#sand snakes fanfic
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westerosoliviapope · 2 years ago
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And now the rains weep o'er their walls... | Scandal Westeros
"What are you doing here?" Robb asks. "I'm supposed to meet with Wyman."
Sarella's alone at a table. Dressed in a high collar black jacket, hair falling in silken waves around her shoulders. Her nude-painted finger tips play with the bottom of a glass that he knows is Dornish Red. The Sandstone varietal, if they have it. The generic Dornish blend if they don't.
"Now, you're meeting with me."
And there's no hint of either accent in her voice. No warmth or familiarity. Just the lifeless tone she uses to slice opponents to the quick. Except he doesn't know what they're warring over.
She left him. Found someone new.
"That's not an explanation," Robb says. "What are you doing here?"
"Well." She takes a long gulp, killing the entire glass. Then pours another.
And the words that leave her mouth are a dagger through the gut.
"Your fiancée wants you to stop fucking your secretary. So—"
She pushes a stack of papers across the small round table.
"—now, you're meeting with me."
Scandal Westeros (Episode Seven) on AO3.
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lidoshka · 2 years ago
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Big sister
mmmh, I’ve been thinking about the relationship between Maglor and his sisters in the series “Everlasting song” by @amethysttribble
So have an image of Obara and her only brother Maglor!
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icaruspendragon · 11 months ago
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was telling my therapist about how i've always used books, fanfic, and storytelling as escapism but now instead of me consuming stories, stories consume me. dalton gave me The Look (the one that means he's gonna say something i need to hear but don't want to) before asking, "you know that snake that eats itself?" to which i said, "yeah, ouroboros." and he replied, "i didn't know he had a name, that's cool. anyway, you're the snake. i know you've convinced yourself the consumption is filling, but it's not. when it's you you’re eating, it's destruction."
like yeah i know that’s not what the snake represents and ex-cowboy-turned-combat-vet-turned-trauma specialist dalton probably does not know the exact symbolism behind it but like. jesus christ man did that to lay me to waste at 10:30 on a wednesday morning.
and even though he hurt my feelings with the truth, it did put it into perspective for me.
it’s not levity’s lighthouse guiding me to port when depression’s darkness and anxiety’s turbulent waves make it difficult for me to sail smoothly on my voyage.
it’s not a way to alleviate my symptoms, it’s a manifestation of them.
it’s a compulsion, deceptively insidious when cloaked in distraction’s pseudo-warmth. when easily covered by procrastination’s much easier to swallow explanation.
and i’m sure you want to say “but reading is a healthy coping mechanism!”
and it is. when done in moderation.
it’s no longer coping when your screen time is 16 hours a day. when 12 of those hours a day are spent scuttling about ao3 on all fours. when you sit in the same spot on the couch for hours on end with your head buried in the sand. when it’s literally all you can think about.
the consumption isn’t coping. isn’t creation. isn’t reconstruction or rebirth or reformation. it’s chaos. it’s compulsion.
it’s cannibalism.
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lotusarchon · 7 days ago
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macaque's successor (mk x reader)
content warnings: female reader, second pov (you/your), mild fluff and angst, season 1 events, isekai (reader dies from choking), foul language, macaque mentioned i guess, vague hints of manipulation/gaslighting from macaque, mk being a little shit, nsfw content, minors/ageless blogs dni, virginity loss,np in v sex, mild dubcon oral sex (fem receiving), public sex (reader + mk fuck in an alleyway), car sex (in the tuktuk), implied breeding kink, light bondage (the headband is a paid actor)
author's notes: requested from AO3. this literally hit 6k words so i'm gonna make it a series lmfao help
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You remembered choking.
Honestly, it was an embarassing way to die, you won't deny it. How humiliating it was when people asked about your demise, anticipating a tragic if not heroic end. And usually, in the fanfics you read, that's how it always go!! Either someone dies by trying to save someone else, or by fucking suicide!! Not this!!! Not by choking on a dumpling while watching the fifth season of your favorite show; Lego Monkie Kid!!
Gods, how embarassing. Even when waking up, the memory of the dumpling stuck in your throat while you flailed wildly, surprised when the plot twist was revealed with the snake villain…gah! Just end you now!
Wait no. You died once. If you died twice again, that would be way worst.
Ah well. You couldn't say you were too disappointed. Though you missed a few things from your old life, your life was just…too boring. You didn't have much friends, your parents were emotionally distant and well, aside from your job, there really wasn't much to your current life. You felt too much like a burden to your parents, so maybe…you could free them of the worries of an unmarried, boring child.
You considered your ‘isekai’ moment as some sort of new start. Your chance to better your life! You didn't anticipate to be a part of anything major, not with your boring self, but the scenery in the Lego Monkie Kid universe wasn't so bad, and surprisingly the people seem nice. Perks of being a children's show, you guessed.
When you had first woken up, lying on the sand of some beach, you were both pleasantly surprised and concerned. It took a few minutes for you to process that you hadn't ended up in some weird coma because you choked to death and that you had, somehow, in some weird fucking way, woken up in the lego world. How did you realize that?
If the lego hands weren't enough of an answer, the green and white blur of a certain female character driving past should've been.
You were fucking isekai’d.
And then you fainted from shock.
When you woke up again, you were lying on a military cot, a thin blanket thrown over your form. There was sunlight from a window to the wall opposite of you, and the sound of clapping and cheering.
While you sat there contemplating your situation, and wondering if you were about to be canon fodder to some demon within the show, a door you hadn't been aware of opened and closed shut. A man wearing a thick black and red robe was standing in front of you. And come on, you're no fool―there was no way in hell you wouldn't know who this particular figure was. You'd have to be pretty stupid not to have recognized his dramatic robes from the second season.
Which reminded you. Where exactly had you fallen in the timeline, if Macaque found you and most possibly brought you to his weird theatre?
“You got a name, kid?” His gruff voice questioned, pulling the hood of his head to glance at you. In his hands was a tray, a simple meal of rice porridge and cut fruits. You accepted the tray awkwardly, wondering if the food would be edible if this was pre-s4/5 Macaque.
“Um. My name is (Name).” You smiled at the monkey demon awkwardly. “And…um…w-who might you be?”
“Macaque. The Six Eared Macaque.” He took a seat on a discarded chair, sharp fangs glinting in what little light it had. “(Name), huh? Well, I found you before you died from a cold, (Name). You were stranded on a beach not far from here.”
Right…that you already figured out.
“I hope you don't mind me asking. Do you have any family or friends to run home too?”
You thought for a moment. You didn't die and end up in any existing character already…..so as far as you knew, you were completely alone in this strange new world. The realization finally dawned on you that though it was a joyous feeling, being in your favorite show, interacting with nice people, there was no way you'd be able to survive. You were human for all you knew too, just some person living in a world with magic, demons and the occasional deity.
“No.” You signed, stirring the porridge. “I'm..alone.”
“You have no one?” Macaque repeated. “No one to turn too for help? Surely, your parents…friends…?”
You shook your head again.
There was a moment of awkward silence. You continued to stir the porridge awkwardly while Macaque possibly thought to himself.
“Alright.” Macaque stood. “It'd be cruel of me to leave someone as young as you to wander off on your own.” You tensed when he walked in your direction, but surprisingly, all he did was gently pat your head. “I'll offer you a deal, kid, since you're already in my debt.”
Please don't ask me to sell my soul.
“Wasn't planning on it.” Ah, you spoke out loud. “Be my apprentice. I'll feed and clothe you and in turn you train under me and help around the theatre here. It'll be a…mutually beneficial relationship.”
Well. You didn't have much of a choice now, did you?
After a moment of thinking, you nodded. There was nothing less to be done than to accept your fate. And hey, as cliche as it was, maybe you can turn Macaque over! Act like the MK to his Sun Wukong, you know?
And that was a lie.
Macaque was not a kind teacher. As the agreement followed, he did feed and clothe you. Hell, you swore he was even giving you your own salary helping him out with the theatre, either cleaning up or sending posters or dealing with guests. He wasn't so bad, that was, outside of training. During training, though, he was an entirely different person.
The first week, he was horrible. You swore you couldn't even repeat the degrading words he had said, every detail embedded in your head. Scolding you for being weak, to put more effort if you truly wanted to learn and be strong. That being weak was for those that were already dead.
It was difficult to think he was an entirely different person outside of training. Usually he would chat or show you things he's made, like puppets or dolls. If he was in a good mood, he'd even put on a puppet show for you, and you'd get to see his ‘The Hero And The Warrior’ tale up close and in person. But, if he was in a bad mood, you were lucky to get a simple grunt before he ignored you.
Between that and when you were alone, you got to explore more of your new world. You found out that his theatre was to the end of the city, so a lot of people would have to travel often to see his plays. After getting lost a few times and finally getting a map you could properly read, you found Pigsy's noodles and decided to pay it a visit.
What was the worst that could possibly happen? And anyways, you were both bored and curious to know where exactly you were in the storyline. Since you were supposed to be Macaque's apprentice now, surely that meant you'd most likely be involved now in the main story, right?
“I keep telling ya MK, you rarely ever focus!”
Ah, that should be an obvious enough an answer. There was an entire episode dedicated to MK's focusing. Erm, episode…6, was it? No, that was the racing episode.
Episode 7, maybe? Ah, yeah, that had to be it.
You dared to peek your head inside, catching sight of the protagonist and his father figure speaking to each other. Or, more like MK was clinging to his dad's leg while Pigsy scolded him with threats of firing him.
Ah, typical Monkie Kid moment. It felt so unreal to be here in person, watching them.
And then MK ran into you. Had you been that dazed out you completely missed him running until he ran smack into you, spilling noodles on the front of your shirt?
“Gah! Are you okay!?” MK spluttered, his eyes wide with panic. “Oh, shit―” Wait, was that normal? Wasn't this a kid's show? Why the fuck― “Fuck, uh.”
“Kid?” Pigsy's voice was heard behind him. “What's the keep u―oh, damn it MK.”
Huh? This is a kid's show! Why are they swearing!?
“I'm sorry!!” MK was whining. You felt his hands on your chest, dabbing away with swabs of paper napkins he must've grabbed from the counter. “Sorry, sorry!!! I'm so sorry, I just―aah!!”
You were to dumbstruck to even question the fact he was so blatantly touching your chest. Not when you were more concerned about the fact they cursed. This was a children's show. Why the fuck were they cursing!? Were they always cursing and it was just obscured because of the children audience it was aimed for!? Huh?!
“Kid, I think you've made it worst.” Pigsy's gruff voice brought you back to reality. You smiled nervously as MK pulled his hands away, wringing them anxiously from the stain he just left behind.
“I'm sorry!!” MK pursed his lips. Though he was never a favorite of yours, you had to admit up close he was kind of cute in the basic anime protagonist way. You wondered what would happen if you pinched his cheeks a bit. Would it be soft to touch? “I-I’ll um, I'll make it up to you! Promise!”
Oh. Right, he spilled noodles on your shirt.
You shook your head, waving off his worry. “No need too. It's fine, it was my fault anyway.” Technically you weren't wrong. You weren't paying attention, and how was MK supposed to know someone was kinda attempting to spy on him. “But uh….” You glanced at the sticky wet stain. “I don't suppose you have anything I can borrow…?”
MK perked up. He looked pleased you weren't yelling at him, nor demanding some form of payment that would probably give Pigsy a heart attack. He nodded quickly, fluffy brown hair growing even messier from his actions. Holy shit, was it as soft as it looked? Would it feel nice??
“I've got a spare shirt upstairs!” He exclaimed, once again interrupting your thoughts. “My friend leaves her clothes behind, there should be one that fits you! Gimme a sec―”
Oh, he was gone. You were going to tell him not to bother, it'd be too weird wearing his best friend's shirt….
Waiting in awkward silence, you glanced at Pigsy, who had crossed his arms opposite of you. He raised his head and caught your gaze, making you look away.
“You must be new around these parts,” the pig demon remarked, causing you to stiffen. “I don't think I recognize ya, kid. Got a name?”
Er….well.
“(Name).” It'd be pointless to lie about yourself. And anyway, if you chose the name of a character that was probably already in the series, it'd make one hell of a scenario. Too embarassing anyway. “Umm. You must be Pigsy, the owner of this er…fine establishment?”
The pig demon snorted, “As if the name isn't obvious enough.” You flinched, anticipating him to be rude, but who knew he was merely being sarcastic and teasing you. He shook his head at your expression, chuckling, “I'm pulling ya’ leg kid. Yeah, that's me. What brings ya’ here anyway?”
Before you could respond, the sound of someone falling down a flight of stairs, and a certain noodle boy reappeared with a clean, green and white T-shirt in his hands. He smiled bashfully, apologizing for his absence and shoved the cloth into your hands abruptly.
“So you won't have to wear a dirty one!” He exclaimed with his signature grin. “And my apology! It should be closer to your size…I think….”
The noodle boy trailed off, staring at your chest for a moment. You followed his gaze and blinked.
“I…eh?”
Instead of blushing like he was caught in the act, MK scratched his chin thoughtfully. He didn't come off as a pervert to you, merely concerned and almost confused.
“Kid. Ya staring too much.”
“Oh.” MK blinked. “Oh, my bad! Sorry, I just didn't know if you'd be comfortable wearing anything too small. If it doesn't fit, do you want mine?”
You knew he meant well, but you did feel slightly offended. You weren't that big, were you?
“Kid.” Pigsy sounded mildly exhausted. It seemed like it wasn't the first time the noodle boy had been a bit too blunt with his words. “I think ya should stop talking.”
“I didn't say anything bad this time!! Did I?!”
You and Pigsy exchanged a mutual stare, shaking your heads at the remark. He gestured towards the customer bathrooms for you to change, but when you returned MK had long since left for his job and typical adventure of the week. As a form of apology, Pigsy gave you a free bowl of noodles and invited you to return at any point for your cleaned shirt, which he insisted you leave behind for MK to wash.
You weren't sure if Macaque was pleased when you explained where you had gotten the noodles, or disappointed. By his tone and appearance, he didn't seem offended. If anything he seemed quite satisfied with your remark while you split your noodles with him, and he remarked, strangely, “That MK's a good kid. You can befriend him if you want.”
You paused mid-swallow, unsure of what to say. Macaque chuckled at your expression and patted your head.
“It's fine,” he said with a grin. “Just ‘cause I hate his mentor, doesn't mean I'll stop you from having friends of your own.” He stole a piece of meat from you. “Just as long as you don't pull a bitch move and abandon your mentor. I'd feel so heartbroken, y'know?”
There was something about his tone, that brief sarcastic comment paired with his saccharine smile that made you flinch. Still, you nodded, assuring him that you'd never abandon him.
It's not like you had anyone else anyway.
An unlikely friendship formed between you and the hero.
You returned to the noodle shop once your training with Macaque was completed, hoping to return Mei's shirt and retrieve your original one. Pigsy greeted you at the door, offering you to take a seat while MK returned from another one of his monster of the week adventures. Pigsy wasn't so bad, though you were surprised to see Tang absent. Then again, maybe the scholar was just busy―he didn't appear in every episode after all.
“Oh, Piggy! Tangy is dea―” Mei was the first to barge into the noodle shop, her eyes wide. Seeing her up close and in person, you were practically shocked at how pretty she was. You thought the Mei fans had been exaggerating, but no. The dragon girl was just as pretty if not more, and when she flashed you a grin you swore you might be a little bit queer. “Whoa! Cute girl!”
“Mei, what the hell?” You still couldn't get used to them swearing. Pigsy threw a spoon at the dragon girl, which she managed to duck. Unfortunately, the person behind her, MK, was the victim of the spoon, and he collapsed with a cry. “Just ignore her, she's always weird.”
You smiled, nodding while Mei protested against the comment. She took a seat on the stool next to you, offering her hand.
“Oh! You're the girl MK was telling me about!” Mei exclaimed as you introduced yourself. You were surprised MK would even bother speaking about you, who was pretty much an NPC at this point, but at the same time, being noticed by the protagonist was a pleasant feeling, wasn't it? “Did my shirt fit you or was your boobies to big?”
You heard MK choke at the remark, and when you glanced at him he looked ashamed.
“I didn't say that,” he quickly defended, throwing himself at Mei to stop her from sharing any more embarassing comments. “I-I just said that the shirt was too small!! I swear!! I didn't mean anything like that!!”
You smiled awkwardly. “It's fine. I'm sure it was an accident.”
The dragon girl merely sighed. You didn't miss the look she flashed at her friend, and as if they had some sort of telepathic ability, MK returned her look with his own. You were in awe at their silence conversation, and you had no problem merely observing them like animals in a zoo.
Ah, wait…there are animals here…oops.
“Sure. Accident.” Mei scoffed under her breath, turning her attention back to you. “Soooo~ cute gal. Did I tell you how cute you were?”
Basically. “You mentioned it, yes.”
“Good. ‘Cause you are.” The dragon girl pinched your cheek. The action made you wince, reminiscent of how Macaque tended to be, always pinching your face on occasion, but Mei's hands were gentler and less likely to make you tear up. She released your cheek after a while, arm still slung around your shoulders while she continued on, “(Name), (Name)...huh. You know, I actually don't think I've ever met you either.”
Without thinking, you sighed in relief. For what it was worth, you were still feeling jittery at the idea of being recognized by someone. After all, who's not to say you hadn't just ended up in a random NPC’s body that just happened to resemble you? The universe worked in mysterious ways, and you'd really not want that chance of being recognized. Even if it wouldn't be a major problem plot-wise, you'd rather not have to deal with the nagging feeling you were in someone else's body.
So, hearing one of the most sociable characters in the show admit to never meeting you before made you all the more relieved. If you could clap your hands, you really would at that moment.
MK had taken a seat on the opposite side of you, leaving you trapped between him and his best friend.
It…was a bit odd, you wouldn't lie. There was an empty seat next to Mei, so why choose to sit next to you of all places? Wouldn't it be easier to sit with his friend?
“Oh, yeah. I don't think you mentioned where you're from?” Pigsy had long since left for the kitchen, so you knew that question had been from MK. It was cute that Pigsy had chosen to mention something trivial you said to his kid, but you'd also hate having to be asked and make up a lie on the spot.
You thought for a moment, then nodded. “I didn't think it was important. My family moved here for some business stuff.”
Mei seemed to perk up at that. “Oh, you're a foreigner? That's so cool! Where are you from!?”
“Um….”
“Right. Right.” The dragon girl relaxed, her lips parted in a laugh. She waved off your nervous expression, “Sorry ‘bout that. Didn't mean to pry. But that's pretty cool.”
“It definitely is.” MK grinned next to you. “Traveling around like that sounds fun. How do you like the city so far? Have you seen the cheese tea stalls?”
They're actually called cheese tea stalls!? You sweatdropped, trying to imagine what tea would taste like with actual cheese in it. The combination in your head made you mentally gag, but with a smile on your face you merely nodded. Macaque had taught you well, even if not directly, so you'd consider yourself a pro at masking your feelings.
“Ah.” Was it just you, or did MK sound disappointed at that?
And yet, not only a few seconds later, his expression had brightened once again.
You spent at least three hours at the noodle shop, listening to MK and Mei ask you questions and share the wildest stories.
For some reason, MK always seemed to look for your opinion on something. You put it off as merely him hoping to impress a new friend he's made, as a newly turned hero.
You sat with Macaque once again for dinner.
Almost half a year had passed since you had arrived in this new world. Surprisingly, an unlikely friendship had formed between yourself and the dragon girl and monkey boy duo.
You didn't think something like that would've happened in over a million years. Someone like you, befriending people as fun and kind as Mei and MK? You'd have to either be high or dreaming.
But, you didn't mind it either way. They were fun to be around, and more often than not, they'd invite you on their hangouts. Especially that MK, who was always ready to pull you into an adventure with him.
You had to admit, you've grown quite fond of him over the past few months.
And as for Macaque…
You glanced at the simian. Though you'd like to think you two had grown closer, there was still a barrier that kept you at arms length. At this point, you assumed Wukong's supposed betrayal was still fresh on his mind after all these years, and so even if he was nicer to you, he never once actually attempted to draw you closer.
So disappointing…
You chewed on your chopsticks thoughtfully.
Over time, you've tried not to interfere with the canon plot too much. So, even when that particular episode regarding the key to unlocking the Bone Demon's tomb happened (cough, s1 episode 8), you didn't intervene. You didn't warn MK that he was toying with the very object that would change his life forever, nor did you warn him about the creepy Mayor guy.
Speaking of him…there's something really off-putting about that guy. It's like he knows something I don't. You frowned to yourself, recalling that particular interaction. Though you didn't do much, the Mayor had still been watching you.
“It would be my deepest pleasure to meet little miss once again,” he had said, oddly charming in a particularly creepy way. “So until we next meet, farewell~!”
Agh, whatever. It was canon he was total nutcase anyway, you shouldn't be worried about that.
What you were worried about though, was the episode where Macaque would meet MK. As much as you loved him as your favorite character, you couldn't deny that he had as much of a role to MK's trauma as the other villains did.
And with how fond you were of MK currently, you had to admit; hurting him just to spite Wukong was genuinely too far. When all was said and done, hating your ex best friend was fine, but there was no need to pull innocent people into the crossfire. MK might not have dwelled on it anymore, but the interactions he had with Macaque and later on Azure…it definitely fucked him up, didn't it?
Sigh. Though you knew this had to happen for plot's sake, you really wished it didn't have to happen. You didn't think you could bare to witness this scene upclose and in person, so you wondered if you should take Mei on that offer to leave the city for a few days…
“So, you and that MK boy are close now, hm?” When you raised your head, Macaque caught your gaze and grinned. He was sipping from a can of fizzy drink, something you'd never expect from him of all people, and occasionally would glance at you. He raised a brow, “You turned into a beaver, kid? You're chewing those chopsticks for so long.”
Embarrassed, you pulled the chopsticks out of your mouth. The ends were covered in your spit and bite marks, and you cried in your heart at the damage. How embarassing…
“Um. Yeah. Guess we are now.” You shoveled cold noodles into your mouth again, hiding your embarrassment. Until you choked and had to take a break, coughing and chewing soggy noodles.
Macaque slid a can to you, already opened. You accepted it with a nod, relieved at the sugary taste that freed your clogged throat.
He was speaking again. “I've been thinking. The kid looks like he needs some extra training, you know? I mean, looking at his fighting moves….something tells me that teacher of his hasn't been doing jackshit for him. Just shoved a big staff into his hands and told him to go crazy.”
If you didn't know Macaque's character in season one, you would've thought he was genuinely concerned. Though his words were criticism at Wukong, there was no warmth or genuinity in them, only a type of bluntness intended to hit home.
You stared at your can thoughtfully. Would he ask you to help him manipulate MK? Would you have to lie to him?
“Hey. Have you ever taken a break since you became my apprentice?” Macaque threw his empty can into a wastebasket, yet his gaze was still on you.
You blinked. You hadn't taken a break since you joined this world, and that been well over six months now.
Where was he going with this?
“I think you deserve a break,” he concluded and leaned back against his chair. “Spend a few weeks outside the city. It'd do you some good. I'll arrange some things for you, ‘kay? Maybe even hook you up with one of my pals to continue your training.”
Oh. Macaque hadn't sent you out of the city with good intentions. He'd sent you so you wouldn't be a hindrance to his plans―you liked MK, that much he knew. His six ears could pick up on the way you brightened around the kid, and he was well aware of the signs of affection. You adored him as he did you, but you were too stubborn to admit it.
Sure, there were some things about you that confused him. He couldn't hear anything from your past, as if it were a blank slate. No childhood, no recollection of a time before you came across him. It was if something was purposely stopping him from hearing beyond that first meeting between you both.
But to Macaque, that was fine. A hindrance, but fine. He would work with it.
As long as you weren't there to warn MK, to push him away from Macaque. As long as you weren't there to disrupt the natural flow of fate.
Macaque boredly nudged the fallen hero's face, a malicious smile on his lips. How the mighty had fallen, just a child with a heavy stick. And where was his mentor now?
“You know, it's a shame my student likes you so much,” he said, almost mockingly, and grabbed MK's chin. The little bastard tried to glare, his body weak from the sudden withdrawal of power within him. Good. “You know, she likes you so much. Thinks you're such a cool guy.”
MK's eyes seemed to narrow. His interest was piqued.
Good.
“(Name)...ah yes. She likes you so much, you know? Even told me not to go too hard on you and your fragile heart.” Macaque's smile merely widened. The longer he yapped some nonsense, the more this naive little hero bought into it.
Ah, that would be the death of him. What a foolish child, helplessly ready to believe what words were spoken. That would never do him any good.
Not that Macaque cared. Watching that look of betrayal flash across his face, the fight he had left fading…
Even when Wukong had stepped in, and he had suffered a bitter defeat, Macaque thought it had all been worth it.
You knew something was wrong the moment you returned to the city.
Maybe the plot had gone wrong. Maybe Macaque didn't betray MK because you had been his student? Maybe MK hadn't fallen fool to Macaque's charming words?
….
The city was fine. MK was fine.
When you stopped at the noodle shop, you were wholly surprised to see MK there. Aside from a bandage wrapped around his neck, he was fine. Laughing with his best friend, bothering Pigsy.
He was fine.
“Oh! (Name)!” Mei leaned over the counter, waving at you excitedly. You flinched at the attention, sparing the noodle boy a glance.
The smile he had been wearing fell. He wasn't looking at you with the same gentleness he had just only three weeks ago. Now, he looked wary, and upset.
Your blood felt cold in your veins.
Had Macaque done something?
“Hello? Earth to (Name)?” Mei gently racked her knuckles against your head. “Girl, you okay there? Did that three week vacay turn your brain into jelly?”
You tore your gaze away from MK.
Whatever it was Macaque had done, you needed to fix it.
At least, to explain yourself…
And surely, MK would listen to you…right?
MK's staff felt heavy against your chest. You knew this staff had once been a pillar in the dragon king's palace, but holy shit the show did not put enough emphasis on how heavy this staff was. The baddies that had to face the opposite end either had more plot armor than the protagonist, or fucking balls of steel.
Mind you, this was MK only allowing you to feel a quarter of it's actual weight. You figured he wasn't mad enough to crush you under it, given that he was still holding the staff above you with a conflicted expression.
You hadn't anticipated he would've followed you back to Macaque's dojo, which had long since been abandoned from his defeat. You hadn't anticipated he would've attacked you, if only to test something…
“He was right,” he muttered, caging you against the wall at the back of the building. “You…you're his student?”
Was, you thought, recalling the shadow powers you'd used to escape him. Now though…
“MK, I―”
“No. Don't you even.” You snapped your mouth shut at his remark. His eyes were glazed over, and you swore if he blinked, he would actually cry. As it stood, he merely glared at you, his expression flitting from angry, to upset, to hurt, and repeated the cycle. “You…you fucking lied. You…you were just pretending to be my friend!?”
You stayed silent.
MK laughed in disbelief.
“You won't even try. You…why?” The weight on your chest was lifted. MK's staff disappeared, but he still kept you caged between his arms, his shoulders sagging. “Why do this? Pretend to be my friend? Made me like you―” Your heart broke at the way his voice cracked. “You…you just…you lied. You lied and said I was your friend. Lied and pretended to be my friend, pretended to like me in turn, only for it to be all an act?? Why? What could Macaque have offered for you…to…to do this!?”
You heard him sniffle. “Fuck. You won't even defend yourself. Won't you lie and tell me I'm wrong?”
“But you are.”
MK raised his head.
Oh, you hated this. He looked so heartbroken. The tears had spilled, staining his cheeks. He looked so sad, and you hated this. You hated seeing him cry like this.
“I…never lied to you,” you mumbled, looking at your feet. “I did. Like being your friend. I liked…being with you. I never…I never wanted to hurt you, MK. I swear. I've always liked you. I wanted to be your friend, I liked you.”
But Macaque…
“I didn't know what Macaque was planning.” A lie. “But I never intended to hurt you, MK. You can hate me for what Macaque did, but I never wanted you to get hurt.” At least, not to this extent….
You raised your head to see MK still staring at you. His eyes wide in shock (hopefully not horror), and he looked…confused.
You never really noticed how cute he looked, all confused and lost. You wanted to pinch his cheeks.
So you did. You reached up, and squeezed his cheek between your hands. MK didn't stop you, too surprised, and you took advantage of it―squeezing and smushing, watching how red they became from your actions.
I don't like it when you cry. I really don't. If this is how hurt you are, I'll never do it again. I'll never let you cry again.
MK's hands grabbed your wrists. You stilled, expecting him to be angry, but he only pinned your hands to the wall.
“Prove it.”
“Huh?”
MK pursed his lips. The corners of his eyes were still red from crying, and his gaze had darted from your eyes, and then lower.
“You…you have to prove that you mean it,” he said, finally. “That…that Macaque was lying. You have to prove you're telling the truth.”
MK, aren't you sounding like a child right now?
You paused, but nodded. “I don't mind. But how am I supposed to prove that?”
MK stared at you so hard and for so long, you had to look away with shame. Why did it feel like he was implying something here…?
A hand cupped your boobs. You blinked when MK gave it a light squeeze.
….. ISN'T THIS SHOW RATED FOR KIDS!? WHAT THE FUCK!?
Note to future self: fucking in alleyways are very unhygienic and also just uncomfortable in general.
Other note to future self: you somehow gave Qi fucking Xiaotian a boob kink.
No, you weren't joking. MK had looked at you so pleadingly and helplessly that of course, you had to yield to his request. You liked him, he liked you, and if this meant he would trust you again and mend the bond Macaque had broken, then so be it. You'd fuck in one thousand alleyways if it meant MK would trust you again.
You just really hoped you wouldn't have too, though. Alleyways were weird.
And, you figured not to question this situation.
You ran your hands through MK's hair, sitting atop the tuktuk MK had parked in the same alleyway. Though you itched to pull his bandanna off, you decided not to. If only because when you had tried before, MK had looked at you with heartbroken eyes, and you didn't like seeing him upset.
His hand slid down the front of your pants, pushing your panties to the side. Your body tensed, and you sucked your bottom lip between your teeth when his fingers rubbed against your folds, following the same rhythm as his hand occupied with your breast.
Look. You were a total loser in your old life, okay? And in this one, you never bothered with dating.
So, of course, you're a total fucking virgin. The closest experience you had with anything porn related was fanfiction, and everyone knows fanfiction is never realistic!!
So, of course, you were embarrassed and completely tense, even when MK assured you not to be.
A fucking cartoon character is more experienced than me. A. Fucking. CHILDREN'S SHOW MAIN CHARACTER. HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL!? You cried in your heart, but flashed MK an awkward smile nonetheless. He grinned at you, before his lips latched onto your nipple he'd been teasing. At the same time, his fingers had found your hole dripping with anticipation, gently pushing a finger inside.
Fanfiction did not prepare you for any of this. You thought you would faint from actually experiencing this the first time….agh…
MK's tongue was wet against your tit. He squeezed and fondled the soft flesh, dragging his tongue against your perked bud with leisure. His other hand gently pumped through your walls, slow, at first, until he added a second finger, and the base of his palm pressed against your clit.
Ugh, this was awkward. You slapped a hand over your mouth, hiding your embarassing fucking noises, and hopefully your own burning expression.
Oh god, what if I get sent back home? The fuck am I gonna tell my parents!? “Hey Mom and Dad, I lost my virginity to a fucking fictional character, no big deal!” Bah!!
Sharp teeth grazed against your tender bud, and the slight burning sensation from MK's fingers inside your cunt gave way to the slightest bit of pleasure, slick easing his movements. You felt yourself squirming against his hand, unsure if you wanted to pull away when his fingers curled against a spot that made you dizzy, or push into him for more.
The noodle boy released your tit with a wet pop, saliva connecting his lips to your breast. If it had been in any other situation, you wouldn't have mind to say it was borderline lewd, but this was real and it involved you, so naturally, you looked away in embarrassment. You heard MK laughing at your reaction, his palm applying pressure to your puffy clit, seeming to find your jolts and muffled whines amusing.
His free hand tugged on your pants, pulling them lower to your ankles. He settled himself lower between your legs, and your panties were pushed higher and his head lower.
You stiffened when his warm breath brushed against your cunt, your fingers still pumping in your hole.
“...hey, wait a sec―” Your hands landed on his head. “Aren't we…I mean you're…we really shouldn't―”
MK pouted, swatting your hand away. “I thought you said you wanted to prove yourself?”
You sneaky little bastard. “Not to this extent!”
“(Name), you're fine.” As if he to prove his point, his tongue swiped leisurely against your folds. You stiffened, feeling your face grow so fucking hot―was that a fucking piercing!? “Don't be scared. Or embarrassed if you're a virgin. I'll take good care of you.”
My brother in Christ you are a fucking lego character I'm more concerned on how either of us has the body part for thi―
MK's lips latched onto your puffy clit, sucking on the tender bundle of nerves. His hand gripped your thighs, holding you close while his fingers quickened and thrusted into your cunt, pressing against the soft spot that left your knees completely weak.
You didn't want to make any noise. You really didn't!
But when MK's tongue flicked your clit, the cold piercing a stark contrast against the warmth, and his mouth worked in rhythm with his fingers…
It wasn't your fault those noises slipped out. You mewled and pushed against him, gasping at the sensation.
You'd question how the fuck MK had a tongue piercing and experience in sex after you were finished.
If you remembered, that was.
MK's fingers suddenly pulled out of you, leaving you clenching around nothing. His tongued dragged languidly against your messy folds before he pulled away, your juices dribbling down his chin. He kept eye contact with you, propping his fingers between his lips to lick them clean…
Wtf…
“Okay! I think that's enough!” MK sat up abruptly and helped pulled off the rest of your clothing. You spluttered, trying to argue because of the very fun fact of you both being in public still, but apparently, the fucking Monkie Kid had no sense of shame or dignity. He simply flipped you onto your stomach, and your hands pulled behind your back and then tied with something…
Wait. “...did you just tie my wrists with your bandanna?”
“Yuh huh.” Gods, how could he sound so innocent after eating you out? “It's hot. I've always imagined tying you up with it, you know?”
You made a face at that. Did I also give him a bondage kink? Oh boy…
MK's chest pressed against yours, placing a chaste kiss to your cheek when he pushed himself inside you, causing you to burrow your face against the seats.
Fuck. I'm losing my fucking virginity to a cartoon character. Oh, isn't that fan-fucking-tastic. And he's fucking big, what the actual fuck. Why is he big? How does he even have a dick?? He's a LEGO.
Oh wait, this doesn't hurt that badly. Fucking fanfiction ass logic.
“(Name)?” You heard MK's voice filled with concern. “Do you want me to move? Or stop? We can stop―”
If your hands weren't tied behind your back, you knew for a fact you would be strangling him. There was no fucking way he got you into this situation only to fucking pussy out because of concern. You might be a virgin but you're no coward.
Probably.
“You can move.” You grumbled against your better judgement. “Just…be gentle.”
“I am gentle.” MK laughed in your ear. His lips pressed into another kiss against your temple, and his hips slowly rocked against yours, allowing you to adjust to the feeling. He pulled back slightly, just enough to snap his hips back in place in a slow thrust.
The first thing you thought was, Wow, this is weird.
Then you also thought, This really doesn't hurt as much as it should…
Maybe you were just weird, but MK huffing and moaning in your ear was…kinda hot, you wouldn't lie. Those whimper edit audios were tame in comparison to the noises he was making right now.
With your hands behind your back and tied, you couldn't do much but squirm in place with each of his thrusts. His hand pushed your head further against the leather seats, bottoming out fully against you. The wet sounds of his cock inside you filled the night air, and you had to muffle your own noises for your own dignity.
MK's pace quickly picked up speed, taking your muffled cried as a sign to keep going. His pelvis smacked against your ass, his cock stretching your walls and hitting angles you weren't even aware of and leaving you to drool against the seats of his tuktuk.
“You…you better promise not to leave me,” you heard MK mumble against you. “You can't leave me, okay? ‘cause you promised―” His cock kissed your cervix, making your toes curl and your pussy clench around him. “And you…you would keep your promises, right?”
You really needed your hands untied. “I do,” you promised, fighting back another moan. “‘promise not to make you cry again, ‘kay? Pinkie promi..mmph!”
MK angled your head back, slamming his lips against yours. His teeth grazed at your lower lip and sucked at your tongue, swallowing your cry when the strange feeling in your stomach snapped, cumming under his cock. His hips continued to snap against yours, each thrust feverish and driving you mad with stimulation.
It wasn't until MK had finally cum, collapsing on top of you on the seat, did he pull away from the kiss, and your brain return to normal.
How sticky…and your arms were beginning to ache from this position. You tried to turn on your side, but MK simply wrapped his arms around you and grumbled under his breath.
“Are you planning on leaving me again?” He asked, and you could practically hear the pout in his voice. How the fuck was he acting like the deflowered maiden here, when the one who just lost their virginity was you!?
“I…no.” You sighed, squirming in his hold. “My hands hurt though, so lemme go.”
“No.”
“....MK…”
“In a minute.”
“MK you came inside.”
“Oh yeah.”
“Fuck you mean oh yeah you tryna knock me up?”
“....”
“Oh my god I gave him a breeding kink too.”
“A what?”
“Nothing.”
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@lotusarchon, 22.11.2024, all rights reserved. do not copy, repost or translate my works without permission. likes, comments and reblogs are appreciated!!
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mshroom1e · 2 years ago
Text
A Ride For Two | Floyd x GN! Reader
I'm back after a long short writer's block. yayyy.
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type: fanfic
Summary: Floyd steals borrows Kalim's magic carpet to take you out on a little nighttime escapade.
2.1k words
tag(s): friends to lovers, confession, painfully sweet fluff
Warning(s): none
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Nightime was for sleeping. Wasn't it? That's what you thought, too. After a long day of chasing around your trio of best friends and keeping them out of any accidental trouble, you were nackered.
All was calm and silent. Grim was asleep at the foot of your bed, and your ghost roommates seemed to also retire for the day. You were comfortable in your nightwear, getting ready to pass out like a log for the next few - hopefully eight - hours.
Tap.
Ramshacke dorm sure was old. Random sounds of the inferstructute shifting on itself and other things creaking and tapping was like background music at this point. Barely different to the the way one thought of the sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling upon contact with the wind.
Tap.
It was the sound again. This time, it was like the sound that happens when tapping on glass.
Glass.
You slowly got up from your bed. The wooden frame creaking as your body mass shifted across the mattress. Carefully, your feet landed on the floor with a quiet pat, hoping to keep your feline companion from stirring in his sleep.
A shadow loomed outside your window. A lanky one. Estimated to be around six feet and three inches tall. You squinted your eyes in confusion. Breathing in weird chemicals during alchemy class was really starting to get to you. The tapping continued as there was movement from the shadow on the other side of the clear barrier.
You quickly drew your curtains to the side and was met with the face of your favourite mer.
Floyd was at your window, sporting his mischievous grin and squinted eyes. Your eyes widened, and you shreaked, "Floyd?!"
His smile grew, and he said something in response, though you couldn't hear him due to the glass.
"Huh?"
He gestured for you to open the window, and you complied. As soon as you did, a mighty gust of wind rushed past, and the curtains fluttered, whipping around your body along with your clothes. You stared at Floyd with a starstruck expression, eyes wide and highlighted by the shine from the moon and stars with your mouth slightly agape.
"Floyd?" You breathed with confusion.
"C'mon, Shrimpy, let's go for a ride!" He held out his hand for you to hold onto and leaned in.
"What are you doing?!" You shrieked, "How are you flyiNg?!"
Floyd laughed at your panick and the way your voice broke at the end of your sentence.
He wordlessly leaned over to pick you up from under your arms like a toddler. You hovered in the air for a second before you were effortlessly hoisted up and onto whatever Floyd was floating on.
You blinked once. Then twice.
"Let's hang out," Floyd sang with his face inches away from yours.
"Wait, this carpet..."
"Yeah?"
"Is this Kalim's?!" Your voice cracked again, "How did you even-"
He simply laughed and watched your face change to an expression of panick, panick, and more panick with a hint of terror.
You stared him with your mouth hanging open in complete shock. You knew Floyd often acted upon his impulses and did some things that were out of the ordinary, but this was something you didn't expect.
"If Jamil finds out, he's gonna explode!" You shrieked, balling fists into your hair.
"Sea otter said it was fine," Floyd continued to smile his smug smile, "And if sea snake finds out, so what?"
So, Floyd didn't steal Kalim's magic carpet, aka one of the most precious items in the entirety of the Scalding Sands- or even the whole of Twisted Wonderland and beyond. Although, that didn't stop your mind from racing in sheer panick. What if you accidentally tore it? Or it got stained, and machine washing it would destroy its historical value or something, and it needed money to be fixed? You'd be stuck paying that debt for the rest of your life-
Floyd looked over at you in your bewildered state. A pair of large hands grabbed at your face by your cheeks and snapped you out of your trance, and you turned your eyes towards the owner of said hands. He squished your cheeks several times, staring at your various facial expressions as he did so. Ever since you got to spend more time with him, it was something that he often did when your brain went into overdrive and you blanked. Strangely, it always seemed to calm you down quite a lot.
"What if we have to pay for damages or something?!" Your brain was finally putting words together in coherent sentences again. That was good.
"Don't think about it now, shrimpy," He smiled at you softly, "For right now, just have some fun, yeah?"
You furrowed your brows and crossed your arms, "Don't wanna."
"But there's somewhere I wanna take you," He grinned at you cheekily, and you couldn't hold your resolve any longer.
"...Fine, but tell me where we're going!"
"It's a surprise!"
"Just tell me!"
"Don't wanna." Floyd mimicked you, and you sighed heavily. This was going to be a long night.
But at least the merboy wasn't dragging you all the way to the bottom of the ocean or anything crazy like that. Right?
When all was said and done, you found yourselves far away from campus and leaving Sage's Island. You looked around in awe in wonder. It truly was beautiful here. There weren't many landmarks aside from the two campuses on the island and trees, which seemed very close and very tall from the distance. The sky remained dark as the sun had long since retired for the day, the colors of blue darkening even further as the stars and full moon made their rounds.
Maybe it was the height at which you watched the island from, or it was the fact that you were with a certain teal-headed sophomore, but the view was much more breathtaking than you'd imagined it would be.
"It's so pretty up here," you sighed.
Birds flocked around and you turned to Floyd with a relaxed smile, only to find him already staring at you with an awestruck expression.
It was rare to see Floyd this quiet, as he was never shy of voicing his emotions whenever he wanted to. For once, he didn't seem like he wanted to be making jokes or teasing you. His head tilted back slightly as the breeze brushed through his hair, and you could feel your heart stammer for no good reason. You averted your gaze away and scratched at your ear.
"Thanks for bringing me up here," you mumbled with a gulp, a little sheepish from your earlier panick and apprehension.
He grinned and took your hand without hesitation, his fingers gently curling around yours, "Anytime."
The moonlight shone on the pair of you as the two soared towards the edge of the island that bordered the sea. The carpet slowly lowered itself down onto the sandy terrain, and you could see the water tumble over its own body a short distance away.
Floyd moved closer to you, taking your hand in his as if it was the most natural thing to do and lead you towards the water.
He left you at the water's edge and began removing his shirt, making your face burn.
"Uh...what are you doing?" You managed to croak, warmth still biting at your cheeks.
He smirked at you, "Going for a swim."
Before you could reply and even try and argue, you noticed that Floyd had slipped off his shirt and was now entering the water. Slowly, his smooth skin grew scales as his body changed colour. He'd transformed into his eel form after getting a feel of the water.
For a few moments, you watched him swim around, disappearing into the water and occasionally appearing out of it to glance at you with a grin. His movements were smooth and graceful. His tail moved lazily through the water and you noticed it was quite muscular but soft looking. Almost like a cat's, you thought absentmindedly.
Now that you thought about it, you'd seen Floyd in his mer form many times. Though for some reason, this time felt different. Maybe it was the way the moon rays reflected off of each of his glistened scales and the look of pure joy that graced his features as he swam freely. Or maybe it was because he had a playful, endearing twinkle in his eyes. He looked at peace and free, and that is what made you happy.
You were so caught up in admiring Floyd that you failed to notice his presence next to you as you subconsciously neared the shoreline. His cold, smooth tail stroked your calf. Startled, you stumbled backwards and fell over onto your butt, sending him into a fit of laughter.
Floyd giggled and grabbed your hand, tugging you closer to the sea.
"I'm gonna get wet!" You shreiked as you felt the chilly waves hit your feet.
Floyd pouted and furrowed his brows into an expression that looked more cute than angry. "I can just dry you with magic."
"But-"
"Come on~!" He drew out his words, and you sighed.
You reluctantly stepped forward until your feet made contact with the wet sand,
"Alright, alright! But if I get sick, I'm blaming you!"
His eyes lit up, and he pulled your hand again, dragging you across the wet ground and into the rising water. You yelped at how cold the water was on your skin and almost fell on your behind again. After the second time of stepping into the water, your skin tingled pleasantly, and the sensation made you smile.
Floyd let go of your hand to turn around and grab your waist before swimming backwards with you now in front of him. His arms wrapped around your waist protectively yet gently, and you could faintly feel his heartbeat through your now damp clothes. You were so close and close enough that you could see every single detail on his face.
Your eyes were locked onto his teal skin, and you felt as though someone was holding your heart tightly in their grip and wouldn't ever let go.
"Hey," Floyd called out to you, and it took you a moment to snap out of whatever spell you were under.
"Hm?" You glanced at him.
"I love you," He whispered quietly, his voice filled with such sincerity that felt almost alien to you.
You blinked.
Oh.
You stared at Floyd for a moment, stunned. Your mouth hung open for a moment, your brain scrambling to comprehend what he just said. The air suddenly became very thick and you were worried your heart would explode. All the blood in your body froze. You couldn't hear a single noise coming from anywhere, nor could you hear your own ragged breathing. All that seemed to matter was Floyd, who was currently gazing at you as if you were the most priceless treasure that he had ever seen. Your heart was pounding in your chest violently, thumping wildly as your eyes widened in surprise.
You weren't even sure what you and Floyd were. From the way he treated you compared to others, you knew he saw you as maybe a little more than a friend, but you were never certain. If anything, you hid your feelings for him throughout your friendship in hopes of not ruining a relationship you were already more than happy with. Floyd was impulsive and often did a lot of things considered out of the ordinary, sure, but the sincerity in both his eyes and voice said that this wasn't the case.
It seems like "best friends" was no longer an accurate description of your relationship.
Slowly, you felt a huge grin spread across your face. Floyd returned the smile, his pointy teeth shining brighter when the moonlight reflected against them, and his face illuminated with mirth. Then, slowly, his hands lifted themselves to frame your face, and he slowly leaned closer, bringing his lips to meet with yours in an awkward kiss. His lips were soft and slightly wet from the saltiness of the sea breeze. It felt wonderful. After a while, you broke apart slowly, smiling happily at each other, and a wave of jumbled but positive emotions washed over you. It was overwhelming. You couldn't believe it. You were happy, absolutely happy, ecstatic even! Why? Because Floyd loved you. That stupid fishface loved you.
"Me too," you breathed quietly as the moon's silver ribbons illuminated your eyes, "I like you a lot."
Maybe this interruption to your sleep time wasn't so bad after all.
◁--《
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sapphire-heart-tippy · 4 months ago
Text
Sugar Crash Void Bash: The Fanfic!
chapter 1 chapter 2 chapter 3
CWs: Anxiety, snake mention
Chapter Four: Strawberry Shortquake
chapter 5 chapter 6 chapter 7 chapter 8
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“Hngh!” Tippy hoists a large, sparkly blue suitcase onto the bed, “Alright, that’s the last of it.”
“Sweetie, you’ve said that three times now.” Vanilla rubs his husband’s royal blue hair.
“I know, Vans, but this time I mean it.” Ze chuckles. Ice looks around, then puts his hands on his hips,
“Did you pack any shoes, Termite?”
Tippy’s eyes widen and ze quickly unzips the suitcase. Ice lightly covers his mouth with a small chuckle as he watches his husband. Ramón walks into the bedroom’s open door, looking a little nervous. Ice turns to his son, while his husband picks out some shoes to bring,
“Hey, Foofs. Are you all packed up?”
“Oh, uh, yeah, papa.” The teen nods then clasps his hands together, “So. We’re going on some kind of vacation or business trip or…?” 
Ice frowns his brows, looking a little nervous. He gives a polite smile to his son, while his husband tries in vain to press zeir suitcase closed,
“Oh, we’re simply visiting my home country to…” Vanilla looks to his upper right, “expose you to a part of my culture which– that y-you have never seen before. You- this is for your enrichment and education.” Ramón nods slowly then looks away nonchalantly. What is the point in lying to me about what’s really going on? I’m not stupid, papa… 
After the plane trip
Ramón and his fathers leave the plane. The teenager looks outside the airport’s window with confusion, something he has also been feeling as he looked out of the plane’s window.
“Is something the matter, child?” Ice asks his son.
“Yeah uh… I always thought Egypt was just, like, nothing but sand. There's also... grass?” Ramón asks. Tippy immediately starts laughing. Vanilla sighs with an exhausted look, not only from the fact that his son has obviously not been paying attention in class, but because he knows a barrage of puns or plays on words are coming from his husband.
“Well, I guess you better get your grass to the table tonight, because we're gonna have sandwiches for dinner!” Tippy snickers.
“Oh boy...” Ice speaks with an exasperated expression. Tippy giggles and looks up at Vanilla. Ice gives his husband a scolding look. Tippy cackles loudly, making some people turn to look at what’s happening. 
“J-just-” Tippy holds onto Vanilla’s arm while Ramón cracks a smile, biting his lip trying not to laugh. The blue haired man continues, “J-just make sure you don’t wake up Vanilla’s mummy!”
“I don’t have a– ugh. Be quiet, Termite. Not another word from you until we get to the manor.” Ice shakes his head, a little annoyed, but also curious about what other puns his husband has to offer.
“What? Oh that’s not… Fair-oh.” Tippy’s hyena laughs are contagious, causing Ramón to giggle along with him, “G-get it? Pharaoh? Because–” He keeps laughing, “No? Well, I have more puns to keep you sarcopha-guessing!” 
“Tippy.” Vanilla turns sharply to his husband, stifling a chuckle and cracking a smile against his will, “Enough. *chuckle* That is inappropriate.” 
“Sorry, sorry. You know how I get when I’m nervous, baby.” Tippy pats Vanilla on the back. He mumbles, “N’Doul would make even worse puns.”
Ramón chuckles and looks around at the airport. It has been years since the teen had been out of the country. 
“Ice?” A familiar voice speaks, making Vanilla’s head turn in an instant.
“Oh, Terence.” Vanilla replies, “It’s been years.” He touches the small of his partner’s back, “Tippy, you remember Terence, hm? Oh, and this is my son. Ramón.”
Ramón shyly but coolly waves to Terence.
“It’s nice to meet you, Ramón. Wow… You look just like your papa. The resemblance is almost uncanny.” Terence nods at Ramón and glances over at Ice. Ramón smiles then looks away, very perplexed as to why he said that… Terence then turns his attention back to Ice, “Lord Dio has given me specific orders to bring you three back to the mansion. So follow me, you all.”
In the car
Ramón looks out the window of the car. He hears his fathers speak to Terence but doesn’t pay attention to what words they are saying exactly. Instead, he is more focused on the new country he is in. Soon enough, they arrive at the mansion. Terence parks the car and steps out. Vanilla opens the door for his son and smiles at him,
“Well, Foofy, we’re here. What do you think?”
“Whoa!” Ramón looks at the outside of the mansion. Tippy skips around in the little yard and up to the front door. Ice gently pushes Ramón’s back up to the stairs leading up to the door of the mansion. The family and Terence enter the mansion. It’s bitter cold and dark inside, save for a few electric lamps and candles scattered around. Tippy scoffs and leans toward Ramón,
“Tch, wow, and it looks like your ‘tío Dio’ still doesn’t believe in dusting.” 
Terence glances over to him,
“Yeah, well– yeah.” He brings the family up to Dio’s boudoir. Ramón can’t help but feel a bit uneasy when they reach their destination. 
“Ah… there you are.” The golden locked, ivory fleshed man speaks as the door opens. A toothy, fang filled grin spreads across his ancient yet youthful face. He trots over to Ice, planting gentle kisses on either of his cheeks. He leans down and kisses the back of Tippy’s hand, with a grin. Suddenly, his amber eyes land on the bubblegum haired adolescent before him,
“And this… this is the fabled Ramón.” The pasty white man stretches out his hand, tipped with inky black claws, to the young boy. Ramón looks to his papa for reassurance. Ice nods at his son. Ramón hesitantly shakes Dio’s hand, feeling the cold, clammy, corpse-like flesh on his own. 
“Well, well, well…” Dio speaks, his voice low and sultry, soothing to the ears yet something is eerily off about it… very inhuman, quite divine yet unholy. Everything about this man is a walking contradiction it seems, “How are you enjoying your vacation thus far? Hm?”
“O-oh, uh…” Ramón looks to his parents then back at Dio. He gulps then sheepishly replies, “It’s pretty cool, heh!” Dio nods his head, turning to Ice and Tippy,
“It’s uncanny how much he is like the two of you… both in appearance and demeanor. Even as an infant, it was just mystifying, the resemblance.” This makes Ramón confused yet again. This is the second time he has been physically compared to his adopted fathers. E-even as an infant?! What?! Ramón’s heart rate skyrockets.
Dio inhales and speaks again, “At any rate, I suppose it’s time I introduce you to your rooms, hm?”
That’s when an equally as large and buff older man, albeit just a bit chubbier, with blue hair and beard stubble, walks by the room, reading a book.
“Or better yet,” Dio snaps his fingers, “Jojo.”
“What is it–? Oh! Guests!” He closes the book shut, “How quaint, I–” He pauses, “Oh my stars… it can’t be! Mr Ice? Gratuity?”
“Jonny!” Tippy runs over to him and gives him a hug. Jonathan wraps his arms around the petite man, giving a hearty chuckle, “Man, I am never gonna get used to you being so tall… or having arms! And legs! And… everything below the neck! Haha, and you have a beard now!” Ze takes Jonathan’s arm and pulls him to zeir family, “Look, look. Vans and I got married and had an itty bitty!” Ze points to Ice and Ramón. Jonathan clasps his hands together,
“Oh, how precious! What a darling little family you have here, dear friend.” Jonathan shakes Ramón’s hand with a polite smile, “What an honor to meet the child of Mr Ice and Gratuity.”
“Jojo, show them to their rooms. The happy couple will stay in Ice’s old room, Ramón will stay in Gratuity’s old room.” Dio dismisses the four.
On the way to the rooms
“Wait, wait, hold on a second,” Ramón speaks, “So let me get this straight; you were a severed head in a jar. My papa and daddo used to take care of you, and Mr Dio is a vampire?!”
“That is correct, dear boy.” Jonathan confirms.
“...What is going on here exactly?!” Ramón shakes his head in confusion. The three adult men all exchange looks with each other, turn to Ramón and speak in unison,
“We don’t know.”
“H-huh–?!” Ramón gives them all an incredulous look. Jonathan raises his hands up and speaks cheerfully,
“Oh, it certainly is spectacular to have you two in the manor once again!” He shows them around, “It has been a while, yes indeed. As you may notice, we have made some adjustments to our living quarters.” 
“Yeah, I’ve noticed there’s different people working here too,” Tippy begins, “Terence and N’Doul are still here though.” Jonathan nods and points to some new decorations, 
“Of course. Oh, look at these, so delightful. Mr Ice?”
“Yes, Mr Jojo?” Vanilla responds. 
“I hope you don’t mind, but we spruced up your old room a bit.” Jonathan opens the door to Vanilla’s old room. It’s clean and pretty fancy as opposed to how dark and gloomy it used to look, “Dear brother didn’t tell me that you all were arriving, so pardon the dust.”
“No, no, it’s alright, Jonathan.” Ice looks around, memories of his time in the mansion flooding back to him. Nostalgia and dismay of the recollections fill his heart. Tippy immediately jumps face first on the bed while Ice looks around and touches his old sliding closet doors. Ramón points to the right side of the room,
“What’s in there?” 
“Oh, that’s the bathroom, Foofy. Your papa had his own bathroom too.” Ice turns to look at the bathroom door across the room, remembering the first time he and Tippy had showered together. A small smile creeps upon his lips as he looks back on that memory fondly. 
“So… you were basically Mr Dio’s…?” Ramón asks slowly, his voice trails off at the end of his sentence.
“Servant.” Ice glances back at his son, “Yes, I… I was Lord D– ahem, Mr Dio’s servant for a time.”
“Lord Dio?” Ramón tilts his head, much like Tippy does when he’s confused. Ice feels his cheeks grow hot and he nibbles the inside of his cheek,
“Yes, because he is the ‘lord’ of this mansion, my child. You know how there are lords and ladies? Well, he is a ‘lord’.” 
Tippy pipes up,
“Oooh, I thought it was because you practically worshipped the guy–” 
“Tippy.” Ice grits his teeth and scolds his husband softly. The blue haired gentleman looks back and forth between Ramón and Vanilla, 
“I-I’m just kidding! I was just joking, Ramón!”
It’s a little bit of an awkward silence. Jonathan rubs his neck and turns away,
“It’s such a pleasure to have you back, old friend. Alright, dear boy,” He turns his attention to Ramón, “Come with me and I shall show you where you will be staying.”
The two of them leave the room.
Ice sighs and sits on the bed, hanging his head and looking ashamed. Tippy gently touches zeir husband’s shoulder. The brunette looks over at zem with a dejected expression,
“Please don’t tell him…” he looks down at his hands, “about who I used to be. I don’t– *sigh* I don’t want him to think of me in such a bad light.”
“I’m sorry, Vans. I wasn’t thinking.” Tippy rubs Ice’s shoulder.
“It’s alright.” He touches zeir hand, “I was at my lowest point. I did things I’m not proud of. I let L– Dio, goddamn it, humiliate me… sometimes in front of guests. I-I was so blinded by what I thought was love to even think for myself.” 
Vanilla looks up at the top of the door frame for a while, then back down at his hands,
“I worshipped him like a god because he saved my life… you know what I did. He treated me so kindly, with a tenderness I have never felt in my life…” he turns to his husband with a warm smile, “That is… until I fell in love with you.”
“Awww, Vanilla. You soft serve.” Tippy gives Vanilla a little peck on the lips. The brunette holds both of Tippy’s hands gently,
“Then you showed me what real love is like. What it actually feels like to have somebody care about me…” He delicately caresses the cheek of his lover, “I couldn’t ask for a happier ending to this fairytale.”
Tippy chuckles and happily hums against the touch of Vanilla’s knuckles. Ze lightly touches Ice’s left bang, admiring the grey and white streaks mixed with the original brown hair,
“I’ll love you forever and ever… you’ve become such a handsome older man, you know? I’m looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you.”
Ice chuckles, a pleased smile plastered across his face. Those beautiful smile lines on his face, indicating how many years he has spent smiling and laughing rather than frowning and sulking, crease on the corners of his mouth. The delicate little crow's feet on the corners of his honey sunset brown eyes scrunch up with joy. He presses his lips, lightly glossed with his favorite vanilla scented lip oil, right in the middle of his husband’s forehead. 
Meanwhile
“Alright, lad.” Jonathan opens the door to a bedroom, “This one used to be your father’s room! Er, your other father’s room. The one with the blue hair that is.” Ramón enters the guest room and looks around. It’s a little smaller than his papa’s old room. The bed is up against the wall, as opposed to being in the center like in the other bedroom. Ramón sets his luggage down and turns to Jonathan,
“Thank you, Mr Jonathan.”
“Oh, it’s never a problem, dear boy!” Jonathan gives him a warm smile, about to close the door, but he remembers something, “Ah, and feel free to raid the fridge. Just don’t disturb my wife!”
“W-what?!” Ramón recoils in shock.
“Ahahahohoho! I jest, my boy, I jest!” Jonathan chuckles, “Have a pleasant stay, and a good night.” He closes the door gently. Ramón sits on his bed, relaxing a bit. He touches the blanket a little…
“Something tells me he wasn’t joking.”
It’s a restless night, filled with tossing and turning. Chills crawl down Ramón’s back, yet beads of sweat pool across his face. The teen trembles with fear of an unknown threat, clutching his chest with shaking breath as he stares up at the ceiling. Behind his eyes, a cryptic dream of snakes coiling around his limbs plays, all with eyes of crystal, until they make their way to his throat, strangling the life out of him until his eyes go grey. The young boy lays on his side, clinging to his pillow for any semblance of comfort. 
After what seems like an eternity,
Tuk tuk tuk
Ramón jolts up and gasps sharply.
Tuk tuk tuk
“Foofy?” his papa’s voice speaks through the door. Ramón hesitantly climbs out of bed. His hand trembles as he reaches for the doorknob.
Krrrrrrrr
The door opens with a creak. Ice looks down at his son with a sweet, adoring smile. Ramón internally breathes a sigh of relief,
“G-good morning, papa. What’s up?”
“Hmhm, we need you to go ahead and get dressed for the day.” Ice softly rubs his son’s curly pink hair, “Mr Dio wants us all to meet in the dining hall for breakfast. He has some important news to tell us.”
“Oh, y-yeah! Sure. I’ll be right there.” Ramón rubs his neck. Vanilla leans down, about to plant a kiss on his son’s forehead, but he catches himself. Instead, he gives Ramón a polite smile and nods,
“Of course, dear. I love you.”
Ramón gives a nod and a smile right back before closing the door and getting ready. 
In the dining hall
Dio is sitting down at the end of the table, daintily sipping on a mimosa. Vanilla and Tippy are sitting next to each other, touching hands and chuckling between themselves. Jonathan is finishing up setting the table with many different breakfast food options. 
Ramón shyly and hesitantly walks into the large room through the open archway. Dio chuckles,
“Ohohoho, there he is.”
Ramón makes an awkward smile and lazily waves at those at the table. Ice gestures for his son to sit nearby. The pink haired boy obeys and sits next to his fathers. Dio takes a sip of his mimosa and hums a bit,
“Mmm… try some of those pancakes, lad. Add a little bit of powdered sugar, berries, and maple syrup on top,” he does a chef’s kiss, “divine.” 
Ramón nods and helps himself to some breakfast along with his fathers. Everyone begins to feast for a while. Dio clears his throat and turns to Vanilla,
“Ice.”
“Yes, sire?” Ice instinctively asks. Ramón tilts his head,
“Sire?” 
Dio chuckles and takes another sip of his drink as Vanilla’s cheeks heat up. Dio speaks before Ice can say anything,
“Something important I have been meaning to tell you,” He stands up and approaches the brunette. He drags his hand along Ice’s shoulders, stopping at his right shoulder. The blonde leans down and speaks into his ear softly,
“There is… somebody I’d like you to meet…” the vampire pats his shoulder and walks away. As he’s halfway to the archway, he glances behind him at the others,
“I’d like the rest of you to meet him as well. I’m certain he will make an important ally.”
When Dio says that, Vanilla gets tense. He was under the impression that this all was supposed to be a secret from Ramón. It looks like all of that just went out the window now.
Important ally? Okay, this just got weirder. What is going on?! Ramón thinks to himself.
To be continued…
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emilylawsons · 6 months ago
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hi there! ❤️ top 5 all time fanfics! top five 5 books (of your favourite genre)! top 5 quotes!
Oh, man these are tough! But thank you for playing ❤️
Fanfics:
Shivered Bones by @elialys (Fringe)
These Lines Etched in Sand also by @elialys (TLOU)—I’m obsessed with her entire library of fic tbh but this one has a special place in my heart
august by @seethesunny (TLOU)—another amazing Tessjoel writer who writes the most beautiful one-shots
Interstellar Overdrive by @hypnotisedfireflies (TLOU)—all of her Tessjoel writing is incredible and expansive—the Driftersverse is *chef’s kiss*—this one is my absolute favorite
A Soul For Sale or Rent by @bumblepony (TLOU)—I need to read more of her fic. This one just tugs at my heartstrings so much.
Honorable Mention: Stubborn Love by @wreckedtodeathandback (TLOU) which I am too early in but absolutely adore
Books (I don’t have favorites because I’ve been out of solid reading until a month or two ago, but here is what I’m reading right now):
The Otherworld by Abbie Emmons
The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy
A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
In the Time We Lost by Carrie Hope Fletcher
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Quotes—gonna be real, this one is just a bit overwhelming to think about.
Ask me my Top 5 anything!
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randomfanficsandxreaders · 10 months ago
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MasterPost
Below are all the Xreaders/Fanfics I am making or have made. Organized by Fandom
Requests: Open
ULTRAKILL:
Survivors Guilt V1xSurvivor!Reader
Machine's Mercy [Finished] V1 xReader
Rivals By Design [Finished] Yandere!V1 x Reader / Jealous!V2 x Reader
A Stinging Feeling [Finished] Gabriel X V1
A Machine of Greed [Finished] V2 x Reader
Pathetic [Finished] V1xV2
A Snake In The Sand [WIP] MinosxSisyphusxV1xGabriel
SCP FOUNDATION:
Like a Feather [Finished] Yandere!SCP049 x Reader
Clean Containment [Finished] SCP049 x Reader
Secure File [WIP] SCP-079 x Reader
OTHER [Fandoms I've only done 1 thing for so far]
Moth and a Flame [Finished] Yandere!Pyro x Reader [Platonic] [TF2]
Mouse Trap [WIP] Pyramid Head x Reader [Silent Hill]
Fandoms I'm currently willing to write for can be found under the cut
Requests can be for Xreaders, headcannons, etc. Anything longer than headcannons will be posted to AO3 to avoid tag spamming/becoming an annoyance on certain tags. I do ask you try to be specific with requests, as that helps me with the concept process!
These are media I know well, or well enough that I'm able to do research to fill in the gaps for:
Ultrakill
Silent Hill
Baulders Gate 3
SCP [Though specifically SCP's themselves, not foundation members etc]
Hotline Miami 1 or 2
Lethal Comapny
Star Wars - specifically characters in KOTR 1 and 2.
Monster Prom + Monster Camp
Fallout 4 (no dlcs) or New Vegas (all dlcs fine)
Road 96
Phasmophobia
Potionomics
This may be updated overtime, and you can always ask as there may be some things I'm simply forgetting or wouldnt think to list.
I am willing to do NSFW, though I am still a novice at writing that stuff so you may not get the quality your hoping for. I will not write noncon or dubious consent.
I of course can do or not do any request that comes by, it will simply be whatever I feel I can write. Anything involving robots/droids I'm more likely to write.
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bcbdrums · 8 months ago
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A Touch of Warmth
A Soul Eater fanfic. Read on: AO3 | FFn
Sixth in my series of 31 prompt-based one-shots (filling them out of order; this is prompt 5). Prompts from this list.
A/N: More of the academy days for my faves, but super early this time. I wanna say...maybe just a few months of partnership here. And living in cheap academy dorms haha. Imagine a sad college dorm room I guess. Stein is only 10 years old and Spirit is 13. Long, long, rambly stream of consciousness relationship stuff that I wrote like...in the first week of December. And then didn't finish until just now (late March) and there was only a little bit left to go. Oops. Wonder how much that gap impacted the story/writing style... If you like long rambly things that don't really have a point, well, here you go. Enjoy. 5. Puzzling
A Touch of Warmth
An icy chill like breath across his cheeks was what roused Spirit from sleep. He shivered and then blinked twice before tightly closing his eyes again. Even the air was cold, assaulting the tender moisture beneath his lashes like the slap of cold water.
After taking another moment to realize he was awake and not dreaming, he fully processed the freezing sensation as one he should not be feeling on a desert morning. He clutched his blanket close to his chest and sat up in bed, squinting. White was what overwhelmed his blurred vision, and he snaked an arm out of his warm cocoon and felt almost blindly along the windowsill until his fingers met something very cold and wet.
He gasped and drew back, blinking until his sight clarified to reveal what it was he had touched.
Gathered on the sill near the open window were a line of melting snowflakes.
Spirit's jaw fell slack as he reached out to touch a cluster again, watching it turn to water rapidly even as it cooled his fingertips. But when he looked up and out the window his eyes went wide.
Where there should have been dirt, stone, and dried grasses in the backyard of the dormitory there was only white, and the sky was gray as snow fell in lace-like curtains, thick and silent, covering the landscape as far as the eye could see.
It was several moments of staring, captivated by the scene and breathing the icy air, before Spirit reached out to slide the window closed. And then he spun around to face the bed of his roommate.
"Hey Stein, wake—"
Spirit blinked. His very young meister was not in his bed.
The red-haired teen took stock of their tiny dorm room quickly, noting the boy's blankets uncharacteristically tossed back and his pair of shoes sitting neatly next to his desk. It appeared as though Stein had gotten under his bed at some point, because the corner of a box was sticking out near where the blankets were carelessly draped down to the floor. Then Spirit noticed the door to the hallway was ajar.
"Stein?" he said again as he glanced once more around their small room. The boy was definitely not there.
Spirit threw his own blankets aside and hurriedly dressed, selecting warmer clothing than he would ever choose for a day in Death City but something he was more likely to wear on an extracurricular assignment far further north. He gaze was continually drawn to the astonishing view through the window as he fumbled with a pair of boots, still not quite believing that a seeming winter had arrived in the middle of Nevada.
He had experienced snow a couple of times in his life, but never at leisure, and nothing at all like what he was seeing outside as it seemed to be sticking to sand and stone, transforming the barren landscape to one of wonder and quiet mystery.
"Stein?" Spirit asked again, peering down the hallway after pulling the door open. The dormitory was dark and silent.
Spirit's brow furrowed as he turned toward the bathroom that all the students in his wing shared, wondering if that was where the boy had gone. His meister operated like clockwork, and it was the startling deviation from the norm that had Spirit perplexed and was driving him to find his partner almost as much as the desire to share his newfound excitement at the change in the weather.
Most of the students in their building had gone home for the holidays, but both Stein and Spirit had declined that privilege, neither offering any explanation to the other. And Spirit was glad for his decision, knowing the snow wasn't anything he would have seen otherwise.
"Stein?" he whispered, peering into the darkened bathroom but already fairly certain of what he would find. Every stall door was open, the showers and sinks were silent, and the lights were off.
Spirit stuck his lip out in annoyance at the same time his brow furrowed in worry. He'd wanted to enjoy the experience of the fresh falling snow with his meister. But as Spirit turned to walk toward the front door concern began to overtake his initial elation. Just where was the boy?
It wasn't that he didn't think Stein couldn't handle himself; the few combat training classes they'd already had proved that he could. But the meister was just so young, and he looked it. Spirit was barely thirteen and this was the first time he'd been on his own, but in the few months they'd been roommates he could tell that the silver-haired ten-year-old was already accustomed to fending for himself.
Spirit had no background on his meister, and the boy was distant without being blatantly rude. He seemed to genuinely not know how to interact with their peers along with something else Spirit couldn't yet place. But the teen was patient, and Lord Death had specifically chosen Stein to be his meister. That alone was worth everything.
He pushed through the front door of the dormitory and a biting chill rushed in along with a few flurries of snow. Spirit grinned, a chuckle rumbling in his chest as he closed his eyes and took in the feel of the ice hitting his face like unforeseen kisses, softly leaving their mark before vanishing and stirring his thoughts toward the ethereal and imaginative. There was a promise of something new in the snowfall, and Spirit wanted to take advantage of every moment of it.
He stepped fully through the door and into the wall of white, his boots almost soundless as they pushed through the drift that had already built up in the uncovered entryway. And that’s when he saw the single point of color: a telltale shock of silver hair.
Next to one of the benches that lined the sidewalk to the dorms knelt Franken Stein. Snow had collected in a thin layer atop his head, shoulders, and the backs of his legs, though one could hardly tell for the plain white pajamas he wore, causing the boy to be almost invisible in the newly whited-out landscape. He was bent over some small mechanical device placed on the bench, his concentration so full that he didn’t notice when Spirit closed the door. Another point of color were the pale soles of his feet; he wasn’t wearing any shoes.
“Stein?” Spirit asked in surprise, hurrying forward. His delight at the weather had wholly evaporated at the sight of his young meister barely clothed out in the cold. “What are you doing?”
The boy didn’t reply, but scowled at whatever it was he was looking at. He reached for the device and Spirit recognized a microscope as he approached. Stein had picked up a small glass slide, and Spirit watched as he leaned back from the bench to slowly wipe it on the hem of his shirt, and then hold it out to catch a few falling snowflakes. His hands shook as he replaced it under the lens and quickly leaned down again, turning the focus knob to bring his subjects into clarity. As Spirit finally stopped next to the bench he could see it wasn't just Stein's hands, but his entire frame shaking from head to toe, and his usually colorless lips were a frightening shade of blue.
“Stein!” Spirit cried in protest, his voice rising in pitch.
“Don’t breathe.”
Spirit blinked, the harsh but monotone directive confusing his train of thought.
“What?” he asked, but held his breath nonetheless.
“They melt too fast if you breathe.”
Spirit rapidly went through the arguments in his head that he wasn't even near the snowflakes on the slide, and that Stein himself was so cold now that he'd be surprised if he had any warmth left in his lungs. But none of those words came out as somehow, as always, he was drawn like a magnet to his meister's side and knelt down, curiosity rising in him despite the chill beginning to penetrate his coat.
"What are you looking at?"
"The structure of the snowflakes."
Spirit looked at the cluster of white that had in fact already begun to melt on the slide under the lens, and then back to his meister, his face hidden as he stared down through the microscope.
"So far they are perfectly symmetrical and each one has six branches, but no two are alike. The probability of two being the same eventually is strong, but..."
Stein stopped suddenly, and Spirit watched the meister move his hand away from the focusing knob, place it between his thighs where his left hand was already hidden.
Spirit frowned.
"Get up."
"What?"
Stein was still peering into the microscope.
"Get up or I'm picking you up."
That got the meister's attention. His eyes snapped to Spirit's, confusion overlaid by defiance and something else hard and threatening. It had only been three months, but it had taken less than a day of acquaintance for Spirit to learn that the boy would not tolerate being touched without express permission.
"You can't do this like this," Spirit continued. "You're going to freeze to death."
Stein's expression didn't change.
"If you want to be helpful you could get me a notebook to record my findings. You don't have a camera, do you?"
Each word was spoken through trembling blue lips, and Spirit noticed that the rest of the boy's unnaturally pale skin was rapidly changing hue. His heart began racing as he made his decision, not knowing what the ramifications would be but knowing that he had no choice.
Stein didn't speak when Spirit stood, but when the weapon's gloved hands came down under the meister's armpits he jerked away with a strength Spirit wouldn't have thought him capable.
"Don't touch me!" was the protest that sounded before the boy began fighting back, pushing and beating against Spirit's shoulders, but the weapon was determined.
It was a battle of hands and arms and legs and feet as he half-fought, half-dragged Stein back into the dormitory hall, tuning out every word of protest that was laid against him with each step. He only finally paid attention again when Stein managed to free one arm just inside the door and landed a glancing blow against Spirit's cheek.
He shuddered in response, not letting go but halting the movement of his feet. The hit may not have fully connected, but it was still hard and for a moment the world was spinning and Spirit's only point of focus were his hurried breaths and the heavier panting of the younger boy upon whom he still had an iron grip.
When his eyes refocused on Stein's face the meister appeared shocked—quite the change from his typically guarded expression—but his skin was still unnaturally blue, and there was something off about his eyes even past the unusual expression. It sent a wash of fear through Spirit that rapidly overrode the pain of the punch.
He reached past Stein and kicked the door closed hard.
"Stein. I'm not going to let you die out there because you were too stupid to get dressed before running out to play in the snow."
"I... I wasn't..." Stein began, still breathless and something definitely off about his vision.
Spirit ignored the pulsing of pain in his cheek and while Stein was distracted, he scooped the smaller boy up like he would a toddler and stalked hurriedly down the hall.
"Hey! Stop it!" was Stein's weak protest this time, and Spirit noted he was struggling a lot less than when they'd been pushing through the ankle-deep snow outside.
When he reached the bathroom he all but dropped Stein for how much he was twisting to escape. When the meister's feet hit the tile he slipped on his wet, bare soles and would have hit the floor had Spirit not still had his hands on him. Stein clung to Spirit's arms in surprise, not having expected the backward plunge, and when Spirit had righted them both he finally let go.
He reached back to hit the light switch and Stein flinched away, holding a hand up to cover his eyes as his breaths still came far too heavily for the minimal exertion of the struggle to get indoors. When he finally squinted at Spirit his expression fell to shock again. It finally occurred to the red-head that there was something other than the fact that he'd interrupted Stein's ill-conceived experimenting that had shaken the boy, and he turned around to see his face in the mirror.
Spirit nearly gasped for how utterly terrified he looked. Terrified and furious, perhaps in a way that his young partner had never seen another person look before, if the way it froze the boy in place was any indication.
Spirit knew he needed to calm down, calm his expression and be reasonable so he could explain to his meister just how dangerous his actions had been. But as he turned back to face the boy he only felt the anger swell to a greater presence in his soul.
Stein's clothes were nearly soaked through, the white of the pajamas turned gray from moisture and his hair darker for it. The color of his skin was wrong. He was visibly shaking from head to toe, and his vision was hazy and seeming unable to really see Spirit even though his eyes hadn't left the red-head since the moment he'd let him go.
Spirit opened his mouth to speak, but the movement of his jaw caused his cheek to sting where Stein had punched him. He hissed and reached his fingers up to the spot before jabbing his other arm past Stein to point, the motion causing the boy to jump.
"Get in there," he commanded coolly, his voice low and laced with threat. "Get under some hot water and sit down. I'm going to get you some dry clothes."
Stein's expression of shock remained, the boy still frozen by the look on Spirit's face. They remained unmoving for several moments, but when the meister's breaths began to even out he finally turned toward the showers to comply with the weapon's words.
It wasn't until Stein had fully obeyed, letting the shower run until the water was warm and then stepping under the stream and sitting down to lean against the tiled wall, that Spirit finally turned to go.
He let his anger carry his feet briskly back toward their shared bedroom, blindly going through the motions once there of making Stein's bed, dragging the only spare blanket from the closet to place atop it, and then yanking his own bedding free to add on top of that. Horrible scenarios were racing through his head of what he might have found out in the snow instead of his insatiably curious young meister studying the patterns of snowflakes had he slept in a little later, or decided to enjoy the surprise of the weather from the comfort of his bed.
Spirit stopped abruptly from where he'd been casting off his winter outerwear and blinked at nothing as the realization struck.
Stein had been looking at snowflakes.
The fear crashed fully over Spirit's anger, obliterating it as the teen sat down on the floor and began to cry. He could have lost his meister, might still lose him, because the boy had been just as excited about the snow as he was.
If he hadn't immediately gone outside to play...
Spirit didn't know how long he cried, but the sudden realization that he could still lose Stein drove him back to the present. He didn't know anything about frostbite or hypothermia or any other manner of freezing-induced ailments. They were all alone in the dorm and he had no one to call for help since everyone had left for the holidays. And just how long had he left Stein alone in the shower with his vision hazy and his pallor looking near death?
Spirit stood so fast it made him dizzy, made his cheek throb where he'd been hit, and he rummaged through Stein's drawers until he finally found the boy's thicker socks for winter assignments along with underwear and more pajamas. As an afterthought he grabbed his own thick bathrobe and then both of their towels before turning to run back down the hall.
He slowed his step before entering the bathroom, terrified of what he might find. At least he could still hear the shower running, but...was that a good sign? Instead of entering he peered cautiously around the doorjamb.
Stein looked exactly as Spirit had left him, seated against the tile and curled tightly in on himself as the warm water poured over him. His arms were folded atop his raised knees and his hands were tight in fists, and his face was hidden where it lie on his arms. Spirit licked his lips and took a cautious step forward, and then another. There was no reaction from the meister.
Spirit paused, took in a silent breath...and then he flicked his eyes sideways to the mirror. He didn't look angry anymore, although he could still see it rise behind his eyes the moment he thought about it. No, now he looked every bit as scared as he felt, perhaps even more than when he'd drug Stein back indoors, and his eyes were bloodshot and puffy from crying.
Any other time Spirit would have been annoyed by his transparency, but since it had seemingly helped to get his meister to comply he decided he didn't care.
He turned back toward the small, gray form in the shower, felt his heart rate quicken as he mustered the courage to speak.
"Stein?"
Stein lifted his head.
The relief Spirit felt was enough to make his knees go weak, and he leaned on the counter to steady himself as he set the clothing down and draped the two towels over his arm. He sucked in a few breaths, looked up to the mirror again and saw a brightness fitting itself behind the fear in his eyes, and he grimaced before turning to approach the meister.
"You, uh... You ready to come out of there?"
Stein didn't respond, only watched Spirit's approach, watched him stop about five feet distant, his expression having returned to its usual dull, esoteric impassivity. And as his eyes locked on Spirit's the red-head thought he looked even more withdrawn than before. But, blessedly, perhaps less hazy.
He didn't know if staying under the warm water longer would be better or worse for Stein's recovery, but his own anxiety couldn't stand the inaction. He pursed his lips and stepped forward, reaching around the stream to turn the water off.
Stein slowly began pushing himself upright, his eyes not having left Spirit's face even to blink.
"Uh...here," Spirit said, holding out the two towels. After a moment, Stein slowly reached across the distance to receive them. "There's clothes on the counter, uh..."
Spirit realized he needed to give the meister some privacy to change, and he thought quickly.
"I'll go get you something warm to drink. I'll uh...I'll be right back."
Spirit turned and hurried out of the bathroom as quickly as he could, making long strides down the hallway.
The tiny kitchen that could hardly be called such was at the other end of the building, and Spirit didn't want the meister out of his sight for any longer than was necessary just in case there was some delayed danger to whatever cold-induced condition he'd brought upon himself.
As Spirit passed the main entry he took careful steps to avoid the melted snow that had found its way inside from the struggle through the doorway, and then something occurred to him that halted his rush.
He turned and dashed back out into the icy air, his breath catching instantly as cold assaulted his body. He grimaced at the irony that it was now he who was under-dressed and risking himself in the elements, but he picked his way through the piling snow to the bench where the microscope was gathering a larger collection of specimens than it was designed for. Spirit tucked the freezing object safely against his chest and hurried back inside to be free of the snow falling into his face and the chill already seeming to seep into his bones.
He didn't hesitate but to close the door behind him, and then took the microscope the rest of the way down the hall and into the small kitchen.
Inside the narrow room he quickly opened the freezer and considered a moment before pulling out a few boxes of frozen meals left by other students to make space, and then he carefully placed the heavy instrument inside. He turned the freezer's temperature lower and then quickly closed it, blowing into his hands to warm them as he tried to remember his original purpose, his mind still awash with fear.
The microwave dinners on the counter was what returned his focus, and he quickly filled two mugs with water and set them to heat as he considered the beverage options. It took less than ten seconds to decide on tea, considering he didn't even know if there was hot cocoa mix around and he still really didn't want Stein out of his sight any longer than necessary.
Another thought occurred to him as he watched the microwave's timer tick down, and he turned and ran silently on his toes back to the bedroom. Once inside he didn't even look before diving for the box sticking out from beneath Stein's bed, and sure enough it was the box the microscope had been housed in. He carefully removed every delicate glass slide that remained tucked in the Styrofoam, and then cradling them gently, he ran back to the kitchen.
Once there he opened the freezer and carefully brushed a few snow clusters from the microscope onto each slide, including the one still beneath the lens which he removed. He brushed the remaining snow off the instrument into the freezer, and then carefully lifted the heavy device out.
He was methodically drying it with a dish towel as the microwave sounded completion, which he ignored in favor of caring for the delicate equipment. He didn't know for sure that moisture would damage it, but it seemed a fair guess, and he went at its crevices carefully with paper towels until the microwave beeped a second time.
He realized with a jolt that he had left Stein alone for well over five minutes now between all he'd been occupied with, and he hurriedly grabbed the mugs from the microwave and then pocketed a small handful of tea bags and sugar packets from the basket on the counter next to the stove.
He forced himself to keep his pace to a brisk walk this time, mindful of the steaming mugs in his hands. He was so lost in the anxiety of too many what-ifs and the need to hurry, hurry, hurry that he almost bumped into his meister as the younger boy was standing waiting outside their bedroom door, chin dipped low to his chest. Spirit gasped and startled back a step, then hissed as a splash of hot water hit his hand.
The meister had no reaction to Spirit's pain, looking downright sullen in the oversized bathrobe. But Spirit noticed his hands were tucked deeply into the pockets, and his hair was still wet although it showed signs of having been towel-dried.
"Stein..." Spirit breathed, continuing his visual assessment; was he imagining it, or was Stein's skin less blue?
The boy met his eyes through a curtain of damp hair, and Spirit sighed. As ever, his young meister was unreadable, except Spirit knew that somehow, in some measure...Stein was very displeased with him.
"Come on. You're getting into bed."
Spirit carefully gestured with one mug, and he expected to have to put forth an argument, but atypically Stein simply obeyed. Spirit watched for a moment, and then followed the boy a few steps inside the door and pulled it closed with his heel. He didn't realize he was holding his breath until his chest began to burn, and he let the air out slowly in hopes of not drawing Stein's attention.
The meister had paused in the center of the room, clearly making note of all the changes and liberties Spirit had taken before he seemed to resign himself to his fate and climb into his bed. But instead of lying down, Stein shifted his pillows up against the wall to sit and face Spirit's bed and the window on the wall between them. Once he was settled with too many blankets piled atop his lap and tucked up to his chest, hands buried deep inside the cocoon he'd made, he drew his knees up and shifted his eyes to settle on the window. Spirit didn't need to look to know it was still heavily snowing, and his breath hitched again when Stein slowly dragged his dull gaze back to him.
Spirit covered the gesture with a slight cough and then stepped forward to set the mugs on Stein's desk.
"Do you like sugar in your tea? And uh..." He pulled his small hoard from his pocket, some of the packets falling to the floor in the process. "I grabbed... Earl Grey, chamomile, mint, peach oolong... What's oolong..."
"Mint," Stein replied quietly, and Spirit realized it was the first word his partner had spoken since he'd deposited him unhappily in the dorm's bathroom.
"Sugar?" Spirit asked, after putting the tea bag into one mug.
"No, thank you."
The meister's voice was somehow more void of inflection than usual, and Spirit felt his stomach twist in unease as he ripped into one of the packets of sugar for his own mug and poured it in. He realized he'd forgotten to grab any stirring sticks and stepped back to his own desk to procure a pen to use as a substitute. He had decided on the peach oolong, the only other flavor appealing to him being the mint, but apparently he'd given the sole bag to Stein.
When he stepped nearer the meister's bed to hand him the tea, it was a moment before Stein moved to extricate his hands from the blanket-nest he seemed to be burrowing deeper within. His fingers brushed against Spirit's when he wrapped them around the mug's handle and the distinct chill the weapon felt at the contact set his heart racing in fear again. Stein had been under a hot stream of water for at least fifteen minutes if not longer, but he was still cold. Should Spirit have let him stay there longer? Was that even the right thing to do?
Spirit felt his head begin to ache and he rubbed his brow, feeling the pinch of his skin where it twisted in worry. He absently stirred the sugar into his mug with the back of the pen and tried to push his feet out of his boots. The laces were too tight however, and the result was him stumbling against his mostly-stripped bed and barely preventing the tea from spilling as he lost his balance entirely, his knees hitting the floor hard.
He cursed under his breath and then bit his lip in regret. His young meister had likely never heard such foul language, and he shouldn't be the one to introduce him to it.
He set his tea on the windowsill and then reached down to loosen his bootlaces just enough to tug them off, and then pushed himself back on his bed against the wall in a mirror of Stein's pose. The room was still chilled from the window having been open all night, and he shivered despite himself as he drew his knees up high to his chest, tucking his hands under his rear for warmth.
It was only after another shiver that he let his gaze travel across the room to meet his meister's eyes. The boy looked slightly more curious than he had before, but overall he still appeared more detached than the weapon was used to seeing. What Spirit didn't know and wished he did was whether it was just from the upset at his pulling him away from his fun, or if it meant the fun had already had a dire consequence.
"Uh..." Spirit said, feeling suddenly very awkward. Stein lifted his head slightly, sipped from the tea, but his expression didn't change. "Are you, uh... How are you feeling?"
Stein stared at him blankly, and while Spirit thought three months had gotten him used to how unfeeling the meister seemed from his countenance, he realized that it only counted in a predictable context. In class or on a mission, Spirit was learning what to expect. But Stein was about as antisocial as anyone he'd ever met, and it suddenly pressed against his mind just how little he really knew about the boy he lived and partnered with.
"Cold," Stein finally said, so quiet Spirit almost didn't hear.
He looked at just how very small Stein looked wearing the large bathrobe, bundled as deeply into the blankets as he could get while still upright. His hair was looking less wet but still a darker shade of gray than its usual mystifying silver. When he lifted the mug to take another sip of tea, Spirit noted how small the meister's hands were as they clutched tightly to the cup for the extra heat.
He tried not to think of Stein as a child. He hardly thought of himself as more than that, when he was honest with himself. But between the two he was the far elder and more experienced, and as the weapon it was his responsibility to protect his meister. Even from himself.
Spirit glanced away and out at the snow falling less in thick curtains now and more just in scattered flakes, still dense but allowing a view toward the other dormitory buildings before the scene faded into a white haze beyond which he knew the rest of Death City rose up above the sand. But for the moment it was as if the tiny bedroom existed separate from the rest of the world, and Spirit and Stein the only two people in it.
"Have you, ah...ever seen snow before?" Spirit continued, fishing for conversation.
Stein looked up past the rim of the mug again, seeming to analyze Spirit with every question, and then shook his head no.
Spirit swallowed under the scrutiny, and continued. "I've seen it a couple of other times, but...nothing like this."
The red-head shivered again and watched the way the flakes fell, most tiny and notably slower than rain, but others in large clumps that hurried past their smaller companions. It was captivating, and when he turned back to Stein the boy had resumed looking out the window.
"I had hoped we would see it on the assignment to Alaska, but...then that got canceled," Spirit said, dropping his gaze to the gray of his jeans.
There was still only silence in response, and this time Spirit let it linger, only briefly lifting his eyes a couple of times to find Stein still watching the display through the window. The curiosity in the boy's eyes had turned to something deeper; there was a longing now, and endless questions racing somewhere behind the brilliant, green eyes.
Spirit's gaze snapped up to focus as he realized with a flood of relief that the clarity was returning to Stein's vision. It had to be a sign, he hoped, that the surprise winter wasn't going to steal the life of his young meister after all.
The red-head looked at the window again and sniffed once, his nose starting to run due to the cold air in the room. The wonder and beauty of the snowfall began to fade as he considered again the terrifying possibilities of what could have happened. Suddenly the soft, white landscape seemed just as barren as the desert sands.
And yet...
"I'm sorry."
When he looked away from the window Stein was watching him, his brow risen in slight surprise. Spirit dropped his gaze as he shivered, moving his arms to wrap around himself and tuck his fingers under his armpits. He focused on the lines of denim across his knees as his eyes burned with the threat of tears, hoping that in saving his young meister he hadn't irreparably damaged their relationship when it had hardly started.
It was true they had been able to resonate practically immediately upon partnering, surprising everyone except Lord Death. But Spirit knew that the road ahead of them would require far more from them both than the superficial connection they had made so far. And in dealing so harshly with the boy, he could have undone their three months together and hurt the chances for their future.
"I'm not sorry for saving you, Stein. I was just so scared, and... Your face was all..." He gestured briefly to the still-unhealthy hue to the boy's skin. "But I... I probably could have...done that differently... And, you're not stupid. I shouldn't have said that. Sorry."
He didn't look up, only pressed further back against the wall and tucked one set of toes under the other in search for warmth as he became more aware of the chill to the room. He suddenly realized that since all of the students had been expected to go home, the heating had likely been shut off to the dormitory. That, in addition to his window having been open all night to the unexpected winter weather, explained the bitter chill he was feeling in the usually comfortable room. It wouldn't reach dangerous temperatures, but it was still a bit much for the simple jeans and t-shirt Spirit had hurried into after waking.
Stein didn't reply, and Spirit sniffled again, grateful the cold air at least gave him an excuse as he fought back tears. His mind began racing with a whole new set of horrible fears. What if Stein decided he didn't want to be his partner after this?
"You didn't need to give me your blankets and pillows."
Spirit sniffled again and looked up. Stein was watching him and the weapon studied his blue-gray pallor, the rising brightness in his eyes. He swallowed the lump in his throat as concerns of illness rose and shook his head.
"You need them more than me."
Spirit had no sooner rested his cheek—the uninjured one—on his knee, than he heard faint slurping across the room. He raised his head again to see Stein tilting the mug all the way back and finishing the tea, after which he settled his head back against the wall, continuing to clutch the now-empty mug. He shivered.
Spirit frowned and considered offering to microwave another mug, and then looked at his own forgotten tea on the windowsill. Steam was still rising from the liquid.
He slowly uncurled himself from against the wall, feeling the little warmth he had gathered seep away in seconds as he slid his feet back to the floor and picked up the mug.
"Here, I didn't drink any," he said when he offered it, Stein's brow rising, and then, "...Oh."
He pulled out the pen he'd used to stir the sugar in and frowned, making a mental note for the future that Stein preferred his tea without the sweetener. After a moment the boy reached out with a shaking hand and they exchanged mugs. Spirit set the used one on Stein's desk with the pen inside before turning back toward his bed.
"You can sit here."
Spirit stopped and looked at the meister, blinking in confusion as he failed to process the words.
"What?"
There was silence for a moment, the weapon watching the meister's small hands clutching tightly to the cup for the warmth it provided as he sipped the steaming liquid. Then the green-eyed gaze rose again.
"You can sit here, too."
Spirit's mind slowly pieced the meaning of the words together, his brow rising in surprise as he considered. It wasn't the sort of offer he would have expected from the meister in any typical situation, and especially not after he'd manhandled him indoors and ordered him around. But he was growing too cold too fast to find any reason to protest, and after a moment he climbed onto the bed and pulled the blankets back to tuck himself in next to Stein, his back against the wall and a few inches of space between them.
Stein tugged one of the pillows from behind him and pushed it toward the weapon, and Spirit gratefully shoved it behind his back, his spine instantly feeling the relief. He adjusted the blankets perhaps more than was necessary, making sure Stein still had enough to bury as deeply beneath them as he wanted, but grateful for the added warmth immediately.
The view out the window wasn't nearly as good as it was from his own bed, but at least Stein had the better position to continue watching the snowfall. He peripherally observed the meister take another tentative sip of the tea, purse his lips at the taste, and then balance the mug on his knees, both hands still wrapped tightly around it.
Spirit sighed lightly. If nothing else, at least it would help keep Stein's hands warm.
"Thanks," Spirit said quietly, suddenly finding he couldn't meet the meister's eyes. After the way he'd treated him, Stein's kindness was startling, and he wasn't sure how to respond other than accept the offered protection from the cold and continue to hope the younger boy would be all right.
"My microscope cost almost three hundred dollars."
Spirit was startled by the non sequitur and turned to look at the meister. The boy's eyes, definitely no longer glazed, were hardened in the way they looked when they were in class and he was frustrated by something their professor was saying. Spirit swallowed nervously just before words bubbled out of him faster than his brain could keep up.
"I was very careful, I promise! I didn't touch the lenses and I got every crevice. I even went over it twice to make sure it was dry!"
Stein had turned to look at him during the rush of words, and it took Spirit a moment to realize his expression had changed. The hardness had left his eyes, his usual aloofness now the dominant expression, but there was question and curiosity and surprise hidden beneath it. The boy's lips were parted, his jaw ever so slightly slack as he stared unblinking back at Spirit. The intensity of it startled Spirit so much that his words stopped for a moment before he licked his dry lips and fumbled for something else to say.
"And I...I put snow on each slide for you to look at later. They're in the freezer, I turned it down so they shouldn't melt. Sorry I... I should have asked before touching your things. I'm sorry."
Spirit licked his lips again and looked down. He should apologize for going through Stein's clothing too, he knew, but he was suddenly feeling very self-conscious and like he was the one under the lens of a microscope as Stein continued staring at him.
He thought the three months had gone well, all things considered. He wasn't used to being around someone as stoic as the partner he'd been assigned, but he had been trying very hard to learn what made the boy tick and how to be the best partner he could, responding to the meister's quirks and for the most part simply staying out of his way since privacy was what Stein seemed to value most. And Spirit had violated that repeatedly that morning.
He suddenly felt a yawn coming and restrained the action with effort. As his heart raced with the excess of nerves he glanced over to check the time on Stein's alarm clock on his small nightstand. It was just after eight o'clock. He chewed some of the dry skin from his lower lip and considered how to voice the question pressing against his mind after the embarrassing outburst of moments before.
It turned out he didn't have to, because when he turned back he found Stein had been following his gaze.
"I was outside before seven," Stein offered.
Something was different about his tone, and Spirit shifted his gaze to meet his partner's. Stein's expression had changed again to something the weapon had never seen and didn't know how to interpret. His eyes had lost the hardness almost entirely and seemed to be seeking something. Before Spirit could even try to figure it out, Stein surprised him again by handing him the mug of tea. He took a sip and then immediately a larger swallow as the liquid coated his throat, soothing some of the strain he hadn't realized was there as he continued worrying.
When he returned the cup to let Stein keep using it to warm his hands, his fingers brushed against the meister's cooler ones. He frowned at the contact and looked away, his gaze flitting between the window and the clock as he worried.
He wanted to believe that Stein would be fine. But he'd been out in the snow for over an hour and his hands were still cold, despite the heat of the shower, despite having been wrapped around the mugs of hot tea for several minutes.
Spirit felt the sting of coming tears again. He bit his cheeks in attempt to fight off the instinct, let his eyes dart over the room in search of some anchor that would help distract him from the fears and anxiety swirling through his soul. But just as he felt his emotions would collapse, Stein surprised him once more.
"I'm sorry I hit you."
Spirit's brow rose. He had nearly forgotten about the glancing punch and lifted his fingers to lightly press to his cheek. The flesh was tender, but it was nothing like the hits he'd taken in their combat classes or on missions. Of course those were different too, having been taken in weapon form.
"It's okay," he answered.
Stein was looking up at him almost like he'd never seen him before. The curiosity in his eyes was different somehow—not the clinical gaze he favored most things with, nor the apathy that came after the boy determined something held no value to him. There seemed to be almost more color to his eyes as they remained locked on the weapon's, and fascinated by the meister appearing so human, Spirit held his gaze.
The fear that had been consuming him changed somehow, under the inquisitive look that Stein had set upon him. The situation no longer felt hopeless or beyond control. In fact, the way his meister was looking at him now, his eyes held perhaps more life than Spirit had ever seen.
"Hey, ah..." he said, his voice quivering suddenly from an emotion he couldn't place. "When you're feeling better, maybe we could have a snowball fight."
Confusion joined the curiosity that Stein had fixed him with.
"...Snowball fight?"
Spirit smiled. "Yeah. You make balls out of the snow, and throw them at each other. For fun. Snowball fight."
Stein finally blinked, once, but didn't break eye contact. The intensity of his gaze was starting to feel unnerving, but Spirit found he couldn't look away. Not when he was so worried. And not after the long months of trying so hard to understand the enigmatic, private boy. Something had finally seemed to spur the beginnings of a mutual connection, and he wasn't about to waste the opportunity.
"Or...or maybe build a snowman?" he suggested, realizing suddenly that throwing hard-packed snow at his meister after nearly freezing was probably not a good idea, even if it would be several hours later. "I've always wanted to play in the snow..."
Stein continued to stare at him. He offered the tea to Spirit again, who took it and only sipped from the mug this time, not wanting to steal away the hot liquid that was helping Stein warm his hands. He held the eye contact, and Stein didn't so much as blink even after the mug was handed back.
Spirit began to feel self-conscious under the meister's gaze, though he couldn't determine why. He reached up to run his fingers through his hair and watched Stein's eyes follow the motion, linger on the spot where he'd briefly scratched his head, and then slowly return to his face again.
"O-Or...if you just want to play with your microscope, that's fine too. We don't have to play together, if you don't want to. I was just thinking—"
"Okay."
The train of Spirit's thoughts that had started running out of control was suddenly halted.
"Huh?"
"A snowball fight sounds interesting."
Stein abruptly handed the mug back to Spirit, who blinked and sipped from it obediently; the tea had begun to cool. Stein's eyes finally left Spirit's face, and he buried his hands under the blanket and tucked it up higher to his chin as he turned his gaze toward the window.
Spirit looked back to find that the snow was falling in thick curtains again. If Stein did feel up to going out later, at least there would be no lack of the stuff to play in.
He leaned his head back against the wall, sipped the sweet tea again, and sighed. He felt Stein look up at him, but he kept his gaze on the window. Part of him wanted to fill the space with talk about the few times he'd seen snow in the past, but a wave of tiredness was hitting him rapidly. For once the best choice seemed simply to remain silent. He was sure Stein would appreciate it.
His eyelids began to feel heavy as he stared at the continuous rain of white flakes that left the room feeling small and isolated, and he realized he was no longer focusing on holding the mug. He swallowed down the last of the cooling liquid and then reached to set the mug down on Stein's nightstand. He knew he shouldn't doze off sitting in the meister's bed, especially since he should still be watching him to make sure his health wasn't in jeopardy. But the snowfall was hypnotic, and coupled with the sugar and the rising warmth from the blankets, and probably an adrenaline crash, it was suddenly very hard to keep his eyes open.
"It's pretty."
Spirit blinked and glanced down, surprised to hear the quiet voice. Stein was watching the unusual weather, but then looked up to meet his eyes again. His expression was still curious and seemed more relaxed somehow. The usual, calculating tension was absent from his jaw and forehead, and his green-eyed gaze—brighter now—slowly slid back to the window when Spirit didn't say anything.
Spirit was the one to stare now, noticing that Stein looked less tense overall. Only his head and shoulders were visible above the blankets, but he wasn't holding himself coiled up anymore the way he so often did, like a snake ready to strike. An ease that Spirit wasn't sure he'd ever before seen in the boy had settled over him, and he looked far more his young age as he looked out the window, his thoughts apparently having drifted back to scientific interests rather than being upset with the weapon.
"Yeah," Spirit said.
Stein glanced up briefly, as if expecting more, then returned his gaze to the snowfall. And then, wide-eyed and curious as he appeared staring out at the world of white, he yawned.
Spirit slowly let his head rest against the wall again as he watched his meister, and he smiled.
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therysss · 1 year ago
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Rhaenys Targaryen (Nymeros-Martell)
days before the Sack of King's Landing, where she was brutally murdered by ser Armory Lorch... At least that's what is known.
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Swapped for another child, she grew up in the guise of Rhea Sand and under the tutelage of her uncle, Oberyn Martell, she became a Sand Snake. Marks on her body remind her daily of her goal of revenge, but not as a pawn of her kin, but as a player in Game of Thrones.
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The Blood Snake AU
Stuff about it:
She's 18
She pulled some traits from Oberyn. She has a widow's beak and over time her eyes took on the shape of the other Snakes.
She doesn't have dragon dreams, or even a dragon. She is "much more Dornish/Rhoynar".
Her story revolves around many conflicts about the uncertainty of who she is, what she is for and if she is really making the right decisions. She was born with the possibility of holding great power (a possibility because she is a woman, despite being a firstborn), something that for her is not a birthright. It's more like a weight that only SHE has the strength to hold... But does she really have it? (She has some contrasts to Maegor in many ways)
Either way, she's very much a player. Not on the level of Tywin or Varys, but she certainly knows how to put the pieces together and move the game in her favor. Besides, she's a witch.
The correct nomenclature for the magic system I created for my ASOIAF AUs would be: Witchcrafter. I didn't develop that beyond the fact that it involves her falling into a river on a trip with Oberyn in the Free Cities. Anyway, this magical side helps her to be a dangerous player.
In terms of skills as a future queen (?) She was educated from a young age for this future position. Doran believes her to be as smart as Alysanne. And in battle/open conflicts? Well... Remember those contrasts with Maegor?
Love interests? I don't really like the stereotype of the sexy Dornish, and neither does she, but as a player, she uses all the cards. Her first major relationship is with Robb Stark, but unlike many fanfictions in which the character who stole the title of love interest from the original becomes enemies, Rhaenys seduces Jeyne as well and brings her to her side as a political ally. As you may have noticed, she doesn't really fall in love with Robb, but the only one who notices this is Catelyn, who thinks this girl is not who she says she is.
-
Anyway, these are just ideas from a fanfic that only has a prologue in Portuguese and that can be found in my Google Docs. It may never see the light of day, but if it does, I'll let you know.
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lampmanliveblogs · 6 months ago
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So RayRay just learned that King’s a titan, but more importantly, confirmation that the heart in Belos’ throne room was the heart of the Titan.
And, like… I know that’s the obvious theory to make, and I’m sure that’s what everyone has been saying ever since we first saw it in Agony of a Witch. But for me, I was always hesitant to say that because, well… it’s so small! Yeah, it’s a big heart, but it’s not island sized! Take that heart and compare it to the Boiling Isles. It’s tiny! It’d be like King having a heart the size of a grain of sand!
For my sanity’s sake, I’m gonna go ahead and assume that the heart has shrunk down or shriveled up over time.
But this being me, I can take it a step further and make up some overly complicated theories. Maybe the heart is actually a vestigial organ for Titans. Or maybe the heart starts out with a function in young Titans, but once they reach a certain age and size, it stops growing as their body develops some other mechanism to transport blood around their body.
But yeah, the fact that the heart is still beating this many years after the Titan’s death is pretty metal. Call it The Tell-Tale Heart.
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”You know, I just had an interesting idea…” -Me when inspiration for a new fanfic I’ll never finish hits me at 0:16
Ah… is this ”interesting idea” of yours the ”intriguing concept worthy of exploring further” kind of interesting or the ”wow, this grape and mustard ice cream sure is an interesting flavor combination” kind of interesting?
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So RayRay’s advice is that instead of throwing his toys at the people he wants to make friend with, he should go talk to them instead and ask them to play. That’s nice. And I’m only a little sarcastic; while The Collector probably won’t listen immediately, all they need is for the Prince of Plastic to actually hear them out for a bit. If King can get it through to them that he actually wants to be their friend, they just gotta stop treating people like toys, then it’s pretty much over for RayRay/Belos/Philip.
The problem is that like I said, The Collector probably won’t listen right away, which gives RayRay here here the time to do… whatever it is he’s gonna do. Not sure what the plan is, but since it was brought up… it might include the Titan’s still beating heart in Belos’ castle.
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”Oh, that’s a shorter story.”
Did. Did Eda just make a freaking pun about losing her arm?
Queen shit.
”Oh this? Well, Raine said they were gonna put a ring on my finger no matter what, and you know how competitive I get. Admittedly, I probably took this one a bit too far…”
”But hey, you gotta ’hand’ it to me, I took this loss like champ!”
”So Lili was cutting my hair, but she didn’t have her glasses on, and well…”
”You know the expression ’cost an arm and a leg’? Well, these shoes didn’t cost quite that much, buuuut…”
”New radical weight loss surgery.”
”Sorry about all these jokes, I was just trying to ’disarm’ the tension!”
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Eda: ”Wow! Your new palisman is so cool and cute! But why is it a snake though?” Luz: ”I don’t know. If only some smart and preferably but not necessarily handsome liveblogger had made a post talking about the symbolism of snakes and how it applies to my character and palisman, I might’ve known.”
Speaking of palismen, I have another theory. You know Doctor Snuggle’s talking umbrella? That’s actually his palisman.
(and if you don’t know what Doctor Snuggles is… how does it feel having failed at having a childhood? Go look it up, all thirteen episodes are up on youtube and lemme tell you, it is WILD. The fact that the titular Doctor Snuggles has a talking umbrella which is also a pogo stick is the tamest thing in the series. My favorite episode is probably The Turn of Events With the Unwelcome Invaders, that one always freaked me out as a kid. The Fabulous Mathilda Junkbottom is also a good one.)
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westerosoliviapope · 2 years ago
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The Fall of the Spice(r) Queen | Scandal Westeros
They step off the elevator into a white carpeted hallway. Nym bets a two-bedroom in Paramount Apartments goes for about $2,000 a month. Centrally located between Harrehal and all the fun to be had at the Trident. It's a cute little place. Definitely screams "Father pays my rent while I work my first big girl job."
Nym checks her watch. Seven fifty-eight. The door should open in 3…2…
"Good Morning, Jeyne!"
A slim but shapely dark-haired girl in a tan trench coat and black pumps blinks startled eyes. "Hi… Can I help you—"
"I'm Nymeria. This is Obara. You want to focus on me, though. If she has to start talking…" Nym winces. "Let's just say you'd prefer if she doesn't."
"I'm sorry. What's—"
"This is for you. Brown sugar oat milk latte, double shot. Just like you like it. My colleague and I are escorting you to your new job—"
"My new what? I have a—"
"No, Ms. Spice Queen. You had a job. Then you fucked—and published noncon kink about—Robb Stark, a very engaged councilman. Sooooo…that's done."
SCANDAL WESTEROS EPISODE SEVEN
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lost-technology · 9 months ago
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The Ballad of Rem Saverem So, brainstorming a bit with @somereaderinblue I got a fanfic idea about Vash hanging out in a bar somewhere and learning that it is not just he and Nai who know something about Rem! The idea for this is that someone's ancestor was on Ship 5 and was one of the lucky few who was ushered into an evac-shuttle and was among the survivors who saw the ship's navigator yelling at them to go and holding her post, and it's a story kept by this one little town out in the middle of nowhere. People there think it's just a legend, after all, what could one person have even done in something as horrible as the Big Fall? But they do like the story. So, for if I do this fic eventually, I wrote out this song that Vash hears a balladeer singing in a saloon that absolutely leaves him a blubbering mess and bothering said balladeer to no end after his set. Since I am not a songwriter and cannot come with an original song to save my life, I ganked the tune / meter from The Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird as preformed by Rachel Zeigler from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. (No knowledge of the movie necessary to appreciate the song, but if you're interested, it's a revenge-song a character sings for her ex-boyfriend to hear). So, the Rem-version, sung as only Noman's Landers can: Before we began we fell down on the planet Before we woke up we were spent to the sands Through rough times and roughshod we kept on, goddamit Stubborn and cussin' as we settled the lands We started with dreams in ancient space, lonely Exiled from Earth to explore what was new The Keeper kept watch, awake one and only Her life was given for me and for you Remember her name, the brave Rem Saverem She who went back, destined to die The Great Fleet's error would have left us all condemned If she hadn't run back to be scattered to sky She ran through the flames and let loose the cages She sent out the signal and held fast to her post She stayed behind hopeless through hellfire's rages And out in the long run is forgotten by most But we'll not forget you, brave Rem Saverem It was not for nothing you died It may be to the hard sands we've been condemned But we stand here still as you were scattered to sky.
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cinclidaefang · 1 month ago
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Ghhh that post about sanding down characters to fanfic tropes does remind me of another component as to why I’m anxious about starting Snake Garden sometimes. Leto and Alister are not particularly pleasant people and I worry as the protagonists carrying the story people will not have the patience to see where things go…I like my freaks questionable with something deeply wrong at their core.
It also does not help that I doooon’t really read fan fiction and if not for cultural osmosis I would be blind sided by its type of characterization more.
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forerussake · 1 year ago
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my dmbj fanfic writing problem is that i know genuinely fuck-all about canon. everything i think i know about dmbj is based on reboot and vibes and things ppl have told me, bc reboot is the only show i still remember anything of at all that isn’t ‘there are snakes’ and ‘that wasn’t his uncle?’ and ‘that’s a lot of sand.’
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thecrossoverwriter15 · 2 years ago
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Sacrifice (A Rise of the Guardians Fanfic) Features Major Character Death
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Hello readers! Time for some late night angst.
The music I used while listening to this was The Stone Table from the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe Soundtrack. This Oneshot was also inspired by the scene as well. If you don’t like angst or MAJOR character deaths then don’t read this.
Without further ado, let’s take a look…
- Sacrifice (Rise of the Guardians) ——————
Jack awoke with a start. His head pounded with a headache, his cheek bruised with an ugly purple stain, his nose dripping with dried blood. He looked to his right with tired eyes. Tooth, North and Sandy were unconscious, their bodies bind to large wooden poles. Jack’s eyes widened as he realized that he had been bind to a pole as well, his hands tied behind his back. He tried to free himself from the shackles, but they were strapped on tight. In the dead of night, an army of nightmare soldiers stood, lighting candles on the stone columns. They seemed to be preparing for some form of a celebration, as some laughed in the crowd while others blankety guarded the entrance. Jack whispered to Tooth who had begun to wake,
“Tooth. Are you okay?”
The fairy stirred for a bit, before her eyes fixed on Jack’s, “Jack? What happened? Where are we?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Pitch came back, Jack.” A deep Russian voice interrupted, “He attacked the Pole and most likely took us to his fortress.”
Jack nodded and looked around, his eyebrows pulling together as he counted the three beside him. He then realized that one was missing, “Where’s Bunny?”
Just as Tooth’s mouth moved to speak, she heard a loud laugh from above. Sandy looked around as he woke from his slumber. A large stream of black sand rushed through the air like a river. The sand clumped together to create a resurrected Pitch Black. His new form was almost like a demon with human characteristics. His slimy voice boomed through the abandoned courtyard.
“I do hope that you are comfortable. My nightmares try to be gentle.”
“Pitch! You snake! Let us go or-” North shouted in rage.
“Ohh!” He chuckled, “I would truly like to, but you can’t miss this. Your little companion has made a deal with me to keep you all safe.”
Jack then turned towards the Guardians, who held face of worrisome and unsettling feelings.
“Pitch, what did you do?” Jack then asked, his eyes infuriated.
“Nothing. I can assure you, you companion will not be in any harm. In fact, I hope you will enjoy this.” The Booeyman told them, before floating towards Jack, his claw reaching out towards the boy’s face. North grunted, the wooden post removing any chance of freedom. The large sand claw grabbed Jack’s chin and titled it up so his eyes could meet the amber pools of sand.
“This will teach you, young Frost. If you try to kill me, you will watch as I plunge my knife into your friends, you will watch their faces twist in agony, their guts pouring out of their bodies. You will see that you are no more than an arrogant, selfish little human who only wants what makes the world weak. You foolish-“
“Get. Out. Of. My. Face.” Jack warned, his teeth clutched tightly. The demon pulled away, frustrated. He then saw a flash from the corner of his eye. Jack turned his head as did North, Sandy and Tooth, who gasped quietly.
(Okay, this is when you should play the music)
A blue paw stepped out from the mist, as did the owner. Pitch smiled, backing towards the other side so the Guardians could see. The guards shrieked in delight, filling the night in unsettling joy. The prisoner walked up the stone steps of the courtyard, his long ears raised. His eyes held no emotion as the orange lights of the fires grazed past them. Jack’s face was covered in shock and anxiety. The face turned towards the team, dwelling in sadness. Blue eyes meet green, as Jack tried to speak to him through emotion. The green eyes only looked away as he kept walking.
Then, North shouted, “Bunny!”
Bunnymund turned around, the orange lights outlining the fur on edge of his body.
“Please don’t tell me you’ve gone with Pitch!”
Bunny sighed, his eyes shutting, “No, mate. I’m not going to join him. I’m saving you all.”
“?” Sandy conjured with a golden question mark. Tooth then asked,
“Saving us?”
“What do you mean?” Jack asked, his face twisted in the stare of worrisome.
Bunny walked towards Jack, placing a paw on the boy’s cheek, “Everything will be alright, Frostbite. I promise. Okay?”
“Okay..” Jack whispered, his eyes pooling with tears. Bunny smiled softly, before removing his paw from Jack’s cheek. He turned around and walked towards Pitch, who stood in front of his army.
“Are you ready?”
Bunny nodded, his ears dropping a bit. As he walked towards the crowd, the soldiers looked at him, laughing and smirking. The crowd created a pathway for the Easter spirit. Bunny looked up, a stone table stood in the distance, Pitch standing behind it while looking down at him. Just then, the crown surrounded him, holding their spikes and spears. One soldier hit the rabbit’s stomach with the butt of the spike, causing Bunny to collapse on his side, groaning and coughing as he curled up in pain. Tooth gasped, North grunted, Sandy was alarmed as Jack was shocked. The soldier smirked, his friends laughing beside him. As the soldier grabbed his knife, Pitch spoke again as if he was giving a speech,
“Shave him.”
“With pleasure..” The soldier’s greedy voice responded. Bunny’s eyes darted towards the sudden tug of his shoulder fur. The knife was scraped through the fur with a few slices, leaving a bald spot that looked out of place. The dirty hand held the blue fur up, creating a loud cheer from the rest of the men. Soon, the sounds of blades cutting was all the rabbit heard while laying on his side like a pig. As soon as a process was done, Bunny looked thin, his once great mane now replaced with thin hair strands and some bleeding cuts from the knives growing too close to his skin. He was then dragged by his arms up the steps towards the table. Pitch looked at him with delight as the two men pulled Bunny onto his back on the stone table. His arms dropped, one one the edge and the other one his side. Pitch then ordered, “Bind him.”
Jack and the rest could only watch in horror as their friend was mutilated right in front of their eyes. Meanwhile. the men tied the Pooka’s wrist on the table. One man strapped a leather muzzle on his muzzle, fastening the bonds. Pitch’s face grew close to Bunny’s ear as he whispered, “This is what I like to see. The last Pooka, finally in my grasp. Sleep well, Easter Bunny.”
Pitch pulled back, turning around. The men made sure he couldn’t move as they cowered away. The others stood in a crowd, cheering to themselves. Jack watched with wide eyes as Pitch picked up a thin sliver dagger, the end extremely sharp like a needle. He held the knife dangerously close to the rabbit’s chest, slightly dragging it. Once he picked a spot, he pulled the knife away. Bunny’s eyes were slightly red from the buildup of tears as he turned his head towards his family, looking at them one last time. Pitch raised the dagger, aiming it at the spot his picked. Jack looked at Bunny, his eyes nearly spilling tears, his head flying in a million directions. The crowd grew quiet as the knife reached higher into the sky. Bunny closed his eyes, ready for the intense burning sensation of pain.
Pitch then stopped.
He thought for a second.
Is this wrong?
Tooth, Sandy and North watched slightly, their chests heavily, theirs hearts rapidly beating. The crowd was silent, no one said a word. Pitch then decided. For Bunnymund, he opened his eyes at the wrong moment.
——————————————————————
Bunny’s eyes grew wide immediately as the knife was stabbed directly into his heart.
All movement ended as air swiftly left his lungs.
All noise ended as he heard ringing in his ears.
As he turned towards the night sky, he heard the sound of birds whistling in the distance. His eyes grew silent as his movements stilled. He lightly smiled under the muzzle, his eyes staring directly into the sky as the stars grew larger, like growing dots. Soon he felt his soul leave his body, his eyes shutting softly as he saw only the beautiful lights leading him home.
Bunnymund’s dead body laid their on the stone table, his skin turning cold with each passing moment. The paw that had been on the edge of the table stilled. Pitch smiled even while one tear escaped his eye. The soldiers cheered and laughed, holding their pikes and weapons up in the air.
The Guardians stood their, different emotions on their faces. Tooth cried out, screaming to herself. North shut his eyes tightly, tears falling. Sandy was in denial, his sand sculptures making a thousand different images in one. Jack’s eyes had shut tightly, his binds hardening as ice frosted over them. As the men of the army celebrated, a large explosion cut them off. An inraged Jack Frost charged the men, grabbing his staff and a sword from a guard. He used the sword to cut Tooth, North and Sandy’s binds. The 4 gathered together, fighting off as many creatures as they can…
About an hour passed, the Guardians huddled in the forest clearing, trying to comprehend what had happened. Tooth held her arms around North as she cried. North shushed her, patting her head. Sandy sat on a rock, creating sculptures of Bunny with his head. He sniffed, lowering his head. Jack couldn’t cry. He was numb from the shock and the feeling of loss hurt his heart. He finally mustered enough courage to speak,
“Guys? Can we go see him?”
North and Tooth looked up at Jack.
Tooth told her fellow friends, sniffling. “But, the army…”
“I don’t care. Just one last time, please.”
North let out a deep sigh, his eyes shutting closed. With his Russian accent, He answered,
“Da.”
No one was there. Pitch and his army had left the area after the murder. The wind blew throughout the cloudy morning. A bright yellow flower was decaying as a foot climbed up the quiet steps. With each step, Jack felt a deep dread as he saw his friend’s corpse laying directly how he had died, his eyes shut, his chest not moving. North gasped suddenly, his eyes filling with tears. As Jack approached the body, he held back a sob. He place his palm on Bunny’s arm, immediately feeling the coldness of his skin. He then begun to remove the leather straps, freeing the arms and legs. North, Sandy and Tooth helped by cutting off ropes and binds. Finally, Jack used a small knife from the ground and cut through the leather muzzle. When the strap was torn in two, he pulled it off. The Pooka’s face was pale, his mouth slightly agape. A small trail of red blood had fallen from his mouth, creating a tiny pool underneath. North carefully lifted Bunny’s body and set him on the floor. The corpse was limp like a doll as he was carefully set on the floor. Jack kneeled down, crying. He took this quiet moment to slide his hand under the neck of his companion, lifting it to look at him. The eyes stayed closed, his head only moving when Jack shook it, whispering wake up. When his mind accepted that his best friend has left him, he pulled the body against his chest. The arms of the Pooka were slight sprawled out on the floor, his knees slightly bent with his head in Jack’s lap. Tooth sniffled as she hugged Jack from the other side of the body. North came from behind, placing a hand on Jack’s shoulder. Sandy hugged Jack’s side. Jack shivered from a chilling feeling of loss. His sadness turned to anger as his face contorted into a stare of despair, his eyes burning with emotion and the empty loss of hope.
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