#nightmare the big raging beast that gave up everything and continues to rage on

[m1lkt00th]

what if i elaborated on this. what if i brought up their brothers huh. what if.

cross is such a good foil to most characters (who involve world destruction, brother loss, losing themselves, etc.) but for nightmare specifically it feels largely untapped. nightmare being the big raging beast that gave up everything and continues to rage on. cross being the result of that rage and shutting down because hey whats the point if nothing i’ve done has helped anyone?

putting these two in the same room can result in so many different things. will they see where their weaknesses are lifted up by the other’s strengths? will they shut each other out and continue to dwell in their hurt? will they part ways because their morals are too conflicting? will they enter that tango of “i can help/fix/ruin you” that just ends in their fires burning out? would it even be worth it?

hey what if i said Cross is a foil of Nightmare. yknow, self-destruction, destruction of their worlds, losing themself etc etc

[bitsandbobsofwriting]

The former God of Magic resents The Mother for sticking him on Earth, and plans on causing as much havoc as he can to punish Her;

Version 2, Dark!Merlin

INTRO

(Version 1, Good!Merlin)

TW: A lot of emotional manipulation, a little violence, a lot of angst.

~

“You’re late.”

The woman’s well practiced blank mask falls into a scowl as she stares at Merlin with mistrust:

“Well, perhaps I was putting off coming to see you, no matter how necessary it is.”

The gang can see the bob of Merlin’s head as he lets out a low chuckle, and they have to stop themselves from recoiling; they’d never heard a noise like that from their young friend before, it sounded almost... cruel.

He lifts a hand to cover his heart as he says in faux offense:

“You wound me, sister. You didn’t want to see your favourite sibling?”

Everyone frowns in confusion, Merlin doesn’t have... siblings. That’s not even mentioning the fact that this woman barely seems human.

The woman doesn’t hide her slight disgust, taking a step back from Merlin and letting out a harsh breath:

“I came here to tell you that you need to hurry up. Time is running out.”

Merlin chuckles again, turning to the side and taking a few short paces, his hands held leisurely behind his back. The amusement on his face is disturbing, and Arthur gulps, not noticing the way Mordred is growing paler and paler by the second. Merlin doesn’t turn to look at the woman as he speaks, and his smirk stretches wider:

“But I’m having so much fun, Ava!”

The woman, Ava, huffs again, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. If the gang weren’t so semi-sure that Merlin wasn’t dangerous, they’d think she looked scared:

“Mother sent you here to complete a task. Get it done, and you can come home. Isn’t that what you want? To come home?”

Merlin’s smirk falls, and the snarl that the gang briefly see on his face before he whips around to face Ava takes their breath away. They barely notice the thunder, snapping in the distance in time with Merlin’s anger:

“Mother’s the one keeping me here in the first place. She could accept me back any time.”

Ava takes another step back, and Merlin tilts his head ever so slightly at the movement, but waits for her to speak:

“As punishment for your cruelty. She isn’t happy, you’re making a mess of things.”

Merlin chuckles again, tilting his head even further, and his words have an immediate chilling effect on the group hiding in the bushes:

“Well, if she insists on sending the God of Chaos to fix a problem, perhaps she should expect a little mess. Plus, I’m having more fun here than I’ve had in centuries. These humans... so gullible.-”

Ava shakes her head mournfully, but before she can say anything, Merlin continues, now pacing calmly around the clearing, waving his hands and grinning in his excitement:

“-I mean, they’re just so... easy. To play with, to manipulate. You know they all trust me? They all come running to naïve, innocent, loving little Merlin, spilling all their secrets as they go. Did you know, the drunkard is the son of a noble? “Fuck nobility” my arse, he is nobility.-”

Gwaine clenches his jaw and looks to the floor, ignoring the stares of Arthur and Leon, but before anything can be muttered, Merlin continues, listing their greatest secrets off on his fingers:

“-The gentle giant is terrified that someone’s going to find out that his preferences lie with men, which is ridiculous considering the way he stares at the aforementioned drunkard when he thinks no one but little old me is watching. The blacksmith, even years on, is terrified that his whore sister will never forgive him for... something or other, I wasn’t really paying attention. Camelot’s first, The King’s most trusted, has a debilitating fear of heights, and oh if it isn’t just hilarious to watch when he has to patrol the city walls. And then, there’s the-”

Ava rolls her mournful eyes and interrupts him:

“Your point, Em?”

Merlin laughs, fully and from the belly, but the sound doesn’t bring the gang joy like it normally does:

“My point, is that I’ve got these idiots wrapped around my finger. Mortals: the universe’s most fun toy. I haven’t even gotten to half of them yet. There’s the noble one, who thinks he holds my trust, the Druid boy, whose only redeeming feature is that he’s destined to kill the King Prat one day; believe me, if it weren’t for that I’d have killed the annoying little twerp years ago. Then there’s the King Prat’s magical sister, who is full of such terror. I play with her dreams some nights, force visions of pyres and hatred and destruction to play over and over in her mind. It’s rather amusing, watching her thrash and sweat and whimper in her sleep.-”

Arthur’s head had whipped around to Morgana when Merlin had mentioned her, but the tears streaming down her face and the way her hand was clamped tightly over her mouth stripped his anger from him. Which left him with no distraction, no way to ignore the simple fact of what was happening right now. Merlin was... not what they thought. He was powerful, he was using them. He was playing with them like puppets and pulling their strings this way and that, watching as they could do nothing but follow. Arthur didn’t know what to think, and he definitely didn’t notice the tears on his own cheeks.

Mordred was pale to the point of looking like he was about to faint and Lancelot had a deep frown on his face, tears in his eyes but not quite falling, not yet. This was... a misunderstanding. He... he knows Merlin, this is a trick, or a trap, he’ll explain later and everything will be just fine. He just has to... to trust him. Everything will be fine.

Gwaine keeps his gaze on the floor. A small part of him was feeling a little prideful that Percival liked him back, but the rest of him... had no room for anything but grief. He had suspected that Merlin had magic, but this was something else, this was... a whole new person. Did he ever really know Merlin? Did any of them? 

Elyan and Gwen sat pressed together tightly, though Gwen had one hand on Morgana’s shaking back, and her other was reaching around Elyan, gripping Leon’s shoulder tightly. Leon was just staring blankly at the scene in front of him, though anyone that knew him well enough would be able to see the tight clench of his jaw and the anger (and grief) in his eyes.

Ava interrupted Merlin’s gleeful ranting, the tears in her eyes a little more prominent as she took on a slightly more desperate tone:

“Please, Em, just... stop. They’re important, they have destinies, you can not destroy them or push them too far; this is cruel, even for you. This... you never used to be like this.”

Merlin turns around, facing away from his sister and giving the hidden group full view of his rage-filled face. His voice is quiet and clipped and angry as he asks:

“Oh?”

Another roll of thunder echoes through the clearing, closer this time, and fat droplets of rain fall harshly from the sky, mixing with the tears on everyone’s face. Ava sighs, tears overflowing as she gulps before answering, her voice shaking slightly as she takes a step towards Merlin:

“You’re meant to be the God of Magic, not Chaos. You were so... beautiful, balanced. You saw wonder in everything, every little spark of magic and every single prayer put a smile on your face. You loved humanity even more than Mother did. Now look at you, you’re tormenting them, torturing them. This isn’t you, Em, please. Help them, and things can go back to the way they were, help them and you can come home.”

The anger on Merlin’s face had only grown as she spoke, and each individual hidden in the bushes had to make a concerted effort to stop themselves from bolting. None of them had felt terror like it, and the fact that it was Merlin they were all so scared of... well, it didn’t help.

Lightening streaks across the sky and wind howls violently through the forest, calming only when Merlin shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath, straightening his back and smirking slightly before he replies, still not turning around to face his sister:

“You’re right. I loved humanity, I was desperate to see them succeed. And then they butchered me. I gave them this universe to frolic in, and in return they call me a monster, a beast, they call me evil, they make nightmares out of me. I still listen to every little prayer, and do you know what I hear? I hear my people, my wonderful little creations, my creatures of magic, begging for mercy, begging for the pain to stop. The humanity I so used to love turned on them, began to burn them, out of spite and fear and hatred. I will not show them any more grace than they have showed me, I will give them exactly what they deserve, and that blonde idiot is at the top of my list of people who have to fucking pay. I won’t destroy him entirely, because ultimately I want my creatures to stop suffering, but I will break him. I will rip him apart piece by piece for what he has done to me.-”

The absolute fury in Merlin’s words, the hatred, translates to thunder in the sky and agony in Arthur’s chest. The King can barely breathe, muffling the sobs tearing from his mouth with both hands, both terrified of being discovered, and desperate to... to let Merlin punish him for the pain he has caused.

Leon settles a shaking hand on his shoulder, but Arthur doesn’t look his way, his blurry gaze focused on Merlin, now finally turning back to his sister:

“-You know, I’m this close to getting that big blonde idiot to fall in love with me. How pathetic is that?? All it took was a few touches here, a few lingering stares there, saving his life occasionally. The man is so pathetically starved for attention I imagine he’d fall for anyone who showed him the barest amount of affection. That is how I will break him.-”

The only thing stopping Arthur from sobbing aloud is Leon collapsing behind him, pulling the young King back into his chest and wrapping a tight arm around his torso, one hand clamped over his mouth as he mutters desperate reassurances into his ear. Morgana pulls Gwen close in a similar way when the servant’s cries grow harsher, her brother burying his face in her shoulder.

Lancelot barely notices Gwaine gripping his arm hard enough to leave bruises for weeks, or Percival pushing his forehead into Lance’s shoulder blade. All he can do is sit and stare at the ground, his breathing slow but shaky, tears streaming silently down his face as he rethinks everything he’s ever known.

Mordred sits on his own, rocking back and forth rhythmically as he tightens the clutch he has around his knees. Tears drip from his young cheeks, poisoning the ground beneath him as he struggles to consider his faith. His faith in magic, in Emrys, who was meant to be balanced and beautiful and giving. Emrys, who he now knew was twisted and angry and desperate for revenge.

All of their hearts are splitting, cracking down the middle.

“-It won’t be physical pain, no, that’ll be down to the Druid boy. He doesn’t want to kill Arthur now, but he will, one day, when I give him one final push. He’ll fall so far into the darkness there’ll be nothing of him left to save, and when he plunges his sword into The Pendragon’s chest, I’ll sit back and watch with a smile on my face, and Arthur will realise that the man he loves, the man who claimed to love him in return, hated him all along. Tricked him. I will watch the life drain from his eyes, and he will spend his last few moments on this world in every kind of agony imaginable, lost in the knowledge that I wanted him to suffer, that he is being punished for his sins.”

Ava shakes her head, silver tears dripping from her emerald eyes as she stares at the floor:

“Are Sir Mordred and the Lady Morgana not your creatures? Do you not wish to save at least them?”

Merlin chuckles darkly:

“I had faith in them once, but they made their decisions. They sided with a Pendragon over me. Mother may be fond of her precious Once and Future King, but to be fair, she’s fond of anything with a pulse, and I, for one, can not wait until she’s not quite so fond of him anymore.”

Ava gulps, taking a desperate step towards her amused brother, but before she can say anything, before she can make one last plea for mercy on humanity’s behalf, Merlin tilts his head, smirking dangerously:

“Do you think they’re scared?”

She halts in her tracks, blinking in confusion, and Merlin’s smile grows into a chuckle as he gestures behind him:

“The King and all his little friends, hidden in the bushes. Do you think they’re scared?” 

The gang barely have time to look up in shock before their bodies are moving, out of their control. They stand rigidly and walk single-file out from their hiding place, coming to stand in a line at the side of the clearing. Merlin hasn’t even looked at them, but his hand floats in the air, a sickly looking yellow mist swirling around his fingers as he tilts his head at his sister, staring in horror at The King, the knights, the Lady, and the servant.

Merlin drops his hand and they all fall to their knees, not even bothering to be brave as they sob. The angry God finally turns, and the serene smile on his face is chilling as he walks towards them, coming to stand in front of Lance and Mordred first. The two of them are the calmest, though calm in the way that they don’t really look... present. They stare blankly ahead, breathing shallow and tears still falling as Merlin crouches in front of them, gripping a chin in each hand and shaking their heads roughly. His voice comes out a whisper, the frown on his face looking more disappointed than anything:

“So much faith, so much trust. It’s a little pitiful, if I’m being honest.”

They don’t react to his words and he smirks before letting them go and standing, moving on to Elyan and Gwen, gripping the knight’s shoulder and saying with mocking sympathy in his voice:

“You were right, by the way,-”

He glances at a fully sobbing Gwen with disgust:

“-she’ll never forgive you, but she’ll never tell you that. You’ll just spend the rest of your life wondering why your relationship was never the same.”

Next, he shuffles over to Gwaine, not even bothering to see the siblings’ reactions as he passes Leon and Percival with a look of disinterest on his face. He leans down in front of the knight, running a soft hand through his hair, waiting for the man to relax slightly before gripping his hair harshly and yanking back, so he has to look up at him. Merlin gives him a blindingly cruel smile:

“You're grateful that Percival is just as in love with you as you are with him, but don’t think yourself too lucky. You’re a hypocrite and a drunk, and my dear old Percy has too much self respect to put himself through that. I’d go for a good tumble in the hay and give up while you’re ahead.”

Once again, he moves back, his sister having to look away in her grief, her empathy drowning her. The God comes to stand in front of Morgana, who is desperately trying to look brave but failing miserably:

“And you. You’re meant to be The Darkness, but I couldn’t very well have you outdo me, could I? Try your hardest, I’ll still be the end of you, and I wait with baited breath for the day you fall, and the day soon after that, when I get to kill you.”

She break down in tears again at that, horrified with the idea that she might one day be on the same end of morality and cruelty as this monster in front of her.

Merlin smirks before rolling his eyes and finally coming to stand in front of Arthur. The King calms his breathing just enough to look up at a smirking Merlin, his voice cracking and barely-there as he mutters:

“Please... Merlin, please...”

The smirk drops from Merlin’s face as he brings his hand up, the sickly yellow mist back again. Arthur rises from the floor, hands clutching at his throat as the air is drawn from his lungs. Merlin steps closer to his with a snarl, his free hand gripping Arthur’s chin like a vice, though his voice eerily calm as he murmurs:

“You. You and Uther were so desperate for a scape-goat, for a villain, for a monster. And you picked magic, you picked me. So stop being so fucking pathetic, I’m just playing the part you gave me to perfection. You picked the premise, I’m writing the ending.”

Ava finally speaks up, her voice loud, despite the waver:

“Brother please, this is... this is beyond cruelty, please just stop.”

Arthur is dropped, and The King can barely find it in himself to choke for air as Merlin turns back to his sister, the amused smirk back on his face:

“Why? None of them are going to remember in the morning anyway. I’ve had my fun, this has been cathartic, but I can’t have them ruining my plans. So run along now sister, tell Mother that her precious task is being completed, I’m just taking the scenic route.” 

She shakes her head in defeat, staring at the floor. She lifts her head, opening her mouth to make one last attempt, but she closes it, realising that there’s nothing she could possibly say to persuade him to suddenly have mercy, mercy that no one had ever shown him. She gulps, letting out a deep breath before shaking her head again and turning around, walking back into the trees, the way she came.

The God looks back to his puppets, shivering in time with their knotted strings, smirking once more before he clicks his fingers and everything goes dark.

~

Arthur wakes the next morning feeling oddly refreshed and surprisingly unannoyed at his idiot manservant’s lateness. He rolls his eyes at the bright sunshine glaring through his curtains, the sun certainly a lot higher in the sky than it should be at the time The King wakes, but oh well. Merlin has been chipper lately, and the warmth that Arthur feels in his chest at the younger man’s happiness makes him more likely to forgive him his tardiness.

As if thinking of him had summoned him (wishful thinking on Arthur’s part), Merlin bursts through the doors, not bothering to knock as per usual, a breakfast-laden tray in his arms and a cheeky grin on his face. Arthur rolls his eyes again, chucking a pillow at Merlin half-heartedly as he grumbles, also half-heartedly:

“You’re late.”

Merlin chuckles, setting the tray down on the table before jogging endearingly over to Arthur’s bedside, grabbing his hand and pulling him to stand upright:

“Something tells me you don’t mind all that much, Your Pratness.”

Arthur huffs, but only to stop himself from smiling, and resolutely ignores the way Merlin’s hand is still in his. The servant squeezes his palm softly, and Arthur gulps, pulling away and walking towards his meal, hoping the food would squash the butterflies in his stomach.

He rubs the sleep from his eyes, smiling to himself softly at a whole range of things: the good night’s rest he’d had, the bright sunshine, Merlin’s good mood, the sensation of Merlin’s hand in his own, Merlin’s dazzling smile, Merlin, Merlin, Merlin...

Merlin stares at his back as he goes, noting with a dangerously satisfied smirk the red blush of his ears.

The scenic route indeed.

~

THE END!!

Oops I made myself sad. Sorry to say but I hope this makes you sad too.

This was SUPER fun to write and I’m so glad I decided to do two versions😅

Link to the Good!Merlin version (much MUCH fluffier, I promise) at the top!!

[annonymouslyblonde]

The Monster Was Mortal

Fandom: PJO/HOO

Pairing: Percy x Annabeth

Genre: hurt/comfort, fluff

Trigger warning: Descriptions of child abuse

Rating: T for language and description of child abuse

Summary: Set about two months after TLO. Instead of going back to camp or California for a long holiday weekend, Annabeth stays at the Jackson/Blofish apartment and ends up learning something new about Percy.

A scream filled the small apartment, waking Annabeth at a quarter till three in the morning. It was a scream that she knew well and still sent her heart plummeting to her toes. Percy. She snatched her knife from the bedside table, prepared to single-handedly take down whatever monster was tormenting him. The door hit the wall with a thud as Annabeth dropped into a fighting stance. But there was nothing there for her to slash at. In the dark, it took a moment for her to see Percy huddled in the corner of his room. With no monster to fight, she sheathed the dagger setting it on his desk.

"Percy," she asked, frightened by the way he stared straight through her. She dropped to her knees in front of him and tried to take grab his shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" He shouted and pushed her hand away, curling further into his corner. "Don't hurt me."

Annabeth recoiled, hurt and scared. Why would he think she'd hurt him? She was at a loss for what to do. Sally quietly came into the room having also been woken up with the screaming. Waking up to her son's nightmares was unfortunately not a new occurrence. Annabeth slid back to sit against his bed giving Sally space. Numb, she watched the woman gently cradle Percy's face turning his gaze toward her. The vacant look in his eyes made Annabeth queasy.

“Sweetheart,” Sally gently called as if she were speaking to a cornered animal. “You're okay. He isn't here anymore. He's gone and he'll never hurt you again. We won't hurt you okay? Annabeth isn't going to hurt you.”

“Annabeth?” he asked finally seeing her clearly. She sank to her knees beside Sally and reached a hand out hoping he didn't smack it away this time. He clutched her to him, shaking and crying.

Annabeth thought it must have been a quest vision, a bad one, but Sally knew the differences in her son's nightmares. After a light kiss to the top of his head, she stepped out of the room knowing the conversation the pair needed to have. Percy told her weeks ago of his intention to tell Annabeth about Gabe one day, but the relationship was still new despite all the things they had faced together, despite knowing each other for four years. He was still a little afraid and embarrassed by what happened to him no matter how many times Sally assured him it wasn't his fault. It broke her heart her baby had to do this at all.

His sobs slowed to sniffles against her shoulder. Realizing he must have woken up half the building, his cheeks flushed.

“I'm sorry I woke you up,” he mumbled, trying to pull away. Her fingers laced through his dark hair in a soothing gesture, keeping him close to her.

“No, Percy, you don't have to apologize. But why did you think I'd hurt you?” She tried to keep her voice even, but the pain and desperation still seeped in. “I would never hurt you, not on purpose. You know that right?”

Percy of course did know that. There were plenty of bruises and scrapes from sparing practice, but neither would ever intentionally inflict pain on the other. His grip tightened around the fabric of her shirt, painfully aware there would be no walking this back.

“It wasn't you I thought would hurt me.” Silence permeated the space as the couple clung to each other. After another calming breath, he admitted “I thought Gabe was still here.”

“Gabe? Smelly Gabe?” she asked not understanding why Percy would have a nightmare about him. He nodded mutely against her collar.

Suddenly, Annabeth realized she didn't know much about his former stepfather. She knew the nickname Smelly Gabe and that he was no longer in the picture, but nothing more. Her mind was turning, processing the information that Percy was afraid, deathly afraid of this man.

“You thought that Gabe was here and gonna hurt you.” It came out as a statement instead of a question. The pieces all clicked together in Annabeth's mind. Her sweet, kind, wonderful Percy had been abused as a child.

“He used to hit me.” He confirmed needing to finally tell someone. For years, he tried masking the trauma through sarcasm and jokes. Letting Annabeth see this side would be a big step, one he didn't know how she'd react to. The carefully crafted persona he had hidden behind for years would never fit again around her.

“A lot,” he continued. “If something didn't go his way it was my fault somehow. He lost his poker game or get fired from a job. So he'd take his anger out on me. With his fists or a belt. Sometimes beer bottles.”

Annabeth's vision blurred into swirls of red. Blood red. Gabe's vile red blood spilled for even touching her boyfriend. She had heard of the metaphor of seeing red but had never experienced that type of all-consuming rage before. Her whole body tensed looking for the threat, ready to cut it down. Instead, she clutched Percy closer assuring herself that he was safe in her arms. She would make sure he was safe.

“My nightmare was about him. He came back and had me down on the ground kicking me. And suddenly it was like I was six again and couldn't do anything but try and protect my head.”

Bile rose in her throat as she clinched the back of his shirt trying to control her rage. Six. Percy remembered being kicked by a full-grown man at six years old. Annabeth had faced a lot of monsters in her sixteen years, but nothing as vile as this despicable mortal. If he was willing to kick a six-year-old, she couldn't bear to speculate what he may have done to Percy as he got older and more willful. She wasn't sure if mortals could end up in Tartarus, but she prayed to Hades this one did.

“It's kinda funny,” he laughed slightly manic against her neck. Annabeth couldn't see anything funny relating to this situation, but she didn't interrupt choosing instead to place an encouraging kiss on his temple. “I can't even remember which monsters gave me what scars, but I remember every mark Gabe ever gave me.”

She wanted to scream and lash out at whoever let this happen to him but instead decided to redirect the anger into comfort. Subconsciously, her fingers found a scar that ran the length of his bicep, gently tracing the puckered skin.

“Monster,” he murmured, and she knew this would be how she could get him to open up and tell her the details.

“He's a monster too,” she insisted. The beast of a man was more monster than the ones they fought with celestial bronze in her opinion. Monsters were born to hunt and kill demigods. This man chose violence and pain.

“Fine, Greek,” he conceded too tired to argue, especially not when he agreed.

She nodded approving of the term. Her fingers drifted down to a cluster of small circular marks on his forearm. The muscle stiffened under her touch, but he told her how the scars came to be.

“Cigarette,” he said, confirming her suspicions. “I didn't dump his ashtray the night before so he said I'd be his new ash tray.”

“How old were you?” As soon as she asked, Annabeth wished she hadn't. It didn't matter how old he was. Putting a lit cigarette out on someone of any age was horrendous.

“Four,” he whispered, burying his face into her shoulder. She very well almost stopped there unsure if she was strong enough to hear this. But then Percy shuddered and fisted the fabric at her back. He needed her then, and she wouldn't back down. He needed to unburden himself, and he was choosing to confide in her. So she continued, her fingers dancing across his skin until she came to a scar. They spent an hour like that until all the visible scars were cataloged.

Her hand trailed timidly down to the hem of his shirt. She had seen scars on his back and chest before at camp, chalking it up to monster attacks, but now she questioned everything she knew. When he gave her the smallest nod pressing his head down into her shoulder, she slid her hands under his shirt. At first, she simply pressed her palms to his Achilles heel hoping to lend some strength and comfort. After a long moment, his grip on her shirt lessened, and she continued her search across his back.

As he opened up at each gentle touch, the flood gate widened, rushing to purge his soul of the poison he had bottled up for years. Just as she thought there wasn't room for any more scars, he guided her hand back to a set of slash marks across his ribs that she had missed, where the broken edges of a beer bottle had cut into the skin.

Once the last scar was accounted for, they continued sitting on the floor of his room wrapped in each other's embrace. Her hands lay clasped at the small of his back as he continued telling her about the abuse, about the incidents that didn't leave a visible mark on him. He told her about the time Gabe knocked him unconscious after tossing him too hard into a wall. And the time the man broke his nose by throwing a book Percy had left on the kitchen table before a poker night. The words flowed from his lips like a spring rushing to leave as quickly as possible. Stories he had long forgotten came to the surface, ones he hadn't even told his mom about. The way her fingers gently kneaded into his lower back and the frequent kisses she pressed into his hair comforted him in a way he hadn't felt before. Once he finished telling her about what he knew Gabe would do to him for wrecking his car, Percy didn't quite know what else to say.

“Annabeth,” he asked, quiet and meek. The brokenness of his voice pierced her heart. “Please. Say something,” he begged.

“I'm gonna murder him,” Annabeth confessed with the confidence of a girl who had stared down Titans and won. “I'm gonna kill him for ever laying a hand on you.”

“You aren't ashamed of me? Hero of Olympus and I let some mortal bast-”

Her lips fell on his silencing him. He clutched her to him, kissing her with a desperation he hadn't felt since Silena had called telling him to bring a healer for her during the Titan War. His hand gripped her pulling her tightly against him and pressing into her own lower back, the same spot as his Achilles heel. The warmth of his hand against her exposed skin was the most comforting gesture she'd ever experienced making her wonder if that was the feeling she gave him every time her hand touched his back. Slowly, she backed out of the kiss stroking his cheek, her intense gaze penetrating his soul.

“You didn’t let him do anything. You were a kid, Percy. He was an adult, a parent figure in your life, someone you should have been able to trust and feel safe with. And, gods, you were just a kid. My stepmother never liked me, but I never felt unsafe with her. I can't even imagine.”

She pulled Percy back to her, clinging to him. Someone had hurt her precious seaweed brain when he was defenseless, and it made her sick that she hadn't been able to protect him. Anger couldn't quite cover the feeling boiling in her blood. Nine years of combat training and she wanted nothing more than to use every bit of it on this scum.

“I know you have questions,” he sighed reluctantly pulling away to look at her. Her face was flushed from anger, and tears swelled in her eyes. He hated being the one to put that look of mixed concern and anger on her beautiful face. “It's okay. I owe you answers.”

For once, and she would never admit it aloud, Annabeth wasn't sure she wanted answers. Her mouth worked up and down, searching for questions that wouldn't come.

“You don't owe me anything. You don't have to say anything you don't want to.”

“I want to,” he assured her, taking her hands in his. “I mean, I want you to ask whatever you want to know.”

“Why did you never tell me?” she whispered, asking the question that hurt the most. It wasn't that she thought he owed her anything, but after opening up to him, to only him, about her own family life, it stung to think he hadn't trusted her with this. As soon as she thought it, she swallowed the idea guiltily. It was selfish to think she was entitled to know that part of him just because she had opened up to him about her own trauma. She did think now, however, he would have been comfortable enough with her to tell her.

“How do you even start a conversation like that? 'Hey Annabeth, it's been a month since I survived my death date, wanna hear about my bastard ex-stepfather that used to beat the shit out of me? I think it's a good second date conversation.' Doesn't exactly pair well with dinner and movie, does it?”

“Percy-”

“I know,” he sighed wearily giving her hands an apologetic squeeze. “I know. I should have- I just. I never knew how. I almost told you in the zoo truck but then we stopped by the time I got the courage. And when I got back again, well he was gone. It was over. I wasn't trying to keep it from you, I swear. It just never came up until now.”

Another thought, a worry, suddenly made her stomach drop. She dropped one of his hands to traced his cheek.

“When I've punched you or teased, I wasn't. I mean I hope I didn't-”

“Annabeth I know you were just messing with me. I never took it as anything but that, promise. So don't you dare stop calling me Seaweed Brain now, Wise Girl.” He gave her a smile that melted her worries. Of course, he would be trying to make her feel better in a time like this.

“Well, in that case, Seaweed brain, we should probably get off the floor,” she suggested.

Until she mentioned it, Percy hadn't registered they had been sitting on the floor of his room the entire time. Somehow, it felt like an appropriate place for the early morning confession, oddly intimate and undisturbed. But, his back didn't necessarily agree, stiff from sitting cross-legged on the floor for however long had passed. And if he was stiff even in his invincible skin, he knew it must be worse for Annabeth.

She slowly pushed herself up before offering a hand to him pulling him up with her. After urging him into his bed, she crawled in beside him and pulled him back into her arms, not quite ready to let go. Her fingers raked through his smooth locks almost habitually. It truly amazed her how easily things came with Percy. The repetitive motion satisfied her ADHD enough to let her mind kick into overdrive and process the last few hours.

Percy had been through more than she could even imagine, more than ever should have been asked of him. Being the key component in a Titan war couldn't be enough for the Fates. Suffering through four years of non-stop quests wasn't bad enough. Her sweet, caring boyfriend had to go through such a harsh mortal childhood to add to the already crushing pressures of being a demigod. Suddenly, her fingers stilled as another question came unbarring to mind. He called her name, nervous at how suddenly she tensed.

The girl spared a nervous glance to the hall before asking, “Did your mom know?”

“I think she suspected a time or two, but I never told her. Gabe said he'd kill her if I ever told anyone. I wasn't taking that chance.”

“I don't understand why she would let him stay if she even thought he might be hurting you,” she murmured, glancing nervously again toward the door.

Nothing about it made sense. Annabeth loved Sally, even wishing to have her as a mother or stepmother instead, and she knew the woman adored her son. Allowing Gabe to stay when he was hurting her son was something Annabeth couldn't rationalize with the Sally that made cookies whenever she came by and fussed over them both after every quest.

“She was protecting me from monsters,” Percy quietly explained. “Gabe, his smell-”

“Repelled monsters. It hid your scent,” she finished for him. “I've read about that. Some mortals are so monstrous themselves, their scent can actually repel monsters. That's how you stayed hidden for so long even as a big three kid.” The confused anger morphed into marvel at Sally's brilliance, protecting her son how she could. Even as terrible as it was, the abuse was likely the only thing that kept Percy alive all those years.

“He would hit her too,” he said in defense of his mom. “Broke her wrist once that I know of not that she'd tell me it was him. I only know of a few times, but I'm sure she got it worse since she had to always be here with him. I tried to get him to stop, but there wasn't much I could do when I was at boarding school. And once I knew I was a half-blood, knew how to defend myself. Well, she turned him into stone. Remember Medusa's head? Dad apparently returned to sender. ”

Suddenly Annabeth had a deeper appreciation for her boyfriend's mother. She always knew the woman was strong, but this was a different level of strength. Annabeth hoped one day to be half the woman Sally Jackson was.

As his breathing evened out, she pressed a kiss to his head and tried to detangled herself to go back to bed. As she slid her legs over the side of the bed, his arms wrapped around her painfully tight pulling her back.

“Stay with me” he whispered timidly. She hesitated though.

“Percy that was your mom's only rule for me,” she protested, but the sad, broken look undid her completely. And it would be well worth the lecture just for that bright smile he flashed her when she told him to move over. His head nestled into the hollow of her shoulder as she continued stroking his dark hair. He was asleep in no time with his arms wrapped around Annabeth securing him to this better time.

And when Sally found Annabeth curled protectively around her son the next morning, she didn't have the heart to scold them at breakfast for breaking her single house rule. After the events of the previous night, she was glad Percy had found someone so fiercely protective as his girlfriend. She didn't have to worry about her baby boy when Annabeth had his back.

Now, of course, that didn't stop Sally from teasing the pair when they emerged from his room later that morning holding hands.

A/N: So this story has two pieces of art that helped inspire parts of it, one by WindByFire and the other by burgy so shout out to them for producing such amazing art!

If you'd like to see the pieces, they are posted on my IG by the same username (mainly because I am new on tumblr and don't know how to properly post and credit art here yet). Definitely go check out all of their artwork!

[themrsackerman]

A Little Fall of Rain

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x Reader

Warning: Angst, violence, blood, death

You love him. It was all you needed to know.

It didn’t matter that he doesn’t feel the same way or that he ignores your gestures to show him how much you care. You were just grateful that he doesn’t bluntly shuts you down. Levi always thought it was just a silly childish infatuation, that you would soon grow out of it like most of his cadets ever did. You thought so too at first. But the more time you spend around him, the more reasons you find to fall inevitably deeper in love with the man.

Outside the stoic demeanor of the man hailed the Humanity’s Strongest soldier, he was actually a caring person. He has his own way of showing it. Its not entirely obvious most of the time, but if you look closely, if you get past the brash scolding and intimidating gazes, you will see how much he actually does care. Specially those under his squad.

You worked your ass off to improve in order to get in his squad. Driven by your admiration for the corporal and with Hange and Mike’s help, you were quick to master the combat and titan slaying. You gained rank over time and was soon able to fight along side Levi.

The captain himself would be lying if he say you did not impress him, because you do. You started out from this weak, clumsy recruit to someone Erwin handpicked to watch Levi’s back in most missions.By now, you had been with him to countless missions and one of the handful he trusts with his life.

You swallow hard and took one last look around you before the walls’ gate finally opens. Memorizing the faces of your companions and giving stiff nods of encouragement to those who meet your gaze. Expeditions always had your stomach turning no matter how many times you have gone out. Each time, fewer familiar face return; each time you lose someone you have come to know and love. 

You idly wonder when will this nightmare end, if this will ever end. You thought of the journey ahead and wonder if you’ll be able to come back to this confinement you call home. Commander Erwin stressed how important and dangerous this mission will be and you feel that in your bones now seeing the usual stoic face of your corporal so intense. Levi meets your gaze and he jerks his head to the side, signaling you to take you place beside him in the formation as the gates open fully. The grip you had on the lead rope tightens, turning your knuckles white as you urge your horse to move forward.

You have one mission. This is what you’ve trained for and this is the only way you can express your unconditional love for him. Protect him, at all cost.

It all went downhill so fast..

All around you, your comrades fell. Your ears were ringing, muffling the sounds of battle cries, anguished screaming and the world crumbling around you. Hot thick blood runs past your eye from a cut on your forehead which you wiped haphazardly as you push yourself off of the ground. You pushed a big breath into your lungs in effort to calm your racing heart, looking around wildly trying to locate the only person you could fathom to think of right now. 

“Captain Levi.” you mutter breathlessly, your stumbling turning into sprints to run after the man slaying titans left and right. The beast had titans swarm Levi and adrenaline rushes through you.You winced in pain, feeling parts of you that is surely either bruised or wounded. But you continue forward, grabbing a horse and racing forward to take your place behind your corporal.

“Watch out!!” you yell out of sheer panic, your own body moving to its own accord as you aim your odm gear on the nearest titan, abandoning your horse in order to get to Levi as fast as you could. Amidst the horde of titans commanded by the Beast titan, you lurch forward to slice of the grasping hand of titan threatening to capture the captain.

Levi couldn’t help but turn to look at the shrill of your voice, alerting him of the imminent danger he wasn’t able to foresee. It all happened so fast. One minute you were yards away from him, the next you were saving him from being grabbed and crushed by the titan chasing after him. Levi scowls, he’s being too careless, too blinded by his rage.

“Go Captain!" you assure him and gestured for him to keep going. Levi gave you a quick grateful nod and surges forward. You tried your best to keep up with him, eyes darting all around to make sure Levi makes it to the Beast titan and finally take down the bastard. You see and hear your comrades fall all around you, tears of rage and sorrow fills your eyes as you continue to forward.

Got to focus.

Got to watch his back.

Keep him safe no matter what.

Protect him at all cost.

At all cost.

Trailing him and taking down each titan he missed, you realize his gear is running out of gas. “Captain!” you yell, trying to get his attention. “Stop! You’re running out of gas!” You grunt as you try to keep up with him so that you’ll be able to catch him once he does run empty. Levi was too engrossed by rage, chasing after the beast that wiped out his fellow soldiers. “I promised him!” Levi screams, jaw clenching tight as he continues forward.

You see the last of the steam come out of his gear as Levi killed the last titan and your eyes widened. He’ll fall into the titan’s hands in front of him if you don’t do anything. So you put everything you have and thankfully reached Levi in just a nick of time. You wrap your arms around his torso and shielded him with your body as you both fall to the ground having no titan or trees around for your odm gear to latch on.

“NO!” Levi yells as he rolls to the ground after you caught him, glaring at the titan carrying the beast titan further away. The ground shakes underneath him as his fist slams down out of frustration. Levi’s eyes widened as he hears you coughing, realizing your presence. 

“Y/n?” he mutters, turning around only to find you lying on the ground.

“No, Y/n.” Levi shakes his head, rushing to your side. “It’s okay.” you say weakly, making an effort to smile up at him. Levi’s blood ran cold. This smile was different. It was unlike the warm ones you usually gave him. Your lips tremble as your breathing becomes shallow. And then you felt it. Warmth, spreading right below your ribcage.  

Blood trickles down from right below your left rib, soaking your uniform. Both you and Levi looked at your wound and saw the huge gash start to drench the lower half of your body with your own blood. You frowned as you placed a hand over the gash, feeling disappointed and ashamed. “I’m sorry, Captain.” you say, voice dropping to a whisper as you feel your strength slip.

“Shit.” Levi mutters breathlessly as he lifts your body from the ground. “Cadet, look at me.” he commands, holding you against his body as he inspects your wound closely.

Is this how I go out? Am I dying? You thought as you look up the blue sky above you. You grin, comforting yourself, I kept him safe, at least. And I get to die in his arms.

“Y/n!” Levi calls, giving your cheek gentle shakes until your eyes met his. Your eyes and mind were drifting off. All you know at the moment is that Levi is holding you in his arms and his beautiful face just inches away from yours. A bittersweet smile stretches your lips. You’ve always wanted this. And even if you only get to have it with the last few remaining breaths you have, you wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

You winced when you feel him press his hand against the wound, trying desperately to stop the bleeding. “Fuck, hold on.” he mutters, ripping his cloak off of his shoulders and pressing it over your wound. Levi then curses to himself as he checks your gear and realized you no longer have gas too.  He looks around wildly, where are his comrades? Have they all fallen too?

Levi inhales deeply and held you in a better position. “You’re going to be fine.” he says, but more to himself than to you. “Y/L/N, hey, look at me. You’ll be okay. Just hold on, Hange’s right on our tail they should be here soon.”

You watch his green cloak turn to an odd shade as your blood seeps through it. You sigh and smiled up at him, patting his trembling hand that he holds over your wound. You’ve worked in the infirmary long enough to know that this isn’t the type of wound you can just patch up. And as much as you’d refuse to believe, you doubt anyone else is coming to your rescue right now. You gave him an apologetic smile. “It’s okay, Captain. Don’t worry.” you say weakly and Levi felt his heart clench.

No, please. Not her too. He thinks idly, guilt and regret coursing thick in his veins. “It will be. Just hold on, I’ll look for-” he started to move but you grip his wrist with all the strength you have left and shake your head. “Just,” you swallow hard and search his bluish gray orbs, pleading “Can you just p-please, stay? With me? Until I-” you start to stammer, tears starting fill your eyes. “You and I both know I can't walk this out, Captain.” you say, smiling sadly.

Levi freezes as reality hits him. His usual stoic expression melting as he holds your face, nodding. “I won’t leave you.” he assures you and he felt his heart break at the way this mere statement lit up your entire face. Your smile is still as warm and beautiful even at the circumstance you’re currently in. The fact that this might be the last time he sees this makes his stomach turn. He tucks the loose strands of your hair behind your ear, murmuring “I promise.” His voice cracking in the slightest.

“Thank you, Captain. And I’m sorry I failed you.” your brows furrow. Levi shakes his head vehemently, a dry laugh escaping his lips. “No way in hell, Y/n. You saved me countless times. I’m still standing because of you.” His brows furrow as he feels your breath get more shallow and saw the blood that had pooled beneath you.

“If there’s anyone here who failed, it was me. I failed to protect you.” Levi leans down and planted a chaste kiss on your forehead. “I’m sorry.” he whispers.

Your eyes drift close, you feel so tired. “I’d do it all over again for you.“ you say, voice barely above a whisper. You looked up at him and finally, you confessed.

“I love you, Captain Levi.”

Levi felt the air got knocked out off of him, realizing that deep down, in some sort of way, he does love you too. Maybe not in the same way as you do, but enough to feel his usually unfeeling heart tear in his chest. He loves you and he’s going to lose you. Just like he lost his Mom, Farlan and Isabella.

Levi sighs, forcing out a small smile as he held your face. He then leans in and gave you a kiss. Are you just dreaming this? You blinked and placed a hand against his cheek. It feels so real. You smile against his lips and tried to kiss him back. Levi’s face crumple in sorrow but he kept kissing you, tasting your salty tears. Or maybe they were his, tears of regret he swore he will never feel again but he does now.

As Levi pulls away, he wipes your tear-stained cheeks then kisses your nose and your forehead. “I know you do. And there is no one else who could have loved me the way that you did.” he says, leaning his forehead against yours. You smile and gave in, letting your eyes fall close again. Your body no longer feel heavy. You felt afloat. Like you’re in a dream. You feel his soft breaths tickle your cheek and his familiar scent brought you peace.

If this is a dream, yeah, you wouldn’t mind not waking up.

“If there is a life after this one, I'll make sure to find you. And find some sort of way to make it up to you.” he says sincerely, wiping the tears that escaped your closed eyes.

“I’d like that.” you whisper. Levi waits for you to open your eyes again, holding his own breath as he listens to yours.

But he didn’t get to see those e/c orbs again.

Levi watches your smile fade as he feels your hand falls limp against his hold. His heart shatters to pieces feeling that you’re truly no longer there anymore. Levi touches your face one last time, and sent you off with a last kiss on the forehead. Promising himself to make sure your sacrifice was not for naught as he reclaims his sword from the ground.

[p-artsypants]

P-Artsypants Fic Masterpost!

This information is always available on my blog. 

Find most, if not more, of these fics on:

Fanfiction.net | Archive of Our Own | Wattpad

(~AU’s, *Finished, ❤️Author’s Favorites)

Kingdom Hearts

~❤️Rage Awakened AO3 | FF.net- Ten years ago, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus lost their fellow apprentice, Sora, in Deep Jungle. Now, they are to return with two new students, Riku and Kairi, to lock the heart of the world. All the while, something watches from the trees. Feral!Sora AU

My Kingdom for a Heart AO3 | FF.Net - The curse of being one of the Princesses of heart, is that there’s always someone out to get you. As Xemnas looked failure in the face, he reached out in a last ditch effort and destroyed Kairi’s heart. Now her friends must travel the worlds again. Sora, to find a way to recover Kairi’s heart, and Riku, to make amends to those he has wronged. All the while, the darkness grows. [Unfinished, on permanent hiatus]

Miraculous Ladybug

One Shots

*❤️Amalgam- When an young man is rejected for being ‘incompatible’ he turns into the akuma ‘Amalgam’ able to fuse two people together. And later Adrien and Marinette would debate if it was lucky or unlucky that they got hit. (Also Available in Russian)

*Sing We All Noel- After receiving the worst Christmas present ever from his father, Chat Noir finds himself out on the streets with nowhere to go on Christmas Eve. Thankfully, Ladybug finds him and brings him home.

*Speechless- In a world where everyone has a soulmark, the first words their soulmate will say to them, Marinette is born without one. But Adrien Agreste has two. Curious, considering he’s mute.

*❤️Tunnels of Love- The night started out with an accidental kiss from Adrien Agreste, and ended with her bleeding in the Catacombs of Paris. Ladybug, the wielder of the miraculous of good luck. Yeah right. (Some blood)

*The Reveal That Wasn’t- First Parts My ending to kittybug’s Tumblr Prompt

*What A Mess We’re In- Ladybug has a lot on her mind, and when Chat Noir bugs her enough, she tells him she’s going to confess to her Crush, Adrien Agreste. Chat’s reaction is not what she’s expecting.

*Oblivi-oh no! - A retelling of Oblivio, except Ladybug is the only one to lose her memory. How will Chat deal?

*Bad Day (3 chapters) - Marinette was Ladybug! This was Adrien’s luckiest day ever! Except it wasn’t, because all his good luck was used up in one go. Turns out this might be the worst day of his life.

*One Win, So Many Losses- Marinette was forced to break up with Adrien. It had been a low blow from Gabriel, to be sure. But she was Ladybug. She’d find a solution…right? An alternate ending to Chat Blanc, where Adrien doesn’t Cataclysm the akuma.

*❤️Five Minutes- Gabriel has had enough of all these girls fighting over Adrien. He decides it’s high time Adrien picks one, and arranges the perfect opportunity for him to do so. Each candidate has five minutes to present why they’d be a good girlfriend. Marinette decides to take this opportunity to shoot her shot.

~*Panache- Every eligible maiden was invited to the Prince’s ball. That included Marinette, scullery maid in her own household. But her stepsisters destroyed her dress, and she can’t go to the ball in rags. Or can she? (Cinderella!AU)

*Perfect, No Matter What-In which Gabriel sets the bar even lower for himself, a reveal happens because of pain medication, and the new guardian actually goes to Chloé for advice.

*Crushed- Stuck under a collapsed building together, Chat Noir and Marinette have a heart to heart.

*Lovelace- Convinced that he's unlovable, Adrien is quickly thrown for a loop when Marinette confesses her love for him out of the blue. An akumatization and reveal later, he changes his mind about being unlovable.

Long Fics

*❤️Longest Night- (FF.net | Ao3) - The day started out sucky to begin with. Her crush ousted to the class and Adrien. Lila taking pride in exacting her revenge. But by the time patrol was over, a young man was dead, and Ladybug’s identity was at risk. Lila was the least of her concerns. Good thing Adrien was taking it all like a champ. (Rated M for scenes of torture)

*❤️Nine Lives- (FF.net) When Adrien Agreste is scheduled to go to a Military School in Germany, Chat Noir must make a critical decision. Does he give up his Miraculous? Or does he give up his life as Adrien? I’ll save you the trouble of guessing, he gives up being Adrien.

*Tender Words- When Marinette finally gets the guts to confess her feelings for Adrien, some things go so wrong, and other things go so right.

*Integrity- Overwhelmed with her responsibilities, guilt, and drama, Marinette has an emotional breakdown in front of everyone, and even hands over her earrings in a moment of weakness. Only for a few seconds, but the damage was done. Adrien’s pretty quick on the uptake like that.

~Much Obliged- Everyone deals with grief differently. Some take to drinking, others devote themselves to charity. Adrien Agreste? Well, he became a cowboy. Marinette Dupain-Cheng is a witch, one of very few in the world. She knows what it’s like to be doubted, and assumed delusional. Maybe that’s why they got along so well. Or maybe it’s just because they both like big hats. AU where everything is the same, except instead of superheroes, Adrien is a Cowboy and Marinette is a witch. (Unfinished) (Based on a AU by @bugaboo-n-bananoir)

*I’ll Handle This- “I’ll solve all your problems,” Plagg had said. “You just have to agree to it.” A fixed relationship with his father, Lila to stop bothering him, and Ladybug to fall in love with him? Who wouldn’t agree to that? Except Plagg was the God of Destruction and Chaos and had a more…hands-on approach. Adrien just wants his body back. (Body swap fic)

The Ghost of Smokey Joe- Adrien Agreste was acting bizarre. Stilted body language, plastic smile, and he seemed to have forgotten how close they were. Before she can get the truth out of him, Marinette finds herself as the sole heir to the Gabriel brand and the mansion, following the murder-suicide of both Adrien and Gabriel Agreste. The mystery continues as Tikki explains that Adrien was Chat Noir...but if Adrien is six feet under, why is Chat Noir still running around?

How To Train Your Dragon

One Shots

The Vikings Have Their Tea (FF.Net | AO3)

Arranged Marriage- Takes place at the beginning of HTTYD

❤️Breathe- Survival of the fittest

~Childhood Friends- At the Sandbox

❤️Easy Fix- In which Hiccup has a bad day

~Fashion Designer- Astrid needs a fill in

❤️Frozen- In Which Astrid takes a Dip and things get frisky (Rated M)

❤️Headache- In Which Hiccup hits his head….really hard

❤️Heir- In Which Hiccup is Picked (Longer version by FateCharms)

Illness- In Which Stoick is a dad

~Illusionist- Trick gone wrong

~In the Walls- In which there’s a poop ghost

~Knocking On The Wrong Door (2) - A chance encounter

❤️Messages- Astrid is Frustrated with Hiccup’s obliviousness

~To Mirkwood- Hiccup is not a dwarf

~Monster Falls- Hiccup and Astrid take a dip

❤️Mute- In which there’s a quiet stranger

~Music Video (ImgHS)- He didn’t expect it

❤️Operation: Lovebirds- In Which the gang makes a plan, and Hiccup gets Drunk

~Over- Too many nightmares

~Partners in Crime- A normal day at work

~Pirate- Astrid is the greatest treasure

~Prince- He doesn’t want to be a broken King

❤️Sorting Things Out- In Which Astrid gets her ducks in a row

~The Dragon and The Dame- Beauty and the Beast Au

The Pit- In Which Hiccup is rescued

Hide and Seek- Part 1

Lost and Found- Part 2

Long fics:

*❤️Infernal Responsibility- Being the son of the chief takes brains, courage, and a lot of patience. But at his father’s the request for marriage, Hiccup decides he has had enough. When he seeks out a life of ease, he runs into more than what he bargained for.

*❤️Roses and Lilies- “Astrid, you and I both know you’re much tougher than I am. You’re more brave, and a better fighter…but just for a little while…could we pretend that I’m the one protecting you?” “Oh gods yes!” (Also Available in Spanish!)

*~What the Water Gave Me- The sea is a wild and dangerous thing, something that cannot be foretold or predicted. Hiccup discovered this many years ago, in human naiveté. Yet, what was meant as a sacrifice became a new life, one like no one could comprehend. He now finds himself once more in the unknowing hands of those that sentenced him to death. He only prays things will be different this time. Merman!AU

*Parasite- Soulsnatcher Dragons are rare but deadly. But, As Hiccup finds out, it’s the eggs you have to watch out for.

*~320 State Street- Gobber’s Goods. A Hardware Store that was rumored to have everything you needed. She thought she only needed a job. Turns out, she needed a lot more than that. (A Modern AU no one asked for)

*~❤️The North Tower- When Finn Hofferson died, Astrid inherited his castle in Wales…and a whole lot more. Something sinister lurks in the North Tower.

*~❤️Boy Toy- AO3 - At the age of 21, Princess Astrid lawfully has to pick a husband. But when the perfect groom is nowhere to be found, she requests the toymaker to create one for her. It’s safe to say that everyone in the kingdom is a little concerned. (Pinocchio!AU I guess?)

No, You Go First- AO3 - The Chief of Berk was a headstrong viking, stubborn and full of pride, and willing to do whatever it takes to keep his village safe. But for a moment, he puts that aside, and listens to his son. In which Hiccup convinces his dad not to make him go through Dragon Training, and the subsequent changes that follow.

*In Due Time- AO3 - As another illness sweeps through Berk, Gothi needs another ingredient for her medicine…one that doesn’t exist anymore. Fortunately, she kept that old spell book around for such an occasion. Big Hiccup is sent to five years into the past, and his younger self sent to take his place in the future. But it’s only a few days, what could go wrong?

Trollhunters: Tales from Arcadia

❤️Arcadia or Bust- In Which Arcadia welcomes back it’s underground citizens.

Teen Titans

Oneshots:

~Big Brother- Don’t turn out the light (Horror)

Dear Jason- Bruce Writes a letter

Just Drawing- Bruce thinks about Robin

The Prisoner- Starfire is Guilty

Of Mustard and Three Foot Purple Tongues- A collection of Oneshots and Drabbles

Long Fics (*Finished):

*~❤️Carol of the Bells- High in the dark Bell Tower of Notre Dame, there lives a mysterious bell ringer. Legend tells of the angel who fell from the sky, and the curse she bares. There are few who know her true identity though; her master, the priest, and the acrobat that performs on the streets below. Based loosely on ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ RobxStar and slight BBxRae

*No Escape- Three years ago, Starfire escaped an Alien race called the Gordanians, to arrive on Earth. They’re back, and ready to put Starfire back where she belongs, behind reinforced Titanium bars. Robin’s not about to let her go…if only he hadn’t got captured first. How does it feel to be the alien, Robin?

*Now you Know My Pain- When the new Villain, Gender Bender, comes to down, the Titans find themselves in an odd situation. They’ve been turned into the opposite gender against their will! Now in order to change back, they must learn to understand the gender they’ve turned into. Rated T for obvious reasons. A great read if you’ve ever wondered why girls or guys do [blank].

*Paint it Black- Robin disappeared three months ago. Now, Jump City’s crime rate is mysteriously being taken care of by a normal, albeit strange, teenage boy who goes by the name Black. As the Titans befriend this lunatic, they begin to see a relation between him and their missing leader. Will they be able to find Robin, or will Black turn them all insane as himself? Actually, contains NO OC.

*Saving Grace- “When I’m done with you, you won’t be able to walk upright or speak coherent sentences and all you’ll see is my mask and my voice repeating in your head…Weak. Richard Grayson, I am not tough, I am everything that you fear.” Happy Ending! Smudge of RobStar. NO Slash!

Other Fandoms

Final Fantasy XV

❤️Requiem for Pitioss-“O King. The god’s have heard your cries. Know that we weep with you. The Oracle’s calling has not yet been fulfilled. But…Lunafreya as you know her cannot return the way she was.” Noctis looked up, hopeful. “But she can return!” Canon divergence from Chapter 9. Happy ending. Some spoilers.

Final Fantasy X

I Do…I Guess? - “I would…like to ask you something.” “Shoot.” “Well…if it’s not too much…I’d like to ask you…to marry me.” Knowing what’s to come during her pilgrimage, Yuna asks Tidus to marry her, strictly for convenience and having an official next of kin, of course. Starts after Luca and how this decision would affect the rest of the story.

Beauty and the Beast

*❤️Behold the Beast- A Oneshot alternate ending to the Animated Film

Cinderella

*❤️Midnight- “When the clock strikes twelve, the spell will be broken,” the fairy godmother had warned. A retelling of the story, when Cinderella doesn’t escape the ball in time. Oneshot

*So This is Love- What if Jaq and Gus hadn’t made it in time to help Cinderella? A new twist on the ending of the classic Fairytale, and what lies beyond the story. She still gets her happy ending and her Prince, and her step family gets their just deserts.

Sleeping Beauty

*❤️A Love Song Back To Me- Maleficent saw the loophole that stared her in the face. Prince Phillip would break the curse in time, for sure. After all, he was betrothed to Aurora. So in an effort for her evil plan to stay in action, Maleficent takes care of the young prince herself. Phillip never imagined having to live off the land like the birds above. Alternate twist on the classic Disney tale.

Escaflowne

Down Feathers- Hitomi’s depressed. She’s been away from Van too long, he comes back to visit her…but what if something went wrong with the transfer? (Not finished. Never will be finished. Mwahaha) Circa 2012

*Angel’s Wounds- Fanelia’s been victorious in their most recent battle with Basrum. Unfortunately, someone is wounded and just seeks solace in his love that lives so far away. Post Anime.

Momma Look Sharp- With the war between Fanelia and Basrum finally coming to a close, the kingdom is celebrating. The young king, however, is suffering from an experience unlike any he had before. Van finally seeks solace in his wife.

[blackicephantom]

The black dragon and the coward CH. 9

I’ll just leave this here. Please excuse me. *running for cover*

tagged: @patolemus ; @runestarchild

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Still thinking about what he was told Tsuna sipped from his cup. The tea was still warm and soothed his nerves. Everything until now was before they took away his flames, before the coldness settled in his bones. It was about the very first time he met the others. Which means that there’s still something that’s missing. “Chief, everything you told me just now….. It was about my first `Great disappearance´. What about the rest?” Timoteo also sipped from his tea before he answered. “After that day things changed. The people….. They started rumors that you would bring destruction upon us. How else could you have escaped these bloodthirsty beasts? It doesn’t matter how often I told them what happened, they just wouldn’t listen.  And that you had developed the habit of sneaking away, always with that forest in mind didn’t help either.”  

Ah, so that’s what it is. There are a few blank spaces but he could remember some of his adventures, always accompanied by one of his draconian friends. Luce would always worry while Reborn would just roll his eyes with a rather gentle smirk. `He’s a boy Luce. Let him explore.´ He couldn’t help the smile that stole itself on his lips. They took him through the ocean, guided him through the forest and had shown him the freedom of the brilliant and infinite blue sky. At least until his world had changed yet again. Resettling himself in his seat he asked again. “What about the rest Nono? What about the day you sealed my flames, the day I ran away from my parents?” Usually strong shoulders sagged, Timoteos whole form crumbling right in front of his eyes. His poor posture spoke of pain, regret and grief.

The whole village was in an uproar.

Nono wasn’t sure how this could have happened but it did. “Iemitsu, are you sure that your precious boy lit up his flames?” Agitated and very stressed, the blonde yelled. “There was no mistaking it! It was a brightly burning sky flame!” 

In their village, there were different types of flames. These flames showed one's magical affinity. The brighter and stronger the flame, the stronger the caster it belongs to. But for Tsuna it is way too early to manifest his power…. While Timoteo was still thinking about it Iemitsu already came to a conclusion. “It must have to do with these damn dragons! There is no other explanation!!” 

“Why was this such a bad thing?” At his simple question the old man sighed. “The only other person ever known to have manifested his powers so early…..was Primo. Even your own father first lit his own flames at the age of twelve.” At twelve?! Shocked, he tried to think back again. All of his classmates, all the other children….. They all started to awake their powers at this age. Which means he was the abnormality once again….. But Reborn and Luce… they were so proud of him! So he wasn’t ashamed of it. Never.

“Your father was scared to admit it but he was afraid that you would suffer the same fate as Primo. But instead of trying to teach you more control, instead of helping you, he was adamant about the fact that the dragons had cursed you. And because of your young age your body had difficulties to contain your power. Strangely enough it only happened when you were home alone with Iemitsu. The result were sudden high fevers and fainting spells.”

That’s something that always was nothing but a black space in his head. The brunette knows that he often had fevers, his mother told him, but why did it only happen when he was with his father? Putting that aside for later he continued his questioning. “I remember the moment you sealed me. I remember the coldness and the sudden rush of helplessness. I even remember my escape from home, followed by the hurried steps of my parents. Tell me Nono, what did you do? What happened for everything to end in fire and blood?” 

His old legs hurried as much as they could, but he slowly lost sight of the poor boy he just roped of everything. Tsuna ran and he knew that he had just one destination in mind: the forest were no one would ever follow. Iemitsu was right beside him, calling and shouting for his son to stop, to slow down. But the brunette ran at top speed, stumbling every so often. Yet he continued, always rightening himself and still running faster, until he had outrun them. 

Both men came to a sudden halt right at the edge of the forest. They knew: if they kept on going they would earn the wrath of the dragons, something they were avoiding. But this was Tsuna they were talking about! Timoteo tried to think of something, anything! But no matter what came to his mind, it would end in disaster. Just in the next moment a deafening roar resonated through the trees. It was filled with rage and anguish. Next came several growls.

His blonde friend wanted to go in and take his child home, he could see it in his tense shoulders and his deep frown. He could understand, truly, but if he went in now he wouldn’t return. After the old man got his breathing under control he turned to leave. “Let us return for now.”  But his friend wouldn’t move. The slowly hardening eyes were firmly kept on the treeline, always watching for the dangers that are yet to come. “Iemitsu!”

A small shudder went through the chief at this particular memory. This one roar haunted him for weeks in his nightmares, always accompanied by the deep growls and the pictures of the following war. It took a very long time for him to sleep peacefully again…..

Tsuna saw the shudder and thought, not for the first time, that all this took more out of this old man that he was led to believe. There was still something fishy about the whole thing.

“There’s still something you’re not telling me.” It wasn’t a question, it was a fact. Wary eyes slipped closed, tired lips parted. “You may not believe my next words. But I swear on the graves of my sons: I did everything I could to stop this madness. I put up a curfew for everyone, I probehited everyone from entering the forest. I even tried to keep your father caged in his office….. But nothing worked.” A single tear slid down a wrinkled cheek.

“No.” A single word with the meaning of hundets. But the other couldn’t be deterred. 

“Nono, if we don’t go in now they will definitely kill him someday!” Old hands crashed onto the table and rattled it’s whole frame. “I said NO! What on earth makes you think that they would hurt Tsunayoshi?!” The other occupants of the room kept their distance and their silence. No one was brave enough to interrupt these two men. It wasn’t often that their beloved and gentle village chief lost his cool. What happened even less was that, out of all the villagers, Iemitsu would start a fight with him. “They killed YOUR children! What makes you think that they wouldn’t hurt him?!” Shocked gasps rang through the sudden silence. The topic of his three dead sons was a rather sensitive one and was avoided at all costs.

Especially because there was no proof that dragons had killed them. Brown eyes narrowed and an aura of danger filled the big office. “Careful Iemitsu. You’re walking on very thin ice at the moment.” Timoteo tried to keep himself in check. It just wouldn’t do if he hit his own subordinate for something like this. But the fact alone that one of his closest guards, someone he considered family, would stoop so low was very telling about his mental state. He couldn’t let this continue. “I will say this one more time: No one enters the forest. It has been silent and if the dragons wanted to harm the child they would have done so the first time. They are very territorial creatures and it seems that our Tsunayoshi is very dear to them. They are not to be harmed!” Looking around one more time he gave his final orders. “If anyone goes against this orders they will be punished.”

Another tear rolled down. This time on the other side. “I’m ashamed to say that even the threat of a severe whipping was not enough to keep your father at bay. He went around the whole village and talked about justice. Justice for our deceased, for the abducted. For every poor soul taken way before their time. At this point it wasn’t about you anymore. They wanted to see blood, they wanted the justice I kept on refusing them.”

Tsuna couldn’t believe his ears. All this time…. Yes, Nono sealed his flames, took away his warmth. But it wasn’t him that led the massacre. He even tried to prevent it! This brought him a kind of relief he didn’t know he needed. The picture cleared itself, just a little bit. When he thought about it, when he really and truly tried, Tsuna could remember some things. When he was lonely and hid in the library he always read the books about mythology and fantasy, always the books about dragons. And everytime, as if summoned by these books, his father would storm inside, rip the paper away and take him home. He was forbidden from reading this trash, his father said. They tell nothing but lies, his father said… `He wanted to keep me away from them.´ He started to see the big picture, but he wanted to make absolutely sure. There was no room for any more mistakes. “Nono, chief, grandpa. Please tell me the rest.”

His words fell on deaf ears, the shouting was louder then any reasoning could ever hope to be. An angry mob had formed, people of every status came together to slay the dragons. Confronted with this hate and this anger he had two options: keep refusing them and be overthrown, unable to do anything or support them and betray every single thing he ever believed in. With a heavy heart and a guilt so heavy it would follow him for years he came to a decision. 

With his personal guards at his side he followed Iemitsu and his man. He watched the bloodbath, couldn’t stop Luce’s death and cried bitter tears when this noble dragon fell. His heart broke when the two children cried for their mother, slain cruelly right before their eyes.

He gave his guards orders to hold back and to stay as far back as possible without being suspicious. And yet it changed nothing. The outcome would be same. He resolutely kept his eyes on the black dragon, watched him try everything in his might to change the fate of their leader. Fear krept inside his soul when Luce took her last breath with a smile on her face and her gentle hand fell onto the ground.  

Fires raged and burnt the formally green forest, while blood sullied the former clean and healthy ground. The sky turned black and the sun hid behind the clouds. Pouring rain affected their sight, right alongside the suddenly appearing mist. The roar of the black Sundragon had every last one of them trembling. He changed right in front of them, his maw open and his eyes burning in bitter hatred and betrayal. To keep it simple: The dragons went out of control, berserk, whatever you wanted to call it. They killed and killed and killed even more. Now their thirst for blood was even greater than that of the foolish man that stood before them. Timoteo saw what they were doing. They kept the children safe, Tsunayoshi and the small girl. No matter what weather phenomenon appeared, the children would always stay unharmed. Then he heard the words that would burn themselves in his  head.

“Stop! Stop hurting them! Please stop!”

But no one would listen. 

Then Timoteo had to watch as Iemitsu finally reached his son, only for said son to reach for the still raging Reborn. But as the dragon noticed him he changed again and reached out as well. But it wasn’t meant to be. Those reaching hands never met. The blonde kept dragging the struggling child away But then a soldier snuck behind the still crying girl, he raised his sword and even the old chief would not watch a child be murdered. But before he could move a powerful magic was released. It was just for an instant, but just for this moment bright orange flames burst forward and burnt the soldier to nothing. The flames burnt so hot that even the child’s father couldn’t hold onto him. Iemitsu had to let go and called for his son, who started running as soon as his feet had contact with the ground. With all his remaining power he flung himself into the waiting arms of Reborn.

The tension rose between the two of them. The old man wouldn’t raise his eyes. To great was his shame, to big his burden. No one knew that he was against all this, because everyone just ignored that fact. But he did nothing to stop it either. “How did you take me back?” was the last whispered question. “It was your mother, yourself and my stepping in that finally put an end to this massacre.” Surprise must have shown in his face, because Nono had to chuckle. “Believe me, you aren’t the only one.”

It was in the moment that Iemitsu was going to grab the child out of the dragons protective hold that Nana stepped in. She’s not built for the battlefield, not used to the blood and the carnage. But she outright refused to stay home. Now she held her husband back and slowly approached the still growling dragon. Iemitsu wanted to grab her, to shield her but even Nono could see that she was a woman on a mission. So it was his turn to grab onto the blonde. 

Steeling herself  she kept going, but when those sharp yellow eyes snapped to her she couldn’t suppress her flinch. But upon seeing the silent tears she took another step forward. One step after another until she stood right in front of the dragon and her only child. There she went on her knees and did something that would forever be remembered. She knelt, she bowed, she cried. Then she spoke words that no human had said for such a long time. “I know that there is no way in heaven or hell for us to be forgiven. But for whatever it’s worth: I’m sorry. I’m sorry for your loss, for your pain. I’m sorry for your wounds. I’m sorry for the blood you had to spill for a mistake we humans had made. I’m so, so sorry!” With every word that left her lips she became more and more silent. The last part was barely understandable, because of the silent sobs that wrecked her fragile form. 

The dragons stood still, for just one second, then they cried. In outrage, in sadness and in mourning. Even Reborns eyes went wide before he shut them tightly. Pulling Tsuna even closer he let the rain wash away his tears. 

Timoteo stood aside when Iemitsu tried to go to his wife again. He pulled her up, not looking at the great reptiles still pacing around them. Then he grabbed a sword that lay at his feet and approached the still kneeling dragon. Nana tried to hold him back, but he shook her gentle hands off. He raised the blade, looked the beast in the eyes and went to strike. Only the sharp “ENOUGH!!” stopped him. He froze right on the spot while Nana, Reborn and even little Tsuna turned to him. “That’s enough. This has to stop, now. There’s already too much blood on our hands and way too many bodies at our feet.” The village chief looked him straight in the eyes. “Don’t you see what your madness did to us?” It was a last plead for his friend to stop this nonsense. But he still wouldn’t listen. “These beasts have to die. If they don’t fall now, this will just repeat itself!” was the growled answer. 

“That’s the moment you stepped up. You let go of Reborn and crawled to your fathers feet. Once there you promised to be good, to stay home. Everything he wanted, if only he stopped hurting them. You would even start to learn how to be the leader of the village. Everything and anything as long as they were safe. It was as touching as it was heartbreaking.”

So that was the whole story. That’s the reason he started to study seriously again. He said he would do anything. And even though he has forgotten about it he did what he promised.

But there was nothing without a price. So he asked “What was the requirement of the dragons?” A smile stole itself onto those old lips. “You’re such a sharp minded child.”

As ignorant as Iemitsu was, even he couldn’t do this. Still his eyes bore into the creature that held his son, no matter for what purpose. Then he had an idea. His son would do ANYTHING to keep these things safe. So he bent down to his son and told him simply “You will never see them again Tsuna. You hear? If you never come back to this place, where the monsters live, and train to be our next village chief I’ll stop.” The words were spoken so sweetly, yet they teared him apart. Bright eyes dulled and shown with tears but he still nodded. “Everything.”

Nono told him that even the great Reborn was powerless against him, even at such a young age. They had a last goodbye, quick and rather impersonal, yes almost cold, but Iemitsu thought he had already won. But his dear wife couldn’t watch it. So she said that Tsuna should say goodbye properly. “You ran back to them and hugged them as tight as your small arms would let you. Then you thanked them, one after another, said something nice to each one and waved. The last one was Reborn. But instead of thanking him you apologized. His answer was calling you `stupid child´ so fondly that it hurt. He didn’t want to let go but a deal was a deal.” 

Thoughts rushed around one another, there one moment and gone in the next. So many things made sense now, while others were even more confusing. But one thing still didn’t add up. “If I was forbidden from seeing them, how come I was allowed at Luce’s funeral?”

Melancholy washed over the wrinkled face and sadness painted his lips.

 Iemitsu had his crying son in his arms, hoping to calm him down, and was already on his way back to the village. Timoteo saw to it that every survivor made it back as well, when the dragons made a last request. “Nono.” came the tired voice of the feared dragon. So he turned again and looked into now dull yellow eyes. “I know what we just agreed to. But we want to give Luce a proper funeral.” The fact that it would only be a proper one with her second child in attendance was left unsaid. “Just tell me when.” 

The Arcobaleno talked silently for no more than a few seconds before Reborn gave a response. Taking Aria in his arms he replied “One week. It won’t take long. But we want to give him this chance.”

So a plan was made between Timoteo and Nana, who has waited just a few steps away. 

In one weeks time Nana will dress Tsuna a little bit nicer. She made sure that one of the more lazy guards was on duty that day and hoped that everything would be ok. Nono made sure that her husband was occupied. And if he made absolutely sure of it by knocking him out, no one had to know. From his window he saw young Tsunayoshi running for the trees and felt this painful sting in his chest.

“After everything was over Reborn brought you to the clearing himself. That’s it. That’s everything I know.”

So many facts raced against each other:

His mother was not as clueless as she let on, while his father bore more than his fair share of guilt and fault.

Timoteo di Vongola, the village chief and the man that took away his flames, has tried and failed to stop the war. But he paid with his consciousness in tetters and his mind broken by guilt and sleepless nights.

The village he grew up in was filled with nothing more than bloodthirsty monsters.

His chosen family didn’t abandon him. He forced them to let go of him, no matter how much it hurt to do so.

“One last thing Nono. I know that everything was rather traumatic for a child my age. But why couldn’t I remember him? I was right in front of him and even if there was a feeling of familiarity, I just couldn’t place it. And if I’m right it was the same for Reborn.”

A low hum was his only answer for several minutes. Almost long enough that he thought he wouldn’t get a real one. Until he did. “Part of it is trauma, I’m sure of it. But I’m also positive that it’s also still part of your seal, which is still active. It has weakened that day but it hasn’t broken. Why Reborn couldn’t remember….. Hmmm. I’m sorry but that’s something I’m afraid I can’t answer.”

He looked genuinely upset about it so Tsuna let it go. Drinking the last bit of his now cold tea Tsunayoshi stood up and prepared to leave. He had things to think about and plans to make. No one and nothing would keep him here in this village. With newfound determination he thanked his village chief and left his humble hut. 

It was truly a shame that he forgot about the three figures that followed them the whole way…..

_TBC_

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I have absolutly no idea if everything is correct. But it’s almost 1 am and I’m tired. Please enjoy!

[pinnithin-writes]

Good Jokes

Chapter 17

Benrey very wisely made himself scarce after that. Tommy wasn’t sure where he was or what he was doing, but he was grateful for the brief reprieve as he and the other scientists fought their way through another underground tunnel.

Gordon tried his best to lighten the journey somewhat by engaging the others in conversation when he could. Tommy was struck once again by his rapid-fire mouth, still able to speak non stop while going through literal hell. It became a comforting white noise to him, a gauge on how well things were faring as they picked off aliens and crossed more toxic waste. Screaming? Generally a bad sign. But Gordon asked him what his favorite TV show was when things were calm, and for a second Tommy almost felt normal.

He was having difficulty stringing words together in response, he was so tired. The arm still full of shrapnel ached. Tommy trailed wearily behind, letting the others take the lead and vent their frustrations by filling soldiers with bullets.

A deep, basslike rumble up ahead sent vibrations rippling down the hall. The hair on the back of Tommy’s neck stood on end. He had a guess why Benrey had suddenly vanished.

“What is that sound?” Gordon wondered aloud as they approached an industrial sliding door.

Bubby cocked his head, listening intently. “It sounds like a… like a dog?” he guessed.

He wasn’t wrong - this was the sound a dog would make if its lungs were the size of loveseats. It echoed fantastically against the metal walls in this tunnel deep within the earth. Tommy’s pulse kicked up, questions racing through his head as his teammates continued to speculate.

“A dog?” Gordon repeated, sounding troubled. “Oh, they got attack dogs? Oh, come on.”

Coomer was shaking his head, the grip on his assault gun steely and tight as the barking steamrolled over them. “No, no I don’t think Black Mesa has ever had any attack dogs,” he said.

“But, the military - I - we,” Gordon paused, contemplative. “We wiped out the military,” he reasoned.

The floor shook with the powerful bass of the sound. Tommy’s breathing was becoming irregular now as he shouldered his rifle. How had this beast wound up miles underground? Why were they all still standing around out here talking about it?

Tommy found his voice, urgency making his syllables thin. “Why I - that sounds familiar,” he said. “Open the door.”

Gordon shot him a puzzled look. “What? What do you mean, familiar?” he asked.

Tommy could only stare pleadingly back, unable to find the verbiage to explain. He needed to see for himself. The corners of Gordon’s eyes softened from their confused crinkle. Perhaps it was because Tommy so rarely asked anyone to do anything that he didn’t waste time waiting for a response.

“Hit the button!” Gordon commanded, gesturing to the panel. “Someone hit the button.”

Bubby was way ahead of him. “I gotcha,” he said, punching in the door code.

The barking persisted, rattling their teeth as the entryway slid open. An identical door lay only a few yards beyond, and Tommy’s stomach turned anxiously as they stepped forward. Gordon approached with his gun at the ready, the others following with some trepidation. Tommy felt sick. He knew that bark all too well. He’d know it at the end of the world.

Bubby unlocked the remaining door. As the steel panels hissed back, Gordon muttered an astonished, “Oh my god.”

He was here. Tommy’s brilliant, perfect star of a dog, surrounded on all sides by turrets. The massive beast sat in the center of the bristling circle of guns, coat glittering with starshine, eyes as fathomless as twin black holes. His paws alone were enough to crush a man, and his teeth gleamed long and dangerous. Sunkist swung his head in their direction and let out an angry bark that blew their hair back.

THOMAS. YOU HAVE ARRIVED.

A wave of relief rolled over Tommy, followed by a crash of distress shortly after. Sunkist wasn’t supposed to be here. Yes, the creature was immortal, but he was also intelligent, steering clear of danger like a good dog was trained to do. The fact that he was this far from home didn’t bode well, if the guns pointed at him weren’t already indicative of that.

Tommy felt his own voice rise in octave as he cried out. “No Sunkist, what are you - Sun - doing here?”

“That’s Sunkist?” Gordon asked. He sounded awed, eyes wide as he took in the sight of the two ton juggernaut of an animal in front of him.

Sunkist wagged his long tail in a powerful sweep. I WAS BROUGHT HERE BY AN INSUFFERABLE MAN.

Before Tommy could wonder who this insufferable man was, a rough voice called out from behind the circle of turrets. “Welcome again!”

Oh, christ. This guy. Tommy felt Sunkist’s rage run through his own body, an undercurrent to his very blood. The paratrooper from before was standing a healthy distance away from his dog, a detonator clutched in one hand. Even from this far away, Tommy could see that he was terrified, quaking in his little soldier boy boots. Sunkist barked again. He wanted to use Forzen as a chew toy.

“Hey,” Gordon answered loudly, crossing the threshold. “What are you doin’ to his dog, man? Why do you have his dog?”

“Let Sunkist go!” Tommy called over his shoulder.

This man was going to get eaten alive, in quite the literal sense. Sunkist was the perfect dog, obedient to a fault, but he could only fight instinct for so long, poised as he was like a cosmic bear trap. He could feel the beast’s  ire rolling off him in waves.

“What are they doing to that poor dog?” Coomer remarked.

“The fiend,” Bubby spat.

Forzen brandished the detonator in a threat. “Do not - do not come any further,” he shouted, raising his voice over Sunkist’s barking. “I’m the remaining - I’m the US military… left.”

Tommy almost pitied him, he sounded at such a loss. It’s possible he may not have taken into account all the dangers associated with angering an immortal, telepathic dog. Tommy suspected Benrey had sprung him out of the pocket dimension he’d banished him to a few days ago, but how the entity convinced the soldier to set up this elaborate scheme was beyond him.

“Gordon, bad news,” Dr. Coomer interjected. “There is one remaining member of the United States military, and he’s taken Sunkist hostage!”

Tommy frowned. Hostage was a strong word.

“He’s got us pinned against the wall,” Gordon agreed. “Okay-”

Forzen cut him off, ignoring Gordon to stare directly at Tommy. “Viens pas pres du chien sinon je vais le tuer!”

Don’t come near the dog or I’ll kill it. Tommy worried at his bottom lip, feeling Sunkist’s animosity crashing against his own. Did Forzen know? Had Benrey informed him of Sunkist’s nature? Or was this just some scheme the entity had put together to get his former best friend torn limb from limb, inconveniencing Tommy in the process? He wasn’t sure what to think. All he knew was that he was growing angrier by the second, stress pulling him taut like a rubber band.

“What?” Gordon called back, his voice confrontational and harsh. “Was that French?”

“Do you speak French, Gordon?” Coomer asked, inclining his head.

Gordon ignored him. “You speaking French, motherfucker?” he snarled. “Do I have to shoot you? What do you want?”

A flicker of Forzen’s old smirk flashed across his face. “Je vais tuer le chien,” he told Gordon unhelpfully.

“Gordon, this is French for ‘he’s going to kill the dog,’” Dr. Coomer intoned.

Sunkist rumbled the room like a generator as he growled low in his throat. I AM UNKILLABLE.

Tommy nodded sympathetically, his throat tight. I know you are, boy. His hands were beginning to shake. He balled them into fists and stuffed them in the pockets of his coat.

Gordon did not seem to remember this particular detail, either, keeping his aim trained on the soldier as he negotiated the situation. “Why - what do you want from us, man?” he asked.

“I am the remaining member of the US military!” Forzen reiterated, spreading his arms wide in some sort of sick triumph.

The sob that escaped Tommy surprised him. “Let Sunkist go!” he cried again. He was so angry. He was so tired. This week long nightmare had taken everything he had, and now even his dog was a part of the cosmic bargain. He bowed his head and sucked in a shuddering breath, blinking back the tears that were rapidly welling in his eyes.

This was so stupid. Sunkist was immortal, for fuck’s sake. He should just turn the beast loose, cut him free with a single word and let him sink his teeth into the soldier. It was what he deserved for kidnapping someone’s dog, after all. Stupid. Stupid circumstances in a stupid warehouse in a stupid facility in a stupid apocalypse. Stupid, stupid, stupid-

A warm hand squeezed Tommy’s shoulder, and he looked up to meet Gordon’s eyes, flooded with concern.

No words were spoken, just a fleeting exchange of expressions.

You good?

I’ll be fine.

Anything I can do?

I’ve got it, thank you.

Gordon nodded, released him, and turned a glare back on Forzen.

The emotional one-eighty of feeling so cared for and understood in the middle of such an upsetting situation gave Tommy pause, but only for a brief moment. No, he couldn’t let Sunkist dismember this mortal right before Gordon’s eyes - he had already seen enough gore and bloodshed for an entire lifetime. Use that big brain of yours, Tommy. You can think your way out of this. “Okay y- Okay,” Gordon addressed the man with the detonator. “You're the last remaining member of the military, but what do you - what d - what?”

As the two of them spoke, Tommy slunk around the perimeter of the room until he could tuck himself into the operating booth for the warehouse lift. Sunkist’s eyes swung to follow him, expectant. The creature’s hackles were still raised, but he was relaxing by the second now that Tommy was there. He wagged his tail, nearly taking Forzen’s head off in the process.

THOMAS. DO NOT BE UPSET. LET US ENGAGE IN A PLAYFUL ACTIVITY.

Tommy scanned the controls, wiping a tear track from his face with the sleeve of his coat for Sunkist’s sake. He was such a good dog. “Maybe later, buddy,” he murmured. He found the lever that controlled the lift Forzen was standing on and gripped it in his hand, waiting. His eyes tracked the conversation between Gordon and the soldier like he was watching a tennis match.

At last, Forzen presented his demands, once he recovered from narrowly avoiding decapitation. “Please dispel the rumor that Irate Gamer ripped off Angry Video Game Nerd,” he said.

His words rang in a good ten seconds of subsequent silence. Gordon’s mouth was partially open, brow drawn and uncomprehending, while Bubby and Coomer exchanged a perplexed glance. Tommy rubbed at his temple with his free hand. He knew fear made people say some wild stuff, but this was some nonsense even he couldn’t parse.

“Exc- what? What?” Gordon managed to ask.

Tommy threw the lever. He was sick of this guy. Forzen may not deserve to be ripped apart by a beast the size of a snow plow, but he had still threatened his dog and held up their progress with his inane bullshit. He could rot in the belly of Black Mesa for all he cared. Metal squealed against metal as the lift began to descend.

Gordon was in action as soon as he noticed the platform moving. “Oh shit, get the dog!” he shouted. “Get the dog!”

Bubby patted his knees and beckoned to Sunkist, which was a pretty funny sight considering the animal was twelve feet tall. “Come here, boy, come on!”

Sunkist turned his fathomless, starfield of a gaze on the prototype, unimpressed. SNAKE. I HAVE SEEN YOUR INTENTS, AND YOUR FOUL DEEDS WILL NOT ESCAPE MY JUDGMENT.

Tommy sighed while Bubby took a faltering step backward. It’s okay, Sunkist, he’s with us. He peered down the shaft where the lift was descending, raising his voice to be heard over the distance. “Let Sunkist go,” he called. “I hit the button!”

“I’m gonna shoot the dog!” Forzen hollered back.

Gordon vaulted up onto the catwalk beside the pit, hanging over the railing to get a bead on the soldier. “Oh shit, move, he’s still got the button for the turrets!” he barked.

Sunkist looked to Tommy for confirmation. He nodded, and the ground shook with the beast’s pawsteps as he stepped out of the circle, knocking over one of the firearms in the process. Coomer and Bubby gave Sunkist a wide berth as they joined Gordon on the catwalk.

Forzen had no idea what was happening up top as he sank slowly downward. He waved his arms wildly. “I’ll activate the turrets!” he screamed. “I’ll kill the dog!”

Sunkist’s black hole stare landed on Tommy again. THOMAS. I WISH TO DESTROY HIM.

Tommy shook his head as he exited the control booth to gain a better vantage of the situation. Not this time, buddy . Sunkist whined, and it sounded like the screeching brakes of a semi truck. He ambled back into the circle of turrets so he could peer down the shaft at his desired prey.

“No! What the fuck!” Gordon’s voice rang shrill across the warehouse. “T-Tommy, how did you train your dog - he just walked back into the turrets!” He took a step toward the animal, but Dr. Coomer flung out a hand in warning stopping him in his tracks.

“Gordon, look out,” he cautioned, “the dog is in the firing line of the turrets.”

“Yeah, he went back!” Gordon cried in exasperation. Before Tommy could open his mouth to assure him he’d be fine, Gordon returned his attention to the soldier growing smaller and smaller on the lift ramp. “Hey, up here, you're talkin’ to me.” he said, squinting as he focused his gaze. “Is that you, Forzen? You rat fuck? You’re-”

“Irate Gamer Chris Bores did not rip off Angry Video Game Nerd James Rolfe!” Forzen interrupted distantly, sliding out of view. “Goodbye!”

A perplexed laugh leapt out of Gordon. “What do you-?” he waved him off, giving up, and called across the warehouse to Tommy instead. “Hey, can - Tommy, can you just grab the dog-” but the rest of his words were drowned out by a cacophony of artillery fire.

Sunkist was the perfect dog. Immortal, resplendent, made of star stuff. He stood unaffected in the crown of bullets pelleting his coat, dissolving them in a flashfire upon impact. He was a testament to the cosmos, a splendid blazing canid star. A creature the Sirius constellation itself would admire. Tommy’s heart swelled with pride as man's best friend lolled his tongue out and wagged his tail through the sheet of gunfire.

Across the chasm, he could see the other scientists staring, openmouthed, at the animal. They passed a few stunned remarks to one another, but Tommy couldn’t hear them over the roar of the artillery.

“Sunkist lives forever,” he told them, shouting over the din. “I was just worried that - that would - would, like, trick…”

He trailed off, realizing his teammates probably couldn’t hear him. Sunkist’s jaws slavered with anticipation as he peered down the shaft at the soldier he intended to eat, paying the gunfire no mind until it finally died down. There was a beat of silence, and then Gordon was filling it with words again.

“Can you call the dog out of the turrets?” he asked.

Tommy paused, raising his eyebrows authoritatively as he addressed his pet. “Sunkist, can you move two feet to the right?”

Sunkist lifted his head and stared at him, eyes like the bottom of the ocean. VERY WELL. He reluctantly padded away from the turrets, nails clacking on the metal floors. Tommy stepped down to join him. This good boy deserved some scritches.

“Okay, he’s pretty receptive,” Gordon said, giving an impressed nod. “Alright, cool. Hey, I’m gonna go confront him,” he called to the team, steadying his gun arm. He plunged down into the darkness without a second’s hesitation. “Hey, son!”

Chuckling at the man’s fearlessness, Tommy tangled his hands in Sunkist’s soft golden fur. Some of the tension melted out of his shoulders as he pet his dog repetitively, feeling his heart rate slow as he let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. He needed this. Sunkist stooped down and sniffed the blood on his clothes with interest.

THOMAS, YOU ARE INJURED. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.

Tommy winced, remembering the shrapnel embedded in his arm. “I’m - it’s okay. They’re not a problem anymore.” he scratched his silky coat idly as he went on. “Why are you here? How did he find you?”

THE HELLION FROM THE OTHER REALM LOCATED ME AND LEFT ME WITH HIS INSUFFERABLE FRIEND.

So Benrey did have something to do with this. A sigh of frustration climbed out of Tommy. What was the point of all of this? Just to yank his chain? “Why did you go with him?” he asked.

Sunkist panted like a gale force wind as Tommy scratched him in a particularly enjoyable spot. I THOUGHT DOING SO WOULD MEAN FINDING YOU FASTER.

Tommy’s heart squeezed. ‘God’ spelled backwards really was ‘dog.’ He pressed his face into the animal’s fur, closing his eyes and wishing he was home in his living quarters, or at his father’s house, laying on the floor with his best friend. Pondering what he would make for dinner. Where they would go on their next walk. Nothing tried to kill them and nothing smelled like blood.

He ached with how badly he wanted this to be over.

Sunkist raised his massive head, pricking his ears toward the yawning chasm. YOUR COMPANIONS ARE LEAVING YOU, he noted.

“They won’t,” Tommy reassured him, pulling back to collect himself, and as he said it he knew it was true.

Gordon would never abandon him, and he was almost certain the same fact applied to Dr. Coomer. Bubby’s loyalty was questionable, but he would at least allow himself to be bullied by the others into holding back. It was a new feeling, one he wasn’t used to. Having friends. Knowing they were there for him.

They would wait up, but he shouldn’t leave them hanging. He tilted his gaze fondly up at Sunkist. “Let’s go.”

At the bottom of the industrial lift, Tommy was met by the others and the fresh corpses of numerous aliens. They were smears of yellow and green on the floor of what looked to be a storage room for shipping containers. Gordon was pacing the area and running his functional hand through his hair frustratedly. Tommy folded his arms and leaned back against a crate to watch him while Sunkist sat obediently at his side.

“Where’d he go?” Gordon growled. “He got away again. Fucker.” He caught sight of Tommy and his eyes lit up. Correcting his course to approach him and Sunkist, he flung out an animated gesture of agitation. “I wanted to shoot his ass for endangering a poor, sweet dog.”

Tommy found that funny, snorting as he tried to imagine Sunkist as anything other than the dazzling and dangerous creature he was. Gordon gave him one of those signature dimpled smiles Tommy loved so much before sliding his gaze up to the twelve foot beast before him.

“So Tommy, that’s - that’s Sunkist?” he asked.

“Sunki - yes.”

Sunkist studied Gordon critically before passing his judgment. YOU ARE A FOOL IN A MAN’S CLOTHES, he decided, addressing the man directly in his mind. Tommy didn’t miss the shiver of awe that raced down Gordon’s entire body as the message was received.

“I dunno, Sunkist,” he said, shrugging and grinning over at Gordon. “I kinda like him.”

The deep blush that colored his cheeks made Tommy’s smile pull even wider.

Sunkist wagged his tail good naturedly. PERHAPS THAT MAKES YOU A FOOL, AS WELL.

Maybe it did. That was fine by him. He’d put on the cap and the jingly shoes and do a little dance in front of a king and his court. There goes Tommy Coolatta, certified fool. His feelings for Gordon ran so deep by now that he was sure he’d drown in them if he tried to fight it.

Gordon reached out his hand, hesitated, and looked to Tommy for permission. He was still blushing. “Can I pet him?” he asked.

“Go ahead.”

After tackling his initial trepidation, Gordon got that misty-eyed look on his face that people so often did when they were petting a dog. He kept his modified arm at his side while he combed through the silky fur of Sunkist’s chest, his smile open and relaxed. God, he was gorgeous. He could imagine him petting Sunkist like that in front of the television in Tommy’s living room on a hot summer evening. He tossed the fantasy from his mind before he could dwell on it.

Instead, he tore his eyes away to address Bubby and Dr. Coomer, who were hovering awkwardly a few yards away. He inclined his head in invitation; they could all use a little dog therapy right now. The two of them, however, shook their heads. Perhaps the appeal of a handsome golden retriever was somewhat diminished when that retriever could eat you in one bite.

“He looks a little… too pristine,” Gordon commented.

Sunkist huffed directly into Gordon’s face, trying to look irritated despite the wonderful petting he was receiving. I AM PERFECT.

Tommy tipped his head in amusement. “Why, what’s wrong with him? Do you think there’s something wrong with him?”

Gordon faltered as he met the eyes of Tommy’s greatest invention. “No, I think - I don’t think he’s - I think he’s okay,” he stammered. “But, like… is this just what he looks-”

“Oh, he better be better than okay. This is - Sunkist is the perfect dog.” He patted the creature’s side approvingly.

Gordon opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again, struggling as he chose his words carefully. “He looks kinda like a JPEG, man,” he finally said.

Confusion clouded Tommy’s thoughts as well as his expression. A JPEG? Like, a digital image? He searched Gordon’s face, trying to parse his meaning behind the lenses of his glasses. Oh. Oh my god. His glasses were still broken.

“A what?” Coomer asked, while Bubby uttered, “Rude.”

Tommy stifled a laugh, wondering how badly his depth perception was fucked right now. “What do you mean, what’s a JPEG?”

Gordon could sense he was being made fun of, but wasn’t quite sure how, brow wrinkling in a curious smile. He withdrew his hand from Sunkist’s fur and gave the dog an up-and-down gesture. “He looks pretty - he look kinda flat,” he insisted.

Sunkist whuffed. DID I NOT TELL YOU HE WAS A FOOL?

“I don’t - I don’t understand what you mean, because I - it - everything looks like an image in real life, Mr. Freeman,” Tommy wheezed. “That - are you goin’ crazy?”

But he took pity and fixed his glasses for him with a gentle wave of his hand. Gordon blinked, removing the lenses from his face both to inspect them and to give Tommy a humorous, head-shaking smile. He pushed the frames back up the bridge of his nose. Yeah, Tommy should have taken care of that sooner.

Dr. Coomer spoke up, continuing the joke. “Gordon, did you know that our eyes perceive everything as images?”

Gordon turned to offer him a sunny retort, cutting himself off midsentence when his eyes caught something behind one of the shipping crates. He took off at a rapid clip, gun raised in a threat. Tommy exchanged a glance with Bubby and Coomer and they all hurried after him.

Turns out Forzen had been hiding amongst the containers this entire time. Why he didn’t take this opportunity to shoot any of them was a mystery to Tommy, and he pondered this passively as Gordon cornered the soldier, backing him against the wall with the minigun pointed at his face. The rest of the team clambered atop the structure, flanking Gordon and Forzen on all sides. Even Sunkist loomed his bottomless gaze at their target, the ruff of his neck standing on end with impatience.

Gordon tried once again to make heads or tails of the paratrooper’s insane request. “You want me to dispel the lies about Chris Bores,” he said, keeping his aim steady. “Who is that?”

Forzen, scared shitless by the collosal animal peering down at him with all the radiation of the sun, barely stammered out an answer. “Chris Bores Angry Video Game - uh - Irate Gamer!”

“What?” Gordon demanded. “I don’t know what that is. The fuck-”

“Youtube,” the soldier spat.

Beside Tommy, Coomer adjusted his grip on his weapon while he slanted Bubby a questioning look. Bubby shrugged idly as he switched out the magazine for the AR he carried.

“So you’re the last member of the military and you kidnapped his dog,” Gordon stated, snatching a glance at Tommy. “How did you know that was his dog?”

Forzen tipped his chin back to meet the swirling eyes of the animal he had placed in a corral of turrets. Tommy saw his face blanch to white as Sunkist spoke to him.

FOUL MORTAL. YOU SHALL PAY FOR YOUR MISDEEDS WITH YOUR BLOOD.

Forzen held his trembling hands up. “Listen to me.”

“Okay, I’m listening,” Gordon said. “But you’re at a loss here. You lost your advantage. I don’t know why you didn’t press the button sooner.” he paused thoughtfully before adding, “and even if you did, the dog’s immune to bullets.”

Tommy admired the restraint Gordon was showing. His own hands were itching to snap this cruel, pathetic little man out of existence, and Sunkist was beginning to drool. He couldn’t let his dog eat the soldier alive, but he could spatially launch him far, far away from them.

Forzen seemed to sense his approaching fate. “Wait, hold on!” he begged.

“What?” Gordon asked.

Tommy raised his hand, palm out. The soldier folded in on himself with a pop .

Gordon stood there, staring at the place the man had once been. He flicked a questioning look between Tommy and his dog, but Tommy kept his expression neutral. Gordon didn’t need to know what Sunkist would do to the soldier if he ever encountered him outside of this room.

“We lost ‘im,” Gordon finally said, numbly. “But hey,” he went on, “if he confirmed our suspicions, That was the last member of the US military. We are one kill away from wiping them out.”

Sunkist licked his chops. The team dismounted the crates and regrouped.

“How are we gonna handle this dog with us, though?” Bubby asked as he leapt lightly from his perch.

Gordon’s dark eyes were still a little wider than usual as he took in the beaming, two ton animal that had cramped itself in the storage room with them. “We do - we do have a - just a dog…” he uttered, at a loss. “He’s so big! What do you-” he looked to Tommy. “What breed is he, a golden retriever?”

Sure, something like that. Tommy gave his best friend a loving pat. “I made him extra big,” he allowed, smiling. “Big dogs are better.”

“I - I agree,” the man answered. “I love big dogs. But like. You ma - he’s huge!”

Sunkist blinked at Gordon. MY EXISTENCE STRETCHES FARTHER THAN YOUR MIND COULD POSSIBLY COMPREHEND, PEON.

Tommy tugged gently on the beast’s coat, drawing his attention. “Sunkist, it’s not - it’s not safe here,” he told him. “You need to go home.”

‘Go home’ meant find Dad. Sniff him out from wherever he’s hidden himself in the folds of time and space. Tommy needed answers, and he was tired of clawing around blindly for them in the dark. Get help. I need to talk to him.

Sunkist blinked again, slowly this time. AS YOU WISH. I LOVE YOU, THOMAS.

He was struck by a sudden tightness in his chest, a miniscule well of tears springing hot to his eyes. He gave Sunkist one last grateful pet, reluctant to see him leave. I love you too, buddy. You’re a good boy.

Then he flung a ‘go fetch’ gesture above his head. “Go, go!” he urged.

Sunkist bound upward, dissolving through the ceiling in a brilliant explosion of light. The science team shielded their eyes from the sunburst, and a millisecond later, the creature was gone.

Gordon dropped his arm and gaped, openmouthed, at where Sunkist had vanished. “How did you train him that?” he asked.

Tommy grinned with tearful pride. “Sunkist is the perfect dog.”

Chapter 16 <-----> Chapter 18

[marril96]

Flawed, Petty, Formerly Evil Creature

Pairing: Rowena x reader

Summary: Rowena is having a bad day.

Editor: @oswinthestrange

Rowena was in one of her moods.

Lips puckered up in a small pout and eyes narrowed in a childish scowl were a dead giveaway.

She was pissed, a storm, dangerous, deadly, brewing inside, rummaging, raging, a glass full to the brim the lightest touch away from spilling over.

It didn't stop you from saying, in a cheerful, happy tone, "Hey, beautiful," and carelessly plopping down next to her on the couch.

Rowena had a fiery temper, but she wasn't dangerous. Not to you. Never to you.

You were the only person who had the privilege to poke and prod at her when she was like this and live to tell the tale.

Dating the deadliest witch around had its perks.

"Hey," she said in a voice so low it was almost a whisper.

No smile grazed her mouth at the compliment. No light sparked in her eyes. As if she hadn't even registered what you'd said, other than that it was a greeting.

Something was definitely wrong.

"You okay?" you asked. A redundant question, but a — hopefully — good enough opening to a conversation.

"No," Rowena replied, blunt as ever. She rarely sugar-coated things.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

She did, however, make them difficult.

You sighed. It seemed you were going to have to fish the truth out of her. "Rowena," you said in that tone that let her know that you knew she wanted to talk and she was being a brat and you would like her to stop because you weren't born yesterday, thank you very much.

Rowena rolled her eyes dramatically, her way of saying she didn't care.

"Want me to leave you alone?"

You hoped she didn't. You hadn't seen her — properly seen her — since last night. She'd woken up early this morning and had gone shopping, leaving a note on the kitchen table to let you know she'd be out for the first half of the day.

And now that she was back, she was grumpy.

You just wanted to spend time with your girl. Was that too much to ask?

"I would very much appreciate that, seeing what a nuisance you are!" Rowena snapped.

She might as well have stabbed you with an iron dagger straight to the heart.

Hurt, lightheaded, you uttered, "Fine," and got up to leave.

Her hand was on your wrist, tight, holding you in place. "Wait. I'm sorry."

She sounded it, and when you looked down, her face was the picture of regret.

"Please, stay."

Shaking her hand off for no reason other than to be pissy, to pay her back for the insult, you sat back down.

"I'm sorry," Rowena repeated. A difficult feat for her, you knew. She rarely — almost never — said sorry. She must have truly meant it. "I didn't mean that."

And just like that, your anger was gone in a flash. You could never stay mad at her for long. Not when she apologized and gave you those puppy eyes that melted your insides into a mush.

"What's wrong?" you asked.

"I'm having a horrible day," she all but whined.

Poor baby. You wanted to pet her head and tell her it was okay, that she was a good girl who deserved nothing but the best, and the bad day could go to hell.

That was a tad too dramatic, so you settled for taking hold of her hand.

"Did you have a nightmare?" you asked softly.

"No. I just slept bad," Rowena said. "I woke up early and couldn't fall back asleep." She pouted. "And I stubbed my toe!"

You instinctively looked down to her feet and cringed. Her pinky toe was redder than her hair.

"Ouch," you said.

"Yes. Ouch," she repeated, deadpan.

"Want me to kiss it better?" you teased.

Her response was a slap to your shoulder.

"Ow!" you exclaimed, laughing. Childish little lady, she was.

Rowena scowled, not happy to be ridiculed on a bad day, and said, "This is serious, Y/N! And there's more. That wee store I love — you know the one — they didn't have the dress I wanted! I wanted the red one and they were all out!"

The shock, the horror!

However would she survive this horrible ordeal?

"Then, on the way home, it started raining!" she continued with her rant. Pointing to her bangs, she said, "It ruined my fringe!"

They looked fine to you. A tad messy, but nothing that couldn't be fixed with a comb. Or a finger.

But then, you weren't exactly a hair expert. That, and everything else beauty-related, was Rowena's department.

"And then," she continued dramatically, "I got attacked by a dog!"

That shook you. "What?"

"Uh-huh," Rowena said with a nod, face twisted in an uneasy grimace as she recalled the incident. "That beast from down the street!"

"The Hamiltons' chow chow?"

They were a young family with an arguably big but harmless dog. He wagged his fluffy tail happily every time you walked by and, even though you weren't too fond of animals you weren't acquainted with, you'd gotten to pet him a few times. The Hamilton children often played with him; there never seemed to be any outbursts of violence or similar issues.

"Aye," Rowena said dramatically. "The bloody thing jumped me"

"Did he hurt you?" you asked, concerned.

She shook her head. "He ruined my outfit and got hairs all over me"

Oh. Trying hard not to laugh (the image of her dripping wet and covered in dog hairs was one that would stick with you for a while), as well as roll your eyes (the temptation was hard to resist), you said, "Rowena, he didn't attack you — he was playing with you!"

The dog had a tendency to do that. His size could be quite intimidating, especially to someone as tiny as Rowena, but he wasn't a danger.

She knew that. She knew him.

"He wanted to eat me!" Rowena said indignantly. "Licked my bloody makeup off!"

You chuckled, unable to hold back. "He was being friendly."

"He was being a menace, is what he was. Like you!" she accused and pointed a finger straight at your chest.

"What did I do?"

"You're siding with a rabid dog over me!"

Because the rabid dog's not a drama queen. "C'mon, babe. You know I'm always on your side," you told her, flashing a playful grin.

"Lies!" she said theatrically. "All lies! You prefer that monster to me."

You couldn't help a laugh. "My little drama queen," you teased and pressed a big, wet kiss to the tip of her nose. She scrunched up her face adorably, and you melted. The woman, as difficult and opinionated as she was, was too damn cute for her own good.

"I feel like you're making fun of me," she said with a pout.

"Never." Always. "Just teasing you 'cause you're so tease-able."

Rowena huffed. "Rude."

"You're just saying that 'cause you're having a bad day."

"And you're making it worse!" she accused.

"Oh, really?" An idea popped up in your mind. "How about I make it better?"

Rowena raised an eyebrow, sceptical. Suspicious.

She knew you too well.

Before she could respond, your hands were on her, all over her, touching — rubbing — everywhere in a flurry of tickles. She tried to bat at them, tried to get you to stop, to leave her be, but all attempts were futile.

You tickled her armpits, her tummy, her sides, fingers gliding and sliding over her shirt, under it, a restless, incessant attack.

You thought she would snap at you to leave her alone.

Instead, after a few moments of rolling her eyes and slapping at your wandering hands, she giggled.

And giggled and giggled and giggled until tears spilled from her eyes and her face lit up with joy, gloom and despair all but forgotten. Now it was all laughter, all fun, all happiness.

You laughed along as you curled your fingers against her skin over and over, eliciting joyful little squeaks that made your heart swell up with warmth.

Rowena was difficult to handle. She was opinionated and arrogant, a drama queen if you ever knew one.

Picky.

Childish.

Bratty.

A flawed, petty, formerly evil creature.

And yours.

Truly, unapologetically yours.

Tags: @werewolfbarbie @oswinthestrange @songofthecagedmoose @apurdyfulmind @getthesalt-sam @metallihca @salembitchtrials @jay-eris @hellsmother @elizabeth-effie @victoriasagittariablack @rowenaswife @dropsofpetrichor @xfireandsin @liddell-alien @hotdiggitydammit @lae-lae @darkhumorsblog @wayward-kaia @angel7376 @rowenaisfabulous @ruthieconnells @evil-regal-vampiress @collectorofsecretsandsouls @angel-e-v-a @melisandre02 @a-queen-and-her-throne

[avengers-nextgen]

Noctis III

The ship was dry. Bone dry. But the creaking of metal could still be heard as if water continued to flow through the sunken vessel. Noctis loomed over the growing pool of darkness. Her world was finally seeping into another. Her conquests could continue and there was nothing that could stop her. Those heroes hadn’t the faintest idea who she was. To her, it would be a cake walk, and the only difficulty of her conquest came with coaxing civilians into submission. She would need help with that.

“Don’t disappoint me this time,” Noctis warned, waving a hand across the bubbling black. The liquid writhed, contorted, stretched, and solidified into a familiar form.

A gasping face emerged first with two piercing eyes contrasting with the dark. A violent shudder passed through the man as he fell to his knees. “Welcome back, Prometheus.”

At the sound of his name, the Titan stared up at his resurrector. His face was unreadable as his eyes scanned the room. “Where’s the girl?”

“The blonde?” Noctis asked coyly.

“Where is she?” Prometheus demanded, a violent rage contorting his face.

“You will find her. Don’t worry,” Noctis smiled. “In the mean time I need your work. We need an army old friend. I trust you to handle this with care?”

“Of course,” the Titan bowed. “Nightmares are your specialty are they not?”

“No,” Noctis chuckled darkly, “fear is my specialty. Whether they know it or not, everyone’s afraid of the dark.”

— — —

The universe went into hibernation. The outside world had stilled. People remained inside, doors were locked, windows covered, neighbors were no longer trusted, and the sound of shivering wind was all that rang out.

“You guys getting this?” Peter Parker, the unfortunate candidate to inspect the outside world, asked.

“Loud and clear,” Tony hummed, tapping a few keys on his tablet. “Seems you’re in a dead zone.”

“Okay, where to next?” Peter asked.

“What’re you looking for?” Hope arched a brow, standing by for backup if need be.

“Some weird cool spots are popping up. It’s like the sun’s energy literally isn’t being absorbed. Like the shadows are preventing it,” Tony explained.

“Hey, uh, Tony?” Peter interrupted. “What’s the big deal about these dead spots anyways?”

“I’m mapping the locations because something tells me this will be useful in the future,” Tony replied. “Especially if we’re dealing with some nocturnal edge lord.”

“You gonna come up with a way to block her traveling through the dark?” Hope speculated.

“It’s worth a shot but I don’t know if it’s even possible,” Tony snorted.

“Yeah, well I hope it is,” Peter laughed nervously.

— — —

“Mom?” Fox knocked lightly on Maria’ door before easing it open. She found the woman perched on the edge of her bed, gun in hand, still in her pajamas of a tank top and shorts. “Are you okay?”

“What? Oh, yeah,” Maria nodded.

“You say I can’t lie so don’t do the same,” Fox frowned, stepping inside. “Everything’s gonna be fine. So far it’s just the anticipation that’s got everyone worked up.”

“Fox,” Maria sighed, “I’ve seen enough to know that shit’s about to hit the fan but it was always manageable.”

“What’s changed?”

“I lost a good friend,” Maria pursed her lips, “and after that things like world chaos didn’t seem so hopeful.”

“Are you talking about him?” Fox asked, pointing to a picture of young Maria beside a youthful man with kind hearted eyes, a bright smile, and the aura of a gentle sole.

“Phil Coulson,” Maria nodded, smiling slightly. “He was a day of sunshine. Makes the dark like this seem kind of cruel.”

“Were you close?”

“He was my best friend,” Maria nodded. “Sometimes I’m reminded that things were better back when he was around.”

“Well, he’s be proud of you I’m sure of it. He seems like a really nice guy,” Fox smiled.

“He’d like you. He had a soft spot of rough kids,” Maria laughed. “Take Clint and Natasha for example. Though, he did collect cards on Steve. Had a whole collection.”

“Nerd,” Fox snorted.

“He was,” Maria nodded. “Now, what really brought you in?”

“Well, I was thinking about the thing that happened with Harper,” Fox began, “she has powers. Whether they are from her ancestors or there’s a scientific explanation I don’t know, but...it’s something we should look in to. Especially with everything going. If she can harness whatever she’s got in her, then she might be able to protect herself and her family.”

“You’re right,” Maria nodded. “Give me some time to change and have her meet me at a testing room. Is she...is she okay with this though?”

“Yeah, I talked to her,” Fox assured. “She’s actually pretty excited. It’ll give her a chance to feel useful.”

“She’s useful with or without super human abilities,” Maria smiled faintly. “Sometimes I think you kids forget that.”

— — —

“You shouldn’t be outside alone,” Thor frowned, making his way onto the landing where his niece observed the streets below.

“It’s quiet,” Sage replied, ignoring his remarks, “but I heard something. I could’ve sworn it.”

“It’s the wind playing tricks,” Thor suggested, standing beside her. For once, Sage didn’t move away from him.

“No, no, the voice was familiar,” Sage frowned. “It’s something I’ve heard before.”

“Then you better get inside,” Thor warned, eyes scanning the terrain. “I don’t trust anything outside of the tower walls. Darkness is easily manipulated.”

Despite wanting to remain outside in hopes of hearing the voice again, Sage knew that Thor was right. With a sigh, she followed him back. All the while, he kept looking over his shoulder as if some hideous beast were going to appear out of thin air.

But he wasn’t the only one feeling uneasy. Whatever Sage had heard put her on edge the rest of the evening. The faintest noise had her jumping in surprise, and the slightest disturbance made her shiver.

Even falling asleep was hard. She couldn’t get the idea out of her head that maybe sleeping with the lights on was best, and despite having Alex right beside her, Sage was genuinely frightened. Eventually, she worried herself to sleep, but she didn’t stay that way for long.

Alex’s knee slammed into her gut knocking the wind clear out of Sage’s lungs. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust in the dark but she was aware of Alex trying desperately to peel away tangled sheets. Almost like they were suffocating her.

“Hey, easy,” Sage wheezed, trying to catch hold of Alex’s hand. Her breathe was slowly coming back, and with a flick of the wrist a green flame erupted in her open palm. With the room properly illuminated Sage spotted Salem, back arched, teeth exposed, lowered on his stomach, and ready to strike. “Salem, what is it?”

The feline gave an uncertain yowl, pacing the room slowly. Sage’s attention turned back to Alex and the blonde’s expression was one of genuine fear. Something was wrong.

“He’s back,” Alex choked out.

“Who? What do you mean?” Sage frowned.

“Pr-Promethe-“

“Don’t say his name,” Sage warned. “Was he here?”

“I don’t know. It felt like it but when I woke up...” Alex shook her head in defeat.

By now, Salem has calmed, and his single eye scanned the room wearily. That was a good sign. Whatever presence he’d felt had finally gone.

“Okay,” Sage nodded, “lay down. I’ll stay up and keep an eye out.”

“That’s not fair to you,” Alex protested.

“I’ll be fine. Besides, usually when I’m awake there’s no hope in me going back to sleep,” Sage assured. With a skeptical look, Alex settled back down and closed her eyes. She kept ahold of Sage’s hand through the remainder of the night.

[kingdomheartsloversstuff]

Light of Lothal Chapter 8- Fall

Kallus's mission on Lasan takes a turn for the worst, and Kallus finds himself more then ever questioning his loyalties.

Read it on AO3

<<Previous Next>>

It was a planet unlike anything Dev had seen before, thick vegetation surrounded him, adorned with stunning purple leaves. Before him, stood a magnificent castle that towered above him, the sun shining down on it, bathing it and the surrounding forest in a golden light. Suddenly, the castle was cast in shadow, the sun blocked out by a massive ship.

 In the blink of an eye Dev found himself standing in some sort of courtyard, most likely one within the castle walls, facing a species Dev had never seen before. He, or Dev assumed was he, stood at least 6 feet tall, his body light purple with dark purple stripes and bright green eyes.

 “Where is Captain Orrelios,” Kallus called out, keeping Dev from inspecting the strange person any longer. Kallus was here on this strange planet with him? No…he wasn’t on this planet, but maybe Kallus actually was? But how was he seeing what was happening around Kallus if he was thousands of lightyears away?

 “Why would I tell you Imperial Scum?” The strange man demanded.

 “Why must you Lasat be so stubborn,” Kallus grumbled. Lasat, was that the name of his species? “One of his men committed a crime against the Empire and they must be brought to justice!”

 “Lies!” The Lasat cried, grabbing what appeared to be some sort of staff, extending it, electricity sparking from both ends of the weapon. Kallus pulled out a slightly different staff, carefully changing his stance, watching the Lasat with a calm expression. With a rage filled roar, the Lasat charged at Kallus, swinging his weapon at Kallus who ducked under the blow, quickly jabbing at the Lasat’s exposed side before quickly moving out of the Lasat’s reach. “A guardsmen would never do such a thing!”

 “I was their!” Kallus cried. “I watched him cut down my men who were injured! Defenseless!”

 “Lies!” The Lasat roared, swinging down at Kallus who dove out of the way, rolling to his feet before swinging at the Lasat. Their weapons clashed, the lasat shoving Kallus down. Kallus swung his staff at the Lasat’s feet, knocking him to the ground and quickly rolled back to his feet. The Lasat however quickly got back to his feet, swinging at Kallus with a roar of pure rage.

 The Lasat and Kallus continued exchanging blows faster than Dev could keep up, Kallus would be on the ground but then with a few quick movements he’d be on his feet, knocking the Lasat to the ground and hitting him hard before the Lasat was on his feet again until Kallus delivered a heavy enough blow that the Lasat couldn’t get up from. Kallus glared down at the Lasat for a moment before his knees gave on and he fell forward, kneeling on the ground in front of the Lasat.

 “Where is Captain Orrelios?” Kallus gasped, glaring at the Lasat who lay on the ground, gasping, weakly clutching his bleeding wounds.

 “You are a worthy opponent,” the Lasat whispered, shoving his weapon into Kallus’s hands before muttering something in a language Dev had never heard before.

 “I don’t understand-“ Kallus said, glancing at the weapon in confusion and back up at the Lasat. “Why are you giving this to me?”

“You have honor, and I can die with honor,” He gasped before his eyes slid shut, releasing one final shuttering breath.

 “Honor?” Kallus whispered, staring at the weapon in his hands in confusion. An eerie silence fell over the battlefield, the few Lasat who had watched the fight not moving or speaking, until with a loud blast, the great castle exploded, sending everyone in the courtyard flying-

 “DAD!” Dev gasped, sitting up in his bed in his room on Lothal. Heart racing, Dev scrambled out of bed, terrified for his dad’s safety. He had to find a way to contact him, to assure himself that this was just some nightmare and not what had really happened. As much as he tried to tell himself it was only a dream, it had all felt so real like he’d been on that strange planet beside Kallus-

 “Dev, is everything alright?” Lyste worriedly asked, opening the door before Dev reached it.

 “No!” Dev cried, tears prickling the corners of his eyes. “Dad’s in trouble!”

“What are you talking about?” Lyste asked, a hint of worry reaching his tone.

 “I-I saw him fight this big alien- a-a Lasat he said a-and he won but then the castle exploded and he was with all those other Lasat’s and-“

 “Dev, take a deep breath,” Lyste said, kneeling down so he was eye level with Dev. “How did you see this?”

“I-I saw it while I was asleep bu-“

“It was just a dream Dev,” Lyste gently said, laying his hands on Dev’s shoulders and gently squeezing them, trying to reassure him, but the gesture only made Dev angry. Why wouldn’t he listen? His dad was in trouble! He needed them!

 “It wasn’t a dream though!” Dev cried, yanking away from Lyste’s touch. “dad is in trouble!”

 “Alright, why don’t we go and try and talk to Kallus and get this all sorted out?” Lyste gently said. Dev glared at Lyste but nodded his head, a part of him hoping Lyste was right, but another sure he wasn’t. Either way, he seemed to have finally got Lyste’s attention as they calmly made their way through the nearly empty halls. Why was he going so slow? They had to hurry!

 Frustrated with Lyste’s lack of urgency, Dev grabbed Lyste’s hand and angrily started to tug him along, trying to get him to move faster but failed, partially due to how much bigger Lyste was then him, but mostly because he had no idea where they were going. Lyste however, eventually picked up the pace a bit with a sigh, leading Dev through the halls with ease. Finally they reached what Dev assumed was their destination but was stopped by a pair of Stormtroopers.

 “He is not authorized to enter this room.”

 “He’s with me and wishes to send a message to his father,” Lyste explained. The troopers uncertainly glanced at each other, both unwilling to respond. “Of course I could just wait and explain to Kallus when he returns that his son was forced to wait in distress for who knows how long until he returns planet side.” Still uncertain, the troopers stepped out of their path, apparently afraid of incurring his dad’s wrath. The room they entered was fairly deserted, with only a few Imperials silently working at their consoles. Dev looked around the room curiously, staring at the strange consoles and equipment inside the room. Lyste confidently walked up to one of the consoles and started typing in something, stepping back when he finished, waiting patiently for something.

 After what felt like an eternity to Dev but was only about a minute in reality, a holo of a man appeared who glared at Lyste and asked, “What is the meaning of this?”

 “I apologize Admiral Konstantine but young Dev here wanted to speak with Kallus-“

 “He’s busy,” the Konstantine snapped, “And this is a terrible time to call we’re in the middle of a battle!”

 “A battle?” Lyste gasped.

 “These beasts started attacking our squads!” Konstantine snapped. “And we are now under siege so I don’t have time for silly children and their nightmares!”

 “Of course Admiral-“

 “Do not call again!” He snapped, his holo vanishing.

 “Is dad going to be okay?” Dev asked in a small voice.

 “Kallus can take care of himself, he’ll be just fine,” Lyste gently assured, wrapping an arm around Dev’s shoulders.

 -----

 In a matter of seconds, everything had gone to hell. Seconds after getting thrown off his feet, Kallus was up again, forced to fight off half a dozen rightfully enraged Lasat Honor Guardsmen. It had been difficult fighting off one Lasat, this fight was even harder with his injuries and the sheer number he was dealing with. Thankfully, reinforcements quickly came to his aid allowed them to take down the Lasat. The whole thing felt so wrong. Why had the palace been blown up? Did Tarkin want to be forced to kill all the Guardsmen in the palace? Would the Empire still have done this even if they had given the Lasat up? If he where honest with himself, Kallus couldn’t say for sure. As they made their way through the ruins, Kallus tried not to think about the bodies he left behind. Those Lasat would still be alive if the Palace hadn’t been destroyed…

 Less than a month ago, Kallus would have believed the Empire had a good reason for an unprovoked attack of Lasan without a second thought, but after meeting Ezra, Kallus wasn’t so sure anymore. Would a good and just government sentence a child to death for their parent’s crimes? Would they bomb the castle for the actions of one Lasat? He didn’t think it was right to do such a thing- now wasn’t the time to think about such things, now he had to focus on surviving this failure of a mission and find out why this was all happening.

 A part of Kallus hoped this was all just some horrible mistake, the actions of a corrupt high ranking officer and not the will of the Emperor, deep down though Kallus was certain that it wasn’t true. First Dev, now this. How many other horrific slaughters where the result of a cruel Empire that he had so blindly trusted before?

 Ignoring the feeling of dread, Kallus made his way through the debris of the castle in the courtyard to the village in the hopes of trying to help calm the inevitable chaos. In the village however he didn’t just find chaos, he found a slaughterhouse. The troopers in the village where using ion disrupters, taking down everyone in their paths whether or not they were soldiers or even adults. Man, woman, and children where brutally slaughtered without a second thought. Civilians brutally killed in the name of ‘justice’. How was this just? What good did killing civilians do? Kallus knew he couldn’t just idily stand by and let this mindless slaughter happen, but his body was frozen, unable to tear his gaze away from the violent slaughter before him.

 He wanted to run onto the nearest shuttle and fly far away from Lasan, from the Empire, from death, back to Dev. He wanted to hold Dev tightly in his arms and know he was safe from the Empire’s cruel gaze and tyranny. To forget about this living nightmare and pretend none of this ever happened. There was no undoing this, no bringing back the innocent slaughtered here. There was no unseeing what he witnessed, nothing that could cleanse the Empire’s hands of this.

 He had constantly told himself it was best for Dev if he stayed with the Empire, the Empire tends to ignore the questionable acts of their loyal soldiers, but how could he even think of raising a child in such a place? The Empire slaughtered innocent people without second thought, their thousands of soldiers blindly following orders, some gleefully following said orders. How could he morally expose an innocent child to the mindless slaughter? He hated the Rebellion and everything they stood for, but standing in the mist of the Empire’s cruel bloodshed, Kallus hated them even more.

 He had no idea where they would go, but one thing was clear, Kallus couldn’t stay here any longer, not when they slaughtered children like this, not when he was fostering a child wanted by the Empire. No, he was done with the Empire and everything it stood for. Once he returned to Lothal, he was taking Dev and getting as far away as possible where Dev would be safe and never have to see the mindless bloodshed again. Kallus knew of some worlds deep in wild space the Empire would never go they could disappear on. It wouldn’t be easy since most of his skill sets where not useful to civilians, but he would find a way.

 Through the chaos and screaming, Kallus heard the cries of children, springing his paralyzed body into action. Kallus’s eyes landed on three young Lasats running away from a trooper wielding an Ion Disruptor and for a terrifying moment, he saw Dev with the three children, running, screaming in terror.

 “No!” Kallus shouted, throwing himself in front of the trooper, using the bo-rifle gifted to him to knock the disruptor from the troopers hands, blocking the trooper.

 “What are you doing?” The trooper demanded.

 “Stopping you from slaughtering innocent children!” Kallus snapped. “Our orders where to find the Lasat responsible! Not slaughter them all!”

 “We were ordered to eliminate the Lasats!” the trooper cried. “Besides these beasts are getting what they deserve!”

 “Ordered?” Kallus cried. “Who ordered this?”

“Grand Moff Tarkin,” The trooper said. Kallus shouldn’t have been surprised to hear this, Tarkin had made his disdain for the Lasat very clear in their meeting, but another part still couldn’t believe anyone could order something so vile and heartless.

 “How can you go along with this?” Kallus cried, “This is wrong and you know it!”

 “How could you of all people defend these beasts?” The trooper exclaimed.

 “That was one Lasat!” Kallus cried. “You can’t punish them all for this!”

 “Your brats clouding your judgement!”

 “He’s made my vision clearer than ever,” Kallus growled, swiping his bo-rifle at the trooper’s feet, knocking him to the ground.

 “Agent Kallus, stand down!” The captain whose name Kallus never bothered to learn hollered, a half dozen troopers surrounding him, blasters pointed at him.

 “Don’t you see the madness?” Kallus cried, looking around at the troopers that surrounded him. “There’s no justifying this slaughter!”

 “We were given orders,” the captain said.

 “Orders that are wrong!” Kallus said. “Can’t you see that?” Kallus carefully looked around at the trooper’s body language, desperately trying to see any hesitation in any of them. He found none whatsoever.

 “Agent Kallus I am putting you under arrest for high treason! When we return to Lothal you will be put on trial an-“ A blaster bolt hit the captain’s head, killing him instantly, sending the troopers in a frenzy. A giant mass slammed onto the ground in front of Kallus, it’s fist flying, knocking the nearest trooper over. This was a Lasat, Kallus realized as the Lasat slammed two troopers head’s together before throwing their limp bodies at two other troopers. Kallus numbly shot the last trooper, staring at the Lasat in shock. Why would a Lasat help an Imperial agent?

 The Lasat turned to face him, gruffly asking,

 “Are you alright?” Kallus though couldn’t answer, mind freezing when he realized who exactly had just saved him, Captain Orrelios.

[kitto-toberu-sa]

Naruto Week

April 10 || Day 1: Team 7 // Childhood // Favorite Character

Team 7. His first and only team. Probably a record – you either had no teams or you trained as many as reasonably possible (unless you piked out due to injury or something).

But most instructors probably hadn’t messed up as much as he had.

Most intrsuctors taught their students the basics, the necessities, enough to prepare them for missions of all ranks (even if it was information only and not practical practice). They guided their students to the chuunin exams, hopefully succeeding in their guidance so that their students could move on into the ‘real world’ so to speak, and the instructors were free to start guiding a new generation, a little wiser than before.

But Kakashi hadn’t done any of that.

Sure, he taught the basics and all that nonsense, but it hadn’t helped when Zabuza attacked, when his students were mangled and terrified and he got himself caught in Zabuza’s jutsu. It hadn’t helped in the Forest of Death when only Sakura was left to fend for the team, when Sasuke got a goddamn curse mark of all things.

He’d emphasized the importance of teamwork and bonds, to the point where Sakura threw herself between raging teammates that were blind to her existence. He’d refused to see the hurt his team was carrying, leaving them vulnerable in times of need, essentially leading to Sasuke’s defection.

He was a failure as a teacher. They said it wasn’t the case (well, Sasuke didn’t say anything, so Kakashi suspected he was right), but they’d all gone and found other instructors. Stronger, smarter, famous. More everything that a good teacher should be. Able to train them in skills they wanted to excel in, in understanding their strengths and weaknesses.

He wondered how different their childhood, and subsequently, their lives, would have been if they’d had a better teacher. He wondered if Team Seven would have still broken anyway, or if that lay all on him. He wondered if there was a time, a place, in any type of existence, where they could have been a proper team.

Maybe that was just wishful thinking.

April 11 || Day 2: Team 8 // Mission // Favorite Quote April 12 || Day 3: Team Gai // Bonds // Favorite Fight “I want to show I can be a splendid ninja as well, even if I don’t have ninjutsu or genjutsu! I want to prove it to the whole world!”

They were big words, but they were true. He based his everything around them. They were him and he was them.

They cost him a lot. It took him years to gain Neji’s respect (and to a lesser degree, TenTen’s). Gai put him through the ringer more times than he could count – “if you can only use taijutsu, you have to work harder than anyone else!” Sure it made sense, but his bruised body wasn’t thanking him any.

If he’d had more skills he could have been useful on missions, on a wider type of missions – there’s only so much a taijutsu user can do after all (or at least, that’s what the higher ups believed… if they only gave him a chance..!).

If he’d had more skills, he might not have been destroyed so badly by Gaara. His most memorable fight for many (and one he will never forget) and one of the most iconic of that exam. All that stress about the surgery and his future, the sleepless nights and anxiety eating at his gut could have been avoided.

He remembered it vividly. Sometimes idly, if he was on a mission in Suna, or near long stretches of sand. Sometimes unwillingly, woken up in the middle of the night by a nightmare of what if, what if, what if-

But if he’d been more skillful, perhaps he could have fought Kimimaru alone, without Gaara’s help. Of course, Lee wasn’t cruel enough to turn people away when they were trying to better themselves and the two were friends now, but it had still hurt his pride a little that he needed to be helped.

It wasn’t a pride born from arrogance, but one of frustration. He wanted to be the world’s greatest taijutsu user, a splendid ninja. How was he meant to do that if he couldn’t fit his own battles? If he constantly needed saving?

..If he couldn’t save his friends?

Neji’s death still stung. Realistically, he knew that whether he was the best at taijutsu, or mediocre or superb in any other field, he couldn’t have changed that outcome. Neji had made his choice and Lee was powerless to change that.

All he could do was fall back on his words. To be a splendid ninja using only taijutsu. That was his path. So he would follow it until the last, and make sure he never felt frustrated or bitter due to his lack of skill, so that he would never feel embarrassed to be saved due to only knowing taijutsu, so that none of his comrades would fall while he was there.

Step by step. Be stronger than yesterday.

He once said “the lotus of Konoha blooms twice”, but that was a lie. There is no limit to how many times a lotus can bloom. There is no limit to how many times he will bloom – a path of continual blooming is the only way to live to the fullest, to live with youth, to live his belief.

So that was what he would do. Continually bloom.

~~~

April 13 || Day 4: Team 10 // Growth // Favorite Arc April 14 || Day 5: Sand siblings // Traditions // Favorite Media April 16 || Day 7: Next Generation // Nostalgia // Free Choice They were siblings, but their father sure as hell didn’t let them act like it. Temari was reluctant to agree with her father’s ideas, but she kept away from him regardless. Kankuro didn’t get it, but he did as he was told. The Kazekage was a powerful man after all.

So Gaara was alone.

His siblings wouldn’t play with him. The villagers hated him. His father barraged him with assaults. Even Yashamaru betrayed him in the end.

It was strange to think that his first bonds came from another monster (two if you count Lee as the blue beast).

It was amazing to think that those bonds were only the beginning.

If you’d asked him as a child, Gaara would never have believed he would be on speaking terms with his siblings, let alone actually feel like they were family.

Times had changed and Suna had been given a rude awakening with the death of the former Kazekage and the strength of Konoha. With no father to keep Gaara in line, Temari and Kankuro stood up to try and keep him and his demon calm. But when they realized it wasn’t necessary, they didn’t leave as he expected them too.

They stuck with him as he became Kazekage and a less volatile brother. Finally, they became siblings, like their father refused to let them do.

They were able to be there for each other, in a way Gaara never thought possible, never entertained the thought of, never believed in due to thinking of nothing but strength and loneliness for years on end.

While they were still as close as ever (well, post-Father’s death close as ever), they couldn’t live together anymore. Well, they could, but living together as adults is much different to living together when you’re children.

Temari was engaged, soon to be married. She’d made the tough decision of moving to Konoha rather than trying to force Shikamaru to move to Suna. Which left two bachelors in an overly large place.

Gaara was Kazekage, living in his office, working stupid hours, wanting his own place to return to when he came home.

And he couldn’t do that when Kankuro was always home (and more often than not, not alone).

They bickered about that (and the noise the puppet master’s ‘friends’ made) quite frequently, until one day Gaara did have the house to himself.

It was a little lonely, but it was nice. And considering everything they’d been through, if this was the worst type of fight they would have, he was happy.

(And Kankuro certainly enjoyed having ‘friends’ over whenever he wanted. Not needing to worry about shutting doors was a plus too. Not that he’d ever tell Gaara that.)

~~~

April 15 || Day 6: Akatsuki // Last Words // Favorite Opening or Ending Last words are meant to be final. They’re the end. They are what they say they are – the final words you hear from someone.

But Itachi always questioned the rules.

The first last words Itachi left his brother were of murder, of mockery, in a compound full of dead bodies and blood stained memories.

Sasuke held on to those for a long time.

They were his guiding force, his reason for existence. Without those, he wasn’t sure what he’d be, what path he’d have taken.

To this day, the thought unnerved him.

The second last words Sasuke received were apologetic, reminiscent of a time long gone, of bonds he’d tried so hard to mutilate.

He hadn’t the time to mull over them as he had the first. Tobi made sure of that. The truth ruined the first words and gave strength to the second. It gave him a new path, though one that wasn’t so different from his old one, in a sense.

He wondered what would have happened if Itachi had said those words sooner. Looking back, Sasuke didn’t think the outcome would have been any different.

The third last words were what they were supposed to be. Final.

More than that, they were words a brother was supposed to say. Words of love.

The contrast between the first and third made his head spin at times. What was the truth? What was just another lie in Itachi’s seemingly endless list of untruths?

The amount of time he’d spent being dictated by the first words couldn’t be changed. It couldn’t be returned and his actions couldn’t be forgiven.

The second words had set him on yet another path, where again his crimes were piling higher. The truth, a brother’s last emotions, had broken him to the point where nothing but a warped sense of justice remained.

They say the truth will set you free, but Sasuke felt that Itachi’s last words only chained him to a past filled with happy memories, of times he wished never ended. Of memories and people and places that could never again exist.

He’d grown and changed throughout the years, and while Itachi’s final words were more proper, more brotherly, than his first two attempts, Sasuke couldn’t be entirely thankful for them. Perhaps he was still just a selfish brat, ignoring the bigger picture.

But Itachi was Itachi, still a somewhat superhero in his mind. Strong, smart, able to see beyond the obvious. It was unfair to blame everything on Itachi, to expect someone so young to shoulder all the burden, to fix everything, but Sasuke still wished Itachi had set the Uchiha (and the village) right, and that he never had to hear those last words at all.

[nerdanel-istarnie]

No space left for Noldor blood

//So that’s my entry for Feanorian’s week about Maedhros’s childhood. Maedhros realises it's unseemly that the third in line to the crown doesn't have the family's black hair. Fingon disagrees. Curufin just likes to eat it. 

  It’s on A3O too: http://archiveofourown.org/works/10390731

=========================================

Maedhros’ eyes were pensive as he watched Curufin toddle around, leaning on the bannister of the inner courtyard. The eldest son of Fëanor was usually the first to play with his younger brothers, caring and doting on them while their parents were busy. There was a remoteness in him now that made Maglor’s heart clench. He knelt next to Curufin who imperiously demanded to be taken up by pulling on the musician’s shoulder sleeve. Drawing his brother in his arms, he noted how unwieldy this was starting to get. Maedhros managed better but then he had the experience of several baby brothers growing into young limbed youngsters. Smiling at his oldest brother, he came to join him on the terrace. Curufin wasted no time grasping toward Maedhros, who begrudgingly got nearer. Curufin picked up one of the copper strands and pulled. Maglor laughed, trying with one hand to extricate the braid without letting go. When he succeeded, Maedhros face was even somber, if it was at all possible.

“What is it Nelyo? I remember Curvo stuffing your hair in his mouth before with you being far less troubled” The taller elf made a noncommittal answer, muted reassurances that everything was fine and Maglor put his younger brother down, now fairly alarmed “Tell me. You know anything that grieves you grieves me even more so”

Maedhros looked at the departing toddler, words coming only when their brother sat down and started eating purple lilies “Tyelko cares not at all he has silver hair. He says he likes being different. He doesn’t get lectures about spending time in the forge and can ride his nightmare of a horse all around Tirion without being bothered. He thinks it’s because it reminds father of Miriel”

Maglor was bemused. Maedhros was bothered by hair? But before he could ask, his brother forged on, still not looking at him “I went to the palace with Father and Curvo earlier. Finwë wanted to see his grandson’’ He gestured to the flower-eating elf ‘’Father thought he might enjoy Curvo’s new habit of saying no to things offered to him and then going to get them by himself. Apparently, it’s an action Father did himself in youth. Then uncle Nolofinwë had the terrible idea of dropping by with Findekáno unexpectedly. You can imagine that the afternoon became quite frosty. But it gave me plenty of time to observe” He continued paying little attention to Maglor, twisting the red hair between his fingers ‘‘I think no one would know I am from the line of Finwë if I stopped wearing the circlet”

He suddenly focused on his brother, grey eyes suddenly filled with remorse “I love Mother of course, you know that! And Mahtan. But father named me Nelyafinwë did he not? Something I am hardly in temperament or in looks. Or worse, perhaps I do take after Finwë but not enough after Father, and I irk him the way uncle Nolofinwë irks him’’ He lapsed into a brief silence ‘’If it wasn’t for him being called Curufinwë already, I think Curvo would better suited to my name than I am. He bit Fingon and father laughed! What a thing to teach a child”

Maglor snickered but Maedhros seemed unamused “I took him out with me to get some air” Maglor tried lightly “He has a temper that’s certain. A bit of air might have gotten him out of his snit” Maedhros corrected him “I took Findekáno out not Curvo. Curvo was busy being fawned over’’ His own unkind tone made him mad at himself. Curufin was not at fault here ‘’Note that after I suggested it, Findekáno forgot all his hurt from the bite and I don’t think all the hounds of Oromë could have pulled him away from my side. Those meetings must be so tedious for him’’ He frowned ‘’And hurtful”

The musician sighed ‘’Findekáno likes you. You take him with you on adventures and keep him safe. You teach him things and listen to him. He has no big brother but you’’ Maglor took his brother’s arm, stopping his harsh twists on his hair and returning to the subject at hand “You never say anything cross at any of them, I would never have thought it bothered you. I don’t think anyone knows it bothers you. Really Nelyo, you are a fine son and an even finer brother. I’m certain no one tough you less of the house of Finwë because of your hair. Everyone loves your hair!” “Yes. It’s a curiosity’’ Seeing the retort on his brother’s lips, he conceded ‘’It’s beautiful, I know. But I would rather have black hair. And it’s not the crux of the matter, my character is. The hair is just a reminder”

From afar they heard the powerful horn of Curvo crying. Maedhros all but ran to his brother, only to find him kicking Findekáno’s shin while jumping for a delicate kite the young Nolofinwean was holding aloft above his head ‘’I did nothing. He saw me playing with the kite and wanted it. It’s unsafe for him. I didn’t mean to make him cry’’

Maedhros picked up Curufin, who was still bawling while reaching for the colourful silk bird ‘’Do not let it trouble you. He likes purple things these days’’ Reassured his kite was safely out of Curvo’s reach, Fingon held it close to his chest, eyeing the toddler with distrust. Curufin, filled with anger still, took two full hands of Nelyo’s hair and shoved them in his mouth. The immediate silence was only broken when Maglor exploded laughing ‘’See. He likes red too’’ Maedhros let a polite smile grace his lips, not wanting to reopen their earlier debate in front of their cousin. Fingon for his part was staring quite openly at Maedhros’ hair and blurted out ‘’I like your hair. It looks like a waterfall made of fire’’ Maglor looked far too pleased with himself but Maedhros snapped, rage flashing in his eyes ‘’Maybe there was so much fire in my conception that there wasn’t any space left for Noldor blood’’

It was a testament to his nascent courage that Fingon did not flee after such a comment and retorted ‘’You are the only one able to withstand grandfather’s unending meetings with the Vanyar without going cross-eyed. You wouldn’t be able to do that if you weren’t his grandson. And you are so patient. If I hear about Cuivenen one more time I’ll go live in the woods with the beasts to relive it instead!’’ Maedhros was taken by surprise by the speech, but Fingon forged on, not leaving the taller elf’s eyes a second ‘’You treat me like family. Even when people are looking! Plus, you don’t give me ‘’that’’ look’’. Maglor inquired about the nature of said look. What followed was a very approximate impression of Fëanor glaring, as rendered by a young gangly elf holding a purple sparrow kite. It broke Maedhros’ heart. Somehow, the idea of not being like his father at this moment made Maedhros feel more at peace rather than less. Slowly Maedhros smiled at his cousin’s ridiculous display ‘’Yes, my strengths lie not in glaring’’ Curufin gurgled and spit out a braid. Now was the time to bring him back home.

Maedhros transferred Curufin to Maglor ‘’Thank you for the compliments Findekáno. They were strange’’ Findekáno earnest face scrunched in disappointment ‘’But welcome’’ And then the light of his smile was back. Not for the first time Maedhros was amazed by how easily his cousin’s mood turned with only a word from him.

As they were walking home, Maedhros could feel how much Maglor wanted to talk and pushing the gooey strand of hair behind his shoulder he looked at his brother expectantly ‘’Well?’’ Maglor nearly had a skip in his step ‘’I have no better qualifier than ‘waterfall of fire’ really’’ Maedhros groaned ‘’He’s young. He doesn’t understand…’’ the red-haired elf trailed off, slipping back into his earlier mood. Maglor was having none of it ‘’Understand what? I felt he understood very clearly. He saw you are a fine study for a statesman, a fair one that doesn’t begrudge him his lineage’’ The eldest said nothing. But touching the end of one of his unmaimed braids he smiled as he looked over his shoulder at the purple kite flying high about the line of the trees. ‘’Perhaps there was some wisdom in his words’’