#prompt from wife

[gravitywonagain]

a quick double-drabble (200 words) to try to help me get over my writers' block

.🐸.

Wei Wuxian didn't mean to turn himself into a frog. He did not start out his day planning to become two inches tall and sticky. But, as he pokes his head out from the seemingly gargantuan pile of crumpled silk that are his robes, he must admit, that is what he has done. 

He supposes he should probably be thankful that he's managed to keep his wits about him. This would all be much more difficult if he'd lost his mind as well as his body. His second body. Now third. He wonders if Lan Zhan would love him even like this. 

His husband’s soft golden eyes and quiet smile loop in his memory. “Wei Ying.” 

Yeah. He would probably build Wei Wuxian a home in their impossible mountain lotus pond. He would catch whichever bugs this particular species of frog likes to eat and toast them with chilies. 

That man. 

Luckily for both of them, Wei Wuxian does actually know how to undo this transformation. He hops easily onto the table, legs far more powerful than he anticipates, but wide-spreading toes that help him land gracefully. 

Now, if only he can figure out how to hold the calligraphy brush…

[vakariaan]

ultimate ships challenge - [4/10] she cleans up nicely scenes

[myuminji]

college au

Meryl is NOT the first person Vash visited and Wolfwood has had enough embarrassment for the day

and unofficially wife-d up with paper rings (congratulations!)

Vash holding Wolfwood's hands, realising that it's not as calloused, no, in fact, it's soft. Unharmed. Safe. And he's holding it. Both of his hands are holding it. And those hands are exchanging something as fragile as a paper ring, far off from what they're usually accustomed of holding in the past...

(He's holding Wolfwood's hand, he thinks again. It's soft. He wonders if he deserves to hold them.)

Except it's no longer the past, Vash knows that, and now they're here, the flimsy rings weighing heavy with the promise of tomorrows he could never hope or dream of having before. It's so comical to the point of bringing tears to his eyes.

If anyone had seen him crying that day he's blaming it on the damned ring.

(a.k.a. the college/reincarnation au, "we deserve a soft epilogue" ending I desperately need)

[kugisakiss]

Au where Conan is a weed dealer. Cue him sitting inside Kogoro's office and laughing calmly with bloodshot, red eyes while smoking.

taking down the B.O. the "normal" way is taking too long. Conan and Haibara are going to build a criminal empire so large it will chase them out of business and they're going to start it by selling meth without getting caught because who would even suspect them?

[ghostbsuter]

"Here," Danny slides his business card over, and Victor fries takes it.

"Contact my parents, go to Amity Park. They can explain and answer every question you have, Mr. Fries."

Victor, still in his suit and staring, frowns. "What about Nora?"

"I can promise you, she will be alright. I'll give you daily news of her condition and make sure everything is on top condition."

Mr. Fries hesitates, glancing at his frozen wife. He contemplates it, the decision and its cost if he were to trust.

"Nora can't handle transportation in these conditions, but with me here, she will get enough ectoplasm exposure that will make her liminal." Danny explains carefully, eyes crinkling as he looks at the man.

"She will turn into a ghost and come back. Anger may be stronger than love, but love is one of the main emotions one will form in the Infinity Realms."

Victor exhales shakily, breath tinted white from the cold.

"The same will happen to me if I depart to amity park?"

"Yes." The halfa nods. "You will be exposed to ectoplasm like every other civilian there, but unlike here with Nora, my parents will make sure you understand every little thing about this process."

"And if she does come back as a ghost... how long...?"

Danny bites his lip. "I'm not sure. Once her ghost forms, she will be under my protection, many know to not go against me. She will learn of her new culture and then of the traditions."

He explains slowly, making sure Mr. Fries is concentrated and on line with every word he tells.

"Her memories will slowly trickle in, but she will remember and most likely go and find you."

Victor, the ever careful man he is, tilts his head. "How will she come back?"

"My parents again, they have a portal. She will be led to it by associates and friends safely. You will meet her at Amity Park, that's why I suggested moving in the first place. She won't be strong enough to leave amity at first."

"Why me? Why us? This program is not public, and you can not possibly be joking either."

"Valid," Danny shrugs at his gaze. "Call it fondess or maybe attachment, but Nora really grew on me despite... not being very expressive."

—

(They talked for so so long, until Victor Fries aka Mr. Freeze finally agreed and left.

Danny gave them the privacy needed for their temporary goodbye, he would help them, he'd promised so.

And Phantom doesn't break promises.

So he helps Mr. Fries escape Gotham, made sure he arrived at the meeting place with Jazz, and gave updates on Nora in her cryochamber.

He would buy flowers for her, talk, throw jokes, despite no answer.

Aunt Nora's life would flicker at a time, and sooner than later, Danny knew her time was up.

He left when Victor came back, got her out of her sleep, and held her for her last moments. He was here when Victor departed again, ready to prepare his new apartment at Amity for Nora's arrival.

He felt unbridled happiness when the news came back months later that Nora managed to get back. She became a winter spirit like he is, more alive than she was in the last live.

Danny was happy for the Fries family.)

[stealingyourbones]

Peter Parker dimension travels to Metropolis. Not MCU Peter, but 616 late 20s Peter Parker who can forge his identity and works for Lex Corp, initially not realizing it’s a bad company, but when he does he continues working for them to slowly yet surely make plans to expose and dismantle the company.

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 242

   He looks the same as he had that fateful day, a storm raging around him and risking sending the ship down into the abyss. Hair whipping in the wind as the sky roars its deadly challenge echoed by the beasts they all sought to bring down those centuries ago. 

   It looks just as human as they- that is to say not at all, not anymore. A body twisted, sand and lightning melding into a molten sea ever-expanding. Its eyes as gold as the treasure it guards, brilliant blues and greens dancing across bodies in sigils unknown. 

   It looks exactly as it did that time ago, smile dancing on its lips as the sky opened up in torrents, like blood gushing from a wound. “You’re free to go,” it says, in words they understand and words they don’t. “You don’t have to stay here any longer.” 

   “Where will we go?” They ask, so very tired of this eternal battle, of being trapped in crashing waves and storms of water and sand. Being tossed one way and the other, never able to go home, for home was gone long ago. 

   It looks up, their own gaze following, the ship crashing through the dredges of a storm they had thought eternal. And for the first time in eternities, they see them. The stars. Dancing and dripping from a serpentine form that cradles the Sun and Moon, smiling down to the beast and them alike. 

   And so, they take from the seas, and take to the stars instead. 

[iguessthisisanewobsession]

Jack is under appreciated in the Fandom and it shows!

Like love Maddie, she’s a queen when she’s not traumatizing her son, but we sleep on Jack!

Like in both normal Danny phantom fandom and especially the dc x dp crossover.

More often than not Jack gets shoved into supporting character role in the fandom and I feel like this is a missed opportunity!

His main traits are loving his family and hunting ghost but he plays second fiddle to Maddie!

Love cool karate mom but we’re sleeping on the Himbo gun dad dammit!

Give me more character progression for him!

Make Jack make tough choices!

Have he have a crisis of faith!

Have him realize that Vlad doesn’t like him and is obsessed with his son and wife!

Have him ask what is more important, ghosts or family.

Have him choose family.

Have him run away with his kids in the dead of night.

Have him choose ghosts have him be the main antagonist

Have Jack chase after his missing family in a fucked up way of thinking he’s going save them!

Make him do something other than love wife and be tank antagonist!

He is basically Brucie Wayne if he was real and had a thing for guns!

Use Jack!

[atrueneutral]

"It's nothing" for the two word prompts for Tav x Raphael, please? Perhaps Raphael notices and injury on them that she tries to brush off but he is not having it. Or maybe it's the other way around. Idk. I just really enjoy your writing.

“It’s nothing,” Tav said, brushing off the scrunched nose assessment Raphael gave her as she limped across the room and collapsed in the nearest chair from the door of the Den - an unwise action that left her hissing and wincing.

“‘Nothing’, you say?” he asked, tone flat and skeptical.

It was fair to say it wasn’t entirely ‘nothing’; pain flared from the injury on her thigh - a deep gouge from the tusk of a giant boar sustained in a surprise attack in the forest. Seven swine had ambushed the camp as she and another were settling down for the night, and at the end of the slaughter-fest, a majority of her (expensive) healing potions were used to keep her novice-of-an-adventuring-partner alive. A Potion of Healing was all that remained for her own consumption, and, thankfully, the single tincture had been enough to finish the job tasked to them.

Two days of travel later, here she was at the Devil’s Den with a festering wound that had barely mended.

“It’s fine,” Tav said (still wincing) with a wave of her hand. “I’ll grab a Superior Potion of Healing on my way home. Thought I’d first personally deliver the news that everything went smoothly - mostly.”

It would have been more accurate to have said she’d ‘purchase a Superior Potion of Healing on the way home if she could’. The empty, cavernous state of her coin-purse meant she would be limping home and limping into bed with no relief.

As for why her coin-purse was spent, she’d recently (and covertly) upgraded her leather boots and gloves to go with her upgraded (and quite stylish) leather breastplate.

Hindsight lamented that these newer, costly additions to her ensemble did not include thigh armor.

Raphael judged her disapprovingly from where he stood.

Snap!

A chalice filled to the brim with what she knew to be a Superior Potion of Healing materialized in his hand.

Tav’s cheeks became heated. “Oh, thank you, but like I said, I’ll get one on my way home.”

His eyes narrowed, and Raphael began to move towards her with resolve plain on his face; the potion he held would not be declined; he would force it down her throat if need be.

“Really, Raphael, this is unnecessary. I’ll go right now,” Tav said, pushing herself into the back of the chair in a superfluous attempt to inch away from the fiendish man who came to loom over her after four great strides.

“You are being more stubborn than usual - either you will drink this potion, by my hand or yours, or I will steal you away to the boudoir and dump you in the bath.”

“Is there a third option?” Tav meekly asked, cowering in his shadow.

“I sever your leg from your body.”

A morbid joke, but one that saw her glower and grab the encrusted-chalice from his hand.

“Bastard,” she muttered before bringing the rim of the cup to her lips and tilting the contents back. Swallowing every drop, Tav shoved the chalice into Raphael’s chest, and his hand snatched her wrist.

“My stubborn little mouse,” he rumbled. “Here I was favoring the second option...”

“Oh, not the third?” Tav retorted wryly. She sighed and relinquished the chalice to him as she pulled her hand away and sagged in her seat. “I feel like I’m relying on you too much. Not that I don’t appreciate everything you do for me, but I’m used to fending for myself… You always have what I need when I need it, or provide me with what I want - which is in your job description, I know.” She stared at her thigh and could feel a tingling sensation taking over her wound. “It’s probably past experience that’s telling me it’s all going to blow up in my face one of these days.”

“I have told you before that what I provide for you is given freely.”

She peered up at him. “You’re not secretly logging every donation? To foot me with a bill for thousands-upon-thousands of gold when I’m crawling to you on death’s door needing you the most?”

“No,” came his reply. “And let it be said that death would not take you even as you clamber on his doorstep - your maddening obstinance would not allow it.”

The corners of her lips twitched, and Tav heaved herself to her feet (without wincing in the process) to come face to face with Raphael. Her hand raised, cupping his cheek, and she caressed stubbled skin with a swipe of her thumb.

“Thank you for the potion,” she said, planting a kiss on her cambion’s lips.

“It’s my pleasure, my dear.” 

[ikarakie]

eddie the kinda guy to see 'hold me' painted onto an escalators railings and proceed to sit there for fifteen minutes dramatically consoling the machine because "you should've told me you were struggling! of course i'll hold you!" all whilst fake crying and dabbing his 'tears' with his handkerchief

[anachronistic-falsehood]

can i say something controversial

i miss purgatory

[ruvviks]

"The outer reaches of space remain unexplored by humankind to this day, but its greed is relentless. We grasp and yearn and hunger for knowledge— answers to questions we cry out into the endless void expecting to understand, expecting the stars to respond. The stars will not, but one day something else will— and we will not like what it has to say." — Rome Solomon, Beyond the Exosphere (1965)

taglist (opt in/out): @shellibisshe, @florbelles, @ncytiri, @hibernationsuit, @stars-of-the-heart, @vvanessaives, @katsigian, @radioactiveshitstorm, @estevnys, @adelaidedrubman, @celticwoman, @rindemption, @carlosoliveiraa, @noirapocalypto, @dickytwister, @killerspinal, @euryalex, @ri-a-rose, @velocitic, @thedeadthree

[landgraabbed]

[tsukikoayanosuke]

Will You Be Okay in the Next Ten Years? - Ruikasa Week 2004

Day 6: Invention

(Inspired by Katekyo Hitman Reborn but no knowledge of said show is needed)

It was a sunny lunch break when Nene asked the question: “Have you ever wondered about the future?”

Emu, who was lying on her stomach, held her cheeks in her palm and elbow on the floor. Her legs swung back and forth as she asked back,  “Huee? The future?”

“Once we graduate from the academy,” Nene said again. “What do you want do you want to do?”

Tsukasa let out a chuckle. “Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it?” He struck a pose. “I WILL BE THE WORLD GREATEST HERO!”

“That’ll be so cool!” Emu leaped into a sitting position, eyes gleaming in excitement. “You’ll go in a Gundam and whoosh whoosh BOOM! Save the world!”

Tsukasa laughed loudly. “Exactly! To be heroes and protect everyone’s smile.” He grinned widely at the group surrounding him. “Isn’t that what Wonderland x Showtime does?” Emu followed his cheer while Rui and Nene just smiled. Tsukasa knew they could change the world; he believed in them.

It had been a year since Wonderland x Showtime was formed. All of them are students at Mikudemy Institute, a military academy in this age of advanced technology with giant robots as the main weapon. Both Tsukasa and Emu are pilots while Rui and Nene are scientist/maintenance. They had a bump in their first mission which nearly cost their early disbandment. But they worked it out and became stronger than ever.

“How about we take a peak into the future?” Rui suggested. “I’m also curious about what would happen.”

“You can do that?” Tsukasa asked, already feeling excited.

Rui chuckled. “I’m sure I can manage. Huh… Maybe I can…” He went off into his usual mumble, slipping into his own unique thinking space.

Nene let out an amused sigh. “There he goes again…”

“Let’s leave it to Rui!” Emu cheered.

Tsukasa couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Rui. His brilliant scientist will no doubt impress them once again, no matter how big or small in invention is. Tsukasa couldn’t imagine a world where he and Rui would never be together again, especially after that first fight. They said a lot of hurtful things to each other, but they managed to sort them out. If anything, they became much closer than before and Tsukasa wouldn’t trade it with anything.

*****

“TA-DAA! The Ten-Year Bazooka is done!”

“The what?!”

Rui, as he promised, came back three days later with a giant purple bazooka. They might be in a military school, but Tsukasa was sure that didn’t mean Rui could carry around a weapon without a license. 

“In theory, it can allow you to swap places with your future self,” Rui explained. “Like a time machine, but without the whole ‘two versions of you at the same time’ paradox.”

“Why ten years though?” Nene asked, still in disbelief.

“Well, the world of next week probably won't change that much, so why not far into the future?” Rui said. “And if it works, then maybe we can make a proper time machine.” 

“You haven’t tested it?!” Tsukasa shouted.

“That’s so cool!” Emu cheered. “I want to go! I want to go!”

“Hold on, Emu.” Tsukasa put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her from bouncing. “I’ll test it, just to make sure it’s safe.”

“Are you sure?” Rui asked. “The future is unpredictable.”

Tsukasa nodded determined. “I believe in you!” He took a deep breath and stretched his arms, “Hit me!”

Rui gave him a thankful smile and threw the bazooka at him. Almost automatically, it extended its mouth to swallow him whole. Tsukasa could hear a click and pink smoke covered his vision, causing him to cough. When the smoke subsided though, Tsukasa could finally see his surroundings.

He was in a room with white walls, ceiling, and floor. While the floor is clean, except for some trinkets here and there, the walls are covered with papers on every surface he could reach; printed articles with bold headlines, graphs and diagrams some crossed with a red marker, a pinboard with few photographs, sketches of what he could guess a human mecha armor (that Tsukasa remember is currently underdevelopment in his times). He was sitting on a bed whose sheet probably hadn’t been washed for the longest time. Beside it, there was an unrecognizable humming machine beside him and cables seemingly once stuck on something but were forcefully taken off. Beside where his head was supposed to be, there was a single worn-out platypus plushie that suspiciously looked like something Tsukasa sewed back then for Rui’s birthday.

There’s no way this is his room right? If Rui said that the bazooka was supposed to make him swap places with his version of ten years later, does that mean he’s going to be a slob?!

The metal door was suddenly opened, the light from outside hitting Tsukasa right on the eyes, making him cover his face with his hand. There was a breathy “What…” followed by the sound of shattered glass. 

There, standing by the doorway, was a man in their mid-twenties. Unkept purple hair with two cyan streaks tied in a sloppy low ponytail. His wrinkled lab coat hung on his skinny frame. Bags under his no-longer twinkling yellow eyes as if he hadn’t slept for years, but now those same eyes stared at Tsukasa with shock.

“Rui…?”

The man, ten-year-later Rui, crumbled. He sprinted to the bed and pulled Tsukasa into a hug so tight that Tsukasa could feel Rui’s ribcage.

“Tsukasa… Tsakasa…” Rui’s voice was hoarse, as if he hadn’t used it for a very long time (but why? Rui is always the lovable rambly one), yet filled with heavy emotions. He cradled his head, pressing kisses on his neck that made Tsukasa blush.

“R-Rui…?” Tsukasa tried to shift his position but Rui tightened his hug.

“Please…” he whispered tearfully. He was trembling. “Give me a moment…”

Tsukasa hummed, unable to deny Rui’s request. He brought his hand onto Rui’s hair, caressing him. Rui let out a whimper. Tsukasa didn’t have the heart to pull away.

It took a while but Rui finally let go of his hug. He cupped Tsukasa’s cheeks and Tsukasa could finally see how weary the man in front of him was. Has ten years really taken a toll on him?

“You look so young…” Rui whispered, his thumb caressing his cheeks. “How?”

Tsukasa gulped. “I’m not… I’m not your Tsukasa.”

Rui paused. “Not mine?”

“I’m from ten years ago. You- I mean, my Rui, made a Ten-Year Bazooka just for fun. So, we can, you know, take a glimpse for a few minutes.”

Rui’s eyes widened slightly before they softened. “Are you… Are you close with your Rui?”

“Aren’t we?” Tsukasa asked back, not really grasping between the words. “You’re still in Wonderland x Showtime, aren’t you?” 

Rui didn’t answer but Tsukasa could see a flicker in his eyes. A brief glimpse of melancholy. “What happened?”

Rui let out a huff, the closest thing Tsukasa took as a laugh. “Stuff happened. Your Rui accepted your apology, didn’t he?”

“Yeah… Didn’t you?”

Rui sighed through his nose. He leaned down, pressing his forehead onto Tsukasa’s in the gentlest cradle as if he would shatter. “You can make a different future. A future where everything will be okay. Where you can be safe.”

“But I have you. Why wouldn’t I be safe?”

“I made a stupid mistake.”

“Don’t blame yourself.” Tsukasa reached for Rui’s hand and leaned against his touch. “I’m sure my future self wouldn’t want that either.”

Rui’s eyes teared up from that and he gave a small nod. “He wouldn’t… He never would…” He pulled Tsukasa into another hug and Tsukasa could feel his shoulder getting wet. “I miss you… I promise I will fix this.”

“What happened?” He had to ask the same question, but like before, Rui never answered him instead he shook his head.

“The future is not set in stone. This timeline is nothing you need to worry about. You’re gonna be fine. You have to…”

Tsukasa didn’t have time to question again for his five minutes was almost up. His skin started to turn smokey as he stared at Rui in panic. “What’s happening?”

Rui must’ve felt it too because he pulled back, his eyes tearing up again. “Looks like it’s time for you to go home.”

“What will happen to you?”

Rui quickly grasped his shoulder, grounding him for the last few seconds. “I’ll stay here. I have so much work to do.” He shook him slightly. “Please promise me something.”

Tsukasa nodded. “Anything.”

“I know I can’t stop you from being a hero, but please, stay safe. Trust in others. Let them help you. Despite what you believe, you are not alone. If my feelings stay the same in your time, then come to me, I’ll do anything to help you.”

That was a big request but Tsukasa was never one to deny a promise. “Okay.”

Rui smiled. He leaned down for the last time to kiss him on the forehead. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry for everything… I love you… You’ll always going to be a star…”

Tsukasa puffed into the same pink smoke. When it slowly disappeared, he was back in the past, and the first thing he was the devastated faces of his comrades.

“Guys-”

“TSUKASA!” Emu immediately hugged him so tight that he thought his ribs cracked. She was sobbing loudly. “YOU’RE BACK!”

“Tsukasa, are you alright?!” Nene was never the one to lose his emotions, but Tsukasa could hear the desperate relief in her voice. She went down on her knees and clutched his shoulders.

“I-I’m fine.” Tsukasa returned Emu’s hug gently, causing her to cry even more. “Did you meet my future self?”

Nene froze. “We did…”

“How was he like?” None of them answered. “Guys?”

“You don’t have to worry about it.” Rui crouched down beside him as well and pulled the both of them close and Nene followed in. “I’m glad you’re back…”

They hugged him tight as if they were worried that he would switch places with his future self again. 

Tsukasa would never know about what the rest of Wonderland x Showtime had seen. Rui never told him about the state of his body ten years later: broken beyond repair but someone has been desperate to put him back with machinery. But ever since then, Rui had become more protective of him. Something changed in him.

He might’ve used the bazooka a couple of times after that, trying to look for clues of that bleak future from the news headlines: ‘Five years commemoration of the death of Emu Otori…’, ‘The peace treaty has been broken between Japan…’, ‘The Otori Cooperation will never be the same!’, ‘Scientists suggest of an approaching meteor…’, ‘The search for Pegasus’ body continues...’

Tsukasa could see it in Rui’s eyes: fearful yet determined. The future is not set in stone, so Rui swore they would never get to that future where the scientist Rui cradled what is left of hero Tsukasa in the crater that was his grave.

[blue-cat-ter-flies-blog]

In a bit of a fairy tale mood- so have some fairytale/folktale Sukugo AUs!

Cinderella- not Disney. Ever After version seems to suit them both if you must because the dynamic between Danielle and Henry is peak Sukugo to me. Alternatively, we can also go with All-furs/Sapsorrow [1] [2] version instead. Or whatever local version you have or a localised Japan version (do they even have a Cinderella story of their own? That we can recognise, that is.)

Crane Wife-inspired AU- Satoru isn't the crane but he is their child. Here, Satoru is a shunned clan member (albino and an indecipherable CT) and had just buried(cremated?) his mother. His father had been dead and gone for longer. When he's trying to sell some bolts of cloth at a market- a mix of his mother's work and his-, he's harassed by Naoya Zen'in and some cronies about how Satoru should just be his concubine. It's gotten to the point where Satoru, in frustration, bursts out saying he'd rather marry the King of Curses and sleep with him than let Naoya's tiny dick anywhere near him (well, in Heian parlance, whatever that is). Surprise! Guess whose at the market? Sukuna and Uraume. Satoru, after comparing both Naoya and Sukuna to each other, stands by his declaration that Sukuna is the better choice. He's somehow surprised when he finds himself engaged and married in short order and, surprisingly enough, eventually falls into mutual love with Sukuna. The biggest surprise is finally figuring out his CT with Sukuna.

Rapunzel AU- either Sukuna first meets Satoru when he's making an escape from his tower- hair cut messily short and the rest of it hanging from the hook by his window- and catches him as he's falling. OR, Sukuna finds the tower during a walk and when he hops up, finds a furious Satoru inside after a failed escape attempt- hair growing again and barriers on the window to keep him in.

Animal Bride AU- except Satoru fell first and keeps leaving his skin/cloak 'unattended' in order for Sukuna to steal it. Sukuna, against all expectations, actually hands it back and Satoru immediately accepts the proposal. It takes a while but Sukuna falls back- and falls harder- and carefully takes care of Satoru's skin/cloak whenever his husband hands it over to him. Alternatively, it can be Satoru's 'heavenly robes' instead if we're going more Eastern.

[angelof-thevoid]

Favorite Quote / Mentor and Friend

ao3

The Warlock who visited her before returns, sheepish in their approach as they ask for assistance again. Ikora beckons to them encouragingly, “Yes guardian?” her head tilted as she waited for the question on their mind. “Well… You know how you helped me before, with the void?” They seem almost embarrassed.

“I-I’m having a similar problem with, with Arc ma’am.” The Warlock’s head dips low as their eyes dart to the side as they fidget, rubbing their hands. Ikora bookmarks the current page of her book and sets it to the side. “It’s alright, Guardian. Many struggle with their manifestations of the light, especially when first starting out.” 

She reaches out toward the Warlock’s nervous hands, letting them do the same until their fingertips are an inch apart. “Are you having trouble creating it too?” Ikora waits patiently for a demonstration. This time static swells in the space between their hands, too much as stray bolts zap her, her rug and the front of the book she was reading.

The shock of it makes Ikora reflexively step back in that split second. “Ah, a control issue.” The Warlock begins to stammer apologies, “I-I-I’m so sorry ma’am! I didn’t mean it I-” Ikora raises a hand to cut them off. “It’s OK, Warlock. I know you didn’t mean it.” They quickly silence themselves and nod.

“Now,” She again puts out a hand and waits for the Warlock to reflect her gesture. Ikora feels that same static begin to build, “Slow and steady, guardian.” It doesn’t overcharge this time as a balanced current reaches toward her hand, and she channels it back. “Arc is like an oncoming storm. A force of nature that you must learn to weather.”

The arc energy flickers between them, remaining steady as lines of it connect between their fingers. "The hurricane will overtake you. It's inevitable. Take stability where you can get it." Ikora breathes in and turns her hand up to direct the current in the air, making shapes.

Controlled blue lines of lightning flip between a diamond, a square and a pyramid with the snap of Ikora’s fingers. “What you need to do is find the eye within yourself, a calm in the midst of your tempest.” And slowly, she releases her hold on the current as it fades into a charge in the air that quickly dissipates. 

The Warlock watches, transfixed by the way she controls the arc energy with a great amount of confidence. “I see. Thank you ma’am, I deeply appreciate your teachings.” They smile. “How can I repay you for your wisdom?” They have an eagerness to please that Ikora didn’t want to take advantage of. 

She knows the danger of choosing to be at the mercy of another’s whims, especially someone you looked up to. “I don’t need to be repaid, guardian. It’s why I hold my position, to be a leader and guide.” Ikora’s answer doesn’t seem to satisfy the Warlock. “But you do so much! There’s nothing I could do? Something you might want?”

Ikora tilts her head to think it over, knowing better than to take advantage of a new light’s financials to ask for a gift to appease them. “I have no need for anything and all the things that require attention are already taken care of. Truly, it’s OK.” She gives them a patient, sweet smile.

“Well… Whataboutafriend?” Their question practically comes out all as one word as the Warlock seems overtaken by embarrassment again, as if they committed some big social faux pas. Ikora takes no offense and finds it a good solution that has no harm. She nods, “Of course, guardian. Come see me with whatever troubles may ail you.” 

The Warlock looks at her in surprise before returning her smile and nodding. “Thank you ma’am. I will!” With that they glide away with a noticeable degree of happiness in their step. Ikora chuckles to herself as she goes back to her book. I suppose I could always use more friends.