#i once looked for how long it would take to climb the mountain to get to the site and it was like 2 hours

[al-mayriti]

mentally i'm here

[pellucid-constellations]

To Feel At Home

Pairing: Azriel x Reader

Summary: Winnowing out from Under the Mountain, you know you need to find him—it doesn't seem real, to feel so at home.

Word count: 1.1k

Warnings: Angst

a/n: A little angsty piece because I can't stop writing for some reason. I hope you enjoy :)

Main Masterlist ♡

~~

On shaking legs, you pressed forward. Rhysand was still at the Moonstone Palace—still in Mor’s arms and coping with the impossible. You had made to stay, but Mor had given you a shake of her head that conveyed more than any words could have.

Mustering up the morsel of power that had returned to you after Amarantha’s death, you winnowed to Velaris. 

Not in a good spot. You hadn’t had access to your power in over five decades and much of Rhysand’s wards were still in place. Given the circumstances, getting yourself to some random alley at the edge of Velaris was a feat. 

The sun was blinding, invading your senses that had gotten so used to the darkness Under the Mountain. You brought a hand up to cover your eyes and trekked on.

No more winnowing. 

You had tried—it hadn’t worked. 

As you walked, stumbling through families taking strolls and having normal days, you searched within you for that golden thread. It had been absent for longer than it had been alive, your time as mates barely reaching a decade before your disappearance. 

You sifted through the pain and grief and loneliness, desperate for the relief you would find once you felt the weight of him. 

Nothing yet. 

He had to know things had changed Under the Mountain. Even amidst the secrecy and the hiding, you knew he would check.  His shadows would cross continents to find you. 

But—you stressed, as you made it to a main road lined with cobblestones—that could mean he went there. Azriel could be under that mountain at this very moment, searching through the fae still sorting out their lives before they went home. 

And you were here. 

You had no reason to panic. 

You were home, safe, alive; you had more reason to feel at peace than you had in the last 50 years. But if Azriel wasn’t here… 

Your breath came out in short pants as your fingers found purchase on a wall. But you kept going, kept watching your feet as they stumbled past each other, just to have the chance of seeing him. 

There were no shadows yet. 

They always found you first. 

You weren't sure how much time had passed—seconds, minutes, hours all lost their meaning under Amarantha—but the shadow of the mountain that held your home was soon cast over your body. You gasped out uneven breaths and pressed a hand to the towering figure, to the entrance that held the ten thousand steps you had every intention of climbing. 

Your body would surely fail. 

The last five decades had not been kind. 

With a determination fueled solely by desperation and hope, you began the tunneled pathway to the harrowing climb, but then you stopped at the entryway. 

A broken rendition of your name met your ears, so cracked and ruined you could have passed it off for something else. 

But you knew that voice, the way the vowels flowed and connected. 

Another broken sound permeated the air, this time from your own lips. 

You couldn’t look. You wanted to, ached to, but you couldn’t. So much anticipation led up to this moment. And you were different now, a fraction of the person you had been all those years ago. 

“Y/n, my love, look at me,” Azriel begged, the lowest you’d ever heard him speak. But you hadn’t heard him speak in so long, so perhaps you were misremembering. “Please.” 

You couldn’t. 

Moving was impossible. 

Your legs began to shake at the sound of footsteps, and then your knees gave out. 

A loud sound vibrated against the tunnel walls as your hands slapped against the floor. On the ground, steps away from the only person who could fix this, your waterline filled with tears. 

But you didn’t have time to second-guess or run or wonder if this was all too much. You were gathered into a strong pair of arms, pressed into a firm chest that smelled like home, and tears made paths down your cheeks. They flowed in damp trails in silence, Azriel holding you closer and closer until you weren’t sure space existed between you. 

His nose pressed into your hair. 

His chest rose and fell in uneven patterns. 

More silence. You felt your body begin to rock gently back and forth. 

This wasn’t real—it couldn’t be. 

You had resigned yourself to never seeing him again many years ago. Even as you ran through the streets of Velaris without your breath or your reasonable mind, you hadn’t expected to find him. This was a dream, Azriel wasn’t here, it was only a cruel play on your mind. 

Someone was trying to hurt you, and it was working. 

Maybe Amarantha had finally gotten Rhys to crack. 

Maybe this was his doing, his manipulation of your deepest hopes. 

Something was moving against your ear, soft and rushed and incoherent. A hand smoothed back your hair. You kept rocking. 

“You’re okay.” Words filtered through ringing. “You’re okay. You’re okay. I’m here.” 

Over and over. On a loop. 

Something encased you. Darkness followed—you were used to darkness. 

The pattern of the words lulled your heart back to a normal rate. Tears continued to fall. Your breath was shaky. 

“I love you so much,” Azriel broke the repetition, shocking your system. “I love you. I love you—” 

A sob wracked your body, the first real sound to leave your mouth. Azriel shushed you in response, but when he buried his face in your neck you felt the wetness of his own cheeks. 

This had to be real, it had to. There was no other alternative. You wouldn't survive feeling this way just to be thrust back into that nightmare. 

It had to be real, it had to—

“It is,” Azriel choked out. He pulled back, your face in his hands, his expression conveying a picture of pain and love and disbelief. “It’s real, angel. Gods, you’re so beautiful. I never thought I’d—” Words cut off and restarted. “I tried so hard to get to you.” 

His forehead met yours. 

This was real. 

You felt the shadows wisp along your skin. 

You could never feel them in dreams. 

“I missed you,” you croaked, voice so unused to the words. “So much.” 

Azriel squeezed his eyes shut only to open them after not even a breath. Desperate not to lose sight of you. Anguished at the thought of missing the picture of you in his arms. 

“I’ve missed you more.”

[coldfanbou]

Driving Her Crazy

A small road trip with Yubin and a little spicy time in the car because of her.

length 2K

Yubin X Mreader

It was 4 pm. If all went well, you’d be at your destination for the perfect view. You shut the car door and start the engine, listening to it roar. You look over at Yubin. “Ready?” 

“Ready,” she responds,  a toothy grin on her face.

“Alright, get comfortable. We’ll be driving for 12 hours and won’t make many stops.” you remind her before leaving your home and beginning your road trip. Yubin was excited about traveling with you around the northwestern part of the US. She was more than excited after you told her of the sight there. The first part of your plan was to get to your mountain resort so you could show Yubin how to snowboard. The first hour went by fast, and you both quickly grew tired of the drive, especially when you started thinking about how much longer you had. 

“You know, when you said 12 hours, I thought it wouldn’t feel like too long…I was wrong.” Yubin says as she stares out the window. 

“I told you it was going to be a long time, and unfortunately, there’s nothing of interest around here.”  

Yubin turns to you, her hands clinging to your arm. “Isn’t there something for us to do? I don’t think I’ll be able to last the entire ride in here doing nothing.” 

“I mean, you could take the wheel for a while if you want to.”

Yubin’s eyes sparkle with excitement. “Really? Can I?” she asks eagerly. You nod, and she quickly takes over the wheel. She adjusts the seat, inching it forward and raising it so she can see over the dashboard. “Let’s do this!” She exclaims, pressing the gas and causing the car to lurch forward. She looks at you with a sheepish grin. “Oops?” she chuckles. You can't help but roll your eyes and shake your head at her. 

Yubin purses her lips and lightly presses on the gas, slowly building up to the speed limit and driving along while you take your break. Yubin enjoys taking charge and following the directions you give her. Being in control of the drive there gives her a sense of purpose, but after about two hours, she tires of having to be focused. “I don’t  think I want to drive anymore.”

You chuckle, “But you said you wanted to drive earlier.”

“I take it back. Can you drive?” 

“Alright, let's pull over at the next exit. We’ll grab some snacks, and we can switch places.” Yubin accelerates, eager to switch roles as soon as possible. 

Stopping at a gas station, Yubin heads inside to get snacks for the rest of your drive while you fill-up the car. She finishes her shopping trip first, sneaking herself into the back seats and bringing them down to make an improvised bed. As she’s about to climb in, you tug at the straps of her shirt, “Not happening, get in the front.” Yubin pouts and gets in the front seat, huffing as she shuts the door.

Once you're done, you climb into the driver's seat and drive off, driving through heavily wooded areas as you contrive. The evening sky becomes dark as the thick canopy lets little light break through. Yubin spends time on her phone, switching between apps as she finds something to do. A sudden moan makes you jump, and you look over at Yubin; she has the face of someone caught watching something they shouldn’t be. “Really? Right now?”

“I have nothing to watch. I didn’t download any of my shows!” She shouts, 

“There are so many other things you can watch,” you shout back, trying to hold in your laughter. 

Yubin briefly quiets before whispering, “We haven’t done it all day.” 

“Is that what this is about?”

“Yes, you know I need to do it at least once.” 

You ruffle your hair. “We can’t really do it right now. I’m driving, and we have a schedule to stick to.” 

“At least let me have a taste; you can still drive while I do it.” You groan, knowing that Yubin would probably keep asking through the entire drive if you disagreed now.

“Alright, fine.” Yubin claps her hands before leaning over the center console. She unbuttons your jeans and pulls out your cock, licking her lips as she strokes it slowly.

“Come to mommy.” She whispers before kissing the tip, feeling it twitch against her lips. She smirks before moving down your shaft and planting soft kisses along it. You groan while trying to stay focused on driving. Luckily, no cars were around, so you had more room for errors. You looked down, watching Yubin’s head bob up and down as she used her tongue along the tip.

You felt her slowly building up to more, taking in more of your cock. You groan loudly as your cock hits the back of her throat. Yubin holds herself against your crotch, her tongue moving from side to side. You place one hand on Yubin’s head and push her down further, moaning her name as you feel her tighten her throat around your cock. “Shit,” you grunt, struggling to keep from cumming this instant. Yubin pulls away, smiling as she strokes your shaft.

“Cum for me; I want to taste it,” she whispers into your ear before dragging her tongue along it. Yubin kisses your cheek before swallowing your cock again, her lips forming a tight seal around your shaft as her tongue swirls around the head. You groan, your hips bucking instinctively as you try to keep control of the car. You feel Yubin hold you down as she continues to bob her head, hungry for something to eat. 

You roar as you cum inside her mouth. Yubin runs her hand along the base of your shaft, stroking you quickly in hopes of getting as much cum from you as possible. Her mouth quickly fills with your cum. She moans, enjoying the taste as it hits her tongue and swallowing as much as possible. Her cheeks hollow out as she sucks you dry, ensuring not a single drop escapes. She pulls back, licking her lips and smiling. “Ah! That was great,” She says, stretching her arms and leaning back in her seat. She glances at your lip cock, her eyes wandering up slowly until she reaches your face. “You know, I ought to thank you for driving the rest of the night. I have just the reward. You can use me anytime you want, anytime.” Yubin repeats. “I wouldn’t mind waking up with you inside me,” she says with a smirk as she adjusts herself in her seat. “Whatever you decide, I won’t mind,” Yubin shuts her eyes and smiles to herself as you continue driving. You pay her no mind continuing onward. 

Yubin falls asleep some hours later. You glance in her direction whenever she rolls from one side to the other. During one of her rolls, you notice that one of her straps has rolled down her shoulder, giving you a view of her cleavage. It makes your cock stir as you imagine her tits. The next time she rolls over, Yubin turns away from you, and you see her shorts have ridden up, showing off her plump ass. You’re hard and struggle to keep your eyes away from Yubin’s body. Her words ring in your mind now, “I wouldn’t mind waking up with you inside me.” It gnaws at you for a while before you decide to pull over, hiding yourself on the roadside. You move to Yubin’s side of the car and take her into the back, where she had made the backseats a bed. You place Yubin on her stomach and pull down her shorts. You stare at Yubin’s thong, debating whether you should continue before deciding that you should. You pull it down slowly, leaving them around her thighs. You stare at Yubin’s ass running your hands along it and squeezing it softly. You notice her wet cunt and move toward it, lifting her hips and moving your arm around her waist. You rub her cunt slowly, moving your fingers around her clit. You hear her breathing get heavier, and as you continue, you hear Yubin softly moan your name as she sleeps. You slip a finger inside her, feeling her warm walls squeeze your fingers as you stretch her out. Yubin’s breathing turns into soft moans as you toy with her. 

You can’t hold back any longer, though; you replace your finger with the real thing, pushing your cock inside Yubin slowly until you buried inside her. Yubin’s moans continue as you begin thrusting. You move slowly, trying not to wake Yubin. Your grip her waist gently and push your length inside her slippery cunt. You moan Yubin’s name as you move inside her. Her sleeping form turns you on more as she takes your cock easily. 

You feel her tighten around you, though, and it drives you mad. You try to keep your slow pace, but can’t you begin thrusting harder and faster, ramming your cock deep into Yubin’s cunt. Yubin begins to stir slowly, moans still flowing from her lips as she begins to realize what’s happening; a smile forms on her lips as she feels your cock knock against her womb. “Thanks for the wake-up, big boy.” She says, placing her hand over her stomach and feeling your cock move around inside her. The thought of you using her while she slept pushes Yubin to the edge, and after a few more thrusts, she cums on your cock, moaning loudly as her walls tighten around you.

You groan, feeling your climax approach. Flipping Yubin onto her back, you start thrusting into her again, wanting to watch her face as you cum inside her. You thrust wildly, Yubin’s cunt squeezing you as you flood her body with pleasure. Her moans become louder, and she wraps her legs and arms around you, forcing you deeper into her cunt. As you near your orgasm, Yubin’s walls begin to tighten around you again, and she screams, “I’m cumming!” her body begins to convulse as you bury yourself inside of her and flood her pussy with your cum. Yubin lets out a silent moan as her head tilts back; her body shakes as she feels your hot semen pour into her. Minutes pass as you remain buried inside her. You kiss Yubin softly, caressing her hair as you both cool off. You pull out of Yubin slowly, reach toward the front seats, grab a water bottle, and hand it to her. She sips the water as she remains lying on her back. “That felt great; my body is still tingling.”

“Yeah, it was really good,” you say, breathing heavily. You lean over and kiss Yubin's forehead, smiling at her. “Let’s rest for a few more minutes before we get going again. We need to get to our hotel on time. Yubin nods, and the two of you stay in the back for ten minutes before getting dressed.

You get back on the road and continue your drive. Yubin stays awake, keeping you company and chatting with you. There was about one more hour of driving left when she reached over and tried to fish your cock out of your pants. “Hey, not now.” You try to tell her, but Yubin argues back, eventually getting you to pull over. “It’s not safe, and we’ve already done enough.”

“You weren’t complaining when I was giving you a blowjob yesterday,” she retorts as she climbs over to your side, moving the seat back. She grabs your cock and slips it inside her cunt, moaning softly. “There we go,” she coos. “I want to get you ready for the hotel because I want you to fuck me silly when we get there.” 

“Ugh, fine,” you agree reluctantly. Yubin smiles and presses her ass against you, grinding on you as you drive the remaining hour. Each little bump on the road caused her to bounce on your cock, making her more hungry for what was to come at your hotel.

[mountkennedie]

Hair

Kili x human!reader

Summary: Kili learns something new about you and loves it

Warnings: nudity but no smut

"Y/N?" Kili called through the door. You had been getting ready for bed at the moment. Dressed in soft pajamas and ready for slumber. Your room had a great fire burning, and due to that, you stuck to just a night shirt this evening.

"Kili!" You were not expecting company tonight. You raced and put on the first pair of pants you saw. The shirt and pants combo you currently had going on was a fashion felony. You could only hope he wouldn't ask about it.

You walked over and opened the door. He stood looking up at you with a smile. "Hello," he spoke softly with a smile. You had joined him on the journey to reclaim this mountain. You've known him for over a year, and yet he still looks at you like it's the first time.

"Hello," you said in the same tone, "what are you doing here?" You smiled after your question, so he knew you weren't really upset.

He walked forward and placed his hands on your waist. His thumbs caressed your stomach as he spoke, "I can not visit the woman I love?"

You rolled your eyes at his comment. "Come inside. I'm not in the mood to be battered by lectures tomorrow about what 'is' and 'is not' proper."

"I will always gladly enter your chambers," he said in a smug tone.

"Kili," you laugh and pull him inside. He removed his outer layer and helped himself to sit on your bed. Once comfortable, he was able to get a better look at you. He looked you up and down, then cocked his head to the side.

"Interesting form of dress, Y/n... is it the new style?"

"Very funny. So what if it is? Not a fan?" You posed in your atrocious outfit as if it were fine fabric.

"Oh, of course," he said sarcastically. The fire roared on, and you had been sweating since he walked in. Kili stood and placed the sleeve on his shirt on your forehead and wiped some of the perspiring off. "Too warm? Are you feeling alright?" His eyes scanned all over your face for any other discomforts.

"No, it's just hot in here," you told him.

"Would you like me to put out your fire?" he began walking to the hearth, "it's no trouble."

"The fire is fine it's just -"

"Just me?" He smirked at his comment.

"No," you smiled, "I'm just warm."

"You can always remove a layer..." His smile grew, "I don't mind."

"See, that's why I won't. Someone refuses to control himself," You joked.

"What!," he spoke with mock offense. "Can't control himself?! I'll have you know, I have always been one of great control," He smiled brightly.

"You are ridiculous," you smiled and reached for the tie of your pants. You weren't sure why you were worried. Your shirt was long and came to your thighs. You pushed the worries away with the pants. You could tell he was resisting looking, to prove his claims of 'self control'.

"Feeling better?" He asked as you sat on the bed beside him. His eyes were boring into yours, and you found it hilarious. You wanted to test his patience, so you crossed your legs, letting one brush his.

"I am, yes," you spoke like this was nothing. "It's okay if you look, you know... I won't tell." You let your words trail off, and one could argue it was suggestively.

He gulped before letting his eyes climb down to your now bare legs. He cocked his head again, and his brows furrowed. "Oh..."

A wave of fear flooded you again. Suddenly insecure due to his reaction. "Oh?" You hoped that he would take the hint to elaborate as to why he had the reaction he did.

He noticed the unease in your voice and clarified, "Oh! I was just surprised. I wasn't aware that human women also grew hair on the bodies. I thought it was only dwarven women." He looked up at you with wide eyes, trying to convey how genuine he was trying to be.

"Is that a problem?" You wanted to sound strong, as if it didn't get to you.

"Oh no," He placed a hand on your bare knee, "It only makes you more attractive." He began placing warm kisses by your ear and worked down the neck.

You exhaled and laughed. "You scared me for a second! I thought you'd be disgusted! Also, I was right," you pulled him off, "No self-control."

His eyes looked foggy, like the idea of doing something else other than talking had taken over his mind. "Can you blame me, amrâlimê?" He leaned in and placed a heated kiss on your lips. You had always underestimated the strength of dwarves. So when he pulled you into his lap, like you weighed nothing at all, of course you gasped.

You felt him chuckle on your lips. You never thought that a new discovery of hair could turn him on so much. But now you know you never have to spend money on a razor ever again.

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

[accio-boys]

lost in his dance part 2 | fiyero x reader

author’s note; this whole part 1 & 2 is actually inspired and based on In the Heights, Mr Lin’s musical that got me so hooked atm. this part 2 got me really i don’t know 🤷🏻‍♀️ btw guys im taking requests and prompts 🫶🏻 merry christmas and happy holidays 🎄🎁😘 btw here's part 1

Days turned into weeks, and the silence between you and Fiyero remained unbroken. He threw himself into his studies, determined to prove—both to himself and to you—that he could change.

Every moment spent working was a step toward becoming the version of himself he wished you could see. He’d seen the disappointment in your eyes when you left, and it gnawed at him more than he cared to admit.

He would sit for hours, poring over textbooks that once seemed meaningless. The endless sea of notes and assignments that felt like a mountain to climb now seemed like a challenge he was determined to conquer.

But no matter how many times he read over the same paragraph, he could never seem to shake the thought of you. Your face. Your words. He had promised himself he would fix things, but every time he looked in the mirror, the person staring back at him seemed like someone unworthy of your forgiveness.

One afternoon, as he walked across the grounds with Elphaba and Galinda, he found himself distracted once more.

“I’ll admit, I didn’t expect you to actually start doing your assignments,” Elphaba quipped, her voice dry but carrying a trace of admiration.

Fiyero chuckled softly but didn’t respond immediately. His mind, as usual, was elsewhere.

Finally, he said, almost to himself, “Someone told me once that hiding behind charm and parties isn’t living—it’s running away.”

Both women glanced at him, their gazes following his, as it landed on you.

Across the lawn, you stood laughing with your friends, radiant in the sunlight, carefree in a way Fiyero had once admired. You seemed to be light years away, lost in a moment of happiness that didn’t include him.

Elphaba and Galinda exchanged a knowing look. Galinda, ever the optimist, nudged him with a grin.

He swallowed, his throat tight. The guilt that had been lingering at the edge of his consciousness now settled like a weight in his chest.

“I’m trying,” he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.

"I want to be better, but I don’t even know where to start."

“Maybe start by telling her the truth,” Elphaba said softly. "The one thing you never seem to do."

Fiyero didn’t respond, his heart aching as he watched you disappear into the crowd, your laughter ringing in his ears.

As the semester drew to a close and winter break approached, you prepared to return home to your family. There was a certain finality to packing your bags that unsettled you, as though you were preparing for an end that wasn’t entirely resolved.

But there was something more pressing to do. Something you hadn’t been able to get out of your mind.

The gift sat in your room—a small token of appreciation you had purchased weeks ago, long before the argument with Fiyero. You had considered leaving it behind, convinced that a gesture from the past wouldn’t fix what had been broken.

But in the silence that had stretched between you, something in you refused to let it go. This wasn’t just about the gift; it was about closure.

You found yourself standing outside his door before you could talk yourself out of it, knuckles rapping against the wood with a steady, rhythmic beat.

The door swung open to reveal a surprised and slightly disheveled Fiyero. His hair was tousled, his shirt slightly unbuttoned at the collar, and his eyes widened at the sight of you.

“Y/N!” he said, his voice a mix of shock and nervous energy.

“What—what are you doing here? Come in!”

You stepped inside, the familiar space feeling strangely foreign now. He hastily cleared a chair for you, pushing aside a pile of clothes from the bed.

His flustered demeanor was a far cry from the aloof charm he usually exuded, reminding you of the Fiyero you once knew—the one who always seemed caught between effortlessness and chaos.

“I, uh… I got you something,” you said, holding out the gift. Your hands were shaking slightly, but you forced yourself to maintain composure.

His brow furrowed in confusion as he took the package from you. “You didn’t have to—”

“I wanted to,” you interrupted, your tone firm but soft, the weight of everything unsaid hanging between you.

Fiyero unwrapped the small package, revealing a bottle of chilled champagne.

His eyes flicked from the bottle to you, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “No way…”

You nodded, the corners of your lips turning up slightly. “Cold champagne. Before I leave for break, I thought we could celebrate.”

Fiyero hesitated, the familiar glint of mischief dancing in his eyes as he grinned. “Alright, but I have no idea where Galinda keeps the cups.”

You laughed, feeling a sudden rush of warmth in your chest. “Who needs cups? We’re drinking straight from the bottle today.”

As he wrestled with the gold foil, you watched him, feeling a bittersweet ache. You had missed him more than you were willing to admit, but this moment—this quiet, shared moment—felt like a small step toward healing.

“Y’know,” you said, your voice quieter now, “Elphaba told me about the effort you’ve been putting into your classes. I’m proud of you, Fiyero. I know it couldn’t have been easy.”

He paused, glancing up at you with a sheepish smile, the weight of his recent efforts clear in his eyes. “Thanks. It means a lot, coming from you.”

You nodded, your chest tightening with emotions you weren’t sure how to name. “Before I leave, I just… I wanted to say that. And maybe take a walk with you—like old times.”

He looked at you, his expression softening, his eyes searching yours as if weighing something unspoken.

“Yeah,” he said, setting the bottle aside. “I’d like that.”

But as you turned to leave the room, something in you faltered. The words you had buried for weeks threatened to spill over.

“Fiyero,” you said, your voice trembling slightly, an unexpected vulnerability creeping in.

He turned to you, his brows knitting together in concern. “Yeah?”

“I… I’ve been trying to move forward, but it’s harder than I thought. I’ve missed you. More than I wanted to admit.”

His expression shifted—surprise, then something deeper, something raw and unguarded. He stepped toward you, his voice quieter now.

“I’ve missed you too, Y/N.”

Before either of you could second-guess the moment, you leaned in and kissed him—a kiss filled with everything you hadn’t been able to say. It was brief, but it left both of you breathless.

As you pulled away, you whispered, “I’m sorry.”

He reached for you, but you stepped back, shaking your head. “I need to go.”

“Y/N, wait—”

But it was too late. You turned and left, the door closing softly behind you.

From his window, Fiyero watched as you climbed into your waiting carriage, your bags already loaded. The bottle of champagne sat unopened on his desk, a bittersweet reminder of what had just slipped through his fingers.

It had been weeks since you left for break, and though distance and time had passed, something between you had shifted. Fiyero had kept his promises—he worked harder than he ever had before, his grades improving, his future slowly taking shape. But he hadn’t stopped thinking about you.

As you returned to Shiz after the break, you found Fiyero waiting near the front steps of the dormitory, leaning against the stone wall with a nervous energy radiating from him.

When you locked eyes, you felt that familiar pull, the connection that had always been there despite everything.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice more earnest than you had ever heard it before.

“For everything. For being selfish. For not seeing what really mattered. I know it won’t be easy, but if you’ll let me, I want to make it right.”

You took a step forward, meeting him halfway, your heart racing. “I’m willing to try,” you said, your voice quieter, but steady.

And for the first time in months, you smiled—really smiled—as you reached out for his hand. A new beginning, maybe, but one that felt different from before. This time, it was real.

tags; @casey1-2007 @endersimp

[sink-me-in-your-ocean]

𝔊𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔦𝔰𝔥 ℌ𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔠𝔞𝔫𝔬𝔫𝔰 II

How would the Ghouls & Copia manhandle you when you’re being naughty?

Prompt by the illustrious @endhisbloodlineinmyesophagus

NSFW/Suggestive below the cut.

Copia:

At first, he doesn’t realize why you’re doing what you’re doing

But then he puts the pieces together, and it makes his hands twitch

He makes you lay across his knees, never needing to ask more than once

He’s going to spank you with his gloved hands

He makes you count each one

“How many was that?”

“Five.” 

“You’re not counting properly, either that or you’re lying intentionally. I have no idea why you’d do such a thing.”

“I’d never say less with the intention of you giving me more on purpose.”

“I’m beginning to think these punishments aren’t working on you anymore, amore. Let’s try something else...”

-

Swiss:

Won’t hesitate to put you on a leash when you step out of line

When a leash won’t work he’ll resort to other methods

Ties. You. Down.

He will step back to admire his handiwork on you, after a moment of staring he forgets your transgressions because of how good you look tied up

He’s lost in the sauce

“Sweet fucking hells, you’ve never looked better.”

The gag in your mouth keeps you from speaking.

“Remind me, what were you doing that was so bad earlier?”

“Hrmph - ” The sound was muffled.

“Shhh, don’t talk with your mouth full. Now just stay right there.”

-

Phantom:

When you act up, it flips a switch in his brain

Picks you up with ease from the side, lifting you bridal style into his arms

The tightness of his grip on you speaks volumes to his possessiveness 

He scans for an unoccupied room, hells, even a dark corner to take you

He needs you immediately and he knows you need him just as badly

“Oh you’ve done it now, you’ve got my attention, so let’s go.”

“Phantom, slow down!”

“No. You fired me up now you can bring me back down.” He sets you down once you’re behind closed doors. “On your fucking knees.”

You kneel in front of him, eager to please him after misbehaving.

“Oh fuck, yes, such a good girl, just like that.”

-

Dewdrop/Sodo:

Misbehaving is a broad term to this ghoul, in fact, he likes when you’re naughty

Except when you give any attention to his brothers

Now that is a sure-fire way to pour gasoline on his flames

He comes up behind you when you least expect it (see where this is going?)

His long fingers wrap around your throat, pressing intentionally on your arteries, your head swooning in seconds

“Don’t go all limp on me yet.”

“But, Dew -” you whimper.

“Come on, you know exactly what you do to me. It was intentional, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now I’m going to be very intentional with you. I’m not letting you out of my sight the rest of the night.”

-

Rain:

He has infinite patience, at least until you vex him

And boy howdy, once you’ve crossed that bridge you’d better be prepared

There’s a determined look in his eye as he stalks towards you

He grabs your wrist, and even if you try to pull away, it’s impossible, his grip strength is too much

He drags you with him through the nearest corridor to a quiet space

“You’re going to be nice and quiet now for me.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

“Then I’ll make you.”

His hand clamps over your lips shockingly fast, leaving you a thin line to breathe from your nose.

“I love seeing you get a taste of your own medicine. Don’t like it when I match your energy? Don’t misbehave.”

-

Mountain:

Sits and watches stoically as you make a fool out of yourself 

Doesn’t need to say anything

Doesn’t need to do anything, but he does

He easily scoops you up, throwing you over his shoulder

He could spank you from here, but he prefers his partner underneath him (If you know what I mean)

“You do have to do all of that to get my attention, you know.” He plops you on his bed, climbing on top of you.

“I know, but maybe I’m looking for bad attention.”

“Yeah?”

You whine and writhe underneath him as he smacks (not hard) the thickness of your outer thigh.

“That’s what you want? Just ask next time, little villainess.”

-

Just da bois this time, but if you’d like me to include the ghoulettes pls just comment, I’m happy to oblige a fellow ghoulette lover! ( *︾▽︾)

Ghoulette Version Here!

[sigma-alpha-writer-chad]

Grow Up, Would You? [Josh Washington]

“I don’t know if you’ve changed any since middle school but I really hope you’ve learned the difference between pranking somebody and just being a fucking bully.”

You can also find this story on Ao3!

Chapter Three / Chapter Four / Chapter Five

[CHAPTER FOUR]

I step off the bus shivering, holding myself for some kind of warmth. "Hooooly shit..." I huff, my breath swirling in front of me before dissipating into the air. Behind me is Samantha Giddings, stepping off the bus in a much warmer state.

"I have an extra jacket, Jordan," she offers.

"H-How far is the lodge?" I chatter. Sam laughs and places her back pack on the ground as the bus drives off.

"Far enough," she says, pulling out a dark grey zip up. It was thin, but it was better than nothing. "I can't believe you forgot your coat."

"Somebody at the station stole it when I went to the bathroom," I mumble, letting go of my own bag. "I think I have a hoodie, though, too." I unzip my own back for my thick, light pink hoodie. I pull it on over my head before sliding the jacket on over it.

"Feel better?" Sam smiles. Her hands are on her hips as she waits for me. She looks like an impatient mother.

"Much. Thank you," I sigh. We officially begin our long climb to the lodge.

"Chris didn't take you with him?"

"No, Josh wanted him to come early to help get things set up, so I just rode the bus."

"I see." A silence falls between Sam and I. I really like Sam for what I know about her, but neither of us considered the other a friend, so there was an air of awkwardness as we walked. "So, you and Chris," Sam starts. "You're cousins, right?"

"Yes ma'am," I nod.

"So, you know each other really well, or what?" I shoot Sam a look of confusion.

"Uhm, yeah, he's my best friend. Why?" A smile creeps onto my face. "Should I hook you up, or...?"

"No! No, haha, Jordan," Sam's complexion was already rosy from the biting cold, but I swear I could nearly see the steam from the snow rising from her face. "I'm just trying to make conversation. Shit, you remind me of my mother. She's been trying to get us together for... whatever reason." I laugh and nearly fall over a lifted branch. The mountain was feeling steeper as we continued on.

"Chris is a really good guy. He used to be kind of douchey when we were younger, but he's really grown into himself. He definitely pulls his annoying pranks, still, but it's highly preferable to the old things he and Josh used to get up to." Sam nods. She's much more athletic than I am so she's a bit further ahead of me now.

"Speaking of Josh, what's your guys' deal?" She stops to let me catch up.

"Our deal? What do you mean?"

"I mean I can't tell if you hate each other or have never wanted to be with another person so much in your life." This time, I do fall over, slipping on some ice and falling face first into a hill of soft snow. It's deep enough that I sink in, the white powder covering my ears enough for Sam's laughter to be muffled. She helps me up, snorting once, which makes me laugh a little, too.

"Uhm, well," I start, my mouth suddenly dry. "He was my bully, growing up." Sam tilts her head before beginning to brush the snow off me. "Made me cry a lot. The hating each other is much closer than... the other thing you said." She hums in response.

"I don't know, there's always been this way he looks at you," she says, just above a whisper. We continue to walk, the cable car building now in view. It doesn't take long before she's starting to pull ahead of me again. "I can't put a finger on it, myself, but it's just... different." I can't help but notice Sam's expression, one of confusion and... frustration? I narrow my eyes at the back of her head.

"Probably just your average disdain, or whatever."

"Nothing average about that guy," she retorts. "I don't know."

"He made my grade and middle school life a living hell. Would've been high school, too, if I didn't choose to go to a different one just to avoid him." Sam turns to look at me, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Oh, so he bullied you," she says, biting her lip. "Like, really?"

"His first prank on me was putting rats in my locker," I laugh. It's not funny, being scared by fat rats in your locker - but in hindsight, I can't help but laugh.

"Where'd he get the rats from?" Sam asks, smiling as if she wasn't sure if she was allowed to find amusement in my story.

"Biology class," I answer. "Though I'm not sure how he actually snuck them out of there under the teacher's nose."

"Impressive, honestly." Sam sighs. We finally make it through a gate and to the cable cars, where Chris waited with the key. 

"Hello, ladies," He greets, bowing dramatically. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" I bow back, but Sam does not.

"The cable cars, Chris," she says. She's smiling yet she seems unamused. He sighs, continuing the dramatics, and puts the back of his hand on his forehead. 

"Ah, another wench, ignoring me, yet pleased to exploit my services... This world is dark as ever." He turns, swinging his arms, and goes to the door to open it for Sam and I. Sam rolls her eyes and follows Chris.

"Why did Josh have you come back down here just to let us in?" I ask, taking my seat in the car next to Chris. I was thankful we didn't have to wait for its arrival. 

"The Washingtons keep everything locked up to avoid squatters," Chris explains. "You guys are the last up, so, I'm riding back with you." 

"Oh, man, we're last?"

"By an hour or so, yeah." The rest of the ride is silent, the three of us looking out the window at the view. After a while, we eventually make it to the top of the mountain.

"Goddamn it I'm so cold," I huff out as the doors to the car open. "Let's hurry up and get inside, PLEASE!" Chris and Sam laugh at my urgency, trailing behind me as I start into a jog, passing an old picnic table. The lodge slowly comes into view as I continue down the trail, and I smile. I see somebody, and I move a bit faster to catch up. 

I can't help but frown when I see who it is.

"Hi, Josh." I greet. Josh turns around, a smile on his expression. When he notices it's me, though, it disappears.

"Hi, Jordan, glad you could make it," he says through gritted teeth. I hear Chris sigh when he spots Josh and I interracting.

"You guys are so confusing," he says, slapping Josh on the back before draping his arm over his shoulders. He turns to Sam. "One minute, this guy sits next to her INSTEAD OF ME at a pizza place and is being nice, and the next-" Josh tries to shrug him off.

"Chris, would you get-"

"And the next," Chris talks louder to negate Joshua's protests. "He's talking to her like she ran over his dog. Look at the rage in his eyes, man!" I wrap my arms around my shivering figure.

"Can we please go inside?" Josh rolls his eyes, finally stepping out from under Chris's arms and motioning me to follow him in. Sam and Chris exchange a look I can't catch the meaning of.

"Jordan!" Beth squeals. Josh flinches at the noise, but a smile begins to take it's rightful place on his lips. Beth wraps her arms around me in a tight hug, nearly knocking me down.

"Hi, Beth," I laugh, catching my balance and returning the greeting. "Do you greet everyone like this?"

"Yes!" Hannah answers for her sister as she joins in the embrace. Her head snaps to Josh. "Did you say hello, Joshua?" He rolls his eyes.

"Yes, I said hello."

"Did you hug her?" My eyes widen at Hannah. Both her and Beth have not let me go. Before they force Josh to hug me, I butt in.

"There's no need for-" it's too late. Hannah grabs Josh by his shirt and pulls him into the group hug. He groans, but complies, knowing it's futile to battle his younger sisters. He's careful not to touch me.

When they finally let me go, I sigh in relief and smile at them. "It's good to see you."

"We're so glad you could make it," Beth smiles. She adjusts her beanie as she leads me to the couch in the huge living room. "Are you cold?"

"Oh hell yeah," I laugh. "And of course, thank you for inviting me. It actually means a lot." Beth 'aw's at me as she sits down. There's a fireplace going, so instead I move to sit at the edge. It burned, but not too much. "Where's everybody else?" I ask, looking around me. 

"I think they're just settling into their rooms," Beth answers. "Josh and Hannah are probably in the kitchen. Do you want to see where you're sleeping?"

"Later," I say, smiling at her. "I'd like to warm up first." She smiles back at me.

"Sure thing. Do you mind if I take your bag to your room?" 

"You don't have to do that."

"We're your hosts! I want to." I laugh softly and nod. Beth happily stands from her spot on the couch to take my bag upstairs to wherever they had me sleeping. As she disappears from view, Emily and Mike pass her on the stairs, followed by Ashley and Matt. 

"Oh, she's here! Didn't think you'd make an appearance," Emily says, looking me up and down in annoyance. 

"I said I'd be here," I respond softly. My eyes turn to the others behind her. None of them make eye contact with me, staring instead at the stairs they walked down. 

"One can still hope you changed your mind!" Emily sighs in a mocking tone, a sarcastic smile on her face. Jess appears, walking quickly down the stairs past Emily and moving to you.

"Hi, Jordan!" Jessica greets me warmly, giving me a quick hug. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't completely shocked at this. Jess was never outright mean to me, but a kind, excited welcome was the last thing I'd expected from her. I'm not one that's familiar with perfumes, but whatever Jess was wearing smelled immaculate.

"Uhm, hey, Jess," I respond. "You smell really good." Mentally, I'm slapping myself. Was that weird to say? She pulls away from the hug. Her smile is wider, now.

"Oh, thank you! It's actually brand new, I bought it this morning before I -"

"Excuse me!" Emily huffs, attempting to shoulder check me as she goes to the couch. I'm able to dodge it, being checked enough to know when it's about to happen. I sigh heavily. She went completely out of her way to do that, I'm nowhere near the couch. I'm so close to asking what her deal is when Jess continues.

"Emily is my girl, she's actually really great she's just, like, really tired or something. I don't know. Try to not take her too seriously, okay?" she takes both of my hands into hers and looks me in the eyes.

"...yeah, okay," I agree. She thanks me before turning to go sit on the couch with the others, her twin pony-tails bouncing. I awkwardly wave at them all. Ashley smiles meekly and nods while Matt offers me a small wave back. Mike glances at me and nods so slightly I can barely see it, which I can only assume is at my own mercy.

"Okay party people," Josh starts, walking back into the living room. "Now that we have everybody here..." Chris, Sam, and the twins follow behind him. "Thank you all for coming. Drinks are in the kitchen... Now let's get fucking wasted!" Josh throws his hands into the air and mock cheers while the others whoop. I step back until my back is to the wall, trying to stay out of the way as everyone heads to the kitchen.

I'm not sure why I'm trying to hide. It's not like I wasn't invited. It's not like I'm not welcome - though, I can't help but feel that I'm not. Other than the twins and Chris, nobody seemed to actually enjoy my presence. I decide that, for now, I'll stay near the fire.

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

"Jordan!" Chris calls, walking to me with a drink in his hand. "Are you cooked yet?" I look up from my phone to see him. He was walking just fine, but it was just crooked enough for me to know he was tipsy. It had been two hours since Josh had announced drinks were available, and no one appeared to have wasted a second.

"Cooked?" I smile, confused. "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean?" he sits down next to me, his drink nearly spilling. It was filled to the brim. "You've been around this fire all night! Are you going to come hang out, or, what?" I cross my arms and shrug.

"I think you'll be okay without me."

"But I want you around," Chris says, softly. "You're my family, I love you. And I love having you around, and I love having my friends around." He drapes an arm over my shoulder, and I lean into him. "Having my favorite cousin and all of my friends in the same place is honestly just amazing for me." I sigh again, my walls crumbling.

"Fine, I'll hang out." Chris springs up in excitement. This time, he does spill his drink. I'm not familiar enough with alcohol to know what it was, but the smell tells me it's strong.

And half of it is on my jeans.

"Oh, shit, Jordan, I'm sorry," Chris apologizes. I laugh and tell him not to worry as Hannah comes over to me.

"I'll show you where your room is, if you want to change!" she offers. I nod, and she begins leading the way. Once we're up the stairs, she stops and turns to me.

"What do you think of Mike?" she asks, her tone hushed but excited. My eyebrows raise in surprise.

"Mike? Emily's boyfriend?" I ask. I look around as if Emily could be hearing us. "I don't know, I feel like speaking his name will curse me to eternal damnation." Hannah laughs and pushes my shoulder. As quickly as we stopped, we continued down the hall. When we get to the last wooden door, she opens it for me. I thank her as I walk in, and she follows to sit on my bed while I kneel at my bag.

"C'mon, tell me what you think! He's handsome, right?" She's a bit louder now that there's no way we can be heard.

"Yeah, I guess so," I admit. It was common knowledge.

"Oh, my God, you guess so? Jordan, he's so dreamy." Hannah flops back onto my bed and sighs, as if lovestruck. As I find a pair of pants, I stand and side-eye her. "His hair, his eyes, his muscles? I just CAN'T!" She smacks a pillow onto her face and squeals in excitement.

"I guess he's also taken," I say. Hannah removes the pillow and rolls her eyes. "But, he seems nice. I don't know. Not really my type." At that, she sits up like Michael Myers. I feel instant regret as I knew what she was going to ask me. I start to pull my pants down, covering myself as much as possible.

"So, what is your type?" I sigh for what feels like the millionth time that day.

"I don't know, Hannah, I never really paid attention to that sort of stuff."

"There has to be something, Jordan," Hannah insists, standing up as I pull on a pair of grey sweatpants. "Eye color? Hair? Bald? Do you like muscles? C'mon Jordan, give me something!" I look in the mirror and take off Sam's jacket and my oversized hoodie, ignoring Hannah for a moment as I thought about what my 'type' was. My t-shirt is form fitting, but not skin tight.

"I like green eyes," I offer quietly. It's the first thing I can think of, and I hope that will satisfy her. I look at her in the reflection of the mirror and there's something in her expression that worries me.

Mischief.

"I'll accept that for now," she sighs, failing to hide her scheming grin. "C'mon, Jordan, no more hiding. Everybody is already tipsy so they'll totally be way nicer."

"If you say so."

"I do." Hannah smiles at me and takes my hand.

"You Washingtons," I laugh. "What's up with your family and taking people by the hand when you take them somewhere?" Hannah bursts out laughing. When we get to the kitchen with everyone else, her smile is wide.

"What's so funny?" Emily asks, tilting her head. I suddenly felt as though I was in trouble.

"Jordan just pointed out upstairs that the Washington family has a thing with holding hands when we take someone somewhere," Hannah giggles.

"Oh, shit, she's right!" Josh gasps. "Duuuude." Chris bumps his shoulder against Josh's.

"Duuuude!" They suddenly start shoving each other back and forth, everyone else in the kitchen giving way immediately as if this were a common occurrence. I lean over to Ashley, who noticeably leans away as if in disgust. I ignore this.

"Does this happen often?" I murmur. She laughs and seems to relax some.

"Yes." The boys were on the floor now, wrestling and laughing. Hannah is whispering something to Beth, and both of them are glancing at me. If they were trying to hide the topic of their conversation, they had failed miserably.

"...I like your hat." I compliment softly. Ashley seems surprised by this, but her smile doesn't falter.

"Thanks, Jordan."

"AND I AM THE MIGHTY WINNER!!" Josh exclaims, making me jump. He stands up quickly, stumbling some as he does. Once he catches his balance, he places a foot atop Chris's chest. He was playing dead, eyes closed and sticking his tongue out. Josh is breathing heavily and laughing. Everyone in the kitchen applauds, laughing and cheering - Emily, even, though not without a major roll of the eyes. My own smile is wide enough that it feels strenuous.

Josh's face was red from the exercise and his thick, dark hair was messy and disheveled. Though it was usually brushed back, it was tousled to the point where it was stuck to his forehead in sweat. Josh's hair was never in his face, so it was odd to see. He's breathing heavily, his winning smile never leaving his face even as Chris starts to get up.

I don't realize I'm staring until Josh looks up at me, locking eyes with mine. My smile drops. His own falters, but he doesn't look away. I gulp and I can feel my face growing hot with embarrassment. He looks as if he's scanning my facial features, trying to figure me out. For a moment I swear he glances at my body. It's not until Jess suddenly bumps my shoulder and hands me a drink that I'm able to snap out of it. She gives me a wide-eyed 'what was that??' look as she turns back away from me to talk to Mike and Emily. I look over at Josh again, and he's no longer looking my way.

Why was he looking at me like that? I furrow my eyebrows and look into whatever Jess handed me in a red solo cup. I feel a hand on my shoulder and I look up at Hannah. She smiles sweetly at me, raising her eyebrows in excitement. I wonder what she's doing, but when she looks down at my drink I understand she's trying to be encouraging in her own drunken way.

"Jordan, you don't gotta, uhm, drink that, if you don't wanna," Josh says, bumping hips with his sister hard enough to have her stumbling a few feet. "If you don't feel safe, y'know?" He stands up straight and reaches for my drink. "You gotta feel safe when you're under my care." My heart skips a beat and I pull the cup away from his hand. He gives me a surprised yet concerned look. I take a deep breath and put the cup to my lips.

This isn't my first time drinking. It won't be my first time drunk. Around people, however? Yes, this was a first. The only person I've been drunk around was Chris during a couple of our cousin sleep overs in high school. I not only sip my drink, I gulp it down quickly. It burns. It's not good. I knew, right as I took my final gulp, that I was fucked. Everybody had migrated out of the kitchen by now and into different parts of the lodge, leaving Josh, Chris and I in the kitchen. I can already feel the heat from the alcohol begin to buzz around my cheeks.

"Duuuude." says Chris.

"Broooo..." says Josh.

"Guuuuys...." says I. Chris and Josh laugh at me.

I laugh, too, and I feel good.

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

Hey y'all, thanks for reading! I'm really glad to be posting another chapter so soon after the last - and there will likely be another very soon! I'm in the writing zone right now, I suppose.

Taglist: @sc4rrc @mattymxmo @cellyx33 @jenepleurepasbaby @kalynnjonas @spinback-kiva @frankcastlesvest

[mehiwilldoitlater]

Black Cloud, Red Fire (Part 1)

((The beginning))

(part 2) (part 3)

Black Wind Mountain.

Once a temple in the forest, full of prayers, life, and worshippers. Now, a lair for Yougais and their master.

Everything was silent, except for the song of nature that made that place almost harmless. Untill the sound of panting, foot on the Rocky pavement, and broken leaves emerged.

"Ugh...I should have done cardio...UFF!"

The Destined One, the monkey that had convinced you to follow him, stopped on his tracks to look at his surroundings and gave you the time to catch up. He snickered a little, looking how disappointed you were after the climb on the side of the mountain. He offered you his hand, allowing you to avoid a few more steps before reaching him.

"Not a very outdoor one, uh?"

"I'm more...sitting on the couch person."

"What's a couch?"

"Something BEAUTYFULL....wow..."

You would never get used to the view here: from where our eyes could reach, there was just forest. The mountains were covered in it, and so were the few hills that appeared, giving you almost the idea that you were walking on the backs of thousands of sleeping giants. Here and there, you were able to spot the roof and the spires of small pagodes and temples.

Some prove that once these places were abitated or at least visited by humans and mortals. 

Now, the old structures were black and decaying, a sign that a fire had started so many years ago and what couldn't be saved was left to the wilderness. You both avoided those structures, finding them quite crumbling and dangerous, but nothing stopped you from admiring them.

The air was rarefied, giving you some trouble breathing and forcing you to make more deep inhales. Your companion, used to the high place of birth, had no issues at all, but he gave you the chance to rest and get used to the altitude.

"It feels so unreal... it's like a painting."

"You don't have places like these in your world?"

"Well yeah, but... not so beautiful like this one."

It was even funny to believe that such a beautiful place like this one could hold such dangers as the Yaoguais or whatever was holding the relic of the Great Sage. After another few minutes of adjusting, the two of you continue your way inside the woods, leaving behind the security of the open space.

The light was dim despite the sun high in the sky; the thick of the branches was mostly the cause of it. Walking near your companion, you started to notice how hard it would become trying to look in front of you or even notice the presence of whatever could attack you both.

"Su-sure, this place is...dark."

"Umm.. stay close, okay?"

You pick up the peace, holding tight to your snack on your back, regretting that you didn't ask for a weapon before leaving Mount Huaguo.

"Hely, listen..." You finally spoke up after a few minutes. "Are you sure that the relic is in this...very lovely and absolutely not filled with dangers?"

"Ummm...i guess?"

"YOU GUESS?!" Your voice echoed in one second through the forest; a few birds flied away, afraid of the sudden change. The monkey instantly shushed you.

"We're in enemy territory!"

"...You guess?! You don't know if it's here?!"

You were FURIOUS. Not only they started to blabber about you being some kind of being that were supposed to help them bring back an old legend, almost forcing you to participate, and now the same one that convinced you to give a try to this damn plan that could maybe bring you back home is unsire if that damn thing is in that damn forgotten place?! After that long road?! You really wanted to take that staff of his and smash it on his head! He shushed you again, trying to calm you down to avoid calling too much attention to you two.

"Okay, I know, this sounds crazy, but I can assure you that we have ideas! Firstly, there's a dangerous amount of Yaoguais in this area, and second, did you remember that funny little game that we did back at our mountain?"

"You mean me pointing my finger to a random place on a map just because I felt a tingle in my stomach?"

"Yup." Your eyes widened so much that you could feel your eyelash touch your forehead. You wanted to scream so hard that even whatever gods lived up there could hear you, but before you could, the monkey putted his hand on your mouth.

"There, there, let it all out," he said, while you were just muffling your scream on his hand. When you finally were finished and your breath was out, he removed his hand from your face, allowing you to mumble some curses under your breath.

"So we could be somewhere and find nothing?"

"Or we could be in the right place!"

You grumbled again, now more worried than before about your return to your original world. He sighed. Of course this was absurd to you; everything was, but you needed to trust him a little.

"I know it's hard, but... I believe in you. I know we're on the right path!"

"At least one of the two does..." You mumbled, kicking a rock near you, scratching your arm a little. You really wanted to believe him and in you, but to you, it was just so difficult to do it, especially since you were a complete no one...They all tell you you were some kind of powerful thing, this Bián huá, and yet you couldn't believe a single thing like this.

Looking at you, he guessed that you were still having doubts. He opened his mouth to say something when-

"On the go, bent the toe,

Life of a human, all for gold."

A voice, not far from you both, could be heard from your position. Someone was coming! The monkey looked at you, and a mischievous grin appeared on his face.

"Go and hide in the bush! I'll show you what I can do!"

You fastly follow his instructions, hiding behind some bushes on your right, while the voices get closer and closer. The monkey suddenly vanished under a cloud, only to be replaced with a ripe peach! What's he doing now? On the clearing, just when the smoke disappeared, appeared two... wolves?

They were walking on their two back legs, and like humans, they were wearing some clothes and holding their furr on their heads like some human hairstyles. The both of them were holding a sword; maybe they were scouting the area for some food? You didn't know, but you were sure worried for your monkey! 

"Nowhere better than our home,

We cheat death and ever grow."

One of the two, the one that had his sword already drawn, noticed the fake peach on the ground, emitting a sound of surprise and showing a huge grin on his maw, and immediately went to take it in his paw.

"Here, you see? What bliss my fate shows!" How the hell that big dog was talking?!

"Well well! Luck's around the corner. Seems like it just fell from a fruit tree here." Said the other wolf, looking around in the search for the tree. You really hoped he didn't see you or smell you!

"Perfect timing! This peach knew I needed a snack!" And, after having cleaned it a little from the dust and played with it in his hand, the wolf took a huge bite on the fruit without a second guessing. In that moment, a cry of pain escaped from him, and he threw away the peach, alongside a few of his own teeth and some fur that the monkey must have pulled with it. Once on the ground, after a few jumps, the same smoke from before reappeared, and the fruit turned back to his simian original form.

"You sneaky rascal!" said the wounded wolf. "Dare to fool me?! I'll make sure you'll regret it!"

Before the two wolves could launch their attacks on the monkey, he had already drawn his own weapon from his ear and charged towards the two. You had seen him fight before, and it was always a show that left you in a haze. Violence wasn't a nice view, but his moves, his precision, his strength—it was surely something!

In a few minutes, the two wolves were already defeated and turned to dust, and you reemerged from your hiding spot.

"Wow...that's what you could only say.

"See? told you I could protect you."

"Well, you surely could... but the transformation was really necessary?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by someone.

"No matter how many times you come around. You are still as mischievous as ever, eh?"

An old voice suddenly started to be heard. It was an old one, cranky, and somehow friendly. The both of you started to look around, only to find only trees, rocks, and falling leaves. The monkey immediately came closer to you, looking around and sniffing, but beside the smell of the two wolves, there was nothing—just nature.

"Did...you hear that?" 

"Yer," he said, guarding you.

"Good! I'm not crazy then!"

"And there's the Bián huá! All of you, always doubting your own security!"

You gulped loudly; he could hear you?! But that means he's near?! Then why even the monkey couldn't spot this mysterious old man?!

"Looks... looks like someone is watching us..."

"Um..." he looked at you, noticing your now frightening look, your eyes searching for the source of the voice. He held your hand in his own, gently giving you a small pull. "Came one. I'm sure that we'll find who's talking up ahead."

And so, the two of you started to take the road from where the two wolves had come from, realizing then that, if there was something, it was supposed to be there for sure. The more you started to clumb the path of the mountain, more enemies started to come. They were all wolves, and all of them were supposed to be the front guard of this mysterious place that, for some reason, started to make you feel... uneasy. 

You couldn't put your hands on it, but it reminded you of the strange feeling in your stomach, yeah, the map one. Only that, this time, became stronger and stronger the more you two explored the mountain.

After another turn, the smell of incense reached both of you, and a small smoke caught your attention. Two fires were located at the sides of a small structure, a house in miniature. The closer you get, the more it becomes clear that it was a small shrine, far more detailed and more decorated than the one that you saw on Mount Huaguo. Suddenly, just like before, the same old voice started to ring again around you two.

"Aaah! Wha-what are you waiting for?! Pluck your hair and make an offer!"

You looked at the monkey, raising an eyebrow.

"...Uh...my hair?"

"There." He showed you that, after taking a few hairs from his head, their form changed into a thin and long incense stick that he lit with a few movements of his hand.

"See?"

"I can't do that. Mine is normal hair."

"Ooo, stop making silly excuses! Try it on!"

"Okay okay okay! Geez, I can't believe that I'm listening to a mysterious voice."

You imitated the same motion of the monkey, and, after a small glow, in your hand there was the same incense stick!

"But... did I do that?!"

"See? Always questioning! Now hurry up! Both of you!"

You both put the incense stick inside the small pot full of sand, and, as one surprise wasn't enough, another magic happened in front of you: the decoration of the shrine started to grow like branches, and, in a swirl of petals, pink peach flowers started to bloom under your eyes.

"It's...normal?"

"In some places, yes..."

"...So,...what now?" The monkey shrugged off at your question and made a few steps ahead. Before you could follow, the voice called upon you two once again.

"Hey! Wait!"

A smoke, just like the one that has been summoned by your monkey companion when he transformed, appeared again, but this time in front of you there was what reminded you of an old potato.

He was what you could imagine to be the personification of the concept of old. His legs and arms were so thin that it was strange that he could even move; his bald head, covered in some strange bumps similar to some roots, was covered in wrinkles and some spots here and there; and the white hairs that happened to be his eyebrows and beard covered his facial features that made it hard to see his eyes and mouth.

His robes, tinted in a deep blue, seemed quite elegant, despite their age. His weight was supported by an old wooden staff, curved to the end, and in his other hand a small stick. Does it remind you of a back scratcher?

"I, the keeper of Black Wind Mountain," he said while coughing, cleaning his clothes from the dust. "I have long been waiting for your arrival."

That old voice—he was the one that spoke to you before in the clearing! That old, small thing was the keeper of this mountain?! 

"Let's see... the new Bián huá, eh? Well, you seem in good health," he said while pointing your side with his scratchback. "It will compensate for the lack of faith."

"Hey!" you ward off the wooden object while his continuous touch started to bother you.

"And she has some character on her, a good starting point..and you..." His eyes fell on the monkey, the destiny one. For a moment you feared that he could fall on his old and be ready to crash back, but he regained his stability in a few steps.

"Oh! His spitting image...I'd say."

Of who? You looked at the monkey, and he seemed almost proud? Was the keeper talking about... Sun Wukong? Well, all monkeys looked the same to you, so maybe it was the old age that talked...

"You were waiting for...him?" You pointed at the monkey; the old man just laughed a little at your naiveté.

"Child, I was waiting for both of you! For the Destined one and the Bián huá!" He walked over you two, pointing at the passage that extended ahead of you, between the rocks and the trees.

"Up ahead is Guanyin Temple. Once, it was bustling with worshippers before it was ruined by that fire."

His tone, before proud of the past of the place, became grave when he pointed at the proof of the tragedy that had happened there: skulls, human skulls. Come to think of it, those weren't the first you saw in the area... How many people had died there?

"What...fire?"

"You said you heard of the story, right?" The monkey said, recognizing what the old man was talking about, "You remember about the Elder Jinchi and the Kasaya?"

You pondered a little. You weren't that costumed about it, but you know that, perhaps, that was the cause of the fire.

"Yes, children..." said the keeper, pointing up ahead. "Then the temple was rebuilt." He suddenly turned to you, expressing a questioned and angry tone, "But what good is it to rebuild a temple if the good will of men has been burned to ashes?"

You kneeled near one of the skulls. It was so...small...the fear of the age of the one that once was in front of you struck you.

"But...it was rebuilt...then why the Yaoguais are here?" The monkey spoke, looking at the old man, still curious about the whereabouts of the temple.

"Monks came, men too, and they tried to rebuild life here! But that bear...he led his minions here!....Who couldn't escape had faced a bitter end."

"But...you're the keeper of this place...the deity of the mountain..." you finally spoke, following the step of the monkey. "You could take care of them, right? There as to be some way to fix this place!"

"I would! But that damn bear...he had brought something so powerful that even I couldn't match!"

Something that he couldn't match?... The eyes of the monkey gleamed, looking up at the mountain.

"The relic...it must be the relic!" He turned to you, ejoyed by this news: "You were right! You foudn it!"

"I...found it?" You repeated, "I... did! I did! ...oh...."

You soon realized what that meant, and suddenly, another sound emerged from the dark. A long, strong, and eerie howl of something that scared even the keeper and manmy birds that had already flied away from their previous location.

"You forgot this place," said the keeper, retreating away from the passage, "but they haven't forgotten you!"

You stod in your position, scavared by the sudden change of atmosphere, while the monkey observed the passage with caution, expecting everything to appear from it at any given moment. The old man, like he had appeared, disappeared in the cloud of smoke.

"That's a tough one. Good luck to you!"

And these were his last words, before you and your companion were left alone again. More than before, you felt an amount of emotion that you couldn't describe, but when you looked at the road where you came from, some doubts arose in you. The monkey noticed your fear, and he waited for your reaction.

Despite the desire to run, you simply couldn't. You stayed there, eyeing the entrance and your only way out. When you finally turned to the entrance, where you sure didn't want to go, you gulped.

"There's no turning back from there...right?" The monkey sighed; he wanted to tell you that you could just turn back and that he could handle it, but he couldn't say that; he knew that it was a lie.

This was supposed to be made in two.

"If you don't trust in yourself... then trust in me... trust in my ability."

He lends his hand towards you... and, with fear, doubt, and so many regrets, you take it, slowly entering the passage alongside him.

///

From that moment on, the forest became full of wolves. It was hard to advance without encountering a new enemy, and every time your companion never showed a moment of stress or panic, he only charged, attacking those enemies without trace of fear. Your only option, by your side, was to stand back, hide, or just... watch. You couldn't do more...even if, isnide, it made you quite nervous.

"Don't you get tired?"

"No, I've been doing this since I was a cup!"

"I wish I could help more." You scratched your arm again; it must have been a sign that showed your stress he had noticed. He just packed your back, swinging his tail.

"If you like, I can teach you a few tricks! Once we're back home with the relic, we'll have plenty of time!"

"You...would?" It felt nice. He didn't show off your anxiety about your role in that mission; instead, he just wanted to help you get confidence by taking some steps ahead. It was a nice gesture, even if you were quite unsure about if it could really help you.

"Of course!" he laughed. "We're both in this!"

You nodded. It was true; you were both in that.

The sound of the water became of a falling one, a sign that the river nearby became a waterfall. You were walking by it, searching for a few herbs, when you both became interested in taking and collecting when you heard something else. Another voice; it wasn't from the keeper, of course, but it wasn't like the ones from the wolves either. To be fair, there were no wolves now that your companion had cleaned the area.

When the sound of the waterfall became stronger, that's when you noticed.

"Monkey! Look over there!" You finger pointed towards a figure. Curved on her back, her white, messy hair spiked the most on het dark attire. The clothes were old and raggy, and by the jiggle he was wearing some wooden jewels. The long and thin hair and his colorful muse give away immediately her species. Your companion suddenly came closer, looking where your finger was pointing, noticing the creature.

"A Mandrill! There near the edge of the waterfall!" You kept saying. You didn't know what she was doing; it seemed like she was searching for something or trying to collect it from a stone, quite big, that rested in the center of the stream. The low level of the water allowed the rock to be accessible to the mandrill, but she seemed like whatever she was trying to rescue was stuck or simply unavaible.

The baboon must have heard your voice, and suddenly she stopped his doing with the rock, spinning away from it. You gasped when you saw her launch herself to the cliff, moving forward. But when you reached the same edge, you saw nothing there.

"She should be at least around..."

"I don't think that was a simple Mandrill, Y/N." The monkey that had reached your side was in time to take you and pull you back from the edge, fearing a fall.

"Was she your friend? Do you know her?"

"I never saw her in my entire life. Hey, hold on!" He looked at you, his hand on his hips. "It's not like we monkey know each and every one of us!"

"Well," you keep it up, mimicking his gesture, "you called each other brother and sister! And meeting a familiar face wouldn't be so bad here!"

He chuckled, giving you a small push. Then, both of your eyes landed on the rock that the baboon was inspecting, and curiosity took over.

"What do you think she was doing?"

"Well, let's take a look!" He went closer to the rock, and there you both realized that it wasn't completely a rock. It was a head—a big rocky head—maybe one of a statue that once must have been a decoration of the long-lost temple. The expression of the man that was depicted was calm and relaxed, his earlobe long; maybe a Buddha? The monkey started to clean the area and noticed some scratching at the base of one of the closed eyes of the statue. It seemed like he was trying to make a hole in it...

"Maybe there's a switch or-" And just when your hand touched the statue, suddenly its eyes wide opened. One of the two cavities of pure stone, but the one where the Mandrill was scratching was hollow and contained something. A sphere, pure white, the only color a red must at the center, discolored by the time. It wasn't smooth at all, but at the touch it was perceptible—some spirals, decotrating the orb.

"...What is it?" You asked curious, tapping the orb with your finger.

"I don't know... but it seems important; let's keep it!" And so, the orb soon vanished inside his own sack.

"You surely are one that loves to collect staff around, eh?"

"Well, if something is useful..."

You chukled a little, leaving the stream at your back. Keep it up with your ascension on the mountain. It didn't take long that now you would face another obstacle, and oooh boy, what an obstacle!

Guarding the gate, a huge Yaoguais was holding a huge Helberd, moving back and forward, ready to strike whoever crossed his path, or it was unlucky enough to meet it. It reminded you of some kind of bull, but he was pretty messed up to be one... The thing that really concerned you was the fact that he was practically in front of the gate; it was impossible to miss without a fight. Hiding behind a tree, you looked at your companion, who, without if or but, just took his own staff, ready to get in action.

"Stay here; be careful not to be spotted and to run."

"Run?"

"Just in case, wish me luck!" and so he marched towards the bull that, as soon as he had spotted him, he followed his example.

The two started to clash their weapons immediately, and you could clearly see that the monkey had the advantage of his small stature and his agility. He avoided all of his attacks in a few steps, which made the bull upset and more aggressive. And the guai had one more thing in his arsenal: he was scarily strong. Despite his massive stricture, the guai was able to make some huge jumps, creating such waves in his impact that the monkey needed to be careful around to avoid falling down and became an easy prey.

Unfortunely, the monkey made a misstep: in the attempt of blocking the helberd, the bull struck with full force, catching the opponent like a rag doll, and, after a good spin to get velocity, slammed him on the ground. He rose his helberd, ready to stride.

"NO!"

You screamed, leaving the tree where you were hiding, but before something could happen, a golden aura wrapped around the bull and, just before his last strike over the monkey could be delivered, his entire body stopped. It wasn't just stopped because he had stopped the attack, but because his entire body was like frozen!

You immediately went to the monkey side, checking the damage from the last strike. He was incredibly untouched; the helbard must have struck him in the side where there was no blade and just acting as a hammer. His body may be fine, but he had felt that.

"Oh God, oh God, are you okay?!"

"Ugh...It...hurt!"

Maybe not lethal but a bruise really was surely ready to appear there. You grasped his gourd, helping take a sip of that strange magic juice that the old monkey entrusted you both to take in case of these kinds of damages. After a gulp, the monkey lamented the savor of the concuun, but he was fine at least!

"The bull?!" He looked at you, ready to defend you.

"Ehm ..."

You pointed at his opponent, Frozen in One Place. Then you heard some ruffles, some paint of fatigue, and...the keeper?!

Somehow, he had started to climb the bull back and, once reached its shoulder, he took a jump from it, falling on his two sticked legs. 

"It's been a while, but the Immobilize Spell still works like a charm!" He laiughed, clearly satisfied and somehow proud to show you both some of his own ability. You, on the other hand, were more interested in helping the monkey get back on his feet, preoccupied with finding more damages from the foe. Lucky for you, the juice was able to cure all of his wounds, even if the hurt of the strike still lingered.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes...huff, he almost got me..." He looked at the now immobilized bull, still ready to send his last strike on him. "A trick like this could be very useful around here."

"Well, since you hail from Mount Huaguo, it won't hurt to teach you a handy trick."

The monkey looked at him, still recovering from the fall, when the old man started to move his wooden hand around. It started to emit a soft light and some sparkle.

"Now, here we go; give me your hand!" And, without wait or but, the same small wand emitted a light that struck towards the monkey. You companion, fearing for another attack, immediately covered his face with his hand, but instead of pain, he felt... nothing?

Not nothing; he felt the same sensation when you pour warm water on your arm—harmless and somehow nice. He felt the sensation rise to his arm, to his shoulder, and then disappear, leaving only a sigyl on the palm of the same hand. You both noticed that it was the same symbol above the bull head.

"There you go, "continued the old man, while the two of you were observing the sign, in a mix of surprise and curiosity. "Should you come across any miscreants, just point your finger at them and release this spell. You'll be able to hold them in place while giving yourself a breather."

The monkey studied more his hand, carefully seeing the sign slowly disappearing on his skin, while you looked at the old man with a gleam of hope.

"It's going to come in handy around here!" said the monkey, his confident smirk coming back on his face.

"It would be so helpful if I could learn something like this too." 

"My child," said the old man, chukling at your naivety. "In this world, muscles and brute force are not the only weapons that you can possess!" And, knowing who you are, a spell like this is a joke for you!"

"I...can learn it too?" You looked at the bull, and, in a rush of courage, you took some steps in front of it.

You waved your hand in front of it and, noticing that it was pretty much impossible for it to move, you laughed, running back to your companion, who instintly put you behind him, like ready to defend you if that thing was ready to move again.

"It's amazing!" you said in joy. "With this trick, we can avoid so many fights!"

"Y/n," the monkey said to you, disconsolate," we can't just avoid every fight we have in front of us."

"He's not right, child," the old man sighed. "Sadly, mine is but an humble trick. Its power will wear off within a few short moments."

"Moments?!" you gulped, jumping back. "And when were you expecting to tell us that?!"

"I told you that it's not that simple!" Monkey came back to his fighting stance, while you took a step back, taking more distance from the upcoming fight.

"Ah ah, yes, yes, I know, not a great spell; thought it's good enough against boneheads like this one!" He pointed again to the bull with a teasing tone. "Anyway, just consider it an ace up your sleeve."

As soon as he finished his speech, the blow that was stopped suddenly crashed to the ground; the golden aura had dissipated from the bull, and it was angry.

The keeper was able to retreat from the scene, clearly shaken by the sudden release of the bull that now pointed to the monkey and you furious.

"The Yaoguais these days know no manners!"

"Y/n! Stand back!" His immediate thought came to your own safety; now the bull had seen you, and every chance could be good for it to attack you!

"FEAR NOT! "screamed the keeper to you and the monkey, "Teach him a lesson with your new spell!"

As soon as the old man had disappeared, the bull went on the offensive, more aggressive than he was before. You had to retreat as best as you could to avoid the fight and to be spotted by the giant creature. He needed more minutes to adjust to this new technique, but just when the bull tried to play the same trick from before, the monkey was ready and used the spell against it. 

It stopped! It was completely immobile! You gasped for the excitement, and, after the monkey had gifted you a small wink like to tell you to watch, he suddenly launched himself to his counterattack.

The bull was free after a few moves, but it was more shaken than before and pretty much hurt. He needed another good strike, but after that the monkey was able to put down his opponent and, just like the others, disappeared in a cloud of dust.

"You did it!" YOU DID IT! YOU USED THE SPELL!"

You jumped to him in joy; he freed the passage! And now he learned a new trick! He was just amazing!

He patted your shoulder, laughing a little like you, with a soft shade of red on his cheeks. "Yes, yes, I did it! But it's not over yet!"

He pointed to the now-opened passage—the road ahead of you.

///

"If it wasn't for the wolves ready to kill us, I would love to take a picnic here."

"Pic nic?"

"When you bring lunch outside and eat in the wild. I used to do it a lot when I went on the mountain to my grandparents during the summer."

Monkey seemed always interested in knowing your past; it seemed like, despite all, you had an almost normal childhood...noyt like its own...always training, always giving his best...well, he loved to make some pranks here and there, but the others had always considered him the responsible one of the bunch.

While walking, your attention was taken by an unusual sight: it must have been a balcony in the past; now what was left was only the old decoration of the door, the structure to the outside, and the wood that composed the floor. Two small pillars, decorated with two figures of what presumebly was Guanyin, were on the sides of a cushion and, in front of it, an incense holder.

"Someone use this place..."

"It must be a meditation point, to meditate...a great spot, even..."

You looked to the monkey; why so? It was in the middle of nowhere. By his looks, lost in the horizon, you followed his example. It was quite beautiful and calming. He then decided to take a place in the cuschion and ask you to follow him.

"Came on! It helps the mind!"

"I'll just watch. I'm not good alone with my thought."

"As you wish..."

His eyes closed, his face relaxed, like every muscle of his body. He seemed like a statue in that pose, and by how quickly he was able to communicate, or he needed a lot, or he just was used to that practice. You, instead, decide to sit at the edge of the structure, sighing and admiring the view.

He was right; it wasn't just beautiful; it was calming. You closed your eyes, letting the mountain breeze caress your cheeks and air, allowing it to enter your nostrils and your lungs.

You could hear so many things like that—the creaking of the wood, the howling of a few wolves in the distance, the leaves that moved in the branch—since when these sounds were so hard to listen to in your world?

In the distance, mountains could be seen, and, not far from your spot, structures that maybe once were habitated by humans and monks. Knowing that such a desolation happened in that place, yet nature decided to reclaim that portion of the world, taking back what had been taken away.

You sighed again, more air in your lungs...then a hand shaken you.

"Don't do this on the edge, at least! You can take a place near me!"

"You gave me a heart attack!"

"And how was I supposed to feel when I saw you there, ready to fall?!"

"Okay, I'm sorry! I'll do it with you next time!"

He seemed pleased; at least he wasn't obligated to catch you from a dead fall on a cliff!

"You were right. It's beautiful... Yaoguais aside."

"Yes, I don't know what's going to happen after we take the relic back from the Black Bear, but maybe things are going to get better."

"I just..." you scratched your arm. "I just hope the monks that died here can find a piece."

The image of that skull was still fresh in your mind. It scared you, yes, but it was most definitely sad. They must have been so scared alone. He looked at you with fondness; your thoughts decided to go to the ones that had suffered. You must have had quite a big heart. He took your hand, smiling.

"They'll be glad to know that we're taking care of this...now..." he pointed at two fires, both of the at the sides of a passage, an opening on the rocky walls of the mountain. "We must go. There's still a long road for us."

You nodded, and so you went back to your journey.

///

"We had to pass..."

"There are like...a LOT of wolves there, and I have a really bad feeling!"

"But we can't just stop here!"

"Well, we can't surely move forward like this?!"

Since he had made it clear that there was more enemy ahead, the two of you started to discuss what to do, but it seems like it was harder than you both thought. He sensed a lot of enemies ahead, and if he had to make a safe road, protecting you wasn't easy. You wanted to search a safe path, but there wasn't something like this right there, and he wanted to march in and take care of the problems right there.

"Listen, I'm going in."

"Monkey, please let's just-"

"Hey! Wait! You don't think you can just parade in, do you?! It's not that simple!"

As again, the old man had decided to appear and gave some help to the two of you. You gave a sigh of relief. Finally, that could actually listen to you!

"Finally! I was trying to tell him! We must take another path!"

"Dear one, there's no other path here!"

"Ah, ah!" the monkey smuggled on your face. "See? No path! ...So, any other suggestion, old keeper?"

"But of course I do! Let me transform you into a golden cicada, so you may follow the fires ahead and scout this mountain unnoticed."

He pointed to a series of fires that started to streech across the forest, a way to move across the darkness of the trees, especially during cloudy days or the night. With the same movements of his wand, the old man created the same light from the last time and, once again, struck the poor monkey.

"Wait wait! I can do it by my"

"FLY!"

"SELF!"

Like before, the poor monkey was completely helpless against the magic of the so helpful keeper, and instead of the young, bold monkey, now there was a small insect, with golden shades, flying around. The old man laughed, looking how confused the small cicada was trying to recall his surroundings. Now, there was this little inconvenience...

"But..." you pointed to your still humanoid body. "What about me?"

"Umm...a cicada is hard. You need a lot of control to move so many little arms and legs. Let's see. Let's see. Something simple, something helpless, something...ah!"

"Wait! Let me at least prepare my-"

Without a warning, you were the second victim of the Keeper magic, but you weren't what you were expecting. You looked at your now fluffy paw, a small cottontail, and very long ears.

"A rabbit?! Why can't I fly too?!"

"It's harder than it looks, child! Now, it might be humble, but my shrine is very versatile. You'll get it soon enough."

And, with these words, the Keeper disappeared in another cloud of smoke, leaving the cicada and the bunny alone.

"It's not fair. I wanted to fly too!"

"If it makes you feel better," said the cicada in a very pinch-high voice, "you look fluffiest than ever."

You two laughed a little before hearing for the last time the old Keeper.

"In the depths of Black Winf Mounain, there are secrets galore. These transformations may help you explore, but be wary; this form does not last forever."

"What do we do if we get lost?"

"Should you find yourself lost, just follow my voice. Now, off you go!"

You two looked at each other and, uncertain, started to move.

He had it easier; he could just fly around without getting spotted! You needed to act as natural as possible! Somehow, the wolves seemed more interested in cooking the ones that they already had than huunting you, so you were able to move around, alongside other bunnies and racoons, without fear of being taken.

When the two of you had the impossibilities to avoid the wolves, you were able to listen to them talk. It seemed that your presence in the mountain has been spotted, but they weren't sure of where you were or what your real intention was. As much as they knew, they only knew about a shapeshifter and a mortal alongside him. They also talked about a certain lord... maybe an affiliate of the bear?

Well, at least like that, you could avoid so many troubles... Somehow, you felt a little more safe in the shape of such a helpless animal. You both kept on going, following the fire as instructed, finding the way easier that you expected to find.

"Look! I can see the end of the trail of fire, Y/N!" The small voice of the monkey called you out from the bushes, pointing with his antennea at what was supposed to be the less populated area.

"Finally, being a bunny is... not... so."

You felt something inside you. You felt...a calling. 

You turned around; there was another of those old porches, one that the fire had only ruined but not destroyed. You looked in that direction, and you were sure it came from there.

"We just need to cross; we're so...Y/N?"

You weren't anymore near the bushes, so he got closer and started to roam the small area.

"Y/n? Y/N?!" He called, louder this time and much more worried. He couldn't see you. Where did you go?! Why did you leave all of a sudden?!

You couldn't hear his call; there was something else that held your attention. It was the same pull in your chest that called you towards the relic, but it was...different. It felt like stagnant water, a mix of smells that you couldn't quite get. 

It was a large clearing; the wall of the mountain and a cliff, secured with a parapet, gave them a natural circular shape. Besides trees and plants, fog covered the area, hiding a wooden structure in the same area. You couldn't put your hand on it, but something was there—something big and round. You jumped closer, not noticing the aura of fiery eyes looking at your every movement. Before you could get closer, a large pressure came to your delicate neck; a hand with a sharp claw had you now in his clutches. 

"Well, well... and what do we have here?

Avoiding screaming helped you to keep your bunny form, but you couldn't hold a gasp when you saw the wolverine creature that was holding you by your neck. Now you were in big trouble!

The wolf was different from the other; he seemed older and calmer. His robe reminded you of one of a monk, but it was so old and lacerated. His old mansion was so ruined, almost burnt here and there. Despite his strength, his claw gently held you and took you in his arm, holding you in place. You felt his rough fingers scratching your head, confusing you more than before.

"It's not a safe place for a small one like you. Humans and wolves love eating your flesh. I used to eat your kind when I was younger; now I can only remember the hunt."

Oh, so he didn't eat bunnies? He could have eaten humans, though.

Besides him, a long staff was stuck into the ground, a double blade to each end. You noticed now that the blade was strange in certain places; it seemed like it had burned. Now, in his arms, you could see clearly what was holding the structure: a bell, a giant bell made of iron.

It was simple, besides the decorations, like many other bells around... then why you seemed to be pulled by it.

You jumped from the wolf arms, sniffing and getting closer to the giant metal object.

"I never saw bunnies interested in bell... I suppose to guard it...but you don't look like a treat."

Well, not now at least.

You made another jump, much closer; now your small paw was able to reach the bell when, in your head, his sound started to echo so hard that it was painful.

Your body couldn't handle it, so you scream, holding your small rodent head in those paws, scaring the wolf, and, with any chance to control it, the pain forced you to release your true form.

You were still holding your head when you noticed the wolf, now holding his weapon.

"You... you tried to trick me, human?!" You gulped and tried to get back, finding yourself stuck between the wolf and the bell.

"I-i didn't-" Then, a sound or rustling and footstep caught your and the wolf's attention.

"Who goes there?! How dare you interrupt my meditation?"

And so, the face of a very worried monkey appeared from the fog and the shadow, looking at you with apprehension by your vicinity with the Yaoguai. The wolf looked at him, and a small smile came to his face, far more sinister than the one that he had shown you before.

"Hmmm...another monkey I see?" He asked, almost happy to see him. The blade in his hand started to change; it became red like it was on fire. Hold on, IT WAS ON FIRE!

"Why don't you lay down your weapon and join me in Buddha's mercy?" His weapon had made a few swifts on the ground; the dead leaves, the herbs, and whatever that thing was touching suddenly started a small fire, separing you from your companion.

"What say you?!"

He needed to connect; the wolf was already on his tail when he marched on! He needed to get you out of there before the fire could reach you; luckyly, you took cover behind the giant bell! Maybe he had time; he just needed to calm him down before it was too late!

That wolf was old, but he was a formidable foe! His swing was like he had never seen anyone do it, and every strike was precise and destructive. It was just like a fire; you couldn't control it; you could just watch and hope it doesn't destroy more.

But he needed to fight that fire!

He used the spell that the keeper had taught him and started again to attack his opponent. Sometimes, out of the blue, the wolf was able to persome formidabvòe aerial attacks, where even the monkey found trouble defending himself. Sometimes he was even able to rush like he could fly, and the fire just made him stronger.

Fighting him wasn't easy, but with the help of the spell and the fact that his own technique didn't need too much energy to be imposed, the monkey was soon the victorious one of the duels.

The wolf fell on the ground, covered in bruises and blood; his fur was now more burned than before. His eyes cast between you, now free to move while the monkey was killing the fire, and his opponent.

"You..." His voice was in pain, the last stray of strength only to talk, "Master spoke of you."

And while he started to disappear, three last words came from his mouth.

"The Destined...one..."

Peace came back in the clearing. 

You looked at where the wolf had disappeared, asking yourself how much his master knew about you two, about what happened there, and..the hand of the monkey slapped your head.

"Don't run off like that again!"

"Ouch! It wasn't my fault!"

"Yeah! Some strange magic led you here?!"

"..."

"...Seriously?"

You sighed; of course it was crazy, but it was true! Something called you here to do...something!

"I'm sorry...it just...something is strange... I don't know what's happening in me."

The monkey looked at your face. You were so concentrated, your hand caressing the carving of the metal face of the giant object. He wasn't used to bell like this; his own hand caressed the wooden trunk made to play the instrument.

"...Monkey?" He looked at you and said, "We should play it."

"No way! They'll spot us!"

"We're already on everyone's agenda! Please! I... I need it." You please.

He sighed, ready to regret every moment of this. He needed just a swing of the trunk when the sound of the bell started to resonate on the entire aura—on the mountain itself.

Then something else happened. Everything got dark; it was a forest, like the one you and your companion were planting—a child—he was alone. Many people were dying there; something had to hunt them down!

No! You must run! The bear! The bear is... giving him... jewels?

The sun rises, the monastery...

When you woke up from the trance, the monkey had to catch you before falling from the scaffold of the bell.

"Y/n! What's happening?! Are you okay?!"

You just moved your head, confused, scared...was that a vision? It was an old memory? The stagnant water now was moving; a rotting smell came to you.

"You just had to make some noise, did you?!" The voice of the Keeper came back again. He seemed stressed; the sound had scared some birds too. "Now everyone knows you're here! When a chime so grand echoes in the forest, Yaoguais will surely be alarmed!"

He was right; the monkey was able to sense the hair change now. The road was getting just more difficult...

"I'm sorry. I asked him to do it."

"Child, why asking for such a thing?!"

"....I....i'm sorry..."

The monkey couldn't stay angry with such a hurt expression in front of him...but why do you need it? And what did you see? Holding you in his arms, he started to head back to the road.

@crimsonflameproxy @everlastingmoonlightsworld @theactualgir

@miraclecherryblossomsblog @certifiedsimpinggalore @sleepingdramaqueen @cromboloni @masksandfeathers

@cinnamonroll-anon @justrandomlypassing @cute-angi @luckyangelballoon @dressycobra7

@naarra @virtualexpertanchor @phoenixeclipse-lmkau @theactualgir @kirax-the-lazy-girl

@sleepydang @weaverworks @kishimiest @birdioarts @thepoweroffiction

@riolu4 @angryvampire @s0rr3l @rootin-tootin-morgan @lightlumi

@cleverfeststarlight @silenthopper @jeminiikrystal @jssy96

@ladydoe8 @redtailedkitsune @rovobeam

@jeminiikrystal @golden-masquerade

[letmereedusyou]

i'm not yours - part 4

summary: part 4 of the series - Daryl and you are (were?) friends. He's dating Leah. You told him you loved him and things fell apart. Will it ever go back to normal?

warnings: swearing, mentions of sex

words: 1.5k

A/N: this part is from Daryl's point of view therefore using first person. It's short, but to the point.

Read previous chapters: part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 5

DARYL'S POV

The air was still and stuffy, the kind of hot air that made your clothes stick to your skin, making you want to strip down to nothing and get into cool water. Sunlight filters through a canopy of lush green leaves, dappling the forest floor with dancing shadows. Those shadows, while limited, were my only saving grace. Heavy sweat was dripping from my forehead, hair sticking to my face and I wished I had a hair tie right about now. The dirt path I was walking on tangled and weaved around the mountain in ribbons. It was almost quiet, except a slight breeze ruffling the leaves from time to time, which didn't help with the heat at all.

The calm of the woods was a stark contrast to what's been happening in my head. Oh, yes. My head was a fucking mess. A fucking warzone and I’m the soldier that is getting injured over and over, like in some sort of lucid dream. If someone was to get in there and try and find out what is going on, they'd get lost too. It seemed impossible to figure out right now.

Because I fucking love you.

Those words were haunting my head since she said it. I couldn't forget about it. How the fuck do I forget about it? I tried hard to let go, to focus on my relationship with Leah. I want to. I want to be able to be her friend again. I miss her. I miss my best friend - the one I always laughed with, the one I teased about stupid shit all the time.

In my head, I kept going back to the first time we met. It was back in Atlanta city centre. She was trapped in between the buildings. Walkers were pooling in from both sides. I couldn't leave her there and let her be the walker meal as I believed that people's lives are so important in this day and age. For some reason I didn't want her life to be weighing on my conscience either, so I tossed the ladder down and shouted to her to climb. She did it without any hesitation, escaping the jaws of walkers in just a nick of time. Right after she climbed on top of the building, she laid down on the roof, chuckled dryly and sighed heavily.

"I told them I wasn't on the menu," she joked, smirking a little, shielding her eyes from the sun as she looked up at me. "I guess they took one look at me and disagreed."

I looked at her and my lips twitched with a smile for the first time since the whole zombie outbreak happened; since I’ve lost my brother. I wasn't the type to smile or laugh before the outbreak anyways - there wasn't much to life before the walkers showed up - but even I could appreciate a stupid joke when I heard one.

I offered her a hand to get her up off the floor and she took it. Once she was standing up, I could see her partially torn, old, faded in the sun clothes and her hair sticking to her cheeks and forehead with sweat. Her eyes were shimmering in the sun, and her smile somehow never faded. She looked like she was out there all by herself for quite a long time, and yet there was a scent of... some type of flower coming wafting my way as she stood close to me. She asked me about my name, looking me up and down, and then introduced herself as well.

I took her back to the camp, because who was I to refuse to help a girl in need. We all need someone to take care of us, right? She refused at first, saying she didn't want to be a burden.

"The biggest burden in this world is the dead walking," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

She reluctantly agreed to go with me. I was kind of surprised that she would put so much trust in me, but I also felt like she could’ve killed me if I ever tried to do anything to her - she just had that type of thing about her. Everyone back at the camp was okay with her joining us, except Shane, but when was he ever okay with anything other than fucking Rick's wife.

She was warm and sweet to everybody. She volunteered to help Dale with the truck as she knew some stuff from her father about cars, She said she’d help with laundry whenever she could so people can rest. It was so thoughtful of her. She really pulled her weight. Soon enough we found out she was a great fighter and an excellent tracker too. Since then, me and her were going out there to get food for others, always together as we made such a great team. It was always fun, we always sort of competed with each other on those runs, trying to one up one another, trying to find more than the other person. I never would've thought I was going to end up with her as a best friend, as a person I confided in.

She was different now and it was pissing me off. She's changed into something completely different. Someone who I did not recognize anymore. The sweetness and warmth she used to have was gone. The way she spoke to me both times we argued - so mean and angry - like whatever we had in the past didn't matter. Like our friendship was nothing to her. I felt hurt by how she said she hated Leah, and that she doesn't want to be friendly with her because, apparently, it took me less than two seconds to like her... So what if it did? Leah was kind. And I can’t deny she was also really hot. I’d be a fool for not liking her! Why the fuck was it so bad? Why?

Or maybe my view of her changed since she told me she loved me. That’s all I could think about these days. I felt bad sometimes, because whenever I was with Leah, I would think about the words from my best friend. Whenever me and my girlfriend were being intimate, the image of her face would pop up in my mind. It was bad enough I thought about her around Leah on a day to day basis, but I really hated when I saw her in my head when my dick was inside of my girlfriend. I couldn't stop thinking about how long this has been going on? How long has she had feelings for me but pretended to be my friend? And how the hell am I supposed to just go back to being her friend again? There were so many questions, so little answers.

I am angry. I cannot deny that. Her being in love with me changes everything! How could she not see that? How could she think we'd be able to forget about this? Act like it never happened? Come on... It's ridiculous! I couldn't look at her the same anymore. Every time I do, the words were coming back to me like some sort of mantra that's been engraved in my brain.

Because I fucking love you.

Being friends with her made my life better before. Almost like she brought some sort of colour to it, enriched it with her jokes and her existence. Her being in my life is what made it a tiny bit better, almost making me feel like we weren't living in a zombie infested world. I don't understand why could she be so selfish? Why did she think that it was okay to fall in love with me? Better, why did she think it was okay to tell me when I am with Leah? She’s made everything so difficult!

I shake my head in frustration, realising that I was almost at the bottom of the mountain. Time flies when you don't pay attention, I guess. I stepped through a ditch, onto the road and I found my way to the truck we left on the road. I walked to the truck, and putting my hand through the opened window, I stuck the car keys into the ignition. Then, I turned around and walked into the woods, choosing to go back to Alexandria on foot. I couldn't bring myself to spend any more time with her, than it was necessary. I wasn't going to, and I certainly didn't want to sit next to her in a car for hours, in complete silence because I broke the cassette she wanted to take with us. 80s hits - her favourite. I knew that. She told me before.

Why did I do that? Why did I choose to take something that would make her happy away like that? Maybe it was because I felt like she took something from me. What exactly was that something? I don't know...

[k4marina]

— viii. Beyond the Wall || Heart of the Dragon

synopsis: while you and jon lead a hunting party north of the wall, you come face to face with a being that you'd only read about in history books.

warning: game of thrones cannon violence and themes follows the episode Beyong the Wall [S7, Ep6]

all dialogue in italics is Valyrian

authors note at the end !!

game of thrones x modern!fem!reader

4.9k word count

[gif found on pinterest]

The weather had gotten slightly better, the sun was now up in the sky and the snow settled allowing you to see clearly again. The terrain had gotten more jagged the higher we climbed up the mountain. Piles of snow covered the already icy terrain, making it even harder to walk up the mountain. Had I’d known that I’d be brought back in time I would have packed my snowshoes. My feet felt numb and damp from the cold weather and the nonstop walking. 

Tormund led the group with Jon and I behind him. Gendry was by Jon’s side close by. Behind us were the Hound and Beric, another Wildling scout, and all the way in the back Jorah and Thoros who were busy talking amongst themselves. 

“Say we get what we came here for,” Jon glanced at me. “How are we supposed to get back to Eastwatch?”

“I’ll call Viserion and he’ll fly us back.”  

“He’ll hear you this far?” 

“I’ve instructed him to stay close. You may not be able to see him, but he’s a lot closer than you’d think."  

“Shouldn’t he be here with us so he can protect us?”

I thought for a moment before I replied. “The Night King can raise beings from the dead. You’ve seen what he can do with people and bears.” I turned to look at him. “Imagine what he could do with a dragon.” Jon stops for a moment but then nods, finally understanding why I was so protective of Viserion. 

I didn’t need to imagine like Jon, I knew exactly how the Night King raised Viserion and used him to burn down the Wall. I’ve already gotten rid of most of Euron’s fleet, lowering the chances of Rhaegal’s death, but the Night King was who I was the most worried about. If he could get his hands on a dragon then the destruction he would cause would be catastrophic.

Out in the distance, we could hear the sound of metal clinking. Tormund motions for everyone to stop and carefully walks forwards and peers over the edge of the cliff. He turns and motions for Jon and I to come see. A line of wights marched forwards led by a White Walker. 

“Where's the rest of them?” Jon asks no one in particular. 

“If we wait long enough we’ll find out.” Tormund says. The three of us walked back to the group once the undead were out of sight. 

“There’s a line of the undead marching to somewhere,” Tormund said to the group. 

“We need a plan, a good one.” I said. “Any ideas?” Everyone glanced at each other, waiting for someone to pipe up, but no one did.

I let out a breath, “alright, huddle up. Here’s what we’re going to do.” 

––

The undead marched in a line into a hilly area. The White Walker at the front of the line stopped hearing a crackling causing the other wights behind him to halt. It looks forwards and steps ahead, spotting a small burning fire. It cautiously walks towards it, assessing his surroundings. But before it could turn back, everyone sprung up from hiding, ambushing the wights. 

Jon takes on the White Walker while the rest of us fight the wights who relentlessly attack even after they’ve been cut down. Every time one of us cuts them down, they keep getting back up. As planned, Jon slays the White Walker, plunging Longclaw into his abdomen. It violently shakes and collapses into ice, causing the rest of the wights, except for one, to crumble to the ground. We huddled around the remaining wight, looking for an opportunity to grab onto it. 

Huffing, Tormund throws his axe down and punches the wight square in its mouth, knocking it down. Sandor jumps onto it as it screeches and writhes under the Hound while Beric, Thoros, and Gendry hold down its limbs. 

“Gag it!” Sandor yells. 

I reached into my pocket, quickly pulling out a makeshift gag and stuffing it into his mouth just in time, cutting its loud screeching. Sandor puts a bag around its head and ties it with rope while the rest of the men put chains around him and put it into the cage we brought. 

But it wasn’t quick enough. A low rumbling could be heard in the distance. Jon turns back, all of us knowing what that meant.  

“Call him!” Jon yells. 

I looked up to the sky, silently praying Viserion was nearby. “Come to me, now!” 

It’s silent for a moment, apart from the light rumbling, but then we can hear the sound of wings flapping and Viserion roaring out in the distance. 

“He’s too far! Run!” Jon screams, panicked. He turns and makes a run for it, all of us following after him. The rumbling grows louder and as the undead closes in on us. 

We ran into a clearing, a rock in the middle of it with the wights hot on our trail. The ground cracks as we run and climb onto the huge rock. There’s a scream behind us and I turn to see a wildling scout being grabbed by a wight, but when he falls to the ground the frozen lake gives way and the wildling and weight fall through. 

Everyone watched in horror as the army of the undead circled around us. The ice on top of the lake broke away, leaving us encircled by a line of broken ice and frigid water. The undead stood at the edge of the water, not daring to go any further, unless they wanted to drown and die. Their hollow eyes locked onto us watching our every move. 

“Where’s the dragon!” Someone shouts. 

I looked up, wondering the same thing. 

My heart beat loudly and my throat closed up. There were more wights surrounding us and if we stayed any longer the Night King would be here. I turned to face the others, who were clearly disheveled and panicking themselves. Jon stares off where the wights stood, almost anticipating an attack. 

Where the fuck was Viserion?

As if he heard me, there's a loud roar overhead and then fire rains down from the sky and burns the wights. Everyone's head snaps up as Viserion flies by, torching the undead and turning them into ash. 

“Move! Make way!” I flailed my arms around, motioning everyone to step back and create a clearing for Viserion to land. He lands onto the rock and everyone climbs up. I sat at the front with Jon, Tormund, Jorah and Gendry made sure the cage was properly secured while Beric and Sandor carefully helped the injured Thoros up onto the dragon.  

Swiftly, Visierion flies up and back towards Eastwatch. I looked down, watching the undead burn when something caught my eye. I squinted and spotted the Night King. 

In his hand was an ice spear and I felt my heart drop. My hands tightened around Viserion’s spikes. I turned back to the men behind me who were holding onto dear life. 

“Hold on tight! Do not let go!” 

They hunker down, some readjusting their grip. I look down again and see the Night King preparing his aim at us.

“Evade, Viserion. Do not let him touch you.”

Viserion dives down, burning as much as he could. He circles around and faces the Night King, who throws the spear towards us. Quickly, Viserion dodges, pivoting left and rains fire from where the attack came before retreating fully. 

I glanced back, but couldn’t see the Night King anywhere. 

––

When we arrived back at Eastwatch, night had fallen. The ship had been waiting for us, ready for immediate departure. Jorah and Sandor dragged the cage with the wight aboard while Jon said his goodbyes to Tormund. 

“Let’s go.” He turns to me. 

I shook my head. “You go, I still have something to do.” 

Jon, gobsmacked, shakes his head. “No, you saw what’s over that wall. You can’t go.”

“I have to.” I said. “And before you say anything, Daenerys knows that I’m doing this.” 

“Fine.” He huffs. “I’ll go with you.” 

“No you won't. You have to get back to Dany.” 

“And you don't?"

“I do. Just after I’ve done this.” 

He sighs, eyes darting back. “At least take Tormund with you.” 

“You know I can’t-”

“Please.” He cuts me off. He frowns and I sighed. 

“Fine, I’ll think about it.”

Satisfied, he backs down. “Good.” 

“Now go. You have a Dragon Queen waiting for you.” I lightly shoved him back towards the ship. He shakes his head but boards the ship. Tormund and I stood there watching as the ship finally sailed off. 

––

The sun had just risen when Tormund and I met again in the hall. We each had a bowl of hot stew in front of us. 

“Alright, tell me the plan.” Tormund says, shoving a spoonful of the stew into his mouth. 

I drank some of the ale we’d been given. “I need to find a cave.” 

“There are a lot of caves.” 

“I know that.” I crossed my arms on top of the table. “This one is about east of the Fist of the First Men and west of the headwaters of the Antler River. There should be a huge Weirwood tree on top of it in a huge clearing.” 

He stops eating, staring at me. “There’s something in the caves.” 

I nod. “Something very valuable.” 

“Is it a dragon egg?”

I shake my head. “No.” 

“Then what?” 

“I’ll show you when I have it. So, can you help me?” 

He keeps his intense eye contact with me while slowly bringing a spoonful of the stew to his mouth. He loudly slurped, dragging it on longer than he should have. 

“Aye.” 

–––

“There,” Tormund's hand stuck out, pointing down at a small clearing in a forest below us. “If you land there then we’ll only have to walk a distance.” 

I nod and Viserion ascends down, carefully landing. We get off and Tormund rummages in his pack, pulling out an unlit torch. He raises it up to Viserion, waiting. I furrowed my brows, wondering what he was doing when it dawned on me. 

Knowing as well, Viserion looks back to me and I nod. He turns back and lets out just enough fire to light the torch without burning the Wildlings hand. 

Ecstatic, Tormund looks back at me, like a child. “Look!” I had to stop myself from laughing how easily entertained he was. 

Is this what the man who first created fire looked like?

I turned back to Viserion. “Stay vigilant for the undead. And stay close, I may need you.” He purrs, understands and flies away.

“Why isn’t he coming?” 

“Too much attention.” 

“What if we see White Walkers?” 

“What? Tormund Giantsbane can’t take care of a few White Walkers?” 

He puffs his chest, holding onto the torch tighter. “Of course I can!”

“Then let's go,” I said. 

We started walking through the dense forest, Tormund leading the way. The land was rugged and snowy, like most of the terrain beyond the Wall. My eyes scanned ahead in case any White Walkers or wights tried to attack us. We walked for hours before finally coming across it.

There was a clearing in the forest. A jagged hill in the middle with boulders around it. At the top was a giant Weirwood tree. Its branches fanned far out and high, its red leaves glowing in the sun. The trunk of the three was thick, a testament to how old it was. Its roots spread all over, some even exposed and covered in layers of snow. At the base of the hill, behind the boulders was a secret entrance. It looked as if it was blown open and then covered in rocks.

“Well we’re fucked.” Tormund says. “What the fuck even happened here?”

“White Walkers.” I replied, looking for an alternative entrance. “They ravaged the place.” 

“Looks like they did more than ravage.” 

I looked around for an alternative way in, pushing back rocks and the snow around the hill, but couldn’t find anything. 

“Right there,” Tormund points to a small opening, just enough for one person to pass through. It was on the other side of the hill, behind a large boulder. 

“You’ll have to stay out here.” I reached for the torch, but he pulled it away. 

“You don’t know what’s in there.” 

“Yes I do.” A few dead bodies and what I came here for the first place. 

“You just said White Walkers were here. They could be inside right now.” 

“And if they are, then I’ll kill them with my dagger.” 

“But-” 

“Tormund,” I firmly squeezed his arm. “I need you to stand guard and watch for any threat.”  He stops talking and puffs up again, nodding. He hands me the torch and pulls out his axe. 

I carefully slipped through the entrance, holding the torch out in front of me. Was it wrong for me to play into Tormund’s almost himbo mindset to get him to stay out? Sure. But, he didn’t seem to mind that much, happy to play on as the ‘big strong guy.’ 

Vines and three roots covered every inch of the place, even the ceiling. The passageway was narrow but opened up the deeper you went. I spotted a corpse of a man on the heavier side hunched over by a wall, which I assumed led to the other entrance. A little ways ahead, a direwolf with a white belly and a light brown fur coat lay lifeless too. The passageway opened into a large room, covered in three roots coming from up above. Bits of sunlight shone through the walls and ceiling. It was like being inside of a huge tree. 

In the middle of the room a cluster of roots stood tall, reaching from the ceiling to the floor. Its wild tendrils mimicked the Iron Throne, and at the center was a frail, dead body of a man. He was entwined into the roots, having been there for a very long time, his nails long and jagged, arms and fingers boney, his silver white hair falling out. 

This was it. 

I searched the room, high and low, looking for what I came for. It wasn’t until I turned to look around the man did I spot it, covered in its black and red scabbard with faded gold detailing. I set the torch down, getting on my hands and knees to dig it out of the mess of tree roots. Finally free, I was able to fully admire it. 

I pulled the blade out of its sheath, the almost metallic liquid looking steel shining back at me, even after all these years of not being used it still looked to be in somewhat pristine condition. Its crossguard was made up of gold and in the design of dragonwings with a bright red ruby at the center above the rainguard. Its grip was leather bound, clearly worn with a scale pattern on them, and the pommel was made of two pieces; a golden piece mimicking fire and a chunk of Valyrian steel molded into a dragon egg. 

Quickly I sheathed the sword and grabbed the torch, making my way back. I walked briskly, feeling that something was off. As I approached the entrance I could hear grunting and an axe swinging before a thud. I hurried and got out, only to see Tormund on the ground, a wight on top of him while he tried to push it back. 

I work fast to pull the sword out of its scabbard, running to where Tormund was. I lift the sword high and bring it down onto the wight, killing it instantly. Panting, he pushes the wight off of him and back onto his feet, grabbing his axe. 

“Took you long enough.” He gets ready for another quip, but stops when he sees what’s in my hand. 

“What is that?”

“Dark Sister.”

––

“You’re not going to take a ship?” I shook my head at Tormund. “It’ll take too long.” 

“And on Dragon?” 

“Long, but still faster than a ship.” 

Viserion growls behind us, eager to leave and get back to his mother and two brothers.

“I’ll see you again.” I say.

“Stay safe, dragon women.” He sticks his hand out and we shake, holding onto each other forearms.

“You as well.”

I quickly mount Viserion, and take to the sky. The cold wind blew past me and I sighed, finally able to go home. 

–– 

Night had fallen by the time I had arrived back to Dragonstone. The moon lit my way from the cliff sides to the castle. Viserion quickly went to find his brothers, exhausted from flying in the North so much. 

I found Daenerys in the throne room, staring out of the large floor to ceiling windows, deep in thought. The door closed softly behind me, catching her attention. 

“You’re back. Was there any trouble?” 

“Had a brief encounter, but other than that nothing else.” 

She saw me covering the sword behind me. “What is that?”

“It’s yours.” I stepped closer, grabbing her hand and leading her up to the throne. “Nearly half a century ago, your family lost one of its ancestral swords. And it wasn’t until hundreds of years later was it found again by explorers.”

“I don’t understand.” 

I stood her in front of the throne, stepping back. “Brynden Rivers, bastard son of Aegon the Unworthy. In 233, he traveled to the wall with the sword and later became Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, but then he vanished while he was ranging beyond the wall, taking the sword with him.”

I pulled the sword from behind me, taking it out of its scabbard and presented it to her. The moonlight pouring into the throne room glistened against the blade. The gold detailing, despite its rust, stood out against the Valyrian steel detailing. And the bright ruby that already stood out, glowed a deep red. 

“Dark Sister,” Daenerys said, breathless. 

Carefully, she reached out, letting her fingers glide across the swirling steel. She finally grasped the slim handle, feeling the weight of the sword. Her eyes lingered on it before shifting towards me. 

“That’s why you went.” 

“Partially, but yes.” I replied. “Bit by bit, we’re going to restore your family back to its former glory. Starting with this sword.” 

––

Everyone stood in the open courtyard, eagerly waiting for the “demonstration.” 

Daenerys stood on the steps, Missandei, Tyrion, Varys, and I at her sides. Grey Worm and a few Unsullied stood close to them, ready for a sudden attack. Jon and his men stood in the middle of the courtyard, a box at their feet. 

“You said you wanted proof of the undead,” Jon looked at Daenerys. He motioned for Jorah to open the lid of the box, reaching in and pulling off the burlap sack. Sandor kicked the box and out fell a chained skeleton in rags. Everyone watched, intently, as the wight slowly woke up and let out a shrill. It tried to run and attack, but couldn’t as the chains kept him close to the box. 

Daenerys’ face drops, the full weight of the situation clear to her. This was more than a fight for the throne now, it was about life and death. Having seen enough she motions for Jon to cage the wight again. It screams when the Hound punches it in its face before being bound and caged again and then dragged away.

“All of you risked your life to bring the world proof of the undead.” Daenerys steps down the steps. She looks up at Jon. “We’re going to destroy the Night King and his army, together. You have my word.” 

There’s a weight lifted off of everyone, relieved that Daenerys had agreed to join sides with Jon. 

“Thank you, Your Grace.” Jon tilts his head down and to everyone's surprise sinks down to one knee. Daenerys’ eyes widened, more surprised than anyone else. “I swear my allegiance to you, Daenerys Targaryen.” 

“What about those that swore allegiance to you?” 

“They’ll all come to see you for who you really are.” Jon replied. 

Daenerys squares her shoulders. “Rise, Jon Snow, Lord of Winterfell.” He stands and Daenerys takes his hands in hers, and the two share an intimate moment. 

Eventually, someone (me) loudly cleared their throat, pulling them back to reality. Awkwardly, they let go of each other, stepping back as if they’d been caught by their parents. 

“Let’s discuss this further in the painted chamber,” Daenerys says. She turns and walks down the hall. 

Daenerys sat at the head of the table with Missandei and I at her sides. Tyrion and Varys sat down as well, while Grey Worm and Jorah stood behind Dany at attention. Jon sat on the other end with Ser Davos at his side and his men behind him. 

“What is the progress on our armistice with Cersei?” Daenerys asks. 

“Cersei has agreed to it, surprisingly.” Tyrion replied. 

“That was easy.” Davos says. 

“She thinks we’re surrendering.” I turned to Tyrion. “Where are we meeting?”

“The old Dragonpit on Visenya's Hill. We’ll bring 300 Unsullied with us, half will be our escorts, the other half will stay by our ships. We’ll also be bringing 50 Dothraki with us.” He replied.

“We did say that we’d bring a small army to King's Landing.” I nodded towards Daenerys. I looked back at Grey Worm. “How were the upgrades to the Unsullied’s armor?”

“They have worked well. The armor is durable and the weapons are light and sharp. The enemy fell easily to us.” Grey Worm, nods, appreciative. 

“Good.” Daenerys says, bringing the attention back to her. “You all will arrive first with our gift while Y/n and I will arrive on Dragonback.” 

“Nope.” I shook my head. Daenerys turned to me, confused. 

“But-”

I shake my head again. “Nope. You need to assert your dominance on Cersei. Only you and Drogon will arrive together while I arrive with the rest. And, try to make it dramatic.”

Daenerys smiled, “I’ll do my best.” She turned back to the others, more serious now. “What is the progress on our travel to Winterfell?” 

“They’re fairing well, Your Grace.” Varys replied. “The servants have started packing all necessary items.” 

“What about food?” 

“We’ve got plenty now that Highgarden is ours.” 

“And for the dragons?” I ask. 

“We’ve filled as much as we can, but I’m afraid it’s not much. Perhaps the dragons can hunt while they’re North?” 

“We’re going as guests to the North and you’re suggesting that we slaughter their livestock?” I raised a brow. “The Northerners are already suspicious of other Westerosi, imagine what they’d think if a Targaryen brought her foreign army and three dragons to eat all their food, they’d never support us then. It doesn’t matter that we’re going to defend all of humanity along with them, the North will remember this. We’re going to defend the North and make nice with them.” 

Varys closes his mouth, looking towards Daenerys, who nodded at what I’d been saying. “I apologize, My Lady, Your Grace. It seems I may have misjudged.” 

I sighed through my nose, averting my gaze to Tyrion. “What about the villages on the island?” 

“The villages on Dragonstone?” 

I nod. “Ask them if we can take a few sheep from their herds, don’t say it’s an order, but as a sign of good luck or support towards Daenerys and her cause.” 

“Why would they do that?” Daenerys asks. 

“The Targaryens and the villagers have had a close relationship for many years. Some villagers are descendants of Targaryen bastards while others families used to tend to the dragons that have lived here. And second, you’re their Lord, anything you say they’ll do, within reason of course.” 

Daenerys seems to go over my words before nodding. “Alright,” she turned to Tyrion, “you have your orders.”

“We should also send ravens to Highgarden, Sunspear, and Pyke. We’re going to need all hands on deck if we’re going to go against the Night King and his army.” I say. 

Daenerys nods. “The meeting is in a few days and we’re set for Winterfell in a few weeks, we can not make any mistakes. This is more than a fight for the Iron Throne, this a fight for the Realm.” 

––––––

“Around eight-thousands Unsullied, nearly fifty-thousand Dothraki, one hundred Ironborn ships, two-thousand men from the Reach, and fifteen-hundred Dornish. That’s what, sixty one-thousand five hundred men?” I read aloud, 

“And Cersei?” Daenerys asks, back to me and facing the window.

I sighed, looking down at the paper. “Around twenty-thousand Lannister soldiers, four-thousand in the City’s Watch, one hundred and fifty Ironborn ships, and if she’s lucky, which I doubt, twenty-thousand soldiers from the Golden Company. Making the grand total, forty four-thousand with the Company and twenty four-thousand without.” 

“She’s out numbers either way.” 

“She is, but that doesn’t mean she’s that less of a threat. Cersei’s forces may be smaller than yours, but she’s strategic and resourceful which is why when we’re in King’s Landing it’s important to keep your head on a swivel, you can’t underestimate her.” 

“Head on a swivel?” She turns, frowning. “Is this another one of your ‘figures of speech’?” 

“Yes, something like that.” I smiled. “But I’m being serious, Dany. Keep your eyes open for anything. It could be a remark or a gesture, you are our number one priority.” 

She nods, sitting down next to me. “What about Jon?” 

“His numbers?” 

“Yes.” 

I turned over the paper, “ten-thousand men from Northern houses, three-thousand Wildlings, and four-thousand Knights of the Vale.” 

“Which means seventeen-thousand in total.” She adds up. “Making my total forces seventy eight-thousand five hundred soldiers. How many would I lose after fighting the Night King?”

“Half at best. All of them at worst.” I stretched my back. “From what I remember, it’s estimated that he has almost two hundred-thousand in his army.”  

Daenerys looks at me, bewildered, “How are we supposed to win if she says no? We'd be greatly outnumbered.” 

I placed a hand over hers. “Well, for starters, we have three dragons, and once we’ve slain the Night King the rest of his army will fall. So the quicker we can shank him to death, the better our numbers.” 

She sighs, squeezing my hand. “It seems all you’ve been doing as of late is comforting me when I should be comforting you. You’ve fought in battle after battle, yet you don’t seem all that affected.” 

“It’s no big deal.” I gave her a small smile. 

She studies my face, frowning. “What is it?” 

I looked away, contemplating. “I had a dream the night before we’d arrived at Eastwatch. I doubt that it was a Dragondream, or it would have come true, or it was me remembering the future, but I dreamt about it.”

“What was it?” 

I faced her fully, grabbing her hands. “Originally, Jon and his men were supposed to go to Eastwatch. Once they’d gotten the wight, they were surrounded by the Night King and his army. Jon had sent one of the men with him back to send you a raven of what was happening. You and all of your dragons arrived to rescue them, but while fleeing the Night King threw a spear at Viserion, killing him.” I felt Daenerys’ grip on my hand tighten. “The rest of you managed to escape, but then the Night King resurrected Viserion and turned him into a wight. After that, he used Viserion to melt down the wall and march south.” 

Daenerys lets out a shaky breath. “But now he doesn’t have him, so he won’t be able to march south, right?” 

I shrugged. “In theory, but we live in a world of dragons and the undead walking.” I sighed, rubbing my face. “The Wall and him are made of the same magic, his is just darker, I guess? His sole reason for being alive is to cause destruction and plunge the world into a long and bitter winter. He’ll find a way south, it may take him some time, but it will happen.” 

She nodded, taking the information in as well as anyone would in her situation. 

“Hey,” I said. “No frowning, come on. We have a big day coming, so no frowning, okay?” 

She smiles, nodding. “Alight, no frowning.”

“So,” I smiled, my tone lighter. “How are you and Jon doing?” 

“I don’t know what you mean,” she replied quickly, turning away from me. 

“Oh, yeah?” I laughed. “Then that little scene in the courtyard was nothing? The way you two looked into each other's eyes.” I leaned in, placing my chin on her shoulder, looking over at her. “They way you two affectionately held onto each other's hands.” 

Her face turned red. “He was merely swearing his allegiance to me, nothing more.” 

“Uh-huh. And it has nothing to do with the fact that you two fancy each other?” 

“Jon likes me?” She quickly turns, trying her best to hide her smile. 

I huffed. “For someone who has nothing going on with him, you sure do look happy that he’s attracted to you.”

She looked like she'd been caught with her hand down the cookie jar. 

“Be honest, do you like him?”

She tried to hide her smile, looking down at her lap. “Yes.”

I smiled. “Finally, she admits it. I’m not against it,” I hummed. “You two would make a good couple, dare I say perfect.” 

She gasped, face red. “Alright, enough. Go, shoo, leave me be.” 

I laughed, getting up. “Fine, fine. But I’m not wrong. Maybe you should put some thought into it.” 

a/n: i know i'm horrible for updating late (like always), but i was soo stressed from shopping and packing everything that i kinda forgot about it ngl. but who cares lol.

i've suddenly gotten a bit more motivated to write some of my other series so perhaps i'll upload that, but it all depends on if the motherlands network allows me to.

anyways, i'll be back with another chapter once i'm back home. see you all!

taglist: @wotcherpeak @music-luver25 @your-favorite-god @radiantdanvers @cluelessteam @daenerys713 @ministark @laanswife @idohknow @jromanoff @bdudette @bitchyfestivalbouquet @glitteryobjecttaco @cantbecreative @lovelyteenagebeard @the0twst0shrimp0mc @sucker4seresin @marytargaryen @naneko31 @9tailedfoxfire @iilsenewman @ivyrose9194 @coffee-is-my-oxygen @mysterypotatoink @bitchycolletorvoid @nattysplatty @wifiatthetrainstation @nymeriiiia @llynx7 @pookynknowntranger @riley-625-bell @myathegoat @evilunicorns4minions @honeycola-umbra

[sulfies]

If I Lead (pt3)

Part 2 here

Vincesco stood true by his word.

 Desmond didn't even need to use most of his skillset which he was happy about. He took it easy and dodged when he needed and accepted some punches when It seemed like he was going overboard. He was not trying to climb the ranks in a race and make a name, he just needed to be off the training wheels. And It had worked. The young lad looked a bit pissed off about not winning against him but Desmond didn't care much about it.

The next day he was given instructions and pocket money to get himself some gear that fitted him. Now equipped with warmer clothes and shoes that actually fit he was faring better. 

Marsilio also was paying him quite a good amount of money for basically doing nothing but walking around and swinging his sword to train every now and then…. He really couldn't understand why the mercenaries complained about Ezio cutting their wages since he became in charge, just how much Mario was paying them before?

A month passed in this new lazy routine.

He made home in his guard tower. He was used to sleeping outside and wasting money on rent seemed unnecessary when he had little to no belongings. He bought himself some extra blankets to cushion the stone ground and shield from the cold wind at night. His lodging was enough for him.

He was rarely in it unless he was sleeping anyway.

He would wake up before dawn, bathe in the stream right outside the village a few minutes away if he needed, and then he would make his way to the barracks.

It was peaceful really…

He was terribly bored.

There was not much for him to do, sometimes he would get called to patrol outside the woods to see if any bandits were camping around but they have yet to see one since he has been here. Every now and then he would group with some people for training, but most of the time he was left alone as long as he reported to the barracks first thing of the day.

He had taken hunting as a hobby, going out around mid-noon to catch some small game to bring to the butcher. It gave him food and some extra savings money. He wanted to save enough to buy a horse so he could travel without problems, taking detours if he needed but horses were expensive. 

The barracks stable had a few but they all had their owners and the ones that did not were there if the need arose.  Also, he really wasn't looking to be known as -the horse thief-.

Sometimes Vincesco would call him over to go for a drink at the tavern, each time he would accept with the guilt eating him from inside out. He was not supposed to lay around and get drunk. He had people he needed to get back to, people who he was to guide but he could not refuse his bosses.

So he would drink a mug or two of the piss-tasting beer, the cheapest money could find as slowly as he could till the rest were drunk enough for them to not realize he was faking his stumbles on the street. Once everyone parted he would climb up to his den and force himself to sleep.

He was going mad.

Desmond wasn't used to being this useless. He was used to waking up and having a mission to complete.

Find us a new water-source Desmond, We need food Desmond the field has yet to yield any, Desmond help us move this rocks over so we can prepare the shelter, Desmond climb up the mountain to see if there is anything that survived

and he did it all without complaints.

He travelled for days or months to see if there was anything new, he noted down any new changes he could see. He helped Shaun with whatever he needed his strength or body for. He helped Rebecca gather whatever supply she was going to need to make their lives easier. That was his job.

He was there to calm the people down, remind them that gods had not forsaken them but they had been given a new beginning. To not panic but have hope so humankind could survive long after them.

It was all bullshit really, to keep the leftover people from going mad. 

In the darkest times, religion was most of the time the home of hope they needed to shelter in. But it had worked.

They had a functioning farm, bushes that yielded berries, small huts that gave lodging to people. They were actually seeing growth after 20 years, grass was filling the land and young trees were growing taller. They were finally getting somewhere so Desmond had left on a new expedition to find some more survivors further back from the camp to see if anyone was left.

And then he was here.

Lying on his blankets he watched the stars, tracing the groups with his eyes trying to remember the names Shaun taught them, the ones he couldn't remember without his books, Rebecca had made up stupid nicknames for.

He missed them terribly nowadays… Even his father.

William had died just three years ago. The grief lingered more than he had expected. All the issues they had before seemed so small after the flare, they never patched things up but they didn't fight like they used to. Desmond knew he bore some guilt about convincing him to not go through with the shields. They all did.

They each had their turns to cry, shout and laugh crazy about it then cry some more. The three blamed themselves which in turn made Desmond blame himself more. It was an endless cycle they decided to put behind themselves to focus on the now. 

Desmond turned to his side, inhaling deeply, his hair tickling his neck from the wind. He listened to the nocturnal birds and closed his eyes. He hoped they were safe above all else. 

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

Two weeks passed by fast and Desmond's routine did not change. Wake up, bathe, barracks, busywork, hunt, do something… anything… then sleep. He had taken to sharpening the unused swords and upkeep of them for today's activity since no one else was bothering to do it. 

Near a clearing around the stable, he was sitting on a stool, sharpening one sword after another with a whetstone on his lap, adding them to a pile. 

“Actually working for your coins Domenico? You should join the others inside for a few cups.”

He looked at the voice that was calling him. Angelo, one from Marsillios circle. He gave a polite smile back. “Not much to do and I don't like drinking while the sun is up, gives me issues at night.” 

“Smart man, keeping your soldier ready for when it's needed.”

Desmond made a face at the joke, He never stepped a foot in the brothel. A lot of the recruit's freshly earned coins ended up in there almost the day they gained them… then trickled back into the economy. He did not want to think about the amount of STD’s circulating around. Even if everyone was magically clean… sex had been the last thing on his mind for a long while.

“Please, If the wife learned I even dared to breathe next to one of the honey pots she would have my head.” 

“Oh come on, how would she even know?”

He hummed in answer and smiled “Trust me she would… and I like to keep my manhood intact till I die”

Angelo laughed and walked near him. Eyeing the swords lying on a pile on the side, the ones that were ready to be polished.

“Needed me for anything?” 

The other man shifted his weight “Marsillio wanted me to let people know to be extra sharp the next few days, actually do what he says and whatnot… not that you need a reminder.”

“Why is that? Is Ser Mario coming to check the barracks again?” He had seen him a couple of times, the man usually looked around for a few minutes then joined the backroom to talk about what he needed to.

“Nah, the actual big boss is coming back any day now. Sent in a word with his bird, arrived just an hour ago to the villa.”

Desmond's whole body tensed in a second. It was not hard to figure out who the nickname belonged to.

Ezio was coming back.

He forced himself to relax. “A-ah… so we need to be on our best behaviour?”

“Mmhm. You might be asked to go to the training grounds a bit more and longer than you are used to, we need to look busy lest we want more budget cuts. The young master has already been bleeding us dry…”

Desmond gave a nervous chuckle and placed the sword in his hand on the pile. “Alright, no problem for me but I know a lot of the kids are going to groan and moan about it”

“Yeah they already are, Vinchesco is not happy about it so I'm sending you up next to him for morale.” A soft pat landed on his shoulder “Think yourself as second in charge. A small promotion with no pay raise”

Angelo left his side with a smile.

“Great”

Not great… he couldn't even hide next to the recruits as they trained.

He might visit the church just to pray and hope that Ezio doesn't give a shit about the training area and just passes by it. 

Maybe he could fake a stomachache or the plague… ask for a toilet break as soon as Ezio stepped foot through the gates…

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

For two days Desmond’s every limb was aware of every movement and talk around him. They were patrolling a lot more and training a lot longer. 

He wished he was just given the duty of cleaning around the barracks but Vincheso liked him for some reason enough to ask him to stick by his side.

“If I have to hear any more whining I might actually have them train till sunrise…”

Desmond shrugged his shoulders and he listened to him complain, not much different than the recruits. He figured it out the second day while Vinchesco’s job was to babysit the newbies, Desmond’s job was to babysit him. “You know if you guys were more strict from the get-go they wouldn't feel this comfortable crying about it.”

“And make my own job harder? Training doesn't teach a man how to swing a sword anyway, they actually need to fight to become man is what I think. I sure didn't learn how to kill from stabbing these stupid straw dummies couple times a day.”

“I'm not sure just charging into the enemy will teach them much is all I’m saying… well other than dying.”

Vinchesco leaned back onto the railing “Meh, I send the ones that show promise to the others that actually put them to work.” he waved his hand around “All this is just, keeping the meatshields sharper.”

Desmond sighed, what a way to raise an army… Ezio really needed to keep tighter reins around these bunch and overhaul the system… but he rather Ezio do that once he got to Venice and away from here.

“You are way too uptight Dominico. It's good here. We get coin, we get food, we drink then we fuck and then we sleep. Living it up like nobles almost… you should enjoy it more, I’m sure you fought plenty of battles in your youth but this is not a battlefield and we got Ser Ezio behind us if else happens. The man is his own army.”

Desmond's jaw clenched, old memories of the fall of this Monterriggioni flashing in his mind. No wonder no one was alerted till it was too late… he always thought the Village was captured way too easily.

“Mmhm… I'll try” he smiled back with a strain “Old habits die hard, that's all… the guard schedule back in Florence was way more strict.”

“More the reason to-”  “HE IS BACK! SER EZIO IS BACK”

A shout cut off Vinchesco’s word, The messenger ran towards them. 

Desmon felt the anxiety boil in his gut

“Shit…”

[sugarsnapdragon]

Lets take it from the top

Ao3 mirror here

And here's my part for the @rivalsduogiftexchange! Hi @ameiniateria I had your for the exchange! Your prompts were a lot of fun and this is a mix of your first and third prompt. I hope your enjoy and happy holidays!!

With how far away Dream has made his little vault, Technoblade is beginning to suspect that Dream may actually have a house hidden on the SMP somewhere. He's been trecking for a while, trying to find the place where Dream is supposed to meet Tommy and Tubbo. He managed to shake the general coordinates out of Punz, although he's pretty sure the mercenary didn't buy his reasoning.

That's honestly fine though. He doesn't need Punz to trust him, just to stay out of the way. He already made the mistake of trusting Punz with Dream once. He's not going to do it again.

It takes surprisingly long to get to where Dream's little underground lair is. Longer than he would like. He's racing against the clock here. He doesn't have much longer until Tommy and Tubbo get here. It probably would have been quicker through the nether but he's never been the best at the whole coordinate thing. Phil is better at all that stuff. But soon enough he does actually find it.

He lets out a huff at the moutain in front of him. "Really Dream? You couldn't choose an easier place to hide a secret lair?"

show off he's still homeless till we see a house Does he still cunt as homeless if he lives in a mountain lol cunt EEEE

"You're as much help as usual." Techno complains as he ties up the boat he's been using. He's grown to love the voices that haunt him, but he does wish they were a little more helpful sometimes. Still, he tunes them out as he climbs up. Punz had given him fair specific instructions, once Techno scared them out of him. It helps sometimes to have a bloodthirsty reputation. He's got to get up the mountain and then dig into a wall apparently. That doesn't take long to do, in the grand scheme of things.

He doesn't even need to worry about that, as he gets up to where the supposed meeting place is. Dream is already there, waiting. He's furiously messing someone, mask up and eyes locked onto his com. He hasn't noticed Techno yet, and Techno is happy to use the opportunity to look him over. He's used to the way Dream had looked before, in the prison after Quackity and months of starvation and torture. And the last time he saw him….Techno doesn't want to think about that. Dream looks good now. Healthy. Or healthier. He's not close to the admin now but he can imagine the bags under his eyes.

"Dream." He says, loud enough that Dream can hear him. He watches in amusement as the admin jumps, mask falling into place. He jumps down off the small platform he's been sitting on so they're on the same level.

"Technoblade. You're here."

"I am." Technoblade crosses his arms over his chest, an amused smile on his face. "Punz tell you I was coming?"

Techno can't see his face but he can imagine Dream is frowning at him, trying to figure out what Techno's plan is. Techno tries to keep his face neutral until he speaks.

"What are you doing here?" He finally asks, still at the other end of the hall.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Why?" Technoblade can imagine Dream squinting at him, green eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Technoblade licks his lips as he thinks up an answer. He will admit, he kind of moved before he had a complete plan. He had wanted to move first, when he realized what had happened. That somehow XD had held up his end of the bargain and now Techno needed to figure out how to keep Dream from fucking up his entire life. It'll be worth it. Anything to avoid that future.

"I have a business proposition for you." He finally says, walking over to the admin. Dream stands his ground, eyes still locked on him. Good.

"A business proposition?"

"Yep." Techno stops in front of him, hands in his pockets. "You give all this up. In return you get Phil and I to help you figure out what's going on."

"Figure what out?"

"Why death is so weird on this server. Why the server god is so interested in the going ons. Maybe even how to stop what's going on with you." Techno hears Dream's sharp inhale as he speaks.

"How do-"

"I have my ways." Techno leans down so he's more eye level with Dream. "So what do you say? This is a one time deal."

Silence hangs in the air for a long moment. Techno can almost feel the gears whirring in his head as Dream tries to figure out if he can be trusted. But Techno knows Dream doesn't have as much time as he wants. The Revival book is eating away at him, bit by bit.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Dream finally asks. "I've still got a whole favor to use."

"I know. And this would wipe the slate clean. Besides, wouldn't you rather have the Blood God and the Angel of Death on your side over Punz?" Techno can't help but sound a little offended at the idea. He, Dream and Phil make a good team. Much better than Punz who can't offer him anything. "If its being safe then we'll keep you safe."

"What about Tommy?"

"Forget him. Tommy is easy enough to distract. Give him his disks and he'll cave." Techno says with a shrug.

Speaking of which, he can hear the two of them making their way up the side of the mountain now. "Dream, listen. I know you want everything to go back to the way it was. But Pandora's? You're not going to figure it out there locked up. We both know that even if you're gone everyone will keep on fighting."

Dream doesn't say anything at first. He doesn't even say anything as Tommy and Tubbo get up to them. He can hear them being surprised behind him, asking Techno what he's doing there. Techno ignore them, watching instead as Dream turns, heading back up to the jukebox.

"You really think that Techno?" He finally asks, pulling one of Tommy's discs from his inventory. He watches as Dream puts it on, Mellohi playing out across the landscape.

"I know so." Techno says, ignore the two behind him making a scene. He watches Dream take a deep breath. He can imagine Dream closing his eyes as he thinks.

"Alright Tech. I'll take that deal." He says, jumping back down to Techno's level. He holds his hand out. "You promise you can do this?"

"Of course." Techno takes his hand, shaking it. "To the start of a wonderful partnership."

[daintylovers]

the first time you sleepover at stiles', is kind of an accident. you guys had been researching all day, not realizing how long it would take until suddenly it was two in the morning. the pair of you have been yawning on and off for about thirty minutes, so the time isn't too surprising.

stiles offers to drive you home, but you feel bad. you can tell he is exhausted and most definitely should not be driving right now, plus it wouldn't hurt to stay the night. you guys have been friends for a little now, one sleepover won't kill your friendship. so you decline, and stiles tries to keep his cool. he can't let you find out that his crush on lydia is actually a guise for his crush on you.

first things first, you need something more comfortable to wear to bed. what kind of man would stiles be if he let you sleep in jeans. but his pants are wayyyyy too long. it's comical- you walking out of the bathroom, with the pants massively sagging. so he offers you a pair of freshly washed boxers. which looks so much better. if you guys were dating, he would take a picture. but for now, he tries to imprint the image into his brain, to save it for his before-bed fantasies where you two are together and live in your own apartment. he is really just one of the girlies if you think about it.

you had a sweater on, but it gets hot in stiles room so he offers up a shirt he thrifted. its comfy, so you accept, changing into the "i support hot moms" shirt while he jumps in the shower for a quick rinse. but the rinse takes a little longer than expected because stiles can't stop geeking out. which ends up with you curled up on his side of the bed, already passed out by the time he gets out.

he cleans up a little around his room before trying to get one of the pillows off of his bed and onto the floor. no way is he sharing the bed if you haven't talked about it. but his movements are too jerky and he ends up rustling your head, causing your eyes to blink open.

he had been reaching for his pillow- the one we all know he can't sleep without. but your brain isn't working properly, and it's colder than he said it would be in the room. so you ask him to stay, to get in bed because he was wrong and you are practically shaking despite being under his mountain of blankets. he tries to argue, saying that he can turn up the heat, but you just grasp onto his wrist.

his resolve crumbles immediately and he accepts the offer, but just has to turn off the lights first. you let him go and can't tell if the lights are already off, or if your eyes are closed. he climbs into bed and contemplates if he should offer to hold you, only cause you said you were cold though- no other reason.

but you make the decision before he does, scouting right up beside him, stealing his warmth. you fall asleep soon after, intoxicated by his cedar-scented shower gel. he takes a bit longer, willing his heart to not burst out of his chest. and for the first time in a long time, he falls asleep with a smile on his face. because for once, his fantasy has turned into his reality.

[ashtavula]

Royalty AU Pt 3: A Meeting With Vil

Housewardens x Gender Neutral Reader

Word Count: 4069

Start Here

You peer out of your carriage window, taking in the scenery as you travel down the road. You can see vast swathes of lush forest around you, and beautiful mountains. You’ve barely entered the dukedom of Pomefiore, and this place already looks beautiful. As you admire your surroundings, you suddenly find yourself being thrown out of your seat as your carriage tilts. Your coachman shouts, and he quickly flings open the carriage door to check on you. He helps you out, and you see what happened. The front wheel of your carriage is now detached, and the axle is cracked. Your coachman grumbles as he ascertains the damage. As you look around, you realize that you’re practically alone, on a stretch of road surrounded by nothing but trees. The thought makes you feel a little anxious. And it doesn’t help that you catch a glimpse of movement in the dense forest. It almost looks like a man.

You try to convince yourself that you’re just seeing things. There’s no way that a man would just be conveniently lurking in the woods right as you need help. You turn away, looking at your frazzled coachman for just a few moments. And when you turn your eyes back to the trees, all you see is a man grinning at you. You shriek, and stumble backwards. The man raises his hands in alarm.

“Oh, dear! Please forgive this humble hunter, I did not mean to frighten you!” The man quickly kneels, and removes his hat, revealing a sleek blond bob. “I am Rook Hunt, a servant of Duke Vil Schoenheit. I noticed that your carriage had broken down, and I came to offer my assistance.” The man lifts his head, putting his hat back into place as he stands. “You were going to His Grace’s estate, yes? Please allow me to help you get there.”

Your eyes narrow slightly. “How do you know where I’m going?” 

Rook doesn’t seem fazed by your suspicion. He merely smiles at you. “Because I am aware of why you’ve come here, Your Highness. His Grace sent you an invitation, so that you two could formally meet. Oh, it is most exciting!”

You gesture to your broken carriage. “Well, it looks like you’ll have to tell Duke Vil that our meeting will have to be postponed. I can’t get there without a carriage.”

“Nonsense, Your Highness! Where there is a will, there is a way!” Rook whistles, and a horse steps out of the forest. You can see that it’s saddled, and a bow and quiver of arrows is attached to that saddle. It sidles up to Rook, and the man reaches out to pat its neck. “We can take my horse.”

A frown crosses your face, and you put your hands on your hips. “Riding up to the duke’s estate on horseback? Are you insane?” You’re well-aware of the fact that, while horseback riding is considered a fine hobby, it’s considered improper for the upper crust to not travel in a carriage. Even if it were considered acceptable, you’re not wearing suitable clothing.

Rook laughs, and shakes his head. “I was not suggesting that you ride to the estate, Your Highness. Rather, I was going to take you to someone who will be able to help you get your carriage going again. And I do not like the idea of simply leaving you here and making you wait.”

“...Fine. Since there’s no other choice…”

As you try to think about the best way to climb into the saddle, Rook surprises you once again. He wraps his hands around your waist, and he effortlessly lifts you up. You gasp as he carefully sets you down on the horse, and his hands slide down to your hips, making sure that you’re steady. “Are you comfortable?” 

You shift slightly. Riding a horse side saddle without the proper equipment is a bit difficult, but it’s doable. You nod your head as you place your hands on the pommel and cantle for balance. “I’ll be alright, I think. As long as you don’t expect me to ride like this for long.”

“No, not for long, Your Highness. We’ll be there shortly.”

Rook grips the reins, and he walks alongside the horse back into the forest. You know that you should be scared of the idea of this mysterious hunter taking you away into the dense forest, but there’s something about the way he looks at you that makes you think you can trust him. Rook looks at you like you’re something precious and beautiful that should be put on a pedestal and admired. And the way he touched you was gentle, almost reverent. You get the feeling that Rook won’t hurt you. 

You’re so lost in your thoughts that you almost don’t notice when the scenery changes. Dense trees give way to a lush apple orchard. The sweet scent of the apples fills your lungs as Rook guides his horse through the orchard, and you can see the tantalizing red fruit hanging from the branches. You’re tempted to reach out and pluck one, but you keep your hands on the saddle. Soon, you’re in front of a homestead. As Rook helps you down from the horse, you hear someone call out. 

“Rook, why are you here? I swear, if this is about-” The sentence abruptly cuts off when the speaker sees you. You turn your head, and you lay eyes on…a boy? At least, this person is dressed like a boy. But his features are ridiculously cute, especially when he’s looking at you in surprise. After a few moments, he shakes his head. “What, did you finally manage to convince some poor soul to marry you? What did you blackmail them with?”

Rook looks aghast, and he dramatically places his hand over his heart. “Epel, you wound me! I would never blackmail someone into marrying me, for I want my future spouse to truly love me!”

Epel doesn’t look impressed, and he turns to you. “Epel Felmier. Pleasure to meet you.” He holds out his hand for you to shake. Before you can do so, Rook interrupts.

“Epel! That is no way to greet a member of the royal family!”

Epel’s eyes nearly bulge out of his head as he whips his head to stare at Rook. You have to stop yourself from laughing when Rook formally introduces you, much to Epel’s consternation. “Why didn’t you say something sooner,” he hisses. Epel then takes a deep breath, and he dips into a slightly awkward bow. “Uh, sorry about that, Your Highness. I’m Epel Felmier. My family owns this orchard.”

Rook nods approvingly before speaking. “Epel, we’re here for your assistance. Their Highness is only here because their carriage has broken down. The front left wheel has fallen off, and the front axle is broken. The shaft is also cracked.”

You’re surprised that Rook was able to assess the damage to your carriage without actually looking at it. Epel frowns at the news. “What kind of pothole did your driver hit to do all that?” He shakes his head. “Ah, nevermind. I should be able to patch it up enough to get you back on the road, but it’ll take a few hours.”

“A few hours? But I need to be at Duke Vil’s estate soon,” you say.

Rook agrees. Epel thinks about it, and he snaps his fingers. “Wait, you could take one of our wagons. It ain’t as fancy as a royal carriage, but it’ll get you there.”

Epel leads you and Rook over to a barn. He tugs the doors open, revealing a simple wagon. As Epel gets a horse harnessed, you lean over to mutter to Rook, who politely bends down for you. “You know, arriving on your horse might be better…”

Rook chuckles. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, Your Highness. Duke Vil will understand the circumstances. He’ll just be happy that you arrived safe and sound.”

“Alright, we’re ready to go!” Epel climbs up into the driver’s box. As you step up to the wagon, Epel dusts off the seat beside him before offering you his hand. You accept his help, and he hauls you up with a surprising amount of strength.

“Woah,” you murmur. “You’re stronger than I thought.”

Epel flashes you a boyish grin, and you see his ears go pink. “Yeah, I’m a strong man! Working here makes you build up muscle.” He flexes for you, clearly hoping to impress. It only shows you that, despite the strength he just demonstrated, he doesn’t have the muscles to back it up. You still smile at him as you sit next to him. Epel then turns his attention to Rook. “Rook! Are you coming with us?”

Rook mounts his horse, and states that he’ll ride alongside the wagon. Epel cracks the reins, and the three of you set off towards Vil’s estate. The three of you chatter aimlessly as you travel down the road, and the two seem pleased when they’re able to impress you or make you laugh. Soon, Epel is guiding the wagon to the front of the grand manor that Vil calls home.

As Epel helps you down from the seat of the wagon, the front doors slam open, and a blond man struts out. Your lips part in surprise as you take in his features. This man is utterly beautiful, even though he looks displeased. His long legs carry him towards you, and you see his features soften as he gazes at you. He dips into an elegant bow.

“Your Highness, it is a pleasure to receive you. Duke Vil Schoenheit, at your service.” Vil straightens up, and his violet eyes shift to Epel’s wagon. His delicate brows furrow, and his jaw clenches. “Though, I must ask, did something happen to you on your way here? You shouldn’t have had to arrive in a wagon belonging to a simple apple farmer.”

You can see Epel get irritated, and he opens his mouth to say something to Vil. Rook interrupts before Epel can speak, and he explains your unfortunate circumstances. As Rook finishes, Epel interjects and states that he’s going to fix your carriage during your meeting with Vil. Vil sighs, and dismissively waves his hand.

“Very well. Epel, go do that. And those repairs better be done well. Rook, I thank you for bringing them to me safely.”

Rook bows with a smile on his face. “Of course, Your Grace.”

Vil offers you his arm, and his lips curve into a delicate smile. “Come, Your Highness. Lunch has already been prepared for us.”

You take his arm, and he guides you inside. You’re impressed by how well decorated his home is, and you see Vil beam as you say so. He’s more than happy to tell you that he selected all of the decor himself, and he points out some of his favorite pieces as he takes you into the dining hall.

As lunch is served, you realize that every dish you’re given is healthy. There’s nothing sugary, or fatty, or overly seasoned. Vil smiles at you as you eat. “I select what is served every day. After all, one must be aware of their diet in order to stay beautiful.”

You smile, and agree, but you internally wince. You simply eat whatever is placed in front of you without thinking about its health benefits. But the duke clearly cares about what he puts into his body. “And what’s on it,” you think to yourself. Everything about this man is impeccable, from his looks to his clothing to his manners. It’s a little intimidating, to be honest.

After lunch, Vil shows you around his private gardens. The grounds are filled with beautiful, but fairly standard flowers and plants. As he places his hand on the door of a greenhouse, he pauses. “Your Highness, please refrain from touching anything in here. All of the plants here are poisonous.”

You nod, and the door swings open. Vil guides you inside, and you see a vast array of strange, but lovely plants. As you walk with Vil down the row, a sweet scent catches your attention. You lean in to look at a small plant with tiny white flowers. Vil’s grip on your hand tightens slightly.

“Ah, that would be lily of the valley. People usually give it to their loved ones, and it symbolizes pure love. Despite its meaning and beauty, it’s highly poisonous. Just a small piece of the root can easily cause a person’s heart to stop.”

You freeze. “Is it safe to smell?”

Vil nods, and carefully plucks a strand of flowers off of the plant. He holds it up to your nose. “It’s perfectly safe.”

Your eyes flutter shut as you breathe in the scent of the lily. When you open them again, Vil is looking down at you with an inscrutable expression on his face. He presses the flowers into your hand, and your fingers wrap around his. “Does it please you to be able to enjoy something so beautiful, yet deadly,” he murmurs. “To have such power wrapped around your fingers?”

You get the feeling that Vil isn’t just talking about the lily of the valley. His gaze is too intense, his words a little too heated. Your lips part. “It’ll only be deadly if I’m not careful.”

Vil’s lips twitch into a nearly imperceptible smile, and he tucks the strand of lilies behind your ear. “Indeed.” He takes your hand again, and he continues to lead you through the greenhouse. When you’re done, you both return to the manor. 

Rook is waiting for the two of you. He bows. “Please excuse my intrusion. Your Grace, I urgently need to speak with you.”

Vil nods, and looks at you. He takes a few moments to escort you to his library, and he encourages you to rest for a bit while he speaks with the hunter. As the door shuts, you take the chance to poke around. Most of the books are about science and history, but there are several bookcases that have glass doors protecting the books within. They all have locks, but the door to one of them is slightly ajar. You open the door fully, and your brow furrows.

All of the books in this bookcase are fake. It’s a telltale sign that this is actually a hidden door. It’s not suspicious. Quite a few of the aristocracy have hidden passageways installed in their homes, or hidden rooms tucked away. Even your own castle has its fair share of secret halls and rooms. But you’re curious about what’s behind this door. Your fingers trail over the false books, until you find the correct one. You pull on it, and you hear a lever click. The false bookcase swings open, revealing a stone staircase spiraling down into the dark. You swallow, and step into the passage.

Lanterns flare to life, and you let out a relieved sigh as you quickly descend the stairs. At least it’s not as dark now. At the end of the stairs, you see a wooden door. You push it open, revealing a strange room. You can see a cauldron, and countless bottles and jars of things you don’t recognize. But the most odd thing is a massive mirror. The glass is completely black, and you don’t see any reflections on that dark surface as you approach it. 

A gasp leaves you as a face suddenly materializes in the glass. It’s completely white, like a mask. A deep, foreboding voice resounds around you.

“What would you ask of me?”

You eye the mirror cautiously, but your curiosity gets the better of you. “What are you,” you ask.

“I am the soul trapped within. I am the Magic Mirror, meant to serve your every whim.”

You steel your nerves, and step closer. If this thing was supposed to serve whoever stood in front of it, then it wouldn’t hurt you. Probably. “What do you do for Duke Vil Schoenheit?”

“The answer is a simple one. I make all that surrounds him fit his standards of beauty. I make his lands and people appear perfect, when all is done.” The mirror continues to gaze at you passively as it speaks. “I tell him the truth, and never lie. I share my knowledge, to satisfy his desire.”

You realize that you’ve been down here for a few minutes now. “Where is Duke Vil now?”

“Returning to the place you were left. Rook Hunt follows at his behest.”

You turn to leave, quickly telling the Magic Mirror to not say anything about your encounter to Vil. You hurry back up the steps, and you shut the false door. You lock the case, and you quickly move over to the opposite end of the library. When the library door swings open, you act like you were perusing the shelves. You give Vil and Rook a smile, hoping that neither of them will notice the anxiety brewing in your stomach. “Is everything alright, Your Grace?”

Vil doesn’t seem to notice anything amiss. “It seems like Epel was able to repair your carriage, but he’s concerned that it won’t be able to carry you all the way back to the capital. Therefore, Rook and I have agreed that it’d be best for you to take my carriage back.”

Rook inclines his head towards you. “You need not worry, Your Highness. I am also a proficient coachman. I will get you back to the capital safely.”

You nod. “Thank you, Rook. Your Grace, please forgive me, but it will take some time for us to travel back, and I do not wish for Rook to have to travel in the dark.”

“Of course, Your Highness. Please allow me to escort you out,” Vil says. Rook goes ahead of you two to make sure that the carriage is ready, and you take Vil’s arm as you walk out of the manor. He helps you get into his carriage, and he kisses your knuckles as he does so. “Please feel free to visit me at any time. I enjoyed our time together.”

You smile, and you squeeze his hand. “Of course. Nothing would please me more than seeing you again, Your Grace.”

Vil smiles at you, and he kisses your hand a second time before stepping back and shutting the carriage door. Rook gets into the driver’s box, and you hear him urge the horses forward. As Vil’s estate fades out of view, you put your head in your hands. 

Your thoughts are consumed by your brief encounter with the Magic Mirror. The Mirror stated that it changed the things around Vil, to make them beautiful. The thought of Vil using a magical artifact to change people against their will makes your stomach churn, and you shiver.

When you finally see your castle again, you can’t help but feel relieved. You politely give your goodbyes to Rook before he sets off again, and you act like you’re heading inside. But as soon as Rook is gone, you make a beeline for the stables. It doesn’t take long for another carriage to be readied, and you tell the coachman where you want to go.

xxx

A short while later, you’re knocking on Azul’s door. He seems surprised, but he lets you in. He guides you to his office, and he pushes his glasses up his nose. “What brings you here, Your Highness? Have you come to accept my hand in marriage?”

You glare at him. “You said that you would tell me about my suitors. So why didn’t you tell me about the creepy Magic Mirror that Duke Vil is hiding?!”

“Ah…” Azul looks a bit pale, and his smile is strained. “So, you found out about that. Did His Grace show it to you?”

“So you did know about it!”

Azul realizes that you’ve just made him reveal that he does, in fact, know about the mirror. He sighs deeply. “Yes, I knew about the Magic Mirror. I’m the one who helped him find it. But please don’t blame me for not telling you.” Azul rifles through his desk, and he pulls out a piece of yellow paper. The word contract is written across the top, and you can see Azul’s and Vil’s signatures on the bottom. “This contract forbids me from talking about the Mirror unless the person I’m speaking to already knows about its existence. I literally couldn’t tell you about it before now.”

You sigh, and cross your arms. “So tell me about it now. And I want to know everything.”

Azul tells you that, when the Octavinelle Agency first opened, he was approached by Vil. The duke showed Azul an ancient scroll that revealed where the Magic Mirror was. Vil had needed Azul’s resources to help retrieve it, as it wasn’t located in your kingdom. At the time, Azul thought that Vil was crazy for wanting to chase down a myth, but he’d happily taken Vil’s money, and promised his aid. 

When the Magic Mirror turned out to be real, Vil had Azul sworn to secrecy. In exchange, Vil would use the Mirror to help Azul when it was necessary. “It’s part of how my agency gathers information. And all it costs me is my continued silence, and occasionally helping Vil spread his influence outside of his dukedom.”

The door opens, and you see Jade and Floyd slip into the room. Jade chuckles, and Floyd dangles a photo in front of your face. It’s of a young man that looks like Azul, except that the man in the photo is overweight. 

“Vil also used the mirror to change Azul’s appearance for him,” Jade states. “He looked like that before they found it.”

Azul screams, and makes a grab for the photo. But Floyd is faster, and he easily darts away, cackling as he races out of the room. “Floyd, get back here this instant! I thought I told you two to destroy those photos!”

As Azul chases Floyd, Jade grins mischievously. “It’s worth knowing what sort of man is trying to court you, Your Highness.”

You sigh as you hear Azul continue to yell at Floyd as he chases the man through the halls. Azul sounds like he’s out of breath. Distantly, you hear something break. “I thought Azul couldn’t tell anyone about the Magic Mirror unless they already knew about it?”

“We assisted in the search, so Floyd and I have known from the beginning.” Jade sits next to you on the couch. His smile fades, and he looks serious. “It might seem bad, but Duke Vil is not evil. He’s not hurting anyone with the Mirror. In fact, I dare say that he’s actually helping them with it.”

You frown. “How can he be helping people when he uses that Mirror to change the way they look? He’s manipulating them against their will.”

Jade shakes his head. “You misunderstand. The Magic Mirror is powerful, but it can only do so much. It’s not actually changing the way things look. Rather, it changes your perception of them. You might not think of an apple as beautiful, but the Mirror makes you realize the simple beauty of its vibrant color. Nothing about the apple itself has changed.”

You think about Jade’s words for a few moments. If all the Magic Mirror did was change the way you saw things, and answer questions, then…maybe it wasn’t as bad as you’d feared. “What will Duke Vil do with the Magic Mirror if I marry him?”

“I don’t know. But he’d likely use it to help you run the kingdom. The knowledge the Mirror provides can be extraordinarily helpful, if you can parse through its rhymes.”

Azul wanders back into the office. His hair is disheveled, and he’s panting. “Jade…go get your twin. And burn that photo when you find it.”

Jade smiles, and he pats your hand as he stands up. But something makes you pause, and you grab the hem of his jacket. “Wait. You said the Magic Mirror didn’t actually change things. So why does Azul look different?”

Jade laughs, and slips out of your grasp. Before he leaves the office, he answers your question. 

“All it did was give him the motivation to lose weight!”

Azul starts yelling again, and all you can do is laugh.  

[bouncybongfairy]

Spring Has Sprung

Neteyam Sully x Avatar!Reader

Summary: Neteyam invites you to visit a naturally occurring water spring that he spotted while on patrol. Things of course get heated.

Word Count: 2.0k

TW: Smut.

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

You were watching Neteyam cutting wood and stacking them into neat piles. Sitting on a tree nearby, feeling a bit like you were invading his privacy. The sun was shining down onto him through the thick branches of the trees. He was breathing hard and seemed to be aggressively doing his work. Like he was taking his anger out on the wood. He threw his ax down next to his last pile, resting his hands on his hips and letting his head tilt back. Once he was looking up, he saw you sitting on the tree above him. Smirking, he starts to climb up to accompany you. 

“You could have come down and said hi,” he said, still breathing hard. 

“Didn’t want to interrupt your focus, seemed like you were working really hard,” you said, picking a small twig out of one of his braids. 

“Do you have any plans tonight?” he asks. 

He made you so nervous, he wasn’t the type of person who said things half heartedly. Always making eye contact and speaking very confidently. Such a strong presence that at times you felt the need to avert your gaze. The two of you grew up together and are still really close. That being said, you noticed in the past couple months things were shifting. Your feelings were starting to develop romantically, which scared you. In fear that the bond you’d made as children would be soured by hormones or impulse. You couldn’t speak for him but there were times when you thought he felt the same way. Being more touchy or having conversations that weren’t exactly platonic. He set his hand on your knee, bringing you back to reality.

“No, why?” you asked. 

“I found a really deep pool of water when I was on patrol and wanted to show you, if you’re open to that,” he suggested, so you agreed and then parted ways. 

For the rest of the day all you could think about was nightfall. Excited to see what this adventure would bring. Helping your mom start the fire and make dinner felt like it took a eon. You are the oldest of 4 younger siblings so during supper you tried helping as much as you could. That was a big reason you and Neteyam got along so well. The stress of being semi responsible for all your kins mistakes made it easy to find common ground. You were so nervous that you didn’t have much of an appetite. After helping clean up and excusing yourself to go to The Hallelujah Mountains. It made you feel a little better knowing that wasn’t entirely a lie. You were meeting him at the tree, you just wouldn’t be staying there. Neteyam was already there with his Ikran, kicking around pebbles that were on the edges.. He immediately noticed you coming down and greeted your Ikran, petting her head. He explained that it wasn’t too long of a fly from here, as you went to remount your Ikran he pulled you up onto his. Wrapping your arms around his waist as he flew, holding on tighter whenever a sharp turn was made. You rested your cheek against his back and enjoyed the scenery. You weren’t out flying at night often so seeing the night sky and wildlife was truly amazing. As promised, it didn’t take long until you were landing. 

You were really impressed by what you saw. It was a natural clear water spring. The water was sparkling and was so blue it looked pigmented. Tsawksyul and Melon Trees  surrounded it, keeping it relatively hidden. As you admired, Neteyam raced past you. Jumping into the pool of water, not only splashing you but showcasing how deep the water ran. You took off anything you didn't want to get wet and followed suit. The water was cold but not bone chilling. 

“Amazing right?” he asked, swimming towards the edge. Resting his arms on the outside of the pool. 

“More than amazing,” you say, swimming over towards him. That was when you noticed all the bruises and cuts littered across his arms and chest. 

“What happened,” you asked, pointing out all the injuries. 

“Depends on what you’re talking about,” he says, letting his head drop back now resting against the outside edge of the pool. You were treading water right in front of him, running your finger along the healing gash on his bicep. 

“This one?” you asked and without opening his eyes, he began to explain what happened. 

“I was on patrol when an explosion happened, it spooked my Ikran and I went falling. Luckily a tree broke my fall but it also did some damage,” he explained. 

“And here?” you asked, running your finger over his jaw where a clean scar was. 

“My dad told my brother how he used to grow hair on his face. You know when he lived on the star he was born. Lo’ak and I were trying to imitate how he shaved with his hunting knife. I got nicked pretty bad,” he chuckled, feeling slightly embarrassed about the memory. 

“Is it weird? Knowing your dad came from the Sky People?” you asked, now holding on to his shoulders. That way you could just float next to him in the water. 

“Sometimes. Especially because we’re fighting an entire war against them,” he sighed. 

You sat in comfortable silence for a while, not even noticing how close you’d drifted together. Bodies pressed against one another, you were taking in all the little details you’d never noticed before. Like how promodent his cupid's bow was and how muscular his arms really were. He looked so relaxed, almost like he was sleeping. Chest steadily rising and falling against yours. You laid your head on his shoulder and in kind, he rested his cheek against the top of your head. The sky was super clear and the stars were sparking so beautifully. There was hardly any wind, which allowed the two of you to stay in the water without being cold. You were dealing with a lot of inner turmoil. Wanting to ask if he had any love for you with all you had. However the fear of rejection was almost paralyzing. You admired so much about him, his intelligence, hunting skills and of course his looks. It made you feel insecure, like he looked past you when it came to things like romance. Using your arms to hoist yourself out of the pool. Grabbing your knife, you cut a melon off the tree. You heard Neteyam come out of the water and approach you from behind. 

“What’s wrong?” he asks. 

“I have a lot on my mind,” you say, sitting on the edge of the spring. Letting your feet soak in the water, him doing the same. 

“Tell me,” he says, playfully leaning over and bumping his shoulder into yours. 

“I really like how close we’re getting,” you say, avoiding eye contact. He leaned his head down in front of you. Playfully making the point that he wanted you to look at him. 

“Good, me too,” he smiled. 

“Is that all you feel? Are you happy being close or do you feel like we could be closer?” you ask, regretting the words even before they rolled off your tongue. He jokingly closes the gap of space between the two of you. As relieving as it felt not to be rejected right away, the suspense of an answer was drowning you,

“Neteyam..” you whine, taking a big bite of the melon. He waited until you were done chewing to grab your chin, making you look at him. 

“You have juice all over you,” he laughed, dipping his hand into the water and wiping your mouth and neck. Both laughing, you wrap your hands around his wrist as he continues washing the stickiness from the melon off.

Eventually the laughs died down and instead of his entire hand brushing over your face, only this thumb was tracing your lip. 

“Is this close enough?” he asks gently, leaning and catching you into a kiss. 

He holds your face with his hands, weaving your lips together. When the two of you went to face each other, your bodies fell back into the water. This didn’t stop the encounter, only deepened it. The front of both your bodies were pressed together. Your hands were playing with his hair. He was running his hands up and down your body slowly, like he was trying to memorize every curve. Pressing yourself against his bulge caused a low moan to vibrate off his lips. You take the beaded top you were wearing off. As you do so, he lifts you slightly so your chest is just barely out of the water. He stared at you for a moment, admiring your beauty before turning his attention back down. He takes one of your nipples into his mouth, sucking and flicking his tongue. He was switching back and forth, like he couldn’t decide which one he liked more. Becoming rougher, testing the limits of your body. 

You dip your head back, hair becoming soaked in water. The adrenaline pumping through your veins made you feel unreal. Like an out of body experience, not able to process what was happening. As much as you thought about how this would go, you never thought it would be like this. So passionate and beautiful. You started making out until your lips were swollen and tender. He pulls away and climbs out of the spring. Reaching for your hands, he pulls out shamelessly watching as the water runs off your body. He lays down in the soft thick grass growing near the spring. Pulling his shorts down and exposing himself. You straddle his lap, rubbing yourself against his shaft. The two of you are moaning from the friction. He pulls you down so that your lips are hovering over each other; every once in a while catching each other in a sloppy kiss. He lines himself up with your entrance, staying still and allowing you to sink down at your own pace. 

For a while you stayed still, adjusting to the size of his length. In between kissing, you liked looking down and seeing the pleasure written all over his face. Once the sting from his size went away, you slowly started rocking your hips. You impulsively pull your braid over your shoulder. At first you thought Neteyam might be hesitant to tsaheylu but he did the same with his. After connecting, you watched his eyes dilate at an alarming speed. It was such an intense rush, being able to feel exactly what he was feeling without communicating at all. Like the breath was completely taken out of your body and replaced. Like the two of you were existing as one being and the feeling was intoxicating. He sat up, resting his back against one of the melon trees. Rocking your hips back and forth while making intense eye contact. His mouth was hanging open and eyebrows furrowed. His hands were covered in calluses so when he ran his hands up your things it would scratch you a bit. 

You could tell he was getting close from how vocal he was becoming. Both of you were covered in sweat and breathing heavily. He wraps his arm around your waist, switching the position. Even though he was now in more control, he still was gentle while maintaining his strength. The amount of love you felt coming off him was overwhelming, enough to bring tears to your eyes. Wondering how a moment you were so worried would be careless could be so full of passion and comfort. Both of you were close, pressing his forehead against yours as the two of you came. Both of you were bucking your hips at your own erratic paces, riding out the high. Moaning and whining as the overwhelming pleasure flooded your bodies. Feeling completely exhausted he pulls out and lays down on the grass next to you. Pulling you into his arms before the two of you fell asleep.

[callofdudes]

Happy National Women's Day (yesterday, woops) Celebrated with a platonic story for y/n, Laswell, and Farah.

Readers gender is not specified. This isn't beta read because my eyes really hurt today for some reason.

You had just gotten back from a mission followed by Farah's forces and accompanying assistance of one Alex Keller. After getting back the guys were pretty tuckered out. Price and Simon going for a smoke and Johnny going for a long snooze in his bed. Missions usually left you exhausted.

However, this was the week that Laswell got a much needed break from her work and she wanted to spend it well.

She was sat on the couch, watching you and Simon quietly talk. Farah was cleaning her goggles, frowning over a small scratch in the top corner of the lense.

She could see the stress on Farah's face, and just from your posture she knew you needed a break as well. So when Simon got up to use the bathroom she leaned forward.

"What do you two say we get out of here for a couple days?"

You looked up curiously. "What do you mean?? Get a hotel or something?"

She shook her head. "Camping. My brother has a cabin up in the mountains where his buddies and him go climbing. We could go spend some time out there."

"Would it be quiet?" Farah asks.

"Most likely, it's not a big place. The spot we usually go isn't touristy either."

Farah looks to you. "I've never been camping outside of missions."

"If we can get a place with room for three and not get eaten alive by mosquitoes and the like, then yeah."

Laswell nods. "It's a cabin, so I don't think you'll have to worry too much about mosquitoes. But it'll just be the three of us." Laswell stands, stretching and grabbing her coffee. "We'll head out tomorrow after you're packed."

So the next morning you and Farah brought out your backpacks to Laswell's car. She only had a small vehicle but it was enough to fit all your supplies. Laswell brought her climbing gear, and enough food to last you a week at the cabin.

Once you were all ready to go there was one person you had to say goodbye to.

"Simon it's ok, I'm not going to be gone that long, only a week."

"A week... What am I supposed to do until then??"

"Hangout with the guys, take some time off to relax your feet. Read your book. You'll be ok."

Simon grumbled and looked over at Alex who was staying with them. To Simon's dismay.

You smiled softly, and fixed his sweater hoodie. "Only a week." You wrap your arms around him and he hugged you back, squeezing you for good measure.

Soon enough you packed in and set off on your journey. Farah plugged her phone in and played music from the passenger seat. "Any song requests??"

"Remember that one song you played the other day? With the guitar solo?"

Farah smiled and put the song on, and you jammed away in the backseat. Laswell put her son blocker down and set you off to the nearest coffee shop. Because what's a road trip without coffee?

She took the tray from the man at the drive through window and handed Farah her iced coffee and you your drink. “There you go.”

“Thank you mom.” You smiled and leaned back.

“Of course. Now, it’ll be a bit of a drive.” But you guys were ready for that.

You drove for the rest of the day. As you got closer to the mountains, Farah and you both pointed out a fair bit of wildlife you saw along the roadside.

Farah’s entire day was made by seeing baby ducklings going for a dunk in a small pond with their mom.

Laswell pointed out a few deer on the way, and soon you reached the place. Driving up the road and parking in front of a rather nice little cabin. It was old, with a couple swinging shutters and the frame would need some repainting.

“This is nice.” Farah looked around the grassy area behind the cabin that led up into a large hill. A small fire pit set up around some trees and a stone pathway up to the stairs.

“How did you get this place again??”

“My brother rents it most of the summer for his rock climbing. They come every few weeks.”

“Cool.”

Laswell nods, opening the car door and putting her park pass in the window. She tossed you the keys. “I'll go tell administration we’re here so they don't freak out. You two and get the first pickings.”

You and Farah smiled at each other softly. “Thanks laswell!” You called and grabbed out your stuff. You unlocked the house and you two headed inside. In the small entry way was a couple buckets full of wood and a shelf of paper and some lighters.

A tiny kitchen area and a gas stove. It was a cozy little place. Heading into the next part of the cabin there was a small bench, a cabinet with some games and a bed tucked against the opposite wall.

The back bedroom was separated by a curtain, inside being another two beds.

You and Farah looked at each other. “you can have either, I don't mind.” She said softly.

You were quiet for a moment. “You want the one by the window??”

“I'd like that.” She admitted.

You nodded and tossed your stuff on the bed in the corner, and let Farah have the bed next to the big window looking out at the field.

Laswell came back with a bag of some firewood and her climbing equipment. Taking dibs on the bed in the other room and getting comfy.

After which she promptly started on some dinner because she was starving. Until then you two opened her tray of fruit from the cooler and snacked away.

“So where do you usually go rock climbing, Laswell?” Farah asks.

“We usually go up one of the old trails. There's an open section of land that shows off this huge rock face. It's the perfect climb. I think it'll be easy enough for you two.”

“We’re capable Laswell.” You chuckle. You could smell the food waft through the cabin. She plated up, and came over to set down two plates for you two. You moved over on the bench allowing Laswell to sit down, and you all dug in.

Talking and laughing as the sun starts to go down on the field, the food being quickly devoured. Laswell brought out brownies as dessert.

You gasped softly. “Are those….”

Laswell smiled and ruffled your hair. “She said they're all yours.”

You eagerly popped the lid off and snatched one to dig into. “Oh Farah, you gotta try one. Her wife makes them the best.”

Farah smiled softly and reached in and took one out. “What's in it, Laswell??”

“Hm? I have the recipe list here if you want to look at it.” She took it from her bag and passed it over. Farah read through it before biting in, humming happily. “Oh, oh these are good.” She took another bite.

“Can I just…” She slid the recipe back toward herself and Laswell nodded. “All yours”

Farah tucked it into her pocket and you two devoured the brownies. Laswell’s wife was the best, always asking what sweets you guys would like best and sending Laswell out to work with a box or two for you guys.

Eventually you all headed to bed. You crawled into bed and rolled over, falling asleep.

Farah pulled the blanket over her shoulder, and opened the window to look out at the darkness. The cool breeze on her face.

She sighed softly, and closed it. Flopping down and rolling over again. She looked into the darkness, trying to arrange the blanket to try and get comfy.

When she couldn't, she leaned over and grabbed the flashlight off the nightstand, flicking it on low. She went over to you, standing at the edge of the bed for a bit before poking you.

“Y/n?” She whispered. You mumbled softly and opened your eyes. “Farah?”

“I'm sorry… I can't sleep.” She whispered.

You smiled softly, and rolled onto your back. You pulled the blanket back to allow her in. “Come on.”

She pursed her lips and flicked the light off. But she crawled into the bed. You gave her some more blanket and closed your eyes again. Farah laid next to you, sighing and slowly closing her eyes.

She held out her hand and you linked your pinky with hers. Helping her relax and fall asleep.

The next morning Laswell was up first. She got dressed and needed a coffee. She pushed the curtain to the second room open and smiled softly when she saw you and Farah curled up, pinkies still linked.

You two could sleep in.

She tied up her hair and went to the kitchen to put hot water on the stove and look through the food bag for what to make for breakfast.

The sound of the kettle woke you up, slowly rubbing your eyes and sitting up. Farah felt you stir and also opened her eyes. “Hmm…??”

“It's ok, you can keep resting if you want.” You assure, and crawled out around her. You scratched your stomach and headed out to the main room.

“Well good morning.” Laswell greeted you.

“Mornin…”

“Coffee??”

“Please.” You nodded.

You sat down at the bench, and heard the curtain shift. “I'm gonna change.” Farah gave you the heads up.

Laswell handed you your fresh coffee. “What do you feel for breakfast??”

“Eggs??” You gave her the innocent best child ever look. “Please mom??”

“Tell you what, find the carton in the cooler and I'll see what I can do.”

Farah filled up her water bottle as Laswell made breakfast, checking her phone. She snickered a little from across the table.

Without further incentive you rushed to the cooler and dug around for the eggs, bringing them to her.

She chuckled and saw Farah come out from the back room soon.

“What are you chuckling about?” You teased softly.

Farah turned her phone and showed you a photo of Alex around a corner with a blurry Ghost in the background.

“You think he's dead yet??”

“Knowing Simon and Johnny… maybe.” You snickered.

“Those three are going to kill each other.” She fully smiled briefly before looking down at the accompanying texts.

“Well, he's still alive but accidentally took some of Ghost’s gummy worms it seems.”

You cringed a little. “Ooh… ouch. I'll have to talk with Simon to make sure he didn't hurt Alex too badly.”

You both have a chuckle over it and Laswell brings you your eggs.

And without hesitation you dig in, humming happily to have your stomach full of food and happy.

“How long is the hike to the rock face??”

“Not long. Fifteen minutes at most. And I've got all the gear for you.”

“Awesome.”

“Now that you've got some fiber in you, let's get going.” Laswell fills her water bottle and grabs the bag of equipment.

“I can carry it for you??” You offered, but she shook her head. “I got it.”

You headed out down the road and hiked up the trail into the mountains. Seeing the tall trees and smelling the fresh air. Feeling the gentle breeze on your warm skin.

Laswell led you up and off the main path to a small outcrop. And there it was. A tall rock face up the side of the mountain with clearly outlined passages and handholds from how much it had been traversed.

Laswell secured her hair and handed you your gear. You and Farah got snug and comfy. Laswell set up the ropes and pegs in the ground to hold you three.

Chalking up your hands.

“You ready, princesses??”

“Hey!” You huffed, rushing after Laswell. Farah chuckled under her breath and found a small ledge to slide her hand into. And you three started to climb.

Farah scaled it fairly easily, though it definitely felt easier when under the pressure of a mission.

You found another handhold and pushed your foot up, feeling around until you could find a spot to slot your shoe in. Securing the tie on your belt.

“You doing ok Farah??”

“A little sweaty.” She wrung her wrist out.

“Let's pause for a minute.” You secured your line and tugged it a couple times before taking your hands off the rocks, keeping your feet in place to keep you from spinning.

Farah did the same, wringing out her wrists and wiping her sweaty palms on her hips.

“Need some more powder??”

“Yeah, thanks.”

You grabbed it off your belt and handed it to her, letting her resupply, and you did the same.

“I bet Laswell is already at the top.” You chuckled.

Farah looked around, trying to spot her. “Oh she probably is.”

“Let's catch up then, hey?”

Farah nodded, and you continued to climb until you reached the top.

And as you suspected, Laswell was already at the top. “You're fast.” You pushed yourself up, shaking out her legs, looking back down at where you came from.

“Oh.” You wobbled a little, stepping back. “It's best not to look down for a minute.” Laswell tipped and looked out at the edge of the cliff. The sun showed out from behind the clouds. It casted down over the lake and reflecting off of the water.

Farah took out her phone and got a picture of the view. Motioning you and Laswell to get close.

You wrapped your arm around her, keeping your hand just off her waist as she attempted a simple smile. Catching the moment with you three.

“Now I'm gonna tell Alex about the fun we’re having.” She chuckled, and put her phone away.

“Maybe I could bring Simon here.” You wondered aloud. You threw sat around the cliff on a small blanket, drinking from your water bottles.

“Hey, I just remembered.”

Farah and Laswell looked at you curiously.

“Happy National Women's Day.”

The two smiled. “That is today, isn't it?” Farah said, and Laswell nodded.

“It is. I almost forgot.”

“I mean, we got the Barbie movie.”

Farah smiled. “I got to see it with some of the girls from my group. Their families said I could come with them.” She fidgeted with her water bottle. “We want to go with Miss Farah.” She remembered them saying.

Laswell looked out at the cliff. “I remember dragging John out with my wife and I.”

You snickered. “Uh oh, how did that go??”

“Oh I think he fell asleep.” She snickered. “It's not his typical movie. But hey, he gave a kicker of a review afterward in the car home.”

You looked down at your hands, looking at all the roughness to your hands. Your battered knuckles and the dirt under your fingernails.

“Do you guys ever feel pressured to look or act a certain way??”

A moment of soft silence went by, letting the breeze drift between you three. “Yes. I think it comes with the territory… but even though I have respect, I still feel mentally challenged a lot to prove myself.” Laswell said.

“Like some of the men in my charge can't understand how I could be as smart as them or understand how to handle pressuring situations.”

"But... Recently a lot of the pressures and beauty standards have been pushed by other women. Which, is sad, considering a lot of them think we need all this stuff done to look pretty or be wanted. But it just isn't true."

You nodded. “Yeah…”

Farah sighed softly. “It feels pressuring every day, to have to dress and act a certain way. Follow a certain code or I won't be respected. I had a man tell me I wouldn't ever have a voice if I didn't have a husband to speak for me.”

You frowned, but nodded. Farah fidgeted a little. “But you know what? I did find my voice. And a voice for many other men and women who couldn't speak before.”

She smiles. “And for every bad person I meet, I've met ten more amazing men I know I have in my corner.”

Laswell nods. “I second that.”

You smile more, happily raising your water bottle. “To the women, and all those who support them.”

You clinked your water bottles and took a large sip. “I'm glad I get to spend the week with you guys. I know it's gonna be awesome.”

“We’re going swimming next.” Farah says quickly.

Laswell and you laugh. “Swimming is next on the list then.”