#in my defense it was berries that drew him first so

[dizzybizz]

some magma pages from the past few days <333

@polyphonial, @2sc4rghost, @seasonalberries and @eternal-moss (oh yeah my brother also contributed a bit)

💞💖💕💓💗💘💝❤🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍

[gx-gameon]

Yugi raises Jaden part 9

Start - previous - next

Yugi and Seto took their places in the royal hall. Atem stood to the side close to where Yugi was. He wasn’t going to miss a moment of this duel.

People had started to gather, thinking Atem was dueling once more. They were excited to see their king and their gods fight once more. Yet when the crowd saw that it was Yugi dueling they started to murmur to each other.

Atem smirked. Soon his people will see the wonder that is his aibou.

They had determined that Yugi would start the duel. “Yugi!” Kaiba called. “Once I defeat you, I’ll beat the Pharaoh. You’ll both get to watch as I finally defeat your precious partner.” If Kaiba was anything it was dramatic.

“I’m not going to lose Kaiba. Not when I have a promise to keep.” Yugi had promise Mokuba and Jaden they would be home soon. And he intended to keep that promise.

“Duel!” They cried together in unison.

“I’ll start.” Yugi looked at the five cards in his hand. His eyes landed on one card in particular and knew exactly what he was going to do. “I set one monster face down, and I set one card face down. That will end my turn.”

“That’s your turn? You must have a pathetic hand.” Kaiba called. “Let me show you how it’s done! I’ll summon my Battle Ox in attack mode, and set two cards face down.” Yugi knew this combo. One of those cards was probably shrink and the other was Kaiba’s Crush Card trap card. He was trying to destroy Yugi’s deck. “Now go Battle Ox attack his face down monster.”

Battle Ox launched itself forward to attack and Yugi smirked as his face down revealed itself. Elemental Hero Clayman appeared, his 2000 defense easily blocking Axe Raiders 1700 attack.

Kaiba growled as he took the first damage of the duel, a mere 300 points. “That’s not one of your cards.” He observed narrowing his eyes at Yugi wondering what trickery this was. Did Yugi overhaul his deck in the time Kaiba was away?

Atem was also curious. He knew his aibou’s deck better than anyone. And while it wouldn’t surprise him if Yugi change up his deck in his absence, he was surprised by how different the card was.

Yugi smiled at Kaiba, “you’re right it’s not mine. This was a gift from Jaden. He wanted me to have a piece of his deck with me to protect me. And I intend to use it well.” He could see understanding flash across Kaiba’s face. He knew what it meant to receive such a card from a loved one.

Kaiba made a quick note of the monsters attack points. It was a mere 800 meaning the card would be spared from his Crush Cards effects. Good. Wait why was that good? Destroying that card would upset Yugi possibly leading him to make mistakes. He should be trying to destroy it at all cost. And yet…. No he needs to focus. He needs to beat Yugi and then he can defeat the Pharaoh.

“I end my turn.” Kaiba called already starting to plan his next move.

‘Alright’ Yugi thought. ‘If I attack and those face downs are his Crush Card combo then it will destroy my deck. So I need to bait him into attacking me.’ Yugi looked at his hand and knew what to do.

“I play Berry Magician Girl in attack mode.” Yugi played the baby magician as she fluttered on to the field. “Her special effect activates allowing me to add one Magician Girl from my deck to my hand.” Yugi added Kiwi Magician Girl to his hand. “I lay one card face down and end my turn.” Yugi says as he played mirror force face down.

“You’re not going to win this duel by playing cautiously.” Kaiba said as he drew his card. “I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp, and I place one card face down. Now attack his Berry Magician Girl.” Kaiba waisted no time going to destroy Yugi’s weak monster.

“Now her special effect activates. When a monster attacks Berry Magician Girl she switches to defense mode and I can special summon a Magician Girl from my deck.” Yugi called as his Berry magician girl flew down to the field with her arms crossed over her chest. “Now come forth my Dark Magician Girl!” Yugi called as the blond spell caster appeared on his side of the field.

The crowd exploded in whispers and the Dark Magician Girl appeared shooting a wink to the crowed. They had never seen anyone besides Atem and Mana summon the spellcaster.

“Ya! That’s my ka Atem!” Mana cheered pumping her fist in the air before grabbing Atem’s arm and pointing at the Dark Magician Girl. “He still uses my Ka!” She was so excited her duel spirit was still helping Atem’s aibou. Atem smiled warmly at his childhood friend before turning his attention back to the duel.

“That’s not going to stop my attack!” Kaiba called as La Jinn attacked Berry Magician Girl. The small magician cried out as she was destroyed. “Now start your turn so I can end you.”

Yugi drew his card and thought of what to do next. Looking at his hand he had Apple Magician Girl and Lemon Magician Girl, he could get them both out on the field in the next move. But Kaiba was right. He wasn’t going to win if he kept playing cautiously. It was time to go on the attack.

“I summon Apple Magician Girl.” The dark haired magician appeared on the field. “Now go dark Magician Girl attack his La Jinn.” And with that the Dark Magician Girl launched her attack.

“Not so fast! I activate my Shrink Magic Card. This card cuts my monsters attack points by half. Now I activate my Crush Card Magic card.” Yugi had been right, Kaiba’s strategy was to destroy his deck. “Now when you destroy my monster any monsters you have with more than 1500 attack points are destroyed. Say goodbye to all the powerful monsters in your deck.” Kaiba laughed. He might have taken 1,100 points of damage but he had this duel in the bag.

Dark Magician Girl shrieked as she was destroyed. Yugi gritted his teeth as he discarded all of his powerful monsters from his deck. ‘Saw that coming.’ “I end my turn.”

“Now it’s my turn!” Kaiba called as he drew his card. “I play cost down. Now I sacrifices my Battle Ox to summon my Blue Eyes White Dragon!” Blue light exploded around Kaiba as his signature dragon swooped down from the sky, her roar echoed around them. “Say good bye to your Apple Magician Girl.”

“I don’t think so!” Yugi calls, “Her special effect activates. When you attack Apple Magician Girl I can summon another Magician Girl from my hand. So come forth Lemon Magician Girl!” The blond magician appeared with a flourish. “And your attack is cut in half.”

“That’s still not enough to keep you magician alive.” Kaiba called as blue eyes attacked.

“Maybe not but this will!” Yugi replied. “Activate trap Mirror Force!”

“No!” Kaiba called as his blue eyes white dragon was destroyed. “If you think you’ve gotten ride of my Blue Eyes you’re wrong. Now go monster reborn.” Kaiba activated his one remaining face down. His Blue Eyes came roaring back to the field. “Now destroy his Lemon Magician Girl!”

Lemons Magician Girl cried out as she was blown away by Blue Eyes. Yugi shouted as the attack landed close to him. These monsters were real and the blast was close. His life points dropped by 2,200 hundred points.

“Yugi! Are you alright!” Atem shouted. He trusted Yugi to win, but these attacks were real and his aibou could get hurt.

Yugi gritted his teeth as he straightened up. “I’m alright.”

“My turn is done. Now take your last move so I can finish you!” Kaiba called. All Yugi had on the field was one 1,200 attack point monster and a 2,000 defend point monster. He had destroyed all of Yugi’s powerful monsters. Yugi couldn’t win.

“My move.” Yugi called as he drew his card. He didn’t have a lot of moves he could make at this moment. But if he knew Kaiba he knew what he’d do next. Try to get his other two Blue Eyes on to the field. “I’ll switch Apple Magician Girl into defense mode and place one monster face down. That ends my turn.”

“That’s about all you can do with the pitiful monsters you have left.” Kaiba called as he drew his next card. “I play Card of Sanctity, now we both draw until we have six cards in our hands, not that it will help you much.” Kaiba drew his cards as did Yugi. Yugi kept a straight face as the card he needed ended up in his hand. Kaiba smirked, “I play polymerization, fusing the Blue Eyes on my field with the two Blue Eyes in my hand. Come forth my ultimate creature Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!”

Two more dragons appeared on Kaiba’s side, but they didn’t stay for long as the three dragons fused together. The resulting three headed dragon roared menacingly at Yugi. “Now attack his face down monster!” Kaiba ordered.

“Not this time!” Yugi called, “I activate my face down, Block attack!” Yugi played the first card he placed face down, stopping Kaiba’s attack in its tracks.

“You can’t stall forever Yugi!” Kaiba called as his dragon landed next to him. “I end my turn.”

“I’m not stalling Kaiba!” Yugi said as he drew his last card. “You’ve actually given me my winning hand. I set four cards face down. And then I activate the spell defuse! Say goodbye to your ultimate dragon!” Yugi called as the fused dragon became three separate beasts once more.

“So what. There is nothing in your deck that can take down one of my dragons let alone all three.” Kaiba shouted as he looked at his three dragons. ‘What was Yugi planning?’

“That’s where you’re wrong! Now I sacrifice my Elemental Hero Clayman,” he had promised himself he would use his son’s card well and he couldn’t wait to tell him that his card helped him defeat Seto Kaiba, “and my Apple Magician Girl to summon my ultimate dragon. Come forth Gandora the Dragon of Destruction!”

The two monsters disappeared in a swirl of smoke. Darkness covered the field but then thousands of red glowing orbs lit the field revealing the body of Gandora. He roared as he entered the field, Kaiba’s blue eyes roaring in response.

“Oh no!” Kaiba realized this was the end.

“And now I pay half of my life points to activate his special ability! Gandora destroys all cards on the field and gets 300 attack points for each card he destroys.” Kaiba’s dragons screeched as they were destroyed. “Between your three dragons, my monster, my 4 spell and trap cards, and your Crush Card that’s 9 cards making Gandora’s attack points 2,700 and since you only have 2,600 life points this duel is over. Now go Gandora! Attack his life points directly!”

Gandora roared as he glowed a bright red, firing its attack at Kaiba. “No!” Kaiba called as his life points dropped to zero. It was over Yugi had won.

“Yugi!” Atem called as he ran forward to pull his aibou into a hug, picking him up and spinning around. He was so proud of his aibou. The crowd started cheering, for Yugi’s victory.

Kaiba kneeled in his spot. He lost. It was over. He couldn’t duel the Pharaoh again. Yet his eyes trailed to Yugi’s smiling face as he laughed while Atem spun him around. Seto hated losing, he couldn’t stand any perceived weakness. And yet looking at Yugi’s joy, this loss didn’t sting as bad.

He was about to stand up and congratulate Yugi on his victory, like the honorable duelist he was, when Mahad returned. “My Pharaoh this is far worse than we thought!”

The joy was instantly sucked from the room. Jaden was in danger.

I tried my best to make this duel like one from the show. I have played duel links for years so I have an idea of how the game should be played. There are some misplays in here but that’s for plot. I did my best to make all the moves legal with the exception of using the anime effect for Card of Sanctity. Hopefully I did a good job!

[blazesartbloglmao]

"Tell me about it"

“Tell me about it,” Techno says later that night, when the fire is low but not quite out and Philza has gone to bed early.

Techno had been reading from one of his many books, hooves delicately turning yellowed pages. Tommy sat with a blanket thrown over his lap, furiously typing messages to Tubbo and Ranboo. They were snowed in at Snowchester, and Michael apparently thought it was some kind of miracle of sorts because Ranboo had been forced to stay in the house a lot with him.

“Tell you about what?” Tommy asks, looking up from his battered communicator. He frowns. “Exile?”

“No. Tell me about your home. L’manberg. Tell me about when it was good.”

Tommy scowls, then softens his face out and raises an eyebrow, casting an odd look in Techno’s direction. Two parts suspicion, one part confusion. “Why?”

“Because it was important to you,” Techno says simply. “I won’t get it, but I’d like to hear about it. All I heard about was a dictator who threw the founders out of the land and all I saw was a Butcher Army on my front lawn. So tell me about it. Tell me about before.”

A nervous sort of energy has entered Tommy’s chest now. He’s not sure why it’s there, only that it feels a bit like a worm has found it’s way from his stomach to his lungs and is now furiously doing the macarena as best as it’s wriggly little body can, even though it has no hands or feet.

It’s also that he’s never tried to explain L’manberg to anyone. Either you were there or you weren’t. Tubbo always got it. Eret certainly did, when they chatted over their fabric projects. Fundy didn’t like to talk about it, but he had brightened when he saw the friendship bracelet Tommy had hung onto. And Wilbur? Wilbur built the damn thing. Even if he refuses to talk about it. Ever.

He knows Tubbo had tried to tell Ranboo about it, the good bits so Ranboo could maybe understand a bit more. Like the time they’d climbed all the trees surrounding the van to try and find the one with grapes in them and then had subsequently pissed off a stray cat that was living in the area. Or when Tommy had sung to the plants in the rain, carefully tending his old carrot patch the way he now tends his small wheat farm and the flowers that dot his front lawn. He suspects Eret has done something similar with Foolish. The golden-skinned totem always has a habit these days of knowing about certain events that played out, though he speaks as if he read it somewhere, not that he’d experienced it.

But Tommy’s never had that practice. Perhaps if he had—like Tubbo, like Eret—he would’ve known exactly what to say to get Techno to understand better. To get him to at least like the idea it had been at first, before the bitter end it’d faced.

He summons all his memories he has of his home, days spent in sunlight; picking berries and petting wild cows. Looking for mischief with Tubbo. Helping Eret with chores. Playing with Fundy and teaching him how to scam. Learning all of Wilbur’s tricks—from the best ways to brew potions to how to confuse the people he was scamming—and soaking up his brother’s praise when he gave it, collecting each soft smile the older man had offered, each ruffle of his hair.

so im a day late but in my defense, i was busy feeling like i was close to death and it only occurred to me later at night yesterday that i could draw something from my own damn fic instead of scrambling to find something in my tired little brain. that's why we're here now lmao.

i wrote a fic back in 2021 about c!tommy and c!technoblade coming together to discuss their differences and try to mend their relationship. because, as i put it succinctly at the time in my partner in crime's dms "if the streamers arent up to the task, im certainly capable of writing a fucking fix-it fic in about a week or 2!"

idk what was in the water back then, i churned out fics like every 2 weeks it felt like and it was insane. now i struggle to finish a oneshot lmao

anyways, that fic does have artwork i drew for it but i wasn't really happy with it as i felt like it didn't capture any of the warmth the fic itself contains. enter this piece that i started impulsively last night and finished today before leaving to go to a plant sale. i did not watch cc!technoblade very long and i got into watching him when i was into dsmp (which i think ive mentioned before) but i am so so glad and grateful for the time he gave us.

if you'd like to read Notos, you can do so here. ive long since stopped lookin at the statistics because the numbers freak me out lmao. if you'd like to see the speedpaint that goes with this, you can click here!

i hope you all enjoy :)

[delimeful]

how easy you are to need (redux) (1)

the first chapter of my HEYATN rewrite! find the original here!

warnings: panic attacks, fear, hypervigilance, paranoia, mentions of freezing/starving

-

The first sign of the humans had been the smoke.

The scent had caught Virgil’s attention from the moment he woke, the light grey plumes curling over the tips of the trees in the distance. There’d been no recent storm to strike a flame, which meant that human hands had crafted it.

It wasn’t the first time. His forest was wide and sprawling, and it was near enough to a few well-worn traveling paths that humans thought it a fair place to set up camp for a night or two. The otherworldly aura of the forest itself tended to dissuade any longer stays.

(Eerie howling in the night also tended to do the trick.)

Virgil still had to check it out, of course, both as his home’s protector and to soothe his own agitation at the sight. It didn’t matter that they were almost always peaceful travelers, the presence of humans put him on edge every time.

And if the sensation of being watched drove the intruders away quicker? All the better.

He headed down the hillside, winding his way through the edges of his normal patrol route as he went. Nothing was amiss there, the wildlife scampering away at the sight of him, the natural magic of the area still abundant and thriving.

The source of the smoke was closer than he’d anticipated, though. It was rare that any were bold enough to camp any further than the edges of his territory, and yet here he was in the middle of the forest, the smell rapidly growing stronger.

He slowed, close enough now that the smoketrail was hidden by the long branches overhead. This was a familiar spot, there was a clearing up ahead, and—

Virgil stopped dead at the edge of the trees, staring at the abandoned cabin that had sat quietly in this clearing since he’d first stumbled into his forest.

There was smoke rising from the chimney.

He could smell the humans now, tracks and scent trails to and from the apparently formerly abandoned cabin. They must have trekked through a good quarter of his territory to get here, and he’d slept through the intrusion like an idiot. He paced back and forth agitatedly, circling around the clearing and remaining carefully out of sight as he did.

He’d been in that cabin before. How could he not have? Alone in these woods, there wasn’t much to do for fun except explore. Once he’d gotten past his initial skittishness, he’d been determined to investigate every inch of the dusty old place.

And then he’d realized it was a former den for hunters. He’d spent weeks on the other side of the woods, slowly working his way through the panic that had risen up in him at the simple thought: what if they return?

Even so, as time passed, he’d only grown more sure that the place was well and truly harmless. Nobody had been in there for years prior to Virgil’s arrival in the woods. Whatever use its hunters might have had for it, it had clearly been long abandoned and left to rot.

Of course, now there was smoke in the chimney, and the windows had been carefully pushed open, and there was a horse, grazing mildly.

Virgil took a deep breath, pausing his pacing to try and calm his racing heart. He couldn’t jump to conclusions.

Just because it was an old hunters’ den didn’t mean the new occupants were hunters. It might have been a simple act of opportunity, like a vole taking up an abandoned burrow.

The back door swung open, and Virgil went still, watching as a human donned in red strode over to the horse, patting its snout and murmuring softly to it. He offered it a handful of some sort of grain, which it seemed to enjoy, and then made his way to the center of the clearing and drew a sword from the sheathe at his hip.

Even from here, Virgil felt his skin prickle at the way the blade sang, radiating protective magics as the human moved through blocks and attacks against an invisible enemy. It had to be pure silver, and likely warded as thoroughly as possible against creatures like him. One didn’t simply obtain a weapon like that without knowing what it was, what it was meant for.

He backed away slowly, fading into the underbrush, until he was absolutely certain that he was free from the human— the hunter’s range of sight.

Then, mind full of white noise, he turned and bolted.

—-

He lost a day and a half to the blinding panic, cycling between fear-anger-exhaustion-terror until he’d finally burnt all the emotions out and collapsed.

It was an awful decision. He’d kept as far as possible from the cabin, even in his haze, and now he had no idea what the humans had done in his absence. If they knew he was there— if they’d set up traps— it would only take one slip and everything would be over.

No, if he was going to get rid of them, he needed to be as prepared as they no doubt were.

He spent sleepless nights scouring the forest, searching for any traces of them-- searching for their patrol routes, their traps, the damage to the forest they left in their wake.

But there was none. Not even a faded scent trail to suggest they’d ever been through at all. It seemed they were sticking close to the cabin.

For the first time, Virgil wondered if they’d really come for him. He hadn’t been seen by humans in years, often sticking to the shadows to scare off travelers that had overextended their stays. It was possible that they didn’t even know a shifter lived in the forest, let alone a werewolf. He couldn’t bet on it, but it was possible.

Whether he wanted to find out what they were doing here or just know what human tricks he’d be facing, he had to return to the cabin. He spent less time sleeping so that he could continue patrolling through his woods and also keep a wary eye on the humans when they roused.

The hunter was the easiest to spy on. He spent most of his time outdoors, running through a series of daily tasks that ranged from caring for the horse to gathering firewood to hauling water from the well. He practiced drills with that sword less frequently than Virgil would have expected, but when he did, he moved with the well-balanced motions and sure strikes of someone who knew their way around a weapon.

The other two were more difficult to get a read on. They didn’t seem like hunters in physique or manner, and they spent significantly more time indoors.

One had hands that carried the sharp, chemical smell of ink, and only made regular excursions from the house to mess with a plot of upturned land he’d had the hunter help him fence in. It was a garden, Virgil was fairly sure, though it looked nothing like the ones he’d planted, all careful rows and even spacing.

The other spent most of his time indoors, though he was anything but stagnant. Where the hunter focused on heavy labor and maintaining the exterior of the home, this one seemed to focus his attention on the interior care. Virgil often caught glimpses of him opening windows to air out dusty old linen or set sweet-smelling baked items along the sill.

Most interesting of all were the ways the three of them intersected.

The baker would bring simple food and drink to the scholar when he spent longer than usual wrist-deep in the dirt, and sneak the horse treats while the hunter wasn’t looking, completely unrepentant whenever he was caught.

The scholar would sit and watch the hunter run through drills, occasionally calling out an imaginary attack for him to counter, or share quiet conversation with the baker as dusk fell and the lantern bugs began to emerge.

Even the hunter was gentle, presenting freshly-plucked berries to the baker with a dramatic bow and excited smile, or crouching in the garden to listen as the scholar excitedly explained how well the new sprouts were doing.

It wasn’t like anything he’d ever seen from humans before.

He eventually decided they couldn’t know he was there; any hunter worth their salt would know that encroaching on a pack’s territory was tantamount to declaring war. The other two didn’t even seem to be combatants. If Virgil was anything other than an undersized, scrappy outlier, he could have killed all three of them at any point.

He probably still could, now that he knew when they slept and was well familiar with the ins and outs of that cabin. Unless they’d set up new defenses, or sealed off the secret passages, or randomly deviated from their normal sleeping schedule. Unless, unless, unless.

The forest had been as uneasy as him at first, but surprisingly enough, these new residents worked hard to avoid wreaking the casual destruction humans were known for. They didn’t clear swaths of land of all life or hunt the new season’s young.

As the days passed, they continued to just… exist there, long enough that deer passed through the clearing with barely the flick of an ear at the voices from inside the house.

Over time, the forest’s reluctance turned to ambivalence, and then to amusement at Virgil’s expense. He was the only one who seemed to be taking the threat seriously anymore, much to his annoyance. Sure, they hadn’t done anything yet, but the key word there was ‘yet’.

It was well into the moon’s cycle that his patience in watching the human’s was rewarded with witnessing a change in their routine. As dusk fell, the three of them left the clearing entirely, trekking into the woods with careful steps. Virgil followed at a safe distance, feeling suspicious about their uncharacteristic silence.

The hunter led the way with a glowing lantern, wary but with no sword at his hip. The baker walked behind him, carrying a wrapped, slightly bulky package in his arms, and the scholar brought up the rear with a lantern of his own. Every so often, the scholar would pause and then murmur directions.

It took Virgil an embarrassingly long time to realize they were following a leyline, and sure enough, once they reached an intersection point, they stopped and set up a brightly colored cloth, a few wooden dishes, and bound, dried herbs from the garden.

An offering, the forest seemed to croon around him, pleased with the cuts of meat and burnt herbs. Virgil couldn’t hear what the scholar said, the words quiet and slow, but with the forest present in the back of his mind, he got the general idea.

Reciprocity. Giving for what they had taken, a declaration of their intent.

The forest accepted the claim as it had accepted his offer years ago, the sound of it in the buzzing of the insects and the breeze rustling the leaves. The humans returned home, as much residents of these woods as Virgil was, now.

---

Between the forest’s new fondness and their own persistent harmlessness, Virgil couldn’t justify getting rid of the humans.

So instead, he stayed well away from them, only venturing out of his corner of the forest to supervise the offering trips they made into the heart of the woods on every half-moon, both waxing and waning. If the humans noticed either the forest's fond touch in the brush of its greenery against them or the weight of his narrow-eyed gaze upon them, they didn't show it.

The season shifted slowly, and then all at once. The forest grew quiet again, its greenery fading away as it and many of its inhabitants dropped into snowsleep. Virgil wished his own winter could pass so simply.

The humans’ arrival had dragged his attention away from his usual preparations, and he had enough difficulties hunting alone without adding new complications to the mix. As it stood, he had barely any body fat to speak of, and even his winter coat felt pitiful against the cutting winds and heavy snow.

Whenever he wasn’t hunting, he was curled up in his cave, wishing for the warmth of a pack to surround him. He usually ran warm, enough that even the night’s chill didn’t bother him, but it was a different story in this weather. Shifting wasn’t an option either— His human form could barely withstand minutes in the cold, let alone hours.

Looking back, he wasn’t sure whether he’d drifted towards the cabin on purpose or simply subconsciously followed the smell of smoke. The result had been the same either way.

The house had looked unbearably warm against the bleak landscape, and Virgil had spent ages arguing with himself before slinking towards the abode, unable to bear another sleepless night having any scrap of heat leached away. Honestly, he’d been half-surprised to wake up this morning.

He slunk around the edges of the building, his heart pounding at the muffled voices inside. They had no reason to believe a werewolf resided here. He was small enough to resemble a normal wolf if they caught him. He might simply be earning himself a quicker death, put down like a simple wild animal, but he felt too numb to care.

The cabin’s foundation was solid, but Virgil had spent a fair amount of time exploring the human den as a pup, telling himself he was conquering his fear. It was certainly a hunter’s hideout; he’d found a staggering number of secret passages and hidey-holes built into it for easy escape. With a little prying, they could also be used for easy entrance.

The boarded up entrance to the crawl space was just where he remembered it, faded defensive runes carved into the wood. The enchantments were long defunct, the boards old and rotted, and he’d wriggled through the crawl space enough as a kid to know that there were no lingering traps in wait.

He braced himself, and then shifted with low cracks of bone and flesh. This close to the full moon, it ached like sore muscles, but not as bad as the cold stung at his now-human body. Gritting his teeth, he quickly dug his nails into the wood, able to pry the planks free even with half-frozen fingers. Task done, he shifted back as quick as he could and waited for an agonizing moment, listening for any signs that he’d been heard.

Nothing. The distant voices carried on without a pause.

He hesitated again, but in mere seconds, meager warmth began trickling out from the opening, baiting him more effectively than any supernatural lure. He ducked his head and crawled into the passage, which was more cramped than he’d recalled but still manageable. Step by silent step, he crept through the crawl space, letting the growing heat sink into him until the biting cold was barely more than a memory.

He hadn’t realized just how far under the cabin he’d ventured until a voice rang out directly above him, the actual words lost in the rush of panic he felt, crouched and vulnerable with a human was only meters away.

He wasn’t sure how long he spent like that, tremors vibrating through him as old memories came rushing back. It was small things that brought him back; the smell of ink, the crackling of a hearth, shared laughter. He’d had none of those, back then, but they were here now. He was here now.

The humans continued to chatter casually, none of them aware that there was a beast lying in wait just under the floorboards. They didn’t know he was there. He was safely hidden away.

Slowly, inch by inch, Virgil relaxed, head tucked against his paws, adjusting bit by bit until even the creaks of the humans moving about over his head didn’t register as a threat.

Finally warm, he dropped into sleep between one exhale and the next.

[babypandawrites]

Allies, Pt. 1

A New Companion 

Pairing: Sokka x F Reader Warnings: None Word Count: 3,102 Summary: You meet Team Avatar in the forest on a rainy night, and offer a helping hand. 

Note: So, while I’m unable to write new pieces, I’ve decided to start posting this fic that I’ve been working on for a while- since a good part of it is already written. This is the first of many parts, it’s a pretty long slow burn.  I’m also posting this on my Ao3, but figured I might as well bring it over here as well!  Also apologies if my characterization is a bit off here, this was the first ATLA piece I wrote. 

-Navigation- | -Allies Masterlist- | -Atla Masterlist- 

Raindrops gently hit the leaves of the trees, slowly rolling off the foliage and hitting against the ground. Despite the fact it had been raining, Y/n found herself walking about the familiar forest, pausing her steps to crouch in front of a berry bush. She untied a small pouch from the piece of rope around her waist, and started to fill it with berries.  Hearing voices in the distance, her movements ceased, and her head snapped in the direction they come from. Not only was it raining, but it was getting pretty late, yet it appeared others were in the forest as well. Strange. She tied the pouch back in place, and was quick to climb up the nearest tree. She perched herself on a sturdy branch, and grabbed onto her bow which rested over her shoulder.  “-ot for your stupid water magic we wouldn’t have to be stuck in the rain right now, so yes, this is your fault!”  “Even if we had our supplies, we would still be in the rain Sokka, we don’t have anywhere to set up camp!” She drew an arrow from her quiver as the voices got closer.  “Guys! Can you please stop arguing? I’m sure there’s another way we can solve this.”  Aligning the arrow with the bow, she pulled it back and aimed at the ground in front of the group of three.  The arrow zipped through the air, lodging itself in the ground in front of the taller boy of the group. The sudden appearance caused him to jump back with a yelp, before he frantically looked around.  “Where did THAT come from!?” The other two members of the group took on a fighting stance, looking around the area in front of them for the source of the arrow. Y/n settled her bow back over her shoulder, and jumped off the branch, to one that was a bit closer to the group. The rustling of the leaves caught the group's attention, and they looked up to the trees. They couldn’t see her seeing as she was shielded by the leaves, but they at least had an idea.  Readying her bow again, she aimed another arrow at the group. This time, she waited to shoot it.  “Who are you.”  Her tone was harsh, threatening.  The taller of the two boys looked around the trees, reaching for a boomerang. “Why should we tell you that?!”  Eyes squinted, the aim of her arrow moved to him. Still she didn’t shoot it. “I’ll shoot again.”  The shorter boy didn’t drop his guard, but took a step closer to where he guessed this mystery person was at. It quickly made her aim change to him.  “Let’s not do that please. I’m Aang. This is Katara and Sokka, then these guys are Appa and Momo. We aren’t looking for any trouble, just a place to camp for the night.”  Silence fell among them for a few moments, as the group waited to see what she would do. Dropping down from the tree branch, she rested her bow over her shoulder again, and slid the arrow back into it’s quiver. All three of them looked ready to attack when she revealed herself.  “I see, sorry about that then. You can never be too careful.” The two boys seemed to relax, but didn’t lower their weapons. “I’ll just take my arrow and be on my way.”  She took a step closer to them, but stopped when Katara held up a hand. The girl reached down and pulled the arrow from the dirt, and tossed it in her direction. Y/n caught it, wiped it clean on her shorts, then tucked it away in the quiver with the rest of her arrows. Turning on her heel, she started to walk away.  “Hey, wait!”  Turning her head to look back at the group, she raised an eyebrow at Aang who had asked her to wait. The others didn’t look very pleased by his actions.  “Would you happen to know anywhere we could set up camp for the night?”  “There’s a clearing nearby, I could show you the way.” She paused for a short moment, debating her words. “Though, if you’d like to get out of the rain you could stay at my base.”  Y/n never trusted people easily, especially strangers. A lot of dangerous people came through this forest. But they didn’t seem like a bad group of kids, and she was ninety percent sure that Aang kid was the Avatar. Her knowledge of the Air Nomads was limited, but she knew enough to recognize the blue arrows tattooed on him were a thing only they did- and it was pretty common knowledge at this point that the Avatar was an Air Nomad.  His expression brightened at her offer. “Really? That would be great!”  Sokka glared at his friend, and leaned closer to him, whispering something she wasn’t able to catch. The two had a quick back and forth, before getting Katara’s opinion on the matter. The three paused, and looked at her, before all standing up straight. Aang offered her a bright smile, while Sokka looked mildly upset, and Katara looked like she had mixed feelings.  “We would really appreciate that! Thank you.”  “Sure thing.” She started walking, motioning for them to follow her. They did so, albeit a little hesitantly. “I even have room for your… For Appa to get out of the rain.” She wasn’t too sure what the large animal was if she was being honest. 

The group arrived to a clearing after not too long. Several tarps had been strung together and tied around the trees a good ways off the ground, keeping the area dry. In the center of the tarped off clearing was an unlit campfire, next to it sat a long log. A few feet away from the campfire a tarp way laid on the ground, several rocks sitting at the corners to hold it down. A sleeping bag was on top of the tarp, as well as a crate. Y/n walked into the tarped off area, immediately going to light the campfire. The rest entered the area as well. Appa found a place to lay down, Momo sat atop his head. Katara and Sokka moved to sit by the campfire once it was lit to warm up, while Aang approached Y/n. He offered her a small bow.  “Thank you again for allowing us to stay here for the night. Sokka might be… a little sour about it but he’s just being cautious. I know he appreciates it as well.”  She let out a nervous laugh, and rubbed at the back of her neck.  “It’s no problem.” The siblings were having a quiet conversion that died off when Aang and Y/n joined them by the fire. They all sat in an awkward silence, before Sokka cleared his throat.  “So, do you just attack anyone who walks around this place?”  Katara gave her brother a glare, elbowing him in the side.  “It was a warning, not an attack.”  He mumbled under his breath. “A warning that almost stabbed my foot…”  “Sokka…” There was warning in his sister's tone, he didn’t seem to pay mind to it.  Y/n glanced off to the side. “If it was an attack I would have done worse than stab your foot.”  Aang and Katara glanced at each other, as Sokka’s expression twisted to anger. “Wow, what a great way of greeting people.” His voice dripped with sarcasm. “Actually, when most of the people you come into contact with are willing to kill you to get what they want, it is a great way of greeting people.”  Before the conversation could escalate any further, Aang inserted himself in the conversation. “You know what, I just realized we never got your name!”  She took in a deep breath to compose herself. “Y/n.”  Standing up from his spot nervously, he grabbed into Sokka’s arm to pull him up. “It’s great to formally meet you Y/n. Hey Sokka, can I talk to you for a second?”  Before Sokka could give an answer, he was dragged off by his friend. Far enough that they shouldn’t be heard, but to where they were still underneath the tarps that shielded them from the rain. The two girls sat in silence for a moment, until Katara spoke up.  “I’m sorry about my brother, he’s an idiot sometimes.”  “Being idiots is what brothers do best..” She trailed off with a tense laugh. The other offered her own quiet laugh, rubbing her hands together before placing them closer to the fire.  “Do you have a brother too?”  Offering a small nod to the question, she pulled a knee up to her chest. Katara took a quick glance around the camp Y/n had set up, raising an eyebrow when she noticed it was only set up for one person.  “Is he not with you?”  “Oh, um no. He’s fighting in the war, so I haven’t seen him for a while.”  “Must be nice.” They both laughed. “I understand what it’s like though, our father is fighting in the war too.”  Katara had mixed feelings on the matter, when Aang suggested that they accept the offer for a dry place to stay. On one hand, she didn’t want to sleep in the rain, but on the other this girl had shot an arrow at them. Seeing and hearing a bit about the conditions Y/n had seemed to be living in though, made her agree more with Aang than her brother on the passed manner. This girl had just been acting in a way of self defense, making it known she wasn’t afraid to attack if they tried anything. Now hearing about her brother, she could feel herself sympathizing for the girl.  “Sorry to hear about your dad.” Katara offered her a small smile. “And I’m sorry to hear about your brother.” Don’t be. When the boys returned to the campfire, Sokka took a seat next to his sister again, arms crossed over his chest, as Aang returned to his spot next to Y/n. Aang looked between the two girls.  “What are you guys talking about?” Katara offered him a small shrug. “Not much.”  Silence made its way into the group again, the four of them looking about awkwardly. Y/n found her gaze landing on Appa, the large animal who laid himself in the grass. She observed him and Momo- a small lemur who sat on his head -for a few moments before turning to look at Aang.  “So um, what exactly is Appa?”  “He’s a flying bison!”  Sokka watched the two carefully as they conversed.  Her eyes widened slightly. “Flying?” Aang offered her a nod. “Yeah! He’s been our ride for our adventure.”  “What is your guys’ adventure?”  Sokka cut into the conversation. “It’s none of your business.” He spoke harshly, earning a glare from Y/n.  “Interesting. I don’t recall asking you, boomerang boy.”  “Why you-”  Katara intervened this time, clapping a hand over her brother's mouth to silence him. “We’re heading to the North Pole.”  Y/n held back a laugh at Sokka being silenced. “The North Pole? You guys have some ambition, that’s on the other side of the world.”  Aang laughed nervously rubbing at the back of his neck. “Yeah.”  When silence fell over them for the third time, Y/n stood up from her seat. “Are you guys hungry?” When Katara and Aang answered that yes they were, she grabbed her bow and pulled a small basket out of the crate she had.  Sokka clasped his hands behind his neck. “I mean, I could eat.” She shot him a glare. “I wasn’t asking you.”  “What- Are you just going to give food to Aang and Katara?” “Yup.”  His expression twisted into one of offense. She snickered.  “You’re free to come with and get your own food, boomerang boy.”  “Would you stop- you know what, whatever.” Sokka stood up, and hooked his machete onto his belt. “I could probably catch better food than you anyways.”  Y/n turned on her heel, and headed to the forest. “Hope you don’t mind the rain.”  Slumping forward, his expression fell flat. Right, it was raining still. Great. Still, he followed after her.  Katara watched with worry as the pair walked off. “Aang, do you think we should go with them?”  He raised an eyebrow at her. “Huh, why?”  “They might kill each other.”  Aang looked at the direction they went off to, before looking back at Katara. “I’m sure they’ll be fine.” 

Sokka followed closely behind Y/n as she led him through the forest. He had no idea where she was going, and he really didn’t like that. At the very least, she seemed to know where she was going, so they shouldn’t get lost. But that didn’t make him like the situation any more.  After a while of walking through the increasingly growing rain, they ended up at a river. It was wide, and pretty deep as well. The tide rolled through it at a slow pace. It looked like a good place to fish. He assumed that’s what they were there for.  Unhooking his machete from his belt, Sokka pushed past Y/n and approached the river. “I’m sure you’ll need a demonstration on how to fish properly, so let me show you how it’s done.”  She raised her eyebrows in amusement, and took a step back. “Oh yeah, totally. Why don’t you show me how it’s done.” Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she spoke with heavy sarcasm.  He ignored her sarcasm, and used his machete to stab into the water in an attempt to catch a fish. When he pulled the blade from the water, there was nothing on the other end.  “Wow! An invisible fish, that’s really impressive, those are so hard to catch!”  He shot her a glare. “I’m just warming up.”  “Mhhm.” She crossed her arms over her chest, watching as he stood still, doing nothing. “That’s a whole lot of nothing you're doing over there.”  “Fishing is a waiting game, it’s all about being-” Pausing, he stabbed the machete into the river again. “Patient!”  When he failed to catch a fish for the second time, Sokka let out a groan, and started rapidly stabbing his machete into the river.  “Oh, yes, because you’re being very patient.”  He paused mid stab, and took in a deep breath. “Rapid fire fishing is a Southern Water Tribe specific tactic, you wouldn’t understand.”  Y/n raised an eyebrow at him. “My grandma is from the Southern Water Tribe actually, and she taught me how to fish.” She brought up a hand to her chin. “I don’t remember her ever bringing that up.”  He turned his head to look at her with wide eyes. “Wait- You’re from the tribe? Why are you out her-” “Maybe I should show you how it’s done.”  Cutting him off, Y/n readied her bow and pulled an arrow from her quiver. Aiming the arrow at the water, she waited for a few moments, before releasing it. The arrow zipped through the air, and lodged into the river bed.  Sokka watched as she went to retrieve the arrow from the water. “Psh, I bet you didn’t even catch anything.”  He quickly ate those words, seeing as there was a fish impaled on the arrow when she pulled it out. She gave him a look, as she threw the fish into the small woven basket she brought.  “Oh. Well-” He just decided to shut his mouth, and turned back to the river to continue his fishing venture. 

Once they’d both caught a handful of fish, they started to head back in the direction of the camp. Sokka carried the basket that was brought with them, agreeing to do so in exchange of him putting the fish he caught in it as well.  He cleared his throat. “Um, Y/n?” Glancing over at him, Y/n raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”  “Well uh, I wanted to apologize for earlier- It was unnecessarily harsh of me to attack you like that. It’s just not the most pleasant thing to get an arrow shot at you out of nowhere, y’know?”  “Yeah, that’s kind of the point, it’s supposed to be threatening.”  “It definitely is.”  Silence fell over the two, as they continued walking back. Once the camp was in their view, however, Y/n spoke up.  “Your apology is accepted, by the way.”  Sokka smiled softly, as they rushed to get back under the tarps and out of the rain.  Katara’s head perked up when she saw the two. “You guys are back.” She was honestly a little surprised they both came back in one piece. “Yup, and we brought dinner.” Sokka sat the basket down, before quickly going back to his spot by the fire to warm up.  Y/n was also quick to get by the fire to warm up, not bothering to put her bow down until she was near it.  Katara looked between the two, before getting up from her spot. “I can cook, since you two went through the effort of getting this in the rain.”  Y/n offered the girl a smile. “Thank you, Katara.” 

By the next morning, the rain had cleared up. Y/n had helped the group pack up the few things they had up onto Appa. Getting her attention, Aang bowed to her much like the night before.  “I wanted to say thank you again. We really appreciated your help last night.”  She offered him a smile, giving a small bow in return. “It was no problem. I wish you all luck with your travels.”  “Actually,” He rubbed at the back of his neck, glancing to the side for a moment. “Katara, Sokka and I we’re talking earlier and we were wondering if you’d maybe like to come with us? We could use your help on the team, and I honestly feel kind of bad leaving you out here alone.”  “Well, I sort of live out here, alone, so.” She laughed quietly. “I mean, I guess I don’t really have a reason not to join you guys.”  Sokka poked into the conversation. “So, is that a yes?”  “I guess so.”  Deciding to join them on their journey, Y/n got to packing up her own things. It would probably be best for her to get out of this forest anyways, the Fire Nation came through it a little too often for her liking. Once all her stuff was packed up, Katara and Sokka helped her get up onto Appa, and they took off.  Joining the Avatar on his adventure wasn’t what Y/n expected to get out of this encounter, but, she wasn’t mad at the outcome.

[kylosgenesis]

Teardrops on fire

Synopsis:

Steve Rogers is the last Alpha of the an almost extinct Lycan pack. With only less than 100 members left. Steve must produce an heir to ensure the species survival and reduce the chance of attacks from others. Omegas are rare, and betas have a hard time producing children. Steves reality is finally setting in as his obligation of producing an heir faces a major set back.

Reader is the last suitable omega to mate with Steve, due to the fear of her daughters fate in the pack, her mother kept her hidden from the pack after her own exile. Only her mother, and Bucky's family know of her existence. Bucky is Steve's right hand man, and the packs best warrior! He and the reader developed a friendship and bond over the years, but age forced them to become distant.

What happens when she presents and her first heat cycle comes? Her body is in excruciating pain and a strong fever quickly overcomes her body. Facing the fear of her daughters possible death, her mom calls on the only person who can save her at this point, Alpha Steve! Bucky and the alphas friendship will be tested. The reader will be faced with her love for Bucky or her duty to the pack.

Warnings: Mentions of death , A/B/O dynamics

Chapter 3: Leave a light on

Bucky and Steve packed a suitcase of supplies, they both knew it was a race against time at this point. Her body would become weak without the pheromones of an alpha, her changing hormones wouldn't be able to adapt for her body's transition into her designation. Her own body would become her worst enemy right now, and if they didn't make it in time she could die in a pool of her own slick and sweat as her body struggled to accommodate the change.

That was one of the reasons omegas became so rare! Over the course of thousands of years their bodies began to change.Even with an alpha, sometimes the transition was too much on their bodies! Not many would make it. The omega’s that did were meant to be the strongest women the packs had to offer, their wombs strong , healthy, and ready to accommodate an alpha.

There was an old wives tale that would travel around the packs about a perfect mate, a bond so strong that would turn two souls and bodies into one. Soul that have been meant to be together since the beginning of time, like a puzzle piece waiting for it’s perfect match .Always calling for each other! One way or another prevailing.

People stopped believing in those kinds of stories a long time ago!

“Steve,Is that everything?” Bucky was loading up the bags into the truck. His mother and Katerina had headed back to the cabin, hoping to get a head start and try to explain to her what would be going on. I believe so! We still don't know what we're walking into… Steve furrowed his brow with his hand. His free hand on his lower back. “Hell Buck! I don't even know what i'm supposed to do! Hey I'm Steve, you don't know me but i'm here to take you away from everything you've ever known… also I kinda have to mate with you to save your life.``

“I know it doesn't sound like the best plan! But it's all we can do right now.” Bucky wanted to reassure his friend, tell him it was all going to be alright. Deep down he himself was feeling uneasy. He wanted to crawl out of his skin. Why did their nature have to be like this? He felt like they were not that evolved from animals when it came to heats. She was probably scared, he wanted to reassure his friend that she would be okay with him.

Bucky remembered leaving her all those years ago. It broke his heart! Deep down Bucky didn't even want to see her. He couldn't live with the look of disappointment she'd give him. Or worse what if she wasn't disappointed, what if it was like the years didn't go by between them. How could he handle seeing her gentle eyes, knowing he couldn't return the same look back.

It wasn't even a question anymore! Any dream involving her he's had for the past ten years had to be thrown away! He had to forget her smile, her laugh, her smell! She was never meant to be his and now more than ever he had to put his pack first.

Bucky gave Steve a reassuring smile and motioned to the truck, they were losing daylight and they both had a long night ahead of them. Both lost within their own thoughts!

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

She felt like she was being torn apart!

Yes, she's had some bad cramps during her cycle, but this pain was different! If felt like she was being completely ripped apart from the inside. She felt weak and both terribly hot and freezing at the same time.

She had this strong feeling to just stay in bed at the back of her mind, but she just couldn't let herself waste away in bed waiting for her mother. Her mom had called winifred after this morning, within the hour they were both gone! They said they'd be back my sundown with some supplies and someone who might help her. As the pain intensified she readied herself to go get some things that could help alleviate her. She remembered her mom taught her this recipe with mint, nuts, and berries, back when she had first gotten her period; many years ago. Sometimes when she was out fishing or hunting and she felt her body start to feel strange, she'd look for those, and boil some water for a tea. It provided instant relief for her, and she'd go back to her day like nothing happened.

Gathering the strength and courage; she walked out of the comfort of her cabin for a quick trip to get those three things. If only she could just have that tea ready, it would make the time waiting for her mom to get back bearable.She knew the woods like the back of her hand, she'd done it countless times where she knew where everything would be.

As she trekked further and further into the woods! She remembered she'd spotted a new mint bush a few days ago, with the old one in the opposite direction she decided to just to just go with her memory and find that one.

Even though she knew these woods by heart, her pounding head and aching body made it a struggle for her focus long enough to orient herself.

She stopped to catch her breath and suddenly felt aware of the heat taking over her body. In the distance, the sounds of the running current of the creek, screamed for her to just get in to find some relief. All she wanted was just to dip her feet in and feel the water run beneath her feet.

The icy water prickled through her skin and it showed her more than the heat did, eventually her body and mind relaxed and she just closed her eyes for what felt like two seconds.

Suddenly the floor beneath was overtaken by a current, she was too weak to swim or fight .So she just let the current run its course; dragging along her weakened body.

In just an instant! She was harshly dragged away from the little bit of forest she knew!

She woke up hours later in the darkness!

The current had dumped her near the bank.

She could tell it was still territory, but it was all unknown and new to her. She definitely did not have the strength to follow the stream, so with what little strength she had, she started a fire! She laid down next to it hoping that morning would come soon, and give her the strength she needed to return home.

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

When they exited the car they could smell her, but it was lingering and faded. Bucky’s senses were on fire! That smell drove him insane. It awoke every muscle in his being, he’s partially glad that it wasn’t fully her, just the lingering trace of her scent.

He couldn’t do that to Steve. He had to mask his face, pretend she didn’t smell like air after you’ve been holding your breath for ten years.

“Where is she ?” Steve was worried, not only was this his omega, but she was a part of his pack now. His Alpha nature led him to worry about her, even if he didn't fully know her or understood her yet.

All Steve knew is that he felt drawn to her! He needed to protect her and care for her! Seeing the small cabin was like a punch to his gut! He couldn't believe that there were people in his pack living like this.

The roof needed work, the inside was just enough to be considered cozy, but not comfortable!. It was all patched together! He understood that it was the best that they could do with the circumstances, but his heart was swelling with pride at the idea of bringing his omega to his home. For her to finally know comfort, and not want for anything, he'd take better care of her than his own self. Her smell told him everything he needed to know about her, it was like she was made for him, and he was made for her,

Steve looked to Katerina and back to Bucky.

He couldn't understand how this place had been here for such a long time without him knowing about it, Steve remembered his dad's cruel nature. It wasn't beneath him to cast out a pregnant woman to fend for herself, but why hasn't she tried coming back once his father had died. Steve would have let them back! He knew why she was scared and distrustful of him. He probably reminded her of the person who took her life from her.

As the sky grew darker it became impeccably evident that something had gone terribly wrong. Bucky knew it! He had a bad feeling sinking at the pit of his stomach. No experienced hunter, like herself would be out past sundown. The woods become too dangerous and unforgiving even to experienced people.

Bucky taught her to know the woods. She could track.! If she’s out there she’s probably injured and in a bad situation. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“ Clint, Nat, you guys will take the northern side of the river, there's a lot of territory there so I trust you guys will be okay as a team!,” Steve was guiding them to a spot marked on the map, he drew a circle through the section with with finger the over caressing his chin in thought.

“Tony, you will cover the west end on the river… over by this side” Bucky said over Steves planning and was pointing Tony to his designated research area.

Bucky and Steve had gone into a full missing persons mission. They had mapped out the territory and had called the strongest members of the pack. Most of them were a part of the packs defense team. They were all loyal to Steve and led by Bucky as the commander of the pack's small army.

Bucky’ s mind was not at the best place! He was slowly becoming more feral with desperation. “What if an outsider smelled her and crossed territories?” The thought was just too dangerous to entertain and Bucky kept going!

After hours of searching, the search party grew cold, hungry, and tired! Steve was called off the search party as the weather grew harsher, he was worried about his pack. They had families to tend to, and needed rest.

Steve was going in by himself, and Bucky wasn’t about to let his best friend do it alone. Going in just by themselves would be a risk, but they both knew how strong they had to be! They could rest later! She was all that mattered right now!

He wouldn’t stop searching till he had turned every rock on the territory! Every little corner if this damn reserve would be searched! He would find his ... Steve’s mega.

Bucky was the best tracker in his pack and even neighboring packs. If anyone needed anybody or anything found, Bucky was the best in the business. He was strong, determined, and could be ruthless with deserters who would try to run away from the pack after stealing or injuring a member!. Nobody had made it past the territory without Bucky catching them first.

They called him the Winter Soldier! While others found the harsh temperatures, and unforgiving terrain hard to navigate and specially survive; Bucky seemed to read the wind and knew how to use the weather to his advantage. He was the best there was.

If he could not find her he might as well never find anybody else in his entire life. He count fail her. He needed her!...She needed him!

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

Her whole body ached!

She couldn’t get up from this one. She knew she’d only survive a few hours, maybe a day or two without food, and in this weather. She just placed herself inside a hollow trunk, and cradled her body to preserve as much heat as possible. She was thankful that the fever was a bit of a heat source, but cursed at the cold chills it gave her. Soon her body relaxed and she wondered what death would feel like.

She thought of her life.

Her mom.

It hurt so much when she thought of him! As she thought of him, her heart was agonizing in longing, but her body was slowly responding. Her fever had subsided, and she tried stepping out of the trunk. She stumbled and lost her footing, but just as she was about to collapse near the now extinguished fire, she felt a pair of strong arms break her fall.

She thought she was probably dead now!

Looking at her, where the most piercing blue eyes she’d ever seen! His hair now at his shoulders, and a beard forming around his face. He looked different than her mind had imagined him all these years. She allowed herself to relax in his arms, and her eyes filled with tears as she passed out; surrounded by his smell , and waiting for this delusion to be over.

They said death had a way of making people feel comfort, and happiness before the light at the end. But this seemed so real! she wasn't scared of dying anymore, she was scared he wouldn't be there if she woke up again.

Tags: @austynparksandpizza @connie326 @nerdgirljen @exposition-belongs-somewhere

[waitimcomingtoo]

I’m a huge fan of your writing!!! You’re so talented 💖✨ Can I please request a protective tom/peter story? Thanks love!!

Wheezy

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader

Synopsis: Peter is the only one who can tease you about your asthma

Masterlist

Requests are CLOSED

You were in second grade when you found out you had asthma.

Unfortunately, the rest of the second grade class found out too. Your asthma wasn't too serious, mainly triggered by nerves, but every so often you’d have to take a hit off your inhaler to calm yourself down. That didn’t hinder the merciless teasing from your classmates for not knowing how to breath. There was one thing that hindered the teasing though…

“Why are you in time out?” You asked the curly haired boy with red sneakers sitting next to you. The teacher shot you a look when she heard talking, but looked away when you gave her a bright smile. The boy rubbed his thumb over his knuckles and shrugged.

“I hit Flash.” He said solemnly.

“You hit Flash? Like in the face?” You almost jumped out of your seat in excitement. The boy perked you upon hearing your interest in his actions.

“In the nose.” He said with a toothless grin.

“Hey, I don’t have my two from teeth either.” You opened your mouth to show the boy and stuck your tongue through the gap. “My mommy said it makes me special. But if you’re also missing your teeth, does that mean I’m not special? Or are we both special? I have to call my mommy and ask but I only know the number for 911. It’s 911.” You sighed in defeat before an idea popped into your head. “Do you know your mommy’s number? Can we ask her?”

The boy blinked and looked at the floor before telling you, “I don’t have a mommy.”

“Everyone has a mommy.” You insisted.

“My mommy flew up to heaven with daddy.” The boy told you with a glum face. He never spoke about their death, but he felt safe opening up to you.

“Oh.” You said and looked down. You noticed the boy getting upset and reached over to tap his shoulder. “Do you want to come over after school today and meet my mommy? She’s really nice. Except, sometimes she makes me clean my room.” You remembered. “But I don’t think she’ll make you do that.”

“Okay.” The boy smiled happily at you. “I’m Peter.”

“I’m Y/n.” You told him.

“I know your name.” Peter said. “Your cubby is near mine.”

“I like you Peter. Since we’re best friends now, I’m going to tell you a secret.” You scooted your chair closer to his and lowered your voice.”

“Okay.” Peter smiled in excitement.

“I told a lie to the teacher.” You confessed before clamping your hands over your mouth and giggling as Peters eyes widened.

“What did you say?” He gasped. Lies were a top offense in second grade.

“Michelle drew on the bathroom wall in sharpie and I told the teacher I did it. That’s why I’m in time out.” You admitted to Peter. He furrowed his little eyebrows together.

“Why would you lie about that?” He asked.

“Because if Michelle gets in trouble again, she had to talk to the president.” You told Peter, who’s eyes widened again. “Or the principle. I forget which one.”

“You’re a good friend.” Peter complimented.

“Now I’m your good friend.” You smiled brightly at him. “So why did you hit Flash?”

“I don’t want to tell you.” Peter shook his head and looked away.

“But I told you a secret!” You said a little too loudly, making the teacher look your way again.

“I can’t say.” Peter whispered.

“Then we cant be friends.” You pouted and folded your arms.

“Wait! I’ll tell you.” Peter spoke up.

“Okay.” You leaned closer to him, your pout completely gone.

“I hit Flash because he was making fun of your asthma.” Peter confessed.

“You hit him for me?” You asked. “But you didn’t know me then.”

“I don’t like Flash. I wanted to protect you from him.” Peter told you. Something about Peters words made your second grade heart burst.

“Everyone makes fun of my asthma.” You said sadly. Peter looked angry, because he knew it was true.

“I don’t.” He promised. You looked up at him and pulled him into a hug.

“Okay Peter. We can be friends again.” You said.

But that was elementary school. By high school, things were different.

Since you wore a different purse everyday to match your outfit, you often forgot to put your inhaler in your new bag. Luckily, you usually never found yourself in a situation where you needed your inhaler but didn't have it.

That was true until tenth grade. You had to do an oral report on The Scarlet Letter for your English class. It went fine at first as you stood before the class reading from index cards. Halfway through the presentation, Peter noticed your breathing was getting labored. Your hands were shaking and you looked up from your index cards in fear at the rest of the class. Peter quickly realized an asthma attack was coming on and grabbed your backpack. He started rummaging through it, but found it wasn't your usual purple bag. You were wearing a green dress today, so you opted for a light pink backpack. Only problem, you forgot to stick your inhaler in it. You made eye contact with Peter, who was even more terrified than you were. Peter ran out of the classroom to get the nurse.

"What were you thinking?" Peter yelled, making you jump. You were sitting on the bench outside the nurses office, taking deep breaths with your inhaler. Peter was busy thanking the Lord that it’s required to give the school an inhaler if you have asthma. He was glad he remembered this and got the nurse in time.

"I just forgot. I've never used it at school before. People would think I'm a geek." You said, still a little out of breath. You felt guilty for making him so upset but in your defense, you’ve never needed it before.

"Y/n, you could have died." Peter said angrily.

"Oh, you're just being dramatic." You dismissed.

"Dramatic? 250,000 people die from asthma a year, Y/n." Peter stated, leaving you to wonder how he knew that. He saw you look down at your hands in shame and his eyes softened. He crouched down and took your still shaking hands in his.

"I need you to understand how important it is for you to carry around your inhaler at all times. You can't keep forgetting it. This could've been serious." Peter said gently. You slowly looked up at him.

"I'll remember. I promise." You said. Peter nodded and pulled you into a hug. He frowned deeply once your face was buried in his neck. He didn't like seeing his best friend upset. His frown faded when he heard your giggle.

"What are you laughing at?" He asked.

"I just think it's funny how I said reading The Scarlet Letter was gonna make me die of boredom, and then I almost died while giving a report on it. That would've been quite a death." You laughed. Peter stifled his laughter, not wanting to let you off the hook just yet.

"That's not funny." He smiled.

"At least I would've gone out with a bang." You shrugged.

"Stop." He warned.

"It would’ve been a run and hit, instead of a hit and run. Get it? Because I had to run to take a hit of my inhaler?” You continued to tease him.

"Stop." He said again.

"Alright alright." You rolled your eyes and dropped the subject.

After the incident, your asthma became the butt of all your jokes. The endless "breathless" jokes followed you all the way to college. Whenever you got a chance, an asthma joke would be made.

"Wanna hear a joke?" You asked as you spun around in Peters swivel chair.

"Not at all." Peter replied without looking up from his textbook.

“I watched a documentary on Asthma and what causes it last night.” You informed him. He looked up from his text book, excited that you were taking the initiative to learn more about your condition.

“Oh really?” Peter asked proudly.

“Yeah. It had some really breathtaking stuff.” You nodded before a grin broke out on your face. Peter groaned loudly and covered his face with his hands.

“I hate you.” He said behind his hands.

“Aw, but I love you.” You jumped on top of him and pinned him to his bed. You sat on his chest and held him down by his wrists. Peter looked up and you shyly and prayed his roommate wouldn’t walk it. “You’re my best friend in the whole world. Even if you don’t appreciate my asthma puns.”

"Alright, get off.” Peter said, annoyed you’d reminded him that you were only best friends. “I can’t breath.”

You got off his chest and sat next to him on his bed in silence for a moment before a devious smile crossed your face.

"Neither can I." You grinned, making Peter fully shove you off the bed.

You somehow managed to work it into every conversation.

"Here." You said, sticking a sticker onto Peters arm.

"You're giving me a sticker?" He asked in confusion as he pulled on his shirt to get a better look at it.

"Not just any sticker. It says “you’re a cute-cumber” over a picture of a cucumber.” You explained.

“What would I do without it?” Peter asked sarcastically and he watched the childlike joy on your face.

"It's a scratch and sniff too. I didn't smell it yet, though.” You kept up your innocent act. “I don't know if you know this about me, but I have this thing called asthma. You may have heard about it."

"Mmm, no I don't believe I have. I had no idea you had asthma. You're an inspiration to us all." Peter replied sarcastically. You laughed and rested your head on his arm. “I am a grown man, Y/n. I can’t be seen walking around with this on my arm.”

“You don’t want it?” You asked a little sadly as you went to peel it off of him. Peter brushed your hand away and looked offended.

“I didn’t say I didn’t want it.” Peter defended. “How else are the people gonna know I’m a cute-cumber? What if they think I’m just berry cute?”

You smiled widely at your best friend and smoothed the sticker back onto his arm.

You and Peter could joke about it, but God forbid anyone else tried too.

“If I got a tattoo, I’d get a big dollar sign on my bicep.” A senior, Harry Osborn stated. “To remind me to always secure the bag.”

“How lovely.” You said sarcastically and gave Peter a look.

“What about you, Y/n? What would you get?” Peter asked.

“I don’t know.” You answered.

“You could get an inhaler that says “it’s not easy being wheezy” under it. My friend got that one night when he was drunk. Funny as hell.” Harry commented. Peter felt his fist clench.

“Why would I get that?” You asked Harry.

“Because of your asthma.” Harry shrugged.

“Do you think having asthma is funny, Harry?” Peter leaned towards on his hands and you immediately gripped his arm.

“Peter, he’s only kidding. It’s okay.” You tried to calm him down.

“Do I find it funny your girlfriend is brilliant but doesn’t know how to breath? Yeah, a little.” Harry retorted.

“It’s not her fault.” Peter snapped, not bothering to tell Harry you weren’t his girlfriend.

“I’m not saying it is. I’m just saying, you gotta be pretty dumb to not know how to breath. And if it weren’t for that pretty face, she might not have gotten into this college. Something to think about. Food for thought, if you will.” Harry smiled.

“I won’t.” Peter lunged at Harry but you held him back. You pulled him out of the room by his hand and didn’t stop until you found an empty hallway.

“What was that?” You asked Peter sternly.

“He has the audacity to say you don’t belong here? His dad paid his way in. He asked me how to spell “biology” the other day. He’s a biology major!” Peter exclaimed.

“What he is is an idiot and you don’t have to sink to his level.” You rubbed Peters arms today calm him down. The flush is his face began to fade.

“He had no right to make fun of your asthma.” Peter said softly, making you heart melt.

“I know. Thanks for protecting me.” You said as you wrapped your arms around Peters torso. He rested his chin on your head and a sighed.

“Always.”

Even in the more serious moments, there was always room for a joke.

You and Peter went up to the roof to look at the sky during a particularly loud party. No one was up there but you two, giving you plenty of privacy. You walked to the railing side by side and looked up.

“Look, Peter, the sky.” You blurted. Peter looked and you and let out a groan.

“Really? You’re quoting Anne Frank? Now?” Peter asked you.

“I was quoting Anne Frank’s play, to be fair.” You held up your hands in defense.

“Moving on from that, I’m glad we can see the stars from here. I always wanted to stargaze with you but you could never see the stars from my building.” Peter said.

“I didn’t know you always wanted to do that.” You said with a fond smile. You looked at Peter, who had his head tilted towards the sky, and felt your face flush. You were seeing him in a different light for the first time, moonlight. And he was mesmerizing.

“It is beautiful, isn’t it?” You asked as you looked at Peter and not at the sky.

“Yeah. It takes my breath away.” Peter sighed in content before looking at you to see if you were enjoying it too. To his surprise, you had been staring at him the whole time.

"You know what takes my breath away?" You looked right in his eyes. Peter looked at you expectantly and smiled.

"What?" He asked, desperate to know. You smiled back at him.

"My asthma." You replied. Peters heart sank and he stared at you for a moment. An amused smile still sat on your face as you turned your attention back to the stars.

"I love you." Peter blurted out. “I’m in love with you.”

You snapped your eyes back to Peter, expecting a goofy grin on his face, but instead saw his dead serious expression. He was being sincere.

"You..." Your eyes widened and you were suddenly gasping for air. You clutched your throat and slid onto the ground. You looked around for your purse, only to remember you left it at the party. You closed your eyes and tried to slow your breathing. You suddenly felt your inhaler between your lips and a hit of air rushed in. You opened your eyes and saw Peter holding an inhaler to your lips with panic in his eyes. You took it from his hands and used it until you could breath again, never breaking eye contact with him. When you calmed down, you took the inhaler away from your mouth and took a deep breath.

"How did you-" you began.

"I started carrying one around after tenth grade." He cut in. "Just in case something like that ever happened again."

You nodded and gave him a soft, grateful smile.

"Wow Peter.” You said timidly. He looked up at you, again with expectation. “You really know how to take a girls breath away."

Peter groaned and scooted next to you.

"I had to. You know I had to." You defended yourself and Peter laughed.

"I should've just let you suffer." Peter teased, making you giggle as you helped him stand up.

"Well I'm glad you were here.” You touched a hand to his cheek and he leaned into it. “You’re always here. Always protecting me.”

“I’ll always protect you.” Peter said assertively.

“I know.” You smiled. “That’s why I love you too.”

Tag List 🏷

@maybemona @sunrise-shawn @meghan-8520xx @writing-for-hours-on-end @lavender-writer @captainmandeestudent17 @whatareyouhidingpeter @takenbyheartstrings @ultrunning @imyourliquor-youremypoison @theolwebshooter @autumnlyholland @andreasworlsboring101 @guksmyfav @waiting-to-be-myself @letsloveimagines

[freddiesaysalright]

Part of Your World - Chapter 3

Ben!Prince Eric x Mermaid!Reader

Summary: Prince Ben is trying to escape an arranged marriage. A young mermaid wants to escape the sea. Their paths cross and they may just be what the other is looking for.

Word Count: 4.2K

Tag List: @psychosupernatural, @someone-get-a-medic​, @bensrhapsody​, @deakyclicks​, @crazylittlethingcalledobsession​, @minigranger​, @crazyweirdocalledfriday​, @the-moving-finger-writes​, @assembledherethevolunteers​, @rose-writes-prose​, @queenlover05​, @26-7-49​, @drowsebaby​, @im-an-adult-ish​, @queen-paladin​, @rogerina-owns-me, @mirkwoodshewolf​, @seven-seas-of-ham-on-rhye​, @radiob-l-a-hblah​, @xviiarez​ If you’d like to be added, let me know!

A/N: I’m sorry these chapters are taking so long, y’all. I have just been having a rough time. I hope y’all enjoy this update, though :D

Warning(s): None :)

Moodboard

Chapter 1  Chapter 2

Chapter 3 here we go!!!

“You were waiting for me?” you questioned.

She snickered humorlessly. “Of course, princess. I keep track of all things going on in the ocean. I hoped you would consult me for help.”

You squared your shoulders. “I’ve heard rumors about you, Sycoria. Your help always comes with a price.”

“Well of course it does, darling,” she practically sang back. “All things have a price, not just my services. How would the world be if you could just get something from nothing?”

She began to slink around you, circling you, her eyes hungrily searching your form. You were apprehensive about this. But you had come this far. And you had to see Ben again.

“So, what is it you know about my desires?” you asked. 

“You want the human prince,” she answered. “In order to get him, you’ll have to become human.”

You blinked. “Is that something you’re capable of?”

“Oh, my dear,” she chuckled. “I can do anything.”

“And...and what would it cost me?” you asked.

She stopped in front of you and examined your face. 

“There will be two things,” she said. “One for each leg. The first, that pretty ring on your finger.”

“But -”

“It costs what it costs, darling,” she cut across you. “No haggling.”

You remained silent.

“That’s a good girl,” she praised sarcastically. “And get used to that. The second thing I want is your voice.”

“My voice?” you questioned. “But won’t I need my voice to get to know him?”

“Who needs all that?” she returned. “You’re beautiful! What else does he need to know about you?”

“I just think we should have some common interests and -”

She cut you off again. “Listen, girl. Men on the surface are not interested in a woman’s opinion or interests. You’re better off using that pretty face of yours.”

You frowned. That didn’t sound right to you. There was no way Ben had that view and tolerated Behati at the same time. Even if human society in general felt it, that was not Ben. But, that probably wasn’t relevant to Sycoria. You decided not to argue the point any further. Besides, who needed a voice when your souls had already met? You could find a way to communicate.

“Okay,” you said. “So, what’s the catch?”

“I’ll give you seven days to get the prince to fall in love with you,” she said with a sneer. “And he has to kiss you - true love’s kiss. If it happens, you will be a human permanently, and go on your merry way.”

“But if I don’t?”

“If you don’t,” she said. “I turn you into sea foam.”

You gasped and your stomach dropped. That was a rather harsh alternative! Conflict stirred within you. If you accomplished this, you would have all you ever wanted. But if you didn’t, there was a horrifying existence awaiting. Either way, there was no returning to your old life. The only way to do that was to swim away now. But your heart ached at the thought of missing out on your chance for Ben. So that wasn’t really an option. 

Sycoria extended her hand.

“Is it a deal?” she pressed.

You observed her outstretched palm and hesitated. Your heart was hammering against your chest. There was no turning back now. No matter what happened, your life would never be the same. And you didn’t want it to be.

“It’s a deal.”

She let out a wicked cackle as she took your hand. A gold thread appeared above your arms and wrapped itself around your clasped hands. It tightened on you and it felt warm against your skin. Sycoria waved her free hand above it and began to chant in a language you did not understand. 

Ben’s ring floated off your hand and slid itself onto Sycoria’s finger. Water began to swirl around the fins at the bottom of your tail. The whirlpool rose up around you, except for the hand still attached to the sea witch’s. 

Your tail began to heat up. You looked down and saw it glowing the same gold as the string that sealed your agreement. You watched as the fins and scales twisted up and deformed. Magically, your tail began to split in half. It wasn’t painful, but you did feel an odd ache as your scales disappeared and smooth skin took its place. Suddenly, you had thighs, knees, ankles, feet! You almost gasped, but you couldn’t. Not with fully human lungs.

Sycoria released your hand. The whirlpool began to shoot upwards, taking you with it. It pushed you all the way out of her cave, and then rocketed away. It moved so fast your vision was blurry. That might have also been from struggling to breathe. But you were abruptly far away from her lair, nothing around you for miles. Then, you began a projection upward. You hurtled toward the surface, desperate for air.

When you finally broke through, you gulped it in. Fresh air. It had never felt so precious to you. The whirlpool slowly brought you to the nearby shoreline. Then you felt it. Warm sand. Dazed, winded, exhausted, and alone, you collapsed into it. 

***

“There’s an island up ahead where we can stop,” Behati said, checking her map. “We’ve been there before.”

“Are there supplies there?” Ben asked.

“There are no people, but plenty of animals,” she explained. “Wild turkeys and the like. Plus, fresh fruits. We stocked up in your harbor, but I’d like some more things. Plus, we can give the girls some time off the ship.”

He shot her a sympathetic look. She smiled.

“Don’t feel sorry for me, little prince,” she said. “Soon enough, I will find Sycoria and break this curse. Until then, I won’t deprive my girls.”

“I want to help,” he told her. “With finding the sea witch.”

“I thought you didn’t believe in it,” she replied.

“Well, it’s coming from you,” he said. “You’re the most honest person I’ve ever met.”

“That really is saying something, considering I’m a pirate,” she teased.

He chuckled. “I trust you, that’s all.”

“Well, I’m flattered, but we agreed that this was temporary,” she said. “Finding Sycoria could take years, and you won’t want to be here that long.”

“Sure I will!” he protested.

She shook her head. “No, you won’t. Remember that girl that saved your life? Don’t you want to find her?”

“Well, yes, but she might not even be real,” he said. 

“How could you imagine a woman rescuing you?” she challenged. “I appreciate you, Ben, but you have your own journey. And I have mine.”

“Maybe I could help you first, and then you could help me,” he suggested.

She grinned. “They are too different, little prince.”

She began to walk away. He frowned.

“Why do you call me ‘little prince’ all the time?” he asked. “I’m not that much younger than you.”

She turned to face him with a smirk. “I may not look it, but I’m actually old enough to be your mother.”

“That old?”

With astonishing speed, she whipped around, removed her boot, and hurled it at him, hitting him square in the chest. He took the impact with a soft “oof” and caught the shoe before it fell to the deck. He could already feel a bruise forming.

“Shut up and get ready to anchor, porky mouth,” she said with a scowl. 

He chuckled again and tossed her shoe back to her. She shoved her foot into it and stomped away, slamming the door to her quarters. He laughed.

“I wouldn’t be so amused, Ben,” Ari said. “She may leave you on the island for that one.”

He stopped laughing. “Are you serious?”

She shrugged. Then she moved along to prepare to go to the island.

Before getting on the rowboat, Ben was assured he would be allowed to return to the ship. He joined Kay and Ari in their boat as the crew lowered it down. It hit the water with a soft splash and then the three of them - with two other boats - began to row toward the shore.

The water was smooth, with few waves, so their oars cut through it easily. They were able to reach the shore within minutes. 

As they all climbed out and hit the sand, Ben noticed something that made his brows draw together. It appeared to be...footprints. Footprints leading into the woods. He nudged Ari with his elbow as she finished throwing her oar down. She faced him.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Look,” he said, pointing.

She followed his finger and saw it too. She whistled and everyone looked at her.

“Ben just pointed out something we all should be aware of,” she said. “Someone else has been on the island.”

They all exchanged a nervous look.

“You’ll see just over there, footprints leading into the foliage,” she went on. “Keep your weapons up and your senses sharp. We don’t know who this person is or what they’re capable of.”

“Couldn’t it be someone in need?” asked Sharna, another crew member. “If they’re alone, they might be a victim of a shipwreck.”

Ben had not considered that. He looked at Ari.

“That might be true,” she agreed. “But if that’s the case, they may be as defensive and guarded as we are. If they’ve been through trauma, they’ll be jumpy. We still have to have the utmost caution.”

They all nodded. Several of them drew daggers, while Ari retrieved her pistol. They all crouched low and started toward the tree line.

You were just heading back to the beach, hoping to see any sign of Behati’s ship. But before that, you needed water and to eat something. You’d found a creek in the jungle, and drank from it to ease your parched throat. On several of the bushes, you found berries. You plucked them from the branches and headed back to the sand to enjoy them. 

Walking was proving to be a bit of a challenge. You had to carefully consider each step, and parts of the path were painful against your feet. It didn’t occur to you how much the plant life could prick and poke at you. 

Legs were a lot wobblier than a tail. In the water, you didn’t really need balance. But the sturdiness of the ground beneath you was jarring. To have your surroundings be so rigid and unmoving was something you were really going to have to adjust to.

As you approached the beach and the tree line thinned out, you saw that there was already a group of people there. Your eyes immediately found Ben, but you noticed that all of them were on edge as they came toward the trees. They had their weapons drawn and were all staying close together. They hadn’t seen you yet.

You crouched behind a bush, feeling an odd stretch in your muscles. Knees and ankles were strange and not nearly as strong as you had hoped. You had to put down the fruit and use your hands to stay balanced.

Ben took a deep breath as he and the girls stopped just before the trees. He looked carefully among the thick green branches but couldn’t see anything or anyone. It set him even more on edge. Ari was looking back toward the tracks in the sand, brow furrowed. Ben followed her gaze.

“What is it?” he whispered.

“It looks like….whoever this was had trouble walking,” she said. “There are drag marks in the sand too, and places where it looks like they fell. I think Sharna’s right, this is probably someone in trouble.”

“If they’re struggling to walk, they can’t have gone far,” Ben pointed out. “Should we call out so we don’t startle them?”

Ari hesitated. “I’m not sure. They could still be dangerous. I don’t want any of us at risk, either.”

You heard their hushed conversation despite their efforts. Now that their shoulders had relaxed and their weapons had lowered, you felt like now was the time to meet them. You were only a few feet away. Slowly, you pushed yourself up.

Ben and Behati’s crew jumped back when they heard the bush rustle and you rose to your full height. They watched in awe as you appeared before them. It struck you suddenly that they were clothed and you were not. Humans covered themselves. It was a mystery to you as to why, but you stood out enough to feel embarrassed.

Ben had never seen a woman so beautiful. You felt familiar to him, like he had met you before, only he couldn’t place where it was. Something about your eyes gave him the feeling. You held his gaze with such a knowing look, he was certain you felt it too.

“It’s you!” he gasped. 

“What?” Ari questioned.

He stepped forward, ignoring her, and he approached you.

“Have we met before?” he asked.

You nodded, beaming. 

“You’re the one I’ve been looking for!” he cried.

He reached out for you, and you took his offered hand. To touch him sent such a thrill through your body, you nearly forgot that the others were there.

“Please, you’ve got to tell me your name,” he said. 

You started to say it, but no sound came from your throat. In your excitement, you forgot that your voice was gone. You thought for a moment about what to do. Then you decided to try something crazy. 

My name is Y/N, you signed to him.

His face fell. The disappointed expression that claimed it broke your heart.

“Oh, I must be mistaken,” he said. “The woman who saved me spoke to me.”

You tried to stay optimistic.

You know sign language? You asked.

He nodded. “Yes. My mother is deaf, so I learned it young.”

That made you smile. He offered a small one in return.

“D’you need help?” he asked.

You nodded your head. He looked you over, realizing just now that you were naked. Your hair covered your chest, the bush you hid behind blocked you from the waist down, but his cheeks still went pink. He shrugged off his coat and wrapped it around your shoulders. 

“There,” he said, then turned to Ari. “Should we bring her to the ship?”

“Well, she’s a woman in need, Captain Behati will be happy to help her,” she said. “What did she say her name was?”

“Y/N,” Ben said, looking back at you. “That’s rather pretty.”

Thank you, you signed, your own face heating up now.

“Come on, Y/N,” Ari said. “Ben and I will take you to the ship while the rest of the girls do some hunting and gathering.”

Her smile was gentle. You immediately trusted her. Still holding Ben’s hand, you came out from behind the bush. You stumbled when you moved, and you fell right into Ben’s chest. He caught you in strong arms, with a soft laugh. You looked up at him apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “You’ve really been through something, haven’t you?”

You nodded slowly. He helped you steady yourself, and the three of you headed back down the beach toward the row boat. He had to assist you into it, but you didn’t mind at all. You settled onto the little bench seat, wrapping his coat tighter around your shoulders. It smelled so nice. Something you didn’t notice the last time you were close to him. 

“I’ll row,” Ari said, picking up the oar before Ben could. “You need to be resting that arm.”

“It’s fine,” he protested, but she shook her head. “At least let me help push it.”

“Fine,” she said. “But nothing more after that. You really want to have to get it sewn up again?”

“God, no,” he sighed. “You can row.”

“That’s a good lad,” she said.

You smiled at their friendly exchange. It felt a bit odd once you were on the water to be floating in the boat. You had never noticed how much the water actually moved before. The rocking motion made your stomach churn. 

“So, Y/N, how’d you end up on the island?” Ben asked.

Shipwreck, you signed. 

You didn’t like to lie, but the truth was too unbelievable. 

“A shipwreck, eh?” he continued. “It must have been some journey for you. I didn’t see any debris.”

You blinked, surprised by this observation, but slid quickly back to a neutral expression.

I’m not sure how it happened or where, you signed. There was an explosion, and the next thing I knew, I was on the island.

“That’s scary,” he said. “I’m sorry you went through all that.”

Thank you, you signed. 

He put his hand on top of yours and you felt warm.

It didn’t take long to reach the ship. Ben had to help you again, since you struggled to stand up in the rocking boat. However, this time when you climbed up, there was a rope ladder. It was much easier without a tail. Ari came up behind you, and Ben climbed up last. Ari helped you over the edge, and you planted your feet on the ship. 

Behati emerged from her quarters when she heard the noise. Your jaw dropped when you saw her. She was so tall, and her skin was so dark and beautiful. She was a living legend, right in front of you.

Then you remembered that she had seen you for that fleeting moment after you rescued Ben. You saw the recognition in her eyes - as well as some confusion at your new appearance - and you shot her a pleading look. She gave you a curt nod. She would not reveal you.

“Captain, this is Y/N,” Ari said. “We found her on the island. Apparently there was a shipwreck.”

“I see,” Behati said. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that. But we’re happy to help you.”

“She got on a lot easier than I did,” Ben joked.

“She is not a man,” she returned with a chuckle.

“Well, she can’t speak,” he explained. “But she knows sign language.”

“You know sign language?” Behati questioned, eyebrows raising.

“Yeah, my mother’s deaf,” he said again. “I was raised with it. I’m surprised you know it.”

“I meet all kinds of people, little prince,” she said. “I thought it would be useful to know. There are a few other crew members who know it as well.”

That’s a relief, you signed. 

“I bet,” she teased. “Can you imagine only being able to talk to Ben?”

“Hey!” he said with playful indignance. 

Their banter made you worry a bit. Could it be possible that Ben and the captain were already attached to each other? You were so certain that you had felt something after rescuing him, but what if it was only gratitude? What if you were doomed to Sycoria’s fate because he already loved another? 

 “Come,” Behati said. “We’ll get you some fresh clothes and some water, yeah?”

You nodded and followed her to her quarters. 

Ben watched you go, feeling an unfamiliar longing in his chest. The way your hair fell down your back and swished when you walked was mesmerizing. The way your hands moved so delicately when you signed charmed him. And your eyes were absolutely captivating. 

“How sweet,” Ari joked. “Ben’s got a crush.”

“I do not,” he returned, rolling his eyes.

Inside with Behati, she addressed the elephant in the room.

“So, last time we met, you were a mermaid,” she said. “Although, we weren’t properly introduced.”

You looked uncomfortably at the floor. She pushed some clothes into your arms, then cupped your chin to make you look at her.

“I won’t ask what made you do this, it’s not my business,” she said. “But there’s only one being I know with the power to make such a transformation….Sycoria.”

You held her gaze and nodded.

“Do you know how to find her?” she asked.

You shook your head before you signed, After she transformed me, she sent me away so fast, I was disoriented. I’m not sure how far away the island is from her lair.

“So, she’s in a lair somewhere,” Behati said. “It can’t be too far from here. What do you remember of it?”

Purple, you signed. It glows purple.

“Well, it’s a start,” she said. “Welcome aboard, Y/N. I’ll let you get dressed.”

She started to leave, but you grabbed her arm. She faced you.

Are you and Ben...together? You asked.

It was such an awkward thing. But you had to know now if you were wasting your time. She threw her head back and cackled.

“Oh, sweet sea child,” she wheezed, wiping her eyes. “The only one interested in Ben on this ship is you.”

Your brow furrowed.

“I’ve never wanted a man,” she said. “Nor will I. I have only ever loved women.”

And your crew? They’re all like you?

She nodded. “There are a few of us who enjoy men as well. But most of us don’t.”

I never thought that human attraction was as varied as the merpeople, you signed. We have many couples of varied genders.

“Humans are fascinating creatures, Y/N,” she told you. “I just hope they don’t disappoint you.”

You raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“Never mind,” she said with a shrug. “I’ll leave you to it now.”

You took her arm again. Now - a little embarrassed - you signed, I don’t know how to put them on.

She chuckled. “I’ll help you, then. No worries.”

You thanked her and she showed you how to wear everything. They were simple clothes, and she taught you the words for everything - pants, shirt, boots, et cetera. Human garments were surprisingly comfortable, but Behati explained that most human women wore dresses, underneath which were these things called corsets. They sounded horrible to you, so you were grateful to be where you were.

“And one last thing,” Behati said, grabbing a hat and placing it on your head. “Protect that pretty skin from the sun.”

You smiled again at her. 

“We’ll need to do something about that hair,” she said. “I can braid it for you if you want.”

You nodded eagerly and plopped yourself down in her chair. She laughed and took her place behind you. You had extremely long hair, and just the few moments you spent on deck showed you the wind was going to be a problem. Thankfully, Behati twisted your hair into two beautiful braids, and you were ready to join the crew.

When you stepped out, Ben and Ari were waiting. 

“How does she look?” Behati asked, twirling you.

“Great!” Ben said, enthusiastically. “Although, she looks much too sweet to be a member of a pirate crew.”

Your face flushed and you toyed with one of your braids. He felt his heart skip a beat at your display of bashfulness. He thought you were...cute. Very cute.

“I agree,” Behati said. “But luckily, it’s not permanent. Perhaps we’ll find something more suitable for her at our next stop.”

“When’s that?” Ben wondered.

“Not far from here is a harbor town called Henrietta,” she told him. “We’re going to stop there to pick up things like clothes and weapons. Plus, there’s someone there I’d like Y/N to meet.”

You shot her a quizzical look. 

“Not to worry,” she said. “Ben will go with you.”

She explained nothing else, but returned to her quarters. 

She’s so mysterious, you signed.

“She is,” he agreed. “But she’s got a big heart.”

You nodded. 

So, you began. Was your mother born deaf or did she become deaf later in life?

“She was born deaf,” he said. “Were you born mute?”

You shook your head sadly. 

“I’m sorry,” he said. 

It’s alright, you signed. It was sort of my choice. But that’s a long story. 

“Well, I’d love to hear it someday,” he said kindly.

I want to know more about you, you replied. What’s your mother’s name?

“Asenora,” he said. “My father’s name is James. They’re the king and queen.”

Tell me more.

You coaxed as much information as you could out of Ben before the crew returned from the island. It was nearly two hours of getting to know him. He told you a bit about his childhood and the way he ended up with Behati - since he was unaware you knew the story from your eavesdropping. 

“You’re a very easy person to talk to, Y/N,” Ben said. 

Probably because I’m not able to interrupt, you joked.

He chuckled. “Well, you said it.”

Not technically, you continued.

He full on laughed. “Look, the girls are coming back. But why don’t we continue this later? It’s been really lovely to have someone to chat to.”

You nodded. 

Absolutely, you signed. How can I help?

“Ari and I can show you,” he said.

He took your hand and led you over to her. As the small team returned, it was time to get ready to hoist the anchor and move again. And dinner had to be prepared. Ari showed you how to help, and you were eager to prove you could. As you helped her wind up a rope, you looked over at Ben, who was helping Behati sort the food and game they had collected on the island. He caught your eye and smiled. 

What you had felt after your rescue was still there, that much you knew. The only obstacle was getting to a place where you could explain everything to Ben. You just hoped he would believe you. But as you grinned at each other, you were as hopeful as you’d ever been.

[jaskiersvalley]

So it’s @geraskierweek and I’ve already done a story for Day 1: Soulmates but...this idea just won’t leave me alone. So have another little thing.

TITLE: Your Last Words Mar My Skin

AUTHOR/ARTIST: @jaskiersvalley

PROMPT DAY #: #1 Soulmates

SUMMARY: Soulmates only ever identified each other at the very last shared moment. Their last words were written on their other half’s skin. Jaskier was bare of any words but Geralt was absolutely littered with them.

WORD COUNT (if applicable): ~1k

BOOKS/NETFLIX/2002 SHOW/VIDEO GAME: Netflix show

TRIGGERS/WARNINGS: Non-permanent character death.

RATING: Teen and up

ADDITIONAL NOTES: A bonus ficlet about immortal Jaskier.

The last words a soulmate ever speaks to their other half is written somewhere on the body - usually on the wrist. As far as Jaskier knew, he had no words, not even hidden on his back or the crease where thigh met buttock. He figured it was fair enough, he was a little unusual, it was probably just as well he didn’t have a soulmate. Because he died at a bit of an alarming rate. Jaskier just didn’t have the common sense most people did, ran into danger, dove head first into anything that looked fun or exhilarating and was sometimes rewarded with a great tale. Other times, he died. Just a little. But he always came back. So he had a lot of last words and could never truly guess whether they would all be on a soulmate’s body or if only his very very very last words would adorn someone’s skin if he had a destined other half. But, considering his skin was clear of all words, it wasn’t something he had to worry about.

By contrast, Geralt had an existential crisis when his words faded into existence. The first sentence had him absolutely giddy with excitement, it seemed even one destined to be a Witcher could have a soulmate. Only, the words didn’t stop coming. Over the course of two weeks, it wasn’t one line that darkened on his skin. He wasn’t even an unlucky rarity with two, one on each wrist. No, his body was a canvas filled with a variety of phrases from “oh shit” to “hey come look at this” and “ooh, tasty!” All the way to much more sinister things like “Run!” and “Take me instead” as well as “I love you.”

He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of star-crossed life he was destined to lead if he had so many soulmates and they all died. While Witchers lived for unimaginable number of years, usually killed before they grew old, Geralt knew that even if he found human soulmates, he couldn’t have so many he outlived. There were over three dozen lifetimes ending on his skin. So, he did the only thing he could. Wore long sleeved, dark clothes, hid his shame, avoided all contact and relationships, fearing that any attachment would spell doom for the poor idiot who ended up as a soulmate of his.

It was all going surprisingly well until a curiously upbeat bard decided to not just approach him but accompany him. Against his best judgement, Geralt permitted it. He had been lonely, the company was welcome even if he acted like it was a burden. But Jaskier made life more pleasant, his chatter and songs a nice break from the monotony of Roach’s silence and the scream of monsters.

They were foraging for berries to garnish their rabbit with when Geralt heard some words that sounded vaguely familiar.

“Oooh, tasty!”

A moment later there was a coughing, choking gasp from the thickets Jaskier had been. It was the first time Geralt’s heart stopped out of fear. He pulled his shirt up and looked at the words on his abdomen, thick, black and clear as day, “oooh, tasty!”.

“Jaskier!” he bellowed and charged towards the bard. He got there just in time to see Jaskier wipe frothing spit from his lips and cough awkwardly.

“Maybe leave those berries out of our dish.” He nodded towards some bright red berries that looked poisonous, Geralt didn’t even had to know what they were to know that.

Still, Jaskier was alive and that was all that mattered. But some phrases kept Geralt up at night. He heard Jaskier exclaim “hey come look at this” and by the time he was there, Jaskier had a very angry bear next to him, bear cub defensively behind her. And a curious amount of blood on the ground.

Things made more sense when Geralt was called to deal with some kikimores. Jaskier was hot on his heel, merrily chattering away when the forest around them went still. They spotted the kikimore nest too late and Jaskier could only shove his lute at Geralt with a harsh “run!” before he was being dragged away, into the lair.

The fact he resurfaced a few minutes later, spluttering and indignant would have been funny if Geralt hadn’t been in the middle of avenging him. Once the immediate danger was dealt with, they could sit down, tidy up and have an open and honest conversation.

Geralt even took his shirt off, showed off all the various last sentences and Jaskier took them in with wide eyes.

“Yeah, I die a lot,” he admitted after a minute of awed silence. “Here.”

Dipping his finger in the ash of their dwindling fire, Jaskier began to cross off all the words that they had died and lived through. It became a ritual after that, whenever Jaskier died, he engaged in a complicated game of wordsearch on Geralt’s skin to find the phrase and crossed it off. Some were funny, like that time he said “I love you” while Geralt was taking a bath, slipped on some spilled water and smacked his head on the dresser. He woke up to Geralt giggling hysterically.

But others were worse, Jaskier never spoke of what happened after he said “take me instead” to some bandits and made Geralt walk away. It took him a few days to return and he was unusually silent.

One conversation was a constantly recurrent topic. Logic dictated that if Jaskier’s words were all over Geralt’s body, then they were soulmates. And yet Jaskier’s body was still as pristine as the day he was born. Geralt checked him regularly and thoroughly but no words ever showed up.

“How long to Witchers live for?” Jaskier asked as he was settled between Geralt’s legs, leaning his back to a firm chest by the glowing embers of a fire. He could feel the shrug even if no words came. “See, I think we are soulmates. I definitely want you to be mine at any rate and there’s no disputing that I’m yours. Which makes me think, I die enough for the both of us. Maybe I have no words because you just never die.”

It was something that drew a laugh from Geralt, deep and rumbling. He liked the idea but didn’t put a lot of faith into it. But he didn’t argue, after all, his track record for immortality was so far, so good. And if Jaskier was right, well, they had the rest of times to discover that.

[artsymew]

It’s raining somewhere else

It’s been a hot minute. Finally wrote the last installment for my Contestshipping fanfic “Race You to the City”. You can read it on FanFiction here or under the cut! Takes place in Castelia’s Cafe Sonata. Enjoy ^^

Context: May and Drew engage in small talk in "Café Sonata" seeking cover from the rain. Snippets of small talk. Their coffees keep going cold. Bragging rights. The rainy weather has them moody.

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.

.

"It's starting to rain."

The lights are dim in the little Café Sonata. The sudden downpour keeps them cooped up in Castelia's hidden alleyway café. The rain splatters on the concrete outside their window seats, earning Drew's comment. May grasps the now lukewarm caramel latte with both hands. Lost in thought.

"Ah!" May glances through the blinds of the window they are sitting besides, responding to Drew's comment, "looks like it is". She smiles slightly before turning her attention to the swirling foam again.

He wasn't expecting her to reply, yet he finds it odd that she hasn't started a conversation. Small talk is her thing. He watches her gaze trace the swirling bits of foam of what once was the latte art in her cup. He likes how the lighting in the café reflects on her face. A golden glow. Drew stares down at the steam coming from his own coffee; a usual dark roast – French press.

He likes the comfortable silences they share from time to time, yet this one seems too comforting. Disquieting, even. Any other time he'd admire the faraway look in her eyes; how she daydreams despite pocking fun at her for it. It's one of the things he loves about her. But the look she wears now seems too distant.

As if she is somewhere else.

"How is Max feeling about the upcoming League battles?"

He knows she is somewhere else; in her mind anyway. Hoenn. Judging from the phone conversation she had with Max last night, their home region is likely on her mind. Her brother giddily called exclaiming how he had finally won his 8th Gym Badge against Juan, a former coordinator and someone she and Ash had battled a few years ago. He planned to head home for a while before competing in the upcoming Hoenn League.

"He's really excited, following in Ash's footsteps and all", her tone comes off a bit deflated. She looks out the window, pensive. "I wish I could be there to celebrate with him."

"He misses you, you know."

She smiles half-heartedly, traces of guilt lingering as her eyes avert to the swirling foam again.

It had surprised Drew to hear that May hadn't visited her family in a while. Max playfully chastised during their call how he'll become League Champion twice fold by the next time she visits. Drew noted how May gripped her sleeve when she laughed him off.

He didn't pry for her reasonings about not visiting; he barely remembering the last time in a few years he visited his own family and had his own reasonings for that. He suspects hers have to do with the non-stop training and desperation. Desperation for a damn Ribbon Cup.

He doesn't see the glory of it anymore. He guesses it's the allure. The excitement waned quickly for him once he decided on his next contest route. Of course, it's easy for him to say now that he's attained the title of Top Coordinator and has a Ribbon Cup himself. But continuing to train and compete with his Pokemon is what drives him to get stronger, to get better. That and to compete against his rival. His rival who made that allure of winning worth it.

He figures May will come to understand that once she wins, too.

Once she gets out of this cloud of self doubt, that is.

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.

.

"Oran or Pecha?" May turns to Drew at his random question, looking at him inquisitively before he continues, "which do you prefer?"

May puts a finger to her lips and hums, pondering before deciding, "Pecha".

"Excuse me," Drew walked up to the café counter at May's surprise, pointing the barista to one of the Pecha pastries in the glass display, "this one please; with added whipped cream."

He sees May's suspicious look when he sits back down with a delicious Pecha Berry shortcake – with the added whipped cream. The rain outside continues to drawl, but some light returns to her eyes. The embers of the fireplace flicker in them. Drew smiles.

Prompting conversation has its ways.

"Felt like trying one of their pastries out," he shrugs off simply, gesturing at the two small forks on the plate "want some?"

May takes his offer with a quick thank you. "Didn't know you had a sweet tooth, Mr. Bitter Coffee", she playfully jabs while taking a bite off the cake. Her teasing lacks her usual spunk.

"Not usually, but you didn't drink your liquid sugar in one gulp today either," Drew's smirks when her eyebrow twitches, "leave some of it for me to try, will you?"

Bait.

May literally bites, her blissful expression from those first few chews turns incredulous. "You know I won't eat all of it!" she digs out another piece of the pastry, taking some of the whipped cream Drew so graciously asked for with good measure. "At least I don't take Slakoth sips from dirt-flavour coffee."

"It's an acquired taste from the sleepless nights of being a Top Coordinator" Drew takes a bite off the pastry and chuckles at her irritated chewing. To Sonata Café's credit the pastry is quite good. A bit too sweet for his own liking, though. He planned letting May have most of it anyway.

"Yeah, yeah, bragging rights" May sighs, unresentful. Their battle together last year had been breathtaking and incredibly difficult; Drew would not have wanted to win his title any other way. "Don't bragging rights expire at some point?"

"Until you win," Drew sips his coffee. He cocks a brow hearing her sigh, but decides not to push further at the moment. He goes to ask for another coffee.

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.

.

"I'll have to deal with Max bragging about his own championship title soon," May comments after a while, looking up from her notes. Another coffee in hand, this time a mocha. Drew perks at the hint of discomfort in her voice.

Ah.

"Not sure he'll win at all, though," Drew states bluntly, closing his book. The rain shutters against the pavement outside. Her reflection turns to watch him. "How many times has Ash – an experienced trainer - challenged the Pokémon League and won?"

It is a risk to critique Ash or Max in a conversation, let alone use Ash as an example of training criticism. But Drew is not one to use sweet flattery when someone is feeling down.

"But Ash continues to work hard for his dream!" she exclaims defensively, a bit miffed at her rival. The barista looks over to them, cleaning a cup. "He hasn't let his losses stop him from getting stronger."

"He still hasn't won a League," he states calmly, turning to face his now irritated companion across his table, "winning the Orange League or the Battle Towers does not count." Proceed with caution. "In short, no different from your current position."

She stabs her tiny fork at the Pecha berry. Surprisingly, the shortcake is only half gone. "Yes Drew! I know I haven't obtained the title of top coordinator yet", she munches and closes her notes. He worries about the little notebook and whether it would damage anything in the cafe if thrown. "but Max is a talented trainer; he can do it. He beat the gym leaders in Hoenn under a year. That's much faster than Ash."

"Yet he has yet to beat you in a Pokémon battle," Drew retorts.

"Why are you being so cynical?" May infuriated gaze aimed towards him, dismissing his backhanded compliment. 'A small price to pay', he thinks.

"Realistic, May" he brings his coffee to his lips, looking sternly at his rival. He's starting to feel irritated himself. The weather is affecting them both. "Max and Ash are good trainers, yes, but they've done nothing you haven't. I know because I battle the result of it."

He watches as her mouth parts agape, before she looks downward, frowning. "But I still haven't-"

"-Arceus, May," he interrupts as May's gaze widens. "Winning that damn title wouldn't have been worth it if I hadn't battled against you. You made it worth it." He looks into her eyes, unfaltering. "You're strong. Stop feeling sorry for yourself."

Drew goes to take an exasperated sip of his coffee only to realize he finished it. He presses a palm to his head and averts his gaze to the window again. Rain continues to fall even harder, shaking the Café's hanging sign almost off it's rails. The taste of bitter coffee grounds remains in his mouth. May's lips trembles in what he catches with a sideways glance. Is she about to cry? Mew.

He hadn't meant to spill his heart out like that at all. He picks up where he left off in the chapter, but can't concentrate. It's down-pouring outside. He lost his cool. They're both upset and the silence is now shredded and awkward. Great.

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All the sudden May bursts out laughing.

Tears fall from her eyes as she cackles. She has a hearty laugh that fills the room and opens up space to breathe. She wails even more when she sees his dumbfounded expression. What in the Arceus-

"Oh, Drew," she breathes while pushing away the tears from her eyes "look at us- what am I even saying? Needing you scold me like some kid, oh Mew," she exasperates through giggles and Drew can only stare at her, wide-eyed. She looks at the shortcake and laughs even harder.

"Oh no, don't tell me - you bought this freaking cake to cheer me up, didn't you?" she accuses, letting out a snort at his guilty blush. "You know me too well, Arceus-"

May's outburst of laughter is contagious, he can't help but start laughing too. What the hell. Cold coffee, half eaten cake. The bartender looking at them like a pair of lunatics. The café setting like some cheap soap opera. Bickering like children. Never being able to admit their obvious feelings. The entire situation is ridiculous.

Drew has never felt so smitten yet so lost before in his life.

They are still kids, aren't they?

He presses his hand to his face to cover his own snort. May laughs even harder, eyes twinkling. Drew finds the rain drops on the window suddenly appear interesting.

"Would you look at that!" May begins sarcastically, spunk restored. "'Top Coordinator Drew snorts when he laughs!' Where is the press?"

"Great story idea, would drive my fans wild. Empty shelves for sure."

"Here I was about to compliment your nice laugh" she flicks a Pecha berry at him, that he catches easily. She sighs contended, "You're so full of it. Guess we should finish eating your pity cake."

"Why, thank you, I've heard my laugh is quite charming," he ignores her jab, flicking his hair on purpose. She rolls her eyes at him but doesn't bothering to hide her grin. "And like I said May, I had a genuine urge to try it."

"Sure you did."

They both take up another piece, savouring the flavour. It tastes sweeter, somehow. A new comfortable silence ensues.

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"We never had this much rain in Hoenn, did we?" May asks after a while, glancing over to him.

"Probably," Drew watches how alleyway lights flicker in the puddles, "it's been a while since I've been."

He watches May look beyond the rainy view outside, a renewed focus. "I should visit them soon."

"You should," he agrees, "there should be enough time after the next contest. If you want to visit, I mean."

May hums in agreement, "that would be nice," she stares at Drew through the window, the rain fall lighter on the ground. "You're welcome anytime, you know?"

"Your dad wants to murder me with his Slaking whenever I visit," Drew deadpans, elicting another laugh from May. He doesn't give away how touched he feels and how smitten he gets whenever he makes May laugh with his comments.

A bit more time passes, both coordinators bask in silence as the downpour continues to fall. Occasional commentary. Eventually, he stands to order another coffee. Might as well wait out the rain.

She reaches over to grasp his hand on the table, squeezing it. Drew's heart jumps to his throat, he looks down to her. The smile reaches her eyes again. "Thank you, Drew."

Drew lets himself smile.

"Anytime, May."

.

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A/N: After a year, I think this is a good place to finish this fic. I felt a casual conversation at a coffee shop would suffice. I knew I wanted to write them in Café Sonata for a long time, but I wasn't sure what to do with the scenario. Going for a coffee at my local café during a rainy day inspired me. Thank you so much for your patience with this story. 😊

[coffeestainsandcashmere]

hi hi hi, please can i prompt something a lil bit angsty (because i do adore my angst). the first serious fight that theo x draco x hermione have, and maybe how they make up after? thank you.

I loved loved LOVED this prompt, and I’m sorry it took me so long to get round to it. If it’s any consolation, it’s nearly 4k words long...?

Featuring: Draco being the grandiose nobleman he was brought up to be, Theo unthinkingly going along with it, one EXTREMELY tired Hermione who is absolutely not up for surprises or grand, showy, romantic gestures, Hagrid, Fang, Firenze the centaur, and a dollop of fluff to wash the fleeting angst and misunderstandings down.

Hope you enjoy it!

___

After the longest week, with barely a moment to catch her breath, burning the candle at both ends, all Hermione wanted to do on Saturday was sleep, read up on a few more things for an upcoming Ancient Studies test, perhaps lounge in the boys’ room down in the Dungeons, and perhaps convince one of them to give her a massage. Simple, humble plans, every last one of them.  

But the universe, apparently, had other ideas, given that it had seen fit to make the busiest week of term so far culminate not in an ordinary weekend, but in Valentine’s Day.  

Wizarding and Muggle alike the world was awash with pink hearts and red roses, and Hermione wanted nothing to do with it. She never had, and she knew that both boys were unfortunately prone to grand displays of affection, and that made her anxious and snappy. She’d spent most of the previous week - in the cumulative half hour that she’d actually spent in their company - trying to hint and suggest heavily that she had no interest in grand surprises and romantic endeavours. The most romantic thing someone could do for her was respect her wishes, after all.  

Quite deliberately, she’d not made any concrete plans to see the boys that Saturday, helped by the fact that Draco had an extensive Quidditch training session scheduled and Theo had some work to catch up, but after she’d woken at her usual time anyway, and had lain there for an hour, praying for sleep that wasn’t going to return, she got up. Her mother had always said that if you can’t rest, do something productive.  

The Great Hall teemed with excitable younger years, one or two unfortunate howlers, and a plethora of Exploding Envelopes filled with glittering confetti hearts from Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, and she turned around and left before even bothering to step inside. It wasn’t that she hated the sentiments behind Valentine’s at all, but honestly, it just felt rather cheap and the thought of it all simply… exhausted her further.  

Without pausing or returning to the Tower, she made the split-second decision just to bolt out into the grounds and found herself eventually at Hagrid’s hut. He was outside chopping wood and Fang was busy sneakily lapping tea out of the bucket-sized mug that Hagrid had set on a spare stump. The enormous hound looked up suddenly as she caught him in the act, but then gave a low, baying woof of welcome.  

“‘Allo, ‘Ermione,” Hagrid said with a grunt and a little puzzled frown as he straightened from his work. “Good te see yeh. What brings yeh down ‘ere at this time o’ day?”

She shrugged. “Got any jobs I can help with?” she asked instead and he raised an eyebrow and chuckled.  

“Don’t see yeh swinging this around…” the half-giant laughed, hefting the axe that looked like it weighed five times what she did.  

“Preferably not,” she said. “Though I’m not opposed to using magic to get it done.”

“I think I’ve got a few jobs we can do together,” he said. “Fang? Let’s go see Uncle Firenze, eh?” 

They spent the day in the Forbidden Forest with the centaurs, a rare opportunity that Hermione relished, gathering wild mushrooms that only grew in the very depths of the forest and bringing them back carefully in a covered basket for the potions storeroom, among other rare ingredients. She also spent a long time walking with Firenze, the pale centaur quizzing her about the state of the wider wizarding world now, and she in turn asking him questions about the more rigorous sides of the art of divination. The three of them, four if you counted Fang snuffling about in the undergrowth, ate a packed lunch of cheese sandwiches which Hagrid drew out of his top pocket, only slightly misshapen and squashed, and afterwards Firenze showed them some rare, early-spring berries that tasted like pomegranate but had the texture of blueberries.  

At last, her physical exhaustion matched her mental tiredness, and by the time they returned to Hagrid’s hut an hour from sunset, grubby and a little sweaty, she felt fit to fall over.  

“Thank you, Hagrid,” she said, pushing a strand of her ‘witch of the wilds’ hair out of her face, only for it to spring back again. It was so big at that point that a hippogriff chick could probably have nested atop it in perfect comfort. “I needed the distraction.”

He bowed in quiet understanding. “Any time, ‘Ermione. Yeh know that.”

She blessed him silently for not asking any more, and with a nod and a final pat on Fang’s head, she turned her steps towards the castle with no more thoughts in her head than for a long soak in a bath and an early night.  

Again, the universe apparently had other ideas.  

Pacing the entrance hall like his caged namesake, she found Draco looking breathtakingly smart in a set of charcoal grey dress robes and shiny black Oxfords. When he looked up and spotted her, his face did something complicated, the final expression settling on relief, and he came over to her in two quick strides.  

“Where the hell have you been?” he barked, scowling. “Look at the state of you!”

“Out and about in the forest,” she said tersely, hackles rising at his tone. “I didn’t know I needed to report my whereabouts to you, Draco…”

“You —” he began but he broke off and took a breath. “You don’t. Of course you don’t. But I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Theo too. He’s gone to Gryffindor Tower to ask for you again. You weren’t in the library and no one has seen you all day.”

“Why?” she asked. “It’s not like we made plans…”

Draco went still at that, his cheeks first paling and then flushing.  

“Did we?” she pressed, hand on hip, now quite certain that they had not. “Oh god, Draco, don’t tell me you’ve got something dramatic planned for Valentine’s, and you haven’t told me because you wanted to surprise me?” She pinched the brow of her nose. “Please… I told you how I feel about that kind of thing…”

When he spoke again, his voice was cold, defensive, even haughty. “Actually, yes, I do. I wanted to do something nice for you today, and I’d appreciate it if you went and washed the thestral shit off your skin and the twigs from your hair, and changed into something nice. I know you know how to dress up, Granger.”

The frayed end of her metaphorical tether slithered into sight and vanished utterly, and she gasped, “You’d ‘appreciate it’, Draco? Well, you know what I’d have appreciated? Being asked!”

“I’m asking you now,” he said petulantly.  

“No you’re not!” she shrilled back at him. “You’re demanding. This is the classic, old Draco - ‘Go and change, Granger’, ‘dress up nicely, Granger’.”

Draco balked visibly but ground his jaw. “I’m sorry,” he snarled, sounding more frustrated that contrite. “But we’re going to miss our booking, and I’d really like to make it. Please… will you go and change?”

She nearly said yes. Damn her, but she nearly said yes.  

Even after the week from hell, with tutoring sessions and tests and homework and prefect’s patrols, she nearly said yes.

But this time, Hermione Granger was going to stand up for herself.  

“No, Draco, I won’t. I’m exhausted, and all I wanted from today was to relax, have a bit of time to myself, and spend the evening in the bath and then in bed. If you’d told me instead of just assuming I’d go along with whatever grand gesture you’re pulling out of your arse, then maybe I’d think differently. But you don’t just get to order me around like I’m some pureblood debutante to decorate your arm for the evening, Draco. Goodnight.”

And with that, she stormed up the stairs, leaving an astonished and fuming Draco at the bottom, his face revolving through a series of expressions and colours.  

She passed Theo on his way back down and he almost didn’t spot her as he scuttled down the staircase looking equally and devastatingly handsome as Draco had. “Hermione?” he asked, skidding to an ungainly stop and having to grab the banister to support himself as she charged past him.  

“Ask Draco,” she said over her shoulder. “But whatever it is, I’m not going. You two should go and indulge your penchant for lavish evenings on each other.”

“Fuck. I knew it,” she heard him hiss, but to his credit, he didn’t follow her either.

Hermione fumed all evening, and even the bath did nothing to calm her down. Despite her agitation, however, she did sleep soundly, the exertions of the day robbing her brain of the ability to over think itself into ever tighter and tighter circles. Sometimes she could see how far Draco had changed in what would be a year this May, but other times he defaulted to his pureblood upbringing; to the son of a nobleman, used to having people do his bidding without question. She tried to be patient, but at times like this, it irked her more than she would have thought possible.  

The fact that this was their first major falling out - sure, they’d had little misunderstandings and had snapped at each other before now - was also a major contributing factor to the free-floating stress and anxiety coursing through her. What if he never learned to ask instead of demand? Was that the kind of person she wanted to spend her life with? And Theo had been Draco’s boyfriend before he’d been hers. Would he always just go along with what Malfoy wanted? Doubts chased each other like kneazles and bats in her brain when she woke in the early dawn, until she thought she might go mad.  

Malfoy really had been a wonderful boyfriend so far, but he was undeniably prone to bouts of showy, melodramatic romanticism. Her mind conjured images of the diamond necklace he’d gifted her for Yule, and the staggeringly expensive watch he’d gifted Theo, and she struggled to brush them away. He’d come a long way, and he’d changed a lot, but some things took their time, and she doubted whether other things would ever change.

When she stepped out of the Fat Lady’s portrait the next morning, she ground to a halt and almost walked straight back into the tower before the portrait could swing shut. She didn’t, however. She held her ground and stared at Draco who was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, looking like he’d been there all night. The charcoal grey robes were the same, if dishevelled, the shirt open at the collar. Merlin, he really had been camped out there all night.  

He levered himself to his feet and stared at her sheepishly. “I’m sorry,” he blurted before she could open her mouth. “Hermione, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t listening to you at all, and I should have asked, and I never should have just… presumed like that. I’m so sorry, Hermione.”

She stared at him. “So you know why I’m angry.”

“I didn’t ask,” he said immediately. “And I didn’t respect you. I knew that what I was doing wasn’t the right way to treat you, to show you… but I wilfully ignored that and went ahead with it anyway. I was a giant ass and I’m sorry I hurt you.”

His handsome face looked ashen and wan, his eyes pink behind the silver of his irises. He also carried the sleepless smudges of a night spent in a draughty corridor beneath his eyes.  

Looking around, she asked, “Where’s Theo?”

“Hiding,” Draco said bashfully. “And brooding. It’s awful. Sitting here on the floor all night was actually preferable to being around him.”

Fighting a smirk at his humour, she asked, “Did the two of you go last night?” Wherever it was they’d planned to take her.  

Draco’s brows dipped into a deep scowl. “Without you? Of course not.”

At that, she did twitch her lips. “Go and change out of last night’s robes, Draco,” she said gently, well aware that that was one of the things Draco had said to her, sparking the argument off in the first place. “And take a shower while you’re at it.”  

“Hermione —” he began, taking an aborted step towards her, but he swallowed thickly and nodded. “I’ve said what I wanted to say,” he added dejectedly, and turned away to walk down the corridor with his head held in a distinctly un-Malfoy bow.  

Before he’d gone two steps, she reached out and latched her fingers around his wrist. “I’ll see you in the Great Hall in a bit for some breakfast, ok?”

With eyes wide and achingly vulnerable, Draco tried out a little smile on his worried lips. It didn’t stick, but at least it had been there. “Ok. Thank you.”

She rolled her eyes as he walked off, hands in his pockets. “Such drama,” she said as she turned to find the Fat Lady watching their exchange with avid interest.  

The Fat Lady popped another chocolate into her mouth as if it were cinema popcorn, and giggled. “Young love,” she crooned. “I’ll enjoy telling Violet all about this later on! You mark my words. You know,” the portrait added thoughtfully as Hermione started to walk away too, and the witch halted immediately.  

“Know what?” she asked, warily.  

After another chocolate and a quick giggle, the Fat Lady said, “He tried every trick he could think of to get me to let him in. I know very well who he is to you, but I very nearly had to leave my painting in frustration. He kept it up until at least two in the morning.”

“When Draco sets his sights on something, he’s very difficult to dissuade,” Hermione agreed. “Thank you for not letting him in. I wouldn’t have welcomed his presence last night. I was still too angry with him.”

The Fat Lady looked horrified and said, “As if I’d let someone in that wasn’t supposed to be here!”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Hermione said. “But thank you all the same.”

With a soft ‘harrumph’ around another praline, the Fat Lady nodded.  

Theo was already in the hall when she entered, and she spotted him almost immediately. He was stirring his ceramic tankard of coffee listlessly with his spoon and staring into it like it held the secrets of the universe.  

“Drama queens, the both of you,” she muttered fondly to herself under her breath. Ignoring the Gryffindor table, she turned her steps towards the Slytherin one.  

Her presence there was now not such a surprise that most people ignored her approach without comment, effectively giving her the chance to sneak up on the lone Slytherin, sliding into the space on his right before he’d even realised she was there.  

“Morning,” she said in a low voice, and he nearly jumped out of his skin. The spoon clattered against the mug and coffee slopped over the sides as his fingers released it unbidden.  

“Hermione,” he breathed.  

His whole face was a question, and she laughed. “Yes, I’ve spoken to Draco, and yes, he’s still got his pretty face and both his bollocks.”

“What about his cock?” Theo joked reflexively, nervously.  

“You’ll have to find out later, won’t you?” she deadpanned without looking at him, reaching out to pour herself a mug of tea from a nearby pot.  

After a pause, in which Theo vanished the spilled coffee that had pooled around the base of his own mug, he asked, “So… how badly did we fuck up yesterday?”

She took a sip of her tea and added a splash more milk before responding. “Not going to lie, I was really annoyed with both of you for just assuming I’d be ok with being whisked off to wherever without a moment’s warning. I hate surprises, and you both know it.”

“Yeah…” Theo admitted.  

“So what were you thinking?” she almost shrilled. “That it’d be different if it came from you? That I’ll magically stop hating surprises just because they’re from you two?”

Theo half-shrugged, half-twitched, and said, “Kind of… Look, Hermione, I’m not trying to excuse us - we didn’t listen to you, and that’s the bottom line - but…” he broke off and ground his jaw for a moment.

“Just spit it out, Theo,” she said, turning and resting her elbow on the table to regard him properly.  

“We were raised in a different world from you, ok? From most witches and wizards actually. Purebloods like us are expected to behave in certain… coded ways with the women we’re… courting.”

“‘Courting’?” she snorted, unable to help herself.  

Adopting a sycophantic, over the top manner, he gestured and said, “Wooing, of whom we are seeking the favour, ingratiating ourselves… making our intentions known…”

“Shut up, you pompous prick,” she laughed and his face cracked into a tentative smile.  

He was clearly relieved to find laughter in her reaction, not anger. “So…” he continued in a more normal tone, returning his hands to the table and running his thumbnail along the grain in the wood, eyes downcast. “So… there are certain behaviours we kind of default to, and… honestly, there are certain behaviours that the women in our circles also expect of us. Big, showy, romantic gestures being one of them. You should consider yourself lucky you didn’t wake up to a room full of messenger owls all hooting imperiously and bearing enormous bunches of the rarest roses on earth or something…”

“I suppose I should,” she said, beginning to see it now from their point of view.  

“A pureblood wizard is expected to show that he can take care of the witch he intends to —” he cut off and swallowed, freckles briefly disappearing behind a rising flush. “—to court. That there’s nothing on earth he couldn't provide for her at the drop of a hat. I think we just… we just wanted to show you that we’re serious, but… we may have underestimated the calibre of the witch we’re dealing with here…”

“Maybe just a little bit,” she said dryly, and then sighed. “Did Draco really spend all night outside Gryffindor Tower?”

“Yup.”

“Big, showy, romantic gestures, huh?” she said, plucking a croissant off a nearby platter and tearing one end off. “I’m half expecting him to come in here with a single white rose in his hand,” she scoffed, looking up to find that Theo eyes were now fixed on a point just behind her. Draco had apparently arrived then.  

She saw his pale hand reaching down to the table out of the corner of her eye and when he picked up a silver spoon, she closed her eyes and laughed softly to herself. A tingle of magic nearby told her what he was doing, and sure enough, when she turned around to look up at him from her seat, Draco stood there with a single, transfigured white rose in his right hand.  

“Unbelievable,” she said, rolling her eyes again.  

Silently, Draco held it out to her and she took it. It smelled like summer evenings and she exhaled.  

“Apology accepted, Draco,” she said, glancing around. “Now sit down. You’re causing a scene.”

He slid onto the bench on her right and stared at the empty plate in front of him for a moment, hands resting elegantly on either side of it.  

She reached out and placed her palm over his, feeling the slight twitch beneath as their skin made contact. Hermione squeezed his long fingers until he looked up at her, his eyes shining and his face wracked with a complex mixture of emotions that she had no hope of deciphering.  

“Theo and I talked,” she said. “And he may have pointed out to me a certain ‘difference in upbringing’ that went some way towards explaining why you went to the lengths you did yesterday.”

“I still —” Draco began but she cut him off.  

“We’ve established already that you could have opened your lugholes a little sooner, but I feel like we’ve also moved on from that. It came from a place of love and good intention, and as such, I’d like to propose a compromise.”

At that, Theo and Draco both gave her their absolute and undivided attention and curiosity.  

Stifling a smirk, she said, “I don’t know what it is you had planned for yesterday, and frankly at this point, I don’t ever want to know. But how about we go into Hogsmeade next weekend and have dinner together. I’ll know it’s coming and what to expect, and you two can argue over who foots the bill if you want to make it a romantic gesture. Or we can split it three ways.”

“Absolutely not,” Draco said instantly and something hot flared inside her at that. “I meant splitting the payment three ways,” he added bashfully, seeing where her mind had gone instead.  

At that, the tension shattered and she tipped her head back and laughed, gripping his hand for support as she leaned almost perilously far back. Theo put his hand between her shoulder blades just in case, and half the Slytherin table began to stare at them.  

Theo leaned in close and said in her ear, “You’re causing a scene, dear Hermione.”

She squeezed Draco’s hand and let out a long, slow sigh as the laughter faded. “What am I going to do with you two?” she said, shaking her head.  

“Be patient…?” Draco all but begged, mumbling into his coffee. Where Theo took his black, Draco piled cream and sugar into his until it was barely recognisable as coffee in the first place. She smirked fondly to herself as she contemplated his ridiculously sweet tooth, and wondered if, with his penchant for apples, he also liked sour sweets. Perhaps she’d get Harry to owl her some Haribo to try out on him.  

“Hermione?” he asked, looking up at her. His skin was so pale it was like marble in the soft light of the Great Hall, and he looked eerily like the statue of a saint at a shrine in that moment, all hope and tentative expectation.  

For her answer, Hermione slid her left hand into Theo’s, and then reached up and took Draco’s chin in her right hand, turning him by his sharp and now-just-perfectly-pointed chin. His eyes were wide, gleaming, silver mirrors, fixed unyieldingly on her own.  

Hermione held him there between thumb and forefinger, and as she pressed a searing kiss against his pale lips, she felt Theo’s grip tighten on her left hand.

___

If you enjoyed, please reblog and share! I’m new to the fandom on here and appreciate all the help I can get!

___

writing masterlist | Ao3

[leisurelypanda]

Fantasy AU where Steve's a virginal omega who's chosen to be sacrificed to a fearsome dragon, in the hopes that his kingdom will be spared from its wrath. Even as his blood runs cold at the sight of the beast, a nightmarish thing of red and black descending upon the rock he's chained to, he keeps his head held high, choosing to face this unfair death with courage. But everyone is shocked when the dragon instead breaks the chains and carries Steve off to the distant northern mountains (1/2)

(2/2) Once they reach the beast's lair, Steve finds himself gently laid down in a pile of furs, watching in shock and confusion as the dragon slowly transforms into a naked human alpha named Thor. His movements slow and gentle, Thor kneels before Steve and pledges to be his mate, body and soul. As the weeks pass, Steve gets used to his new living situation and slowly starts to fall in love with this strange alpha, feeling warmer and more protected and loved then he can ever remember.

Okay, I love this concept, I'm weak for turning this "dragon capturing a maiden" trope on its head like this. Also, this sounds like my kind of monster fucking fic and I kinda want to write it. I kinda hate and love you for putting this idea in my head because I love it so much!

Once upon a time, Steve was wandering in the mountains. A dangerous pastime for a young boy, but his mother was the town's apothecary, and that meant Steve had to learn where to find medicinal herbs, roots, and berries. It's not exactly the most glamorous job in the world, but he enjoys it.

One day, he was looking for herbs to stock up for the winter. Every year was the same, of course. People got sick in the winter and his mother would make them medicines. There were rumors that she was a witch, but that didn't keep people from coming to her when they were sick.

On that particular day, Steve went further up the mountain than usual. He was older, nearly 12 years old. His mother said he could handle it, but to be careful. Strange things sometimes lived in the mountains and the forest that covered them. Steve heeded her words, even if he wasn't sure what exactly she was talking about. He had a bow and a quiver of arrows to protect himself and to hunt for food, should the opportunity arise. He was small and weak, but if he had the chance to shoot rabbits or fowl, he could take it.

He heard rustling in a bush and took out his bow. His pack was full, but if he could bring food home, that might be worth just as much as the herbs. When he emerged from the bush, though, what he found wasn't a rabbit or a bird, but a small, strange lizard fighting a fox. The lizard was striking; red and black swirling over its body. Steve had never seen one like it before.

Between them was the carcass of a pheasant that the lizard seemed to defending rather desperately. Without thinking, Steve drew his bow and shot an arrow into the fox's chest. The lizard squawked in shock, and growled at it caught Steve's gaze. Steve held up his hands as he approached to collect the body and his arrow. A fox wasn't good for meat, but the pelt could be used to make something warm or sold to the tanner in town so he could make use of it.

The lizard scented his hand and Steve tried his best to stay calm. It was said that an omega's scent could calm even wild animals. How much of that was true or old wives' tales, Steve had no idea, but it was worth a shot. The lizard calmed, picked up the pheasant in its jaws, and ran off faster than Steve could blink. Regardless, he bent down to pull the arrow out of the fox and put the carcass in an empty sack.

The fox made a warm hat that lasted many years. Steve never saw the lizard again, though. Two years after he found it, he went into his first heat. It was the talk of the town for more than a year afterwards. Many families made offers, especially the rich ones who thought that having a male omega would be a novel idea. Steve turned them all down. The last thing he needed was for some noble prick to take him from his work.

In time, rumors began circulating that he, too, was a witch. It didn't matter if Steve had never actually done anything more than heal the sick and turn down offers of marriage from wealthy families. It didn't even matter that his mother had, in fact, taught him actual magic in addition to his healing arts. He kept it secret and didn't practice anything where others might intrude.

Then, ten years after he met the strange lizard, his mother died. It wasn't unexpected. Her health had been failing her for years before it finally claimed her. Steve wept bitterly at the funeral. Many people turned out, but few offered comfort to Steve. His friends in the town were few, indeed, and none of them could fill the gaping hole her death left in his life.

Only months later, the dragon appeared.

The kingdom was in an uproar. Every effort to drive the beast away had been met with disaster. An army had been ravaged, fields burned, and towns pillaged. The entire town was in a state over the news. There was talk of preparing a sacrifice in the event that the dragon appeared in their region.

Steve scoffed at such talk. What kind of dragon would be placated with an omega virgin? Many of the men who made such suggestions were becoming eager to marry off their omega offspring in the hopes that someone else's child would be chosen to be offered. Steve didn't think it would really happen.

Until it did.

The powerful families of the town were increasingly anxious. Many of them were still offended that Steve had refused all offers of marriage. As the dragon entered their region, the rumors of his being a witch became louder. People stopped coming to his shop for remedies, they slammed doors in his face, some refused to do business with him. A few days after Steve consumed the last of his food, soldiers approached his door. The city council had agreed to offer him up to the dragon. Weak with hunger, Steve went willingly.

The next day he was taken out to the battlements. He was chained to the ground as the dragon approached. Steve gasped, his blood went cold at the sight. The dragon was huge! It was nearly as big as the fortress itself. The scales gleamed crimson red with black swirls, like a sunset with teeth that could set the entire town ablaze.

The head of the council shook violently as he read their declaration of offering Steve to the dragon. Steve took a deep breath and shook as the dragon sniffed him. Then, the dragon extended a huge, clawed paw and snapped the chains like they were nothing more than twigs. The dragon took Steve in its hand and flew away. Steve didn't even have the sense to scream as he watchd his town fade into the distance.

The dragon flew for what seemed like hours until it arrived in a part of the mountains Steve had never seen or heard of before. The mountains were tall and huge and covered with snow. Then, the dragon began to descend and walked into the mouth of an enormous cavern. It was decorated with lavish furs, torches, and rich furnishings. The dragon set Steve down on a pile of furs when it began to shine. A moment later, a large, very naked man stood before Steve. What's more, the man smelled very strongly of alpha. Steve had never scented one more potent. His blond hair went past his shoulders and his chest, arms, and legs were all covered in tattoos of the same red and black swirls as the dragon. Steve swallowed and backed away as the man approached.

"Well met, little one," the man---dragon--- said.

"Do I... know you?" Steve asked.

"Of course," the dragon said with a smile. "You saved me from the fox when I was a starving babe."

Steve's eyes went so wide he was surprised they didn't fall out. "That was you?!? How?"

"Dragons grow quickly when magic and food is plentiful," the dragon replied. He knelt in front of Steve. "I have been searching for you."

Steve blinked. "Why?"

"Your scent has remained with me night and day these past 15 years," the dragon said. "I have bided my time until I could return to you."

"But why me? And why did you cause so much destruction?" Steve asked.

"I did nothing that was not in self-defense," the dragon replied. "I attempted to reason with them, but they refused to listen. Knights preferred the prospect of becoming famous heroes than to help a dragon find the man he loves."

Steve blinked again. "The man you love?"

"Yes, little one," the dragon said. "I am Thor, the king of dragons, and I have searched these many months to find you. I will pledge my eternal love, service, and devotion to you, my sweet, if you will have me."

Steve reeled. He couldn't deny the attraction he felt for the still very large man, but no one had ever declared their love for him, at least, not in a way that he found convincing. Thor, though, seemed sincere.

"I didn't know the dragons had a king," Steve said. Thor smiled.

"We do, and I am he," Thor said. "I would have you be my queen, if you consent."

"And if I don't?" Steve asked.

"Then, with sorrow, I will return you to your home, or you may reside here to find another you deem worthy, or you may name the place and I will take you there and never return," Thor said. "You are free to do as you wish."

Steve considered this for a moment. His home had willingly turned him over, expecting him to be eaten. A dragon, and a king at that, had emerged as a suitor for his hand, who also happened to be the strange creature Steve had saved as a boy. It was a strange turn of events, to be sure.

He looked around the cavern. It was a surprisingly warm place for a home so high up in the mountains. The air smelled of jasmine and ginger, too, not like a den for a wild animal. Human kings and lords lived in less splendid conditions. Still, that wasn't a reason to accept such an offer.

"May I have time to consider?" Steve asked.

"Indeed you may," Thor said. "Take as much time as you require. I only have one thing to ask."

"Yes?" Steve asked.

"May I court you, in the way humans court a mate? I suspect that you would find the way dragons court a mate to be less appealing," Thor said. Steve smiled.

"I think I would like that," he said. Thor smiled, his teeth gleaming and sharp. The look made him appear wild, but also charming, in a way. He also looked excited, in a way that made Steve shiver with anticipation.

"Thank you, little one," Thor said. He bent to kiss Steve's hand, and despite the chaste gesture, Steve blushed furiously. Thor made a sound that was similar to purring, but deeper. The sound made Steve shiver again. "I promise you will enjoy your stay among us."

[funhaversclub]

HELLO HELLO! long time no see :)

I was going to post about all the new information we got from the Pokemon Sword and Shield expansion video but that's already been done. Instead I've decided to post about something much more dear to my heart. The teaser of the Galarian Slowbro and Slowking! BUT Not only that! This post evolved into basically an appreciation of my favorite Pokemon family. I know some of you may not think Shellder and Cloyster belong in this family but technically Slowpoke couldn’t grow without them. On that note let's get into it.

GALARIAN SLOWKING!

The first Pokemon addressed above is the Galarian Slowking... or Slowqueen?... Based on the information we were shown I think what happens to this iteration of Slowking is the Shellder crown, instead of just sitting on Slowpoke's head, swallows the head almost completely. You can see this in what looks like the Shellder Shell's eye in the left side of the scribbled out head. In doing this the Shellder becomes the pilot in this symbiotic relationship. Not only that but the Poison of Shellder seeps through Slowpoke's body even more than in the original Slowking making this version a Poison/Psychic type! I designed the shell to resemble Cloyster's spikes more than the original look. Another neat aspect could be seeing the powerful Poison/Physic energy flowing through causing a smoky aura to leak out through cracks in the crown as pictured below. As for how it evolves I'm not really sure. Maybe instead of a King's Rock it could be the Queen's Ore that you find in the Crown Tundra!

Some people seem to think Slowking could be a ghost or dark type this time around. With the Shellder possibly breaking, maybe the spirit inhabits or possesses Slowking? I like the idea of the crown breaking so I sketched this up!

GALARIAN SLOWBRO!

Secondly we have the Galarian Slowbro. The first thing to mention about the information we've been given is that this iteration of Slowbro has no Shellder on it's tail! This is odd because originally it was said that in order for Slowbro to even stand it needed the counterweight of the Shellder to lift it. I figured that meant this time around Slowbro is stronger on it's own. Hence the flex pose I gave it :) In the bottom left of the leaked imagery above we even see what looks like Slowpoke possibly learning to stand by itself? We also see a sketch of the Slowpoke fishing so where does the Shellder go? In that leak image, top left, it looks like the tail is possibly flinging the Shellder up. This, combined with the Pokemon website talking about Galarian Slowpoke's body changing through seeds it eats might mean that the Shellder doesn't hold on the same way? Maybe the tail has become bitter and Shellder no longer likes the taste? So Possibly when Shellder is "reeled" in it releases itself BUT lands on the Slowpoke's head instead of staying on the tail. This theory comes from another small glimpse we get in the teaser. A small image of Slowbro's purple head. We don't see Slowbro's ears so I took it upon myself to unwind them. Along with that, I took the purple forehead as more of the Shellder shell than just color. We do also see an image of the trainer Avery with what looks like a royal looking Slowbro complete with a tiny hat/shell and a frilly garment BUUUUT I kind of feel like this is an artsy picture of a Slowpoke dressed up. I could be wrong though so I added the features in the image below. Anyways, with the Shellder on it's head instead of tail, it doesn't change shape the same way. With no delicious tail to munch on the Shellder finds no reason to "evolve" itself. The Shellder's poison begins to seep through Slowbro but not in the same way as Slowking. It pushes poison through Slowbro's body giving him strength to stand as well as making it's hands and tail a purple color. I think this version of Slowbro would also be Psychic/Poison. Who knows how it will evolve. Possibly fishing the same way Slowbro’s lore has always been but as for in game it could be an item or it could be leveling up. We will have to find out in the Isle of Armor.

I don’t really think the frilled chested Slowbro is going to be part of the evolution but some people seem to think it could because of a new Galarian Shellder. I’ll admit when I first saw the image I thought maybe it could be something but the fabric around the neck made me think it was just clothes of some sort. That plus are they really going to also add a Shellder regional variant on top of the three new Slows? BUT for the sake of artistic fun I thought what if a Galarian Shellder had parts that looked like a neck tie? and I’m pretty sure a frilled clam shell is a thing…  So I whipped up the pearl cheeked, smooched lipped Galarian Shellder you see below! I realize that this type of shell is basically what Clampearl is based on and it very well could just be that that helps the evolution. Really, it could be a number of older gen sea dwellers that could contribute. Only time will tell.  

There’s a theory floating around that’s pretty interesting. The same way that I made Galar Slowbro have a Shellder helmet because we can’t see the top of it’s head in the teaser, people are saying because we can’t see it’s left hand maybe something happens to it? One of those somethings could be that Slowpoke fishes out a Shellder with it’s hand instead of it’s tail. This could result in some sort of powerful shell fist? or a rocket arm shell? who knows? When I was drawing this it reminded me of a arm cannon so I added the same “smoke/aura” I used on my Galarian Slowking (or Queen?) 

I’m REALLY hoping on top of all the cool new Slow-ness we also get Gigantamax forms of both these majestic beasts! Maybe something like a Slowpoke surrounded by a giant Shellder coral reef? Maybe because the Corsola of Galar are dying it could look like dying angry coral reef? Here’s a sketch up of the idea I had.

...Well that's about all I have to say about our new Galar Slow family. Seeing as how this has become a Slow Family appreciation post I'll continue with the odd looking Shellders.

Johto Shellder & Johto Cloysters!

Using very old concept art for variations on the Shellder shells attached to Slowbro's tail, I came up with the art for this Shellder trio. Not to mention in the Beta for Pokemon Gold and Silver it was revealed that this Shellder was going to be a stand alone Pokemon! Because of that Beta I'll be referring to them as Johto Shellder and Johto Cloysters.

It's said that when Shellder attaches to Slowpoke not only does it's shape change to become more defensive but also to get as much flavor out of the tail as possible. I thought a neat way to acquire this Johto Shellder would be to "evolve" a Slowbro at a high level holding an item and an open slot in your party I was thinking you could give Slowbro some sort of berry that fills up a Pokemon for a very long time with a single bite. Leveling up a Slowbro holding this berry causes an abundance of nutrients to flow to the Johto Shellder. Being full, it lets go of the tail but retains its form. This leaves the trainer with a Slowpoke in the empty slot and a brand new Johto Shellder in it's place! From Here I figured you could evolve the Johto Shellder in two ways. A higher defense stat would result in the small but thick Johto Cloyster and with a higher attack stat it would evolve into the soft but super spiky Johto Cloyster! woo! I Haven't really decided the typing of these Pokemon yet. 

The Johto Shellders I drew originally came from an older project I was working on. If you want to check out "Capsule Monsters 0 & 1" you can follow this link:

https://funhaversclub.tumblr.com/post/49391556862/just-like-before-with-every-picture-ive-added

Finally we have this Slowpoke with it’s little white belly exposed. This was a sprite used in the Japanese version of Pokemon Gold and Silver before being changed when it was released everywhere else. I thought this could be seen as a rarer type of Slowpoke that is VERY hard to find BUT has much higher stats. Kind of like a unique shiny. That OR it could be the Slowpoke that you get after evolving a Johto Shellder. 

Speaking of Shiny. This entire family of Slows and Shells have some unique shiny forms. We have yet to see Galarian evos Shinys but maybe I'll update this post with an interpretations of what I think they could look like later? for now here are all the shiny versions we currently have!

Since the Galarian Slowpoke has been implemented into Pokemon Sword and Shield we know what the Shiny Galarian Slowpoke looks like. Based on that, I’ve “Shiny-fied” my predictions of the Galarian Slowbro and Slowking.

I can’t wait to see what these guys actually turn out to look like! :)

I've taken some artistic liberties above but for a complete fan fic Slowbro evolution check out this idea on what other shells Slowbro could acquire:

https://funhaversclub.tumblr.com/post/115033630741/a-new-pokemon-fan-trend-going-around-its-drawing

Welp thank you for coming to my Slow Family ted talk. I'll leave you with a picture of a Slowpoke I found down by the beach near my house :) What a cutie.

[tabloidtoc]

National Enquirer, October 12

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Queen Elizabeth’s 73-year sham marriage to Prince Philip collapses

Page 2: Kanye West is in top-secret talks to launch his own TV network and is crowing it will be bigger than the Kardashians -- he wants it to reflect his lofty vision of what the world should be and to provide a spiritual awakening for the masses but he doesn’t realize there aren’t a lot of people who want to spend hours a day listening to him rant about how the world would be a better place if he was in charge -- meanwhile Kim Kardashian is at the end of her rope again 

Page 3: Furious Angelina Jolie is tearing into Brad Pitt’s new girlfriend Nicole Poturalski blasting her as a scheming psycho and as a borderline stalker who is dating Brad just to get famous and it’s going to end in disaster for the whole family not just him so she’s already told Brad to keep Nicole away from their kids and she’s looking to make this part of their ongoing legal case 

Page 4: Newly single Kelly Clarkson has enlisted fellow country star Maren Morris to help her find a new man -- Maren advised Kelly to use her talk show to connect with men she admires but Kelly may have taken her advice a little too literally when she had her crush Keanu Reeves on the show and was drooling all over him though she knows it’s probably wishful thinking 

Page 5: Ellen DeGeneres kicked off her new season by publicly apologizing for allegations of misconduct on her talk show but body language experts blasted her remarks as tone deaf and missing the mark totally 

Page 6: Jimmy Fallon’s wife Nancy Juvonen is furious over the time he spends nurturing his bond with close pal Kathie Lee Gifford -- Jimmy loves to reminisce about the old days at NBC with the former Today yakker especially during today’s challenging times and he worships her and he’s the only late-night host who treats Kathie Lee like an A-lister but Nancy can’t stand Kathie Lee’s constant self-obsessed talk and considers her a squeaky third wheel 

Page 7: Cher keeps trying to turn back time with plastic surgery but the results have been disastrous and although she insists her most recent work is a facelift her kisser is frozen and packed with Botox and fillers and lip injections -- she also appears to have had a nose job and a face and neck lift to achieve a smooth jawline and neck and the results have left Cher barely able to move her face and even made it difficult for her to speak let alone sing, disgraced chef Paula Deen had emergency eye surgery this summer in a desperate bid to save her sight -- Paula had been suffering from declining vision for months and was shocked when doctors told her the cornea was dying and going under the knife was necessary to save her sight 

Page 10: Hot Shots -- Tiger Woods took a brief break during practice, Leighton Meester caught some waves in Malibu, Kristen Taekman in a New York Jets bikini, Dolph Lundgren doffed his mask after leaving a lunch date in Beverly Hills, Dominic Cooper took his electric bike for a spin in London 

Page 11: Cash-strapped Tori Spelling and husband Dean McDermott are back in couples therapy and on the verge of filing for bankruptcy -- they’re in counseling for the same old stuff which is their constant fighting and spending money and work that isn’t happening -- the parents of five were hit with tax liens totaling nearly $1 million and were also sued by American Express over an unpaid credit card bill of almost $90,000 which Tori asked her mother Candy Spelling who is worth about $600 million to pay but Candy refused and after Candy revealed her plans to leave her fortune to animal charities Tori and Dean may file for bankruptcy because they both love to spend, Bravo bigwigs are hoping hotel heiress Kathy Hilton will fill the vacancy left by Denise Richards and Teddi Mellencamp on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and producers are trying to keep ratings high by getting veteran Kyle Richards to recruit sister and former castmate Kim Richards and half sister Kathy -- Kathy is said to be high on producers’ wish list because of her wit and humor and is also considered old-school Beverly Hills and show brass want her to bring a certain glamour and sophistication to the show 

Page 12: Straight Shuter -- Demi Lovato at a NYC screening party (picture), when the ball drops on New Year’s Eve in Times Square Anderson Cooper won’t be there because he would rather be at home with his baby boy, The Bachelor has cut all ties with Colton Underwood after his ex Cassie Randolph got a temporary restraining order against him, Teresa Giudice plans to move to NYC after listing her New Jersey mansion but she still wants to keep her job on The Real Housewives of New Jersey and to get around that Teresa hopes to pretend she’s moved into her brother Joe Gorga’s home in Jersey 

Page 13: John Legend revealed couples therapy helps strengthen his marriage to Chrissy Teigen and said they keep their romance going strong by communicating and being considerate and listening, Jackie Stallone was more than just Sylvester Stallone’s mom -- she was also one of the world top astrologers and psychics who predicted the fall of the Berlin Wall and Kanye West’s presidential run 

Page 14: Crime -- convicted Melrose Place killer Amy Locane is in lockup again for a fatal 2010 drunk-driving smashup that took one life and nearly took another after a New Jersey Superior Court Judge said she got off too easy by serving two years behind bars and sentenced Amy to eight more years in state prison 

Page 15: The gruesome house of horrors where Drew Carey’s ex-fiancee Amie Harwick brutally met her untimely end is on the market for $1.5 million and her family can’t wait to get rid of it, Shannen Doherty is in pretty good spirits amid her ongoing battle with stage 4 breast cancer according to her former Beverly Hills 90210 co-star Jason Priestley

Page 16: Cover Story -- After decades of turning a blind eye to her husband’s cheating Queen Elizabeth’s 72-year marriage has shockingly collapsed and Prince Philip is now banished to a remote cottage far away from the monarch -- despite royal courtiers painting a rosy picture of the couple quarantining together at Windsor Castle since March the truth is their marriage has been a sham for decades and they’ve been living separate lives for over 50 years and all this forced togetherness was simply too much for them -- Philip has been cheating on Elizabeth since before they were married and has several love children; he has rumored to have had flings with actress Helene Cordet and Daphne du Maurier and Pat Kirkwood and Jane Russell and Merle Oberon and Zsa Zsa Gabor and Princess Alexandria and Sacha Duchess of Abercorn and most recently Lady Penny Romsey -- there will be no divorce and they will just quietly continue their separate lives to the end of their days but the queen never wants to see Philip again 

Page 18: Larry King’s estranged wife Shawn Southwick is demanding $33,000 a month in spousal support because she claims she gave up her music and TV career to marry the frail talk show host and then raise their sons Chance and Cannon, Hollywood Hookups -- Halle Berry and Van Hunt dating, 90 Day Fiance stars Ashley Martson and Jay Smith split for good, Justin Duggar dating Claire Spivey 

Page 19: Tom Cruise is set to shoot the first major movie in outer space and he’s headed to the International Space Station in October 2021 with director Doug Liman -- the two and possibly one additional actor will hitch a ride aboard Elon Musk’s SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule to film the unnamed project, the IV needle allegedly used to administer the fatal dose of propofol to Michael Jackson on June 25 of 2009 is up for auction by the estate of the late singer’s father Joe and the chilling item used by Michael’s physician Dr. Conrad Murray is reportedly still stained with Michael’s blood -- it was submitted to the auction by Michael’s cousin Marsha Stewart who says she took it from Michael’s bedroom days after he died, Sharon Stone has pressed her lips on a long list of Hollywood hunks but picked Robert De Niro as far and away the best kisser but rated her other leading men as kind of like meh 

Page 20: Stars Playing Stars -- how they did it -- Muhammad Ali and Will Smith, Frida Kahlo and Salma Hayek, Ray Charles and Jamie Foxx 

Page 21: Marilyn Monroe and Michelle Williams, Queen Elizabeth and Helen Mirren, Billie Holiday and Diana Ross, Bob Dylan and Cate Blanchett 

Page 22: An adopted son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen has charged it was his mother not his father who was the monster in the family -- Moses Farrow says Woody did not molest adopted daughter Dylan Farrow in 1992 and that he can no longer stay silent as Woody continues to be condemned for a crime he did not commit 

Page 26: Less than nine months after Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash a vicious feud has ripped the family apart -- the row erupted between his widow Vanessa Bryant and her mother Sofia Laine after Sofia went on TV to publicly accuse her daughter of tossing her out of the family home -- Vanessa feels she’s already given her mom so much and then she heard through the grapevine that Sofia complained she should have more -- it does seem cold that Vanessa would take such action against her mother but she’s ready to take on anyone using her husband and child’s deaths as a selfish cash grab and that includes Sofia 

Page 27: Danny Masterson’s rape trial is looming and the Church of Scientology is doing everything in its power to back the scandal-scarred actor -- the church’s leaders have assigned their top lawyers to aid Danny who is a prominent member of the religion and the lawyers are scouring every law on the books to get the case thrown out or get him acquitted -- the church has previously been accused of trying to get the other side’s defenses dismissed or judges thrown off cases and using all manner of tactics to delay due process 

Page 28: American Life -- Bighearted ex-billionaire Chuck Feeney has spent 38 years giving away nearly all of his vast fortune and the generous do-gooder said he wouldn’t have had it any other way 

Page 29: Famed stoner Willie Nelson can’t stop sampling his own marijuana products and now friends fear the 87-year-old music legend is smoking himself to death -- Willie’s a believer in the powers of cannabis and promotes it passionately but years of smoking has done a number on his lungs and he can barely breathe at times, Julia Duffy has been keeping close a tragic heartache for more than a year -- her only son Danny Lacy committed suicide at age 29 after years of suffering from mental health issues 

Page 34: Comic Kathy Griffin has seen her popularity plummet in recent years and it’s played a role in her plans to sell her sprawling Bel Air estate -- Kathy has burned a lot of bridges and concerts and TV appearances have dried up because of her many industry conflicts so she’s trying to unload her massive manor with wine cellar and movie theater and eight bedrooms for $16 million -- she didn’t want to sell it but the cost and size have become too much for her to handle 

Page 36: Health Watch 

Page 38: CIA bigwigs once hired a psychic to determine if there was life on Mars -- the misguided mission was said to be part of Project Stargate which was launched in 1978 and somehow cost an astronomical $20 million after the CIA hired a man who claimed he could see the surface of the planet in his mind -- the unnamed man claimed he could see huge pyramids and an obelisk structure and road networks on the Red Planet as well as living creatures, John Lennon’s killer Mark David Chapman shocked the parole board when he admitted he deserved the death penalty even as he begged for his freedom at his last hearing -- his murderous motive was seeking self-glory -- the board denied his parole saying they found his statement infamy brings you glory disturbing 

Page 42: Red Carpet -- London Fashion Week 

Page 45: Spot the Differences -- Luke Bryan and his dog Choc 

Page 47: Odd List -- doctors remove granny’s football-sized tumor 

[axel-fics]

Hey! I was wondering if you could write a piece where Axel comforts the reader during the aftermath of unwanted groping. I've had to deal with it and it would be really nice if I had someone to comfort me. Thanks, I hope I don't make you upset

Dear Anon: I’m so sorry that you’ve had this experience. No one should ever have to endure something like this. I sincerely hope this brings you some comfort, and please remember that you are STRONG. You will get through this

I Am Strong, I Am Courageous

Warnings: Possible triggers 

“Oh shoot,” you mumbled. Stopping short in the middle of aisle seven of your local grocery store, you peered down at your cart and back up to your shopping list. “I forgot to grab cereal.” 

“Alright, so we’ll go back,” Axel shrugged. 

“I’ll go. If you come with me, we’ll be there for the next half hour deciding which one to buy,” you laughed.

“Aww but that’s the best part! Picking a new cereal for the week to try something different!”

“Yeah, but you’re too indecisive for your own good,” you said as you ruffled his hair. “Here’s the list, I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.” 

Picking up the pace, you sped down a few aisles away to the breakfast aisle and skimmed the shelves. You didn’t want to waste too much time, but you weren’t sure what Axel wanted. Maybe you should have asked him before you two split up…

‘Hmmm let’s see. Last week we had the Berry Blast Crunch, the week before the Cinnamon Sugar Pops…’ 

Unbeknownst to you, a man had entered the same aisle and started eyeing you up from a distance. He slowly made his way towards you, trying to make himself look as discreet as possible by looking at the cereal options as well. When he finally stood next to you, he was so close that you felt his body heat radiating onto you. You didn’t dare to turn your head towards him, but you knew that you were the only two in the entire aisle. Why did he have to stand so close??

“‘Scuse me, miss,” he said and reached up to grab a box slightly above your head. As he reached up, his other hand lightly brushed against your thigh in a slow motion. 

‘Okay, it was probably just an accident’, you thought to yourself. ‘No need to panic.’

Instead of moving on, the man stood there in silence as he read the back of the box. He turned it over and kept you in his peripherals, pretending to be interested in the nutritional facts. Deciding to make a move fast and get out of there, you reached for the first box you laid eyes on. As you extended your arm up above you, you felt a hand on you again, this time on your lower back. 

“Let me help you out there,” the man said.

“No, thank you.” 

“I insist. That shelf is pretty high up. Wouldn’t want a pretty girl like yourself to get hurt.” The man’s hand moved from your back lower until it was fully on your ass and gave it a light squeeze.

Your whole body froze. Your mind was screaming at you: ’Shout! Make a scene! Punch him! Just do SOMETHING!’ But your voice failed you and you just stood there shocked. Never in your entire life did you feel more violated until this moment. 

“Babe, everything okay?” 

Hearing Axel’s voice call down from the other side of the aisle, you let out a breath you had no idea you were holding. Axel’s face said it all: he saw the whole thing. Charging down the aisle, he grabbed you by the wrist and pulled you behind him, protecting you from the cereal box pervert. 

“Lay a hand on her again and I’ll make you regret it,” he sneered. 

“Hey man, relax alright? I was just helping her out,” the man replied, completely unfazed by Axel’s piercing eyes. 

“You call that helping? Looked like you were just helping yourself. If you so much as come near her I’ll make sure you’ll be talking out of your—”

“Axel!” Voice still failing you, all you could do was whisper, begging him to stop. “Please, don’t make it worse.”

Axel’s eyes never left the man’s; he was practically burning a whole through his face with how sharply he glared. “Leave,” he spoke through his teeth. 

The man raised his hands up in defense and slowly turned away, a smirk still plastered on his face. Cocky bastard.

“Are you okay?” Axel turned to you and placed his hands on your shoulders. 

All you could do was nod your head before tears started to brim in your eyes. Axel quickly embraced you and held you tightly as you buried your face in his jacket, the sobs starting to grow louder. 

“Let’s go,” he whispered.

“But—but what about—”

“We’ll come back another day. C’mon,” Axel cooed. Abandoning the shopping cart, he took your hand and led you out of the store towards your apartment. The whole walk home was silent, with the exception of your shared footsteps and the occasional sob that slipped from your lips. Axel held your hand firmly as you two walked, anger threatening to overflow at any given second. You never saw him so angry; if his hair were able to burst into flames, today would have been the day for it. 

Once home, you made a b-line to the bathroom, wasting no time stripping off your clothes and jumping in the shower. All you wanted to do was wash the feeling of that skeeve’s hands off your body, crawl into bed and forget this day ever happened. Hot water ran down your face, washing away the tears that wouldn’t seem to quit. The shower curtain drew back slowly before Axel stepped in behind you, immediately wrapping his arms around you from behind and embracing you in a strong, warm hug.

“You’re okay,” he whispered in your ear. “You’re safe now.” 

“I’m sorry,” you cried. “I don’t know why I froze like that. I should have stopped him! I should have done something! I’m so pathetic!” Your gasped between angry sobs. You know how to defend yourself, and yet all basic instincts failed. You felt ashamed for not standing up for yourself and completely humiliated by the whole situation. 

“Don’t talk like that,” Axel said sternly, turning you around to face him. “He’s the one that’s pathetic. You are strong and courageous, and you have absolutely nothing to be sorry about. How you reacted today was normal, and you shouldn’t be upset with yourself about it.”

“I just-I should have slugged him or at the very least said something!”

“He’s gone now. It’s all over. Don’t waste another second thinking about that good-for-nothing asshole. He’s not worth it; no one like that is worth dwelling over.” 

You nodded your head slowly as another sob escaped your mouth. Your eyes were swollen from all the crying, so you tried to hide your face against Axel’s chest until he brought your chin up with his hand. 

“I want to hear you say it. You are strong and courageous.”

“I am strong—and courageous,” you stuttered. 

“One more time.”

“I am strong and courageous.”

Axel gave you a soft smile before embracing you once again, placing a kiss on the top of your head. “That’s my girl.” 

[porkchop-ao3]

A Thrill I’ve Never Known (Chapter 3)

Put to Work

Spending some quality time with Arthur :) This chapter contains hunting, just a heads up. 

(All chapters tagged with #ATINK and also posted on Ao3, username PorkChop)

-

A few days passed in the camp and I was starting to feel like a spare part. Dutch would find something for me, that's what everyone kept assuring me, but I'd been doing nothing but chopping vegetables next to Sadie and hanging up the washing to dry with Tilly. I felt like a housewife; it wasn't what I had in mind when I pictured the sorts of things I'd be doing with a gang of outlaws… then again, they were jobs that needed doing whoever you were.

I overheard Pearson telling Charles about a lack of meat. Charles hadn't had a chance to go out hunting in a few days and that wasn't changing on that particular morning, considering he was on guard duty for the camp. I all but spat my tongue out trying to interject.

“I can hunt,” I said with all the hope and enthusiasm of a five year old. They both looked at me blankly. “If you need meat, I can go. Almost everything I've eaten for the past year has been killed and cooked by myself. Dutch wants something for me to do to contribute, maybe this is it.”

“It's worth asking him,” Charles shrugged. “We do need the food.”

“I can forage too. I know a few good places around here to pick berries and carrots.”

“Yeah, alright, he's asking,” Pearson chuckled, gesturing to Charles as he crossed the camp to find Dutch.

Oh, it'd be nice to get out of the camp. I used to move around almost every other day when I was on my own, it was easy enough to pack up my things with how little I actually kept with me. Four days in the same place had me feeling antsy. I watched hopefully as Charles spoke with Dutch, nodding attentively as he listened to whatever he was being told.

When Charles returned he looked a little withered, sighing quietly before speaking; “he says you can go but you'll need someone to go with you. I can't go, so you'll have to find someone else.”

“I'm perfectly capable of going on my own,” I said.

“I bet you are. But you're used to feeding yourself, not an entire group. You'll be better off with a partner. Why don't you ask Arthur? I've taught him some things about hunting,” he suggested. My heart thudded at the mention of his name.

“He's asleep,” I pointed to where he was laying on his cot, hat sitting on top of his face.

“Well, he can't lay around in bed all day. Arthur!” Charles yelled, and he jumped, groaning as he dragged his hat off and peeled his head up to look around. “Hunting.”

“With who?”

“The new girl.”

“New girl…” Arthur murmured, moving to sit up as he scrubbed at his face. He looked up at me, sniffed, then put his hat on and stood up. “Alright, gimme a minute,” he said, his tone tired and exasperated.

I felt like a prize idiot. He was bound to hate me now.

I waited quietly as he readied himself, drinking coffee and spending a few moments with his horse; a Tennessee Walker with a coat a deep, burnt plum colour, mottled with white patches. A very beautiful animal who seemed perfectly calm as he brushed it and saddled it. Charles spoke with him for a moment before heading to the outskirts of camp, standing guard. When Arthur was ready he came over to me, jabbing a thumb back over his shoulder.

“You ready? You'll need to borrow some weapons.”

“If you don't mind lending them,” I nodded.

“That's no problem,” he said, turning and leading the way. I followed him over to his horse, watching as he pulled himself up onto it. “Charles said you could borrow his horse; it's that one just over there.”

I nodded and walked over to it. I took a moment to familiarise myself with the animal, patting it and speaking softly to it; it seemed like a calm horse and didn't mind me mounting it. I arranged my skirt as best I could, though it still rode up my legs a little but damned if I was going to ride sidesaddle. I missed my pants.

“Come on then, new girl,” Arthur flashed a smile at me before leading the way, taking us through the trees that surrounded the camp.

He rode a ways away from camp, I still remembered the area from when I'd stayed there and I realised he was leading me to some open space that was heavily populated with deer. I'd hunted there before, and that brought me comfort. At least I wouldn't make an idiot out of myself by being unsuccessful. Hopefully.

We stopped our horses by a large boulder. Arthur dismounted and with his back to me he asked; “you any good with a bow?”

“It's what I usually use to hunt,” I nodded, taking the opportunity to climb down while he wasn't looking. Dismounting a horse in a dress wasn't particularly easy to do in a dignified manner.

Arthur pulled a bow from his horse and turned to me, nodding towards the horse behind me. “There's one on your horse. Grab it and let's go, I'll let you get the first kill.”

I did as instructed, quickly building up some nerves about performing in front of him. I'd only ever hunted on my own. Arthur waited and let me lead when I was ready. I readied an arrow in anticipation as I began to head through some nearby bushes. I stepped quietly through the cover of greenery, knowing there was a clearing just on the other side. I stopped before the edge, spotting a buck grazing in the clearing, its rear to us. I crouched down, sensing Arthur do the same right behind me.

I waited for a moment, raising the bow and drawing back the arrow; aiming above the deer where it's head might be if it looked up. As I waited, my heart raced. Arthur was so close to me I could hear him breathing, and it was more than a little distracting. I took a peek at him and he met my gaze immediately. His eyes held me and I struggled to look away, the worst part was, he looked totally unaffected. I was sweaty and anxious and tense, and for what? In the moments our eyes were locked I could see how nice his were – so striking and blue – he was handsome, and that was probably why I was acting like a dumbass.

Arthur's eyes snapped away from mine, back towards the deer. It'd raised its head and was in the perfect position for a clean kill; I drew in a quick breath and raised my bow again. I rushed it, I knew it was a bad move, I knew I should've taken a deep breath, adjusted my posture and taken my time. I let go of the arrow and it sailed right past my target. I cursed under my breath and Arthur chuckled as the deer bolted.

“If that's how you normally work a bow I'm surprised you ain't starved,” he teased me and I sighed, feeling my face burn.

“I don't normally have company,” I muttered, rising back up and looking around. More deer were off in the distance.

I went to step out from the bushes, but something held me back. I turned with a frown and Arthur reached out to help me, untangling the fabric of my skirt from the bush it'd hooked onto. I stared at him with slightly widened eyes as he absentmindedly smoothed his hand over the fabric, which happened to be on my backside. He realised his actions and held his hands up.

"My apologies, miss," he said, and I shook my head dismissively.

“I messed that one up. I know,” I said as I strode out from the bushes and retrieved my arrow from where it dug into the ground.

“Don't beat yourself up. I weren't expecting you to do it first time.”

“What is that? Talking like I've never done this before,” I cocked a brow at him and he tilted his head.

“I didn't mean it like that,” he said softly. I kicked myself for my defensiveness and the bite in my tone. I really was making myself out to be a total bitch.  

I took a long breath and turned. “Let's try that again. Stay back a little, would you?”

“Of course, ma'am,” my legs went a little weak at his tone, but I soldiered on.

I kept low as I crept towards a small group of deer I'd spotted at the bottom of a gentle decline in the earth. This time, Arthur gave me some space and I felt more at ease, though slightly pressured. I had to get it this time, if I didn't I'd be mortified. He'd think I was a fool who couldn't work a bow, didn't know what she was talking about.

I aimed, ignoring the chatter in my mind and taking a series of slow, deep breaths. With a buck as my target – albeit smaller than the one I'd missed – I let go of the arrow on empty lungs. I could've cheered when it went down quickly and cleanly, but I kept myself composed and straight faced. I looked back at Arthur for his approval, as if I needed it, and he gave me a nod and a smile. My mouth threatened to curl into a smile too, but the last thing I wanted was to look cocky.

“We'll come back for that. Let's go for another; you wanna do it or shall I?” he questioned.

“I don't mind. I could look for some rabbits while you go for another deer?” I shrugged, knowing I could grab a couple of those easy, especially if we separated and Arthur wasn't watching me.

“As in, split up?”

“Yeah.”

“You can't wait to get away from me, huh?” He laughed and my mouth opened with no words to come out. “I'm just messing with you.”

“I've been alone for a long time, Arthur. I'm sorry if I'm a little… if I come across as rude.”

“You're fine. Go look for some rabbits,” he waved me off with an amused shake of his head. I watched him walk away in the direction of where the deer scattered, feeling odd. Like I suddenly didn't want to be there. Like I didn't belong around other people, at least not for extended periods of time.

With a heavy feeling in my chest I set off looking for rabbits. They were everywhere around these parts, it wasn't hard. I got three before heading back to where our horses were waiting, hooking them onto Charles’ saddle. I went back to where the first deer was still laying, deciding what the best way to lift it without getting blood on Mary-Beth's dress would be. It was at that point Arthur found me and lifted the animal for me without even asking. I felt the need to explain myself.

“I wasn't just waiting around for you to do that, I would've carried it myself, but this dress doesn't belong to me,” I told him and he glanced at me with a strange look.

“I didn't think you were,” he said, puzzled. “I don't mind carrying it, I already put another on the back of my horse. No point in you getting covered in blood too.”

I noticed the stain on his shoulder, “thank you.”

“Are you alright?” He asked, still giving me an odd look.

“Weird week,” I sighed. “Don't mind me.”

We reached the horses and he strapped the deer down on the back of the horse I was borrowing. He turned to look at me again.

“How you settling in, anyway?”

“Alright, I guess. People have been kind to me,” I told him, walking over to the horse and stroking it's mane. Arthur didn't move from where he stood right next to me, I'd expected him to mount his own horse. “And it's been nice falling asleep to Javier's music, when he plays at night.”

“Yeah? You seem a little sad.”

“You don't know me, how can you tell whether I'm happy or sad? Maybe I'm always like this,” I questioned and he pursed his lips. It looked like he wanted to say something, but was holding back.

It was brought to the forefront of my mind that I still felt I recognised him. With the opportunity presented, I just came out with it; “Have we met before?”

There was a beat of silence, Arthur seemed surprised yet sort of relieved.

“We have,” he nodded, his shoulders seeming to loosen.

“Why didn't you say something?”

“I couldn't work out if you remembered me,” he laughed a little, but soon turned serious, thoughtful.

“I recognise you. I know I've seen your face, I've been wracking my brain.”

“Well, I didn't wanna bring it up, cause…” he trailed off. “It weren't exactly a good night for you.”

It clicked into place then, the guilt that appeared in his eyes. An uncomfortable air about him.

“Oh, it was you!” I exclaimed, turning to face him head on. “The night my brother got himself killed. You're the man who helped me.”