#shes my everything my rising sun my setting moon my air my water and dark etc

[lacorse]

*tav voice* first in my heart

[ghostdrew22]

angst fic where ravenclaw!reader has thalassophobia and is playing with the water by the shore in the dark lake with the necklace draco gave her before they broke up a few years back when the new girl he’s been going out with throws the necklace into the middle of the lake in spite, and the reader cannot afford to lose it djeiwis sorry if it’s messy u dont have to do it ure uncomfyyy

Prompts:

If you die, I’m going to kill you.

Jump In || Draco Malfoy

Requested: Yes Pairing: Draco Malfoy x fem!reader Warnings: ANGST, a bit of swearing, panic attacks and thalassophobia mentioned. Summary: Years after breaking up with Draco you find that the last gift he gave you is still the only thing comforting you, and his new girlfriend doesn’t like that.

WORDS : 3546

Gleaming, twinkling Eyes like sinking ships on waters So inviting, I almost jump in

The crescent moon outside begs for your company and you oblige, preferring to be alone than stuck in a room full of people who pity you. You lift the bottom half of your dress from the ground and sneak out of the ballroom nonchalantly, anxiety dissipating as the soft breeze comes in contact with your face.

The sound of your heels clacking against the cobblestone fills the air as you walk toward the boardwalk hanging above the lake, and it reminds you of a time when Draco would bring you down here. The lake behind the Malfoy Manor has always been subject to your fear, and you rarely ever go toward it, but tonight you’ll do almost anything to feel alone and normal for once.

The tiny ripples forming on the surface send shivers running down your spine and you look up at the sky immediately in an attempt to subdue your anxiety. A few meters away lies the ballroom, full of dignitaries and old family friends of the Malfoy’s who attend their annually ball every time without fail, and you can hear the faint sound of laughter mixed with a beautiful crescendo. You shut your eyes, take a deep breath and drag your fingers up to your neck to toy with necklace lying around it, as you try to imagine that you’re anywhere else.

You’d thought that it would be easier, coming to the ball and seeing him with his new girlfriend, but it had proved to be a bigger challenge than you’d anticipated, and residual feelings that you’d been trying to stuff down for months had resurfaced like anchors being pulled up from the bottom of the sea. It reminded you of what he said that day, “I’m yours forever, even if you’re not mine.”, and the only thing that stopped you from running back into his arms was the chain hanging around your neck.

A silver chain with a midnight blue sapphire dangling on its end, worth one of your arms and a gift from the blond himself. He had given it to you as a promise, one to love you till the sun stopped rising, and at the time you had thought that it was the perfect gesture. But reality hit and you soon realized that a life with Draco Malfoy would be one filled with envy and uneasiness, and you knew then that you both deserved more.

The necklace’s monetary value reminds you that Draco belongs to a long and esteemed family line which demands attention that you cannot cope with. But the fact that it had been his proclamation of love reminds you that in order for you both to lead happy lives, you must be apart. The way it gleams beneath Chandeliers is so captivating that it always brings you back to earth; a life with Draco is inviting, but some invitations mustn’t be accepted.

But I don't like a gold rush, gold rush I don't like anticipating my face in a red flush I don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch Everybody wants you Everybody wonders what it would be like to love you

All eyes instantly fell on him the second that he appeared; sporting that notorious smile which always brought people to their knees, and a priceless suit that hugged his figure so well it made all the straight men positively envious. A true Malfoy; charming, rich, attractive, easily the whole package. You didn’t get a chance to speak with him because he was instantly preoccupied with the ramblings of his mother as she dragged him around the room with pride, showing off the son that she’d done such a good job at raising.

Draco’s life had always been politics and he’d been raised to invariably stand tall, look presentable, get good grades, converse well. You watched him in awe every time, admiring the grace and ease with which he conducted himself. But it made you wonder when he’d been taught the art of letting the spotlight go, to focus all of his attention on the one he loves instead of the search for approval. And the answer was that he hadn’t, Draco never grew out of the desire to have everyone’s praise and approval.

‘If everyone loves you, if everyone wants to either be you or be with you, then you’ve succeeded.’ He’d told you late one night after one these balls. You’d looked at him with pity, not having the heart to tell him that love and validation are not synonymous, and you’d hugged him so hard that somehow you both knew it was all coming to an end soon.

He grew up being a magnet to both jealousy and admiration, a symphony of applause being the background track to the movie of his life, and he didn’t know how to live any other way. When all you’ve ever known is lustful stares from fellow peers, stolen glances at the back of your head, and unbridled acclaim masked behind attraction, then it’s hard to put that life behind and settle for the love of only one person.

Walk past, quick brush I don't like slow motion, double vision in rose blush I don't like that falling feels like flying 'til the bone crush Everybody wants you But I don't like a gold rush

He truly was magnificent though, even you couldn’t deny. Years ago, when he’d walked down the stairs in one of those clad black suits, he had met you at the bottom of the stairwell and you could’ve sworn that you were floating on cloud 9. He had smiled so brightly at the sight of you, had laughed so sweetly in the space of your ear, and fit so tightly into your side like it was a home made only for him, that you were intoxicated on the feeling of him and hadn’t noticed what was happening.

You were falling in love. You weren’t flying, no, you didn’t have wind beneath mystical wings that you’d somehow managed to grow. You were falling, and at a speed so treacherous that you didn’t even realise it was happening until it was too late. One day you were falling, and the next you were ruins buried so far into the ground that you couldn’t even tell where the earth stopped and you started.

Falling in love with him was fast, like a bullet train, but everything after was so slow that you felt as if you weren’t even moving at all.

What must it be like to grow up that beautiful? With your hair falling into place like dominos I see me padding 'cross your wooden floors With my Eagles t-shirt hanging from the door At dinner parties, I call you out on your contrarian shit And the coastal town we wandered 'round had never seen a love as pure as it And then it fades into the gray of my day old tea 'Cause it could never be

Promises to run away together and start a life somewhere off in a distant town.

Fingertips, laced with the narcotic effect of young love, tracing lines across the expanse of each other’s faces and trying to figure out which of the other’s features would be inherited by your children.

Dreams about a time when your lives would no longer be dictated by the paths your parents had set out for you, but instead by the spontaneity and reassurance that came with endearment.

Tastes of tea replaced instead with the taste of each other as long-forgotten tisanes made home on bedside tables because you both got lost in the haze of tenderness.

Arguments about mundane and useless concepts that would go on for longer than necessary, because he insisted on disagreeing with everything, and always ended with your acute responses.

Lives that had once lacked passion, that had once been so dull they compared to Snape’s drawling, instead replaced with all the colours that the world had to offer.

It was the perfect life, the one you two had planned.

But it was too perfect to ever be real.

You take a deep breath and unhook the necklace to observe it once more, hoping that it’ll provide some comfort for the ache in your chest.

'Cause I don't like a gold rush, gold rush I don't like anticipating my face in a red flush I don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch Everybody wants you Everybody wonders what it would be like to love you Walk past, quick brush I don't like slow motion double vision in rose blush I don't like that falling feels like flying 'til the bone crush Everybody wants you But I don't like a gold rush

“Y/N.” A voice slurs behind you.

You turn with furrowed eyebrows and roll your eyes when you see who it is, “Pansy.”

“Don’t be rude.” She hisses and hiccups as she stumbles toward you, “What are you doing out here?”

“Could ask you the same thing.” You narrow your eyes at her, “Are you drunk?”

“Just a tad.” She replies as she hiccups again and finally stands before you. You watch silently as she gracefully sits on the wood below her, making sure not to create creases in her dress or fall over in her heels.

“Shouldn’t you be in there? On his arm like a trophy?” You ask, and inwardly groan when you hear how jealous you sound.

“Probably.” She shrugs and looks out into the water. “It doesn’t matter though, I’m not you.”

She looks up and into your eyes, you look away immediately. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to take from that.”

“Yes, you do.” She states bluntly, “He told me why you left him. That was really selfish of you.”

You gasp and turn to look at her, “How dare you? You have no idea-“

“No, actually, I do.” She gets up from the ground swiftly as a fire rages in her eyes, “You think I don’t know what it’s like to be like him? We’re the same, we were practically raised on the same blueprint. Despite what you think, there’s a lot more to the issue than what lays on the surface.”

“Oh and I guess you have all the answers?” You spit out with a scoff.

“I thought Ravenclaws were meant to be smart.” She shakes her head and hiccups as she turns to face the water, “Draco’s entire life has always just been this.” Pansy turns and gestures toward the Manor with a grimace.

“It’s always been about being the best in the room, just so that he can earn five seconds of approval from his parents. But you came, and you showed him more, you gave him a glimpse of what love feels like. Then, because you were scared and couldn’t hack it, you left him.” She continues and you grip the necklace tightly in anger.

“That’s not what happene-“

“How can you possibly expect him to come back to me, to this bullshit, when he’s experienced actual happiness? How is he supposed to come back from you?” She finally turns to face you and you hear a slight crack in her voice with the last words, “I love him so much and if I could make him half as happy as you do then I would.”

“You can.” You breathe out shakily, “If you two try a little more then you’ll realise why it just makes sense.”

“Love isn’t about sense Y/N. It’s not about appearances, it’s not about applause, it’s not about any of the crap that him and I were raised to prioritize.”

“You call it crap but that’s all he knows, and he just isn’t ready to give it all up.”

“Why do you get to decide that for him?” She tilts her head to the side and raises her eyebrows, you look away from her.

“I should probably get back inside.” You mutter as you start to turn toward the manor.

“You’re righ-“ She gasps and you turn to see what’s shocked her, “You still have it?”

“Have what?”

“The necklace.” She points to your hand and you nod awkwardly in agreement, “I helped him pick it out.”

“Oh.”

“A sapphire to match your virtue and faithfulness.” She says absent-mindedly as her eyes lock on the piece of jewellery. “Guess he got that wrong.”

She laughs coldly and you scrunch your face in confusion, “Excuse me?”

“You’re just like the rest of them.” Before you even know what’s happening she’s reached for the necklace in your hand, “You love him until it’s no longer convenient, until the paint starts to chip.”

“That’s not true.” Your voice comes out shaky and lacking conviction, it makes her laugh again in disgust.

“And then who has to pick up the fallen pieces? Me.” She continues to ramble as she walks toward the edge of the boardwalk, you feel your breathing start to pickup as you try to focus on her instead of the lake behind her. “As if I don’t have my own pieces to pick up.”

“Pansy, please just come here so we can talk about this nicely.” You respond and swallow.

“No. You don’t deserve a civil conversation.” She spits out as she finally reaches the edge of the boardwalk and hangs the necklace out by her arm, “In fact, you don’t deserve anything. You don’t deserve his love and you definitely don’t deserve this pendant.”

“No!”

What must it be like to grow up that beautiful? With your hair falling into place like dominoes My mind turns your life into folklore I can't dare to dream about you anymore

Everything after falling in love with Draco happened in slow motion. You don’t know how, or when, but your life had become a slackening slideshow of bad decisions.

You hold your breath as you watch the necklace fall into the lake. It’s as though minutes, hours, days pass in that moment, but you know that it’s merely a few seconds. When the splash finally sounds, you let out a huge gasp and Pansy laughs as she turns to leave.

Panic sets in and you start to contemplate your options. You could jump in and get it yourself? No, that’s absurd, you’re not going to overcome your fear that easily. You could rush into the manor and find someone who’s willing to get it for you? No, no one would take you seriously.

You shake your head and decide to just do the easiest thing; try and work up the courage to get it yourself. You start to pull off your heels and scrunch up your dress so that you can step into the water and you walk toward the edge of the boardwalk.

But as soon as you’re near the water you realise that you can’t do it and your panic rapidly worsens. You step back a few paces before falling to the ground and pulling your head into your knees as silent sobs begin to shake your core.

Breaths, in rapid beats, are going to and from your lungs as the sound of the water swishing fills your ears. Nausea begins to set in your stomach as you think more and more about your terrible predicament, your fear of bodies of water and your sadness at losing the necklace combining to form one indestructible lump in the pit of your stomach.

“Y/N? Are you out here?” A voice calls out from a yard or two away and you try to recognize it, but everything is foggy in your state of trepidation.

“Shit, Y/N!” The voice calls out once more and you hear footsteps pick up to a run as the person approaches you. “I swear to Merlin, if you die I’m going to kill you!”

You realise that the person still hasn’t noticed you, and is probably assuming the worst, so you try your best to croak out a word- any word.

“Here.” You manage to rasp out between sobs and wheezes, and the person immediately runs toward you.

“Y/N? Are you okay?” They ask as they pull your head out from your knees and you try to nod slowly.

You blink back a few tears and try to focus on the face in front of you, “The- the-“ You try to say and shake your head of the confusion as the words refuse to formulate.

“Hey, breathe princess.”

You recognize the nickname and then soon enough your eyes register that Draco’s kneeling in front of you. “Draco?”

“Yes, it’s me.” He responds softly as he cups your face in his hands and tries to wipe a few of your tears, “Take a few deep breaths for me, yeah?”

You nod and do as told, breathing until you finally calm down and manage to think clearly again. “I’m okay.” You breathe out and he sighs in relief.

“I was so worried, Pansy came in rambling about getting back at you and something about tossing and water- And I was just so scared that she’d thrown you in or something, because I know that you can’t swim and you’re terrified of the lake so I-“

“Hey, slow down, I’m okay. I’m right here.” You respond and manage a weak smile. He nods and sighs again. “She didn’t toss me into the water, though I think she would’ve liked to. She threw in the necklace. Shit! The necklace, it’s still down there!” You exclaim as you try to stand up but find that your legs are asleep, and end up coming back down instantly.

“Calm down. What necklace?”

“The one you gave me, the one with the sapphire that you said was a family heirloom?” You ramble and he furrows his eyebrows.

“You still have that?”

“Yes, I do. And it’s at the bottom of the lake and I need to get it back!” You stand up and Draco immediately does the same, placing his hands on your shoulders to keep you still.

“It’s just a necklace Y/N, you don’t need it.”

“It’s not just a necklace, it’s-“ You pinch your nose and sigh, “It just means a lot to me, okay?”

He narrows his eyebrows but nods in understanding, “Okay.” He steps back from you and pulls off his suit jacket, looking absolutely magnificent with his toned shoulders showing beneath the well-fitted shirt.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to get it for you.” He shrugs and you shake your head.

“You don’t have to, I can figure something out.”

“You tried to figure it out and you had a full on panic attack, I’m the best option.” He says sternly as he looks at you and you nod in agreement, “Now just wait, very far away, and let me find it for you.”

“Thank you.” You call out behind him but he doesn’t respond.

At dinner parties I won't call you out on your contrarian shit And the coastal town we never found will never see a love as pure as it 'Cause it fades into the gray of my day old tea 'Cause it will never be

“Here you go, in perfect condition.” He says as he drops the necklace into your hands and runs a hand through his hair. He looks gorgeous and you look down to avoid getting lost in his eyes.

“Your suit is wet.” You mumble with a sniff and he chuckles, the sound makes your heart race.

“We have magic, I’ll dry up.”

“Thank you.” You whisper as you finally look up at him and he smiles, that same hypnotic smile. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without it.”

“It’s just a necklace Y/N.” He smiles softly and you shake your head as tears begin to stream down your face again.

“No, it’s not just a necklace.” You sniff, “It’s you and I. It’s all that I have left of the love that we had, it’s all that I have left of the life we were going to build together.”

“Y/N.” The sternness in his voice makes you swallow hard, but you pull your hand up to indicate that you’re not done.

“Let me talk, please.” He nods and you continue, “This little gem is all the words that we never had the chance to say. It’s the nights we would’ve spent climbing into bed together, in our little house that’s tucked safely into a small town. It’s the cups of coffee I was going to make you when you woke up in the mornings, and the cups of tea you would’ve made me when we went to sleep. This little gem is the only thing I have to remind me that our love was real.”

“It also doesn’t hurt that it costs a fortune huh?” He asks with a grin, despite the fact that there’s sadness in his eyes, and you nod with a choked out laugh.

“Definitely a bonus.” You say as you laugh a little more and wipe away a few tears.

Draco pulls the necklace out of your hands and opens it to put it around your neck once again, and you turn around so he can put it on. “Look, Y/N, life is too short to fill up with ridiculous mistakes. You left me, like I never mattered to you, and it broke me.”

You turn back around quickly, “That wasn-“

He twists you back around abruptly, “Let me talk now.” You nod and he continues to hook the chain around your neck. “It took me months to decipher what you meant when you said that I had too much love for the spotlight, that I didn’t have the capacity to let it go. It took me months to finally grasp what you meant when you said that people fall at my feet, that my contrarian demeanor is a crowd-puller. And the recognition hurt, a lot, because I realised that you we right about most of it.”

You feel his fingers leave your neck as he places a soft kiss on your shoulder, “What was I wrong about?”

He pulls you back to face him and smiles as he looks down at you, “The only thing you were wrong about was my unwillingness to let it go.” He pulls you into his arms for a hug, and you sigh in his arms.

“You can’t just leave this life Draco, we both know it isn’t that simple.” You muffle into his chest and the vibrations of his chuckles make you smile.

“That’s where you’re wrong angel, I can just leave this life. You never gave me the option but,” You pull apart and he smiles so wide that you think his face might come apart, “I would give it all up, for you.”

Gleaming, twinkling Eyes like sinking ships on waters So inviting, I almost jump in

His eyes are shining as they look down at you with adoration and commitment, and it takes all the strength you have left inside to not pull him back into your arms. He brings his fingers up to the sapphire and rubs his thumb along it.

“It’s not all you have Y/N.” He pulls your chin up so you look him in the eyes, “I’m still right here.”

~~~

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~~~

hi lovies! guess who’s finally feeling good enough to write again! :) we’re going to ignore the fact that the FOOLWAG sequel is beating my ass though

I will not lie, I had a great time writing this, possibly one of my favourite requests by far. I was originally going to make the ending angsty but I figured  @evermoreeve (thx sweetie<3) reminded me that we all deserve a happy ending now and then.

anyway, i love you all,

jean <3

[eventid1ngs]

[ D a y d r e a m . ]

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I stand at attention, my left hand resting upon my right that is perched atop the pommel of the Master Sword, with the semblance that I’m ready for anything and everything that might come this way. Nothing will disturb the princess as she prays at the Goddess Spring. That is my mission.

Not far behind me, I hear a bit of rustling as Zelda slips off her sandals. She takes her time entering the water, each step into the clear spring slow and deliberate.

I know that she is anxious. I know that she feels like a failure.

I know that she is afraid.

The sounds of gently moving water and Zelda’s hushed voice make my head swim, making me remember, for whatever reasons, each time that the princess’ hand touched my hand or arm and every moment that her gaze met mine. Within castle walls, on lonely roads out in the field, late at night… under the stars... in the dark…..

Letting out a sigh, I close my eyes and focus on any other sounds around me. The rustling of the leaves and tree branches above me. Songbirds happily chirping what will be their final performances of the season. The late summer breeze wafts about, flaunting its broken promises; its own song of lingering memory and uncertain futures.

I let out another sigh as I wipe my mind blank.

After a few minutes, I hear the water stir behind me as Zelda steps out of the water. I sheathe my sword before turning to reach for the towel that I had slung over a low tree branch. Approaching the princess, I make a small gesture for her to sit down on a nearby rock. She does. Her eyes are downcast and her expression vulnerable, revealing her utter disappointment. Part of me, deep within the recesses of my soul, wants to curse the goddess for refusing to answer, but I do not.

Part of me, deep within the recesses of my soul, wants to tell Zelda that I love her and that everything will be alright and that it all will somehow work out in the end, but I do not.

She doesn’t say anything, so I don’t, either. I crouch down and dry her feet.

Reaching for her shoes, I hold her clean, dry right foot in my hand for a moment before slipping the sandal on. I do the same for her left foot.

“Thank you, Link.” she says, finally breaking the silence between us. There is so much emotion in her voice. Behind the honest gratitude of her words I hear things that others do not, or maybe just pretend that they do not. I hear the relentless fear that throbs like a festering wound within her. I hear the tenderness of a girl who possesses the sweet compassion of a mother but veils it with bold character so as to not appear "weak." I hear her heart, crying out; reaching out, desperately, for someone–anyone–to provide even an ounce of comfort amongst the chaos.

My hands linger on her legs for far longer than necessary and my heart is beating so hard in my chest that it threatens to cause my stomach to promptly expel whatever I had eaten for lunch not an hour ago.

I want to comfort her.

I want to–

“Link.” she says, and I look up to meet her eyes. The ocean green of her irises shimmer in the sunlight as the inevitable tears come to surface. She opens her lips to say something else, but the words refuse to follow. I reach up without thinking and wipe her cheek with my thumb. My finger barely touches her skin. A quiet sort of half-sob escapes her lips that are still parted.

I take her hands in mine and we both stand. I search her face for answers to questions that I do not even know how to ask. She needs something… I can see it in the concerned arc of her brows, the flutter of her lashes, and the way her breaths keep catching ever so slightly as they come and go.

What is it? What can I give that will stop her from hurting, even if just for a brief moment?

Shoving aside the doubts that are clouding my judgment, I put my arms around the princess and press her to my chest. She sobs quietly as I crush her to me in vain attempt to convince her with my embrace that I will not let go until she feels that she is ready to face the world again.

My lips brush against her temple, not entirely by accident, and the sudden contact makes her pull back a little. Something new makes an appearance in her expression, mingling with the sorrow. It is something like surprise, something like curiosity. Something like excitement. Though I can’t be sure, I lean towards her. My heart skips a beat when I realize that she makes no effort to hesitate. My mouth pauses a mere centimeter from hers as we share the same breath. With an inhale she moves forward so our upper lips touch; so quick and feather-light that it’s almost like it didn’t happen. She does this two more times as if confirming it. I angle my head slightly so that the next time she leaned in, our lips touched properly. It was almost a real kiss, but she pulled back just before the point of no return.

“Link…” Zelda whispers. If she says my name like that again, I feel like I would have to be relieved of my duties as a royal guard because there is no way I would ever be able to concentrate again with that permanently imprinted upon my mind. I dare not look at her face to see the blush that has risen in her cheeks and across the bridge of her nose. So I keep my eyes shut.

I want to run away. I want to run far, far away, with her hand in mine. With her by my side. Two kids, too young and too dumb to fight this war.

Just sad kids, going somewhere.

Getting lost.

My hands move up her back and over her shoulders and down her arms, hovering just a breadth away from her skin. The ghost caresses were enough, however, to raise goosebumps across every inch of her flesh that is either exposed by or hidden from my view under her white dress. Skin so rosy, so smooth, without blemish… The skin of the princess who carries the goddess’ blood within her veins, and it trembles and responds to me.

Her eyes flutter closed and mine do, too. Maybe if we keep our eyes closed, we can pretend that it didn’t happen. Maybe if we never open our eyes again, we won’t have to wake up.

Our lips crash into each other.

There is no sound but our breaths that come quickly before being stolen away again. There is no feeling but a steadily growing warmth as inhibitions are stripped away and skin touches skin. The setting sun melts into eventide. There is nothing but us; she, the Princess of Hyrule and I, her appointed knight. Even the moon and stars that hang in splendor from the heavens above dare not disturb us.

A sob catches in my throat as the edges of my darkened vision go blurry with the tears that are rapidly rising. My heart constricts painfully at the sudden, terrible idea that I have become caught up in a silly dream. The possibility that this isn’t real. It couldn’t be. It never would be.

The realization hits me, knocking the air from my lungs, like a behemoth.

Just a silly dream.

All the things you didn’t say.

All of the things that you didn’t do.

Every chance that slipped from your grasp.

Do you wonder what we could have had?

Do you realize that you and I… could have…..

I feel myself start to panic, and I’m too exhausted to fight it. Don’t leave me.

Please.

A wave of pale blue flower petals rushes past my line of sight like an angel answering a prayer, but it never materializes; only disappears with what remains of my fleeting daydream.

I realize, gradually, while the scene that I had just experienced wasn’t real, the pain in my chest very much was. I look down, choking on my own sobs, at the arrows that are lodged into the center of my breastbone. Every inhale causes me to wince at the sharp pain that shoots up and down my body due to the movement.

What do I do?

I don’t know what I’m doing.

Please come back to me.

"I'll find you."  I say, out loud, with a voice that sounds out of place. "...Wait for me."

...Zelda.

I get up.

.

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.

.

.

Playlist:

“Daydream” by Super Junior

“2 Kids” & “Sad Kids” by Taemin

“Find You” by Monsta X

(Zelink shippers, don’t look up these songs with the English translations unless you, like myself, have an inordinate desire for pain.)

[yandere-wishes]

Sacrificial Bride Part 1//Twisted Wonderland X Reader//

Alright well, that's enough writing for the next few days if you excuse me I'm going to go sulk in my corner. Huge thanks to @softyswork​ who’s story about reader being sent to Malleus as a bride inspired this series. Also, I REALLY want to make some sort of modern-day Frankenstein it would be an amazing scientific breakthrough! You'll understand what I mean when you get to Idia's part lol.

💚🐉Malleus Draconia🐉💚

It was a common rumor around your village that ever since the death of the sleeping princess your settlement had never been the same. For you, this was nothing more than a fairy tale meant to spark a scrap of hope in the hearts of naive, suffering children who were still too young to fully understand why their fathers never returned from their hunting trips or why there was barely anything to eat for dinner.

Every time you heard this dreaded tail, you couldn't help but scuff. For as long as you've been alive your town had been in utter disarray and chaos. Monsters from the woods -what the town's folk called "fae"- attacked the village daily. Stealing jewels, destroying homes, sometimes even swallowing children or sucking the blood of the dormant. There was also the looming threat of the green flames. Blazing emerald fires who couldn't be subdued by neither water nor dirt. They advanced further into the territory of the village by each full cycle of the moon. Leaving behind in their trail, thick impenetrable thorn bushes that had taken the homes of many and the lives of many more.

Awful, dreaded creatures those fae where...

But alas you did not yet know just how cruel they could be.

On another periodic morning, your younger sister jolted you awake, dragging you to the town center before you got a chance to change out of your nightgown.

In the center of the square was short man..no...not a man you noticed his pointed drawn back ears. "Fae" you gasped under your breath. But unlike the monstrous fairies that ravished your town taking on the appearances of trees and woodland creatures, this one resembled a boy of 15. The young-looking male began to speak, his voice was clear like crystals, and to his tone bats began to flock overhead. "Truly dreadful, these fairy folk are" your sister uttered in terror as she buried her face in your side.

"Heed my words, mortals. The young prince of thorns has decided to take a wife. By the setting of the sun a full day from today, two of his guards will come to collect your offering. If you chose to disregard this Wa-- friendly advice, then what is left of your town will be decimated before the end of summer. Your children eaten, wives imprisoned and husbands killed!" An unsteady hush rippled through the crowd. Some hothead youths began to throw rocks at the stranger only for the bats hovering above to shield him from the stones. Mothers hugged their children close begging for the man to "just leave".

"If" the man's voice rose once more like a cadaver emerging from the grave " my young master is pleased with your sacrifice than we shall reward you! Bring good health and prosperity to your otherwise sick and decaying village." His last words melted into the open air before he vanished in a cloud of squealing bats and ebony smoke.

The town's folk erupted in screeches, cursing at their deities while simultaneously praying to any god that would listen.

"Help us!"

"save us!"

"Don't let them take our daughters!"

The screams escalated to the point where you had to cover your ears with your shaking hands. Your eyes scanning each of the villager's faces, a pathetic lot they were, you thought to yourself. Scared by the words of a young magician. In a flash, your heart sped up, adrenaline pumping through your veins, as you marched to the center square where the boy had been mere moments ago. You stood tall, cupping your hands over your mouth.

"Listen well you disquiet, mindless lot!"

All eyes turned to you. Some holding looks of confusion, whilst others harbored glances of hope.

"This fae is lying! No way will they be satisfied with just one measly girl! No matter who we sacrifice to their so-called master, they'll still come after us! They'll still destroy our village! Let's not be stupid! Let's find a way to barricade the city instead of arguing over who to sacrifice!"

For an endless second all was quite. It was like the world had stopped turning, frozen in its place in the universe trying to decide what to do.

Then it happened,

Chants reverberating through the air

"Sacrifice her!" "Sacrifice her!"

"Sacrifice her!" "Sacrifice her!"

"Sacrifice her!"........................

WHAT!

NO!

DID THOSE MORONS NOT LISTEN TO A SINGLE WORD YOU SAID!

The crowd started advancing. Eyes locked on your figure like those of a leopard on its prey.  Their mouths were all a gap, chanting the words "sacrifice" over and over again. From behind the mob, your eyes locked with your sister's. You could practically feel the despair rolling off her figure as she covered her eyes and fell to her knees, her whole body rattling with a sort of distant rage...

A full day....it's funny how time passes all so quickly no matter what you do. Day in and day out nothing changes, pain is still pain, laughter is still laughter. Time just keeps slipping from between your fingers like sand. Even in the direst of times, Time doesn't show mercy, never once does it cease. It just ticks and ticks away until the inevitable moment arrives.

Your sister and aunt -the only two relatives that you hadn't lost to the fae- were in charge of preparing you for your so-called "wedding". Since your town was poor and isolated from other civilizations there wasn't much they could do to enhance your beauty. Smashing some berries to add color to your lips -and fervently ravishing the remains- using some coal to add shade behind your eyes, as well as around them and patting the dust of rose petals against your cheek. By the end, you hardly recognized the person staring back from the mirror. Sure the adjustments were minor but this was the most stunning you'd ever looked. "Is it almost time" your voice quivered, failing to hide the tears that began to fall. "Please don't cry sweetheart, we don't have any more coal to fix your eyes with." Your aunt's tone was monotone almost bordering on heartless. You couldn't really blame her, she'd gotten so used to having her loved ones plucked from her. One more would be no different. Sniffing as to keep the tears at bay, you nodded slowly. Your glossy eyes locked with your aunt's you could see the same fear and exhaustion in her fading irises as the night her son was slaughtered in front of her.

"Just a few reminders" your sister's voice was cheery like the chirping of early morning birds, but her face mimicked that of a kicked puppies. "Remember when the prince...fae...when he..you know...Oh, Lord please tell me he won't" She was shivering again. Her face twisted in horror. You knew what she was thinking, she was imagining you laying in the bed of that...that thing. She was imagining him entering you, kissing up and down your neck. Leaving patches of red skin over smooth flesh, bruises wherever his clawed hands touched you. She was imagining what was no doubt going to happen to you tonight...

the mere thought made bile rise to your throat.

"Darling, just keep saying how much you like it. It's all any man wants to hear." again your aunt or rather her lackluster form of speech was the rope binding you to your sanity.

"Do fae even have...those parts like humans do?" Your sister asked, only to be met with a glare from your aunt. "Stop wasting time on pointless questions! Hurry up and see if this dress fits your sister."

Sure enough, as you were escorted to where the thorn bushes met the village, two men, one standing tall and proud, whilst the other looked like he may topple over from fatigue at any moment, were awaiting you.

The green-haired man let out a haughty laugh, his blazing eyes scanning you from head to toe. "She's hardly worthy of the young master!" His dreadful voice was like the booming of thunder clouds. "It doesn't matter, Malleus-sama needs to be wedded off quickly so he can produce an heir. None of us are getting any younger by standing here debating the "worthiness" of yet another measly human" the silver-haired male's voice was the exact opposite of his comrades, his voice was soft and breathy like light drizzle after a storm.

The green-haired man looked ready to argue once more, but before he could open his mouth, his violet-eyed counterpart waved something thin in the air casing a pathway to open between the hedges.

It was dark between the brambles. The air was thick, stuffy, every breath was a struggle. Although it seemed neither of your traveling buddies minded the discomfort. Did fae even need air to survive?

After what could have been no less than a couple of hours, your small group made it to a large clearing where only a few rays of the sun leaked through the thick smoky clouds. Miss matched flowers in shades of grey littered the rocky barren ground. Maybe at some point, this place had been beautiful, stunning even...but whenever that time had been it was long gone now.

As you ventured farther into this monochrome land of loss and sorrow, the three of you approached a castle. It towered over everything else, grim in all its glory. "Young master Malleus is awaiting you inside..." The green-haired male's voice trailed off as his speech was interrupted by the deafening creaking of the doors parting open. Without another word the two men dragged you inside, pushing you through spiral staircases and long bleak passageways. Until you arrived at a lavish-looking room, a large throne sitting smugly in the front of the room. It's black, spiked appearance was enough to make you gasp in horror, you didn't desire to meet the monster that perched atop that throne. "Don't be so afraid." the silver-haired man whispers, his head is almost resting on your shoulder. "Malleus-sama is kind and fair. He is sure to love you better than any human ever could." you catch a hint of nostalgic sadness in the last part, like a long lost part of the lavender eyed boy's past caught in his throat like a glass shard.

Trumpets roared through the room blaring as two men, one short and fickle whilst the other tall and brooding walked in. "Malleus~" The short one sang as they both stopped in front of you "Say hello to your lovely new wife." the tall man's emerald eyes landed on you. His lips parted in a threatening smile...or maybe it was a smirk? He didn't seem to be too good at displaying emotions. Slowly he descended onto one knee, slipping your hand into his and kissing the top lightly.

"Hello, my darling little wife."

🧡🦁Leona Kingscholar🦁🧡

The After Glow Savanna was an absolute hell to be born in if your family did not belong to some royal inner court class. The endless days spent scavenging for scraps of food, walking miles for a simple glass of water, had become a sort of broken, habit beaten into the residents of the smaller less fortunate districts.

Eventually, you too would follow in your parent's footsteps, working odd jobs around the neighborhood, getting married to some guy, having kids, and giving them the same dreary life your parents had given you. It was simple -miserable- but simple never the less. In an odd way, you found a sort of comfort in how everything was set in stone. How you'd suffer through a few years then die of starvation or some disease in your husband's arms.

But little did you know that the only comfort you had in your horrible life was also going to be swiped from you.

When Ruggie, a dear childhood friend of yours returned from his prestigious school for the winter holidays you were overjoyed! A week with your best friend was the greatest gift you could ask for! But that excitement soon dulled when he announced to the neighborhood what the royal family had planned for the underdeveloped parts of the country.

"They want to demolish the homes and build parks and shopping strips instead"

The people of your tiny community gasped, shock and hopelessness mixing over their dirty, worn out faces. Some older siblings shielded the ears of their younger kin, some mothers hugged their children closer to their chests. "They can't do that to us!" Your voice was like a beacon through the thick fog of confusion. "We can't let them!" You turned to Ruggie who was seated next to you. His blue-grey eyes held a foreign sadness that you had never seen before. He was hiding something...something so grim that he was forced to shove it into the depths of his soul, locking it up and throwing away the key.

"There is a way..."

For such a hopeful phrase, Ruggie's tone harbored no happiness. You could practically see the tears that were clouding his beautiful eyes. "Tell us" someone from the crowd demanded, others soon joined in with their own chants. For a long moment, Ruggie said nothing, the shouts of despair falling on deaf ears.

"If.." his voice trailed off, as his gaze grew distant.

"If someone from the neighborhood were to marry the second prince..." Gasps of fear filled the air. Even the mere mention of the second prince's name was enough to send chills down people's spins.

"Then they could, as the newly appointed  princess, convince the royal family and counsel to scrap this monstrous plan." No one uttered another word. No one was brave enough to face the man who could destroy anything with a simple touch.

But the sake of these people, people who had nothing but their families and a muddy roof over their head was on the line.

Do something, a tiny voice in your head screamed, save them, it begged. You shifted your head so to get a glimpse of Ruggie's face. "I-" you began but were cut off before you could even finish.

"I know you would say that."

His voice broke over every syllable. He knew you would give up your depressing nostalgia for the sake of others. Life in the castle would be hell, being married to that monster would be something worst than the dwellings of the devil.

It was a speedy arrangement, so fast that your head didn't have time to process anything. In the end, it almost seemed like the royal family was desperate to find a spouse for their youngest son.

Just marry him! Was what all the absentee looks told you.

Early that morning, Ruggie had dragged you to the castle, all tears, and grumbles. The palace guards let him in with no restrain, it almost felt like he'd been here before. Your childhood friend led you to a room in the further corner of a grand hall. He told you to stay outside as he went in to chat with the prince. Moments later the newly appointed king and queen came to usher you into a privet room and discuss the marriage. Not an hour later your fate had been sealed, you'd be married off to prince Leona tomorrow at sunrise. For "historical purposes" your neighborhood would be preserved and even taken care of. 'Historical purposes' you thought 'more the like a bribe to get you to marry this beast.

that night you were dragged this way and that by the queen herself. Taken for fitting after fitting. Trying on hundreds of wedding dresses who's prices could feed every mouth in your neighborhood for months! "Leona isn't very classy" the queen sighed in disappear. "He would probably prefer you to be in something laxer, shorter if you will" the tailors ran around trying to find something that would fit her vague description, as you stood facing her royal highness.

"What's he like?" you asked soullessly

"Spoiled, although not as heartless as the rumors make him out to be"  She didn't seem to like giving straight answers

"will he harm me? It was an honest question, although the lack of thinking it took before the queen replied made your heart skipped a beat.

"Quite possibly, he is rather...aggressive at times. Just don't let his degrading comments get to you. He's not used to being around people"

The more she described the second-born prince the more it seemed she was actually speaking of some feral dog that had raised in isolation.

Oh, how doomed you were.

The wedding was even faster than the preparation. Ruggie walked you down an aisle of flowers, walking over the petals, killing them once and for all, ending their pointless existence. You stood by your self at the altar awaiting your husband to be. It took a rather long time before the doors were flung open and the king waltzed in carrying his struggling brother under his arm. "No need to worry, Leona was taking one of his catnaps again and forgot about today's events" the king announced, in what could only be described as a mock lively tone.

How on earth does someone forget their wedding! This prince really wasn't a typical human...heck you where beginning to think that the feral dog would have made a better groom.

snap, snap

A few magazine pictures here, a couple of family photos there...

Everything was so bright and loud...

right before you and the second prince were thrown into the darkness of his room. In the obscurity, you could ONLY make out the glowing of his emerald eyes.

You could feel him shifting closer, all the while you took shaking steps backwards. " I thought wives were supposed to leap into the arms of their husbands? Tell me little herbivore do I frighten you?"

Your voice refused to leave your throat, too afraid to come into contact with the prince.

"What's the matter? Did they not teach you to speak in on the streets you grew up on. Poor thing~"

Leona pounced across the room, tackling you to the ground. His sheer weight pinning you to the carpeted floor. The sound of fabric tearing echoed through the silence.

How careless these royal were was the only intelligible thought that came to your frenzied brain.

Goosebumps littered your skin as Leona's claws cut into your flesh. His lips kissed over each wound as he made his way up to your cherry painted lips.

"You look so cute, you know, like a little mouse about to get devoured by a starving lion."

💙💀Idia Shroud💀💙

The rhythm of his heartbeat was slowing down, it felt like the patter of ants atop one's flesh. He was dying...this was an irreversible fact. The love of your life was dying and there was nothing you could do but sit idly by and watch the life fade from his pale bruised face. Your thumb ran over his knuckles in robotic-like strokes. Hours had passed, you'd shed all the tears that you had. He was gone...that was all there was to it.

For a hopeless second, you flicked your eyes to the open window on the opposite side of the room, There was never any sun on the island of lamination but regardless today seemed brighter than any other day. "How cruel" you muttered in a deadpan voice. Outside something...or better yet...someone was running through the fields, chasing what looked like a butterfly. The young child had blazing blue hair a symbol of the Shroud family...

THE SHROUD FAMILY

Your breath hitch in your lungs, your heart began to pound furiously in your chest. They could help you though hopefully. There family where distant relatives of the god of the underworld and a few years back -to your regulation- the hair of the family had been able to semi revive his younger brother. If he was able to bring back a child from the dead than surly they would have no problem returning your lost lover to you.

Your eyes waltz over his dormant face one last time before you got up and ran for the door.

"This is all for you my love, all of this is for you"

The Shroud family mansion was located at the top of one of the many hills that plagued the island. It was a dark grisly building that resembled the castles from old tales, where monsters laid dormant. Rumors spiraled around the rural civilization, some saying that the family was cursed by the lord of the dead, whilst others claimed that the shroud family were the long lost descendants of the lord of the dead and the maiden of spring. The curse had been placed on the family by the temperamental mother of the maiden of spring, anathematizing the family to be plagued with death and disappear for the rest of eternity.

Regardless of what their misfortune was, they may very well be the last people on earth who could help you. Surely if the family had brought back their youngest than they could bring back your lover!

You knuckles tapped furiously at the old metal doors of the frightful residence. The rhythm was unkept, unsteady, it's mere sound radiated urgency.

"PLEASE HELP ME"

Your throat burned as you screamed out those three lousy words.

After what felt like forever, the doors cracked open, revealing a tall man obscured by the shadows. Any light that touched the interior of the house seemed to die acidity, making peering inside nearly impossible.

"What business do you have?" The man's voice was croaky as if his vocal cords hadn't been used in years. For a split second, you closed your eyes, trying to organize the thoughts in your head. "My...my...h-hus...lover, my lover is d-dead...o-or rather he is dying....probably fully gone by now..." despite the mess of stuttered letters and mixed-up words, the man seemed to understand your situation. With a long sigh, he pulled you into the somber house.

Fingers still wrapped tightly around your wrist he pulled you around, guiding you through the darkness until you reached a large room lit only by the mysterious blue flames of the fireplace. Sitting by the warmth was a...well it was hard to tell, her face -despite it displaying every bone of her visage coupled with dark sunken eyes- resembled that of a woman no older than thirty, whilst her body resembled a decaying skeleton. What was she? Was she the lady of the residence or yet another monster this bizarre family had created.

"My, love" the man began to speak, his voice was somehow cleared like it had been given some sort of jolt. "This young lady needs Idia's help, she wants to bring back her lover from the dead."

The woman said nothing, her eyes staring ahead, burning a hole in the wall right by your head. "What will she give him in return" despite her "deteriorating" appearance her voice was like soft silk on one's skin, melodious and fair.

"Why herself!" This time the man's voice boomed across the house, echoing through the hallways and falling on you like a cave in.

"M-myself! What the hell do you mean!"

"It sounds fair" the women agreed "my darling sweet son saves your lover and instead you agree to marry him! Oh how wonderful, just like in the tales about grandfather Hades!"

She seemed too thrilled about this, her snow-white eyes gleaming with a sort of delusional passion.

"Idia! Idia honey! Come down your father has a surprise for you!"

The hollow sound of footsteps soon filled the quiet air. Followed by another soft blue glow.

Was there no normal fire in this house?

But it wasn't fire, not exactly. When your eyes fell on the heir of the Shroud family, you suddenly felt a nervous wave crash over you. There was something -even more- unsettling about him, he looked nothing like his charming little brother. For one his hair wasn't...well hair! Sure you'd expect a small batch of blazes heading upwards but this was something else entirely! It resembled a large bonfire that floated towards the ground, rouge sparks falling in every which direction, sizzling and then dying abandoned on the floor. And his eyes, Miosis like pupils floating around in a pool of lemon yellow.

But all the physical appearances aside, the most unsettling thing about him was the gloomy aura that leaked off him, suffocating anyone in his presence. Nervously you took a step back only to be yanked forward again by the taller man.

"Idia baby!" His mother ran over to him, cradling his hands in hers "This cute young lady has agreed to marry you if you can save her lover, just like in that old tale about your great grandfather! Oh, my this is all so romantic!"

It seemed like no one here understood that you were in love WITH SOMEONE ELSE! Or maybe they did and chose to disregard it. Instead, using the bits they retained as kindling to feed their raw excitement. You shifted your gaze back to Idia's face. To your utter terror, he was...smiling? Could that...look...even be called a smile? It seemed more like the way a shark would bare its teeth at a defenseless seal! Oh, gods please don't let this...thing...be your future husband!

"It should be easy enough," His golden gaze landed on you "W-when did...did he die?" it took a few moments before you register that he was talking to you or technically asking you something. "A...A  few..." your voice cracked, tears streaming down your eyes.

"So recently...okay that shouldn't be a p-problem." He turned on his heels and walked back into the seclusion of the halls "I'll grab some things and meet you by the front door"

A few things ended up being a pile of wires and bolts. Something that looked like a light blue ball of energy and so many tools whose names seemed to go over your head.

Idia was kneeling by your lover's bed, pulling apart the skin and fusing metal in its place. Your darling's chest was cracked open, his ribs poking out towards the sky as if praying for life from the lord of the sky. Every once in awhile Idia would pull out a long tool with smoke floating from the top. He'd lay it on an organ watching as the tissue fiber sizzled away under the heat. He would then tie wires and small circular batteries inside.

"His heart stopped working, I'm guessing from some sort of shock"

You just hummed in response, too caught up in how the man you loved was beginning to look like a modern-day Frankenstein rather than a human being.

The sun had long since faded when Idia finally got up from his spot. His bones cracked and screeched at the sudden change, his muscles giving out halfway leaving him to rely on the wall for support to stand. Your lover's chest had been sewn back and covered with a silver piece of metal. His neck was wrapped in the same sort of alloy. His left arm had been cut open so Idia could shove the energy ball inside than cover it, leaving a small enough gap for wires that stretched from his chest to weld into the ball.

"He just needs a boost" Idia murmured that shark-like grin overtaking his pale face once more. From the side table, he plucked up to jumper cables and clipped them on either side of his neck. Jolts and crackles filled the room and sparks flew in every direction, the once-dead body shuffled around, arms and legs moving at random. You shrieked and duck behind Idia.

Only then did he pry the clips from his neck.

Nothing

for too long nothing happened... then there was a slight wiggle in one finger, then another. His eyes slowly began to prey open, looking over his surroundings. The moment his confused gaze feel onto you. Idia turned you around to face him, clumsily smashing his blue chapped lips onto yours.

From the corner of his eyes, Idia watched as the other man began to understand what was happening...even if he was just resurrected there was still agony at the sight of his lover kissing another...

Good! That should show him who you belonged to now!

[nubi-simp]

stolen patagium (piglin!techno x bat!reader) Part 1

~3k words. Definitely not for those who cannot handle sad well.

For you, your wings were part of your whole identity. They were your pride and joy, and you flaunted them everywhere you could. You adored your near-transparent leathery wings that stretched around you like a blanket.

However with your wings came a few setbacks. Because of your hybrid, you were nearly blind, only able to see silhouettes at best. Sound was something that surrounded you- it helped you see, or rather know where things are. Due to this, you relied heavily on friends to help you through unfamiliar places, though you had nearly mapped out all of the towns nearby from flying around on your own.

You were currently laughing and shrieking with Tubbo and Niki, playing in the small spring near your house, splashing and chasing each other merrily. The day was sunny and warm, perfect for a short outing before the upcoming storm tore through the land. Sitting a ways away was Phliza, Techno and Tommy were talking about god knows what while Wilbur sat soaking in a small alcove in the pool, having had enough of being dunked into the water by you and Niki.

Your head was suddenly splashed with cold water, causing you to shriek and squawk awkwardly as Tubbo laughed and Niki moved quickly away from you, trying to escape the accusation you would inevitably shout at her, half shouting and half laughing to never, ever do that again. As the day melded into the early evening, the sunlight was disappearing ever more as thicker storm clouds rolled in front of it. Almost immediately after the last cloud covered the sun, the thunder started and the clouds lit up momentarily with lightning that had yet to hit the ground. You groaned as you knew this was a sign to head back into the safety of your own home. Frowning you looked at the vague figure of Tubbo and Niki before asking them if they’d help you get back home without tripping over spare rocks and twigs.

“I can’t, I’m meant to help Tommy and Phil pack up the picnic we had,” Tubbo replied patting your back before moving to help the aforementioned people with said picnic. You looked towards Niki while sighing,

“It’s ok Niki, I know you don’t know the way back to my house.” She apologised before quickly helping me out of the water, said her goodbyes, and promptly left to her own home. You looked around at the remaining figures before making your way over to Techno himself intent on asking if he could help guide you home. Halfway over to him, it started to rain, causing the ground to quickly become slick. Your own wings curled tighter into your body, the cold droplets of the rain feeling like ice on your skin.

You paused, knowing that you would most likely slip and fall if you continued without a guide and shouted, “Techno! Can you come here please?”

His figured seemed to appear out of thin air as he approached, making enough noise to let you know he was there in case you hadn’t seen him approaching.

“Yes?” his reply came out roughly, most likely a little sore from talking nearly all day.

“Do you think you could help me get home? There’s so many stray stones and twigs that I’ll trip at least three times if I try to get there myself.” Your voice was pleading, and you were half preparing to crawl home in case he said no before-

“Yea, I’ll help you.”

You breathed out in relief, “Thanks so much! You don’t know how much you’re helping me.”

He simply looked at you and made an expression your half-blind self could assume was a smile, before setting his arms on your shoulder, and pulling you forwards into the more dense woods that lead to your house. Every now and again he’d call out that there was a fallen stone or branch, and helped you clamber over them when you asked for assistance. The rest of the walk back went fairly okay- or as okay as it could be when the rain came down harder, sheets of it hitting the ground so loud it was hard to hear your own voice, let alone his. You briefly lost your footing going down into the valley your house sat in, and Techno’s strong hands helped pull you back up. It was now no longer an aimed walk back to your house, as now you were both walking as quick as was safe for you, trying desperately to get out of the rain as fast as possible.

Once reaching your covered porch, you quickly set your outdoor fireplace up and lit it, intending to dry your clothes a little bit before going indoors. You looked over at Techno, smiling, “You ought to stay for a little to see if the rain lets up before you head home.”

He began to protest that he would be fine, that the wait would only make it more wet outside, when you shushed him and reminded him that the last thing he needed was to get sick from wet, cold clothes. Grabbing a set of plain, dry clothes, you paused, before grabbing a second set for Techno. Turning back to the fire pit, you handed him the clothes and motioned to the clean, dry towels near him saying, “There’s a small area on the other side of the porch you can towel off on and change into dry clothes, I promise I can’t see that far away especially in this heavy rain,”

You chuckled at the darker shade that crossed his face when you finished talking, and promptly went to grab a rack to put near the fire to dry out the wet clothes. Dragging it over, you noticed that he’d moved, presumably to do as you suggested. You stood, not wanting to wet the seats with your dripping clothes when you faintly heard footsteps belonging to Techno come closer. Turning you spotted his large figure in the dry clothes you’d provided, a towel thrown around his hair.

“Feel better?” You asked, smirking.

“Much,” he replied before sitting back down on the same couch he was on earlier. You nodded, before going over to change your own clothes. As you stripped of the uncomfortable clothes, you felt the hairs on your neck rise. There was something watching you. Not one to ignore instinct, you quickly wrapped yourself in the towel, not bothering to grab the wet clothes as you walked quickly over to Techno.

When he looked over towards you, you could tell that he was blushing at your form, his mouth opening to ask before-

“There was something watching me over there, I figure that I’d be better off near you than alone,” He shut his mouth quickly before nodding, looking away to give you privacy as you changed near him, feeling much safer than before. Clearing your throat you sat next to him, signaling that you were done with changing. He looked over before chuckling at your disgruntled expression. You tended to be fairly suspicious of everything since you couldn’t trust your sight and with the storm raging next to you, you were down to three senses, none of which were very helpful.

As the night dragged on, so did the storm. You and Techno had both since moved inside, the hairs on your neck having risen again. This time Techno was aware of the presence as well, which calmed you to know that you weren’t going crazy. Having moved inside, of course then did the rain begin to let up momentarily, letting the dim shine of the moon come through the clouds. It seemed the the storm had let up, and you looked over to Techno, knowing that he would want to go home as soon as possible.

“Would you mind looking around the house to make sure that the thing that was watching us is gone before you go? It’d help me out a lot,” You questioned, using your puppy eyed-look to influence him more. He just looked at you flatly before agreeing and letting you pamper him a little more before heading back out.

__

After agreeing to look around your house, Techno finally managed to escape your doting nature by saying that the more he waits the more of a chance the thing watching you and him had left.

You grudgingly let him go, and he inspected the perimeter of your house thoroughly, before out of the corner of his eye he saw a shift in the trees a few yards away from your house. He tensed, honing in on the figure before quietly equipping his sword. At the reflection of the moon on the enchanted blade, the figure quickly shrieked and took off, with Techno hot on it’s heels.

__

You heard him yell out, “Found it!” before taking off, and you assumed that it was taken care of. You relaxed your tense shoulders before moving to clean up the small mess of food you and Techno had made earlier. Once done, you figured that it wouldn’t hurt to have a little extra protection tonight, as you drew the blinds and curtains, before leaning chairs against the doorways of the house and locking the doors.

Content that you were safe enough, (as you could never be completely safe in this area) you blew out the main candles before going and laying on your makeshift nest, which consisted of various grasses and hay, as well as a soft pillow given to you by Niki. As you finally drifted off, your winged form relaxed wholly, completely unaware of the dark figure that had been in your house before you had even come home.

__

Techno was on a high of adrenaline, having chased and successfully caught the dark figure. After catching and interrogating the creature, he was running as fast as he could back to your house, praying you were still awake or at the very least, able to defend yourself well enough until he got there himself.

__

You awoke to a rough set of hands on your shoulders, trying to tie you down to the bed. You thrashed, unable to see a thing, but able to locate just about everything in the room from the sound you were making. There was someone on top of you, pinning you down with their own weight. A cruel whisper in your ear promised to be gentle if you stopped fighting, making your blood run cold. You feared the worst, rape, death, perhaps both- but nothing prepared you for the icy ball of dread that dropped into your stomach as the stranger caressed your wings. Your eyes teared as you screamed as loud as you could, hoping the noise would either catch the creature off guard or alert someone to your situation, but the creature ignored your scream, intent on checking that your wings would indeed catch a fair price.

__

At the sound of your scream, Techno ran even harder, having told Phil of the situation as he was sure the he would need backup to either comfort you or kill the creature after your precious wings.

__

After a frantic message from Techno, Philza was on his way over to your house as fast as possible, slicing through the air with his wings as he fought against the wind currents- they were strong because of the storm but Phil was stronger, intent on helping his friend, and your precious wings as he knew exactly what the horrible creatures were after.

__

You were struggling against your binds as the creature had decided that your wings were worth the fortune he would get selling them, before getting off of you and grabbing a metal saw. You blacked out when he made the first in-out pull of the saw, the pain shooting through your body so intensely that you would rather have died than experience again. Even as your body blacked out, you could still feel the drag of the saw’s teeth in and out on the base of your wing. Your screams were no longer out of fear, but of unimaginable pain when you woke up.

As the man sawed through the wing, you’d managed to run your voice hoarse and screamed until you’d vomited. Instantaneously, you felt a weight off of your shoulder blade, and you knew immediately that your wing was gone.

Your mind was reeling, hardly acknowledging the pain of the man behind you beginning to saw your other wing, and the only thing your mind could think of was no. Your wing was gone. It was just gone.

Your screams fell silent as you finally, finally, blacked out completely, body giving up from the overload of pain and pure unadulterated terror.

__

Techno reached your house, with Phil swooping in hard, and the both of them could smell the sickening scent of blood and vomit before even opening the door, quickly disregarding the chair that was leaned against it, rushing into the small walled off area you called your bedroom.

There, on the hay was your body, prone and mutilated. The window next to it was shattered and empty, the thief long gone with your wings in arms. Techno could barely take in the scene before him- he and Phil had both seen bodies ripped apart, but the sight of you made Techno feel as if he was back in time, younger, seeing the first dead body in his bloody history. But you couldn’t be dead, you were still gushing blood as he leaned down to press his hands against the- the stumps left from where your wings used to rest. He took one look at Phil and Phil knew that he was not going to be the one who looked for your thief. Sighing heavily, Phil sent a nod towards Techno as he shot out through the window, in pursuit of your wings.

Phil quickly made a makeshift swing around his neck before carefully placing your body inside of it. After securing your lifeless body to himself, he shot into the sky, heading towards one of the only people he knew could help- BadBoyHalo’s house.

__

BadBoyHalo was not necessarily suprised at Phil’s arrival at his house, but he was horrified at was Phil brought. Looking at your mangled form, Bad pushed away his horror and tears as he forced himself to attend to your body, bandaging your stumps before moving on to the welts from the rope you’d been tied with, to having Phil help move your body so he could check that the more intimate parts of your body had not been hurt. Ordering Phil around felt strange to Bad, but Phil was more than willing to scrounge up the resources for a healing potion.

__

You woke up screaming, sending Phil rushing into your room to check on you. At the sight of another person you trembled, scooting back quickly, maneuvering your wings out of the way-

You froze. Phil could tell by the look in your eyes you’d remembered. Your chest began to heave as you looked over your shoulders to find nothing. A sob tore it’s way through your chest, the sound involuntary as your eyes beheld what was left of your wings. Nothing. You whimpered, and locked eyes with Phil, and before you could blink he was at your side, hold you as you screamed and thrashed into his body, bawling your eyes out. He whispered to you that it would be okay, that they’d be back, but you couldn’t listen, bile rising from the back of your throat at the thought of never being able to fly again.

Now that your body wasn’t running on pure fear you could feel every pulse through what was left of your back, the raw feeling of the bandage pressing harshly on you.

Having been woken up from the long night of bandaging you up by your screams, Bad finally managed to come in to give you a healing potion and, mercifully, a sleeping potion. Taking both gratefully, you quickly lie back against Phil, crying into his side as he tried his best to comfort you.

__

When Techno finally found your wings nearly a week later, the things he’d done to the thief were unspeakable. Needless to say, the thief was in now in pieces, and what was left of the man was buried alive. He’d been seeing red the entire time- he could hardly kill the man slow enough.

He was now gently wrapping your wings in the softest cloth he’s managed to find at the nearby village, taking extra care not to harm them. He fixed a sort of harness to himself so he could carry the wings on his back before heading back to you- or what he hoped would still be you.

__

Your thoughts were filled with poison. You’d been moving through the week without life, a mere husk of your former self. Hardly eating, and spending most of your time sitting on the roof of Bad’s house-clinic staring at the sky with a dead expression. You were no longer upset- you coudn’t feel much of anything past the pain and mourning of your wings.

You’d spent the next few day doing the same before you were woken in the night by a noise. Quickly scrambling up, you looked around your still-lit room, searching for the intruder. Your heartbeat quickened as you left the room, anxious to avoid anything that could even hint towards the night you’d lost your wings. Stepping into the kitchen-den area, you saw Phil and Bad both awake, speaking to-

Was that Techno? And what was in the massive bag he was holding so carefully? Clearing your throat, all of the men looked at you- and yes, it was Techno they were talking to, though at the sight of you, Techno quickly left with his bag, making sure the bag didn’t hit the walls or ceiling. Shifting your eyes back to Bad and Phil, you worked up the nerve to ask the question burning through your lungs. They told you that there was going to be an important discussion about what would happen after Techno returned.

“What now?” you rasped, voice thick from mourning and restless sleep.

It was silent except for the return of Techno into the room, as Phil sighed. Locking eyes with Techno and Bad, he seemed to steel himself before turning to face you fully.

“If it were possible, would you want your wings back?” he asked quietly, and my heart froze. To have my wings back? To have what was missing from you returned? You choked back a sob- steadying yourself on the counter next to you, barely keeping from collapsing onto the floor. Suddenly the pieces fell into place.

The bag held your wings. You gasped a sob out as the men looked at you. If. If they could re-attach them. You faintly nodded, feeling yourself separate from the situation. You couldn’t dare hope for something like that.

Managing to reassert yourself you looked at them, helpless, and whimpered a pitiful, “Please,” before you could convince yourself otherwise. Techno moved closer to you, before abandoning his hard exterior in favor of comforting you.

__

Days later, your wings were reattached. A week after that you moved to newly built house near both Techno and Phil. Months passed and you were finally strong enough to relearn how to fly. A year passed, and you were nearly as healthy as you were before what had now been dubbed ‘the incident’.

____

should i bother with a part 2?

[tangledbea]

Polygon has the excerpt for What Once Was Mine!!! I'm cackling it feels like I'm in 2011 again looking at "Edgy" fics or pre-season 3 and all the Moonpunzel art!!!

Yep, they sure do!

When it rain’s Tangled, it pours!

For those who don't want to click the link, I'll copy/paste the excerpt below, under the readmore:

“Well, turning nineteen means that I’m an adult. By any definition,” Rapunzel continued, standing up as straight as she could. “Grown up, and responsible, and … things.

“Which brings me to my next point: Every year during my birthday week there are those floating lights in the sky.”

“What?” Gothel asked, sounding honestly confused (or as though she was expertly feigning confusion).

“You know.” She grabbed her mother by the hand and led her over to the painting she had made years ago, when she first started noticing the yearly regularity of the lights. It wasn’t a technically sophisticated piece: just pretty golden orbs with faint auras rising up into a night sky.

“Every year at this time, the mysterious glowing things float up into the sky in the west. This year it should be especially bright because it’s a new moon tonight, which means the sky will still be pretty dark a few days from now, and —”

“And you want me to watch them with you, dear,” Gothel said, making a moue of her lips and squeezing Rapunzel’s hands. “How very sweet. But —”

“No, I want to go see them. Myself. Ourselves.” Silence fell over the room, which was also suddenly dim and dusky as a dramatic cloud took the opportunity to pass in front of the sun. The two women stared at each other, both silent: one, now that she had finally spit out the words, with a pregnant pause of hope. The other with disbelief.

Gothel pulled her hands out of Rapunzel’s. She spoke flatly.

“You know you can’t. Why are you even asking.”

“But, Mother,” Rapunzel said, trying not to wheedle or whine. “I’m older now. I can control myself. I won’t see anyone or anything else. I won’t touch anything. You’ll come with me. You’ll take me there and you’ll make sure I don’t—”

“That you don’t kill anyone else, like your own mother and father?” Gothel hissed.

Rapunzel deflated like a tower that had an inferno raging through it a moment before. Everything burned out; the soot, smoke, and heat sucked themselves back into wherever a fire’s energy came from. Ashes clogged her nose; her body felt fragile, sapped of its inner structure.

“Mother,” she pleaded weakly, looking at the ground.

“Mother indeed,” Gothel said — but what she meant by that was unclear.

This was what Rapunzel had lived with for nineteen years. The silent secret that destroyed her inside when she wasn’t strong enough to stop it. The thing that took all the color from her already tiny world, the light from the faraway sun, the small amount of air her lungs used.

Rapunzel was locked in a tower because she was a murderer.

Her beautiful, treasonous hair had killed her birth parents just after she was born, in a moment of infant rage.

The hair that she now bound, braided, knotted, and tangled with charms to keep under control.

She couldn’t even cut it off; to do so would be her death.

So there it was: endless sparkling braids of it, knotted up with charms and wishes, reminding her every day of why she was imprisoned. How she couldn’t be allowed to hurt anyone else again.

“Look what I brought, for your birthday,” Gothel said coldly, reaching down and opening up the giant basket she had brought.

Rapunzel miserably leaned over, guessing what it was, afraid of what she would find.

A fat, beautiful old chicken, her egg-laying time now passed. A yard bird of mixed feathers and heritage. The hen looked up at her, blinked in the light, but didn’t make a sound.

“I was going to wring her neck myself,” Gothel went on. “Because I know how squeamish my precious, tower-dwelling princess is. But I think maybe it’s time for another lesson on why you are in this tower.”

“No …” Rapunzel begged.

“Do it,” Gothel ordered. “You need to do it. You need to remember just why you’re here.”

As if the girl with the silver hair could ever forget.

The woman took her daughter by the arm and steered her over to the armoire, slamming the basket onto a table there harder than was necessary — or nice. The chicken squawked quietly.

Rapunzel began to cry.

She reached into the basket to stroke the bird, unsure if that was a terrible lie or a final kindness. Murmuring softly, she picked up the thing that was to be dinner. What a wonderful pet the old hen would have made—

—but one look at Gothel’s large, cold, set eyes made Rapunzel forget even the idea of asking.

She drooped, listlessly taking a single small braid out of its knot. She laid it across the chicken’s neck.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

She closed her eyes and reached out with her voice, humming a sad little nonsense song. Her mind went blank. She felt an icy blackness coursing from her head down her hair to its tips, like freezing water down a chute. Her silver hair pulsed with an unnatural glow, throwing little shadows everywhere they shouldn’t have been.

The bird relaxed … entirely. Its feet changed color first; its eyes rolled up into its head.

It died.

“Do you see that?” Gothel whispered.

“Yes, Mother,” Rapunzel said dully.

“Do you understand why you can never leave this tower?”

“Yes, Mother.”

Gothel shook her head. She took the dead chicken in one hand and patted Rapunzel’s cheek with the other.

“Darling, you know I’m only doing this for your own good. You’re too dangerous to be around other people. You’ll hurt them.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“You’ll see, you know I’m right.” She paused, her eyes narrowing.

“Mother knows best.”

[draconic-ichor]

In the Steel Steeds Heart

Chapter 16: Bloodmoon’s Dawn

Warnings: strong language blood/gore, body horror, dead bodies, fire

Summary: Heisenberg searches for Juniper the morning after the hunt.

Feedback appreciated. 18+

Heisenberg trudged through the village. The sun had just started to rise in the pale dawn, the village trying to regroup after the Hunt.

He’d heard the gunshot, over the screams and howls. It made his blood run cold, fear and worry churning his gut into a mess.

The feeling didn’t leave him as he wandered the somber streets, the smell of blood and shit assaulting his nose.

But, above that, the horrid odor of burning hair and flesh rose with the wind. He rounded a corner to see a collection of men throwing bodies into a fire, the heat of it reaching his skin from that distance.

Most were Lycans, but there were a few dead and mangled villagers added to the blaze. Their fear of the dead turning spurred the villagers to burn both the creatures and the felled alike.

The thought of finding her on the pile….

He shook the thoughts away, trying to avoid the darkness that crept the corners of his brain.

He heard the wails of a woman, mourning a lost husband or son. He didn’t care to listen for details.

He continued along the street, looking into every fire for a familiar shape. His pale eyes scanning the charred bodies for anything resembling a varcalac alpha.

He sighed with relief when none were in the masses. Heisenberg had found her boots and coat discarded in the snow, her compass not far after. He deposited them in a safe location before searching the rest of the village.

The sound of bells echoed through the cold morning. He sneered, watching as the villagers began to flock towards the church. Mother Miranda, no doubt, was there to welcome them with promises of safety.

A few of the villagers stopped, falling to their knees before Heisenberg. Their voices were low and desperate mumbling for a mix or forgiveness and pity.

He reeled back a bit, before hurrying around them. He didn’t have time to waste coddling.

What he was looking for obviously wasn’t here anymore. He set his sights for the stronghold.

He walked the paths, over countless paw prints and bloody drag marks under his boots. The Lycans always retreated to the stronghold after hunts, to eat the dead they stole and to rest.

Heisenberg saw a few on the way, scrabbling around the rocks and tying up body’s for safekeeping.

The smell of gore was stronger as he entered the already opened doors, he could hear the creatures shuffling around within. If the villagers weren’t so fearful, they might have half a mind to torch this place.

He didn’t use caution as he strode through, the sound of his boots echoing off the ancient walls.

In a shadowy corner there was movement, something much bigger than a Lycan, and too bestial to be Urias.

He came forward, eyes adjusting to the darkness. His breath caught with relief: she was here and she was alive…

Juniper was still in her mutated form, laying bunched up along the old stone. Other Lycans and varcolacs were piled around, resting after the hunt.

Heisenberg stepped closer, seeing blood leak from a wound on her arm.

She raised her beastial head, a low growl coming from her chest.

“Hey now bitch, it’s me,” he lowered his voice, showing her his hands, “It’s Karl.”

She pulled her wounded leg closer, head dipping down. Her bloodied lips curled up as her wet nose twitched.

Sniffing at his offered hands, her hackles lowered.

Juniper leaned down and licked her wound gingerly.

Heisenberg knelt down by her, trying to look the leg over. It looked to be a bullet wound. Juniper’s tongue lathed it over, blood oozing out of the hole as soon as she licked it away.

“Got caught?” He frowned.

He could sense the metal still lodged in the flesh.

He reached out and gently touched her muzzle. Her multiple green eyes flicked up to him as she closed her unnaturally elongated jaws.

He scratched the bridge of her nose, easing as he watched her close her eyes.

There was a pleased rumble from her throat as she nuzzled into the contact.

“What I have to do is going to piss you off.” He admitted, worry etching into his features.

“Hies….en…” her voice croaked out, distorted and garbled in her mutated jaws.

He smiled weakly, “Yea, Doll. It’s me.”

“H….urt.” Her eyes of liquid green looked into his.

He squared his jaw, feeling a thorn in his chest.

“It’s going to get worse before it gets better.” He focused on the metal. Being as careful as possible, he began to dislodge the bullet with his powers.

Her form tensed, muscles bunched under the skin. She made a sound of warning, baring her teeth.

He didn’t waver, his eyebrows bunching with concentration. Suddenly, with a wet sucking sound, the bullet came free.

Heisenberg released it, the metal tinkling against the stone of the floor.

Juniper’s pointed ears came forward at the foreign sound. She sniffed the bullet with interest.

“Now what will we do with you?” He sighed, “Did you eat anyone?”

Juniper stood, shaking like a dog before padding closer to him. Her large head nudged him, causing Heisenberg to fall back on his butt.

She snuffled his shirt, pressing him down onto the stone.

He chuckled, trying to push her massive head away as her tongue came out.

She lapped at his face, her breath smelling of blood.

Heisenberg pushed her head to the side, “Damn, who's the nasty one now, bitch?”

She warbled pacing back into her spot, sitting down. Frowning, Heisenberg scratched his chin.

How to get her home?

He made a makeshift collar out of a piece of sheet metal folded in on itself, hooking a chain through it like a leash. Seeing her collared and chained sent a pang though him.

He frowned, his aggressive handling involving her throat still a stinging thorn in his mind.

He was surprised however how easily she followed the lead.

How much of her mind is left in this form?

He thought. Now that she was tired out and fully fed she was better behaved then the Lycans, padding after him as he led her out of the stronghold. The Lycans outside tilted their heads curiously as they passed.

Juniper’s back tendrils lazily flowed around her, like sea grass in the ocean current. They would sometimes bat into Heisenberg or disturb the snow covered branches overhead.

The trip back took much longer than expected. Heisenberg was forced to avoid the outskirts of the village entirely, making the way back longer anyways. Not to mention, in this form everything smelled new and interesting to Juniper’s sensitive nose. Heisenberg would get stopped every few feet by her shoving her face into a log or trying to scratch around in the dirt. It was akin to walking a large dog, he mused.

With the factory grounds in sight, his patience waned in wake of her most recent pit stop.

“Buttercup, you are really pissing me off.” He hissed, yanking on the chain. She whined, looking at him dejectedly as she padded up beside him.

Her head shot up, sniffing at the air. Her ears perked up as she looked towards the factory excitedly.

Heisenberg chuckled, “Yea, we’re going home.”

Before he could brace himself she went tearing off towards the factory, almost ripping the chain from his hands. He was forced to take a full run to keep up with her.

When they got to the fence he let go as she scrabbled over the top.

Falling off onto the other side with a thud, she looked at him expectantly.

The gate rattled open, as he walked through. He paused to ponder what to do with her now. He had hoped she would have changed back during the journey over, but her mutated form was locked in like a tick. She was also filthy, caked in a layer of blood and grime.

He led her to the back of the factory, practically having to push her onto the larger elevator. This was saved for when he had to transport larger scrap into the underbelly. But she should fit fine.

He took her to base level four.

Once there he hooked the chain to the wall, positioning her over some grates. She tugged at the bonds until she heard the sound of a faucet turning.

He came back brandishing an old rubber hose.

“Let’s get you cleaned up.” He said as he pointed the nozzle at her.

Heisenberg hosed her off, blood and mud washing away. The dirty water trickled away through the metal grates she stood over.

After he shut the water off, Juniper stood dripping and shivering. Her mane of dark curls, heavy and waterlogged, she resembled a drowned sheepdog.

“K-Ka….rl?” Her monstrous voice eked out. She pulled her twisted legs closer to herself as she shivered.

He frowned, “Yea, Yea…I know the water was cold.”

She gave a small whine like a dog, looking down.

“You should dry off soon, it’s warm here.” He soothed.  He made sure the ventilation system kicked on, forcing dry air though the lower sections of the factory.

He heard a hollow clinking sound, spinning around to find Juniper’s jaws biting at the large pipes. She pulled at them, shaking her monstrous head a bit.

“Hey!” Heisenberg shouted, “Don’t eat my shit!”

One of her many eyes flicked over to him as she continued.

He stomped closer, hearing a growl from deep in her chest.

“Hey!”

She paused for a moment, peering at him before starting to tug at the pipe again. He pulled on the chain, causing her to stumble back a bit with a whimper.

“Juniper, stop it!” He scolded her like a dog. She huffed.

He noticed the tendrils on her back began to recede, pulling into the bubbled flesh. Her scar also looks less angry.

Seeing her safe and starting to calm gave him time to think. Questions pooled around his head:

Miranda had to know Juniper could turn…but why was she testing the limits of it? Did she want to use her as a weapon or was it just more of her sick curiosity?

He didn’t know, but it made him feel sick. He hated seeing Juniper like this, twisted and bloodthirsty.

Seeing her start to get even a shadow of control over this form brought him some relief. If she could control it fully she’d be much less of a danger to herself.

Was it hunger related? Or just moon patterns, maybe?

The bloodmoon had definitely affected her much more deeply than any moon faze had prior. He scratched his beard, deep in thought.

[atlaskeira]

the dusk shelters, the pyre burns and the wayfarer feeds; prologue

Tags: Genshin Impact, Yanfei/Reader/Dainsleif, Angst, Fluff, Canon Typical Violence, The Abyss, Extended Metaphors, Themes of Religion, Devotion, Fire, Air, Philosophizing on Divinity and Humanity and Power.

@paradise-creator for the collab! A prologue for a long fic!

A/N: holy fuck, I've been working on this for over a month now, it's finally done. Hope y'all like it, there's more to come! This is just the prologue. Also, all the banners used for my fics are made by me.

Summary:

Of dusk, dawn and smoke.

Grey-green wings, teal and sea blue eyes, a future they might not have.

The keeper is both bound and free.

Justice comes in various shades of red and smoke and ash.

And the abyss does not stare back, it swallows you and spits you out remade.

Only the stars in the sky have a place left for their hearts.

The Pyre

Yanfei sits in her office, signing the last of her papers for the day, the rhythmic hum of her wall clock calming her. Her signatures are fine print and flourished, but more distracted than she’d like.

Yanfei’s thoughts wander back to Dainsleif’s quiet laughter and Y/N’s crackling voice as they sing.

They had sat there drinking and basking in the brightness of spring, looking out over the hilltops of Wuwang.

It’s a wonderful view, she thinks, as she leans back on the stone, Dain quietly, softly smiling at Y/N’s animated storytelling and their hands flying everywhere. Her heart softens a little.

The orange glow of the sunset glistens across his light hair and the dark sapphire of his coat, their molten bronze eyes and the inking on their wrists, and goodness.

She thinks of fate, and of Dain’s frost tipped protection, of Y/N’s craving of all things new. Of the way her heart has learned to cool and ache less with every breath.

The city breathes and Yanfei exhales, drying ink on her fingertips

The Dusk

Dainsleif leans against the tree, revelling in the silence that his head grants him today. The setting sun lights the waters and the roads of Mondstadt like some holy place though he has long stopped believing.

Almost as holy as that afternoon on the edges of Mondstadt where they sat with Y/N’s cooking and Yanfei’s ponderings about books. The sunlight had glowed across the black and green of Y/N’s wings like a tribute and Yanfei’s teal eyes like she could behold the world and make it all warmer.

It’s a striking, soft golden, with cotton clouds, and it is then a dripping orange and pink sky splattered with bursts of soft white, and then it’s a crimson beauty.

The water and the river banks grow green and soft blue and the mist rises, and Dain is left wondering, feeling his heart let go of the frost just a little.

The sweeter warmth of Yanfei, and the soft, hoarse voice of Y/N’s kindness and the way he has learned to still from them. The winds feel more like home now.

The Wayfarer

Y/N strolls along the edges of Dihua, and no one is watching. They let their wings free, the deep black at the base of their feathers fade to a greyish green at the tips, and they find a place to stop. The water is glittering, the sky a crimson orange dusted with blue, and their mind is calmer now. It reminds them of a particular trip on a boat, Yanfei letting go and laying across it, Dain’s soft humming of a song long forgotten.

Y/N sits, feet in the water, and the cool air soothes the anxious noise in their head.

They feel their head settle, and they bask in it. They have loved with everything all their life, and to be cared for is foreign.

Yanfei’s open heart, and Dain’s resolution, and the way they have not thought too much in a while.

The sky darkens slowly and the moon is a crescent of a smile that makes the heart ache, and Y/N’s throat burns with a bittersweet grief for a distant future they might not get to have.

[return-of-a-space-cowboy]

Yandere fairytale au! Swan lake or jack the giant slayer with Joseph joestar or speedwagon or kars?

This will be a two part but I hope you enjoy

The princess who became a swan (pt1)

(Yandere Kars X Female Reader X Yandere Joseph)

You sat on a chair looking at the moon. You knew you could run away but even then you would never truly be free. Not while he still had control.

“My dear swan you’ve been looking at the moon for far too long” a deep voice spoke as you felt a large hand grip your shoulder.

“I thought you’d try to indulge yourself but it seems you’d rather mope around” he commented only to cause your hatred towards the male to grow. You turned your head back to see him. Long dark hair contoured his sharp face and pearly skin that seemed to glow in the moonlight.

He pulled one hand away, various rings with fine jewels covered his fingers. He rested his head on said hand before pulling a small smirk.

“So are you done being so miserable? I’d actually like for you to give me some company as it gets dreadfully lonely reading by myself” Kars asked. You stood up and faced him properly, feeling the fire in your heart.

“You have the audacity to mock my emotions after what you did to me! You stole away my freedom and took me far from those I love! You even dare to torment me further by calling me your swan. Is that how you like to cruelly remind me of what you’ve made me!” you yelled at him before trying to run from him only for him to grab your wrist.

“You are the one who put yourself in this position. I offered you dazzling jewels and silken robes. I offered you the softest pelts and exotic treasures yet you still rejected me, surely you understand that hurt me” he said as he looked at you with his crimson eyes.

“When you mean hurt you mean your ego at most, you are a selfish man in every way imaginable! I’d never marry a man who only wished to benefit themself, it would be my failure if I was to let my kingdom succumb to a greed such as yours!” you hissed as you tried to escape his grasp only to make him pull you tightly into his frame

“Lets not fight about the ins and outs of who’s to blame, you only have a few hours left after all” he said as he stroked your hair.

“Why don’t you just sit down and relax with me, you'll wear down your beauty if you keep frowning” he continued before you pushed away from him. You ran past him and through the halls and ran down as your long dress flowed behind but Kars was not worried as he knew you would come back, you always did.

🦢🦢🦢

You ran through the dark woods with tears in your eyes as the sky began to lighten. The forest thinned out in the middle to reveal a gorgeous garden long forgotten, a place only few know. The Swan lake.

You sat beside the lake weeping. Knowing that despite how much you wish upon a shooting star or how much you prayed to god in the heavens above that there was no escape. You knew how to break the spell you had read it out of Baron Kars notes but who would ever proclaim their love to you at the dead of night, let alone keep their promise. The swans of the lake pitied you as they had been cursed in a very similar way by the cruel Baron but unlike you they no longer had any hope of returning to the ones they loved, they were stolen from their husbands and wives and had their promises of a safe return broken in the heart of war from the evil sorcerer.  

As the first rays of sunshine peered from the horizon you felt your body lose balance before you fell into the crystal water of the lake. You shut your eyes as you felt your body become consumed by the curse. Eventually you emerged from the water, knowing that you had been reclaimed by your curse of day. You opened your eyes to see all the other swans around you in the lake and the forest behind you.

You turned and returned to the land before flapping your wings while running, soon the air under your wings lifted you into the sky. The higher you got the smaller everything became, even your problems seemed to become insignificant. You were touching the heavens like many dreamed to accomplish.

🦢🦢🦢

A brunette prince let out a yawn as he waited by the stable as he held a crossbow in hand. He was waiting to see if a certain knight accepted his invitation for an afternoon of competitive hunting. He huffed before having a look around the grounds before seeing the familiar face of the fair maid Suzie Qutaro cutting roses for his mother. She noticed him and waved while giving a sheepish smile, he gave her a cheeky smile back making a rosy hue to form on her cheeks before returning to her duties in a flustered state. He snickered a bit before hearing a pair of footsteps.

He looked to the otherside to see the blonde male which he had been waiting for.

“Took you long enough Caesar, I was beginning to think you didn’t have the balls to accept my challenge” the prince smugly spoke as he stretched.

“Well unlike you I actually have other things to do” Caesar commented as he walked closer.

“And if I remember correctly you lost our sparring yesterday, a four to ten if I remember correctly… you’re probably only doing this to get even with me” the male continued with a laugh which irritated the prince.

“So what if I am, I bet you’ll scare away all the wildlife with your presence alone” he retorted with a sly tone as he entered the stable and grabbed his horse. The blonde muttered something under his breath as he followed the prince and grabbed his own horse before the set of far beyond the palace grounds.

It seemed like hours of riding for the two and as night drew close it seemed less likely that either one of the young men were going to bring any trophies home.

“We should just give up now, It’ll be dark soon” Caesar said to Joseph but the ego struck brunette did not listen as he searched deeper into the thick forest. He was determined to prove that he was greater than the blonde.

“Fine then, I’ll leave by myself… if you get eaten by the wolves then it’s not my fault” Caesar stated as rolled his eyes before he began walking back to where they left their horses.

Joseph only snickered at the blonde, thinking about how much of a coward he was to leave now. He kept up his search for something worthy for his display but to no success but when he realised the sun was setting and his luck was not with him today he found what he was looking for. A snow white swan sleeping just a few meters in front of him, it seemed almost like it was given to him on a silver tray.

All he needed to do was shoot it in the heart and it was his. He had a steady aim, his finger slowly before the loud shout of an owl threw him off, causing the arrow to hit the swans wing instead.

You woke up to feel the sharp pain of the arrow, you screamed out before running deeper into the forest, the brunette was quick in his attempt to apprehend you. You tried to fly but it only hurt more.

You managed to get at a far distance from the man who was chasing you but you knew you needed to hide. You looked around to find some shrubs that might offer a good hiding place. You hid yourself and watched through the shrubs as he approached before standing around to try to figure where you had gone, you thought you had managed to lose him before you saw the moon begin to rise.

Just as the prince was about to give up he saw you appear from the bushes, a beautiful young woman adone in a swan feathered gown he was captivated by you as he saw the most beautiful woman he’d seen. As she ran he saw the arrow in her arm, he tried to reach you in an attempt to help you, unaware that you were the swan he had shot.

You panicked as he still chased through the forest but just as you began to lose your strength you felt a pair of arms pull you aside, you looked up to see Kars looking down at you with an emotion you hadn’t seen before.

“I’m glad I came in time” he said empathetically before tracing his finger against the arrow in your arm causing you to flinch.

“This is why I need you to stay with me, that horrible man could have killed you dear” he said in a soft yet condoning manner, at this moment you knew he was just using the situation as a way to scare you out of leaving him but yet you still held onto him, you were afraid as you knew you could have very well died.

“Without me you’re defenceless” he continued as he stroked your hair as you buried your head in his chest and when you finally looked at him again you realised that you were both back in his castle.

“Now I’ll have to remove that arrow so lay down and stay still” he requested, you laid on the love seat knowing very well that he wasn’t going to let his crimson eyes off of you for sometime after this incident.  

Meanwhile Joseph the forest on his horse with a bloody feather from the mysterious woman's dress, wondering if he’d ever see you again, hoping he would meet you again in a better circumstance.

[wolfpupp]

Writing prompt: Autumn

Rating: M

Summary: It's autumn in the Bavarian Forest and Zemo is accompanied by a special guest for a tea ceremony and an intimate encounter.

Their path is obscured by a thick blanket of leaves that feels soft and welcoming underfoot. A gentle breath of autumn stirs them to dance — bright yellow sycamore, brilliant red maple and burnt orange ash swirl together and lift upward, touching the bark of their host trees with what feels like reverence and a bittersweet goodbye. The air is crisp and the afternoon sky is blue as a turquoise sea. As they walk hand in hand, she considers the sad pangs of autumn, which remind her that moments are brief — fleeting, and the passage of time slows for no one in the tumult of the world. She squeezes her baron’s hand just a little bit harder as an anxiousness creeps into her mind and works at the hairs on the back of her neck. Like all things and the seasons, these moments, too, shall end.

Helmut darts her a glance and a half-smile. “Everything alright, golubica?” He asks, returning the squeeze of her hand with one of his own.

“Yeah, of course,” she says, coaxing a full smile and a sparkling laugh that’s conjured by the butterflies in her stomach when he calls her dove in his native tongue. Her eyes glance over to find his, and she can’t help but feel as though their chestnut irises are auras against the landscape. It’s as though he embodies autumn with his warm stare and the golden-brown of his carefully groomed hair. His complexion is pale, but his brow is dark and defined; his lips, a line like a quiet and easy stream that hides unexpected depth and danger.

The Bavarian Forest is a mysterious, old and magical place — one that she never expected to see with him. She wonders how long the fantasy will last before he’s wrenched from her once again and thrust back into the consequences of his decisions. For now, though, they stroll — their boots pushing against the soft surface of the earth, and the ends of their coats tapping together in harmony.

“We’ll stop just up here,” he points to a small clearing encircled by spruce and fir trees.

In response, she shifts the pack on her shoulder and brushes errant hairs that the forest air has encouraged in front of her eyes. It’s clear that he’s been to this place before, and she wonders about with whom.

When they reach the clearing, it becomes obvious that although remote, it’s a known spot for passers-through. There is a variety of large rocks scattered throughout that have been flattened over time by the resting hides of previous visitors, probably over the course of many centuries.

Helmut hastens his pace ahead of her and sweeps over a few spots with his feet until the sole of his boot finds a ring of stones that at one time housed a campfire. He smiles with satisfaction, and gestures to her to approach and sit. He offloads the pack from his own shoulder and motions for the one that she carries. As he starts to build a tidy fire, she pulls her coat around her more tightly against the cooling of the late afternoon.

The sun filters its rays through swaying branches and sharp pine leaves, and it’s as though she watches him through a lens that progressively moves him farther and farther from her. His movements are calculated and meaningful; his fingers drift over the tea kettle, spoons, scoops and mugs like a composer’s. He is quiet as he works while they are serenaded by birds and an orchestra of air movement amid creaking bark, vines and leaves.

“Hela?” She starts, almost immediately remorseful. He hums at her in acknowledgment because he knows what she’s going to ask.

“Never mind, it’s not important,” she returns, and he pours boiling water from the kettle into a humble teapot over strong black tea.

Helmut returns to a standing position and rubs his hands together, looking skyward and scanning their surroundings for the first time since they arrived.

“I love this time of year,” he says. As he paces, lost in thought, the smoke of the fire and the steam of the tea rise and whirl about him as the hem of his open wool coat coaxes the elements into a choreographed ballet. Everything is in motion, and he becomes more than Baron Helmut Zemo. He is everything rich and ancient in the world — an alchemist, a conjurer, a druid, a seer, a Byzantine warrior, a Slavic fire god.

Returning to his task, he rinses the tea, replaces it in the pot with fresh boiling water, and allows it to steep for a few moments before adding mint and sugar. When he is satisfied, he pours the brew into two mugs. He stokes their little campfire before joining her on the flat rock that she selected as a seat. His leg presses against hers and he hands her the steaming elixir, which hits her senses with a recollection of something far away and unfamiliar — like a memory she could only understand in a dream.

He brushes her hair aside and contemplates her profile as she stares down into her tea mug.

“You are sad today,” he says.

She takes a sip of the tea and gazes out on the clearing before turning to meet the moon of his face, which is only inches from hers. Her eyes dart about, locating their favorite points — his lashes, the circles under his eyes that are just a little darker in the waning sun, the spread of his nose and cheeks, his clenched jawline.

“Sometimes, I don’t think I know who you are,” she says quietly, reaching up with a tea-warmed hand and touching at the flesh of his cheek.

He leans closer and rests his lips on hers. His touch is light and velvety, and she applies the tiniest bit of pressure to feel their heat. A desire begins to cut into her gut and work at the space between her thighs because like the fire, forest, smoke and ash, she moves at his command.

She pulls away to take another large draught of tea, allowing the mint and sugar to wash into her mouth and flavor her tongue. She rests the mug beside her and swivels to straddle his lap. He sets his own mug aside and weaves his hands into her coat. Leaning in slowly, she opens her mouth against him and the flavors of their lips meld — sweet herbaceousness and the bitter, primeval taste of the tea. In her mind and on the wind, she can hear music, a brooding lament invoked by the sounds of tagelharpa, drums, flutes and voices that she doesn’t know and can’t understand.

He presses against her center, eager to feel her warmth and lust, and he kisses her neck as his hands snake under her clothes to find the flesh of her breasts. She exhales forcefully as her eyes flutter closed and he watches her face as it turns from tempered delight to shameless yearning.

The campfire warms her back and she considers what it would feel like to be lost, naked and ensnared with him in the forest’s embrace.

“What did you want to ask me,” he whispers at her, his hot breath raising gooseflesh on her arms.

She pauses, her hands falling to his sides and pushing precisely against the muscles and sinew under his sweater.

“You’ve been to this place before,” she says.

“Yes,” he replies, studying her, awaiting her follow-up. As he does so, his fingers tighten on the insides of her thighs, and she shifts distractedly. “With my wife,” he continues.

She trembles slightly against her uncertainty, wanting and the approach of evening, and he takes her face in his hands. She makes to speak, but he quiets her. Sparks from the fire reach into the air and throw stars into the black mirrors of his eyes. Her heart strikes hard and she fights back emotion by closing her eyes and taking a deep breath of the late autumn evening on this, their forest walk.

“But it was never like this,” he whispers against the curve of her ear. Her hands tighten around his biceps because she aches to hear it. “Not like with you.”

[sokkascroptop]

traitor. (sokka x f!reader) pt 5

part 1 | part 4 | part 6

A/N: Y/N finally meets the gaang; on a side note, I am really proud of this chapter ❤️

She caught it just a moment before it smacked her in the chest. Her reflexes were delayed from her sleepiness but also from the realization that her Fire Princess just had dropped to her knees and tied her boots for her. “Easy. I’m not a bender. I don’t need the sun.”

“Lo and Li have advised me that it isn’t smart to go after Zuko and Uncle with a Royal Procession.” Azula leaned in the doorway to Y/N’s room. Her hair was a black curtain around her pale face. Y/N ran her fingers through her own loose hair before replying.

“It would be less conspicuous without guards flanking us on all sides. Do you think that the two of us could do it ourselves?” She asked hesitantly, thinking back to just a day earlier when Azula said she was a liability. Y/N wasn’t even planning to fight when she agreed to come! She thought it was going to be easier, she didn’t expect Iroh to be so suspicious of them from the get go. Apparently, neither did Azula. She was so mad when they pulled her from the sea, the water was steaming off of her clothes and skin. 

Azula smiled and sat in the chair to the small, empty writing desk in the room. “I need a small, elite team.” She tapped one pointed nail on her chin. “I think it’s time to call on some old friends, don’t you think so?”

“Mai and Ty Lee?” Y/N questioned. The last time one of them was mentioned Azula set fire to the napkin she was holding at dinner and pointed a butter knife in Y/N’s direction telling her never to mention their names again. 

“Of course them.” Azula rolled her eyes and cracked her fingers. “They’re our friends, Y/N. They’ll do anything I want.” Her voice was low and even though it wasn’t meant as a threat, it sounded like one. 

Azula shut the door to Y/N’s room with a sharp click. She leaned back against her pillow and crossed her arms. This was not going to go well. 

Anytime she and the girls exchanged letters, the answer was always the same. Neither Mai or Ty Lee were planning on coming back to the palace any time soon. They never explicitly said that Azula was the reason–one could never know who was reading your letters–but Y/N could see the subtext. A taste of life outside of Capital City and outside of Azula’s influence had spoiled them. Y/N had never felt like that before, but every day, she got a little bit more understanding as to why one might want to leave. 

It was still dark out when Azula came into Y/N’s room the next morning. She tapped Y/N’s cheek with her nail. “Get up, we’re leaving soon.”

She glared at Azula from under the very warm covers. “Why so early?” 

Azula’s gold eyes flashed with humor. “It’s a long ride into town. I’ve got us a carriage.” She grabbed the blanket that Y/N was clutching and threw them off the bed, leaving her shivering. 

“Every time,” Y/N muttered as she pulled her night clothes off and her red tunic and pants on. 

“Every time what?” Azula asked. Y/N thought she could hear a smile in the other girls words but she was currently too busy looking cross-eyed at the laces of her boots to check. 

“Why are you such a morning person?” Y/N knew the answer that Azula was going to give, but it didn’t make the question any less relevant in her mind. She hated mornings. 

“More like a question as to why aren’t you?” Hands slapped Y/N’s own fumbling ones away and tied each boot deftly. Before Y/N could even utter a ‘thank you’, Azula was grabbing her sword from where it was propped in the corner and tossing it in Y/N’s direction. 

She caught it just a moment before it smacked her in the chest. Her reflexes were delayed from her sleepiness but also from the realization that her Fire Princess just had dropped to her knees and tied her boots for her. “Easy. I’m not a bender. I don’t need the sun.”

Azula had only tied the boots because she wanted to get going, Y/N decided. Probably.

“You sound like one of those Water Tribe savages. Next thing you know, you’ll be howling at the moon.” Y/N laughed with Azula no matter how awful she thought the joke was and basked in the warm that her friend gave off. She was always so much nicer in the mornings. 

The sun was just rising as they set off, probably purposeful if she knew Azula. Y/N stared out the window the whole trip. She’d never been to the Earth Kingdom before and she was so intrigued by everything she saw. There was greenery everywhere. It made her heartache for her childhood home on Ember Island. The climate was different, here it was much cooler and the wind ruffled the leaves on the trees every now and then. And Ember Island was hot and muggy year round. But she couldn’t miss the similarities of the two places. Every now and then she’d catch an animal she’d never seen before run past and she’d all but hold her head out the window to get a second look. Azula was much more regal, which was unsurprising though she wasn’t sure if Azula had ever been to the Earth Kingdom either. She sat in the seat across Y/N with her arms crossed and her feet on the bench next to Y/N. Azula had her eyes closed the whole time, reclining in a beam of sunlight coming in through the windows, but Y/N knew she wasn’t sleeping. 

She thought Azula looked much better like this; with her face softened in relaxation. No furrowing of the eyebrows or pursing of her lips. Occasionally, the wind would blow in the windows and ruffle her usually pristine hair. Y/N thought Azula glared and frowned way too much for a fourteen year old girl, Fire Princess or not. Just then Azula cracked open one of her eyes like she knew Y/N was thinking about her. But Y/N didn’t look away like she usually would have done. She just stared and smiled at her friend until Azula closed that eye again and settled further down into the seat. Y/N chose to ignore the light tap of Azula’s toe on her elbow, but not the small smile that was now on her face. 

After reaching the town it wasn’t hard to find the circus. Azula and Y/N just followed the noise and the smell. They were set up in a large field where they could have enough room to set up their tall tents and keep their platypus-bears and scorpion-lions. 

Ty Lee was in the middle of it all. 

She didn’t see them when they first approached. Y/N thought it looked like Ty Lee was flying as she flipped head over heels in the grass. She held herself in a perfectly still handstand. Y/N’s abs ached just watching. 

“Azula! Y/N!” Ty Lee rushed forward, hastily bowed, before crushing Azula in a hug. Y/N received the same tight–albeit longer–hug. “It’s so good to see you!” Ty Lee chirped. 

“I’ve missed you!” Y/N did realize how excited she was to see her old friend until she was in her arms. She smelled the same, like rose perfume and the rosin she used in her tricks. Letters were nice, but they took weeks to travel to each other. Something always happened between them, and when it was time to reply, that ‘something’ was never important anymore. 

“Don’t let us interrupt… whatever you’re doing.” Azula raised an arched eyebrow.

Ty Lee took that as permission and backflipped back into a forearm stand and began scissoring her legs in the air. She held herself on her elbows and rested her head in her hands like it was the easiest thing in the world. 

“You look like you’re having the time of your life here, Ty Lee,” Y/N said. The glow on the girls cheeks and the permanent smile on her lips was obvious. She was always bubbly, but she’d never been like this.

“What is the daughter of a nobleman doing here?” Azula asked, gesturing around to the tents and people who walked by. A hurt look erased Ty Lee’s smile, one that Azula didn’t pay attention to. She jumped right in, never caring for small talk. “I have a proposition. I’m hunting a traitor. You remember my old fuddy-duddy uncle?”

“Oh, yeah!” Ty Lee exclaimed. “He was so funny.”

“I would be honored if you would help me and join my mission.” 

Ty Lee’s feet, which moment’s ago rested on her head, slipped as she lost balance and nearly fell forward on her face. She looked to Y/N for assistance but like a coward, Y/N looked at the grass under her boots. The glance lasted half a second, maybe even less but it still made Y/N tense next to Azula as if she was caught with her hand in the bowl of unfried dough by her mother. This was between Ty Lee and Azula. Any indication that Ty Lee and Y/N had spoken since she’d left would. Be. Bad. 

“Oh, you know Azula, I would love to.” She flipped back to her feet. “But the truth is I’m really happy here. My aura has never been pinker!” Y/N smiled. Leave it to Ty Lee to lighten the mood by talking about her auras. It was incredibly smart, to make it seem like you were dumb to avoid consequences. Y/N wished she could pull that card with Azula sometimes, but she knew her too well. And Y/N knew nothing about auras. 

“Well,” Azula frowned. “I wouldn’t want you to give up the life you love to please me.” 

Y/N ground her teeth. She looked up through her lashes at Ty Lee. This was somewhere she finally fit in. Y/N knew the story with Ty Lee’s sisters and how she felt like part of a matched set. This is where she needed to be, not traveling the world with Azula on some mission that wasn’t going to do anything for her. Y/N didn’t have a choice. Ty Lee did. Don’t fall for it! Y/N wanted to scream. 

Maybe it was Agni, or maybe Ty Lee just had more self control and a self-preservation that Y/N lacked. She placed one fist against her open palm and bowed deeply. “Thank you, Azula.” 

Azula was bristling beside Y/N as they walked away. “Of course before we leave we’re going to catch your show. Aren’t we, Y/N?” Azula gripped Y/N’s arm like a vise. 

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Y/N said. 

----

Y/N wasn’t sure what Azula told the ringmaster, but every seat in the tent was empty that night. 

High above their box, a square frame filled the stage. Lanterns hung around the frame, illuminating the whole tent. A tightrope spanned across it; a tightrope which Ty Lee was currently balancing on. 

“We are so pleased to have the Fire Lord’s daughter here tonight to see our humble circus. Please tell us if we can do anything to make it more enjoyable.” the ringmaster bowed and left the stage. 

“I will,” Azula muttered. Y/N furrowed her brow in Azula’s direction but she stared straight ahead like she didn’t even notice. What was she planning? Y/N wondered. 

Ty Lee was perched on a pole that rolled along the tightrope like pulley. She slowly switched from hand to hand, posing with a split in the air. Her costume glimmered under the candle-lit lanterns and her full dancer’s skirt bounced as she moved. 

“Incredible. Do you think she’ll fall?” Azula asked Y/N. 

Y/N scoffed at the question, never taking her eyes off of Ty Lee. “Of course not!”

“Then let’s make it more interesting. Ringmaster! Let’s remove the net at the bottom.”

The man’s grey eyes widened. “Remove the net? The thing is–the performers–”

Azula waved a hand. “You’re right. That’s been done. Set the net on fire.”

“Azula, don’t you think that’s a little much?” Y/N asked warily. She wasn’t sure what her friend was playing at but risking Ty Lee’s life wasn’t the answer. Y/N, however, didn’t get an answer. The ringmaster had already done what she had asked. 

For a second, just as the fire reached all the corners of the net below, Ty Lee seemed to teeter, before regaining her balance. Azula huffed, almost like she expected the other girl to fall. “Brilliant. And ringmaster, what kind of dangerous animals do you have here?”

“Azula, I don’t think–” Y/N started only to be cut off by a hand waving in her face. 

“Well, Princess, our circus boasts an assortment of exotic–”

“Release them all,” Azula smiled. 

Y/N sat in horror as she watched saber-tooth moose tigers, scorpion-lions and even an elephant-bear get released below the tight-rope. 

How Ty Lee managed to finish her act without falling was a mystery to Y/N. When she reached the opposite platform she even blew a kiss in their direction before climbing down and ceding the stage to the rest of the performers. 

Azula had only been interested in Ty Lee’s performance and ignored the rest of the performers, finding filing her nails into sharp points more interesting. Y/N wasn’t much better, her head was still spinning at what Azula had done. This was her friend. Someone who ignited such a rage in leaving her that Azula had threatened Y/N with fire if she ever mentioned her name. Was that why she did it? Was this some type of revenge for running away to the circus?

For a second she allowed her mind to think of what would have happened if Ty Lee hadn’t been such a good acrobat. What would either of them have done had she fallen into the flames? The net was in tatters, blackened and burned away. It couldn’t have held her weight from a fall that far, would have been like it wasn’t even a net at all. Plus she would have been on fire! Y/N had just watched Azula try to publicly kill her, and Y/N had just sat there and watched. 

As soon as the performance ended Azula dragged Y/N out of the tent. The air was full of black smoke from the net being burnt away and it blotted out the stars above. They made their way to Ty Lee’s tent. 

She was sitting at her vanity peeling sticky jewels off her face and wiping away layers of makeup. Y/N stared at the stain of ash that coated her gold-plated headband.

Azula leaned against the table forcing Ty Lee to look up at her. “What an exquisite performance. I can’t wait to see how you’ll top yourself tomorrow.”

Ty Lee caught Y/N’s eyes in the mirror and Y/N knew what she was going to do. 

“Unfortunately, there won’t be a show tomorrow.”

Azula widened her eyes in mock-surprise at Y/N. “Really?”

Ty Lee stood to hang her headband above the mirror. “The universe is giving me strong hints that it’s time for a career change. I want to join you on your mission.”

And that’s when it all clicked for Y/N. That net being set on fire and the animals being released wasn’t about killing Ty Lee. Sure, it would have killed her if she had fallen, but the real motive behind it all was worse. 

She could tell by the smirk on Azula’s face that she had gotten exactly what she wanted. Because during Ty Lee’s show, Azula was putting on her own. She was displaying the power she held over them. Telling them without so many words what would happen if they proved disloyal, or stepped out of line. She was in control. And suddenly, Y/N was very fearful of her friend; even as she allowed herself to be pulled into a hug. 

“Let’s go get Mai.” Azula tucked a stray hair behind Y/N’s ear and nodded at them to follow her out of the tent and back to the carriage. 

----

Azula made the carriage take them back to the ship that night. The mountain roads were too small for a carriage as large as theirs to carry them to Omashu, where Mai’s father governed and they needed to dock the ship at the city’s port. This time, Azula entered on a palanquin. Ty Lee and Y/N marched behind it as they entered the palace grounds. 

“Please tell me you’re here to kill me.” Mai bowed to Azula as they approached. She looked at Azula seriously, before smiling and laughing. 

“It’s good to see you too, Mai,” Azula confessed. 

Ty Lee rushed past both of them to hug Mai. When Y/N could tell that the hug had lasted long enough for Mai, she gently pulled Ty Lee off and replaced her. 

“I thought you ran off and joined the circus?” Mai asked Ty Lee. “You said it was your calling.”

Ty Lee smiled brightly. “Well, Azula called a little louder.” 

“And you–” Mai gripped Y/N’s bicep. “Swinging that stupid sword must be all you do. You’re built like a guard.” A comment like that coming from anyone else might have offended Y/N, but from Mai she knew what it really meant–you’re still in one piece. 

Mai was quick to join their team. Y/N knew from letters that Mai was bored with Omashu, and this was a perfect opportunity to get out from underneath her parents. 

“You guys came at the right time,” Mai said as they entered the palace. “My brother was kidnapped by the resistance last night.”

“Oh no!” Ty Lee gasped. 

“Why would they take Tom-Tom?” Y/N asked. There had to be a motive behind kidnapping a baby. Omashu might have been taken over by the Fire Nation but surely the people here wouldn’t resort to anything...murder-y just for their city back. He was just a baby! 

Mai looked back at her and Y/N noticed dark circles under her eyes she hadn’t seen before. She didn’t sleep at all last night knowing someone had her brother. “We don’t know.”

As she led the three of them to the throne room where Ukano and Michi were waiting, she caught them up on everything they needed to know. The room smelled like dust, clearly sitting unused since the governor took over the city. The three girls, as well as Mai’s parent’s knelt on pillows as Azula ascended to the throne. 

They all bowed before sitting up. Mai continued, “We’ve offered up an exchange; we sent a messenger hawk last night. We have Omashu’s King in the prison–Bumi.”

Azula turned to Ukano. “I’m so sorry to hear about your son. But really, what did you expect by just letting all the citizens leave?” She clasped her hands together and crossed her legs. Y/N noticed she didn’t look sorry at all; her face was cold, angry even. 

“Princess–” Ukano bowed his head respectfully. 

“My father has trusted you with this city, and you’re making a mess of things.” She stepped down from the throne and the girls all rose to meet her. “Mai will handle the hostage trade so you don’t have the chance to mess it up. And there is no more Omashu.” Azula growled. “I’m renaming it in honor of my father. The city of New Ozai!” She strode out of the room with all three of them on her heels. All three of them ignored the tears in Michi’s eyes.

They met on the landing of a construction project. Looking up, Y/N could see what it was. It was a giant statue of Ozai. It was mostly covered in scaffolding but Y/N still shuddered just looking at it. Though this Ozai was made of stone, the eyes were the same, cold and dead. Mai took the lead flanked to left with her and Azula, the right with Ty Lee. 

Even from a distance Y/N could tell that these weren’t members of any resistance. They were kids, probably her age, but maybe younger. Two were wearing Water Tribe blue–the boy in the middle though–was wearing yellow and orange. Y/N had never seen anyone wear those colors before. She could hear Azula hum thoughtfully next to her. 

A crane from above lowered the metal box that held former King Bumi. Y/N noticed he seemed rather chipper for being locked in a metal coffin with only his head sticking out. 

“You brought my brother?” Mai asked. Her low, raspy voice carried over the distance between them. 

“He’s here. We’re ready to trade,” The one in orange answered.

Azula turned to Mai. “I’m sorry, but a thought just occurred to me. Do you mind?”

Mai tensed. “Of course not, Princess Azula.”

“We’re trading a two-year-old for a king. A powerful, earthbending king. It just doesn’t seem like a fair trade, does it?”

Mai’s eyes narrowed, searching over every inch of Azula’s face. Her jaw tightened and slowly she turned to look back at the ‘resistance’ members. “You’re right. The deal’s off.”

Ty Lee and Y/N shared a look. What was Mai thinking? This was her brother. 

As King Bumi was once again lifted into the air, the boy in orange ran towards them, a swirling mass of dirt trailing him. Azula stepped out and threw a ball of fire at him. Or at least where he should have been. He jumped and then flew? high above them, floating on air currents with his staff that was now a glider. He was an airbender. 

“The Avatar!” Azula exclaimed. “My lucky day.” As Azula took off after the Avatar, Y/N ran to the Water Tribesmen, Ty Lee and Mai hot on her tail. She drew her sword and cut an ice dagger in half that the girl threw at her head. She ducked a rope of water and slipped past the waterbender, leaving Mai and Ty Lee to take care of her. Y/N was going to get Tom-Tom. 

The Watertribe boy was furiously blowing on a silent whistle and trying to wrangle the squirming baby in his arms. He turned and ran but tripped over a loose board and slid backwards to the edge. Y/N was nearly there, her fingers inches from grabbing the baby when something wet wrapped around her ankle like seaweed and pulled her hard in the opposite direction. She hit her chin on the wooden boards and lost her grip on her sword which skittered away helplessly over the edge and down to the ground. 

She kicked out but there was nothing for her foot to hit. The waterbender had grabbed her foot with a water rope to stop her and went back to fighting Mai and Ty Lee. She had her hands full with them, dodging chi blocks and blocking knives so she was protective of the boy–loyal to him. Her brother. Use it. A voice in Y/N’s head that sounded too much like Azula’s told her.

Y/N pushed herself to her feet, ignoring the sting of her chin and slid down the ladder just as the Water Tribe boy had done seconds earlier. 

He stood at the bottom looking to the air like he was waiting for something. He watched her come near but didn’t move. That’s when she saw her sword laying a few feet away. He saw her see it at the same time. 

They both rushed to it. Y/N grabbed the hilt but couldn’t pull away. He’d crossed his club over it holding the blade down.

 “Don’t.”

“Then I won’t.” She kicked his club away and pulled her blade back. They both backstepped giving each other space. She held her hand out to him. “ I just want the baby.” 

“Not a chance.” His bright blue eyes watched her every move. He shifted Tom-Tom on his hip.

“Please, it’s my friend’s brother. What would you do if this was your sister?”

“Don’t talk about her!” He shouted. But Y/N didn’t miss his eyes flicker to the platform. 

“I can talk to Princess Azula. I can tell her to make the deal. Bumi for Tom-Tom. Just trust me.”

“Trust you?” he echoed. Then he laughed. Y/N didn’t get to ask him what he was laughing about because she was suddenly hit with something large in the ribs and thrown under the scaffolding. She grunted as she sat up and crawled through the broken beams she was thrown through. In the sky was a flying bison.

“Damn it.” 

After climbing back up the ladder, Y/N and her friends met in the middle of the platform, Azula nowhere in sight. 

Y/N shook her head. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get Tom-Tom.”

Mai massaged a bruised wrist and shrugged. 

“But why would Azula cancel the deal?” Ty Lee asked. “We want Tom-Tom back just as much as they wanted King Bumi!”

“Azula didn’t,” Mai spat. 

Y/N sighed. “Why’d you let her do it, Mai?”

“You know why.”

“It’s not fair.” Ty Lee slung an arm around Mai’s waist. Y/N mirrored her on the other side. They walked back to the palace in silence. Nothing needed to be said, they knew what one another were thinking. 

----

“We have a third target now,” Azula announced from inside the palanquin as they marched out of the city. “We’re going after the Avatar.” 

“Ooh, I’d like to see that cute Water Tribe boy again, wouldn’t you?” Ty Lee nudged Y/N in the ribs with her pointy elbow. Y/N smiled, he was pretty cute, she thought to herself. 

Her smile grew to a grin. “Yeah, but I bet Mai’s more excited to see Zuko.” Y/N poked Mai in the arm and watched the girl who tried her hardest not to show her emotions flushed a deep red. 

Ty Lee and Y/N fell into a fit of giggles. Y/N missed her friends.

Taglist: @reclusive-chicken-nugget​ , @myexgirlfriendisthemoon​ , @astroninaaa​

A/N: if you’re getting vibes that Azula likes Y/N more than a friend, you are right ;) AND HEY we finally meet the gaang!! Y/N thinks Sokka’s cute!! Sokka hates her Fire Nation guts!! 

Like & reblog!! ❤️If you would like to be added to the taglist please shoot me a message or ask! 

[angryschnauzer]

Invite Us In

Summary: You're tired. You're grumpy. You're cramping. And when two of SHIELD's finest Vampires turn up at your door at sunrise, you kind of have to invite them in...

Warnings: NSFW, 18+, Oral Sex, Period Oral Sex, Periods, Werewolf, Vampires, Vampire Bucky, Vampire Steve, werewolf female reader, crack fic, squicks.

Pairing: Stucky x Female Reader

I do not operate a tag list but if you follow @angryschnauzerwrites​ and put that blog onto notifications, you will get an alert whenever i post something new. Oneshots will be posted on Tumblr and AO3, Multichapters will be AO3 exclusives. I do not have a masterlist due to the sheer number of fics i have written, but you can find them all on AO3 link HERE

Invite Us In

The insistent knocking on the door made you groan, you had only just gotten home and the last thing you needed was visitors after the night you’d had. Growling as you grasped the heavy iron lock, you pulled the latch and peered out through the gap in the door, groaning at the sight;

“What are you two doing here?”

Opening the door wider you leant against the doorpost, hooking one leg over the other at your ankles and crossing your arms. Steve and Bucky were standing on your doorstep, beaten and bloody, and grinning like idiots;

“Hey there Doll” Bucky drawled; “We could kinda use some help…”

“Yeah, we got caught up in an all night mission and can’t make it back to base before sunrise… can we crash here?”

Groaning you rolled your eyes at the two doofuses in front of you, it was typical of their behaviour, get caught up in a fight after a mission and only just make it back to base before the powerful rays of sun licked at their pale white asses… considering they had both been vampires for over 75 years, you would have thought they would be able to keep track of the sunrise by now… but it would seem not;

“Really? I have only just changed, i’ve had a hell of a night…”

“Babe… please…” Steve begged, the two of them shuffling a little closer towards you as the rays of light moved along the floor towards them as the morning sun rose; “Please… invite us in…”

Rolling your eyes again you sighed, as a magical being yourself you knew you couldn’t let two of the finest Supernatural fighters poof into piles of dust, so with great reluctance your shoulders sagged;

“Fine… please do come in…”

The two men trooped into your small apartment, coming to a halt when they saw how small your living quarters were; a single room studio apartment, small bathroom off to the side, and the couch pulled out into a bed.

“Cosy” Bucky muttered, toeing his boots off and unbuckling his jacket

Steve nodded, a smirk on his face to which you felt like slapping straight off.

“Hey, not all of us get paid the mega bucks you two do. Plus… i have to spend four days of a month off active duty… like now…”

“Oh… Its that time…” Steve started

“Yes, of the month. Like i said, i only just changed and i was up all night”

You went to boil water for some tea, your back to the two men when you felt the hairs on the back of your neck prick up, turning you let out a yelp when you found yourself boxed in by the two large vampires in your apartment;

“What are you…?” you started, only to be cut off by Bucky;

“We can smell you…”

Groaning you rolled your head;

“Oh man… i even vacuumed, is there dog hair too?”

The dark haired vamp blinked and looked confused;

“What are you talking about?”

“What are you talking about?” you countered

“Your period” Steve clarified. Your mouth fell into a large ‘oh’ before Steve continued; “What do you mean dog?”

“The full moon? Being off every 28 days? You guys haven’t figured it out?” They both shook their heads; “Oh boy… ok yeah i’m on my period… but that’s because i’m a fucking werewolf. Every month i get really fucking ratty because i have to turn into a giant dog for three nights, AND when i change as the sun rises i get the joy of having my period when all i want to do is curl into a ball because of cramps and eat chocolate which makes me really fucking sick because i’m half DOG…”

Both men were silent for a moment, before they moved closer, each resting a hand on your hip. Steve pressed his mouth to one ear;

“We can help with the period cramps…”

“And it’ll help us too…” Bucky added

“What? How?”

“Are we gonna have to spell it out for ya Doll? We’re hungry… and you’re bleeding…”

“Oh. OH”

You turned to Steve for clarification but his mouth caught yours, his tongue pushing and to your surprise you opened for him. Through the kiss you were vaguely aware of Bucky pulling your t-shirt down your shoulder and pressing his lips to your neck, sucking against your skin. Pulling away from Steve you went to warn Bucky against any funny business with his sharp teeth, but any protests were swallowed when his lips met yours. 

In a mass of limbs pulling at clothing you made your way across your tiny apartment, falling into a heap on your bed. Bucky pulled at your panties, and you tensed as he saw your core. Tugging gently at the string of your tampon he slid it out of you, tossing it into the small trash can at the side of your bed. He looked like utter sin, his chest bare, his pants partially unbuttoned as he knelt on the bed and lifted one of your legs, pressing kisses to your skin as he trailed his lips from your ankle to your knee and then further. When his lips touched yours you let out a sigh, your hands scrambling for something to grab onto, and finding Steve at your side. He leant down and kissed you, his sharp teeth rubbing against yours, before he pulled away;

“Does doggy want a treat?”

“Steve… what do you…?”

He unbuttoned his pants and tugged them down, his hard dick springing out and slapping against his stomach;

“A nice meaty treat”

Grinning you nodded at him, watching as he shuffled on his knees and you were able to take him into your mouth, moaning around his impressing length as Bucky’s long tongue pushed into your aching walls, tasting you. He groaned against your lips, sending sensations through your body which in turn made you hum around Steve. Relaxing your jaw you looked up and nodded, working your tongue over him as he started to fuck your mouth. 

You could feel your orgasm starting to grow in the pit of your stomach, Bucky giving out sweet torture between your legs. As his teeth gently scraped against your folds it was the final trigger, and as you started to come Steve reached he peak too, spurting ropes of cum down your throat which you happily swallowed.

Laying back on the bed you sighed, the flood of relief coursing through your body a welcome change from the tenseness that had consumed you for so many full moons in the past. With your eyes closed you were vaguely aware of the two men moving around, before you felt a cool metal hand against your chin;

“Open up Doll, you’ve been such a good girl you can have a second treat”

Opening your eyes you were greeted with the sight of Bucky’s thick and meaty dick just inches from your face, and taking hold of your chin with his metal hand he guided himself between your lips as Steve’s tongue found its way home between your thighs.

Whereas Bucky had a long tongue, Steve’s was wide, and as he opened his mouth he was seemingly able to cover your entire sex with his mouth, his thick tongue lapping at your entrance. The two men soon set to work, Bucky praising you for taking his dick so well, Steve eating you out like he hadn’t had a meal in months. As you came on Steve’s tongue he drank down everything you gave him, Bucky pulling out of your mouth as he fisted his wide girth;

“Open your mouth doll, i wanna see you hold it on your tongue”

Sticking your tongue out you watched as he pumped himself just a couple of times before he was coming in powerful spurts, shooting his cum into your mouth with trigger precision just like the sniper he was.

Laying back on the bed again you were in seventh heaven, the endorphins rushing through your body and the orgasms having gotten rid of your cramps, you could get used to this you thought to yourself. You watched through heavy lids as the two men licked at the others face and chin, catching the last drops of precious blood, and you felt your insides clench with arousal, a small moan escaping your throat.

“Ready for more Doll?”

Spreading your legs you ran your hands along your thighs;

“I’m not gonna say no…”

-

“WOOF” 

Bucky and Steve were woken by your loud bark, looking bleary eyed and crumpled from sleep.

“What the…?”

Another quieter bark as you sat on your haunches at the side of the bed had them remembering what you had told them, before you got up and picked up a note, walking back to the bed and dropped it in Steve’s lap.

“She left us a note…

‘Thank you for an amazing night. If you could kindly let me out when you leave, that would be great’

You growled quietly and the two vamps looks at you and smiled, before climbing out of bed and started to get dressed. 

-

On the sidewalk outside your building the three of you stood and breathed in the cool night air, before you looked up and saw the moon, the urge to run and howl soon overtaking any other thought. As you started to run along the pavement the two men called out in the silent night;

“Hey girl!”

You stopped and paused as Steve spoke;

“You need us to come over again in the morning?”

Trotting back to them you stood as then bent down and scratched your ears;

“Huh Doll, you want more?”

You licked Bucky’s face then Steve’s, the two vamps laughing;

“We’ll take that as a yes”

With a howl of joy you ran off into the night, excited for your midnight run, and even more excited for your morning fun.

[my-socialdiary]

Deep Water

Word Count: 2113

Here we go! Childe x Lumine fanfiction! This is my first time writing a story using english XD pardon my bad BAD grammar because english is not my first language. i tried to fix that :(

***

They’re different, inside and outside.

They have different purposes when approaching each other.

But strangely enough, they feel comfortable. They feel like they can rely on each other.

There is Lumine, and Childe.

There is a butterfly and its destroyer.

It is dark, still, yet beautiful at the same time. The full moon that reflected on the darkened blue sea in Yaoguang Shoal. The sound of waves is so calming and somehow has the ability to heal every ache, mentally. Lumine sits on one of the rocks, dipping her feet in the salt water, enjoying the coldness that it gives. She loves being near water even though she’s an anemo user.

Water; the stillness is giving it a mysterious sense. You will never know what’s deep inside the water if you don’t purposely dive into it. It may contain something dangerous, or it may contain something valuable, like that luxurious chest she finds at Dunyu Ruins after delivering some annoying seelies. For her, water by some means is magical and inexplicable.

Water is exactly just like Childe.

Mysterious.

Menacing.

Some people said that he’s ruthless. Merciless murderer, because of his affiliation with the Fatui, and also because he’s the Eleventh of the Fatui Harbingers. The youngest one but one of the most dangerous amongst their number.

But…

He’s the most bold, enchanting, and clever man she ever met in her life. Not to mention he also has the sweetest smile…

… and lots of Mora.

She smiled when remembering that moment when Childe approached her and Zhongli when they were about to buy some kites for The Rite of Parting from Granny Shan’s shop. Zhongli is… thinking about him makes her sigh. That man is surely a special case.

“… Lumine?” A small, sleepy voice brings her back in reality. “Paimon thinks that now we should camp somewhere else. It’s so cold in here and Paimon can catch a cold anytime!” Her emergency f—travelling companion now is awake and leans her body to Lumine’s head. “C’mon, Lumine! We can camp at Mingyun Village or get a room at Wangshu Inn, but not here, in the open field, near the water!”

Lumine chuckles. “Alright, alright,” she stands and reaches up her shoes. “Let’s go.”

Before they leave, Lumine glances over the sea once again and smiles.

***

He knows himself more than anyone in Liyue—or even in Teyvat. Or even his sister, Tonia. All the blessing and curse he has related to water. All those scars that he tried to bury, deep down in his mind. All those achievements mean nothing more than a boastful show off. He knows himself. Truly, inside and outside.

But, meeting her makes him doubt his knowledge about himself.  

Their first meeting is quite unique. That time, when there’s announcement about Rex Lapis’ death at The Rite of Descension, he was just arrived at Liyue to do some works delegated by Fatui to the Northland Bank when he heard a bunch of Millelith shouting to each other, ordering their comrades to arrest someone.

“You have nowhere to run!”

That commotion is enough to get his interest. He looked up and saw the back of a blonde-haired girl that just drew her sword out to fight those trained Millelith. Before he could think twice, the water shifted from his hand, forming a water blade each in his hands and leap over, “Hey girlie, hold still!” The sound of water coming through his ears while his hands are now focusing to fight those Millelith. His position as one of the Harbingers was not given to him without reasons. Easily enough, he defeated all of the Millelith guard—he didn’t kill them, but enough to make them unconscious—then turn back to that girl just to see her golden-yellow eyes now staring at him.

He knew her. Friend of the Knights of Favonius.

“Come with me.” That time, he knew he shouldn’t do that. But he did it anyway. And from then until now, they’ve been together, side by side to fight monsters and sometimes treasure hoarders. It’s funny to realize that because he’s more like an independent fighter rather than a group fighter. But with Lumine, everything that he knows about himself seems to become different. Firstly, He already promises himself that he won’t do anything using his feelings anymore. And secondly, He promises himself that he won’t do anything stupid by helping other people because that’s not what Fatui do.

But yet, he failed.

Lumine is like a breath of fresh air for his breathless life. With Lumine, he feels like he can relax a little bit, smile a little bit, and importantly, see the beauty of life a little bit. A little bit is more than enough for life like his. But that little bit is not good for their relationship. Tsaritsa will find out about Lumine sooner or later. And that’s not good. That means Lumine will always be in danger near him. Thinking about that makes him shiver. I can’t let anything bad happen to her. Not until she reunites with her twin brother. Not until I can be assured that she’s safe. This time, he tries to keep his promise. He could no longer indulge himself in all this beauty which he didn’t deserve from the first time he knew her. 

Because of that, now he found himself waiting at Liyue Harbor because he made a promise to Lumine that they would watch the sunrise before he went back to Snezhnaya. Lumine doesn’t know yet about his plan to go back to his hometown. She only knew that today they would be enjoying sunrise on the boat he rented from Linling. He tries so hard to distance himself from that bright-cheerful-and-lighthearted girl but he fails dozens of times. This is the only way he can do that. Even though it means that he probably will see that girl crying in front of him. 

“Childe!” The euphonic voice that has become his favorite—since when? He doesn’t know—takes him back to the scenery of Liyue Harbor. “been waiting long?” Lumine asks while stabilizing her blue glider and then fixing her flower hair clip. Childe looked away to distract himself and pretend to be looking the other way.

“Not really,” he smiles. “You ready?”

“I was born ready,” she smiled back. The smile that has always been his favorite. 

“Let’s go, then.” Childe walked first, followed by Lumine behind him. She can’t help but smile like an idiot while looking at Childe’s broad shoulder. She knows that she likes him more than friends, but how about him? He never made a real move towards her. Childe has been doing sweet things to her, but how can she be sure that it because he likes her in that way? Should she ask him first?

“Ouch!” Her thoughts make her unaware that Childe is now stopped walking and tries to untie the rope that ties the boat. “Oh my Archons, that hurts!” She cringed and rubbed her aching forehead. Childe turns back and chuckles. She’s so cute. He thinks. And the next second he tries to ignore that thought. 

“What were you doing?” 

Both of Lumine’s cheeks become warm. I was thinking about you! “N-no. Nothing. Nothing at all, s-seriously!”

“Whoa, okay-okay,” Childe lets out a small laugh. “Let’s go.” He reaches Lumine’s arms and helps her get on the boat. After everything has set, Childe rowed the boat, heading to the best place to see the sunrise in Liyue Harbor according to his experience. It was 4 in the morning when they set out their boat. Here in Liyue, the sun rises a little late. 

“I always love midnight and dawn,” she looked at Childe while keeping her hair from covering her face. “It’s nice and calm.”

“Thought you were the rousing-type of girl,” 

“Yeah, I’ll admit that, but sometimes,” she turns her head over the sea horizon. “Once in a lifetime, you need to escape from those ruckus and enjoy the beauty of stillness.”

“The beauty of stillness, huh?” he raised his eyebrow. “Never heard of that.”

Lumine smiles. 

A few moments later, Childe stopped rowing. He is now looking at Lumine who is currently closing her eyes, enjoying the cool air. She won’t be bothered by the wind. She’s an anemo user, after all. Wind is her friend. Just like water is his friend. And enemy, at the same time. 

He then looked down to his reflection on the water. That smile of his and all of the funny jokes he made so that people will like him is a lie. It was a deceitful move. But when he’s with Lumine, it all feels real. Or… maybe it’s just his delusion. Like the electro vision he has, given by Tsaritsa. He doesn’t know anymore what’s real in his life. 

“Childe, look!” Lumine is now covering her mouth, feeling in awe because the sun starts to go up to its place in Liyue. “It’s so beautiful.”

Instead of looking at the sunrise, he looked at Lumine—never can get enough of her—and said, “it is.” 

“Thank you for bringing me here, Childe.” She gives him a dazzling smile. “I really, really love it.”

“Well, now you know this place. You can come here every time you want to enjoy that ‘beauty of stillness’.” He quoted Lumine’s words and gave a playful smile. 

“With you?”

“You can go here alone. That’s the point, right?” 

“I mean, we can go here together again, right? I can teach you about the beauty of stillness that I mentioned earlier,” She said. 

“No…” He looked down. Now is the time for you to tell her, Childe. “I-I will no longer come to Liyue.” 

“W-what do you mean you will no longer come to Liyue? Are you leaving?”

He nodded. “I’m going back to Snezhnaya,” he didn’t dare to look at her. “My hometown.”

“...when?”

“Today.”

She swallowed her tears, “so this is why you suggest that we should go watch the sunrise,” her voice is now trembling. “You wanted to say goodbye?”

“Yes. Besides, there's nothing else I can do here anyway,” please don’t cry. Please don’t cry. Please. “And the Fatui is asking me to go back.” liar. 

What about me? A tear tickled her cheek, and she started chewing on her lower lip while her eyes welled up with tears. “I—” she mumbled something through her mouth and choked on her sobs. “S-sorry. I didn’t know what happened to me.” She let out fake chuckles and looked away. 

Meanwhile, Childe, his vision was blurry; it was difficult for him to see clearly, but he knew that it was a hurtful moment for them. He hears Lumine sniffing and sobbing even though she is trying to hold it. For some moment, both of them drown into their own thoughts and feelings. 

“Will I be able to see you again, sometime in the future?” Lumine asks. She didn’t turn her head to see Childe. “Is there a possibility that we can sit in this boat, enjoying the sunrise together again? Is there any?” 

Childe opens his mouth to say something, but closes it again. No. we can’t meet. You can’t meet me. It’s dangerous. 

“No?” Lumine urged him. 

“If…” Childe dared himself to stare at that girl. “If you want to be around to see it again with me, best you stay alive until we next meet… okay?” And again, he breaks his own promise to not see Lumine ever again. 

They smiled at each other. 

***

That blonde-haired girl is now sitting at one of the Mingyun Village’s rooftop. She looked at a blue shell with a somewhat star-shaped in the center. A starconch. She misses him already but she knows that sometime in the future, they will meet again. Because he needs to take back this precious starconch from her.

***

“Here, keep this,” Childe takes her right hand and places something in her palm. 

“A starconch?”

He nodded. “Yes. It’s not just any starconch you can find, it is my precious starconch because it has memories in it.”

“What memories?” She asked him with a curious look. 

“I’ll save that story for later, when we meet again,” he said, which made her frown. “Until then, you need to keep this. Because I’ll come and take this back.”

“Okay.”

“Okay, good.”

***

“I guess I just need to wait a little longer, don’t I?” Lumine glanced at her little fairy friend, stood then jumped off the roof. “In the meantime, let’s blow away some hilichurls, shall we?” 

“Lumine, wait, Paimon thinks we should eat first!” Paimon tries to keep her distance near Lumine. But she keeps running with a big grin in her face. “Lumineeeeee!” 

[pineconesarecrunchy]

Tea

Edelgard x F!Byleth

Note: This is post timeskip so minor spoilers for that

(This is part of a series! Previous work)

...

"Morning!"

"..."

"Miss Byleth?"

You suddenly jolt and lift you head up from where it was resting on the desk in front of you. Knocking over the nearest stack of papers while arising.

"Ack!" You mumble and scurry to pick up the papers.

"Sorry for startling you." you look up to meet Hubert's face. Edelgard's right hand man. He bends down to collect the papers with you. After gathering all you combine the piles you have collected and rest them on your desk.

"Busy are you?" He asks, leaning against your desk.

"Yes, as we all are."

"Hm. Indeed." Pause. The air with Hubert feels like the exact opposite. Edelgard's aura feels warm and comforting. Hubert feels like he's always cold and distant. You wonder how the two are able to bond so well. "I want to discuss something about Lady Edelgard."

"What about her?"

"I have noticed you wandering into her room like a lost lamb in the woods going home on a dark night. All alone, scurrying." You raise your eyebrows. "You cannot dispute me when I have actually seen you."

"Okay." More silence. The tension is so thick it would need to be cut with a butchers knife. What does he want from you? Is he trying to be protective of Edelgard? Will he forbid you from seeing her...impossible. He cannot do that! These thoughts of Hubert stepping between you and Edelgard makes your head swirl and stomach feel uneasy. You have to change the topic of conversation before—

"Have you been getting sleep lately, Miss Byleth?"

"I have been trying to, but as you can see with this upcoming battle, I have a lot of stuff to prepare for."

"I see..."

“I am running errands for the mercenaries while discussing with the kitchen and tenders at the greenhouse how much food we should set aside to ration for the upcoming battle. With the merchants changing as often as they do, it’s hard to bargain without checking to see what the kitchen crew needs to make meals and what foods we can grow in the greenhouse instead of buying. I am all over the place, calculating, spending, bargaining, and … just a lot to do Hubert. But, that is my job!”

“Alright…”

"How have you been, Hubert?" You could care less about his response.

"Why have you stopped wandering to her room?" Now he has piqued your interest.

"Excuse me, Hubert?"

"...Edelgard. Why have you stopped visiting her at night?"

" Hubert I am sorry, but topic of this conversation does not concern you—"

"What do you do—"

"This is extremely out of line and unprofessional! The only things you should ask me that concern Edelgard and I should be of business matters. Not personal." You pick up the few papers off of your desk that need to be worked on and believe working in your room would be your best bet rather this office. As you head for the door you can feel Hubert's eyes burning on your back.

As you set the stack on the desk of your room you cannot help but think of that exchange. What does Hubert want from you? Why did he feel the need to ask such questions? You feel a headache incoming and rest your head against your desk. Wonder why the past few days have been increasing the amount of headaches you get and with such intensity.

You glance out the window and see the sun setting. How long have you been resting as a response to your headache? You lick your parched lips, a nice warm cup of tea would be good right now. You cannot help begin to start wondering where Edelgard may be and if she would enjoy a cup as well. You get up and change to more comfortable outing clothes and ask around if anyone has seen her. The guards, passing merchants; mercenaries. The more people you ask, the less people seem to be roaming around every time you inquire. Why has not speaking with Edelgard make you feel this way?

It has only been a few days, but it feels like part of you is missing. You wake up without her next to you and the day already feels awful. Seeing a glimpse of her through the windows discussing with allies does not do it for you. You want to be with Edelgard and feel her by your side. The warmth of her arm around you, hand holding hand with fingers interlacing. To be so close to her, every inhale you can smell her flowery scent. You miss it so much. You miss Edelgard. Everyday without her feels painful...

Are you falling for the Emperor?

You quickly erase that question out of your mind. There is no way you possibly can… You should not even be thinking thoughts like that.

The moon is out now; maybe you should catch up on the work that you missed due to your headache. You head to your office finding it hard to believe that in your evening search, no one knew of her whereabouts. That is truly unbelievable—

"I heard you were looking for me." says a familiar voice. You look around the room of the office to see a fig ure perched upon your desk legs crossed. Silvery white hair illuminated by the stained glass windows in the office.

"E-Edelgard!"

"'E-Edelgard!'" she mocks you and laughs. She is not wearing her nightgown like last time, she's still in her emperor clothes. Beautifully crimson red. Maybe she had a meeting with allies... "Come on, By. El is perfectly fine. What did you want to discuss? You could have stopped by my office anytime." Of course! She would have been in her office, the one place you would think to check first...

"I had nothing to discuss."

"Really?"

"Honest."

"So will you tell me why you were looking for me?" You nod.

"I was going to ask you if you would like to join me for evening tea, but it is," you walk over to the window and look at the moon, "a bit late for that now." You can feel Edelgard get off the desk behind you and join your side looking out the stained glass window.

"So you wanted to see me?" She purrs.

"I..."

"You were the one who had wanted to stop accompanying me."

"Because I felt like your nightmares were easing."

"But, you never asked for my opinion."

"No, I did not..." you say wryly. "...But, were they easing by me accompanying you?"

"It was, but I've been working so much lately that as soon as I lay down to sleep I fall asleep instantly and I wake up recalling none of my nightmares nor dreams."

"That's great!"

"I would disagree." You raise your eyebrows. Does Edelgard wish she still had nightmares? You recall the times where in her sleep she would begin to shake and mumble. Sometimes she even cried in her sleep until you lulled her telling her everything's alright. Why would she wish to continue being the victim of that suffering?

"Why would wish to have nightmares?"

"So I could have an excuse to sleep with you." You look down at her while her eyes are fixed looking out the window. "You miss sleeping with me, don't you, By?" Dammit.

"..."

"You look like a wreck."

"..."

"You look worse than I do after a long night run.” She laughs at this, but you don't. It's like Edelgard can see through your front. Without her you do feel like a wreck. Maybe both of you benefitted from sleeping with each other.

"..."

"Byleth, will you say anything?"

"Anything."

"Haha!" She playfully slaps your arm. "Most times you're so stoic, but I knew you had some sense of humor within you!"

"You think I am stoic—"

"I will take up your offer on tea."

“But, it’s almost midnight.”

“Tea’s suppose energizing effects have no affect on me.” She says shrugging. “You?”

“One cup makes me sleepy.” You lie. Tea makes you restless, but you’re so desperate to not work right now. Accompanying Edelgard is a valid excuse to get out of your work.

“We can sleep together afterwards then.” She suggests.

“I have work to be done—“

“Work work work. You have to take a break sometime, By! Come on, for me.” Her eyes gleam with a beg that you have never seen from her before. You give in and nod. To this, she smiles greatly, taking your hand in hers and dragging you to the dinning hall’s kitchen.

The kitchen is empty, you expect there to be cleaners at this hour, but no one is there. She walks over to a tall cupboard and opens it. The shelves are lined with various tea serving equipment and tea assortments. From an array of colored porcelain cups to teas from foreign lands, the shelves are well equipped. Edelgard seems to have her eye on one of the teas on the higher shelf. She stretches to get it, on her tippy toes. Seeing her wobble trying to get it for you seems a bit…funny. It’s out of place to see the leader of the Empire struggling to reach for the box of Bergamot tea due to how vertically challenged she is. You stand behind her and grab the tea from the shelf, not realizing how close you are to her. She hits her behind into your pelvis trying to turn around, her face flushed, eyes averted from yours.

“Thank you.” She says quickly, taking the tea out of your hand. “I shall get some hot water. I have a serving tray in my room and some spare tea cups.”

She squeezes out from between you and the cupboard.

“Should I meet you in your room?” You ask.

“No, you may stay.” So you do.

When you return to Edelgard’s room, she mentions you can sit where you’d like so you choose to sit on her dressing table’s stool. She rests the filled teapot and Bergamot on top of her wooden drawer set and squats down to reach into the lowest drawer. Pulling out a serving tray along with two porcelain tea cups, she rises closing the drawer with the tip of her boot. She them places the items next to the teapot. Once everything is out of her hands, she immediately tosses her jacket onto the ground and kicks off her boots.

“Could you help me out of this please? I’m so tired and would like to put on something more comfortable before tea.” She asks her back towards you. “I had to wear this crimson dress while discussing business matters earlier. Hubert insisted because of ‘business formalities’ bleh. He usually helps me in and out of it, but he’s been… acting a bit strange lately.” You bring yourself to stand up and go over to Edelgard. She glances over her shoulder and takes your hands into hers. She guides your hand to the nape of her neck where the first button is. You undo it, hands barely keeping steady.

The rest is continued here

(on Archive of our own because it's rated mature)!

...

I hope you liked this fic!! I love writing Edelgard with a bit of sass and Byleth just taking it in lol. It's a lot of fun!

[inkjackets]

The Pull of the Past

this was written for the @adrienagrestezine​: Silver Lining. (leftover sales are currently ongoing, so if you haven’t got a copy already, head over and grab one while you still can!!)

AO3

“Hey, mum.” Adrien’s voice rang out softly in the small courtyard. The ground was warm beneath him and the late afternoon sun lit the world a fierce gold. He ran his fingers over the rough paving stones before raising his head to meet the stony eyes of his mother’s statue, sitting serene and tranquil in the alcove surrounded by rose bushes.

“I found out who Hawkmoth is today,” he said, deathly quiet. Adrien swallowed the lump in his throat and ignored the burning in his eyes. “He told me what he’s doing, why he wants the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous.”

Adrien dug his nails into his palm; he clenched his stomach; he grimaced as the tears he was forcing back disobeyed him and spilt down his cheeks, dripping pat-pat onto the pavement beneath him.

“He just sat down and told me,” he whispered with disbelief, “as if he were telling me of an upcoming trip to Milan.” He dug the heels of his palms into his eyes. “I love you so much.” His voice cracked. “But I can’t betray Ladybug. I love her too.” Tears leaked past his palms and his breathing shuddered and he started to tremble.

“But I miss you.” Sobs wracked his body as he broke down crying, the sun warming his shoulders but unable to touch the cold deep inside him. 

Memories came to him then, lighting up his mind. Her sweeping him up in her arms and pecking him on the nose. Her laughter dancing among the notes of the piano she played. Her embrace, so warm, as she held him, that soft smile on her lips which told him everything would be okay. And Adrien wept for that smile. He needed to see it again. He needed her back.

A gentle breeze blew through the small garden. The leaves and flowers rustled in the wind and swept through Adrien’s hair. He lifted his head and inhaled the sweet-smelling earth. Ever so slowly his shuddering breath evened; the tears on his cheeks dried; the pain twisting inside him gave way to numbness, and he gazed at the stone carrying the likeness of his mother.

“What do I do?” His words drifted around the courtyard, catching the light. But the statue remained silent and didn’t reply.

Time lost all meaning as Adrien sat there. The sun dipped below the walls and took the warmth from the air, lights appeared in the windows beyond, and his mother gazed down with cold eyes of stone, unseeing and unable to comfort him. He shivered.

A gentle sound from behind him broke the silence.

“Adrien?”

Adrien turned and was faced with the stunning blue of Ladybug’s eyes. The world around him fell away. He forgot how to breathe; she was beautiful. Her dark hair fluttered in front of her captivating eyes, flecked with gold from the setting sun, and her pale cheeks were flushed from the cool evening air. They both gazed at each other, their only audience, his mother.  

“I’m sorry, is this a bad time?” Ladybug asked quietly.

Adrien breathed and the world came back. He glanced at the statue of his mother and wiped the dried tears from his cheeks, but when he tried to speak a lump rose in his throat and blocked the words from coming out.

Ladybug shifted. “I’ll come back later,” she said, drawing out her yoyo.

“No!” Adrien grabbed her wrist. She looked at him, wide-eyed. “Don’t go,” he whispered. Ladybug’s cheeks flushed and he could feel heat creep into his own. 

Ladybug bit her lip and glanced back at the house. “Your father…” she began. 

Adrien shook his head. “He’s abroad. And took Nathalie with him.”

“Your chauffeur?”

Adrien fell silent a moment. “We can trust him,” he said and knew it to be true.

Ladybug smiled. “Okay,” she said simply and sat down beside him.

Adrien relaxed. He began to let her wrist slide from his grasp, but then she grabbed his hand. He looked at her. Ladybug gave a small smile and weaved her fingers through his, holding him tight. Adrien felt his tension flow out into her as warmth spread up his arm and it was such a relief he felt light-headed. He took a shaky breath in, inhaling her scent of fresh bread and sunshine, and gazed back at the statue of his mother. 

They both sat there in silence as dusk turned to darkness and the cool bite of night rose in the air. The deep cold within Adrien failed to shift but sitting here with her took the edge off his pain.

“About a week after she disappeared I found myself here,” Adrien said quietly, breaking the silence. “It was pouring with rain, I was soaked instantly, but I had to see her.” Pain tugged at his gut. “I sat in her lap and begged her to speak, to hug me back, anything.” He fell silent. “The next thing I knew my father was there. Water ran down his face and I couldn’t tell if it was tears or the rain, but…” The barest of smiles rose on his lips. “He held me. The three of us held each other. And that’s the first time since she disappeared that I remember feeling warm.” The smile faded from his lips. “But then he said… he said something which made me turn cold.” Adrien swallowed as that horrible feeling took over him again. “He said he’d bring her back.” His voice was low and edged with pain. “No matter the cost.”

Adrien looked at the ground. At the time he hadn’t known what his father had meant, but now he understood, no matter how much he wished he didn’t. He dug his nails into his palms. 

He knew he had to tell Ladybug that his father was Hawkmoth, but he needed a moment. A moment to grieve for the loss of his mother, and for the loss of the father he realized he’d never had. 

“I truly hope she comes back to you one day,” Ladybug said.

Adrien’s jaw clenched. Darkness curled in his gut. 

“She won’t,” he said, and terror clawed its way through him because he knew it to be true. “She won’t ever come back, not unless… unless…” he slammed his hands to his mouth and tears spilt down his cheeks.

The next thing he knew he was engulfed in Ladybug’s warmth as she pulled him close. He gripped her tight and gritted his teeth and buried his head in her shoulder and his chest spasmed with sobs. She whispered soothing noises in his hair, holding him despite his shaking.

“I miss her, Ladybug!” he cried into her shoulder, “But I can’t… I can’t… I…I—” He grimaced and held down a wail and dug his nails into her shoulders as turmoil surged within him. And he cried, he sobbed, for the choice he had to make. Knowing he was doing the right thing didn’t make it any easier to say.

He choked down his tears and sucked in a deep breath. “I-I know who he is,” he said, voice strained, “Hawkmoth.”

He felt Ladybug tense. She slowly pulled back and cool air rushed between them. “What?” Adrien stared at the ground unable to meet her eyes. “Adrien.” She tilted his chin up, forcing him to meet her gaze. Tears swam in his eyes, blurring his vision, but the blueness of her eyes shone through. “Who, Adrien?”

Adrien pulled his head out of her grip and looked away. For a moment the only sound was the soft pat-pat of his tears hitting the ground.

“Who else,” he said numbly, “would cause me this much grief?”

And Adrien could feel Ladybug’s horror. “Your father,” she said, barely above a whisper.

Adrien didn’t say anything. Silence swirled around them.

“He’s going to bring her back,” he whispered.

Ladybug looked at him with dismay. She raised a hand and straightened his collar that had bent out of place. “Oh, Adrien,” she said. Adrien felt her fingers shake as they trailed his shoulder. “We have to stop him,” she said quietly.

“Do we?” he said. The words left a bitter taste in his mouth and he regretted them instantly. 

Ladybug eyed him. “You should go to your room,” she said, and pulled out her yoyo, “I’m going to get Chat Noir.”

Adrien placed his hand on her yoyo and made her lower it.

“I’m Chat Noir,” he said quietly. Ladybug blinked. An uncertain laugh escaped her lips, but it faded quickly when his expression didn’t change.

“You’re being serious,” she said.

He simply held her gaze. Her eyes widened. Ladybug sat back with a thump and brushed her fringe back.

Adrien’s heart thumped in his chest and mouth grew dry as she continued to stare at him. But then her mouth widened into a grin. Tears glistened in her eyes and goosebumps rose on Adrien’s skin when her soft laugh rang out.

“Mon Chaton,” she said. She placed her hand on his cheek. Adrien felt his soul calm as he gazed into her eyes, so bright and full of love and life.

“Adrien…” Ladybug took a deep breath. “I’m Marinette.” Adrien’s heart stopped. “Dupain-Cheng,” she added, as if he wouldn’t know.

His eyes traced her hair, her nose, her lips, before meeting once more the blue of her eyes. 

A bubble of warmth rose within him and a smile grew wide on his face. 

“How didn’t I guess?” he gave a soft laugh and Ladybug blushed.

The moon appeared from behind a cloud and distracted them both as it bathed the world in silver.

“So,” Ladybug began, her voice soft in the moonlight, “what’s the plan now?”

Adrien turned his gaze to the stars, now shining in their hundreds, and took a deep breath of the fresh night air. He had a choice to make. He could drown in the past, or in Ladybug’s blue eyes. And he knew which he’d rather. 

“My father gets back in the morning,” he said quietly, “We’ll take him by surprise.”

Ladybug looked at him. There was a sadness in her gaze, but a determination as well. She took his hand once more, weaved her fingers through his, and nodded. 

They both looked back to the statue of his mother. It must have been the way the moonlight shone on her, but Adrien swore he saw her smile. He felt a warmth rise in him then. It wasn't enough to drown out the cold, but it was a start.

And though he wished time would stand still so he could sit here forever, he knew that, as long as his mother watched over him and his lady was by his side, he could resist the pull of the past.

He gave Ladybug’s hand a gentle squeeze. She squeezed back.

He had a future and he wanted to live it.

[sohotthateveryonedied]

A Legacy to Protect

Read here on AO3!

Summary:

Tim’s parents don’t know he does this. Neither do the nannies. If anyone found out that their nine-year-old boy was out roaming the streets every night after bedtime, climbing fire escapes and leaning over roof ledges to get photos of Batman and Robin, they would have an aneurysm.

(Tim learned that word last week from a medical documentary.)

Tim’s parents don’t know he does this. Neither do the nannies. If anyone found out that their nine-year-old boy was out roaming the streets every night after bedtime, climbing fire escapes and leaning over roof ledges to get photos of Batman and Robin, they would have an aneurysm. (Tim learned that word last week from a medical documentary.) The dynamic duo hasn’t been spotted yet tonight, but there’s still time. They usually do a sweep through Crime Alley between 12:30 and 1:15, according to Tim’s notes. He keeps a notebook small enough to fit in his jacket pocket, the pages scribbled margin to margin with red crayon in honor of the Boy Wonder himself. Tim sits on the roof’s edge, his camera settled beside him. It’s a shiny black one with a strap to hang around his neck and everything, just like a real photographer. Mom and Dad sent it over for Tim’s last birthday while they were touring through Egypt, and it was only a week and a half late this time. Tim doesn’t blame them. His parents work hard, harder than half of the other rich socialites who attend those fancy dinners and balls Tim gets dragged to. We need to present a good image for Gotham, his mom always tells him. If you’re not the best you can be, then there isn’t much of a point in doing anything, is there? I’m really good at pictures, Tim offers. I don’t mean hobbies, sweetheart. Those don’t count. If you want to get anywhere in this world, you need to start focusing on what’s important. Like Drake Industries.

Tim slips his notebook out of his pocket and opens it to a fresh page. Octobur 3, 12:16 a.m. — no sign of batman and robin yet. very cold weather. saw a cat sitting on the sidewalk and tried to pet it but it ran away.

Tim is going to be a great detective one day. He’s already got the surveillance part down. Suddenly the air rings with the crashing sound of trash cans being overturned. Tim quickly pockets his notebook and grabs his camera. He leans over the side of the building, ready to shoot. He scans the dark alley for a criminal, a really quiet angry mob, maybe even the Joker himself hatching a scheme. Instead, all Tim’s lens catches is a stray dog eating scraps from a dumpster. Tim sighs but snaps a photo anyway. Bummer. He leaves the dog to its meal, standing and turning his camera’s gaze to the night sky above. The moon is full, even if the stars are obscured by Gotham’s constant veil of smog. He takes a few pictures, rotating to catch new angles over cracked walls and smoky rooftops. He’s in the middle of snapping a photo of a neon sign for something called the “Booby Trap” when he spots a blur of yellow cape obscure half of the frame. A jolt rolls through Tim and he grins. Finally. He lowers the camera, scanning the area for where the cape went until he finds him. Robin—Dick Grayson—is swinging below, his bright costume stark against the black Gotham streets. He’s laughing about something, chattering to a figure Tim can’t see. But he knows he’s there, keeping to the shadows. Batman. He can’t lose them. Not before he gets some more shots for his hero album. Tim takes as many as he can, following the Boy Wonder with his camera as he flies down the street. It’s like watching the sun rise. He’s graceful, all joyful bounds and tumbles, fluid with every movement. A true Grayson in flight. Tim takes a step backward to keep him in frame, but he’s closer to the edge of the building than he thought he was. With a yelp, Tim’s foot slips off the edge and then he’s lost to gravity altogether. He drops his camera, arms cartwheeling as he falls with a shout. It’s never occurred to Tim until now just how tall two-story buildings really are. It feels like he falls forever, trapped in a bubble of timelessness. Weightlessness. Until he lands. Tim’s leg crashes into the concrete first, buckling on impact with a sickening crack that vibrates through his entire skeletal system. Tim gets out the beginning of a scream, but it’s less than a second later that he lands on his back, the wind getting knocked from his lungs. Panic surges through Tim’s body, ice water injected straight into his veins. He just fell off a building. Tim fell off a building and he definitely heard a snap, even if he can’t feel it yet because of the adrenaline which is another thing that medical documentary said, and he’s too far away to get home and he can’t walk and he doesn’t have a cell phone and he’s all alone in Crime Alley and— Tim gasps. There’s the pain, right on schedule. He whimpers as a throbbing sensation radiates through his leg, amping up in intensity with every beat of his heart. He doesn’t want to look at it, knowing full well that it’s broken. There’s no way it isn’t broken from a fall like that, and his elbow stings so he must have scraped it on his way down. He’s pretty sure he hit his head, too. This is so freaking bad. Taking deep breaths, Tim sits up despite the aches rattling his body. He bites his lip, smothering a whimper when he sees his foot facing a direction that it definitely shouldn’t be facing. It’s broken. It’s so, so broken. Maybe he can set it? Tim read about that once, about how setting broken bones makes them better. If he can figure out how to do it on his own, maybe it’ll be okay. No one needs to find out what happened tonight. As a test, Tim tries to move his leg just an inch. Agony surges through his leg instantly and Tim bursts into tears on the spot. It hurts. Everything hurts so badly and he knows that big boys aren’t supposed to cry—that’s what his dad tells him. Only wimps cry. You’re not a wimp, are you? But Tim’s leg hurts and he’s scared and he doesn’t know what to do, so he bites down on his sleeve and tries to muffle the sobs that burst through. He just wanted to take pictures. That’s it. He wasn’t even doing anything dangerous—he wasn’t fighting bad guys or breaking up scuffles on the street. He only wanted to see his heroes. “Hey, kid? You okay?” Tim flinches, snapping his head up and frantically wiping his tears. The image standing over him takes his breath away. It’s him. Robin. Dick came to save him. Tim can’t see behind the mask, but his face is twisted with concern as he eyes Tim’s predicament. “Yikes. That doesn’t look good.” For some reason that only makes the crying start anew, Tim biting down on his lip in an effort to keep the hitching breaths to a minimum. It must not work because then Robin is kneeling in front of him, his hands warm on Tim’s shoulders. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. I’ll get you home to your parents, yeah?” Tim sniffles. “They’re not—they’re out of the country. The nanny comes in the morning.” He screwed up. He screwed up so bad. Dick’s brows furrow beneath the mask. “There’s no one watching you?” “I’m responsible.” In spite of the salty tears coursing their way down his cheeks, Tim lifts his chin in an effort to look tough. He can take care of himself, he’s been doing it for years. Dick—Robin, this is Robin—reaches up and touches what must be a communication device in his ear, like they have in spy movies. “B, I’ve got a kid here. He fell off a building and got pretty banged up.” A pause. “He said they’re out of town. Should I take him to Thompkins? Yeah, I can carry him there. Just two blocks, right?” Another pause, this one longer. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll be careful. No one’s going to mess with me when I’m lugging around a crippled kid.” He laughs, winking at Tim. “See you back home.” Then he’s facing Tim again. “You got a name, kiddo?” “Tim.” “Nice to meet you, Tim. I’m Robin, your hero for the night. Do you have any other injuries I should know about?” “Um.” Tim thinks it over for a moment. “I think I hit my head. And my elbow hurts.” As if Robin can’t perfectly see the bloody scrape there for himself, staining Tim’s sleeve red. His parents are going to be so mad when they find out that he ruined his nice jacket. Robin prods the back of Tim’s head carefully, checking for damage. “What were you doing out so late?” “I...like to take pictures. Stuff like the sky and the street and—” Crud. He completely forgot about the camera. Tim twists, scanning the alleyway until his eyes land on a bulky black shape a good ten feet away. “Oh, no.” Robin follows his line of sight and retrieves the camera, turning it in his hands before handing it over to Tim. “I take it this is yours?” There’s a huge crack right through the middle of the front lens. Tim’s heart sinks. “My parents are going to kill me when they see this.” “Don’t worry, Tim. When your parents see the leg cast and bruises they won’t care about a dumb camera, they’ll be too busy worrying about you.” He clearly hasn’t met Tim’s parents, then. Now that he thinks about it, though, Tim might be in the clear after all. It’s not like Mom and Dad notice much of anything Tim does even when they’re home. He wouldn’t be surprised if they miss the cast and broken camera altogether. “I’m gonna carry you to the clinic, all right? It’s not very far, and I’m friends with the doctor there. She’s super nice, and best of all, she doesn’t snitch.” He stoops down, getting ready to lift Tim into his arms. “This might hurt.” Tim’s eyes widen. “Wait, wait, stop.” Dick’s hands are off him in an instant. “What’s wrong?” “Your—your uniform. I’m going to get blood on it.” There’s already a red smear on his glove from where he touched the back of Tim’s head. “You just fell off a building and you’re worried about my uniform?” “It looks expensive.” Robin laughs. “You don’t need to worry about that, trust me. A few blood stains never hurt anyone. Can I pick you up now?” Tim nods, and then he’s being lifted swiftly in the air, one arm beneath his knees and the other wrapping around his shoulders. Robin was right: it does hurt. Tim lets out a squeak as his broken leg is jostled, sending waves of pain blazing through his nerves. He clutches the camera until its hard edges dig into his palms, just to give himself something to focus on so he doesn’t cry again. “Sorry, sorry,” Robin murmurs as he settles Tim against his chest. “I know it hurts. Don’t worry, Dr. Thompkins will give you some painkillers when we get to the clinic.” Tim doesn’t respond. He’s almost positive that if he opens his mouth now, nothing is going to keep the sobs at bay. He already cried in front of his hero once tonight; he can’t let it happen a second time. As if sensing Tim’s inner turmoil, Robin says as he walks, “It’s okay to cry, you know. I cry all the time. It doesn’t make you any less brave.” That’s the final crack in the dam. Tim lowers his head so his face is turned into Robin’s tunic and lets the tears fall. “It’s okay, Timmy. I’ve got you.”