i now officially have the headcanon now that khash likes to munch on clovers and i don't know what to do with this thought#anyway in other news im so tired?? like for some reason writing Just Tonight REALLY drained me#i dont know how to describe it other than the fact that writing it felt like.... it took something from me?#idk man maybe i just burnt myself out a little; i haven't written so much and been so intent about it in actual years#tragically im not even happy about how it turned out but tbfh when is an artists ever satisfied with their own work??? neverrrr#im so tired man lol#i wanna keep working on the second part of just tonight and I have ideas for it but i just.... cannot right now lol#anyway off to play more skyrim and hopefully recharge#starting an altmer mage/college of winterhold playthough with only altmer followers#so that means im grabbing nebs; caryalind; taliesin; rumarin; idrinth; and eventually Telmiltarion since I downloaded summerset isle too#he has a standalone verison that doesnt require the full mod but#figured i'd play through the whole thing at least once since it ties into the cow story anyways#help why does “college of winterhold” abbreviate to fuckin COW I just noticed😭#anywho... ive never actually played with tel or idrinth before so im actually a little nervous; i hope i like them lol#wanted to try daegon too but then i saw she was pulled for updates and was like nuuuuu#might see about posting a screenie once i've got the whole crew together#anyway im off to go play for reals this time lol bye
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Yeah I couldn't find any references of your Charles anymore, and I'm super busy currently...but this I drew a couple days ago(:
I'm sry that's all for nowT.T
Asdjhvfghjgkjdgkj they're little rodent buddies ;-; This is so cute I'm going to fly around the room like a balloon thank you!!! ♥
#Ask#micespaceart#LOOK AT THEIR LITTLE FLUFFY FACES!!!!!#I wanna put them both in my pocket and carry them around with me#Also is that Charles written in runes? :o that's so cool!!#I love this dearly thank you so much!!!#Also yeah I need to draw him more I haven't done anything with him in ages
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What Do I Ship?
Don't mistake this for a tolerance or tier list. I will read and write ships that aren't even on this list, or write ships from the secondary list sometimes, this is just to give you a general sense of the stuff I mainly support/think about and in what capacity. Might be updated periodically. Ranting and comments in the tags.
Re: the Mokuba ships, I only ship them in non-problematic ways, where either the Kaiba brothers are ageswapped, making Mokuba the same age as the rest of the main cast, or where they only get together far post-canon where Mokuba's an adult. We cool? Cool.
Primary Ships
(things I can/want to create content for; this does not include every ship I've ever written, just the ones I care about/are currently engaged in writing/plan to write multiple fics for, or ships I just stan in a way that I know it'll never end)
Euroshipping (Kaiba x Ryou)
Puppyshipping (Joey x Kaiba)
Mumbleshipping (Kaiba x Ryou x Duke)
Teaseshipping (Joey x Ryou x Kaiba)
Snareshipping (Joey x Duke)
Trustshipping (Kaiba x Ishizu)
Polarshipping (Joey x Mai)
Blueshipping (Kisara x Kaiba)
Mizushipping (Kisara x Priest Seto)
Minorshipping (Ryou x Duke)
Mastershipping (Duke x Kaiba)
Puffshipping (Joey x Ryou)
Sweetshipping (Ryou x Mokuba)
Wintershipping (Mokuba x Amane)
Rollshipping (Duke x Ryou x Joey)
Secondary Ships
(things I will read but I don't write {much, or anymore, in some cases} for one reason or other)
Wishshipping (Joey x Yugi)
Powershipping (Kaiba x Marik)
Graceshipping (Ishizu x Ryou)
Doubtshipping (Kaiba x Ryou x Marik)
Petshipping (Duke x Kaiba x Joey)
Axisshipping (Kaiba x Siegfried)
Angstshipping (Ryou x Marik)
Irateshipping (Marik x Joey)
Buddyshipping (Joey x Tristan)
Heartshipping (Yugi x Ryou)
Fragileshipping (Yami Yugi x Ryou)
Changeshipping (Duke x Marik)
Logicshipping (Priest Seto x Priestess Isis)
Gemshipping (Ryou x Thief King Bakura)
Thiefshipping (Yami Bakura x Marik)
Candleshipping (Kaiba x Ryou x Yami Bakura)
Antagoshipping (Kaiba x Yami Bakura)
Corruptshipping (Priest Seto x Thief King Bakura)
Stoicshipping (Kaiba x Priest Seto)
Shimmershipping (Duke x Mokuba)
Guardshipping (Kaiba x Roland)
Senetshipping (Ishizu x Duke)
Angelicshipping (Ryou x Rafael)
Mercuryshipping (Kisara x Kaiba x Ishizu)
Entrepreneurshipping (Duke x Kaiba x Siegfried)
Unnamed (Aigami x Marik x Yami Bakura)
Scholarshipping (Kaiba x Ishizu x Ryou)
There's also plenty of random unnamed poly ships that I want to play around with in one-shots, usually a combo of my top six fave characters.
#rose talks#my ships#ship list#creating this post just to link to it in my pinned post. don't mind me.#i might add a third section called “i just think they're neat”#what happened with thiefshipping is that I worked really hard on a one-shot for it and was pretty proud of it#but then it got like no attention and i figured my characterization must have been way off#so i didn't try to write it again after that#i wrote a lot of Marik one-shots a long time ago but I don't think my characterization of him was actually that good#that's why i haven't really written him outside of Rock Bottom in a long time#if you put kaiba ryou duke joey marik in a jar and jumble them all up and pour 2 or 3 of them out. i ship anything that comes out.#almost the same if you replace marik with ishizu but i don't see her and joey working out (unless maybe to gang up on kaiba)#currently intrigued by the idea of kaiba/ryou/ishizu and i would call that scholarshipping if the name wasn't already taken#also just discovered mercuryshipping and i think that would be so fascinating#i think guardshipping can easily be problematic but it doesn't have to be. i think it can be kinda sweet if done right.#re: the mokuba ships i've had someone tell me that shipping child characters with anyone is gross EVEN IF you age them up and um no#every adult ever is an aged-up child. that's how life works.#i'm so much more interested in mokuba as an adult than as a child anyways. just purely from a character perspective#because damn. who knows what this boy will become. ya know? it's about the potential
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