#nightmare before witchlight | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cake-chad · 5 months ago

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Find my sun in the dark side of my shadow

Fandom: Once Upon A Witchlight (Legends of Avantris)

Words: 4753

Warnings: Descriptions of blood and injury, this is a whump fic

Description: Torbek has a nightmare and winds up lashing out, injuring Gideon and Kremy fears for the worst

Read on Ao3

---

It's a peaceful night when Gideon wakes. For a few moments he lays there, staring up at the branches of the tall trees surrounding the small clearing where they had set up camp, faintly illuminated by the low glow of the embers of the campfire in the center as he tries to figure out what has awoken him.

He holds his breath, listening for any sign of movement and slowly scans his eyes across the clearing. Kremy sleeps in his usual spot, positioned between him and the campfire for maximum warmth. To the left of the campfire he sees Hootsie, wrapped around Gricko so only his feet are visible from underneath her fluff and feathers. To the right, Frost sleeps with his head propped on his backpack, arms folded tight across his chest with his robe draped over him.

Everyone seems to be deeply asleep, undisturbed by whatever had awoken him. It's odd. For years now he's been a heavy sleeper, especially since Carnival Lecroux, where he felt safe and secure amongst friends, and nothing short of a horn blown directly in his ear could wake him. What could have awoken him tonight?

He’s just about ready to settle back into sleep again when a noise from the opposite side of the campfire draws his attention, something shifting in the dirt with a distressed keening noise as he bolts upright.

He feels a stab of guilt as he realizes he has once again forgotten about Torbek. The bugbear is fidgeting in his sleep, his brow furrowed in distress as his lip peels back into a snarl. His fingers claw against the ground, as though he is weakly trying to drag himself across the ground in his sleep.

Gideon carefully pushes himself up, moving quietly to not disturbed anyone else as he makes his way around the campfire, dropping to his knees beside Torbek.

“Torbek? Come on man, wake up, you're having a nightmare,” he says gently. As he speaks, Torbeks movement only gets more frantic, his breath becoming heavy. Gideon reaches out a hand and places it on Torbeks shoulder, wary of the canisters on his back that start to hiss and bubble with magenta witchlight.

“Gid, be careful.”

Gideon glances over his shoulder to see Kremy sitting partly upright, balanced on his elbow as he rubs at one eye with his free hand.

“He's having a nightmare, Krem, I gotta try to get him out of it–”

He can't finish the thought as searing pain shoots through his torso, his breath knocked completely out of him with a groan as he's caught so completely off guard. He sees Kremy staring at him, his eyes wide as he stares at Gideons chest. Gideon slowly turns back towards Torbek, whose eyes are open and staring at him with glowing magenta and malice.

Gideons eyes drop and he stares down at Torbeks hand, where his fingers and claws have elongated and brutally stabbed into Gideons stomach. He drops his hand from Torbeks shoulder to his wrist, weakly gripping onto him as he looks back up at Torbeks face.

He faintly hears Kremy yell, though it sounds like he's miles away as he feels his energy draining. His vision starts to dim, but he sees the glow from Torbeks eyes flicker, a look of confusion crosses his face as the glow fades and he takes in what has happened, looks at his fingers embedded just under Gideons ribs, before the confusion turns to horror and panic.

“Torbek–” Gideon chokes out, trying to keep his grip on Torbeks wrist as the bugbear starts to pull against him, wrenching his blood drenched hand free before he turns and scrambles across the ground and off into the forest. Gideons hands fall to his sides, unable to even staunch the blood he can feel soaking into his shirt and down his stomach.

Kremy almost immediately notices when Gideon gets up and moves away, the loss of such a strong heat source enough to rouse him from his sleep. He rolls towards the low burning campfire, not as comfortable as Gids warmth, but better than sleeping in just the open air until he comes back to sleep.

The last thing Gideon is aware of is collapsing backwards, feeling Kremys arms catching him across his shoulders, and the terrified looks of the rest of his companions above him as he loses consciousness.

---

He's just about to close his eyes again as he sees Gideon kneel down and speak quietly to Torbek, goading him to wake up from his fitful sleep.

“Gid, be careful,” he warns, partially pushing himself up. He knows that Gideon knows exactly how bad of an idea it is to wake someone from a nightmare, especially someone who has been through what Torbek has.

Gideon is in the process of responding to him when Kremy sees Torbeks eyes snap open, light pouring out of them as the bugbear sits upright, and faster than Kremy can even comprehend, sinks his claws deep into Gideon’s lower chest. He can see the points of Torbeks claws poking through the back of Gideons shirt, glinting in red.

“NO!!” Kremy yells, unable to tear his eyes from Gideon’s, who blankly stares back at him. “Torbek, no!”

His yell immediately rouses the rest of the crew, snapping awake with a jolt, but he can't tear his eyes from Gideon or Torbek. The glow of Torbeks eyes flickers before eventually dimming and a look of distress crosses his face as he starts struggling to get out of Gideons grip, wrenching his hand free with a spurt of blood.

And then Torbek is gone, and Gideon is wavering on his knees, his hands dropping to the ground. Kremy scrambles across the campsite and manages to wrap his arms around Gideons shoulders just as he collapses, catching him against his chest. Gideons head lolls against his shoulder and he stares up at Kremy for a moment before his eyes roll back in his head and he goes limp in Kremys arms.

“Gid! No, come on man, you gotta stay with me,” he babbles, lightly slapping his cheeks. “Don't you dare leave me alone with these freaks, I need you, Gid!”

Frost falls to his knees on Gideon's other side, making quick work of his shirt, tearing the front of the thin shirt open with a claw. The wounds exposed made Kremy’s stomach roll, the blood seeping out was thin, flowing easier than it should’ve, with a slight magenta glow to it. Gideons chest rises and falls rapidly, gasping with a horrible wheeze from deep within.

“Gricko! Where are those fucking bananya’s,” he demands.

When he tears his eyes away from Gideon he can see Gricko is already going through the motions to summon the healing items, his hands suddenly overflowing with small bananas that he quickly mashes into a messy poultice.

“Krem-”

He snaps his attention back to Gideon as he wheezes out his name. “Gid! Oh my gods, hold on, we’re going to get you fixed up, okay? Just don’t move.”

The instructions come too late, as Gideon is already trying to raise his hand towards the wounds. Frost catches his wrist in a soft grip, keeping his hand away long enough that he can wipe the blood from the wounds. Gricko follows closely behind, smearing the poultice across them, pressing it into the torn flesh as much as he can. Gideon gasps as the two of them handle the wounds, his face twisting into a grimace as he throws his head back, pressing hard into Kremy’s shoulder, eyes clenched tight.

Kremy places his hand on the side of Gideons head, gently rubbing circles against his temple with his thumb. He can't look down, he can't watch as Gricko works on Gideons injuries, so he focuses on his face instead. Seeing him in pain makes his stomach turn, but he feels like if he looks at the wounds, he might actually snap. When Gideons manages to open his eyes again, they are half lidded and barely focused, vaguely staring back at him when he can as his awareness ebbs and flows. Every so often when he blinks, his eyes stay closed a little longer as his consciousness fades and then returns. Kremy fears that any time he closes his eyes, it might be for the last time.

Which wouldn’t be the first time he had thought about what he would do if he lost Gideon. Hells, it wasn’t even the tenth time. But those had been thoughts, hypotheticals. What ifs. Worst case scenarios that should never come to be.

The what ifs were supposed to just be that little voice of anxiety that rattles around in the back of his mind, able to be squashed behind a front of confidence, thoughts that are unable to manifest anything into the world. If they ever came to be, it should be years down the line. Maybe after they start turning grey with age, not now in the prime of their lives.

And yet here he is, kneeling in a clearing by a dying campfire, holding Gideon in his arms as he slips in and out of consciousness, choking on his own breath as pain courses through him. Completely helpless.

Even now he can't get that image out of his head, of Torbeks claws stabbed completely through Gideons torso.

“His back.” His voice comes out as almost a whisper. Frost looks at him with that intense gaze.

“What did you say, Kremy?”

“His back!” He says louder this time, frantic panic growing in his chest again. “Torbeks claws, they went all the way through!”

Even before he finishes, Frost and Gricko are already dragging Gideon out of his arms, turning him onto his shoulder as they lay him on the ground. Frost has a hand pressed to a strip of fabric covering the poultice on Gideons chest as Gricko uses what little of the mix he has left to cover the wounds on either side of Gideons spine.

It feels wrong to have his arms empty, he desperately wants to pick him back up again, keep him close as he can, while he can. That anxiety creeps up in the back of his mind again, what if Gricko’s healing isn’t enough?

He still can’t look at what Gricko is doing, focusing only on Gideons face and running his hand through his hair. Gids eyes are closed, his face lax as his head rests against the dirt.

“Come on, Gid. I need you to wake up,” he finds himself whispering aloud. He's got both his hands tangled in Gideon's hair now as he leans over him, desperately begging him to wake up!!

Gideons brow tightens and he gasps as Gricko is now pushing another bandage against his back and Gideon blindly searches for something with his hand. Trying to shoo Gricko away, perhaps? Kremy catches Gideons hand in his and immediately Gideon is squeezing his hand as tightly as he can, pulling it towards his face where he presses the back of Kremy’s hand against his cheek.

He can feel dampness, tears that he hadn't noticed before at the corner of Gideons eye and tenderly wipes them away. Gideons breath catches in his throat as he groans and Kremy can almost feel the bones in his hand grinding against each other with how tightly Gideon clutches on to him.

“Gricko…” Kremy mutters, an unspoken warning in his voice.

“Trying me best here, Kremy.”

There’s a flash of light as Gricko claps his hands, the spirit image that had crouched over him dissipating as he sits back with a worried look on his face.

Gideon gasps, his eyes snapping open and he lurches upright, arms flailing. Kremy’s heart leaps into his throat as he jolts upright and begins to waver, his chest heaving. Frost gently pushes Gideon back and he lands in Kremy’s arms, immediately ensconced in his arms.

“Oh my god Gid, easy now.”

Gideon coughs and then groans as he lets himself slump against Kremy. “What in the hells just happened?”

“Quite literally poked a sleeping bear,” Frost said, sitting back and turning to look out into the forest.

“Where's Torbek?” Gideon immediately tries to sit up again, nearly bowling Gricko over as he tries to wrap Gideons wounds.

“Oi, easy there, Big Red,” Gricko says, trying to push him back down. “Need to get these wrapped up.”

Gideon relents, hissing as Gricko works to wind the bandage around his torso, but turns his attention to Kremy and Frost. “Where’s Torbek?”

“He ran away, off into the forest.” Frost says, still looking into the trees.

“Is he okay? Is the other guy still in control?”

Kremy shakes his head. “No, he looked like himself again before he freaked out and ran.”

Gricko finishes securing the end of the bandage and sits back, followed immediately by Gideon pushing himself to his feet, faster than any of them expect him to be able to move in this state. He wavers a bit and Kremy pops to his feet to support him.

“Take it easy, man,” he says.

“I can’t, I gotta go find him.”

“Gid, you need to rest, let someone else go find him,” Kremy insists, keeping a hand on Gideon's arm.

“I’m okay, Kremy.” He claps his own hand over Kremy’s, squeezing it reassuringly. “I need to show him I’m fine, and besides… I need to talk to him.”

Kremy nods, knowing what Gideon is thinking about and reluctantly lets go of him.

It's not hard to follow where Torbek went, the panicked bugbear having left a trail of loping footprints and broken foliage through the forest. The walking and calling out his name makes Gideons chest ache, and he runs out of breath way sooner than usual, much to his annoyance.

“I’ll make waffles for when you guys get back.”

---

After several minutes of walking he hears heavy panting and dirt being thrown around, and as he calls Torbeks name again he hears wailing in response.

“Has mister Gideon come to haunt Torbek, Torbek is so sorry, Torbek didn't mean to kill mister Gideon!” Torbeks voice is muffled as he cowers in the small hovel he has dug under the roots of a tree, which is nowhere near big enough to house his lanky stature. His back is exposed and Gideon can see that the canisters upon it are full again and not bubbling, and despite his hunched posture his limbs appear to be their normal length again.

“Torbek, it's me.” Gideon says, gingerly lowering himself to his knees next to the gnarled roots of the tree. “I'm okay, alright? I ain't dead.”

“Don’t lie to Torbek!” Torbek howls, covering his head with his hands, hiding his face.

“Torbek, stop!” Gideon grasps onto Torbek’s wrist, gently pulling his hand away from his face. Torbeks eyes are clenched tight, his face wet with tears, and his other hand moves to cover his eyes again before Gideon reaches out for that hand too. “Hey man, open your eyes. It’s just me, Torbek.”

Torbek sniffs loudly, but he doesn’t fight against Gideons grip on his hands. He tilts his head back, trying to control heavy sobfilled breaths that make his shoulders shake, his whole body trembling. Torbek slowly manages to pry one eye open and squints at him, and Gideon smiles at him with a lopsided grin that he hopes is reassuring.

Both eyes pop open and Torbek pulls his wrists out of Gideons grasp and reaches for his shoulders, as thought to verify that this image in front of him is a corporeal form, solid and able to be touched. “M-mister Gideon?”

“In the flesh-” Gideons words turn into a groan as Torbek suddenly grabs him into a hug, squeezing him tightly and jostling his wounds. “Ow! Easy, big guy, still a little tender here.”

Torbek quickly lets go and scampers back a few paces, babbling as he goes. “Torbek is so sorry, Torbek didn't mean to hurt Gideon, Torbek didn't know what was happening!”

Gideon places a hand over the tender wounds and sits down on a fallen tree nearby, patting the space next to him. “I know you didn't mean to, Torbek. Come sit down.”

Torbek folds into himself as he hunches his back, his head nearly sinks into his shoulders as he makes himself as small as possible, carefully making his way to the tree and sits down with a space between them.

“Torbek had a nightmare,” he says as he settles on the log. As hunched over and folded into himself as he is, he still looks ready to bolt at any moment.

Gideon nods. “I figured that's what happened. I've been there too, man. What was it about?”

“Torbek…” Torbek looks down at the grassy forest floor, shuffling his feet as he searches for the words. “Torbek can’t really explain what Torbek was dreaming about. Torbek was in pain, it was so bright, there were people who didn't have faces, and there were needles,” Torbek groans as he looks down at his hands. Gideon can still see some of the blood on his hands, though most of it is coated in dirt and wood splinters now. “And then suddenly Torbek was awake and Torbek had hurt mister Gideon and Torbek was so scared!”

Gideon reflexively puts a hand on Torbeks shoulder, making sure the anxious bugbear doesn’t bolt again. Torbek sways a bit, as though internally fighting with himself over sitting still or running off into the forest.

“I’ve been in your position before, Torbek. We don’t talk about it anymore ‘cause there hasn’t been a need to, but I’ve hurt a dear friend during a nightmare like that too.”

Torbek looks at Gideon, his eyes wide. “R-really?”

Gideon lets go of Torbeks shoulder and looks off into the trees as he starts to speak.

“I still remember the dream very clearly. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget it. It’d only been a few weeks since I escaped from the train- hells, I still had wounds of my own still healing from my escape,” Gideon gestures to the scars on his arms and shoulders, visible through the open front of his torn shirt. Torbek follows the gesture and cringes into himself as he looks down at the bandages around Gideons torso and averts his eyes.

“But in my dream I was stuck back in that engine, deep in the heart of the furnace. The chains were anchored into the walls and I was stuck, just like I had been for years. When I looked up, the hatch at the top was open and I could see those damn hobgoblins looking down at me, taunting me. Must not have been much for entertainment on the train, cause they sure loved doing that.

“The faces were getting closer to me, sorta floating in the air around me and they were prodding me with their weapons, grabbing at me with their hands. I was pulling on the chains, hoping that maybe this time I’d be strong enough to rip those damn anchors out of the wall. I felt one of their hands touch my chest and it was like ten years worth of rage just imploded and I ripped those anchors out like nothing. I whipped my chains,” he mimicks flinging the chains out in an arc around him, making a whip crack noise with his mouth, “and wrapped them around that fuckers throat and dragged him down so I could watch the life drain out of his eyes.”

He pauses and takes as deep of a breath as he can comfortably take. He grabs a tiny twig of a branch and snaps it off of the fallen tree the two of them are sitting on, twirling it between his fingers. “As I’m strangling this guy, in the back of my head I heard a voice that said ‘would you kindly let go of me.’

“And suddenly I was awake, and the face in front of me wasn’t that goddamn hobgoblin. It was Kremy, and the chains were glowing hot around his throat, so tight that he couldn’t breath.

“That was the first time he ever used his abilities on me, and he only barely managed to do it with what little air he had left. It scared the hell out of me, the way his eyes rolled back and he crumpled when I got the chains off of his throat, I was sure I had killed him too.” The twig snaps in two in his hands and he quickly snaps them into four smaller pieces before flinging them into the underbrush. “I didn’t know what to do, all I could do was get the chains off and shake him until he took a breath on his own, which thank fuck that that worked, ‘cause if it hadn’t… I don’t know what I would’ve done if it hadn’t. I don’t know anything about healing, so I was useless to him there. And I don’t know if I’d even be alive today if it weren’t for him.

“He couldn’t speak for three days after that, and the heat from the chains burned his neck pretty bad. For the most part, it healed, but I know he still has some scars under his shirt collar. I still feel terrible about it, but we've talked about it and worked through it, and he has never held it against me.”

He claps a hand onto Torbeks shoulder again, startling him. “So what I’m trying to say is that it’s alright, Torbek. I’ve been where you are, and I know I should’ve been more careful. I know you were scared and you didn’t mean to hurt me, just like I never meant to hurt Kremy.”

Torbek clenches his fists and presses them against his head as he shakes it, his face twisted in despair. “Torbek would never dream of hurting Gideon, Torbek would never want to hurt any of his friends.”

Gideon gently grasps his wrist, pulling his hands away from his head as the bugbear starts squeezing his own head. “Hey man, don’t beat yourself up about it.” He spreads his arms wide, as if to display himself. “Look, I’m alright! A couple new scars ain’t gonna kill me, hell it just makes me look even more badass.”

Torbek shrugs, looking sheepish. “Scars are pretty cool.”

Gideon throws his head back with a laugh, to which Torbek gives a sad smile. “Torbek just wishes that Torbek didn’t give you the scars.”

Gideon manages to contain his laughter, once again clapping Torbek on the shoulder. “Just as I wish I’d never given Kremy his scar either, man. The both of us have gone through some shit, and we can't control our nightmares. I knew it was risky to get close while you were having one, so if anyone's to blame for tonight, it's on me, okay? This isn't your fault.”

Torbek makes a face, expressing his doubt. “It sorta is Torbeks fault though…”

Gideon pushes Torbeks shoulder so he twists to look at Gideon, his face serious. “No. It's not, Torbek. I don’t think it was even you in control when this happened. I think the other guy woke up first and he was the one that did this.”

Torbek’s ears flattened back and he sunk even further into himself with a groan.

“So it really isn’t your fault, Torbek.”

“Torbek doesn’t like the other guy.”

“Yeah, he’s kinda an asshole,” Gideon laughs. “Which is why we’re going to figure this out, okay? We’ll figure out what his deal is and see if we can get him outta ya. And in the meantime, we’ll just have to… I don’t know, stay out of reach if you’re having a nightmare.”

“Torbek gives Gideon permission to throw something at Torbek to wake him up next time.” Torbek winks at Gideon, his lips peeling back into a toothy grin.

Gideon laughs and wraps an arm around Torbek, pulling him into a jovial side hug. “Well, I just hope you don't have any more nightmares, okay? But if it comes to that, I'll make sure it's something soft.”

“Torbek appreciates that.”

Gideon feels Torbek relax into the hug and holds him there for a few moments. He squeezes Torbek tightly one more time before releasing him and pushing himself to his feet.

His vision spins when he stands and suddenly Torbek is there, bending his lanky posture to duck under Gideons arm to support him until the dizziness passes.

“Alright, that's about enough of that,” Gideon mutters, blinking his eyes rapidly as he tries to focus on their surroundings. “I feel like I'll need your help getting back there Torbek, but a little birdie told me there's waffles waiting for us at the campsite.”

It isn’t until he hears Gideons laugh just a few paces away that Kremy realizes just how much he had been holding his breath, waiting for him to return. Though his sigh of relief turns to distress again as he looks up from his cooking and sees Torbek supporting almost all of Gideons weight as they exit the tree line.

Torbeks ears flick up, his eyes widen, and he emits an excited hum, almost entirely lifting Gideon off the ground as he straightens up and all but carries Gideon back to the clearing.

---

Gideon looks terrible still, his brow tight despite the grin on his lips, and his shirt hanging off of him in tatters. His face twists into a grimace as Torbek moves his arm off his shoulders and shuffles away, slinking into a crouch by the fire that Gricko is pushing another log into.

Gideon makes his way over to Kremy, moving stiffly as he lowers himself to the ground next to the stump Kremy is sitting on. Once seated he groans, placing both hands over the bandages and slowly allows himself to flop back onto the dirt, almost in the same spot he had been sleeping before the night's interruption, and closes his eyes.

“How are you feeling?” Kremy asks, using his foot to nudge Gids' satchel-turned-pillow against his shoulder.

In response, Gideon raises one hand in a thumbs up before letting it flop into the dirt, absolutely exhausted. He lifts his head to shove the satchel under it and once he’s settled, opens his eyes to look up at Kremy with a soft smile.

“Feel like I could sleep for a week right now.”

“Don’t blame ya at all.”

Gideon yawns so widely that Kremy hears his jaw click and he winces at the sound. He turns back to the fire, checking the waffle iron buried in the logs, and then looking around at the rest of the group. Frost has Torbek holding out his hands, using a towel and one of his water skins to wash the blood and dirt off of them. Gricko is yammering away, telling some wild Goblin story that Torbek seems to be enthralled by, laughing loudly when Gricko says something in a language only the two of them understand. Hootsie is laying on the ground next to Torbek, leaning against him as she slaps at her fly-pad.

Kremy pulls the iron out of the fire and deposits the fluffy golden waffle onto one of the small plates he carries with him, quickly refills the iron and shoves it back into the fire before getting up to move over to Torbek, presenting the plate to him.

Torbek looks up at him in surprise before gratefully accepting it. “Thank you, mister Kremy. Torbek is really sorry for hurting Gideon and scaring mister Kremy.”

“We’re all good, Torbek.” Kremy says, patting him on the shoulder with a small smile and then moving back to his stump.

“You want one of these, Gid?” He’s barely finished asking the question when a loud snore rends the air and he looks down at Gideon, splayed out on the ground and completely out for the count.

Seeing him sleeping so peacefully again makes Kremy’s heart flutter, a far cry from how he felt only an hour ago when he thought he would lose this man. He’s okay, everythings going to be okay, he tells that little voice of anxiety in the back of his mind.

“You probably need to sleep more than you need food right now, so I’ll make you one in the morning, you big idiot,” he says, smiling fondly at the sleeping form beside him.

#here's a thing i wrote #legends of avantris #once upon a witchlight #ouaw fanfic #gideon coal #kremy lecroux #torbek #whump fanfic

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invaderdoom78 · 2 months ago

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Currently watching the Nightmare Before Witchlight and I miss Torbek :( don't get me wrong it's just as good as the Yuletide one-shots but I miss my pathetic little bugbear.

#youtube #legends of avantris #once upon a witchlight #edge of midnight #stardust rhapsody #uprooted #gideon coal #bitsy uprooted #chuckles the clown #briggsy kratch #torbek #I was really looking forawrd to reading too much into his and Briggys interactions #I crave the briggsbek

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luna-the-cretar · 4 months ago

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I NEED the Krew to actually TALK about what happened in episode 46. (Spoilers under the cut)

And I don’t mean them mentioning that it happened but “it’s all fine now because they’re alive!” Because I imagine that shit scarred all of them, one way or another. Frost especially.

I don’t care HOW the conversation happens, but it does need to happen. They each need to have that closure, rather than letting those thoughts and feelings swirl in their minds for all eternity. And I don’t just mean in fanfic or whatever. No, it needs to happen sometime in canon, when they have a moment to talk about it in-depth (so probably post-canon, all things considered).

I just…I need Frost to tell them how it felt, watching as all his friends fall around him, and how he couldn’t do anything. I imagine he still gets nightmares about it, especially for the first few nights after the fact, and I imagine he wakes up from those nightmares and probably goes and cuddles up next to Gricko (after making sure he’s breathing. Even if, logically, Frost KNOWS that Gricko is alive and breathing—he’s snoring, shifting around, whatever—he still needs to check. Just in case), as if to confirm to himself that, yes, they’re here. Theyre alive. He’s not alone.

I need Torbek to talk about how he feels like he’s not good enough in battle. How he kicks himself for not being able to control the Witchlight better, for not being able to bring out the Other. Because maybe, just maybe, if he was somehow able to bring out the Other in that fight, maybe they would’ve had a chance (they still wouldn’t, it would still end the same, and Torbek knows it deep down, but he kicks himself all the same)

I need Gricko to lament about how he thinks he’s not a good enough healer. He’s supposed to keep his friends from dying, and he couldn’t even do that right. Maybe if he had gotten to Gideon sooner, maybe if he had realized that Gideon was already long gone before he pumped his last spell slot into him. How he regrets that Hootsie wasn’t spared. Maybe if he had told her to run sooner, faster, maybe, just maybe, she would’ve made it out alive. Maybe. Or, at the very least, he wouldn’t have had to hear her yelps right before he fell unconscious himself. He’s supposed to be her father, he’s supposed to protect her. But he didn’t. Couldn’t. Just like he couldn’t protect his friends.

I need Kremy to tell Gideon how it felt to watch his best friend, his husband, get ripped apart before his very eyes, and being unable to stop it. Unable to help in any way. How he couldn’t imagine ever living in a world without Gid. After all, what’s the point of living when your reason for waking up each day is long gone? Someone else could pay his debt, surely.

I want Gideon to lament about just how useless he feels. With the mixture of being unable to help Twig in episode 41, turning into a stupid useless dancing mushroom (where he was the slowest because he traded the rhythm in his step away, and his friends had to help push him along), losing some of his fire (sure, he gained it back, but for several hours he felt colder. Weaker.), and then being the first one down during the Jabberwock fight? He’s supposed to be the strong one, the fighter, yet time and time again his friends are the ones protecting him. Keeping him alive while he keeps throwing himself into danger. He could’ve killed the Jabberwock, surely. With the help of Torbek, sure, but it would’ve died! It just got the jump on him, is all.

I just…I need them to talk, when they get the chance to. They deserve that much. To reassure themselves and their friends that everything is okay. They’re alive, and they’re not going to just abandon each other. Not again. Even if they feel weak, or useless, or like they could be so much more if they were just better. They all know now what it feels like to lose their family, their best friend, the love of their life, their everything. And I don’t think they’ll ever let themselves or each other experience that again. Not for a very long time, at least.

#I know this is really long sorry #I just really need them to talk about it okay!?#ESPECIALLY Frost Torbek and Gricko #Kremy and Gideon sure but Frost and the goblinoids I feel were affected the most #and I know Gricko’s thing might seem like I pulled it out of thin air #but Gricko has expressed that he doesn’t think his healing magic is very good #yeah it was at the end of episode 1 #but in universe that was only a handful of days ago #and I feel like I’m right on the money with Torbek and Gideon #I mean. Torbek has expressed that he doesn’t feel like he’s as good at fighting as Gideon is #and he was crying and BEGGING the Other to come out as he watched his friends fall around him #and I imagine Gideon has a lot of pent-up issues with his own strength and abilities after the past 20 or so episodes #because while his abilities and strength technically hasn’t changed #what has changed was the world around him. and how his friends are having to save his ass more and more #okay I’ll shut up now sorry #once upon a witchlight #legends of avantris

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obsidiancreates · 7 months ago

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From Regular Wednesday To Regular Whimsday

(I still haven't watched past 41 in OUAW, I keep just restarting it, so for the OUAW gang this is just some unspecified time in the swamps of Hither.)

It starts with Witchlight, of course. A patch of mushrooms, a mysterious artifact that could reportedly "open doors to new worlds of possibilities", and the whims of a 20 year old with ADHD and the ability to write whatever the fuck xey want.

And so the artifact shatters in the patch of Witchlight, and Carnival LeCroux find themselves faced with six deeply confused, highly concerned, and bafflingly identical humans.

"Well this is diffrrrent," Torbek says, scratching his head. "Isn't it usually uuus who Witchlight messeees withhh?"

"Must've been that orb thing!" Kremy searches the mud below them by poking his cane around in it.

"Roman, what is this?" The human in the dark shirt and blue-striped tie asks the one in the white-and-red royal-like getup.

"Don't look at me." Roman points at a human with a similar but more elaborate outfit of green and black. "Whatever this horrid imagining is, it must be Remus!"

"Oh, thank you, brother, it is horrible here! But, I didn't do it! Maybe good ol' Daddo did? He's been a frog before, frogs, swamps-"

"Please, Patton would never bring us somewhere this gr-oss!"

"And I really only looked like that because we were talkin' about Frogger." The human in the lighter blue shirt with the gray covering tied around his neck says, wincing a little and adjusting his glasses. "Virgil? Do you know where we are, kiddo?"

"No." The human in the patchwork purple and black hoodie is tense, ready for either fight or flight (probably flight, based on his general vibe). He looks around, eyeing Carnival Lecroux. "And those guys seem way too active to be any imaginary constructs. ... I told you guys we shouldn't have let Janus convince Thomas to have another glass of wine tonight! We're probably in some... weird nightmare because of it!"

"Oh, blaming me, what a surprise." The final human- well, maybe not. While most of him looks human, half of his face is covered with scales. His cheek has a natural slit implying an ability to unhinge his jaw quite wide but only on that side (so he probably can't actually, because his other cheek would be completely screwed if he tried), and his eye is bright yellow with a slitted pupil.

"Slit pupil means he's venomous," Frost warns his friends. "Right, Gricko?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah. I've never seen a snake-folk before, though, actually."

"He's barely a reptile-folk at all!" Kremy points at the kind of-human. "Either fuckin' commit or don't!"

"Oh, okay, gettin' some strong language here! Let's uh, elt's tone that down, how about, huh?" Patton looks at Remus. "Kinda leaning towards this being you, now."

"What, like I'm the only one who swears between us?! Ro-bro here-" Remus slings an arm around his brother, who quickly shoves it off. "-is the one who came up with Bitchmas!"

"I was in a heated debate! I'm just very passionate!"

"You're a potty-mouth! Even more than me!"

"I have to disagree, Remus. Your deodorant alone is all the evidence I need to contradict you."

"Mmm, but does contradicting me really matter if no-one cares to pay attention, Logan?"

"Oooooh, they've got drama." Twig climbs down from Gideon's shoulders. "This is just like those trashy major images!"

"We are not trashy!" Roman looks at his brother. "Well, most of us are not trashy. And we are not from some... major image!"

"Roman, I don't know that you need to justify us to the imaginary child."

"I'm not a child! I'm a Twig!"

"As in your name?"

"Yeah!"

"Then those are not mutually exclusive concepts."

"Alright, alright, enough of all this!" Kremy points at Logan with his cane. "Y'all explain yourselves right now so we can get a fuckin' move on!"

"Boy, lotta f-bombs being thrown around by this guy." Patton plays with the sleeves of the hoodie around his neck.

"Why would I explain? The only possibility is this is happening within Thomas's mind, so I see no reason to-"

"OH, GREAT FLYNN RIDER'S SMOLDER! Logan, there is another possibility! A whimsical, fantastical, impossible possibility!"

"That... is already a contradiction within itself."

"We... have been TRANSPORTED TO ANOTHER WORLD!" Roman strikes a pose, one arm aloft in the air and the other held close t his chest as he gazes up into the sky.

"That is absolutely impossible."

"Uh... I dunno." Virgil looks down at the mud and swamp ooze clinging to his boots and pants. "I do feel... weirdly solid, right now."

"Yes! Some kind of incredible magic has taken us OUT OF THE REALM OF PRETEND and into a true fairytale!" Roman's eyes positively sparkle.

"First of all, magic does not exist."

The entire Carnival Crew look at each other. These people are either completely insane, or from what sounds like the worst world ever. No magic is like no stones for building, no wood for burning, no air for breathing.

Logan continues. "Second of all, if we have been somehow transported, beyond all possibility and the very logic that makes up my being, where is Thomas?"

Gideon puffs on his cigar. "Quit talkin' between yerselves! Just answer Kremy's fuckin' question, man!"

"The... alligator-man did not ask a question. He told us to explain ourselves."

"Oh-ho my gods! He's worse than Frost!"

Frost doesn't show if he's offended or not. He simply goes, "Mmm."

"I don't care what you say, Logan-"

"Not new information to me."

"-I am going to treat this as a grand magical adventure! Clearly we have been taken away to a world of magic and monstrosities to fulfill some grand quest, and these uh... strange creatures, are the proverbial tutorial for our journey!"

Gideon leans down to Kremy's ear. "Can I punch 'im?"

"Not yet, Gid. But probably later."

"Mmph, fine."

Roman points at the other party. "My good sirs! We are the Sanders Sides, a group of uh- what's the word you use, Logan?"

"Fine, I shall play along until a reasoning more aligned with myself is presented by someone who will actually be listened to. The word I use is Metaphysical, it simply means not actually physical beings."

"Yes! Metaphysical adventurers from another world!"

Frost leans in, intrigued. "What exactly do you mean, you aren't actually physical beings?"

Logan speaks before Roman can give his own explanation- likely for the best, as the words 'Well, nerd,' were clearly to be Roman's next input to the conversation. Logan, instead, matches the energy of Frost with his clear explanation.

"Well, to put it simply we are personifications of various aspects of Thomas's personality and mental processes. Our main function, and reason for existence, is often to externalize an issue that would normally be resolved through an internal examination and investigation."

"Wow, that's uh- that's really quite interesting. And yet you all take on these uh, these-these roles, and personalities, beyond your intended representations?"

"Yes, and the... severity, of these individualizations has increased drastically over the years."

"So you've had a-a growth cycle! You've developed your minds to contain intricacies and um, and greater depth of character, literally."

"Well- yes, I suppose that is not an inaccurate way of stating it, but again we are not individuals. We are not actually capable of fulfilling many of the requirements considered for actual-"

"OH MY GOSHHHHH!" As Patton cuts Logan off with a joyous scream, Logan's huff of indignation goes unnoticed by all but the fascinated Frost. Instead, all attention turns to the creature who has stepped out of the bushes. Giant round eyes, soft and fluffy fur-feathers, a little beat that the leg of a frog is quickly swallowed into.

"I'm going to cry," Patton breathes, hands clasped up by his mouth.

Logan clears his throat and adjusts his glasses. "It is a very adorable creature. And apparently docile, which I assume means it's with these people."

"OH, of course she is!" Gricko throws himself at the adorable owlbear, clinging to her neck with a hug as she muzzles her face into his. "This is my daughter Hootsie, Hootsie T. Cutesie-Grimgrin!"

"Don't you mean pet?"

Gricko looks at Logan with horror. "No! She's my daughter, and a very bright little girl, oooooh Hootsie, he didn't mean it, they must not have adoption in whatever world he's from."

"What? Of course we understand the concept of adoption, but-"

"Well y'all said you ain't got magic where you're from, so it ain't too unreasonable to assume you're lackin' a buncha other stuff as well!" Kremy gestures at Logan with the ground-end of his cane, flinging swamp muck onto the human's shirt.

Logan sets his jaw and looks Kremy in the eyes while flicking the muck off. "Our world lacking in nonsensical magic does not mean it lacks basic concepts such as adoption. I was proposing a correction because, while it is clear anthropomorphic animal-human hybrids are a normalcy here, that... is just a bear with an owl face."

"Hey! You keep shit-talkin' our niece, I'm gonna punch you right in the body!"

"I am not-"

"AWWWWW, you guys think of each other as family?"

Kremy taps the eyehole if his skull cane topper. "Well, I dunno if-"

"Hell yeah we're a family!" Gideon grabs Hootsie, and by extension Gricko, and holds them both in a hug. "Been travellin' together so fuckin' long an' know so much about each other, what else could we be?"

"I mean we could be a group or uh-"

"Ooooooh, but Mr. Kremyyyyyy, Torbek thinks of you all as faaamily."

The screams of the entire collective, Sides and Carnival alike, could deafen someone unused to either party. Twig and Roman especially.

"Oh-ho, geez, man! We forgot you were here!" Gideon thumps Torbek on the back. "You gotta stop doin' that!"

"He does that a lot?!" Vigril, adrenaline leaving him, drops out of his pose to bolt and sinks deep into his hoodie. The words come out more like spittle, forcing their way through gritted teeth.

"Ooooh, Torbek doesn't mean to. People just forget Torbek exists."

"That's not a terrifying notion at all." Janus keeps his cane hoisted up and arm cocked for a swing, just in case. "There's nothing alarming about a seven foot tall glowing monster who can completely vanish from notice without even trying."

"I knew he was still here!" Remus twirls his morningstar and walks over to Torbek, burying his face in Torbek's closest patch of fur and taking a deep sniff. "You reek! It is delightful!"

"Oooooh- huh? Wait, reeeeally? You find Torbek deliiightfuuul?"

"Oh, abso-lutely! What is that smell, I have never whiffed it before! Is it your deodorant? What flavor is it called?!"

"Uuuuuuh, what's deodorannnt?"

Remus blinks up at Torbek with a grin absolutely carved into his face. "You're going to be my new best friend. Sorry Janus!"

"I don't care at all." Janus examines his "fingernails", despite the presence of his gloves. "The title means nothing to me."

"You love me!" Remus begins to literally climb Torbek. "Now let me see these glowing drug implants! This place is a wealth of new ideas!"

"Please do not encourage my brother," Roman says with a look of disgust.

"We ain't, I think he's just encouragin' himself. And trust us, we've tried makin' Torbek a little more presentable."

"Yeah! When he was all tiny in my inn, he got a nice bath and makeover! But it got ruined as soon as he fell out." Twig holds up her tiny satchel-sized inn for Roman to see.

"Your- oh, look at that! Now that is the kind of whimsy and fantastical magic I was looking for!"

"Speaking of looking, let's look for a way home." Virgil is no longer quite so pressed into his hoodie, but the hood is still up over his head. "What is Thomas going through right now? You guys said when I ducked out, things got bad. Now we're all gone!"

"Oh, sweet Tatiana's beignets, he's right! Thomas could be in serious peril!"

"That's assuming our roles as facets of his personality still apply to us at this moment. Given that we have physical forms-"

Remus's head snaps around and he shouts, "You're all aware of your own breathing!"

Everyone splutters and gasps and makes general noises of upset as suddenly Breathing becomes a conscious effort.

"And we've all got heartbeats!" Remus giggles and claps his hands as even more displeasure rings out, and he simply turns back to trying to part Torbek's fur around the implants and see the scars. Torbek shifts uncomfortably, but his ear twitches and his eyes glaze with a bit of relief- Remus is unintentionally helping scratch a few itches and clean some gunk from Torbek's fur.

Virgil has his hand over his heart. "Is mine supposed to be racing this much?"

"Well, everyone has a different resting heart rate, Virgil. Allow me to- oh my goodness. Ahem. No, that is likely because your, well, you, has spiked with Remus's comments."

"Hhhnnnnggg..."

"Okay, Virgil, now would be the time to utilize those breathing exercises you've taught Thomas."

"Little easier to say than do, Logan!"

"Well, simply try."

"Yes, and if the racing nature of your heart causes you other health problems, Gricko may be able to help." Frost gestures at the goblin who, when Torbek had frightened everyone, had dropped from Hootsie's neck and landed head-first in the soft muck of the swamp. Gricko puts up a single thumbs-up, still quite stuck and dazed, though his nose peeks out just enough for him to breath without worry of suffocation.

Logan blinks. "He, is your doctor?"

"Not exactly, he is uh- let me pull him out, actually, he may want to correct you."

Frost does not move to pull Gricko up- but up Gricko comes anyway, a shhhhhplop! following some invisible force yanking him from the mud.

"Oh, thank you, Frosty," Gricko says, his voice becoming mumbled and somewhat slurred at the last word. "Anyway! Um, yes, I am not exactly a doctor, I am a druid. I can help with some basics healings but not everything."

"Like Torbek's various raaashes."

"Ooooh, you have rashes? Where?!"

"Remus, you will get rashes if you touch them," Janus says, reaching up with his cane and swiftly pulling Remus down to the ground. "Having a real body means you can actually get diseases now."

"Oh, Janny, you're saying that like it's a bad thing!"

"Which means real, symptoms? Including things like death?"

"I still don't see the issue here."

"Okay. Does anyone have a leash?"

"Ooooooh, yes, please."

"Eugh."

#once upon a witchlight #sanders sides #thomas sanders #legends of avantris #fanfic #my attempts at fanfic

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dekujin · 2 months ago

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Finally listening to the Nightmare Before Witchlight Halloween one-shot and I am to the part with Chuckles where they play off him being shirtless and greased up like he is super gross, but I beg to differ.

Thanks LOA for fuel for my fan service art file.

#Adventures with Deku #Chuckles the Clown #I do not care anymore I am posting thirst on the main.#I need this clown carnally. -in the most aroace way possible-

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walkingaftermidnight07 · 2 years ago

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All I Need is You - Kit Herondale x Ty Blackthorn Oneshot

Hi my lovely humans! I'm back with another oneshot which is very overdue, considering I haven't done one in A WHILE.

This oneshot was inspired by this post thread from the lovely @tys-kitty (hi bestie <3) and the lovely @mayaheronthorn and @queenie-blackthorn and as soon as I saw this I was like. Yes. I have to write it. It's happening. So here I am ;)

word count is abt 1.3k and if you'd like to check out any more of my KitTy oneshots, here are the others!

Balcony oneshot

SOBH Reunion: Kit POV & Ty POV

And here's a KitTy playlist I made a couple months ago linked here

make sure to comment and reblog if you liked it so that more ppl can see it! likes are great too, but reblogging really helps get my content out there to more people and helps to support me (and i just really like reading y'all comments lol) and with that being said, let's get into it!

also i apologize in advance for the fact that i did not edit or revisit this before posting so its prob not the best it could be lol

enjoy!!!

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

-Ty-

Ty awoke to a sharp pain in his side.

For a second he panicked, blinking sleep out of his eyes as he tried to adjust to the pitch black around him. He was in the Institute, so there shouldn’t be anything trying to attack him, right?? And yet, he knew that wasn’t necessarily true. It had happened before, when he was only a child. He stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out his witchlight, and it flared to life around him. And immediately, he relaxed again. There was nothing there, only Kit, who was sleeping next to him. He realized vaguely that Kit had elbowed him.

He also realized they were far closer than they had been when they’d fallen asleep last night.

He didn’t really get the chance to dwell on it, however, because Kit made a noise in his sleep. A whimper. And he thrashed, his limbs splaying out as he did so.

So that was how Kit had managed to elbow him, Ty thought wryly. Then he frowned.

Was Kit having a nightmare?

He was, wasn’t he?

Something inside Ty, some part of him that he had always tried to ignore, kicked into gear. He shifted over, sitting back on his knees next to Kit. And he grabbed Kit’s shoulders and shook him as gently as he could.

“Kit, wake up,” Ty whispered. “It’s just a dream. Wake up.”

Kit’s eyes flew open and he moved so quickly that Ty fell back, scrambling away to give Kit space. Kit’s breathing was too fast, and very loud. He sounded like he’d just run a mile, or just been in a fight. Ty wanted so badly to reach out and put his hand on Kit’s chest, and feel his heartbeat as his breathing slowed, to help him calm down. Livvy used to do that for him whenever he was overwhelmed.

“Ty….?” Kit whispered into the darkness. Ty realized he’d dropped his witchlight. He felt around in the dark until he found it again. Kit winced when the bright light shone into his eyes.

“Yes?” Ty responded. He warily moved closer. Kit flinched. He stopped moving. “Are you okay? Was it…did you have a nightmare?”

Kit took a shuddering breath and nodded, his breathing still rapid and uneven. Then he made a choked sound, and Ty realized he was crying.

Kit…crying? Ty’s stomach dropped and he felt his own throat tighten. Kit wasn’t supposed to cry. He…he was supposed to be strong, to be happy. Ty couldn’t stand it. He had to do something.

Almost impulsively he slid over to be next to Kit, so close that their legs were touching. Ty put one hand on Kit’s chest, feeling his heartbeat and took Kit’s hand with the other hand.

“Breathe, Kit,” He said softly. He felt Kit’s heart skip a beat. It wasn’t slowing down. Why wasn’t it slowing down?

“I—I saw my father,” Kit murmured. “I saw him die. Those—those demons that killed him—And my mother was there. I somehow….I somehow knew how she’d died. I—” He broke off and choked out another sob. Ty squeezed his hand.

“Tell me what I can do to help you, Kit,” Ty said, because now he was scared. He had never been good at comforting people. What if he was only making things worse? “Tell me what you need. Please, Kit.”

“You,” Kit blurted out. “I just need you. Just…stay with me. Please.”

“Me?” Ty sputtered. “Are you sure?”

At that, Kit pulled back. He held Ty’s gaze, which made Ty’s cheeks flush bright pink. He usually couldn’t stand making eye contact with people, but with Kit, he liked it because it meant he could study Kit’s eyes. Kit had beautiful eyes. They were a beautiful blue, and he was constantly getting lost in them.

“I’ve always needed you, Tiberius,” Kit whispered. He put his other hand, the one that Ty wasn’t clinging to, over Ty’s hand on his chest.

Ty’s heart started beating rapidly, not unlike Kit’s. He tightened his grip on Kit’s hand. “But then…why…” He swallowed, as his voice trailed off. He could hear his voice wavering. “Why did you leave?”

Kit opened his mouth. Then he closed it. He looked away from Ty, and Ty’s heart sank. He could see Kit starting to withdraw, to close himself off from Ty. Like he did that first time. Ty’s whole body ached as he remembered how hopeless and lost that had made him.

Not again, Kit, please. Ty thought to himself. I can’t lose you again. I love you.

“Kit, please,” Ty said aloud.

Kit hesitated. Then he sighed. “Because…I couldn’t be around you. It was too much.”

Ty flinched. Kit noticed and frowned. He squeezed Ty’s hand. Ty clung to Kit’s, afraid he was going to let go. But he didn’t.

“I was…angry. And sad…and embarrassed.” Kit admitted. He let go of Ty’s other hand on his chest to run his fingers through his hair. Ty noticed that Kit seemed kind of shaky. Almost like he was nervous.

“And I just felt like…you didn’t need me…so why was I even there?” Kit added, his voice slow and quiet, like he was forcing himself to say it aloud. “It felt like I needed you so much that I couldn’t breathe…and you didn’t even want me.”

Ty sucked in a breath. Kit…Kit thought he wasn’t wanted?? How was that possible?? Kit was incredible…how could he think he wasn’t wanted??

“Of course I wanted you,” Ty said, like it was obvious. “Kit, how could you think that??”

Kit let out a shaky laugh. “That’s…that’s not what I meant. I—”

“You told me you loved me,” Ty interrupted in a whisper, not unkindly.

“Yeah,” The other boy whispered. “Yeah, I did. Er…”

“You don’t anymore?” Ty asked him. His lip quivered. He had thought—

“No! No, yes. Yes. Wait, no. I mean–” Kit stuttered, his face turning red. “I do. I still do.”

“You do?” Hope flared up in Ty’s chest. He felt the beginning of a rare smile appear on his face.

Kit looked sheepish. “I never stopped, Ty. I love you, still. I tried to stop…I tried so hard, you have no idea…but you mean too much to me. It’s always been you, Tiberius Blackthorn.” Kit stared down at their interlaced hands.

Ty blinked, and found that his eyes had filled with tears. He hadn’t even noticed. He let them fall, because he needed to say what he wanted to say before he lost the nerve to. Or before he lost the chance. “I love you, Kit.”

Kit stared at him. “You do?”

“Yes,” Ty said. “I do. I love you. You have no idea how much. I’m not even sure I know how much. I just know that you’ve always been different from anyone else in my life. I always want to know what you’re thinking, I always want to hear your voice. You manage to make me laugh, to make me feel things I’ve never felt before. And you’re incredible, Kit. You really, truly are. I’m lucky to have known you, and I never want to lose you.”

Kit was silent. For a second, Ty was worried that Kit was upset with him, but then he smiled and Ty felt a warm, soft feeling go through him.

Both of them were crying by this point, but neither seemed to care. Ty pulled Kit towards him, putting his arm around Kit’s waist and holding him tightly. Kit’s shirt, which was a sky blue AC/DC shirt, was soft against Ty’s face. Kit’s arms went around him and he felt so, so happy, he couldn’t put it into words or coherent thoughts.

All Ty could think about was that he had Kit back, and he was never letting him go. Ever.

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

thx for reading! :D

~ Scarlett

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girlkissergideon · 2 months ago

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watching the halloween one shot finally .... bitsys little cackle im gonna cry i love her so much 💗💗

#the nightmare before witchlight #legends of avantris #oneshot

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opheliajupiter99 · 19 days ago

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A Word to the Wise Pt.4

Things were truly getting grim for the gaggle of carnies at this point. Gricko was still near catatonic from trauma, Hootsie dead, and now, Gideon missing in the dead of night, his chain marks leading into the forest the only evidence of him left behind. They of course followed the trail, to try and see where it led, but quickly found that after a few feet, the trail stopped, as if the Genasi had been lifted into the air, or somehow vanished mid-drag.

Even stranger was that there were no footprints, to indicate somehow had physically dragged the Genasi, despite the fact the trail clearly indicated that. How would someone even drag him in the first place? The man was immense, not to mention how violently he'd no doubt react to someone trying to capture him, all things considered.

The camp is in shambles at this point, Kremy trying to keep his wits and calm everyone down, even as tears flowed down his cheeks, flowing too freely for him to effectively hide them. Torbek was on the verge of a panic attack, which only elevated the others anxiety, considering what could potentially be unleashed if he felt too threatened, which was only doubled by Twig beginning to crack as well.

Frost, as expected, showed the least response visually. Unlike Kremy, he didn't actively try to show little emotion, it just kind of happened. Yes, he was taught to control his emotions and do his best to not let them get out of hand, but even with that, he had what many might dub a 'resting bitch face' - or at least what Gideon might dub it. Inside though, his mind was only little above the others in terms of cracking.

He was of the highest magical prowess among them, and yet despite that, despite the kind of responsibility that came with, despite his constant efforts to keep them all safe, his found family was crumbling at the seams. In truth, most of the damage thus far was already caused when he peered into Gricko's mind and beheld Hootsie's fate. The sound of her last little hoot still echoed in his ears, as he quietly stared off into the fire while the others bickered and sobbed.

He was growing worried that they couldn't best whatever was going on - but he was rather ashamed that, that wasn't even what scared him most. What scared him most, was the idea that whatever had come to butcher them all one by one...would leave him for last. That he'd have to watch each and every one of his family die horribly, before his own time came. Or even worse...perhaps the beast wouldn't kill him at all; simply leave him all alone, as he begged to be reunited with his lost kin.

This thought couldn't help but consume him as he drifted off to sleep. After everything that had happened, he fully anticipated a gruesome nightmare, but...he didn't expect what happened instead*

He slept remarkably peacefully, and awoke sometime the next morning, sitting up in his cot and rubbing his eyes, before opening them. His eyes widened, and his face was stricken with panic-*

Every single cot around him was empty. Kremy's was torn slightly, stuffing poking out from claw marks, as if he'd tried in vain to fight back, Torbek's was coated in splatters of Witchlight, along with shards of shattered glass, Gricko's left with little struggle at all, which was somehow more chilling, like he'd simply surrendered to be with his dearest daughter, and Twig's was torn apart so violently that it was little more than shreds of scattered fabric and stuffing, Pigtunia nowhere to be seen either.

He....was alone. Nothing but the faint embers of the dying fire, and utter, deafening silence. His heart pounded, as his panicked gaze darted around, trying in desperation to find any sign of them, but to no avail. In fact, gazing around only enhanced his dread, as his eyes caught on Hootsie's cot, which was now in front of his own, despite its usual placement beside Gricko's.

He let out a sob, putting his paws over his eyes, bursting into tears. Who even -was- he without his family?! Just some pompous, sagely fool that had only to offer the world knowledge nobody gave a flying fuck about! Facts and wisdom that meant his only true friends would be some dusty library or wizard's tower, damned to be interacted with only out of sheer necessity, those that finding him searching for any excuse to leave as quickly as they had arrived.

He sobbed violently, clutching his head so tightly his claws began to dig into the sides of his head. He sobbed - then the sobs turned to deranged cackling, letting his head go as his arms hung limply at his sides, fingers-stained crimson, as both tears and blood flowed freely down his face as he stared up at the sky, bellowing, humorless laughs filling the air around him, as the weight of his fate fully fell upon him.

As his mind unraveled, he saw the cot before him twitch out of the corner of his eye. He looked towards it, still softy giggling under his breath as he stared. The cot, now that he looked closer at it, didn't look empty at all...and then-

The lumpy cot began to heave, up and down, as if something was breathing beneath the blanket, and he heard a tiny, hooting voice sobbing, muffled beneath the blanket. This sent him into another fit of giggling sobs, hugging himself tightly as tears flowed anew; he knew what was happening now. He was losing his mind; he could feel it. He pondered if his friends were even gone at all, or if they were clustered around him right now, watching him giggle-cry at nothing.

Then suddenly, with a sharp tear as fabric split apart, sending a puff of stuffing into the air, the cot split open, like oversized prey bursting forth from a snake's stomach. A tall, slim figure pulled itself free from the remnants of the cot, tuffs of fluff falling from its form as it stood to its full height.

A clown.

A tall, slender clown stood before the broken Tabaxi, his arms and legs almost comically long, like a stilt entertainer at a circus, while his middle was somewhat rounded, poofy like a clown suit. His form was white, with multicolored polka dots dotted all over, what appeared to be just a suit so firmly clung to his form, that it looked more like its flesh than an actual costume. Its hands were clown gloves, puffy and bright white, but the fingers were long, coming to a clawed point, looking almost like the spindly legs of a spider, as the beast clacked them together.

It knelt down, getting its painted face, with wide, pupilless eyes, and a lipsticked mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, right up to his own. Frost just stared back, breathlessly giggling as his reddened eyes stared right back into its; its gaze so empty, so soulless, and yet somehow, also filled with immersible glee.

"J-Just...j-just do it!" The poor sorcerer says between mad giggling. The clown giggled in return, the sound shrill, like the feral cackle of a hyena. He grabbed the back of Frost's head tightly, leaning in further, to the point Frost could see nothing but the clown's horrid visage.

"No, no, silly Frosty! We're not done playing our game yet! There's so much more FUN to be had!!"

The carnies woke in the morning once more, but this time, Frost remained his cot. However, they were unable to wake him, no matter how much they begged from tears. While Gricko was traumatized but conscious, Frost was now, full blown catatonic, unclear if he was even registering everything that was happening around him, just lying there, his slowly rising and falling chest the only indication he was alive at all.

After all, killing him now would spoil the fun.

#once upon a witchlight #legends of avantris #pennywise the dancing clown #horror #once upon a witchlight fanfic #morning frost #//this one was somehow not gruesome and super gruesome at the same time lol

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