#maybe some nice support spells from wilde if he's awake

[icebluecyanide]

RQG 207

WHAT AN EPISODE

First of all: big thank you to Helen/Azu because without that sickened condition there would have been a lot more death

Hamid just barely surviving!! I’m so glad I didn’t know how many hitpoints he had until Bryn said he wasn’t instadead but I’m v happy he’s alright, poor Bryn sounded so distressed

also very emotional about Zolf ignoring the creature to immediately heal Hamid when he saw he was down, despite the two of them not always getting along

Hamid’s dream made me emotional and I’m sad he failed his check and they apparently forgot Zolf could unity him so he was just out again aslhdfds (but not before cuddling into Cel!! who threw him to safety!!)

Ada with the wand!!! Skraak with his great damage roll!! Azu getting a great hit in!!

Sumutnyerl :( here’s to hoping they can bring their body back to the bear for a resurrection later

Wilde 😭😭

I don’t think I’ve been this stressed about the maths in this game since that time they all fell off the roof in Paris tbh, so grateful for Bryn reminding everyone of the bonuses and seeming to talk Ben through the required checks to bring Wilde back

speaking of: WILDE LIVES!!! Zolf for mvp of this ep I’d say 

Please no more character deaths, this is enough death for the campaign

[writingbakery]

“what’s new, pussycat?”

this work is my absolute pride & joy, one that i hold very near & dear to my heart! it was previously written for a different fandom, & ive reworked it to fit here. i hope you love it as much as i do, & yes - there will be more parts to this story! ✨taglist; @katsukisprincess @secondhand-trash @redbeanteax @monst @shinhoetoshi @shinsouzone @togasknifes

[pairing; panther familiar! hitoshi shinso x green witch gn! reader]

[warnings; fluff, meet-cutes, magical au, bitchy witches, soft words, strangers to lovers]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

for a green witch in a relatively small town, you’ve got a pretty good life.

you’re not the most powerful witch around; your talents are more centered around healing, crafting potions & spells, but you don’t mind. you like helping people, whisking away their problems & leaving them happier than when they walked into your little shop.

your shop is perfectly situated right at the forest line at the end of town, making it easy for you to restock your supply. you don’t get many customers, but you treat everyone like they’re most important, focusing on what they need & providing them with just what they’ve asked for. you don’t have many friends, most of the other witches not thinking much of your talents or your profession - they were all more modern witches, using electricity & technology to help others - but the ones you do have treat you nothing but kindly.

you’ve got everything you need in your little shop; a tiny apartment just above it, a loyal customer base, & the forest to soothe your worries.

the only thing you don’t have is a familiar.

you turned twenty six months ago, the age at which every witch receives their familiar. sometimes, it happens sooner, sometimes it takes a little longer. you’re just a hint impatient.

you’ve been ready for your familiar since your powers emerged at six years old, little flowers & vines bursting from chubby fingers & small palms. your friends even had a betting pool set up, sero swearing that you would get a kitty cat, & kirishima insisting it would be a rabbit.

you don’t care what your familiar is. you just want to meet them.

you’ve nagged your mother more than enough over the years, whining & complaining at your lack of a companion - both the animal aspect of them, & the human. familiars often became their witches’ best friends, & on most occasions, have fallen in love with them.

it’s a romantic concept, really. two magical beings, tied together forever by their shared powers, falling in love.

you’ve had dreams about it. kaminari makes fun of you for it whenever he can.

still, you don’t need to fall in love with your familiar. you love them already for supporting & adding to your magic, even if you haven’t met yet. you just know you’re going to be the best of friends.

you also side with sero. you’re definitely hoping for a kitty.

you alway tell your friends you don’t mind being patient, but secretly, you wish your familiar would speed things up a bit.

the other witches in town don’t tease you outright, a bit more poised than that, but you’ve heard more than enough whispered giggles of “bet it’s a fly, & it just can’t find them” & “maybe [y/n]’s just too weak for one”. you know they consider you a joke, a laughingstock, but you do your best to ignore them, burying your head in your spellbooks & inventing new potion strains.

you’re good at what you do, & that’s all that matters. but with a familiar, at least you’d fit in. you’re not expecting anything huge, not like the wolf inasa got, or the pheonix momo was gifted. you just want something that’ll care for you, help with your little tasks & fill the hole in your heart.

you even have a little side room set up in your shop for them, complete with a small fluffy bed & lots of pillows. kaminari had wrinkled his nose at the setup. “what if they don’t like all the fluff?” he’d asked - his familiar, an overexcited ring tailed lemur named mina, had absolutely destroyed the setup kaminari made for her, choosing to snuggle the taller witch in her human form every night. you had a separate betting pool with kirishima & bakugou about when those two would finally start dating.

mostly, you just hope your familiar won’t be disappointed with you. you aren’t the fastest on a broomstick, or the smartest with spells. your potions are good, but they take you a while to brew, & you don’t get that many customers. you’re definitely not the best witch in town, but you try your best, & you hope that counts for something.

it ends up counting for a lot, even if you don’t realize.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

you’re looking through your little vials & plants one day, crafting a rejuvenation potion for mrs. parks - she’s got a garden to maintain if she wants to win first place in the landscaping competition next week, & at 85 it doesn’t always come naturally - when you realize you’re clean out of starflower. the pretty little orange & yellow foliage always added an extra boost to your energy potions, & you chance a glance out of your shop windows. it’s a nice day, sunny but not too hot, & you easily tug on your jacket & basket to gather some from the forest.

the air is warm, floaty with the smell of spring & you bask in the pleasant heat of the sun as you walk. the forest is unusually quiet, a sort of energetic thrum hovering just under the surface & normally, you would be concerned. but the day is so lovely, the warmth seeping into your bones & you brush it off as a slight imbalance in the woods.

you find the right clearing relatively quickly, sitting cross legged amidst the flowers & beginning to pluck them. you coo to the brightly colored petals gently, asking them to feel safe, protected. you wouldn’t hurt them, nor waste them unnecessarily. they were headed to a good purpose, & you reassure them as such as they make their way into your basket.

the already quiet air stills suddenly, birds silent in the trees & leaves pausing their ruffling. you shut your eyes & soaks up the sudden silence, an odd sense of calm settling over your body before you open them again.

a pair of amethyst violet eyes stare back at you, barely ten feet away from your face.

you open your mouth to scream, but let out nothing but air; your breath seems caught in your throat, lodged painfully deep. the creature in front of you is still, black fur gleaming glossy in the afternoon sun - a panther, twice the size of any normal big cat, sharp fangs glinting in its large mouth. you just stare, frozen & wide eyed.

the panther tilts its head at you inquisitively, letting out a sharp exhale through its velvety - almost cute? - black nose. you do scream this time, a barely there squeak that youd defend to your dying day as a very aggressive yell.

& then you pass clean out, slumping to the cool forest floor.

above you, the panther simply snorts, rolling bright purple eyes in mild annoyance as it curls its lithe form around your unconscious body, settling in for a nap.

it protects you from harm, patiently waiting for you to wake up.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

you wake up confused & a little dizzy.

you’ve only been out about an hour, but already the sun sits lower in the sky, a chill sweeping through the quiet wood. you’re disoriented, taking a few moments to remember where you are, & why. youre warm despite the cool forest air, body swathed in silky softness. you burrow deeper into the warmth, sighing softly as you toe the line between sleep & awake.

then you remember the panther.

shooting straight up from the dirt, you look around wildly, all traces of sleepiness gone as you take in your surroundings.

the panther lays curled around you like a warm blanket, keeping you tucked up against its shoulder with massive black paws crossed in front of your legs. it’s fast asleep, not even stirring as you shift a little to study its face.

gold runes run from the tips of each large, silky ear, trailing down either side of its face to its long whiskers. each rune matches one on your own arms, elegantly winding down your smooth skin. a little flutter settles in your chest.

this is your familiar.

you run one slim finger down the sides of the panther’s sleeping face, gentle & light as you trace over the marks that mirror the ones you’ve had since birth. it’s a little nerve wracking, a little unreal.

you’re so awestruck you don’t feel a pair of sharp violet eyes tracking your every move, looking just a little fond.

you start a little when the panther stretches, long heavy limbs arcing out into the air as it yawns. you get a good eyeful of sharp, gleaming white fangs & an impossibly cute pink tongue before the panther is staring at you again, seemingly waiting for your next move.

oh right.

hastily clambering to your feet, you stand in front of the lying animal, just about level with its head. you swallow a little nervously, shifting from foot to foot as you look up into bright, curious eyes.

“a-are you my familiar?” you ask, immediately cursing yourself for stammering & asking stupid questions. you’re supposed to have your shit together, you’re the witch here.

the panther seems unfazed, if not a little amused, as it nods once, then twice, eyes twinkling in the sunlight. your own eye twitches.

you’ve got a familiar. a panther familiar. you, [y/n l/n], who can’t fly a broomstick straight & nearly burnt down your shop crafting a potion last week.

suddenly everything seems a whole lot less simple than it was before.

bracing your hands against your knees to catch your breath, you let your mind go wild, running through a million thoughts at once. what would the other witches say? what would your friends say? how the fuck was this panther going to fit inside your house?

you don’t have a single answer for any of them that won’t send you into a panic.

your stomach ends up deciding for you, the low rumble of it breaking the tense silence. the panther actually does roll its eyes at you this time, standing to its full - very, very tall height & moving to kneel at your side. it motions towards its back a little impatiently, & you scramble to climb on.

you can feel lean, powerful muscle underneath you as the panther begins to walk through the forest, quickly shifting through the underbrush towards town.

it’s much quicker than you walking on your own, & you appreciate that.

you know you’re going to get plenty of stares once you hit town, & you’ve already got a plan set: make it through quickly, avoid questions, & once you’ve got the both of you locked up in your shop, the panther can shift to its human form & introduce themselves. simple.

the second you step foot - & paw - into the town, you know you’re screwed.

all of the townsfolk are staring wide eyed, giving the pair of you a very wide berth as the panther trots along the street. hushed whispers are already circulating, & you can feel endless sets of eyes digging into your back.

just a couple more feet, a few more moments. then we’ll be safe, you think as your shop comes into view, breathing a quiet sigh of relief. you slide down off the panthers back to unlock the door & usher it in, locking it behind you both with another relieved sigh. you relax too soon.

there, in your kitchen, sit sero & kirishima, both gaping as they stare at the massive panther in your foyer. sero’s got a teapot in one hand, the other cupping the air - a shattered mug at his feet.

“we came for tea,” kirishima squeaks. sero is dumbfounded where he stands. the panther huffs unamused, tail flicking & breaking one of the china plates along the wall.

you sink to the floor in despair.

what the fuck, is all you can think, burying your head in your hands.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

your friends take it all in surprisingly well. sero sweeps up the shattered mug & dish, kirishima makes them all tea, & you have a mild panic attack.

the panther simply curls up in a corner of the shop, avoiding everything delicate as it takes up a good chunk of the space. kirishima can’t stop staring at it, eyes blown wide as he takes in every inch of the creature.

“it’s really yours? your familiar?” he’d asked, voice hushed. you swatted at his arm with a scowl, glancing over at the uninterested panther. “stop talking about it like it’s not here! you know it can hear you.”

truthfully, however, you don’t even think the panther is listening. it has an air of disinterest clouded around it, lazily examining its paws & twitching its whiskers every so often.

sero maintains that he won the bet, much to your chagrin. “it’s just a really big cat!” he insists. kirishima simply rolls his eyes & tells him to take it up with bakugou.

it takes an hour or two, but eventually you manage to shoo your friends out of your shop, a headache building at their incessant questioning - “so what's its name? boy or girl? did it try to eat you? why is it looking at me like that?” - & all you want to do is sleep.

you lead the panther to the small side room you’d dolled up, albeit for a much smaller animal, wincing at the judgemental look you receive in return. “right, that won’t work. i mean, you could stay in my bed? it’s really big, just a bunch of cushions & blankets on a floor mattress?” you offer, twisting your fingers in your shirt a little shyly. the panther pauses, then nods again, squeezing its massive frame through the narrow staircase to follow you upstairs.

your bed - a custom made mattress that spanned nearly across the entirety of your bedroom floor - seemed to accommodate the panther just fine, and it paced around once, twice, before settling in one corner of it. its lithe form took up a good two thirds of the mess of blankets, & you can’t help but coo at the sight. it really was just a big kitty cat, although you’d probably never say it to the creature’s face.

you busy yourself with getting ready for bed, washing your face, brushing your teeth & changing into your baggy blue silk pajamas - they’ve got little yellow crescent moons sewn into them, & you swear the panther laughs at you in them - before settling between the sheets.

“goodnight, mr. panther,” you mumble sleepily, silently hoping that things would be easier to fix in the morning before drifting off to dreams.

above you, the panther huffs a little fondly, nuzzling your soft little cheek before falling asleep as well.

—

the next few days aren’t any easier.

for one, you’re swamped with customers for the first time ever, people crowding into the tiny shop to catch a glimpse of the enormous panther curled up in the corner. normally you wouldn’t allow it, but the panther doesn’t seem to mind, & everyone who walks in leaves with something - you’re making a killing.

another little problem: the arrival of your - rather powerful - familiar means your own abilities have gotten a much needed boost. everything you make is soaked in energy, & your plants are shooting towards the ceiling every other hour.

in short, you’re probably the most powerful nature witch in the country, let alone the county.

you appreciate the fact that you’re better at what you do, but it tires you out quicker, & you’re twice as busy now that you can do so much.

all of this would be reasonably manageable, if your familiar wasn’t still stuck in its animal form.

the panther’s refused to shift for the entirety of the time you’ve known it, staying in its animal form in the corner of the shop. it simply watches & observes, occasionally nudging the right vial or plant closer to you with its large black nose. it’s a cute sight, the little nature witch bustling around the shop in your emerald green robes, a huge black panther tracking your every move with a fond expression. you’ve started to get comfortable around it as well, but you would like to get to know it eventually, & you enlist kirishima’s help.

the more experienced witch drops by with an old history book one afternoon when you aren’t as busy, the pair of you sitting at the table to read up on familiars.

“it says here familiars usually shift within the first day of meeting their witch,” kiri reads from the book, squinting at the tiny text. you had shooed the panther into the garden so you could talk uninterrupted, & you watch as the large creature nips at the butterflies circling its head. it makes you smile, heart a little fond at the sight.

“it’s been almost a week, kiri,” you pout, looking up at the witch in concern. maybe it's not comfortable with me yet, you add in your head. your stomach twists uncomfortably at the thought.

kirishima, seemingly sensing your worry, ruffles a hand through your hair, a reassuring smile on his face.

“don’t worry, [y/n]. i’m sure they’re still getting used to being here with you,” the taller comforts you. “just give it a little time.”

watching as your familiar tramples your hydrangeas, looking up at the window with a guilty expression on its face, you can only sigh.

“i hope you’re right.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

nearly two months later, you’re starting to doubt kirishima’s advice.

your familiar still hasn’t shifted in front of you, although you’ve got a sneaking suspicion it does while you’re asleep, a smattering of all black clothes hidden in random corners of his shop.

you still know absolutely nothing about them, every question you throw at the panther met with unblinking silence. but the panther knows all about you.

it knows which tea you prefer in the morning & evening, nudging out the right canisters with one massive paw. it knows every plant in your shop & garden, delicately ripping out whichever ones you need with sharp fangs. it knows to growl when a potion is boiling over, or huff when a customer is at the door. it even ran off a few thieves a week ago, snarling with its hackles raised at the foot of the stairs as they screamed & ran. you had given it an hour long head massage, complete with ear scratches, as a thank you.

the panther has settled itself in your shop & your life almost perfectly, a constant presence that you’ve grown fond of. but it doesn’t change the fact that they still haven’t revealed themselves to you. you feel like this relationship is ridiculously imbalanced; the panther knows you inside & out. you don’t even know their name.

still, you push down any doubt or insecurities you’re feeling, determined to let the panther come to you in your own time.

the mayor’s birthday changes all of that.

the mayor always requests a grand celebration, complete with magical fireworks, charmed balloons, singing lilies, & a three tier magical cake. normally, he only requests singing lilies & roses from you.

this year, you get a golden invoice for everything.

the mayor wants you to craft the cake, enchant the balloons & streamers, gather the singing flowers, and charm the fireworks, all in less than two days. you immediately break into a sweat.

you can’t ask your friends for help, as they’re tied up in their own town’s festivities. your only choice is to get the other witches’ in town; surely they’d help with the mayor’s birthday celebration.

surely not. they laugh you away from their shops the moment you ask, a pleading expression on your face.

“you shouldn’t need help, little dirt witch. you’ve got that powerful familiar of yours, don’t you? unless you can’t handle it,” they mock you, & your fists clench unwillingly; you force yourself to breathe.

you don’t need their help, or their disdain. you’re going to do it all by yourself.

you start with the flowers, collecting the brightest & loudest singers from your garden & placing them in charmed rainwater to keep them pristine. the panther helps where it can, delicately holding them between its fangs.

enchanting the streamers & balloons takes the better part of the day, & you’re up late into the night crafting the fireworks the right way. you fall asleep in a spellbook, the cake left forgotten till the morning. the panther simply rests its head next to yours on the table, the pair of you fast asleep until the next day.

when you wake up, the birds are chirping steadily outside, sunlight filtering in through the windows. it’s calm & soothing, & for a moment you’re at peace.

then you see the time, panic immediately setting in.

“wake up! wake up! i have to have the cake ready in four hours! it’s going to take me three just to mix the batter!” you’re running around the shop in a flurry of robes & quick spells, arms full of supplies. the panther just watches from its position on the floor, eyebrow quirked.

you’re halfway through mixing the batter when you realize you won’t finish in time.

you can’t focus on charming all three tiers at once as he mixes, but if you do them one by one you won’t finish in time. you pause, turning desperate eyes onto the panther.

“i know you’re not ready, & i didn’t want to push, but please. i need your help,” you plead. hands clasped in front of you & flour in your hair. the panther continues to stare, unmoving, as though immune to your begging.

it’s too much all at once, stress & anxiety building until you snap.

“why not! why! i get it! i understand you’re disappointed! i’m not some high tech witch in a big city, i’m not powerful! i’m weak & i suck & i can’t brew potions fast without blowing them up & i fell off my broomstick in the garden & you saw, i know! i just need help, for god’s sake! just help me, & you don’t ever have to talk to me again!” you promise, eyes watery as you burst into tears.

dropping your head into your hands to muffle your sobs, you barely register the faint whirling of air in front of you.

hands suddenly flutter over your crying form, hovering just above touching you as a low, rough voice pulls you from your misery.

“please stop crying, shit, please, i’m sorry, i swear i didn’t mean to make you cry, fuck,” you hear, & you tilt your head up, rubbing tears from your eyes.

there’s a man standing in front of you, wearing all black. he’s got messy purple hair sticking up from all sides & dark eyes, a hint of violet flashing through them in the light. there’s circles as dark as his clothes under his eyes, a familiar look on his face - like you’d seen it every morning waking up.

this ridiculously handsome man, looking slightly panicked, is your familiar. every time you’d called him a “pretty kitty” suddenly flashes through your mind.

fuck.

pushing all those thoughts to the back of your mind, you straighten up, hastily wiping your eyes on your robe sleeves. “can you stir the second pot, please? i’ll worry about the other ones,” you ask meekly, a little embarrassed now. you ignore the familiar’s prying gaze, simply muttering spells under your breath as you stir the first mixture.

the pair of you don’t speak unless it’s instructions, racing around the tiny shop to craft the magical cake. flour & sugar & icing cover every available surface as you wave your hands, whisking it all over the towering cake. you struggle a little to reach the very top, on your tiptoes as you attempt to frost the highest tier. warm, strong hands grip your waist & lift you right off the ground, holding you up to help; you blush furiously as you quickly finish.

you’re just putting the final smattering of glitter onto the cake when the mayor’s party attendants arrive to collect it. you can finally breathe as you watch them carry off everything you both had made, shoulders sagging in relief.

your familiar leans against the counter, wiping down the tables with a rag as he watches you. now that everything’s been finished, there’s no avoiding it.

“i’m hitoshi. that’s my name,” the panther - hitoshi - offers, presumably sensing your nerves. “& for the record, i think you’re a great witch. youre powerful all on your own, even without me.”

you can’t help your smile at that, a little flush to your cheeks as you sit at the table. “then.. then why didn’t you shift?” you ask softly. up close, you can see tiny freckles in place of hitoshi’s whiskers, the glossiness of his hair reminiscent of his panther fur.

the familiar shrugs, cheeks going a bit pink themselves as he stares at the table. “at first, i was just a little shy. it’s nerve wracking, meeting your witch. & then you just… passed out, you know? i was worried about how you’d react, so i decided to give you time.” you can understand that, listening closely.

“you were so nice to me, you weren’t scared at all. you scratched behind my ears & made me cleansing potions. & you let me stay in your bed, so easily. you were just…. nicer than i expected. and…. and prettier.” the familiar’s cheeks are a rosy red now, bright in contrast to his soft skin & prominent dark circles. you think it’s adorable.

“i just didn’t want you to think any different of me, you know? you liked panther me a lot, even though i kept breaking stuff, &.... i wanted you to keep liking me.” you outright coo at that, ignoring your familiar’s protests as you dissolve into giggles.

“really? of course i’d still like you, silly! i let you cuddle me! i called you mr whiskers for a solid month! oh god, i called you mr whiskers,” you whine, pouting a little. you’d called hitoshi a bunch of silly nicknames before he’d shifted, from pretty kitty to mr whiskers to sugarpaws. you’d been trying to compensate, in your defense, & hitoshi had seemed to like them.

hitoshi’s the one laughing now, smile bright as he gives you that same fond look. “it was cute. you were trying really hard,” he admits, head cocked to the side as he watches you.

you sit in a comfortable sort of silence then, simply taking in each other’s presence a moment.

“so, you thought i was pretty, huh?” you tease, breaking the silence as you move to stand in front of hitoshi. you giggle more at the flush that follows, ignoring hitoshi’s mumbling rant about “soft little witches” & “green robes & moon pajamas, that's ridiculous”, your smile growing ever wider.

you tap a finger against hitoshi’s nose, the familiar protesting in flustered panic. standing on tiptoe, you press a light kiss to the cranberry stained cheek, watching hitoshi absolutely melt.

“i thought you were cute too, pretty kitty,” you smile, turning to tidy up the pots & spellbooks & leaving an awestruck hitoshi at the table, hand frozen where you had pressed your lips.

i could get used to that, you think, giggling as hitoshi trips over himself to squish you against the counter, covering your face in kisses.

just you, your shop, & one pretty kitty.

[little-ligi]

Whumptober - No. 23

No. 23 - Exhaustion Fandom - BBC Merlin [Can be read as Merthur slash if you like, or if you don’t ignore the last line!] Wordcount - 1190

“What is the matter with you?” Arthur asked when Merlin slid off his horse for the second time.

Merlin rubbed his head; now along with the heavy clouded feeling it also ached. He let his cheek fall back onto the hard ground, getting up was too much effort.

“’m tired,” he slurred into the earth.

Hooves appeared in his field of vision, blurry as it was. He rolled over so he could see Arthur, looking down at him from his horse. Arthur was frowning.

“Get up.”

Arthur unsheathed his sword, flipping it around so he held the blade in his gloved hand and jammed the pommel into Merlin’s side. Merlin moaned and squirmed away, curling up into a ball, his head cushioned on his arm.

He was exhausted to his core.

“I’m tired too, you know,” Arthur snapped, jabbing him with the sword pommel again. “I did just slay an evil sorcerer and his entire pack of magical wolves. You hid behind a tree.”

Merlin wanted to point out that whilst hiding behind said tree he had engaged in a silent battle of power with the sorcerer, whilst simultaneously casting spells over Arthur to protect him from the wolves he was fighting. By the time the wolves were all dead and Arthur plunged his sword – to which Merlin had added an invisible coating of fire – into the sorcerer’s chest, the sorcerer had already been reduced to a fragile shell by Merlin’s crushing magic.

So, Merlin felt justified in thinking he had more right to be exhausted than Arthur. Not that he said any of it out loud though.

He just groaned.

Arthur sighed. “Come on.” He dismounted, kicking Merlin in the side gently as he did so. Then reached down and hooked his hands under Merlin’s armpits.

Merlin protested feebly as Arthur hauled him to his feet, leaning him against the side of his horse. His knees were weak, his legs shaking. He could barely keep his eyes open, his head lolling forwards onto his chest.

Arthur put his hands on Merlin’s shoulders and Merlin realised he had been swaying.

“Are you alright?” Arthur’s tone had changed, dropped and softened in the way it did only when he was worried.

“Mmm.” Merlin tried for a smile and a nod, his sleepy brain giving out on him.

Arthur tapped him lightly on the face, then a little harder when Merlin didn’t respond. He unhooked Merlin’s waterskin from the saddle and poured some into his cupped palm. Then threw it in Merlin’s face.

Merlin flinched and screwed up his nose as the cold droplets showered him. He tried to muster a frown but only managed a pout. The waterskin was pressed against his mouth. He took a gulp.

“Look, we’re almost back to Camelot,” Arthur said grumpily, waving a hand vaguely in the direction of the castle, although they couldn’t see it through the trees and the growing gloom.

Merlin shook himself, took his waterskin from Arthur and had another swig. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes and scrubbed. It did nothing to clear the fog from his mind but at least his eyelids didn’t feel quite so droopy.

“Alright, ‘m ready,” he mumbled. He put his hands up on his saddle and feebly tried to pull himself up. His arms shook, too weak to lift him onto the horse. After two failed attempts he collapsed against the horse’s side with a sigh, burying his face in the saddle blanket.

“Here.”

Arthur cupped his hands and bent down slightly, letting Merlin put his foot in his hands and giving him a boost. He swung his leg over the horse and flopped forward along her neck.

“Just stay on this time,” Arthur ordered, dusting his hands on his breeches.

“I’ll try,” Merlin muttered.

Given the headache he had from the last fall, he did truly intend to try and stay on. If only his body would agree and let him stay conscious. The fact his magic felt completely drained as well didn’t help, the usual hum inside him silent.

Arthur strode to his own horse, leapt into the saddle as if he were fresh out of bed – Merlin frowned and rolled his eyes – and gently nudged her to start walking. Luckily Merlin’s horse had been trained to follow Arthur’s so Merlin didn’t have to give her any direction as she started to plod along.

The rocking motion did not help to keep Merlin awake.

He was completely shattered, magically exhausted and physically worn out. He felt like he hadn’t slept for a week. He felt like he’d been run over by a whole stampeding herd of wild cattle.

He knew he was being a little dramatic but as the fog descended on his brain again he let the flighty thoughts dance around his head. He could imagine his bed. All lumpy and hard but heavenly so. He couldn’t wait to just collapse onto it, let Gaius pull the blankets over him like a child. Bury his face in the pillow and drift into nothingness…

“Merlin!”

Merlin jerked in surprise, just managing to grab a handful of the horse’s mane to keep himself astride as he once more slipped sideways.

“Sorry,” he muttered blearily to the animal, stroking her neck and fitting his feet back into the stirrups.

“For blessed sake, Merlin.”

“Tired,” he whined again. He couldn’t even make his eyelids open properly this time. He sagged, shoulders drooping, head lolling. Leg slipping over the horse as he tipped sideways…

Strong arms caught him before he hit the ground and he was pulled against Arthur’s chest. His pauldron dug into Merlin’s cheek, but he found he didn’t care. Not having to support his own weight was nice.

“You’re hopeless,” Arthur told him, but his voice had none of the usual irritation or scorn. Maybe Merlin’s tired mind just couldn’t process it.

Arthur half supported, half dragged Merlin forwards. Then bodily lifted him up and sat him in the saddle. Merlin’s hands latched onto the horse’s mane again. There was a jostling and Arthur mounted up behind him.

He leant Merlin back against his chest, cradled by his left arm holding the reins. His right hand held the reins to Merlin’s horse and he clicked his teeth to get the two animals moving.

Merlin relaxed against Arthur, warmth settling inside him. It didn’t take long before his eyes drifted shut again. The gentle rocking of the horse and the steady waft of hot air on the back of his neck every time Arthur exhaled soothing to his weary body and mind.

He untangled his fingers from the horse’s hair and let his hand rest on Arthur’s arm, patting it in a silent thank you.

“You’re welcome,” Arthur whispered, his arm giving Merlin the smallest of squeezes as he pulled him tighter against his chest.

He let out a huge yawn, turned his head to tuck under Arthur’s chin and let the clouds of exhaustion draw him under. The last thing Merlin was aware of before he slipped into unconsciousness was Arthur pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

[98prilla]

Seeking Oblivion

Next

Previous

AO3

...

None of them knew what to expect, when the dragon finally reached the large window that led into the tower, claws digging into the stone, tail wrapped around the tower to keep steady as he extended his wing, allowing them to disembark. Virgil practically fell off the wing into the tower, face so pale Patton was afraid he was going to pass out.

 “Are you alright, Virgil? Logan asked, kneeling on the ground beside the slightly sweating side.

 “Just… god, that’s worse than the whole rising up thing.” He moaned, taking a few deep breaths, color coming back to his face, as he accepted Logan’s hand to help pull him to his feet.

 “Thank you.” Patton said to the dragon, giving it another gentle kiss on its nose, laughing slightly as he felt the dragon gently bump his chest, telling him to go and fix this, already. Then the dragon took off, soaring back into the sky.

 “oh, Roman.” Janus whispered, eyes wide as he looked down at the deathly still side. His chest rose and fell in deep, too slow breaths, too much time between each one, like something in hibernation. One arm was across his chest, the other limp across the bed, just barely hanging off the edge. All the color was gone from him, his entire outfit that same, drab, empty, misty gray, even his skin seemed paler. He reached out, smoothing back Roman’s hair, breath catching at how cold he felt, if it weren’t for the slow, steady breaths rising and falling he would think Roman was well and truly dead.

 “Fuck. Fuck, fuck FUCK!” Remus screamed, making everyone jump, all eyes turning to him as he stared, breathing heavily, at the spinning wheel in the center of the room. With a wordless, furious screech, he drew his morning star, and started pounding, swinging, beating the wood until it was nothing but splinters, until his arms were shaking and the weapon fell from his hands as he sunk to the floor, clutching and ripping at his hair. “Of course he would, of course that melodramatic, Disney fanatic, idiotic BITCH WOULD!”

 “Remus, you need to breathe.” He was hyperventilating, but he didn’t care, he didn’t care, he’d seen Roman, he’d seen the spindle, he’d beat it to hell, and he’d beat Roman to hell if they ever managed to wake him up, for doing this to him.

 “Sleeping curse, it’s a sleeping curse, he did a sleeping curse ON HIMSELF!” He rants, shoving away from Logan, attempting to calm him, frantically pacing, a choked sob escaping him every time his eyes flicked to Roman.

 “So how do we break it?” Patton asked, and he shook his head, still pulling at his hair.

“I believe in most films it is true love’s kiss, is it not? However, Roman does not have a ‘true love’ per se, amongst us.” Logan answered, watching Remus with concern.

 “Point to Pointdexter! Usually, it is.”

 “But-“ Virgil prompted.

 “But I don’t know the rules of this one. He could have done anything! It could be permanent, it could be he only wakes under a certain set of circumstances, it could be we need to make a potion, it could be anything, literally anything! All I know, is the longer it takes for us to figure it out, the harder it’ll be to wake him up, even if we’re doing the correct thing.” He hissed as Patton grabbed his hands, trying to back away, but Patton’s grip was firm, and he couldn’t fight those wide, worried eyes anymore as he slumped into Patton’s embrace, letting loose the silent tears building to bursting as he buried his head against Patton’s shoulder.

 “I know, baby. I know.” Patton murmured, holding him tight and gently swaying back and forth.

 “I need him. I n-need him or I c-can’t…” Patton held him tighter, shushing him gently as he felt Remus hug him back.

 “Well, it wouldn’t be random. He wrote Janus a letter, he clearly planned this out, thought about what he was doing before acting. The phrasing of the letter shows that it is a set of circumstances that would be conceivable to achieve, some criteria that Roman currently believes he does not meet, however erroneous that belief is.” Logan stated, agitatedly running a hand through his hair, as he began to pace.

 “Ok, well, Remus already said that he thought everyone didn’t love him anymore, so could it be, I don’t know, he needs to feel loved?” Virgil asked, sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed, tracking Logan’s pacing back and forth.

 “no. he’s… he’s felt unloved before, and he’s never done this.” Remus replied softly, finally pulling away from Patton, moving to sit on the edge of the bed, carefully taking Roman’s hand in his, squeezing his eyes shut against the traitorous tears still falling.

 “What if… if it isn’t love? What if it’s being… needed?” Patton asked, voice small. Janus stopped his stroking of Roman’s hair in surprise, glancing at the moral side, turning it over.

 “That… could be right. He learned yesterday that much of what he’s been doing to help Thomas had been hurting him, that his black and white thinking was critically flawed and I… I as good as called him the same as Remus. Which he translated to… replaceable.” Janus swallowed hard, looking back down at Roman’s still as stone face.

 “I pushed him too far, too. I… I didn’t realize I was doing it, but I was. I made him feel like nothing he did was ever… good enough. Pure, enough.”

 “So how do we wake him, if need is indeed the trigger?” Logan asked, looking between Patton and Janus.

 “that’s easy. We tell him how much he’s needed. We make him believe it, even if we have to pound it into him, until he wakes up so I can strangle him.” Remus answered, words belied by the tight grip he had on Roman’s hand, how his lip trembled ever so slightly, and Patton walked over, wrapping him in another hug from behind, steadying the wild side.

 “You’re right. It is easy. Because we do, we really, really do, need him so, so, so much.”

…

 “I need him. I n-need him or I c-can’t-"

 The words sparked something.

 Not awareness. Not much of anything.

 But it wasn’t nothing.

 Faintly, a tug. A tug at something that might have been a soul, a twinge of familiarity.

 “Roman, kiddo, please… please.” Choked, sad, dimly, he knew he didn’t like that voice to be sad.

 Gray. When had he gotten in this deep, graying black? His mind felt hazy, barely aware, and he felt trapped in his own body, unable to move even if he wanted to.

 He didn’t. He wanted to brush off the strange voices and sink back into the gray.

 It was nice there. Quiet, endless, empty. Nothing to be, no mask to wear, it was simpler to just sink.

 “Roman. Without you we cannot function as a group. Please… wake up.” He could feel something. Someone holding his hand, rubbing circles over his knuckles. Someone stroking his hair.

 He didn’t understand. He wasn’t supposed to be dreaming. He reached for the nothing, but it slipped out of his grasp at another voice.

 “Princey, I cannot manage this train wreck alone. I… need you.” He was so close, to placing that voice. He could feel himself hovering, on the edge of waking, on the edge of sleep, toeing between the two, unsure which way he wanted to fall.

 “roman. I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you, like this. I’m supposed to protect you, and I failed miserably. I let my own pride and ego and hurt get in the way. It’s time to wake up.” That voice was soft and gentle, and remorseful, and suddenly everything came flooding back, the fog retreated, burning away, leaving him to gasp as his eyes fluttered open, inhaling deeply as he tried to get his bearings.

 “Roman?” He blinked, trying to clear his vision, trying to force his throat into functioning.

 “How… how long, has it been?” He asked, voice dry and cracked, weakly trying to sit. Instantly, Patton was there, helping support him into a sitting position, an arm wrapped around his shoulders. He looked around at the group, a small frown quirking his lips. “I figured you’d all age with Thomas. A little gray hair would look good on you guys. Specially you, Specs.” Everyone was silent, looking a bit stricken, then Janus came into view, kneeling beside the bed.

 “Roman. How long do you think it's been?” He shrugged, looking away.

 “oh, I don’t know. Maybe ten, twenty, years?” That was evidently the wrong thing to say, as he suddenly had a very angry emo in his face, looming over him.

 “Virgil, stuck with the eyeshadow, huh? Thought you would’ve found a darker shade by now.”

 “Shut up, Princey. Just… just shut up. You really… how could you think…” He was surprised when Virgil fell into his lap, nearly in tears. Instantly, he hugged him gently.

 “Easy there, doom and gloom.” He murmured, looking up, Remus staring back at him, eyes wide and fists clenched, trembling. Logan looked no better, a strange, hurt expression on his face.

 “roman… it has been roughly three days.” His barely awake mind short circuited. Three days? Not… years, not decades, just… days?

 “no, no, that… that can’t be right… that doesn’t make any sense, I…”

 “Roman. Why doesn’t it make sense?” Janus asked, and he realized the scaled side was still stroking his knuckles. He sucked in a breath, and looked away.

 “I must have done the spell wrong, is all. That… that must be it.” He mumbled.

 “Why do you think that?” Janus asked again, voice gentle, and he squeezed his eyes shut.

 “because I was only to wake if I was ever truly needed. And… and I am not.” Virgil barely managed to roll out of Roman's lap as a blur of green barreled into him, Remus clinging to him tightly.

 “Shut your stupid whore mouth you asshat. That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard leave that shiny mouth of yours.”

 “Remus-"

 “You were gonna leave? You were gonna leave me in charge? I’m a walking dumpster fire, and you thought I could handle running Thomas’s channel?” Remus asked incredulously.

 “I thought… that’s what you wanted.” He whispered, Remus pulling back from his tight embrace, glaring at him through glassy eyes.

 “No! I… I wanted to do it with you, moron! I wanted to fight and bicker and argue and make up and be your goddamn brother!” Remus snapped, tears slipping down his face. He didn’t say anything, simply stared, a bit dumbfounded, majorly confused.

 “why… I don’t… I don’t understand. I make a mess, of everything. I… never learn… I keep making the same mistakes… I don’t… I just keep hurting all of you. I just keep hurting Thomas."

 “Roman. We all make mistakes. We are all struggling to grow and adjust. It is ok, to be confused, to be angry, to be hurt. But you must, must remember that no matter what, we love you Roman. We will always, always, need you.” Logan, voice trembling uncharacteristically, and his breath caught, letting out a low, gasping, sob.

 “Oh honey. Oh Roman, baby, we love you, we need you, I love you.” Patton murmured, hugging him and Remus, who was still holding tight to him. In a moment, he felt Logan’s arms around him, the logical side shaking as he held him tight.

 “You… make us better, Princey. You make me better.” Virgil mumbled, an echo of his own long ago words, and he stifled another sob.

 “It’s ok, Roman. Let it out, dearie. None of us are going anywhere.” Janus, squeezing his hand gently, that tender action breaking his last reserve of fortitude as he broke down, sobbing and blubbering fat, rolling tears, burying his face into the crook of Remus's shoulder.

 He could feel the others, hugging him, rubbing his back, running circles over his knuckles, squeezing his arm, murmuring a thousand kind, reassuring words, each touch setting his skin ablaze because they were there and holding him and honestly, honestly? He hadn’t really ever expected to see them again.

 After a long, long time, his sobs died down into quiet sniffles, though he couldn’t quite bring himself to pull away from the warmth of the group hug he was now the center of, didn’t want any of them to ever let go, but he was exhausted. If he were more aware, he might almost laugh, who knew a sleeping curse would make you more tired once you woke up? But he was, he was exhausted, and felt weak and shaky, a little off kilter, not entirely awake, somehow.

 “I’m sorry. I-"

 “shh, we know, Ro. We know. You don’t need to apologize. This… this is on us. This is our fault, for making you feel… making you think…” Patton murmured against him, trailing off with his own small sob. “you wanna go home, now?” Patton asked instead, and he nodded weakly, flicking his wrist, a shimmering portal appearing in the center of the tower, reflecting the living room.

 Slowly, everyone disentangled themselves from around him, managing with minimal cursing, making him smile, just a tad, though he still felt empty and overwhelmed.

 He was surprised when a gloved hand came into view, looking up to see Janus, eyes warm and crinkled with concern, something almost hesitant in his gaze. With a huff, he accepted the outstretched hand, let Janus support him on his shaky legs, feeling like a newborn fawn trying to stand for the first time.

 “I am sorry, Roman. I was cruel, in my words.” Janus murmured in his ear, as they walked towards the portal. He looked up at the scaled side for a moment, before his eyes flicked away.

 “I started it. It’s… it’s my fault.” He mumbled, feeling Janus stop, tip his chin up so they were eye to eye once more.

 “No. It isn’t, dearie. You were hurting, so you lashed out. I took it too far. Not everything is on you, Roman.” He swallowed hard, giving a sharp, small nod. Janus could tell he didn��t really believe him, but he’d at least heard him.

 “ok.” He whispered, letting the others squeeze his shoulder, Patton holding his hand, as they passed him through the portal, him and Janus following after.

 …

 As soon as he made it into the living room, his legs buckled under him, vision swimming as exhaustion swept over him, the portal snapping shut as he lost hold of his power, drained and empty, dimly glad the others had come through first.

 “-man! Roman!” someone’s voice cut through the cotton in his ears, and he blinked hazily, trying to get colors to stop blurring, trying to get the world to stop spinning.

 “-Ill from being cut off for so long-“

 “was only a few days!”

 “-Roman.” He looked up, barely able to move even that much, limbs weighed down by gravity, a pull so strong he could barely keep his eyes open, but he recognized Logan before him.  

 “teach?” He rasped out, double vision blurring him into two hazy forms. He heard Logan let out a low breath, something close to relief flickering across his face.

 “yes. Very good. We’re going to get you settled, alright? You’ve come down with a fever, likely from your prolonged stasis exposure cutting you off from both Thomas and the imagination. We’re going to take you back to your room and-“

 “No! no, out here… please. Don’t… don’t wanna be alone.” He whispered, tears pricking his eyes, he couldn’t stand to be alone, he couldn’t stand to wake up alone, right now, because he was half terrified that if he fell asleep he’d sink back into the gray, into the nothing, and he didn’t want that anymore, he didn’t want this all to be a delusion, or a dream.

 “Hey, we’re not going anywhere, princey. God knows I’m never leaving you alone again, you clueless moron.” Virgil said, making him chuckle weakly at the lack of venom behind the insult, feeling the concern the anxious side was trying to mask.

 “L-love you, all.” He stuttered out, before darkness took him completely.

[houseisekai]

FE3H:HI Shadowbringers - Part 2: Forward, Relentlessly

House Isekai Shadowbringers AU Masterlist Here

----

Being awoken by a familiar voice, Class VII find themselves stranded in unfamiliar territory, separated and confused, and set out to find their classmates.

Meanwhile King Dimitri plans a daring mission, gambling his entire kingdom and perhaps all of Fodlan if he fails...

----

[Trouble Outbreak - The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel OST]

(Boy's voice) "...-uctor? Instructor!"

Sara slowly opened her eyes, holding her head.

She felt as if it was about to split wide open.

(Sara) "Ugh...Oh, good we’re alive...I think...”

As her vision adjusted to the area they were in, she could see Rean right next to her, alongside Emma using some sort of healing spell.

(Emma) "Instructor Sara, are you feeling okay?!"

(Sara) "We just fell down into a bottomless pit, how do you think I feel?”

(Emma) “...She’s okay.”

Rean sighed in relief and stood up, looking to the rest of Class VII.

The area they were in appeared to be somewhere in the north, judging by how cold the wind was.

Looking to his left, he saw half the class talking with each other, also trying to get a bearing on their surroundings.

To his right, Valimar was kneeling with the other half near him.

Rean frowned when he examined Valimar.

At this point he had done it several times while everyone was waking up, but the Divine Knight was in such good shape considering the circumstances.

Valimar should have been destroyed in the fall. Then there was the question of how anyone was still alive.

...Shaking his head, he decided to turn his attention back to the present. He'd have plenty of time to worry about that later.

When he turned around, Emma was helping Sara get to her feet.

(Sara) "What happened?"

(Emma) "It looks like we were saved. How, we don't know."

(Rean) "Right now we're trying to get ourselves situated before we start investigating the area. Sharon should be back in a few minutes to tell us what she's found."

(Sara) "Right. Hoo, alright just give me a few minutes I'll be ready...!"

Rean nodded and walked towards Valimar as Emma tended to Sara.

Crow, Towa, Elliot, and Alisa were right next to Valimar, and noticed Rean coming to them.

(Crow) "Hey look, Sara's awake."

(Elliot) "Whew, thank goodness! I was starting to worry something was wrong."

(Alisa) "It's a miracle that we managed to get up as fast we did, honestly."

(Towa) "I suppose we should just be grateful everyone is okay. That fall was pretty scary!"

(Rean) "Hah, that doesn't even come close to describing it...We still haven't seen any sign of our other classmates have we?"

(Crow) "Nope. It's just been us as far as I could tell. Maybe we should ask Valimar if he can sense them."

(Towa) "He can do that?"

(Alisa) "I thought that only worked on Class VII since we were the only ones to activate him?"

(Elliot) "It might be worth a shot at the very least."

Rean shrugged.

(Rean) "Yeah, can't hurt to try. Valimar."

The Divine Knight's lenses flared to life with a bright green shine.

(Rean) "Can you detect any other member of House Isekai?"

(Valimar) Negative. A magical disruption in the area is preventing my scanners from working properly.

(Crow) "Well good, it does work, but the hell is causing the problem?"

Two figures watched from on top of a hill covered in trees.

They could see Emma walking over to the group, most likely being asked if she could sense anything.

The woman in black turned to the man on her right.

(???) "Lahabrea, we should attack them before they return to full strength. They're weak, we have the upperhand-"

Lahabrea shook his head.

(Lahabrea) "Patience. It'd do you well not to underestimate the professor's students. ESPECIALLY, the wielder of the Ashen Knight."

(???) "Our orders were to destroy any member of House Isekai and-"

(Lahabrea) "-And we know our higher ups are idiots. They seek to destroy this wild card because it threatens our plan. I like to think otherwise."

The woman's facial expressions weren't visible, but he could tell that she was fuming.

(???) "Just because you were put in charge of this operation does NOT mean you can just use this as an excuse to further your little pet project!"

(Lahabrea) "Hah! You have the nerve to refer to what I’m doing as a ‘pet project’? You know full well if Thales were to continue we'd-...It is VERY rude to eavesdrop, I'll have you know."

Sharon stepped out of the trees, her signature smile still present. Her hands were over one another, in front of her apron.

(Sharon) "My apologies. I just overheard someone threatening my class and had to make sure they would not have the opportunity to do so. You cannot fault for that, can you?” 

(Lahabrea) "I would not, in fact. Forgive us, perhaps we got off on the wrong foot. My name is-"

(???) "Is this some sort of joke!? Why are we bothering to give her any pleasantries when we should kill her!?"

(Lahabrea) "... My name is Lahabrea. My uncivilized companion is Gaia. I am quite familiar with who you are."

(Sharon) “Oh, so polite! It’s very nice to meet you! Now, could you please leave us? I would hate having to be forced to kill you.”

(Gaia) "Hah! And what could a single maid possibly-?"

Lahabrea cut Gaia off by shooting a dark spell at her feet, a bundle of wires unfolding themselves.

(Gaia) "Wha?!-"

Gaia noticed that Sharon was covering the beginning of the wires in her hands.

(Lahabrea) "And THIS, is why I say not to underestimate ANYONE of that house. You invite death by doing so. Since you are so hellbent on the mission, then leave me!”

Gaia mumbled something under her breath and teleported away.

Lahabrea bowed once she left.

(Lahabrea) “My deepest apologies, Miss Kreuger. We will meet again later when the time is appropriate. While my colleagues would rather show hostility towards House Isekai, I would offer friendship. But, that conversation will come later.”

Lahabrea began to teleport away but spoke one last time.

(Lahabrea) “You are near Fhirdiad, by the way. Make your way south towards the gates, and you will find your friends. I recommend doing so with the utmost haste. Farewell for now.”

Lahabrea vanished, leaving a trail of dark purple smoke before it faded into nothing.

Sharon went down the hill and to Rean. All of Class VII went to Sharon, awaiting the news.

(Rean) “Sharon, did you see anything out there that might give us an idea of where we are?”

(Sharon) “I have found out our location, but...”

...

(Towa) “T-Those people who attacked Remire Village are here?!”

(Laura) “Not only that, they are watching us...”

(Sara) “The real question is why didn’t that guy named Lahabrea give the order to attack?”

(Millium) “Yeah, he would have kicked our butts while we were sleeping!”

(Sharon) “That is the next part I was about to bring up. He freely admitted that his friends would like nothing more than to kill us, he said he offers his hand in friendship.”

(Alisa) “I’m not sure I’m ready to believe that considering what his group’s done to us.”

(Rean) “...So, after that he said our friends are in Fhirdiad, right? Does that mean the rest of House Isekai is in there?”

(Crow) “Wouldn’t get our hopes up, honestly. First of all we’re in Fhirdiad, from what I remember from our history lessons, Faerghus actively supports them.”

(Gaius) “And it’d be safe to assume we’re basically wanted criminals of the Church AND Faerghus.”

(Machias) “Well, what better choices do we have than to go to Fhirdiad? There isn’t any other town nearby for miles.”

(Rean) “We should at least go and see how bad the situation is over there first. It’ll give Valimar some time to recharge anyway.”

(Vailmar) I will have recharged back to full power by the time you need me.

(Fie) “Alright, then let’s go.”

Throne Room in Fhirdiad...

[Will and Reason - Tales of Berseria OST]

Knights of Seiros clad in ornate white armor walked past the guards towards a blonde man who sat on a throne next to his advisors.

(Knight Captain) “King Dimitri, you will heed our words and do so carefully!”

(Dimitri) “Very well. You have my full attention, Lord-Captain.”

(Knight Captain) “Several of our own have claimed that you have been conspiring with heretics these past few moons-”

(Dedue) “By what right do you accuse his highness of such treachery?!-”

(Dimitri) “Dedue, you will stand down.”

(Dedue) “...I beg your forgiveness for my outburst, your highness.”

(Knight Captain) “Hmph. These claims originate from knights, laborers, and even of your own forces. We are not so keen to pass judgement, lest we would have sent inquisitors instead of myself.”

(Dimitri) “Your trust is most grateful, Lord-Captain.-”

(Knight Captain) “And that trust has its limits, King Dimitri. You will quell these rumors by following the order of Seiros without fault by the coming days, or you will answer to the goddess herself!”

The knights turned around and marched out the room, letting Dimitri take a sigh of relief, sitting back into his throne.

(Dimitri) “I think it would have been best if you remained silent, Dedue. Their inquisitors have been known to behead those even showing any slight signs of antagonistic feelings towards the Church.”

(Dedue) “They do have to believe we’re on their side, with all due respect.”

(Dimitri) “Fair enough.”

Dimitri stood up and walked to a room nearby.

Several people wearing red armbands turned to the door and saw Dimitri open it, shaking his head.

[Troubled - Persona 3 OST]

(Dimitri) “We’ve been too careless with our actions as of late.”

(Minato) “Think they’re onto us?”

(Minako) “Psh, you hear how pissed off that guy was? Definitely!”

(Mitsuru) “Then that means we need to get out of here before they start sending Inquisitors.”

(Dedue) “Agreed. All of our group is ready to leave. What about the rest of S.E.E.S?”

(Mitsuru) “We’ve gathered our things and ready for the order.”

(Minako) “I’m worried what will happen to the Capital when we leave though...”

(Minato) “Almost everyone follows the Church more than Dimitri anyway, I think they’ll be fine. They don’t know the truth like we do after all...”

(Dimitri) “We leave for Enbarr in the dawn then. We’ll figure out someway to liberate Fodlan from their madness.”

A knocking came at the door, which made everyone go dead silent.

Minato, Minako, and Mitsuru slowly reached for their evokers while Dimitri and Dedue stood at the doorway.

Dimitri cleared his throat and shouted at the door.

(Dimitri) “What is the meaning of this interruption? We are in the middle of an important meeting!”

(Sylvain’s Voice) “Jeez, what’s crawled up your butt toda-”

THWACK!

(Sylvain’s Voice) “OW! H-HEY THAT HURT!”

(Ingrid’s Voice) “If you don’t take this more seriously, I will make it REALLY HURT. Ugh, apologies your highness! It’s just us two.”

Dedue opened the door for them as they walked in.

Shutting the door behind them, Ingrid bowed while Sylvain continued to stand firm.

(Sylvain) “Our remaining forces have agreed to make sure the Church doesn’t burn the place down while we’re gone.”

(Ingrid) “And we have our stories in place for when we depart.”

(Dimitri) “Perfect, my thanks. Now let’s-”

(Ingrid) “Actually your highness, there was one more thing I wanted to report. It...might cause some complications in our plan.”

(Minato) “What kind of complication?”

(Ingrid) “I just received a report from a pegasus knight patrol that stated they found some sort of statue kneeling by itself in the outskirts of Fhirdiad. It wasn’t there before, and looked far too heavy for someone to have just placed it there overnight.”

(Mitsuru) “Were they able to see what it looked like?”

Ingrid nodded and turned to the S.E.E.S members.

(Ingrid) “They ran back to me as soon as they found it, so I went to investigate myself. It looked like an Ashen Knight.”

(Minako) “An Ashen...-” !!! “Rean?!”

(Mitsuru) “Class VII!”

(Sylvain) “Oh, great! That means our caravan just became that much more secure!”

(Dimitri) “Ingrid, Sylvain, we are heading out right now to find Class VII, then we journey to Enbarr, alert everyone to the news!”

(Ingrid) “Yes, your highness!”

(Sylvain) “Got it!”

Dedue grabbed a nearby sword and shield as Dimitri went out of the room.

(Dimitri) “I will get Areadbhar, I trust you to find your classmates, S.E.E.S.”

The members of S.E.E.S nodded as Dedue and Dimtiri left.

(Mitsuru) “Fuuka, do you hear me?”

(Fuuka’s Voice) “I do, Mitsuru-senpai!”

(Mitsuru) “Good, we’re beginning the operation! Intiate Phase 1!”

...

Church in Fhirdiad 

Mercedes sat in one of the pews, making a silent prayer to the Goddess.

She was one of many attending the service that day. Unlike them, she was praying that everyone in all the territories would be saved from this ruthless tyranny that made a mockery of the real church she knew.

And that Those Who Slither in the Dark would find defeat at their hands.

Once she finished, she saw Annette take a seat next to her.

(Annette) “Mercie, we’ve got to go now.”

Mercedes nodded and the two of them stood up. As they were leaving, they were stopped by guards.

They were Knights of Seiros.

(Knight 1) “The service hasn’t ended yet, and you just got here.”

(Annette) “S-Sorry! We have an important meeting to get to is all and-”

(Knight 2) “-And you would forsake the teachings of Seiros? You might as well be a heretic with what you’re doing little girl!”

(Mercedes) “We are supposed to be learning the words of the Goddess, not Seiros herself!”

The knights stepped closer to them, but Mercedes did not back down.

(Knight 1) “Speak your next words very carefully...”

Mercedes smiled.

(Mercedes) “Can you get these two out of our way, please?”

(Knight 1) “What?”

It was then that knight noticed that everyone’s shadow was completely enveloped by something far larger than them.

The knights slowly turned around to see what was behind them.

They dropped their weapons upon realizing who it was.

(Knight 2) “G-GODDESS HELP US...”

Doomguy motioned to Annette and Mercedes towards the door. 

They nodded and made a run for it as he grabbed both of the knights by the head, and tossed the first one towards the front of the pews. 

Several people screamed once they saw Doomguy walking up, still holding the second knight in his hand.

(Woman) “W-Who is that?!”

(Man) “H-He bears the mark of the beast!”

(Priest) “BACK DEMON! THE POWERS OF SEIROS WILL STRIKE YOU DOWN IF-”

The second knight grabbed a knife that was on his belt and attempted to stab Doomguy’s arm.

Using his free arm, Doomguy grabbed his hand and with a loud crack, snapped his wrist to face the opposite side of his arm.

Doomguy dropped the knight as he screamed in pain, slowly walking up to the priest.

(Priest) “IF...I-IF...!”

Doomguy looked at the statue he was standing in front of, one that looked similar to Rhea.

Doomguy wanted it gone.

He picked up the priest by the collar and tossed him behind him, making everyone get up in fear.

(Man) “GODDESS! A MAN OF UNTOLD STRENGTH, A MAN WHO HAS THE MARK OF THE BEAST?!”

Doomguy pulled out a rocket launcher and aimed it at the statue-

(Man) “IT’S THE DOOMSLAYER!”

-And pulled the trigger.

KABOOOOOOOOOM!

Mercedes and Annette saw several knights rushing into the temple as people left it screaming.

(Mercedes) “Phase 1′s going off just as planned! Now we need to find a way out of here.”

(Annette) “Right! Ashe said he knows a way, so let’s get to him fast!”

...

Rean looked at the entrance to Fhirdiad and saw several Knights of Seiros alongside Faerghus soldiers.

(Fie) “No way we’re getting in. Too much security.”

(Angelica) “Doubt anyone from House Isekai’s in there.”

(Jusis) “Then we’re better off asking where our classmates are in another location.”

They all nodded and prepared to move before-

KABOOOOOOOOOM!

[Atrocious Raid - The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel OST]

Everyone in Class VII turned around and saw the smoke rising in the distance.

(Machias) “The hell was that?!”

(Elliot) “An explosion?!”

Several of the soldiers looked back in confusion, turning to each other and giving out orders.

All of the security force began to scramble as more explosions occurred throughout the city.

Several soldiers were blown back by another explosion. From the smoke, students with a red armband ran out the gates and away from the city.

(Towa) “Look, it’s the Arisato’s group!”

(Sara) “Hmph. Looks like that bastard wasn’t lying after all!”

Several knights chased after S.E.E.S, making Class VII unsheathe their weapons.

(Rean) “Class VII, with me!”

(Everyone) ‘Right!”

...

“PERSONA!”

Both of them spun around and pulled the trigger on their evokers, summoning the Persona, Thanatos.

Some of the knights following them faltered in their steps seeing such a ghastly figure being summoned, but the veterans charged without hesitation.

The first knight was completely knocked into the air as if he were a ragdoll by Thanatos swinging his sword.

The second knight tried going for the legs, and ended up getting kicked by the Persona.

The veterans stopped in their tracks seeing what happened, trying to figure out what to do.

Before any of them could form a plan, Thanatos disappeared, leaving Ken and Junpei standing in front of them, evokers to their heads.

(Junpei) “HERMES!”

(Ken) “NEMESIS!”

A wall of fire erupted in front of the knights, making all of them back away and they continued to make their escape.

As S.E.E.S moved closer to the nearby forest, they were cut off by several pegasus knights.

(Akihiko) “Damn it!”

(Pegasus Knight) “YOU ARE NOT GETTING AWAY, HERETICS!”

Another group of knights rushed behind their flank, beginning to surround them.

(Shinjiro) “Tch, we got a plan B?”

(Yukari) “Yeah, fight our way out!”

(Junpei) “Oh, that’s a greaaat, idea! You got enough arrows in that quiver for all these bastards thats after us?!”

Fuuka’s Persona formed around her and she scanned the area.

(Fuuka) “Everyone, we have energy signatures incoming!”

(Ken) “Crap, are they inquisitors?!”

(Fuuka) “N-No! Wait, that can’t be right...I think Lucia is detecting-”

(Boy’s Voice) “SECOND FORM, GALE!”

A red blur sped across the pegasus knights, with that blur ending up in front of S.E.E.S.

(Akihiko) “What was that?!”

Rean turned around and saw the weapons of the pegasus knights fall apart, all of them looking in confusion as to what happened.

(Minako) “Rean!”

(Minato) “Heh, saves us the trouble of finding you guys at least!”

Emma and Elliot casted a spell in the middle of the pegasus squad, the explosion knocking everyone away.

Machias blasted the heavier knights with his shotgun, catching them all by surprise.

Before they could get back up, Jusis jumped in with Machias.

(Jusis & Machias) “ARCUS, ACTIVATE!”

Jusis’s rapier sliced the weapons away from any knights attempting to counterattack, with Machias aiming his gun at the knights coming from their sides.

A wire shot out from the trees at their legs, making the teams fall, unable to get back up.

Sharon giggled as she hopped down the trees and brandished her knife.

(Sharon) “It is good to see you again, everyone!”

The rest of Class VII joined S.E.E.S and had their weapons ready to fight.

(Sara) “Don’t you worry your little heads, your teacher is here!”

(Minato) “Hah, not yet they aren’t!”

A lone pegasus came riding down from the skies, with everyone pointing their weapons at him, until realizing who was on it.

Numerous small black objects dropped from the rider, with incoming knights looking at their feet.

An explosion of ice froze them all on the spot completely solid.

Jumping off the pegasus, with it wildly flying off into the air, Doomguy took out a shotgun.

(Minako) “NOW they’re here!”

(Angelica) “Ouch, how’s that feel Instructor?”

(Sara) “S-Shut up you guys!”

Towa giggled as she reloaded her pistol.

(Towa) “Welcome back, sir!”

Doomguy gave them a thumbs up, with more soldiers starting to surround them.

This time, it was Kingdom soldiers instead of knights.

The soldiers made way for Dimitri as he stepped forward.

Dimitri was wearing a bright white and blue battle armor, wielding his relic weapon.

(Dimitri) “House Isekai! You trespass on holy grounds! Surrender yourself to the Church, or we will kill you!”

Class VII intensified their battle stances.

Doomguy slowly inched his way towards Fie as Dimitri continued talking.

He poked her in the arm without trying to draw too much attention.

(Fie) “What is it?”

He pointed at her belt, which had several grenades on it.

(Fie) “Here, take the frag-”

Doomguy shook his head and pointed more aggressively.

(Fie) “...My flashbang?”

Doomguy nodded.

She shrugged and gave it to him.

(Fie) “Whatever you’re doing, make it-”

Doomguy fired his weapon wildly into the air, and put the flashbang into his shoulder cannon.

(Fie) “...Subtle.”

The soldiers stepped back in confusion, and the flashbang was fired into the air.

(Fuuka) “EVERYONE, GET DOWN!”

With the flashbang going off, everyone became blinded, except for House Isekai, and Dimitri.

Knights and soldiers struggled to see what was going on as Dimitri was dragged into the bushes by an unknown hand.

(Rean) “What the?!-”

(Familliar Voice) “Psst, guys!”

Looking to his right, Ashe revealed himself behind a tree.

(Ashe) “Get in before they see you all!”

S.E.E.S moved in without hesitation. After seeing them do so, Class VII joined in soon after.

The soldiers recovered and saw that their king and House Isekai was nowhere to be seen.

(Knight) “They captured King Dimitri?!”

(Soldier) “Not for long! MEN, SPREAD OUT!

The soldier looked at the knight.

(Soldier) “We’ll look for his highness, we’ll-”

(Knight) “AND WHO ARE YOU TO GIVE ME ORDERS?! Fine, look for the king, we will restore order to Fhirdiad!”

The Knights of Seiros quickly moved back to the city as the soldiers of Faerghus scrambled.

(Soldier) “...Prick.”

(Soldier 2) “Their escape route is secure, now let’s get ‘looking’ shall we sir?”

(Soldier) “Right. I sure hope those kids know what they’re doing...”

...

(Dimitri) “Agh, Felix, you didn’t have to drag me that hard...”

(Felix) “Shut up. It had to be believable.”

(Ingrid) “Felix, you should be a bit more respectful!”

(Felix) “Alright. Shut up, your highness.”

Ingrid sighed as the rest of House Isekai was catching their breath.

(Ashe) “I’m not sure where you guys came from, but we’re happy to have you!”

(Rean) “Hah, thanks Ashe.”

Rean looked around and saw the rest of the Blue Lions together, some conversing with members of S.E.E.S.

(Sara) “So, assumed we interrupted something?”

(Dimitri) “Yes, our escape. We would have let you known if...well, we knew you were coming. We had to improvise at the end there.”

(Sharon) “I’m sure it will be a riveting tale, but I think we should get moving, your soldiers are looking for us as we speak.”

(Dedue) “I would not worry about them. The soldiers are aware of our plan, and are helping to lead us out of Faerghus.”

(Rean) “Outside the country?”

(Minato) “We’ll let you know what exactly we’re doing soon. For now, I’d say we take Sharon’s advice and get out of here.”

Everyone nodded and began to move through the forest.

Accidentally bumping into Faerghus soldiers “looking” for them, they were guided to a path that was to be secured for their escape out of Faerghus.

(Dedue) “We are now approaching the city’s border, and will be out of Fhirdiad territory soon.”

(Junpei) “Ugh, my legs! You think we could’ve taken a carriage out of here or something?”

(Crow) “I’m with Iori here, if we’re seriously walking out of here on foot, I think I’ll die.”

(Woman’s Voice) “No, you’ll die regardless.”

(Everyone) !?

[Those Who Sow Darkness - Fire Emblem: Three Houses OST]

Gaia teleported in front of the group, making everyone draw their weapons.

(Sharon) “Ah, these are the ones I confronted in the forest. Though there is quite a few of them now.”

(Dimitri) “What is the meaning of this?!”

(Gaia) “House Isekai cannot be allowed to live and interfere with the grand plan!”

(Dedue) “What?! We had a deal with Lahabrea!”

(Class VII) ?!

(Gaia) “Lahabrea is a traitor, and I will deal with him too, after I have seen your corpses!”

(Rean) “You made a deal with them, knowing what they did?!”

(Dimitri) “We will talk of that later, Rean!”

Dimitri pulled out his lance.

[The 13th Dilemma - Kingdom Hearts 2.5 OST]

Gaia’s hand went over her mask, a red crest symbol forming and glowing in front of the mask.

(Gaia) “Lahabrea seemed so afraid of you all, but I will show him that he was wrong to fear you children! WITNESS THE POWER OF THE AGARTHANS!”

Crow, Machias, Fie, Towa, and Doomguy raised their guns and opened fire, the bullets being absorbed by a dark circle protecting her.

Gaia teleported farther into the air and summoned multiple fireballs to rain to them.

Emma and Elliot summoned a protective sphere to shield them from the blast, but after the first one collided, the shield broke. 

The second one was about to hit them before they dodged out the way, igniting the ground into flames.

Sara reached for her pistol, only to be met with nothing in her holster.

(Sara) “Byleth...!”

Shaking her head, Sara forced herself to ignore that. This was not the time to remember something like that.

Ashe got behind Gaia’s line of sight and let loose an arrow. It slipped by the magical shield and grazed her arm, leaving her robe cut and a small bleeding wound.

Teleporting back down and directly behind Ashe, she raised her hand to his head ready to blow it off.

Thanatos’s sword slammed down in front of her, her head instead almost getting cut off.

It roared into the air as her hand quickly formed another spell, firing it into Thanatos, sending the Persona into a tree.

Minato and Minako felt the blow in their backs which made them kneel over in pain.

Laura swung her sword downwards at Gaia’s position.

The force of the sword’s impact obliterated the ground beneath them, making it fly upwards with chunks of debris flying into the air.

Gaia tumbled over into the trees, surrounded by Blue Lions and members of S.E.E.S.

(Sylvain) “Come on, a pretty lady like you should know when to surrender!”

(Ken) “...Really, Sylvain?”

(Gaia) “HAH, IT IS YOU ALL WHO SHOULD KNOW WHEN TO LIE DOWN AND DIE!”

With a swipe of her hand, they were all blown back.

Everyone with a firearm aimed at Gaia again until her crest glowed even brighter and an ear piercing screech came from below the ground.

A massive horn erupted from the ground, sending them into the air and falling harshly onto the floor.

A skeletal beast that resembled some sort of horned wolf screamed into the air, looking at everyone.

(Annette) “Crap, demonic beasts?!”

Doomguy was slightly disappointed it didn't have guts he could tear open, but he made do with it.

Jumping directly into the fight with it, he activated his wrist blade and slashed at its body, bones from its stomach area flying off, but having almost no effect.

Sharon used her wires to surround the legs, but it was too strong for her and snapped them off with ease.

Felix, Sylvain, and Ingrid had their weapons strike the beast’s head at the same time, but they failed to even make a scratch on the bone.

(Millium) “LAMMY!”

A contraption spawned behind Millium and flew towards the front of the beast alongside Laura, Dimitri, and Dedue.

They all used their brute strength to meet its swipe, but they were flung to the side, all landing on each other.

Jusis and Gaius’s weapons deflected off the beast when they tried to attack from behind, the monster roaring in response.

(Gaia) “AHAHAHAHA! THIS IS WHAT LAHABREA WAS AFRAID OF? CHILDREN WHO CAN’T EVEN FIGHT AGAINST ONE OF THE WEAKEST SUMMONS?!”

(Rean) “Alright then, we’re up next!”

Gaia turned to Rean, raising an eyebrow underneath her mask.

[Awakening - The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II OST]

(Rean)

“Heed my call...

Despite being miles apart, Valimar’s eyes glowed in response.

Valimar stood up, scaring the multiple knight and Faerghus soldiers investigating him.

Bending its legs, Valimar jumped and flew off into the distance towards Rean.

Gaia sensed a magical energy that was beyond her comprehension and spun around, seeing Valimar overhead.

(Sara) “Hah, you’ve done it now!”

(Minako) “WOOO! GIANT ROBOT FIIIGHT!”

(Minato) “KICK HER ASS, REAN!”

Doomguy raised a hand into the air, forming the “rock on!” sign.

Valimar behind Rean, kneeling down.

(Rean) “Valimar, let’s take ‘em down!”

(Valimar) Acknowledged, Awakener!

Rean teleported into the cockpit and the camera turned on, seeing the skeletal beast in front of him.

The skeletal beast made the first move, its jaws grabbing onto Valimar’s arm.

Valimar spun around, the momentum sending the beast into the trees, making several fall over from the impact.

It got back up an ran back to Valimar, Valimar sheathing the greatsword in response.

Right as the beast was about to bite Valimar again, the sword struck upwards.

The strike cut off half the body and part of its leg, the bones flying off into the distance.

The beast landed into the floor, scrambling to get up.

(Gaia) “I-IMPOSSIBLE!”

Gaia prepared to fire several spells before Valimar’s head turned to her.

The spells fired off from her hands and made its mark, but the spell had no effect on Valimar’s body.

Valimar leapt forward, swinging the massive sword into the ground, shaking all the trees in their area from the impact.

Gaia was too slow, and got an arm severed from Valimar, making her scream in pain.

Parts of her mask was blown off from the strike, and she fell onto the floor unable to get up.

The beast rushed towards Valimar, only for Valimar to step to the side, dodging the attack. Valimar planted the sword downwards into the monster’s skull.

It pierced through from the top of the skull to the jaw, the sword being planted deep into the ground.

In an instant, the beast stopped moving, but Valimar left the sword in the head and moved to the body.

Valimar grabbed the tail of the beast and moved backwards, severing the skeletal head from the rest of its body.

Throwing its body into the trees, dark energy left the head as it crumpled into dust.

Seeing Gaia bleeding profusely on the ground nearby, Valimar sheathed its sword and knelt down, letting Rean teleport out.

(Gaia) “Hah...S-So this is the power of House Isekai...!”

She slowly stood up, with everyone’s weapons still drawn. Her mask was still barely intact, but they could now see an eye and her mouth.

(Gaia) “R-Rest assured...this is NOT the last you have seen of me!”

She attempted to teleport, but nothing happened.

Gaia noticed that everyone was now looking behind her, something suddenly making her entire body jolt.

(Man’s voice) “Didn’t I tell you to have patience, my uncivil companion?” 

[Those Who Sow Darkness - Fire Emblem: Three Houses OST]

They could see her eye go wide, her mouth slowly opening, blood slowly coming out of her mouth.

(Lahabrea) “And would you look at that? Your overconfidence caused your downfall by the Ashen Knight.”

He walked to her side with an arm still behind her.

(Lahabrea) “And you have caused my guests unnecessary trouble. I don’t think I will forgive that.”

Gaia fell to her knees and into the ground, a knife sticking out of her back.

She was reaching her hand out, trying to say something, but all that came out was blood.

(Lahabrea) “You could have lived long enough to see the new era unfold, but alas you are too rooted to our worthless traditions. A pity.”

Raising his hand, he fired a spell that covered her entire body, making it slowly disappear into a dark cloud.

Lahabrea pulled out a vial, and her essence was transferred inside of it.

He turned to the others and took a bow.

(Lahabrea) “I do hope none of you came under harm due to her treachery.”

Class VII kept their weapons out, but S.E.E.S and the Blue Lions stepped forward.

(Dimitri) “I trust this will be the only time an interference like this occurs?”

(Lahabrea) “Of course. I always work alone, but was forced to bring her along. I will say she...hm...Died to an inquisitor, that will work.”

(Rean) “Dimitri, what’s going on, why are you guys working with them?!”

(Dimitri) “...When did you wake up, Rean?”

(Lahabrea) “Not too long ago, Class VII awoke this morning in the outskirts of Fhirdiad.”

(Minato) “Hm. Fortunate.”

(Minako) “We’ve only been here for a month, but trust us, we need his help.”

(Lahabrea) “You will be here for quite some time if you talked, so I recommend pickiing up the pace.”

Lahabrea bowed again and raised his hand to teleport.

(Lahabrea) “I must be off on an errand, but we will see each other soon, King Dimitri.”

Dimitri nodded and gestured goodbye, Lahabrea nodding in response and teleporting away.

(Dimitri) “We will explain everything on the way to Enbarr. It has been a long four years...”

(Crow) “Enbarr? Why Enabrr? I thought you hated Edelgard.”

(Dimitri) “I did...Before I knew the truth. Before Byleth told me.”

(Sara) “Byleth, he’s alive?!”

(Dimitri) “He is, but he left as suddenly as he appeared. That was about three years ago now. I have no idea as to what he’s doing now.”

(Sara) “I...I see.”

(Dedue) “We will divulge the full story another time. We must make our way to Enbarr now.”

(Rean) “Why, what’s happening at Enbarr?”

(Minato) “They’re under siege by the Church, but we have no idea if they’ll still be alive by the time we arrive.”

(Rean) “Then we need something a bit faster than carriages!”

The members of House Isekai turned to face Valimar.

(Valimar) Acknowledged. Opening Spirit Portal to Enbarr..

-----

Garreg Mach Monastery, Present Day...

[Mezame no Waltz - School-Live! OST]

Sitri sat alone in Jeralt’s old room, reading his journal of what had happened during those twenty years she had been dead for.

Yuri was kind enough to give it to her while they waited for any signs of other classmates approaching the monastery.

She had finished it yesterday, but couldn’t help herself to reread it again.

Jeralt had truly loved her...It must’ve been tough to raise Byleth alone, but from what everyone’s told her, he grew up to be a good man.

While she was reading, she heard a loud crash from outside the room.

She yelped in response and slowly went to the door, seeing Kazuma and Yuki at the end of the hallway.

(Kazuma) “Ah shi-...I mean dam-Agh!”

(Yuki) “Um...y-you can swear if you want to, Satou.”

(Kazuma) “Ugh, no I can’t! Your classmates and Megunee would kill me for letting you hear all that stuff.”

(Yuki) “I don’t think swearing is as severe as...well...all of this.”

Yuki looked to the floor sadly with Kazuma struggling to say the right thing.

(Sitri) “Um...-”

Both Yuki and Kazuma jumped.

(Yuki & Kazuma) “AGH!”

Sitri couldn’t help laugh, quickly covering her mouth, but still smiling.

(Sitri) “O-Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you! Is everything okay?”

(Yuki) “Ye-...N-No. We dropped the food we were going to give you while you were here...”

(Kazuma) “Yeah, sorry ‘bout the mess.”

(Sitri) “Do you need some help cleaning up?”

(Kazuma) “Huh? N-No, we couldn’t make you clean up OUR mess. I’d hate that if it were given to me.”

(Yuki) “But you don’t like doing any work Satou-”

(Kazuma) “Shush, Yuki.”

(Sitri) “It’s no problem, now let me see...”

After a few moments, they cleaned up the broken plate shards, and threw them away.

(Yuki) “Thank you, Miss Eisner!”

(Sitri) “Oh, you don’t have to call me that. Please just call me by my first name.”

(Kazuma) “Uh...T-Thanks, Sitri.”

(Sitri) “Of course.”

Kazuma couldn’t look her in the eye.

Sitri reminded him too much of Wiz. And just like Wiz, Sitri seemed to have the kindest personality massive boo-

(Kazuma) No. Kazuma, head out of the gutters and into the right place. Right betwe-NO. THIS IS THE PROFESSOR’S MOTHER.

(Yuki) “You know, you remind me a lot of Megunee, Sitri!”

(Sitri) “Megunee...? Oh, you mean Megumi Sakura! Why’s that?”

(Yuki) “You’re super pretty and nice! Even though you really don’t know us that well, you’re looking out for everyone!”

Sitri blushed a little and laughed.

(Sitri) “T-Thank you, Yuki. That’s high praise from what you’ve told me about her.”

(Kazuma) “Anyways, sorry for bothering you. Do you want us to bring you some new food or?”

(Sitri) “No no, I’ll come down to eat with everyone.”

(Kazuma) “Alright let’s-”

(Ainz’s Voice) “Kazuma, do you hear me? Kazuma?!”

(Kazuma) “Eh? Yes, I’m Kazuma-”

(Ainz’s Voice) “We have people approaching with Class VII, S.E.E.S, Doomguy! We think they’re the Blue Lions!”

(Yuki) “D-Dimitri’s here?”

(Kazuma) “On our way to the gates, see you there!”

Everyone nodded and moved towards the entrance.

-----

[Rain (Deference for Darkness) - Halo 3: ODST OST]

Year 1, Faerghus territory, nearing the border of the Adrestian Empire...

Byleth woke up with a violent jolt in his body, eyes wide and breathing heavily.

After a few moments of silence, he slumped back and sighed.

Another nightmare...

A distant explosion brightened the dark skies as he got out of a ruined building, stretching.

He stared with indifference to the battle happening far below him.

Imperial and Faerghus soldiers clashed into each other, trying to gain this territory for the war effort.

Byleth would be long gone by the time this battle would end. 

He passed by a man dressed in black who was leaning against the door.

(Lahabrea) “Finally awake, I see. And where are we going?”

Byleth walked silently past Lahabrea, holding tightly onto Sara’s pistol as he did.

Byleth did his best to try and forget about that nightmare, but it would always come back to him. The battle of Garreg Mach had only been a month ago, so it’d make sense that it was still fresh in his head.

That fact didn’t make it any more comforting to him.

As he felt rain start to drop onto him, he thought about his plan on how to kill Edelgard and Rhea.

He was one man with a sword against 2 armies that controlled entire parts of Fodlan.

When the rain intensified, he put his jacket over his head and continued.

He heard footsteps behind him splashing in the rain but he refused to let his thoughts break off.

Even with his divine pulse, he would be severely out manned. Without help, he would die before he reached his goal.

(Lahabrea) “You’re headed the wrong way, you know-”

(Byleth) “Why are you following me?”

(Lahabrea) “I’d be lying to you, and you’d be an idiot for believing me if I said I was helping you for completely altruistic reasons. We both want to take Seiros down, but you need to focus hatred to the right people. We need Edelgard alive.”

That made Byleth stop in his tracks completely.

(Byleth) “...What?”

(Lahabrea) “Stop to think about it. Does Edelgard seem like the type to like what us Agarthans did, ESPECIALLY regarding Kronya, Remire village, and your fath-”

Byleth spun around and pointed Sara’s pistol at Lahabrea’s head.

(Lahabrea) “...Forgive my careless words. But my point stands.”

(Byleth) “...”

(Lahabrea) “Edelgard, like myself, actively voiced against attacking those innocents, and anyone of House Isekai. Why do you think she offered her hand to you so many times in the tomb?”

(Byleth) “So she could use us. We would have been tools for the Empire, just like we were tools for the church. Just like you Agarthans are tools for her.”

He stopped aiming the pistol at Lahabrea and continued to walk on his way.

(Lahabrea) “And so you think the Agarthans are completely loyal to her cause? We are to her, as I am to my own organization. We have the same goals, but different ways of achieving it. The demonic beasts that attacked the Monastery, Remire Village, and all those you encountered throughout that year was ours. Your hatred should be focused on the Agarthans, NOT the Empire.”

(Byleth) “Speak plainly of why you’re telling me this, Agarthan.”

(Lahabrea) “Because both Agarthans and Seiros must be put down before we end up blowing up this world all the way to the seven hells with the Javelin of Liberation.”

(Byleth) “...Explain.”

(Lahabrea) “Meet me at House Arundel’s territory, and I will reveal all I know.”

He began to teleport away, but looked at Byleth once more.

(Lahabrea) “Not only will you avenge your friends and family, but you can put an end to this vicious cycle of war that WE started, forever.”

With that, he disappeared.

Byleth stared at Sara’s pistol for a moment before finally holstering it, making his way to House Arundel.

PART 2: END

[Escape - Darling in the FranXX OST]

The forecasted rain wets us

What should I say to you, as you tremble? My soaked blazer is cold and heavy

I feel as helpless as a chick who's left its cage. I felt that my dreams were on the other side of the heavy clouds

I digested only the sweet pain that spread in my chest

I wonder if it'd be better if I'd never met you

Hey, I can't even see the stars

Hey, my tears won't fall either

To Be Continued in:

[atinytokki]

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐥𝐥

Chapter 1: Wonderland 

“Captain, I think you should see this.”

There was nothing in Seonghwa’s voice that betrayed his feelings toward whatever it was he had found, and that made Hongjoong awfully curious.

He arose from where he had been washing himself off in the sparkling cerulean stream and shook the water out of his hair. “What is it?”

Seonghwa threw a quick supervising glance at the other boys who still splashed around before beckoning Hongjoong closer. “Take a look at what I found.” 

“Seonghwa! Wooyoung keeps splashing me!”

Seonghwa rolled his eyes fondly at San’s complaint and yelled back, “Ask him nicely to stop it!”

Switching seamlessly to the task at hand, he led Hongjoong over to the hole in the ground they had exhumed the treasure chest from. The older boy had been in the process of shovelling all the sandy grains of soil back into place when he had discovered something.

“A compass?” Hongjoong took the hand sized trinket from the boatswain and examined it. 

Immediately, he noticed something was wrong. “It’s not pointing north.”

Seonghwa laughed nervously and looked over at the captain. “How is that even possible?”

“I don’t know, but...” Hongjoong was hesitant to ask, and allow another seed to grow into a fruit in his mind. “Do you think it’s possible—”

“—Eden has something to do with it?” Seonghwa picked the shovel up off the ground and resumed tossing dirt into the empty hole in the ground in response to Hongjoong’s silence. “You would think that, wouldn’t you? Maybe I shouldn’t have shown you the compass.”

Hongjoong frowned at him and closed the lid to the rusty, ancient thing. “That’s not fair. You have to admit there’s something about this.”

“Something magical maybe,” Seonghwa patted the ground a few times more than was necessary. Sweat was dripping off of him but he ignored it. “We could have the mystic take a look at it on our way back to the mainland.”

Hongjoong snorted at the suggestion. “Because she was so useful the last time.” A smirk teased the corners of his lips. “You know which direction it’s facing?” 

“We are not following it,” Seonghwa snatched the compass back and gave Hongjoong a look that left no room for argument as he dropped his shovel.

The captain held up his hands defensively. “No, I’m keeping my promise. We go back to the mainland. Mingi has debts to pay, and Yunho has a little brother to support. I won’t go back on my word.” 

Seonghwa’s gaze was on the ground. There would come a time when he would have to figure out where he was meant to go. Back to the castle? Back to his old village? Or somewhere else? He watched the grass wave in the breeze and swallowed back his doubt. It would work out when it needed to and not a moment sooner. 

“Come on and wash off. You’re all sweaty now,” Hongjoong’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Right...” Reality caught up with him, and Seonghwa followed the younger boy back over to the stream where the other officers were climbing up a neighbouring cliffside.

“Watch this!” Yunho yelled down before throwing himself off the side and hurtling into the water below. Hongjoong and Seonghwa both gasped and ran towards the water. “Is he alright?” Seonghwa was fighting the stream to get to where Yunho disappeared. “Is the water deep enough?” 

“It’s great!” Yunho surfaced and flapped his arms around like an excited puppy. “You should try it!” He scurried out of the water and back over to the rocks that led to the overhang. San was preparing to jump, pounding his chest and shaking out his limbs as if it would give him more confidence.

“Come on already,” Yeosang mumbled and gave a quick shove to the younger boy’s back. San shrieked as he tumbled down, but righted himself to land safely underwater and then popped up with a massive smile on his face. 

“Please be careful,” Seonghwa cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled up to the younger boys before taking a cautious step back and chewing on his lip.

“Why don’t we join them?” Hongjoong giggled and went to get a boost onto the rocks from Jongho. “No thank you,” Seonghwa’s glare followed him up the cliffside and he crossed his arms defiantly. “I’m quite alright down here where it’s safe.” 

He watched anxiously from below as all the others converged on their leader, picking him up despite his complaints and preparing to hurl him off the side and into the deep blue pool below. 

“Three...two...one!”

Hongjoong flew through the air and plunged into the water, joyous shrieks and laughter from his team filling his ears before they were submerged. He came up with such a happy face, Seonghwa had to give it a try as well. It took some help for him to get up to the top but eventually he swallowed his fear and let himself fly through the air. It felt like true freedom.

The fun filled day came to a close with some exquisite roasted meat courtesy of Seonghwa who requested some help in building the fire for them to all sit around. Bellies full and hearts happy, they lined up on the bluff at the beach to watch the sunset.

“This has been the most amazing day,” Yunho sighed contentedly. “Would it bother anyone terribly if we stayed for a few more?”

Mingi nodded at this suggestion and turned to Hongjoong. “No one’s in a hurry to get home. I don’t have a problem with spending a bit more time on the island.”

Hongjoong looked at their expectant faces and smiled. He wasn’t too surprised, having noticed how much fun they were having on this paradise island of no responsibilities or wanted posters.

“There’s still a good bit of ground to explore,” Yeosang chimed in. “It would be a shame to come all this way and not scout anything out.” 

“Well, of course we can stay longer! Is anyone against it?” Hearing nothing, Hongjoong clasped his hands together. “That’s it then. We stay for the rest of the week and the crewmen can be free to join us.”

A cheer broke out, followed by some silly dancing and a loud sailing song chanted at the top of their lungs. Everyone joined in and the celebrations continued until the sun disappeared behind the masts of the ATEEZ.

Wooyoung’s vocal cords pained him and his feet felt like they were going to fall off by the end but something about this pristine and wild utopia refreshed and energised him so completely that he could barely feel his tired limbs and only lay down when everyone else had exhausted themselves.

A fiery pink blazed across the sky against a blueish violet backdrop and it amazed him how loud the colours of the sunset were in the silence of the sea. “This is a magical place,” San whispered from beside him as they laid out their blankets for a night on the sand.

“It’s unlike anywhere I’ve ever been,” Wooyoung agreed. “No, I mean really!” San flopped down and gestured to the natural world all around them. “There’s magic here. The source of magic is in the East, and this is the closest we’ve ever been to it.”

“Look!” A cry from Yeosang interrupted their conversation, but they both swivelled their heads around to spot whatever it was he was looking at. Magnificently overgrown species of flowers surrounded their clearing, the blooms opening up wider and wider as the sunlight waned. Their petals glowed a translucent turquoise that cast a luminous spell over their sleeping area and mesmerised the members. “Phosphorescent flowering plants!” Yeosang explained.

San nudged Wooyoung in the side. “Magic.”

The boys all snuggled up into a pile once again, a pleasure they hadn’t had since the Fortress dungeon, this time in much better circumstances. Various conversations went on until they dropped one by one into the rhythm of sleep. San angled his sleeping position in such a way that Wooyoung had no choice but to pet his hair until his breath slowed and his eyelids drooped. It didn’t hit any of them that there should be crickets chirping in the bushes nearby.

Eventually, Yunho’s snores lulled him to sleep as well and only the oldest hyungs were still awake. The two of them were the lucky ones, because as they lay in comfortable silence the cloudy canopy cleared and ribbons of green and lavender stretched across the sky. “An aurora!” Hongjoong breathed in pure delight.

“This far south? That’s magic,” Seonghwa gazed up at it in wonder. The way it glided through the sky and wrapped around the purple stars brought an instant sense of comfort that loosened the eldest’s tongue.

“I’ve been thinking,” Seonghwa confessed to Hongjoong after a few minutes, who cracked open an eye in curiosity. The older boy realised now he would actually have to explain himself and sighed quietly.

“I don’t really want to go back home, but... well... I want to know if everything’s alright. And how my old friends are doing. My brother, my parents.” 

Even just mentioning them brought back a lot of confusion and turmoil he would much rather leave at sea, so Seonghwa took a steadying breath before continuing. “I just figured if everyone else is going home for awhile or visiting elsewhere, maybe I should try... something.”

He couldn’t guarantee that it would be reconnecting with the royal family and his birth relatives, or even reconciling with the woman who called herself his mother. But he could try something. Something small like finding out what happened to the old merchant he worked for what seemed like ages ago now.

“That’s better than nothing,” Hongjoong agreed with a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder.

“I’m always so angry at them,” Seonghwa admitted. “But Wooyoung said something back in the Doldrums that gave me second thoughts.”

“What did he tell you?” Hongjoong’s voice was so quiet his breath barely tickled Seonghwa’s hair.

“Maybe my brother did realise I had been switched. Maybe he has been looking for me ever since, and he just hasn’t found me yet.”

This was certainly food for thought and Hongjoong was silent for a moment before admitting, “That could be the case. I don’t know how you’d want to go about tracking him down, but... it might not be like you expect.” 

Hongjoong was choosing his words carefully, not wanting to sound selfish but afraid in some deep part of him that Seonghwa would take off and leave him alone when they reached the mainland.

Seonghwa saw through his words and shifted uncomfortably. “I suppose.” He turned his back on Hongjoong with a soft, “Goodnight.”

Hongjoong screwed his eyes shut, exasperated. The older boy always knew too much even when the captain said nothing. It was like he could see into Hongjoong’s soul.

Eventually Seonghwa nodded off and Hongjoong rested in a moment of solitude, just him and the distant aurora, fading into the black background of the night sky.

He looked at each of his members’ faces and a smile graced his own. He could see past the sleepy pouts and furrowed brows to an unexpected kind of treasure.

Together in their utopia, it occurred to Hongjoong that in a way his work was already done. There they were, truly happy, in a world where true happiness was thought to be unattainable. Despite chains and battle and struggle, they were all alive and whole. It created an uneasy mixture of joy and sadness inside him as he watched them sleep.

It had taken him too long to realise it, but they had made it. Treasure or no treasure.

What would it be like when they returned to the west? Would they all leave him and return to their lives, their families, their prospects? He didn’t have any of those things now, so where would that leave him?

Hongjoong decided not to think about it. That verdict wouldn’t be in for several months at least. He simply snuggled closer and let it all go. Sleep washed over him in its cleansing folds for a nice long stretch that remained unbroken until dawn touched the peaks of the palm trees.

It was Seonghwa who shook the Captain awake with concern written all over his face. Hongjoong didn’t need any more explanation to follow him away from the campsite to a secluded area of the beach where they could speak freely.

“I just went back to the ship to fetch some food for breakfast and...” he shook his own head in amazement until Hongjoong nodded for him to go on. “The mainsail— it’s all torn up. Completely useless. I asked around but none of the men have the faintest what happened to it.”

Hongjoong turned to squint at the silhouette of his beloved ship where it was anchored and groaned quietly. It was too early for this. “Someone on board must have done something. It didn’t storm last night; the wind wasn’t even strong.”

“Hongjoong, it looks like...” Seonghwa was struggling to find the words. “Like an animal got into it. It’s shredded, the kind of shredded you can only do with claws or a very ragged sword.”

They had a true mystery on their hands. “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen any animals at all on this island,” Hongjoong was lost in thought, but Seonghwa made a suggestion regardless.

“Yeosang wanted to explore. You could ask him to take a few others and scout the place out. Maybe he’ll report back that there is a massive, dangerous, clawed, island animal in the vicinity that can also swim and is quiet enough to sneak on deck and destroy our mainsail for no apparent reason.” As Seonghwa listed the attributes, they began to sound more and more ridiculous. “What kind of creature has even half of those qualities?” He grumbled and returned to the campsite to get a fire going for the food.

Hongjoong trailed behind him, not overly concerned. “I’ll get out there today and see what I can do about it.”

The announcement was made over breakfast. “It looks like our stay will be extended indefinitely until I make repairs to the ATEEZ. We were already planning on taking our time here, now it seems we have a solid reason to. Yeosang, I know you wanted to do some exploring,” here Hongjoong shifted his attention to the navigator. “Now would be a good time.” 

Yeosang was unfazed by the news and went about selecting his team as the dishes were being cleared away. He hesitated to take both Wooyoung and San but each had expressed interest and he couldn’t very well deny them. Jongho was added as the other level-headed member to round out the scouting team, and once food and supplies had been packed onto their backs, they were off.

To Wooyoung, the foliage seemed like that of any other island, but Yeosang gasped and fawned over everything, scrutinising each leaf and twig like he had never seen one before. By noon they had climbed to the top of the westernmost hill, and clouds drew over the blazing sun to offer them some shade.

Even the stoic Jongho sucked in a breath of amazement as drops of rain descended on them. They weren’t just any drops of rain. A distinct gold hue tinted each droplet that gently cascaded from the heavens and rolled off the trees and blades of grass. The sweet scent of freshly watered earth reached them and Wooyoung was loath to scramble for shelter.

“Golden rain? Have you ever seen anything like it?” Yeosang’s distracted shake of the head was a clear indication that he had not. Wooyoung extended his hand to let the liquid pool in it, watching the sparkly substance swirl in enchantment.

“Magic!” San breathed from next to him, cross eyed as he watched it drip from his hair. “It reminds me of the underwater pools in the Sunken City,” Jongho suddenly said.

“Do you think there’s any relation?” Wooyoung knew it was unlikely that Jongho could answer him, but no one else present had seen the pearly substance in the Sunken City and the entire concept of magic was still very foreign to him. “I can’t be sure. I wonder if the others are seeing this too.”

It felt like any other rain, and the travellers scrambled to find cover from it but watched dumbstruck all the same as glittering gold streamed down the leaves and dripped to the ground. There was a delicate beauty in the way the green landscape soaked in its nourishment, as if it were a shower of golden coins with which to grow a neighbourhood of plants.

San had a legitimate question to ask once the downpour slowed. “If the rain is gold, why are the plants green?”

They had their answer as they journeyed further inland, over the other side of the hill and out of sight of the coast. Verdant green gave way to a spectrum of colourful plants in the thickening forest.

Yeosang inspected them thoroughly and concluded that they contained a kind of dye that gave them such a bold hue and the golden rain did nothing to affect the tint of the foliage.

“We should take some back to dye our hair with!” San was already uprooting the floppy little sprouts and shoving them into his pockets. Wooyoung also ignored Yeosang’s cautions against taking wild magical things they knew nothing about and harvested some plants for his own use. Time to get rid of that washed out purple. 

San skipped away to inspect neighbouring fields of pink grass and Jongho followed him at a distance.

“Don’t you think there’s something odd about it?” Yeosang remarked to Wooyoung, giving in to the temptation and pulling a few dye plants up as well. “Everything here is quite similar to how it is back home, with just one or two slight differences.”

“San said it was magic,” Wooyoung shrugged it off. “Haven’t you seen enough unexplainable phenomena to believe in magic by now? Especially with the slave master and his spellbook...” 

Yeosang visibly withdrew at this, tensing in clear distress, and Wooyoung repressed the urge to smack himself on the forehead.

Yeosang was touchy about the subject of the Fortress island still, even after months of straight sailing elsewhere. The stain it had left was more stubborn than he had thought.

“Well, no matter,” he began a somewhat clumsy attempt to play it off and patch it up. “I much prefer this type of magic.” A sigh of relief escaped his lips as Yeosang nodded and went along with the change in subject. “Perhaps we should bring some specimen back so the others can see...”

“Over here!” It was Jongho’s yell that sliced through the tension. He had rejoined San. “Pink sand!”

...

“What do you think will happen if I drink it?” 

Mingi’s whisper was curious but nervous, even as Yunho goaded him on with an excited nod.

“You remember what happened last time we decided to eat wild food on an uninhabited island,” Hongjoong warned from where he sat on the main deck, repairing the torn sail. Mingi and Yunho had tagged along under the pretence of being helpful but had mostly gawked at the golden rain sprinkling from the heavens and dashed to collect it in buckets. 

Hongjoong had to admit it looked every bit as enticing as the hallucination fruit from Maddox’s Island and suddenly worried about Seonghwa, by himself on the beach. Perhaps he should’ve insisted he come along to the ship too, rather than stay alone. Once the thought crossed his mind he shook his head at how ridiculous it was. Seonghwa could take care of himself, he always had. Hongjoong paused in his sewing as it occurred to him that older boy was growing on him.

“—two, three, go!”

The captain’s head snapped up. Yunho and Mingi each had a cup full of golden liquid in their hands, their arms linked as they threw back their magic shots simultaneously.

“No no no!” Hongjoong dropped everything and ran over. “I said not to drink it!”

...

“Seonghwa, are you sure about this?”

“Do it.”

Jongho nodded curtly and got to work painting the eldest’s hair a stunning platinum blonde.

They had returned from their day trip as soon as their pockets were full of dye plants and wasted no time getting to work on their appearances. He had already given himself and Yeosang some very sensible shades of brown, and Wooyoung and San were arguing with each other about which colour each of them should dye their hair. 

“Blonde would look better on me, why don’t you dye your hair brown?” San pouted and folded his arms.

“Because everyone else is dying their hair brown,” Wooyoung rolled his eyes. “Blonde would look better on me than you for sure! It’s not even an argument. Yeosang, what do you think?”

Yeosang raised his hands in surrender. “I’m staying out of it.”

“I think you should both go blonde,” Seonghwa piped up. “That would balance us out.”

San’s arms dropped as he had a thought. “Brown and blonde are both boring. Maybe I’ll try several things at once...” Wooyoung gleefully snatched the pigmented plant he and San had been fighting over as San rustled through the others he had grabbed. 

“Captain incoming!” Yeosang squinted at the horizon and reported back, barely making out the longboats silhouetted with the sunset behind them. “And he’s brought crew members!”

The three who had been on the ATEEZ all day rowed their way to the beach and left the men to unload their things while they joined the other officers at the campsite.

“Seonghwa? I almost didn’t recognise you!” Hongjoong laughed in amazement at his transformation. “Did you bring some back for us?”

Yunho was jumping up and down in anticipation until Yeosang, San, and Wooyoung unloaded their prize plants. It was not a question of whether he wanted to dye his hair, but which colour he thought was the most interesting as he examined each one carefully.

Mingi decided on yet another brown, to make his almost grown out blue disappear, and Jongho and Yeosang approved of his choice. 

Yunho selected a shade of blue, much lighter than Mingi’s previous deep royal blue, but Jongho took one look at it and shook his head. “You’ll certainly damage your hair with that one.”

It was too late, however. Already San was painting it onto the taller boy with barely controlled excitement. 

Once Seonghwa was finished he pulled Jongho and Yeosang aside and whispered a plan to them. “It’s time to cut that hair. When I say go, we grab him and finish it quick. Jongho, have you picked a colour for him yet?”

There was no question who they were talking about, and Jongho answered in the affirmative before they disbanded their secret meeting and pretended as if nothing had happened. 

Hongjoong wasn’t paying attention anyway, focused intently on making sure San didn’t destroy Yunho’s hair.

Suddenly a pair of arms seized him and he was spirited away to the side of the pool where he was confronted by his own reflection and the glint of a pair of scissors. “Wait—!”

But it was too late. The trio’s plot was too well executed and in a few moments long locks of sandy blonde fell into the stream and floated away. 

“Don’t squirm if you don’t want to cut yourself,” Seonghwa muttered, relaxing his hold on the younger boy as he calmed in realisation.

“Very covert of the three of you,” Hongjoong shot back. “You know I can still assign you to deck swabbing duty!”

“You won’t!” Yeosang smirked and popped into view for a moment before leaving to retrieve something. “You’ll thank us later,” he went on and began dying his captain’s hair. 

There was nothing to do but sit around and wait, and once Jongho gave him permission to move Hongjoong peered into the water to catch sight of his reflection. A vibrant red now coated his hair, and he was tempted for a second to dislike it, but couldn’t stop the smile from spreading on his face. The three self-proclaimed hairstylists waited with bated breath for his verdict. “It looks good.”

“It looks good!” “I knew it!” “We told you you’d thank us!” The three chattered and congratulated themselves while Hongjoong turned his head to see it from every angle.

He had to admit he really liked it. There was a youthful vibe around him now, the cherry red a bold statement that could be seen a mile away.

The others seemed to agree when they rejoined them, although San corrected him that he looked more like a strawberry.

The sun descended peacefully, and after the evening meal Mingi dragged the boatswain’s mate along with him and presented him to Hongjoong.

“Gyuwook has a violin with him, I say we have some music tonight!” The ruckus was twice as chaotic with an entire crew dancing along but every bit as enjoyable making fools of themselves and watching each other make fools of themselves. The songs varied in tempo but not in energy, and time flashed by unnoticed.

The festivities were cut short by another sudden rain shower, and it took a few seconds but the officers recognised the droplets to be a different colour than expected. “...Green?”

Wooyoung trained his eyes on the dirt as they ran for cover, curious to see whether the change in colour would have any effect. San was antsy again and volunteered to get firewood as the old wood was now soaked.

It had been a few too many minutes when Yunho decided to go check if the younger boy was alright and a few too many minutes went by yet again, before a frantic San appeared yelling for help. 

The rest of the officers hurried along after the panting boy, panic growing at every turn in the road and every shadow that wasn’t their Yunho. Hongjoong couldn’t get a word out of San, but the problem explained itself when they finally arrived at a gorge in the forest where Yunho lay on the ground, tossed around by violent convulsions.

The officers all hovered around him, trying to find some way to help. It occurred to Wooyoung that San was the one who should be able to do something about it and yet had come running to the rest of them. He shook his friend until he met eyes with him. “What happened?”

San regained his voice briefly. “The pit, he looked into the pit...”

“This pit?” Mingi made a move towards the side of the ravine but was dragged back from the edge by a spooked San before he could see for himself.

“Don’t look into it!” San gasped for breath, looking up at Hongjoong in horror. “All the animals on the island. They’re all there, dead.” Wooyoung only half heard the explanation as he knelt, trying to get a response from Yunho.

Yeosang yelled at everyone to stand away from him but Wooyoung itched to try to calm Yunho himself. It was deeply terrifying the way he jerked around involuntarily. The seizing had slowed but still he stared into space until San cautiously approached him and tapped him on the shoulder.

As if surfacing in the sea, Yunho blinked a few times and looked more aware. There was a dark air of shame around him and he said nothing as Jongho helped him up but the pairs of anxious eyes on him won out in the end. 

“I’m alright... I think.”

“Yunho, do you remember what happened?” Seonghwa was afraid to raise his voice, but made sure Yunho heard the question. The boy swallowed before shaking his head slowly.

Seonghwa switched tactics. “San, what’s all this about the ravine? He looked down into it and then—”

“—he just dropped and started seizing. Like he’d been struck,” San elaborated as much as he could between whimpers, still unable to get ahold of himself. Mingi had turned the tables and grabbed San’s arms, trying to rub sense into him. “That sounds like—”

“Dark magic.” Jongho was very grave and there was not a trace of sarcasm in his usually humorous voice.

Mingi swallowed at the chill snaking down his spine. “What makes you say that?”

Jongho sighed at his own uncertainty. It seemed there was something in him that could pinpoint it. “I don’t know but it’s definitely dark magic.”

“There’s a difference between dark magic and... normal magic?” Again Wooyoung was clueless to the intricacies of sorcery and no one else was quite equipped to explain it to him.

“It’s just a feeling,” Jongho insisted. “I’ve been sensitive to these kind of supernatural things since the curse fell on me. Even though it’s been lifted, there’s still a connection of some kind. I get a feeling that something is off.”

Apparently Hongjoong got a feeling too, as he finally spoke up with “Let’s get out of here” and led the way back to their campsite. Jongho and Yeosang covered their tracks with broken branches to block the road, in case anyone else should wander off and lay eyes on the convulsion-inducing sight. 

The atmosphere was significantly different then, and all the men went to bed without much more fuss and festivity. Wooyoung made sure to select a spot in the sleeping pile that was close to Yunho.

“I lied.”

The whisper sent a trickle of fear down Wooyoung’s spine, but he soundlessly flipped over to face the rigger when he finally spoke. “I do remember something.” Yunho whispered again, and in his eyes Wooyoung sensed fear that he had never seen on Yunho before.

“San. I went to look for him and I found him by the pit. He was just staring into it, completely senseless...” Wooyoung nodded for him to go on when the words got caught. “I turned to see what he was looking at when he didn’t respond and suddenly... suddenly this feeling... like being struck down and losing all control. It was petrifying, I felt completely helpless. Someone else controlled me for what felt like an eternity until my vision returned and there was everyone, staring at me like I’d just come back from the dead.”

“Jongho said it was dark magic,” Wooyoung whispered. “But what I don’t understand is how San was able to set his eyes on a cursed sight and not be affected, when you did the same and were, well, possessed by something.”

Yunho shivered at this. “A dark spirit of some kind? Did it kill all of the animals and wait there in the carcass pile for someone to stumble along?”

Wooyoung shook his head. He still didn’t really know anything about magic but even someone who denied its existence could feel in their bones that something was very wrong here. “At least it’s gone now, whatever it was. Are you sure you’re alright?”

Yunho opened his mouth to answer but hesitated, worrying at his lower lip for a moment. “I think so. Physically, I haven’t found anything wrong. I’m just so shaken up by it. There was a second there when I thought it was the end of me.”

Wooyoung didn’t have the words to tell him everything was alright, so he simply pulled the older boy into a hug and kept him there until they both fell asleep. 

Morning came sooner than usual, but it wasn’t the time that confused the officers as they arose but the colour.  Wooyoung detangled from Yunho and rubbed his eyes. “Is the sun... supposed to be blue?”

“Impossible! The sun is the sun, no matter which island you see it from,” Yeosang was half-hearted in his logic, submitting that this island really did defy every law of nature. “Something is really wrong here.”

“I think I prefer the sun to be yellow,” Mingi whined as he threw on his jacket. “The blue makes the island grow dark and cold.”

“I think we have a bigger problem!” Jongho’s voice rang out from where he stood looking at the trees. It took some adjusting to be able to see what he was referring to in the blue tinted light but soon their eyes trained on infected foliage radiating out from their campsite. 

“It wasn’t like that before,” Yunho had taken a few steps back. They hadn’t been bothered by spirits in the night but it looked as if they had still been here. Reason after reason to prove they weren’t safe on this paradise island anymore. The trouble was that no one knew why.

Seonghwa realised Hongjoong wasn’t laying next to him like normal and panicked for a moment before locating him seated at the tree line, stretching and rubbing his neck. He sighed and rose to join him. “You didn’t sleep.”

There was no use denying it, so Hongjoong simply nodded. “I was keeping watch.”

Seonghwa looked into the forest, dark spaces shadowed in a chilling blue glow, and glanced back at the ship, anchored at a safe distance and now fully repaired. It suddenly struck him.

“There is no predator here. We brought it ourselves. Something magical is tampering with us, and not just any kind of magic. Jongho is right, this must be dark magic.”

It didn’t quite explain why their sails were suddenly destroyed and other strange things were happening, but it seemed to Seonghwa that the good phenomena of this land had been overcome by an unidentifiable source on their arrival, one that poisoned the place and created bad phenomena. He pulled Hongjoong up from the ground and back to the stirring sleeping pile, continuing on. “The problem is once we leave, we can’t guarantee things will stop happening. Until we locate the source, we’ll be bringing the dark magic everywhere with us.”

He was sending the captain a pointed look through his platinum bangs that bordered accusation. Hongjoong yanked his arm out of his grasp. “No, don’t look at me! The crystal was destroyed and that was the end of it. It’s something else causing this.” All the other officers’ heads turned at this.

Seonghwa didn’t have a chance to respond before San appeared before the two, asking for permission to head into the forest in a roundabout way. “Hyungs, you’re not planning to leave yet, are you? We haven’t explored the eastern face of the island yet.”

Yeosang scoffed from where he was starting the breakfast fire. “In order to, we’d have to cross the forest we just blocked off last night. I don’t want to risk encountering evil spirits.”

San turned to him with a pout. “Why don’t we take another way?”

“Like what? The hill? It took us all day yesterday. I say we leave like we intended to in the first place. We’re in more than we bargained for.”

“I agree with Yeosang,” Yunho immediately put in. Jongho and Mingi were already packing their things. “Me too.” “And me!”

“If Yunho isn’t comfortable staying after the events of last night,” Wooyoung waited for Yunho’s nod for confirm. “Then I’m not comfortable staying either.” 

Seonghwa and Hongjoong simply looked at each other before the captain turned to the imploring surgeon. “You’ve been outvoted San. Sorry.”

San obediently went to pack his things with a hanging head and Wooyoung left Yunho’s side to do a bit of investigating. “Don’t you think it’s dangerous to stay longer?”

San didn’t look up from where he was forcefully shoving an extra pair of boots into his bag. “No, we can handle it. Yunho just got spooked is all.”

Wooyoung sat down next to him and tried to make eye contact. “But it’s not just the incident last night.” If San was listening, he didn’t show it. “It’s the whole island. It’s turning on us. Even the blue sun is a clear warning we should leave. How do you expect to see the rest of the island in a blue light anyway? And what if it rains red this time, or worse?”

San continued to ignore him, and the feeling in Wooyoung’s gut prevailed that something was very wrong, not just with the island but with San. He thought back to what he had overheard about a potential magical artefact being the cause of this mystical deterioration of the island and his stomach jumped.

“Oh, San. Tell me it’s not you.”

“Very well, it’s not me.” The sarcastic comment was accompanied by a glare.

“San, one of us brought something here that’s causing this.” Wooyoung continued to be ignored, and wondered if he was jumping to conclusions. Where would San have picked up a magical artefact between the North and here? 

Frustrated, he went to gather his own things and check that his gun teams were ready to head back as well. It was almost solemn as the half dozen boats set out for the ATEEZ, leaving behind the dying embers of their campfire, the sparkling stream by the cliffside, the colourful fields of dye plants, and a mysterious ravine full of carcasses of all the animals on the entire island. 

It was now a tainted paradise, and Wooyoung could only pray the misfortune didn’t follow them on their journey back west.

...

Taglist: @nightynightnyx @bustdownyunho @celestial-yunho @theinvisablessed

A/N: *Long author’s note ahead, TL;DR it’s spooky szn w/ pirateez and Mingi won the spinoff voting*

Happy (early) Halloweeeen! And happy anniversary ateez!!! I’m sorry I meant to post yesterday but i wanted to edit more ㅠㅠ ...Tbh I didn’t expect a possession/dark magic kinda storyline to enter the narrative, considering that it spooks me personally quite a bit, but hey I surprised myself. And now for the spinoff results *drumroll* our winner is!! MINGI!! He barely eked it out yall, so don’t despair if you were rooting for Hongjoong, we’ll get to him (he’ll probably end up with a surprise appearance or two in Mingi’s spinoff, come to think of it) and since I did not make it clear, the results for each member reset at the beginning of each voting period (to ensure that our less voted for members *cough, Jongho* have a chance) This upcoming voting period begins NOW! Members still waiting for their spinoff series debut are Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yeosang, San, Wooyoung and Jongho— and you can vote for the next one by messaging me or sending an ask! Ask box is always open and freetalk is still running ;) hope you enjoyed the beginning of part 3 and please leave some love if you did <3 

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[fight-surrender]

Howlin’ Forever Chapter 3: Into the Woods

Rating: Teen and Up

Word count: 2583

Read on AO3

Summary: “Dog-Simon must catch my scent because he’s instantly awake and on his feet. His head is down, hackles are up and the snarl that ensues from his mouth is most certainly lupine. His eyes are Simon’s blue, but there is no humanity or recognition in them. Only malice.”

Time for Baz to find a werewolf. 

(I did put a readmore cut in here on my desktop, I’m terribly sorry to clog your feed if it doesn’t transfer to mobile.) Thanks as always to my amazing friends, @carryonsimoncarryonbaz​, @vkelleyart​ @penpanoply​ for their unwavering support and encouragement and beta reading and omg @penpanoply​ made me this cover art which is fucking gorgeous and brilliant and perfect. <3 <3

        _________________________________________________

                                       Ch 3: Into the Woods

                                   You and me have a disease,                                   You affect me, you infect me,                                   I'm afflicted, you're addicted,                                      You and me, you and me

                                  - “Infected” by Bad Religion

 Baz:

Panting, I scramble to the window. The night seems to be holding its breath, silently waiting as a quiet splash draws my eyes to the moat. The merwolves are eerily calm, almost reverent, as they bear witness to the hulking bronze figure that cuts through the water. The creature emerges from the moat, shaking off moonlit water droplets. He howls again, sending my heart into a renewed frenzy. The wolf then turns and runs into the forest.

I wipe my hands across my face, then rake them through my hair.

What should I do? What should I do?

Should I go after him? Leave him be? Where is he going? Does he even know?

The drawbridge is closed. I’m too frazzled to manage a spell to get around it. Sleep isn’t an option tonight. My eye catches on the pile of books Malfoy sent over. At least Hogwarts still has a fully stocked library, not the Children’s Garden of Verses we have here at Watford. I take a copy of “Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them,” a bag of salt and vinegar crisps and settle onto my bed to try and focus on the pages.

***

  Sunrise turns the room pink as I realize I’ve been reading the same paragraph for half an hour. I have no idea what it says. The only information I’ve retained from this exercise is that the full moon phase can last up to about four days. The transformation seems to last longer in the newly Turned. Also, there is a potion called Wolfsbane that helps lessen the effects of the Lycanthropy.

A heavy thunk, followed by the clatter of gears indicates the drawbridge is coming down.

I snap the book shut with one hand and stand up.

Time to find a werewolf.

 ***

 It’s a good thing it’s the weekend. I certainly wouldn’t miss class to hike through the woods after this imbecile. Branches slap my face as I stomp along, following Snow’s tracks. He’s left an obvious trail of broken limbs, scratched soil and huge footprints. My vampire senses come in handy as well. His scent is different in this form. He still smells like smoke, but now there’s a wildness, a smell of petrichor and moss with hints of musk.

My mind is a swirl of thoughts, but I can’t settle on any single one. Simon, the Chosen One, Watford’s golden boy is now a monster. Technically, he’s not allowed to exist. Neither am I, for that matter, I’m well versed in keeping my secret. The question is what’s Simon going to do with this information? He’s so damned good, he could very well just turn himself in to the mage as soon as he resumes his human form. I’ll be damned to hell twice over before I let him throw his life away like that. I will stop him, even if I have to put a collar on him and chain him to the bed. (That actually sounds appealing, regardless of his reaction to his new condition.)

Simon’s scent gets stronger as I approach a dried creek bed. I slow down, treading lightly across scattered stones and debris, trying not to make a sound. An angry squirrel chitters at me from a branch above my head. If I had the time or inclination, I’d drain him out of spite. At least squirrel blood tastes better than rat.

I stop short as I come around a boulder, on the other side is the hulking form of Simon Snow. Rather, the were version of him. His breath is till heaving, but he seems to be asleep. During the frenzied events of last night, I hadn’t a chance to really get a look at him.  He’s huge, probably the size of a Shetland pony. He doesn’t exactly look wolfish, his muzzle is not so pointed, his ears flop down. He looks like, well he looks like an overgrown, shaggy, bronze-furred Golden Retriever. For snakes sake, of course Simon Snow would turn into a Golden; cheerful, loyal, lovely dogs that they are. He’s too good to even be a proper monster. Crowley. I roll my eyes and shake my head in wonder.

Dog-Simon must catch my scent because he’s instantly awake and on his feet. His head is down, hackles are up and the snarl that ensues from his mouth is most certainly lupine. His eyes are Simon’s blue, but there is no humanity or recognition in them. Only malice. Not quite so Golden-esque then.

Before I can pull my wand from my sleeve, he lunges at me, but immediately falls to the ground. He growls again and turns to bite at something behind him. I step back to a safer distance and see that the beast’s foot is caught in some kind of debris. Snow flails and thrashes, but eventually collapses, exhausted, panting.

I try to approach him, now that he’s tired, and am met once again with that malevolent, dead stare and a mouth full of giant teeth. And, I might add, horrific dog breath.  I back away into the forest to think. That thing, it is Simon. I can’t exactly leave him out here for the next three days, but how can I spell him free and somewhere safe until he goes back to human form? There are dog training spells, but what would “atta boy” do to the human part of his brain? I suppose I could spell him to sleep, but how do I get him back to our room? I don’t have the magic to transport him.

What if I could get him to trust me? Physically, he’s a giant pet dog. What’s the best way to train a dog? Positive reinforcement: Food. What’s the way to Simon Snow’s heart? Food.  

I turn and run back to Watford. It’s time to call in a favor with Cook Pritchard.

 ***

 Thank magic no one is around when I haul the giant wicker picnic basket Cook Pritchard loaded up for me across the great lawn. She gave me enough food for an army. The woman was well chuffed that I was having a picnic with “friends.” She acted as if I hadn’t any friends.  “Well that’s lovely, Basilton, so nice to see you coming out of your shell.” Cook even tucked a small bottle of dandelion wine into the basket, “to help break the ice.” She actually winked at me. I wanted to implode.

I have friends. Sure, half of them are family, but still. You only need one or two friends, anything more isn’t worth the effort.

I carry the basket through the wood. I feel like I’m on my way to a goth Victorian picnic. I stop periodically to drain a few squirrels, just for spite.  The resident dryad side eyes me as I pass her thicket. I ignore her.

“What do you seek, blood eater?” She hisses. Twirling her ridiculous umbrella. Butterflies swirl lazily around her mossy hair.

“None of your business.” I reply.

“Your pistil is a wolf.” She remarks.

“He’s not my anything.” I snarl, “And he’s not a wolf, he’s a Golden Retriever.”

“The Chosen One is an abomination,” she presses. “The children of the moon must die.”

I light a fire in my palm. “Is that so?” I drop my voice to a menace, “maybe I should take out this whole forest in the process.”

“Do what you must. The forest will regrow. He cannot live.” She calls my bluff.

“You know what? You can fuck off.” I say, frustrated.

She opens her mouth to speak, but I raise my hand. “Enough. We’re done here.” I sling the giant basket over my shoulder and stomp away.

I’ll be staked before I take advice from a woodland creature holding a parasol. Snow has as much of a right to live as I do. More so, he’s not dead. Fuck the dryad.

I finally make it back to the creek bed. Dog-Simon looks vaguely defeated, laying on his side, his back leg stretched behind him. I can see a length of rusty wire wrapped around his foot. He’s awake, wary eyes never leaving mine, a low growl rumbles in his chest.

I settle myself on the ground a safe distance away. I’m wearing my school-issue green Watford football trackie bottoms and sweatshirt. Coach Mac will probably not appreciate werewolf damage to the practice uniform. My trainers are caked with mud. I sigh. The things I do for love.

The basket creaks as I open it. The sound makes Snow get up and retreat as far as the wire around his leg will let him. His tail is down, ears back; he’s panting lightly.

I pull out the bottle of dandelion wine and take a swig, to calm my nerves. It’s bitter, with a faint floral overtone, and just enough bite to warm my chest. I take a deep breath and survey the contents of my picnic. The basket is overflowing with roast beef sandwiches, sour cherry scones, roast chicken, bacon butties, jellies, and inexplicably a layered trifle. She must have magicked it all in there.

It’s just me and the dog, and I missed breakfast, so I help myself to a roast beef sandwich. Snow’s ears tip forward and he sits down. Sniffing the air.

I toss a bit of my sandwich at him, he scrambles away with a surprised bark. Almost immediately, he cautiously noses forward, sniffing at the roast beef. He sits down again, without eating it and resumes watching me, panting. His teeth are huge.

“For fucks sake, Simon, it’s not like it’s poisoned.”

The dog’s ears perk up and he cocks his head at me. His mouth is closed, brows almost furrowed in concentration.

“Go on then lad,” I press, “roast beef is your favorite.” I remind myself to breathe.

Snow resumes panting, but lowers his nose again at the food. He nudges it, then takes an experimental bite. Apparently satisfied that the offering wasn’t going to kill him, the great dog swallows the rest. Licking his lips, he retreats to his original position, as far away from Baz as he can get.

I toss half a sandwich into his orbit.

“There you go Snow, I know you can’t walk away from half a sandwich.”

Once again Dog-Simon sits, cocks his head and looks at me. I’m probably imagining it, but his eyelids almost seem to squeeze a bit, in concentration. He cautiously walks my way, never taking his eyes off me, and eats the sandwich half in one bite. This time he doesn’t shy away, he sits, panting again and watches me.

I toss him the other half of the sandwich, which he catches in the air and eats with more gusto. He’s watching me again, this time I get a weak tail wag.

I unwrap the roast chicken and throw the whole thing at him. It lands with an unceremonious plop, a leg breaking free. Simon stands and practically inhales the whole thing. His tail is wagging faster now.

We go on like this for the duration of the afternoon. I’m slowly inching closer, I can almost touch his muzzle now. He seems more relaxed, the panting has stopped. His ears are forward, tail wagging freely. His eyes have gone softer, from ice to sky.

I reach into the basket for a sour cherry scone, I’ve been saving these for this moment. I scoot even closer, holding it in my hand this time. He’s so close, he could easily rip my throat out. It’s not often I have to worry about someone ripping out my throat. It’s refreshing, really. I suppose there are worse ways to die.

“Simon, we’re going to have to work together to figure this mess out. If there is any part of you that can hear me, let me help you. I mean, I know you don’t have any reason to trust me, but…” My voice tapers off. Why would he trust me? Crowley, I’ve done nothing but torment him for the last 6 years.

A gentle breeze ruffles the golden leaves above me. “We be of one blood, ye and I.” I murmur. A warm rush of surprise washes over me. Where the fuck did that even come from? Kipling was a powerful magician, but is that even a spell? Leave it to me to channel my favorite childhood book in times of duress.

I take a breath and hold out the scone. Simon noses forward, sniffs, and carefully takes the scone from my hand. He doesn’t move away. I keep my eyes on him as I slowly reach for the basket and remove another scone. I hold it in my hand, when he takes it, I reach out with my other hand and run it behind his ear, rubbing along his jaw. He stiffens, but continues to eat the scone. “These are your favourite,” I whisper, scratching behind his ear, rubbing slowly along his neck and shoulder. Eventually, I find myself out of scones and scratching his stomach, while his tongue lolls and he scratches his back leg lazily.

I take a break because my hands are cramping from all the petting. I really hope he doesn’t remember any of this. I shake my hands and look at the grime under my nails. I’m going to need a manicure.

Simon stands and gives a mighty shake from his nose to his feathered, rudder-like tail. He utters a sharp bark, like he’s decided something, then proceeds to try and climb into my lap, his huge pink tongue lapping my face.

“Merlin and Morgana, you giant thumping git, get off. I push him away, but not too far. He knocks me to the ground and licks my whole face. For snakes sake, you’re disgusting, I get to my feet wiping saliva off my chin and trying not to smile. Simon’s tail is wagging so hard his whole body is wiggling and he’s rubbing along my side, trying to get me to scratch his back. I oblige for a moment.

“Snow, stop, let’s get your leg untangled.”  He stands so quietly as I extricate his leg from the wire, that I can’t help but wonder if he understood me.

Once freed, Simon plants his giant paws on my shoulders and smears the side of my face with his tongue once more. “Blimey, Snow.” I step back and the great dog’s feet once more hit the ground. He zooms away, coming to a skidding stop, returns to my side and bows his front legs down, rear up, tail wagging madly.

I lean down and take his huge face in my hands, scratching gently below his jaw. “Come along, you delightful moron, let’s go home.”

I turn and make my way through the forest. The late afternoon sun dappling the trail with rich golden light. Dust motes dancing in the beams. Simon scampers ahead, darting back every few minutes to make sure I’m still following.

I breathe in the rich loamy scent of these ancient woods and let it out slowly. For once, my mind is quiet. Simon is back at my side, nosing at my hand. I absentmindedly rub his velvet ear. I stop and let this foreign emotion wash over me. I let myself relax, for just this moment, I am content.

[writeyourownlifestory]

L I G H T S U P

Chapters: 3/20 Fandom: IT Rating: M Warnings: No warnings at this time Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Beverly Marsh/Ben Hanscom Additional Tags: PunkRocker!Eddie, Writer!Richie, Beveddie!Friendship, No Clown Written by: myself & @ahardlife​ Tag list: @richietoaster, @beproudtozier, @that-weird-girls-blog, @s-onora, @s-s-georgie, @bellarosewrites, @iamcupcakefrosting, @reddieonwheels, @ghostnebula, @madidraw @madi-main, @gazebobullshit, @thoughtfullyyoungduck​, @airbenderking

Puff piece writer Richie Tozier is given the chance of a lifetime to interview his celebrity crush: Dr. K, the lead singer of punk rock band, Trashmouth. Dr. K is about to release his first solo album and Richie wants to get all the dirty details. But all is not what it appears to be and the two realize they know each other from a different time, in a different place, when they were both very different people.

Chapters One, Two 

Kill My Mind - Louis Tomlinson 

You kill my mind Raise my body back to life And I don't know what I'd do without you now

Kept me living From the last time From a prison of a past life On a mission just to feel like When you kissed me for the last time

While he may not have been the most studious of those who worked at Paper Boat magazine, Richie was anything if not professional. He stayed up throughout the night as he pieced together the interview to send to Bill. He wanted to ace that job, mind you. Even if he just did fluff pieces and bullshit reports, he always made sure his work was coherent and easy to read.

When the following day came, he made his way back into the studio, clutching a large coffee with a double shot, recalling what the singer said again and again.

What the fuck did he mean by it was nice to see you again?

He thought about all the people he had met throughout the years in the industry and nope. Dr. K wasn’t on that list. He had been a fan of Trashmouth since he was a junior in college, there is no fucking way he would have forgotten meeting him even if it was early on in his career.

As he made his way to his cubby, he stumbled into Georgie, who was adjusting his camera and making his way down to the designated photoshoot area.

“Jesus, you look terrible. What happened to you?” Was the first thing he asked him.

“Thanks for the support, little man. I appreciate it,” he commented with a chuckle. “I had to edit the interview and it took longer than expected.” He admitted sipping at his coffee, trying to make it seem casual.

He also stayed awake, examining the selfie he had taken moments before the bombshell. He had seen Dr. K’s face nearly every day for the past eight years. Richie was very sure if they had met before, he would have recognized him.

You don’t just forget about meeting a fucking rockstar even if you met them before their star status.

“Oh, right,” the guy nodded, going back to set his camera. “He’ll be here in five. The singer guy. His assistant just called me,” he informed.

Sometimes he forgot that Georgie was nearly ten years younger than Bill. Still in college with a lush career on his shoulders all thanks to his brother’s connections. He would be jealous of the little fucker if he wasn’t such a damn sweetheart.

“Cool. Cool cool.”

“You can come along if you want. No one is allowed access other than me and Bill, but since you’re doing the expose on him, I don’t see why you shouldn’t be there too.”

“Oh. Right. Thanks.”

And he was panicking again. He really shouldn’t be because like Georgie said, he was just a singer guy. Except he wasn’t. He was Dr. K. Lead -- former -- lead singer of Trashmouth. A band that meant more to Richie than he is proud to admit at this very moment.

As they made their way down to the secluded area, Richie’s mouth started watering. Was that normal? He’d have to check with a doctor. A real one. True to words, Dr. K and Beverly arrived a few minutes later with Bill in tow. Georgie greeted them kindly, while Richie just stood off awkwardly to the side, staring out at him like a psycho as Georgie explained what they wanted him to do.

It wasn’t going to be anything wild. Richie had seen other promotional photos of the man and while some of them helped him get through some very lonely nights, this wasn’t going to be like that. They weren’t giving him stupid props or greasing him up.

He would wear the clothes he came in with (black jeans and a black and white checkered button-down), and Bill would talk to him throughout it just to keep him confident and relaxed. It was pretty standard with Paper Boat. They wanted real people so having a photoshoot that was more photoshopped than anything wasn’t their cup of tea.

Giving Georgie a minute to set up, Richie watched as Dr. K approached him, that particular smile sitting so comfortably across his lips. It only made Richie more nervous.

“Hey Richie,” He greeted him casually.

“Hey! Hi. Good morning,” He rambled out, his hand still clutching his coffee. “Excited for the shoot?”

“Nothing new to me to be honest, though I do appreciate your boss not lathering me up in lube.” He admitted with a small shrug.

“That was a great shoot. I mean, I doubt it was comfortable and it had to be a bitch to wash off, but ten out of ten stars for me.” He mentioned, rolling on the balls of his feet. He was teetering. Waiting. Waiting for what though? If he didn’t spit it out he would miss his chance and then the mystery would only continue. “Hey, can I ask you something real quick?”

“Shoot.”

“Yesterday, at the interview before you left, remember? You- you said it was nice to see me again,” he started, pausing as Beverly came over, passing Dr. K his own cup of coffee.

Richie took a slow sip of his mouth, hoping to quench his throat that was suddenly very dry.

Dr. K thanked her, sipping at his cup as Beverly left them again. “Mhm, I remember.”

“Well, I’ve been thinking about it and honestly dude, I don’t remember ever meeting you.” He finally confessed. “Did we like, have a class together in school? I highly doubt it because you were touring while I was getting my bachelor's, but I really can’t find you anywhere in my mind. And trust me, I would remember someone like you. Cute, and sexy, and talented. You’re like a triple threat and I have like, seven shirts with your face on it, plus multiple pictures of you in my apartment, and I’ve seen you perform sixteen times in the past eight years, and I should stop talking now because Bill is literally right there and told me I shouldn’t embarrass myself and me-“

Dr. K started laughing then, soft and sweet. His smile only grew and those dark eyes shimmered almost lovingly. “Beep beep, Richie.”

And after that he was whisked away by Georgie. They didn’t apply much makeup other than some powder to help with the shine. Richie was left standing like a fool, watching as Dr. K was placed where they wanted him and Bill began talking to him as the photoshoot began.

“Beep beep?” Richie muttered aloud, trying to remember where he heard that before.

Until it clicked.

“Beep beep, Richie!”

Richie laughed aloud, turning back to make sure the other boy was still behind him. It was summer and they were kids, which meant they were going to do whatever the hell they wanted to do without a single care in the world. Their town was small and boring, so what else were two ten year old kids supposed to do? Sit at home and watch cartoons?

They rode their bikes around town, finally making it to the standpipe where they could have a bit of privacy. They went there more often than not, as it was the only place in the whole damn town that wasn’t a waste of space.

They hurried inside, just as they had so many times before. As children, preteens, and then finally teenages. Sure, two ten year olds running a muck was pretty annoying, but it was the thirteen year olds that caused the most trouble, with their potty mouths and terrible ideas.

Richie lead the other boy inside, sneaking through the rickety door and up, up, up the stairs until they reached the very top. It was the only place high enough where you could see beyond Derry. See the horizon as the sun set down and actually know there was more of this world than just their shitty town.

“All right, Rapunzel! I’ve brought you back to your tower, far away from that terrible, terrible witch that kept you captive!”

“That’s not even how the story goes, dumbass.” The other boy laughed.

His words were meant to be cruel, but they weren’t. And his gaze wasn’t one of disdain but appreciation. Richie adjusted his glasses, moving closer to the other boy. “Either way, I’m still the prince charming, here to save the beautiful prince.”

The other boy rolled his eyes fondly.

“If your mom puts you under a sleeping spell, I’ll have to be the one to kiss you awake.” Richie announced.

“Wrong princess, Richie.”

“You do look rather sleepy, Eds. Maybe I should try it now? Just for practice?”

“Beep beep, Richie.” The other boy replied, pulling the taller boy in to kiss him softly.

Richie hurried out of the studio, going up the stairs and out onto the street to gather from fresh air. He felt a tightness in his stomach that he hadn’t dealt with in a very long time. He was sweaty and jumpy as people moved along the street beside him. It was as if he had seen a ghost and in some ways, he had.

There was only one person in his life who said those words to him; the mocking clown nose sound that would be used to sensor him or shut him up.

It was him. After all these years. After all the nightmares. After all the therapy sessions he finally walked back into his life.

Eddie Kaspbrak.

They had been friends since kindergarten. Best friends almost right off the bat. Eddie was a shy kid who didn’t do well with crowds and Richie was a class clown who was shunned from all other cliques due to how obnoxious he was even from an early age.

They were two people who didn’t belong in the small town they were trapped inside. Two boys who shared common interests and scars, and more importantly, secrets.

Eddie Kaspbrak was the reason Richie turned into such a basket case, so afraid to come out of his shell and be proud of who he was.

And it was Dr. K that helped Richie step out of the darkness and into the light.

Now it appeared they were one in the same.

There was no other way around it. Nobody else had ever said such a thing to him. “Beep beep” had been their thing, the thing Eddie would say to get him to stop talking back when they were just kids. There was no possible way anybody else would know that.

After finally realizing he wasn’t happy with the life had been living Richie went to therapy where he basically cried out every sad story he had to tell. In the end the therapist suggested he reach out to his old pal. Richie looked him up on every social media account he could but there was no sign of him anywhere.

It was like he didn’t exist anymore.

In the back of his mind Richie thought the worst and he had good reason to. Things didn’t end well for them back when they were kids. They were torn apart due to the prejudices of society and the pure hatred from Eddie’s mother. He always wondered what happened to his friend, especially since it was very clear that he and Eddie were more than friends.

There was a time when he used to think they were fucking soulmates. It was silly to think and he was just thirteen when those thoughts popped into his head into his head but back then he didn’t care.

It was just him and Eddie against the world. But the world ended up winning in the end.

Richie left the studio then, unsure of how he was supposed to carry on with the rest of the day with the knowledge he now had. He had practically gotten sick of it, thinking back to his childhood and how terrible things had turned out for himself.

He felt sick, like every time he got nervous about something. He felt sick and scared and happy? All of a sudden. Yes, he went to therapy because he thought his best friend was gone for good. Shit, he even called to as many conversion camps he could find information about across the country. Really, Sonia Kaspbrak would do anything to keep her son for herself.

And now Eddie was back in his life. How could he not see it? He went to sixteen concerts, got a poster of the band in his house, he even got cold showers courtesy of Dr. K. It was going to be a whole lot to process it. Process, first of all, that Eddie was alive. Two, that he was in his life again and even remembered him. And three, that he was Dr. K.

What. The. Fuck.

Richie went home hoping to collect his thoughts though it didn’t turn out the way he hoped. He was going absolutely bonkers trying to control all these new revelations that were coming his way.

He tried to get his mind off it; even jumping into the shower hoping the warm water would make him feel like a normal person again but that was all for nothing.

He had to talk to Eddie. Obviously he remembered him. Remembered the things they used to say to one another. He felt like he was going out of his mind.

Looking at the clock, he swore sharply. He would be gone from the studio by now. Richie was mentally kicking himself for running away but it’s what he did best.

There had to be another way. He was desperate but he didn’t want to give up that easily.

So he called Bill, hoping to use his small amount of improv and acting skills to get him in good. “Bill! Buddy! Shit man you’re never gonna believe this.” He spoke drastically.

He told Bill this wild story about how he was watching a documentary on Galaxy Quest that got him excited, resulting in him knocking over his coffee cup onto his computer, which short-circuited as he was editing the interview.

“I got it back up and rolling but I wasn’t able to save. Yeah, it’s gone man. All of it. I was hoping you had the number of his assistant so I could reschedule another one on one.”

“You gotta be more careful, Rich. MacBooks aren’t cheap.” Bill replied with a laugh.

He texted him the number of Dr. K’s personal assistant.

Easy as that.

Richie was ready to relay the whole story back to Beverly and when he did he thought that maybe it would be just as easy. Of course, it wasn’t.

“Mr. Denbrough asked enough questions during the photoshoot to qualify as an interview. Surely that shall suffice, Mr. Tozier.” She spoke coolly.

“It could but it wouldn’t answer the hard-hitting questions that our readers want to know about,” Richie replied. “Look it will only be a few minutes. I’ll even come to him if you give me the address.”

“I very well can't just give you the address of Dr. K’s home.” Beverly laughed off dismissively.

“Bev — can I call you Bev? — I need you to work with me here. I know I sound desperate and pathetic but I want you to know from the bottom of my heart, I am both.”

He wasn’t going to sugar coat it. He ran away because he was a weak bitch but he had to talk to Eddie about this. Needed him to fill in the gaps of their lives.

“Ten minutes, that’s all. I don’t want to waste his time, I just want to talk to him. You can even supervise if you’re worried I’m gonna jump him or anything.”

“You don’t give up easily, do you, Tozier?”

“Actually I’ve been known to give up very easily. It’s just different this time around,” Richie confessed.

The line was quiet for a moment; too quiet that Richie thought that maybe the call dropped. He pulled away to look but found Beverly continuing.

“He’s not at his current home. He’s staying at the Waldorf Suites until further notice.” She explained.

He told her the name that he was staying under and explained he would be there for the rest of the night. Richie looked down at the paper, his heart jumping in his throat when he saw the name he was currently listed under “Spaghetti” which just hit too close to him.

“Don’t do anything stupid, Mr. Tozier.” She warned lightly.

“I make zero promises, Ms. Ringwald.” He said before ending the call.

He jumped up from his seat then, rushing off to change back into his clothing so he could hit the road and get some answers.

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 169: Shut Up and Dance

Previously on BnHA: Aoyama creeped on Deku in the middle of the fucking night. A petrified Deku went to take a closer look only to find that Aoyama had left a weird “I KNOW~~” message spelled out on his balcony with fucking cheese. The next day in Cementoss’s class the kids resumed working on special moves. Deku got all brooding and thought about how he couldn’t beat Overhaul even with his absolute max of 20%. Then Aoyama got his attention and carved a possibly-suspicious-or-maybe-just-weird French message into a chunk of rock with his navel laser before collapsing in pain. Deku took Aoyama to rest for a bit and asked him what the cheese message meant. Aoyama said that Deku was like him -- someone who possessed a quirk that didn’t really suit his body. Aoyama himself is unable to control his navel laser without the aid of his support belt. He saw Deku as a kindred spirit and was trying to cheer him up since he knew he was starting to feel frustrated. And thus a new sparkly bond of friendship was born.

Today on BnHA: The kids randomly discuss how great Mina is at dancing and how great Jirou is at music stuff. Later that day, in a pure coincidence, Aizawa announces the upcoming cultural festival. Despite the recent string of villain attacks, the school has decided to go ahead with it as a way to hopefully help the stressed-out student body. 1-A gets to work determining what program their class will do, with people suggesting everything from petting zoos to cafes to “a banquet for students of darkness.” Momo and Iida narrow down everyone’s ridiculous suggestions, but they’re unable to settle on a final program, and Aizawa gives them one day to figure it out. That evening the kids gather in the fanfic dorms and Iida says they should come up with something that will help the other students de-stress. Todoroki of all people suggests that they host a dance party with live music. Jirou is a bit nervous about performing in front of everyone, but with her classmates’ support she agrees to do it. Let the Band AU arc begin.

(As always, all comments not marked with an ETA are my unspoiled reactions from my first readthrough of this chapter. I’ve read up through chapter 195 now, so any ETAs will reflect that.)

OH MY GOD YOU GUYS LOOK AT THIS!?!?

THIS IS MY FAVORITE COLOR PAGE EVER OMG

holy shit, I fucking love it. the colors! the (possibly unintentional) Wicked reference! MY LEADING LADY OCHAKO

and it looks like she’s wearing some of Mei’s gear. are we going to see any of these upgrades in her actual costume, or is this all just for the sake of a pretty cover? ah well, either way I love it

AND!!!

CULTURE FESTIVAL OMGGGGGG

lord I can’t even begin to imagine what a U.A. culture festival might be like. somehow I can’t quite picture them doing the typical cafe theme lol

oh my god you guys

MINA BREAKDANCING. 

you guys. ever since she got a bunch of bullies to dance with her in the middle of Kirishima’s flashback I’ve been wanting more of this lol

Deku is analyzing her moves, and it’s only just now occurred to me that this might be part of a new technique of hers and not just her spontaneously breaking out into a dance battle in the middle of the locker room

(ETA: nope just dancing. Mina is the best you guys)

lol now Deku says he wants to try and Mina’s volunteering to show him!

YESSSSSSSSS

NOW GET IIDA. HE NEEDS TO BE IN ON THIS. OH MY GOD. YOU GUYS. IT’S HAPPENINGGGGG

(ETA: this arc is a gift in so many ways)

oh hey Kaminari is casually hyping up Jirou’s hobby without any prompting!

is he trying to embarrass her or does he genuinely think it’s cool? OR MAYBE BOTH. WHY NOT. I REALLY DO SHIP THE SHIT OUT OF THIS DAMN TRIO NOW, DON’T I

he’s saying that her bedroom looked like “a music store” that one time they all went to see it

and he looks genuinely impressed, so I think it’s not teasing at all and he does in fact really think it’s cool

he says she must be a music pro and he’s asking how often she practices

and she’s getting all blushy and threatening him with one of her earjacks lol

he seems confused d’aww

(ETA: nice little bit with Kouda here which is followed up on later when he encourages her to perform and says it’s a skill well suited for a hero. I adore this sweet little friendship they have since taking that final exam together.)

she’s just shy, the way that some people are about the parts of themselves that are really personal. that means it’s really important to her and she’s maybe not fully ready to share it just yet

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

SO I HEARD

the class is losing their minds

IS IT SO FUCKING WRONG TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE NORMAL SCHOOL THING JESUS CHRIST. WE JUST SAT THROUGH FORTY CHAPTERS OF ANGST AND CHILD TORTURE. LET ME HAVE THIS, CHILDREN

!!

AIZAWA SHOUTA DID YOU REALLY ACTUALLY ADOPT THIS LITTLE GIRL OMG. PLEASE SAY YES. OMGGGGG

take her to the festival. let her come visit. omg. I will die of joy if that happens

(ETA: I did, in fact, die of joy)

so now the class is trying to figure out what to do

Kirishima is asking if it’s really okay “for us to be so carefree” at this particular juncture

Kiri were you not listening to a word I just fucking said. YES. y’all need to fucking relax for once in your damn lives

Kaminari is SHOCKED and is all “Kirishima you’ve changed, huh?”

but Kiri says it’s a valid concern though with all the villains running amok right now

Aizawa says that’s a fair point, but U.A. doesn’t revolve solely around the department of heroics

look at this Department of Management asshole acting like he’s going to get as big of a role in the series as Shinsou or Mei. haha you wish buddy

Aizawa says that this year’s festival will be made less public though, and will only occur within the school

well, good. honestly if y’all tried to pull more shit like the sports festival again at this juncture I would be raising some eyebrows, believe me

so they’re going to be deciding on their theme today! yaaaaay omgg

I’m going to take a wild guess here and predict that it will be something music related. since we had breakdancing Mina and music prodigy Jirou earlier. and also I’m really going to be needing that dancing Iida, you guys. I’m not kidding. we need to get on that stat

so finally Iida is taking charge, and tbh he was being remarkably restrained up till this point because I was expecting him to do this much earlier

he’s telling everyone to raise their hands if they have a suggestion

this class is full of passion

naturally the first suggestion is of course the classic

maybe if this was EVERY ANIME EVER. but this is BnHA! we can do better guys, come on!!

and we’ll just ignore Mineta

Ochako is suggesting a mochi shop! oh! I’m remembering that new years illustration now and I would love that tbh. but I don’t think that’s what we’re gonna end up with

look at all of these other ideas though

I love the idea of crepes and I’m already sad that they won’t end up going with that

Kouda’s idea is also amazing. and Kiri’s is super original

and Tokoyami’s I first read as “banquet of students” and I thought, that’s odd. I know he’s goth but I didn’t think he’d be out here suggesting cannibalism

but based on Kami’s stare, yeah, I’m pretty sure we’re gonna end up doing the music thing. CLASS 1-A DISCO. U.A. RAVE. AW YIHHH

wow

can you guys pick out which suggestion was Bakugou’s. it’s pretty easy tbh. study hall duhhhhhh

I actually love that the ideas we didn’t actually see can be so easily traced back to their originators. Deku’s hero quiz. Shouto’s soba house. Tsuyu’s “frog music chorus”, whatever that is. Ojiro’s martial arts performance. and so forth

Momo is now ruthlessly putting an end to the charade of diplomacy and erasing the ones that are “inappropriate or unrealistic” and “the ones that I don’t really understand” lmao

now the kids are getting back at the two reps by shooting down their own suggestions

and she’s combining the food themes into one, over Satou and Shouto’s protests that soba and crepes would “clash”

now things are getting out of hand

aaand the bell is ringing

Aizawa’s walking out and telling them all to make a decision by tomorrow morning

omg

oh damn

so now it’s nighttime in the fanfic dorms and 40-year-old Iida Tenya is in his relaxed business casual clothes watching youtube videos

I guess the rest of the gang must be here even though we’re not seeing them yet, because there are speech bubbles talking

I swear to god that boy really does go to bed at eight fucking pm every damn night. but why, though?? does he lie awake broodingly into the wee hours of the morning? does he go to bed early in order to wake up at the asscrack of dawn to work out? or does he just need the extra sleep because he’s a growing boy who runs at full steam shouting and blowing things up all day long and it’s just exhausting to be him? like, all three of these seem plausible to me lol

and then of course there’s the beloved fandom headcanon of him having PTSD and dealing with lots of nightmares too, and while we have really seen nothing in canon to hint at that, I’m obviously not going to dismiss any theory with that much Bakugou angst potential completely out of hand lol

but I think it’s probably the second and third one mostly tbh

as for the intern group, are they taking supplementary classes to make up for what they missed while they were out interning? that really is a lot of work, huh. no wonder the school decided to put an end to those for now

anyway, so Iida says that now that he’s had more time to think about it, he thinks they should come up with a theme that would assist the other departments in letting off some steam since they’re stressed out

that’s actually so thoughtful and pure

so Momo (at least I think it’s her?) is saying that in that case, they shouldn’t bother with a food theme since the U.A. kids are already accustomed to Lunch Rush’s food and it’s really hard to top that

so now they’ve narrowed it down to just a few options

they’re shooting down the petting zoo as “unsanitary”, wow. wow guys. so you don’t think that getting a bunch of cute baby animals for everyone to pet would help them to de-stress, huh. kay. I see how it is

oh my god

of all the people to end up suggesting this idea, he’s honestly the last person I would have expected

YESSSSSS U.A. UP IN THE CLUB

why is he the cutesttttt

LMAO

IT’S NOT LIKE THAT BUT I LOVE THE WAY YOUR MIND WORKS SUGAR MAN

oh my god. I will take this thought bubble of Bakugou and Todo getting lit in the club and I will keep it in my heart forever

Sero is objecting that it’ll be stressful (for them), but Mina says she can teach them all how to dance

LMAO AGAIN

yes look at him he has clearly mastered it

Mineta is now stepping in and saying that if they’re gonna turn class 1-A into New York’s Hottest Club then they’re gonna need some sick beats

AND NOW EVERYONE IS STARING AT YOU KNOW WHO

BRITNEY, BITCH

lol she’s going red again and is all “uh, what?”

Hagakure’s jumping in with the encouragement!

YESSSS YOU CAN DO IT JIROU YOU ROCK

but she’s getting all shy again and says it’s just a hobby

and now Kaminari’s having a flash of insight!

COME ON KAMI THIS IS YOUR MOMENT

YESSSS

god I ship it. he’s just so genuinely nice and encouraging. class A’s dumbest, sweetest boy

and now Kouda is also running over and says that it’s a skill that can put a smile on people’s faces and for that reason he does think it’s heroic

AND NOW HER GIRLFRIEND MOMO IS STEPPING IN PROTECTIVELY AND TELLING THEM THAT’S VERY NICE OF THEM, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY IT’S JIROU’S DECISION

god this chapter is MomoJirouKami heaven and I’m on cloud fucking nine

YAAAAAY SHE’S GONNA DO IT

not if you don’t want to, I guess? though ngl that would be amazing

so with that, class A’s program is decided!

um. is this supposed to be important to the plot? who tf is this

(ETA: lol it both is and it isn’t. it’s relevant to the arc, but this arc is probably the least plot relevant in the series. though that doesn’t mean it’s not a complete and utter delight)

anyway! WHOOO HOOOO, SHUT UP AND DANCE WITH ME

I have no idea which bonus page goes with this chapter lol. so I’m just gonna skip it for now

[do-your-socks-have-holes-in-them]

Til the End of the Night / Ch14: In which Virgil brushes off his acting skills

Previous / Masterpost / Next

Summary: The Dragon Witch is smug.  Logan attempts to provide emotional support.  Virgil makes a deal.

Warnings: broken glass, unconsciousness, injury/implied concussion but it's f i n e, vague reference to death, crying, lack of regard for one's health (cough cough patton)

A/N: ...this chapter isn’t as dark as the warnings make it sound i swear

AO3

Roman watched, frozen in despair, as the Dragon Witch flew off back to the castle with his friends.  The mirror shut off soon after, and Roman fell onto his bed, staring blankly at the stone ceiling. He didn’t even have the energy to be angry with himself right now- to be fair, he was already going to have everyone else mad at him once they learned how the witch found them; there was no need to add himself to the list just yet.  At this point, he was barely even surprised to see everything go totally wrong, anyway. He shoved his face in the pillow and tried to have even one idea as to what on earth he was going to do now.

When he heard the witch at the door again, he shot up, trying to quickly neaten up his hair and clothes so it wouldn’t be too obvious he’d spent the past half hour faceplanted on the bed.  “What have you done with them?” he demanded.

“Oh, don’t worry, they’re not hurt.  Well. Not much more hurt than I found them, at least.”  Roman winced, remembering Patton. “I’m just… keeping them out of the way.  They won’t be interfering again,” she smirked. “And in case you get any more clever ideas…”  She snapped her fingers at the mirror, releasing a bolt of magic, and it shattered. No potentially dangerous glass shards on the floor or anything, but it would hardly be usable as a mirror now, let alone for communication.  “Oh, don’t look so sad. I’ve brought you something to do!”

She produced some large rolled-up papers, which Roman regarded with distrust.  “I’m not going to be so foolish as to fall for the same trick twice.”

“Foolish?  Of course not!”  She set the roll of papers down on the table and tried to pat Roman’s shoulder in a friendly manner, but he swatted her hand away.  She looked a bit miffed, but recovered and went on, “You’re really very smart. That’s why I don’t think you’ll be able to resist helping out with some designs for my new army.”  With a flick of her wrist, the papers unrolled themselves, showing some sketches of armor and weaponry. “I’ll be back in the evening!”

When the door closed, Roman edged closer to the table, looking at the designs as if they were wild animals which might attack at any moment.  He was struck at once by how boring they were.  What kind of self-respecting dragon witch would neglect the importance of a dragon-themed army?  The uniforms needed a better color scheme… ooh, and they should have little dragon heads on their helmets that could actually shoot fire-

No!  Nope, this wasn’t happening again.  Roman pushed himself away from the table and paced the room, trying to clear his mind.  Think about something else, he reminded himself.  Such as, for example, a new escape plan.

Patton opened his eyes to find himself lying in a weird position on an uncomfortable surface.  Various bits of him hurt, and his right arm was numb. It wasn’t the best situation to wake up in.  

He sat up slowly, trying to rub some feeling back into the arm that had fallen asleep.  A draft of cold air made him shiver and wrap his cloak tighter around himself. Where was he?  He looked around and found himself in a room about the size of his own bedroom, except his room had never been this cold and dark and scary.  His room wasn’t made of stone, and had more light sources than a single tiny window high up on a wall, and the door wasn’t locked from the outside.  Here, the door had a barred window through which could be seen a pitch-black hallway, and he was afraid to go over to it and yet somehow knew it wouldn’t open if he tried.  Patton really, really wished he could be in his bedroom instead. Or anywhere with other people. Or anywhere, period, that wasn’t here.

His eyes finally landed on the only thing in the room besides himself, a shape on the floor he’d mistaken for a shadow at first.  It wasn’t. He gave a little gasp and rushed across the room, almost tripping in his haste.

“Logan!”  He dropped to the floor next to his friend, shaking his shoulder in an attempt to wake him up, but Logan didn’t respond.  “...Logan?” That didn’t make sense. Shouldn’t the spell that had knocked them out wear off at the same time for everyone?  Patton tried to wake him again, this time turning him over so he wasn't face-down on the floor, and saw why it wasn’t working.

Logan hadn’t been knocked out with magic.  A line of dried blood ran down the right side of his face from a wound on his forehead, and the area around it was developing a nice bruise.  Patton had a vague idea that not waking up for a long time after a head injury was bad, although maybe it worked differently in fantasy. He decided to believe that.  Still, he couldn’t leave Logan like this… and he really couldn’t be alone in here anymore. He reached out and pressed his palm to the side of Logan’s head.

Oh, ow.  He’d expected his head to hurt, but it wasn’t just that, he was disoriented and dizzy and also his head really hurt.  After a few seconds his vision started to blur, and he pulled his hand away.  He leaned on the wall and waited with his eyes tightly shut for the worst of it to fade, just hoping his efforts did something.

Logan regained consciousness on a stone floor and carefully raised a hand to touch his head, fairly certain he had a concussion, but there was nothing to be done about it now.  The last thing he remembered was that dragon showing up, and what he was seeing confirmed that she had taken them back to her castle after capturing them. Every detail of the room supported his hypothesis that he was in a dungeon… including the fact that it was chilly and miserable.  He sat up to get away from the cold floor and rubbed his arms, wishing he’d imagined himself a jacket when they had first arrived. His bag was gone, which made perfect sense given its contents, but made him feel vulnerable nonetheless. The others would still have their magic, but he-

Wait.  The others.

He turned quickly to look around the entire room, blinking when the floor tried to tilt at the motion, and found Patton behind him.  He was huddled against the wall in his cloak, half his face obscured by the hood. He must be the reason Logan was awake now, and it looked like he’d tired himself with his magic.

“How long was I out?”

Patton looked up, surprised, and smiled with tears in his eyes.  Logan could practically feel his relief, and he wasn’t usually particularly empathetic.  “Logan!” he breathed, “it worked, you’re awake!”

“Yes, ah- thank you.”  He didn’t know what else to say.  Expressing gratitude had never been a strength of his, either.  “But… how long…?”

“Oh, right.  I don’t really know, I just woke up myself, but… probably a while?”  He tilted his head, counting on his fingers. “There’s however long it took to get from where we were to the castle, and then putting us in here, and my arm was asleep by the time I woke up so I must have been lying there for a bit…”  He trailed off, not liking to think very hard about where they were and how they got there.

Logan nodded slowly, staring at the little window to try and see where the sun was.  Having no luck, he looked back at Patton, only to lose his train of thought. His hood had shifted when he moved, and his forehead was visible.  Logan just stopped himself from reaching to touch the wound that matched his own.

“You didn’t tell me you were injured as well,” he said softly, an almost scolding tone creeping into his voice.

Patton shrugged, smiling as a defense mechanism.  “Yeah, looks like we both got knocked out...” Not technically a lie.  “It just didn’t seem as important as making sure you were okay, you didn’t see how much worse yours was before I healed it, I’m sorry I couldn’t do more, I’m just… tired…”  His voice grew quieter as he talked, and finally dropped to a whisper. He shook himself back to normal. “Anyway, nothing you can do without your bag, right? No point worrying about it.”

Logan knew he was right, and yet the thought- the reality, rather- of his bubbly, innocent friend being injured made him feel… something.  A tightness in his chest. Patton wasn’t supposed to get hurt- yes, he realized how little sense that statement made- and now it had happened twice.

“Lo?  You okay?”

Logan realized he’d been frowning at the floor for several minutes.  He looked up, not missing how Patton’s optimistic expression wavered, and shot back, “Are you okay?”

Patton managed to look confused for about a second, and Logan almost wondered if he’d guessed wrong at how the emotional side was feeling.  Then the dam broke.

“I- no,” he admitted, voice unsteady, “no, not really, I just, I woke up and it was dark and scary and you were just- just there on the floor and I thought, I, I didn’t know if- if I could wake you up-” his voice cracked as he didn’t add, or if you would wake up at all- “and you’re still hurt and I’m not strong enough to fix it and I don’t know where Virgil is and if he’s okay and I can’t help him if he's not and my head hurts and I, I, I--”  He broke off crying, hugging himself and ducking his head.

Logan’s tight feeling only got worse, now accompanied by a twisting of his guts.  He was no good at being comforting, he knew this, but no one else was around to do it.  He couldn’t just sit here.  If he didn’t say anything, Patton might make assumptions about what he was thinking, become ashamed of his negative emotions and go back to holding them in, and that wasn’t healthy.  He had to do something, he was the smart one, he should be able to figure this out.

He coughed awkwardly.  “Um… Patton?” Patton looked up at him through tears, having given up on wiping them away.  Logan tried a smile, but he could tell it was even more forced than Patton’s had been. “Would, uh… would the application of close physical contact assist in the improvement of your current emotional state?”  Yeah, okay, even he knew that was hopelessly stiff.

Patton looked at him blankly.  “In- in English, Lo?” he said, with a shaky laugh that turned into a sob.

Logan sighed, mostly at himself, and held his arms out.  “Hug?”

Patton nodded wordlessly and collapsed into his arms.  Logan could measure his distress by the fact that he didn’t try to hug back, just curled into Logan’s chest and let himself be held.  And Logan held him, one arm around his shoulders and the other hand resting on the back of his head, trying to maintain the optimal gentle pressure that would keep Patton close and anchored without making him feel trapped.  It didn’t seem to be calming him down- the opposite, if anything, he was sobbing harder than ever- but maybe that wasn’t a bad thing, if it meant he was letting go of bottled-up emotions. Logan rubbed his back in circles, something he’d seen Patton do for Virgil once when the latter had just woken from a nightmare.  He talked to him, too, nothing meaningful, just background noise in the form of things he’d found interesting enough to remember from Wikipedia articles Thomas read while procrastinating. He’d been told before that he had a soothing voice, which may have been a nice way of saying he put people to sleep.

Slowly, the tears subsided.  Logan’s tunic was very damp, but he didn't mention it.  Patton leaned against him quietly- still not in great emotional shape, exhausted and fragile, but quiet.  Logan ran his fingers through Patton’s hair, which he’d seen him do to Roman on many occasions, and Patton sighed, turning so he could lay his head on Logan’s shoulder.

“You’re tired,” Logan said.  “Rest.” Patton didn’t need telling, but hummed in agreement anyway.  His breathing evened out within minutes.

Logan smiled fondly, and carefully removed Patton’s glasses without waking him up.  He couldn't resist the urge to wipe the lenses on the edge of his shirt before folding them and setting them on the floor.  Honestly, would it kill Patton to clean his glasses more than once a week? After making sure he wouldn’t accidentally break them if he moved, he returned to his original position.  It was cold in here, after all, and examining their surroundings for a way out could wait until both Patton and himself had recovered some energy.

When Virgil woke up, he was expecting to be somewhere very bad.  Chained up in a tiny room with no windows, or something. He was definitely not expecting to wake up in a soft, comfortable bed in a well-furnished room.  He sat up and looked around, confused and very suspicious.  “What the-”

“Good, you’re awake!”  A woman in a long green dress slipped into the room and sat down in an armchair facing the bed.  “I’m sorry about knocking you out, but it had to be done.”

Virgil shifted to face her, crossing his arms.  “I assume you’re the Dragon Witch?”

She inclined her head slightly.  “At your service.”

He snorted.  “Yeah, somehow I doubt that.  Could it be, I don’t know, the fact that you kidnapped me?”

“Oh, come on, I only brought you where you were trying to go anyway.  You should consider it a favor.” She smiled sharply. As far as Virgil could tell, she did everything sharply.  “My point was, I think we can help each other, you and I.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Our goals are similar, are they not?”  He blinked in confusion, and she laughed.  “There’s no need to play dumb. That naive prince and his little heroes might have believed your story, but I know a fellow villain when I see one.  Working together, between my power and the trust you’ve gained from them, I could attain full control of this kingdom so much more easily… and you would stay on my good side,” she added with a pointed look.  “I might even make you my second in command, if you prove yourself worthy.”

Virgil hummed, thinking for a moment, and gave her a half-smile.  If it looked a bit forced, well- who wouldn’t be a little displeased when their plans of ruling the kingdom were turned into working for someone else?  “Sounds good to me. Especially if it means taking down Prince Obnoxious.”

“I knew it would,” said the witch, looking very pleased.  “I’ll give you some time to yourself here while I take care of other business- you’ll note I left all the little trinkets in your pockets, as a show of good faith- and then we can get to work.”

She left.  Virgil didn’t hear the door lock, but he was sure she would know if he tried to leave the room regardless, and she probably wouldn’t be happy, so he would stay in the room and keep playing along for now.  He should be able to keep up this villain act long enough to work out a better plan- he’d had plenty of practice, after all. He just had to hope the others would be okay until then.

[logan-are-you-okay]

Anti’s Backstory part 5

Nurse: “Sir, I need you to calm down so we can check what’s wrong.”

Jack: “No! I want my Dr!”

Nurse: “Then who’s your doctor then?”

Jack: “You just kicked him out of here when I asked! I don’t trust any of you fuckers!”

Jack then starts pulling on his brown hair. The pain was so intense that he keepings trying to hurt himself in other places so he can focus on something less mild.

Nurse: “Sir. You need to take a deep breath so we can put in your IV.”

Jack: “Fuck you!”

He doesn’t mean to be rude, that isn’t the kind of person that he is. But when he is basically feels like he’s getting his leg pulled off, that can cause a little manners to change.

Somehow the nurse... with ten other nurses are able to get Jack’s IV into his arm where the release a drug to help him with the pain so it doesn’t hurt as much anymore. Once he’s finally able to calm down he looks at the nurse how was talking to him.

Jack: “Sorry... I didn’t mean to swear.”

He the proceeds to rub the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Nurse: “It happens all the time. The Dr will come in soon to see what is the problem.

Jack: “Thank you.”

Even though his leg still hurt like hell, he did want to calm down. Acting like that wasn’t something That he liked to do. Even if it was just from the pain.

***

Schneeplstein keeps pacing around in the waiting room. Jacks only been back there for a couple hours, but it feels like an eternity. It was absolute torture to not know what was going on. Why would they just leave him to think of all the bad possibilities that could be happening? Randomly a nurse from the front desk walks over to Schneeplstein.

Nurse: “You’ve been here for quite awhile. Do you want anything to drink or eat?”

Dr. Schneeplstein: “Not really. I just want to know what’s going on so my heart can stop having heart palpitations.”

Nurse raises her eyebrow. She didn’t know if he was joking or not, but that was really weird to just randomly say.

Nurse: “Heart Palpitation?”

Dr. Schneeplstein: “Skipping heart beats. I basically said it because my hearts going time million miles an hour, so it feels like it’s skipping beats.”

Nurse: “Oh, Okay. Is there anyone you need me to check on to see if they’re in stable condition?”

Schneeplstein’s eyes light up. If she could do that, why the hell wouldn’t they just come out and say that he’s fine. God, this hospital needs better protocols.

Dr. Schneeplstein: “Sean McLoughlin.” (I DONT KNOW HOW TO SPELL JACKS LAST NAME)

The nurse goes back to the front desk and types in Jack’s name. Surprisingly, he’s been able to see visitors for the past hour.

Nurse: “He’s stable, you can go back and see him. Room 24-A.”

Without a second thought Schneeplstein runs through the automatic doors to the room the nurse said. He didn’t even say thank you, he was to worried about Jack.

***

Once he gets inside the room, he sees a nurse changing out the IV fluid while Jack was asleep. At least he was able to calm down. Schneeplstein then goes over and sits down in a chair next to Jack’s medical bed. The new nurse notices that he just came in and recognize him almost instantly.

Nurse: “You said you where in the middle of getting your License right?”

Dr. Schneeplstein: “Uh... yeah, Something on those lines, sure.”

Nurse: “Well his broken leg was worse than we thought. There’s a certain medical term that you wouldn’t have learned yet. When the leg broke it ruptured a vein and the blood started to clot and run up to his chest. That was the stinging pain that he felt that went to his spine. Also the bone wasn’t fix back into its original place when it was attempted to reset it. Which confused his brain and heart which sent blood to his lungs.”

Dr. Schneeplstein: “What the fuck!? How on earth does that happen. He was fine until he tried walking around!”

Nurse: “It takes a while for the syptomes to accrue.”

Dr. Schneeplstein: “Is that why he’s wearing a breathing Mask?”

The nurse nods and then leaves after finishing changing Jack’s IV fluid. Schneeplstein then looks over Jack who looks like he’s having a nightmare. To bad they can’t help with that part. He sighs to himself, and decides to grab his phone and take a picture of Jack. Knowing that he had blood in his lungs, means that he’s going to be stuck here for quite awhile. Schneeplstein then uploads the photo to Jack’s twitter and tells them briefly of what happen acting as if he was Jack, and that a friend took the picture while he slept.

Almost instantly people start freaking out and wishing that he’ll get better. That’s one thing Schneeplstein loved about Jack’s community that he created. All the love and support, them never thinking he was just doing it for popularity. Schneep then looks over at the clock hanging on the wall.

7:48 AM.

Wow, time passed a lot faster than he has expected. Since Jack’s asleep there’s no point in him being awake. So he props himself against the chairs and falls asleep.

***

Jack jumps awake from the nightmare he was having. It felt so real, and it didn’t help that the breathing mask felt like it was suffocating him. He makes an attempt to take it off, but Schneeplstein stops him from doing so.

Dr. Schneeplstein: “Don’t take it off Jack! You need it to help you breathe!”

Jack: “I can breathe just fine Schneep, I don’t need this to help me.”

Schneeplstein then makes a very stern look at Jack, which prompts him to keep the mask on.

Dr. Schneeplstein: “I know you made a video about your broken leg, but I posted a picture on twitter saying it. You scared the living daylights out of me you know.”

Jack: “I didn’t CHOOSE to break my leg you know.”

Dr. Schneeplstein: “Whatever, but lots of people are wishing you to get better.”

Jack starts smiling. He hasn’t ever been really Hurt while doing YouTube, so having people send ‘get well’ stuff was amazing. Even all of Twitter was filled with getting better fanwork. It was amazing.

Suddenly a Doctor walks in... they think? He wasn’t wearing the usual uniform that the other doctors were wearing. He had on a long polo shirt, with scruffy gray hair. He then walks over to Jack and takes of the air mask. Instantly earning him an angry Schneeplstein to stand up.

Dr. Schneeplstein: “Hey!”

The Doctor?: “He doesn’t need it anymore, he’s able to breathe fine now.”

Schneeplstein quickly looks over at Jack to make sure he can breathe alright, which thankfully he can. He then looks over at the so called doctor. Schneep May not be licensed, but he knows that, that would not be acceptable.

The possible doctor then sits on the bed next to Jack, which instantly raised some concerns. Doctors where NOT suppose to do that. Jack has a pretty good bullshit detector, and this man was setting it off like wild fire. But he still wanted to be nice.

Jack: “So... what brings you in Doctor?”

Defiantly a doctor that doesn’t look suspicious at ALL: “I just wanted to warn you, not to be as crazy next time you decided to make woopy.”

What the fuck!? Who the hell was this man to assume such a thing, he probably doesn’t know a thing about what happened so he just assumed!? This made Dr. Schneeplstein’s blood boil!

Dr. Schneeplstein: “Excuse me!? How dare you come in here and assume such a thing! We where not having sex Mr. He’s basically my brother and we’re not gay!”

Jack gets startled in surprise. He has never in his life seen Schneeplstein so mad at someone, he was the most down to earth person out of any of them.

Jack: “Woah, Schneep calm down a little bit.”

Not going to lie, Jack didn’t like how the so called doctor assumed. Maybe it’s because Schneep didn’t have a shirt on, or maybe because they where both guys. It doesn’t matter, but Jack still didn’t like the looks of this doctor.

The doctor: “It’s just common sense to me. But, we would like to give you something for the pain you might be experiencing.”

The doctor turns around to pull something out of his pocket.

Jack: “But.... I’m really not feeling any pain right now?”

The doctor then turns back around carrying a injecting kneedle filled with... a glowing green liquid!

Jack: “Oh hell no! Keep that away from me!”

Jack practically throws himself off of the bed away from the doctor. Pulling out his IV from his arm and the heart monitor which made it sound like he flatlined.

Thankfully Schneeplstein caught Jack in his fit of escape so he didn’t hurt his leg anymore. Even though he barley caught his arms. Even though it sent a sting down Jack’s entire body when hisbleg barely hit the floor.

The doctor: “What? It’s just going to help with the pain.”

Dr. Schneeplstein: “Jack what on earth are you doing!?”

Jack might have had very little sleep last night, but he was still able to put two-two together. Even though it was decades ago, this man looked very Similar to what Anti described in his journal. The gray shaggy hair and age range! Also the glowing green liquid isn’t something just to randomly had. Even jack matched the serial kidnappers victims al except the age range. Maybe it was his son who wanted to replicate his father’s legacy?

Jack: “I don’t want to be anywhere near this psycho!”

Even though Schneeplstein didn’t know what was going on, he didn’t want to be anywhere near this dude either.

The doctor rolls his eyes and leaves the room. However as he leaves, he drops a bar code out of his pocket and doesn’t even notice. But, Jack did. Schneeplstein sets Jack back into the medical bed and reattaches everything to where it’s suppose to be and grabs the bar code off the ground. He then inspects it, but he notices Jack becoming relatively antsy as he does.

Dr. Schneeplstein: “Why are you so excited?”

Jack: “Can I see that real quick?”

Schneeplstein shrugs his shoulders and hands it over to Jack who quickly takes a picture of the bar code and it takes him to some weird website. Schneeplstein looks over Jack’s shoulder and gasps at what the first thing that pops up.

Jack: “What the fuck?”

The first that that appears is a picture of Jack from when he dyed his hair back to its original brown color. The whole website was in a green and black, and there was descriptions of him all over. ‘Age, 27. Hair, Brown. Eye Color, Blue.’ There was very personal stuff on him that he didn’t expect to notice. However one thing stood out to him the most. ‘Resembles subject 748-YB. The one subject who was succefulky able to perform all tests on, yet to far of an extreme to which he died and couldn’t reconnect. Tests have yet to be conducted.’

Normally this would be weird on its own, but after reading Anti’s journal, it’s pretty obvious that subject 748-YB was Anti.

(Doesn’t really have much of Anti, but I’m setting up for something)

[loveandwarandmagick]

Into Thin Air - Chapter 3

here’s the third chapter of “Into Thin Air” !

you can find it here on A03, but i’ll post the whole thing down here under the cut as well

thank y’all for the love and support as always <3

Simon

He’s only been walking for a few minutes when he sees her. Tawny, shiny long locks. She’s got the warmest brown eyes he’s ever seen in his life; sparkling even in the dark. She’s absolutely gorgeous, and Simon’s sure that she’s grinning at him, inviting him to come closer.

The night is still. They’re the only ones out on the street (no one in their right mind is awake right now anyway) and the quiet and the cool air is doing well to settle his nerves. He risks inching closer, keeping his eyes trained on her own. Even if she recognizes him, he thinks, It’s alright. Simon’s never been one to trust without good reason, and she’s as trust worthy as they come. She probably has no one to tell anyway. Or, no way to tell at least. Finally, he gets within a couple feet from her. Slowly, he smiles at her, raising his eyebrows and smiling hesitantly. When he holds his hand out, it’s like flipping a switch.  

The dog – a golden retriever looking type – comes bounding towards Simon, and he’s sinking down to his knees to welcome her kisses faster than he’s ever moved in his life. “Hi baby, hi hello, it’s nice to meet you,” he giggles softly, evading her tongue as he pets her and fumbles at the collar around her neck to search for a tag. “Hold on sweetie,” he mumbles, holding back his laughter as it bubbles up all around him, which only makes her more eager to climb into his lap. Finally, he gets the clasp undone and holds it up catch the light from the street lamp next to them. “Your name is,” he starts, but promptly closes his mouth again as she laps her tongue against his nose. “Cordelia?” His nose scrunches involuntarily. “Who names a dog Cordelia?”

Rich people, he thinks. He sounds horrified even in his own head.

Simon stays to pet her for a while, forgiving her awful name for her cheer. Something easy to pronounce would have been nicer. Or something that sounds like dog – something like Dob - would have at least been funny. He’d preferred simple, one syllable names since he was younger. They’d always been the easiest part of a sentence he couldn’t quite get out. Speech impediment. It was unpleasant having Mr. Salisbury trail him around most days, demanding that Simon repeat a sentence or a phrase, but eventually, he’d grown thankful for the constant push. Now he can manage to string several sentences together, and even if they’re awkward – he can do it now. That’s the only part that matters.

  He pushes his face into her neck one last time, giving her a tight squeeze, before finally standing up. The collar falls out of his lap onto the ground, with a soft clink. He manages to latch the collar back on quick before she starts to run in the opposite direction. There’s a sigh that replaces the goodbye he’d had on his tongue as he watches her trot away.

Baz

The path on the ground in front of Baz thankfully tends to prefer painting itself on the sidewalk rather than the middle of the street. There’re not many cars out – it’s probably around four in the morning by now, though he’s not exactly sure how long he’s been walking. Each time the line fades a bit, he thinks he’s found it. He looks up for the hundredth time as it disappears off into a bush, as if Salisbury would be squashing some unfortunate person’s shrubbery, instead of home, sleeping, like everyone else. All his adrenaline from earlier has petered out, and it’s dawning on him that he probably won’t get any sleep tonight. That, combined with the thought of getting robbed in the early morning makes him uneasy, and he realizes the odds are not in his favor at all. He stops walking to catch his breath and study the suit he’s wearing. It’s perfectly tailored and he has a matching watch band, along with gleaming leather shoes in the same color.

Cursing on an exhale, he chastises himself for being so careless. He doesn’t even know where he’s at anymore. When he looks up from his shoes, the line is stilled in the middle of the sidewalk again. Frustration and sleeplessness are making his vision blurry, and his hand raises to wave away the spell before he realizes he’s even moving. Right before he can spit out the reverse spell, the golden light veers off towards the right, sparking brightly along the sidewalk. Baz glances up with wild eyes as it speeds off, crossing under a massive, bronze gate a couple of meters away. It ignites something warm in his chest, erasing frustrations instantly. He can see windows reflecting amber light from the street lamps, somewhere beyond the gate.

He sprints after the line, too-tight shoes be damned. There’s a wide enough gap to crawl through under, but Baz just places his hand on the closest bar and mutters an unlocking spell under his breath. The gate swings open, and he’s off again, chasing the line as it flies across the street towards the corner. He curses as he sees it speed up, then make a right around the sidewalk. He’s just about to start slowing down to ease the pain sparking in his feet when it starts to glimmer at his feet, fading out fast in front of him. Well.

He starts running again, this time with his shoes in hand. He recoils at the feeling of his socks catching on the cement under his feet, but can’t bring himself to care much. This is his chance to close a case that’s been open since Baz was about fifteen, and he’s not stopping now for a single thing.

Except, well…

There’s a golden retriever laying on the lawn as he passes, and he slows automatically, without even thinking. The dog looks between Baz and the fading line. It’s reminding him to keep running, even as bad as he wants to stay and pretend that he’s not in this mess. He stops only for a second, before he starts off again, contemplating how he got here in the first place.

He’ll have time to pet it later, maybe. Once Salisbury is in custody. Or he’ll get his own. He’s always had an affinity for big dogs. He breaks from his thoughts once the line fades off completely in front of him. He looks up through the window of the house across from him, intensely watching a shadow on the curtain. Maybe a cabinet or rocking chair? Then, it shifts towards the edge of the room. Baz doesn’t stop to ponder this – he’s already creating a plan on his way.

Simon

The library is arguably the worst room in the house to keep valuables, but that’s where Simon finds everything. There are more books than you’d find at a public library, and he’s desperate to snag one, but there’d be no point. Mr. Salisbury rarely lets him keep anything for himself, and when he does it’s usually just a few coins. The rest goes to the neighborhood.

Parents with too many children to count, with aunts and uncles too. Cousins, nieces and nephews all living under the same roof. Mr. Salisbury made it his mission to see to every single one of them. He trades all the things he finds to buy supplies and food for all of them that can’t, and Simon can’t bring himself to complain about not having enough for himself. In exchange for all the things, no one questions why exactly Mr. Salisbury chooses to live under ground. Each time he brings guests, they’ll smile and nod and shake Simon’s hand. No one bats an eye at the tiny shed that’s supposed to sleep two, but fits one comfortably.

He can’t complain – the main room has a skylight that goes straight up the chimney, so he can see the sky when it rains. It puts him at ease to see the clouds, makes his chest a little lighter than it was.

He pauses in front of an ornate cabinet, full of tiny glass figures, and smiles. Mr. Salisbury favors things that can be traded without suspicion – silks and scarves and cash, most of all – but Simon can’t bring himself to look away from the shelves full. There’s a miniature crane, a tiny hot air balloon, and a shoe. He’s baffled for a split second as he stares at them all, before coming to see each tiny paper attached. Some have dates – recognizable ones like Valentine’s and Christmas Eve. Others have random ones that Simon couldn’t possibly know, but reading through them makes him feel sick.

This is not his to touch. He prides himself on the art of taking; his inability to be caught. He glows from the inside out (not literally, he doesn’t think) when Mr. Salisbury thanks him for what he’s brought back. But these things, pieces of family memory, aren’t anyone’s except these people. He’ll only ever feel proud to help others if he’s taking things that no one truly needs.

Trying not to get caught up in the memories makes it worse – he tries not to think too hard about the people that he’s taking from, but it’s inevitable. They’ll never remember his face (the magic blurs his features into something too generic to identify), but he always remembers theirs. He shakes away the fear and revulsion, all the expressions that remind him of how truly awful this is, and presses his palms to a bookcase in front of him to slow his breathing. As soon as he remembers himself, where exactly he’s standing; that weight in his chest settles back in. It’s for the greater good, he thinks. Over and over again, for as long as he can before he reminds himself to get back to it.

He steps away from the frame shakily, nearly running into a case full of plates and sending the entire thing crashing down. Slow, he reminds himself, breathing again. Once, twice. Again, and again.

Baz

The easiest way to get in is through the front door. Baz only came to that conclusion since he didn’t stop to worry about alarms, and the door happened to be unlocked, but he’s saved time with his carelessness nonetheless. Wealthy people never worry about the locks on their homes – which has been proven time and time again by each theft case he’s been on. His father as well; too certain of the iron bars surrounding their yard to even install locks.

Baz installed extra locks when he’d moved in, and locks his doors three times every night – once when he first gets home, a second time after he’s eaten, and a third right before he goes to sleep.

He steps inside soundlessly, shutting the heavy door with practiced hands so it makes as little sound as possible. His hands are trembling with exhaustion, or maybe relief he can feel now that Salisbury’s finally under his thumb. Just a week of being on this case was making him insane. Too many dead ends, too many people losing their valuables. He freezes in the doorway to settle himself, and then starts to walk slowly up the stairs. As he reaches the top, he considers the three doors on the left side. It’d be disastrous if he walked into someone’s room – not only does he not have a warrant, but his supervisor might have a hard time understanding how Baz pinpointed the exact house Salisbury was in.

Under his breath, he whispers a “show me the fine line,” and watches as a tiny stream of golden light shoots straight between the hinges of a dark wood door in the very corner. He has to press a hand to his mouth to force back the shaky gasp from his mouth. It’s parts relief and excitement, after finally putting an end to all of this. Another part fear. This is a magic user – a wizard – just like Baz is. He can’t help the cold coil snaking through his chest, making his hands shake with dread. He has no idea what to expect, and it could end disastrously if he’s not careful with it. He breathes through his nose, letting his breath come out shaking through his mouth.        

He takes slow steps towards the door and doesn’t let himself think before turning the handle sharply and shoving the door open.

Simon

The glass case catches the reflection and gives him away before the sound does. Simon’s already turning around the second he sees the door move, golden paint catching the light of the lamps outside and shining dangerously on the panels. There’s a man standing there, huffing controlled breaths through his nose. Like he’s just run a marathon, in a damn suit, for some reason. Simon allows himself to let his breath rush out of his nose, a second of blinding panic before he decides to force a smile.

Baz

For all he’s about to go through, for all the trouble he’s caused; Simon Salisbury smiles at Baz. Like he couldn’t care less that he’s been caught. It makes Baz want to throw one back – whether one means a smile or a punch. He’s not decided yet.

Simon

“Your smile is disarming, Simon. You’ve got the charm of a priest’s son, use it for your sake – only if you must,” says Penny in his head. She’s constantly in his head, reminding him of the things that he loses somewhere in his panic. Especially in situations like this, when he’s caught. The smile is what makes them second-guess him, like maybe he’s got a rational reason for being in their home. It buys him enough time to double check himself, and then to make his escape right as they begin to panic.

Penny thinks it’s his magic that makes the smile more effective. Simon thinks he should stop memorizing the things that Penny says, since they seem to get stuck in his head at the worst times. To her credit though, the man does look disarmed. He’s squinting at Simon like he’s confused, or maybe irritated.

Baz

He is definitely not the genius that Baz presumed he was. In the split second that Salisbury’s sizing him up; Baz takes four steps to close the space between them. He barely even moves, simply shifting closer to the window with that strange grin on his face. Baz assumes he’s shooting for cunning, but there’s something shifting behind his eyes that Baz can’t place. Maybe surprise. It’s unnerving, how they haven’t traded a single word still, even as so much goes on underneath his face, so Baz makes the first move.

“Simon Salisbury, you’re under arrest,” he says in a low voice, trying to keep his voice down. It’s not standard protocol to make arrests himself, and he really doesn’t want to wake the homeowners. Baz works with investigations; he figures out what’s going on and then calls the police to deal with the arrest. For fucks sake, he’s probably going to have to explain to his supervisor how he knew to look in the house, and there’s no way he’d mention magic. He’s still staring him down, trying to quell the sudden alarm running through him, when Salisbury begins to laugh.

Simon

The last time Simon was this terrified, he’d started sobbing just to release the fear.

He only laughs now to keep himself from crying. It startles the man and buys him enough time to think of what’s next. He wonders about how on Earth the fucking police found him. How they thought to come straight to this house, and why the owners haven’t been alerted already. It only just occurs to him, as he watches the man take another step towards him, that he’s broken in too.

He practically whispered just now, and he’s shuffling his feet on the carpet to keep from stomping too hard. It gives Simon the clarity he needs to regroup, and confront this.

Except, well. He doesn’t know exactly what to say to that. And he’s not entirely sure that they’re both break-ins to begin with. He can't just go accusing the police of illegal activity.

“Huh?” is the clever thing he comes up with in the end. The man, in all his disheveled triumph, has the good grace to cringe at his response. Simon winces, deciding then to just jump from the window like always. He’ll land back home before he even hits the ground, and then he can worry about not thinking about this whole mess.

“Oh right, well. I should probably be uh, going now,” he laughs, like this is just a simple misunderstanding, “Sorry for all the trouble though.”

“What?” Starts the man, but Simon’s already turning towards the window.

Baz

There’s a split second where Baz hesitates. He watches as Salisbury blunders through his word, and stays frozen as he watches him open the window. “Shit.”

He runs after him, grabbing on to his arm and trying to pull the bag from his shoulder. Salisbury falls back and tries desperately to keep it on as he wrenches forward again to get a leg out of the window. He nearly falls out in the process, and as he loses his balance, Baz tumbles over on the ledge with him.

They’ve nearly fallen out, Baz’s heaving chest to Salisbury’s back, trying to keep his legs steady.

“You idiot. Get inside before you kill us both,” he bites, trying to loop his arm under Salisbury’s to pull him back up.

“Get off of me!” Salisbury gasps, head shaking violently as he tries to push Baz off of him. He can’t move under his weight, and he can feel his skin starting to burn. His breathing speeds up as Baz pushes down harder, trying to pull them back inside. His grip slackens as he realizes that Salisbury’s skin is starting to light, glowing golden and giving off sparks.

Simon

He knows the minute he starts to hyperventilate that he’s going to flood. He’s never done well panicking, and being trapped against a windowsill is setting him off. He’s trying his best to breathe, one and two, through his nose and out his mouth, but it’s hard and he’s never been so scared before. The blood rushing in his ears is almost enough to drown out the man's voice, but Simon still hears the word, magic, thrown out. It makes his blood run cold.

He just needs to speak, say the words and throw himself without killing this asshole in the process, but he's going off and it's impossible to talk properly. Finally, he finds his grasp on the window frame.

“Let go of me!” He yells, but it’s muffled by the man’s hand and comes out drenched in magic. The spell tugs him out of the window, with the man only barely holding on to his ankle. A soon as his hand leaves Simon's mouth, he's screaming again.

“Into thin air!” He briefly registers that there's a pain bursting through his whole leg, before everything starts to get spotty.

Then, there’s nothing.

[garden-ghoul]

return of the blog, part 11

“ghoul ‘can’t tell the difference between anxiety and hunger’ surname”

time for!! the chapter we’ve all been waiting for!! (all the ghouls anyway)

THE SCOURING OF THE SHIRE

There’s a large spiky gate blocking the ferry. Our hobbits hammer on it until some people come out, and then start telling them off for denying their friends entry on such a wet night. Apparently Lotho “The Chief” Sackville-Baggins has started hiring thugs to fuck with people?? I want to know if he was sponsored by Saruman or something, or if he genuinely just took owning Bag End as his big chance to be a huge dick. OH. One of the ruffians he has hired is none other than Bill “the Big Man” Ferny! I can’t remember, is Bill Ferny human? Is that why he’s Big, or is it more of an importance title? Anyway, this is interesting to see him as an ‘enforcer,’ since Butterbur straight-up called him a robber. Merry threatens to kill him; Bill the pony kicks him; he runs off and is Never Seen Again. How neat...

Even after our hobbits have gotten through the gate... nobody is allowed to put them up for the night. Pippin yawns showily; everyone nervously eyes his sword and mail. And they agree to take our hobbits in, just for one night. They have to provide their own food, and there’s a lot of this sort of thing:

‘Now you shut up, Hob Hayward!’ cried several of the others. ‘You know talk o’ that sort isn’t allowed. The Chief will hear of it, and we’ll all be in trouble.’

‘He wouldn’t hear naught, if some of you here weren’t sneaks,’ rejoined Hob hotly.

Despite the fact that the Brandywine is a good 40 miles from Bag End, the next day a bunch of “shirriffs” (distinct from sheriffs somehow? an actual spelling used somewhere in Britain? just for flavor?) block the road. While quaking in their boots they read off a list of incredibly petty-sounding crimes. Frodo laughs at them, and Sam gets this famous line:

‘I can add some more, if you like it,’ said Sam. ‘Calling your Chief Names, Wishing to punch his Pimply Face, and Thinking you Shirriffs look a lot of Tom-fools.’

Thinking someone is foolish cannot possibly be a crime, Mr Gamgee, those are the tamest crimes ever. Maybe that’s the joke. I love Sam. Throw an apple at ‘im! Everyone laughs even harder when the head Shirriff tries to arrest Frodo. Well, he happens to be going to Bag End anyway, on business! You lot can tag along, if you please! “Very well,” says the leader, “but don’t forget I’ve arrested you.” Frodo, I like to imagine, gives him a pitying look. But says he may forgive him someday. How generous!

Sam takes aside one of the shirriffs who he knows and has a little talk. Lotho has outlawed beer?? And that’s why there are no more inns. Sorry, what. How can you outlaw beer. How was there not mass rioting when he announced this. Sam’s shirriff friend would like some rioting, but he’s too afraid to try and start one himself. Lotho has been kidnapping people if they try to start anything. The next day our hobbits ride behind the shirriffs, so it looks like they’re the ones being arrested by fancy aristocrat hobbits! A bunch of people on the road make fun of the shirriffs, but Merry threatens them to make sure they can’t fight back. They ride so hard that the shirriffs get tired out and have to rest, leaving our hobbits to go on ahead. Meet you at the Green Dragon!

Unfortunately the Green Dragon is full of ruffians (humans!) The whole village of Bywater (which I assume is Hobbiton’s closest neighbor) is in a bad way: many homes have been burned down, and nobody is out. One of the ruffians in the Green Dragon mentions someone named Sharkey, which is extremely ominous. I’ve never heard an orc call Saruman that, but Orcsong Anon tells me they do, so I have to assume that Saruman is behind this. Somehow Frodo knows Saruman is Sharkey I guess? He’s a very clever person, I suppose. He tries to taunt the ruffians, but they don’t actually care if Saruman is a beggar in the wilderness. They can still threaten hobbits just fine without him.

Pippin has had enough bullshit.

He cast back his cloak, flashed out his sword, and the silver and sable of Gondor gleamed on him as he rode forward. ‘I am a messenger of the King,’ he said. ‘You are speaking to the King’s friend, and one of the most renowned in all the lands of the West. You are a ruffian and a fool. Down on your knees in the road and ask pardon, or I will set this troll’s bane in you!’

Oh yeah he killed one (1) troll at Morannon before getting squished. I mean, a troll is no mean feat. It just sounds like he’s misrepresenting himself a little bit to look tougher. Which I fully support. Merry and Sam step forward too, and Frodo just stands there with his arms folded, looking a bit like a mob boss. I DOUBLE approve. The ruffians flee, even though there are six of them and they are twice as tall as the hobbits. They don’t have swords!! They didn’t sign up for this. All the hobbits high five.

They called for help though. This may come to fighting, if they’re to rescue Lotho (probably a prisoner in Bag End by now), but Frodo wants no killing, especially not of hobbits. The young’uns are disgruntled, but who’s the mob boss here? That’s right. Don Baggins. With this, though, he leaves the younger hobbits to plan the night’s work: hiding is what the ruffians want them to do, so they have a short time to raise an army in the Shire. Let’s start with old Farmer Cotton! He’s stout and a big man in Bywater, as it were. Sam rides like hell for Cotton Farm. Merry blows the horn of Rohan, in the Buckland pattern that says Fire! Foes! Awake! Fuck yeah this rules.

Sam takes a moment to say hi to Rosie Cotton, who I really, I just love her, she’s a great person. She’s been expecting him since the spring, though everyone else thought he was dead, and she doesn’t need watching over when there are ruffians to roust! Personally I think she should help but she’d probably rather not get her hands dirty. I can respect that.

A small army of hobbits has gathered already, including a lot of defecting shirriffs; Pippin rides off to bring some Tooks, who already started armed resistance a while ago. He’ll have to Sneak. Twenty ruffians are surrounded and subdued, with only one casualty. We learn that Lotho mostly got rich by 1) already being rich enough to buy other people’s property and 2) selling tobacco at a premium to Saruman. He built a new mill that literally does nothing except produce sludge to pour into the river, because Saruman is a spiteful dumbass. Sam brings his gaffer back, who has a bone to pick with Mr Frodo: he never should of sold Bag End, because Sharkey’s men have gone and dug up all his taters. I would die for this gaffer.

More ruffians come, but the Tooks get there first. Also apparently the ruffians know zilch about strategy, whereas Merry has observed possibly up to five battle strategies. No omg maybe Eowyn was tutoring him. Anyway they pretty much defeat this party of ruffians too, but with a lot more casualties and injuries. Then our hobbits go to Bag End to find Lotho.

Ugh you guys this is the worst. They’ve cut down trees, old trees that probably grew for hundreds of years. Destroy something rebuildable, like houses! Or better yet, don’t destroy anything! Argh! LEAVE TREES ALONE. As they’re searching Bag End Saruman turns up. 

‘Sharkey!’ Frodo cried.

Saruman laughed. ‘So you have heard the name, have you? All my people used to call me that in Isengard, I believe. A sign of affection, possibly.’

Nobody has affection for you, you horrible fool. Saruman is extremely smug about ruining the home of the ones who took him down, because he’s petty, petty, petty. Frodo tells him to get out, and he kind of saunters sneeringly away. Grima tries to stab Frodo as he passes (in hopes of avoiding future beatings... ::( ) but Frodo says don’t kill him! He has been threatened and turned by Saruman, same as many here.

Saruman rose to his feet, and stared at Frodo. There was a strange look in his eyes of mingled wonder and respect and hatred. ‘You have grown, Halfling,’ he said. ‘Yes, you have grown very much. You are wise, and cruel. You have robbed my revenge of sweetness, and now I must go hence in bitterness, in debt to your mercy. I hate it and you!’

THIS is really good. Go sing “Javert’s Suicide” to yourself.  Who is this man hobbit? What sort of devil is he to have me caught in a trap and choose to let me go free? I loooove Frodo’s role as peacekeeper and voice of moderation. Trying to prevent the spread of Saruman’s ideals of violence in the Shire. Frodo offers to let Wormtongue stayy and rest, because “I know of no evil you have done to me” (it was only an attempted stabbing) and Wormtongue wants to accept but... Saruman tells everyone that he killed Lotho.

‘Didn’t you, Worm? Stabbed him in his sleep, I believe. Buried him, I hope; though Worm has been very hungry lately. No, Worm is not really nice. You had better leave him to me.’

A look of wild hatred came into Wormtongue’s red eyes. ‘You told me to; you made me do it,’ he hissed.

I love this kind of shittttt GET HIM GRIMA!!

Grima gets him, and then for some damned reason three people shoot him. Let him be, folks!! Ugh! Let him live! Too late for that. He is dead. Even Frodo, who offered him sanctuary ninety seconds ago, isn’t sad about it. Damn you!

THE GREY HAVENS

The first thing our hobbits do is let everyone out of prison. Lobelia, who was locked up for trying to hit some of the ruffians with her umbrella for mucking with Bag End, gets a cheer. She’s not used to being popular! She moves away and leaves Bag End to Frodo, and then after dying leaves him a large fund to help homeless hobbits. And So The Feud Was Ended. Really I think there are no more Sackville-Bagginses at all, but if there were it would still be ended. Frodo becomes Deputy Mayor. Merry and Pippin clean up the last of the ruffians. Sam is in charge of rebuilding. I’m not sure why--either he’s learning as he goes, or he has had a great deal of talent all along and never been listened to until he got famous. PROBABLY. He’s a good lad, our Sam!!

The trees were the worst loss and damage, for at Sharkey’s bidding they had been cut down recklessly far and wide over the Shire; and Sam grieved over this more than anything else. For one thing, this hurt would take long to heal, and only his great-grandchildren, he thought, would see the Shire as it ought to be.

And he shares my opinions about trees. Yavanna, are you watching? You better be watching. Sam uses Galadriel’s gift of magic soil, planting seedlings where the most beloved trees were destroyed. The Party Tree (where Bilbo used to host parties) is replaced by a mallorn seedling, which everyone is very excited about. That entire year is extremely fruitful, both in crops and in children. PROBABLY both owing to Sam’s magic dust, somehow. “No one was ill, and everyone was pleased. except those who had to mow the grass.” Hehehehe. OH. SAM IS ALSO DOING FORESTRY WORK. I LOVE HIM. FORESTRY IS MY NEW PASSION AND I LOVE SAM GAMGEE.

Frodo asks when Sam is going to move in. There’s been a hideous misunderstanding, Mr Frodo. I’m actually dating Rosie Cotton, not you. Frodo just says “Marry Rosie, and then move in here! Don’t be ridiculous!” And so Sam got married to both Rosie and Frodo. Merry and Pippin throw a lot of parties and swan about looking Lordly and everyone admires them. Sam is chagrined to note that Frodo receives no admiration, probably because his whole thing is not killing people. Frodo becomes more quiet and withdrawn; I fancy he knows he’ll be leaving Middle Earth soon, and is trying to prepare his husband for when he leaves.

Frodo and Sam set off together; Frodo is going to see Bilbo for his birthday (he’s now older than the Great Took). They’re going for Rivendell, but they’re hardly out of Bywater when they run into a party from that exact place! Including Elrond, Galadriel, and Bilbo himself. Bilbo invites Frodo to come with them where they’re going. Sam is devastated, but Frodo is just Too Traumatized to stay in the Shire. I didn’t mention all the times he got sick from magic wounds and also normal flavor trauma, but it was a couple times a year. He can’t really live in this world any longer, it just takes too much. Saaammmmmeee dude

Sam, Merry, and Pippin say goodbye to Frodo’s party (and Gandalf) at the Havens, and ride home in silence. In a great moment of narrative framing, the book ends with Sam putting his daughter on his lap and saying, “Well, I’m back.”

[innie-s]

You know how people always describe someone as “Always seeing the best in people” and meaning it as a virtue? I can’t help but disagree. I do that and it has only ever brought me pain. 

Sometimes you just have to understand that this friend of yours is not a good person and never will be - and move on. I’m doing that now as I’m writing this and it’s not easy at all. 

I’ve known you for 4 years now, although it has only ever been a week long camps and chatting online so I could never say I really know you. But you were one of the most interesting people who spoke to me and I grew attached to you rather quickly. We became close friends overnight and we always loved seeing each other. 

So when you invited me over, I naturally jumped ont the first train to get there. Who cares that I’m not in a position where I could throw money out of the window or that the ride is 14 hours long... 

You can imagine what a surprise it was to find out you’re not on the station. Figures. Of course you wouldn’t be able to wake up to meet a friend who has travelled across 4 states to meet you. But I let that slide. Strike no. 1

We then walked around the city and it was nice, we talked, we had fun, everything went fine and I felt really happy to be with you again. But then we got to the tiny dorm room that you share with two other girls and I found out you have literally nowhere to put me? There was no room for a 4th person. You told me to take the bed as I’m the guest and you’re alright with it, and I felt a bit like an idiot. Why did I come here if I have nowhere to sleep? Why did you invite me when you knew there was nothing to be done about that? Strike no. 2

That night, we went to a party and it was a wild ride and I enjoyed it. The crowded place was a bit too much for my sensory issues but I managed without an incident. You had class the next day so you woke up and went and I though that was incredible, you had like what, 4 hours of sleep? But you repeatedly said you were okay and I believed you.

But that also meant that I was left alone in a strange city, in a dorm where I was illegaly, with zero to no ability to speak the language. You do know it takes me a few days to get used to the accent and to remember the words and phrases I leart over the years. So when you told me I have to go buy a bus ticket and to get to a certain station using two means of transport, I was stressed. If it wasn’t for your friend who went to buy the ticket for me and who told me where the bus stop for this particular bus is, I don’t know what I’d do. You do realise your buses don’t announce the names of the stops by writing it anywhere, yes? And as I already said, I do not understand your language, let alone when it’s a crappy announcement in a bus. 

But I managed and I got to the place you asked me to come to and I learnt that it’s actually an apartment of your friend and that you are not in school and haven’t been for a while so logically you could’ve come to get me? I didn’t have to do this alone if you only moved your ass? But okay. Okay. It was easier for you this way. Strike no. 3

I thought we could maybe walk around the city a bit more, so I could see some architecture and some of the parks you kept talking about but we got pizza and went to a concert which was fun. I actually enjoyed the time, we were bonding with your classmates over how terrible the music was and later on we talked about it and some other things while walking and it was so nice. I thought we would see them again so I didn’t even properly say bye, and then we didn’t. 

That night I said I want to go to sleep at a reasonable hour (thinking we could wake up sometime sooner than noon and go for a walk or do something) and so you left me in the room and went out with your friends. I was... shocked, to say the least. Naturally, you came in the morning hours and slept until noon. While I was awake and staring at the wall, not knowing what to do. You were also supposed to have a class? In the morning? That you obviously weren’t going to? I’d already prepared myself the evenig before to travel by myself to your school again to meet you in the city. But I guess we never went. Once you woke up and your friend came over again, I’ve about had it. I wanted to go to the places you promised me! I didn’t come to a different country to a different city to lounge around in your room drinking coffee! You can do that literally any other day, why do you have to do it now, when I’m here?

And you saw that I’m bored so you suggested I go to a nearby café where there’s wifi. I agreed because what else am I going to do. Stare at the wall and try to understand what you’re talking about, catching every other sentence and only half the meaning? No thank you, I’d much rather scroll tumblr and chat with my friends. And so that was the rest of the afternoon - you were sitting in your room with your friends and I was sitting just down the street with my laptop. Lovely. Then you said you have somewhere to go and I should wait for you there, so I did. But when I got hungry at 7 and went to buy a sandwich (praying I will be able to say my order), I found you in your room with your friends again. You didn’t come and get me. Why? Were you already tired of me? I though you were leaving me alone because you had somewhere to go, not because you’d rather be with someone else. Strike no. 4

That night, you went out again - and in the morning you weren’t waking up. And so I packed my stuff and went down to the café because I’d already done staring at the wall wondering when you’ll wake up and it wasn’t fun. You came at 2pm saying that I have to stay there a bit longer that you have somewhere to go. Okay. And so I basically stayed in the café the whole day because once again, you weren’t coming back. It was your roommate who took me out to eat that night because she realised I’m a bit lost with no guide. We had fun, it was the most relaxed I’d been in two days. Of course I should’ve suspected that wouldn’t last. 

We went to another party that night. I shoul’ve stayed put, honestly. It was fine for the first hour and half, maybe. But I’d already been a bit off from sitting in your room listening to a stream of Serbian and watching you have fun. Nobody was talking to me on the way there, and nobody was talking to me once we arrived. As I already hinted - I cannot join your conversation. I don’t understand your conversation. I understand when someone is speaking directly to me and slowly, but in no way am I able to hold a conversation. But we danced for a bit, I had a taste of your disgusting beer, and it was all nice, until I had to go out to breathe and broke the spell or pretending I belong. The rest of the night was spent in a haze of trying to find you, at least one of you. When I did, I learnt that your friend wants to go home and I got excited about the idea that I could go with her. 

But of course that was an unreachable dream as I was, in fact, living in the dorms illegaly and thus they wouldn’t give me the key to the room because you people are actually stupid enough to only have one key and to always leave it at the reception. And you said you wouldn’t come with me as you don’t want to pay (the literally nonexistent amount of money) for the night bus. Jesus, I would’ve paid that for you, literally zero problem. But no, you didn’t want to leave and so I had to stay with a mood that could kill. Strike no. 5

But I made it work, you know. Remember standing there watching handsome specimen of the human kind and being silly and trying to make them notice us and “Tell your friend he’s handsome!”? Do you remember that? That was me trying to do my best to be a supportive friend and actually ending up having fun with you because we are friends, for God’s sake. Although at that point I was certain I’d be leaving the next day even though the original plan was to leave the day after that because I couldn’t stand the treatment. 

It was so cold outside I was in pain. Literally in pain because I didn’t have a bloody coat, only a leather jacket too short to even touch my butt and I was miserable. So obviously I didn’t talk to the rest of you, I was too busy trying not to die. 

The next day, we were supposed to be meeting your sister, who would come from a different city, and our mutual friend who literally came from a different country just to see me. So naturally, you invited your friends over again and made coffee and chatted with them until way past the scheduled meeting. I was wondering why we weren’t leaving but I thought you had a reason, maybe we’re waiting for your sister to come to the dorms? But no. When I asked, you said you wanted to spend time with your friends. The same friends with whom you spend time every day, that you have spent time every day I was there even though we were supposed to be going places and doing things. You needed to spend time with the people you see all the time so I had to sit there and watch you as my friends, whom I see once a year if I’m lucky, were waiting for us in the city. For fucks sake, you couldn’t just told me to go alone, God knows I already know my way! At that momet, I hated you so much, with such passion I could’t recognize myself. Strike no. 6

And then you started. You had the audacity, balls made of steel, to come to me and say you are dissappointed in my behaviour. You had the nerve to tell me I have been rude to your friends, that I have chosen internet over you, that you do everything in your power to accommodate you, you sleep on the floor, and I don’t appreciate that. That I am pissy about everything and that I’ve only ever been making you feel like shit. 

I. Do. Not. Have. Enough. Mental. Health. To. Take. Shit. Like. That. 

Literally, I was crying like a baby feeling humiliated in the middle of the campus while you didn’t even let me defend myself because you hate it when I interrupt your speech. You know what I hate? Selfish pricks who only ever do stuff that favours them, who try to manipulate their way through the world and the moment someone is not their puppet, they get angry and start kicking around blaming everyone and everything but themselves. 

Feel free to feel hurt, Sara. Because you sure as hell hurt me. I had the most fun of the whole week after we left you and your sister in the dorms. I was sad I couldn’t take your sister with us but at least I had my friends and the only one of yours who paid attention to me and actually tried to be my friend. 

This trip was one of the worst things I have ever experienced and I wish to never join you in anything ever again.

You don’t have to react. 

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 126: Introduction

Previously on BnHA: We caught up with the villains for a spell and shit was wild. Twice brought in a new guy by the name of Overhaul who apparently has yakuza roots. Tomura’s group was under the impression that he wanted to join them, but Overhaul informed them he had grander intentions -- now that All for One is gone, he intends to make himself the new ruler of the underworld. In other words, he’s a challenger to Tomura’s as-yet-not-very-established throne. Tomura’s group predictably didn’t take to this very well, so Overhaul fucking blew one of them up by way of persuasion. Tomura in turn disintegrated one of Overhaul’s own men because why not, it’s been a while since we had anything really gruesome and shocking in this manga so hey! So in the end it was kind of a draw, and Overhaul left after telling Tomura to give him a call. Back at U.A., Deku and Mirio dropped by to chat with All Might, presumably to set up an internship for Deku.

Today on BnHA: Aizawa announces that the first year students will be allowed to do internships. Deku asks All Might if he can introduce him to his former sidekick, Sir Nighteye. All Might says no, partly because he thinks it’s too dangerous, but mostly because for some reason he thinks it will be awkward. But after some imploring from Deku, he gives in and asks for assistance from Nighteye’s current intern, Mirio. Mirio agrees to introduce Deku to Nighteye. A few days later the two boys travel to his office. Mirio warns Deku that although Nighteye is famous for his stoic demeanor, he actually has a hidden side that prizes humor above all else, and Deku will have to make him laugh in order to win his favor. Deku meets Nighteye and promptly contorts his face into some bizarre All Might impersonation. But Nighteye seems less than impressed.

(As always, all comments not marked with an ETA are my unspoiled reactions from my first readthrough of this chapter. I’ve read up through chapter 155 now, so any ETAs will reflect that.)

so we’re opening with Aizawa talking about the possibility of the first year students doing internships

he says that the majority of the faculty, including the principal, were like “nah that’s crazy”

(ETA: oh so now y’all care about the safety of your students, huh)

so all the kids are like “what?!” because they were just starting to get really into the idea

also Kaminari is playing with Ojiro’s tail. just cuz it’s there and he can

meanwhile Bakugou is like “HAHA SUCKERS” because he wouldn’t have been able to do the internships anyway lol

(ETA: Bakugou is in like three scenes in this entire arc, and one of them is a flashback. I’m just gonna enjoy this while I can. here’s his obnoxious shit-eating grin.

I MISS YOU SO MUCH YOU LITTLE SHITHEAD)

but now there’s a “however” coming from Aizawa’s direction!

oh snap

sorry Bakugou

you’ll have your license in a few months and then you can go back to Best Jeanist’s agency (PLEASE??!) or wherever else you want to go and you’ll be all caught up in no time

I’m glad the teachers gave it such careful consideration, too. this seems to be an unusual amount of deliberation from a school which until now has mostly stuck with the philosophy of “just throw ‘em right into the deep end and see if they sink or swim”

so now over in the staff room, Deku’s asking All Might if he’ll introduce him to “Sir Nighteye” for an internship

Ectoplasm is in the background thinking about how he wants to go to karaoke. just making a note of that. this man is clearly pent up and he wants to sing some damn Journey songs goddammit

(ETA: this was mentioned in his bio back in the extras for chapter 61. “favorite thing: karaoke.” I’m so curious about this. why does he love it so much. who does he con into going with him. Hounddog and Vlad, probably)

oh shit look at this man not playing any favorites

damn. harsh

he says he’s not doing it just to be mean, and of course not. All Might doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. so why, then

apparently there are three reasons!

reason one, he was one of the teachers that were against it. he thinks it’s too dangerous right now with the recent resurgence of villains

(Midnight’s in the background saying that internships have always been risky, though, and that the school should support the students who still want to go. fuckin’ love Midnight, man)

reason two, he says Deku should strengthen his shoot style first

now Ectoplasm and Cementoss are also chiming in with their two cents, in addition to Midnight (and Thirteen) from the previous panel omg. and All Might’s face loool

IT TAKES A VILLAGE, ALL MIGHT

oh my god

I love this man so much

haha. all of these reasons actually suck though. he’s just feeling overprotective at the end of the day isn’t he. and also that last one. awk

but we all know Deku has been extremely fired up recently, and this appears to be why:

(ETA: “honestly, if Bakugou told you to go jump off a bridge would you do it?” “pshh! no. that’s ridiculous. ...how high a bridge?”

heh. is that too similar to the roof thing to be funny. should I just shut up. whatever I love them)

my god I love their relationship so much

and since they’re in a room filled with other U.A. staffers, all Deku says is “my quirk is very similar to All Might’s” (HINT HINT. WINK WINK), and he thinks that if he works under Nighteye he’ll be favorably compared to All Might

and he’s bowing imploringly and says he needs to become stronger

special attack: Guilt Trip Smash omg

All Might looks to possibly be having a change of heart. but he says he still can’t be the one to give Deku the introduction

he can’t, but...

so I assume this is where Mirio comes in

Mirio is REALLY PSYCHED to have been summoned by All Might himself. such an honor oh goodness

did All Might not have classes with the senior students before? I’d think that would have taken some of the mystery away from it. but hey, maybe he’s just pumped to actually be able to do him a favor

meanwhile Deku is like “I don’t really understand this situation” and Mirio’s like “HAHA ME TOO”

obviously Mirio is Nighteye’s current intern Deku you boob

see

so apparently he’s been his intern for the past year already

Deku’s really impressed by this

All Might’s asking Mirio if he thinks Deku is up to working under Nighteye

oh my god

Mirio is such a good fucking bro

(ETA: the best bro on god’s green earth)

he’s asking why All Might doesn’t just ask him himself though. he says Nighteye would be thrilled to hear from him

...but All Might says he’s too ashamed to show his face? :(

“in the end... things turned out exactly as he forewarned they would”

I don’t like All Might feeling awkward or ashamed about having lost his powers damn it

should I be mad at Nighteye?? idk right now

(ETA: honestly I can’t really be mad at any of them. which is a bit exasperating for me as a reader having nowhere to direct my frustrations, but also that’s some damn good writing though)

anyway so he’s asking Mirio what he thinks of Deku

Mirio is asking Deku what kind of hero he wants to be. ah, this one’s easy!

oh snap what a great fucking answer

ladies and gentleman, our fucking protagonist. the GOAT

and he was unconsciously clenching his fists in determination while saying it

Mirio’s like wow that’s crazy dude

Mirio you’re definitely knocking on my top ten here. I’m not even sure who it is right now honestly. there have been a ton of great new characters recently. ugh it’s hard dammit

(ETA: if you really want to know, the top six are the same as before -- Bakugou, All Might, Izuku, Aizawa, Ochako, and Todoroki -- followed by Momo, Toga, and then yes, this bright-eyed fella. and then idk. Kaminari, Kirishima, Jirou, Best Jeanist, Iida, Mina, and Sero are all vying for that tenth spot. this series has a problem with its characters being too good.

but seriously it’s Best Jeanist)

anyway, he adds that he’d been thinking about it already since their training session earlier

All Might’s looking pensive :/

what’s on your mind dude

he’s flashing back to his meeting with the Rat Principal that we saw a little bit of back in chapter 121. when RP was telling him he had someone in mind who would be a good successor

and naturally it was Mirio

and now All Might’s watching him and Deku, and thinking about how Mirio would have been the successor if he’d never run into the latter

in hindsight we owe quite a lot to that sludge villain, huh. but those are the kind of little fateful coincidences I fucking love in stories like this. so many what-ifs. what if All Might hadn’t chosen that day to come to Deku’s hometown. what if Katsuki hadn’t delayed Deku’s walk home that day by blowing up his notebook. what if Deku hadn’t fucking grabbed onto All Might’s leg like a crazy person and caused him to drop his villain bottle. what if All Might hadn’t already been close to his limit at the time. what if the bottle hadn’t landed exactly where Kacchan was walking with his stupid middle school lackeys. all these little things that came together. I like it, because when you think about it all it feels like destiny

anyway. not only did I go on a nostalgic tangent there, but I also went back and reread the entire first chapter just now whoops. I’m so easily distracted

so now it’s the weekend!

and the other boys are hanging out lazily having breakfast, but meanwhile Deku’s like

meanwhile these two are also up early, and Todoroki is trying to be friends, but Bakugou doesn’t want to be awake yet omg

(ETA: and off they went, never to be seen again)

haha. I love them

I really really really really really love Kaminari’s bedhead

I want to ruffle his hair and never stop. power him up. static quirk. worth it

now Mirio and Deku are arriving at Nighteye’s office

it’s really nice. Deku is intimidated

Mirio’s reminding Deku that Nighteye has very strict standards. but it appears that Deku is already aware

but Mirio says there’s another side to him that he doesn’t show to the media

he says if Deku doesn’t want to get turned away, then he needs to make him laugh at least once. lol what

apparently Night respects humor above everything else. in spite of his stoicism, or maybe because of it

Mirio says all he can do is introduce Deku and then the rest is up to him

well it sure is a good thing Deku is such a naturally funny guy. always crackin’ wise, that Deku. we’re not fucked at all, no sir

now Deku’s asking Mirio why he’s doing this for him. it’s because he’s just a nice guy, Deku!!

damn, he would have been a great successor. Deku is still the best of course. but wow

there’s a page of Nighteye having a weird conversation with some girl named Bubble Girl who’s only wearing about one third of a shirt

he’s chastising her for not having enough enthusiasm or vigor

damn it’s just like Mirio said huh

holy shit he’s hooked her up to some kind of weird bdsm-y tickling machine what the actual fuck

wowwwwwwwwww okay let’s skip right on past this. just. wow

(ETA: I feel like I know way more about Horikoshi’s fetishes than I ever wanted to. this is easily the single most uncomfortable panel in the entire series and I wish it never existed)

so now Deku is being stared down. and having a dramatic moment where he’s intensely thinking about how far he’s come and that he needs to show him some damn humor!!

Deku just show him your collection of t-shirts with weird shit written on them

or. you could try this I guess

this is apparently his All Might face. this is his best shot

he says a sense of humor is the thing he lacks the most. goddamn, it’s true. EXCEPT FOR THE SHIRTS

lol this response

and now Deku is sweating and Mirio’s thinking “it bombed!” but I actually don’t think it did omg. I think he fucking nailed it

(ETA: boy was I wrong on that one)

but this is the end of the chapter. wow

 bonus:

“the quintessential Japanese to All Might’s quintessential American”

I don’t even know what to think. I’m still trying to retroactively erase the tickling machine from existence by sheer willpower alone. but it’s not working dammit

(ETA: it really was not a good introduction. he makes a much better impression in the next chapter coming up.

I also just noticed that he doesn’t have a real name listed here. is it supposed to be a secret?? why

also is this fucker really going to die. fuck Overhaul so goddamn much. this arc is going to give me trust issues from here on out. any character who’s introduced with too much of an OP quirk is on borrowed time. fml)