#i wish i had the strength to get rid of all the things i hoard

[vampiresuns]

The Radošević-Cassano | Lore & Palazzo Inspiration

Some lore for the untitled geese family of Vesuvian High Society. As per usual, the family tree is here. With a quick run down on mostly everyone.

✴︎ General Headcanons

I call them the Radošević-Cassano because I keep Anatole in the centre of the family tree, and much of the Arcana lore I have revolves around him. This isn’t because everything is about him, but because he is the original OC, and hence the place all of this lore comes from.

In reality the Cassano of Vesuvia (how they’re actually known as) are an old Vesuvian family.

They hold no nobility titles, they’re just old, ingrained with the City, and simply have money. The surname Cassano isn’t that old, they’ve probably been the Cassano for less than what they’ve held the Consulship for, only having been known in this way since the last 300 to 250 years, give or take.

They’ve had a hold of the Consulship for a little longer than that. No one actually knows how they ended up with the Consul’s office.

Not even the Cassano themselves. There’s many rumours and the story itself is kind of a local legend at this point. No one remembers because sometimes stories are just oral tradition. Sometimes they just get lost. That’s how it is.

The Cassano surname comes from... a first name actually. Consul Cassano ruled Vesuvia in lieu of the Count they were Consul for, while said Count’s children grew up, becoming old enough to rule themselves.

They are a multicultural, multiethnic family. Different branches have different cultural backgrounds.

Yet their unity steams from 1. being the Addams Family of Vesuvia 2. The Consulship. A way for them to protect themselves versus other Courtiers down for their own power-grabs, or nobility which do not like that these respected and well known family have no titles made them create a network (inside and outside of the family) that allows them to protect themselves and their political position.

For a Cassano, it is not social standing which matters. It is political standing.

They’ve been friends with the Radošević family (less remarkable and less old) for around six or seven generations. The Radošević are the Addams Family of Balkovia. Fish, Water.

Both families favour cultivating a career, craft or academic pursuit. It doesn’t matter what at least you pursue it honestly.

Speaking of honest pursuits, one of their secrets for enduring is rejecting arranged marriages. Convenience marriages are one thing, if mutually consented by the future spouses, arranged marriages however are a recipe for owing other families favours. It helps get rid of families who simply want to marry with them solely because they’re interested in the political position.

Important things for both these families are: authenticity, professionalism (they do not conceive not working, hoarding land, property and wealth aren’t actual jobs), ambition, creativity, survival, fraternity and resourcefulness. Both of the families are very communal between each other, acting as extensions of each other way before they married between them.

They follow three principles: 1. Whatever happened to you, whatever life shot at you, you survived. A Cassano-Radošević is nothing if not enduring 2. Sometimes conventional problems needed to be solved through unconventional means. They are nothing if not resourceful. 3. What happens to one of us, happens to all of us. They are nothing if not community driven.

This sometimes made them out of touch with other parts of Vesuvian High-Society, especially certain kind of Noble families. I hc that the Consul is the link between the Count and the City, and is meant to represent the City in front of the Count. The Cassano have a very tightly knit relationship with the City, and while their position of privilege is undeniable they are more aware of the social condition and estate of the City than others of their same social circles.

Their tendency to work for the City in a usually self-less manner (which is encouraged), using their position to help others instead of stepping over them, coined the underlying belief that the Cassano are protectors of Vesuvia. They are the last line between something which wishes to harm the City and the people of Vesuvia. This is something which Anatole specially takes very seriously.

Other sayings or beliefs around them are: “Good Counts make their Consuls their friends, while Good Consuls have a Happy Marriage in their beds.” Given how long they’ve hold the Consul’s office, it is better for Vesuvian Counts (regardless of their origin) to befriend them rather than go against them. The second part stems from the Cassano tendency to marry for love, not out of arranged marriages.

“Nothing mortal can kill a Cassano” this began as a joke, simply because they’re a really sturdy family. While they were very close to disappearing in more than one occasion, they simply keep on living. They’re very petty about their vitality. This belief gets reaffirmed during any of the apprentice timelines, but also because of Valerian Cassano’s (Anatole’s great grandfather) longevity.

Few of them believe in the Arcana as a belief system, though a bunch of them are familiar with tarot. There’s a tendency to generate Death and Hierophant beneficiaries the most. The Radošević while not following the Arcana at all, and most of them being unfamiliar with them, have a tendency to generate beneficiaries of The Lovers, Strength and Magicians.

“When Death marries a Star nothing will bring that marriage down” comes from the most notorious Cassano marriages being between Death and Star beneficiaries, with the Star beneficiaries usually being foreign. Examples of this are Amparo Mediavilla (Star) and Vitale Cassano, former Consul (Death), Stelarius Cassano (former Consul, Death) and spouse (Star), and recently Amparo Cassano (Death) and Portia Devorakova (Star).

Magic in the family, manifesting in given individuals is rare, but not unseen. The Cassano seem to be coated by a halo of magical energy but not display magical abilities themselves for the most part. Some exceptions are Amparo Mediavilla, Lucenzo Cassano, Valerian Cassano, one of Florentino’s (Anatole’s grandfather) brothers – Nemesi Cassano, Amparo Cassano, Vlad Radošević (son of a Cassano, and Anatole’s father), Aelius Anatole Radošević, and Artemisia Cassano, sibling of Amparo.

People with magical abilities in the family tend to keep it reserved from the general public. The reasons vary. 

While the Cassano Personality is strong and produces an inter-generational imprint, the Cassano genes are not that strong. No one is entirely sure what a ‘Cassano face’ looks like because of their multicultural background, but apparently they all have expressive eyebrows.

However, most of the Cassano stand in the same way (the way Valerius stands). Valerius, Anatole, his father, Florentino, Amparo, Artemisia, Cassiopeia, and others all stand in the same way.

✴︎ The Radošević

They’re not that different from the Cassano. Can be described as a “A family of survivors, eccentrics, patrons of the arts, inventors and scientists. A family of academics full of anxieties about the world surrounding them, whose sorrows were scars they rarely showed. Private yet with an extensive, and international, circle of acquaintances who deemed them all charmingly strange on their best days; prideful, analytic, often with a drink in hand.”

The Cassano can be described in a similar way, they’re different manifestations of the same core after all. Other than them being the Addams family of the fantasy Balkans, there’s no much to add to them besides what I’ve already said.

While the most distinctive Cassano trait is probably spite, the most notorious Radošević trait is rage. Rage is easier than grief and they’ve all had complicated relationships with life. They are not violent or toxic as a family, however. While they are not perfect, it seems of little use to them to mistreat those who are in the same boat as you, going through the same hardships.

Probably the some of the most interesting people in this family are Elysian Radošević, Anatole’s great grandmother, a partisan, Neuma Radošević a famous painter, and well, Valeriy “Valerius” Radošević. This is my personal HC in the julesverse, but Valerius has more of a Radošević personality than a Cassano personality.

Anatole would be a nice mix of both of them, which is catalysed by his mother, Louisa De Silva.

As an aside, Anatole has his father’s and uncle’s brows, his father’s eyes, and while his face bone structure is a toss up, he has his mother’s lips and nose. He also has his mother’s hips and legs.

The Radošević have a vineyard in fantasy Istria. No, it’s not Valerius’ vineyard.

One of the reasons why Anatole would refuse all kind of title (and so would his uncle, actually, despite the way he acts) is because having a nobility title is one of the few reasons for your Balkovian citizenship to be revoked. Nobility has been abolished in Balkovia for decades, and it’s not making a comeback.

✴︎ The Palazzo

The Palazzo Cassano is where the star mark is. It is 12 minutes away from the Palace, and 18 minutes way from Goldgrave. It is one of the few properties the family has, and probably the most important.

For years, it has been open to the Vesuvian Public who, with previous appointment, might need its resources, such as the music room or the Cassano Library. Like I said before, the Cassano do not think owning things is a job, and like I said before they encourage finding an actual occupation, whatever it might be. Other properties tied to the Cassano, including the Radošević-Cassano, are: Mircea’s and Florentino’s house in Balkovia (Anatole’s grandfather’s), the Radošević Vineyard, Valerius’ vineyard, Blasio’s house (Milenko’s grandfather), Milenko’s apartment, Vlad’s and Louisa’s townhouse in Balkovia, where Anatole grew up, and Paris’ shop + apartment, as she leaves it to Amparo, Milenko and Anatole. 

The Palazzo holds a series of invaluable collections, from books, artefacts, painting, sculptures, swords and others. They are long standing patron of the arts, who sustain themselves on social connectivity, so it is not unheard of them sustaining balls for these purposes every now and then. The Palazzo is meant to be able to house the majority of the family in somewhat comfortable terms. It’s most famous room, is it’s winter garden, which is open to the Public on certain days.

The Palazzo does not have permanent staff. It’s an oddity. The only permanent positions are the one of personal secretary of the Consul — not a valet, not a servant — and the Chef. Most of the staff is divided in shifts.

The Palazzo doesn’t have a housekeeper, only a housekeeper assistant. The Palazzo housekeepers are Batiste Cassano (sister of Florentino, Anatole’s grandfather), Iris Ravella (Amparo’s parent), and post-game Valerius.

Some of the OC families they’re related to are the Ventura, the family of two high-priests in one of Vesuvia’s temples, the Valperga (Valerian’s family), a number of Venterrean family’s, the Radošević (obviously), and the Ravella, among others. All these families are part of the julesverse.

Canon families they are related to include the Devoraks, the Satrinava (Milenko, while not a Cassano by blood is a Cassano by upbringing, and the Cassano include all the Radošević as their own), and the Alnazar. 

As an addition, when @apprenticealec​ and I merge worlds, they are also related to the Parsa D’Orias, as they are to the El-Saieh, but they belong to @ilyamatic​.

The story of how they ended up with the Palazzo stirs as much rumours as how they ended up with the Consulship, but the truth is way less exciting. It came with the position, and they deliberately altered the papers so from Grant of the Count, became their own. It was finders keepers. The Palazzo is inspired by different buildings in different parts of the world, but primarily, it’s outside is inspired by the Palazzo Papadopoli, in Venice, Italy, the Palazzo Ca d’Oro, and Ca Dario

Here are some pictures of different things it takes inspiration from:

The Palazzo has a back door, which leads to a minor street — the lovers and close friends door — inspired by the Palazzo Bembo- Boldù. The only way to open this door is from the inside. To ring it, you have to turn the knob three times to the right.

Thank you for reading these untitled geese family lore ❤️

[hylian-champion]

Link’s Letters, the last Champion’s Diary

The first few entries are old / posted before but I decided to post them all together in one place anyway!!

        Aryll,

        I know I haven’t been able to see you for a while. I hope this letter makes up for it. People look at me differently lately. They treat me differently too. But I don’t feel any different. Am I different to you too? … Is it because of that sword?

        They say I’m the reincarnation of the hero of legend. As such, it is my duty to fight and win against the beast that threatens Hyrule.

        That hero… he was said to have tremendous courage. He must have in order to face such a terrible demon. If that’s the case, I don’t feel like a hero either. But I’ll try. I’ll keep up a brave face for everyone’s sake. Though, honestly, I’m terrified…

        P.S. Don’t tell dad I said that.

        I met the BIGGEST Goron today. Though I can’t tell what’s bigger: him or his appetite. I never knew Gorons ate rocks either. Weird. He offered me to try something called ‘rock roast’ which is apparently a local delicacy on Death Mountain. It’s… crunchy.

        Daruk is a very warm and friendly soul. It feels like you could have known him for ages when you’ve only just met. I really like him, and the Gorons in general. They’re pretty straightforward people. Incredibly strong too. Daruk seems to think I’ve got Goron-like strength as well. Maybe if I eat more rocks I could be as strong as him one day.

        It’s been so long since I last saw Lady Mipha. I heard that she was the one chosen to pilot Divine Beast Vah Ruta. To imagine her on the front lines of this battle… I was hoping to talk her out of it.

        When I arrived she told me about a Lynel on Polymus Mountain that has been terrorizing the Zora with its shock arrows. If you didn’t already know, those arrows can be deadly to the Zora. So I set off straight away to deal with it but Mipha… she followed me. Despite how dangerous I insisted it was, she wouldn’t turn back and we argued. I never knew she could raise her voice like that. The Lynel must have heard us and got the jump on us from behind. I took an arrow or two to the back though I didn’t actually feel it until after the monster was long gone. I’m alright, though, don’t worry.

        Having Mipha there… her support means a lot to me. I don’t know what I’d do without her.

        Today we have all been formally appointed as Champions. After the ceremony, I wanted to see those relics—the Guardians—up close. They’re meant to help us in our fight against Ganon, and… I have to say I’m glad they’re on our side. One of the ancient machines went out of control and started shooting a deadly beam at anyone who came close to it. I only had a pot lid to reflect its attack, but it worked!

        The king saw what happened and wanted to have a word with me. I thought he was upset because I broke one of the relics meant to save us…

        As if being a Champion wasn’t enough, it seems your brother is now the princess’s appointed knight.

        I should feel proud, shouldn’t I? It’s a great honor…

        The princess and I have arrived at Rito Village. I bet you would love the Rito. They resemble birds, though I don’t think they bear any relation to your cuccos. It may be rude to ask.

        Oh, but I did get to talk to the Rito Champion, Revali. Or… more like he talked to me and flew off. I can’t help but feel he looks down on me for some reason. Maybe it’s because of his height. Or that he spends a lot of time in the sky. You would have no choice but to look down on people from up there.

         If I were up there, I would never look down. For the most part because I’d just get terribly dizzy from the view. Do you remember when one of your birds got itself stuck on top of that old flagpole? I never want to climb anything like that again for as long as I live.

        We set out for Goron City today. The princess is intending to help Daruk with his control over Divine Beast Vah Rudania. It’s really quite admirable how determined she is. When she sets her mind to something she’s so focused on it, it’s like I’m not even there… Or, rather I get the feeling she wishes I wasn’t. Maybe I’m overthinking it?

         Still, the first time she addressed me, she wanted to know about the sword. Of course. The old legends say there is a voice that’s supposed to guide the chosen hero. She asked if I could hear it. I didn’t know what to tell her. So I said nothing. But I imagine she already knew the answer… She must despise me.

        It was nice to see Daruk again. I wanted to ask him for some advice about… you know. Turns out he needed some help too. His control over his Divine Beast has been a little… rocky. Honestly how can a big guy like that be so hesitant? All he needed was a little push to get the boulder rolling. Now, his handle over Rudania is rock solid.

        By the way, the postman can’t carry a whole rock roast all the way to Hateno for you. I asked. But I got you another Goron specialty: Goron Spice! Try it with some Hylian Rice and Goat Butter. It’s delicious!

         I always had the feeling that the princess hated me, I just never realized how much she did. I don’t know what to do. She does everything she can to get away from me, even travel alone despite the dangers. She’s made it very clear that she does not want my company, and yet it’s still my job to protect her. I can’t disappoint the King.

        But… I can’t stand being the reason she’d put herself in danger in the first place. I guess I can’t do anything right.

        I can’t ask Lady Urbosa for help. I mean, you make a very good point, Aryll. But what do I tell the longtime friend of the Royal Family? ‘I lost the princess… again!’ She’s way too smart for me to keep up. She does everything in her power to avoid me. And, worse, she’s really good at it.

        Though, I suppose if she keeps abusing Gerudo Town’s laws to separate us, the one person who has any way to address it is the Chief of the Gerudo…

        I hate when you’re right.

        It’s been days. I’ve searched every corner of this desert for the princess. Lady Urbosa said if she saw her she’d send word immediately. I get the feeling she knows exactly where she is. At least I hope so. The Yiga Clan has been all too active lately. But if she stays with Urbosa, then I know she’ll be safe. I just have to trust her. 

        Until then, I’ll stay close by at the Bazaar to keep an eye on things.

        That reminds me I got you something. There’s a lady in Gerudo Town who makes all kinds of jewelry from circlets to earrings to pendants—don’t ask me how I got it—but I hope you like it.

        Urbosa sent word last night that she’d found the princess but today, just like that, she was gone again in an instant. By the time I caught up to her I was almost too late.

        She’s safe, now. A little shaken up, I think, but unharmed. Though this all started because she tries so hard to avoid me. I think… Tomorrow I should tell her… If she would rather have another knight accompany her, then I will send in my resignation to the King. Regardless of the shame and disappointment that will come with it. If my job is to protect her, then I have no other choice than to leave. She should be a lot happier with whoever ends up my replacement. Less inclined to run away too.

        She… apologized… for everything. I think I get it. The princess carries such a heavy burden, and she does it with her head held high. She’s working harder than all of us to stay ahead of this prophecy. She’s so brave. I wish I could be more like her in that regard. 

        I could fight anything from lynels to hoards of moblins, but when it comes to… speaking… There’s so much I want to tell her. I’ve made up my mind, I’m going to try.

        P.S. Maybe I should offer to cook for her? I could make her grandma’s famous pumpkin stew! Do you think she’d like it?

        Zelda is staying at the Castle today to further her studies. With the whole royal guard there, she granted me some time off. This time I know it’s not just to get rid of me. I’ll be home soon, but I hope you don’t mind… I made a quick stop at Zora’s Domain to see Mipha. She took a look at that scar from the attack on Death Mountain and healed it right up.

        Out of the blue, she started telling me about the namesake of Divine Beast Vah Ruta. Apparently it’s named after a Zora princess and one of the legendary sages from an age far older than the Great Calamity. Legend has it she fell in love with the Hylian hero of that time.

        Do you think my past life married a princess? I can’t imagine.

        We got caught in a rainstorm by Lake Hylia.  

        I’ll be honest. I used to hate this destiny stuff. But… sharing it with Zelda the Princess isn’t so bad. As long as we have each other, we can face anything.

        By the way… How is father doing?

        Is it wrong to butt heads with the King? I guess that’s a very stupid question. Of course it is. It isn’t my place to interfere and yet… You have no idea how much I wanted to say something today. To stand up and tell him he’s wrong.

        Can they throw a Champion– a “hero of legend” in jail for speaking out of turn? I don’t know why that should even stopped me. I really am just too much of a coward.

        It’ll be Zelda’s birthday in a couple days. She’s working harder than ever to unlock this sealing ability. The day she turns 17 she’s heading straight for Mount Lanayru without even a moment’s rest. 

        That’s right, you’re coming to Castle Town with father, aren’t you? It’s a national holiday, but the one person who doesn’t get the time off to enjoy it is the one who needs it most. Maybe meeting you will cheer her up before we head out to the Spring of Wisdom. I’m counting on you! I’ll see you soon.

Love, Link

[being-worthy]

Goodbye mom...

... I hope it’s not for always though.

I apologise if this post has some harsh words or comments. I’m not a bad person and just want to get this out of my system once and for all.

My brother and I went to visit my mom and aunt to spend Christmas with them and we’re staying two entire weeks here, and I’m already starting to wish it was only a few days…

We arrived yesterday/this early morning quite late due to flight delays. The moment she opened the door she started with her interrogation asking questions, like ‘did you’ve a good flight’, ‘what flight did you take’ (like wanting to know the exact flight number), how long was it’, ‘where’s your brother’, ‘why didn’t he come with you’, and then targeting me specifically with ‘why did you leave the UK’, ‘couldn’t you hold it together in your job and stay longer until you found something else’, etc. We weren’t even through the door yet!! I didn’t mind the first question because you always ask that, but I told her I was tired and wanted to go to sleep. She came to my room to ask the same questions at 3.45am when I was about to fall asleep!! Also, every time she comes into my room, she never has the respect or decency to knock first and just barges inside all the time and bombards me with questions.

Today, she asked me if I could help her to sell some jeans online. Jeans that are almost 10 years old!! I told her no and she said, and I quote ‘no wonder you don’t have a job’. Later, I went into the kitchen to get something to eat and she said all upset ‘your aunt left. No idea where’ I asked her if she was like a prisoner or if she had to report to her where she goes and what she does, and she got even more upset. So, I left without taking anything to eat.

But that isn’t the worst part. The worst part is that the kitchen, the living room, the basement, the rooms upstairs, the garage, and the basement are all full of junk!! When I say junk, I mean it, books that are falling apart, clothes that nobody fit in or even like, broken furniture or excessive furniture she doesn’t need. It’s so bad that I can’t go in there because I feel like crying and helpless, so I spend all my time in my room, which so far doesn’t have so much junk in it yet. Nevertheless, I can see the wardrobe full of clothes I threw away some time ago or clothes that nobody needs.

I can’t talk to her about this because according to her nothing is wrong and it’s all tidy and clean and she likes to remind me that ‘you don’t clean any shit here, only bring more into the house’. In some rooms it smells bad, like either heavy mould or something died in it (which I wouldn’t be surprised), and one has a huge hole in the wall which I saw today. She seems to forget all the hours I scarified spending 4-5 hours a day cleaning/helping her in the house while I still went to school instead of going out with friends or thinking about my future, or that most of the money I earn in the UK I sent it to her because she couldn’t work back then and had no income and doesn’t know that I starved myself so she could throw the money out of the window to buy more useless junk. It’s also not possible to talk to her about something else because she ends up criticising my decisions all the bloody time and that all I did and do is wrong. For example, when I told her that I couldn’t go back to work to my old job because it was killing me, she said that I was stupid.

Every time when we come to visit her, she expects us to do her biding, like she expects my brother to play chauffeur for her driving her here and there for mindless stuff and doesn’t care that the car most of the times belongs to the company he works for or rented (like this time). He can’t go and load the car up to get rid of some furniture she deems broken or to spend 5-6 a day to drive her around much less with a rented car!! Because if anything happens, he has to pay for it and fill in a form and this will go into the system, and I can assure you she won’t pay for it, even though she got some money from selling her parents flat. Besides, we are on holiday!! If she asks for something like this and either my brother or I say ‘no’ to her, she gets upset first, then angry, and lastly she turns herself into the ‘victim’ saying things like ‘I know you don’t love me and I’m nothing to you, I’m just a poor woman with nothing’ and she has said worse things to manipulate us to feel guilty and like we’re the bad guys here.

She constantly complaints about knee and backpain but when she goes out (like to work) she carries 2-3 bags for no reason, at least not to a sane person. I’ve tried talking to her patiently if she could get help because it hurts and destroys me to see her like this and living in a junkyard, but she claims that nothing is wrong with her and that I’m the one who needs help because “I can’t keep a job”. She only wants to talk about my life so she can say what I’m doing wrong and insulting me at the same time. She keeps remining me that she’s the way she is because it’s my fault, that my dad left is my left, that my other brother doesn’t want to see her is my fault, everything is my fault. Her favourite is that I’m a horrible daughter because I’ve heard this from her almost daily basis. She really started to get bad when my dad left and divorced her. I might not fully understand what she’s going through, but I do understand that she is deeply hurt that my father left after over 20 years of marriage, the loss of her mother affected her as well, but she refuses to change or to see that she has got a problem and that his problem affects the people around her too. She has told me some horrible and hurtful things – I rather not share what exactly she said it’d reopen too big scars. There was a time where it was too much that I tried to kill myself. She saw what I was trying to do and stopped me and said that she was sorry, sorry for everything, that she knew she had a problem and would get help but it was just talk... I asked her last Christmas to please get help and get someone to collect some of the junk, there are people she can call, and they’ll come and collect them, and she doesn’t have to worry about them anymore, but she doesn’t want to.

I’ve told my brother about what I researched in Google yesterday and that I believe that my mom has Diogenes syndrome or hoarding disorder. If I’d tell her that I think she has that she’d say that I’m stupid and that I might have it. Furthermore, I also told him that I won’t be coming next year until she realises that she needs help, urgently. I was always stopped to live my life to the fullest because I was worrying about her 24/7 but I can’t anymore - I’ve barely any strength left...

Mom, I love you so so so much and I always will love you no matter what!! You’ve done so much for me, but I can’t keep doing this anymore because I’ll end up killing myself for real this time and I don’t want that. I can’t keep trying to help you if you don’t want help much less realise that you need it!! I want to live and be happy again. You’ve no idea how much this hurts me but for the sake of my own sanity and my own life I’ve to let you go mom until you get help...

Goodbye mom... for now.

[isaksforelsket]

isak as a literal angel!!!

I know this was probably a smutty prompt, but I had an idea and wanted to do something different. So, I hope you like this short lil thing ❤️

---

“Why are you here?” The harshness of Even’s voice almost knocked him over as he flinched. He gripped onto the bench, their bench.  

Well, what used to be theirs, now it was only a symbol of what could’ve been, what never would happen, what Isak had destroyed.

“I don’t know,” Isak whispered into the night, his breath showing in front of him as he let the words out. The cold not affecting him, not really, but he still had a jacket on, and he still refused to have his hands out of his pockets, by this point instinctively shielding his skin from others, but especially from Even. Not because he feared Even would touch him, he knew he never would, but instead he feared he himself would have the lack of self-control and would reach over, ruining everything even more than he already had. And when he looked up, into Even’s blue eyes, he had wished he had felt the cold, he had wished he felt the harshest winds of the north simply to distract him from the pain he saw in those irises.

“This is our bench,” Even spoke as he approached Isak carefully, the steps echoing in the night as the gravel crunched beneath the soles of his shoes.

No, it’s not, Isak thought, it’s yours and yours alone, everything I have, everything I could ever have is yours, there is no us, nothing is ours.  

But he didn’t say a thing, the silence hugging his lungs and making it unbearable to breathe, the only thing keeping him tethered to the Earth being Even’s closer and closer presence, until he sat down. The same way Isak was sitting, the same way they sat on the bench the first night they met.

The same way Isak had sat when he had fallen, placing himself right where he knew Even would look during his late-night walks. Because he knew it would happen, he knew he would glance towards the bench, as he always had. As if some involuntary force was lifting his gaze up, pushing him towards some universe where that bench meant something.

So, when he looked down upon the boy and felt the pain within him, and Isak had thought the suffering would break his bones when it rushed through him the first time he had seen him, he knew. He knew there was no ruler, no God, no being that would stop him from helping this man get rid of what he was feeling.

And yet somehow, that pain had returned. After getting to know him, after spending as much time with him as he could, after Even drew him silly cartoons, and taught him everything he could about movies, Isak had felt the brightness return to his life, and he knew what it meant. He knew it was time.

“Is it?” Isak burrowed further into his jacket, not realizing he had slipped further away from Even, his instincts telling him to put distance between them, but he felt the change in Even’s mood, and it was as if the air had rushed out of him, that feeling Isak had never wanted to feel again returning at once, sharper than ever, cutting into them both and letting them bleed out, their emotions emitting from the cuts into the cold night air.

“The moments we shared are still ours, they don’t get split into two sections just because something,” He inhaled sharply, ”well, nothing happened.”

And Isak had wished that weren’t true, he wished he could take all of those memories away from Even and keep them to himself, selfishly hoarding those days he had felt more human than he had felt when he was half a meter away from God himself.

He wished he could remove himself from this enticing creature, he wished he could only leave happiness behind him, and take away the cause of it. Because, after all, he had been the cause of this as well. The cause of what he considered to be his very own personal Armageddon.

“I’m sorry,” Isak hoped the words would mean something, anything. That they would erase some of Even’s ache, but the bitter laugh Even let out told him they did no such thing.

“It’s okay Isak, it’s not your fault,” the sincerity of the sentiment made his breath hitch. He looked over to Even, trailing his eyes over his profile, the sharpness of his jawline, the slope of his nose, the plumpness of his lips, and the bags under his tired eyes.

He lost sleep because of me.  

“I’m still sorry.”

Even turned to him with a sad smile on his face, his eyes flitting over Isak’s features as if he were memorizing them, as if he knew it was the last time they’d speak, and then he turned away, turned away from Isak and somehow Isak broke even further, “I know.”

Isak counted the seconds of silence, focusing on Even and nothing else, hoping, praying, he could feel his presence, his heartbeat, his breath, and it would envelop his body and soul like a hug, hoping it would heal the hole Even had already left behind.

“It could have been good,” Even spoke suddenly, the words echoing in Isak’s mind and into the empty streets.

“What?” He whispered, but he already knew the answer; he didn’t know whether he wanted Even to simply confirm it, or if he wanted to hear his voice as much as he possibly could during the time he had left.

“Us,” Even glanced towards him, “We could have been good.”

No, Isak  thought, there is nothing good about me, how could we be good if one part of us is rotten?  

He felt his eyes brim with tears; he blinked them away, not wanting the last thing he made Even feel be pity.

“I’m glad you’re here,” a confession fell from Even’s lips, the honesty stitching Isak’s heart and soul back together, making him think maybe he wouldn’t be just a shell of what he used to be once he left.

“I’m glad I’m here too,” Isak looked at him, Even’s eyes meeting his, the beauty of them giving him strength to leave, knowing he would never be able to forget those damn eyes.

He stood from the bench, Even’s gaze following his every move.

He turned towards him, only a few feet between them. He took Even in, he looked and he looked until he felt a smile pull on his lips.  

“You know,” He started slowly, carefully, wanting the words to sink in and allow Even to feel every bit of affection he had for him, “you’re the only real angel I’ve ever met.”

The feelings changed, Isak’s heart beating once more as he felt the hopefulness, the happiness radiating from Even. As he looked into those blue eyes, he saw it. He saw what he had never felt when looking at anyone else, he saw pure, and utter love. And he knew. He knew what he needed to do.

He took a step towards him, his hand coming out of his pocket, another step, and he stood in front of him, in front of the only person he had ever dared to care about, and he lifted his hand.

The seconds ticked away as his hand approached Even’s face, until his fingertips gently grazed the flushed skin on Even’s cheek. The time stopped, everything disappeared but them two. He felt his heart racing, a smile spreading on his face as he heard Even’s breath hitch, his eyes meeting Isak’s and not looking away, always looking at him, only him.

He pulled away, taking a step backwards, “I’ll see you around Even.”

And as he walked away, he felt his grace disappear.

[raendown]

Only one more chapter to go! I can’t believe it’s almost over!

Pairing: MadaraTobirama Chapter: 17/18 Word count: 2718 Summary: When Tobirama is exiled from the Senju clan without warning, without even the chance to plead his case, it feels like his life is over. What does he have to live for now without his older brother to believe in him? Captured by the Uchiha in his moment of weakness, Tobirama slowly learns to live again with the last people on earth he would have ever expected to care for - or to fall in love with.

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

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Chapter 17

Explaining everything he had gone through since leaving the Senju clan took even longer than he’d thought it would. Night fell and the moon had risen high in the inky black sky before they finally covered everything, stopping frequently for all the interruptions he‘d predicted and more besides. Laying it all out at once made him realize just how much his life had changed so rapidly and, although he didn’t say so out loud, Tobirama was sort of proud of himself for how well he had handled it all. Sure he’d had his low points. Who wouldn’t have? But for each stumble he had been able to pick himself back up eventually and that alone helped him keep his head up high.

He was overly aware as well that he owed that strength entirely to the Uchiha brothers. Without them he would have given up and wasted away, either right there on the forest floor where he had fallen or in whatever backwater town he eventually ended up in. Just thinking about the sort of empty shell he could have become made him shudder and turn his mind to other things.

After he was finally finished speaking it was Hashirama’s turn to explain his side of the story. Strangely, it wasn’t nearly as hard to listen to as Tobirama had thought it would be. It had all happened already and everything had turned out alright in the end – so far. More than that, finding out the reason behind all the pain he had suffered, finally accepting that Hashirama hadn’t stopped loving him and that his big brother had not lost faith in him after all, it was a bigger weight off his chest than he had words to describe.

Now he knew the true culprits who deserved his anger, though he was extraordinarily proud of Hashirama for figuring out that he was being manipulated without Tobirama there to pessimistically point it out. Apparently even Mito sat back and allowed her husband to come to that realization on his own. They had all known that their own council of elders was capable of being just as manipulative as their worst enemies but none of them had ever suspected they would attempt something on this scale. Getting rid of Tobirama in an effort to weaken Hashirama might have seemed like a good plan in theory, he just wondered what they planned to do in the inevitable event of Mito and Touka banding together to provide a backbone should their clan head ever completely lose his own. There had never been a chance of the council taking full control of the clan no matter that everyone had always known they’d wanted to, even in his earliest memories. He wondered why they had even bothered to try when the odds of success were so low.  

He also wondered how they were enjoying their new total lack of power, removed from their seats on the council of elders and the very positions they had held for so long abolished entirely. From what Hashirama said, many people had enjoyed seeing their faces upon being told that the practice of requiring the elders’ permission for the Clan Head to perform most of his duties was ancient and outdated. Tobirama wished there were a way his brother could share that particular memory.

From the look he could see Madara and Izuna sharing, he gathered that the elders’ punishments had not yet ended. He wasn’t the only one who was glad to have answers, apparently, and it just warmed him straight through to the core seeing the matching looks of evil anticipation on their faces. As clan head Hashirama could only do so much to them without being named cruel by the rest of the Senju. Outsiders, on the other hand, well there were a lot of things that Madara and Izuna could do without being caught or laying a trail of evidence back to the wrong people. He wondered if they would let him help or if they would insist on doing everything in his honor.

When all the words had been said and all the explanations given, after Tobirama had been given a chance to gloat maniacally over Hashirama’s decision to do away with the council of elders entirely, spitting in the face of all their traditions without so much as a hint of regret, it was finally time for Hashirama to go home so all of them could get some sleep for the next day. A village-wide poll was to be conducted tomorrow to choose the very first Hokage who would be tasked to guide and protect Konohagakure – and both prospective leaders were sitting in the same living room trying to hoard attention from the same man.

Clearly reluctant to be parted from the one he’d been searching for, Hashirama asked if Tobirama would please walk him home in a voice that was so soft it bordered on being afraid.

“I’m coming too,” Madara declared brusquely before Tobirama could answer. He’d made no secret of how he felt about Hashirama’s actions and still had little flare ups of protectiveness, though hearing that it had mostly been a case of manipulation had cooled him a great deal. There were countless signs that the two of them would be friends again soon now that all the misconceptions had been cleared away. It would likely take some time for that too but Tobirama had been picking up hints for weeks in the man’s speech and from the way they interacted it was clear they were well on that path already.

While Izuna opted to stay behind the rest of them set out in to the night at an easy stroll. The few Uchiha still out and about at this hour managed to give them a polite berth while at the same time keeping close enough that they could leap to aid if they were needed, all eyes trained on Hashirama mistrustfully with every step he took.

The moment they passed through the front gates of the Uchiha compound and in to the rest of the village Tobirama could immediately feel eyes on himself instead. He did understand; no one but the people he lived with had seen him in more than a year. The few missions he had run didn’t count since the people he encountered then usually ended up dead or caught in a genjutsu from which there was no escape, depending on who accompanied him. Now that he had been discovered by the one person he’d been avoiding the most, however, he refused to keep himself squirreled away. He prowled along unfamiliar streets like he owned them, unafraid of whoever saw him passing by.

Marking his own freedom came to an end when they stopped at the entrance to the Senju compound and he heard a familiar voice screeching his name, rough-sharp-loving signature inbound with enough speed that he would have defended himself from attack if he hadn’t heard the note of desperation in her cry.

Touka impacted him so hard he stumbled backwards under her weight, startling Madara in to a defensive stance of his own before Tobirama waved the man down.

“You’re alive! Shit’s sake, you’re fucking alive!” Her thick arms constricted around him like twin vices but Tobirama didn’t have the heart to ask her to loosen them. It was good to see her again. Of all the people he had missed she’d been one of the ones he yearned for the most, the only person he knew with absolute certainty who would have questioned Hashirama’s decision, at the very least.

“Alive and well,” he reassured her. At the sound of his voice she shivered and held tighter.

“You came home,” she breathed, syllables wavering. She didn’t cry because Senju Touka never cried but he could certainly hear how affected she was by his supposed return. Gently, Tobirama patted her on the back and avoided Hashirama’s gaze over her shoulder.

“I…made a new home for myself.”

Touka pulled away from him, keeping a reassuring grip on his upper arms, and leveled him with a confused frown. “I don’t care about any other place you might have gotten off to, we are your home. We always have been and we always will be.” Her brows furrowed even deeper when Tobirama shifted uncomfortably and narrowed her eyes when Madara stepped closer to place a soothing hand against his lower back.

“Not anymore,” Tobirama murmured softly. From the corner of his eye he could see Hashirama curling in on himself with guilt but he couldn’t bring himself to feel bad for saying it. “I lost everything when I was asked to leave. I don’t think I can ever go back and pretend like nothing’s changed – because a lot of things have changed.”

“Bullshit!”

“I know.” He smiled against his will; it was just such a her reaction.

She protested when he slipped away, leaning back in to Madara’s touch and releasing the tension in his shoulder’s when his partner slipped one arm around them. Incredibly, it was Hashirama that shushed her and pulled her back from ‘rescuing’ Tobirama from the big bad Uchiha.

“I’ll explain everything to her, I’m sure you don’t want to go over it all again so soon.” He smiled that same old open smile. “Thank you for hearing me out. I’m…I’m just really happy you’re okay, Tobi.”

“Whoa, hey, wait a fucking second. It’s been an entire damn year since I’ve seen him; give me more than two seconds before you send him away again you heartless bastard!”

“Enough.”

To Tobirama’s surprise his brother did not flinch from her words, only closed his eyes to take a deep breath. Evidently the man had done some growing up while they had been apart. It should have hurt that he hadn’t been there to see it happen – it should have been irritating that of course Hashirama only grew the hell up once Tobirama was no longer there to mother him – yet instead all he felt was pride. It was good to see the other man standing tall and facing the problems he had created without asking someone else to help him take the fall.

“Don’t you ‘enough’ me like I’m going to listen to you when I finally have my baby cousin back!” Touka jerked her arm out of Hashirama’s grasp. “It’s your fault he was gone!”

“I know. And it is also my fault that he will not be returning. Please, Touka, just let me explain what’s happened–”

“Why should I? I’d rather have him explain it to me! Tobes, you’ve been gone for over a year and you show up getting cozy with an Uchiha!? And I’m supposed to just let you go again? Not a chance!” The way her weight settled in that stubborn stance he knew so well told him that she was digging herself in where very few things could convince her to move.

Lucky for him he knew just the thing that would.

“Touka, do you love me?”

“Sorry, what? The hell kind of question is that?” He smiled, recognizing her way of saying ‘yes’.

“Out of everyone in the Senju clan I knew that I could count on you to believe in me even after I was gone.” His own way of saying it back without embarrassing them both. She still frowned uncomfortably, much to his amusement. “But I no longer consider myself a member of that clan. I was exiled. That Hashirama regrets his decision does not change the fact that it happened. And just because he is willing to welcome me back doesn’t mean I am willing to come back.”

“I don’t understand,” she admitted in a small voice.

Tobirama shook his head. “You will if you listen but…I’m sorry. I’ve missed you every bit as much as you’ve missed me – more, I would say – but I’m done. I’m tired. Hashirama will explain everything to you and I swear that you will see me again. Every day, if you want. If you care for me still then you will let me go for one more night.”

With her bottom lip caught between her teeth to hide the quiver of her own emotions, Touka balled her hands in to fists and shifted her gaze over to Madara.

“If you hurt him I will tear out your throat. Not even the Hyuga will be able to find whatever pieces are left over when I’m through with you.” She narrowed her eyes when Hashirama took hold of her arms again but didn’t bother to fight him this time.

“You know something? I believe that.” Madara didn’t even seem all that offended to be threatened. He looked more glad than anything else that there were still people in the Senju who had never lost faith in Tobirama.

A few moments passed in which no one said anything and Tobirama felt like a wall had dropped between them all with the two Senju on one side while he stood with Madara on the other, two worlds colliding but not yet ready to merge together. It was time to leave.

“Goodnight Hashirama, Touka.” His words quiet and his tone colored with only the barest shades regret, Tobirama didn’t bother to resist when Madara gently steered him away. It certainly wasn’t something he indulged in often but in situations like this it was nice to just let someone else take charge and lead him to where he needed to be. Right now he needed to go home and curl up somewhere he could feel safe after exposing himself to so many raw emotions. Meeting his brother again had been trying enough. Running in to Touka was pleasant in a way but also jarring in how little he expected to be assaulted with even more things to feel.

Behind them he could hear the other two in a heated disagreement and he was glad Hashirama was able to prevent his cousin from following after him. She hadn’t had the same chance to come to terms with seeing him again but he felt empty after so much upset and his brother was right, he simply wasn’t feeling up to going over it all again so soon. He needed time to recharge before he could even think of facing those emotions again.

He was grateful that Madara seemed to understand his need for silence at the moment. Neither of them spoke for the entire walk back and it gave him the time to quietly process everything that had happened, filing it all away in his mind, down below the surface where he could think about it without feeling like he would overwhelm himself again. A shinobi needed to function around their emotions and he had always been a very good shinobi. By the time they arrived home he was feeling much less out of balance, well enough that he could enjoy Izuna fussing over him for a little while before he decided it was time to sleep and dragged Madara off to his room.

There were a lot of things that came to mind when he thought about the concept of home but out of them all this was the one that always came first now, the sensory memory of how it felt to lie on his back with Madara curled up against his side, wild mane braided back so the man could press his face in to Tobirama’s neck as they slept, warm breath on his skin and a steady heart beating against his own. If the two of them kept crawling in to each other’s beds so often they were going to have to just call it eventually and combine their belongings to one room. Tobirama couldn’t say he would be all that upset about it, really. It felt inevitable in the best way possible.

He fell asleep that night feeling lighter than he had in over a year, cut loose from the weights that had been holding him down. The world wasn’t entirely set to rights quite yet but it was on its way there and that was all he could ask for. When his dreams reached out to take hold of him he was smiling in to Madara’s hair, cozy and content, ready for whatever tomorrow had in store.

[edream93]

I’m Hooked On All These Feelings (Harry of Auradon AU) Part 9

Hey everyone! Sorry that I haven’t updated since October. It was a combination of being stuck and just having a lot of different stuff going on in my life. I’m honestly not 100% satisfied with this chapter but let me know what you all think. This is also posted on on AO3 or FF.net. Here’s the link for Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3, Part 4, Part 5,  Part 6 ,  Part 7, and Part 8 of the story so far.

TRIGGER WARNING: There are some abusive elements in this chapter. Nothing too detailed but if you’re uncomfortable with that but still want a basic summary so that you can continue on with the story, just message me or shoot me an ask.

She was laughing at her.

She. Was. Laughing. At. Her.

She was laughing at her.

(Why was she laughing at her? Didn’t she care? Didn’t she knew what it did to have someone who was so integrated into your soul to laugh at you?)

The mocking laughter followed the half-fae as she slipped down the wharf, arms frantically pinwheeling as if the air would become solid, providing something that would halt her slippery path.

Disbelief quickly turned into anger once she was able to grab a railing along the side of the wharf, keeping her out of the shark infested waters. The laughing that had followed her suddenly turned into worried shouts colored with concern but that still didn’t cool her fiery ire.

No one was supposed to be laughing at her.

She wasn’t supposed to be laughing at her.

“You give her too much freedom,” her mother had mentioned offhandedly once or maybe a hundred times before. “She doesn’t know her place. The hierarchy of life. That she is untouchable only because she is yours.”

And Uma was Mal’s, claimed from the very first time they met.

Mal swung herself silently back onto the wharf, just behind Uma’s frantic form searching over the side of the wharf, ready to jump into the shark infested waters. When Uma’s voice was tinged with worry, with fear, Mal preened at Uma’s concern (“For me. Only for me,” she thought.) before reaching out and tapping the teal haired girl on the shoulder.

The look of relief on Uma’s face was addicting and on this wharf surrounded by the dregs of the Isle, Mal found it too precious to share with anyone else. So she poured a bucket of shrimp on her best friend and laughed at her as she had just been laughed at.

Fair is fair after all.

By the end of the day, everyone had heard of Uma’s new nickname either through the spreading gossip or by the smell alone.

“Shrimpy,” everyone, even Ursula, called her. Because “Uma” was something that Mal wanted to hoard all to herself, in name...and in person.

Uma was Mal’s.

It was never said but everyone knew it.

A week after the incident at the wharf, Mal watched as the Gaston twins shoved Uma to the ground, doing it again when she tried to get up. They laughed as mud and other Isle filth covered the girl, mingling in with the shrimpy scent that still lingered. They taunted her with crude and horrible words, punctuated every so often with their fists.

“Seriously, Mal? Again?” Jay sighed from the wooden crate he sat on with a practiced tone of boredom, despite the tension in his body. He tossed a knife he had pocketed earlier off of one of Shan Yu’s men into the air, catching it’s hilt it with little effort. “Why let Dumb and Dumber mess with your claim?”

Mal rolled her eyes. She thought he would get it. That he would understand the need to keep what was his close and under control. After all, though he denied having anything to do with it, there was a reason why Cruella’s sniveling little runt never got anything more than a little rough housing at school from anyone other than herself or Jay after the thief had seen a beating taken too far nearly kill the boy.

“Because she needs to be reminded of how things are run so she doesn’t forget her place,” Mal casually leaned against the crate. Somewhere deep inside her she purred that her Uma bit back each scream and groan she was inflicted.

“I still don’t get it,” Jay mumbled irritatedly. “Wasn’t that the hole point of dumping shrimp on her? She’s weak. Why not just move on and forget about her?”

She fumed. “You don’t need to get it,” Mal crossed her arms. If he didn’t get it, then it wasn’t her job to explain the rules of the game, the hierarchy of the Isle that was her birthright as Maleficent’s heir, how a part deep deep within her craved both for Uma’s affection and pain.

Jay let out  frustrated sigh, glancing over as one of the Gaston twins, shoved the small teal hair girl into the side of the building, a loud crack heard even from their distance.

“They’re going to break her,” Jay tossed the knife deftly back and forth between his hands. A nervous tick, Mal noticed.

“Get rid of them,” she ordered and for once, Jay didn’t fight her. He merely hopped down from the crate on quick silent feet, scooped up several large pieces of rocks, and tossed them with easy aim at the twins. The two boy’s thick necks swiveled towards his direction, scowling as he gave them a one finger salute.

Mal didn’t even watch as Jay took off laughing as the Gaston twins forgot their prey, chasing after the quick footed thief and his taunts. Instead, she made her way towards what was hers until she was crouching in front of the crumbled semi-conscious form of her favorite plaything.

Uma’s left eye and cheek was swollen and angry looking, her bottom lip split, and if the shallow breathing indicated anything, her ribs may have also been bruised as well.

Despite the beating, despite the taunts and cruel names, her dark brown eyes looked at Mal fiercely, never wavering.

“J-just...kill me.”

“Don’t worry,” Mal said taking Uma’s chin in her hand, her face softening. “That isn’t what I want at all. You’re mine after all. No one will take you from my side. No one,” she promised just as the other girl fell unconscious.

  ---

“Do not give me that greedy little look of yours,” Maleficent closed her eyes exasperatedly, pinching the bridge of her nose. She had to remind herself that her tadpole of a daughter was just a limo ride away from getting her off this damn Isle. She couldn’t kill her...yet... “I have already told you, Mal. You cannot bring your little pet with you to Auradon.”

“Then I guess I’m just not going.”

The entire room went silent, and if it wasn’t for the fact that there was no magic on the Isle, Mal would have sworn that the crack of thunder that shook the decrepit remains of the Bargain Castle was her mother’s doing.

“Mal,” her mother purred with so much sweetness in her voice that the hairs on the back of Mal’s neck stood to attention at the hidden danger.

The Mistress of Darkness pushed herself from the makeshift throne she had regally sprawled herself on, sweeping across the room, all patch worked cloak and squeaking floor boards towards her only spawn. Mal held her breath, jaw clenched as her mother’s twig like fingers grasped bruisingly her jaw. Jay, Evie, Carlos, and their parents were long gone, off to go pack and plunder and cause some last minute mischief before the royal limo arrived for them.

It was just Mal and her mother.

No one was there to witness the dark fairy’s hand move from her daughter’s jaw down to her neck with inhuman speed and strength. Mal choked, tears already beginning to burn against her glowing eyes, chipped black nails digging futilely into her mother’s unrelenting grip.

“Now you listen up, naughty girl of mine,” Maleficent smiled cruelly, bringing Mal close to her face. “Everything you have is because of me. You live because, at the moment, I wish it so.” A pale bony finger traced down Mal’s cheek, a poor counterfeit of affection. “Not one little tangled purple hair on your hornless head has been touched by the filthy vermin that scurry around this Isle because of me.”

Without warning, she dropped Mal with a push, turning around as if she couldn’t bare the sight of the girl struggling to fill her lungs with air.

“I don’t do it out of love, but as a reminder. Do not cross me, girl. There are worse things than death, and I am one of them.”

Mal glared at her mother’s back. Outlined by the dim light that managed to get through the dust coated windows, Maleficent looked like shadows breathed with life and the essence of all the nightmares that plagued Mal every nightmare.

(Scratch that. Her mother made her nightmares look like blissful dreams.)

“Bring your pet and its...toy,” Maleficent finally conceded

Mal bit the inside of her cheek as she got up to her feet. Before the smirk could grow on her face and she could sneak out of the castle, Maleficent called out to her.

“Remember, heir of mine,” she sighed over her shoulder, as if she found the task of talking to her own flesh and blood tedious and beneath her. “If you fail in getting me the wand, you are replaceable, as tiresome as that would be to cultivate a new heir.” Her glowing green eyes connected with Mal’s. “Don’t forget that, my dear.”

Mal’s teeth ground against themselves but she didn’t say anything else, knowing that she was dismissed. She slipped out of her mother’s castle, tugging the collar of her jacket up high to hide blooming hand shaped bruise on her neck. Keeping to the shadows, she took alleys and cut through nearly abandoned buildings until the smell of rotten fish, rum, and seaweed hit her like a wall.

Ignoring the leering gazes of the drunken pirates, Mal plowed through anyone who was in her way as she stalked through the Isle’s usual scowling crowd. She didn’t even pause when she came to the entrance of a building that looked like it was one weak wind of being blown away. Instead, she pushed through the set of swinging doors. The rowdy noise of the shady establishment instantly silenced at her grand entrance. All eyes were on Mal.

The sounds of pans and canisters dropping on the floor along with Uma’s curses and Gil’s bumbling apologies were heard from the beyond the kitchen doors before the object of Mal’s search came stomping out, scowl set deep on her lips as she tossed a tray of undoubtedly half rotten food in front of a customer.

Mal smirked internally when Uma freezed in her presence, catching the minute way the other girl seemed to shrink at the sight of the half-fae. Mal preened at her attention.

“Pack your things, Shrimpy. We’re heading to Auradon to steal a wand.” Her green eyes narrowed at Gil’s much larger form standing dutifully as always behind Uma. “Your idiot too, I guess,” she snorted before leaving, not even waiting for a response.

Uma would come. Afterall, she was Mal’s. And no one would be able to take her from Mal’s side. No one…

...except for a young sailor with eyes as deep as the sea.

---

“I hope you understand the difficult position recent circumstances have put us in.”

Mal tilted her head to the side. Her face scrunched up in confusion as she looked at Fairy Godmother. “I-I don’t understand, ma’am,” she frowned, worrying her bottom lip.

Fairy Godmother cleared her throat. “I am referring to the disappearances of Uma and Gil and their apparent connection to Harry Jones’s unfortunate magical induced visit to the school’s infirmary. We have still yet to find them and have no way of knowing whether they’ve attempted to go back to the Isle or not. All we have to go on is the evidence from Harry’s room when he was found and Prince Ben remembering you offering him a cookie,” the headmistress said pulling out a plastic bag with a half eaten cookie in it. “A cookie that we found, upon further inspection, to be laced with a love potion.”

“I- We had nothing to do with that!” Mal exclaimed, leaning forward in her seat. “I mean- I mean…” she paused,hands covering her face before a choked sob escaped her lips as she brought her legs up to her chest. Her hands moved from her face to clutching her hair tightly in trembling fists.

Fairy Godmother gasped, startled by the girl’s sudden tears.

“She was my best friend. Uma was my best friend and she...she...lied to me!”

“Oh dear heart,” Fairy Godmother got from her seat, moving around her desk to place a calming hand on Mal’s shoulder. She was startled when Mal suddenly clutched onto her, sobs growing stronger. For a moment, the woman didn’t know what to do, seconds seeming to drag before she put a hesitant but reassuring hand on top of the girl’s purple head before her maternal instincts took over and began stroking Mal’s head soothingly.

After a few moments, Mal’s sobbing began to settle down a bit tas she clutched onto the older fairy’s powder blue suit. “I had told Uma-,” she sniffed. “I had told her that I thought Prince Ben was cute. I mean, he’s so kind and-and good!” Mal laughed wetly, pulling away slightly to wipe at her nose with the back of her sleeve. “Ben’s...so, so good. There’s no one like him on the Isle. I couldn’t help but fall for him. Uma saw that. S-she said I should make cookies and give them to Ben. That she would help. I-I get so f-flustered around Ben sometimes that she said it would be a good idea to have an icebreaker. We made the cookies together but I didn’t know she put a love spell on them. I would never do that to Prince Ben. Never. I want- I want to be good. I-”

“Shh-shh, dear heart,” Fairy Godmother pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, wiping the remainder of Mal’s tears. “Obviously Uma and Gil have deceived us all. I’m so sorry you had to go through something like that. To have put your trust in the wrong person.”

Mal nods, giving the woman a shaky smile. “Thank you.”

Fairy Godmother spent a few more minutes doting on the girl before letting her leave the office. Mal gives the woman a wave and a small smile as she leaves before turning back into the hallway where Evie, Jay, and Carlos are waiting for her.

Her smile melts away into a sneer once the doors are closed and it’s only the four of them in the hall.

“Idiot old fairy,” Mal spits before tossing Jay a used menthol stick that he had swiped from one of the theatre kids that had trouble crying on cue.

Mal didn’t even look to see if the others were following her as she stomped through the halls of Auradon, hands twitching at her side, green sparks dancing dangerously at her fingertips at the thought of Uma and what she would do once she got her hands on her.

Her mother had been right. Uma had never understood the hierarchy of life and her place below even the very bottom in it. 

But that was Mal’s fault, she acknowledged. She had been too soft. Had bruised Ursula’s spawn but never really broken her. It was a mistake that she would be sure to never make again.

After all, there are worse things than death, and Mal would make sure that for Uma and her little sailor, she would be one of them.

[samingtonwilson]

Relationship Tutor: (13) Competitive Confrontation

relationship tutor masterlist

Summary: College AU. Bucky, a relationship novice, asks for your help in dating your friend. Unable to say no to him, you agree despite everyone and everything telling you not to.

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Warnings: LANGUAGE (sam says ‘fuck’ literally 5 times in one go fgdlkgj)

A/N: lol bet this wasn’t the chapter y’all thought it would be. i somehow wish i could post the next one like right NOW but imma let y’all sweat a bit

Though he was never one for clichés, Bucky once again forgot how to breathe. The rhythm, the frequency, the simple technique was lost on him. How many inhales came before one exhale? How many exhales before the next set of inhales? Was he meant to hold any of the air in, let it hit the corners of his lungs? How long was a breath meant to last anyway?

He attributed his difficulty, his loss of his every wit to your laughter, to the smile that lit your eyes like the Aurora Borealis rested in your irises as you sat in the corner of the messy living room, your back against the wall and your knees pulled to your chest.

The slight puffiness under your eyes, the state of your once impeccable eyeliner, the subtle stain left on your lips from lipstick that had long ago come off tightened his chest, the label half-torn from the bottle of cold water beside you.

To anyone else, you would have looked like four-A.M.— inky, bathed in extinguished energy, in residual smoke — but Bucky saw you and the way you nodded with a wrinkled nose as Steve told you a particularly boring story and could have sworn he’d never seen something so clear, pure, and bright. Like a sunrise.

How could he breathe in the midst of someone like that? How could he devote attention to anything other than the delighted noises you made, the angelic facial expressions you offered? Breathing seemed too ordinary, too banal to be worth any bit of his focus.

And he’d been having this difficulty all night— from the moment you’d walked into the party, actually.

You weren’t particularly happy at the time, a frown etched over your lips as hoards of unknown underclassmen spoke to you as if you’d been friends for eons. Unable to see such helplessness in your pleading eyes, he rescued you from the painful conversations and whisked you away to his bedroom, promising sanctuary and delivering his comfortable presence.

Sam eventually pulled you from the room, giving Bucky a confusingly knowing glare as he added, “Quit playing, man.”

Bucky was too afraid to ask what Sam had meant. Not because Sam was intimidating, but because he didn’t think he could hear the truth. He didn’t think he could bear confirmation on the thought that he’d been so transparent all along— as your adamant refusal to acknowledge what was so readily on the surface could only be an indication that this was all hopeless, that you weren’t in the same place he was.

Natasha thought that notion was ludicrous. She told Bucky of all the times you seemed to shut down, stiffen at her mentioning of him in any way exceeding platonic. She told Bucky of all the times you seemed to trail off, lose focus, become completely absent when he was in the same room.

“People don’t do that if they don’t have feelings, Barnes,” she’d told him, annoying smirk in place.

As it was, it was upon her insistence along with Steve’s that Bucky threw the party you were all currently sitting in the aftermath of— something about getting you alone while having the knowledge that emotional support was only a few feet away if need be. But he found himself hating the idea more and more as the night progressed.

It wasn’t as if he would find sudden strength in the emotional support he’d always had. What made this party different than any other he and Steve had ever thrown? Sure, it was more melancholic, more focused on the heartbreak he’d inflicted upon himself in anticipation of what was to come— but how was any of that meant to inspire a confession he’d held in for over a year? It took more than cheap booze, bad music, and emotional support to undo suppression like that.

Truthfully, all the party inspired in Bucky was a renewed desire to re-read The Great Gatsby.

You smiled up at him as he came to sit beside you, placing your water bottle the palm he held out. “I waited for you to rescue me, like, five times after Sam came to get me.”

“You finally tired of Wilson?”

You snorted and took the bottle back once he drank down half of it. “Did Natasha already leave?”

He nodded, relaxing against the wall behind him. “She has some performance tomorrow. Said she needs a lot of sleep before something like that.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?” he snorted, leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling.

“Wouldn’t you rather be around your girlfriend,” you said in a singsong voice, “than stuck here with us goofs?”

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Yeah, the term is juvenile and annoyingly possessory but I need to refer to her in some way.”

“You can just use her name. She was your friend first.”

You hummed out a sigh and seemed to slump into his side, his arm immediately going around you to rest upon your shoulders. “Seems like things are going well, though. You haven’t asked for my help for a few days.”

He frowned in consideration and nodded a moment later. “Yeah, I actually don’t think I need your help with Natasha anymore.”

It wasn’t a lie. He didn’t need your help with Natasha, he had no reason to need your help with Natasha. He needed your help with you.

Each time he wondered how to take all of this on, how to even begin bringing what he’d always kept so hidden to reality, he found himself wishing he could just ask you. You were the first person he thought of and the last— as was true for most circumstances.

You were trying miserably to hide your look of disappointment when he looked down at you, your lips drooping. An oddly shaky exhale left you and you straightened your posture, taking your warmth with you. “Good, I’m glad it’s going well.”

He was confused by the way you shut down thereafter, your eyes on your phone screen as your fingers toyed with your bottom lip. He briefly entertained the idea that Natasha might have been right, that the way you stiffened, the way you built walls around yourself whenever the two of them were brought up was an indication that you indeed had feelings for him. Feelings that might have an intensity deep enough to rival his.

It wasn’t until fifteen minutes later, when you rose from the floor and slipped on your boots, that the illusion broke. “Okay, it’s late so goodnight, boys. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I thought you were staying the night,” Steve replied, sending Bucky a dreadfully sympathetic frown.

You tucked your phone into the pocket of your jacket and nodded in the direction of a snoozing Sam laying on the couch. “He’s staying the night. I’ve got work in the morning and this place smells like the inside of a bottle of tequila. I’m leaving my car here, though— I shouldn’t drive like this.”

“You’re not walking back, are you?”

You gave Steve a disbelieving look. “Steve, I wouldn’t even walk back in broad daylight let alone at three in the morning. Tony’s been at Clint’s place upstairs since he left here so—”

“I can drive you back,” Bucky interjected, a sudden rush of blood burning his cheeks and ears at the mere prospect of Tony driving you back and likely staying the night.

You shook your head and offered him a small smile. “He’s going home right now anyway. It’d be out of the way for you.”

“But—”

“Bucky, just—” you sighed in what sounded like frustration and started towards the door, opening it before you turned around with a contradictory smile. “Just goodnight.”

As the slamming of the door rang in his ears and his jaw was clenched hard enough to shatter his teeth, Bucky’s head fell back against the wall again. He was praying Steve would let him sit in silence for a few moments, at least until the feeling that surged through him the moment you left subsided.

But Steve was never one to let an opportunity to scold go. “Are you the biggest fucking moron on the face of this planet?”

“What?” Bucky asked, glaring as he lifted his head and grimaced.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

He scoffed. “What the hell am I supposed to do? Tell her to stop living her goddamn life because I’m too much of a fucking chicken to tell her how I feel? Tell her to stop living her life because it makes me unhappy?”

Steve shook his head. “Do you know how many of your problems would be solved if you just opened your fucking mouth without overthinking? You know for a communications major, you’re fucking terrible at communication.”

“Why would anyone communicate something that’s only going to lead to more shit?”

“Because this right here,” he began, motioning towards Bucky’s crestfallen state, “this looks like an incredible alternative.”

“You know what, —”

“Can you shut up?” Sam nearly shouted from the couch, flipping onto his side so his back faced Bucky and Steve. “Y/N, baby girl, tell them I need to sleep.”

“She’s not here,” Steve told him while sending Bucky a glare.

Sam sat up quickly, deep brown eyes wide and forehead creased. “What? You let her leave alone when she’s been drinking?”

“Tony’s giving her a ride.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake!” he yelled, throwing his hands up in bewilderment. He then pointed at Bucky with his index finger. “You! This is all on you!”

Bucky scowled. “Excuse me?”

“No, fuck you, dude. How the fuck are you so fucking dense? We just got rid of that tool a few weeks ago and— What the fuck did you do? Did you say something? Did you ask for more fucking advice?”

“What the hell do I have to do with any of this? That happened independent of me.”

Sam snorted and Bucky only felt his anger increase. “Nothing’s been happening independent of you for months now. What did you do this time?”

“I didn’t do anything! She asked about Natasha and I and said I haven’t asked for advice in a while— all I said back was that I didn’t really need advice with Natasha anymore.”

“Oh, good. Then did you tell her you’ve never been so in love, that you’re walkin’ on fuckin’ air, that you’re so fuckin’ happy with Natasha—”

Bucky sighed heavily in defeat, his tone and volume far calmer than just moments ago. “Nat and I aren’t even together, Wilson. We ended it a while ago.”

His eyebrows came together. “So you’ve been lying? Why?”

“I haven’t been lying, I would never lie to her. I just didn’t tell her.”

“So you lied by omission? Much better.”

“What am I supposed to say, Wilson? ‘Oh, right, Natasha dumped me because she realized I’m insanely in love with you and I know you’ve probably ignored all the signs of how I feel out of pity, so thank you for that.’”

“You what?”

Bucky wore a mirthless smile. “Yeah, I got dumped by Natasha.”

“I don’t give a shit about that, Barnes.” Sam placed his elbows on his knees and leant forward. “You’re in love with her?”

“He has been for more than a year,” Steve replied, shaking his head as he took a sip from his bottle of water. “Follows her around like a—”

“Like a puppy— yeah, I know,” Sam’s voice was softer now, a slight smile pulling at his lips as he shook his head. “Unbelievable. I was right the whole time.”

Bucky sighed again. “What are you talking about, Wilson?”

Smooth features grew hard again. “Why’d you ask her to help you with Natasha? Was that some twisted way to make her jealous?”

He shook his head. “No, never. I wouldn’t do that.”

“Was it a twisted way of getting closer to her?”

“No. I was genuinely attracted to Nat and thought dating her properly would be nice and might help me move on from all of this.”

He hummed curtly and sat back. “We’re friends with a couple of fuckin’ idiots, Steve.”

“Wilson, —”

“Go to my place, Barnes,” he continued calmly, his smile a little bigger. “Go and talk to her. Tell her.”

“But —”

“Shut up, man. Just go and kick Stark out.”

PART 14: COMMUNICATION CERTIFICATION

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[sapphicalexaandra]

Beautiful Mess (2/4)

Pairing: Jace/Alec

Rating: E (eventually, this particular chapter is T)

Summary: Alec is desperate to truly get his parabatai back. 

Notes: Second chapter of my Jalec Secret Santa, gift for @myltzi !! Again, i’m so glad you enjoyed the first part, so i hope this one will be equally satisfying ;) 

Act II: Revived

Even in the line of fire When everything is on the wire Even up against the wall

Funny, how becoming Head of Institute had always been his dream, yet now the office felt like his own personal prison cell. He spent days and nights huddled in there, buried under reports, complains, rounds to define, mission orders to send, battle strategies to enforce. Alec knew that he was only one part of a system, one ring in a chain, yet it truly felt like he was up all alone against the world.

The knowledge that he shouldn’t be, since he had once made the biggest decision of his life exactly to not end up alone…he would’ve wanted to say that it was only one aspect of the problem, but it was not. It was the main reason why a gaping hole was opened at the center of his life, right under his feet, and every day he was inching closer to it.

Alec sighed – he was always sighing these days – and got out of his cell. At least, if he was active, he could think less.

He started walking through the corridors with his head held high only because he had to present an image, not because his neck had any strength left to keep him upright. He reached the ops center not even bothering to check where he was, because it was not as if he would talk to him, or acknowledge his presence.

When Izzy saw him, she sighed loudly, too, and Alec had to raise an eyebrow, addressing her crossly, “What?”

“I’m tired of seeing you with that long face. Just drag him into a closet and force him to talk to you, if he’s not doing it willingly, by the Angel.”

“I – can we not talk about Jace, for once? He’s not the center of the universe.” Alec chose to ignore the irony of the fact that he hadn’t needed clarification of who she was referring to.

Izzy scoffed at his words either way, rolling her eyes, while the redness suddenly rising to Alec’s face could only be put on his annoyance...

What did she think he was, a child?! He was trying to win a war, not play out a romance novel!

Protesting too much, however, would only make Izzy thing more that he was just a Jace-obsessed love-wrecked fool, crying at night over his broken heart. And she didn’t need to know that it wouldn’t be too far away from reality.  

As soon as she put a hand on his shoulder, however, Alec’s riled-up state fell like a leaf from a tree, leaving only his real face behind. Alec looked down, suddenly feeling only tired again.

“What – what if you went on a mission together? Maybe getting your groove back could bring him to open up a bit?” Izzy tentatively suggested.

Alec’s head shot upright.

A mission! That was what him and Jace needed! What better way to rekindle their connection than going back to their roots? They were parabatai, their bond was primarily a battle one, and nowhere had their bodies and souls been more in sync than on the field, while their lives depended on each other. When their hearts beat as one.

And Jace wouldn’t back down from a fight, if Alec still knew him at all. Jace hated both being confined and not on the front line, so he’d take the opportunity as soon as Alec presented it to him, even though it’d mean going side by side. Alec hoped that that wouldn’t stop Jace…or the disappointment he’d feel would be incomparable. Nothing would officially be sacred anymore, their bond forever a mere inconsequential thing of the past.

But first, he had to try.  

Alec pressed an enthusiastic kiss on his sister’s head, and he was only encouraged more when Izzy laughed - that was a rare and precious sound, these days. Then he turned towards a screen and started browsing for the happenings of the day.

A recon mission would be perfect; trying to find hints of Jonathan’s plans or his whereabouts was a priority now, after all. Alec closed in on a location of suspicious demon activity and went to inform Jace in a matter of minutes.

Finding him was even easier; they literally collided against each other on the corridor to Jace’s room. Alec gasped at feeling the sting of heat on his body.

“Sorry, sorry, I’m sorry.” Jace didn’t look him in the eyes, as he fidgeted with his fingers, probably to try and contain the power of the fire blazing through his system. “I’ll just-”

“Hey, it’s okay. What happened? Do I need to call-?”

“No! No, I just…trained too hard. I’ll be fine. I’m gonna go…rest.”

Jace was about to pass him and lock himself into his room, but Alec had to stop him. “Listen, Jace, wait! I have a proposition for you.”

Jace only spared him a brief glance, before averting his eyes once again. “I’m tired, I need to-”

“Too tired even for some good old shadowhunting?” Alec smirked at him.

Jace was taken aback, but he finally looked at him with something more than misery in his eyes. “For real? I can go?”

“Yes.”

Jace nodded, and Alec could feel his trepidation as he stared down at his shaking hands. “Okay, good. I think it’ll help - this.”

“Yeah.”

They fell silent, and Alec knew that Jace felt the space between them just as painfully as he did, so much so that Alec would’ve almost preferred being back in that alley where the other Jace had put a sword to his throat. At least, back then there was an excuse to their divide, and Alec had still managed to awaken something in Jace. Remind him of their bond. Get him back, if what Clary had said was true.

Now, Alec could’ve very well been the dirt under Jace’s shoes, for how much consequence he had on him.

“Who – who am I going with?” Jace broke the silence. He must’ve finally sensed the danger of that proposition.

“Me,” Alec replied curtly, not bothering to hide the challenge in his voice. Jace was opening his mouth, but Alec preceded him, “It’s either me or no one. I can’t let you go with someone who doesn’t know you as well as I do, or…did, plus I need to see for myself if the place has anything to do with Jonathan.”

Jace flinched at the name, merely staring at Alec wordlessly, and Alec didn’t know what he wished for the most. To shake Jace as hard as he could? To yell at him SAY SOMETHING? For Jace to deny that Alec didn’t know him anymore?

None of that happened. Jace lowered his eyes again, instead. “I – if that’s what you want.”

Alec didn’t feel like sighing in relief. It had been too easy. “Okay, then. Ops center in ten?”

Ten minutes later, Alec wasn’t feeling any more relaxed. Their bond, after all, could very well depend on the success of this mission, because they couldn’t go on like that, without being able to rely on each other, for much longer. Yet, Alec had to let his apprehension go, because he needed to hope that they would get out of these muddled waters.

Thus, when Jace arrived, Alec forced on a smile and, to not prolong the awkwardness, quickly used Clary’s rune to open up a portal. He stepped into it first, immediately starting to survey the area once he got on the other side, his bow at the ready. Jace arrived a moment later, and he did the same.

They were in a warehouse, an enormous, seemingly empty space. Of course, neither of them believed that there wasn’t a catch, and Alec did sigh in relief, if only internally, as soon as he realized that Jace had easily fallen into step with him, covering his back as they circled around to have a complete vision. That was their thing, become almost second nature to how they played off each other on the field after endless years of practice, of attunement. This way, they both didn’t have to worry about attacks coming from behind; Alec never felt more protected than when they did this.

“What is your theory? What’s he doing here?” Jace asked him in a whisper that resounded clearly in the silence.

Alec didn’t miss how the name had been skipped, nor had he not noticed how Jace had flinched at hearing it earlier, so he vowed not to use it, too, if not necessary. “Unlike his father before him, I don’t think he wants to rid the world of demons. He wants them to win, so I bet he’s opening more portals to the demon realm. We’ve been searching for them, to close them, and this could be a perfect spot…but why do you ask me, anyway? Shouldn’t you be more privy to his plans?”

“I was never privy to his plans,” Jace admitted, the hesitation to share anything about that time also clear. “I was just told what, what was needed to do in single circumstances. But I agree with your theory, the number of demons has definitely increased.”

Alec nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat to bring himself to speak the next words, “You know that you can talk to me, right? If you ever feel the need to share what it was like, or - or express what you’re feeli-”

“We should probably concentrate, right now, don’t you think?”

Alec tried to rein in his disappointment, because, of course, that wasn’t the best moment.

“Thank you, though…Alec.”

That was said so quietly that Alec almost thought he had imagined it. It still felt real enough, though, so Alec didn’t feel like stopping the smile opening on his face, as warmth spread inside of him, “Of course…Jace.”

That was the last they were able to talk, because right then they reached a side entrance to what looked like a tunnel, maybe to the sewers…and a hoard of Shax demons sprung out of it.

The following minutes were a whirlwind of arrows flying, swords slicing, and slime exploding all over the place. Jace burned bright in the middle of it all, and Alec could swear he felt on fire, too.

The first hoard led them to another a bit deeper down, then to another, and to another. No matter their growing exhaustion, two parabatai against an enemy were fueled much more and for far longer than any common Shadowhunter. After killing the last demon in sight, they breathed heavily but were still ready for more, and Alec couldn’t be more overjoyed at their success, or at the fact that they, of all the people he had sent during the past few weeks, were to be the ones to find a portal.

Because Alec had no doubts that they were close to one; there were simply too many demons.

That, however, was the moment they probably should’ve gone back and called for back-up, especially a magical one that could close the entrance to the demon realm. Yet, Alec shared one look with Jace and knew that they wouldn’t fall back until they had seen it with their own eyes; they both wouldn’t have considered the mission done otherwise.

“There are many tunnels, we should probably split up. Send a message if either of us finds it.”

Jace’s words could only fill Alec with dread, though. “But – but the closer we get to it the more demons we’ll encounter.”

“Nah, you really think they’re stuck next to it? I bet they rather went out to wreak havoc, and those ones were the last batch arriving. We should be safer for now.”

“Maybe. But I still don’t think we should get separated.”

Jace shrugged. “Wouldn’t you rather find it sooner than later?”

Alec hesitated for another moment...then resigned himself to it. Better sooner than later, he concluded; so much time had already passed getting rid of those Shax. “Fine. Message as soon as one finds it, then we’ll see each other at the entrance.”

“Cool.” Jace was already about to go left, when he stopped. “And thank you for – for the opportunity, Alec. I was going crazy in that Institute.”

Alec smiled. “I know. And you’re very welcome.”

Jace smiled, too, (finally - how Alec had missed that sight), and he even lingered his gaze on him for a second longer. Alec almost thought he was about to say something, or hug him...but, in the end, Jace didn’t, and resumed his steps. Alec ignored the way his heart tightened, and went the other way.

The tunnels seemed to go on endlessly, his witchlight the only illumination. He actually didn’t encounter any more demons beside the occasional stray, though, so Alec became hopeful that one of them would manage to find the portal safely.

And a while later, the message did arrive.

Alec could breathe more easily.

He started retracing his steps at a faster pace than before. He wanted to get out of those sewers as soon as possible, plus he had the sudden need to see Jace for himself and assess his state, so that he could finally, truly relax. When he reached the intersection where him and Jace had split, however, Jace wasn’t there. Not knowing if he was ahead or behind, Alec couldn’t wait around for him.

He was about to start going up and reach the surface, when he heard it – them. The snapping and trashing of a whole bunch of demons approaching at a fast rate. Alec hardly thought he could take them all on his own, but he also doubted he could outrun them, and being caught from behind would be worse. Thus, he threw his witchlight on the ground, turned around, and waited for them to reach him.

The first few that appeared were dissolved by his arrows, but he soon had to take out his seraph blades and start slicing the rest. There were even more demons than he had thought; at least twenty, or thirty, who crawled on every surface, up or sideways or down, to get to him from all directions…

Using the last of his energy, Alec twirled around endlessly trying to kill them all. When a stinger caught him on the back, he didn’t even have the time to scream, or the demons in front of him would’ve eaten him. Now blinded by pain, Alec stabbed his swords randomly. By the third sting, he was on the ground, his back leaving a wet path as he slid down against the wall.

He was done for, he knew it, he was surrounded, there was no way he could – when, suddenly, the jaws of the demon about to maul him turned to ashes. A shadowy form was in its place, and Alec saw with unfocused eyes someone who could only have been his parabatai immediately turn to face the rest of the swarm.

“Alec! Alec, stay with me! Don’t fall asleep!”

Hard to comply; he was losing too much blood from his wounds, and Alec already felt too lightheaded to think, let alone consciously stay awake or move long enough to take out his stele and heal himself. For how much it hurt his back, the slimy wall behind him was the only thing keeping him upright.

He was done for; Jace was slaying the last demons left, but Alec wouldn’t live long enough to see it.

“Alec, don’t you dare…leaving…me!” came Jace’s strained voice in bursts, “I won’t…let you!”

I’m sorry, Jace.

The last thing he would be feeling, though, outside of all the pain, was the joy for the reassurance that Jace still cared about him, at least enough to not want him to die…and that was one last gift Alec would cherish until his final breath.

Right then, Alec found himself gasping.

A rush of familiar power had started flowing through him. Healing power. His iratze was working on him. And by the time it had done its course closing all his wounds, Alec’s vision had cleared, and he could see nothing else in the tunnel besides Jace, crouching down in front of him with relief shining through his dirty and bloodied face. Alec could feel a hand touching his face, caressing it gently, and it was the best thing he had ever felt.

“You’re alright, it’s over,” Jace told him - with a catch in his voice? “Let’s get you out of here. I’ve got you.”

Jace helped him get up. Then, still dizzy, Alec had to lean on him all the way back to the surface.

Only when he breathed clearer air could Alec finally keep himself upright on his own, and think again. “How – how am I alive? Was it you?” he croaked.

Jace shrugged, nodding. “I think I just – I activated my iratze and it worked on you, too, like it happened once with…Clary. With her I share the angel blood, and I share my soul with you, so I think you must both read as a continuation of myself, that’s why that works.”

Alec nodded, still wrapping his mind around it. He hadn’t thought that could be a thing…but he had thought about something else. “You were trying to get away, weren’t you? That’s why you suggested we split up, so that you could sneak out more easily.” He didn’t even say it angrily; he was just tired.

Jace didn’t even try to deny it, he simply looked away, biting down on his lower lip.

“Go, then!” The shout coming from Alec surprised both of them, but only Jace openly flinched. “I said go! I won’t be the one stopping you. Go do whatever it is that you want to do! Run after Jonathan and be a hero one last time before you leave this world? Hide somewhere none of us will ever find you? Whatever, I don’t care!”

Alec turned around, and started limping away.

“Ale-”

“But you know what?!” Alec rounded back on him before Jace could even finish his sentence. “I do care! I care about you, and about our bond, even if you don’t! If that’s the reason you want to go away, then be my guest! But if this is just your way to prevent me from being hurt by you or some shit, just don’t. Don’t you see it by now?! The only thing about you that hurts me is when you’re away from me!”

Jace didn’t say anything. He simply stared at him with a lucid glint in his eyes; but, at that point, that wasn’t enough. What did Alec need to do more to get a reaction out of him?!

“I just – I don’t want to lose you...I’m tired of losing you.” Alec felt so hopeless, and yet, what else did he have to lose? “I’m tired of missing you.”

Nor did he care about the tears now falling freely from his eyes.

Scratch that, he did care; Alec didn’t enjoy making a fool out of himself in front of Jace, especially when he was the only one doing so. Bringing a hand up to his face, he started rubbing his eyes almost maniacally. But it must’ve been the aftershocks of the pain, or the exhaustion…because, embarrassingly, he didn’t have enough hold on himself to stop a sob from escaping his lips. And as it echoed loudly in the chamber, Alec wished to be swallowed back by a hoard of Shax demons.

Instead, he was swallowed by two arms wrapping themselves around him with such force that he stumbled backwards.

“I’m sorry, Alec, I’m so sorry,” Jace spoke raucously against his ear, “don’t think that I don’t care about you, because I do, you don’t even know how – how much. But I don’t know what to do. Is it that wrong of me to want to protect you from me?! I might’ve been under someone else’s influence, but it was my hands that killed my own grandmother! My hands that almost killed you! I-”

Alec returned the hug with all the strength his still-battered body would grant him, with all the desperation his soul urged in him, before he battled his own jumble of emotions to let words out, “It does matter that you were under someone else’s influence! What did you tell me when I was possessed?! It was the demon! So, don’t – don’t think like that, I don’t care about what you’ve done, I just want…I want my parabatai back. Or, just you.” Alec rubbed his nose against Jace’s neck, inhaling his sharp, unmistakable scent. “Stop distancing yourself from me, or lying to me, I – I never asked you to! Do you have any idea what it was like waking up one day and finding out that you were gone? And then having to be told from Clary that you had died, and that the mother of all demons had used that to tie you to Jonathan?! I - like I said, if you don’t feel like sharing your soul with someone else anymore, it’s fine. I just need you in my life, in any way. So please, please, don’t – don’t leave me.”

Alec should’ve maybe worried more about how needy he sounded, or that he was leaning with his entire weight on Jace…but he couldn’t have brought himself to let go for anything in the world. Jace held him anyway, one of his hands smoothing the hair at the back of Alec’s neck; all in all, Jace was the sole thing keeping Alec from falling under his buckling knees.

Had Alec ever put himself in Jace’s arms with quite the same abandon? Had he ever been held by Jace quite like this?

“Don’t you see,” Jace whispered hoarsely, “that I would give anything to be the person who could deservedly share a soul with you? I – that’s all I want. You don’t know what it was like when I could feel you again, or when you made me realize that you were that part of me that I was missing.” Jace drew a sharp breath, and Alec couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It sounded too good to be true, and yet… “Being away from you is the last thing I want, too, I swear…but I don’t know if you should want to be near me.”

“I don’t care what you think I should or shouldn’t want, Jace. I’ll never not want you by my side. And do you really want to have me on your conscience if you leave me without my consent?” Alec chuckled, but his attempt at levity wasn’t really such. He was waiting, his fear out in the open, for whether he would be pushed off a cliff, or not.

Jace’s silence wasn’t really helping. Alec didn’t realize he was holding his breath until Jace spoke again, “No, I don’t want to have you on my conscience.”

And we don’t have a thing to lose No matter what they say or do I don’t want nothing more Our love is untouchable

Alec started leaning on him even more, as he broke out into a laugh that was more of a cry, and Jace welcomed his weight with some form of reverence. Having Alec put so much trust in him, as if his entire body was begging Jace to not let him go, felt like too much and not enough at the same time.

Because the truth was, Jace would’ve spent all his life worshipping Alec, showering him with all the love that Alec deserved and Jace felt.

But he still wasn’t worthy.

Thus, when Alec finally broke apart and smiled wobbly at him, still trying to cover up his tears, Jace would’ve kissed them away – the need to kiss Alec altogether was so strong, right then, that Jace couldn’t even fool himself anymore into thinking that he had been wrong about the feelings that he had discovered he had - but he simply resorted to cup Alec’s jaw and use his thumbs, instead. Alec let him, clearly surprised.

“I won’t leave you, I promise,” he reaffirmed, smiling rather shakily as well. Jace didn’t know how he still wasn’t crying.

At least, he wouldn’t have to leave anymore. If Alec’s well-being depended on him staying, then Jace would stay; this way, he could mask his own selfishness as being for Alec’s sake. Cause, since Jace wanted to stay so much, it couldn’t really be good, could it? Yet, an Alec quite as desperate as the one that had trembled in his arms wasn’t a sight Jace ever wanted to see again, especially if that was caused by him and his poor attempts at protecting Alec.

He’d stay and try to mend their bond, all the while hoping that it would turn out okay, in the end. Jace needed it to, because he needed Alec.

And when Alec nodded, still looking like he could break down any minute, Jace could only hug him again. After all, he had almost lost him because of his stupidity. An Alec torn apart by demons would also come to haunt him in his dreams; Jace vowed to never let that happen again, too.

“And I’m sorry for earlier,” Jace said then, “if we hadn’t split up, you wouldn’t have-”

“It’s okay. I’m just glad you came back.”

Jace swallowed. “Always.”

Alec melted into his embrace a little more, and Jace might’ve done the same.

Eventually, it became time to go back home.

“Can we – can we walk for a bit? I’m not ready to go in just yet. Are you feeling up to it?”

Alec looked at him with still-reddened eyes, nodding. “Yeah, I’m good.”

They quickly put the warehouse behind them, before slowing their pace.

Jace hoped that, by the time they’d get to the Institute, he’d be calm enough to manage some sleep; now, he still felt the aftershocks of the scare he’d had. But Alec walking silently right beside him, safe, alive, was enough to slowly ebb them away.

“You’re freezing,” Jace suddenly noticed, “and you’re still covered in blood. We – we should probably go back…”

“No, no, I’m fine. This is relaxing. Please,” Alec said.

Jace didn’t know whether to like or not the fact that Alec could now bring him to do just about anything by asking him in that tone. “Fine, take that jacket off, at least. Use mine.”

Alec didn’t even protest, just silently complied. Jace’s jacket was a bit short on him, but it’d make do. And Jace wouldn’t care about the cold as long as Alec was warm.

They reached the entrance to Central Park, and they both silently agreed to go inside, taking a seat on an isolated bench under the trees. The sky was visible, and they looked at it for quite a while, merely enjoying the presence of the other. It was really relaxing, balming, even.

Until…

“Clary told me that you asked her to kill you.”

Jace closed his eyes. He knew it would come, and he had resigned himself to the fact that he’d have to face these issues, sooner or later…but it didn’t mean that he wasn’t still reluctant to do so, his skin crawling at the mere thought.

“I don’t want to pry, but I also don’t want to find you – dead, someday, without having tried to help you, you know? Jace, do you still…?”

“I don’t know,” Jace answered honestly, forcing himself to keep going, “I just, I’m tired of always ending up hurting everyone, whether I’m being forced, or tricked, or possessed, or whatever.”

Alec nodded gravely, placing a hand on Jace’s shoulder, hesitantly, as if waiting for Jace to shrug it off. But Jace didn’t, and Alec started making circles with his thumb, a gesture more soothing than Jace would’ve thought. He almost started humming at the sensation.

“Yeah, I know. It truly feels like there’s always one thing after the other after the other, in a never-ending cycle…I’m so tired, too,” Alec admitted quietly.

Jace sighed. “Is that why you came after me, back then? You wanted to die, too? You knew I could’ve killed you…I almost killed you.”

Alec looked at him, and Jace knew that they were both reliving that night.

How Alec had dropped on his knees, asking to be killed, and the other Jace had sneered at him, putting a sword to his throat…

How Alec had thrown at him the same words that Jace had said during their fight at the entrance to the City of Bones, and that Jace had reacted unexpectedly to them, before running away, unable to kill him…

How Jace had taunted Alec about his allegedly-past feelings…and Alec had told him he loved him. Still. Forever. Even after death.

Jace wondered if that was true to this day. He wondered whether Alec meant it in the way that, if Jace kissed him right now, he would kiss him back…

Probably, maybe, yes.

But that was why Jace could never ease Alec’s doubts. Alec must’ve been wondering if Jace still remembered those words, or what he thought of them. Jace’s heart clenched at the knowledge that he’d never be able to tell him. He couldn’t, or they’d both be lost.

“I didn’t want to live, if - if you were lost forever. Wither thou goest, I will go…” Alec finally answered, averting his eyes.

Jace blinked, letting the previous moment pass, trying not to drown in an unreasonable disappointment. “I don’t want you to die either, though, for any reason.”

Alec shrugged.

“You’re a hypocrite, you know that, right?”

Alec glanced at him, then broke out into a smile as soon as he noticed Jace’s smirk. “Busted.” Then he sighed. “Okay then, maybe it’s better if we deal with all that later, little by little, okay? Change of topic, do you need help talking to Clary?”

Jace froze. “What? Why?”

“She thinks you don’t love her anymore, or something,” Alec chuckled, clearly waiting for Jace to do the same.

Jace looked down at his own knees. The sound of Alec’s mirth slowly faded away.

“Oh.” Alec paused. “Is it…if it’s about how you acted when you were under demonic influence, I’m sure Clary won’t mind-”

“No. It’s not that.”

Alec didn’t say anything else, clearly waiting for him to go on.

“I just…” Jace moved his fingers to shake away the heat rising to his skin, “when I was under the influence, and I forgot about everything else except for Clary, everyone might think it’s because our love is undying or some shit...but love was literally warped in me by dark magic, directed all towards him. If my draw to Clary remained, then it was not love. It’s…I think, just like death connected me and - Jonathan, my connection to her must be based on our blood. Both things are, or were, something that was forced on me. Something I never asked, or that I wouldn’t normally seek, you know? It all feels like a compulsion, now, and I’m tired of those.”

Jace looked up at Alec, who had an inscrutable expression on his face, before he blinked it away. “Oh,” he simply echoed.

Jace, however, suddenly felt unsatisfied. “Nothing like we have. I chose you, on my own, because I wanted you by my side, because I-” Stop, now, don’t… “Because I love you, Alec.”

Jace held his breath, while Alec…nodded.

“I mean, it’s one theory,” he said, casually. “But it could not be like you think, and I don’t want you to set aside the other option, when you could be happy with-”

“Alec, I’m serious! I know what I feel. I – I could never see it clearly, not before I was completely void of it…but when I could feel you again, I knew.”

“Ehm, you knew what?”

Jace let out a sound of exasperation. Of course, it was only legit, after all this time…

“Jace, really, I think if you just let yourself-”

Jace just gave up. There were no more restrains in him to stop him from grabbing Alec’s face and kiss him right on the mouth.  

Alec stayed frozen for all of one second, before he molded his lips against Jace’s, opening his mouth with a gasp. As their tongues met with something akin to a spark, Jace was already far gone, a continuous chant of stupid, stupid, stupid going through his mind…because he had deprived himself of this half of his life. That was why Jace would’ve never stopped the kiss, he would’ve spent the rest of his life kissing Alec...but he had to let go, because the Heavenly Fire was about to burn them both.

Breaking apart with a jolt, Jace could only stare back at Alec waiting anxiously for his reaction.

Alec looked right back at him, his eyes still half closed, before he started laughing. “I – I can’t believe that little brat, sorry, Clary was right!”

“Clary?” Jace blinked a few times. “What does she have to do with…?”

“She told me I was the reason you didn’t love her anymore, and never would I have thought that she was…” Alec stopped laughing, fixing his eyes on Jace, turning serious.

More than serious. Pointed. Piercing. Jace barely felt like he could keep up with that much intensity...but he still tried to. “Yes. I love you, Alec. I love you more than anything, I’m in love with you, I…please, tell me, am I too late?”

Alec was holding his breath, but then he snorted lightly. “Late? Don’t you remember what I said?”

Jace, of course, did. “But, what about…Magnus? Weren’t you with...?”

“No, Magnus is no longer in the picture.”

“Can I - can I ask why?”

Alec didn’t answer. Not with words, at least. He simply leaned forward, and brushed his lips against Jace’s once again. Jace’s skin was still blazing, so he had to immediately jump back, but Jace understood anyway. Suddenly feeling overwhelmed, Jace had to lower his gaze.

Until he felt something else. Alec’s hands grabbing his face...and he was being drawn forward. “Wha- carefu-”

Jace tried to struggle away from Alec’s hold and Alec’s mouth pressed on his almost in a panic, but Alec didn’t back down until far too many seconds later. At which point, Jace slid all the way to the other end of the bench. “Have you gone crazy? Why the hell would you do that?!”

Alec had eyes as big as the moon behind him. “Jace, I didn’t feel pain.”

Jace didn’t understand, still furious beyond words. “What are you even saying? The Heavenly Fire…”

“After the initial sting I didn’t feel pain at all, it’s what I’m saying!”

Jace shook his head. “What - are you for real? Alec, if you’re saying that just to be able to kiss me, is pain really worth-”

Alec started to laugh. “I mean, probably. But I’m telling the truth, I swear! C’mon, don’t be silly, come back here. You won’t hurt me.”

Jace didn’t give any hint of doing so.

Alec rolled his eyes. “Okay, try taking my hand and see what happens for yourself.” He stretched out an arm.

Jace hesitated another long moment, before resigning himself to the inevitable. He was a bit curious, if he had to admit.

Jace brushed Alec’s hand with his fingers, and Alec twitched, reflexively drawing it away, so Jace was about to get up and start walking away… “Oh, c’mon, you just need to hold my hand properly and longer for it to work!”

Alec didn’t look like he was going to back down even an inch, and Jace looked at his stupidly giddy face with a sigh, without moving from his seat. “And what exactly does it need to work, if I may know?”  

“You said it earlier, you can activate my runes or Clary’s because we might register as a continuation of yourself…so what if the Fire feels the same way? It recognized me before, so if you would just give it the time. I swear I felt it.”

Jace opened his mouth, trying to protest that logic…but what if it was true? He met Alec’s eyes, and he decided to put his faith in the steel he found there.

Jace tried again; this time, he took Alec’s whole hand, refraining himself from snatching it away when Alec flinched. He would count to five, that was it.

One, two…

Alec’s hand was visibly trembling under his, and Jace was about to lower the countdown to three…

Three…

Jace almost broke apart, but Alec gripped his hand back, keeping it in place.

Four, five.

Alec loosened his hold, and he smiled. Jace couldn’t feel any tremor in him anymore, and he looked down at their joined hands in awe.

“What did I tell you, oh ye of little faith?” Alec teased him.

Jace let out a laugh, before he let go of Alec’s hand, only to start tracing Alec’s skin with his fingers; first his palm, then his wrist, all the way under his sleeve… Alec shivered, and Jace snatched his hand away with a start, but Alec quickly caught it. When he led Jace’s hand to his own face, Jace was the one to shiver. And he slowly, finally, scooted back closer to Alec.

When their legs touched, Alec cupped Jace’s face, and drew him into a kiss. This time, they didn’t rush it. And, half-caught in his marvel for the wonders of the parabatai bond, half caught in his awe for Alec, Jace felt something finally falling into place inside of him. The softness of Alec’s lips, the surprisingly sweet taste of Alec’s tongue, the tingles spreading from where Alec’s hands touched him…he couldn’t believe he had ever lived without any of it.

When they broke apart, even Alec’s voice felt new and enthralling, “If you’re still wondering, the answer is yes, Jace. When I’m dead…”

“And my soul has risen to the Heavens…” Jace recited after him, as if it were a new oath. It surely felt like it.

“Even then I will love you, Jace Herondale.”

“Even then I will love you, Alec Lightwood.”

[p3t3rjasonquill]

My Mistake- Part Eight (Tony x Reader)

A/N: Here’s the next chapter! Hope you guys like it. If it sucks, lemme know so I can possibly fix it, haha. I kinda liked where it went. I hope to resolve it within the next like, 2 or 3 chapters. This has been a fun fic. I really want to take a moment to thank all of you who read this, because without you, this wouldn’t be a thing. I have so much love for you all.

My Mistake MASTERLIST:                                   My MASTERLIST:

I’m still taking tags for this fic BTW

Word Count: 1350

Warnings: Angst, Violence, Cursing, Death, Blood

Part 7:

Part 8:

Your face felt hot as you clenched your jaw, almost growling at the man in front of you. “What do you want from me, Steve?” “What I want, dollface, is to bring Stark down. And you are my perfect weapon.” Steve sat down in a chair and lit a cigarette, blowing the smoke directly into your face. You choked on the disgusting fumes. Bucky had been silent, still trying to comprehend how his best friend had now become his biggest foe. “Steve, you don’t have to do this…” Bucky chimed in, but became quiet as Steve glared his way. “See, Buck. I do. With you under my command, I have slight leverage, but with both of you able to submit to me, I can officially take Stark over.” Your mouth felt dryer than a desert. No words could express the fear that was coursing through your veins.Rumlow entered the room again, this time dragging an IV pole with blue liquid in a drip bag. Bucky started shouted, the traumas associated with the serum playing back through his mind. “Buck!” you called out to him, trying to get him to focus on your voice. “Bucky, I’m here, please listen to me!” The shouts turned to heavy pants and muffled cries as his eyes met yours. “Look at me” you ordered, reaching a chained hand out to hold onto his. He grazed your palm with his fingers before Steve began to move you towards a stretcher. Adrenaline pumped through your system, and you began thrashing and twisting. “Stop fighting, (Y/N), you’re not strong enough to take me on.” His words made you swing harder, allowing you to land a roundhouse kick to his jaw. This only irritated him, making him laugh as he threw you onto the operating table. He took the restraints and put them into place. Any attempt at moving was a failure. You closed your eyes tightly, wishing that something would happen. Something end this.Instead, Rumlow and Steve were now setting up the IV, placing a needle into the crook of your arm. “FUCK!” you shouted as you felt the sting of the serum that was now binding to your blood. That’s when the walls began to shake.“Cap, what is this?” Rumlow hollered over the rumbling. “I have no clue, but the serum takes 5 minutes to enter the body!” shouted Steve. To the left of where Bucky was chained came an explosion. A moment later, a familiar red and gold suit was hovering slightly above the floor. “I may not be able to walk, but I can still kick your star-spangled ass” spoke a sarcastic Tony. He lifted his hand as he fired a shot directly at Rumlow. Tony then grabbed Steve’s shield off the ground, and flung it straight at the chains that kept Bucky hostage. “Alright, Tin Man, looks like it’s you and me.” Bucky smirked as Tony threw him a gun he was hoarding. “Stark, it’s over! I have the girl!” Steve retorted. Your body convulsed as it underwent the changes that were creating you into a lethal weapon. Bones felt like they were breaking, ribs expanding. You called out in agony, and soon Tony and Bucky began to go to work. “Tony!” you cried, your body still writhing due to the serum. “Baby, give me a few minutes and then it’ll all be over” Tony shouted as he dodged numerous gunshots from both Rumlow and Steve. Bucky’s demeanor went cold as he attacked his closest friend. They both were head to head, trying to dispatch the other. Bucky landed a hard punch to Steve’s chest, throwing him back against a wall. “You sick son of a bitch!” Bucky practically spat into his face. He then proceeded to hit Steve in the face several times with his metal arm. “Cue the recording!” Steve mumbled through the blood pouring from his mouth. The words were what would drive Bucky to be the cold stone killer that was dormant.Dormant until they were uttered. “Stark!” Bucky shouted, trying to ignore the words playing over the loudspeaker. “Barnes, fucking hold it down! Snap out of it!” You began to convulse as the serum continued its trip through your bloodstream. The burning intensified. “TONY!” The words were not a yell, not a scream, but a wail of misery. Then it stopped. You could see better. Things that were once blurry were evident with much more ease. You could see the nervous sweat pouring off Steve. The tears trailing down Bucky’s eyes as the words were ringing through his ears. Your nose smelled the blood covering the room. You smelled sweat, tears, and Tony’s faint cologne scent that you loved so much.Lastly, your hands simply flicked and broke the restraints. The chains didn’t argue with your new strength. You kicked off the leg restraints, and hopped off the bed unscathed. You held your hands up as you stood in a fighter’s stance, ready to defend. “Готов выполнить” Bucky spoke as he awaited orders. (Ready to comply) “Убить девушку” Steve ordered Bucky. (Kill the girl) You knew you were going to regret this fight, but you had to stop this. “Sorry Buck” you whispered as you landed numerous punches to him. He was quick. A lethal assassin. You grabbed his arm, flipping him over as you landed to straddle him. “Buck, I’m sorry” you cried as you placed a needle into his arm. The injection was a sedative used often to get Bucky out of Winter Soldier mode. His eyes fluttered closed, ridding him of the madness. You then turned your attention to Rumlow. Steve and Tony were going at it, Steve landing numerous blows to Tony’s already injured self. “Come on, sweetheart. Just go with Cap, it’ll save your precious man of steel.” “Over my dead body” you spat before lunging for his neck. Your speed was increased, leaving Rumlow open. He underestimated the effect of the serum. You crushed his body against a wall, your fist connecting with his jaw until you felt it dislocate. “You’re out of time, sweetheart” Rumlow managed to say before he slumped against the wall, knocked out cold. You didn’t understand the meaning of his words until everything went up in flames. “Tony!” you screamed as you ran towards him, your arms outstretched as you placed your body on top of his suit protectively.  The explosion lasted 30 seconds at most. But the pain, the excruciating heat and sound, did not subside. You couldn’t hear much, your head was pounding, and your vision was highly impaired. “T” you attempted to say, but failed miserably. You held onto Tony’s form, not letting go no matter what pain you were experiencing. He was worth so much to you. You would sacrifice yourself again and again if it meant keeping him safe. You didn’t know what life without Tony would be like, and you wouldn’t find out. After the smoke cleared and vision was restored, you crawled off Tony’s body, hitting his mask open with your fist. It opened to reveal a badly beaten man, passed out and not responding. You crawled towards where a form you believed to be Steve lay. He was bleeding, shrapnel wounds littered the soldier’s body. “This, this was… my mistake” he choked out as he took a heaping breath. Within a few seconds, the man’s eyes were glued open, never faltering, and stationary. You looked for a pulse, but to your dismay, there was no life left. Tears gushed out the corners of your eyes. Rolling your sleeve down over your knuckles, you closed his eyes for the last time. The man who betrayed you, yet also loved you, was dead. Gone. Never to be seen again. A memory.  You reached into your pocket and fished out your cell phone. “It’s an emergency” you whispered into the speaker. “I need an ambulance, now. There’s been a horrible accident.” With that taken care of, you crawled over to Tony, and held onto the metallic chest plate as you let the emotions of the past hours take you over.  

Part 9: 

Tag List:  @painfrommoney@bxtchybrie@sebastianfuckkingstan@howdoesoneadult@haleyhay96@ijustwanttobepartofyourworld@shamvictoria11@lilasiannerd@wholockiand@raisedxbythexwolves@barnesandrogery@slopezsofie23@supernaturalpllfan1 @alexa0523  @ kristiekurisuti @hollycornish @ficnalunaus 

[cyclone5000]

Your conversation with 50cyg makes me want to ask you something~ What do you think Yamato likes the most about Taichi? What is your favorite scene of them?? Do you think they think about the reasons why they two can form omegamon??!! I'm very curious *^*

You know, at first I thought these questions seemed harmless, but when I got to thinking about them...they took me a while to answer lol

I already know these answers are going to be long. So I’m just going to put them under a cut. 

What do you think Yamato likes the most about Taichi?

I wound up rewriting this answer like six times. 

Yamato is a little on the ambiguous side when it comes to him being direct about his feelings. I think he only ever blatantly said how he was feeling with Gabumon...I think Takeru a little bit too...

But, if it’s personal opinion, I think that Yamato ‘likes’ Taichi for...being Taichi. Lol I know that might contradict what a lot of my fanfics have to say, but in truth I believe that Yamato has an affinity to Taichi’s natural self. (Opposites attract right :P lol jk) 

One of Taichi’s core attributes is his undying conviction in the strength of his friends. The idea that “everything will be okay because I’m with everyone.” Taichi character is built off of his natural state of belief--It’s a major factor behind Taichi’s reasoning and one of the main reasons why he can be so ‘fearless’ in most situations. Especially if you look them starting at the first season and then transgressing through time. 

And Yamato...at first didn’t think like this. Not even in the sense that he was untrustworthy toward others. But more of the idea that Yamato had to be the one doing things. He had to be strong. He had to take matters in his own hands. If it was him doing these things--there’s no god damn point. His whole character arc is Yamato learning about friendship and it’s strength.And most importantly, believing he has others that will stand by his side no matter what--is valid.  And while Yamato does most of this internally...well honestly, a good external factor of him learning this is Taichi. Taichi is both his catalyst and his deterrent--and its because of that is why I think Yamato gains such a strong bond by being with Taichi. 

Cause like, Yamato does eventually come to terms with himself. He admits that his biggest fear is loneliness, and how he’s afraid about being useless because he has no one beside him. Then he also learns how to combat that loneliness. Friendship! By believing in his friends and confiding in them, he can have the strength to not only find a purpose, but to actually believe in himself.

While Yamato finds this through himself. Taichi had little bits and pieces throughout. Starting from idk episode nine when Taichi proclaims “I won’t let go of you! Even if we both end up dying!” To ending it with idk episode 51! Where Yamato is just weeping, holding Taichi in his arms going “you’re my true friend and I won’t let our friendship be in vain!” Yamato comes to term with himself because he had someone like Taichi who always knew that he could. 

Taichi’s natural self is a huge reason why Yamato was able to grow stronger as a person. Why? Cause Taichi believed in him. Even when Yamato didn’t believe in himself. Even if Yamato acted questionable. No matter how many times they wound up fighting. During the first season all of Taichi’s actions were within Yamato’s best interests because deep down Taichi knew that Yamato would do the right thing. Eventually Yamato would get over...whatever he needed to get over--and he’d be back stronger than ever and everything would turn out fine. 

So...I had to pick a trait that Yamato ‘likes’ best about Taichi, it’d be this. The fact that Taichi can believe in others so strongly. I think Taichi’s unwavering faith in others really affected Yamato. Hell, I think that’s why Yamato is so concerned with Taichi’s lack of action in Tri. It’s not so much that ‘oh Taichi you just wanna sit around and be lazy and let bad digimon kill everyone wth is wrong with u bruh’ It’s the idea that, the Taichi that changed Yamato for the better...isn’t there. And he doesn’t know why, and he can’t sit still while his friend suffers like how he used to. So he wants to know what’s going on in Taichi’s head. But Taichi is going through so much turmoil that he can’t even bring himself to say it--thus cue the minutes of screen time with tense glares at each other xD 

Lol, Taichi’s conviction was a pillar Yamato used to build his own strength. He’s hard pressed without it. I think its why Yamato is trying so damn hard to make Taichi get it back. 

What is your favorite scene of them??

...........I can’t pick one. Lol I have several. Like. I’ve tried to shorten the list but I honestly can’t really pick *one*. These TaiYama scenes might as well be horcruxes. A part of my soul dies if I try to get rid of one. 

I mean, when I rewatched the Adv and 02 in Japanese for the first time, that’s when I really started realizing all of the TaiYama moments that made them both so interesting. In the first season there’s episode Nine. 21. 38. 45. 51. Then the whole kaiser kidnapping agumon arc in 02. 

Then there are the movies. Our war game is still my digimon movie.  I wrote a fic based off of diablomon strikes back (i’m actually in the process of rewriting that one too. god i love those movies). Then after years of letting my thoughts drift off one by one. Toei came in and gave me the best TaiYama verse/setting which is Tri. 

With Reunion I was just crossing my fingers hoping for an omage to their hand holding scene, and what I got was sosososo much more. The self reflection bits, the ferris wheel scene, omegamon breaking apart against Alphamon. Then in Determination, there’s the Gintama sauna scene rip off, Hikari confronting Taichi, Yamato’s kabedon. Then in Confession there is that random ice cream date. Then in Loss omg, like that bit where Yamato says ‘i expect too much from him’ like confirmed every hc and plot idea i’ve ever had. And then like everything else in that movie kept my heart pumping lol 

yeah for real I can’t pick *one*. Like every time I try, I just think of four more scenes I like....I’m sorry I’m not the right person to ask about this I am like the greediest fan you’ll ever meet--I just hoard all that is given to me and I refuse to let go >///> 

Do you think they think about the reasons why they two can form omegamon??!!

Oh yeah. I don’t know if there is a correct way of thinking about it though. I’ve seen people write it off as it’s the writer’s will. I’ve also seen people talk about the prophecy and how go into huge amount of details about Taichi and Yamato’s uniqueness. 

On a personal level. I think the strength in Omegamon comes from the strength the two of them in each other. Even if Yamato and Taichi often on opposite sides of the spectrum, they’re two sides of the same coin. And when they work together, things pan out great--and for someone like me, I really do enjoy seeing them work together. 

BUt...it’s also really powerful when Omegamon fails. Like in Diablomon Strikes Back. Omegamon didn’t get destroyed. His arms fell off. The figurative and near symbolic sense of Taichi and Yamato as a fighting force for the digidestined failed.  Or in Tri, when Omegamon broke apart into Wargreymon and MetalGarurumon. His strength started failing when Taichi began to doubt himself. Quite literally shattering away as Taichi’s confidence dissipated away. 

I feel like it’s obvious, but Omegamon is a symbol of Taichi and Yamato’s bond. When their bond is strong, they are invincible. If one of them falters, then they can’t succeed. Again that’s why I think it factors in to how Yamato has been acting the way he has been in Tri. If Omegamon isn’t strong--that’s like the biggest red flag ever. So he knows something is up with Taichi, he just wants to know what. 

Idk, Omegamon is the fusion of Taichi and Yamato’s spirit. Their drive, their will to fight. Their conviction. And it’s a united front. It’s when they both stand together. That’s the whole concept of fusion at least. Taichi and Yamato are the arms fighting for a cause that they believe is just. And if one of them falters...well...so does everything else. 

lol Anyway, this is just me rambling on and off. Thanks for the ask ^^ I just wish I were more articulate so I wouldn’t keep digressing....lol 

[evilsillyputty]

Zadron’s Pouch of Wonders

 Zadron’s Pouch of Wonders is a sort of magical grab bag inside which a great variety of magic items can be found. It appears to be an ordinary leather pouch with a drawstring made of silk. When found the pouch will be closed, and examination will reveal that the pouch contains some sort of small object.

To utilize the magic of the bag, a character must open the pouch and draw the item out. The first character to do this after the pouch is discovered becomes the owner of the pouch. Each pouch will produce from 11-30 (d20+10) items for its owner and then teleport away to another treasure hoard to be found anew.

However, only one item from the pouch can be in existence at any given time. Every time an item is drawn from inside it, the pouch will remain empty for the next day, but thereafter there is a 5% chance per day that another item will appear in the pouch. When a new item appears in the pouch, the old item becomes useless and disappears, but the new one is ready for use. If an item from the pouch is destroyed by any other means, or if an item is put back in the pouch (if possible), that item will be replaced by a new item. (This does not apply for some of the “cursed” items; see individual item descriptions.) The 5% chance for a new item to be created is always assumed to be rolled at the start of the day in question. If a new item is indicated, it will be created immediately — unless the pouch’s owner is using the item, and the loss of the powers of the, item at that particular time would directly endanger his or her life. In such a case, the creation of the new item will not take place until the pouch’s owner stops using the old item. If the owner of the pouch is killed, the pouch will teleport away as if it had reached its quota, and will next turn up (if ever) in a different treasure hoard. The pouch will not produce new items for anyone other than its owner, but the owner can allow others to use items taken from the pouch. However, items being used by other characters will disappear instantly when the creation of a new item is indicated, regardless of the circumstances (see preceding paragraph). The last item drawn from the pouch (the one that fills the pouch’s limit) will remain in existence and usable until the next time the creation of a new item (according to the 5% chance per day) is indicated. When this occurs, both the existing magic item and the pouch will disappear. The owner of the pouch can keep any item from the pouch as long as desired, subject only to the eventual disappearance of the item. 

 To determine what the pouch contains, roll on the table below for the type of item produced, then refer to the specific tables A through L  

 Roll (d12) Type of item produced 

1 An egg (Table A below) 

2 A glove (B) 

3 A crystal sphere (C) 

4 A rock (D) 

5 A figurine (E) 

6 A vial (F) 

7 A miniature wagon (G) 

8 A bag (H) 

9 A card (I) 

10 A piece of rope or string (J) 

11 A small box with a button on it (K) 

12 A wand (L) 

 Table A: Eggs  (roll d6) 

All creatures hatched from eggs will emerge in the third round after the egg is drawn from the pouch. As with all creatures conjured by the pouch, those hatched from eggs do not age. 

 1:  A copper egg from which a small, young copper dragon emerges. The dragon speaks, uses magic, and will serve the pouch owner. It can, however, only be commanded to fight for the pouch owner 3 times (battles). Otherwise it will fight only in self-defense. 

 2:  A golden egg out of which a golden-colored goose hatches. The goose follows the pouch owner around unless forced to do otherwise, and appears to be very rare and valuable. There is a 1 in 3 chance each day that the goose will become a living Symbol of Discord for 1 turn at a random time. 

 3:  A stone egg out of which hatches a full-grown, hungry xorn. The xorn demands from 2,000—8,000 gp value (2d4) in precious metal or everything the owner has, whichever is least, or else it will attack. It disappears if satisfied. 

 4:  A white egg out of which a fullgrown giant eagle hatches. The eagle can speak the owner’s language and will serve the pouch owner on the same terms as the dragon in (1) above. 

 5:  A white egg with pink stripes, out of which a highly intelligent white rabbit appears. The rabbit can speak the pouch owner’s language and will serve as a scout (or whatever) for as long as the owner desires. The rabbit is AC 6, 3 hit points, no attacks, 50% magic resistance. 

 6.  A glass egg out of which an unseen servant (80% chance) or an invisible stalker (20% chance) hatches. Either will serve as described in the corresponding spells, but duration is unlimited, except as noted above. 

 Table B: Gloves  (roll d6) 

 1:  A small, light leather glove that turns into a pair of  Gauntlets of Ogre Power when it is drawn. 

 2: As (1) above, but  Gauntlets of Dexterity  are found instead. 

 3: A glove that allows its wearer to cast a Push spell, once per round, for up to 6 times per day. 

 4: Anyone besides the owner of the pouch who puts on this glove will immediately begin to choke himself or herself to death, doing 2-8 points of damage per round. Only a Remove Curse, Limited Wish, or Wish spell will prevent the victim’s eventual death. The glove will have no effect if worn by the owner of the pouch. 

 5: A glove that allows its wearer to cast one of the  Bigby’s Hand  spells, except for  Bigby’s  Crushing Hand,  once per day. 

 6: A glove which, if used in place of a weapon, will cause the wearer’s fist to become a +2 weapon, do 3-6 points of damage per hit, and stun (for 1-6 rounds) opponents that fail their saving throw vs. magic when hit. The latter property is effective only against creatures size M or smaller. 

 Table C: Crystal spheres  (roll d8) 

 1:  A large crystal sphere that opens to reveal 2-5 small (1-inch diameter) crystals that glow dimly from within. Any sound originating within 1 foot of a crystal will be reproduced at the same volume by the other crystals, regardless of their location, allowing easy communication over any distance, but not between planes. 

 2:  A large crystal sphere that opens to reveal a pair of glass balls, each one 3 inches in diameter. Looking into one of them allows the viewer to see anything within sight of the other one. By turning the crystal around the viewer can see an entire 360 degrees, just as if he or she were standing where the second crystal lies. The system works both ways, allowing a creature holding the second crystal to see the original viewer. Creatures with infravision can see infravisually through the crystals. 

 3:  A lens-shaped crystal that allows anyone looking through it to  detect invisibility  as per the second-level magic user spell. 

 4:  Anyone besides the owner of the pouch who holds this 3-inch-diameter crystal becomes magically imprisoned inside it, but suffers no other ill effects. The imprisonment lasts until the crystal disappears of its own accord when a new item appears in the pouch. 

 5:  This irregularly shaped crystal begins to glow with a blue light whenever hostile or potentially hostile creatures are within 5”, and glows more brightly as the hostile creatures get nearer. It also detects such creatures as trappers, lurkers above, and piercers. 

 6:  A  Crystal Ball,  but this one is only 3 inches in diameter and is usable by the owner of the pouch, regardless of his or her class. 

 7:  Also a  Crystal Ball  as (6) above, but this item is usable by any character. However, if anyone but the owner of the pouch views a hostile creature through the crystal for 2-5 (number changes on each use) rounds, the viewer is teleported to the place that was being viewed. The crystal is not teleported. 

 8:  A marvelous crystal that is hollow and contains small white flakes and a clear, colorless liquid. Shaking it causes the flakes within to swirl in patterns wondrous to behold. 

 Table D: Rocks  (roll d8) 

 1:  A small stone with a word of command written on it. When the word of command is spoken within 3” of the stone, it grows into a 10-foot-diameter boulder in 1 segment. Speaking the word of command a second time causes it to shrink back to normal size. The boulder will not reach full size in an area less than 10 feet wide or 10 feet high. Characters and creatures can be trapped and immobilized by the expanding stone, but it will not enlarge enough to cause them actual damage if they are so trapped. 

 2:  A pebble which turns into a  Stone of Controlling Earth Elementals. 

 3:  A  Stone of Good Luck (Luckstone). 

 4:  A  Stone of Weight (Loadstone), which will appear to be a  Luckstone. 

 5:  A  Brick  of  Flying,  which if thrown hard will fly through the air. 

 6: A large hollow stone that rattles if shaken. Breaking it open reveals 2-5 Ioun Stones inside. 

 7: A triangular piece of stone that glows with a purple light. Once the stone is touched by anyone but the owner of the pouch, the toucher cannot be rid of it until a  Remove Curse, Dispel  Evil,  or Wish  spell is used, or until the stone disappears. The stone imparts 50% magic resistance to the holder, allows regeneration of lost hit points at 3 points per round, and effectively, blinds the holder to the sight of any living and animate creatures, making the holder -4 “to hit” and damage (plus all other appropriate penalties for blindness). This blindness does not extend to non-living creatures such as undead or inanimate living things such as trees and plant life. 

 8: A stone that clings to iron or steel by means of a mysterious unseen force. 

 Table E: Figurines  (roll d8) 

 1:  A  golden lion  (just one);  see Figurines of Wondrous Power. 

 2:  An  onyx dog. 

 3:  A  serpentine owl. 

 4:  An  ivory goat  (one, selected at random). 

 5:  A  marble elephant. 

 6:  A bronze figurine of a warrior with a word of command written on the underside of its base. When the word of command is spoken, the figurine becomes a real warrior that serves the owner for up to 3 turns once each day.

The bronze warrior has the following statistics:

AC -2, 40 hit points, 6th-level fighter, 18(01) strength, 18 dexterity. The warrior uses a +1 composite shortbow, twenty +1 arrows, a +1 longsword, and a  Javelin of Piercing.

None of these items are magical in the hands of other characters.  

 7:  A jade sculpture of a palace. One turn after being drawn from the pouch the figurine starts growing, doubling in size each round until it becomes a real palace, 200 feet on a side and 100 feet tall at its apex. It will crush other structures or objects out of the way as it grows, but it will not grow while the sculpture is underground. 

 8:  A limestone figurine of a leprechaun, which immediately animates into a real leprechaun when drawn from the pouch. The leprechaun will plague the pouch owner and only the owner for the rest of the day, attempting to steal the pouch at every opportunity (without bringing physical harm to the owner). If the leprechaun is able to steal the pouch, the owner must catch the leprechaun within the same day (automatically retrieving the pouch in the act of catching the leprechaun), or both the pouch and the leprechaun will disappear. The leprechaun disappears at the end of the day in any event. 

 Table F: Vials  (roll d8) 

 1:  A small ceramic vial that is able to hold up to 10 gallons of any liquid without increasing in size or weight. It draws or pours at the rate of 1 gallon per segment, but if the vial is broken the entire contents of the vial are instantly released. 

 2: A bottle with a label that says “Potion of —”. A stylus covered with ink is tied to the side of the bottle. If the stylus is used to fill in the blank, the contents of the vial become the potion named on the label. Until then, the vial contains poison. 

 3:  When this opaque vial is opened, the one who opened it (including the owner of the pouch) instantly assumes gaseous form and is sucked inside the vial. The vial then reseals itself and flies back into the pouch. The victim can be released if a character reaches into the pouch, withdraws the vial, and reopens it. The trapping  and  releasing powers of the vial will work alternately in this fashion until the item is destroyed or disappears. 

 4:  An  iron Flask  which will not be empty. 

 5:  An  Eversmoking Bottle. 

 6:  A “wheezing bottle” that sucks air or any gas in and out on alternate rounds, with a capacity each time of 125 cubic feet. If the bottle is stoppered at the right moment, it can be used to store a gas for release at a later time. 

 7:  A vial containing a potion that will effectively raise any character 2 levels of experience for 1 day, with appropriate increases in abilities. 

 8:  A vial holding a potion that causes the imbiber to regenerate 1 hit point per turn, even after apparent death, for 1 day. The regeneration does not extend to magical attack forms that cause death without doing hit-point damage, such as the druid  Finger of Death  spell; the cleric spell  Destruction  (reverse of  Reincarnation);  or the magic-user spell  Power Word, Kill,  to name a few. 

 Table G: Miniature weapons  (roll d10)

All miniature weapons will enlarge to the full size of a normal weapon of the type within 1 round after being drawn from the pouch, unless the item’s description indicates otherwise. 

 1:  This miniature boomerang grows into a full-sized boomerang. This weapon is usable outdoors or in large open spaces only (minimum range 3”, maximum 10”). It always hits, does 2-5 points of damage, and returns to the hand of the thrower on the round after each hit. 

 2:  A small net that enlarges into  Zadron’s Net of Apprehending,  a special version of the  Net of Entrapment.  It has an intelligence of 25 and an ego of 20, like a magic sword, and victims’ saving throws are at -4. Its purpose is to capture thieves; when this net is thrown on a thief the captured thief is instantly teleported to the nearest jail interested in the thief. If the gains control of the owner of the pouch or the owner of the net (if it is given away), it will force that person to use the net against any thief encountered (possibly another party member). 

 3: A small arrow that enlarges into an apparently normal arrow. When fired, this arrow will never miss (although it may not hit the intended target) if a target is in range, and if it comes to a corner it will turn 90 degrees and continue on its way, hitting the first character or creature it contacts and doing 4-9 points of damage. 50% of these arrows turn right, 50% turn left. The arrow will continue turning corners to the limit of its range, until it hits something or can go no further. 

 4:  A tiny catapult with a command word written on it. When the command word is spoken, the model becomes a full-size heavy catapult. Speaking the word a second time reduces the catapult to a miniature again. This process can be repeated. 

 5:  A small hammer that enlarges into a Hammer +3, Dwarven Thrower. 

 6:  A  Sling of Seeking +2,  seven +2 sling bullets, and one sling bullet that explodes as a 5-dice fireball, as the spell, on impact. 

 7:  A small sword that becomes a  Sword of Dancing. 

 8:  A small sword that becomes a  +1 Luck Blade  with 2 wishes. The wishes cannot be used for selfish purposes, or else the sword will disappear and a new object will appear in the pouch. 

 9:  A+1 sword with disarming ability; an opponent must save vs. magic when hit or drop his/her/its weapon. An opponent that has already lost its weapon must save or lose its shield. Unarmed opponents or those using natural weaponry are not affected. 

 10:  A club that polymorphs its wielder into an ogre (no system shock roll required) for as long as the club is held. The wielder always retains his or her original personality. The ogre has the character’s hit points, or 33 hit points, whichever is greater. The club is a +1 weapon that does 2-11 points of damage. The polymorphed character attacks as an ogre if it has 33 hit points or less, and attacks as the normal character would if it has more than 33 hit points. 

 Table H: Bags  (roll d10) 

 1:  A  Bag of Holding. 

 2:  A  Bag of Tricks. 

 3:  A  Bag of Useful Items,  similar to a Robe  of Useful Items,  but the bag is usable by any class, and the items within are miniatures, easily recognizable, that become the real items when desired. 

 4:  A bag, brown in color, that contains two sandwiches, an apple, and a cookie. 

 5:  A small sack that is found to contain a small sack. That small sack is also found to contain a small sack, and so on, ad infinitum. 

 6:  A  Bag of Devouring. 

 7:  A magic bag that no one but a dwarf can open. It contains what appears to be a worn-out leather belt, two rusty gauntlets, a cheap blacksmith’s hammer, and a scroll on which are written the letters “DEEHNRRTU.” When these letters are rearranged, they spell “THUNDERER,” the name of the hammer. When this name is spoken, the hammer becomes a Hammer of Thunderbolts,  the gauntlets become  Gauntlets of Ogre Power,  and the belt a  Girdle of Hill Giant Strength.  If this item is drawn a second time the name of the hammer will be different, and of course scrambled as well. 

 8:  A bag containing a suit of invisible clothing. Anyone wearing the clothing is made invisible as per a  Ring of Invisibility,  but this effect is limited to persons and creatures acquainted with the wearer. To strangers, only the clothes are invisible, not the wearer. Naturally, the magic clothing does not work if the wearer also wears non-magical clothing underneath. 

 9:  This bag is found to contain treasure. This is because it is a  Bucknard’s Everfull Purse.  The money found in the purse, as well as any money produced by the purse later, will not disappear when a new item appears in the pouch. 

 10:  A bag that functions as a  Bag of Tricks  until used in the presence of an enemy. Then it becomes a  Bag of Monster Summoning;  the creature it produces will be a hostile monster which will attack the bag owner and his or her companions. The monster is selected at random and will be of a level corresponding to the summoner’s level, as follows: summoner level 1-2, monster level 1; summoner level 3-4, monster level 2; and so on. 

 Table I: Cards  (roll d8) 

 1:  A card with a picture of the area where the pouch owner is standing when the card is drawn. Anyone studying the card intently for 1 round at any time afterward will be teleported, without error, to the place pictured. 

 2:  A card with a picture of fate holding a balance on it. The DM rolls secretly and determines whether the card holder (including the pouch owner) will be +4 or -4 on saving throws for as long as the card is held (equal chance for either). If the result is negative, the effects will persist until a  Wish  spell is used to negate the effect or until 2-8 weeks have elapsed, regardless of what happens to the pouch in the meantime. 

 3:  A card with a picture of a red dragon sitting on a huge pile of treasure. Writing at the bottom of the card says, “Wish you were here. Love, Gorgo.” 

 4:  A card with a spell (level 2-7, of the appropriate class) written on it, usable by the viewer as if it were a scroll spell. If the pouch owner is a non-spellcaster, the card will be blank until it is given to a spell-casting character. 

 5:  A random card from a  Deck of Many Things.  All effects and results persist after the card disappears. 

 6:  A blank card on which the first viewer other than the pouch owner is magically imprisoned, becoming a picture on the card. If the card is damaged or destroyed, the victim suffers appropriately. The imprisonment lasts until a new item appears in the pouch. 

 7:  A set of  2-5 magic message  cards. When the command word is spoken, one of these cards, if a message has been written thereon, will teleport to the hand of the one to whom the message is intended. An extra card (aside from the 2-5 message cards) is provided, containing the command word and other appropriate instructions. 

 8:  A card stating, in prominent letters, that the pouch owner is wanted dead or alive by the nearest local authorities, with a picture of the pouch owner, and offering a 10,000 gp reward. When this card is drawn, 100 copies of it will appear in prominent places within a 50-mile radius of the location where the pouch was opened. The copies do not disappear when a new item appears in the pouch. 

 Table J: Ropes and strings  (roll d8) 

 1:  A rope that allows a Rope Trick spell to be cast with it, as a 10th level magic user, once per day. Usable by any class. 

 2:  A Rope of Entanglement. 

 3:  A Rope of Climbing. 

 4:  A Ball of Endless String, a sphere of string 4 inches in diameter that never winds down to nothing no matter how much string is drawn from it. 

 5:  A rope which, when thrown to the ground, animates and “dances” to the amusement of all. Lively music from out of nowhere accompanies the dance, which lasts for 2-5 turns. The rope can dance up to 3 times per day. 

 6:  A rope which, when stretched taut across a doorway or corridor, takes on the color(s) of its surroundings so as to be 95% undetectable. When a creature tries to step across or over it, the rope animates and acts as though a druidic Trip spell had been cast. One fourth (25%) of these ropes act like a Snare spell instead. Only the pouch owner or the owner of the rope (if it has been given away) can safely retrieve the rope if it is of the latter kind. 

 7:  This rope is unremarkable save for the fact that it constantly levitates in a vertical orientation, with the bottom end staying three feet off the ground. Up to 10,000 gp weight (200lb) can be tied to the rope and supported thereby. If this limit is exceeded, the rope sinks slowly to the ground until the excess weight is taken off. It requires very little effort to pull the rope and its load along. 

 8:  This rope appears to be a Rope of Entanglement until it is used against enemies. Then it will entangle the one trying to use it (including the pouch owner) and as many of his or her friends as possible. 

 Table K: Boxes  (roll d6) 

All of these items are 3-inch-square cubes of an unknown metal with a circular red spot on one face. When the owner of the pouch presses the spot, the magic of the box is activated. 

 1:  This cube acts as a limited Cube of Force. When the red spot is pressed a force field goes up, as follows

(roll d6): 1-2, keeps out living matter; 3-4, keeps out non-living matter; 5-6, keeps out magic. Charges operate the same way as with a normal cube of force. Determine one of the three effects above the first time the cube is used, and the cube will perform the same way thereafter. 

 2:  A  Cube of Frost Resistance. 

 3:  Pressing the red spot on this cube causes it to become a 4’x2’x2’ treasure chest on wheels. The red spot appears on the center of the lid of the chest. Pressing the spot a second time causes the chest to become a large, enclosed wagon drawn by 2 draft horses with a 4’x5’x2’ locked compartment built in. The red spot appears on the center of the lid of this compartment. Pressing the spot a third time turns the wagon into a 4”x3”x1” stone cottage with a hearth, furniture, and a built-in stone chest of the same dimensions as the wagon compartment with a red spot on its lid. Pressing this spot causes the cottage to become a small cube again. Pressing the red spot 3 times in rapid succession will cause this item to revert to a small cube no matter what form it was presently in. Any objects not originally part of the cube, such as persons who may enter the cottage or the wagon, are left unchanged and unharmed when the item changes form. The lone exception to this is treasure placed in the chest on wheels, which will remain intact when other form changes occur. Anything in the chest moves to the compartment in the wagon, or to the stone chest in the cottage, when the appropriate form change occurs. The three respective chests are wizard locked, and only the pouch owner can open them freely. 

 4:  When the spot on this cube is pressed, a set of red numerals appears above the red spot. The numerals begin with 10 and count down one number per segment thereafter. Pressing the red spot again after the first pressing resets the count to 10, and pressing it 3 times in rapid succession (within one segment) makes the red numerals disappear. If and when the count reaches zero, the cube explodes, doing 10-60 points of damage to all creatures within 10 feet, half that amount to all others within 30 feet, and causing structural damage equal to twice that caused by a  Horn of Blasting.  Creatures who make their saving throw vs. magic at -4 take half damage. The cube can be thrown, by hand or with a sling, but will not explode prematurely no matter what happens to it. 

 5:  This “Pandora’s Box” releases 4-16 hostile monsters, all of which attack the one who released them (including the pouch owner) when the red spot is pressed. The level of each monster is selected at random by rolling d6, the result being the level of the monster, but on a result of 6, roll again using d8. 

 6:  When the red spot — the “panic button” — is  pushed, all non-hostile creatures within 6” must save vs. magic at -4 or flee in panic for 3-12 rounds. This includes the box-holder as well. 

 Table L: Wands  (roll d8) 

 1:  A  Wand of Magic Missiles  with 11-14 charges. 

 2 or 3:  Any one of the following wands, with 2-5 charges:  Frost, Fire, Lightning, Fear, lllumination, Polymorphing, Conjuration,  or  Paralyzation.  Select a wand at random by rolling d8. 

 4:  One of three types (roll d6): A  Wand of Magic Detection, Enemy Detection,  or Secret Door & Trap Location,  with 11-14 charges. 

 5:  A wand that emits a  Gust of Wind,  as the spell, at a cost of 1 charge. It has 2-8 charges. 

 6:  A wand like one of the ones in (4) above, except that it acts as a  Rod  of Cancellation  when its last charge is expended, affecting all magic items within a 5-foot radius of the wand. 

 7:  A wand that detects life— that is, the life force — of  any creature within 3”, including hidden or invisible creatures, for 1 turn at a cost of 1 charge. It has 2-8 charges, It will not detect the life force of creatures smaller than a mouse. 

6:  This item,  Zadron’s  Wand, has 11-14 charges, and performs as follows: (wielder’s choice) for the appropriate expenditure in charges:  Wall of Force,  as the spell, for 1 charge;  Mirror  Wall  (described below), for 1 charge;  Disintegrate, as the spell, for 2 charges; and  Prismatic Spray,  as the spell, for 3 charges. A  Mirror Wall  has the same effect as the  Wall of Force  spell, but creatures may freely pass through the wall, and only creatures on the same side of the wall as the spellcaster (wand wielder) can see it. Creatures on the other side, which is a mirror, see themselves. Magic cannot pass through the wall in either direction  

[trashikino]

me??? making a garbage au??? u betcha i am here you go thanks i love u all and i love making final fantasy aus,,,,,, bet u couldn’t guess which bitch just replayed the Entirety of final fantasy ten,,,,,

When she was fourteen years old, You tried to start a pilgrimage. It ended in as fantastic a failure as one could expect from a teenager, traveling long before she had the good sense to use her mind before her heart: she got angry and left the cloth.

There was backlash, but nobody really stopped her from doing it, either.

Which is why she’s currently sitting drunk off her ass with Chika, sword not far behind even though swinging it around inebriated is a terrible idea she knows she will be having if she decides to take another round. So she decides not to.

Chika, who has a way of drinking enough to be completely hammered and yet somehow retaining sobriety, gets the message and walks out with her without a word, into the chill of the night at sea. You grabs her sword on the way and leans thoughtfully against the building, staring out at the sea. “Do you think somewhere, right now, a city is being attacked?”

“That’s a weird question,” Chika replies, without seeming too surprised. “I mean, I dunno. I hope not. Not like we can do anything.” She picks up a more smooth rock and sends it racing over the surface, so fast it skips.

“I could have.” You says, dejected. “Sometimes I wish I didn’t quit.”

Chika brushes her off, giving You a hard pat on the shoulder that honestly feels more like a mini punch, and leaving her hand firm on her shoulder. “And sometimes I wish I could fly! You’re drunk, You, and we’ve been over this before!” Her expression and voice soften in turn. “You have your reasons, and if anyone gives you shit for it you’ve done it to yourself tenfold. Let it go, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah….” You replies with a halfhearted laugh. “I know. Stop being a downer. Still. I wish….I wish I had the stomach for it. I just can’t see those things again.”

She shrugs. “Well, there’s gotta be something you can do, even if it isn’t summoning the final aeon. And if you find that something, I’ll be with you a hundred and ten percent!” Chika grins, wide and goofy-looking, and gives You a mock salute, and another overly-friendly punch to the shoulder.

You grins back. “Thanks. For now we should probably just do our job and get rid of those fiends they asked us about, right?”

——————————–

The opportunity falls into their lap. Sort of, in a manner of speaking. Not literally – it actually fell in front of them, on the ground. Also, it screamed.

It’s kind of an annoying opportunity, all things considered. Her name is Riko.

They walk through the woods with a few bags worth of crap the fiends dropped when they died, since there wasn’t much other evidence they could bring in (or sell). Someone is in an argument, outside the temple in the forest.

“What do you mean you quit?!” Comes the desperate voice. “I won’t survive without someone protecting me! I don’t know any offensive spells!”

There is a pause, and You and Chika stop too so they can hear better what the second quieter person says. “……can’t go on. I’m sick of getting poisoned and beat up for this when you won’t even make it to the third temple. You’re going to give up anyways – why shouldn’t I?”

“I will never give up,” the first voice says, with a surprising amount of steel behind it. She’s quiet, but it’s not panicked or weak. You is struck still by the phenomenon, slowly understanding what is happening. “Never.”

You is so struck, actually, that she starts barging through the foliage for the source, Chika letting out a yelp and following quickly. Bramble-filled bushes tear at her legs while she runs, branches snagging on socks and exposed skin and anything else that isn’t metal or thick leather. Her breath is coming quickly.

“The bushes-!”

“I’m out of here.”

You bursts through into the clearing in front of the temple just as the girl she’d heard, with so much conviction and inner strength, screams and grips her staff tightly, muttering a spell of some sort to cast protection on herself.

Someone else runs out into the woods and You squints angrily after them.

Chika finally catches up with a loud sigh. “Hah….hah…….You, why’d you have to go charging off so fast? I think you scared away this girl’s guardian for good!” When she catches up, she leans on her, hands slipping off her shoulder with exhaustion.

“Good!” You says angrily, planting her sword in the ground and squaring herself off so she is facing the cowering redheaded summoner. Chika lets another sigh loose and picks a twig out of You’s hair thoughtfully. “He was a coward anyways! I’m going to guard you! Lady summoner! Please! Let me be your new guardian!”

The girl looks at them, hands still wrung tight around the staff, knuckles white, and cowering, but after a moment more of fear, she stiffens and brings her face to a straight line. The transformation is fast and impressive. “Why? You’re strangers to me.”

“Well, I dunno, you need a guardian now, right?” You asks, which is kind of a rude-ass way to do it, but hey. Not like she can un-say a thing. “I want to do this. I’ve seen stopped pilgrimages and I’ve seen Sin. I need to do this.” She says, hoping her conviction will ring clear with this girl the same way hers did to You.

She seems uncertain, but eases her grip on the staff and, finally, straightens her back and lowers it. “Then I see no reason to mistrust you. I am Riko, a summoner.”

“I’m a mercenary. You.” There’s a slight pause in which she gives a sly grin. “And this is Chika, my best friend who definitely please wants to go on the journey with me?”

Chika groans, but gives her weary agreement. “To the ends of Spira,” She swears, and sticks a pinky out. You puts hers on it. Riko seems uneasy, so You gives her a friendly and possibly a little too powerful “pat” on the shoulder an encourages her to put her pinky in as well. They break. Chika sheathes her sword and looks off to the temple – where You had stopped her own journey.

“For you, anything.” She says, quietly.

You pretends not to hear while she gets as much information as she can from Riko.

——————————-

Riko has two aeons, and is determined to make the journey. You never asks her about what she sees in the chambers of the Fayth, and, thankfully, neither does Chika, which is good. You is starting to think that, possibly, they will get through without a hitch.

In Djose they pass a woman who is traveling in a group of three; they seem surprisingly noncompetitive about their journey, almost meek. The summoner of this group is a blonde woman with an accent, and she is accompanied by a shy looking young redhead and a roughish woman in all black. Mari, Ruby, and Yoshiko, they said.

Because they are so friendly, they, of course, strike up a conversation. Riko and Mari, being the summoners, have a battle with their aeons for practice while the guardians sit back, bored. Yoshiko broke a vase and while Chika is caught up in the shenanigans of fixing it before the priests can notice. While this goes on, You leans back on a statue and cracks her back, feeling the eyes of the shy mage-looking girl on her. “So, what’s your story? Mari have any particular reason to be a summoner? You a guardian?”

Ruby nods, and gives You a tired-looking smile. “This is actually my second journey. Mari’s, too. She was a guardian last time, and I was too. If things go right, this will be my second successful pilgrimage as a guardian.”

“Wait, what?!” You asks, shocked. “You’re younger than I am, that’s incredible! You’re already a legend! So you must have been traveling eight years ago with –“

“Dia Kurosawa,” Ruby whispers, into her too-big red jacket. A hand-me-down.

You suddenly remembers the celebrations of the latest calm; and a wave of guilt crashes onto her with the force of a tidal wave.

She remembers when she thought she would be the one to bring that calm and wishes she’d gone through with it, so Ruby wouldn’t have to mourn while everyone else celebrated.

—————————–

They get to Bevelle and manage to snag a fifth Aeon, but the entire temple makes You’s skin crawl. It all ran with machines; why did it all run with machines when they were so very clearly forbidden? You did not take issue with the Al Bhed, but this felt wrong. How could the people in Bevelle condemn them for using things that they themselves depended on so heavily even in their own temple?

Chika stuck it out with her this long, and while Riko was in the chamber praying, she edged over to You’s side and pressed a kiss to the cut on her jaw from a fiend they’d fought an hour or two ago, outside the temple – You had insisted Riko shouldn’t waste her magic on repairing it.

She laughed and pretended to swat her away. “Shoo! Stop that, we’re in a temple, Chika, it isn’t the place for kissing.”

Chika fixed her with a look that let her know she didn’t care. “It also isn’t the place for machinery, yet here it is. I think if they can afford to break a few rules, so can we, yeah?”

You rolled her eyes and gave Chika a short kiss, while Chika stealthily rubbed some of her too-expensive salve in the cut. “Chika!”

She stuck her tongue out. “I know you’re trying to get all scarred up to look tough, but an infection could put us out of business, you know? Wait till after the trip.”

“Yeah, yeah,” You grumbled. “It’s not like I’m that shallow. I just don’t want to waste supplies is all!”

“We’ve hoarded these this long. Hold on much longer and we’ll never use them at all. Like all our ethers!” Chika complains. “Why is Riko so stingy with them? If she’s going to be casting the white and black magic around here, she needs as much mana available as she can get!”

You laughs just as Riko pulls out of the chamber looking frazzled but excited with her new aeon. As the stone door slides shut, You catches a glimpse of the pyreflies and a statue, unnatural at every turn.

She shudders and makes haste on her way out of the temple.

—————————-

Too late. Even after traversing the moonflow and receiving all the aeons from the temples, conquering each area with ease, they end up faltering on the last leg of the journey, in the calm lands, because they are too late.

Messengers are sprinting out in every possible direction, brushing past them, faces alight with joy, and the sky is lit with a thousand shimmering souls, pyreflies drifting into daylight from a place on the sea where the sun is still rising. There are millions of them.

Sin is dead.

You finds Yoshiko, nursing bitter wounds, on the crevices of the scarred earth beside their fighting place. “Both of them,” She gasps helplessly, despite Riko’s reassurances that she could heal her. “I thought – I thought only – I thought, I,” she grimaces as her skin mends itself with Riko’s Curaga. “I can’t believe they’re both gone,” is all she says. “Both of them…..”

Riko cries and pulls Yoshiko close to her because she feels guilt, probably, of the same kind that You feels when she thinks of the way she quit her journey. She must feel so many things right now – bitterness of second place, of knowing she didn’t get to help, watching another suffer when she was willing to give her life to keep that from happening –

You resolves to talk to Riko about it later so she does, while Chika takes a long, long nap in the travel agency after Yoshiko picked herself up off the floor and trudged for Bevelle. The Inn was celebrating, but their group was quiet.

“Hey,” You greets Riko when she steps outside, the door clicking behind her. Riko is huddled around a sphere, looking at the ambient blue of the light and the way the rings circled calmly. “I’m….sorry. I don’t know what you feel right now, but I hope, sometime soon, you feel…better.”

She pivots on her feet and gives You a tight smile. It’s not quite what she expected. “I wish I had the same luxury.” She sighs.

“Sorry?” You tries, not sure what Riko is getting at.

Riko turns away from her and sighs; there’s a break in it. “I wish I didn’t know how I felt about this.”

You moves to put a hand on her back, and rubs her shoulders, feeling an obligation to the girl she protected all these months, and Riko finally sobs outright into her sleeves.

“I wish I wasn’t so relieved, You.” She cries. You pulls her into a hug and smooths her hair out over her head, staring at the open sea where Sin had been defeated earlier over her shoulder. Lingering pyreflies still flee the scene.

“Chika and I feel the same way.”

They look for Yoshiko the next day instead of joining the celebrations, and she seems grateful.

You thinks maybe next time, with the next Sin, she will finish what she started.

[helloanonymouswriter]

Undone || Malec

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/569888954-undone-malec-three AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14520396/chapters/33638313

CHAPTER THREE

Everyone regrouped in the ops centre and Rafael made sure to listen out for details on how the evening had progressed. "What did you find?" the head of security asked.

"The box my mum used to keep Jonathon's things in." Clary replied.

"It was right where Izzy found Max." Jace explained.

"I know Max had his eyes on it." Alec confirmed. "He was so determined to prove himself."

"It's possible he found a way to use the box to track Jonathon." Jace continued and Rafael tuned out for a bit, turning his gaze to his exhausted brother.

"You should sleep for a bit, conserve your energy." Rafael prompted. Max looked like he was about to protest but sighed, knowing he wouldn't be of any help if he couldn't perform the spell. Rafael spotted the Shadowhunter that arranged their sleeping arrangements earlier. "Hey man." Rafael smiled apologetically.

"My brother's exhausted from fighting a hoard of shax demons today. Do you mind if he sleeps for a bit? Is there somewhere he can rest?" Rafael asked as nicely as possible. The Shadowhunter appeared indifferent about it.

"Sure, the spare rooms are down that hall then up the stairs. He can go in the one at the end." The man informed and Rafael nodded before turning to Max.

"Did you hear that?"

Max rolled his eyes. "We both know where the spare rooms are." He scoffed. Rafael shrugged and helped his brother up. "I can make it there myself, don't worry." Max assured. "Just stay updated on what's happening." Rafael agreed reluctantly and waved his brother away. He tuned back into the conversation.

"-without it. Alec, he could still be in the building." Jace cautioned. So they knew Jonathon was amongst them.

"We have to confirm he's still inside."

"He saw what the real Jonathon looks like, he will be glamoured as one of our own." Jace concluded and Rafael internally commended them on figuring it out as he turned to watch the perimeter for any sign of hellhounds.

"Hiding in plain sight." Clary added uneasily.

Alec breathed in and looked like he was forming a plan. "Okay ... okay Sebastian I want you and any other personnel on-" Rafael blocked out the rest of his father's words and his blood ran cold. Sebastian. That was Jonathon's alias. Rafael fixed the blond Shadowhunter with a gaze full of contempt. That man had caused so much pain and heartache in his family. He wished he could just end him there and then. He clenched his hands to stay in his seat and not throttle the person who attacked his uncle.

"-If Jonathon's still in the building, he's not getting out alive!" Alec assured right to Jonathon's face and Rafael would have been pleased if he didn't know that the bastard would, indeed, get out alive. Rafael glared as the blond half-nephilim, half-demon marched off to perform whatever devious deed was next on his list. Rafael hated having to be rational, but he really couldn't do anything that interfered with their timeline too vastly.

Just then Alec rushed past and whipped his phone out, finger pressing urgently on call. He groaned in frustration when the person didn't pick up. "Magnus please ... I need your help. I know things are complicated right now but ... I just ... I need you ..." Alec sighed heavily and stopped the voicemail. Rafael felt his heart clench - he hated seeing his parents sad. Although they had the occasional argument, they were too in love to ever continue for too long. Hearing the sorrow in young Alec's voice only made Rafael more aware of how it didn't start out so easy.

"Fuck this." Alec snapped suddenly and his son watched as he stormed out the institute to personally get his lover to help. Rafael sighed and dreaded the destination of the evening.

~

Max could only manage a couple hours sleep, his mind was too restless despite his body's protests. After a while he couldn't handle being alone in this foreign room in this foreign time without the comfort of his brother. He went in search for Rafael, hoping he was still in the ops centre. However as he rounded one of the corridors he stopped in his tracks and backed up. He swallowed the lump in his throat when he spotted his papa addressing his father and family about his uncle.

"Max's only hope for recovery now lies with brother Enoch." Magnus explained regretfully. Alec looked disappointed by the news and went straight to denial.

"There's gotta be something! Anything-"

"Brother Enoch." Maryse Lightwood said sternly and Max flinched a little at the sight. This was the Maryse Lightwood still struggling with her prejudices. Although she had come to love Max, he knew he made her sad at the same time - he was nothing like her son. He loved his grandparents but there was only so far their tolerance could go.

As the silent brother went to help little Max Alec became desperate. "No!" He exclaimed.

"Alec! I know you're scared..." Max tuned out of the conversation, shutting his eyes tight. He hated seeing the ones he loved so miserable and there was nothing he could do about it. After a moment he cast one last glance round the corner and saw his papa holding his dad's hand as a comfort. Max, despite the sadness it spawned, couldn't help but smile at the fact that Magnus would always care for his dad and would comfort him when Max couldn't. He let out a breath and headed to find Rafael.

Luckily he was still by the monitors, looking frustrated at the results. Max smiled at the sense of familiarity and security that Rafael gave him despite the painful reality around them, his throbbing parabatai rune and the lack of his family and friends. "Hey." Max spoke softly and Rafael jerked to attention. He smiled at Max's ruffled blue hair but it dropped a little when he noticed something amongst the birds nest.

"Maxie." He said in a low voice. "One of your mark's is showing. Might want to strengthen your glamour." Rafael whispered. Max frowned and reached up to find one of his horns showing. He flushed and concentrated his magic once again. Generally he wasn't ashamed of being a warlock and it was a lot more accepted at the institute in his time but he knew the reaction would be less than great in their current situation.

Just then Rafael's attention snapped to one individual who started talking to Clary. His eyes narrowed and he turned to Max. "That's Jonathon." He hissed and Max's eyes went wide. It was the blond head of security. "His alias is Sebastian. You were right, it did start with an 'S'" Rafael sighed and watched curiously as they interacted.

"Clary's tricking him into holding electrum." Max mumbled.

"Shit's about to go down." Rafael grimaced. The next couple hours were a blur as the sun began to rise. Both Lightwood-Bane brothers witnessed the whole Jonathon attack failure then deflated when they saw their papa leaving the institute with tears in his eyes not long after.

"Dad's probably a mess." Max whispered.

"They both are." Rafael agreed. "I heard the other Shadowhunters talking and uncle Max is okay." Max felt relieved despite knowing the outcome.

"That's good." He smiled. "So, any progress on the demons?"

"No ... they didn't even attempt a breach. What's stalling them?" Rafael asked angrily. "Look we should get some rest. I'm sure that if they attack we'll know about it but I need my strength if we're going to be along for this confusing ride." Rafael admitted, feeling his eyes getting heavy. Max agreed and helped his brother towards the spare rooms.

"Rafael! Max!" They heard Isabelle call and turned to see her jog towards them in those ridiculously high heels. Rafael smiled tiredly in reply. "I just wanted to say thank you for helping me find my brother, I don't know what I'd have done if we didn't find him sooner. So thank you." She smiled, eyes a little red.

"We didn't really do anything but we're glad he's ok. I hope you're able to get some rest." Max smiled.

"Oh I wish ... Alec's called us into a meeting about what happened with Jonathon. Where are you boys headed?" She asked, changing the subject.

"We were hoping to get a few hours sleep because we need to get back to tracking those demons as soon as possible. We've contacted our team and they're staying at a friends. We'll regroup when we can." Max explained, feeling responsible to take on the charade for once. Rafael needed rest and shouldn't have to think so hard.

"Ok you boys get some rest, I'm sorry you came in the middle of it all. If I get a chance to spare I'll help you with your demon problem. If not I'll get Alec to assign a Shadowhunter to help you on the case in the institute." Isabelle smiled and patted Max on his arm. She felt strangely fond of the blue-haired boy. He reminded her a lot of her Max and her protective streak was still raw. She watched with a smile as the brothers helped each other to their room and hoped that once everything was over they'd have the chance to really talk. They seemed nice and there was something comforting about them that Isabelle found herself wanting to explore further.

~

Rafael and Max had finally got the rest they needed and decided to spar. Like their father is provided much needed stress relief and their iratzes had already gotten rid of the previous day's kinks. They had a quarterstaff each and circled each other on the floor. Rafael watched his brother quickly assess the situation, looking for any directional decision's in the boy's eyes. He saw the decision made in hardened blue eyes and prepared as his muscles twitched and he struck fast and hard. Rune's already activated, Rafael dodged with ease and went to get his brother in the back as he flew fast. His reflexes were good though as he blocked the blow.

Max's arms strained a little as he pushed back against his brother's strength. Rafael was the strongest warrior in the institute, Alexandra coming in close second. Max wasn't sloppy by any means but he had to focus on the skill of physical battle as well as mental when his magic came into play. Despite the conflict, he managed to keep up and found his parabatai's skills comforting. He made a quick decision, ducking under his brother's staff and kicking him behind the knee.

Rafael's knee bent but he followed the motion, rolling forward and twisting so fast the he swiped his brother's feet out from under him. Max let out an 'oof!' as his back hit the ground. Rafael chuckled and stood, looming confidently over his brother. "Nice technique and reaction time but you let your guard down when you thought you'd gotten me. Don't stop there, keep attacking until you know I'm down for certain." Rafael instructed and held out a hand for his brother.

"Solid advice." A voice complimented from the side. The brothers jerked their heads to the training room entrance. Alec and Isabelle stood there, similar expressions and stances. Isabelle uncrossed her arms and grinned brightly at the boys as Alec gave a small impressed smile - only the lifting of the corner of his mouth really.

"Thank you, I train the others at the institute." Rafael smiled and made his way towards the head of the institute, Max following suite.

"Really? What family do you come from?" Alec asked curiously. Rafael froze for a second, brain running on fast forward as he struggled to grasp a lesser-known Shadowhunting family name.

"True...wright." Rafael blurted out. Max almost gave an exasperated sigh, he was pretty sure that was made up.

"I haven't heard of the Truewrights." Isabelle said thoughtfully.

"Our legacy isn't very vast and our name relatively new." Rafael tried to explain. Alec seemed to accept that as he looked ready to change the conversation. "Isabelle here said you helped out in the ops centre yesterday when things got crazy during lock-down." He started and Rafael gave a nod.

"He got the operating systems back up in record time once Sebas- I mean Jonathon disabled them. Thanks to that we were able to save and find some institute footage regarding the elite guards. The quick back up also alerted the other Shadowhunters earlier about the crisis." Isabelle explained with an impressed smirk. Rafael felt himself flush a little and just knew his brother was giving him a smug look.

"Impressive." Alec agreed.

"U-um, thank you sir." Rafael couldn't help but get flustered. It's not like he didn't compliments from the older version of his father, but he thought it particularly difficult to impress the young and stubborn version of Alec Lightwood-Bane. No doubt he had other pressing matters that may distract from small feats like helping out with the security system. Isabelle seemed insistent that he get recognition though. Both brothers could tell they'd gained her trust and she wanted to help them.

"How's your field-work?" Alec addressed the younger brother.

"Ready and awaiting orders sir." Max replied automatically, both brothers had gotten past the shock of their situation enough to function as usual. Max was a good warrior and completed orders with vigour. He didn't want to fall behind his brother. Alec looked pleased with the response and turned to Isabelle who Rafael noticed was wearing her gear.

"Then you can suit up and accompany my sister on mission. Rafael, I appear to be lacking a head of security. What would you say to a part time position? I assure you we'll help with your demon problem as soon as possible. We'll get some other Shadowhunters scouting for any unusual demon activity."

Max and Rafael's pulses sped up, both honoured. Rafael was acting-head back home and head of security was a position of honour and he felt overwhelmed that he displayed enough skill and competency to not only gain their trust so quickly but be offered a sought after position in a prestigious institute. "I'd be honoured s-sir." Rafael couldn't help stutter. Alec gave a nod.

"I trust my sister's judgement and you've both proven to not be involved in any of the chaos that ensued yesterday. We'd appreciate any assistance you can offer." Alec replied justly before turning to Rafael. "Shall we?" he pressed and Rafael stood to attention.

He turned to his brother. "Good luck Maxie." He gave a reassuring smile at his brother's anxious gaze. He knew Max didn't like being separated but being on mission would put him in his element - he should be alright.

"You too Rafa." Max turned his attention to Isabelle as Alec and Rafael left to sort out the business of the day.

"Well you're all warmed up, grab your blades and let's go." Isabelle grinned brightly and Max couldn't help but return her enthusiasm. He loved his aunt Izzy.

As Rafael and Alec walked to his office in comfortable silence, Alec felt the need to clarify something that's been bothering him. "Look." He started firmly as Rafael fell into step with him. "My head of security just turned out to be a psychopathic murderer in league with Valentine and I usually wouldn't be so ready to accept another outsider for the position. I didn't have a good gut feeling about Sebastian but he saved my sister's life so I ignored it. I have a good gut feeling about you so you better not betray this offer of trust do you hear me?" Alec warned.

Rafael could see the exhaustion and sadness in his father's eyes and he wished he could reach out to comfort him but knew that wasn't possible. All he could do right now is try and ease his mind about Rafael's loyalty. "Of course sir. I welcome punishment if I don't fit up to your standards."

Alec raised an eyebrow but kept quiet. Once they reached the office, they went straight to business.

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Computer Optimization By Upgrading Making Connection

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Computer Optimization By Upgrading Making Connection

Element I – INTRO & FRAGMENTATION

Many humans are underneath the impression that a computer’s performance deteriorates with age. I’d like to dispel that fantasy: computer systems are in the main strong-country technology that is basically unaffected by way of age. I’m now not saying that older computer systems do not run extra slowly, but as soon as we correct the notion that the gradual down is because of its unalterable age, the problem turns into one that could commonly be remedied without buying a newer computer.

First, allow’s understand what does not reason a laptop to gradual down:

laptop processors are digital electronic transistor-like switches, sealed in a difficult plastic package; those are strong-nation gadgets that both work or do not. They will get fired if exposed to a strength surge, however otherwise, they do not slow down. laptop reminiscence is comprised of similar components and works or doesn’t work, just the equal. A laptop motherboard is nothing extra than wire strains on a piece of plastic, normally with extra strong-kingdom devices plugged into it or soldered to it. Motherboards do not sluggish down, either. laptop power materials are uncovered to a number of the most intense situations a computer revel in. That is why they burn out extra often than most different elements, however even they don’t reason performance reductions; they either work or they do not. So what does motive a computer to sluggish down with age? The biggest culprit is recorded garage. Consider trying to search for something in a file cabinet if it became the simplest object inside the drawer; it would be quite easy to locate, right? If there had been even only some items inside the drawer, it might nevertheless be easy to thumb through them to discover the only you desired. What if the drawer became completely stuffed? It might take a little longer, proper? That’s what happens on a tough force while you install an operating gadget, packages, and information on it. Whenever you download extra.Mp3 songs, import greater.Jpg photos out of your digicam, or kind up new word processing files, you’re stuffing extra matters in the file cabinet which is your tough power.

Not like the processor or reminiscence, the hard drive is usually not a solid nation device; it has shifting components. Consequently, the time it takes to examine or write tough force records is on the order of 1,000 times slower than stable-state devices like RAM or a USB thumb drive. Couple that with the reality that you maintain including increasingly more stuff to it, and you can begin to understand the trouble.

In reality, it is even worse than you Believe. whilst you store a report to the difficult pressure, it receives stored in a specific area of the force. The computer attempts to allocate hard drive space as successfully as feasible, so if extra stuff gets written to the pressure after that, it’s stored in the next to be had sequential space. (For the hard center techies reading this, yes, I know that this rationalization seriously oversimplifies the manner.) Alas, which means that when you next edit that initial document, there is not any contiguous area of the power for the brand new facts to be saved, so it ends up getting stored somewhere else, separated from the first part of the report. Later, whilst you try and study this report lower back into memory, it takes a bit longer than it would for a continuously saved record due to the fact the laptop must make a leap in the center of analyzing it to discover the relaxation of it. This is referred to as fragmentation. Every other motive of fragmentation is while files are deleted, as that creates holes the laptop attempts to fill within the end saved records, but the holes are almost by no means the proper size for the new documents being stored, so the newly-stored documents additionally get

Element II – digital HOARDING

After fragmentation, the following trouble to speak about how tough drives sluggish down our computer systems is the growing volume of records being stored on them. in case you’ve visible a phonograph turntable, you have got a tough perception of the way a difficult force operates, however, Consider it spinning plenty quicker. Rather than 33 or forty-five revolutions according to the minute, difficult drives function at five,400, 7, two hundred, 10,000, or even 15,000 revolutions in keeping with a minute. For even the slowest hard pressure to spin around to the exact opposite facet of the disk may additionally take underneath 1/100th of a 2nd, however like a phonograph turntable, the rotation is not the simplest motion the force makes; the pinnacle additionally actions inside and out, radially, and that movement is drastically slower. while a hard power has little statistics on it, that statistics is usually saved near the middle, so the pinnacle simplest wishes to traverse a tiny fraction of the radius of the disk, however as increasingly records get saved, more of the radius of the disk is used, so the part of the radius that the top need to tour gets longer, making facts reads and writes slower.

Thankfully, this type of performance degradation can regularly be mitigated, too. people have a tendency to be terrible p.C.-rats about what they save on their computer systems. tough drives turn out to be like black holes, accumulating years of facts which could by no means be used, needed, or maybe visible once more. If the computer changed into faster whilst it changed into new, before it had all this data on it, you may properly be capable of restoring it to that level of performance if you may clean out a number of this records. There are endless methods to become aware of and remove unneeded facts from a hard force. Windows comes with some gear that may assist:

Disk Cleanup searches for numerous categories of junk left to your power and enables you to take away them. Add/cast off Packages enables you to discover and put off old applications and Windows components which you do not use or want. Even your own vintage files, tune, films, and photos may be parsed and both deleted or moved to the offline garage (including burned to CDs/DVDs or uploaded to the community or even Net garage facilities). In intense conditions, you may additionally reduce some of the cache sizes, such as the machine restore cache length or maybe the Recycle Bin. by way of default, these absorb 12% and 10% of your difficult force, respectively, and unless you are prone to deleting things you should not have, slicing these in 1/2 frees up 1/nine of your difficult force, right away and without undue danger.

Professionals may additionally have the ability to help you become aware of more approaches of releasing up area, including disabling Offline files if the feature isn’t always wished, deleting old consumer profiles, getting rid of antique printers, decreasing Internet cache settings, and many others. often, Programs leave remnants of themselves behind in your difficult drive, even after being uninstalled; those will also be deleted. Misconfigured Virtual reminiscence settings may additionally hog up extra of your difficult force than is really wished.

Element III – Utility CREEP

Besides difficult drive information storage, there may be Every other place wherein computer overall performance may additionally grow to be degraded, appearing to be because of age: growing needs at the processor and memory. We have to divide this difficulty into two classes, although. One can be resolvable without upgrading your computer, while the alternative in all likelihood could no longer be.

The resolvable class is what I refer to as “Utility creep.” Your computer in all likelihood got here with a bunch of free and unfastened-trial Programs set up that you’ve never used. most of those lie dormant to your tough drive until invoked, however, some, like printer drivers, malware detectors, and hardware and software updates load into memory Whenever you boot your device. On top of these, you have in all likelihood established greater, whether or not you realized it or now not. if you hooked up Adobe Reader, there may be a little piece of code that probably hundreds upon every restart of your computer – it makes it quicker if you want to open.Pdf files due to the fact part of the Reader is already in memory, but what approximately the 99% of the time that you’re now not using it? nicely, it still sits there, taking on assets, making different operations slower. Plenty of different common applications have such additives that mechanically run whilst you boot your Laptop (aka “AutoRuns”), inclusive of iTunes, Safari, QuickTime, Java, and extra. Except for these AutoRuns, other unwanted Applications sneak in, piggy-sponsored along Programs you use. The ones more toolbars on your Net Explorer window have been the carefully-hid payloads of Lots of different Applications you mounted, and guess what – they dissipate resources unnecessarily On every occasion IE is walking. it is no longer a large reach to recognize that after unneeded matters are using up sources, ideal operations paintings less successfully.

Appearance, we do not all still deliver around our first, brick-sized, analog-most effective, battery-guzzling cell phones – we want the latest functions, so we upgrade. At some point, you have to make the choice to do that along with your computer, too. In the long run, you may locate that even after scaling down your facts, deleting your unwanted applications, and cleaning up your AutoRun Applications as ways as you moderately can that your laptop continues to be too slow to your flavor. At that factor, both improve or update it. Optimistically, following the recommendation above will at least growth the quantity of time among laptop upgrades, saving you cash.

Element IV – WHAT TO improve

so you’ve attempted all the optimizing you may, and you’re nevertheless unhappy with the performance of your computer. Now what? Perhaps it is time to improve, however, what must you improve? The entire machine? Just some components? If money and time have been no objects, you’d just go purchase the cutting-edge best machine-accessible and hire a person else to reinstall and reconfigure all of your applications and transfer all of your records. Lamentably, for many of us, It really is not the case. whilst confronted with constrained assets, we need to make selections approximately the first-rate ways to rent them. you’ll hate to spend four digits on an entirely new computer system if all of the vintage one wished was a reminiscence improve. However, you’ll additionally hate to waste money on RAM handiest to locate which you’re nevertheless unsatisfied and nevertheless confronted with the want to buy a whole new device. How are you going to tell what to do?

Home windows come with numerous tools to help us become aware of bottlenecks. Armed with that information, we can make higher decisions approximately what to do to resolve them. Here is a listing of several of the extra common bottlenecks:

community Connection – a low-speed community connection will make Net access and every other network aid utilization slower. Primary reminiscence – having insufficient RAM forces the computer to use a switch report on the difficult pressure alternatively, slowing down processing, mission switching, and examine/write operations. Processor – having too sluggish a processor or too few processors will affect the performance of without a doubt all operations. less-steeply-priced processors additionally lack L1 cache, which reduces their performance further. tough power – slower difficult drives affect the velocity of all read/write operations, which include cache files and Digital reminiscence. space usage is also a consideration; the rule is to make use of less than 50% of any hard force’s potential. To diagnose these troubles, first, try to be aware styles. If your overall performance lawsuits predominantly pertain to the rate at which Web pages load, they may be much more likely indicative of a trouble with the rate of your Net connection. If performance receives gradually when you have more programs going for walks, you can have inadequate memory or a sluggish processor. If the difficult pressure pastime indicator mild remains lit frequently, it could simply inadequate memory or too sluggish or too full a hard power. as soon as you’ve got your wager as a place to begin, you may want to discover proof for or in opposition to your thesis. A terrific location to start is the Windows venture Supervisor. Press Ctrl-Alt-Del, and also you ought to see the task Manager or a hyperlink to it, depending on which model of Home windows you are strolling. The overall performance tab shows processor and memory usage and the Networking tab shows community connection usage. let’s start with the performance tab; it affords Lots of excellent facts. First, the range of pages of CPU Usage History suggests you what number of CPU cores your machine has. utilization ought to generally below except you’ve got a ton of stuff actively walking. If any of the graphs are pegging the needle at the top of the chart, there is more call for being positioned on your processor than it may deal with. The PF Utilization charts show how a whole lot RAM is being used. Ideally, you want this to be low, too. The greater packages you’ve got jogging, the greater RAM is needed. As we noted, as soon as the laptop runs out of real reminiscence, it makes greater room by transferring many less-frequently-used records into “Virtual memory,” which is honestly stored on the difficult drive. while it desires it back, it swaps the subsequent-least-often-used records to the tough force to make room to swap the wanted records back in. All of those operations take time, so if the PF Usage is up at or close to the pinnacle of your graph, you have got inadequate RAM to meet your needs.

Any other helpful device to peer the processor and RAM which might be established for your Pc is the machine Homes inside the Control Panel. Press Windows-Ruin as a shortcut to convey that up. The Pentium-four processor is today’s fashionable, and if you have an older one, I wouldn’t hassle looking to improve – just update the Laptop. Exceptional working structures have Distinctive reminiscence requirements, but having at the least 1 GB of RAM is pretty not unusual in recent times.

again to the undertaking Supervisor, at the Networking tab, don’t be surprised In case your network utilization is regularly at or below one percent. A regular computer has a network interface card (NIC) able to speaking at 100 or even 1,000 million bits in keeping with 2nd – even older NICs should talk at 10 Mbps. An ordinary broadband Net connection (inclusive of a cable modem, high-velocity DSL, or fiber optic connection), But, operates within the region of 1 Mbps, and that’s simplest while downloading huge files underneath best conditions. in case you’re related to other local community resources, along with servers or network printers, you may be able to use greater of your to be had bandwidth, but If your sole community usage is your Net get admission to, the bottleneck will constantly be the Internet connection in place of the PC’s network connection. Now that we’ve got cleared that up, if you locate the graph displaying utilization at or close to 100%, your network card can be too sluggish on your requirements, however, if you’re unhappy with the velocity of Web pages loading notwithstanding low network connection utilization, you need upgrading to windows 10 problems your Net connection As opposed to your computer.

Part V – UPGRADING

Now that you’ve diagnosed the hassle, you need to determine how to address it. a few issues can be overcome via minor enhancements, however, others aren’t worth the cost or hassle and are a perfect possibility to update the Laptop.

if you’ve decided which you do not have enough RAM, That’s commonly the most inexpensive and easiest improve you may make for your Computer. relying on how a whole lot you’ve got and how many slots your motherboard has, you will be capable of install extra DIMMs or you can need to replace current lower-ability DIMMs with large-capacity ones. There are dozens of incompatible varieties of reminiscence, so in case you’re now not sure what you want, the nice element to do is to test the owner’s guide that got here with your Computer while To procure it. You still have it, right? If now not, both take a DIMM out and convey it with you to the shop or in case you’re shopping for online, search through the make and version of your Computer, in preference to for the form of memory.

if you’ve decided that your network card is just too sluggish, you could probably install a faster one into a card slot or even a USB port – this, too, is an extraordinarily inexpensive and easy improve to perform. maximum Desktops built in the final 10 years have PCI slots, so you can possibly look for a PCI-generation community interface card (NIC) at your nearby computer keep or on-line. They arrive in stressed out or wireless sorts, depending on how you may be connecting your computer in your community. in case you’d rather now not open your Laptop, both stressed out and wi-fi NICs come in USB types in recent times, too. If your Net connection is too sluggish, you won’t need to do a component to your computer – simply contact your ISP and talk your alternatives for upgrading to windows 10 problems your career to a higher bandwidth – or keep around to see what the alternative ISPs are charging.

If making a decision that your processor is inadequate, it is commonly nice to just update your Computer. Motherboards are designed to work with a small range of different model processors, or even if yours become the low quit version, the cost and hassle to upgrade to the excessive-cease processor wouldn’t produce a quite worthwhile improvement; exchange up for a computer with extra processor cores, as an alternative. The simplest exception to this rule might be If your motherboard allowed you to upgrade from a processor without L1 cache (including a Celeron) to a processor with L1 cache – that might produce an important sufficient development to warrant the cost and issue. In that case, take a look at your proprietor’s manual (or specs online) to see which processors your motherboard will accommodate, and if making a decision to do it, when you thing in the price of your time and effort, it is likely satisfactory to just improve to the nice and quickest one available – you do not need to have to try this once more in a yr while you outgrow a tiny incremental development.

Historically, while a PC’s hard drive became the bottleneck, it was usually a factor at which we encouraged changing the entire device. In some cases, However, the guidelines have modified today. replacing a tough force involves reinstalling the running device and all the applications, in addition to transferring all the personal documents and facts, so it’s usually any such exertions in depth technique as to make it an appropriate time to improve the relaxation of the Pc at the side of it. today, But, with the popularity of digital pictures,.Mp3 tune files, films, and other area-hogging multimedia information, it is often viable to optimize an existing tough drive with the aid of offloaded all such personal files and facts to outside storage. USB flash drives are actually to be had in sixty-four GB or greater, and outside USB hard drives exceed 1 TB (which is 1,024 GB). it’s a pain in the butt to ought to trade the setup vicinity of most packages and Windows additives, but to transport statistics documents is drastically less trouble. In reality, to similarly enhance performance, you can even offload your computer’s Digital reminiscence file to a 2d (inner) difficult power without an excessive amount of problem. As we discussed earlier in this treatise, the more stuff you have for your tough force, the much less efficiently it operates, so by way of shifting all this kind of non-machine-important records off of the tough power that includes the working device and the applications, you’ll be able to restore maximum of the Pc’s youthful performance without an excessive amount of trouble.

Ultimately, all of these optimizations and enhancements are best forestall-gap measures. software connection and updates will retain to require more and more area in your Most important tough pressure, and you will likely Add extra functions and packages through the years. Even in case you’re extraordinarily miserly with the area for your Foremost tough pressure, there are still growing demands. It is also one of the few mechanical additives in your Computer, so its lifespan can already be anticipated to be shorter than any of the strong country components. Sooner or later, you’re going to want a new Most important difficult pressure, and at that factor, I’d still stick with my role that it’s An awesome possibility to replace the complete computer.

Many humans are comfy enough with defragmenting their own tough drives and putting in their personal RAM DIMMs, however, if you’d favor to go away it to a professional, Maverick Answers could be happy to help. In truth, for our unswerving readers (at least our neighborhood ones), we are even imparting a free Pc Music-Up or we are able to assist with different styles of upgrades. if you’ve tried all of the optimizing you may and still are not getting excellent performance from your old Computer, we’d suggest one in all our reliable refurbished computer systems to provide you the maximum price in your era investment.