#silver takes a while to get stable enough to be on his own

[itz-pandora]

What is the darkest character you have explored from a psychological point of view so far?

Hmm... Probably Silver?

Like I'd need trigger warnings just to TALK about what I do to him.

(look at tags)

[piratefishmama]

Fake It Till You Make It | Part 8

"Oh Steven..."

The view of Eddie was obstructed pretty quickly when Steve manoeuvred him behind him, turning fully to face his dad using his broader body to shield Eddie from view. “He’s—”

“Panicking. He’s panicking. I have eyes Steven. Lynda get this poor boy a glass of water would you?” A chair creaking from inside the room told them all his mother had gotten up to do as she was asked, and while that might have caused most to relax, Steve still stood his ground. A human blockade. “It’s okay son, you’re going to have to move eventually it might as well be now, he’s safe.”

“Is he?” Eddie rested his forehead against the centre of Steve’s shoulders, right at the base of his neck, just… rested there, Steve wouldn’t let anyone hurt him, it’d be okay.

“Well I’m not about to invite my son to send me to hospital, am I?” A wise choice, it seemed like Steve was fully prepared to do just that if necessary. “This house is safe for you both, and it always will be.” John stepped to the side a little, just enough to be able to see around Steve’s shoulder, although Steve was tempted to move into his way again, he’d put himself in the way of a train if it meant protecting someone else, Eddie was certain of it at that point “Eddie… was it?”

He’d overheard while Steve was talking to him. He knew his name. Eddie looked up, basically peeking over Steve’s shoulder. It was awkward, given they were almost the same height, but… he still felt safer there.

“Oh heavens, John step aside, you’re frightening the poor thing to death” And there was Lynda, nudging John aside with a tall glass of water in hand “Eddie, come on out from behind there,” as if ‘there’ wasn’t her damn close to six foot son “it’s okay” he was a grown man, yet he felt like he was seven all over again, hiding behind a couch away from the police who’d come to get his dad.

He’d only hidden because his dad used to tell him that if he was naughty the police would take him away, and he may have… coincidentally… drawn on his bedroom wall, he’d hidden it pretty well but… there were suddenly police bashing down the door!

Just so happened they were there for his father, who’d been doing much naughtier things.

Steve didn’t move, so that left the choice up to him. A choice he had to make, no matter how scary it was. He was there, there was no getting out of the plan now. They’d seen him, he couldn’t make a run for it… or he could but he’d never able to look Steve or Dustin in the face ever again, which left only one real option.

He took a deep breath, placed a hand on Steve’s bicep, and stepped out from behind him. Steve’s hand was very quick to find his, holding him, grounding him, a tether to keep him stable and god it felt nice to have it there, warm, and secure, fingers perfectly slotted between his own. He could only imagine what a pair they looked though.

The King and the Court Jester.

The Jock and the Freak.

Perfect and Completely Imperfect.

He knew what he looked like, how people looked at him, even in clean clothes, even having brushed his hair, he still looked like he’d just rolled out of bed sometimes, and Steve… god… There weren’t words for how perfect Steve looked.

It seemed effortless but Eddie knew Steve must have put in genuine effort. It was attractive how much effort he must have been putting in.

They all looked that perfect though. He truly looked so very out of place. Lynda in her pristine white shirtdress, a belt around her waist giving it shape and John in his expensive pale blue polo and pressed chinos.

There he was, in a hand-me-down red and black flannel, the only pair of jeans he owned that weren’t ripped at the knee (although they were getting there), hands full of silver rings, an old handed down Casio watch, scuffed Reeboks, and the one band Tee he had that wasn’t dirty.

The pickings had been slim he really should have done some laundry. He should have accepted Steve’s offer to help him clean up. They’d have been still doing it!

“Hi… I’m—I’m Eddie… Eddie Munson.” They didn’t know the family name, and it didn’t surprise him either, Wayne wasn’t raised in Hawkins, he’d just settled there after he learned Eddie would be handed to him. Traded his truck for a trailer in a random pick of a town and swapped his long haul journeys for night shifts at the plant and that was that.

They couldn’t have known his family name.

“Oh my…” it wasn’t a disgusted oh my, although her eyes did widen, he felt… seen as she looked him up and down, seemingly sizing him up, and then… she turned to Steve and all his worries seemed to vanish when she, with genuine mischief in her voice, said “he’s a bit out of your league isn’t he, Steven? I know we encourage you to be ambitious but—”

“W-what?!” And that was Steve, flustered in his response “No, I’m—he’s—”

“Sweetheart” oh she sounded so cheeky “he has tattoos” Eddie quickly glanced down at his bare forearms where he’d rolled his sleeves up earlier, bats on display, his tattoos usually a source of judgement, she wasn’t judging him though. “You’re afraid of needles.”

“I am NOT!”

“That’s not what I remember from your last round of shots.”

“I was five.” At least he was the last time they’d gone with him to get his shots done. "I've had plenty of shots since then."

“These fears don’t just vanish, Steven, how do you expect to hold onto this handsome young man if you can’t even handle a little pri—”

“Lynda please.” John interrupted what would have been a stellar takedown with a comical amount of exasperation, the man pinching the bridge of his nose as if staving off an incoming headache. Eddie, against all odds, was smiling, fighting back genuine giggles, the free hand not wrapped within Steve’s lifted to cover his mouth as if to hold them in.

“What? It’s not like it didn’t work.” She handed John the glass she’d been holding, since Eddie no longer seemed to need the water, then took a step closer to Eddie “Eddie, dear… how about you and Steven come into the living room, and we can get to know you a little, how does that sound?” There was no anger in her tone, no disgust hidden in the layers of it, she just… she smiled at him.

Where were these ‘rich assholes’ people kept claiming the Harringtons to be? Because he didn’t see them. He could understand the hesitation to trust, he was still nervous, the fear still licked at his very soul that maybe, just maybe they were biding their time, waiting for the right moment to strike when he couldn’t get out, but… was there any reason to be distrustful?

Had the Harringtons ever been outspoken against his people? Ever? Save for maybe one or two occasions where Steve had called someone queer as an insult back in high school, before he’d obviously grown.

People just assumed.

Those at the bottom just assumed the worst of all of those at the top. Same as most assumed the worst of him, that he was mean, that he was scary. They were just at opposite ends of the social ladder. There had to be some good among the rich, why not the Harringtons?

Why couldn’t they be good? Why not at least give them the opportunity to be good?

“Y-yeah… yeah, that’d uh—that’d be okay I think.” Steve squeezed his hand so gently, another attempt to ground him, to keep him tethered. To keep him calm, and it worked. It helped. Steve was there, Steve would keep him safe. No matter who came at them, Steve would keep him safe, not a King at all.

A loyal Knight, a Paladin, a Defender. He’d probably be safe walking through the fiery pits of hell itself, as long as Steve was there beside him. “You sure you’re okay, Eddie? We can go back to yours, we can just… try another day.” And Steve checked in with him too as his parents returned to the Living room, Lynda pausing at the door to wait for them while her husband continued on.

Steve’s hand warm around his, looking at him with a level of concern nobody had bothered to bestow upon him before.

Not even Wayne, but Wayne was kinda gruff, he showed his love in other ways. Steve barely knew him… he was just, that kind of person apparently.

“Nah, we’re here now and with you here? My very own big, strong knight in shining armour? I’m pretty sure I could brave anything.”

And that bashful little smile of Steve’s whenever someone praised him?

Beautiful.

Beautiful enough to chase any bad feelings away with their tails between their legs. Beautiful enough to give him the boost he needed to pull Steve along by his hand and into that living room with Lynda, beautiful enough to give him the strength to take on the goddamn world.

Or at least the scariest thing he could think of in it at the time, that being… being himself in front of two complete strangers who could ruin his life with zero repercussions aside from their son being angry at them.

So it was a pretty big deal, that smile of his.

The first thing Eddie registered as he entered the main living room though, was that off to the right, there was a magnificent mahogany table, complete with three chairs on either side and one at each end.

Last time he’d seen it, it’d been covered in pizza boxes and alcohol options, its majesty concealed beneath a layer of filth. “Stevie can I—” couldn’t help himself

“Later” Steve was quicker than him though, Dustin had already brought up the table before, it wasn’t hard to guess where Eddie’s mind would go.

Of course he’d shot Dustin down, but Eddie? Maybe… just maybe he’d let Eddie use it. Only once his parents left again though, something told him they’d draw a line at a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, one of the main highlights of the ongoing Satanic Panic, being held in their dining room, whether they used it or not.

“So!" John began as he found his seat once more, waiting only for Steve and Eddie to sit down on the sofa close by, side by side, hand in hand, looking like the least likeliest pair in existence, to begin. "Eddie, tell us a little about yourself, how’d you both meet?”

Straight into the deep end then. "Well..."

Part 10

[mi-nya-mi]

hiiiii i love your art and how you draw Elliott it’s so gorgeous ❤️

also i have to know since you mentioned it. your Elliott headcanons 👀

TYSM ANON 💖 😍

So as for how I see Elliott in my interpretations:

GENERAL

I personally see him being around 34, super neurodivergent (most likely undiagnosed), and having already lived life and a past stable job that wasn’t his cup of tea before realizing he’s getting up there in his years. This eventually would motivate him to take the leap of faith that’s moving to Pelican town and moving into the writers retreat. Of course you’re going to have to suspend your disbelief significantly about him making absolutely zero progress that is his novel in the year long span he’s in Pelican town, so I could only assume that either he worked on publishing shorter form stories and taking up commissions, or already started working on his novel long before the farmer arrives and is just asking for the assistance of a beta reader. Either way, while it’s hard to judge the cost of rent in Pelican Town with regards to staying in that cabin, let’s just assume that he had plenty of money saved in order to work without needing to worry about keeping the lights on.

BACKSTORY

We know absolutely nothing about Elliott's socioeconomic background so it’s hard to glean whether he grew up poor, middle class, or wealthy. Even with his expensive tastes he could fit in any of those categories. Whether he did develop his more gentlemanly qualities from being born with a silver spoon or just developing it in order to give off a certain impression to other people, I wouldn’t know. His lack of interest in divulging his backstory could mean that it’s the latter if it comes from shame, but I could also very much believe that he had a family that were old money and preferred Elliott to take up whatever family trade that they had or a respectable profession(trading firm, banking, business, etc.) To my point, he likely had a family given profession that they pressured him to take up that made him plenty of money, and he saved up enough money to keep him afloat before calling it quits. (And considering his expensive tastes as well as my headcanon being that he’s practically buff, I doubt he would neglect his personal health by ordering cheap foods. He would have the means to eat well.)

LIFESTYLE

On the topic of health! Listen, with Elliott mentioning his rugged physique and him basically being Stardew Fabio, it’s hard to see him as a stick. I think Elliott very much enjoyed sports in his college years such as fencing (albeit he likely wouldn’t be able to deal with fighting monsters whatsoever despite his claim), and maybe even horseback riding/polo. (That man’s a stallion! What wouldn’t be more fitting? Plus shoveling shit gets you fit.) He also likely fished prior to meeting Willy, and still would do it for fun. Much to the contrary of most fan headcanons I don’t think Elliott is much of a regular swimmer, mainly because neither seawater nor chlorine would bode well for his hair. If anything, it would be a leisurely activity as opposed to one related to fitness. The other thing that contributes to his general physical fitness is that Elliott for the most part hardly uses any electric appliances outside of necessities (such as a phone), partly due to the lack of sufficient sockets and amenities in his cabin but largely for the aesthetic. He’s very much unplugged and rarely uses social media. Because he hardly uses electric appliances, he is in charge of all the housework which includes chopping all of his firewood, handwashing, drying, and ironing all of his clothes, and occasionally crab potting his own lobster dinners if he’s lucky. This man is on top of his housework! He genuinely enjoys this meditative routine of housework he has as he mulls over thoughts on his novels.

Overall those are my general headcanons I have so far on Elliott, but if you every have specific prompts feel free to send them my way :D

[86espresso]

trev and 3 PLEASE

only cos u said please ✋ thank you for requesting 🩷

☯︎ “I can’t lose you.”

tw: blood blood blood , bleeding out , knives , stab wound . hughes!reader.

THE neighborhood you all lived in was relatively safe, the creeps were rarely there. So when you and Trevor had another argument over your complicated relationship again, you decided to walk straight to your house while Trevor turned around and walked to his.

You were about a quarter mile away from home when it’s happened. You were so lost in your thoughts that you didn’t see the group of people approaching, and you didn’t see the glint of silver in one’s waistband.

Trevor was slightly worried when you both stormed off, it was getting pretty dark. He was just about to call Jack, knowing that your twin brother is the only one home, but he was confused seeing that he was already calling.

“[ ] is bleeding. She- I don’t know. Stabbed? I called 911. It’s in her leg so she’s okay but she’s bleeding out really fast.” Jack was speaking broken sentences and his voice was really shaky.

Trevor was already running blindly towards the direction of your house, the tears clouding his mind and the same worst case scenarios running through his head over and over and over..

He got there in two minutes and he could hear the sirens in the distance. The sight in front of him was one he never believed he could have seen, ever. Jack crouched over your body, using your jacket to press against your leg. It was almost soaked in blood.

He felt sick to his stomach, dropping on his knees, taking his own shirt off to replace it with the jacket. Your eyes moved to his instantly.

“Trev.” Your voice was breathy and soft. Trevor cursed himself for ever hurting you, for leaving you to walk home alone.

Your vision was getting hazy and you felt like you were spinning with the loss of blood.

“I can’t lose you, please, god.”

Jack looked at Trevor, confused, why cant he lose you?

“But we’re always fighting and you were upset.” You whisper, feeling his thumb caressing your cheek.

“Doesn’t mean I want you dead, baby. Jesus.”

Trevor was just about to kiss your forehead when Jack found control of his words.

“Ayo, what the fuck?”

You giggle as Jack stared Trevor down, his face too incredulous for you not to laugh at. Trevor rolled his eyes.

“Now’s not the time, Jack. Your sister is dying.”

The ambulance, took long enough, was finally there as Jack got off the phone with his parents, reassuring them that they got help and that you’ll need a lot of blood but you were stable.

Trevor didn’t leave your side for one second. Your relationship needed a lot of mending, but he was willing to work on it, as long as it took.

[damianbugs]

You need to tell us what you think of your favorite Bruce ships. Pls

i should preface by saying i usually prefer bruce (in my own works and others, including comics) to not be in a relationship at all because i can't think of a time he's like ever emotionally stable enough for that. like ever. THAT BEING SAID isn't that all the more reason to throw him into a ship? doomed tragic romance you will always be famous to me

and because i am insane, here are some comic recs to go with my fav bruce ships!!

>batcat

a classic favourite, batcat!!! i will admit i am not the biggest fan of their rebirth stories, and the whole wedding fiasco and most of what tom king wrote about them (and in general) was. not enjoyable. but pre crisis/golden age batcat? MY PARENTS. just. silver and bronze age batcat too. what a refreshing and entertaining couple. the thing that really makes them compelling is at the end of the day they have the same goal; protect the people of gotham. the ways they go about it can be different, and selina especially faces some serious mischaracterisation in order to make bruce look like the "hero" in the relationship, but at their core and simplest expression of love, they share the same dream, and they both know that. it's this selflessness that connects them deeply.

> "The Autobiography of Bruce Wayne" (Batman the Brave and the Bold #197) is, in my opinion, essential batcat reading. a very bittersweet story!

> for a more modern read, "Only Takes a Night" (Catwoman #32) is a delightful read about how hopelessly in love they are. bruce is such a devoted loser.

> ghostbat

every character needs that one irreparably damaging young adult tragic romance that changed their life forever and that is what ghostbat is. khoa is the perfect foil to bruce, in that ultimately, they are two ends of the same spectrum. fiercely stubborn and confident in their own moral code but in the opposite way. this ship is particularly fascinating because even now, the respect and love they have for each other years later is so deeply consuming that it is prevalent in how they interact now. i don't think bruce would have been the person he is without his relationship with khoa pre-batman, in both a good and bad ways. i also really love the hc that khoa is bruce's first heartbreak (refer to: the Snow and Gun incident).

> "Batman The Knight" is like ghostbat religious text. this is all you need. let it destroy you.

> batlantern

no long paragraph about this one because its my silly guilty pleasure. sometimes u need a ship in which they just don't get along except for the times they do. hal brings out such an irritating (said fondly) side to bruce and its even funnier because it works mutually. i think another really wonderful thing about this pairing is that they are really not so different from each other (nothing says romance than being consumed by your guilt and stubbornness), but they both think otherwise, so they knock heads while also begrudgingly respecting about one another in a colleague-friend-crush way. they want to make out so bad it makes them look stupid.

> "Batman: Universe" is a great and short silly story that shows their dynamic really well. amused me greatly. not ship focused though hal is there for like. a single issue unfortunately. but fun!!

> i usually never recommend any new 52 books to get INTO a character, but if you're interested in this pairing and its most 'popular' fanon interation, then "Jutice League (2011)" is the best place to start. you can get to their better stuff afterwards! (there's also an animated movie about it!)

> brutalia

AND BEST TILL LAST. THE BRUCE SHIP OF ALL TIME. ruined my life. CHANGED my life. i wish i could explain how insanely important this relationship is in words. i love my pairings tragic and there is quite literally no other ship quiet as dramatic or poetic than brutalia. talia is often seen as bruce's "one true love" with great reason, and him hers, and despite that they will probably never actually get back together. in a wider lense, the al ghuls and bruce have an insanely complicated dynamic, and this inherent conflict about missions bigger than themselves makes brutalia's forbidden love drama all the more compelling. talia brings out the best in bruce, and bruce respects and loves talia in a way i don't think he does anyone else in his life.

to complain for a moment, it's no wonder that because their relationship (since it's very first introduction) was so irrevocably pure and consensual (they were both so ridiculously obsessed with each other), that Certain Writers had to pull out the most out of character and disgusting stories to make it clear the tone of batman was changing. talia is always a victim to racism, misogyny and just unbelievable ooc writing — most evidently in her stories with bruce, unfortunately.

AND YET. recent comics have realised how truly ridiculous it is to write her as anything but kind and strong, and bruce being anything but hopelessly infatuated. i think my favourite thing about brutalia is that bruce and talia is a relationship that has been separated for actual Decades and so both their characters have been developed to have their own tragic stories and growth. then when we get small moments that bring them back together and letting that past show through the cracks in their carefully constructed walls, it's all the more romantic.

beautiful heartbreaking ship. the kind of relationship historians would cry over. would have the romantic period publishing fifteen books over.

> "Batman: Son of the Demon" is ESSENTIAL brutalia reading. also, if you are insane and delusional enough, it can be the true origin of damian.

> the comic moment that inspired all romance the moment of forever the blueprint even is in the famous "Batman (1940) #244"

> for a more modern take, very recently in fact, is her appearances in Ram V's run of detective comics, starting from #1062. its not brutalia focused, but a great take on how natural and yearning their relationship is now.

[tiger-in-the-flightdeck]

A trick for Coldflash please <3

Hello! Look at this, I think I have just the thing for your trick-or-treat bag with this little ficlet

Read on below, or on AO3

The Silver Fox and the Bunny Rabbit

Barry didn’t know how his life had taken this turn. 

There had been a time when he was sure he could see each bend in the road of his future stretched out in front of him. A nice, stable career in forensics. A little apartment in a quiet part of town. Maybe a spouse and two point three kids who he could dote on when he was financially secure enough for that. 

Then came the lightning. The Speed. Heroics and criminals and the world nearly ended a good dozen or so times. A group of people like him coming together to form a team. And a criminal who always managed to do more good than bad, making more mischief than danger, keeping Barry on his toes and leaving him with a grin on his face. One who had proved himself a hero enough times to get the attention of the JLA. 

All of that to lead him here, to this moment. 

To trying not to laugh at Leonard Snart, who was eyeing him up from across the crowd at the Justice League’s Unofficial Halloween Party And New Member Mixer that had taken over Guy’s bar at Warriors. 

Leonard Snart, who was wearing a pair of white fox ears on his head and not bothering to hide his own laugh at Barry’s rabbit ears and the perky tail safety pinned to the back of his jeans. 

Leonard Snart, who was making his way to his side with a drink in each hand. 

“An arctic fox, Snart? Really?” Barry took the drink -some fruity slush monstrosity that was giving him a sugar buzz just looking at it- and had a long, loud slurp from the thick straw. 

“A bunny rabbit, Red? Really?” Len sipped his Sapphire Alpine then licked a bit of sanding sugar off the corner of his mouth. 

Barry watched his tongue, only a little transfixed. “Touche.” He rolled his shoulder in a lazy shrug. “I only got off work about twenty minutes ago. This was all that was left in the costume shop.” Reaching up, he touched one of the ears to make sure he hadn’t knocked them askew. “What, do you think I should have gone with the whole ensemble and worn the corset and fishnets?” 

Frozen for a moment with the drink almost to his lips, Len narrowed his eyes when he snapped out of it. “That was just mean.”

“It’s Halloween. What better time to be just a little bit evil?” Barry held his glass out until Len sighed and tapped his against it. 

Being on the same side hadn’t changed how they teased and taunted and bantered together, Barry was pleased to learn. Matching each other barb for barb, they made their way to the other end of the bar where the crowd was thinner and they could more easily hear each other shooting playful digs. 

“I only had a few minutes to plan this. What’s your excuse for phoning in a costume, hmm?” Barry waved his hand to take in the other party goers, all of whom were dressed up. Some as simply as they were, others in elaborate outfits. One of the Titans Trainees was wearing a fully functional arcade machine, while Gar was wandering the room as a dragon with Raven on his back. 

“I knew you were going to wear something like that.” Len reached out and tweaked the end of one of Barry’s ears. It was soft and fluffy and the colour clashed garishly with his shirt. “Maybe I wanted to stick to my own theme. Remind everyone here who they’re thinking of working with.” 

Barry considered him over his drink as he stirred the slush with the straw. “A trickster. A thief.” Len looked like he was going to start preening under what he clearly took as praise. Barry smirked and lifted the straw to lick some of the red ice off of it. “A big snowball of fluff.” 

“Careful,” Len murmured, grabbing hold of Barry’s wrist and pulling the straw over to lick a drop of syrup that was clinging to the end. “Or I might want to get a bite of that poofy little tail of yours.” He bared his teeth slowly, and for the first time, Barry noticed that he was wearing a pair of pointed fangs on his canines. 

Stepping back, Barry waited until Len pursued him, matching his steps like he had their bickering. “You might want to. But you’d have to catch me, first.” 

“You know what they say about predators, Barry. When you run, they just have to chase you.” He leaned in, putting his lips close to Barry’s ear. “So run, little rabbit.” 

A shiver ran down his spine and lightning crackled in the air around him, and Barry put his hands to Len’s chest to push him back. Just slightly. Just enough to be able to look him in the eyes. 

And he kissed him. 

Quick and firm and searching. When Len began to react and return the kiss, Barry pulled away, leaving him standing there with a dazed look on his face and his lips still puckered. 

“Tag,” Barry said. “You’re it. Catch me if you can, snow fox.” 

[theoneeyedgoldenwolf]

Attack of a Peahat

Whumptober 2024, number 24: Collapsed Building

Summary: Calm day at the Lon-Lon Ranch is disrupted by Peahat attack. Wild is NOT happy of this.

CW: Cursing, pinned down, impaled, blood, wounds, broken bones

Notion: The writing style is bit different as this is an older writing for different prompt. I got an idea for that too so no worries in there. =)

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The few last days had been calm at Lon-Lon Ranch. Or at least as calm as it could be while it was inhabited by eight young Heroes along with the place’s owners. Still, most of the rowdiness was used into the normal work done at any ranch and the Chain was more than eager of aiding around.

One night, as Malon had wanted the house just for herself and her husband for some together time, there had been three different ways of trying to get the eight others to stay out for the night. Time hadn’t been entirely happy of the idea but he couldn’t deny the fact of missing having private time with Malon. Warriors, having realized the situation long before the duo, had already tried to command the others around. The Captain had noticed the talk between the red haired woman and the one eyed man at the horse pen. Next on line Malon tried to come up with some kind of bet but she hadn’t thought things through well enough to come up with much to really convince the group to spend the night elsewhere around the ranch.

So, it had fallen down on Time himself. He had turned the situation into a small competition with the price being silver rupee which was as much as 100 in value. That had caught everyone’s notion. The rules were very simple. There were three locations in the safety of the Ranch: the barn, the horse pen and the stables. The Chain was to check all three places before choosing a place to sleep for the night. The one whom could check all three areas before picking one and giving good enough explanations for his choices would win.

After the dinner the group eagerly left the house. They all had perfect plans for the night and for choosing their places. Unfortunately, each of the eight Heroes made one simple mistake in their eagerness. They all started from the place they were quite certain to end up as their main favorite.

At the next day Time found Wind from middle of the horse pen. Wild had taken a place from the roof of a small shelter area connected to horse pen’s fence. Both were entirely outdoor people so the choice wasn’t a surprise at all. They both had been enjoying of the stars and having forgotten to check the other two places.

Hyrule was found from the barn. He was quite startled when Time woke him up. For slight sorrow, it was simply because of his past and need of well hidden place for sleeping. In all reality it hadn’t been anything of else than old habits jumping up. Legend was on the barn’s second floor of sorts. He had been meaning to go out to the horse pen with Wind but he had ended up asleep where he was. Part of him wanted to defend Hyrule and hence stayed close to him. As the Veteran was still waking up, Time told him to take it easy in the ladders while keeping close eye on the youngster.

The group continued to the stables. Warriors woke up with a start when the door was opened and quickly drew a knife while being ready to defend his own as well as his brothers’ lives. “Whoa! Easy, Captain!” Time half shouted while taking a swift step away from the unexpected half of an attack since Warriors was quick to stop his movement when he realized whom had come over.

“Sorry. Reflexes.” The Captain apologized while putting the weapon off. Time simply nodded while moving further in. He found Twilight sleeping on Epona’s back. It looked like the most natural place for him to be at. Sky was sleeping with the chickens and no-one except Time dared to approach him. After all Malon had introduced him to those birds of terror and turned him into a friend of theirs. It had taken a lot from her as well as from the chickens and the rooster but eventually Time had become quite fluent with moving and handling them.

Four was bit harder to find as he had taken the night with the Minish that lived at the Ranch. Time asked him to introduce the small creatures to him at some point as he hadn’t even known of them living around there. Four had nodded and accepted it.

Warriors, Twilight, Sky and Four hadn’t even thought about the price of the little competition. In fact, they hadn’t even thought about checking the other two places as they had known straight off where they wished to sleep at. It had been entirely natural choice from them in the end.

“I admit, I cheated on this a bit.” Time confessed when the group had come back to the house and sat down by the long dinner table. “I knew straight off where I’d find each and every one of you today. Not to mention I was quite certain that there wasn’t going to be a winner for this competition.” He told with a shrug before bit chuckling at the slightly shocked and confused looks from the Chain. “What? I’d be really bad Hero if I couldn’t observe and learn to know each and every one of you by now.” He stated out before telling the Chain to close their eyes.

As the group waited, Time rounded the table and placed a small rupee bag in front of each of them. “Okay, you can open your eyes now.” He told once he returned to his own place at the table. “There’s fifteen rupees for each of you. It makes bit more than 100 but at least there’s slight extra for the fact that I, in a way, fooled you all. So, I guess, its bit of an apology.” The Chain was bit surprised of the situation before already looking at their leader bit baffled. Time shrugged with a small smile. “Just showing how much I care about you all.”

After the breakfast the nine Heroes started to work around the Ranch. Time was with Malon at the horse pen when he heard something. “Malon, hush.” He urged while searching the sky for what had caught his notion. The second the realization struck him, he felt cold horror lodge inside of him. “SHIT!” He already cursed while dashing towards the barn. “Get the boys out of the stable! NOW!” He commanded while the Peahat came into sight not far from the barn.

Time opened the barn’s door harshly. “EVERYONE OUT OF THE BARN ON THIS INSTANT!” He screamed while dashing in to force the others away from their work. “OUT! OUT! OUT! GO!” He shouted while half dragging Four and pushing Hyrule towards the door. As the duo started to stumble away, Time was already fetching Legend before his notion fell into Wild.

The Champion was on a girder doing some simple fixations. “WILD! JUMP!” Time commanded while being entirely ready to catch him. Yet, that was when the monster attacked the barn. “WILD!” Time screamed in horror as the youngster was partly struck with the pieces of wood, hay and straws that the Peahat was sending all around. The leader didn’t think twice as he already dashed into action and caught the falling Hero. They fell roughly into the ground. “Wild?” Time called worriedly while shaking the unconscious boy. He only got a groan as an answer.

“Time! Wild! Get out of there!” The frantic shout came from the doorway and snapped Time back into the reality. The Peahat was entirely destroying the barn and crashing it to the ground. Warriors held the others from going inside the place while praying that Time could make it out with Wild.

“Look out!” The shout of warning got Time to check up just in time. The heavy girder was falling down and he knew there wasn’t a chance to avoid it. Not while dragging unconscious boy along. All he could do was to protect Wild as well as he could by his own body. “TIME!” The horrified scream was quickly brought out after his gasp of pain as he fell down by the strike.

Warriors forced others away from the crashing barn. There wasn’t anything they could do as the roof fell to ground and brought everything down with it. The Peahat pulled upwards once the storage house of sorts was demolished. “Take that shit down!” The Captain commanded as his gaze fell into the enemy.

Suddenly the monster was struck with an arrow. The Heroes turned their notion into Malon standing in middle of the horse pen with a bow and arrows. “It’s a Peahat! Flying plant which weak point is underneath it, the roots of that thing!” She shouted while shooting another arrow to catch the beast’s notion.

“You know where to hit! Attack!” The Captain shouted while dashing off to protect Malon. The woman gave him questioning but hopeful look when the knight came to her side. “I don’t know.” Warriors told and glanced at the remains of the barn. “Time and Wild are somewhere in that rubble.” He answered as honestly as he could while praying for a miracle.

As the Chain was fighting against the Peahat but not getting a strike in, Wild was slowly waking up with a groan. “Sssh, take it easy.” Time half whispered in the dimly lit area they were left into.

“Time!” Wild half shouted and turned around. Time growled in pain as he swiftly moved to protect the Champion from hitting himself into the debris around them.

“Easy! Don’t make fast moves.” Time told as the youngster sat in front of him. “There’s lot of sharp edges around here.” He warned before nodding towards a small tunnel of sorts where light was coming from. “You might get out of here from there.”

Wild glanced at the way while realizing that it was too thin for Time to get through. “But…” He started before taking a check around.

“You need to go to inform the others that I’m alive in here.” Time told with a slight grin. “Besides, you can’t move these girders off of me.” He continued while realizing where the Champion’s notion was in. There were three heavy wooden beams holding him down. One was over his legs, one over his back and slightly on shoulders and one jamming him against the stump of a vertical girder. “Not to mention that they’ll be needing your help. You’re the master archer and archery is needed the most to bring that Peahat down from the sky. Aim for the roots below the beast.” He told as calmly as he could.

Wild was entirely torn between what to do. Part of him wanted to stay with Time to keep him company if nothing else. Yet, the bigger part of him knew he needed to go and get help. Eventually he nodded and turned towards the road out. “Don’t move. Help will come soon.” He promised while starting to crawl into the thin pathway.

Once the Champion was out, Time started to try and push himself upwards. He needed to get freed but he couldn’t do much underneath the heavy girders. They did move slightly but it also changed the position of other debris around him.

“TIME!” Wild screamed out when he heard the slight movements and screeches. “DON’T MOVE! WE’LL NEED THAT PATHWAY TO GET BACK TO YOU!” He shouted almost frantically and sighed a bit in relief when the sounds ended. “Just… Wait for a moment…” He nearly begged before snapping his gaze up at the shout of his own name.

Twilight snapped his gaze into the destroyed barn when he heard Wild scream out Time’s name. “Wild!” He shouted and dashed over in worry. “Are you alright? What about Time?” The Rancher queried straight off.

“I’m fine. I’m taking that bastard down. Time’s alive but pinned down.” Wild stated out while taking out his bow and bomb arrows. His gaze was entirely fixed in the odd flying being with sharp blades circling its lowest part. He moved slowly but with full determination before starting to run.

Once close enough, the Champion hit the ground and slid underneath the monster. He laid on his back at the ground while screaming out in rage and shooting the explosives in near nonstop action. “YOU BASTARD! YOU FUCKING SICK SHITFACE! YOU’LL PAY FOR THAT! YOU’LL PAY FOR IT SO DAMN THOROUGHLY! I’M NOT FORGIVING THIS!”

Malon and the rest of the Chain were absolutely shocked of the scene. None of them had ever heard Wild scream and curse like that. The monster didn’t have even slightest bit of chances to move aside as the arrows kept coming so fast and precisely. The smoke of the explosions didn’t seem to bother the Champion at all as he kept firing them up into the beast.

When the monster started to fall, Wild finally got up and moved away from his spot. The Peahat crashed roughly into the ground before going all flat as air vanished from inside of it. The Champion was still ready to keep shooting the beast. He was panting hard while glaring fiercely at the monster. “Move and I’ll blow you to pieces even if it was the last thing I did.” He growled while daring the creature to take as much as one last breath but nothing happened.

Wild tore his gaze off of the monster and dashed back towards the destroyed barn while putting his weapons off. “Four! Wind! I need you two with me!” He nearly commanded without glancing if the duo came along. “Put on anything to help lifting heavy stuff!” He told while already going back to the spot where the thin tunnel of sorts would lead back to Time. “This way!” He stated out while crouching down and simply giving one quick glance to notice the duo having come next to him.

“Time! We’re coming over!” Wild called as he crawled through the tunnel. “Time! Answer, please!” He begged while fearing for the worst.

“Still in here, Champion.” Time called while opening his eye in the dim light. “You really shouldn’t have come back.” He told as Wild moved next to him.

“I brought Wind and Four. They can get you free.” Wild explained while ignoring Time’s disapproving gaze by not looking at him at all. “Besides, I gotta mark your place to others so that they can dig you out.” He told while taking out his bow and arrows, normal ones this time around, and started to move around carefully while not touching anything.

Four and Wind came forth soon after Wild. They took a moment to get used to the lack of light before they saw the situation. “Shit, that looks rough.” Wind commented while checking how the girders were over their leader. “Can you move?” He inquired after a moment while bit fearing of what kind of damage Time had.

Time closed his eye for a moment as he checked his body. “Yeah, everything seems to work.” He answered with slight relief in his voice while realizing that at least he wasn’t paralyzed from waist down. It was good news but he felt like there was something more too than the girders holding him down. “I’m not sure the girders are the only thing holding me down, though.” He warned as calmly as he could.

“Alright, we’ll be careful.” Four replied while nodding to Wind. The duo took a hold of the middle girder and carefully started to pull. “Just inform us if there’s anything that’ll be a danger to your life.” He told as the heavy block started to move slowly. Time simply nodded.

While the duo was working with the first girder, Wild had found a straight but narrow path out from their current placement. It was enough for an arrow and he shot it off. After that he searched a new hole from bit further and struck another arrow out. Then for third from opposite side of the first one. And lastly fourth arrow out from the opposite part from the second hole.

“There!” Legend shouted as the first arrow came into sight. He was ready to head over to start digging through the debris. “Huh…?” He was fully taken off guard when second arrow came up. “What is he…?” The Veteran asked when third arrow appeared.

“Wild’s marked the area where Time is!” Twilight shouted while already going over and marking the four small holes with pieces of wood he picked up. “They’re in middle of this area.” He stated out before already checking around. “We gotta work carefully so we won’t crash this whole creation down on them.”

As the Chain and Malon started to remove the debris from above, Four and Wind had managed to move the first girder off of Time. “How are you?” Wind asked while checking the next girder. He was checking how it was pinning their leader down and where it vanished in the debris.

“Breathing better.” Time replied while being grateful of the pressure having vanished from his chest. At least he didn’t feel like it would’ve triggered any of other damage with it.

“Okay, that’s good.” Four told with a nod while doing same as Wind to the other girder. “I think we can move this one at least.” He stated out while pointing to the one above Time’s shoulder and back.

“Same here.” Wind answered while forcing himself to stay calm. The situation wasn’t easy but he was grateful of being able to do something at least. “We could move them simultaneously upwards.” He observed before turning to Time. “Time, you think you can move away from underneath them if we lift them?”

“I can try but I can’t promise it’ll work.” Time answered while still being unable to shake off the feeling of there being more than the two girders holding him to ground. “Give it a shot. We’ll see where it goes.” He half commanded while getting himself prepared for the situation.

Four and Wind nodded in acceptance before counting from three downwards. After that they started to lift as carefully as they could. Yet, they didn’t get far when Time already nearly begged them to stop. “Stop! Stop! S-something’s wrong…” He growled in pain. “L-lower them back.” He nearly pleaded and the duo, slowly as possible to avoid causing more damage, placed the girders back down. They made sure they weren’t crushing Time any of more than before.

“W-what’s wrong?” Wild asked while having already moved into Time’s line of sight. Yet, the leader was keeping his eye closed while concentrating into his own breathing.

“I-I’m not sure of both b-but… The upper one… T-there’s… T-there’s something sticking off from it a-and… I-it… It’s impaled me.” Time told between breaths while willing the pain down. “You three… Get out… T-there’s nothing you can do at the moment…” He continued with a sorrowful smile. “H-help the others to dig me out.”

The trio was fully reluctant to leave Time alone. Yet, they couldn’t get the girders off and Wild had already informed of the area to the others. It was as much as they could do. “O-okay… Just hang in there. We’ll get you out of here. I promise.” Wild told as confidently as he could before leading Four and Wind out of the area from the same way they had come from.

The trio joined the others as quickly as they could. “Update on things!” Wild called to catch everyone’s notion. “We got one girder moved off but two are still holding him down. There’s one over his legs and one over his shoulder. There’s a longer piece off of the one over his shoulder which has struck into him.” He explained as calmly as he could but he couldn’t stop his voice from trembling. “We don’t know how bad it is.”

“Alright. Thanks for the info.” Warriors replied while trying not to think about the situation. “Let’s continue. The quicker we get him out, the better!” He commanded and, with the three extra pair of hands in the work, the debris moved off the way bit quicker. Still, it took few hours before they reached through and got to Time.

“Time, you still conscious?” Warriors asked worriedly while having more or less jumped down to the area.

“Wars?” Time called quietly while opening his eye. The Captain sighed in relief and nodded.

“Sorry about this.” Warriors apologized while starting to feel around the girder to find the piece that had impaled Time. “Considering that you’re still breathing quite well, it hasn’t struck into lung.” He observed while moving to front. “Can’t really know how well it’s struck on your chest. If lucky, there might be a small gap between the rest of the thing and your skin.” The Captain continued while following the wooden piece through the clothes.

“I’ll check your legs. Just a sec.” Warriors told while moving away and starting to feel around the second girder. He scowled when he found another piece sticking out of it and going into Time’s left leg. “Seems like there’s another in here.” He told while getting even more worried of the situation.

The Captain observed the situation for a moment to see how much there was room to move the girders. “I think we’ll be able to set your legs free fairly easily.” He half whispered while planning things through. “The other one’s trickier.” He thought aloud before coming back in front of Time. “Sorry, again.” Warriors apologized before taking out a knife and cutting Time’s shirt open. “I need to know the situation.” He simply explained before grimacing at the scene.

“Shit…” He mumbled while praying that the blood in the wood was coming from the area which the piece had impaled. Bit fearfully but still keeping his hands steady, he started to feel around the piece of wood again. He sighed in relief when he found a gap. It was just barely enough to get a finger between but it was there. “You got lucky with this one.” He told with a small lopsided smile. “I’ll get the others here and we’ll get you the hell out of here in no time.” Warriors told confidently before already going back to the hole in the debris he had come from.

“What’s his situation?” Twilight inquired straight off when the Captain came into his sight. He was ready to jump down and aid in any way possible.

“His left leg is impaled. It’ll be easy to deal with, though. There’s enough of room. At least, if the piece isn’t too deeply lodged into the ground.” Warriors started while checking around the Chain to figure out whom would be the best ones to aid him. “The other one’s harder. It has impaled him just below the shoulder. Luckily it hasn’t struck anywhere else. It seems to be quite long piece and there isn’t much of room to move the girder. We need to cut the piece from both front and behind to get him free.” He explained before bit cursing inwardly. “Failed to check anything else, damn it.”

“Let’s get him freed first.” Twilight stated out while ignoring the slight worry of there being more of damage than mentioned ones. “I and Legend can keep the girders up while you deal with the pieces that’s impaled him.” He suggested and waited for the Captain’s choice in the matter.

“Sounds good.” Warriors replied with a nod. “Hyrule, be ready to heal him once we get him out of here.” He told and the healer nodded firmly in confirmation. After that the Captain moved aside to let Twilight and Legend in with him. “Legend and Twilight are with me in here, Time. We’ll get your leg free first.” He called out to their leader and Time simply nodded while trying to get ready for the movement and pain.

“Move your leg along once Twilight and Legend raise the girder.” Warriors half commanded before starting to count from three downwards. He wanted to give Time a chance to get prepared for the change in the situation. Legend and Twilight put lot of strength into their work while moving the girder as slowly as they could. Luckily the piece impaling Time’s leg was short enough and there was sufficient amount of height to raise the girder high enough. “This gonna hurt, Time.” The Captain warned before counting again from three downwards before yanking the leg free. Time growled in pain but held back the scream. Once the leg was free, Warriors quickly bandaged it as well as he could before moving both of the legs off the way to let Legend and Twilight lower the girder back down.

The trio moved swiftly to the other girder. “You ready?” Warriors asked worriedly while Time was still trying to ease out his breathing. Soon enough he nodded and prepared for the next situation. Again after counting from three downwards Twilight and Legend started to raise the girder slowly. Time tried to move along the girder while keeping the piece from shifting in the wound.

“Damn, that’s a long piece.” The Captain cursed as he noticed that it was still going into the ground when the room to raise the girder came to an end. “Keep it steady.” Warriors commanded before turning his notion back to Time. “I know it’ll hurt but can you lay back down? I need to cut that piece of wood from behind you.” He half queried and his leader nodded.

Time grit his teeth as he moved and half forced the wood through his wound. At least nothing else was impaled anymore as he had needed to sit up earlier to follow this specific girder’s movement. “I’m going to cut that piece of wood next. It’ll hurt again. Sorry, Sprite.” Warriors warned before counting down from three again until striking hard into the bloodied wood. He flinched at the pained growl coming from Time. Right after that he struck the wood again from higher ground to strike a big enough piece off to gain room to get Time freed. “Okay, sorry for this but, you gotta get up again so that we’ll get you out of here.” The Captain told while helping as well as he could as Time slowly sat upwards to slide off of the piece of wood.

The second Time was free, Warriors already took a good grip of him and pulled him away from the area. He rounded the vertical stump of girder by moving Time into his arms as well as he could. Once out of the harm’s way, he gave the rights to Legend and Twilight to lower the girder back to ground. The duo rushed straight to the Captain and Time the second the heavy piece of wood was off of their hands.

Time was in pain and keeping his eye closed. He concentrated fully into breathing while trying to aid in the rescue as well as he could. And yet, at the moment, he barely heard the words around him.

Legend and Twilight climbed out of the hole while Warriors carefully stood up with Time in his arms. The duo reached out and took a hold of their leader to pull him out of the debris. They worked as carefully as they could until their leader was in Twilight’s arms and he carried his mentor into the house. Warriors climbed up with the help from Legend and Wild. They followed the rest of the group inside.

Malon was already treating Time’s wounds by the time everyone had gotten inside. Warriors moved next to her to aid with the work. “Is everyone…?” Time queried quietly while being just barely conscious.

“Everyone’s safe and sound.” Malon told him calmly. In the light of the room it was clear to see that Time’s chest was bruised and there probably was rib or few broken. There were some scratches on his back but luckily nothing of worse.

“Wild…?” Time inquired while trying to find the said Hero. Yet, his sight was starting to fade and it was hard to concentrate into the people around him.

“Just bruises but nothing of worse.” Malon answered and Time sighed in relief. He had already suspected for such out of the fact how well the youngster had moved. Still, he needed to hear the truth before he could stop worrying for his boy’s wellbeing for a moment.

“The beast…?” Time asked while fighting to stay conscious. He needed to know before he could let go.

“Wild dealt with it.” Malon reassured him with a firm nod. Time actually chuckled a bit before already grimacing in pain.

“W-wish I could’ve seen that…” He half whispered before finally falling unconscious. The last sight he saw was of Hyrule coming closer. He simply wished Malon wasn’t going to let the healer overdo himself.

It didn’t take long before Time was back on his feet. Hyrule and potions had done perfect job in fixing the damage. Yet, what was more surprising was the fact of how long it took before the next portal appeared.

The truth was, with the help from the nine Heroes, the debris of the lost barn was cleared in few days. They even had time to buy new wood and girders for building the next barn. Not to mention that said barn was up and about in surprisingly swiftly too. It was only few days after all that work had been done when the next portal opened up and the Chain continued to chase down the black bloodied monsters.

[simslegacy5083]

Today's (11/7/2024) Episode: Friendly Encounters

Skye had been worried that once Elyse aged up she’d be too busy with high school freinds to see him anymore, but she quickly proved him wrong.

Besides shooting up in height, she also decided to totally change her sense of style. It was a little intimidating, but Skye did his best to be supportive of the sim who had always been his best friend. “You look so pretty” he enthused, “like you’re going to win first prize at a Spooky Day party.”

“Thanks!” she replied “I guess. I’m trying out some goth looks and found this online. Do I look like I would fit in at Forgotten Hollow?”

Skye frowned. “I’m not sure. I know my Great Grandpa Vlad lives there, but for some reason we’ve never visited him.”

She looked disappointed. “Well I haven’t been there myself either, but I found a lot of cool pictures and stories. One day I’ll move there and never have to deal with sunny days and early mornings again. Maybe I’ll be a vampire or take one of the huge spiders in the trees as my witch’s familiar.”

Skye listened, rapt. It all sounded more scary than fun, but Elyse always knew better than him, so if she said it was awesome then it must be true. “Neat! Do you want to make pancakes? We can use some chocolate syrup and strawberries to make them spooky spider pancakes!”

The Sulani crew come visit anytime, living just down the boardwalk, but Noemi got to see her non-island friends much less often.

Chestnut Ridge was only a teleporter away, but she was still excited for the excuse to visit when Amaya called to announce she had adopted a baby.

“Miguel and I had only gone on a couple dates when I found out I was pregnant. Shotgun wedding anyone?” Amaya said with a laugh. “Now that we’ve really settled in as a family, we decided that raising little Graysen has gone so well that we should do it again… So come over and meet Julissa!”

“Ok sure, this project is at a good breaking point, we’ll be over soon to see your new daughter.” Noemi replied, earning herself a surprised look from Lu.

The Lawbournes decided to bring Roach too. Their four-legged friend could run around the ranch with Silver, like he had during their honeymoon.

While the parents were cooing over the new baby inside, Grayson was trying to convince Skye to go for a ride together on the two horses.

Skye looked up at Roach, towering above him and easily ten times his weight, and shook his head. “I don’t think so. I don’t want Roach to buck me off – I could get hurt! I’ll take some pictures of you riding Silver, or we could go exploring together.”

Grayson was disappointed not to be able to race his friend, but thoroughly enjoyed posing for pictures on his faithful steed. After picking out the best shots to keep and which to post online the two boys left the stables and set off to dig up hibernating toads along the creek bed.

Inside Noemi was snuggling the incredibly soft and warm Julissa, who was happily chewing her fist as her mother talked about deciding to adopt.

“…so I told Miguel that I’ve got enough back pain these days without adding 30 pounds of bulbous baby belly into the mix!” Amaya chuckled “I carried the first one, and it was clearly his turn, but the chicken decided to see what was available on the second-hand market instead of doing it himself.”

The "chicken" in question shot his wife a scandalized look at her description but resisted being pulled away from his conversation with Luigi.

“Hunter said that The Collective found this little sweet pea left all alone in their front garden. No idea if she’ll be ���hungry like the wolf” yet, but  we’ve got plenty of room to run around out here, whether she wants to do it in fur or track gear.” Amaya continued, stroking her daughter’s cheek.

When they got back home to their own campfire that evening Luigi remarked “We all got really lucky in the friend department at the end of the day.”

“No thanks to you, Mr. you can't be Amaya's friend” she reminded her husband with a mock serious expression.

Luigi chuckled “I never meant to say exactly that, and anyway you were quick to put me in my place, as always. Skye, you’ve got a nice group of playmates already and a good head on your shoulders to know when what they are asking of you is unwise…” thank goodness he finished silently. “I just hope you have as much luck in the future as your mom and I have.”

With that they rose and headed inside to get Skye off to bed, looking forward to what new adventures awaited them with the sims they were lucky enough to count among their close companions.

View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[doctorbrown]

DOCTOBER '24 ⸺ 「 8 / 31 * SILVER MINE 」

October 3, 1885

Despite Emmett’s already thorough and lengthy explanation of temporal mechanics, Clara had only begun to get a handle on the concept of fourth-dimensional thinking. It was one thing to consider herself fairly open and scientifically minded, even towards the more fantastical elements of science that Jules Verne had begun lovingly breathing life into. It was another to be suddenly and wholly immersed in this new world of infinite possibilities, trying to curl terribly mortal fingers around the shimmering threads of the world that belonged somewhere in the realm of gods.

It was hard to deny it when irrefutable proof positive had ripped through the fabric of time and space right before her very eyes, carrying Mr. Eastwood to the future–the honest-to-goodness future–and left the two of them behind with a parting gale and that delightful flying board that seemed more magic than science at the moment.

So when Emmett asked if she’d like to see the invention that was responsible for everything, the one not lying in a heap of destroyed, near unrecognisable parts in the stable, she responded with the most enthusiastic, unladylike yes of her life. 

This device was his legacy, the reason he was still alive–with Mr. Eastwood’s intervention, a fact that no amount of thanks would ever be enough to convey her deep gratitude–and Clara couldn’t help but feel giddy knowing she would be made privy to one of the most incredible inventions of her lifetime–arguably–and perhaps of all time.

They had left early that morning, saddling up Newton and Archimedes after a quick breakfast to avoid any prying eyes who might wonder where the two were heading off to alone at such an hour.

“So this is the Time Machine?” Clara asks, accepting Emmett’s proffered hand as they step over the last of the fallen rocks barring the entryway to where the Time Machine was safely hidden away. 

It’s impossible to make out any of its fantastical futuristic components while it slumbers beneath the tarp, waiting for the moment it will be unearthed once again, but Emmett had wrapped it up with such care and precision that she can still make out its unfamiliar–and admittedly strange–shape. In the heat of the moment, she hadn’t managed a proper look at the Time Machine, though she can recall its silver body streaked with sunlight and that unique way the doors of the vehicle opened up instead of out, reminding her of a bird poised to take flight. 

To fly the time-traveller away to distant lands—

“The one that Mister Ea—Marty used to come back here and save your life.”

“The very same. Only without some of the modifications that were necessary to make it functional again.”

“And it has to stay buried here until…1955, was it? Where Marty will retrieve it after he receives that letter you sent him in which you told him how to fix your Time Machine and to go home.” 

“Which you and I both now know he ignores despite my insistence,” Emmett says, half-smirking.

“Which I should say is for the best! I shudder to think of what would have happened had he not come back when he did.”

“I wouldn’t be here now for us to be having this conversation,” he says calmly despite the morbid topic of his own mortality, and a vision of Tannen flashes in her mind, his eyes crazed, the barrel of that gun pointed right at Emmett—

“I’m not upset with him, of course. It was nice to see him again, to know he was okay, even if I had to send him back alone. He saved my life again and I owe him more for that than I think he knows.”

Clara nods, approaching the Time Machine with a raised hand. Before she reaches out to touch it, she remembers herself and Emmett’s lessons on fourth-dimensional travel and looks to him for permission, lest she accidentally damage the machine somehow and cause one of those paradoxes capable of unravelling the universe.

[smolcinnamonchipmunk]

I thought way too much about the logistics of if the Trailblazer was to be incredibly small, so you’ll have to suffer through this brain dump if you want anything else out of this, because I’m way too busy right now to write or draw anything actually about it ;-; Of course, I’m going to be making this from how I think my Trailblazer, Nova, would kind of experience

Starting from the beginning (because I found Honkai Star Rail no commentary, and now I can actually review/imprint everything in my stupid little lizard brain), I’m just thinking that maybe the vessel is somehow unstable so that when Silver Wolf manifests them, they’re just a little guy but both Silver Wolf and Kafka (at least Kafka doesn’t seem like she’d be worried about it, Silver Wolf might feel insulted by the Vessel not manifesting properly) aren’t concerned because there was nothing in Elio’s script that suggested the Vessel not being a normal human-size would affect anything significant enough to be warned, so they just move forward with it and the Vessel is stable enough to harbor the Stellaron

Of course, it would be extremely jarring to not only wake up on a random space station with your only memories being your name and vaguely Kafka, but to find yourself TINY in someone’s palm with their mouth almost entirely on top of you, only to be snatched away by another gigantic person who's a lot more energetic and loud

I feel like the first section of the game would have to essentially be without Nova being able to participate in fights, which personally I don’t like because I love the fact that they use a fucking BASEBALL BAT. I’m very torn between waiting for them to meet Herta or somehow manage to find a way to be temporarily human-sized naturally

If I go with the ‘natural’ route, I’m thinking that because the Stellarons seem apparently comparable to galactic nukes and are semi-sentient(?), maybe somehow if they ambiently absorb a large amount of Anti-Matter (Say, for instance, the appearance of a Doomsday Beast), the vessel has enough fuel to be temporarily normal-sized, allowing for Nova to get in on some beat-down action themself while revealing the Stellaron stuff at the end of the Prologue like normal

It would also give Herta something to go off of because I feel like she’d want some way to have a better look of Nova outside of the Simulated Universe. So! I’m thinking that Herta essentially concocts some kind of Antimatter concoction (I imagine it’s deadly to normal people but perfectly safe since Nova has a Stellaron inside of them) similar to the potions that the Mermen in TW have to drink to maintain a human form, that way it allows both smacking people upside the head and also goofy G/t shenanigans (And Nova would want their privacy still with their own room, though it'll eventually have to be fitted with some pathways for their normal size after a couple times of waking up tiny and unable to do much)

So Nova would go about everything mostly normally but when unable to take the Herta concoction, would revert to their more natural shrunken form. Which, I think would be hilarious with Sampo in particular because imagine coming across a weird trio, ‘befriending’ them, and then when you swoop in to help them out from Bronya, one of them just spontaneously shrinks while you’re taking them underground. Easier to carry but HOLY SHIT SOMEONE IS RANDOMLY TINY

Of course, when this kind of stuff happens without being able to get ahold of one of Herta’s concoctions (I imagine people would start carrying around extras after a couple incidents), someone usually has to uptake the ‘burden’ of carrying Nova. In Jarilo-VI, I imagine it’s mostly Dan Heng and sometimes Sampo. I feel like with the Xianzhou Luofu that Welt would be responsible enough to ensure that Nova had a steady supply of Antimatter, though that’s where Dan Heng would explain his draconic instincts. And I’m mostly thinking that they’d be good in Penacony? To meet Aventurine, there needs to be the check-in hold up, but maybe the Antimatter gets confiscated? I’m not sure how much their natural size would factor in considering the whole arc is about being in dreams

Everyone agrees March 7th should not hold Nova, even March 7th after some logic from Dan Heng and Welt, unless in an emergency and there’s no one else more responsible to do so

Obviously, there’s room for shenanigans, but I just wanted to word vomit some general stuff

[strangerthingsstuff4]

A Story of Another Us- Chapter Two

Summary- Dahlia was no longer in the business of hurting her own feelings but when spending break from University on her best friends family ranch she finds more than just some veterinary experience.

Warnings- Swearing

The leather black suitcase hit the wet pebbled floor with a thud, Dahlia was just thankful that she hadn’t pulled the rest of the boot’s contents out with it. The rain had stopped while she had a short few hours sleep, it was still too cold for the thin gym leggings she had adorned on her journey. It took all her strength to try and pick up the suitcase with both hands, she just about managed to get it a few centimeters off the floor but it was enough for her to get it to the doors that led into the kitchen.

‘Oh here’ Haelena’s nephew Jace jumped out of his seat to help her.

Dahlia was not the only house guest they were having this break, Haelena had mentioned that she had a half sister from her father, she had moved off the farm and bought her own land just after Viserys’ passing. It was her sister’s two eldest boys that were joining her in vacationing with the Targaryen family, Jace and Luke were roughly the same age as Helaena and her siblings if not a few years younger, as were their girlfriends Baela and Rhaena who had joined them on their visit.

‘Thanks’ Dahlia breathed, letting Jace take the case from her and watched him struggle with it a little.

‘Right go and put some warmer clothes on and then I’ll take you on a little tour!’ Haelena grinned giddily.

‘We could look for the dog too if you wanted’ Dahlia suggested as she opened her case searched through it for her fur lined leggings.

‘Maybe yeah, I think Aemond had already searched the farm, here you’re size five right?’ Haelena queried as she handed her a pair of dark green wellington boots.

Dahlia took the shoes and slid them on her feet after she had slipped the thick leggings over the gym leggings she had on. She also pulled her thick waterproof coat out of the case and threw it on. She followed Haelena out into the cold morning air, shoving her hands into her pockets to keep them warm.

‘These are the chickens, that’s the stables and the training yard, we have three palfreys and two Stallions at the moment. Aemond mainly cares for the horses but I’m sure he’d be happy to let you help and show you the ropes’ Haelena started to inform her as the two girls began down the small slope that led to the large section of land that lay behind the house.

‘These are the small trough beds we use for our crops; we can’t grow a lot but what we can grow saves us tons on shopping, these are mainly for like small fruits, cabbages and stuff, the greenhouse is for bigger things like artichokes and pumpkins and stuff’

‘I had no idea you guys were so self-sufficient, this is so cool Hel!... what’s that building?’ Dahlia asked referring to the old run-down building that sat at the very bottom of the garden.

‘Oh that was a cottage my sister used to live in, it’s been empty for a long time now but mum keeps speaking about having it renovated, come on… I think she’s planning on letting one of us move into it when we get a partner or something but for now it’s just full of old equipment’ She informed her best friend while she led her down the length of the land and through a small arch way in the tall thick hedges.

Dahlia made sure to shut the gate securely behind her before continuing over the grassy land and onto another dirt track. Haelena went on telling her about how many fields that had and what animals resided in them. They had cows, Heifers and Bulls both. They had Ewes, Rams and were hoping to start lambing for the first-time next season. Dahlia could have listened to her talk about the farm and the animals all day, she loved how Haelena’s face lit up when she could show off her vast knowledge of the farming life.

‘Oh there’s mum come and say hi’ The silver haired girl pointed across the country road to where a brunette stood on the other side of the field, two tall figures with matching shiny locks as that of her best friend.

They both plodded through the wet mud and through the fence that led onto more wet mud and grass. As they approached the group Dahlia caught the pale purple eyes of Haelena’s younger brother, his gaze burnt into her like fire in a way she didn’t much enjoy.

‘Hi, mum this is my friend Dahlia that I told you about, Dahl this is my mum’

‘It’s a pleasure to meet you Mrs Hightower’ Dahlia smiled, shaking the extended hand of the stunningly beautiful young woman.

‘And you sweetie, Haelena has spoken so highly of you, have you met my sons? My eldest Aegon and one of Haelena’s other brothers Aemond’ she introduced her to the two men who were both also stunning.

Dahlia smiled at both of them and mumbled a quiet ‘hello’, too scared of being received with another ice-cold comment from Aemond. The three of them had been stood next to what looked to be a young heifer, one that seemed to visibly be in discomfort. It’s belly was extremely swollen, her hind legs were regularly kicking at her stomach and stomping into the soft wet surface of the floor.

‘Right well we’ll have to get Criston out her to have a look at her… there goes another four hundred dragons’ Alicent sighed looking the animal over, her hands on her hips.

‘Mum, I told you to just sell them to Nyra, they’re more hassle than they’re worth’ Aemond huffed, a slight glint of distaste as he watched his brother pat the animals side like she was a pet.

‘Is it trapped wind? I know something that might help if you don’t mind me trying’ Dahlia asked nervously, noticing the defeat in Alicents face.

The woman looked at her unsure before nodding and waving for her to give it a go.

‘Erm does anyone have like a nail or knife? Something sharp?’

Aegon began rifling through the deep pockets on his fleece jacket, he pulled out long loose nail and handed it to her. She moved closer to the cow, avoiding her jolting legs and stroke her side soothingly. Finding a spot towards the back of the hard bloated stomach, Dahlia used all of her strength to pierce the thick layer of skin, the cow let out a long loud sound of relief when she removed the nail and the hot smelly air began to release from her stomach.

‘That should do it’ Dahlia huffed wafting the horrible smelling gas away from her face as she stepped back and the animal visibly relaxed.

‘Really? That simple?’ Alicent asked astounded.

‘It’s a trick I learnt from someone I studied under in the capital; vets don’t tell you about it because they can charge you hundreds on medication. Just need to keep an eye on her for the rest of the day and make sure she’s eating properly and that wound will heal itself in a few days as long as it’s been cleaned’.

‘Dahlia almost has her master’s degree in veterinary care for agricultural purposes’ Haelena bragged nudging her best friend.

‘Really?! Well you let me know as soon as you have that degree, I could use somebody like you working with us’ Alicent grins at the girl, admiring how the heifer had returned to business as usual, grazing at the grass.

Aemond had began to head off the field before the rest of them, Dahlia was unsure of whether she had heard him scoff or not before he walked away from the group. As the rest of them walked back towards the house, Aegon chirping down her ear some of the small hacks he knew and how he could teach them to her sometime, Dahlia couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable. She had only had two interactions with Aemond yet both times he seemed to be inpatient with her. Had she done something wrong? Something to make her seem strange. Perhaps he just wasn’t keen on being around new people or perhaps he was just a complete dick, either way she had no intention of spending a lot of time around him.

It was heaven when Dahlia got to crawl onto the soft mattress later that night, her stomach full from the meal Haelena and Baela had cooked for everyone. Her limbs melted like butter underneath the thick warm blanket and her head sunk into the pillow like it was a cloud. She had decided on an oversized shirt as her pyjamas and shoved her long copper her on top of her head for a good night’s sleep. Her room was on the very top floor of the house, at the end of the landing. She had watched Aegon go into the room next to hers and she was sure Aemond had disappeared into the room opposite hers not long after. Dahlia must have fallen asleep in seconds, her body finally giving up the fight, because the next thing she knew she was rolling out of bed. Despite having less than fifteen hours sleep in the last two days, her body clock hadn’t gotten the memo. She had lay in bed refusing to get up for twenty minutes, hoping to fall back asleep but to no luck.

Usually she was up at 5am for an hour-long jog before beginning her day but not being able to navigate her surrounding area Dahlia decided it was safer to pass on it this morning. She had managed to sleep in a little but even at 5:45 the house seemed to still be asleep. Dahlia padded down the stairs in her fluffy socks and entered the kitchen, she flicked the switch on the kettle planning on a nice hot cup of coffee to start her day.

Dahlia stood against the counter waiting for the kettle to boil when she noticed the light glowing through the windows of the stable. She wasn’t the only one awake apparently, deciding whether or not to go and offer any help she settled for making breakfast for everyone. She was familiar with Haelena’s sleep routine so knew she would be appearing from her basement bedroom in the next 30 minutes, just enough time to make pancakes.

Finding everything she needed in the pantry, Dahlia set to work measuring, mixing and flipping until she had enough pancakes for at least five people, fresh fruit set out on the table along with syrups, sugar and fresh squeezed lemon juice. She was in the middle of whisking together another batch of mixture when a small whine and scratching noise caught her attention. Dahlia placed the bowl on the counter and opened the sliding glass doors of the kitchen.

‘Hello little one, you must be Vhagar’ Dahlia smiled down at the soggy ball of fluff, standing aside to let the poor girl inside.

Vhagar was a breed of sheepdog that was no longer bred commercially, an old breed originating in Valyria that was almost impossible to obtain. Dahlia watched the poor dog walk straight to her food bowl and sniff about, gulping down water. Unsure of where the dog food was kept, Dahlia began snooping around the cupboards, Vhagar following her every step, sticking her head in every cupboard and sniffing the contents.

‘Mind your head nosy hole’ Dahlia laughed, not hearing someone step through the door that she had left open.

‘Excuse me?’ Aemond questioned, making his presence known and making Dahlia jump out of her skin, hitting her head on the draw above her.

‘Gods…I was speaking to Vhagar’ she breathed calming herself down.

Vhagar ran around the table to Aemond’s feet, wiggling her tail with so much excitement her bum rocked from side to side.

‘Hey you, where have you been? I’ve been looking for you everywhere!’ Aemond cooed, kneeling down to pet her tatty damp fur.

Dahlia couldn’t help but smile watching the interaction between man and his best friend. How he let her stand against him, front paws on his shoulder licking his face affectionately. Dahlia returned to her cooking, pouring small circles of batter onto the hot baking pan.

‘I was trying to find her food, figured she was going to be hungry’ Dahlia mumbled to Aemond over her shoulder.

She was received with a ‘hmm’ and the sound of his feet walking to the pantry, followed by a bag rustling and biscuits hitting the metal bowl. Aemond gave a satisfied chuckle watching Vhagar scoff down her food and look to him for more.

‘I didn’t realise anyone else was up and out already, I’ve made pancakes for breakfast so help yourself there’s-‘

Dahlia turned around to inform him of all the condiments she had laid out but was met with the image of him retreating out of the room, plate of pancakes in one hand and another bowl of dog kibble In the other, Vhagar in tow. She stood astounded, no thank you or good morning or anything.

He was really starting to piss her off.

[pure-vanilla-lilies]

Everybody is back on their feet before the prologue even starts.

Vanilla, Cacao, Cheese, Hollyberry, hell even Enchantress, they're all back on their feet before the main baked crew even get away from the witch.

Hence why in fresh dough they're enemies at first, rather than allies right off the bat. They're already as stable as they can be, they fixed their own issues, I know damn well they never needed a ragtag band of kids to fix their issues in canon, they could have fixed it on their own, so here in fresh dough they did.

Hollyberry is indirectly ruling alongside Pitaya, Ananas is helping Cheese rebuild her kingdom (the islanders and cheese citizens helping out as well), while the Licorice Sea is still a threat to the Cacao Kingdom it's not as much of a threat as it is in canon, Cacao and Affogato have equally worked enough to have tamed it down to a manageable state where the citizens can relax, at least until the story crew show up and throw everything off kilter, Vanilla has already completely rebuilt his kingdom by the time the crew show up, and Enchantress? She's working with Elder Faerie, by any and all accounts her "kingdom" is the silver kingdom.

Even the beasts are already active again, regaining their power and working on their plans to take back their soul jams, with Silent Salt actually sitting out on those plans (they've already settled an alliance with Dark Enchantress, and they know they're not getting it back when it's literally a part of her)

By any and all accounts, the ancients see the story crew as trying to mess with their kingdoms, and they don't plan on letting that slide.

Soooo~ yep! :D

👀

[pigeonsimba]

Omen on the Range

For @weiselzelle, mostly, but I tried to include as many No. 6 week prompts as reasonably possible xD

Shion did not like the look of the sky. A mile back everything had been fine, sunny, balmy weather, and Shion had dared to feel optimistic. Now hazy gray clouds had begun to drift above like tumbleweeds, dampening Shion’s good mood. Rikiga would have called the sudden change in weather a bad omen. But then, Rikiga thought everything was an omen of some sort. The Chronos townspeople were a superstitious lot. Shion’s mother had warned him about the small-minded nature of small towns when he had told her he planned to set up his practice there.

It feels like an omen, Shion thought to himself.

“But it should be fine! Right, Lili?” Shion leaned down to pat his horse’s neck.

Lili chuffed and picked up her pace. Shion chose to believe the sound was one of encouragement and that the low rumble in the distance was the crash of wagon wheels and nothing more ominous.

A raindrop smacked the brim of his hat. Shion clamped his teeth together and prayed. The gods didn’t listen, however, and another drop sunk into the fabric of his white shirt like a smear of grease. Then another drop, and another, and Shion sighed and slumped in the saddle.

I should have turned around when I had the chance. I could still turn around now….

But he could see the ranch already. It was a large sprawling property, with a barn, a stable, a small home, and rolling fenced-in fields. He didn’t see any animals outside—another bad omen—but the path up ahead was lined with vibrant daffodils, which Shion considered a good omen. His mother had always said daffodils represented new beginnings, and that was just what Shion needed.

By the time he had reached the entrance gate, the rain was a steady stream and had the makings of a real storm. He had to find shelter quickly or he wasn’t going to be at all presentable to the owner and that wouldn’t do. He had already been warned countless times that the man who owned this ranch was a savage, and a cutthroat, and an all-fired bastard, and if Shion was crazy enough to show up and try “peddling his horseshit” all he would get was a boot in the behind. But adversity had always lit a fire in Shion’s belly, so, naturally, since the townspeople seemed so certain this was a fool’s errand, Shion was determined to succeed. He had to look his best, talk his best, and come back triumphant.

This rain had complicated that plan quite a bit, though. Shion pushed Lili to a canter, heading toward what he thought was the stable. He knew it would be better manners to go to the house and introduce himself before barging onto a stranger’s property, but Lili became skittish in bad weather and he didn’t want to abandon her unprotected. There were a few trees huddled to the side of the building, which would make good shelter for them both while Shion collected himself and figured out what to do next.

Shion slid off his horse and gave her a soothing pat. The rain was crackling and constant as a waterfall now. Thunder and lightning were all that were needed to make this a proper storm, and Shion felt like they weren’t far off. He squinted through the deluge. The buttery yellow lights of the house wavered in the distance.

Shion did a quick inventory of his person. His shirtsleeves were thoroughly drenched. He was really glad of his vest over it, otherwise, he’d be introducing himself to the rancher in a translucent shirt and that was not an option. Even Shion wouldn’t take a business proposition seriously from a man in such a state.

Not an auspicious beginning, but that’s okay. I’m here already and he appears to be home, I might as well introduce myself.

Shion drew in a deep breath and stepped toward the house.

Something snagged the back of Shion’s collar and he skidded in the wet dirt. The next thing he knew, he was plastered against the side of the stable, staring into a pair of merciless silver eyes.

“You picked a terrible night to trespass,” the stranger said.

His voice sounded pleasant despite the sentiment. It made Shion feel like they were friends, sharing a joke. He almost smiled and gave a playful response—that is until he felt the cold caress of a blade against his throat.

“Care to explain what you’re doing on my property?” the man asked. His tone remained friendly and his eyes never left Shion’s. The man’s eyes were dark and bright at the same time, roiling and thundering like captured storms. Shion’s skin pricked with electricity.

The man had the prettiest face Shion had ever seen: heart-shaped with delicate features, but there was a hardness to its lines that kept the man from looking too feminine. His skin was tanned—nothing new since ranch hands spent their days in the sun—and beneath the man’s wide-brimmed hat, Shion saw he had long dark hair.

He smelled good too. Most ranchers and cowboys wore their clothes for days on end without changing or rinsing themselves. Shion nearly gagged at the scent of sweat and muck every time the Johnson brothers sidled up to him at the bar. But this man smelled like horses and petrichor, two scents Shion found particularly soothing.

Shion held his hands up and out to the sides. The universal sign of I mean no harm. “I’m not here to steal anything.”

“Great. What are you here for, then?”

The flat edge of the knife traced its way over Shion’s Adam’s apple and up the curve of his jaw. Shion hummed nervously and swallowed. It was hard to think with all the stimuli flooding his brain.

“You,” Shion managed.

The man’s expression darkened. The knife’s blade skimmed Shion’s skin, prickling like a thorn. A warm bead of blood slipped down the side of his neck. Shion gasped and hurried to explain himself.

“No, not you as in you! I mean, I’m here for the horses!”

“So you are here to steal my horses.”

“No! No, I mean I’m here to talk to you about the horses! I’m a veterinarian.”

Gods above! Why can’t I talk right? Shion squeezed his eyes shut in humiliation. I’m such an idiot.

Behind Shion’s lids, lightning flashed and thunder crashed hot on its heels. They were in a full-blown storm now.

The knife withdrew and Shion cracked open his eyes. The stranger scowled at him.

“A veterinarian.” The man said the word like it was a foul-smelling thing he was holding an arms-length away.

“Yes,” Shion mumbled. The man’s gaze raked over his person. Shion could only imagine what he was thinking about the sopping wet, muttering fool standing before him. This was definitely not going well. He should have turned around when the first raindrop hit him. Better yet, he should’ve listened to the townsfolk and stayed far away.

Enough with the muttering, Shion scolded himself. Business! You’re a businessman. This is not unsalvageable!

“I’m new to town,” Shion said, trying to inject some authority into his voice. “And I’m trying to establish myself with the locals. I heard you haven’t had a vet come down to check your horses in a while. I’m here to offer my services. For a free trial, since we don’t know each other that well. But I’m certain that you’ll be happy with my qualifications.”

Shion let out a satisfied breath. There! That’s how it’s done. Totally competent.

“Where’re your instruments?” the stranger asked.

“They're right here, on Lili.” Shion moved to grab them, but the suspicious glare of the rancher made him stay put and he gestured instead. The man glanced at the saddle bag.

“I don’t need your services. I care for my horses myself—and for good reason. They don’t take too kindly to strangers.”

“It’s commendable you take care of them on your own and haven’t needed to call to town for anything. But if you’ll excuse my… erm… directness. I am a trained professional, so…” Shion cleared his throat. “I’d like to get a baseline of the horses’ health in case one ever does need my help. I’m very good with animals; I haven’t met a horse that disliked me. I think you’ll be impressed if you’ll give me a chance.”

“That’d be a pretty big feat because I’m certainly not impressed with what I see now.”

Shion fidgeted. The moment stretched on, fraught with the hiss of rain and the crash of thunder. The man exhaled noisily through his nose.

“What’s your name?”

“Oh! Sorry, I’m Shion.”

The man clicked his tongue. “Well, Shion, bring your horse inside. She looks like she’s about to die of fright.” He turned and headed for the stable.

Shion smiled. He took Lili by the reins and coaxed her forward.

“Thank you,” Shion said when they were safely inside. The rush of rain was much quieter now, and Shion felt immediately comforted by the smell of hay and horses. “I didn’t get your name.”

“You didn’t, huh? I’d’ve thought the townsfolk would sling it around like a curse the moment you asked directions here.”

Shion thought a moment. “They mostly said, ‘that dirty cowboy.’ I might’ve heard some other descriptors, but… I don’t think they warrant sharing.” Shion shrugged and smiled awkwardly.

“I’ll bet. Nezumi,” he said and pointed to Shion’s left. “You can put your horse in that stall. There’s some feed in the corner if you need it. The rest of the horses are down there. Come when you’re ready, Mr. Trained Professional.”

Shion’s cheeks heated. Nezumi smirked and stalked away.

“He’s very intimidating,” Shion whispered to Lili. “I think I might have bitten off more than I can chew….” Lili grunted in evident agreement.

Shion made sure his horse was settled in comfortably, then grabbed his medical bag and crossed the stable.

Nezumi had taken his hat off and laid it aside on a stool. It was a handsome hat, black with little wear on it, and freshly cleaned from the rain. Even more handsome was its owner. Shion tried not to stare too much, but he couldn’t help a furtive glance at Nezumi’s hair. He had braided the wet strands over one shoulder and tied it off with his neckerchief.

Nezumi extended his hand toward the stalls. “Go ahead, work your magic.”

Shion counted three Quarter Horses. They stuck their heads out, snuffling quizzically. They must not have had many visitors. Unsurprising, given their owner’s misanthropy. However, they didn’t look unfriendly. Shion approached the bay first, talking calmly while he did to establish a rapport.

“Hello, beautiful. Hear all that rain outside? You’re lucky you’re in here where it’s safe and warm. I, unfortunately, haven’t been so lucky today.”

The horse tilted its head and eyed him, ears swiveling. Shion extended a hand slowly, giving it plenty of time to decide if it didn’t want him near, but it didn’t seem to mind. The horse gave his hand a few sniffs and lost interest when it realized he had no snacks. Shion gave its neck a pat.

“Seems plenty friendly to me,” Shion called to Nezumi.

“So it would seem,” Nezumi drawled. “The damned traitor.”

Shion laughed. “What’s this one’s name?”

“He doesn’t have a name.”

“Is he new?”

“No. The horses don’t have names. I don’t see the point.”

Shion half turned. “So you just say, ‘horse’ when you talk to them? How do you differentiate?”

Nezumi made a face. “It’s not like they’re identical. I just say, the black one, the bay, or the palomino.”

Shion frowned and petted the bay again. “Seems sad. Horses like to be named.”

“Is that what they teach you at horse school?”

“Every companionable creature likes to be named, whether they understand it or not. How would you feel if people went around calling you ‘that human’?”

Nezumi’s mouth curved upward. The sudden sharpness of it reminded Shion of a poised scorpion’s tail. “Better than ‘that savage’ or ‘Miss Nancy.’ Though I would feel best if people didn’t call me at all.”

A tendril of anger curled in Shion’s stomach. He knew that the townsfolk had plenty of lewd opinions on what cowboys got up to when they were far from civilization. Cowboys loved to wear flashy, bright clothes and made a spectacle of themselves wherever they went, so the rumor mill had plenty of ammunition to run on. He didn’t like the idea of the townsfolk making assumptions about Nezumi based on his profession and he especially didn’t like the insinuation that the townsfolk had been insulting Nezumi to the man’s face.

Nezumi was wearing an olive green shirt with a dark brown vest over top, and all the rest from his hat to his boots were black. There was nothing showy about his style of dress and nothing in his demeanor that suggested anything worse than grumpiness. He presented himself as respectably as any townsman. Just because he was pretty and happened to be a native cowboy, they thought it was grounds to degrade him.

Disgusting. Shion wished Nezumi would name names so he could give those good-for-nothings a piece of his mind.

“Well that’s a scary face,” Nezumi said, chuckling. “Easy there, doctor. I don’t need you storming Chronos in defense of my honor. I can take care of myself just as well as I take care of my horses. Speaking of, are you going to look at the horses or are you just here to talk my ear off?” 

Shion flattened his fisted hands over the damp fabric of his pant legs. “Right,” he muttered, trying to shake off the cloud of irritation. “Sorry.”

Shion drew the bay horse out under Nezumi’s watchful eye and listened to its heart, lungs, and gut, then moved on to the condition of the rest of its body.

“Very nice,” Shion announced when he had finished. “You have a very healthy bay horse.”

“I know that. As I told you, I care for them myself.”

“Yes, alright. I’ll be checking ‘the black one’ and ‘the palomino’ next.”

Nezumi crossed his arms. “Uh-huh. Very cute.”

Despite the dry tone, Shion thought he saw the edges of a smile forming on the man’s face. He couldn’t help but smile back. Nezumi’s eyes dropped to his mouth. Or so Shion thought.

The air in the stable suddenly felt very warm. Shion’s fingers itched to loosen his necktie, but he didn’t want to draw attention to himself.

“Your neck alright?”

“W-what?”

“Your neck. I nicked it outside, didn’t I?”

“Oh.” He had forgotten all about that. He felt the spot. “It’s alright. It’s already closed up.”

Nezumi stepped close and tugged one of the trailing ends of Shion’s necktie. The silky fabric unraveled and slithered away. Nezumi peered at the side of Shion’s exposed neck. For a moment, the roar of the rain pounding the roof was the only thing Shion could hear. Or was that the blood rushing in his ears?

“Hm,” hummed Nezumi. “Yeah, it’s as you say. All closed up.”

Nezumi had the longest, darkest lashes Shion had ever seen. Thick as a horse’s and probably just as soft.

“You can have this back whenever you’re done admiring me.” Nezumi stepped away and waggled the necktie in front of Shion’s face.

Shion snatched his necktie from Nezumi’s hand and strode to the black horse's stall to hide and catch his breath.

Was that flirting? Was he flirting with me? Or making fun of me? He wanted to look over his shoulder but he was afraid of what expression Nezumi would be wearing. If he were laughing at him Shion didn’t know if he could stand it. Better to not look. Shion furiously refastened his necktie. He thought he might’ve heard Nezumi chuckle.

Horses. Check the horses, panic later.

All horses were in good health, and all three were perfect angels the whole time he conducted his checks. Shion suspected Nezumi had been lying about their fractious nature, either to discourage him or test his determination.

“I will admit,” Shion said as he secured the stall door behind the palomino, “you do take exquisite care of your horses. But they still need to have their teeth examined at least yearly.  Especially the black one, since she’s younger. You don’t have to bring them to me, but bring them somewhere.”

Nezumi shrugged. “Alright.” He plopped his hat back on, then cocked his head to the side. “It’s stopped raining.”

Shion strained his ears. “Oh, yeah. Seems so.”

“And it’s gotten late. You should head out. The missus will be wondering where you are.”

“Hardly,” Shion laughed. “There’s no missus to speak of.”

Shion paused in the middle of stuffing his stethoscope back in his bag. Wait a minute…. He hazarded a look. Nezumi’s gaze was guileless, but… There was a definite atmosphere. Or was he just imagining it?

“It’s late just the same,” Nezumi said. “And it’s a long ride back. You better get going.”

Shion smiled feebly and closed his bag.

They walked out of the stable together, Shion leading Lili by the bridle. The horse was leery at first, but she perked up when she stepped out into a wet, but clear night.

“Well, um. It was nice to meet you.”

“Mm.”

Shion frowned and pretended to check the fastenings of Lili’s saddle. He wasn’t sure how to close this encounter. Nezumi hadn’t given him much to go off of. He didn’t say he would employ Shion as his vet and he kicked him out the moment he had the opportunity. Shion thought there was something to the flirtatious remarks, but maybe he was leaning a little too hopefully into the cowboy stereotype.

What a long night… Shion sighed and tilted his head skyward. The storm had wrung the clouds out to nothing; stars shone down from the inky blackness, free as fireflies. “Well, guess I’ll— Oh, look, Pegasus!”

“What?”

“Pegasus, the winged horse. It’s a constellation.” Shion pointed out the star formation, but Nezumi wasn’t seeing it. “I suppose it is a bit abstract,” Shion confessed. “You have to really use your imagination to see it.”

“Are you calling me unimaginative?”

“I didn’t say that. Though, I will say a truly imaginative person would have given their horses names.”

Nezumi snorted. “This again. You’re such a horse fanatic.”

“And you aren’t? You’re a cowboy!”

“Eh. It’s complicated.”

Nezumi’s eyes glowed like slivers of moonlight, but his gaze felt more scorching than the sun. Shion could have stood on that stable’s threshold and stared for hours.

“I’ll get going,” Shion said at last. He swung up into Lili’s saddle. “Perhaps I… Perhaps I could come by again this weekend?”

Nezumi’s brows furrowed beneath the brim of his hat. “What for? You said the horses are healthy.”

“They are. It wouldn’t be to see the horses.”

Nezumi considered him. Shion wasn’t sure what was going on in the man’s mind. He could guess—he hoped he had interpreted the man’s actions correctly—but Nezumi was slippery.

Well. In for a penny, in for a pound.

“I can’t really explain it well yet, but… I find myself drawn to you.”

Nezumi made a face, but he didn’t immediately say anything, so Shion took it as a good omen.

“I’ll be busy this weekend,” said Nezumi. “I don’t have time to stand around and listen to you.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“If you can run your horse as fast as you do your mouth, then come. But only as long as you can keep up.”

Warmth blossomed in Shion’s chest. He sat forward in his seat, but before he could respond, Nezumi set off toward his house, boots squelching in the mud.

[thiswasinevitableid]

Beasts (Sternclay)

Werebear wasn't a big winner in the polls, but I wrote some as a treat. It's NSFW, and there is some mention of breeding talk.

Joseph doesn’t believe in luck. 

Things happen for reasons varying from unfair to understandable. They have to. Because if they don’t, then his fathers sudden death and his sisters each losing their jobs two days before Joseph was supposed to set sail with a team of like-minded researchers for the farthest reaches of American West is all to do with unhappy chance and there’s nothing he can do to fix it or keep it from happening again.

Well, his dad can’t die a second time, but his mom hasn’t been well since his death. With Lily and Vivian frantically searching for work, it falls to Joseph to make enough in the meantime to keep everyone housed and healthy. 

So, no, stepping onto the Hayes Estate doesn’t make him feel lucky, no matter how many rare creatures he’ll encounter. He got here by his own skill and knowledge, not good luck. Which means all he has to do to help his family is not fuck up.

Lord William Hayes spends the better part of an hour showing him around the enclosed aviary, small aquarium, and stables. Joseph laughs in delight at the fur bearing trout and offers the pair cactus cats his hand to investigate, all the while taking notes on Haye’s instructions for their care. The lord and his servants had been managing on their own at first, but the collection is so large he needs a cryptid expert on staff to ensure it remains the best in the country. 

Joseph is deep in a bulleted list of cryptid sleep habits when they come to a gilded, double locked door. 

“This is the hall of great beasts. There’s only three right now but they are the pinnacle of my menagerie.” Hayes undoes the locks and ushers him into a white marble room with cavernous ceilings. There are three enclosures: two large ones on the east and west walls, and a third, smaller one on the north wall. The eastern one is full of plant life, lush and every shade of green, and the western one is filled with smooth, black stones and a trickling creek. And the smaller one is a square of silver bars on a platform, with a door leading back into an equally small, covered room. It contains a large, fur-covered object that Joseph can’t identify. 

Hayes blows a silver whistle and the cages on either side of them rustle. In the forested cage, a creature with horns and a woman’s face appears, gold hair ties messily atop her head. In the stone-filled one, a silvery, serpentine figure wriggles out from a back portion of the cage. 

The fur covered lump in the small cage raises its head, looking at them only a second before returning its chin to its paws. 

“That…that’s a werebear. You have a werebear, a leshen, and a dragon.”

“A pygmy dragon, but yes.”

Joseph chooses his words carefully, “I wasn’t aware anyone had these beings. It’s still being debated whether it’s legal to hold them captive at all.”

“And why is that?”

“Well, because they’re all human to a significant degree. They talk and think in the exact way you or I do.” 

“Yet they’re monsters all the same. And monsters are the purview of collectors such as myself. I trust their care will not be an issue for you?”

His conscience screams in protest as it’s crushed beneath the images of his mother rationing out her medication and Lily swearing that if this doesn’t pan out she’s getting a job in a cloth factory to tide them over.

“No, sir, not at all.”

He’s escorted from the room and spends the rest of his day being given the appropriate keys and moving his things into the small bedroom in the servants wing that’s his for the time being. Worry keeps him from sleeping for the bulk of the night, but he rises at when the clock chimes six.

The “great beasts” are the last on his list of morning rounds, and when he arrives only the werebear is within view. And that’s because his cage has no hiding place. 

Joseph starts with the Leshen, calling out “hello?” as he removes her food tray through a slot. When there’s no reply, he adds, “I’m Joseph Stern. I feel like we ought to have an actual introduction instead of Lord Hayes just…showing you to me. He didn’t even tell me your name.”

“Dani.” The voice comes from the ground across from him, and the Leshen peers out of a shrub, “and put your hand back. I’m not going to shake it. No offense.”

He places his hand back in his pocket, “None taken. It’s nice to meet you, Dani. Oh, here” he slides the new, covered tray through, “breakfast.”

“Porridge or pemmican?”

“Um, I’m not sure. I didn’t look.”

She waves him away and he goes, peeking under the next tray to see a bowl of porridge. This one is for the dragon, who is laying on his back in his anteroom, morning sun glinting on his scales. 

“Good morning-”

“Indrid” he lilts, not looking Joseph’s way, “My name is Indrid. I see the future, which means I will always be a little bit ahead of the conversation. And no, I cannot tell you how to make money or what date you will die.”

“That’s….well, that’s fascinating, honestly, but I’m not planning on asking anything like that. I’m-”

“-Joseph Stern” The dragon rolls over and stretches, then cocks his head, “a true cryptozoologist. Interesting. We had a bet going he’d hire a prison warden.”

Joseph does his best not to take that personally as Indrid prowls to the front of his enclosure. His scales are not just silver; they’re dotted with black on the underside and there are streaks of red on his wings, which matches the glowing red of his eyes. When the dragon passes him the empty tray through the open slot, the eyes stay on his face the whole time.

“Do you like Haye’s collection?”

Joseph meets his eyes, “So far I find it raises some interesting questions.”

The answer seems to satisfy the dragon, who takes the offered tray with a mild, “thank you” and returns to his sunny spot. 

In the cage, the werebear is so still Joseph is afraid he’s dead. Then there’s a long, drawn out huff and a wiggle of dark brown ears. 

“You’ve probably heard me introduce myself so I’ll skip that. What’s your name?”

There’s no reply. Joseph decides two out of three is a good start. When he opens the food slot to retrieve an untouched bowl of porridge, a large back paw kicks out, sending the contents through the gaps in the bars and all down his dress shirt. 

“Shit!” He tries to wipe it off and finds it horrifically sticky. There’s a muffled laugh from Dani’s cage, and Indrid’s snout is now poking around the side of the anteroom. 

“Barclay, such beastly behavior.” He snickers and then disappears. Joseph takes three, deep breaths, sets the new food through the slot, and goes to change his shirt. 

His interactions with the trio go much the same way for the next four and a half days. On the evening by the fifth day, he finds Barclay still hasn’t eaten anything. According to Indrid he hasn’t eaten in over a week. 

“He thinks that whatever is keeping him in his bear form is in the food. I have assured him this is not the case, as I see no future where his starvation leads to him becoming human again. But it is his choice.” Indrid’s tail flicks in an unfamiliar way as he clicks the claws of his hands together. The dragon is worried 

It’s that exchange, plus the raging headache he has from Hayes overwatering his hydra plant to the point it emitted distress vibrations, that drives his next decision.

“Barclay, please, you really need to eat something. A human can go ten days without food before there starts being a real issue and I don’t know how that translates to werebears. So please eat something.”

The werebear just stares at him from where he’s sitting against the other wall of bars. 

“If you don’t eat soon, I am coming in there and feeding it to you myself.”

In one leap, the monster is to him, claws reaching through the bars and yanking him forward by his waistcoat. Joseph’s face slams into the bars, the metal all that keeps him safe as Barclay snarls, “Try it, pretty boy. Fucking try it and I’ll make it so all you eat your dinner through a straw for the rest of your fucking life.”

He lets go and Joseph drops to the tiled floor. The room is dead silent as Barclay stalks into his cramped anteroom. It’s only when Joseph hurries out, heart pounding for more reasons than fear, that he hears Dani say, “nicely done.”

—--------------------------------------------------------------------

It takes him until Sunday to get what he needs for his new plan. He also has to get up at four, but it’s nice to watch the sun come up through the little kitchen window. When he brings breakfast to the trio this time, he needs a dinner cart to get it there. 

He starts with Dani, sliding a bowl of grain salad and tray of flatbread into the cage. It’s when he slides in a tiny side-bowl that she actually appears. 

“Oh my god, is that what I think it is?”

“Haye’s files said you’re from a region where dill and spiced olive oil sauces are a favorite of Leshen cooks.”

“Really?”

“Well, his notes said where you were found. I figured it out from there.”

She picks up the meal, “Thanks, Stern.”

He smiles and pushes the cart over to Indrid, whose hands are flapping before he even tells him what he has. 

“Fruit! Oh where on earth did you find Star Melon?”

“Mr. Newton had a few in his garden. Which is weird, since I can’t imagine they’re easy to grow here.”

The dragon goes golden around his cheeks, “No, they are native to the hills near Sylvain. I haven’t had one in a long time.”

Stern’s heart tightens, scolding him even as he passes the plate into the cage. Dani has been here a year, Indrid nine months, and Barclay a little over one. And all that time no one bothered to feed them anything other than gluey porridge and stale pemmican. 

He approaches Barclay’s cage and uncovers the final plate. Steam curls up from a breakfast pie, one that’s barely in the cage before Barclay is picking it up and staring at it. Then he sniffs it an murmurs, “coriander” another sniff, “cinnamon” and another, “cheese?”

“The recipe said it’d make the end result richer. I wasn’t sure what food you might like best or be…missing. So I went with something that would be filling.”

Barclay picks up the wooden fork and knife Joseph was allowed to include, cutting carefully into the pie and studying his forkfull before taking a bite. After two more he swallows and says, “Crust is kinda tough.” It doesn’t feel like an insult. More like Barclay is solving a puzzle. 

“I’m not much of a baker.” 

“Don’t work it so long next time.” He sits down, cross-legged, and sets the plate in his lap, “I’m not gonna thank you for doing the bare fucking minimum for us. But” he takes another bite and there’s a glimpse of a smile, “this is still good.”

���---------------------------------------------------------------------------

“If you want such accommodations you will have to demonstrate you can behave.”

This is what Hayes told Barclay on his first day, when he’d asked why his prison was so small compared to the other. He hasn’t been able to do it; he’s glad Indrid and Dani have been smart enough to work out how to play the kept beast to get views of the sky, bigger anterooms, some semblance of privacy. But he can’t manage it. He spent his whole adult life afraid of being no better than a beast. He won’t give Hayes the satisfaction of treating him like one (more than he already does).

A clock in some far wing of the house tells him it’s noon and he sighs, deciding to circle his cage before taking another nap. Lunch time is lonely these days; it’s spring, and his friends are taking advantage of the sunshine in their anterooms. Dani’s horns are sprouting lime green flowers and Indrid’s scales are brighter, and Barclay can feel his winter coat changing to the rich auburn of the rest of the year. 

When his friends aren’t enjoying the sunshine, they’re sitting against the walls of their enclosures in close conversation with a human. For Indrid, it’s often the gardener who visits. Duck is kind and sociable, makes his disdain for their situation clear, and sneaks them produce from his garden on the rare occasions he can hide it under his coat. And Barclay’s certain that if the room was unlocked at night, Duck might stay there until dawn talking with Indrid. 

For her part, Dani’s caught the eye of a human magician. Apparently she’d been performing at a party shortly after Dani was captured, and insisted on getting herself ready in the room of great beasts. Hayes must have enjoyed her act, for she performs at his parties at least once a month, and more than once has snuck in to visit Dani. 

There are no humans visiting today, and his friends are out of sight. So there’s no one to trade annoyed glances with when Stern appears, notebook in hand and a lunch pail from the town grocer in the other. Their keeper gives him a pleasant hello, then sits down on one of the many benches installed for people to gawk at their suffering–the one nearest Barclay, lucky him–and opens his lunch. He’s never eaten in here before, and Barclay watches in spite of himself, curious as to what he’s brought. You can learn a lot about a guy  by his meals. 

A sandwich appears, as does a slice of cake and a small, green salad. It’s the sandwich that catches his attention, and he noses at the bars trying to work out what’s in it. 

“Hmm, that’s no good.” Stern  reaches into the pail and produces a second, wrapped sandwich, “I accidentally ordered two. I’m not hungry enough for that and while these are delicious, they don’t keep.” He turns his blue eyes on Barclay, “do you want one? It’s smoked turkey with cranberry preserves.”

“Yes. Please.” He waits by the bars as Stern moves his things to sit on the platform. The sandwich has been pressed, so it passes between the bars and Barclay rips the paper away and takes a bite, “fuck that’s nice.”

“Right? I know I should be saving money but sometimes I just want someone who knows what they’re doing to make me something incredible.”

“Hayes not paying you enough?” He polishes off the first half and eats the second one in two bites. 

“The opposite. But there are a lot of expenses at home and my father….well, he was in debt when he died and none of us knew. I thought he was a cautious man. Or at least one who understood to only accept loans with low interest. But I guess not.” Joseph’s fork prods a lettuce leaf. His voice is so tired Barclay feels something dangerously close to sympathy. 

“You’re in Starbrook, right?” 

Joseph nods. 

“You ever get hard up, you tell either the butcher or the dairy that Barclay Cobb knows you, they’ll give you a nice discount.”

“That’s…that’s incredibly generous. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Barclay grumbles, brushing off his hands.

Joseph nudges the napkin with the cake closer, “Do you want half? It’s lemon cream.”

“I wanna say no but I really, really do.”

The human cuts the slice perfectly down the middle. He’s probably great help in the kitchen. Especially if he’s wearing an apron and nothing else.

Barclay has eyes; Joseph Stern is gorgeous, and he’s fallen asleep more than a few nights imagining how satisfying it would be to hold him down and ruin his put-together clothes and make him beg to be fucked like a bitch in heat. 

But sitting next to him now, studying the lines already forming at the corners of his eyes, smelling his aftershave, is more intense than those fantasies have ever been. Barclay wants to reach out a claw and trace it down his neck, see if he sighs or shies away. 

He expects Joseph to leave once he divvies up the food, but instead the human stays and just talks with him, asking him questions about home, about his family, and smiling whenever one of Barclay’s stories wanders off into a detailed description of a meal. 

When the clock tells them an hour is gone, Joseph sighs and stands, “I have to go check on the Jackalopes. One of them keeps burrowing out and getting into the liquor and I cannot work out how. But, um” he runs a hand over his hair, “I really enjoyed having lunch with you. If you ever want me to join you again, just let me know.”

Barclay says he will, then settles down for a nap. It’s only as he’s drifting off that it occurs to him that Joseph Stern is not careless enough to “accidentally” order two sandwiches.

—--------------------------------------------------------------------

A spring storm patters on his umbrella as Joseph waits for Duck to open the cottage door. The gardener was initially wary of him, and would greet him with only a nod and a “need anything, sir?”

Then Joseph had caught him sneaking letters from Aubrey into Dani. After he said nothing and instead announced loudly “Oops, I forgot to check the tree octopus enclosure,” Duck actually began talking with him. 

The gardener's frequent lunches seated next to Indrid, talking in hushed tones, makes Joseph feel less weird about his own, now daily, meals with Barclay.

The cottage door opens and Duck is immediately bending down to scoop up a ball of orange fluff. 

“No ma’am, you ain’t going out there. We got bluebirds nesting in the hedge and you ain’t about to make a dinner of ‘em.” He holds the door with his shoulder, “come on in, Joe.”

Once they’re seated by the stove, Joseph explains, “I’m hoping you have a few books I could borrow. I’ve been bringing them for Barclay and the others to read and I’m running out of things to loan.”

“Happy to see what I have, but ain’t there a way to get ‘em stuff from Haye’s library?”

“His books are mainly dense, historical ones he keeps around to look smart. Or they’re the kind of books that portray cryptids as, well, as the kind of things you get to keep in cages. I only convinced him to let me give them books in the first place by saying how impressed his guests would be if his ‘beasts’ could converse on a variety of topics.”

Duck frowns, shakes his head, “I ain’t sure how you’re managing it, Joe. Acting for even a second like you believe that bullshit. I’d have quit after a day if they made me treat people—I meant that literally, Barclay’s just some guy most of the time–that way.”

“I know. But if I leave I’m afraid Hayes will bring in someone who sees them how he does.” He runs his finger over the rim of his water glass, “And I think I worked out why Barclay can’t go back to being human. It’s the bars; they’re made of silver from a specific region, one most were-beasts historically won’t go to, even under desperate circumstances. I think that silver has a special property that forces them to remain in their beast form.”

“Seems as likely as anything else at this point.”

“Hayes all but confirmed it when I asked if he ever thought of making a new cage out of something else; silver isn’t that strong of a metal. He acted like I’d suggested he eat his pistol.” 

“Maybe we could bust it open ourselves if it ain’t that strong?”

“I mean, it’s still a very solid cage. And even if we got him out, Dani and Indrid’s cages are made of very different materials. We need a way to get them all out at once. Ideally one that doesn’t lead them immediately back to us.”

Duck thinks a moment, then sighs, “Aubrey could rig us something to blow all three cages open, but I’ve still got nothin’ on that second part. If all it meant was I got chucked in jail, might be worth it to know ‘Drid was okay. But I can’t lie for shit and Hayes knows that; might get the truth outta me and ‘Drid would be right back in a goddamn cage.”

Joseph thinks of Barclay, sitting shoulder to shoulder with him, bars keeping them from touching, telling him how much he misses home. 

“We’ll get them out, Duck. We just have to be patient a little longer.”

—---------------------------------------------------------------

It’s just the spring. 

This is Barclay’s new mantra, one he’s used for the last two weeks and the one he uses as Joseph steps into the room. 

It’s just the spring that’s making him want to growl and yell until Joseph comes and sleeps next to his cage. 

It’s just the spring that’s making him imagine taking Joseph home, the pair of them sprucing it up into the perfect little den for two. 

It’s just the spring telling him that he needed to have his dick inside Joseph yesterday and if he waits much longer he might die from how badly he wants to fuck him. 

“Barclay? I brought you something.”  The human holds out a small, square tin, “Some softening oil for your coat. Duck helped me find a few of the plants. I wanted to surprise you, so I used a recipe from a book by another werebear and I hope it’s the right one.” 

Barclay catches the tin when it drops through the food slot. Opening it, he gasps, “Holy fuck, it’s just like the stuff I have at home. Thanks, Joseph.”

“You’re very welcome.”

This oil calls for stinging nettle leaves, boiled down. Joseph’s forearms sport several small, irritated red scratches.

“You didn’t have to do this.” Barclay murmurs. 

“I wanted to.” Joseph slips his hand through the bars, touching his arm, “I want to take care of you.”

Barclay whines, low in his throat, and busies himself oiling his fur to stop from thinking about what a good mate Joseph would be. That’s a pointless, heartbreaking train of thought, and also the human part of him can never tell if it’s creepy or not. 

They talk as he grooms, mostly about the mystery novel Joseph lent him. When no amount of twisting around lets him reach a patch of his back, the human says, “Want some help?”

“Please.” He passes the tin and rests his back against the bars. He wonders how Joseph will manage to get it deep enough without claws when the teeth of a comb lightly and pleasantly scratch his skin.

“I brought it from home, just in case.”

Barclay smiles and closes his eyes, relaxing into the meticulous, tender touches. Soon he’s purring and Joseph is more petting him than anything else. 

“You don’t have to tell me but….how did you end up here. You told me you were careful not to show your were-form around strangers.” A hand reaches up and rubs below his right ear. 

“It was after Indrid got caught. He’d gone looking for Dani, and Hayes fucking ambushed him when he was asleep and couldn’t see it coming. He got a letter to us through Duck, and me and a few others decided to break them both out. It’s a fuck of a lot easier to chase of guards when you’re a werebear. Then it all went to hell and it was either get caught myself or watch everyone I love end up in here or in a human jail. I couldn’t let that happen.”

“My brave, beautiful beast.” Joseph whispers. 

It turns out Barclay doesn’t hate that word, Not when Joseph says it like that.

He shifts on the floor of the cage so he and the human are facing each other. Joseph reaches his other hand between the bars without a trace of fear and rests them both on Barclay’s cheeks. 

“You are getting out of here. Come hell or high water, I will get you out. I promise.”

Barclay doesn’t have much hope these days. But he closes his eyes and rests his hands atop Joseph’s, and allows himself a glimmer of it. 

—--------------------------------------------------------

Hayes is celebrating spring by inviting all his wealthy friends to enjoy his collection, with the bulk of the evening being spent in the Hall of Great Beasts. Joseph’s been dreading it ever since it was announced, and unfortunately it’s been just as trying a night as he feared. 

The guests ask him questions with little interest in the answers, and not a single one of them seems to have any issue with talking about the trio like they’re mindless, bloodthirsty monsters. Dani is having the most luck staying out of sight in her trees, while Indrid is forced to tell the fortunes of whoever asks. Barclay is trying to sleep through it, but people keep poking their canes through the bars to pester him. Or they were, until Joseph told them the next person he caught doing that would be hit over the head with the offending item. 

Aubrey is performing, and her show–along with the exhausted looks he trades with Duck, who’s been press-ganged into acting as a waiter–are the highlights of the night. Joseph is watching her produce flaming scarves from her coat, helping himself to a smoked salmon toast and wondering if he can sneak one into Barclay’s cage when there’s a commotion by Dani’s enclosure. 

Afraid she might be hurt or sick, he hurries over. He finds the Leshen at the very top of her cage, snarling down at Hayes and another man who is leering at her. 

“Mr. Stern, good, go do your job and get her down from there.” Hayes points into the branches.

“Why?” He looks up at his friend, who frantically shakes her head. 

“Because she’ll be moving from my house this evening and joining Mr. Colliers collection.”

There’s a trill of alarm from Indrid, and Barclay is on his feet in his cage, growling loud enough to shake the chandeliers. 

Joseph’s blood turns glacial, “No, she won’t. Because it’s illegal to sell humanoid cryptids, even if the jury is still out on owning them.”

“Well then, we’ll just consider this a gift.” Hayes winks at Collier. 

Joseph draws himself up to his full height, “As their keeper, I absolutely cannot allow this. Dani isn’t a thing to be sold.” He realizes how that sounds and adds, “especially not to someone who’s done nothing to convince me he can care for her.”

Collier rolls his eyes, “Alright. Stern, was it? How much do you want?”

“There is no amount of money you could offer to get me to agree to this.” He digs his nails into his palms. In the corner of his eye, he watches Barclay paw the ground of his cage.

“Surely these beasts aren’t that important to you. After all, William can always get more.”

He takes a deep breath and then calmly replies, “These ‘beasts’ are some of the kindest, intelligent, and caring people I’ve ever met. And they are far more human than an ignorant, greedy, useless, and self-entitled piece of shit like you.”

Collier's fist connects with his face and he drops to the ground. As he’s trying to get his feet under him, confident in his willingness and ability to strangle a man with his own cravat, there’s a world-splitting crack from the center of the room. 

The crowd parts in screaming waves as Barclay barrels across the tiles. There’s something wild and unfamiliar in his expression, but Joseph doesn’t get to examine it before he rears up on his hind legs and smashes the lock on Dani’s cage. In the commotion, Joseph spots Duck and Aubrey converging on Indrid’s enclosure. 

Barclay whirls on Collier and Hayes, roaring in their faces. 

Hayes stumbles back, shouting “Stern, for god's sake if you don’t do your job I will beat you black and blue myself.”

Barclay lunges forward, grabbing both men and hurling them out into the hallway, snapping his jaws at anyone who comes near him. Then he lowers his gaze directly onto Joseph, and he understands. 

There's feral werebear growling down at him.

“Barclay? Do you know who I am?”

The werebear nods. Then he reaches down and hauls Joseph into his arms, manhandling him onto his back and barking, “hold on.”

Joseph obeys, breath leaving him as Barclay takes off in huge, loping strides. He’s faster than any horse Hayes could send after them, and the manor, town, and countryside pass Joseph at a staggering speed. It must be close to an hour before he slows, strides still quick and determined. An hour after that he comes to a stop at the base of a rocky hillside covered with moss. 

The werebear approaches a patch of greenery and pulls it aside with his paw, revealing a wooden door. Opening that reveals a homey cave; there’s a pile of blankets and furs in one corner, a larder in another, and books stacked next to a lantern on a low table. Joseph eases himself off Barclay’s back and looks around as the werebear manages to light the lantern, then close and lock the door. 

Joseph reads the spines on the books “This is your safehouse, isn’t it? For if you get feral and have to hide?”

“Or there’s hunters.” Barclay stacks several, thick furs on the floor, then spreads a blanket over them. Then he points a claw at the make-shift bed, “lay down.”

“I appreciate the bed, big guy.” He sits down, “but there’s no way I can sleep after all that excitement.”

Barclay lowers to all fours and pads forward, nosing at Joseph's shoulder, “You won’t be.”

“I, um, I’m not sure what you mean.” He watches claws inch towards his hips, goosebumps rising on his skin as hot breath caresses his neck. 

The werebear lifts his head, smiling at him with eyes that remain wilder than Joseph’s ever seen them, “You’re my mate.”

Every inch of him blushes at the word, “Why do you say that?”

“You take care of me. Clean my fur. Bring me dinner.” He brushes his snout against Joseph’s nose, “didn’t leave even though you hated it there.”

“I wasn’t going to abandon any of you. But you’re right” he strokes Barclay’s cheek, “part of why I stayed was because I couldn’t stand the thought of getting away from there without you coming too.”

Barclay growls, pleased, at the contact, “Gonna make sure you can’t leave me now either.”

“How?” He rubs one rounded ear playfully, “I don’t see any rope.”

“Don’t need it.” Barclay sits back on his heels, pawing at his crotch. When he moves his hand, Joseph goes cross-eyed staring at a cock that, while short and vaguely human in shape, is bigger around than both his fists put together. If he ends up on it, he will absolutely be there until Barclay decides he’s done with him. But that’s not the most salient issue right now. 

He rests a hand on a furry thigh, “Barclay, I’m flattered that a gorgeous, incredible beast like you wants me for his mate. And it’s not as if I haven’t thought of you, um, having your way with me before.” It’s the first time he’s admitted it out loud, and at his shy expression Barclay leans down and snuffles his face reassuringly. He continues, “In other words, I’m not opposed to being your mate, but I have no idea if that will even fit in me.”

Barclay looks down, then back up at him, “It will. 

“Are you….saying that from experience or-”

“I’ll make it fit, pretty boy.” 

Joseph moans, the nickname relaxing him with its familiarity even as he realizes he’s more turned on than he’s ever been in his entire life.

Barclay smirks, “You like that? Like knowing I’ll make you be a good mate whether you like it or not?”

“Ohjesuschrist yes” Joseph yanks off his shoes, fumbling with his belt and pants as Barclay starts on his shirt. The buttons prove too much for his semi-feral state and he rips the fabric in half, shoving the cloth away and pinning Joseph to the ground by his shoulders. 

When Barclay’s gaze flicks down, Joseph wonders if he was expecting something else.

“I’m um, I’m not exactly a, um, ‘traditional man. The top half is easier to change than the bottom.”

The werebear manages a kiss to his cheek, “I knew. Could smell how you got turned on when we talked sometimes.” He scoots back, hooking his hands under Joseph's knees to hold them open, “made me wanna do this.”

Joseph’s response comes in the cut-off cry he makes as Barclay buries his face between his thighs, lapping affectionately at his dick and folds. 

“Barclay, Barclay ohmygod” he laughs as a the tongue fucks experimentally into him, moving his hand down until he can rest it in auburn fur, “good boy, oh good boy.”

The werebear growls happily, pressing his tongue against him more firmly as he does. 

“Do you like that? Like knowing you’re being good for your…mate?” The word is odd in his mouth, but the response from Barclay makes it worthwhile. The werebear growls again, far louder, and grinds his hips like he’ll die if Joseph doesn’t let him fuck him soon. His tongue focuses on Joseph’s dick, the relentless attention bringing him closer and closer to the edge. 

Just as he’s about to have the best orgasm of his life, Barclay pulls back.

“Please don’t stop.”

“Can’t let you cum yet.” Barclay carefully lowers Joseph’s legs back down, “only want you doing it with my cum inside you.”

Joseph covers his face to hide the embarrassingly loud moan.

“I know. You like the idea of being my mate. Of everyone knowing it.” He licks a lazy stripe up Joseph’s chest, “elbows and knees.”

He changes position, palms sinking into the blankets. Barclay blankets him with his body, nuzzling the back of his neck and nipping his shoulders, “You look good like this, pretty boy. Like it’s where you belong.”

“You’re making a convincing case for me staying here forever.” Joseph turns his head to kiss Barclay’s forearm. 

“Yeah?” Barclay sits back, and a moment later the head of his cock teases Joseph’s folds, “you wanna just lay around and get fucked like a good mate? I can do that.” The paw not holding his cock settles on Joseph’s ass, kneading it possessively, “My house in Kepler is big enough for two. Or more. Lot’s of houses nearby, your family could move out here and we could make sure they’re okay. I’d make you breakfast every day, come home at lunch just to eat you out…”

Joseph moans and pushes his hips back, suddenly desperate to have Barclay inside him. But the werebear continues rubbing the head against him, lost in his fantasy, “could do this every night. Train you to take me, make you love being on my dick so much you beg for it.” Barclay’s hips change tempo as he ruts against him. There’s a deep, honeyed chuckle, “man, listen to me. Used to daydream about breaking outta my cage, holding you down on the floor and making a mess of you while I knocked you up.”

Joseph’s mouth moves faster than his brain, which is why he moans out “godyes” before adding, “please don’t.”

Barclay pauses, pets his thigh, “Can’t happen when I’m a Were and you’re human. No one knows why. But that’s how it works.  And even if I could breed you like this, I wouldn’t, not without asking. So,” his paw smacks into Joseph’s ass, “you can think about everyone knowing you got knocked up by the beast you were supposed to be keeping tamed to your heart's content.”

He turns his head and after a deep, steadying breath says, “I’d like it better if the beast actually tried to.”

Brown eyes go huge in the lamplight. Then Joseph is hauled backwards, flipped around, and dragged into Barclay’s lap. 

“No fair, blue eyes, being feral was fading away and then you had to go and say that.” He guides Joseph over his cock, breath coming in puffing growls, “and now I can’t think of anything but giving into instinct.”

Joseph wraps his arms over Barclay’s shoulders, “I trust my mate to take care of me.”

Claws prick his hips and shove them down. The moan ripping out of him is undignified and obscene, but it pales in comparison to the roaring one Barclay releases as he cums the instant he bottoms out. 

The werebear blinks sheepishly, “Sorry. It’s just so tight I kinda couldn’t help it.”

Joseph kisses his snout, “I forgive you, big guy. But if you don’t get me off soon I’ll…I’ll find another werebear who will.”

Teeth give his shoulder a warning bite as a paw rubs furiously at his dick, “Like hell you will, pretty boy. You’re gonna stay right here on my dick until I’m done with you, and then you’re come home with me, lemme feed you a fucking amazing meal, then get in bed and raise your ass like a good little mate.”

“Yes, yes” he grinds on Barclay’s cock, the thin portion at the base making the rest feel all the thicker as it rubs at every sensitive spot inside him. He never knew he could enjoy being filled like this, being used like this. 

He cums with a gasp, hands flying to Barclay’s chest and clinging to his fur as he shakes and whimpers through the waves of intense pleasure. When he’s done, he raises his head and discovers Barclay licking his lips. 

“Fuck that was hot. And” he thrusts up, cock fully hard again, “now you’re nice and loose for however much I wanna fill you.” He lifts Joseph’s hand in one paw, kissing it, “how’s that sound.”

“Incredible.”

“Good” the cock inside him thrusts deeper with wet, pornographic noises as he fucks his cum up into him, “because this beast is gonna breed you the whole fucking night.”

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joseph wakes up to faint bird calls and a human hand stroking his hair. 

“Morning, blue eyes.” A less growl-filled, familiar voice whispers to him. 

He looks up and finds a handsome face with an auburn beard and coffee-brown eyes smiling at him. 

“Still like me when I’m not as hairy?” Barclay teases.

“Like is not even a remotely strong enough word.” Joseph pets his beard, “you know, I had no idea werebears were able to talk when feral.”

“We can but it’s really, really hard. But I did it so you’d know it was still me and not be scared.” Barclay holds him closer; there are tattoos on his arms and Joseph can’t wait to get a better look at them, “I meant what I said last night. About you coming to Kepler with me and bringing your family. It’s a good town, and way cheaper to live in than Starbrook. So…” he turns impressive puppy-eyes on Joseph, “what do you say?”

Joseph kisses full, welcoming lips, “I’d say it’s my lucky day.”

[quiisquiliae]

@highteyrna for Talon

He was lucky, or so he supposed. It certainly wasn't skill that had led him to Gwaren after all, instead a rather adventurous romp through the Brecilian Forest. A run in with some stand-offish Dalish and a frantic pursuit by some walking trees later, he'd had quite enough of that and found himself in need of some proper food and a chance to breathe and regroup. It was safe to say his curiosity was satisfied, and he had no intentions of going through that ever again.

It was lucky he supposed, that he had turned the right direction down the Brecilian Passage towards a city. The dense canopy of the forest surrounding him made it difficult to determine which way was north, and after an unnervingly short amount of time, the rocks and trees all started to look the same. Truthfully he could probably feed himself by hunting, but his own cooking left much to be desired, and hunting with a dagger was much harder than he had expected. Acquiring a new bow and getting much more practice with it were towards the top of his to-do list.

Bandit danced next to him, the hustle and bustle putting him on edge while Talon walked through the marketplace, scoping it out. He had little coin, and was in need of a new job. Food was easy to steal, but a place for Bandit to rest and a new bow would require money. Perhaps he could steal some of that as well.

A negotiation with a stable owner later and an agreed upon three silver for the night in exchange for mucking stalls that evening, Talon was satisfied with his horse's lodging. Once the black stallion was cared for and settled, the boy took off towards the market, off in search of food and coin.

It didn't take long for him to spot a potential victim. A woman walking through the bustling market, dressed in clothes nicer than many. Talon wasn't keen on stealing from the poor if he could help it, knowing they were often little better off than he, but she seemed like a reasonable target. He tugged the hood of his coat over his head, concealing the face full of tattoos and distinct violet eyes before sidling up to her, bumping into her as he deftly slipped a hand into her pocket, hoping for a prize.

[bassimelwakil]

Such a Little Thing

Friends make Magic fun.

I had always wanted to build a custom draft environment. To play with friends, to maybe play at game stores, cons, and maybe, if I was lucky, with some of the designers who make the game that gave me so much.

But whatever world concepts I had, Wizards executed their own version. Arranging playtests was hard enough. It would be impossible for a set with the same theme as one Wizards had already made and that my friends had already played. What I needed was something Wizards wouldn’t do, something that I could grind away without fear of duplication.

So I decided to make a multiplayer set.

Along came Conspiracy.

Mechanical hooks wouldn’t work. If I'm to make a set, it can’t be something Wizards wouldn’t do, or haven’t done, but rather, something they can’t do. Something they aren’t allowed to do.

Other intellectual properties.

Not wanting to waste a lot time in printing cards and roping in friends to play, my primary tool for playtesting was solitaire using existing cards, mentally replacing keywords with my new mechanics. For example, if I had an evasion mechanic to test, I’d just tell myself “all the flying creatures have my evasion mechanic instead of flying”. I’d find an analogue, counters for counters, tokens for tokens, I’d grab cards from other games with icons and say, “this icon represents this mechanic”. Whatever I could do to make it easy to remember while piloting two decks against each other by myself.

In 2019, I went to a Magic event in the London Excel and met Mark Rosewater and Aaron Forsythe. I went just to say “hi” and “thank you” but the queue to meet them was for spellslinging: you were supposed to play Magic with them. I didn’t bring a deck. I didn’t bring anything. I just wanted a moment. But Mark kindly sat me down to play pack wars with him. I got back in the queue and waited for Aaron Forsythe to be free. Again, I just wanted to say thank you and not take up his time. But a man behind me said, “I have my silver-bordered cube” and he gave us a random pile of cards each, and I played a 1v1 against Aaron. This experience is my most cherished M:tG memory.

Leaving with a beaming smile, it brought back all the work I’d done on my custom sets with the dream I’d had of sharing my sets with them. I considered the logistics: my idea of skinning other properties into M:tG meant I’d have easy access to a consistent resource for card images but the real issue was still printing prototypes.

The pandemic began. In the tumult, I discovered Tabletop Simulator. I could make my own cards, port them into simulator, and play online because everyone was in lockdown. For the first time, it felt like I could actually do this.

Gathering my many notes, I began blocking out the logistics of a Magic set, considering the as-fan, collation, sheets, and so on, I mapped out a half dozen sets (each with their own three-letter codename). One of which was The Lord of the Rings. I found friends to playtest with and I can only thank Triske, Coop, Jonathan, Lawrence, Pat, and Zefferal for their time.

I quickly understood why Mark Rosewater loves his job: every set posed a unique challenge and creative puzzle. I loved it.

And then... Adventures in the Forgotten Realms came out.

“This is fine” said I, sipping tea amidst the flames. “Wizards owns that IP, it’s not them licensing another IP. Which would be preposterous. Impossible. No, no. This is fine.”

Announcing… Universes Beyond. The Lord of the Rings.

I looked at my work, defeated. If I am generous with myself, perhaps my sets had made the progress in several years what a team at Wizards makes in several weeks. Were I ever to get my set into a stable, draftable form, the novelty would be long gone.

So I gave up.

But as the articles for their many Universes Beyond and Dungeons & Dragons set came out, I noticed that their design process was what I had been doing in my sets for years. Sad to say, but a bitter sense of rejection lingered. A feeling I wasn’t justified in having, but it's there. That pit in the stomach of how I wasted my time, and my friends’ times, on a sunk cost fallacy. I stopped reading articles. Magic design felt like a party I was unwelcome at. I still haven’t even read or watched any Lord of the Rings release videos or looked through the set. I've seen friends talk about some individual cards on twitter, but that’s all.

What I saw of Wizards' wasn’t like what I made. Though I freely accept that my work remains too raw and untested to be seriously considered as a 'set', I'd gone down a fun design avenue that Wizards didn’t. My work here is personal to me, but I'll share it all the same.

Here’s the framework for my custom set of The Lord of Rings.

Codename: JRR.