#in he previous one it was the Wing who was chasing them right?

[somerandomcockroach]

Savage

Monster hunter au part 5

Ratchet being worried that his fiendly beast got killed or decided to leave him while he’s actually just started his anime training episode👍

Oh my god this au is taking over my brain haha thank you all so so much for your kind comments and deranged tags. I’m eating them for breakfast>:D

Part 4

[hussyknee]

Trying to explain what the fuck just happened in Lankan politics today.

The leftist party has won 159 seats out of 218 in the Parliamentary elections. The single biggest landslide win since we broke from the British and achieved universal franchise in 1948.

Any party achieving a super majority in the executive and legislative is, objectively speaking, bad. It disables checks and balances, which is a catastrophic thing for any democracy, and the only two other times it's happened for us has irrevocably eroded the fabric of civic rights and democratic freedom. Also, the reason the NPP won the North and East is that the colonized, genocided and subjugated people there have no faith in electoralism anymore. The way this government has engaged minority issues has been utterly abysmal and now they've been rewarded for it.

On the other hand:

The winners. Are all. Grassroots. Candidates.¹

We have voted out every single career criminal that's been barnacled into the Lankan political arena since before I've been alive. The fascist party has only three seats.² The other fascists didn't win a single seat. The neoliberal legacy party won none. There are only forty people in Parliament that represent any sort of dynastic political legacy. After 76 solid years of nothing but political dynasties.

This is barely five years after the Rajapaksas swept in and absolutely glutted the Parliament with their family members and cronies end to end.

This is the illegitimate interim government we had for most of the last 18 months. We literally, physically, chased the Rajapaksas out of the country and this fucking demon set up a puppet government just so he could finally sit in that goddamn chair and be the despot he'd always dreamed of in exchange for letting them all come back. He's now gone. His entire circle is gone.

THEY ARE ALL FUCKING GONE.

In US terms, just imagine that, five years from now, when Trump's GOP has control of everything, the entire GOP and the worst of the Dems are all purged from Congress and Senate, the Green Party in control of all three branches of government under a pro-union left-wing President and an unmarried female LGBT rights activist Vice President, and the Dems reduced to barely 20% of the House.

This is my anthropology professor. She joined politics from the small nascent leftist coalition to help keep the government accountable. She's now the Prime Minister and the most popular Parliamentary candidate in the nation's history. (Edit: She was knocked off first place by a dude in the final result. Boo.)

(On the other hand— the woman who helped make me a radical anarchist and literally helped write a book on political dissent and resistance...now is the state. Uh.)

But there are so many women in Parliament! We had the lowest female representation in a South Asian Parliament and some of them were from the list of seats reserved for parties rather than elected ones. Most were either anti-feminist conservative embarrassments, widows and daughters of elite politicians and neoliberal shills. It's still only an increase of a few percentage points (Edit: from the previous 5% to 10% in the final result!) but now we have elected academics, feminist advocates, activists! There Is a representative for Malaiyaha Tamils in the Central Province for the first time in history and it's a young woman! (Edit: now it's two female Malaiyaha MPS!!) This is the plantation community that still live in conditions closest to the slavery the British forced upon them two hundred years ago!

I'm like. Completely mindfucked. To be very very clear, the NPP coalition formed around the nucleus of the JVP that used to be communist but haven't been in 30 years, they're now just social democrats who are left of places like the US and UK, whose "left" is now center-right. They're only threatening to the Western mainstream media for some reason who can't stop bleating about how we have a "Marxist" government now. In reality, the actual chances for radical reform are still quite low, and the opportunity for further erosion is quite high with a super majority government regardless of affiliation.

On the other hand:

What the fuck.

Sometimes living through historical events is really damn amazing.

---

¹ Well, nearly. There are a few career politicians and a nepo baby but they aren't so bad either.

² Goddamn it, Baby Rajapaksa and Sri Lanka's answer to JD Vance have wormed their way in using the list of Constitutionally reserved party seats for non-elected members. FUCK the National List.

[leonawriter]

Avian/bird whisperer Hakuba who hears about Kaitou Kid using doves in his thievery and doesn't just come to chase him but to figure out if the birds are okay, and ends up coo'd over by an entire dovecot's worth of birds who are all more than happy to tell him exactly how much they love their master and friend Kaito the moment he tells them that he won't (can't, the speech of birds can't be used in a court of law, after all) use what they say against him.

His impression of Kaito becomes rather more positive after that, and Kaito himself finds it hard to truly hate the detective when he keeps coming around to his house (he'd wondered if the guy had come with a warrant, the first time) to... pet and play with his doves? And bring them treats?

The chase becomes more fun than to actually catch and arrest Kid, although it is sometimes hard to explain to a flock of excited birds that no, they cannot use him as a perch or beg treats when he isn't supposed to know them right now.

It also becomes headache-inducing when the birds start to try and encourage him to spend more time at the dovecot-nest. To be friends with Kaito more. Birds don't see things the same way humans do, but when they spend enough time around humans they can... translate well enough back and forth that Saguru knows that it's the same effect as an extended family all trying to say want to stay for dinner, dear? Because one time hearing one of the birds ask when he was going to start giving nest-gifts to Kaito was more than enough of a hint. And unfortunately there's nothing he can say any longer to stop that kind of talk.

Equally headache-inducing is how Watson had outright asked to go with him to Japan at least once. He had thought that his own bird was more mature than a flock of doves, but apparently that was all a misunderstanding, because the moment Watson knew who Kaito was, the overgrown chicken started flapping wings and protesting that he "only wanted to talk." While the case was still ongoing.

From the sound of what he heard later, Watson had hunted after Kaito after he'd flown from the helicopter and, since Kaito couldn't talk to birds, had simply... stared Kid down for an apparently uncomfortable length of time.

It's only after Kaito ends up watching Hakuba talk his birds into doing things he'd never been able to teach them as tricks that Kaito realises what Hakuba is capable of and that he's not just known he's Kid all this time but Known, and had inside information, and- he lets himself explode a little, calling his birds "little traitors" and accusing Hakuba of only coming over to see his "information sources" rather than him.

They're both rather hurt by that.

Kaito more so than Saguru, after Watson decides to take matters into their own hands (wings, claws) and screeches in his ear, as well as "not being careful" with the claws and beak until Kaito agrees to go and apologise to Saguru.

A few of the doves go with him, and get rather excited, flying off ahead.

Saguru himself dryly points out that he's well aware that whatever happened, Kaito must have forgotten to return the target of the previous night's heist, because now most of their shared aviary is convinced that said gemstone is Kaito's first nest-gift to him. Which Saguru will graciously accept before handing it in to the police, thank you very much, even if he doesn't admit exactly how he managed to get his hands on it.

[writing-until-i-drop]

Wildflowers For A Hangman Ch. 4

Summary:

Daisy, a career novelist, moves in with her college best friend Phoenix who has been permanently assigned to Top Gun with Dagger Squad. She finds herself instantly connected with a cocky pilot who's soft only for her and Jake can't help but want to know everything about her. When the past comes knocking at both of their doors, will they stand together or fall apart?

Or: The Dagger Squad can't cook and Jake falls in love with a woman who makes a mean lasagna while they work their personal trauma.

Jake "Hangman" Seresin x writer!femOC | 18+ (eventually) minors dni. Fluff, smut (eventual), idiots in love, past trauma.

A/N: Cassandra isn't speaking to Daisy and her work suffers but a call from her brother should make everything better, right?

AO3 Link

Previous Chapter

Cassandra wasn’t cooperating today and I knew better than to try and force it. Instead, I tried my hand at writing something overtly and didn’t make it a full page before scrapping the entire project. I’d had a few boyfriends before but none of them had given me the foot-popping, sparks-flying, kind of romance people wrote about. 

In a desperate attempt to get something done, I wrote a few paragraphs more of an abandoned project about a kid detective trying to solve the theft of a neighbor’s lawn gnome. It wasn’t my most inspired piece of work, one of the many reasons Jason had told me to drop it, but it felt good to write something. 

After completely throwing in the towel, I cleaned the apartment and made a double batch of M&M cookies, snacking on the chocolate candies as I went. Once the kitchen was cleaned again, I realized that I had made enough cookies to feed an army without an army to feed. 

Daisy: Movie night at our place with the daggers? 

Daisy: I may have stress baked

After an hour, Natasha responded affirmatively and I decided to run to the store for more snacks. While debating between Dorito flavors, my phone rang, Harvey’s picture flashing on the screen.

“Hey, Harv,” I greeted him, adding both bags of chips to my cart. “How are my girls?” 

“Driving me crazy as usual,” Harvey laughed and I felt a bit lighter inside. There had been a point in our childhoods where I felt resentful that Harvey could be so happy but my therapist and a healthy dose of prescriptions had helped me past that. “How’s life in California?” 

“Hot,” I joked. “The sun’s insufferable but it’s good to be living with Tasha again. She’s got some great friends that I bribed with cookies into accepting me as one of them.” 

“Of course you did, your cookies could broker world peace.” I chuckled, waiting for Harvey to cut to the chase as I continued to throw all the snack foods I could find into the cart including frozen pizzas and chicken wings. “August is coming to an end.” There it was. I sighed but stayed silent, “How are you doing, DeeDee?” 

“I’ve already scheduled the flowers to be sent to their graves and-” 

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” 

“I’m fine, Harv. I’m keeping busy, trying not to think about it.” Something fell behind me and I nearly jumped out of my skin, white-knuckling the cart. It was like a switch flipped, all of my nerves lighting on fire, the acute paranoia I’d worked so hard to rid myself of sprinting to the forefront of my mind. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as Harvey’s voice faded into a soft buzzing. Was someone watching me? No, no one was watching me. I tried to shake off the feeling, moving at a snail’s pace through the aisle. I looked down at my feet and I could have sworn I saw red despite the canvas being black. 

“Daisy?” I heard my name through the fog, “Daisy Louise? DeeDee, you’re okay. You’re okay, everything’s okay, DeeDee.” Harvey. Harvey was calling for me. Where was he? I had to get to him. “I’m okay, DeeDee. I’m safe.” The fog pulled away and I was on the floor of the frozen aisle, my phone beside me. 

“Harvey?” 

“I’m here, I’m alright, DeeDee.” He soothed, “Are you okay?” I grabbed the phone, tucking my head between my knees.

“I’m okay, Harv. I just…”

“I know, it’s okay. It’s normal but you should call Natasha and have her pick you up.” That was completely off of the table. I could handle this by myself, all I needed to do was get to my feet and everything would be okay. “I love you, DeeDee.”

“I love you too, Harvey.” I sat on the floor with my head in my hands for a few seconds after hanging up, evening out my breathing until I didn’t think I was going to pass out anymore. I struggled my way through checkout, my mind drifting and then snapping back to reality with everyone off-kilter sound I heard or thought I heard. But when my hands were shaking too hard to put the keys in the ignition, I put my pride inside and called Tasha. 

“Phoenix’s phone,” Coyote picked up and I nearly ended the call, “Daisy?” 

“Is Tasha there?” Fuck, I sounded like I had been crying. My voice wavered, full of emotion.

“She’s in the air, what’s wrong, Daisy?” Coyote was all business and I appreciated him for it.

“It’s fine, nevermind,” I even failed at convincing myself that things were fine. Coyote sighed then replied in a soft, quiet voice.

“Daisy, Nat told me that sometimes you have anxiety attacks. Is that what happened?” Damn it. Natasha had helped me through more than her fair share of them in college, it only made sense that she would tell someone important to her like Coyote.

“You can’t tell anyone,” I sighed, “I just, I’m at the grocery store and I don’t know if I should be driving home like this.” I heard Jake’s voice in the background and tensed, “Don’t tell Hangman.” Coyote chuckled,

“Yes, ma’am. Alright, there’s two ways this can go. I can ask Mav for permission to come get you or I can call Penny.” Neither option sounded preferable. “Penny’s going to ask a lot of questions because she’s a mom and then she’s going to tell Mav anyways. I will ask no questions because I’ve already got an idea of what’s going on.” 

“As long as Mav’s the only extra person in the loop,” I relented. “And Javy? Thanks.” 

Javy showed up in his flight suit not long after and I was distracted for a second by just how handsome he was. Natasha’s taste in men had gotten a lot better since college.

“Do you want to stop for food on the way back? Sugar will make you feel better after an adrenaline dump like that.” I nodded, thanking him again for showing up. “You’re part of the squad now, Daisy, no thanks necessary.” The sentiment warmed my heart, a soft smile appearing despite the embarrassing situation. 

“Can we get Wendy’s? It’s my favorite.” A spicy chicken nugget and a Dr. Pepper sounded amazing right now. Javy messed my hair like a big brother,

“Whatever you want.” After a few minutes of listening to the radio in silence, Javy glanced over at me. “So, what do you think of Hangman?” 

“What do you think of Tasha?” I shot back, not expecting him to answer but he took me by surprise.

“She’s one hell of a woman and a fantastic pilot.” Javy grinned like a lovesick idiot and I found myself smiling too, “I’m lucky she gives me the time of day if I’m being honest.” He glanced over at me again, still smiling and I rolled my eyes. “Your turn.” 

“Hangman’s a flirtatious ass,” Javy barked with laughter, pulling into the Wendy’s. “But Jake’s nice and he listens to me when I go on my rants about random shit. Like, I swear he probably listened to me talk about Sherlock Holmes for an hour the other night.” 

“Hour and a half,” Javy snickered, “We timed it.” I couldn’t even be mad, laughing with him.

“Not even Tasha would let me go on like that! So yeah, I think Jake’s pretty great.” I brushed my hair into my eyes to hide my blush, “Anyways, I’ll take a spicy number ten with a Dr. Pepper, please.” 

“Do you want a frosty too?” Yep. Natasha’s taste in men had definitely improved.

After cooing over me like a mother hen and calling Harvey to let him know I was okay, Natasha took Harvey to get his car. After taking a shower and finishing the large frosty Javy bought me even when I told him not to, I felt a lot better. Well enough to respond to the texts Jake had been sending me. 

Jake: Everything okay? 

Jake: Coyote told me to mind my business and that you were fine but I want to hear it from you

Jake: Phoenix also told to mind my business

Jake: Honey I need to hear it from you

Jake: If you don’t text me in ten minutes I’m coming over

I rolled my eyes but the butterflies in my stomach took flight, swirling in delight that Jake was concerned for me. 

Daisy: Listen to Javy, pretty boy. I’m fine

Jake: Too late

“If this boy isn’t careful, I’m going to fall in love with him,” I whispered to the empty kitchen, ripping open a packet of M&Ms. 

X

“Hey,” Daisy greeted me with a lazy smile, throwing back a palmful of M&Ms. Something was off about her but I couldn’t put my finger on it just yet. I was going to figure it out though, you could bet on that. 

“Hey, Wildflower. How are you feeling?” She rolled her eyes like she didn’t have a care in the world but her shoulders tensed. Coyote had been tight lipped over why he had left work early but with how both he and Phoenix were acting, I knew it had to be Daisy and that had spun me up into a twister of anxiety that eased a little seeing her.

“I told you I was fine, see?” She gestured down her body. Daisy was in cartoon pajama shorts that showed off her pale thighs and a tank top, her endless curves on display from top to bottom. I swallowed hard, my mind filled with thoughts of running my hands over her hips, spreading her knees, and eating Daisy for dessert on Phoenix’s counter. “I’m perfectly fine.” 

“You look fine as hell, sweetheart,” Daisy blushed hard, her chest and cheeks burning red. “But you know it’s not your body I’m asking about.” I crossed the room, needing to put my hands on her even if I shouldn’t.

“Okay, Hangman,” She grumbled, using my callsign like she always did when I said something flirty. My hands landed softly on her hip and her cheek, forcing her to stay close and look at me. Daisy relaxed, eyes fluttering shut. “I’ll be fine, Jake,” She whispered and I felt myself melt. This girl had no idea that I was putty in her hands.

“Of course you will be,” I promised, “Because I’m going to be right here by your side.” Daisy smiled, eyes still closed, nuzzling her cheek like a cat into my hand.

“You’re laying it on pretty thick again, Hangman.” God this girl. She didn’t believe a word that came out of my mouth if it veered even the slightest bit away from platonic. I had my work cut out for me but when she opened her dark eyes and smiled at me like I hung the stars and the moon, I knew I was up to the task. “Do you want a cookie?” What I wanted was to kiss her forehead but a cookie would work for now. 

The rest of the daggers showed up a little bit later and while Daisy played the role of the perfect hostess, I pulled Coyote off to the side. 

“Should I be worried?” Coyote glanced over my shoulder to where Daisy was and then shrugged.

“I don’t think so, at least, not at the moment anyways.” My heart clenched, needing to know more but he shook his head before I could ask. “Nothing about this situation is my business to share, man. When she’s ready to tell, she’ll tell.” 

“We should watch a horror movie,” Bradley suggested, the loud agreement of the squad interrupting our conversation. Coyote patted me on the shoulder, heading for the kitchen. When she was ready to tell, she would tell me. I had to trust that that would be the case. Right? 

“Hangman, get some food before Bob eats it all!” Rooster shouted for my attention. Bob was blushing with a plate piled high with food, praising Daisy’s homemade mac and cheese so that’s what I scooped up first. I didn’t miss how Phoenix was hovering behind Daisy, watching her like a hawk. I said a little prayer, hoping that Daisy would find the right moment to tell me what was going on sooner rather than later.

With a plate full of snacks, we all scattered around the living room. Daisy came right to me with a blanket, a blush on her cheeks, not looking me in the eyes as she took a seat beside me. She was the one person without a plate of food and turned me down when I offered her some of my chips,

“I’m not hungry,” She whispered, bringing the blanket up to her chin. “Javy got me Wendy’s.” He was Javy to her now? I glanced over at my best friend, who was not so subtly making eyes at Phoenix while she and Rooster argued over what horror movie we were going to watch. Rooster won when he threatened to tell a story that had Phoenix slapping a hand over his mouth.

It ended up being about some demon who was influencing people to murder others but the special effects weren’t all that believable. I much preferred a 90s action flick or, when alone, a Hallmark movie on occasion. With every passing minute, Daisy inched closer to my side, the blanket moving higher up her face. Seizing the opportunity, I dropped my plate on the table and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, bringing her close. 

“Not a fan of horror?” I whisper, she shook her head, eyes locked on the screen as the possessed man picked up a hunting knife. 

“Murder,” She whispered back, her hand tentatively resting on my thigh.

“Aren’t you a crime novelist, sweetheart?” I teased, trying to ignore how good it felt to have her hands on me.

“That’s different,” Daisy insisted, jumping at something on screen but I wasn’t watching the movie anymore, my focus was solely on her. Daisy looked terrified. I shifted sideways and pulled her face into my chest, forcing her attention off of the movie and whatever it was that was scaring her so much. Her hand moved from my thigh to my chest, fingers digging into my shirt. 

“It’s okay, I’ve got you, baby,” I whispered into her hair, kissing her head. “It’s just a movie.” Daisy went limp in my hold and I pulled her sideways onto my lap, Bob looked and quickly looked away but it didn’t seem like anyone else noticed. Not that I would care if they did, if this was what Daisy needed, then it’s what I was going to do. I squeezed her thigh gently and began stroking my thumb back and forth, “I’ve got you.” 

“I know,” Daisy whispered into my shoulder. After a moment she added, “If I’m too heavy-” She stopped when I squeezed her thigh,

“You can sit on my lap whenever you want, Wildflower.” 

“My gentleman,” She sighed and I felt a glimmer of hope. She didn’t call me Hangman.

Next Chapter

[asvterias]

𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝟥: 𝖮𝗎𝗋 𝖥𝖺𝗍𝖺𝗅 𝖥𝗅𝖺𝗐𝗌

the cast // series masterlist

chap. 1 || chap. 2 || chap. 3 || chap. 4 || chap. 5 || chap. 6 || chap. 7 || chap. 8

‼️ DISCLAIMERS FOR THIS CHAPTER ‼️

Main Characters Deaths, Just An Overall Sad Chapter & Angsty Ending

word count: 4.5k+

tag list: @s0r0ws @starvviss @kjisbae17 @lov3rgiiirl @starless-nightz @random-girls-loves

author’s note: anyways, i hope you liked this chapter! please don’t be a silent reader and interact within the chapter. also, i hoped you cried immensely because that was the ideal intention of this chapter; to make it as depressing as it could possibly get (for now 😉)

🌊 🐚 ✘ 🔥🗡️

CHAPTER 3, EPISODE ONE

Everyone’s huddled up in the car with your parents in the front seats and the children in the back. You hated the middle seat so you told Grover to get comfortable there, for the greater good, and you sat on the left side, right behind your mother.

Right now, Grover is updating you and Percy about everything demigod-related.

“My job has been to guide you to this moment. It’s always an emotional rollercoaster for young demigods, so providing a support system is really–“

“Who are you?” Percy interrupts him.

Grover stared blankly at your brother, “I’m Grover. I’m your best friend and–“

“What are you?” The blonde recorrects.

“That is a very good question,” You chirped up, “I would like to revisit my previous question.”

“No, Y/N, let it go!”

“I’m asking the important questions here!”

“Irrelevant questions!”

“To answer your question, Y/N, no, I was born like this,”

“You sure? You know parents tend to lie a lot too,”

“I’m fully aware of adult tendencies to lie frequently, but I was born like this. I’m serious.”

He removes his tam, revealing two small goat horns. “I’m a satyr, and I’m your protector, both of you.”

“You’re our protector?” Your brother asked rhetorically.

“If I hadn’t gotten you kicked out of school, you’d never have survived the night. And what’s chasing us now would have found you there easily.”

“Oh, because that’s so comforting to hear.” You cross your arms.

Percy turns his head to the car window and Grover looks dejected at the action.

“I’m sorry.” Grover breathes out, sincerity laced in his tone, “Usually, I can sense danger coming a mile away, but this time…Well none of us saw Dodds’ coming.

“So you knew about that…creature?” You inquired, gaining Percy’s attention back onto his friend.

“That thing that Dodds turned into, you saw it happen? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I saw some of it.”

“What part did you see? Where she flung me across the sky or when she attacked Percy?”

“Well, yes and no. The Mist kept her hidden even from us until it was too late.”

“I think I have a concussion from that,” You wince at the memory, holding the back of your head. “Besides, what the hell is Mist?!”

“The Mist is a veil that hides the magical world from the human world. My legs, Dodds’ wings, Even Dodds’ absence, but it isn’t supposed to hide things from me. That never happens. Something more powerful is at work here.”

“Maybe we’re the power sources.” You shrugged.

“Yeah, right,” Percy scoffs.

“The sooner we get you two to camp, the better off you’re–“

“Camp?! Who’s going to camp?!” You backtracked.

With a baffled expression, Grover turned to your parents, completely unimpressed by their timing, “You told them about camp, right?”

“We were getting there!” Your parents shouted simultaneously at Grover.

Grover nods his head, leaning back into the seat.

“Camp is a sanctuary for half-bloods. A safe space where you can learn who you are and what the world is like on the other side of the Mist.”

“Wait, hold up this an actual summer camp with mosquitoes and other dangerous animals lurking in the woods?!” You deadpanned. “Nah, you can keep that, I’m not going.”

“You don’t have a choice.” Your mom states.

“Uh, it’s not far, actually, just a little way past the bend up there.” Grover directs your mother.

“Mom, what else haven’t we talked about?” Your mother, Sally stayed quiet, anxiously glimpsing at her son. “What else haven’t you told us?”

“There are more secrets?!”

“Oh, there’s more like you wouldn’t believe, sweetie.” Jessica grins.

“Jess, that’s not helping whatsoever!” Sally exclaims.

“Sorry, it just slipped out of my mouth.”

“And you wonder why Y/N is a mini you.”

A flash of blinding light appears from mid-sky and disposes of a creature, which instantly starts running on all fours, chasing after the speeding car.

“Is that the Minotaur?!”

“Holy shit!” You and your mom said simultaneously in bewilderment.

“Once the attacks start, they never let up. Okay? Dodds was just the beginning.”

“Then who’s the freaking ending?! Because I’m ready to slain as many monsters as necessary.”

“He is next. He- he is brutal, he is relentless–“

“He’s still wearing underpants.”

“Out of all things, you could have noticed, Percy, you chose that?! Us trying not to die should be your main priority, not if the Minotaur is playing goddamn dress up!”

Percy and Grover kept their eyes on the large bulky monster.

“It’s gone!” Percy shouts, astonished.

“Gone?! Gone where?! I hoped it vanished back to wherever it came from!”

“Like it’s ever that easy!”

Then, the Minotaur’s loud footsteps and rough grunts halted and it almost calmed everyone’s racing heart rates.

“I think it’s gone for good now.”

Until it reappeared, now gaining up on the speeding car, The Minotaur ran up closer to the car front, beside Sally’s car door, aiming for severe damage.

“You just had to say something, didn’t you?!”

“How was I supposed to know that would happen?!”

“Because you jinxed us!”

“Don’t blame me because I’m stating the obvious!”

“I will push you out of this car!”

“Do it! I dare you!”

“Little Blondie, don’t tempt me with a good time!”

“Who are you calling Little?!”

“Someone who hasn’t had their growth spurt yet.”

“Hey, I’m still developing!” Percy gasps.

“Yeah, just very, very slowly.”

“Can we sacrifice Y/N to The Minotaur?”

“Oh please, you don’t have the balls to do it anyways,” You scoffed, “Besides, you need me. I’m always saving your dumbass, you can’t get rid of me!”

“Stop! Nobody is going to push anyone out of this car!”

“He started it–“

“No, I didn’t you, liar–“

“That’s it! Don’t make me come back there! I don’t care who started it, just know that it's ending!”

“Is there any more insight you’d like to add, Grover?” Sally calmly questions, acting like her children and wife didn’t have a screaming match a few seconds ago. Your family was truly a chaotic mess whenever they wanted, dismissing the matter as if impending death wasn’t lingering over their shoulders.

“Yes, I do.”

“Then, go right ahead,”

“The Mythomagic cards were training. Everything has been training for what’s still ahead of you.”

“What’s ahead of us?!”

“Kids…”

“I’m actually 24,” Grover confesses quickly, causing two heads to turn in unexpectancy.

You and Percy shared the same shocked expression, “Wait? What?”

“Hold on, please.”

The Minotaur roars loudly.

“Moonlight…listen to me.” your mom looks at you through the mirror as your gaze hesitantly meets hers. “You and Percy are forbidden children, monsters are going to attack you every day, this camp can protect you both.”

“Why can’t you and Sally come with us then?” you bargained with her, tears forming in your eyes. You couldn’t imagine, much less experience your life without your mother and Sally. The same women who nurtured you since you were babies and taught you everything you knew. You refused to give up on them, everything they did was to protect and love you, and now it was your turn.

Sally starts to talk, eyes stuck on the road, “We humans are not allowed there. Only demigods like you two.”

“But we don’t wanna leave you two.” Percy persisted.

“You’re our moms.”

“You’re gonna have to, that Minotaur isn’t gonna stop until he kills both of you.”

All of a sudden, a collision hit the car with enough brute force to send the car off the road and everything went black. It was all so quick, the collision, the swiveling of the car and landing on the side of the road, far from bypassers to rescue.

The rain pattering against the car turned into a heavy rainpour as everyone in the car, hanging upside down with the seat belt anchoring them, remained still, all unconscious.

After a while, the dulling pain in your head sharply woke you up, being the first to recover from the crash. Holding your head in pain as you slowly opened your eyes, feeling the blood trickle from your head, surveying your surroundings as you saw Percy and Grover still unconscious. Quickly unbuckling your seatbelt, you got out of your seat, repeating the same action to your younger brothers.

One by one, you carefully got everyone from the car as they began to wake up. A growl from the distance urges you to move faster as you help your other mother, Sally, get out of the damaged car.

Sally, Percy, and Grover were recovering, standing on their feet, checking for any injuries and your mom was the last one who needed rescuing.

“Mom…” you shake her but her body is motionless as the tears well up in your eyes.

You felt Sally’s arm pushing you back, sending you into Percy’s and Grover’s embrace as you nervously observed.

“Come on, come on, Jess…” Sally murmurs, kneeling down, searching for a pulse. “You gotta survive, we have children together, we can’t lose you right now.”

“Is she okay?” Percy chirps up, deciding to speak for you.

You found everything incomprehensible around you, your senses became deafening and a high-pitched ringing in your head matched the loud heart beating in your chest.

When Sally stayed silent, it only worsened your anxiety, “Mom, is she okay?!” Percy speaks again, adding some base in his voice yet his tone slightly wavers.

“She has a fading pulse…” Sally whispers, sparing a sad glance at you and quickly turning back to Jessica, “It’s decreasing rapidly,”

Dropping to the muddy slippery ground on your knees, tears quickly filling the brim of your eyes, threatening to fall as you moved closer to her.

“Mommy…” you cradle her face into your chest, saddened by her face, eyes closed as blood trickles down her forehead.

“We can revive her, right!” Your voice cracks, whipping your head to Sally, “Tell me we can revive her!”

“Y/N…” Sally sighs deeply, trying to contain her tears. You turn around, looking down at your mother, resting on your lap, body motionless yet her face looks peaceful.

“No! We- I can save her. We can do heart-to-heart compressions,” you shake your head, starting to do heart-to-heart compressions. “Why isn’t she waking up? Mommy, this isn’t funny anymore now, you have to wake up and help us. Please I can’t do this without you, I can’t do this whole new demigod thing without you.” your voice was dry, as you leaned down, blowing air into her mouth, hoping for a miracle to occur.

You didn’t truly believe in miracles, but for your mother, you’d start believing it. Right now, you would do whatever it took to bring her back even if it meant wishing on the impossible.

“We didn’t do plenty of things yet, I wanted you and Sally to meet my first girlfriend, attend my graduation, be there when I move out and eventually get married, and get grandkids from Percy because we both know I’m not going through that torture.”

Your senses became intensely heightened, catching onto Grover’s whisper to Sally, ignoring him as you spoke up.

“I refuse to leave her alone, she isn’t dead, just having some problems waking up and getting a pulse back.” You were in extreme denial, “Come on, mum, you focus on her face, giving her air and I’ll do her chest,” you beckoned Sally forward.

“Sweetheart…she’s already….gone.”

“She’s my mom and Percy’s mom, your wife. She wasn’t supposed to die this early. If all you’re gonna do is stand there and be useless, don’t bother talking to me.” It wasn’t intentional to snap at your other mother, but your emotions were driving you crazy and brazen.

“You’re the sun to my moon, Mommy, I can’t shine when you’re not there with me. Y-you promised me, you pinky promised that we were all going to survive, but you lied. Why did you lie to me?” You sobbed. Despite being physically exhausted, you weren’t giving up on trying to revive your mom, she would have never given up on you so you would stop trying until you had something, anything; a pulse, a gasp, her eyes shooting up. “Remember…” You weakly asked, holding onto the moon-shaped necklace on your neck, staring at your mom’s sun-shaped necklace.

The sky crackled with slight thunder as the rain poured down heavier. Finally understanding the meaning of your nickname, you sobbed desperately until the broken cracks of your voice gave out.

There was no sunshine without her moonlight, always them being in a pair, nothing without the other. Sadly, you lost your sunshine, darkening your moonlight to its deepest depths, harvesting it into something vengeful and heartless. Something that even scared you to a certain extent, like this was another new side flourishing because of the horrible circumstances.

You rested your mom on the ground, ignoring the cold rainpour.

“She’s gone…” Sally cries, grabbing your arm and pushing you into her body for a hug. You cried into the hug, tightening your grip as your wails echoed throughout the forest. Maybe this was all a nightmare, where you’d wake up and relax in reality. This was the time that your mom needed to wake you up and reassure you that she was right there, staying with you and protecting you.

Your chest clenched against your rib cage, devastation wracked throughout your entire body as the tears relentlessly spilled out.

“But she- she can’t be gone!” You hiccup, eyes glossing over with fresh tears, feeling another arm snuggle around your side.

“I know, sweetheart. I’m so sorry,” she caressed your face.

“What kind of demigod I am, if I was blessed with all these supernatural powers, can’t even save my Mom from death? What kind of daughter am I to just stand by and watch her own mother die? I don’t want this demigod life anymore, please take it all away if it means my mother is coming back, to me, to home. I’m so fucking tired and I just wanna go home! Home is wherever the four of us are!”

“Don’t you ever say that again, you did everything you could, your perseverance is one of your strongest qualities that Jessica adored very much. She wouldn’t want you to doubt yourself like this nor would I,” Sally reassures you, resting a thumb on your cheek, “Our beautiful daughter, she’s so proud of you, I want you to know that.”

Your eyes were puffy and red from tears as you listened to your mother’s words of encouragement and reassurance.

Much to your dismay, another loud roar broke the semi-family grievance, reminding them of the harsh reality.

“We have to go now!” Grover hastily urges.

“I’m not leaving my mom here like this,” you point to her still figure on the ground.

“We won’t, I promise you, sweetie. I’ll give her a proper burial, but right now we have to go!” Her tone was urgent as she quickly scanned the dark forest with the illumination from the car light.

You hurriedly rushed towards your mother’s still figure on the muddy ground, leaning down.

“Goodbye, Mom,” you whisper hoarsely, kissing her forehead for the last time. You stared down at her neck, gazing at the sunlight necklace she wore yanked it off, and shoved the meaningful jewelry into your back pocket. Your heart broke again, realizing she can’t respond, despite being in extreme denial.

Percy struggled to plant you on your feet as Sally walked over to Grover.

“Grover, I am entrusting you to protect my children, my only son and only daughter.”

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Jackson, Percy, and Y/N will be totally safe at camp–“

“Swear it.” She commands.

“What’s happening?”

“Swear it, Grover! Keep my children safe from anyone or anything that comes for them, that wants to harm them, that looks at them in the wrong way. Do you understand me?”

“I swear!” Grover persists, with determination and sincerity in his voice.

Sally nods at the boy, venturing over to you and Percy.

“I gotta go now,”

“Go? What do you mean go? Y/N stop her from going on this suicide mission,” He stares at you, waiting for a response. The first time you didn’t respond to your brother’s words caught him off guard, knowing you’ll always be his first defender.

The boy winces seeing your shaken body and red puffy eyes. It didn’t take a genius to know that you were still traumatized from witnessing your mom’s death. Seeing this sad broken-hearted face of yours, devastated Percy beyond any words to ease the pain. All those times, you’d reassured and defended him countless times, and yet he was speechless about how to comfort you right now. He felt like such a horrible brother to you.

“Your sister isn’t in charge, I am and what I say goes!”

“But–“

“This is no buts! You’re gonna be brave now. Remember what I taught you, remember the stories I told you. Especially the stories, they will tell–“

“No way! Mom, I’m not leaving you, not like how we left Mother stranded and alone to die.”

“Perseus!” She snapped, tired of his persistent attempts, cupping his face, “Listen to me! You…are not broken. You are singular. You’re a miracle and you are my son. Hold fast, brave the storm.”

“And Y/N,” She caresses your face, her saddened expression increasing at your blank eyes, “You are not neglected in this family, you’re just as important. You are one of a kind, my beautiful baby girl. You are my daughter and I don’t ever want you to forget that.”

Those words melted in your heart and words rambled from you without hesitation, the guilt of everything came crashing down.

“I’m so sorry, mother, for not being able to protect any of us. I failed at what I was best at.”

“You’re a kid, be a kid, stop worrying if you’re not going to save everyone. That’s too much of a heavy burden on yourself, it’s not good for your mentality. Live life, get a girlfriend and don’t force yourself to grow up too fast because you'll regret it. Let me tell you something unfair; you can’t save everyone all the time. I love you two so much,”

“We love you too.”

Just like that, The Minotaur had the worst timing of moments erupting with a loud search roar.

“We need to move!”

“Give me your coat.”

“Why?” Percy asks but removes his coat anyway, “What are you gonna do?”

“He smells half-blood, that’s what he’s tracking, yeah?”

“That’s right.”

Sally grabs the coat from her blonde son, “So if he smells you in two directions at once, maybe I can confuse him, buy us both a little time to get away.”

“Mom, please don’t…we can’t afford to lose another parent on the same night.” Percy pleads, stepping forward, gesturing to you, “Y/N is one of the strongest people I know, and a few hours into this demigod madness, she’s broken, possibly going to recover from trauma at the camp where we’re supposed to rediscover our true potential for a man who wasn’t even here our whole lives.” He whispers, a string of desperation in his voice, “You can’t do this to us…please don’t do this to us. You’re all we have left.”

“Hey! It’ll be okay.” She reassures the blonde boy with a weak smile, “Y/N bounces back, she always does. For the first time, she needs you more than you need her right now, so be her anchor for right now, and don’t ever let go.”

Another yell echoes throughout the forest and trees falling down a few feet away meant the Minotaur was getting unbelievably closer. Your heart raced in your chest, once you saw the bulky overgrown monster, standing on its hind feet, intimidating everyone who bore witness.

Sally wastes no time, giving Percy a forehead kiss and then moving over to repeat the same action with you.

“Go now!” She shoves you away into Percy’s and Grover’s arms, now facing the Minotaur as the trio escapes into the rainy forest night.

Her plan for using Percy’s coat as bait to seemingly distract him and draw him away from the two demigods was successfully executed.

After maintaining some far distance from your mother, Sally, and the Minotaur, the trio still kept on running, nobody turning back. Until a loud roar reverberated across the forest broke your concentration on getting to safety and intensified your worries for your mother. You stopped running, turning around as your heart hammered inside your chest, the adrenaline pumping.

Despite being miles away, you and Percy viewed the fight, flinching when the monster knocked your mother down with its horns.

The Minotaur held in its hand, lifting up something in the air…someone more life-like…that’s someone who was your mother, Sally! You gasped and shoved at the revelation, wondering about your mother’s fate and you continued to watch the heartbreaking scene. Your body wasn’t acting upon cooperation with your mind, telling you to run away before it gets you next or attempting to save your mother. Having already lost one parent was devastating as it is, and losing your other parent would cause a lifetime of trauma for you.

Your heart clenched in fear as Sally struggles to escape from his grasp.

You felt Percy’s scared face hide into the fabric of your cotton shirt, clenching onto the shirt as he squeezed his eyes as tightly as possible.

For the last time, your mother, Sally looked over at you, stretching out a hand, guiding you out to safety, content you’ll be fine. Just like that, she closed her eyes, slowly disintegrating into gold ashes. Huh, that was weird. Humans don’t shrivel up and fade into ashes like that. That definitely was magic.

It was quiet, the rain pattering over you was now a background noise as you struggled to process the incident.

You gulped down the harsh lump in your throat. “It’s…mother’s gone, too…” You informed Percy, tone hoarse as he slowly pulled away from your body.

He looked ahead again, seeing nothing, Sally wasn’t there and the Minotaur was staring into nothing, seemingly distracted.

“Where did she go? What happened to her?”

“…She disappeared into gold ashes.” You whispered slowly, trying to comprehend your mother’s demise in your mind. Once again, your vision becomes blurry and the tears start to form at the loss of yet another parent. “It looked so unrealistic,”

After that Percy began to speak, but your focus wasn’t even directed on him, but rather at that charging furious Minotaur, hungry for more blood.

The pain and suffering became a dangerous mix of anger and hatred directed at the Minotaur.

Grover’s statements fall on deaf ears, partially drowned out by the heavy rainfall. “Y/N and Percy come on, we’re almost there.” you glance at your blonde brother who holds the same on his face.

‘So what happens when the protector is unable to protect? Do they give up instant hope and cower in shame? Or do they fight back, willingly seeking a second chance to redeem themselves? Whether you make a change or just be a bystander like others? This time the answer to that is simple, mourn your losses later and avenge them now. For all you can do right now is fight on the battlefield, because this is no place to cry and admit defeat.

No, you refused to give up hope and you weren’t going down without a fight. This monster had already taken your worlds away, so you had nobody else to lose.

Grabbing the pen from your pocket, holding it out, and witnessing it transform into a golden sword at will. The fight with the Minotaur was brutal and intense, alongside the heavy downpour of rain that attempted to slow down the intensity of this fight. Despite double-teaming the monster, he resisted surrender, determined to win and kill you both. Surprisingly, you gained the agility to climb onto his back while Percy distracted him.

Somehow, you gained the ultimate advantage with the lighting sword in your hand and stabbed the monster in its eye, ignoring his roar of pain. If anything, its pain only further encouraged you to continue.

Too full of adrenaline, you grab his two horns, gripping them and pulling them out with your utmost strength. A new sudden strength you just obtained. Gasping in shock was quickly outlived when your sword slipped out of your hand and dropped onto the muddy ground, disappearing from your eyesight. Stumbling onto his feet, inflicted by the pain, you groaned, gripping the monster by his rough skin as he attempted to shake you off.

“Percy the sword!” You yelled at him. Your brother throws the sword upwards as you catch the weapon.

You stab the monster in the neck, wincing at his loud screeches, but continue to stab his neck. Once the monster was deemed weak enough, you sliced the sword right through his neck, seizing the opportunity of successfully killing it. To be certain of killing that wretched monster, you deactached its horn from its head with your uppermost strength, then using it to pierce its own eye, another terrifying wail leaves its mouth.

This was all this stupid monster’s fault. If it hadn’t chased after you or slammed itself into the car, your mom would be alive. If it didn’t have such a bloodthirst for demigods, Sally, your mother would still be alive. Alive. Alive. Alive. You just wished your moms were alive, to see you mature into such a courageous daughter to avenge their deaths.

Soon enough, the monster staggered on its feet and its body began to disintegrate into black dust before your eyes.

“Y/N!” The voice becomes disoriented as you stumble on the ground, two arms catching you as you faint, everything fading away into a black abyss.

“Is she okay?”

“Did she do it alone?”

“Is the blonde boy, okay too?

“How is that possible?”

“I don’t know.”

“Yeah, he’s okay.”

Grasping onto your fading eyesight, there were four shadowy figures above you, all their voices sounded childish except the girl’s voice which sounded very mature.

“They must be the ones.”

“Hush, Annabeth.”

“They’re waking. Everyone give them some space, please.”

Obeying the command, the four unknown kids gave the siblings some space, revealing a half-man with the…bottom of a horse. Okay, it’s finally official, you’ve completely lost it!

“Welcome to camp, Percy Jackson and Y/N Matthews. We’ve been expecting you two.”

Oh my god! Who are these people?! What in the absolute fuck is going on?! This demigod shit is not cut out for me.

likes, comments, and reblogs are highly appreciated!

© asvterias, 2024. please do not copy, repost, or translate any of my works onto any other platforms without my permission.

[gerryrigged]

wait wdym dc didn't stick with Red Robin for Tim [and the de-aging thing?] what are they calling him if not RR?

He's been Robin again since 2019 😬 it's a bit more complicated but that's the gist of it.

Okay so Tim became Red Robin in the 2009-2011 series of the same name, back in the post-Crisis timeline. He was supposedly 17 at the time, by official records, and I believe he was still supposed to be 17 when the universe was rebooted with Flashpoint in 2011? (Although this doesn't really make any sense with respect to jamming the huge number of events that happened while he was Robin into like four years, if he was supposed to have become Robin at 13; he should probably at least be 18 if not 19-20).

The Flashpoint reboot took us into the New 52 (much beloathed), where nearly everyone was de-aged to some extent to keep Bruce Wayne and his generation from getting ~too old~, and also Tim Drake was mangled into a completely different character who had never been "Robin"; he'd been "Red Robin" right from the start of his vigilante career. He was de-aged to 16 for the New 52 Teen Titans series.

Teen Titans (2011) #0; as you can see, this version of Red Robin kept a version of the bandoliers and gave Tim a fancy new functional wing cape that he could fly around with.

Next, Rebirth in 2016 was a partial reboot that brought back some aspects of the post-Crisis timeline; tbh I'm not an expert on this period. What I do know is that Tim mainly appears in James Tynion IV's run of Detective Comics that ran from 2016 to 2018. During this period Tim was still called Red Robin, but he'd basically reverted to a Robin costume, with only the silly doubled "RR" symbol identifying him as not ~actually~ Robin winkwink nudgenudge, and as I understand it he was mostly back to functioning as Bruce's partner.

Tynion's run ends in Detective Comics #981 with Tim telling Bruce that he's going off to Ivy University. (He's totally lying, as Tim Drake does; Alfred notices that his tracker is going off in the opposite direction of the university, but Bruce is like "I trust him" and turns the tracker off. Yay, I guess?)

Anyway the important bit is this revealing that Tim is 'going-off-to-college' age. Which could still reasonably be anywhere from 17-19, and DC being DC, they ~refuse to confirm~

Tim as Red Robin on the cover of Detective Comics #934 (2016); as you can see, he's pretty much Robin again lol

Detective Comics #968 (2018); another shot of his "basically Robin" Red Robin costume

In 2019 we got the actual return of Tim as Robin (no "Red") in Brian Michael Bendis's Young Justice run, re-uniting the Core Four from YJ 1998.

Young Justice (2019) #1

As you can see, he no longer has the doubled 'RR', and he confirms that he's Robin - "Well, one of them!" I think he's supposed to be filling in as the Gotham Robin while Damian is running around the world having adventures and presumably getting into trouble, as Robins do? idk.

Tim also chases down his erased post-Crisis past at the beginning of this arc, having Zatanna magically restore (most of) his memories of the previous timeline, and, crucially, his forgotten best friend Kon, kickstarting some plot.

Tim, and all of the Young Justice crew, are notably young-looking for almost the entirety of this run. It varies based on the artist, but uh, yeah for the most part they are really damn baby-faced. This is a trend that continues with Tim and his generation of friends from this point onward, so fans have basically thrown up their hands like "is he 17 forever???? is he Edward Cullen from Twilight???? is he aging backward????"

We Just Don't Know

In any case, Bendis makes DC's next attempt to give Tim his own identity in short order, giving us the hilarious, ill-fated, and rightfully short-lived "Drake" identity.

Young Justice (2019) #10

He's back to being Robin by issue #18, hilariously switching costumes from one page to the next, although some time has apparently passed during the scene transition.

Young Justice (2019) #18; Jinny: "Is Drake back to being Robin?" Kon: "I think Batman and Spoiler made him go back to Robin. Don't bring it up. And say thank you because we didn't have to have the Drake intervention we were planning."

And as of the current date (July 13, 2023), Tim is still in the Robin identity, sharing it with Damian ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ God knows how old he's supposed to be right now. I certainly don't.

Batman (2016) #136; the most recent issue out to date, with Tim suiting up as Robin while filling Bruce in after diving into a bunch of parallel dimensions to bring Bruce home.

As you can see, it's a Mess. The Tim Drake's Vigilante Identity question is of course a hotbed of wank and infighting, as people are torn between (a) wanting him to continue as Robin and (b) wanting him to move on and "grow up" into his own identity again (and, importantly, leave Damian as the sole Robin again, lol).

It feels like most people are for option (b), but then nobody can agree on what his next identity and costume should be. Red Robin again?? Some other bird-based identity that doesn't share a name with a major restaurant chain?? Something else entirely??

God only knows what DC is going to come up with, especially after the Drake fiasco.

And there you have it, Anon! Hope that was helpful.

[missbuckyhellfire]

This Will Be My Year: Eddie Munson

Part Seven: Halloween Part One (18+)

Warnings: Some Language, Flirting,  Oral (F Receiving), Blindfolds, Handcuffs,  Non Penetrative Smut ahead

PREVIOUS PART

Audra did not want to admit it, but she loved Halloween. She loved the parties with friends, but she especially loved dressing up into different costumes. She never was the one who would dress overly  slutty, but she was one who would try to be extra flirty.

She did not deny that she has gotten closer to Eddie in the past few weeks during their tutoring sessions. Of course, there was nothing that was going on between them, but she couldn’t help but think about him more and more.

But she wouldn’t say she loved him of course.

Maybe a small crush, his puppy brown eyes were getting to her.

Audra didn’t know why she agreed to this, but she somehow ended up in the back ally of the Hideout with Corroded Coffin after their gig in a fairy Halloween costume. There was not much to it, just a pair of elfish ears, medium purple iridescent wings with a light blue frilly low cut dress that rested to her knees. She had let her hair down as the tips of her hair rested in the top of her breasts.

The guys hadn’t gone as far as she went this year. They only had put on devil horns and a dark top. They told her that they did not have much time to get something together but she knew for a fact that they just didn’t want to.

She was confused as to why Eddie didn’t want to dress up. Audra thought this would be right up his ally. However, he claimed that his costume was at home, waiting for him to put it on when they get there.

“How are your grades going Eds since Tinkerbelle here has helped you?” Gareth had asked taking a swing of his beer.

“Eddie is getting there,” Audra had muttered. They have tried and seems like his papers were getting passing grades, a “c” typically. But that did not do for her. She wanted to help him develop his skills more.

Eddie had chuckled. All he was thinking about was how cute she looked in that outfit and also how pissed Jason is going to be when he sees her go to the Halloween party with him. Eddie was never a party person, but he definitely wanted to make Jason take note to fuck off.

Eddie had intentionally had asked Audra to go to the party as soon as he heard about it.  He wanted to piss Jason off and spend time with her. Consider it as two birds with one stone if you will. He did have to admit that she was growing on him.

The Halloween dance proposal was not anything too extreme.  Audra was by her locker and noticed the bright colored rose by a single word written in sharpie with some pumpkin and ghost drawings.

DANCE?

Audra had turned around and noticed that Eddie was next to her locker with a Cheshire cat grin across his face. “Well?”

“Yes!” She squealed then it followed by a list of different costume ideas that she was planning to do that year which had resulted in the two of them giggling and a scowl by Jason and the jocks who just so happened to be walking by. They also missed the “going as friends part” which made Jason fume.

After some small talk, Eddie had cleared his throat “ I think we need to head out to the party. We will plan the DND session to be next week?”

All of the guys agreed and watched Eddie leave with the girl, they knew something was definitely going to happen tonight. Everyone, especially Jeff and Gareth noticed how he was getting nervous around her while she seemed to be helping him for the better with his academics.

************************************************************************

The two didn’t want to get to the party too early so they just decided to  take it easy and watch a scary movie in Eddie’s RV . Audra was alone on the couch and was busy watching the movie while Eddie had  went to the washroom.

Her brown eyes were fixated on the screen, enjoying the tense atmosphere as she watched Laurie Strode being chased by Michael Myers. She didn’t notice that Eddie just got out of the washroom with his Halloween costume on with a quick twist to it.

 It took him forever to plaster the elf ear tips onto his own and the pants and top was from a costume shop that he begged Wayne to stop at a few months back. The black leather pants were comfortable enough but not tight enough to flash his junk in the public. He grabbed a green loose top with wide sleeves and a drawstring on top to adjust how revealing he wanted his chest to be. He didn’t want to go too far with it so he just made it open enough just to tease his dark chest hair. His long hair was dangled free  giving him the appearance of a elvish prince.

In his hand he had a cheap Halloween mask that he got when he was small. He just wanted to fuck with her before they went out. He slipped the devil mask on and oh so quietly had snuck behind her then just tapped her shoulder as fast as he could. He did not expect the hard smack that followed.

SMACK!

Audra was scared out of her shit. She was pissed of being startled this bad. It was only an automatic response that he got slapped across the face.

“OW!”

“DON’T SCARE ME LIKE THAT” Audra had scolded him but stopped when he took off his mask.  She took in the details of the costume from the ears to the top and the scent of woodsy cologne.

‘Now I know to not scare you, you got bite “Eddie had smirked.

“Why did you not want to dress up for your gig you look great!” Audra’s eyed did not leave Eddie.

“Don’t you think Elvish prince does not go well with a metal band?” Eddie had giggled but he didn’t loose contact with her either being gorgeous as always. But he couldn’t get his eyes on the upper part of the low-cut dress she was wearing. The sweet smell of vanilla and candies had brought her in too.

“I think it is pretty metal Eds”

“Your pretty metal yourself Princess”.

Both Eddie and Audra did not know how there was so little space between their lips right now. Perhaps it was the tension between them as they spent more time together or the close call a few weeks back when they just met. But their lips were mere inches away from each other now. Their presence and dark eyes meeting one another just felt so comforting for them.  At this point they were under each other’s spell, yet Audra was considering her options.

Do it or Not. There may not be another chance.

Audra had separated the distance between the two of them and their lips had brushed against each other, just to test out the waters. They were soft inviting even to her. She blinked twice which had tickled Eddie a bit. All that she was waiting for was for him to take the next step.

Eddie froze on the spot, not knowing what to do. Sure, he has kissed a girl and slept with a few, but this was someone who he grew closer to. He saw her everyday and was a decent human being. Did he want to ruin it?

Fuck it, he would suffer the consequences later.

He cupped her cheek as he crashed his lips against hers, listening to the soft moan that Audra had let out from the touch and feelings of butterflies that were in her belly.  She took a step closer so there was hardly any space between them as she playfully tugged on the soft curls of his hair. He grunted in response.

This followed by another kiss.

Then another until their lips were plump and swollen.

Then Audra had traced her lips to his neck and let out a soft moan as Eddie had grunted in pleasure as she began to suck on the skin. He cried out when she had let go of him and gave him a breath of life with another kiss on the lips.

Eddie couldn’t think anymore as Audra had guided his shirt off his body. They parted lips as she admired the tattoo’s all over his body. Her previous love did not have any tattoos like this but to her, they all told a story of pain or joy. It was also a way that Eddie could express himself. So to her, the tattoo’s had complimented him.

“You sure you would like to move forward with this princess? I probably wont stop”

Audra had placed her hands on his chest, feeling his chest hair. Eddie had watched her reactions as he leant down to leave a couple pecks on her neck.

“Let’s just test the waters tonight” Audra suggested. “ I am unsure what we are, but this just feels so right to me.”

That was good enough of a answer for Eddie but he needed to know Audra’s limits. “Oral then we leave for the party?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Eddie kissed her neck again getting a soft moan from her. Audra appreciated that he was at least setting boundaries with her but she paused feeling the small smirk on her neck.

“Get on the bed, I want to make sure you enjoy this.”

************************************************************************

Audra obeyed and lied down on Eddie’s bed  and covered herself with the blankets to keep her bottom half warm. She watched as Eddie had two things in his hand.

First was a pair of silver handcuffs from a “misunderstanding” that Eddie described.

Second was a blindfold.

“Oh shit your kinky” were the first words that came out of Audra’s mouth but it was replaced with a chuckle from Eddie.

“Yea and you’re the one who is so horny for this? A DND player dressed as a fairy” Eddie shook his head as he rubbed his thumb on her cheek. “Princess, this is going to be an experience you won’t forget, I wont hurt you.”

“Hurt me? Please you only break my heart during your DND sessions” Audra chuckled as Eddie blindfolded her. There was nothing in sight, only darkness and heightened senses. Smell was more focused on the smell of cigarettes and the feeling of Eddie’s breath on her skin. She felt his calloused hands grab her own and handcuff them together so she couldn’t touch him.

She was under his control.

He had smiled at the sight of it. He didn’t have a girl that agreed to do this. So he was excited that some one could be a freak like him. For a moment, he had a thought that he shouldn’t be, her body bare without anything on it with only a blindfold and handcuffs to allow him to take advantage.

But, he needed to focus.

He traced her body from her clothed hips, feeling the curves of her hips while taking in her body figure. Her thicker thighs that hid the treasure that he desired the most. He slid his hands under her skirt to remove the thin pair of white lacey underwear that she had on. He tossed it to the side as he gently pried her legs apart.

She gasped in shock from the cool air and hands but welcomed it. She could feel his hair and head ich closer to her core. After a very short pause, she felt something wet lick a strip from her opening to her clit, getting a soft moan in response from her.  He focused his attention on her clit, that was pleading and pulsing for his attention.

Each moan that she gave him, was an indicator that he was doing a good job. She was encouraging him to give him the constant attention to her clit. He was not rough on it, he was acting as though his tongue was a broom and it swept in a circular motion around her  clit. In response, she felt her stomach knot inside as it pleaded to be let go.  

Her moans gotten more and more intense, her toes had curled, and she felt her heart start beating out of her chest. She never felt this before, this euphoria of pleasure and desire was only growing more and more.

Until her body had let go. It was a sense of release but a wave of intense pleasure that immediately calmed her body as her core had continued to pulse her juices out heavily.

Impressed with his work, Eddie had pressed his hand on her pussy and licked a swipe of her cream and put in on his lips “delicious”.  He kept an eye on her the entire time. Fascinated with how her body works and wanted to see how she would react.

“How was that?”Eddie had asked, but she gave him an answer enough as her brown eyes were blanked out. He knew that he did good.

“I enjoyed it too, but we got to figure out what we are.” Eddie pointed out.

All he could get from Audra was a soft nod of her head. She was too much in shock with what just happened.

NEXT PART

[ahllohehn]

Mayhaps Doc and Scar for the prompt? <3 Please and thank yee

"Sir, I'm starting to think you're not really our guidance counselor," Scar had said while Doc was carrying him on his back, his hooves working overtime to get them away from the Fury that was hot on their tails.

Here Doc thought he'd be able to leave the Furies chasing demigods thing behind after the whole thing with Etho, but he's quick to realize that the Fates like to play with his life. The Furies may be more merciful to Etho, but not to his friends. And not especially to demigods with origins such as the one on his back.

Now he's stuck with an overly naive child who had no sense of danger. Doc was tired. He literally just got out of a Titan war just a few days ago. It seems satyr work really waited for no one.

"Yeah, what makes you think that?" Doc said sarcastically through gritted teeth, trying his very best to not snap at the kid squirming on his back.

Scar hummed like he was absolutely oblivious to huge winged monster flying after them while shrieking, "Well, first, you made my classmates cry more rather than cry less. You were also able to find me even when it's summer vacation."

Doc ignored the way his eye twitched in annoyance at that as Scar continued to list down his observations like he's Sherlock cracking the case, "And you told me to beat up the kid bullying me instead of gently calling him to make him say sorry like the previous counsellors."

"You can excuse the hooves, the horns, and the magic, but not the lack of emotional empathy?" Doc sighed exasperatedly.

Scar went quiet, turned his head to make eye contact with the Fury chasing them before turning back around and tightening his hold around Doc's neck as panic finally settled in, "You're right! I'll consider those next time!"

[echo-goes-mmm]

Moonflower #14

Masterpost

Previous

Next

Warnings: implied domestic abuse

Iris had a meeting, and Kit decided to hole up in his room to practice his magic. 

To his surprise, there was someone already there, in his bedroom. He could smell them from the entrance to the sitting room.

A snarl bubbled up from his chest, and he rounded the corner.

It was only a maid, and he dropped the rag he was holding. The maid froze in fear, and Kit forced himself to stop growling.

Kit relaxed. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t know you were in here.”

The maid nodded, still nervous, and Kit picked up the rag and offered it to him.

The maid took the cloth from him. There was a bruise on his wrist. “I, um, I was just cleaning,” he said.

Kit shifted. “Okay. Why?”

“It’s my job?”

“Right.”

They stared at each other, equally uncomfortable. “Would you mind… not doing that?” offered Kit.

“You don’t want me to clean?” the maid’s brow furrowed.

“Uh, no. I don’t like people in my-” territory “-room,” he said. “It’s… a fae thing.”

“I’ll tell my manager,” said the maid.

“Thanks.”

The maid turned to go, but as he passed Kit noticed another bruise on his upper arm. It was suspiciously shaped like a hand.

“Wait,” he blurted.

The maid turned back. 

“Are- are you alright? Those marks don’t look like they’re from cleaning.”

The maid stepped back. “I think I should go,” he said. “I’m sorry for disturbing you.”

He fled the room, and Kit decided not to chase him down. 

___________________

Kit paced in his room, magic practice the last thing on his mind.

He should tell Iris right away. After all, this was his intended purpose:

‘I just want to know if my cousin is being an ass to a maid. Or if an advisor calls me a bitch and I just didn’t hear him mutter.’

But Iris was in a meeting, and he hadn’t even gotten what the maid was called.

Who would he ask to figure it out?

Maybe one of the guards? Since they were basically security, surely they would know who cleaned this wing of the castle.

Maxus was a night guard and not working yet, and Brennan was with Mistress. Maybe he could ask Jen in the gardens?

It was a long shot, but if she didn’t know he could always circle back to Brennan.

___________________

“I’m sorry, but there’s a lot of maids on that rotation.”

“Doesn’t seem very secure,” Kit muttered, disappointed.

Jen shrugged. “We haven’t had any problems with it. Why do you ask about maids, though?”

“I was curious,” he said.

“Well, sorry I couldn’t help more. I’m sure Captain Brennan would know who specifically was assigned to your room today. You should see his spreadsheets.” Jen shuddered. “His organizational system makes the librarians look sane.”

“Uh, thanks.”

___________________

Kit peeked around the corner. Sir Brennan was stationed outside the door of the meeting room. 

His eyes landed on Kit immediately, his eyes narrowing.

Kit hesitantly walked up to him.

“What are you up to?” Brennan asked, voice level.

“I, uh, there was a maid in my room earlier.”

Brennan waited.

“I was wondering what he was called.”

Brennan thought to himself. “Redhead?”

“Yes.”

“Sounds like David. Why do you want to know about the staff?”

Stars, couldn’t he just ask a simple question?

“Wouldn’t you like to know who’s been in your space?” he asked, defensive.

“Alright, alright. That makes sense, and I’m sorry,” said Brennan, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “Just thought I’d ask.”

Kit shifted. “Is Mistress going to be finished soon?”

Brennan shook his head. “Public works likes to drag things out. You know how it is.”

Kit did not know how it was, but he nodded along anyway. 

“You could probably go rescue her, if you wanted. They’ll probably cut it short if you interrupt.”

“You don’t think she’ll mind?”

Brennan shrugged. “The dam project has been finalized for weeks. I doubt it’s a productive meeting. Go ahead.”

Kit slipped into the room, and people turned to look at him.

Iris was sitting across from the door, at the head of the large table. Kit edged around the room.

“What is it, Kit?”

“Um,” Kit glanced at the other people around the table. “I need to talk to you about something,” he said quietly.

“Alright, can it wait a minute?”

Kit nodded minutely, and sat on the floor, tucking his legs underneath him. Iris’s hand came to rest on his head. Her fingers threaded through his hair, and it felt really nice.

___________________

Iris waited until they were long gone to speak up.

“So what’s going on?”

Kit sighed a little, his head still leaning against her chair.

“There’s this… maid,” he said. “He’s called David. Someone’s been hurting him.”

Iris paused. “How do you know?” She didn’t doubt Kit, but she needed some evidence that was more than a hunch.

“He’s got these bruises,” Kit explained, “Like he’s been grabbed. I don’t think it’s… uh, nevermind.”

“You don’t think it’s what?”

Kit blushed, a peach pink on his cheeks and the tips of his ears. “You know,” he said, “love marks. He was too scared when I asked. If… if his lover left them and he liked it, he wouldn’t be so frightened.”

Iris’s face grew hot. His word choice, ‘lover’, made her think of scandal and risque novels. It was unintentional on Kit’s part, but it made her flush anyway.

“Right. Of course. Did he tell you who was hurting him?”

“No. He, uh, ran off. I didn’t want to chase him down for answers.”

“Good idea,” she nodded. 

They fell into silence.

“What are you going to do?” asked Kit, quiet.

Iris opened her mouth to respond, but truthfully she didn’t know. She had suspected there was something with the staff for years, but she’d been too busy working to think about what could actually be done.

“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I’d like to talk to David, but I doubt he’d be willing to. If he won’t tell you what’s wrong, he definitely won’t tell me. And there’s not much I can do to protect him if he refuses to say.”

Kit turned to sit on his knees and face her.

“What if… I talked to him? I could coax him into it,” he offered.

“Are you sure?”

Kit tucked a piece of his hair behind an ear. “I think so. I just need some time alone with him.”

Iris hesitated. “Are you going to use magic?” Kit’s eyes went wide.

“No! I wouldn’t, I pro-”

Iris held up a hand. “No need for promises,” she said, the tingling air calming down. “Just be careful, okay?”

Kit nodded. “Yes, Mistress.”

taglist: @paintedpigeon1 @cupcakes-and-pain @loserwithsyle @cepheusgalaxy @thingsthatgo-whump-inthenight @virtualbreadtale @bitchaknso

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Deeper Through the Wylderness

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Forty

A JSE Fanfic

Who's ready for more Wyldwood? :D The guys continue their journey, encountering a few strange things. Unusual animals, unusual fruits and plants, unusual beings, even. They're making progress, but this strange place might wear on them over time. Yeah this chapter, much like the last, is basically an anthology of weird things that the guys encounter in this magical forest. But next chapter, if all goes according to plan, will be VERY important to the plot :3 Hope you guys enjoy reading!

Previous Part | | From the Start | More AU | Read on AO3: CrystalNinjaPhoenix

Taglist: @brokentimewatch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marvin was woken up by the familiar feeling of something fuzzy against his face. He stayed totally still. The best way to get Draco to stop doing something was to ignore him. But the fuzzy thing persisted, pushing against him. He couldn’t help but groan. “Draco, nooo.” He rolled over, but the fuzziness climbed over him, sniffing at his face. Keeping his eyes closed, he reached out, trying to push Draco away... but felt something odd. The texture—that wasn’t fur. It was more like... feathers?

Mrow. And that was Draco’s meow—coming not from right in front of his face, like he expected, but instead from over by his feet. Draco wasn’t here?!

His eyes flew open. Instead of seeing Draco’s blue eyes and off-white stripes fur, he was staring into a pair of Hazel animal eyes surrounded by orangish-red, its black snout longer than a cat’s—

“What the fuck?!” Marvin shouted, scrambling backwards.

“Huhwhatdanger?!” Next to him, Jackie sat bolt upright, lunging for his swords.

Henrik yelped awake, blinking wildly. Chase was next, lifting his head from the ground. JJ was already awake, though he was blinking blearily.

“Fox!” Marvin said. “There’s a fox!”

Indeed, a fox had wandered into their camp in the Wyldwood... but not an ordinary fox. Its front legs were more in line with bird legs, tough-skinned and taloned, feathers sprouting along the upper length. On its back were a pair of large wings, brown and black striped. It leaned forward, trying to sniff Marvin some more, and Marvin quickly scooted backwards.

“Oh! I know what that is!” Chase sat up, wriggling out of his bedroll. “That’s an enfield!”

“Enfield?” Marvin repeated, puzzled. “I’ve never heard of them.”

“Is it safe?” Jackie asked, raising one sword in preparation.

“Um... as safe as foxes are normally, I think. Don’t bother it and it won’t bother you.”

The enfield stepped forward again, and Marvin continued to crawl backwards away from it. “Why does it want to sniff me?!” He hissed.

“Maybe you smell interesting?” Chase guessed.

Henrik frowned. “How did it get close? Jamie, I thought you were on guard.”

Jameson rubbed his face. I was... I remember hearing this strange flute music. And seeing something... small? Out there? He gestured at the woods around them. The music was trying to put me to sleep, I think, but I threw a rock at the small thing and it stopped. But I still felt really sleepy... He shook his head. I don’t think I actually fell asleep but I must have been really close if I let a fox with wings through. Sorry, everyone.

Jackie sighed. “It’s fine. There was no harm done, I guess. But in the future, we should wake someone else up if something like that happens.

Jameson nodded slowly... his head drooping...

“Jair! Wake up.” Marvin grabbed some magic from his amulet and flicked it at him. He only intended for it to be a shower of sparks. But instead, clouds of bright light slammed into the side of Jameson’s head. He shot straight up, eyes wide, immediately not tired anymore. “Oh—sorry. That was supposed to be a simple wake-up spell, like the one I sometimes use. I suppose it came out a bit stronger than I wanted.”

It’s fine, Jameson said, hands shaking slightly as he spoke. The spell must have shit him full of energy.

The enfield trotted over to Jameson and started sniffing him instead, licking the fading magical light around his head. Jameson looked at it warily. “I think it must be interested in your magic, Marvin!” Henrik chuckled.

“Great. Great.” Marvin clutched at his focus. “Good to know. Be interested in something else.”

Jackie looked around. The group had made camp in a slight clearing in the Wyldwoods. Trees surrounded them—of course—these ones with bark that was so dark brown they were nearly black, which contrasted with the leaves that were a pale pink color. The pink leaves covered the ground in a soft layer, so soft that Chase had inched out of the bedroll over the course of the night and hadn’t even realized that he was on the ground. Large flowers with purple petals and centers the size of dinner plates also dotted the ground, glowing softly. “We should probably start moving, shouldn’t we?” Jackie said. “We don’t want to waste any time.”

Henrik sighed. “I suppose. Though this is a beautiful area. I am reluctant to leave. Where else will you see pink trees like this?”

“Well there’s going to be more amazing things to see as we go deeper,” Marvin said, still eyeing the enfield suspiciously. “I promise you.”

“I know, I know. I am not saying we get lost in the pretty landscape. I am just saying it’s a shame.” Henrik stood up. “Let’s go.”

The group packed up their supplies into bags and headed off, Marvin and Draco leading the way. The enfield trotted after them for a while before some smaller enfields with little fuzzy wings ran up to it—Its children?! Adorable!—and then it diverted its attention to herding them, letting the group leave them behind. This was the morning of their third day into their journey, and if everything went well, they’d only have four to five days left. Almost halfway there! Chase wasn’t sure if he was excited about that, or nervous. Both, probably. No, definitely both.

Just as the last couple days, the Wyldwood was silent, the undergrowth mysteriously moving out of their way as they walked. Two days straight of this meant they were starting to get used to it—which meant some of them were starting to get restless. Jackie constantly wove back and forth through the group, taking up a position on the left before moving to the right a few minutes later, his hand always on the hilt of his sword as he glanced around uneasily. Henrik’s eyes also darted back and forth, and he couldn't help but occasionally reach back to check that Vsevna’s axe was still there. He occasionally muttered something under his breath in Alterdan. Were his symptoms bothering him again?

Jameson kept practicing his fighting skills as they walked, slashing with his knife for a while before reaching back to grab the bow he’d packed and practicing firing it. Chase watched him do that, smiling a bit. “I don’t think practicing without an arrow is all that helpful.”

I suppose, Jameson said, awkwardly gesturing while still holding his bow. But it’s probably not a good idea to shoot wildly in a magical forest. Remember the screaming flowers?

“Ah. Riiiiight.” Chase winced. “The trees might not take kindly to being shot. Well, at least let me help you with your technique. Here, hold the string like this...”

They soon left the section of the Wyldwood with pink trees, and the colors of the trees slowly shifted. The branches began to droop downwards, their dark green leaves becoming long and skinny. For once, it became difficult to walk through the area, as the tree branches didn’t move out of the way like the undergrowth did. Jackie quickly got frustrated with this. After one too many times of being hit in the face with leaves, he growled and pulled out his sword, swinging it wildly. “Out of the way! Out of the way!”

“Whoa!” Marvin’s head whipped back around to look at Jackie. “Hey, calm down!”

Jameson grabbed onto Jackie’s shoulder, trying to stop him. Once he’d gotten Jackie’s attention, he signed, We don’t want to hurt the trees!

“Well what if the trees want to hurt us?” Jackie asked.

THEN we can do something! But we shouldn’t make the first move!

Jackie growled, glaring at the branches around them. “Fine. But still, we’re losing progress.” He gave his sword one final, frustrated swing—

Smack!

Jackie went still. “I, uh... I hit something... solid.”

Frowning, Henrik walked over, grabbing the branches and sorting through them. His eyes went wide. “Oh! Look at this!” He turned the branch around. There was something shiny attached to it. A fruit of some kind. It looked like a plum, but its purple skin was reflective and crystalline, like it was a jewel.

Chase gasped. “Oooo!” He looked around. “Are there any more of them?”

“Let us see!” Henrik continued to search through the branches, and the others joined him, curious about these strange crystal plums. There weren’t many of them, maybe three for each tree, but they stood out for how strange they were. “So fascinating!” Henrik said, eyes lit up. “Can we pluck these? Eat them, maybe?”

“Hmm.” Marvin narrowed his eyes. Then he bent down and picked up Draco, holding him up to one of the crystal plums. Draco sniffed it, then turned away, uninterested. “Well I don’t think they’re dangerous, at least.”

Jackie sighed. “Alright... we can take a break to look at these.”

“Come on, don’t tell me you’re not curious!” Chase said, grinning. “When are we going to get another chance like this?”

“I just... I-I don’t know. I’m sorry.” Jackie shook his head. “Alright. What are these things?”

Jameson is trying to pull the plum off the droopy branch, but its stem is really strong. He pulled out his knife to slice through it, but even that took a minute. Once the plum was free, though, he turned it over in his hands, tapping it. This is practically stone, he said.

“Well plums are stone fruit,” Chase said jokingly.

Marvin blinked. “They’re what?”

“Huh? You’ve never heard that phrase before?” Chase grabbed one of the plums; Jameson was right, the fruit’s skin felt more like glass than fruit. “A stone fruit is a fruit that has a pit in the center instead of seeds.”

“Really? Interesting.” Marvin looked at one of the plums still on the branch. “So these are... literally stone fruit. Or, more like crystal fruit.”

“How do we eat them, if they’re made of crystal?” Jackie asked.

“Maybe we do not?” Henrik said. “Or maybe it is like nuts. They must be cracked open. Here, Jackie. Since you are so concerned about moving, we can take some off the trees and examine them while we walk.” He took his bag off, reaching inside. “Let us put some in my potion supply box for safekeeping.”

They continued walking, pushing aside some of the drooping branches. Occasionally one of their hands would hit a solid crystalline plum. Chase took out his hunting knife and tried to find a weak spot in the solid skin. He was pretty sure there was something inside. He could feel it when he shook the plum. But the whole thing was solid, deflecting his knife like a regular bauble made from jewels. 

When they walked out of the grove of droopy-branched trees, Henrik immediately started looking around for a rock or something else to smash the plum with. But... “Huh. I am seeing something unusual. There... are no rocks anywhere.”

“Oh! That’s right!” Marvin nodded. “I didn’t notice the first time I was here. But there aren’t any random rocks or stones anywhere like there would be in regular forests. The undergrowth is all plant life.”

“Aw. But then how will we open these?” Henrik asked, disappointed. “If they can be opened at all.”

“Use Vsevna’s axe,” Jackie suggested. “It has that spike on the end, maybe it could pierce the skin?”

“Hmmm... perhaps.” Henrik stopped walking and bent over, placing the plum on a spot clear of long grass. Then he pulled Vsevna’s axe off his back. He aimed the spike on the back at the plum, a hand’s width above it, and narrowed his eyes as he concentrated—then brought it down.

Crack! There was a loud sound and the plum went spinning off to the side. A spray of bright red juice covered the ground—and Henrik’s legs. He yelped in surprise and backed up. Jackie laughed. “Well I don’t think any of us expected that!” He said.

“We probably should have,” Henrik grumbled. He walked over to the plum and picked it up. There was a crack in its crystal side, through which dripped that bright red juice. Unnaturally bright red, almost pink even. “Do you think this is safe to eat?”

“Who knows?” Chase said. “I’d be cautious.”

What does Draco say? JJ asked.

Marvin picked up the cat and held him up to the plum again. Draco leaned forward to sniff the juice. His nose wrinkled up and his eyes narrowed. “That’s not a guarantee of anything,” Marvin said. “He makes the same face when smelling that linseed oil Jackie and other warriors clean their weapons with. I think he just thinks it’s a strong smell.”

Henrik sniffed curiously. “It is very sweet. Almost like candy. Hmm... Perhaps we should not eat it.”

“Why were you so insistent on getting it open, then?” Jackie asked, exasperated.

“Just to see if I could, honestly.”

Jackie sighed. “Well now it’s probably going to leak juice everywhere. And maybe it will rot. We don’t want to carry rotten fruit around, even if it’s magical. “Here, just... Give it to me.”

Henrik did so, though he was a bit reluctant. “Are you going to do something foolish?”

“Possibly.” Jackie swiped up some of the juice with his finger and stuck it in his mouth.

“Wait Jackie no—!” Chase lunged over, grabbing Jackie’s wrist and yanking his hand away from his face. But it was too late. “What if it’s poison?!”

“Draco would’ve stopped me,” Jackie said. “Marvin said he would stop him from eating dangerous... um... stuff. Like... fruit and... stuff.” Jackie’s eyes slowly widened. Not as a response to how he was feeling or anything. It was almost like they were being pulled wide by invisible hands. A pink film glazed over his irises. 

“Oh no,” Chase whispered.

How do you... feel, Jackie? Jameson asked hesitantly.

Jackie looked at him. “You’re glowing,” he said slowly. He looked at Marvin. “And you’re like... like really bright. Like really glowing. And whoaaaa, Draco looks strange.” He giggled. “He’s a ghost. Ghooost cat. Glowing ghost cat.”

“Oh elders, it’s like he took amarita blossoms,” Marvin muttered.

You’ve met someone who took amarita? Jameson raises an eyebrow.

“Not anyone who took them regularly, but I’ve been on the run for the last year, practically, I’ve met a lot of people.”

“Guys guys guys, it’s not a problem.” Jackie kept looking around. “It’s all good, it’s like—so good. I feel great, and whoaaaa... pretty.”

Henrik sighed. “Damn it. If only I had my medicine I could snap him out of this really quickly. I suppose we will just have to wait for him to come down normally. He had a small sample, surely this won’t last long.” He took the plum out of Jackie’s hand. Jackie didn’t react at all, spinning in a circle so he could look at everything. “Let’s keep walking.”

Luckily, the effect of the crystal plum didn’t hinder Jackie’s ability to walk—though he did slow the group down a bit because he kept stopping to stare at random spots in the air. But after about two hours, the pink film faded from his eyes, and he stopped looking at stuff. He mumbled some apologies to everyone, but they all assured him that it was okay—though Henrik and Chase did point out how foolish it was to try juice from a magical fruit. Even if Draco didn’t intervene, that didn’t mean they were safe!

Nothing else of note happened on that day. They continued to walk through the Wyldwoods, occasionally swapping stories and memories to pass the time, always listening for sounds that would break the silence. Sounds like rustling, like distant voices, like footsteps that seemed to pass right by the group but without any sign of a person or animal. All of those happened at least once during this day. When they did, the whole group went dead silent for a minute before continuing to talk.

They made camp near a lone hill in the middle of the forest. Though it might have been an advantage to camp on top, where those on guard would have a good view of the surrounding area, none of them dared to get too close. The Fair Folk were said to live under hills. Not always literally. Some stories said that the hills were merely an entrance to a Faerilynd, the world where the Folk gathered. Either way, a lone hill in a magical forest probably wasn’t safe to get close to. Who knew what it could be? They settled down between two tall trees nearby, keeping an eye on the hill but not approaching.

“Maybe we should have two people keep guard,” Jackie suggested as they set everything up.

But then if we keep going in our shifts of three, eventually someone will be woken up again, JJ pointed out. Everyone will have only one shift, but someone will have to have two.

“I’ll take two, it’s fine.”

“No, nobody is taking two shifts at night,” Marvin said firmly. “We all need to be in the best shape possible in case something happens.”

“But—but there was that incident with the party!” Jackie protested. “And this morning, the enfield was able to just walk right in! We need to take precautions!”

“We do, but we need to take care of ourselves too,” Henrik said.

Chase frowned. “Is this because of the fruit thing? Jackie, it’s okay. I know me and Henrik already gave you shit for it, but it’s in the past. And hey, now we know what those plums do, don’t we? You don’t need to make up for an impulsive decision.”

Jackie slumped. “I... I just...” He looked to the side. “I thought that... we’d need to see what they do, didn’t we? Because what if they were harmful?”

If they were harmful then it was even more foolish to taste one, Jameson said. You could have gotten hurt.

“Well—better than losing our doctor or our guide or our oracle or the guy who needs to make it to the end of this journey!”

“Jackie,” Henrik snapped. “Are you implying you are expendable?”

“No,” Jackie said. “Honestly, no. I know I’m not. I’m a Masked Phantom leader and the best physical fighter here. But I...” He shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Marvin stared at him silently. “Just remember that we don’t want you to get hurt.”

Jackie nodded. “I will. I’ll be more careful, promise.”

“Please do be,” Henrik said quietly. “Now... Let us all get some rest.”

Little did the others know, but Jackie stayed awake as long as he possibly could, one hand out of his bedroll, clutching the hilt of his sword.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the group woke up in the morning, the hill was gone.

“Well that is worrying,” Henrik muttered. “Marvin? You had last watch, what happened?”

“It just sort of...” Marvin held up a hand parallel to the ground, then slowly lowered it, like he was pushing something down. “Sank.”

“When???” Chase asked, concerned.

“Not too long ago, actually. It was surprisingly silent.”

The whole group looked at the space where the hill was, unnerved. We should walk around that spot, JJ said.

“Agreed,” Chase said. 

They started walking again. This section of the Wyldwood had trees with reddish bark, occasionally streaked with lighter, almost yellow stripes. Tall bluebell-like flowers sprouted from between their roots, their soft glow joined by specks of light that floated through the air. As the group brushed past them, the flowers made ringing sounds, like the bells their shapes were named for.

“Do you remember all of this, Marvin?” Henrik asked, fascinated with the flowers.

“I remember it when I see it,” Marvin replied. “Honestly, the whole first journey I had was so strange that it all sort of... blended together into an overall oddness. But now that I’m back in here, I do know where to go and recognize some of this. I didn’t recognize those crystal plums yesterday. But maybe I just didn’t see them. They were pretty hidden in those branches.”

“And... there are truly no records of the Wyldwood at all?” Henrik asked.

“None in recent memory, and no records of anyone going this deep,” Jackie said. “You should know this, Henrik. I know you’re from another kingdom, but you’ve lived here for years now. You know that the Wyldwood is dangerous.”

“Yes, but people make records of going into dangerous places all the time,” Henrik said. “And this is half the island!”

I suppose having the Dragon’s Teeth mountains as a barrier dissuaded exploration, Jameson mused. I’ve heard of other Wyldlands in the world that are more explored. Wyldsands, Wyldmounts, Wyldmarshes... I can see why you’re surprised that there aren’t any records.

“I think that part of the reason people avoid the Wyldwood is because of the Fair Folk,” Chase said. “After all, people say that those who didn’t retreat to their own world live here now.”

“You know a lot of stories, right, Chase?” Jackie asked. “Do you know any about the Fair Folk or the Wyldwood?”

“Hmm... well there are a few,” Chase said. “For example, the story of Lasta and Caba is said to take place in the Wyldwood. Supposedly, when most of the Fair Folk decided they wanted to leave this world for their own, two of them, a leprechaun and a bodacha, refused to stop playing their card game to help the others move. So they were cursed to keep playing forever, never finishing the game. Supposedly, if you join in, you have a chance to win some sort of prize. But be careful, because time outside of the game will pass faster than time around you and them.”

“Fascinating,” Marvin said. “I don’t think I’ve heard that one.”

I think I’ve vaguely heard something like that, Jameson said. I remember the bit about time passing differently very distinctly.

“Well, time being different around the Fair Folk is common in stories,” Chase said. “There’s also the one where a man falls in love with a beautiful Fair One. A princess or prince.”

“There are two versions of the story?” Henrik asked. “So... does that mean it is not true?”

“No, it could be that it happened a long time ago and the details of the Fair One got lost over time. Or maybe the Fair One was both. Who knows? The point is, the Fair One invited the man to their palace for a night of partying, but when the man returned after one night, a year had passed.”

Jackie glanced around nervously. “Do you think that... that same time strangeness affects the Wyldwood?”

Marvin shook his head. “No. I walked through the woods for a week, and when I was out again, a week had passed for everyone else.”

“Oh right. I forgot about—” He paused. “Do you all hear that?”

The group stopped walking, listening for strange sounds. In the otherwise silence of the Wyldwood, it stuck out easily. A thundering sound. But not actual thunder. Was it... hooves? From a horse? Chase frowned and looked at the others, noticing as they all came to the same conclusion around the same time. “Strange...” Henrik muttered. “Where is it coming from?”

“Get to the side,” Marvin hissed. “Out of the way of any open paths!”

They all scrambled to get close to a tree, away from the open parts of the Wyldwood. In the distance, something dark was forming, quickly approaching—

Jameson gasped and fell forward, sprawling across the ground. Jackie spun around. Without hesitating, he ran towards Jameson. The dark thing was suddenly much closer, streams of orange-red light streaming from it as it got closer—within a second it was bearing down on them—

“Jackie!” Chase gasped.

Jackie dove at Jameson and the two of them went rolling across the ground. The dark thing galloped past them, inches from their bodies, smoke and light following it in a trail. It looked like a horse and rider but something was wrong with the rider: he was missing something. By the time Chase realized what it was, the creature was already galloping into the distance.

“Elders!” Jackie breathed, visibly shaken.

Henrik ran forward, and Marvin and Chase were right behind him. “Are you two okay?!” Henrik asked.

“I-I’m fine,” Jackie said. “Jameson?”

Jameson raised his head. His eyes were wide enough to see the white all around his irises, but he nodded. Shaken, he said weakly.

“Wh-what happened?” Marvin asked. “Did you trip on something? What was that thing?!”

“I-I think that was a dullahan,” Chase said.

“A what?! Aren’t those an omen of death?!”

“Huh? No, th-that’s not what I’ve heard about them. Though they are often linked to it... h-having no head, and all. And they, uh, often show up where people died, I-I think?”

Henrik shuddered. “So... someone died here?”

“I have no doubt that a lot of people died in the Wyldwood,” Chase muttered.

Jackie sat up, one arm wrapped around Jameson, bringing him upright as well. “Are you sure you’re okay, Jameson?” he asked gently. “What about your foot? Did you twist your ankle when you tripped?”

“Hmm... I thought the plants were making way for us,” Henrik said, frowning.

Jameson laughed silently, darkly. It wasn’t a plant or root or anything. I just... tripped on... my own foot.

“...ah.” Henrik blinked. “...well that is... unfortunate.”

I suppose I was thinking too much about moving, if that makes sense? Jameson sighed. I’m not hurt, though.

“Alright, if you’re sure.” Jackie stood up, and reached down to help Jameson up. “Are you good to keep walking?”

Are you? Jameson asked.

Jackie laughed. “Of course I am. Come on. We have to keep going. Ideally, away from where that dullahan went.”

And so, with nothing else to do and nobody hurt, they just... kept walking. Until, eventually, it was time to settle down for the night once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day passed normally—or as normally as things could be in the Wyldwood. They continued to pass through vibrant trees and grass, surrounded by glowing flowers, glowing mushrooms, and occasionally glowing insects. Henrik was quickly getting overwhelmed with the variety of plants, and quickly running out of room for samples in his potion ingredient box and other bags. He soon learned that he couldn’t take all of the glowing plants. Some of the samples from the first day had stopped glowing—though not all of them—so he exchanged those for others.

Draco kept walking steadily through the forest, occasionally waiting for the humans to catch up. Chase still wasn’t used to him acting so... smart. But it wasn’t like he was acting oddly human. He was still clearly a cat, with the same mannerisms and behaviors. When some glowing blue dragonflies showed up, he chased them, tail wagging, just like any other cat would. But still... it was odd that a cat was leading them.

Chase’s thoughts started to swirl, thinking about what was waiting at the end of this journey. At this blasted heath that Marvin mentioned. He asked Marvin to tell him everything about what he saw there again, and Marvin told him all he remembered. There was a building in the circle of dead earth, along with some strange trees. The ghost of King Samuel said that this was related to something unspeakable—something that literally couldn’t be spoken of. Something that Chase needed to find out for himself, something that would help them defeat the King. It was frustratingly vague.

He wasn’t sure if anything he’d find in the Wyldwood could help him defeat the spirit possessing the King... but he had to try, didn’t he? He had to help Jack. And so, he kept going on, despite the doubts trying to worm their way in.

Another day of walking passed. Their fifth day. They were almost there now. Just two more days of walking... or was it only one and a half? Maybe a little more than that? Would they have to walk for two days, rest for the night, and then walk a bit more in the morning?

“Hey... Marvin.” Jackie glanced around as the Wyldwood around them started to grow dark. “Maybe we should walk through the night. Or... a little bit into the night, I should say.”

“Huh?” Marvin glanced back at him. “We never walk through the night when traveling.”

“I know, but that’s because it gets too dark to see where we’re putting our feet,” Jackie explained. “With all the glowing things in here, it never gets darker than what would be evening outside the Wyldwood. We could probably keep walking.”

Henrik frowned. “I... wonder if... if there are creatures that come out at night, here. A-after all... that strange party happened at night. The music that Jameson heard, too. And the hill disappeared during the dark. It may be dangerous.”

“It... i-it may be,” Jackie agreed slowly. “But we could protect each other. I... I think the faster we get there, the better, right?”

The others all glanced at each other. Perhaps we can walk a bit more? Jameson asked.

“I really think it is not a good idea,” Henrik insisted.

Marvin looked down at Draco, who was stretching and yawning. “I agree. I think we’re supposed to stop for the night.”

“Just a bit farther couldn’t hurt,” Jackie said. “Chase? What do you think?”

Chase hesitated. “Um... just a bit farther, maybe? Ten or twenty more minutes?”

Henrik and Marvin looked at each other and sighed. “Fine,” Marvin said. “If all three of you want to keep walking for a bit, you take the majority. But... let’s be careful.”

Jackie nodded. “We will be. I’ll lead the way.”

They kept walking. Draco didn’t want to continue, so Marvin reached down and scooped him up, carrying him as they went along. The trees around them rustled, and Chase glanced up into them uneasily, instinctively searching for animals that weren’t there.

After the twenty more minutes of walking that Chase suggested, the group came across something... unusual. A... path. The sort that was worn into the ground from people or animals walking in the same place over and over. It dipped into the earth slightly, the dirt a bit muddy.

Marvin frowned. “I remember this. It was daytime when I came across it the first time. I didn’t want to cross it, but Draco had no problem, so I walked from one side to the other easily enough.” He looked down at Draco in his arms, whose eyes were currently closed. “Hmm... don’t know if I’m comfortable walking across it when he’s not there to make sure it’s safe.”

Chase looked back and forth, tracing the path to the left and right. Then he crouched down to look at the dirt, trying to figure out if there were any tracks in there. No good. Despite the mud, he couldn’t make out anything clearly. “I don’t know if this is a deer trail or a wolf pack or something magical,” he reported.

Jameson blinked. Is it just me or is the air... shimmering?

Chase stood up, and he and the other three guys all stared at the air in front of them. Yes... it was shimmering slightly. Like the air above a heated rock. As they stared, things became clearer. The air was moving. No, not the air. They were... people? Translucent at first, becoming more and more solid, glowing slightly. Jackie backed up, holding his arms out in front of the others as if to push them back as well. But there was no need for that, as everyone was scrambling backwards away from the glowing strangers.

“Wh-what is this?” Henrik whispered. “Are you all seeing this as well?”

“Yes, Henrik, we are,” Marvin confirmed. “Who are these people? What are they?”

They watched silently for a while, tense and waiting. But the glowing people didn’t bother them. They looked at the group, a few waved, but they didn’t stop their procession to attack, or even to speak.They just kept walking. And just as the group started to relax—

Jameson inhaled sharply. He ran forward, running along the path, eyes locked onto something. “Jair!” Marvin gasped, running after him.

“Wait you two!” Jackie rushed after them, and Chase and Henrik glanced at each other and followed.

Jameson came to a stop, staring at some of the people. A man, looking to be in his forties, walking with a woman of the same age, their arms linked together. The woman was smiling and laughing at something, and the man nodded.

“What is it?” Marvin asked, shifting Draco into just one arm and putting a hand on Jameson’s shoulder. But Jameson didn’t even bother to look at him. He just kept staring at the man and woman. What was so special about—

The realization hit Chase all at once. The brown shade of the man’s hair, the shape of the woman’s face, the blue of both their eyes... they both looked a bit like Jameson. And as the man and woman noticed them, the man raised his hand. There was a ring on his finger. A signet ring of some kind. “...oh,” Chase breathed.

Jameson was shaking slightly, trembling beneath Marvin’s hand. Behind the couple walked three others. Young women, all around the same age. The eldest walked in front, auburn hair shorn short. Behind her was a woman with her hair pulled back in a tight braid, a pair of fancy riding pants, the sorts nobles wore for long horse rides. And behind her in turn was the youngest, her light hair curling, smiling as she skipped along. She looked at Jameson and waved.

“Oh... oh no,” Henrik whispered.

Jameson’s mouth formed words, but of course, no voice came out.

And then Jackie’s eyes widened. “G-Grandmam?” An older woman was walking along the couple, using a cane to support herself, bent over with deep lines on her face. 

“Oh!” Marvin started. “There! Isn’t that Miarch? H-he was—we lost him s-so early on... A-and there’s Kieron, and Ilsa, and...” The people he was pointing out all had white plaster masks with them, on their face or hanging from their belts.

Chase tore his eyes away from the procession. It was clear now who these people were, and he didn’t want to see anyone he’d known.

But Jameson... he started to step forward.

“No!” Henrik lunged forward, grabbing the back of Jameson’s shirt. “Do not get too close!”

Jameson spun on him. Why not?! he demanded, eyes welling with tears.

“We do not know what will happen if we touch them,” Henrik reasoned. “What if we... what if we join them? Jamie, please tell me you do not want to join them.”

That seemed to get through to Jameson. He blinked, then shook his head. Of course not. I just... He turned back to the procession. It’s been so long since I’ve seen them. Mam and Dad... Emer, Orla, Mairead... those are their names. He spelled them out in handspeak so that the others would know what to call them. I never got to...

Chase took a deep breath. He walked over to Jameson and put an arm around his shoulders. “Well... this is the time to do it, isn’t it?”

Jackie and Marvin were also staring at the people they recognized in the procession. Henrik, like Chase, is trying not to look, though his eyes can’t help but glance back every so often at the ones with white masks. But they all hear what Chase said. “Y-yes... th-this is the time... to say goodbye,” Jackie whispered.

“I-I don’t think we should actually say anything,” Marvin said quietly. “Just in case... that starts a conversation we... don’t want. W-we don’t know how they’ll... react to us.”

Jameson shuddered. As much as I don’t want to stay silent... you’re right. Best to be cautious. We don’t know what effect the Wyldwood would have. He looked after his family. They seemed... happy. As they waved at him again, he waved back, a slow, sad farewell.

And after a moment, Jackie, Marvin, and Henrik all waved as well. Chase saw no one he recognized... and he didn’t seek them out.

After a while, the friendly faces disappeared down the path. But the procession didn’t stop. They watched them continue appearing, walking left to right, an endless parade. “We... we shouldn’t interrupt them,” Marvin whispered. “Let’s... go back and make camp.”

Jackie nodded. “I-I’m sorry I made us keep walking.”

Don’t be, Jameson said. You didn’t know this would happen. And... maybe it was a good thing, in the end.

“...maybe,” Jackie said quietly. “Let’s... go.”

The group turned and walked back the way they came, setting up their bedrolls around a large tree. The procession was a slight glow in the distance, a line of light. They went to bed, said their good nights... but none of them fell asleep. They all knew they were watching the procession. Watching it until exhaustion caught up to them.

As Chase drifted off, he reflected on who he saw in the procession. The Masked Phantoms. Jameson’s family. Were others in the procession... because of the King as well? Or... because of the spirit possessing Jack?

...He would remember them. Remember why the King must be defeated.

There would be no more of them. Not if there was anything they could do about it.

[abarbaricyalp]

A loose interpretation of the @samsseptember prompt memories // Rated: M (ish) // CW: thinking of previous violence and injury // suffer my inability to use proper tense throughout

Sometimes, when Bucky is straddled over Sam's hips and his hands are everywhere on Sam's body, Sam remembers watching that hand, this arm, punch through his windshield and rip his steering wheel right out of the car. It had been too chaotic for him to really be afraid. He'd searched after the phantom before doing anything else. The first of many times he chased after a shadow in his periphery in the shape of Barnes.

Despite everything else about the fight on the bridge, that night, he'd sat on the edge of a cot and stared at his own arms. There were tiny cuts littering the skin of his forearms. The reminder of the glass shattering inwards sent a wild, bubbling laugh through Sam's chest. His left thumb had been dislocated when the steering wheel disappeared. Steve had reset it, but the bruise and ache were still ugly and obvious.

Just a few days ago, Bucky had held that same hand between both of his, pried out a splinter that Sam was being a baby about on purpose, and then kissed away the teeny well of blood that followed.

Sam wondered what Barnes' hands had felt like all those years ago. He'd become a big fan of skincare--the slippery slow from haircare--but Sam had seen his hands back then. Long fingered and elegant. Wrapped around a gun or clenched into a fist. Strong and sure, unhesitating. He bet they felt great when they weren't being controlled by marionette strings stitched into Barnes' mind.

Bucky touches him now every which way. Sometimes how Sam asks and sometimes how he needs without asking. He taps Sam's hip to step behind him in the kitchen. He grabs his shoulder to move him in a fight. He trails teasing, tickling lines up his thigh during meetings. He brushes along Sam's neck while they're watching a movie and Sam is slowly falling asleep beneath Bucky's arm. He puts his hand over Sam's chest to count his heart beat.

Sometimes, he grabs his shoulder and Sam feels a wing ripping away. The air rushing past him as he freefalls, stomach aching from a phantom kick.

Sometimes, he touches Sam's face and Sam is back in Germany, about to be thrown into an elevator shaft.

They're weird bursts of memory. Sam's interrogated it. He's not scared. There's no twitch or jump or moment of confusion or suspicion between them. It's not all the time. He trusts Bucky with his life, with his body, with his soul.

But still. There's this weird impression down through the muscle and bone of him, a bad bruise that isn't on the skin anymore but still twinges at the most random of times. A scar in the wood of him that has been buffed out but still, impossibly remains.

Bucky kneels behind him, pulls him off of his elbows with a gentle, firm hand around the neck and Sam moans and jolts and trusts him. Bucky puts his teeth to the meat of Sam's shoulder and Sam leans back into it. Bucky takes him in hand, the metal hand, and strokes him over the edge while Sam begs for more.

And then they fall over in bed and he brings his fingers up to Sam's temple to wipe away a drop of sweat and suddenly Sam is behind a glass wall in a prison beneath the ocean with a throbbing bruise across his face. He's on a jet and Barnes is looking at him, really looking at him, for the first time. And his fingers come up to the same spot.

"I'm sorry," he says for the first time.

"You didn't do this one, cyborg-brains," Sam answers. He's still running on fumes of insults and school yard names after seventeen hours in a car.

"No, I'm sorry for all of it. All the way back to your rental."

"Who the hell told you it was a rental?" Sam asks. And Barnes doesn't look over to Steve, but Sam knows anyway.

Bucky has said sorry a million times over. Sam had expected each one to erase a bruise, but it always seems to tattoo them down lower instead. A shadow in the water, the unexpected nip at his ankle. Never bad, just surprising. And Sam wouldn't dig them out for anything. They're not just a tattoo, a scar, a bruise. They're the foundation of growth exponential.

Bucky's fingers are on his cheek now and he leans over to kiss Sam's eyebrow. "Thank you," he says this time. "For all of it."

All the way back, Sam thinks. And all the way forward too.

[onethverse]

OC-Tober catch-up! days 2-5

Prev: Day 1 | #loz oc

oops all LoZ ocs.

2: NEW OC

Oneth (wunth) ([wʌnθ])

Oneth is dying of memory. A spirit whose power flourishes in darkness, it was weakened as Hyrule left the Calamity behind and entered a new era of peace and enlightenment. Although every mouth that utters its name brings it closer to its death, Oneth still revealed itself to Sabel, and the two formed a pact. To erase the burden of memory from the world, easing Sabel's suffering and grief while saving his mysterious friend's life. It cannot be seen. Oneth is a small, slight creature that glows with a faint light, much like a fairy; absent is the cheery tinkling of fairy bells. It is nearly a foot in height and has wings and long, tangled appendages. Its fish-like gaze betrays a desire to see all swallowed by the abyss. Its domain is oblivion and the lightless abyssal depths of the sea.

how recently did you make them?

Last November probably. So I do have newer ocs. But they needs images :( regarding its design:

i had the idea of an anti-fairy with fish attributes for a little while, but it clicked into place after playing some Ico recently. I had to draw the thing at the intersection of Yorda, Seath the scaleless, and rabbit fish (chimaera monstrosa.) One of my other inspirations for this character was Jenna Moran's oeuvre of RPGs like Nobilis and Glitch. Never even played them I just follow people on tumblr who post about them nonstop

3: OLD OC

now this is crazy. via: maples.im

how long ago did you make them?

Seyches began as my MapleStory character when I started playing around 2005.

Sorry, I've had to reread that sentence about a dozen times now. It's been how long?

In his first iteration, he was an exiled prince with eyes that changed colors based on emotion, in a love triangle with two or more demon boyfriends, and eternally escaping some dungeon or being caged somewhere.

Also, he was called into duty as a silly pirate's first mate and pyrotechnics expert; such are the demands of irc rp.

credit: cata_dioptric, trubadui (via picrew)

Seyches (I already have his IPA right here, so I'll drop it: [sɛʃ]) is a lonely 30-year-old dude. He has a job as a scrivener, but moonlights as a forger. In his spare time, he’s writing a historical play about Gerudo kings. He likes coffee and cats. He is a trans man, born female and living as a man; a move regarded by some as “not Gerudo-like.” Irrelevant.

He's a former "business partner" of Domri, who pretends not to know Seyches despite being well acquainted. He has an ability to suss out people's secrets, so after meeting Sabel and Ark he becomes aware of both their bizarre obsession with each other and the potential doom they intend to bring upon the world. Well, he's neither a user of powerful magic nor a ninja swordsman, so the best he can do is play mind games with them.

⭐ 4: UNDER-APPRECIATED OC

an oc you feel like you don't talk about enough, or you haven't fleshed out as much as you would like

Anika, whose name I misspelled in my previous post, and who I fridged...Um, if there's anything I'd like to say to women, it's this: I'm sorry women.

Here's what we know: she was a girl who liked to sing, chase boys, and privately harbor grandiose dreams. After the birth of her only child, he became her primary obsession. Btw, the father is unknown, but according to genetic testing on the only chromosome he didn't inherit from her (wait, I count 47 here?) we have narrowed down the most likely candidates to Jareth the Goblin King and aliens from ufos. So anyway, Anika and her parthenogenetic clone were able to comfortably get by once the child started talking to fairies, who would lead him to places where caches of treasure had been hidden long ago by people who hoped to retrieve it after the apocalypse.

credit: z idk their socials

This is just another picture of Sabel but they're almost identical to each other. Sabel is taller and has smaller tits I guess

At least Anika has tumblr posts I can associate w/ her even if it's 1. an x-files gifset: “But the baby’s father is an alien?” / “No, no, I didn’t say he was an alien, I said he was from another planet. His name is Luke Skywalker. He’s what’s known as a Jedi Knight.” 2. "splish splash, hobbit overboard"

5: RE-DESIGNED OC

credit: The Illoganatii

an oc who has changed a lot (what changed about them?) or, if you haven't redesigned an oc: is there anything you might want to change about an existing oc?

Ark has been around about as long as Seyches, originating as a doodle based on the main character of Pokemon Trozei, which I read about in Nintendo Power and have never played. Regrettably it was drawn on the back of my state standardized test so I could never have it back.

He was a ponytail girl with a blue beret. and a blonde. He became a copium ranger/repressed ninja. For my own satisfaction, I thought I could make a strongly ftm-coded cis male character, but something else happened.

He's a man but he's a child. He's in love with his murderer. He knows he's being manipulated and he can see through Sabel’s lies. He's a puppet he's a doll. He's sick and full of twisted grief. And he's your next president/owner of the Triforce of wisdom. Wisdom?! I wish I’d been born a… The wanter.

if i redesigned an oc now it would be oneth bc if i had to draw that thing repeatedly i would simply replace it with a fish head with wings

Thanks for reading :3

[kinderartifact4]

TD Magic AU assigned species: Reboot Cast.

I’ve skipped the RR Cast for now, because I hardly have anything down for them, yet I had almost everything done for this cast.

❗️Species suggestions for the RR cast would be appreciated, even if it’s just telling me who should stay human❗️

-

-

-

MK- Angel

+Magpie wings

+Has inherited magical abilities

+Hydrokinetic

Raj- Halfbreed

+Angel/Ajror Demon

+Magic-born

Wayne- Halfbreed

+Faun/Satyr

+He and Raj have to wear special skates to play hockey

Emma- Halfbreed

+Mer/Human

Chase- Halfbreed

+Drider/Human

+Magic-born

Scary Girl/Lauren- Halfbreed

+Shapeshifter/Human

+The only shifting she can do is making minor adjustments to her body’s proportions, and she oftentimes uses that ability to land herself right in the uncanny valley

+Everyone else fucking hates it

+Nobody knows if she’s Magic-born or not

Axel- Halfbreed

+Human/Dritë Demon

Priya- Human

+She wants to learn healing magic, but her parents think it’s a waste of time.

+She has been slowly teaching herself healing magic behind their backs, but she hopes to get a proper teacher one day

Julia- Neko

Ripper- Human

Zee- Halfbreed

+Harpy/Töke Demon, Plant Variety

+Primarily harpy

+Sun Conure looking feathers (might change, open to other suggestions)

Bowie- Elf

Caleb- Human

Millie- Satyr

Nichelle- Human

Damien- Mer

-

-

-

A good portion of the characters are kids of previous cast members for this AU, if you wanna guess which ones.

[0asterous0]

The Chase, Part One

Previous chapter.

“This is stupid,” Grian muttered, looking in the mirror. He spent an hour arguing with himself and trying to avoid looking at the stupid black-pink costume in the box, but his attempts ended unsuccessfully. Now here he was, staring at his own reflection inside the mirror, fully dressed in the new clothes with a domino mask covering his face.

It was dumb. He knew it was, he looked ridiculous in this. What was he trying to achieve right now, dressing up as some kind of a hero? He’s not a hero– and he doesn’t mean it in the “I’m just a person, I’m no hero” way, no, he doesn’t even have a license to be one. If you ask Grian, he does not trust licensed heroes. All of them are government-trained and approved soldiers, cops, who mostly act for the sake of said government.

 If you weren’t important or “like everyone else,” they would gladly leave you behind and let you rot. 

That’s why Grian always liked most of the vigilantes. Yes, unfortunately, there are a few bad cases sometimes when people pick up the mask to act as a vigilante; but out of selfish reasons, not caring about anything but approval and fame. And then there were the vigilantes who made a move, trying to make things better for people.

Sometimes, Grian wished he could make a change. Maybe that’s why he is doing this right now.

He… doesn’t look bad in this suit. He surprisingly likes it. He spins around for a better look, when it finally dawns on him that this suit doesn’t hide his identity very well, considering the giant wings on his back. Yes, not a lot of people know about them, and he usually hides his wings under clothes when going out, but still a very noticeable feature…

Vigilantism is punishable by law– if someone recognizes his wings, it will get him in trouble. 

Grian lets out a long and annoyed sigh, lightly hitting his fist on his head and turning his back towards the mirror, trying to come up with a way to hide it. He doesn’t have much time to dwell on it, because the door to his room suddenly opens, startling Grian.

“Hey, Gri, I decided to bake something and-” Ren stops at the entrance, even his tail standing up in one place, confusion on his face while he looks Grian up and down. 

He forgot to lock the door… Gods, why is he so dumb, he doesn’t live alone! Why did he think that wearing this with Ren around was a good idea? Deep down Grian hopes that maybe, just maybe, he can pass it as a fan costume, but he’s not that stupid. His first thoughts won’t be “Ah yes, Grian got into cosplay!” Theater maybe... Are you dumb? Agh shut up, voices.

“Grian, mate, I know we just talked about your want to help people, but don’t you think you’re jumping in far too quickly?” Ren asked, brows furrowed. 

“Aaahhh..”

What can Grian even say in this situation? Ah, no actually, on the contrary, I think I’m running very late and I should be on the chase after some suitcases because I think someone that can see the future told me to. He doesn’t even know if the person behind the “gift” box is the same person he thinks it is, or if that person can actually see the future. How can he be sure that he’s not doing something for a villain? 

No, that would be strange; Static, a villain, is already going after the suitcases. Doesn’t that mean that someone is trying to get it before him- which can be even worse if the Oracle is a second villain. It just means that the suitcases are even more important than he thought and multiple people will be after them, probably for world dominance! Ha ha, so funny.

“Aaaahh?” Ren mimics back, a slight grin on his face. 

He doesn’t know what to do. He has known Ren for years now, and he knows that Ren can be trusted, but can he share with him something like this? Even Grian himself has no idea what he’s doing! His conscience might be right, it is logical for more villains to go after the suitcases if they are so important, and if Static of all people finds a partner in crime and kills someone for them then yes, they are important. 

“I… don’t know what I’m doing, okay? I have no idea what this is–” He spats gesturing towards the mirror reflection, “–or what I’m planning to do, I just…”

Looking back at Ren, he meets eyes full of pity that makes his guts twist. Don’t look at me like that. I don’t deserve pity.

“Grian, mate,” He slowly moves to the bed once again, just like he did almost two hours ago, and flops down on it to look back at him. “I know I told you that you need to do something with your life and that you have this spark of a hero in you, but I also said that you need help,” He said, biting inside his cheek as if trying to find a way to explain his thoughts without possibly offending Grian. “Are you sure you want to take this step right now? What… What are you going to do? Just go out and see where the wind takes you?”

“I might do just that,” Grian bites back, ignoring the ‘you need help’ comment. “I-”

He freezes for a second, thinking about it. Should he..?

_______

'-.° Masterpost - Next Part [soon] °.-'

[spumonibones]

Chasing Wings: Memoria Chapter 13

Pairing: Xiao x Venti

First Chapter (Ao3)* ; First Chapter (Tumblr)

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Lore/Story Notes

Chapter CW: None

Update Schedule: Every Wednesday (temp hiatus until July 31, 2024)

Ao3 chapters are currently locked due to a shady site creating issues. Registered users can still read, but chapters will be posted on Tumblr for those who don't. : )

Canon Divergence AU; Other Four Yaksha Still Live; Zhongli already retired but Osial hasn't happened; Canon Typical Violence

Summary:

"To Err is Human, to Forget is Godly."

Almost 500 years ago, the Cataclysm happened. As the fires and monsters dwindled, most of the Seven had fallen. One, Barbatos, simply disappeared - and in his absence, the mourning songs of Dvalin would serenade the land of wind each yearly anniversary. The surviving Archons presumed him dead, and Monstadt presumed he simply never was. One day, before a Traveler will fish Teyvat's Best Guide from its waters, a young man named Venti is rescued by the Vigilant Yaksha. Without memory a face as familiar as it is foreign, the question then becomes... What path can one take, when new memories meet old?

!!Please sign the petition for Hoyo to cease its cultural appropriation and white-washing!!

***

Venti realized after he was already lifted into Xiao’s arms, that he had out of habit slid into the hands scooping him up. The surprise caused him to blink, a sensation in his brain akin to static shock. Why was it so much more natural when Xiao did it compared to the other yaksha? That he belonged there. Shutting his mouth, his own arms wrapping tightly around the yaksha’s neck as the cloud of energy moved them from Wangshu Inn to wherever was a ‘safe place’ to get wings cleaned. Wings with a span larger than the bard’s body length. There was a rustling of leaves and nearby flowers, and the strong, thick scent of ocean. Not quite opening his eyes yet, Venti took an extra moment to chide himself. Under no circumstances could he let himself get used to being carried around like some spoiled charge. What was he going to do if Xiao ever planned on walking him somewhere? 

…What was he going to do if Xiao had every intention to keep holding him? Why am I fixating on this? He wondered, only to blame it on how he had been woken before noon. Typically, Xiao let the bard wake on his own before collecting him. This time, Venti's shoulders were shaken, gently, and when he opened his eyes to complain was taken aback by the striking, glowing golden eyes of Xiao staring at him. For the first time in the memories he carried, Venti thought it was a sight he could wake to every morning. A thought he immediately brushed off, ignoring it in favor of getting ready. Had made the mistake of forgetting why Xiao had woken him, and in retrospect Venti realized he probably wore too many clothes?

Regardless, the second he was ready the pair repeated the same interaction. Each time, Xiao’s left arm would start by sliding beneath Venti’s thighs to under his knees. Almost immediately, his right hand was already steadying Venti’s lower back. With strength that did not match his build, Xiao would quickly slide the bard against himself and hold the other bridal style. Always in this way, careful to ensure that Venti’s head never ended up on the yaksha’s left shoulder. There was a guard or a pauldron, Venti wasn’t sure which it was supposed to be. But there was a jut of what looked like two ivory horns, one twice the size of its smaller counterpart. The bard assumed the yaksha was simply being cautious of the pokey guard. Or perhaps Xiao didn’t care if Venti got gored by accident by the horns. Maybe it was because he had the long sleeve on his left arm, that draped to the yaksha’s knees. That he was so accustomed to accommodating the sleeve, that having legs there made no difference? Whatever motivation for the consistency, it was only adding to this becoming a habit. 

“We’re here. Have you heard any of the stories about Sal Terrae? God of Salt? …Havria?” As he always did, Xiao got straight to the point. Venti was curious what prompted the need to ask a question this time, however. There was also an underlying emotion, something complex that was a mix of too many things to easily identify in tone. Blue and green eyes opened, Venti stiffening when his gaze was met with golden ones for the second time that morning. The two quickly looked away, both sides startled. 

“Sorry…” “Sorry!”

The two apologies differed in tone, but matched in timing. Venti laughed softly at their unison. “Uh… I heard a bit about the God of Salt from one of the storytellers? That she was a kind god, of whom used her powers to bless her people and to protect them? That she died to another god during the wars…?” There was always some discomfort when Venti heard himself mentioning the Archon Wars. In this instance, he assumed it was because Xiao had been alive during that time. That perhaps the discomfort was fear this was a friend of Xiao’s, and if he spoke too impolitely of her the yaksha would take offense. That was what he told himself.

“...Something like that.” Xiao said softly, those complicated emotions swirling in his eyes as he focused his gaze on the distance. Following his eyes, Venti held a breath at what he saw. It was beautiful. The pair were on a small structure of rock, surrounded by red flowers in full bloom that taller than either of the two. Below the formation was a circle of stone, the center opened up to show the river around them was flowing in a perpetual waterfall into a cavern below. Past it was the vast expanse of the river, so wide that for a moment Venti forgot it wasn’t an ocean. There was a dotting of sandbars, some holding ruins, some holding thick trees of reds. Even further into the distance was the Wangshu Inn, a thin mist obscuring parts of the building and the tree it was constructed around. To the left and the right were mountains, each leaning slightly as if parting way for anyone standing there to see much of Liyue’s beauty. Clouds of gold lined with pinks rose behind the landscape, and for that moment Venti yearned to have the hands of a painter. To capture this moment, for fear his memory couldn’t capture it well-enough for later. 

If not a mural, then he supposed he would simply have to compose the song the calm blue waters whispered to him. 

“Her name was Havria, and she was very gentle. Sal Terrae was the last of her domains, and it is also… Where she spent her last moments with her people.” Xiao’s voice was quieter, his eyes lowering. Venti shifted his gaze, always following behind the other with trepid curiosity. There, in front of the stone circle, was a tombstone showing signs of crumbling. Pieces near the bottom were becoming eroded by the tides, and at the top chunks had been knocked off. 

“This is her grave.” Venti had meant it as a question, but the words came out understanding that yes, it was. There was a nod just within that of the bard’s peripheral. 

“Her home is deeper in, this area outside is more… Like an entrance. No one will see you here, and Havria never even had the malice to curse those who took her life. It is safe. But I also understand most people fear places like these.” Xiao’s stare remained on the tombstone.

“It wouldn’t be disrespectful?” Venti clarified.

“No. I wouldn’t have brought you here if it was.” Xiao answered, his voice becoming more gentle and the waterfall in front of them beginning to take away the sound. “She’s been alone a long time…” The yaksha added, and Venti wasn’t sure if he actually heard the other speak. The bard felt his heart clench. “The Archon Wars were cruel. Nothing gentle was allowed to survive.” 

Despite the irony in what was said from who spoke it, Venti didn’t laugh. He couldn’t. Only frowned at the yaksha, who was still holding him. Who on a multitude of occasions could have simply dropped Venti the first chance he got. Yet, every time, Xiao kept hold of the bard until he was ready to be put back down. If the need to prove Xiao wrong to himself wasn’t so powerful, Venti would have tested to see just how long he would have been held. “Plenty of gentleness was allowed to survive.” Venti spoke with a sternness that, were he not feeling so heated, would have startled him. A piece of his heart trying to climb out, to share a truth that the yaksha refused to see. “I’m looking at one, right now.”

“I’m not-”

“Then throw me down into there.” Venti ordered, one hand no longer holding on so he could motion down towards the cavern below. A pair of confused gold eyes shifted from the tombstone to stare at the bard. “You know I can fly, I’ll be fine. Give me a good ol’ toss! Because otherwise, I’m starting to think you planned on carrying me down.” The accusation garnered a few stammers from the yaksha, his pointed ears turning red and his eyes trying to look at anything except Venti.

Oh, I was right? Venti thought, the beat in his chest hastening. 

“I’m not throwing you.” Was all that Xiao could manage. “I protect Liyue’s inhabitants, that’s my duty, my contract, it has nothing-” On he was going, filling the air with his excuses as Xiao kept trying to dodge seeing the kindness that he carried. With a roll of his eyes, Venti wriggled himself out of the arms that had been carrying him. Gloved hands hovered by the bard, not daring to risk the other falling through his fingers should he trip. Venti’s own bare ones took Xiao’s into a light hold, and he beamed at the other.

“Hey. Listen to me. Just because you’ve done terrible things, it doesn’t mean you’re terrible. By that logic, that would be saying some pretty cruel things about Rex Lapis, wouldn’t it?” Venti asked, poising the question in a way to hopefully at least get the other to think. “Because you’ve done a lot of really wonderful, kind things. Like what you’re about to do.” The bard gave a wink, and at his words Xiao’s flustered visage shifted quickly into fear. Letting go of Xiao, Venti kicked himself off the rock formation… And let gravity pull him downwards. Offering two peace signs with both his hands, Venti stuck out his tongue when he heard the yaksha yell out his name in annoyance and concern. Watched as Xiao leapt upwards before doing his spin to dive down in after him. 

Because that was just how Xiao was. No matter the blood on the yaksha’s hands, his heart would always yearn to save instead of kill. Xiao would spend the rest of his life slaying monsters, just so people could live. All so mortals could walk down the streets in Liyue Harbor, could travel the roads between towns… All safely, all without fear. This land’s beauty was able to thrive, because of yaksha like Xiao. 

This was not the first time that Xiao had to jump after someone to save them. This was, however, probably the first time the person he was ‘saving’ wrapped their arms around him when he reached them. Letting his wings out, Venti laughed at the confusion on Xiao’s face, lit up with the Anemo of his hair and eyes. “We’re gonna make a splash!” He yelled, laughter continuing. Not sure what else to do, Xiao wrapped Venti’s head with his arms in order to protect the bard’s skull. This is what I meant by being kind, Venti thought with a sigh. Using the Anemo, of which was all but second nature now, Venti slowed their descent considerably. The air parted the mist from the waterfall, exposing the lily pads growing thick around the edges of the cavern’s lake. He turned them from being headfirst to now being feet first as they splashed into the water. Both parted to emerge above water, hands treading to keep themselves afloat. 

“You could have hurt yourself.” Xiao grumbled at Venti, glaring in full force.

“With you around?” Venti asked incredulously. “I couldn’t if I wanted to.” He pointed out, opting to not return the angry stare attempting to burn into him. Instead, he inspected his surroundings. There was the waterfall, of course. A single tree, with no leaves and cracking bark. There was more to the cavern, leading in deeper into which algae and grass grew upon. Along the walls were hints of things growing, and he hoped it was the violetgrass that he had seen in other aerated areas. 

The scent of salt was stronger, but not overpowering. The area was dark, the hole above too small and too far to allow enough daylight to fully illuminate the area below. An idea came to Venti, his eyes lighting up figuratively and literally. 

“This isn’t wide. You could have broken a wing, you were too reckless.” Xiao’s scolding continued, and that time he had a point that Venti couldn’t refute.

“...You’re right. I apologize. I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the better of me like that.” Venti admitted, sucking in his lips and finally returning the yaksha’s look. He was sorry. Wings seemed to be a rather… Sensitive subject for the other. Piece by piece, Venti was unraveling why without having been told. 

“So long as you understand.” Xiao grumbled, refusing to look the other in the eye. Tilting his head to the side, Venti watched him with a puzzled visage. What was that for? Xiao didn’t look angry anymore. So why did he look away? “I’ll give you privacy.” Piece said, the yaksha began to swim towards the rock with the dead tree that clung to it with roots that stubbornly remained. 

“Wait!” Venti called after, awkwardly swimming after with wings that smacked the surface of the water as if to help him. This did not help. “I don’t… Know what I’m supposed to do? I thought you were helping?” There was a lack of literature on how to clean one’s own wings. There also wasn’t much literature that Venti had been able to find on how to bathe a bird as a starting point. He also suffered from eyes that far too easily found other tomes much more appealing to read. Such as collections of hymns, legends in Liyue, music theory… Topics that he was inevitably drawn to, nose buried within their pages without a thought. 

Still treading water, back to Venti, the yaksha was silent. Venti hoped he hadn’t upset the other too much. There was a chance that Xiao would leave, if only to prove a point. He had no reason to stay, and if Venti’s guess was correct then this might even dredge up painful memories. The more he learned, the more time they spent together… The more Venti suspected that, at some point, Xiao had wings of his own. Wings that the adeptus could no longer use. Eyes glowing a vibrant Anemo turquoise stared at the other’s back. The thick fabric didn’t betray the skin beneath it despite being made of a white cloth, hiding whatever secrets may or may not exist. The long sleeve attached to his left arm flowed in the water like a snake, and some guilt began to build in realization that the fabric couldn’t be easy to swim with. 

Still, Xiao paused when Venti called. Who had put it into Xiao’s mind that he was a monster, when he was so… Wonderfully, poetically, beautifully gentle? It didn’t matter, Venti decided with a deep breath, tilting his chin up to more easily breathe without accidentally drinking the water. If he accomplished nothing else, he was determined to help change the yaksha’s mind. Somehow. 

As he tread the water, Xiao had hoped Venti forgot about that. That had been too big of an ask, and he had to accept it. But… He could help, and it be okay. Right? Venti had kissed him with platonic, nonromantic affection. Humans would embrace without romantic intent. Surely Xiao could assist Venti in cleaning his wings in a perfectly normal, platonic, friendly way? I can try, he thought as he accepted the situation he found himself in. 

“Come here.” Xiao relented, changing his direction to an area of shallow water. The beaming smile that filled Venti’s face couldn’t be restrained, and he eagerly swam after the yaksha. Sitting himself on the rock first, Xiao then assisted the bard in following suit. You’re doing it again, Venti thought with amusement but dared not verbalize it. The shallower water reached their waists where they sat. Shirts, sleeves, and cape all clung to their torsos having been thoroughly soaked. Neither moved, the only light were hints of the sun from above, and the glow of pale green and deep gold. Letting his legs hang off the edge that led to a sharp drop into deeper waters, Venti lightly splashed water with feet as he waited. Silence stretched out, no instruction and nothing happening. There had to be a reason for the pause, and the bard didn’t mind waiting. There had been enough occasions in which he had to wait while Xiao rushed off to save someone or deal with a creature, this didn’t feel entirely different. Except Xiao was next to him, quiet over something.

“If this makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to.” Venti said, offering the escape that he suspected Xiao needed. Waiting he was fine with. But now he was worried that this wasn’t a matter of Xiao trying to figure out logistics. That there might have been something more, an old wound that was being forced open. 

“I’m fine.” Xiao was unexpectedly curt in his reply, Venti turning his head with a raised brow. That was not how a ‘fine’ person would speak. Behind him, Xiao’s brows were pulled together in thought, his mouth a thin line. His ears were also very, very red and steadily spreading into cheeks. 

What was he embarrassed about?! 

What was it about wings that got the other so flustered? Venti knew he was missing something very critical here, and it bothered him that he couldn’t figure it out. 

Exhaling a shaky breath, eyes glued a bit too much on white feathers, Xiao tried to talk with a steady voice. For the most part, he was successful. For the less part, Venti caught the subtle tremble. “This’ll be easier without clothes.” This surprised Venti. Of all things, he hadn’t expected the yaksha to be flustered by partial nudity. 

Fingers underwater tapped slowly on the rock, Venti trying to find the best approach. Personally, he didn’t mind. Getting naked to get clean made sense, and there would be areas of his wings that couldn’t be reached with a shirt, corset, and cape in the way. Those same areas would be difficult to reach with his own two hands, so having Xiao to get that for him would be nice. But not nice enough to demand the yaksha do something he was so clearly uncomfortable with. Shrugging, Venti decided to be direct. The two were too far deep for him to dance around it. “Xiao. You don’t have to help, I promise. Getting naked doesn’t bother me, but I should have considered it might bother you.” 

“Bare skin doesn’t bother me. Modesty is a mortal concept.” Xiao muttered, taking in another deep breath. “I was worried it would bother you…” 

“Is that it?” Venti asked, laughing. The red on Xiao was starting to recede, fading the more he controlled his breathing. “Don’t stress about me. Hard to get embarrassed when there isn’t much to look at!” He joked playfully about himself. Reassured that was all, Venti immediately set about removing the top half of his attire. The second problem Venti discovered about his leap into the water, was as he removed the corset the sudden understanding the leather was probably not going to take kindly to this treatment. Eyes searched around the cavern, trying to locate a rock or something to put it on. The dead tree was next to the waterfall, and would do nothing to give the corset a chance to recover. There wasn’t really anything. With a pout, he bundled up the clothes he removed, and with Anemo shot it far enough to land in a wet squelch on the rock that was the mouth of the underground cave. Taking his cap off, he slid one side of the rim on his pointer finger, and pulled it back with the other hand’s thumb and finger. Squinting in mockery of aiming, he released it with more Anemo to propel it far enough to land on the pile. 

There was no reason to take his shorts or stockings off, but he did choose to remove his shoes. That was going to be terrible to walk in later. Wait! I can dry it off! With my abilities! Excitement filling his chest, Venti may have sent his poor shoes a bit further than where his clothes were. The misfire couldn’t dampen his spirits, not much could. Discovering he could magic away wet stockings in equally wet shoes into dry ones was empowering. Delighting in his increasing skills in Anemo, Venti took a peak towards Xiao to see if his mentor took any notice. Standing up, Xiao was focused on twisting out the long sleeve he had removed. To Venti’s surprise, he also took off his top. The shirt had been rather skin tight to begin with, and the flesh beneath looked the same as what was implied. There were a few scars, some that dipped down while others were more raised. Venti did note that he couldn’t really see any of Xiao’s back, and he wondered if that was intentional. The shirt itself had already been wringed out, and was now draped over the yaksha’s non-tattooed shoulder. The long sleeve joined it shortly. To the side resting on rocks, were Xiao’s gloves, the shoulder guard, and the long fabric that was draped down the front of his legs. Standing in only his pants and necklace, Xiao had an almost casual appearance. 

It was… Pleasant. 

Shifting his thoughts away from how nice Xiao looked, Venti put his attention back onto his feet, still inside his wet stockings. Attempted to ignore the heat that was growing on his cheeks. Soon as his gaze was off the yaksha, Venti could hear Xiao walking through the water to add his remaining attire to the pile. He doesn't want me to see, Venti thought. Could feel the yaksha’s side-eye, ensuring no peeks were being snuck his way. Fine, he wouldn’t look. But, on the subject of visibility… Closing his eyes, tilting his head back, Venti encouraged the breeze around them. Let the Anemo energy slip out of him subtly, let it entice all those little elemental creatures to the pair and cool his face off. The dimness of the cavern would make it hard for Xiao to see, Venti reasoned. There was a smile on his lips even so, all-too aware that the real reason wasn’t for the sake of sight. 

Finished, Xiao joined Venti in sitting down. “Are you certain you’re okay with me… Touching your wings?” The yaksha had to raise his voice in order to be heard over the waterfall, hesitance and wonder all rolled into one.

“Your touch is nice, Xiao. I like it.” Venti found himself saying, glowing eyes opening up and gleamed with the same softness as his words. Then he heard the words that left his mouth, and felt heat flood every inch of his body. “Y-You’re very gentle, it’s fine!” He added in a rush, hoping the other wouldn’t read too much into that. If Venti was lucky, the waterfall’s noise would make Xiao mishear it as something else. An incomprehensible statement, that was far from what was actually said. 

“If you’re sure.” Xiao was still hesitant, which was frustrating because did he hear or not? On repeat, Venti tried to convince himself the other didn’t. That Xiao was too easily flustered, and if he had heard correctly would have teleported away or something. “...Venti?” The yaksha asked, and in spite of the embarrassment, Venti’s smile returned in full force. Fluttering in from above were the Anemo crystalflies, the anemograna, and a few other glowing creatures. Venti was quite pleased to see how well he succeeded in enticing them all. Now the cavern was filled with the pale green glow of Anemo, the small critters a ballet of movement. 

“See? It’s okay.” Venti reinforced, motioning at their new companions. Holding out a hand, one of the crystalflies landed on an offered finger. Eyes crinkling, he looked back at Xiao. “You don’t scare either of us.” He reassured, voice warm and comforting. There was a dumbfounded expression on Xiao for a moment. Swallowing hard, Xiao let out a shaky breath and nodded. Pleased at his work, Venti gave an approving hum and resumed looking forward once more. Lowered his hand slightly, before lifting it up to encourage the crystalfly to resume flight.

“I’m… Going to touch you now.” Xiao said, taking some effort to sound normal. There was still some shakiness.

Venti was right, Xiao's hand remained steady and gentle. The same care that the yaksha used in carrying Venti was matched in helping the bard preen his wings. Venti could hear the water be disturbed when Xiao would rinse his hands between. Felt the soft, warm puffs of Anemo that Xiao used to dry each area as he made his way through. If Xiao needed to tilt the wing this way or that, would murmur a warning or make a request. A shiver went up Venti’s spine as Xiao’s hand ran along the top of the wing, fingers sliding across marginal covert feathers to the alula, and away from primary coverts. Anemo slipped between feathers, pressing the water carrying debris out and away. Hands that cautiously, curiously, traced the bones beneath skin that emerged covered in a white down. The contact caused Venti to do a sharp inhale, his shoulders tensing with his wings following. 

Going in, he just assumed getting his wings would have been weird, at worst. Instead, now that he was getting help, the whole thing felt… Intimate. Tense as his muscles were in growing understanding, his insides were soft and warm, malleable beneath the hands that were always so tender with him. Made his chest hurt when he tried to rationalize, because there was a fear in the thought, Xiao’s like this with everyone, that made him want to cry. How simple Venti must have been, he thought in sudden realization, to fall so deeply for someone who treated everyone this kindly. To know that the longing to be close was a goal he chased not to be friends, but in hope for more.

Venti’s memories were a mush, his life from before an incomprehensible blur. This moment was one that he hoped would be added into that pile, his cheeks burning. To forget that the hammering in his chest was for the person behind him, a beat skipping each time those touches could be mistaken for a caress. If Venti hadn’t persuaded Xiao to help him, to feel his touch like this… How long into too late would he had been in figuring it out? 

Abruptly, the hands were gone. “I’m sorry.” Xiao whispered, his voice thick. “That’s… All I can do.” 

“Oh. Oh! Y-Yes, that’s okay. I appreciate what you could do.” Venti made himself answer, even if his voice sounded shy to his ears. Couldn’t just ignore the other, not after he spent so much time and effort helping Venti. Not wanting to ruin the wings so quickly as they were cleaned, the bard pulled them back in. The feathers felt clean and fresh, and Venti wondered if that was really an ending point rather than a stopping point. But, Xiao knew more about this than Venti did. Whatever else was left, if anything, he decided he would need to figure it out on his own. Venti doubted his heart could handle doing this a second time. The pounding was so loud, he was starting to fear that the other could hear it over the waterfall. The itching was preferable to this sudden understanding. “You did way more than I could have on my own.” He added on. Felt as if he needed to fixate on it, to keep the conversation as neutral as possible. 

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Xiao asked, his voice odd. 

“No!” Venti answered in a rush. “It just. I’m not used to having wings yet. It all felt… New.” Venti decided on. That was neutral enough, that was truthful enough. 

“That’s good.” Xiao said. From the corner of his eyes, Venti could see the shadow of Xiao nodding. A quiet fell over the two, each of them distracted by individual thoughts. The cavern was still twinkling with the flittering of the crystalfly and the anemograna, orbs of Anemo acting as dancing lights. A sight that would have been beautiful to anyone to behold, the lights reflecting off of the water in a smooth reflection like stars. The violetgrass on the walls lined the sides of the lake, lily pads adding to the framing. 

Biting his lower lip, eyes taking a chance look at Xiao, Venti realized just how beautiful it really was. At some point, the yaksha had pushed those long strands in the front of his face behind his ears. For the first time, Venti could see all of his face without Xiao hiding behind his hair. Xiao looked up, and their eyes met. The silence continued, neither looking away nor knowing what to say or do. 

Venti’s heart ached, it soared, it wanted to stop. Could feel pressure building behind his eyes, and knew he had seconds before tears would fall. Couldn't tell if he was leaning in, and felt a fear in that particular leap.

Naturally, he had to ruin the moment before he fell deeper.

“Water fight!” Venti declared, and with his hand scooped water to fling it at the other. This had the exact effect the bard wanted: the moment was gone. Whatever that moment may have been was lost to their stares broken, Xiao flinching at the sudden splash in his direction with minimal warning. There had been confusion at Venti’s proclamation, the yaksha unable to make sense of the what or why. 

“What the-?!” Left Xiao’s mouth before water stopped his words, the yaksha sputtering. Not daring to stay there any longer, Venti scooted himself back into the deeper water. Taking in a deep breath, he went under as a precaution to whatever retaliation awaited him. If there was any. He definitely confused Xiao, Venti couldn’t discount that there wouldn’t be any. As he went down, a few curious crystalfly followed after him. Scared for them, Venti created air bubbles for the creatures that bobbed down in an imitation of delight. Whatever about himself that made him such a magnet for the little Anemo beings, Venti couldn’t deny he enjoyed it. Grinned despite himself as he was lit up like a lamp by the crystalflies bouncing around him, as if he were a torch attracting moths. Except, he supposed that was an imperfect comparison. Given that yes, parts of him lit up like a torch, but the ‘moths’ that floated around him gave off far more light than he did. As his lungs started to burn, Venti decided he needed to learn how to use Anemo to hold his breath for as long as he wanted. 

A trick he wasn’t going to learn while running out of air. Kicking his legs, he swam back up to the surface to take in a deep inhale with his tiny Anemo friends following. Still sitting in the shallow end, leaning forward with furrowed brows, was Xiao. “What was that for?” He asked, narrowed eyes adding more to a look of confusion than annoyance. 

“Nothing!” Venti lied, trying to laugh it off. To act like he was just being playful, and not avoiding the emotions he was finally recognizing for what they were: yearning. The very source of those emotions sitting in front of him, confused and oblivious. “I figure, since we’re basically done and don’t have anything to do… We could have a little fun!” If he couldn’t convince himself, he could at least try to convince Xiao. Xiao, a man who lived for over two-thousand years, and seemed to maintain his sanity solely by not asking the big questions. A skill that Venti would do well to learn, he decided. 

Still sitting, watching Venti closely, Xiao didn’t seem convinced. Thankfully, the yaksha continued to live his life the way he always had. “I assume a water fight… Isn’t an actual fight.” That’s my Xiao, right to the point, Venti thought, flinching when catching that he used ‘my.’ No, he couldn’t think like that. There was literally an inn of people that had far more right to think that way than he did. Also, those same people would probably make Venti disappear if they ever knew he even thought it. 

“No, not really. It’s more like… A bit like, you know how sometimes people will make snowballs, and throw them at each other? Try to dodge them and hit the other? Same concept, except it’s with splashing!” Venti explained. 

“Why?” That confusion was still there, Xiao earnestly searching the bard’s face. Just in case the other was trying to mess with him.

“Because it’s fun! Come on. Try it!” Venti said encouragingly, kicking his legs a bit harder so he could use both hands to briefly urge the other to join him. Remaining on his perch, Xiao eyed Venti with uncertainty. His jaw tensed, brows remaining furrowed. Flared his nostrils out, and for a frightening second Venti was starting to worry he had angered the yaksha somehow. Gold eyes paused in their scrutinizing gaze, flicking down in slight confusion. Mouth parted just slightly, as if Xiao wanted to say or ask something. Venti looked down as well, trying to follow the adeptus’ line of sight. The symbol on his chest was glowing, just like his hair, his eyes, and the ones on his arms. Yet it was dimmer, as if it had to permeate through what looked like the star-shaped scar. Realizing that was why Xiao stared, Venti bit his lower lip. Tried to fight the urge to cover himself, suddenly very self-conscious. Noting the shift from playful, Xiao immediately averted his gaze and said nothing. 

All at once, Xiao let out another of his heavy exhales. Scooting forward, he leaned over to look down at the deeper waters. Fingers gripped onto the edge, Xiao weighing if he should or shouldn’t. Had his head cocked to the side again, pointed ears straining to hear for anyone that needed him. There was silence, as Liyue remained at peace. Lifted his eyes to gauge Venti, eyes that eased from narrow to what might have been indulgent. Pushing himself forward, he was in the water with the bard, treading it. 

Xiao knew better than to use all of his strength to splash. The purpose was to… Play. Not to drown the other person. So, with as close to an open mind as he could muster, Xiao lightly smacked the water in the direction of Venti. A few droplets landed on the other, garnering several blinks. Pulled Venti out of his insecurity. Right. He probably isn’t used to goofing around… Venti thought, his own brows having their turn to furrow in contemplation. There was only one time he could think of in which he saw Xiao smile. Right. The two would just need to ease into it, give the yaksha time to figure out how to have fun. “Close! A bit more like this!” Venti said, and sent another splash. Xiao tensed, closing his eyes as the water crashed over him. The weight of the water pulled some of the longer hairs, clinging onto his cheek. “Part of the fun is trying to dodge!” Venti continued. “Try it!” 

“Okay…” Xiao said, still uncertain, but put more force into his next attempt. Staying where he was, this time Venti also had to close his eyes as the water rained over him. With a wide grin, he beamed over at the yaksha. “Much better! Okay, my turn now! Try to dodge!” Soon as he said it, Venti regretted his word choice. Because of course Xiao dodged… By teleporting to the other side as soon as Venti splashed towards him. “...You know, normally people would call that cheating…”

“You said to dodge?” Xiao reminded him, confused as to why doing as instructed was suddenly ‘cheating.’ 

“I said normally! Part of the fun is you don’t use anything special. No adeptal powers, no Visions, no… Whatever I got.” Venti wished he had thought to say, ‘no Anemo,’ before and not after the fact. Regardless, he was pretty sure he got the point across. “Otherwise you’ll be splashing me, I won’t have a chance.” The bard continued, his smile not once faltering in all of this. A nod was his reply, and Xiao swam back over to his original spot. 

The two created a rhythm of splashing and dodging, Xiao quickly picking up on what was and wasn’t allowed. Learned that going under the water’s surface counted to dodge, even if getting more wet than what the splash would do seemed counterproductive. That he could use both of his hands to splash if he wanted. Got shown to cup both hands together, and how to squeeze to fire a stream of water out. That also counted, though would take practice to be more effective. Found diving forward to get closer, to try and splash the other before they dove under was allowed. 

Found that, somewhere in all of this, Xiao was enjoying himself. Was enjoying the gleeful laughter leaving Venti, their exchange having progressed from an amicable back-and-forth to both sides blatantly trying to get a splash in before the inevitable retaliation. There were no longer turns, just the pair sharing this moment of joy in the once quiet and lonely halls of Havria’s. Gods never truly died. That was what made them gods. As he dove under, Xiao knew that watching them would make her smile. Could almost feel the fondness from the walls, could picture her leaning against the cave entrance with that gentle smile still on her face. Diving deeper down, keeping his eyes open Xiao decided he would try a new tactic. See if that was on the table, or was ‘against the rules,’ of which he still wasn’t clear on. Part of him suspected that Venti may have been making some up along the way. 

Wrapping his arms around Venti’s waist and thighs, he lifted the other up and out of the water with himself. Legs kicked hard, Xiao taking advantage of the buoyancy the two had in the water to keep his head from sinking underwater again. A startled squawk left Venti at suddenly being held above the water, legs and arms briefly flailing before registering that it was Xiao and not some monster. “Hey that’s-”

“No fair?” Xiao finished, raising a brow with a ghost of a grin because he knew it. Did it anyway, because the reaction it wrought was both funny and adorable. Eyes lit up with Anemo narrowed, Venti pursing his lips. “Is this ‘cheating,’ too?” The yaksha asked. In his arms, Venti shifted so he could rest a hand on a bare shoulder and stare down with that frown.

“Of course it is! How can I splash you back! The only thing I could do is… Is…” Venti didn’t finish his sentence, and instead started leaning back with his face turned away. The first thing that came to his mind was: kiss you! But he was not going to say that. He was not going to do that. Wanted to kick himself for even thinking it. Angry at himself for what felt like moving too quickly, wanting things too fast from someone that wouldn’t feel the same. Wouldn’t even want the same. 

Venti was not aware that Xiao’s thoughts mirrored his own in some way, and with pointed red ears simply let the other go. As a result, with a yelp the bard fell backwards unceremoniously into the water. Splashed about to get his head above water once more, but was too flustered to dare look at the yaksha. “Uh… I’m getting hungry, actually…” Venti lied. No, he couldn’t do this. Thought he could, was irrevocably wrong about it. Even when he tried to make his thoughts stop, the second he let his guard down there he was again. 

“Oh… Right…” Xiao nodded, somewhat dazed. More surprised at the odd disappointment that filled him. This should have relieved him, hearing that Venti was ready to return to the inn. For a moment, he had almost made a terrible mistake. Tried to shake it off, to focus on what he needed to do. Because of his distraction, when he swam back over towards his clothes he forgot. For that brief moment, forgot he allowed Venti to see his exposed back. Quick as it was, Venti saw it.

The scars on his shoulders blades, the only remainder of what had once upon a time been wings…

[ehcahache]

for the wip thing Marvel or/and HTTYD👀 (sorry I'm greedy and too curious for my own good, but I am holding back with just two😂)

You can ask any time you want! Right now I'm on my summer break so I really have lots of free time.

I'm still wondering if I should do the Marvel AU a whole multi chapter fic or just related one shots but it would basically be about Lando and Carlos as a duo, working from the two years previous to the blip, those years where only one of them survives, and the come back of everyone (no snippet for this one)

For the HTTYD... Here you have the basics to that universe👀

The golden trio, as everyone calls them, is known for being formed by the three best dragon hunter knights in the kingdom. They are legends.

George Russell is known for his strong strokes, knocking down dragons in one hit. He's only come out of a fight with wounds once, when a fellow knight betrayed him and distracted him. The scar on his back is the only thing left of that journey. He majorly is assigned hunting fire dragons.

Alexander Albon is known for his expertise in traditional hunting. Instead of directly fighting the beasts he chooses psychological warfare. Even if it takes him hours, he chases his victim, tiring them until they're too exhausted to keep fighting. That's when Alex hits the final blow. He carries a few more scars than George, all due to a reptile dragon he was assigned in his early days. That's what made him take all the reptile dragon missions he can.

The technique Lando Norris uses is a mystery. He's the only of the three who didn't have any apprentices under his wing who can share how he does it. He's also more solitary than his mates, making him the hot topic every time he comes back from a mission. Reports say he might eat the meat of the dragons every time he kills one, being that the reason why no one has ever found the corpse of a dragon in the area he'd worked. Others say that his presence is so big and terrifying that the dragons run away from him before he can even grab a weapon.

The truth is, Lando's never killed a dragon and he wasn't planning on doing so. Not since he got Uno at least.

He adopted his own dragon by accident thinking it was just a simple baby lizard until it never stopped growing and developed wings. By the time he'd realized that Uno wasn't just a simple lizard, their bond was so strong that, even if Lando still resented the ones who'd killed his family, he couldn't just kill him. Uno had helped Lando learn that dragons weren't just beasts but just scared animals.

After realizing that Uno was a dragon, Lando had immediately started studying the ones he was supposed to kill, as he quickly realized everything he'd been told was a lie. He'd started writing everything he'ld learned in notebooks and classified every dragon in types to help him finish jobs easier and faster.

He'd realized some dragons terrorized the nearer villages because they weren't supposed to be in calm climates, others were just defending themselves from their attackers, as they were herbivores and there was even a species that could use the light reflection on their scales to communicate!

No one knew Lando never killed the dragons, that he'd been studying for years or that he even had one as a pet. If someone did, Lando feared his title would be revoked, he would be exiled and Uno... He didn't even want to think about it. He loved their rides flying through the sky too much to even think of risking his life by sharing his knowledge.

Being one of the three living legends who still were actives, as much as it helped for his studies, it added an additional pressure constantly, sometimes but having king Lewis Hamilton always behind him and wanting to know his techniques, sometimes by having other knights or squires there themselves at him to beg for him to take them as apprentices...

Lando feared this last second call they'd received was, once again, something that might complicate his life a bit more, even if he was praying to every saint he knew of for it to not be like that.