#request turned into a series

[lovely-vermin]

Just our little secret(PT.1)

Summary:The rest of the neighbors slowly start to remember things with the musician of their town but it seems that Y/N isn’t as alone in their house as they say they are

TW/CW:Breaking the fourth wall,creepy or odd situations,hearing random voices,the three people in Y/N’s house are inspired by some characters and I’ll make character sheets for them soon,Y/N is keeping secrets,thinking your fake and not real,CLOSE UPS OF EYES USED FOR GIFS,SOMETIMES FLASHING LIGHTS DEPENDING ON THE GIF,cuss words,Y/N is hiding MANY secrets,if I have forgotten anything or accidentally went over Clown’s boundaries tell me so I can change something

First it was Poppy to have these…memories about Y/N. Wally found her on the floor holding her head. “Poppy..are you okay?” Soon Poppy looked up giving a soft smile but it was obvious she was very confused.

“Ye…ah,I’m just having some flashbacks or memories. I was just a little chick who couldn’t fall asleep when I saw someone who looked a lot like Y/N and sounded a lot like them looking up at me then climb up to talk to me. We talked until I fell asleep. I remember hearing the person count something then left…I’m so confused” Wally was worried for his dearest friend. He sat beside her. “Would you like me to keep you company for now?” “Yes…I’d like that” Wally and poppy continued to talk about the memories until they heard humming.

It was Y/N,Y/N strolled in smiling and humming while holding a box of cookies. “Oh hello Wally and Poppy! I just came by to drop off these cookies for you Poppy,my way of saying thanks for teaching me to bake!” Poppy smiled as she took the box from Y/N’s hands gently. “Thank you,I appreciate this a lot! I even forgot what I was talking about! Silly me!” Y/N just nodded and chuckled but Wally could see how Y/N was looking outside the window and not at Poppy…

“Well I must be going! Songs won’t make themselves!” The two other neighbors agreed as Y/N left. As soon as Y/N left they immediately grabbed someone’s ear and dragged them fast to their house then threw them inside as they softly shut the door. “Mutt..my dearest friend…why were you outside of house?”

“Mutt missed Y/N so Mutt went to find Y/N! Mutt is sorry” Y/N sighed as they cradled Mutt’s head in their chest. Mutt smiled at feeling Y/N rub his head. “It’s fine mutt,you know I just worry so much about you and the others. I don’t want you hurt so please promise me not to go outside unless I’m with you..okay?” “Okay! Mutt understands!” Y/N smiled as their wolfy friend went to his bed and played with his guitar as house was soundproof so no one outside of house can hear inside.

House sighed happily or let some noise to know that they’ll be at bay much longer now making Y/N smile. “Now..where are your brothers mutt?” “Asleep!” “Hmm…maybe I’ll make apple pie and some milkshakes so we can eat them…yeah that sounds good”

[bucketsofmonsters]

Deep Water - Part 1

cw: the ocean, talk of being drowned, water inhalation, more tags to be added as the story continues

merman x fem reader

Word count: 3k

read on ao3

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

You peeked out a small porthole, a rarity on this kind of ship. You couldn’t decide if you were grateful for it or not as your stomach churned looking out at choppy waters.��

You’d never been particularly comfortable with the ocean. It wasn’t that you disliked it, far from it. You just had a healthy fear of it. 

Right now, it felt like anyone who didn’t was a fool. 

As you looked down at swirling black water, swearing you saw something snake around just far enough under the surface that you couldn’t make it out, that fear felt very reasonable. 

It wasn’t only fear that consumed you when you looked out at that churning water. There was awe in there too, as you looked at the seemingly infinite abyss below you. 

But not enough awe that you wouldn’t keep yourself as far away from it as you could. 

But that was the problem. Fate had thrusted you right into deep waters and you’d had no choice in the matter. 

So there you were, stowed away on a transport ship, tucked amongst boxes of spices and herbs and expensive teas that you’d never get to try. 

At least your hidden little corner smelled good, some of the herbal scents escaping their carefully packed boxes. 

You sat back down behind them, trying to put the thought of the turbulent waters under a few thin layers of wood out of your mind as the waves rocked you back and forth at a sickening pace, never quite stabilizing enough to be able to fall into a rhythm, refusing to be tuned out or ignored. 

You pulled your shawl tighter around you, though it was no use. The chill of the ship had long since set itself into your bones. 

You closed your eyes and tried to tell if it was raining or if it was just the darkness of the night blanketing the ocean. The sounds of the waves roared above anything else. You decided it wasn’t, more for your own peace of mind than anything. You didn’t need water coming at you from any more directions.

As you sat, curled up on the floor trying to focus on anything other than the deafening crashing of the waves, a new sound caught your attention. The door creaked open and as footsteps approached you, you held your breath. 

They’d caught you on an exhale and sooner than you would’ve liked, you had to sneak a tiny breath of air. Nothing noticeable, surely. Not through the sounds of crashing water. 

And then the ship slammed to the side, a massive wave sending the ground tilting under your feet.

The boxes slid as the ship wretched and you went with them, slamming into the opposite wall of the ship.  

The sailor cursed as he pushed his way out from behind the boxes that had slid right into him. You scrambled to push yourself away, to obscure yourself in any way possible. You didn’t have time to stand but maybe you could hide yourself just far enough away in the dark that he wouldn’t see you. 

You weren’t fast enough. 

His hand snaked out to grab your leg, ending your desperate scramble to get away before it had even really begun. 

“No wonder we got stuck in this god-awful storm, found our bad luck charm right here.”

You kicked at him, trying to struggle, to get away, to run. But where was there to go? They knew you were here now, it was over. You were at their mercy. 

The pleading started as soon as it sunk in, desperate promises that you wouldn’t cause any trouble, that it was only a day until they docked, you could stay out of their way, they wouldn’t even notice you. 

Rain poured down on your face as you were dragged above deck. 

Part of you was aware of the talk that began to arise as the others caught sight of you. You couldn’t focus on anything other than getting away, trying with everything you had to run. 

Despite that, you were pulled closer and closer to the edge of the ship. The rain got saltier and through the dark and endless storm, you realized you were at the edge of the ship, briny water splashing over the sides and hitting you in the face. 

You doubled your attempts of escape as you looked down on the dark waters, not sure where you would go if you escaped but certain that anything was better than being pulled closer and closer to the inky waters. 

“This is your own fault,” one of them yelled over the storm, directed at you this time.

“Please,” you called out, “Please let me stay. I’ll do anything.”

It was an ill-advised promise, especially to make to a ship full of sailors, but you could not be thrown overboard. You’d even prefer one of them ending you here and now, with your feet still standing on the wood of the deck.

Anything but being thrown off, your lungs filling with the churning, black water below you. 

“You should have thought of that before you stowed away,” the man to your left said, with what sounded almost like a chuckle. You hoped you’d imagined it amongst the rest of the endless noise. 

It was hard to know exactly what was happening. The waves were roaring and you could hardly see or hear anything. 

One second your feet were thrashing, fighting to land a blow on any of the men near you, and the next you were underwater. If you thought gathering your bearings was hard on the ship, it was impossible down here. It must be nearby but you had no idea where the ship could be. You fought to stay afloat despite knowing exactly how this would end. There was nothing else to it now. You’d landed in your cold, wet grave. The waves forced you under again and again and no matter how you tried to time your breaths, you couldn’t escape the burn of the saltwater sneaking into your lungs. 

Just as you’d breached the surface again, attempting to cough up some water before heaving in another deadly breath, something yanked at your foot and you were pulled under the waves once more. Your scream was drowned out by the ocean, eyes fighting to open despite the sting of the seawater. 

As you opened your eyes, you realized it was calmer under the water. You were no longer trying to fight the wishes of the waves to pull you down and the ocean rewarded you with a moment of clarity. 

The rockiest part was near the surface, where the rain still beat down on the water. You were being pulled further and further away, so far down that the last rays of sun from behind the clouds could barely reach. 

You’d expected to see a shark or some other ocean creature as you’d felt that tug on your leg. Instead, you found a face staring back at yours. He looked curious, taking you in as you stared dumbfounded back at him. 

Before you had a chance to process what you were seeing, the man who’d just pulled you under the waves leaned forward and kissed you. It wasn’t a long kiss, ending before you even fully realized it began. 

He pulled away and your lungs began to burn, pleading for oxygen. You tried to swim up for air but he grabbed your arm and yanked you down again. Then you caught a glimpse of something below him, the limited light reflecting off of a shimmering tail.

You gasped in water, your lungs unable to hold out any longer. Instead of choking on the ocean water filling your chest, you felt like you were gasping in air. You knew it was water, the texture was different than the air was, but as you heaved in water, you discovered you could breathe. 

He was smirking at you, the smugness evident in his face. 

He let go of your arm, having proved his point and you stayed under, filling your lungs while glancing up at the rocky surface. 

Suddenly, you were being pulled along again, under the stormy water. You didn’t have the strength to fight him, letting him take you wherever he wanted. 

It wasn’t long before you were being pushed into shallow water. You could feel the sand barely a few feet under the water and eagerly moved towards dry land. 

You pulled yourself up onto the warm sand. The rain had disappeared entirely, the sun shining above you once more. You sucked in air, falling to your back as you basked in the warmth. Off in the distance, you could see the storm still swirling. You’d traveled much further than you’d thought. The feeling of the sun shining down on you was more than welcome and some wretched part of you hoped those sailors were still in that accursed storm. 

As soon as you got your first breath of oxygen, it was like your lungs remembered that water wasn't supposed to be inside of them. You started coughing up the salty water onto the shore, gasping like you’d been drowning the whole time and just hadn’t realized it yet. 

You saw your savior wince as you hacked up the seawater. “Sorry, didn’t know that would happen.”

You stared up at him incredulously as your breathing finally slowed. “Aren't sirens supposed to drown humans?”

His eyes narrowed at you above the water. “Aren’t humans supposed to be grateful when you save them?”

Fair enough. “Thank you. I don’t really understand why you saved me but thank you.”

You laid back on the sand, inevitably getting it in your hair but too exhausted to mind. The warmth was welcome after the freezing cold water. 

You took him in from your new vantage point, eyes darting instinctively to his tail. It was a pearlescent thing, the complex shimmering shifting above his white scales. Just above it was a set of gills that he kept below the water as he lay there, staring up at you on the shore. His face wasn’t unpleasant, something almost impish about it. A smattering of scales sat on his cheekbones right under eyes that were tinted orange. His hair was shaggy and pale, dragged down to his shoulders by the water that saturated it. 

“We do drown people sometimes,” he said quietly, like he was working it out for himself and you just happened to be overhearing it. “I was planning on going after your ship but it didn’t feel like a fair fight after they threw you off like that.” 

“Humans didn’t want me, sirens didn’t even want to drown me.” You couldn’t help but laugh.

“I can… I can drown you if you want?” he said, mouth barely above the water as he spoke. 

“Maybe some other time. Where even are we?” you asked, looking around at the small patch of sand. It was a relatively barren little island, a few rocky tidepools on the other side of it the most exciting thing present on the small stretch of land.

“Just a little island nearby. I figured you’d want to get some rest before I took you anywhere. Why’d they throw you overboard anyway?”

“I was a stowaway,” you explained. “I needed to get somewhere and didn’t have any other way to travel. They found me mid storm and women are bad luck so off I went.”

“I can take you there if you want. Where the ship was going, I mean. I know all their routes. I won’t even drown you.”

Who would have guessed that the sailors would try to drown you and then you’d have a siren promising to bring you ashore? It was like the world had turned upside down. 

“Thank you so much,” you said, hoping it could both convey your gratitude and keep him on your good side long enough to successfully get you to your destination.

“Also, we should wait until night, I’ll take you back then okay?” He sounded very insistent, despite you having no idea why. 

You were honestly worried you might freeze to death if you left at night. “How about in the morning?”

“Yeah, okay.”

He waited eagerly, watching the sun set. It was refreshing, being able to see it clearly after locking yourself below deck for so long. When it finally dipped below the horizon, he turned to you. “Watch this.” 

His tail flicked excitedly behind him, a light glow starting to reflect off of the scales on his bottom half. 

As he ran his hands quickly through the water, you were able to make it out better. The water lit up a light blue as he moved. 

You couldn’t help the smile that crossed your face, your eyes going wide with wonder. “Oh my god, that’s incredible.”

“Isn’t it? It’s why I like this island so much, it’s so strong here. It’s a bunch of tiny plants in the water that are glowing, I thought you’d like it.”

How could you not? You’d never seen anything like it in your life, it almost looked like the water was alight with a blue flame. 

You could feel your siren’s eyes on you as you moved your hand back and forth in the water. 

“Are you less sad now?” he asked and your movement slowed at his question. 

“What?”

“You were upset, did I fix it?”

Was that what he was trying to do? “Why do you care?”

He shrugged. “Not often I get to talk to you guys, our encounters are usually less pleasant than this. We’re kind of similar, you know. Sailors don’t like me either.”

“Small world.”

Eventually, you abandoned the glowing water, as amazing as it was, in an attempt to rest. You knew you needed to get some sleep. You were exhausted but it was cold and you never fully dried off and you were absolutely miserable. You heard a shuffling in the sand and then a warm hand touched your side. You didn’t know how his body regulated his temperature so well in the cold water. His arms were open, a clear invitation to nestle into him

You hesitated and he spoke. “You seem like you could use the warmth.”

You moved towards him, head settling on his chest as his arms wrapped around you.

“I thought fish were cold-blooded,” you said as his arms rubbed up and down yours, immediately sending a wave of heat through you.

“I’m only half fish.”

“Is that how you can breathe out here?” you asked, looking at the trail he left in the sand as he dragged himself ashore.

He murmured in the affirmative, leaning back to make sure you could comfortably lie down against him. He was right, his body heat did help. There was also something comforting about leaning against him, his arms wrapped around you protectively. 

You drifted off faster than you would have thought possible while soaking wet and cuddled up with a fish man. 

When you woke up, you glanced at the boy next to you. He really did look silly on the land like this, flopped over on his side. As you took him in, you stared at his gills right over where you assumed his ribs would be. You knew what he had told you last night but he looked too peaceful and still. You quickly nudged him awake, wanting to make sure he was alright out of the water like this.

He rubbed his eyes, moving slightly in the sand in an attempt to get a good look at you. “What do you want?”

“Just wanted to make sure you were still breathing.”

“Mmhmm, still breathing, can I go back to sleep now?”

He tried to roll over, tail flopping helplessly behind him, and you nudged him again. “Don’t we need to leave?”

He squinted up at your face, which you knew was creased with worry, and his demeanor softened. “Yeah, let’s get you home.”

You didn’t bother to correct him about where you were going, instead helping him back into the water. He pulled you in after him, looking back at you as he did, clearly deep in thought.

“You know how I kissed you yesterday?” he finally asked. 

“To make me breathe underwater? Yeah, I do.”

“It would be much easier to transport you if you could breathe underwater again.”

It was the most roundabout way anyone had ever asked to kiss you before, that was for sure. 

He seemed nervous about it so instead of letting him dwell on it, you just kissed him. You hoped there were no other rules to the kiss you needed to follow but your siren didn’t seem to mind, instead leaning into it. It was kind of nice, being the one to surprise him this time. 

You knew the kiss didn’t have to be long, the one from the day before had barely lasted a moment, and yet you lingered. His hand hesitantly rose to cup your cheek, his touch featherlight. He wasn’t holding you there but his touch begged you to stay just a second longer. 

He looked almost frightened when you pulled away, eyes wide and hand still outstretched. 

“Will that work?” you asked.

He cleared his throat, still looking dazed. “Yeah, that should be fine. Come on.”

Even knowing that you’d be fine and you’d be able to breathe, it took forever to will yourself to inhale after he pulled you into the water, waiting until the last second before you passed out, when your body forced breathing on you. 

The journey felt much faster than it should have been. You couldn’t have been zooming through the water for more than an hour when you were being pulled to the surface once more, your feet extending to find rocks beneath you. 

You turned and your eyes met the shore, the dock looming above you. You guessed you’d probably beat the ship here. Who knows if they’d made it at all, maybe the storm had taken them out. Part of you hoped it had. 

He grinned up at you as you stood, still lying below you in the water. “This is your stop.”

You had no idea how to thank him. What did one even say to someone who had just saved your life? 

“Thank you,” you managed. “If you ever need anything…”

If he ever needed anything what? You couldn’t imagine he’d have a particularly easy time finding you. 

He seemed to understand your meaning anyway. “I’ll be sure to ask. And if you ever change your mind on the drowning thing, let me know.”

You couldn’t help but giggle. “Will do.”

You settled on the shore, the rocks shifting beneath you as you sat, and you watched your siren swim off, one last shimmer of pale scales flashing before he disappeared into the waves.

[ethosiab]

hiiii if you're still doing requests what about more qpr cletho.... (<not normal)

a follow up to the first scene in this post, because i like drawing people hugging and Etho desperately needs it

[this request was propaganda for tangtho in this poll!]

Etho's scared of not being what cleo needs or wants in a relationship, and he's always tried to change himself to be that person. He loves her because she loves him. He's her husband because they want to be life partners. None of this is something etho explicitly doesn't want, which is what makes it harder. He cares about cleo, he wants to grow old with her and spend the rest of his life with her. But he forces himself into these boxes, these expectations, to fulfil those wants, because that's normal right? When he finally confesses after she confronts him, their relationship is already strained. It's hard to keep the act up that long, when every romantic gesture makes him want to throw himself off the boat. He's convinced himself that she might not want him anymore.

From cleos perspective, she's mostly confused and hurt. Confused, because why didn't he say something? Hurt, because ethos hurt and he had the gall to think they would care about something as trivial as the exact nature of his attraction to her. These two have a lot of hugging and talking through feelings to do, but they get there <3 and then etho gets cursed and everyone incouding me is reminded what the actual plot of the AU is

Bonus doodle

[pokimoko]

If you’re doing pride animals still do you think you could make a pan tiger maybe? If not that’s ok ofc :)

I can absolutely do that for you, my friend. Here you are!

[hunters-vigil]

The Archon's Baby - Chapter 5 - The Next Morning

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

request from ao3: Make one where they have a child but the female character doesn't tell Mavuika that she is expecting a child and distances herself from Mavuika please 🙏🙏

warnings/mentions of: pregnancy, pregnancy symptoms, there's some bra talk and bra scenes, an attempt at writing flirting...

Fic under the cut, don't repost my stuff on other platforms, i have ao3. Reader is not the traveller. Reader's adoptive sisters are Chasca and Chuychu.

The pyro archon is more than a trained warrior, a strategic mind, lightning fast reflexes, impeccable senses... and yet, she remained sleeping as you rummaged in your bag for another shirt. Finally finding one, you dropped your bag into the chair, moving to tug it over your head.

"Well, this is a sight I haven't seen in a while..." a squeak escaped your lips, turning to spot Mavuika staring at your exposed body from the bed the two of you had slept in last night. "You don't need to hide, my love." Mavuika began to pout, noticing how you were holding the shirt over your chest and stomach to shield it from view.

"I... I just got back from breakfast and I'm kind of bloated. It's not pretty." Your words were laced with the truth, you had snuck out to breakfast, having grown hungry and craving Xocoatl and Cups O' Grainfruit. The bloating wasn't from that however...

"This is new..." Mavuika ran her fingers over the your shoulder, eyeing the bra strap with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Good morning to you too..." you hummed, leaning into her touch, her lips beginning to trace down your neck, "don't get any ideas, especially since you ripped the last one."

"I remember, I liked that one, but you looked better without it." Mavuika admitted, trailing her fingers further down your body until you began to squirm.

"That tickles!" the giggles began to escape your lips, the pyro archon's face lighting up at the sound, reminding you of an excited puppy whose tail was quickly wagging side to side.

Unfortunately the fun with your lover was forced to come to an end, as a voice grew closer towards your room at the inn.

"Chasca, are you sure she stayed here last night?" Chuychu sighed, turning towards her older sister, who had been leading the way since the two arrived at the Stadium.

"Mualani told Kachina and Xilonen that Atea had her walk our younger sister back here for the night. I spoke to Chanca, she served her breakfast then she went back to her room, which should be... this one." Chasca replied, heading towards your inn room door.

Your eyes widened, looking at the door as Mavuika's arms tightened around you instinctively. You could pray, but praying to the archon whose arms were currently around you was slightly pointless. Still, you were praying your sisters for once in their lives knocked on the door instead of barging in.

If they barged in, all the pieces would be revealed prematurely. Your sisters would find out it was Mavuika who you were dating and the mother of your baby, and Mavuika would find out you were having her baby...

Chuychu and Chasca continued to talk to each other, but the words weren't reaching your ears as you heard a knock, turning your head to see how Mavuika was reacting. Maybe she would jump out the window and escape? Was she even ready for your sisters to know?

Time was running out...

"Maybe she's asleep. Or this isn't her room. Chasca, I did ask if you were sure-"

"I thought I was... maybe we should wait at a table until she shows up." Your sisters moved away from the door, heading towards the dining area, "do you think she's spoken to whoever she's dating yet?"

"She'll probably have tried to but struggled with words. You remember how long it took her to talk when mom and dad took her in?" Chasca admitted, frowning slightly at the memory.

"They're gone, you're okay..." Mavuika pressed her lips to your forehead, "I'm sorry, this stress can't be good for you, or the baby."

She could feel the way your body tensed, hearing your breath hitch as you shakily looked up at her, "you know?"

"I only figured it out this morning. Your sickness in the mornings, your fatigue, tenderness, plus this bra. Did you think I wouldn't notice that it's a size up from your old ones? But it wasn't those that made me realise. Your hand on your stomach, it reminded me of my mother when she was pregnant with my younger sister." Mavuika confessed, her hand hovering over your stomach, waiting for permission.

"Oh..." you barely made a sound, gently leading Mavuika's hand to rest on your stomach, letting the shirt you'd been clinging to for so long drop to the floor. "Are you mad I didn't tell you before?"

"You were afraid. My only regret is that I made you feel as if you couldn't tell me." Mavuika paused, hesitating for a moment, "you were going to tell me, yes?"

"Of course I was, it was just... hard to get the words out." You let out a sad sigh before deflecting, "at least after your 500 year plan is complete, a piece of you will still be here." You could feel your eyes water but you blinked back the tears as best you could.

Mavuika winced at the ache in her chest, realising that she had forgotten about that. Natlan had less than a year before total destruction... she needed to die to save Natlan, to save you and now the baby the two of you are having too.

"Chasca and Chuychu know I'm pregnant, but not... that it was you. They... ugh, they just know its a pyro user. According to Chasca, I look pyro infused when using elemental sight," shaking your head at the recollection of your sister's words, "I don't know if they're more mad about the secret relationship, or that I'm the youngest..."

Mavuika's fingers began to trace patterns on your stomach, listening to you with a soft smile on her face.

"Chuychu kept asking who 'defiled' me and Chasca muttered something about 'cutting balls off' when she thought I couldn't hear." You admitted, trying to hide your amusement as Mavuika grimaced at your sister's threats, her hand frozen as it touched your belly.

"She won't... archon or not, she won't." You reassured her as your lover wrapped her free arm around you, pulling you closer so she could lean in and nuzzle her face into your neck.

"How far along are you?" She tentatively asked, hearing your intake of breath as you did the calculations in your head.

"Nearly 8 weeks... I found out with my sisters when I was nearly five weeks. I went to Chuychu because of the vomitting, Chasca thought I was just having a check-up but then the conversation changed to periods, and I realised I was late..." you began to ramble, but Mavuika took in every word, not wanting to miss a thing.

"Atea figured it out. I don't know how, but she knows we're together. She saw us in the hot springs, late that night. She thought... ugh, archons, she thought the baby had been conceived in the hot springs!" you shuddered in embarrassment as Mavuika smirked, recalling that night in detail as her hands drifted down your body teasingly.

"Ugh, you! Archon of War or Archon of Horniness, I can't tell sometimes. My sisters are waiting for me outside!" you hissed in warning, although your tone suggested otherwise as you held back your giggles.

"I've missed this." Mavuika confessed once the two of you had calmed down, "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too. I'm sorry-"

"Shush... you don't need to apologise. My role as the archon doesn't make things easier when it comes to working up the courage to tell me something so important. I only hope... we'll see each other more? I want to spend as much time, and be involved as much as possible before..." Mavuika hushed you, letting out a sigh as she remembered the burden on her shoulders. She had accepted her death over 500 years ago, but you and the life growing inside of you, made her want to live.

"Why would I deny you of that? I love you, Mavuika. I'm never going to stop loving you." You declared, holding back tears as your lover cupped your face in her hands.

"Never once in the 500 years since I was born did I think I would be blessed to meet you, let alone be your lover..." Mavuika leaned in, pressing her lips to yours hungrily, "I love you too."

"I wish we could stay like this for longer, but I need to see my sisters, and you have your duty as the pyro archon..."

"And what of my duty as your lover?" Mavuika pouted, disappointed as you ducked down to grab the shirt you had dropped onto the floor to put on.

"You have been fulfilling your duty well... and will continue to do so, but we cannot let our other duties lack- pfff!" you tried to be serious, struggling to do so at the pout on your lover's face, "you're adorable!"

"Fine, fine... I will see you later, my love, and my child," Mavuika pressed her lips to your forehead, her hand drifting to over your belly before she headed out... through the window? You didn't even think they opened?

"Wait! Don't tell anyone... I'm not far enough along, its too early to have many people knowing, so please-" you tried not to beg, but your eyes began to water against your will. Mavuika nodded, ignoring the capybara that awoke the moment her feet touched the ground.

"Archons... time to face my sisters." You whispered as you continued to get ready, heading out of your room at the inn to spot Chasca and Chuychu staring at you with their arms folded.

"Can you two not look at me like that? You're making me nervous." you cleared your throat as you sat down with them.

"Who was in your room with you?"

[probably-writing-x]

Fault (Chapter Two)

“I don’t want to go back,” You whisper, your hand swirling patterns across Conrad’s chest.

He hums, his fingers trailing gently up and down your arm, “Maybe we just never go back again.”

You giggle, “Yeah we could live out of your truck, go town to town.”

“Travel the coast, then do all the states, settle down on a ranch somewhere,” Conrad continues, “They’d never find us.”

“I think that’s the only way we’re getting out of this,” You take a deep breath, “They hate us.”

“They don’t hate us,” Conrad returns, “They’re just angry.”

You lean up onto your elbows and turn your gaze to him, “Did you hear them Con? Because it sounded pretty close to hate.”

He chuckles, “How could anyone hate you?”

You narrow your eyes, “Don’t try to be cute, this is a problem Conrad.”

He wraps his arms around your waist, “We’ll deal with it, okay? We’ll figure it out.”

The two of you had left the house not long after you’d argued with Belly. He’d told you that it wasn’t good for you to stay there when you were upset and you’d agreed. The pair of you had left and got into his car, drove your way around Cousins until you returned back to the beach, wrapped in each others arms on the sand.

“I never wanted it to happen like this,” You say to Conrad, eyes flicking between each of his.

He shakes his head, fingers moving up to brush your hair away from your face, “I don’t think they’d have been happy however it happened.”

You let out a deep breath and nod, “Okay, there’s only so long we can stay on the beach.”

Conrad hums, tightening his grip around you so that you fall onto his chest, “Five more minutes.”

———

The drive back is silent, both of you anticipating the worst. You both walk into the house quietly and, by now, it’s dark like everyone is asleep. You swallow the lump in your throat.

Conrad walks a step beside you, his hand on the small of your back as if it was the slightest comfort that he could offer. You both trail upstairs and you pause as soon as you’re there.

“I can’t-“ You stop yourself, “Belly won’t want me in her room.”

Conrad nods, “I know, come on.”

The two of you walk down towards his room instead, and he closes the door behind you. His room always seems colder than the rest of the house - he hated when it got too hot. His bed is made, but there’s always creases in the comforter where he doesn’t pull it tight to the corners. There’s a photoframe on his bedside table with a picture of all of you from last summer - you’d never noticed it before but he’d never been looking at the camera, his eyes had been on you.

“Here, you can take a top,” Conrad offers, “And I can turn the heat on if you think it’s too cold, and there’s probably a-“

“Con,” You say softly, “It’s fine.”

He turns to you and scratches a hand at the back of his neck, “I’ve… I’ve just never done this before.”

You narrow your eyes, “Never done what?”

“Well, like,” He gestures at you, “Had a girl stay over.”

You let out a laugh, “Conrad Beck Fisher you can’t be serious.”

He rolls his eyes at you, “Why wouldn’t I be serious?”

“I don’t know, I just thought you would’ve had an ex girlfriend or something stay here, or like Nicole when you guys had that thing going on?”

He shakes his head, “Nope, you’re the first.”

“Well, I’m honoured,” You smile, taking the t-shirt from his hands.

You turn around and face the other side of his room as you get changed, a misplaced gesture all things considered between you and Conrad. But, you only realise once you turn back around, that he’d turned away too - that shy side still inside of him even with you. You both climb into the bed and he instantly stretches out an arm to let you rest on his chest, his fingers trailing up and down your arm.

“I-“ You croak into a whisper, “I’m scared we’re going to lose them Con.”

He holds you a little tighter, “I’m not going to let that happen.”

And, in that moment, you believe him.

———

It’s barely even morning when you wake up, darkness only just dissipating outside, still no signs of sun. Conrad is fast asleep beside you, his arms around your waist, his chest pressed against your back. You shift from under his arm and sit on the edge of the bed, running a hand through your hair. Your chest felt tight and it had felt ever since yesterday like you were constantly on the verge of tears. You didn’t know where to even begin. In one day it felt like everything had been flipped on it’s head- over carelessness? blind emotion? or simply just love?

You step out of Conrad’s room and turn down the corridor towards the bathroom, stopping in your tracks almost instantly as you close the bedroom door behind you.

Belly’s door opens at the exact same time, her frozen in the doorway just as you were.

“Hey,” You break the silence softly, quietly.

She swallows the lump in her throat and runs a hand through her hair, “I’ll use the bathroom downstairs.”

“Wait Belly please,” You step forward towards her before she gets to the stairs, “Please stop.”

She glances back at you at the top of the stairs but ignores whatever thought had crossed her mind, hurrying down before you have another chance to stop her.

You feel your bottom lip tremble and your chest tighten even more, desperate to reach out for a friendship you weren’t ready to lose.

You go into the bathroom and wipe your eyes, letting out a shaky breath against the mirror. How had all of this all happened? How had the last few days flipped things around this much? Were you selfish for admitting how you felt about Conrad? Even more selfish for acting on it? Or was this the first time in a long time you’d felt like you could be happy?

Your breath settles and the tears have stopped and you make your way back over to Conrad’s room, opening the door cautiously so as to not wake him.

When you step back over to the bed, the mattress dips and Conrad groans a little as he wakes up. You settle in beside him and he pulls you right up against his chest, his chin resting against your shoulder.

“Are you okay?”

You settle your hands over his arms on you, as if wanting to hold onto the moment, “I’m okay.”

“What’s the time?” He mumbles, pressing a lazy kiss to your shoulder.

“Um,” You let out, still a shake in your voice, “I don’t know.”

“Too early,” Conrad grumbles, pushing himself closer against you as if there was any space to remove.

You breath in deeply as he falls asleep against you, clingy and comfortable and soft. And you’re happy. You know you are. Beyond anything else, he made you happy.

———

You don’t get much sleep after that, waking up every twenty minutes and eventually settling on remaining awake. Conrad stays asleep until gone 10, groaning and tightening his hold around you as if making sure you were still there.

“Morning,” He mumbles, inhaling deeply.

“Morning,” You respond, holding him a little tighter, “Did you sleep okay?”

Conrad wiggles his arms around you until you turn in his hold, facing him. He blinks until it’s as if he’s woken up for the second time, pulling away from you enough so that he can see your face, he frowns;

“What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“No- nothing, I’m just tired.”

Conrad pauses for a second before seemingly opting to believe you, “You can stay in bed longer if you want, I can get us breakfast.”

“No, that’s okay, we should probably face the music soon anyway,” You take a deep breath, “I think… I was thinking, it might be better if we just keep our distance from each other a little. At least until everything calms down.”

Conrad raises his brows, “Keep our distance?”

“Well, nothing big, just maybe try to avoid being too couple-y in front of them, just while we’re figuring things out,” You continue, “It’ll just make things worse if they see us acting like-“

“Yeah, you’re right,” Conrad assures you, “We’ll keep it on the down low.”

“Okay.”

Both of you are silent, as if revelling in each others company for just a moment longer before you both decide to get up. He slips a hoodie on over his bare torso and you switch his top out for one of your own - better than them seeing you in his clothes. Conrad follows behind you as the two of you walk out of his room, trailing down the stairs to your waiting dread.

You stop on the bottom step when you hear it.

“I don’t get it man, I thought they were meant to be best friends,” Steven’s voice says, “How can you do that to someone?”

“Yeah well I don’t think she cared about how Belly would react,” Jeremiah this time.

“Clearly not, she knew how Belly felt. We all knew Belly was waiting for Conrad,” Steven continues.

Conrad places his hand on your back, stepping past you to walk ahead.

“Morning boys,” Conrad starts as he walks into the kitchen, you still on the stairs watching his figure retreat.

“Morning,” Steven clears his throat.

You can feel your hands shaking, your heart seemingly clenching under the pain. Your breath is shaky too, as you step forward and eventually follow into the lounge.

“Hey,” You say softly, wrapping your arms around yourself.

“I-“ Steven looks at you awkwardly, “I didn’t know you were awake.”

“Um,” You drag a hand through your hair, “Yeah, I can go if you want me to-“

“No, no,” Steven shakes his head, “It’s fine.”

Jeremiah looks between you and Conrad and rolls his eyes, walking out towards the door. You bite your lip to stop it from trembling, trying to shake even the slightest of worries from your head.

“He’s just-“ Steven stops himself, “I think we’re all just figuring it out, them two more than me.”

“You know (Y/n)‘s not to blame for this Steven,” Conrad comments, turning around from where he’d been filling the kettle at the sink, “So you can cut the whole ‘what was she thinking’ act.”

“I didn’t-“ Steven stops himself, glancing at you, “I was just surprised, okay? It seemed a little out of the blue.”

Conrad goes to cut in to defend you but you speak before he gets the chance;

“I never meant to hurt Belly,” You say, shaking your head quickly, “I love her. But ever since we were little we’ve come to Cousins and it’s been about her and Conrad - we go back home and she talks about him, and we’re here and she talks about him, and everything went back to him. And I love her, I do. But I’m allowed to be happy. And I can’t control how I feel and I can’t control how Conrad feels and you can hate me if you want but I-“

Steven stands up instantly when he sees the tears spilling over your eyes, the way your whole body seems to tremble, “Hey, hey, hey, please don’t cry, I don’t know what to do when girl’s cry.”

“I know I’m the worst and I’m so sorry Steven, I never wanted this to happen,” You let out a sob and Conrad steps over almost within the second.

He stops, however, as Steven wraps his arms around you, pulling you into him as your hands fly to your face to catch the tears spilling from you. Steven holds you tightly and glances over at you to Conrad, noticing the way his whole body seems tense at the sight of you upset. He sees it then.

“I’m sorry for what I said,” Steven says softly, pulling away from you, “I just- I didn’t know. And I know what Belly’s like and she’s my sister and I don’t like seeing her upset.”

You nod, looking down at your feet. Conrad hands over a tissue to you and you smile with as much as you can muster.

“If you like him, if he likes you, then there’s no reason why the two of you shouldn’t be able to act on that,” Steven continues, “I might see that now but it’ll take a while before my sister does. And Jere.”

Conrad clenches his jaw, “I’m sick of feeling like this is our fault. What are we supposed to do? Hold off just to keep them happy?”

You sniff, “Con…”

“(Y/n) come on!” He half-laughs, “We’re adults. We’re allowed to do this.”

“Tell that to my sister,” Steven scoffs, patting Conrad on the chest, “I think she’ll disagree.”

He walks out of the room, leaving you and Conrad in each other’s company once again. His eyes fall to you, softening almost instantly.

“We’re not doing anything wrong, darling,” He speaks so gently you almost melt into the words, your whole being seeming to relax just enough that you could believe him.

“It doesn’t feel like that,” You let out a small laugh, dragging the tissue under your eyes to clear away the remaining tears, “God, I hate this.”

Conrad nods, “But you know what you don’t hate?” He walks around to the other side of the kitchen island, tapping his hands on the countertop, “Pancakes!”

———

You still hadn’t seen Belly all morning. But the most you could convince yourself of now was that at least Steven didn’t hate you. Things could be worse. That was one of three, right?

You’d showered, got changed, and convinced yourself a thousand times that nothing could be worse than it already had been. Though, when you came downstairs again, that same sinking feeling of dread hit you.

“(Y/n)?” It’s Laurel’s voice and you instantly wince.

You step past the door to the lounge and look inside, seeing her sat there, “Hey, is everything okay?”

“Do you have a minute?” Laurel offers, shifting on the couch enough as if gesturing for you to sit beside her.

You nod silently and sit down beside her, swallowing the lump in your throat.

“So I’m guessing you know that Belly told me what’s happened,” Laurel begins, “Or, at least, what is happening.”

You let out a sigh, “I’m so sorry Laurel I never meant to-“

She lifts a finger as if to stop you, “I wasn’t expecting you to apologise.”

“Wh-“

Laurel smiles softly, reaching out and taking your hand, “A few summers ago, probably more than a few now, Conrad came inside when all of you were playing in the garden. He came in and I could just see this look on his face, he was just watching all of you. He turned around to me, so innocently, and asked how I’d known that I loved Belly and Steven’s father. I remember thinking, God this kid is too young to be talking about love. But he looked out of that window and it felt like I could really see it. For years I thought he was looking at Belly, like she was the one he would love eventually, but last summer I realised it wasn’t her; he was looking at you.”

You feel the lump form in your throat, less one of nerves and more one of overwhelming emotion.

“Belly’s your best friend and you can’t lose her. But if you look at Conrad the same way he looked at you all those years ago, you can’t lose him either,” Laurel continues, squeezing your hand gently.

You glance out of the window where Conrad is walking across the grass, running a hand through his hair. Laurel looks at you and smiles without your eyes returning to hers, too captured by the boy walking towards the house.

“Belly will understand eventually,” Laurel assured you, standing up from the couch and heading back out.

She stops at the door as Conrad is just about to open it, his hand reaching for the handle as she opens it in front of him. He looks at her almost nervously, concerned for her reaction. But she simply smiles and reaches for his hand, squeezing it in the same way she had done for yours. He steps inside, his eyes searching for you instantly.

“What was that about?” He frowns, glancing back at where Laurel had just left.

You stand up from the couch and smile, “Just talking.”

He narrows his eyes at you as if suspicious, “If you say so.”

Conrad steps the short distance over to you until his feet almost bump with yours. He smiles when you look up at him.

“I got you something at the store,” Conrad begins, his hands held behind his back.

“What did you get me?” You grin, feeling the way your cheeks seem to heat under his gaze.

“Fresh doughnuts,” He pulls a bag out from behind his back and smiles, “The ones you always say are your favourites.”

“Ugh you’re the best!” You beam, taking the bag from him, “They never normally have them anymore an-“

You’re both interrupted as Susannah comes to the door, stopping, “Oh sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt, I’ll leave you to-“

“You’re not interrupting Mom,” Conrad says softly, turning to face her as his shoulder bumps yours.

“Well, I just thought I’d tell you that we’re having a party tonight, a last minute thing really,” She explains quickly, “I want you all to dress up like the 80s.”

“Dress up?” Conrad scoffs, “Mom Im not going to-“

You hit his arm quickly.

“I’ll dress up.”

You grin at his instant change of heart and Susannah mouths a silent ‘thank you’ to you, disappearing in a hurry to go off to tell the others.

“What do you even wear for an 80s theme?” Conrad groans.

You pat him on the chest, “We’ll find you something.”

———

The whole day had gone by and you still hadn’t seen Belly. You’d been out by the pool and Conrad had gone surfing, you’d made your lunch in the kitchen and he’d been up in his room, you’d made every effort to be separate from him for the chance encounter you might have with Belly.

But nothing.

Nothing from her, nothing from Jeremiah.

You go into the room you shared with her, assuming she’d still be absent, and start to rummage through your suitcase for anything that could mildly resemble an 80s theme.

When the door creaks open, you feel your stomach drop.

Belly.

“I-“ You start as you make eye contact with her, “Sorry, I just needed to find something to wear.”

Belly shrugs, wrapping her arms over her chest, “It’s your room as much as it is mine.”

You stand up from your suitcase and clear your throat, “I don’t know why I thought I’d find something, I don’t own anything remotely 80s.”

She doesn’t respond.

“Do you-“ You pause, “Do you know what you’re going to wear?”

“Susannah let me borrow some bits,” She looks down at the clothes her arms are wrapped around.

“Oh, right yeah, that’s good,” You nod, looking around the room as if seeking anything that you could talk about next, “I’ll get out of your way if you-“

“You can wear something here if you want,” Belly interrupts, “If you’ve not got anything.”

“Um, yeah, that would be great, thanks Bells,” You smile, “I’ll just… I’ll have whatever you don’t want.”

The two of you stand in silence again as if every word has disappeared.

“God, Belly, this is so weird,” You exhale, “I hate not talking to you.”

“Yeah,” She runs a hand through her hair, looking down at her feet, “It’s weird.”

“Right?” You exclaim, “I mean, this is the longest I’ve ever gone without speaking to you. I feel like it’s been forever.”

“It feels like it,” She chews on her bottom lip.

“I’m so sorry Belly,” You sigh, “I- I never meant to hurt you, I never wanted that to happen.”

She doesn’t speak.

“I just- I got so caught up in all of it and I was just so terrified of telling you that I thought maybe I could wait it out. But I was so terrified of losing you that it just felt better to not tell you,” You shake your head, “I’m just… I’m sorry. The last thing I wanted was to hurt you but I just-“

“Why did you do it (Y/n)? I mean, why didn’t you tell me how you felt about him?” Belly shrugs, “Why didn’t you talk to me about it?”

“Belly…” You pause, taking a deep breath, “Ever since we first started coming to Cousins, I was always ‘Belly’s best friend’. We’d go and see people and I wasn’t (Y/n), I was just Belly’s friend. And I was always fine with it because that’s what I was, you know? That’s who I am, I know I’m not one of this family you’ve got here, I get that. And so that whole time I was just there to see you, to spend summer with my best friend. And when you first told me that you liked Conrad, that just felt like another part of spending summer with you. It didn’t matter what I thought or how I felt, because I was there for you. I guess… that just felt like it changed a couple of summers ago. It was little things, really. And then I got home after that summer and realised that I had to think of myself too - and it was Conrad that I liked. And it wasn’t because you liked him too or because you wanted him, it was just me. When Conrad kissed me this summer it felt exactly like that. It was me and it was him and for the first time I felt like I was here because I belonged here. You’ve been the best friend to me Belly, but in that moment I just had to think about myself, what I wanted. And when he kissed me I knew that’s what it was, it was him.”

She looks at you and her features seem to soften, the tension in her shoulders seems to relax - just a little.

“I’m sorry that I hurt you Belly, but I can’t be sorry that I fell for Conrad,” You shake your head, “I can’t be sorry for choosing myself.”

“Okay,” Belly croaks out, her voice hoarse and weak, “I understand.”

You’re the one lost for words this time, unsure of yourself.

“Thank you,” Belly says calmly, “Um, I should probably start to get ready. I’ll see you in a bit.”

She walks over to the vanity and you have no choice but to leave the room, scooping together your clothes and makeup bag and walking out. Your chest felt tight but in a more manageable sort of way, like you could live with it - slightly at ease.

When you step into the room, Conrad stands upright from the bed, a furrow of worry between his brows.

“So?” He looks at you, testing the waters for if you’d crumble in front of him.

You simply shrug your shoulders, “I don’t know, Con.”

His features soften and he reaches out for your hand, squeezing it tightly, “It’ll be okay.”

You nod just a little, “I hope so.”

“Um,” He glances around the room, “Okay, you need to help me choose what to wear.”

You sit down at his desk and bring your knees up to your chest, wrapping your arms around your legs, chin resting on your kneecaps. Conrad lifts up a few tops on clothes hangers and holds them up but he pauses as soon as he sees you. You look so innocent just like that and he wonders how anyone has it in them to be mad at you. He knew your heart, pure, and he knew your mind, honest. And he’s suddenly terrified of the thought of ever seeing you hurt like this.

“Hey,” He walks over and crouches down in front of you until his head is level with yours, “I want you to believe me, okay? We’re going to figure this out. However long it takes, however hurt they are, there’s an end to it.”

You smile just a little but your eyes close as if you’re fighting every morsel of your being to not cry there and then.

Conrad thinks of a million things he could say, the thought of eight letters, three words, comes to mind but he pushes it back for now. He could tell you it would be okay, that he could handle it, that he wasn’t leaving you, that this would all be worth it. But he suppresses every word that comes to mind, leans forward instead to press a kiss to your forehead, letting his lips linger there for a moment longer. He feels you lean into him, feels the worry just slip away from you momentarily as if he can share in it for just a second.

You had him. And he’d do everything he could to remind you of that.

———

By the time the evening rolls around, you and Conrad are somewhat ready for the party. He’s changed into the only top he owns that looks remotely on theme and you’re wearing a hot pink bodysuit and black shorts - both of you half on theme at least. You fix your curled hair in the mirror once more, double checking your appearance as Conrad comes up behind you, placing his hands on your waist.

“Come on,” He leans into you, “We can do this.”

You turn in his arms until you’re facing him, looping your hands behind his neck, “Or we run away.”

He sways with you just a little back and forth as if pondering the option, “Maybe tomorrow.”

You lean in and press a quick kiss to his lips and he moves his hand down to lace with yours, guiding both of you out of the room when it felt near impossible to move your feet. He holds your hand all the way downstairs until you reach where the party is in full swing, his grip releasing on you to instead press to the small of your back.

“Do you want a drink, darling?” He says into your ear and you nod, looking at him as he pushes through the crowd of people to get to the kitchen.

You turn towards the garden and see Steven, Belly and Jeremiah all stood outside, Steven evidently trying to make them both laugh. For a moment you’re sure that things will be fine, and you push open the door without a second thought. But you stop. There’s a sadness on Belly’s face that no smile could hide, and an anger in the clench of Jeremiah’s jaw that it was impossible to ignore.

“Hey, (Y/n)!” Steven waves to you, “Get over here, I need you to back me up on this.”

You swallow the lump in your throat and walk over, instantly relaxing a little as Steven throws an arm over your shoulder. You glance at Belly and Jeremiah and they both offer you small smiles. Your chest feels less tense.

“Alright one million dollars to go in the ring with Mike Tyson, no head guards, like 10 ounce gloves,” Steven explains, “Are you doing it?”

“Um,” You clear your throat, “No, I would absolutely die.”

“Oh come on!” Steven exclaims.

“Told you she’d agree with us,” Belly shrugs, glancing at you momentarily.

The four of you fall silent again.

“Alright guys please talk it out or something, this is fucking awkward,” Steven rolls his eyes.

“Im not mad at you, (Y/n),” Jeremiah assures you, “I just- needed to clear my head today.”

“Yeah, and I’m glad we spoke about things earlier,” Belly adds, “But-“

They glance at each other and then back at you.

“Guys…” Steven begins as if warning them about whatever would happen next.

“He’s going to break your heart, (Y/n).”

You feel your heart sink, the weight seemingly hitting your shoulders. As much as they weren’t mad at you, they couldn’t be happy for you. And something about that felt worse. Every day, every week, every summer, they’d be waiting for the moment when Conrad proved them right. When you’d come running to them and say ‘I wish I’d listened’. And you couldn’t live like that. They were waiting for some fucked up version of inevitable and you couldn’t stand under their gaze waiting for it to happen.

“He’s playing games,” Jeremiah persists, “He’s spent years knowing how Bells felt about him, like literally forever. And he knew how I felt about you. Conrad’s like this, he likes to be in control. And being with you gives him that control.”

You feel your mouth run dry, a ringing in your ears like your mind was begging you not to listen to them.

“He’s not one for relationships,” Belly chimes in and your blurry eyes turn to her, “He’s going to drop you and we just… we don’t want to see you get your heart broken.”

They’d never be happy for you.

“I-“ You croak out, eyes flooded with tears yet to fall.

“Guys seriously, cut it out,” Steven persists, “You’re upsetting her.”

“I ju-“ Your voice cracks and you shake your head, a million thoughts running through your mind.

Not a single one of those thoughts believed what they were saying. But all you could think about was going the rest of your summers with people that were waiting for you to crumble, and you couldn’t do it. Every move Conrad made, they’d be waiting. Every day you seemed slightly less than yourself, they’d be expecting it. They were so far from being happy for you, that they were waiting for you to fail.

Almost too perfectly timed, the door opens once more and it’s Conrad who steps out. You’re sure his heart must swell at the sight of the four of you from afar, as if something about the past few days had just healed. But the closer he steps, the same unbreaking tension hits him too.

“Wh- what’s going on?” He frowns, looking between all of them before his eyes settle on you, “(Y/n)?”

You glance up at him and you know for certain in that moment that he won’t break your heart. That, in fact, he’d do every single thing in his power to do the exact opposite of that. Whatever happened, whatever would change, breaking your heart was never going to be part of his plans. But this couldn’t go on. You’d lose everybody. And so would Conrad. And you couldn’t be the person waiting around watching him slip away from the people he called family.

“I can’t-“ You look into his eyes and yours seem to soften, reflecting the worry of his own, “I can’t do this.”

Before anyone has the chance to stop you, you turn around on your heel and hurry across the garden and back into the house.

“(Y/n)!” You hear Conrad call after you but it falls onto deaf ears.

He turns back to the others and frowns, glancing between them all as if waiting for an explanation.

“Wh- what did you do?” He croaks out, his entire body flooding somewhere between worry and anger.

“You’re going to hurt her, Conrad,” Jeremiah shrugs, “We can’t let you do that to her.”

“Hurt her?” Conrad scoffs, “You think I’m going to hurt her?”

“Why did you kiss her when you knew how I felt about her? When you knew how Belly felt about you?” Jeremiah persists, standing square in front of his brother.

“Because I-“ Conrad looks between him and Belly, “Because I wasn’t thinking about you. I was thinking about (Y/n).”

“Because you’re fucking selfish and you always have been!”

“Selfish?” Conrad lets out an exasperated laugh, “Selfish for choosing myself one fucking time, for not running around worrying about you? For letting myself be fucking happy? That’s such a crime? You need to look at yourself, Jere. Grow up.”

“You’re telling me to grow up? Yo-“

“Yes I’m telling you to grow up!” Conrad raises his voice, “Stop acting like everyone needs to worry about you, or Belly, or whatever the hell else. I love (Y/n). And the crazy fucking thing is I haven’t even told her that yet. And you guys can hate us and hate me and hate everything about this but it’s not going to change anything. Okay? It’s not.”

Jeremiah doesn’t speak, his jaw tensed, Belly stood behind him like she’s blocking herself from Conrad’s words, convincing herself it isn’t true.

“So you decide - you go on convincing yourself this is the worst thing that’s ever happened to you, or you grow up and accept that we’re happy, and that maybe we could make each other happy,” Conrad shakes his head, “These past few days we shouldn’t have had to worry about you, (Y/n) shouldn’t have been crying because she’s terrified of losing you. She’s meant to be your best friend Belly,” He turns his attention to her, “It wouldn’t hurt you to act like it.”

None of them speak.

Conrad clenches his jaw and looks between them all, thinking of a million more things he could say. But he ignores every single one of them, forgetting everything to simply follow after you. He drops the drinks in his hands down, pushes through the crowds of people, barges his way upstairs, taking the steps two at a time until he gets to his room.

Empty.

[vaggieslefteye]

CHARLIE MAGNE from HAZBIN HOTEL (2019): Pilot - "That's Entertainment" ↳ "So, I've been thinking: Isn't there a more humane way to hinder overpopulation here in Hell? Perhaps we can create an alternative way to change souls through... redemption?"

[chibifox2002]

Metadede smooch or Rippledede smooch for the doodling request?

I'm a multishipper so you get both my dear anon!

[raayllum]

The creators once posted sometime after S7 concluded that they had considered giving Karim a redemption arc before deciding that having him die making one last poorly thought-out power grab would be a more satisfying conclusion for his arc. I have no complaints about Karim being irredeemable, but how do you think making him beyond redemption is a better choice for the overall story?

Karim is one of my favourite characters in the show, and going forward into S6/S7 I wasn't entirely sure which way his character arc was going to land. I'd expected him to win in S6 (so that he could free Kim'Dael) and so that he'd have further parallels to Ezran (S4/S5 meta on that here). This was mostly due to me expecting Karim to foil and be a contrast to other characters — Callum, Viren, Ezran, Janai — as his primary narrative role.

For Callum & Ezran, it was as brother-mages (Callum) who'd betray the other (over Runaan) whenever that plot point came around. For Viren, Karim was following his path politically and was usurper. For Janai, ridden with uncertainty and doubt, Karim was impulsive and all too certain.

However, it was evident that the brothers would reconcile (they did), that Viren had cinched a continuing atonement arc (already in s4, then outright in s5 — which, afterwards is when the bulk of the linked meta was written), and that Janai would ultimately reclaim/remain being queen of her people.

So where would that leave Karim?

An important note I think, then, is that TDP has never preached complete pacifism. It has always, routinely, framed violence as a last resort but still a resort, and that figuring out what is worth violence vs what isn't is a crucial, difficult, but occasionally achievable process. Ezran is the most pacifistic character by far, and he still has a huge attempted "people I (would've) murdered" body count after all.

So I'd argue that TDP's stance isn't so much as "people can always change" so much as it is "you have to be real damn sure that a person Won't choose to change before you kill them". And even then, it acknowledges that stopping a person from doing active harm in that moment even unto death/murder (S3 Viren with Rayla; S7 Aaravos with the archdragons) is not an exclusively bad thing, either.

Life is precious. Life is valuable. We take it, but we do not take it lightly.

What then, is 'irredeemable' in TDP? To put it simply, there's not much: you can kill someone, or kill someone's beloved family member, or orchestrate a war, or gaslight/deceive people, or burn people alive, or repeatedly use dark magic or consume your own flesh, or all of the above, and still be considered Redeemable within TDP depending on 1) why you did any of the above regarding the Circumstances and/or 2) if you changed afterwards.

That doesn't mean you're going to get endless passes, not every character can have the same arc for both time, variety, and personality, but most characters (Kasef, Viren, Claudia, even Aaravos) have at least the seed of potential to make better/other choices.

With this in mind, Viren's atonement/redemption arc being almost exclusively about his interpersonal relationships > his global political wrongdoing makes the answer abundantly clear as to what TDP thinks is unforgivable if you don't come back from it: forsaking your loved ones.

This does not mean abandoning them, or even standing / fighting against them. It doesn't even necessarily mean killing or trying to kill them!

It means seeing them as JUST the enemy or JUST a thing. Just an obstacle or barrier in your way, or a tool to use for your own ends.

This is, notably, when ultimately dooms Aaravos in S7. He forgets about his child (Sir Sparklepuff) till it catches him off guard. He does not fathom that Avizandum's love for his mate and child could be stronger than Aaravos' control over him. And it is this forgetfulness, this 'twisting' of love into something else, that Terry lampshades as well: "Maybe this started out as a story of love, but along the way it got twisted. He isn't doing anything for love. He's doing it out of revenge" when it comes to personal love, and Runaan when it comes to other matters: "I remember I fought you. I tried to kill you! How could I?" / "I was a peacemaker, a twisted peacemaker, I suppose [...] but I am not dead. I am alive. I have a family I love."

Much like Kasef is 'punished' narratively for his impulsivity and penchant towards violence, providing a contrast for our young heroes and proof that not every young person will make the same choices they did, Karim is a cautionary sign of what happens if you forsake your loved ones — and you do not recover it.

There's a reason that despite walking Viren's path in so many ways, Karim does not recover the same way Viren did, because Viren re-learned how to see his children as people, not objects. Not heirs or spell parts or assets.

Karim became so concerned with seeing others — his family members, his loved ones — as symbols (things), he lost sight of everything else. He got so swept up in seeing Janai as a queen, and then a false queen who was in his way, that he couldn't see her clearly as his sister anymore, and this eventually extended to everyone / everything else in his life, including himself (viewing himself as a martyr, a true king, a flame to remake the world through).

This is also why the broyals reconciliation is through the lens of "we're brothers and we need each other" and has nothing to do about being king or high mage. Those are their jobs and especially for Ezran are important parts of themselves, but it's still just parts, not the whole. It also helps indicate that Claudia and Soren at the end of 7x09, who clearly do still hold love for each other, are not as broken as Janai (who retained love) and Karim (who did not). None of them ever lost love like the way Karim did. There's a lot throughout arc 2 about how steadily he got there, which may be worth a meta someday, but who knows.

The actual manner of death — Karim swaggering in arrogant and puny as ever, severely overestimating his power and leverage, with consistent focus on his hands (his red glove, holding 'fate' between his fingertips with the sun seed) being little more than a red smear in Aaravos' hand is also some deliciously chewy symbolism and an ultimate slap in the face (deservedly so) to his own ideals of grandeur.

Is there an interesting story to explore of Miyana, or something else, being a catalyst for Karim changing? Sure! But I think Miyana and her children's situation — as well as her potential dynamic with Janai and Amaya — is infinitely more interesting given his absence, as well as allowing Karim to occupy a more unique part of the narrative with his thematic explorations. He's a fantastic character foil and character in his own right, and I think he embodied everything they set out to do like, absurdly exceedingly well.

So short form answer: yes! I'm inclined to agree that it's a more satisfying ending tbh, especially with his writing in 7x03 onwards! I do miss him dearly, though. I miss him every day.

[rvstyartstar]

Could you draw Cassunzel Romeo and Juliet in the tomb scene please?

Cassandra as Romeo

Rapunzel as juliet

haven't been drawing for a while so sorry if it's a bit off

[painaltar]

Turn: Washington's Spies Season 2 Episode 6

request for @thekenobee !

[hypogryffin]

Your art is so flipping pretty, and I just adore how you style all of the persona characters! But my question is, are there any other fandoms/works of art that you want to post or start rambling about? I hope you have a lovely day! (o゜▽゜)o☆

you can have those?

[number-onekidqueen]

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚃𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝙿𝚘𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝙳𝚎𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚏𝚒𝚌 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜

Upcoming....

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

i was supposed to be sent away but they forgot...

I love you, it's ruining my life

-> (Conrad Fisher x older Conklin sister!reader)

How dare you think it's romantic, leaving me safe and stranded

-> (Luke Castellan x apollo!reader)

Is that a bad thing to say in a song?

-> (Art Donaldson x popstar!reader)

Messy top lip kiss and moonlit trysts

-> (Conrad fisher x oldest!conklin sister!reader)

I can fix him, and only I can

-> (Ethan Landry x fem!reader)

You're the loss of my life

-> (Sirius Black x reader)

I cry a lot, it's an art

-> (Luke Castellan x apollo!reader)

Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?

-> (Steven Conklin x fisher!reader)

note: all these fics will be with fem!readers, because that is what I feel comfortable writing with at the minute.

My requests are open, as always, and I'm sorry for the slow updates.

[pokimoko]

If ur still doin the pride flag animals- could you make a Komodo dragon or parrot with the pan and asexual flags?

Absolutely! Here are some komodo dragons for ya!

[hunters-vigil]

The Archon's Baby - Chapter 19 - This is War

First Chapter Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Warnings: pregnant!reader, topic of death, mentions of loss of limb (may be slightly graphic?), grief, revenge, presumptive character death, trauma, mentions of blood, poor writing of emergency trauma medicine.

Fic under the cut, don't repost my stuff on other platforms, i have ao3. Reader is not the traveller. Reader's adoptive sisters are Chasca and Chuychu.

Chuychu always worried about Chasca losing control, and not just because it scared you, or her. But what Chuychu worried about didn't matter anymore. Chuychu was gone, you were gone, your baby-Chasca didn't want to think about it, the abyss whispering in her ear as growls escaped her lips.

"Chasca? Where are your sisters? Chasca, are you alright?" Paimon's voice couldn't break through, the floating silver creature pausing as The Traveller put their arm out to stop Paimon getting any closer.

"Can you tell us what happened?" The Traveller asked carefully, golden eyes carefully watching the grieving eldest sister.

Chasca's fists were clenched, each breath a struggle as she fought back from the brink of losing control.

"It came out of the sky, right in front of us. Chuychu tried to grab her, then she tried to shield Chuychu. They both went over the edge. Traveller, they don't have anything to help them fly. They… they couldn't have survived that drop unaided." Chasca forced her eyes away from the cliff edge, meeting the Traveller's gaze.

The Traveller took a step closer to the edge, shielding Paimon's eyes as she gasped at the bloodied boot, spotting something that Chasca hadn't… the boot hadn't fallen off of Chuychu's foot. Her foot was there too…

"My little sisters are gone…" Chasca gasped, tears falling down her face like a waterfall, "the baby… the Archon's… my baby sisters, I was supposed to protect them-" she sobbed, gasping for air, not seeing a faint glow descending from above her, until it wasn't able to be unnoticed any longer, as someone emerged from the light.

"How unfair life can be… she's had the odds stacked against her from the very beginning, and each step forward has been an agonising one. Maybe she would have been better off embracing her pain…" Menilek began as he chose his tribe's hero of this generation, standing closer to the Traveller, to give Chasca that time to grieve, "but her journey goes on, and one question looms in her mind: if she could rise above the pain, and ascend over the dark clouds in her mind… what then would she find?"

Menilek looked up to the sky, "maybe the glorious light of the sun, or maybe a dark empty void… there is only one way to find out. She needs to spread her wings and fly to new heights… that is the true meaning of life."

The Traveller's question went ignored, but yes, Menilek was from 500 years ago, as he walked over to Chasca, "my life's suffering shall become my epitaph, to remember the pain I endured, and finally transcended." The warrior faded immediately after, leaving Chasca heaving for air as she took a grip of her ancient name. Vuka, meaning transcension.

She was silent as she turned to the two, the Traveller only nodded in understanding as their eyes met. Eventually, Chasca returned with the two to the stadium, not speaking to anyone as she walked besides them. Whispers immediately began as people took in the sight. Chasca left the stadium with her younger sisters, but she returns alone.

Mavuika's heart dropped as she spotted Chasca walking in, supported by the Traveller with Paimon floating next to them. Where were-

"Chasca?" Mavuika's voice was desperate to waver, but she held strong, digging her nails into her gloved palms.

"We will recover their bodies once this is over. We still have- we still have more important things to do. If we want to honour what my sisters stood for… Mavuika, we need to hurry." Chasca held her hand over her heart, feeling a warmth flood in from Mavuika's body. A fiery warmth of rage and revenge.

"This war ends now." Mavuika clenched her fist, her fingernails digging into her leather gloves. She could not give into her grief now, there was no time for her to mourn what the abyss had stolen. She needed to avenge you, the love of her life, avenge your twins, her babies, and avenge her would-be sister-in-law…

Mavuika's fire burned angrier than ever, her hair almost spontaneously errupting into flames as she and her six heroes made their way into the arena.

///

What Chasca didn't know would hurt her. The last thing she heard was her sisters screaming, falling to their presumptive deaths, the young iktomisaur screeching in distress as she fell too… but often in nature, when a baby cries out, an adult will come to the rescue.

The last thing you felt before falling was Chuychu, wrapping your arms around her, pulling her in to shield her, shield your belly. You buried your face in her shoulder, missing out on seeing the elemental shield surround you both as you ended up on the ground, everything going dark.

You only awoke feeling something soft nudging you, cooing in your face. "Mhm… what?" you groaned, your hands immediately going to your belly as your eyes opened, meeting your older sister's tired green ones.

"You're okay, your babies are okay…" Chuychu whispered, wincing in pain as she moved her hands from where they'd been checking on your bump, to her foot… or lack of it.

"Where's your foot- ow!" you grimaced, holding your head as you tried to sit up too fast.

"Easy… you need to slow down… no wonder you kept up with Mavuika so easily, you're so stubborn that she'd be wrapped around your finger, how did none of us see it sooner?" Chuychu grumbled, trying to fix her tourniquet herself.

"A lot of lessons from what I can only describe as Mavuika's PR team, or is it HR? I can never remember, but they've probably all quit by now," you replied, carefully moving your hand over to tighten the tourniquet for your older sister. Your older sister who was missing her foot, and losing far too much blood… was that ice trying to cauterize the wound?

The cooing caught your attention again, turning your head to almost get a mouth full of adult iktomisaur fur, spotting the infant iktomisaur you'd kept with you curled up, sleeping under the adult's wing.

You were both alive, for now...

[upsidedowngrass]

For drawing requests uhhh anything with Bryce? I just super adore the way u draw his limbs idk what it is about it !!! I'm just like 0-0 like a cat at him every time

here he is!!!!! thank u :D!!!!!!!!!!