#the politics is more running a village than anything to be clear

[zentriii]

late nights

G | 1k words | paperwork & politics

Tobirama can survive a fight with nearly anyone in Fire Country, but it might be the work of building a village from the ground up that finally does him in. Luckily, Kagami isn't so easily deterred from keeping him alive.

[celestemona]

⋆˙⟡ — FOUR TIMES MUALANI SUSPECTED SOMETHING WAS GOING ON (AND ONE TIME SHE WAS RIGHT)

pairing: kinich x reader

cw: no pronouns mentioned. ajaw is in a vacation. slight but not slight pda. mualani overreacting but she is a sweet. best friends trio. pyro vision reader mentioned. not beta-read.

reblogs and comments are appreciated ♡

Mualani knew Kinich and you were friends—close best friends, just like you two were with her—but lately, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. 

It started with little things, almost too subtle to be noticeable but somehow it didn’t escape from her perception. Things like how Kinich, ever the quiet guy, had begun lingering a little too long when he talked to you, or how you’d run all your way to the Scions of the Canopy's village just to welcome him back after a mission. 

At first, she didn’t pay too much attention thinking you guys were just being more affectionative and caring to each other. However, as time passed by, it has been shown to be more than a mutual friendly appreciation and certainly beyond a mere coincidence. 

I.

The first time Mualani noticed something different was in an early morning by the coast, watching the waves curl and crash. She often started her day stretching at the shore and riding the first waves of dawn. But this time, as she rounded a cliff, she spotted Kinich and you sitting on a rock overlooking the sea. The two of you were close enough that your arms brushed every time the wind picked up.

Kinich’s usual stern expression was softer than usual. Mualani squinted at you suspiciously. Were you... holding hands?

She jogged closer, but just as she got near enough to say something, Kinich quickly stood up, putting a considerable distance between you and himself. “You're up early,” he said, his voice in its usual calm.

You smiled warmly. “Hey girl! How are the waves? We were just discussing about it.”

Mualani tilted her head, narrowing her eyes. “You were? Really?”

You let out a light and confusing laugh, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear. “Of course.”

She didn’t quite buy it, but you didn’t give her any reason to push further. “Well, the waves are good today! You guys joining?”

Kinich only gave her a polite headshaking, while you nodded smiling. Maybe she was imagining things.

II.

Except she wasn’t. 

A few days later, you were hanging out by Tequemecan Valley' canyons with Kinich standing quietly while you and Mualani chatted. However, every time she glanced toward him, Kinich seemed to be watching you a little too intently. It wasn’t the usual hunter’s focus; it was softer, caring, almost like... adoring.

The girl squinted, pretending to be interested in some flowers nearby while keeping an eye on you two. You didn’t seem to notice anything, or if did, you didn’t mind. You just kept talking, your laughter filling the air.

When Mualani caught Kinich staring again, she couldn’t help but ask, “Kinich, you okay? You’ve been zoning out all day.”

He blinked, his neutral mask slipping back into place. “I’m fine.”

“He’s just tired from all the training,” you teased, winking at him.

Mualani raised an eyebrow, astonished by the scene before her eyes. Something was definitely going on.

III.

The third time came on a day when Mualani was guiding a group of Sumeru’s travelers near the springs when she spotted you and Kinich again, standing by the water. As she approached, she saw Kinich leaning down to whisper something to you, his lips close to your ear. You giggled softly in response.

Wait a minute... Kinich never whispers to anyone. Much less in such an intimate way and even less to make someone laugh. Mualani's instincts flared up immediately. What was he saying? And why did you look so happy about it?

She cleared her throat loudly as she walked up. “Hey. What are you two whispering about?”

Kinich straightened up quickly, crossing his arms. “Nothing important.”

You smiled at her, but there was a glimmer in your eyes that made the girl even more suspicious. “Just a silly joke,” you said lightly.

A joke, huh? Mualani filed it away in her mind. This time she was very determined to figure out what was going on between you two.

IV.

It was late afternoon, and Mualani had just finished surfing when she saw you two by the waterside. Kinich and you stood close, so close as it has strangely been, and for a brief moment, she could have sworn Kinich was about to lean in and kiss you.

She froze, watching from a distance as you smiled up at him, your palm softly pushing his chest away. Were you two really about to kiss? It couldn’t be just her angle view. Could it be?

But just as quickly as it happened, Kinich stepped back, his usual stoic demeanor falling back into place. You turned and waved at her, your smile as bright as ever.

“Lani. Hey! How was the surf?” you called out.

Mualani, still in shock, shook her head. “Uh... good. Really good.”

She stared at you both for a moment longer, convinced she’d almost witnessed something, but there was no proof. Again.

V.

In the several days that followed, Mualani continued to witness that strangeness that kept repeating itself every time you thought she wasn’t around, creating a certain tension between her and you and Kinich—although she doubted that you had noticed any difference, treating her as you always did from the beginning.

Even if it relieved her to know that nothing had changed in your friendship, the surfer couldn't help but feel upset too. Was it that bad if she found out? Didn't you trust her the same way she trusted you? She wanted to be able to release all of her thoughts and ask you if maybe there was something in your bond that was bothering you. But she didn't. And so, things remained the same.

That was a quiet evening, and the moon hung low over the mountains. Mualani had been taking a stroll, enjoying the peaceful night, when she stumbled upon you.

This time, though, there was no mistaking it—Kinich and you stood together under some trees, locked in a slow, deep kiss.

The girl’s cheeks burned as red as the pyro vision you hold so dear closely, eyes widely opening and heart skipping a beat. She gasped, louder than she intended, and both of you quickly turned toward her. You blinked twice before smiling stiffly, even daring to look a bit embarrassed, while Kinich gave her a calm look, his hands still resting on your waist.

“You two!” She exclaimed shaking her head, “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me earlier! I mean, I knew something was up, but really?”

You bit your lip while Kinich just blinked at her, slightly starting to look more guilty as well.

“We didn’t mean to keep it from you for long,” you said as you stepped out of Kinich’s arms and reached for her hand. “We were just... taking our time.”

Mualani arched an eyebrow. “Taking your time? You two were being so weird and annoying with all those suspicious interactions for weeks now! I’m supposed to be your best friend!”

Kinich rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with the attention. “We wanted to keep it quiet,” he said, his voice low. “At first, anyway.”

Mualani softened, her fake scold melting away into genuine affection. “Still, I would’ve loved to know sooner,” she said, her tone gentler now. “You know me better than anyone else. You know I would never judge you,” she sighed as she watches the sorrow on your face. “Nevertheless, I’m really happy for you both. Really am.”

You beamed and even Kinich’s usual stoic expression seemed to relax slightly.

Mualani continued, her voice full of warmth. “I’ve always known you two had something special. And now that I know for sure, you better believe I’m fully on board with this!” She shot Kinich a playful look. “Just make sure you treat (Y/N) right, okay?”

Kinich nodded, his eyes softening as he glanced at you. “I will.”

You squeezed Mualani’s hand, your eyes sparkling with gratitude and pure happiness. “Thank you, Lani. Your support means a lot to us.”

Mualani grinned, pulling you both into a tight hug. “Just don’t keep secrets from me again, alright? I’m always here for you two.”

You all laughed but shared a quick but sweet bond moment, the atmosphere light and easy. And somehow, Mualani couldn’t help but feel like everything had fallen into place just the way it was meant to.

“But just for your information. If the day comes of you get engaged and don’t tell me immediately, I’ll crash the proposal myself, make a huge scene, and tell everyone how long I’ve had to put up with your not so secret glances and not so subtle hand-holding. Trust me, it won’t be pretty!”

[imsobadatnicknames2]

ok but i need the evrart claire essay

Okay just be warned that this is gonna be less of an "essay" and more of a loose collection of thoughts, and I don't know how fresh or novel any of these ideas are going to be when it pertains to popular Disco Elysium fan discourse because I don't really do fandom, you know?

Anyway, I think the most obvious factet of Evrart's character is how he very intentionally calls to mind a caricature of corrupt union leaders, the image of a sleazy mobster who only cares about his own personal gain but pays lip service to leftist politics and pretends to care about the interests of workers as a way to obtain and maintain his power. And I think a lot of people straightforwardly read him as such, because that's the way he carries himself and the type of character the game is riffing on. There's also the question of how much of Evrart's manipulative, duplicitous attitude is just how he normally acts and how much of it is him specifically acting that way towards Harry and Kim specifically, it's important to have in mind that your main character is a cop and that would definitely play a role in making Evrart go out of his way to be a bit more of a bastard and toy with you a bit before he decides to actually do anything helpful.

However, once you dig a little deeper into his characterization, it becomes clear that he's pulling a very interesting double bluff, because it becomes apparent that the shady mobster who only cares about his personal gain is an act he's putting on. He's very self-aware about the fact that he's playing the villain, he seems to actively revel in it, but ultimately, it seems like he does it because playing the villain is the way he gets shit done.

This is not to say he's not actually corrupt, or that he's not ALSO involved in all sorts of shady stuff and taking advantage of his position of power, but the game does make it apparent that on some level he DOES have the interests of the people of Martinaise at heart.

For example, it is textually stated that the harbor doesn't need a night watchman, and Evrart created the position specifically to provide a source of income for René. He knows the pension Rene gets is not enough for him to live on, but he's also aware that René is the sort of right-wing guy who would rather starve to death than take a handout (especially from those dirty union commies), so Evrart created a job position which pretty much involves doing nothing for a few hours every night so he could help him with his economic troubles in a way he wouldn't refuse out of principle. René hates his guts, ideologically stands against everything his organization represents, and is generally an unlikeable asshole and a fascist prick, but he's also a disadvantaged member of the community and that seems to matter more.

Even when he asks you to get the signatures to build the community center, which is definitely one of the most morally questionable things he does during the events of the game (as it will improve the community, but at the same time displace the people from the fishing village), his intentions seem to be ultimately good. Due to the very nature of his character and the act he puts on, it's purposefully hard to tell when he's being sincere and when he's being manipulative. However, if Harry's drama and empathy skills are high enough when he's confronted about it, you'll be able to tell that he's not lying about his motives for wanting to build a community center or about the fact that he intends to provide better housing for the people displaced by the project, and that he feels genuine rage about their current living conditions. It can still be said that he's ignoring their self-determination and essentially forcing these people out of their current homes, but he does seem to have good intentions and think he's doing a good thing for them in the long run, even if his methods are morally questionable at best.

In that way, the Union is an extension of him in this regard too. They're pretty unapologetic about the fact that they're openly operating as a crime syndicate, but the game doesn't give you any reasons to believe they're lying when they say they're doing it as a way to muslce out all the more dangerous gangs and crime organizations out of Martinaise, or that their involvement in the drug trade is at least partially motivated by a desire to make sure it's not controlled by more dangerous and violent crime organizations. Again, they're playing the villain as a way to fill that power vacuum and make sure more dangerous people don't fill that role (but of course, that doesn't erase the fact that, noble as their intentions may be, they're still involved in all these shady activities and turning a pretty substantial profit from them too)

Of course, on the other hand, just because the game seems to hint at the fact that Evrart and the Union are, deep down, a force for good, doesn't erase the fact that he's done plenty of bad shit to further his interests, and the game doesn't shy away from this. He's still extremely corrupt, his long-term plan to wrestle control of the harbor away from the company and turn it into a worker-owned operation (which *would* massively improve the material conditions of the dockworkers if succesful) involves endangering the lives of a lot of his own workers, he and his brother Edgar pass the position of union foreman back and forth between each other to circumvent the term limit and keep themselves in power indefinitely, and if you explore all dialogue options with the Deserter it's all but explicitly stated that they rose to power by getting him to assassinate the previous Union forewoman.

These are things that Evrart himself would probably rationalize as sacrifices that need to be made for the greater good. After all, it is implied that the previous union forewoman was also corrupt, except in favor of the company's interests, and might have even been a company plant. However, this doesn't make those things morally right. Good intentions nonwithstanding, it's clear that the Claire brothers are very "the ends justify the means" kind of people, they probably see getting the previous Union leader killed or endangering the lives of the dockworkers to overthrow the company that exploits them as "pulling the lever" in the trolley problem, which is extremely callous at best.

Here's where we get a little more into "disjointed thoughts" territory, but Evrart can also be seen as a critique of the limits of trade unionism and social democrat politics. Something that I completely missed in my first playthrough but was able to catch on during my second is that the people of the fishing village refuse to unionize, and as a result they don't get the same level of support and protection that the union provides to the people of the more urban section of Martinaise. This is apparently widely known enough for characters other than Evrart to comment on (I forget what character I learned this from, but it was definitely not Evrart). So it's clear that Evrart and the Union put their interests of the members of their own organization over those of other working class people, which is one criticism that can be leveraged against the way a lot of leftists seem to treat unions as the ultimate tool for worker class liberation.

Similarly, when Evrart tells you his long-term plans, it's clear that his ultimate goals don't involve complete worker liberation. As far as the game shows, he's a socdem who's still looking to work within the confines of capitalism. There are more radically left wing characters in Disco Elysium, but Evrart is the only one with any actual power to affect change, which kinda speaks to the lack of presence of more hardline leftist positions in mainstream politics. As someone living in Latin America, I kinda ended up seeing a bit of a lot of our currrent socdem politicians in him in that respect, I guess, but i'd need more time to articulate this thought properly, I guess.

Ultimately, I think Evrart is an amazingly crafted character. He evokes a well-known archetype of a shady, corrupt, power-hungry union leader, but he adds a lot of depth, self-awareness, and nuance to it and subverts that characterization in several ways. I think he atually serves an important role of ideologically challenging players who share the developers' and writers' political leanings. I think it would have been very self-congratulatory and autocomplacent to make the most influential leftist character in the game an unambiguously good paragon of workers' rights and working class liberation. By instead giving us someone who's an absolute callous bastard who definitely has a bit of blood on his hands, who's a socdem at best and a self-serving mob boss at worst, but can ultimately be interpreted as a force for good, and asking the players to decide what they think of him I think it brings interesting questions to the table of our commitment to material gains, what sorts of people we're willing to work with, and the sort of acts we're willing to tolerate, and makes the game a lot more thematically rich.

I also think a good analysis of Evrart is incomplete without an analysis of the ways in which he serves a a charater foil for Joyce, but I don't feel like getting into that rn.

[yestrday]

— BLUSH BLUSH ! anemo | hydro | geo | pyro

⤷ yan! hybrid! neuvillette, diluc, thoma, bennett, gaming, lyney

summary ! a connection to fire doesn't ultimately mean hot-headed, but these hybrids are equally passionate in their love for you. like a moth to a flame, you are taken in by their warmth, not noticing when the heat starts to sear.

content ! overprotectiveness; mentions of múrder; mention of breaking your limbs

notes ! oh and there's neuvillette too ig

for such a hybrid of his nature, the way you encountered NEUVILLETTE was entirely… ordinary. you were just out on a walk with zhongli to the village below after offering to run some errands. it was purely out of the desire to stretch your legs instead of being cramped in that manor, but that decision had led you to encounter one of the rarest beings alive… scooping water out of the nearby river and tasting it. you had gawked at him, eyes darting from the river to the sediments floating in his… wine glass? silently, he made a toast to you and sipped from the water. “earthy,” he had said, with all the refinement of a wine connoisseur. 

you had been ecstatic when NEUVILLETTE introduced himself to you as a dragon hybrid, making that the fourth of the mythical hybrids you’ve met so far. zhongli was less than pleased, pursing his lips and choosing to say one or two curt greetings for the sake of basic politeness. you’re not as dense as the others make you out to be, but even if you were, anyone could tell that something was going on between the two hybrids. the way they exchange glances, human eyes turning into territorial slits for a few seconds before going back to normal as they entertain you… yeah, something’s up. 

NEUVILLETTE had already caught wind of a benevolent young master who had one too many hybrids under their roof, so he had no qualms about introducing himself as a hybrid to you. something about you had already captivated him first-hand. perhaps it’s your eyes, filled with the naivete of a sheltered child but unafraid of knowing the curiosities of the world. or maybe it’s how your expression turned to that of glee when he introduced himself as a hybrid, overjoyed rather than fearful of his mythical status. when you walked him back to your manor, it was clear how well you took care of your hybrids with the way they greeted you warmly and clung to your side. … perhaps, this was the peaceful harmony between humans and hybrids that he had always longed to see.

except the longer he stayed in your manor, the more he could sense that something sinister was brewing underneath the surface. it didn’t come from the human housestaff or the human… you. you, who was as fallible as any human, was not the cause of this unease he was feeling. the more he observed your hybrids, the more he unraveled the image of this so-called found family. some of them touch you far too inappropriately for human standards, others sway you with carefully crafted words laced with sweet smiles, and gentle tones, and there are the occasional slip-ins to your drink and food when you glance away. all this he watches from afar, still too estranged from the others to make any comment about it. he realizes that rather than a house made for them, this was a cage they had created to be yours.

he had ought to bring this up with you, about the things they do to you. NEUVILLETTE could not see any of their actions as anything other than a strange displacement of obsession and it was only just that you become aware of it, if you hadn’t already. but one day you were called to your father’s in the city, and a week later you had come back looking a little blank and dead. your eyes were puffy from crying too much yet you forced yourself to smile (albeit shakily and weakly) whenever the hybrids had asked about your welfare. aether led you back to your room, shooting them all a glance before they all shared the same knowing glance and dispersed. it was only later that he realized the precarious position you were born into, with a father who could care less and high society’s eyes on you.

NEUVILLETTE is soft and gentle when he handles you. he speaks in that firm yet endearing voice, gentlemanly in all his conduct, and not once seeming to take advantage of you. he’s part of the education team, teaching you about language arts and sometimes even judicial subjects that would aid you should you ever step back into high society. those subjects are there for you to use for your own… agenda, but NEUVILLETTE doesn’t exactly have the heart to raise you to be a conniving manipulator, so he quietly leaves that to ayato. 

NEUVILLETTE hasn’t felt a strong desire for anything in his long, long life, but that has changed ever since had met you. one smile from you was enough to break down the walls that had been built up over the centuries, enough to make him want you. to have you wrapped in his embrace, to hold your hands in his, to wipe away the tears caused by the harsh society you were born in. he wants to treat you gently, believe him, but it’s so hard to do when instincts are creeping up on him— to bruise your wrist whenever you try to let go, to trap you in this manor to protect you, to have so prettily dolled up in the treasures of the world that you’d never want to go anywhere else… 

… but having you here right now, laughing at the cream on his nose, is more than enough. the hybrids do well to protect you and he does his best too. he hopes that this domestic bliss with you all will never end and that those monstrous instincts that want to… do things to you… will forever be kept in the dark.

RELATIONSHIPS: zhongli is a bit more fearful of him than he lets on, but the territorial instinct within him always tries to rile up neuvillette whenever they meet. neuvi isn’t one to lose to another dragon so easily. but on a lighter note, he enjoys tea time with wriothesley and aether and advises the younger hybrids whenever they need it.

DILUC is a peregrine falcon who has been skulking in the shadows of city life ever since he escaped from his previous owner. aether had come across him while he was on one of his stakeouts and after seeing the horrible state the hybrid was in, invited him to your manor. for the first weeks, he was obviously apprehensive, but seeing how well the hybrids were being taken care of, eased up you over time.

DILUC lives a relatively quiet life in your manor, helping out in the kitchen or going out on patrols whenever needed. he’s quite famous among the hybrids and servants for his bartending skills, and when the night calls for it he can be found stirring behind the counter to entertain some of the more liquor-inclined hybrids. venti is one of his usual patriots, strumming on his lyre for the entire manor. DILUC is a bit fearful of serving you alcoholic drinks, especially in a manor full of hybrids ready to pounce on you at any time, so when you order one he tends to leave out the alcohol and just let the placebo effect run its course.

one of the strongest from your non-mythical hybrids, he gets pestered by the others to clean up their messes. he looks irritated and will scold them for their incompetence, but he cleans up after them nonetheless. sometimes, you can catch him sparring with the younger hybrids as he instructs them on their posture and strategy. his words are harsh, but you can tell by how he pats their head and how fondly he thinks of them.

when it comes to you, however, DILUC noticeably becomes softer. he speaks to you softly rather than grumpily, and you often find yourself blushing with how tender he treats you sometimes. he’s quite patient with your mistakes and is happy to guide you through them. there’s nothing more he wants than to see you grow into a splendid and pure person, untouched by the corruption of society. he wishes that your eyes will stay the same, naive and innocent, that you won’t ever have to be burdened by your status as heir. alas, he knows that it’s nothing more than wishful thinking.

he’s taught himself how to suppress his hybrid traits, feeling nothing but distaste for them as they were the one thing his previous owner coveted so much. his wings were nothing more than a symbol of his inferiority, the natural chirps that’d come with his speech embarrassing, and his animal form a vulnerability that could be easily targeted. indeed, he’s been living most of his days as a human rather than a hybrid, but that couldn’t possibly be healthy for him. you try to encourage him to let himself go, and although he’s long forgotten how to turn back into his animal form or chirp, he sometimes lets his wings unfurl whenever he’s alone with you. he finds comfort in how your gentle hands preen and pet his feathers— so careful and tender, unlike his previous master.

should you stay inside the manor for the rest of your life, DILUC would be more than pleased. he’s ready to let everything go just for the sake of simple domesticity with you and the others. literally no red flags will be popping up because he’s satisfied with sheltering you from the dangers of the outside world. however, such an outcome is unlikely, and you taking up your father’s seat is the more likely scenario here. in that case, DILUC cannot help but swear to be by your side forever, watching over you and making sure that you do not go to the deep end.

danger lurks in every corner and DILUC just might go insane watching you teeter on such a perilous situation. he might consider dragging you away from that life and force you back into the safety of your manor. you don’t need to do all that, right? you don’t actually need to run the company by yourself— that’s what your hybrids are here for! he’s on his knees, begging you to come back to a life of safety. you can dress up fancy once in a while, and enjoy yourself at those galas, but you’ll be less of an owner and more than a face. who cares, really? being a puppet doesn’t sound all that bad, not when you’ll be dolled up and pampered and cared for for the rest of your life.

RELATIONSHIPS: kaeya and venti are always badgering him for another drink, which he icily ignores. he’s a bit of a lone wolf, but with the rest of your security team, their silent camaraderie allows them to carry out missions in the dark and protect you whilst lurking in the shadows.

it was by pure coincidence that you guys found THOMA. the handsome gentleman who’s always been helping out the villagers has always greeted you with a smile and offered to eat chicken skewers whenever you stopped by to visit and hence has been one of the things you looked forward to whenever you visited the village. whilst on a trip to the village with ayato, he took one look at the blonde man and with a coy smile greeted him like they were old friends. which they probably were, because ever since that day THOMA has been a part of your hybrid family as your resident dogboy.

THOMA seems to be able to do it all! the servants love him for his help around the house and his cheerful and easygoing personality. sometimes he’s cooking with the chefs, other times he’s scrubbing the tiles with the maids, or he’s trimming the garden with the gardeners. you often fret that maybe he’s pushing himself too hard, but he always laughs it off and assures you that he loves what he does. you don’t quite get the appeal, but he’ll distract your worries with a dessert that he’s whipped up just for you. 

ayato doesn’t usually command him but whenever he does, THOMA is quick to follow. you don’t quite exactly know their past relationship, other than the fact that ayato was his superior, but THOMA says that ayato isn’t as bossy as he used to be. perhaps it’s because you’re the master of this house already. you don’t have to worry about making conflicting commands with ayato (because ayato would ensure that he’s lovingly brainwashed you enough to always agree with him), but if he ever does prioritize ayato’s commands, it’s only for your own good.

it puzzles you a lot, but THOMA seems to enjoy serving others, most especially you. he is happiest whenever he sees your delighted face at waking up to a platter of your favorite food for breakfast. he finds comfort in brushing your hair and weaving flowers in between the strands. whenever you’re sad, it is his utmost pleasure to poof into his dog form and curl up into your lap, letting you stroke his golden fur as you sob your feelings out. he wants nothing more than to treat you right, to be there by your side as you try to navigate the world and its complex intricacies.

he’s fiercely loyal to you and the hybrids, so much so that he’s blinded by it. he does not care about whether or not you have done something wrong; it will always be the outsiders who need to be eliminated. THOMA is a different person whenever he finds out that a subordinate of yours has betrayed you. he can’t even fathom it. who in their right mind would betray you? what is there about you to drag through the mud? THOMA only views it as a mere clean-up whenever he kills off one of the bastards. were it not for the blood that’s been carelessly splattered on his clothes, no one could even guess that your smiling gentleman had killed someone.

THOMA is a selfless and devout worshipper, and he gives everything that he is to you. should you proceed on inheriting your right, he will do everything in his power to spread your influence and good name. ayato usually calls on him whenever you need something special done, simply because of his vast network of connections. you’re a bit frightened when THOMA casually mentions an assassin he knows. he reassures you though, that this is all for your good! he says it so gently, as if he doesn’t have his fingers in multiple dangerous resources.

on a more domestic issue, THOMA has a guilty pleasure of seeing you sick. he knows it’s bad to wish harm upon someone as sweet and dear as you, but it fills him with such sick pleasure to be the one to look after your vulnerable state. he dotes on you a lot more, and if you weren’t so sick you could see the sweet obsession on his face as he wipes your sweat away. he thinks of asking one of the more science-y hybrids to slip a little something into your food now and then (he knows they’re more than willing to. hell, he knows they’ve already been doing that), but he thinks better of it. he loves you more when you’re smiling, sitting side by side with him without a care in the world.

RELATIONSHIPS: thoma is friends with everyone, even the villagers down below! if he’s not by your side, he’s at ayato’s, indulging him in his eccentric whimsies and often being the victim of his pranks. aether is often pestering him to rest, so when he’s not doing any chores, he’s often found taking a nap in the garden in his fluffy dog form.

you found BENNETT injured and alone outside of your house one day and you, already used to this song and dance, hurriedly ran with the bunny in your arms to the first aid kit. the poor thing had small nicks and scars all over its body, ash-gray fur matted with dried blood and mud. it took a lot of days for the bunny to recover enough to wake up, but when it did, it was already bounding with limitless energy and a sunny disposition. upon seeing you again, it bounded up to you, and with a poof!, BENNETT’s boyish grin greeted you in his hybrid form. “thanks for helping me out! i’m bennett, mind letting me stay here?”

how could you not say no to that charming smile? you found out that BENNETT had been abandoned by his previous owner after the unluckiness he had brought them— termites in their walls, couch eaten by moths, etc.— which seemed like a cruel joke because they had explicitly bought him for luck. you also realize that BENNETT finds some shame in his whole animal form, finding its scarred appearance ugly, and he often flattens his ears against his head to hide the cuts. he wishes that he could take a fully human form but alas, it seems that he’s still not skilled enough to reach that level.

BENNETT really tries his best but whatever he does seems to end up in failure. he doesn’t let this get him down though! he believes that eventually, he’ll run out of his unluck and be able to live a normal life. of course, this still spells trouble for everyone around him, so servants don’t usually ask him to do anything. he’s understanding of it, but it does make him a bit glum. thankfully, you’re here to cheer him up! making him run errands to the village shouldn’t trigger too much of his unluckiness… right?

he’s really touch starved, but he’s afraid to be near you let alone touch you. although he knows it's irrational, he can’t help but be paranoid that maybe just touching you is enough for his bad luck to rub off on you. you’ve already been kind enough to take in a mess like him, so he doesn’t want to make things worse by affecting you of all people. your sincerity and concern are enough to have him falling all over again for you, but when you catch him off guard and scratch his floppy ears, he melts into a contented puddle and into your touch.

BENNETT gets needier the more affection and touch you shower him with, but he tries his best to distance himself (though he fails). your kind eyes have been his only saving grace in a world where he was born to be sold and abandoned and the cycle repeated. you, who are so different from his sneering masters who saw him as nothing more than a pesky hybrid, have given him reason to power through all the pain he’s been feeling. whenever he does something successful, he gets all quiet and squirmy as he awaits your praise. when he doesn’t get it, he’s sent into a spiral of gloom and self-doubt.

should there be a dangerous mission that needs to be executed, the best candidate for the job is BENNETT who will do his utmost to make the job succeed no matter what. it doesn’t matter if his bad luck is getting in his way— he has to finish the job so he can make you happy. even though he’s wrapped up in bandages and suffering near-fatal injuries, he shoots you a thumbs-up and a happy grin as guilt settles in your heart. it’s painful, but what is a little pain compared to helping you succeed and rise to the top?

all of his motivations are spurred by the need to be acknowledged by you and to stay by your side. he’s already used up his luck in finding you, and he doesn’t want that to run out anytime soon. a deep fear encompasses his whole being; a fear that one day you might abandon him like the rest of them. but that won’t happen! because BENNETT sucks up whatever life throws his way, fatal or not, and continues to charge forward. if he makes himself useful, then surely you’ll still allow him to stay by your side, no?

RELATIONSHIPS: a hybrid on the younger side, he’s often playing with razor and the other youngins. since the hybrids all have their own unique dispositions, no one’s quite bothered by the disastrous aftereffects that his unluckiness brings. he’s often sparring with kaeya as he learns how to fight from him.

when GAMING first arrived, he gave everyone quite a fright. it was a peaceful day out, only for it to be ruined by one of the maids screaming. when you rushed out to see what was going on, you were greeted by a lion cub yawning on a big warm rock, unbothered by the stares directed at it. peeking one eye open, it finally saw the pairs of eyes on him until it met yours and with a grin (the maids shrieked again, mistaking it for bared fangs), he jumps from the rock and poofs into his hybrid form. a cute boy with twitching ears and sparkling eyes gazed up at you with an eager look on his face.

you all warmed up to the lion cub pretty quickly. GAMING was both cheerful and calm, and overall a pleasant boy to hang around with. you heard that he’s made fast friends with the villagers downhill and every time he comes back he always brings treats to share with everyone. to you, he personally sees to it that you eat the little treats he brings home. you think he likes to watch you eat, with how earnestly his eyes follow your hands’ every move and the excited wagging of his tail as he watches your expression. you try to feed him too, but he insists that you eat it because he bought it just for you.

he’s so charismatic and sincere that you find yourself blushing at the simplest of his actions. like when you walked into the hybrids taste testing the head chef’s newest treat, he quickly offered up a spoon for you to eat from. as he eagerly awaits you to eat from the spoon, you start blushing with how close GAMING is to your face and coupled with his earnest expression as well. the other hybrids drill into the back of his head with his deathly stare, so much so that the head chef decides to nope out of the situation and escape into the next room. he’s just a natural gentleman, you suppose, though it does attract some irked glances your way. 

however, he’s not as composed when it’s your turn to shower him with affection. one time, you decided that it was nice enough weather to eat your teacakes outside. not one to pass up on snacks, GAMING quickly took you up on the offer to accompany you and your mind suddenly thought of taking revenge on him by teasing him with a teacake. it took a long time for him to realize, but when he finally processes the slowly closing gap between you and him, he makes a startled yelp and scrambles back. you sit back, amused at his steaming face and panicked eyes, before laughing at his expression and finally handing him the snack. your giggles continued to ring throught the garden as he very adorably pouted and whined you to not surprise him like that.

GAMING is very overprotective of you. understandably so, since you are the naive heir of a multmillionaire company squirreled away in the boonies who’s never experienced the real world. he has no problem killing off outsiders— he’s got no emotional attachment to them, so he slices through them quickly and easy like knife and butter. but he’s at a loss when you hurt yourself. it’s a given that you might get overexcited when you’re let out into the outside world, but sometimes that makes you a little bit reckless. his eyes widen and his breaths go uneven when he spots the bloody scrape on your knee, but he swallows it down and quickly tends to it like a good big brother. he scolds you lightly, but there is something… unsteady… underneath that brotherly smile.

the more you move up to the world, the more at odds he is with himself. he realizes more and more that it’s becoming nigh impossible for him to protect you. soon, the world’s eyes will be on you, and there will be no place for an insignificant beast like him to insert himself in. he argues with the other hybrids to stop this, to stop you, because sooner or later all this money and fame will kill you. others empathize with him, then others support your rise. GAMING grows more unstable as he watches you put yourself in more and more dangerous situations all for the sake of duty.

there are more powerful hybrids in this house, so GAMING can’t possibly act on his wishes, but he prays that he can just break that leg of yours or leave you incapacitated enough that you are unable to inherit your rights. it’s your father, isn’t it? shackling you down with a life you never asked for. he wishes that you’d never have to live a life so burdened by the decisions of your father, that you’d continue eating dimsum and cakes with him and the others like before. but all he can do is join the fight to protect you, the only thing he can do as a humble beast.

RELATIONSHIPS: gaming is often spotted enjoying snacks with chongyun and xingqiu or taking out the other security team members to a nice food stall in the village. because aether is a cat, he often asks him for tips on how to fight, believing that he could learn from a stronger feline. he is also often seen staring wide-eyed at zhongli and getting shy when the mythical dragon greets him.

LYNEY approaches you on one of your visits to your father’s building, with a charming smile on his face and endless magic tricks to entertain you with. you are quickly drawn in by his charisma, but when you’re held back by a frowning and apprehensive aether, you decide to behave yourself. aether is often never wrong in his assumptions about people, and perhaps there is more to the friendly boy than meets the eye. LYNEY, however, plays the pity card, slightly raising his hat and showing off the pair of twitching cat ears on his head. he puts it down and pleads his case— a hybrid on the runaway from his abusive owner. you gasp and aether falters, and after enough pleading with him, you’ve added another catboy to your collection of hybrids.

half of the house is torn about LYNEY. the more naive ones welcome him into the fray, eager to have another hybrid and harem member to play with. meanwhile, the wiser ones can sense that something is… off about him. none of them have definite proof to back up their suspicions, so none of them bother to tell you. if you’re perceptive, you can sense how on edge they are, but if you’re not then you’re also easily taken in by him as well. no one can deny that LYNEY treats you like you ought to be treated— delicate yet playful, serving you like you’re royalty and him the servant.

although LYNEY treats you like a friend, there are times when he feels immeasurably distant from you. you often catch sight of his darkened gaze directed at you, but when you ask him what’s wrong, he just shakes his head and forces a smile. you think that his eyes look at you with some sort of sadness, but you never push it. you ask the other hybrids if they know LYNEY well, and though they regale you with tales of his magic and friendliness, they never say anything more than that. you wish that he’d come to find his manor as his home… though when you bring this up to neuvillette, he just shakes his head and pats you. “some things just cannot be replaced,” he says, and you wonder if the magician had left something behind at his old place.

when he got this job, LYNEY thought that it would be an easy one. a spoiled rich kid with numerous hybrids at their every call… it sounded just like the slavers he abhorred so much. his apprehension was shattered when he met you in the building lobby, fiercely protected by aether like you were some sort of precious treasure. he recalled the way your eyes widened in compassion upon hearing his story and his conflicted feelings only grew stronger when he entered your home and was surprised at how… happy everyone was. all the hybrids he’d seen, including himself, were miserable. they could be lucky enough to not get an abusive owner, but that didn’t change that they were essentially slaves. here, however, everyone was free. the only thing that tethered them to this place is because they wanted to be with you.

ever since he’s stepped into this manor, it’s been lies upon lies upon lies. LYNEY never really lets himself get too close to the others, and he’s also well aware of the way the more guarded ones look at him. when it comes to you, however, he wishes that he didn’t have to wear such a facade. if it’s you… then maybe you’d accept him, madness and all. instead, he continues to feed you half-truths— his past abuse, his loneliness, the loss of his siblings— and delights in the affection he receives. he can’t get enough of your attention, even if it is directed towards a half-fiction version of him. but he curls up in your lap nevertheless, purring contentedly as you pet him and ease wallow in the bitterness of his life.

… he thought it’d be easy, but LYNEY thinks this is the hardest mission he’s been ever given. the knife is already pressed to your throat, so what’s stopping him from slitting it? his hands can’t budge, and guilt and desire only overwhelm him as he watches your sleeping face. you’ve given him more love than he deserves, and he can’t seem to get enough of it. you’re so gullible and naive, falling for his tricks and lies, feeding him information that could lead to your downfall… what could you possibly do when he leaks everything? right… that’s right… your entire life depends on him. that night, he curls up to your bed, pressing kisses to your cheek and whispering all the betrayals he’s done to you. he’s still torn about whether to continue lying or to bare his entire soul to you, but either way, you’ll still be the captivating thing he’s laid his eyes on.

RELATIONSHIPS: the moment freminet arrives, he’s ecstatic. aside from his usual magic shows and entertainment, he never sticks around the others for far too long. he’s only spending time with freminet and you, though he and aether have a quiet solidarity as cat hybrids.

[cozzzynook]

Touya as a hero would probably still end up with his quirk hurting him so he keeps it low profile that it is hurting him even with the support gear.

In this au Touya never became Dabi and when he burned on Sekoto Peak he was found by people who lived in a nearby village. He didn’t tell them his identity when he came to and only went back home when he was fully healed.

He learns what his mother did to Shouto and sees that nothing changed while he was away.

It crushes him.

So much so he retreats into himself.

He doesn’t acknowledge the warm attempts of his siblings to reconnect. He remains polite and even tolerates Shouto being near him which was a surprise none of the todoroki children saw coming.

Nothing seemed to phase Touya not even his fathers attempts at asking him what happened. He simply blocked everything and everyone out.

He trained his power in secret and learned to build his flames to a manageable degree. He enrolls into U.A without his father knowing until he sees him leaving one morning for school. No amount of questions phase Touya as he simply locks his dad out his room.

That night Enji cried for the smile that died on Sekoto Peak.

If only he had come when he was wanted then things would be different.

Life was different when Touya came back. Shouto no longer lived a separate life from his siblings and Touya was top of his class. He was seen as remarkable for using so little of his quirk while training to become a pro hero.

He ended up spending every internship under the watchful gaze of best jeanist and Aizawa. He was aiming to be an underground hero like Aizawa but he needed Best Jeanist so he could receive the necessary credits.

Time flew by as he focused on his studies and soon he was a licensed hero.

He did it. He finally did it.

He wasn’t a failure, he was worth existing. He was worthy of being loved and alive.

So why didn’t he feel like it?

He was twenty three now in the top twenty. He preferred staying there even if he could aim higher. Even with his support gear after all these years his fire still took a toll on his health.

Touya kept that information between himself and a private doctor on the lower side of the city. He figured he’d be alright since most hero’s steered clear of the area but his luck ran short when he saw pro-hero Hawks.

Touya felt his chest tighten and his vision shake as he turned a bit too fast and started walking the other direction. He was halfway home when he felt the familiar pain. His vision blurred and his body grew painfully cold.

After the fire Touya was given medicine to keep his body from overheating, essentially bringing forth more of his mothers quirk causing his fire to shut down and let the ice in his veins run rampant. His body was suited for the cold so his organs wouldn’t shut down. But it did cause irreversible nerve damage and brought to light his weak immune system.

Trembling from the chill, Touya felt his hands shake and his fingers lock. He was still a crier at heart and right now he felt himself sniffle as the water curled his lashes. But before he could shed them his body gave out and the world grew red and gold then black.

He comes to in a bundle of blankets and with something soft tickling his cheek. With no energy to move Touya lays in the soft cocoon before a hand with sharp talons he notes, touches his forehead and he groans.

“Oh! Nova you’re awake. Don’t worry its me, Hawks. No one saw you I made sure of it. Oh wait hehe, sorry I forgot to mention I was following you..Not to be a stalker or anything! I just noticed you didn’t look well..”

“Not being a stalked I promise!”

Hawks looks even more nervous than before until he grabs a glass of water and helps Touya drink. He mumbles a weak, “thank you,” to the winged hero before shivering.

“Oh are you cold again? I hope you don’t mind but when I laid next to you it helped.”

Hawks laid next to him and his wings really did add to the winged mans already high temperature. “Its kinda funny. My quirk makes me hot but yours freezes you.”

Touya said nothing as he slowly warmed up. Hawks once again ruined the silence, “I saw the burns on your wrists and the quirk aides on your wrists..how long has your quirk hurt you?”

Touya held in a breath before trying to get up, Hawks was much stronger than he looked.

“You can’t keep going if this is what it does to you.”

“Fuck you.”

There was silence before Hawks pulled him closer, “is hurting your body really worth being a hero?”

“What else is there?”

Hawks said nothing as Touya stared into nothing, his chilling anger fading to empty sadness.

“I don’t have anything else..this is all I have to prove my creation wasn’t a mistake…”

“but it’s still not enough..i’m..its not enough.”

Hawks said nothing as he watched Nova silently cry with a broken smile.

He noticed Nova when he first debuted and since he’s had a crush on him. He knew from the beginning something wasn’t right but that didn’t stop his feelings. If anything it fueled them more.

Resting his forehead against Nova’s tear stained cheek Hawks wing presses further into Nova, “Find it with me.”

“Lets find our existence outside of hero work, together.”

The tears poured from Nova’s eyes faster and his smile slowly lowered until only his eyebrows were lifted as his head turned to the side of the pillow and cried.

For the first time in a long time, since the day he became a real pro to the fire on Sekoto Peak to the day he learned his body rejected his quirk.

𝘏𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮.

𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦.

𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘦.

[tarnishedsilverjewelry]

I have a request idea about Kuai Liang x reader; in the past timeline when Kuai Liang was sub zero, he and the reader were husband and wife before the restart of time, now in the new timeline, they meet for the first time where the reader goes on a trip to Fenjian for study in college where she runs into Lord Liu Kang and the Lin Kuei Trio and as soon as she lays on Kuai Liang both of them couldn't take their eyes off each other and feel a connection with each other and that "I know you somewhere" feeling. Can you write about that?

Again and again

A/N: ugh every request I get is so GOOD UR MINDSS I SWEAR!!

‼️I used Y/n in place of a name!! If you don’t like that don’t read it‼️

Warnings: none!

So if you didn’t know, Fenjian is a real village in Guangdong province, which on a map is a southern province( and if the maps prove correct) borders the sea

You’d come initially to Beijing for schooling, and it had done you well! You’d met good people and eaten good food. But..you just felt restless there.

A friend recommended reveling with him to visit family in Shanghai and then to Fenjian to see more of the country. You agreed excitedly, excited to not only experience more of the culture, but also get better at the localized dialects than just Mandarin or Shanghainese

As you traveled further down south, you felt your body relaxed this odd tension you’d felt since you arrived. You had been oddly tense, struggling with your speaking more than you had back home, and you felt more drawn to smaller Fenjian restaurants than the more popular and more crowded restaurants your friends dragged you to

Your stay in Shanghai was only about 2 weeks, and you made friends with your friends family and was welcomed back easily.

But when you arrived in Fenjian, the smallest village than you had experienced something just clicked. You took a deep breath of the fresh air and smiled. “This place is nice.” You said without much struggle. “You’re getting better! And you really think that? Fenjian is my home and I love it but…it’s boring!” She laughed at you, thought her mockery lacked any heat

“I’m from a small town! I can appreciate small towns!” You tried weakly. “We’ll come on! My uncle is waiting! Then, you meet Madame Bo! She’ll love your appetite!”

You let her pull you along through the dirt paths to her uncles house. Here, you noticed that speaking was..easier. You’d been practicing with the local dialect and apparently it had paid off. He was kind enough to laugh with you when you stumbled on your words or said the wrong thing

That night, you met Madame Bo. She spoke enough English to hold polite conversation and it helped you coast along with ordering on your own, which your friend complimented you on happily.

You said you were open to trying anything and that was how you and your friend ended up with basically the whole menu. “Here. This is braised snake porridge.” Madame Bo said, stopping to show you how to eat everything.

Upon realizing you had ordered too much, your friend looked around before locking with someone “Kung Lao! Raiden! Join us! Meet my friend!” They shared a look and shrugged, sitting across from you

You managed to introduce yourself relatively well, which earned more praise from your friend and Raiden. Kung Lao and you made fast friends, despite the language barrier. Your shared love for food bonded you easily enough.

I’m slow and awkward English he said “We have…go. We meet friend also.” You nodded and said goodbye, not expecting him to pull into a hug. “We are..friends now! So I hug you!” He laughed, which made Raiden roll his eyes. Raiden gave you a side hug before going to greet friends.

When your food was cleared, and the bill was paid (you’d gotten a discount from Madame Bo because “I’ve never met such a nice foreigner!”)

The sun had set already, and a small local band was playing happily for a small crowd of dancing patrons. “I’m going to dance! Join me if you want to!” And just like that, you were alone drinking your tea content with just watching your friend dance with Raiden and Kung Lao

“Oh hey! Another foreigner!” Was that fucking Johnny Cage? Yes, and he was sitting with you and trying to flirt with you.

He was really laying it on thick, but seemed to take it well when you turned him down. And the conversation after was about movie production—pretty interesting stuff actually

And finally, he got up to dance too, and left you alone again. You laughed lightly at your friends feeble attempts to get you to join them, and while distracted you were joined by a man clad in yellow.

“Not joining?” He asked kindly. “Oh no, I don’t dance. Not well anyways.” You shrugged, tearing your eyes away from your friend to look at him.

His left eye had a thick scar—that was evidently still healing— running through it, his dark hair pulled back cleanly enough to appear short, his eyes were sharp and combined with his bicep which was as big as your head seemed like pretty dangerous

But his thick lips were pulled into a small and kind smile. “Do you?” You quickly followed up with “Dance. Do you dance?” Kindly, the man shook his head. “I do, but certainly not like…that.” He pointed his head to Johnny Cage (how the fuck did he know him?) who at first glance appeared to be…flailing

“Mm. My name is [Y/n]. What’s your name?” “Kuai Liang, I must say Johnny is the foreigner I’ve seen here.”

Laughing softly you pointed to your friend “I’m here for school on an exchange program. And to get better at my speaking. My big accomplishment was ordering with minimal English tonight.” Kuai Liang nodded, leaning forward

“How exciting! Are you staying in Shanghai? No, no that can’t be right. Beijing. You’re staying in Beijing!” He declared, mostly joking. “Uh-yeah! You a psychic or something?” This made him laugh harder at his shock.

“Kuai Liang, I see you made a friend.” A calm voice said with a kicking edge. “Do you mind if I join you?” The man asked you. “No of course not!” The man sat next to Kuai Liang, looking between the two of you with an odd look.

Liu Kang did not add much to the conversation between you two. And was mostly zoned out, suddenly struck with memories he’d long since buried, he tried not to dwell on them.

“I…perhaps this is odd to say, but I feel like I know you. Perhaps we have met before?” Feeling emboldened you denied it “Id remember a face like yours, you’re too handsome to forget.” Kuai flushed.

“You’re too kind, [Y/n]! But you are right, a face as beautiful as yours is too hard to forget…perhaps I could try and teach a few slower dances? The band is finally slowing down it seems” Liu Kang watched with a fond smile as he guided you through a dance

Looking down at the tea cup clutched between his hands, he nodded to himself. He’d made the right choice when he was weaving the fabrics of time and humanity together. When you were struck down with Hanzo, he was the one to comfort Kuai Liang

And when he started molding worlds to his desires, and creating life itself he created you from memory—someone seeking knowledge, someone kind and loving and gentle, and when needed a fighter.

As the night progressed, Liu Kang stayed and watched you both. He had only heard second hand snippets of your meeting with Kuai Liang, after you died alongside Hanzo he was too struck with grief to speak of either you with anyone for more than a few sentences, but especially you.

Your name and your stories were his ways of keeping you with him, and sharing that meant sharing you. Kuai had lost you already, and he was not willing to share your memory now. Hanzo had many friends on the team, you were as far separated from them as possible.

So now, seeing you as a dynamic and real person and not a painting or drawing was an opportunity he felt he couldn’t miss. Was he the god fire and keeper of time? Yes! Could he rewind time to see this as many times as possible? Also yes! But he wouldn’t abuse that power, he would see it now in real time.

At the end of the night, when Madame Bo was cleaning up and you both had finished off another pot of tea, you yawned. “Excuse me, I’d better go. But it was nice meeting you.” Kuai Liang felt panic surge through him and he called out for you. You turned with a confused look

“I’d like to see you again sometime soon. Is that okay?” “More than okay. Tomorrow maybe?” “I’ll be here then. Noon sharp.” He declared firmly. Giggling you said “Goodnight Kuai Laing. I’ll see you tomorrow.” And pressed a chaste kiss on his cheek before feeling the restaurant. Leaving him red in the face with an ear spitting smile on his face.

Oh yes, staying was the right choice

Kuai Liang had been lonely for many years. His ice abilities had created a wall around his heart that could not be moved.

It was not until he had made peace with Hanzo—and was convinced to go out to a local restaurant—did that change

You were sat watching the small crowd dance, and clapping along softly. Hanzo noticed this, and to his dismay forced him into sitting across from you

“Not joining?” He asked awkwardly. “Oh no I don’t dance. Not well anyways. Do you? Dance, I mean?” He shook his head

“No, not like them. I know a few slower dances.” You nodded smiling softly. He felt the ice around his heart crack at the gesture. “Hm. Well, my names [Y/n]. Nice to meet someone who isn’t insistent on dancing.” Kuai felt a smile tug at his face. “Kuai Liang. And that man, in the yellow is my friend Hanzo. Forgive my bluntness but I’ve never met a foreigner here before.”

Unphased by his words you smiled wider “I’m in an exchange program! I’m staying in Beijing. But visiting friends family. And working on my speaking.”

Kuai nodded and the conversation flowed throughout the night. Through attempts at dancing together, through lots of tea, and plenty of teasing from your friend and Hanzo

At the end of the night, Kuai insisted on walking you back to where you were staying. Your friend had already left you and Hanzo had gone too. You walked slowly through the cool night, the conversation did not stop and even on the doorstep were hesitant to say goodbye

“I’d like to see you again sometime soon. Is that okay?” “More than okay. Tomorrow maybe?” “I’ll be here then. Noon sharp.” He declared firmly. Giggling you said “Goodnight Kuai Laing. I’ll see you tomorrow.” And pressed a chaste kiss on his cheek.

[ninja-muse]

The Dollmakers by Lynn Buchanan is the most original fantasy novel I've read in a good while. It doesn't follow a familiar plot structure. It's peopled by characters rarely seen but true to life. It tackles its issues, themes, and conundrums without turning them into morals or even necessarily reaching conclusions. The magic has been done before, but also not this way. The world, while familiar in some aspects, also feels fresh and different.

Did I like it? I'm not sure. But I definitely think it's worth picking up.

Because this book is so different, it's hard to encapsulate. The premise of a young woman determined to prove herself and gain the job and status she deserves sounds like it should launch a novel of revenge, of conquest, or of an underdog—but this doesn't. A story about magical dolls designed to fight ravening monsters sounds like it should be about great battles and increasing odds—but this isn't. This also isn't a story about a stranger upending a small town, or mentorship, or political conflicts, or even a mystery. Instead, there are elements of all those things, but this novel is too character-driven to fall neatly into boxes. Shean of Pearl is simply going to do what she thinks best and we're along for the journey.

The complexity of the plot is mirrored in its characters. Shean is capable of kindness and delicacy and righteous anger, but she's also tactless and self-absorbed and unwilling to listen to reason. There are brave characters too afraid to interact with society, kind mentors who fail in their mentorship, sour but welcoming villagers, wandering scholars who hold themselves apart until they don't, rule-abiding citizens who can't value originality, thoughtful people who come to snap judgements, and a host of other people who are flawed and complicated as anyone of us might be in their place. There's nobody I can point to and say, "Here, she relied entirely on a trope."* Buchanan's character work is arguably where this book shines most.

As for the themes and issues, I've grown used to fantasy and science fiction with clear morals, clear good guys, and clear political points. Again, this isn't that sort of book. You have to get well into it before you see what Buchanan's talking about on that level and she's more interested about raising questions and pointing out problems than she is in solving anything. We and her characters are left with things to think about, and with introspection. And no, I won't say more than that. Spoilers!

This isn't to say that this book is without flaw. Mostly, on that front, I found Shean's emotional journey a little sudden and jerky at points, with greater or quicker character growth than her personality led me to expect, and there's one particular moment near the beginning that felt exaggerated for the sake of demonstration rather than being true to character. The rest of my problems, and what's holding me back from saying, "This book was amazing!", I think stem from how different this book is. Is my grumble at that minor character's reaction due to weak writing or because they're so perfectly poised within their world that of course they don't act like a "normal" character? Is this plot line wrapping up too neatly or are we being set up for a sequel? That sort of thing. I should point out this is a debut novel and these are issues I've run into with debut novels before—but at the same time, this is much, much more polished and subtle than a lot of debuts are.

As for the magic and the world, I've run on too long to cover them much, but the doll magic is lovely, the monsters are fascinating, the idea that every nation has its own entirely separate culture and magic is familiar while the details are not, and in general, it's all very strong. Buchanan has a lot to play with and I'd happily read more in this world whether or not there's a direct sequel.

To sum up: this is a very strong, very interesting, very unique debut fantasy. It's a novel to mull over and one I'll be sorting through my feelings for. If you're interested in smaller fantasy stories, fantasies that take their time, or are tired of current fantasy trends and plot types, you should absolutely give this one a look. Buchanan's going to be an author to watch, I think.

* apart from third-tier non-speaking characters, like waiters or shopkeepers

[maryonmega]

Long awaited

The party makes it to Bambouche. Family reunion time.

It's time.

Your group decided to do the last dozen meters by foot to not attract too much attention.

You all stand back, allow Bonnie to go ahead, give the siblings some degree of privacy. You even try to stay out of sight of other people to not cause any stirring  on a village.

You watch Bonnie run to the front of a house of modest size, and knock. You see a young woman open the door, an anxious look in her eyes. 

It's a bit too far to know what's being said, but you watch her expression change in less then ten seconds. You se her eyes widen in disbelief, then realisation, then relief as they fill with tears. You see Bonnie grin ear to ear and open their arms offering a hug, and she doesn't only accept, but picks then up as easily as if they were a baby, but tightly, bending over then like a shielding attempt, even if now they're safer then ever. You don't blame her. 

She doesn't let go any time soon, she sits on the steps in front of the house, Bonnie on her lap, both you them with tears treaming down their cheeks, with Bonnie putting more effort on wiping hers than their own. People come to look, but don't step too close. This is their moment.

They're speaking, you can't get what exactly, but you do see Nille check on them in that way caretakers check if anything's hurt, still taking breaks to hug them again.

Then, you see Bonnie let one arm go, and extend to where your group is, and... move their fingers... telling you to join...

You hesitate, and they pout.

"JUST COME!!"

Oh!

It's not as faster or eager a process. It's kind of awkward, to approach such an intimate moment. Nille was a big lady, but still young, maybe younger than Mira. You already had a lot of respect for the lady, but now even more. You can barely grasp being responsable for someone else as is. Just the thought of being it alone, and at your youngers years...

She smiles at all of you, her eyes still full of tears.

"Thank you, for keeping them safe when I couldn't."

Mirabelle gave her a gentle smile, her fingers intertwined.

"We would never forgive ourselves if we didn't."

You know that very well, don't you?

Being thankful is one thing, traveling with her sibling with a group of people she doesn't know is another. That she asked for time with her sibling before making any big decisions is not only very reasonable, but reason to be glad.

It's autumn, not the favorite time for beach activities, even early autmn, but, it's still a beach, and you all will have to wait anyway. There's no reason to not try and enjoy a little bit. It's the reasoning Mira gives. The nervousness in her gaze makes clear what that's really about.

"... Dormont is nowhere near a beach too, so I never learned to surf. Why not when there isn't a lot of people also trying to learn to compare mys- ahn, filling the place?"

You won't comment if she doesn't.

"The House gives surf classes too. I'm not even surprised at his point."

"Oh! You... saw classes in the loops, Siffrin?"

You, haven't talked about that before?

Makes sense, actually. It's not like you could talk while flying, too much wind.

"Well, I can use some time to catch up on books. And you two, anything in mind?"

You can see how Odile looks at Isa just a little bit longer.

You get the feeling that there's some teasing there.

"Of course I do. I just don't want to tell now."

Oof! Blunt! Where did this Isa come from? He sounds cool! And it looks like Odile wasn't expecting that either.

"Of course... How about you, Siffrin?"

"I'll just go with the ride for now."

"Can you come with me for some surfing lessons, then?"

OH!

"Y-yes of course!"

Mira nodded along your response, more serious than you feel like would be due for something so simple.

Did you do something wrong? Did she offer out of politeness? But, would be awkward to pull back now?

You didn't pull back either way.

You think she got nervous before the time came. A talk was pushed back to when she's done with the first lesson. The swimsuit is cute and modest. Fits her.

You enjoy watching her. You do. She has such a determined look on her face.

You watch a larger wave approach, and break, trowing foam all over the people on the shallower areas.

And...

A small, eel-like form emerged from the thick layer of foam, small wings flapping and sending drops in all directions.

Bonbon! You regornizes, even in slightly different shades! Clothes influence the shades?

And then, another form emerges, clawed paws raised. You- You only see the form for a moment, before it wraps around Bonbon and pulls them back into the water, but you can still tell it's Pétronille!

You see her whip to the surface, and throw Bonbon with her tail. They don't try to fly, they hit the water nose first. The movement repeats, then the two stay underwater again. In one, you see Bonbon paddling, trying to get out of Nille's literal claws before going down again, then emerging, flying higher, then by the water again. You watch them boop noses with Nille before all but shoving their tiny body into her arms.

You stand on the sand, and watch. Nille dragging and throwing Bonbon, in a way that reminds you of a lonely dog playing with a toy, but not as rough as one. You know, if they could, they would be laughting.

That first moment was weeping. This one is playful.

And you got to see both.

You'll never forget either.

[matchadobo]

KIDD; the pirate's princess

wc: 6686 summary: princess name, a spirited and audacious royal who ends up meeting captain eustass kidd in one of the festivals of her kingdom. unbeknownst of each other's real identities, their encounter was cut off short immediately and left them craving for more. warnings: afab reader, nsfw 🔞(actual seggs please read at your own discretion), princess au, running away theme, bad parents, i rly can't think of anything else there's rly nothing heavy here, not proofread omg TT

princess full name. a not so ordinary princess that always finds herself wounding up in sticky situations. known for her intrepid antics that drove her knights mental: sneaking out late at night to party with the villagers during festivals, visiting the farms of townsfolk and often setting animals free, and playing tag with the kids and sometimes causing ruckus with them. she wasn’t satisfied confined in the enormous walls of the castle, it’s too pretentious. 

one would say her behaviors aren’t fit for a princess who is supposed to be prude, proper, and ladylike. in contrast to her escapades, she’d love a little thrill more. not that she gives two fucks about the hearsays. she remains happy in her own little adventures in her small town of the kingdom. 

that’s why in the dusk of breezy summer, castle guards are relentlessly in pursuit of the princess yet again; an often occurrence in the kingdom.

the furtive young woman finds herself dancing in the middle of the lively and colorfully lit limestone floors on the marketplace. she hooks arms with a variety of villagers and skips about the floors as heels click on the ground in tone with the clapping and dancing of the fellow citizens who celebrated the vigor of the approaching evening. 

you soon got tired and went to one of the mini bars, sitting yourself down after ordering a glass of rum. “village always this lively?” a stranger spoke beside you. he sat with his back facing the counter with both arms propped on the surface of it to support his weight, one hand holding a glass of scotch. he landed his gaze on you, lemon eyes enrapturing you and leaving you speechless.

you cleared your throat to get a hold of yourself, by the looks of him and his remark—he’s a foreigner. his fiery red hair reflected his bold demeanor that intimidated you less than it intrigued you, his snowy skin that contrasted the darkness of his voice, and his sharp grin that mirrored his defined features and structure. a truly captivating man had greeted you. 

“often, yes.” you responded, throwing him a polite smile. “the town has festivals once a week, it’s a tradition.” you continued with a small laugh after having a sip of your drink. 

“festivals for what?”

“for the princess.” you played with the ice on your drink as you shook the glass in a circular motion.  “she likes to have fun in the village a lot.”

“princess’ pretty special then, aye? ‘s not everyday those preppy royals find time to join their subjects for a party.”

“you think so? most of the people here think she’s quite the source of the kingdom’s headache, not really a special one and most definitely not fit to be a princess.”

“i’d say bullshit. you expect these villagers know jack shit about bein’ a princess? nada. bet that princess of yours is the merry of this town, aye?”

you bursted into laughter, holding your stomach as you almost fell over your seat if it wasn’t for his heel keeping your chair upright. “that’s the first i’ve heard when talking about the princess. that’s kind of you.” 

he scoffed a smirk, sipping on his scotch afterwards. “me and kind doesn’t ring right, dollface.” he gave you a side eye, golden eyes piercing through the darkness of the night. “i’ve done things that don't even come close to kind.”

“that so?” you tilted your head in amusement. “like what? tell me.”

“you like the danger, aye?” he leaned closer. 

“well, i’ve grown tired of dancing and you’re the most interesting one here, so go ahead. enthrall me with your tales, unkind gentleman.” you scooted closer, chin leaning atop your fists as you braced yourself for his stories. 

his chest thundered in laughter as he faced you as he went on a tangent about his journeys as one of the worst generations. the evening reached midnight before you could realize how much time passed, going shop to shop with this stranger certainly made you the happiest after a long time. you two rambled about the wonders of the pirate while munching on pretzels and candy apples and downing mugs upon mugs of liquor. 

it was like he was building the world for you as he described the four seas along with his infamy, a wanted man of his caliber with a notorious reputation. you know you should get yourself far away the moment he first announced that he was a pirate but goodness do you love the thrill of his peril. the way his chest puffs up with each anecdote of his battles across the blues. how he effortlessly magnetized (stole) a plate of snacks for you two to snack on and well, to impress you. to get critically close to you as you get intoxicated by either the liquor or his ravishing demeanor towards you. you are perfectly aware that staying with him will undoubtedly risk your safety. but you weren’t the one to follow the rules, right?

the same goes for the pirate. he somewhat loves the mystery you emanate. clapping and cheering from time to time but never failing to snap back spunky remarks at his taunts. he revels on how you earnestly listen to his narratives and be awestruck at his feats, your eyes proved enough from the way you bat your eyelashes and lure him closer with the hues of your orbs. or maybe how your eyes never left his as you studied each bit of his face—the way his huge scar was engraved on his skin, the way his lips quirk up at how victorious he remains in duels, the way his eyes never lose fire as he ramble about the one piece, and how his body language changes each time your knees or arms touch. 

“you’re pretty great, huh?”

“i’d love to tell you more but it ain’t fair that i know nothin’ about the most grippin’ woman i’ve met.” 

“flattery would get you nowhere, kidd.” you chuckled, shifting in your seat. “i’m just a villager here, nothing special about this one.”

“you ain’t foolin’ me, i’ve seen the eyes of the townsfolk ‘round here.” he scooted closer, cocking his brow at the people at the market. “you’re no ordinary woman, these men couldn’t take their eyes off of you. and unfortunately, i seem to be one of them. yet i’m lucky enough to share a drink with you, pretty one.”

“aren’t you a charmer, captain?” you finally met his eyes, fiery as he studied your face. “flowery words don’t suit a brute like you, i’d say.”

“why don't you add more to my luck tonight and tell me your name before this night ends, doll.”

your faces grew inches closer, the aroma of liquor was pungent on your noses. he scanned your eyes, took a long glance on your lips, and back to your eyes again. his canines tugged at his lower lip before licking them subtly. reveling on the smile he elicited from you, he inhaled a deep breath before tilting his head.

before you could answer him, what jolted you from your seat was the frantic callouts of the castle guards. they were calling out to you and you could feel the chills running down your spine again, each time they did this you felt this way. panic washed over you and you instinctively fled the place as you dashed to the alleyways, kidd reaching over to you but failed to even get a touch of your wrist.

“o-oi! where are you going?!”

you gave him a meek smile before running away and disappearing into the shadows of the alleyway as you made your way back to the castle. the guards had invaded the market and put a stop to the party, searching up each woman in hopes of finding the princess. 

“the fuck is going on ‘ere?” kidd stood up from his seat before killer laid a hand on his shoulder to stop him. the two pirates scanned the place

“palace guards.” killer announced, helping kidd’s brain to comprehend. “i think you’ve just shared a drink with the princess.” 

you ran far until you reached the backyard where no guards were present, it had been your path to sneaking in and out. 

“you should stop seeing that man, name.” your mother spoke from your room, sat at the edge of the bed as if waiting for you. 

“you were watching, mother?”

“always. but i wouldn’t deny the fact that that man had made you smile the widest in years.” 

“he told me about his adventures,” you started, looking over the window in hopes of getting a glimpse of that redhead. “how the four blues looked, how he fought and faced toe to toe with his foes, how magical the grand line and the new world is, and how free he was.” you sighed as you draw back at how he’d write it out for you, each of which keeping you engrossed at each tale he tells.

your mother placed comforting hands atop your shoulders then traced up to either side of your face. “your eyes say it all, honey. i can see how much light that man brought out in you.” she started. “but i cannot stand idly when a pirate has caught you in his trap.” her grip on your face loosened as she made her way to your balcony doors, simultaneously shutting them. “much less a part of the ill-famed worst generation, a ragtag of disasters. it’d be vain to let him get his hands on you, he’s only after your status and the treasure you possess. that’s what pirates are.” her tone grew deeper, more sharp and strict. “you are not to speak to him again, do you understand?” she firmly announced, pointing her closed paper fan at you.

you nodded bashfully, the change in your demeanor broke her heart less than it urged her to keep you locked in the castle and away from that hazard. she strutted down to your doors and left you at your downcasted self. “your suitors will be here by tomorrow afternoon, you are to dine with them for lunch and pick out the next king of the kingdom. don’t do something that will embarrass us.”

the shut of your doors echoed far and resounded in your ears. you cried yourself to sleep at the foul turn of events that night, burying your sobs in the damp pillows of your quarters. that morning, you unwillingly participated as you gave off the fakest smile you could muster while laughing halfheartedly at their empty jokes. their humor and charisma are far less than mediocre, it is phenomenally childish in a sense that you’d rather pretend to faint to get out of that situation.

daft princes that left you bored and apathetic from their lack of liberty and substance. royals that knew nothing but the privilege of the rich and classy airheads. 

 unlike that pirate you’ve almost spent your midnight with, a riveting man that enraptured you and shook your world to the core. compliments that made your heart flutter more than it should be. the enticing danger his aura holds. and adventures that invited you to join him for the next time he ventures out into the blues. the fire in his eyes each time you locked gazes with him  and the intimacy you felt only when you sat down with him were unparalleled and left you craving for more.

“you were not your best today, name.” your father spoke to you, joining you as you watched your subjects by your grand balcony. “were the vicinal kingdoms too inadequate for your liking?”

you kept quiet for a moment before responding with contempt. “a group of men who are much too shallow wouldn’t be fit to be my king.” you turned around before stopping your tracks to continue. “i’d want a man who has the same fire as i do, father. not a prince who’d rule the kingdom with his foolish heroism and blank principles solely based on nobility.” you left your father outside, brimming with disdain. 

and you didn’t see him again for the following days, the castle had kept you on lockdown. monitoring your every move and hindering you from going anywhere except your room and the courtyard. it’s too stifling. 

you longed to see him again and hear more of his thrilling stories. you’d never forget how you two laughed under the stars with alcohol coursing through your veins and stimulating the desire for each other. 

but tonight was the annual masquerade ball where one of your suitors might potentially be the next reign for the kingdom. it’s main purpose is to celebrate the prosperity of the kingdom, yet masquerades were added for the notion of finding your next husband. 

as the maids prepared you for the ball, you’d have this empty look in your face as you dwell at how you released the only fire you could’ve had. 

the maids dressed you in a ruby and stygian gown that radiated your elegance. adorned with regal ornaments and gems that shone at each struck of light. the bodice of the dress is clad with lacy black overlays on either side of your chest down to your waist akin to the intertwining patterns of spiderwebs. its sleeves were long and got more loose as it reached your wrist, its ends sewn with handcrafted with the same lacy accents on your chest. the neckline was sewn into a square fitting style that graced your neck and collarbones where a pearly necklace accentuated the area. the middle end of your bodice was where a brooch with your kingdom crest resided, matching the glimmers of the beads in your dress. the overskirt cascades down from your cinched waistline in layers of red, voluminous mesh tulles with its hemline embroidered by horizontal lines of black as it reaches the floor. lastly, they slid and tied black strappy heels that go up to your knees for your shoes.

they then comb through your locks, curling it up and tidying some braids adorned by red ribbons and golden clips at the crown of your head. leaving some tendrils loosely hanging by the sides of your face as it complimented your gold, dangling earrings in a shape of roberto coins. partnering your face with a sharp red blush and bright, crimson lipstick as your eyelids shone in a glittery gold eyeshadow and pointy eyeliner. 

as your name soon got announced in the grand hall where nobles from different kingdoms would love to witness the beauty that is you, it’s as if a treasure had been unearthed before them as they feasted their eyes on the masked princess. earnestly observing your poise and allure, entranced by how you strut at the porcelain floors of your castle.

yet it was somewhat foolish of you to try and search for him in the hall, you hoped yet you knew that it’d be impossible to find a pirate in a ball. soon enough, the pretentious dancing had started. it dreaded you the most, since these gentlemen, regardless of age, tries to woo you and pick you up just to get a taste of your beauty. it irked you to an extent where you’d want to kick them in their manhood.

roughly thirty minutes have passed and you feel yourself falling asleep despite the movements of each dance. from the sleazy kings and airheaded princes, they’re all from the same mould of plain, boring men with no charm. even with the masks that covers half of their face, you could see all kinds of uglies in each of them. that is until you hook arms and hold hands with this one gentleman with the same familiar set of vermillion locks that sat in a disheveled manner atop his head. you felt that same aura from the man you’ve been longing to meet once again and it excited you. from the way he firmly held your waist and how his callous hands didn't faze you but only drew you closer by the princely figure clad in a three piece suit in black, two of the buttons on his dress shirt were unbuttoned to showcase more of his snowy skin from his upper chest to his neck. 

he had seemed to read how your expressions change with the smirk that made its way to his lips. “ you seem to be dozin’ off, princess. bored?” he greeted, as he met your hopeful eyes beneath each other’s masks. behind those pieces of fabric, you two knew all too well who each other were. 

“k-kidd-”

“shh.” he cut you off, stoically looking around to try and search the area for any hostility from the foolish nobles. thankfully, no suspicions arose due to the fact that masks and mysteries made the night more magical. “as much as i’d love to cause a ruckus, i’d like to dance with you a little more.”

this was the first time you’ve looked up with so much hope and marvel at the man you were dancing with, seemingly getting lost in his sunny eyes and the way he moves with you. “is it really you?”

“mhm, can’t believe it?” he laughed a little, giving you a little twirl before securely holding you back in your place again. “ya better wipe that drool off your lips cuz it might give us away, my lovely.” he scrunched his nose as he teased you, grip growing tighter to elicit a reaction from you. 

“how did you bypass the guards?”

“knocked them unconscious, nothin’ drastic.” he responded and left you giggling silently. “but hey, lemme  marvel at you for a minute, shortstack.  ‘cuz damn you’re quite the goddess tonight.” he poked on your chin, making your body feel hot all the more. 

“still the sweet talker, huh?” you scoffed as you hid your creeping blush. you bit on your tinted lips and avoided his gaze as you leaned down his shoulders and inhaled his alluring, metallic scent. “wherever do you get all that confidence?”

“i’ve gone through hell and back to finally see you and dance with you, there’s no reason for me to hold back, no?” he got closer, reveling in your scent and warmth. 

from an outsider’s perspective, this is quite a romance to see. most of your suitors soon become despondent because it appears that there’s already a winner, a king of the princess’ heart. the world seemingly revolving around the two of you as you both fit perfectly in each other’s arms as you two moved harmoniously with the melody of the orchestra. it warmed the hearts of the audience and most definitely, your parents. 

“what do you say if we,” you started, tracing the lines of his coat with your ringed fingers. “run away after this? just the two of us, go someplace where we can be alone together.”

his grip on your hands and waist grew tighter, matching the chuckle that lowly rumbled on his chest. he met your eyes once again. “i thought you’d never ask. i seem to be getting more drawn to you, princess.”

after a few minutes of dancing with him, the banquet started and the lot of you had feasted on the opulent food readied in the long dining tables of the grand hall. all the while you two kept exchanging glances and throwing smiles here and there.

once every noble was busy with their royal bullshit, you and kidd had taken the liberty to sneak outside the venue where the guards were gradually falling asleep. you, kidd, and his crew had taken care of knocking them unconscious in order to make it out of that hellhole. 

you two broke out of laughter as you got a good distance away from the palace, holding on your knees as you tried catching your breath and composing yourselves. he then pulled you closer by your waist as he leaned down, your noses brushing together and breaths touching each others’ lips. “c’mere and let me ki-”

“you pirates really think you can just head straight for the prize?” you put a finger between your lips and his. “come, let’s find a place more…intimate.” you winked at him, grabbing his hand and intertwining your fingers with his as you dragged him to a place of your liking. 

you two made your way to the local bathhouse where you used to relax with your friends from the village when you were a child. you were met with the landlady, one of your friends too, and looked at her with that knowing look. you placed your index finger atop your lips, signaling for her to stay quiet. she smiled at you mischievously, completely understanding what your plans were. 

you led him to one of the VIP rooms of the bathhouse and shut the door afterwards. “a bathhouse?” he asked, scanning the place.

“i’ve reserved the entire place, don’t worry.” you assured, taking off your mask and his simultaneously. “we can be as loud as we want here, captain.” you sultrily added, leaning closer to his ear as your hands moved across his body. 

“what a dirty thing for a princess to say, don’tcha think?” he replied, large hands lingering by your rear. “they’re probably wonderin’ where she is right now, hm?” he leaned down closer, hands traversing to the strings of your corset and precariously playing with them.

“let them.” you replied, your hands moving to where the buttons of his suit are. “i’m quite busy with more important things right now.”

“eh? like what?” he started, slowly undoing the knot of your corset. “fuckin’ a pirate?”

“oh shut up.” you discarded his upper garments, hands roaming the vastness of his toned torso. “clearly, you want me more than i want you.” he hummed in approval, finally crashing your lips together. 

he had you sat down on one of the sinks in the room with your legs wrapped around his waist, his lower half still clothed yet you can feel his member rubbing against you as he raised the skirt of your dress and pressed his crotch closer to yours. hums and moans emanating from both of your lips.

tucking a hair behind your ear, his rough hands held your jaw close to bury his tongue deeper in you. the span of his fingers holding your neck in place as he sucked on your lip, satisfied at the swollen and ruby result. 

you pulled on his hair from time to time, eliciting hums and growls of approval from him. your hands spanned across his broad back, marveling at the muscles and scars from his years of piracy. fingers gliding across his strong arms that gripped places that were sensitive from you,  your head tilting to where you can both fight for dominance in the kiss.

“have i ever told you,” he started, lips lingering by your ear and wandering down the column of your neck. “that my favorite color is red?” and just like that, your corset and overskirt was on the floor. the bastard haphazardly pulled the thing away after skillfully untying it.

“aren’t you skilled at taking clothes off!” you praised, smiling at him with your smudged lipstick. 

“you could say, i had tons of practice.” he replied, biting your lower lip.

“playboy.” you hopped off the sink, disappearing into the showers to wash up before jumping in the large tub that was dug down the rocky floors. “i seem to have gone away with a dangerous man.”

he followed shortly after, entering the same shower cubicle as you. the cold water torrenting down your bare bodies as you returned kisses with one another. his rough hands roaming the softness of your skin and each curve of your body, his hands and lips not leaving you and rendered you breathless. 

you pulled away, turning around. “look at me.” you raised his chin so you could have a good look at him. “you look like a prince yourself without the goggles and the make up, hm?” you placed a kiss on his cheek as you marveled at his bangs that had water dripping on its ends. it messily curtained his forehead and yellow eyes as the scarlet pigment contrasted his wintry skin. 

he looked away, cheeks heating up with your compliments and touch. but he bit back once more with a smug grin. “no way in hell i could be a prince, i’m a fuckin’ king, baby.” 

“alright alright, let me just appreciate how handsome you are, okay?” you held his face between your hands as you reached over to place a kiss at the corner of his lips. “what do you say we relax for a moment in the bath, hm?”

“relax means fuck, right?” he retorted, that usual grin back to his face. 

you bursted into laughter as you made your way to the wide bath, moaning at the relief of the water. he soon joined after you, reveling at the warmth of and tranquility of the bathwater. it had some rose petals floating on the aromatic water, scattered along with healing herbs. 

“i wish i could stay here forever with you, kidd.” you gazed towards him, soon standing up before him. 

he placed both of his hands on your hips as he studied and memorized how your body looks and relished his plans on how to ruin you. “we can do that,” he replied. “i’ll take you with me.”

you got settled down by his toned thighs, rigidly supporting your weight as you straddled his lap. he looked at you with so much desire as he scrutinized your body with his lips, placing wet kisses on each column and juncture of your torso. sucking on each of your mounds and taking his time nibbling on the bundle of nerves in between, ravaging moans out of you until you tug on his hair and scratch on his skin. he left visible marks on you from your jaw, across your neck, on the span of your chest, on the roundness of your breasts, and on the stretch of your stomach. he also took his time placing kisses on your fingers, particularly your knuckles up to your wrist where your pulse resides. 

he then pulled you closer by your hips, your core and his manhood rubbing against each other. he kneaded at the flesh on your rear as you also took your time in leaving hickeys at the wide span of his chest and neck. savoring the feeling of your lips on his skin as you get closer and closer to his member, “ready?” you mumbled, hands wrapping around his overwhelmingly prodigious length before you dip down the lukewarm bathwater. 

he licked his lips as he looked you down before softly holding your jaw and rubbing your lips with his thumb, “can you handle it, though?” his canines tugged at his lips as he grinned, haughtily looking down at you.

“you’ll be whining for more when i’m done with you, big guy.” you scoffed before finally dipping down and giving him the best head of his life. under the water, your gurgling sounds from gagging too much due to his girth and length drove him to the seventh heaven. he threw his head back, hands gripping either side of your head as he bucked his hips forward and felt the head of his length touch your throat mercilessly. he moaned in bliss as it chorused your name, relishing at how your nails dug by his hips and how bubbles rose from where you were submerged.

you finally emerged, trying to get some air as your chest heaved. “it felt fuckin’ surreal underwater, goddamn.” he welcomed you, “glad it didn’t kill ya.” he gave your rear a smack after you gave him a side glare. 

“it almost did!” you pouted and turned your back on him as you crossed your arms. he stood up as he laughed to himself, snaking his arms by your sides then up to your mounds. you squealed at the sudden warmth that played on your breasts, fiddling with the bundle of nerves on the middle. hot kisses also littered your neck as it traveled up your jaw. 

“can you stay mad at me, hm?” he nibbled at your ear, deep voice shaking you down to your core. “i’ll make it up to you real good, my lovely.” his hands slithered down your crevice, it throbbed at his touch.

his fingers slid in your core, two fingers already sending shockwaves coursing through your nerves. you could feel him rubbing his member at the cleft of your rear, stimulating you from front and back and driving you beyond your sanity. your knees felt numb, you would’ve fallen down to the ground if it weren’t for his hand on your core and the other was wrapped on your neck. 

“tell me,” he gruffly whispered. “ya still mad?” his fingers fervently rubbed you while his thumb stimulated your clit as it hazed all your senses. your eyes rolled at the back of your head as you clawed on his sinewy arms for support, struggling to keep yourself standing up at how your thighs shook amidst the arrival of your climax. all you could throw back was slurred words and continuous pleads that soon turned into desperate moans. “‘s what i thought.”

you panted heavily as you reached your climax, getting a hold of yourself as he sat you down on the space between his thighs on the wooden platform under the hot bath. all the while, comforting you with scattered kisses on your shoulders. his arms rested around your waist, placing his lips on your shivering skin as he seemingly can’t get enough of you. “what do ya think about bein’ queen of pirates, aye?”

“i’ve had enough of regality and its bullshit.” you huffed an annoyed sigh.  “but i wouldn’t mind if i’m with you.” you leaned closer to his neck, squirming under his touch near your sensitive areas.

“that’s pretty sweet of you, huh? this the princess package?” he placed a kiss on your cheek before nibbling on your ear.

“ah trust me, the princess in me is a version you wouldn’t want to experience.” you pressed his head further to your neck to feel more of his hot kisses.

“hm? i’d fuck the shit outta her then.” he licked a long trail on the column of your neck.

“let’s…” you started, trying to catch your breath. you turned around to face him, settling yourself on his lap once more. “go all the way.”

“cmon then.” he cocked a grin, “show me what you got.”

after rubbing his thick head on your crevice, you’re gradually adjusting to his staggering size. he leaned back and spread his arms by the sides of the rocks as he watched you fall into the abyss of delightful sin at how full you feel. you grabbed  on his shoulders for support as you bounced on his length, his hands fisting the flesh on your bum and guiding your movement. 

“you feel so fuckin’ good, my princess. such a fuckin’ whore for me.” he moaned, caressing the side of your face as he connected his lips with you. his arms wrapping around your waist as he thrusts his hips in chorus with yours, sending you to the ends of the earth at how desperate he was pounding into you. he buried his face between your breasts, engulfing his moans and biting at your sensitive spots..

each time he looked up at you he’ll see hearts in your eyes and savor how flushed your cheeks were. and each time you’d look down at him, he’d have this clouded look in his gaze where it seems that all he sees and hears is you. simultaneously chasing each other’s high, criminally fucking into each other as you two pursued climax after climaxes. not getting enough of each other and insatiably attracted to the feeling of being connected to one another. your core keeping his member warm and his member filling you up were the pleasures you two’d risk everything for. you’d wanted to do it all over again with him. 

and so you two did, professing love to one another through your carnal movements and whispering sweet and prurient somethings until the clock struck three and until your lower halves gave out. overstimulated and drunk on each other. bodies littered with bite marks, handprints, and kisses. that’s how you spent your night. 

you two snuck off once again, clothes loosely done as you made your way to the pier near his ship. you two plan on watching the sunrise, unbothered if someone else suspected the two of you. your hair had naturally dried, not caring if it’s styled or not. and so was kidd, his hair was loosely down and wasn’t in an updo. in your sincerest opinion, he looked more handsome that way.

 it was just an unspoken agreement that you two’d wait till sunrise and reveled each other’s embrace before parting again in the morning. hand in hand as they rested on his lap, your head settled on as his shoulders as he leaned back by a pillar to support the weight of both of you. 

“would you be delighted if i say i plan on joining you in that beautiful ship?” you suggested, observing the sea beneath your feet as they hang by the edge of the pier.

he perked up, looking at your face for any hint of insincerity. “ya really serious about that?!” his eyes shone in anticipation and excitement. “damn right i’d be hella delighted! fuck this kingdom, aye?”

you laughed a little. “fuck this kingdom.” you agreed, looking out the horizon as you watched the sun peeking and blinding you. you placed a hand above your line of sight to shield the light and watch the beauty of the sunrise. 

only to be scooped up by the palace guards and watch kidd be taken away from you as they knocked him down to the ground. it all happened too fast as you got farther and farther away from the man you spent the night with. he watched you disappear into the palace with a scornful glint in his eyes, reaching over with his face planted to the ground. you both screamed each other’s name, trying to break free from the strong restraints of the knights. 

“you are to be locked in your room until you learn your lesson!” your father announced harshly, “i am very disappointed in you, name. you’ve put our family’s name in disgrace!” 

“i couldn’t care less about the family’s name and whatever bullshit royalty! that’s all you two ever cared about! did you two actually care about me?! if i wanted to be a princess and marry a hooligan i don’t even know just because he can make our economy better?!” you bit back, tears streaming down your face as you poured out all your resent. your parents gasping at your language and boldness. “so tell me! w-what about him?! what will you do with him?!” 

“that man has done further damage to the palace and to you. he has bewitched you! such a feat only pirates can make!” 

“speak more ill of him and i swear, you two will have no heir to the throne much less a daughter!” the room felt grim and you see the horror in your parents’ eyes.  “in the short time that we’d met, he had been there more than you two could ever be in the two decades that i’ve lived!”

the room went silent.

“he’ll be rotting in the dungeon, awaiting his beheading. and you can’t do anything to stop it.” your parents stormed out the room after their verdict, you knelt to the floor in defeat, screaming to the ceiling at the cruel turn of events.

but you weren’t one to just stand by when your dream was about to be taken from you. as a child, you’ve explored every nook and cranny of the castle as you itched for adventure you couldn't keep still on your feet. no secret passageways are foreign to you. so you made your way to the passages among the castle walls. it was a dusty and skimpy trip but you were tunnel visioning right now, all that mattered was getting him out and leaving this rotten kingdom. 

you finally reached the dungeons where the knights are lazily guarding their sole prisoner. he caught sight of you and immediately livened up, you motioned for him to stay quiet as you took care of the knights by hitting them in a particular area of their neck and knocking them unconscious. 

“that was hot.” he remarked but you shushed him.

“no time for that! let’s get you out of here and sail away!”

“h-hold on!” the panic and hesitation in his demeanor was evident. he was not that usual haughty eustass kidd you’ve gotten to love. “are you really sure you want to sail away? with someone like me?”

“you ain’t deaf, aren’t you?!”

“a-aren’t you… scared of me?” he looked away bashfully, biting at his lips. 

you bursted into laughter. “what makes you say that, you silly fuck?”

he met your eyes, savoring the melody of your laughter. “all i’ve done was kill, pillage, and repeat. never in my life have i fuckin’ loved someone, and it’s scarin’ me how much i feel for you.” you noticed how his eyes got glassy and how his voice wavered. 

“look at me, eustass.” you held his face as your arms went past the holes between the bars. “i’ve seen how you are and i love everything about you. the fact that you came back for me is enough reason for me to know that you’re just as crazy for me as i am for you. a night with you had taught me more love than all my parents would’ve in my twenty years of existence.” tears streamed down your face as you announced your passion to him. it pleased you at how his expression softened with how he shut his eyes and leaned on your touch. “but, i have never loved someone too, what do you say we figure this shit called love together?”

his heart felt tight in that last bit, it was a found feeling he always experiences with you. with your words, all fear brimming in him  was instantly eradicated. to him, getting saved felt like outright vulnerability. and you’d expect kidd to not take that well knowing his nature, but something about the way you took the reigns and knew exactly what to do to escape made him feel hot and wanting for more of it. how you cleared his head and arranged it for him. or how you’d punt the shit outta those guards that he’d hoped you’d be so kind to give him a demo. and how you came back for him when all hope was lost. perhaps a new version of himself was discovered.

once you had opened his dungeon doors, all he could do was scoop you up by his arms and give you the deepest kiss. his grip tightening around you as you buried yourself deep inside his lips. it was just a few hours yet he managed to long for your lips and be in such misery without you. 

as you two made your escape, you couldn’t care less whether you get caught because kidd was no less stronger than each and everyone of your knights. the greatest knight you could ask for. he amassed metals and pummeled each one who dared cross your ways as you both exited the palace and made your way to the pier where his crewmates waited. he hoisted you up with his ability, a firm grip on your waist as he lifted you up like you weigh nothing. 

“got a pretty big treasure, captain?” one of his men greeted, smiling at the two of you as he unfurled the sails.

“hell yeah.” he gave you a kiss at the top of your forehead before raising your chin with his index finger and giving you a deep peck. “she’s quite the catch.”

idk why this took so long but yes more aus with kidd! these are so much fun to make uwu

[cecropiacrown]

>:3c for the drabble prompts! courting for fengqing <3

Thank you for the ask! Idk how to write anything short so here's this: 1.7k Words Canonverse Soft and sweet <3 And now on ao3!

The two martial gods of the south descended to the mortal realm late this morning and made their way to the bustling village of Qinyuan that lies squarely along the border of their territories. They descended—of course—to gauge the well-being of their followers by attending a festival celebrating the end of the harvest season.

It's imperative to keep a close watch on such matters, as two gods as experienced as Nan Yang and Xuan Zhen are sure to know. But it's especially important now considering that, in recent months, there has been a shift in the interactions between their followers—a truce of sorts.

As it always has, the relationship between their followers seems to very closely resemble the relationship between the gods themselves—and nowadays, their relationship is more amicable than ever.

Things have improved so much that, at Mu Qing's last count, there are now eight temples that have been erected and dedicated to both generals simultaneously.

And, perhaps, this truce amongst their followers may have coincided with the beginning of general Nan Yang and general Xuan Zhen's... courtship… but who's to say? Regardless, neither god will admit whether either of them had a hand in the whole dual temple business.

It's just a simple observation that every single one of the new statues depicting the gods within these temples are immaculately detailed—down to every last beauty mark on general Xuan Zhen's face and every smile line accentuating general Nan Yang's eyes. But that's neither here nor there.

At this point, the harvest festival must have ended a sichen ago, but the two gods still find themselves in the mortal realm as the purple dusk of evening creeps along the edge of the horizon. A cool breeze sweeps in from across the swaying waters of the nearby lake and brings a light, rosy color to Mu Qing's cheeks.

They are in their Fu Yao and Nan Feng forms tonight—their preferred disguises when visiting the mortal realm—and they walk very closely together, their arms nearly touching as they follow the dirt path that leads away from the village. Mu Qing fills the silence of the night with a quiet recounting of a recent upper court meeting Feng Xin was absent for and Feng Xin dutifully listens, munching on the last of his tanghulu.

They have made many trips such as this one—attending festivals like they've done today, or perusing night markets for unique wares, or simply patroning popular tea houses and restaurants—all on the pretense of 'official heavenly business'.

Ah, but they both know that the time they've been spending together is so much more than just that.

Outings, one could call them.

Romantic ones.

Mu Qing walks with his arms tucked politely within his sleeves and expertly hides the shiver that runs through him as Feng Xin leads them off the path and towards the rocky shore. They step carefully down the gentle incline leading to the beach and their boots begin to sink a little more heavily into the softness of the sand.

While in these forms, Feng Xin is a bit taller and broader than Mu Qing and Mu Qing feels these differences viscerally.

A warm, large palm hovers there at the small of his back as they continue to walk and Mu Qing is suddenly quite thankful for the chilly evening as it's an easy excuse to explain away his flushed cheeks.

Feng Xin slows their pace as they approach an especially rocky section of beach. That large palm finally presses lightly along Mu Qing's lower back and the other hand is offered out to Mu Qing in a clear attempt to steady him. The gesture stokes a fire in Mu Qing's middle—flames curling along his belly and through his chest—molten heat licking its way along his neck until it settles atop his cheeks and the tips of his ears. He clicks his tongue disapprovingly and steadies himself, rolling his eyes even as he turns his burning face away from Feng Xin's view.

"I'm no fragile maiden," he says bitterly, swatting at Feng Xin's offered hand until the other man pulls it back with a sigh. "I'll have you know I'm perfectly capable of walking along some rocks without your assistance."

"I know that, Mu Qing."

"And yet you offered your hand anyway," Mu Qing retorts, huffing as if he's annoyed.

In reality he's having, yet another, inner battle with himself about why he has to be so exceedingly obstinate. They have been courting each other for several months now and yet, Mu Qing is still unable to accept a kindness when it is offered to him. Heaven knows it's frustrating for Mu Qing, so he can only imagine how frustrating it must be for Feng Xin. Frustrating enough that Mu Qing is certain their courtship is on the precipice of ruin—if only he could just—

"You're not a burden."

Mu Qing whips his face back in Feng Xin's direction, his eyes narrowed and his brows pinched as he looks up at the other man. Feng Xin stares down at him with a warm smile, expression completely earnest in only the way Feng Xin seems capable of. It makes Mu Qing melt even further and he quickly looks away, speeding up his pace just slightly as they continue to approach the outcropping of rocks lining a good stretch of the shore.

"Of course not," he mutters, earning a soft laugh from Feng Xin who trails close behind him. Where does the man get off saying such a thing? The absolute nerve—

"And you're not delicate."

"Obviously."

"You could pummel my ass into the ground right this moment if you chose to." Feng Xin easily catches up with Mu Qing, their steps quickly falling into rhythm with one another. "And with your fast reflexes, I'd be unable to do much else than simply accept my fate. We both know that, Mu Qing."

Mu Qing is loath to agree with Feng Xin in his current state, but he can't deny the truth so he nods as they shuffle their way along the increasingly uneven beach.

"I admire your fierceness—your tenacity—it's one of the things that first drew me to you back in Xianle."

Mu Qing scoffs, side-stepping around a grouping of rocks that have formed a small crater where a large puddle of rain water has pooled. They have just reached the large, flat-topped boulder they've been trying to get to when Feng Xin's hand gently circles Mu Qing's wrist and prevents him from climbing up onto it.

Mu Qing turns with every intention of arguing, but looking up into those warm, honeyed eyes has him quieting in an instant. That smile—overflowing with loving warmth and devotion—should never be aimed at the likes of Mu Qing. His heart pounds in his chest, rattling incessantly in his ears, and despite his trepidation, he finds he can't possibly tear himself away from Feng Xin again.

The fingers encircling his wrist loosen just enough to ghost over his palm and then his hand is being engulfed in both of Feng Xin's own large ones. He is squeezed firmly as if to remind him he is present in this moment and, unthinkingly, he tries to squeeze back. When Feng Xin speaks again, his voice is lower—hushed like the wind as it coaxes the gentle waves of the lake against the shore.

"The soft and quiet personal attendant of the crown prince out in the training yard after dark, practicing his sword forms with a broom… what a sight he was." Feng Xin laughs fondly, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes, and Mu Qing's face goes red in an instant. Well, there goes his ability to save any face; how humiliating.

"All that fire hidden away behind this elegant" Feng Xin leans forward, letting go of Mu Qing's hand so he can brush the backs of his fingers along his cheek instead, "and—frankly—criminally beautiful face." Mu Qing swallows as Feng Xin delicately tucks a loose strand of hair behind his ear. "I was smitten from the very start—I was just fucking stupid about it for several centuries."

They've already talked about such things when Feng Xin originally asked to court Mu Qing all those months ago, so Mu Qing can't possibly understand why such an embarrassing topic needs to brought up yet again—

"So, yes," Feng Xin says decidedly, leading his hand to its rightful place at the small of Mu Qing's back—and Mu Qing lets him—"you are more than capable of walking along a rocky beach all on your own." Mu Qing takes a breath, feeling small and vulnerable in a way that makes him want to run, but he plants his feet firmly in the wet sand and keeps his face tilted up towards the beautiful southern sun.

"But you don't have to. I'm here now."

A sharp breath in through his nose—a shaky exhale puffed out between barely parted lips—Mu Qing is shivering and he can't stop. Feng Xin presses close, offering his other hand to Mu Qing as he grounds the man with a firm touch along his back.

"I offer to help because I care for you, I admire you, and I respect you, Mu Qing—and that's all." Feng Xin's smile widens as Mu Qing tentatively places his shaking hand onto Feng Xin's offered palm.

"No hidden agendas," Feng Xin whispers, giving Mu Qing's hand a reaffirming squeeze as he guides him up onto the rock. "No belief that you're less-than or undeserving. It's just out of love for you—plain and simple."

Mu Qing settles onto his bottom, scooting back a bit further onto the rock as he stares down at his one and only god—his friend—his Feng Xin. He wills his heart to calm, though he knows it's an impossible task, and stretches his hand out to Feng Xin before he can think better of it.

Feng Xin looks at the offered hand and then back up to Mu Qing's face, something tender and reverent shining in his eyes, and takes Mu Qing's hand without question.

"Plain and simple," Mu Qing repeats, pulling Feng Xin up onto the rock with him and finding he doesn't mind the way their hands stay linked even after Feng Xin has settled.

They spend the rest of the evening watching the sky change colors in the reflection of the lake—gentle kisses and soft breaths exchanged between them like a vow—and don't return to heaven until dawn.

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

Wakamiya and Yukiya, Episode 11, The Loyal Retainer

You made me sound special. (Yukiya)

It irked me a tad bit after reading a comment—I don’t recall which social media platform was it—criticising Yukiya due to the brothers’ betrayal saying that it was an overreaction. Imagine this: your real mother is dead, the mother that you know is your stepmother, your own father out of preserving the family’s status quo contemplated on opening the adoption for you, your mother’s side of the family is using you for political manoeuvres. Then come along the powerful brothers from the main family to use you bc your grandfather is the lord of the North after the younger man told you why it couldn’t be anyone but you as his right-hand man. For years you’ve learned to toughen up yourself, prep up your big brother, make yourself small, create this reputation that you are a fool and without an ambition, but in the long run you are an actual 14-year-old who only cares about his family and his village, and lastly, develop pride for yourself for what you have accomplished because you know your worth not bc of the blood that runs in your veins.

I need you. (Wakamiya)

So I understood fully Yukiya’s anger when he thought he was chosen bc he thought he was… seen and understood. From the Crown Prince nonetheless, and not because of his connection to the Northern House. At the end of the day, the brothers Lord Natsuka and Wakamiya have to think politically, strategically, whether they like it or not. In order to achieve something, alliances—not through marriage bc they’ve seen how destructive that is (think about what happened to their mothers, of the first a power-hungry woman and the other was murdered)—have to be made. What better than aligning yourself with The North as it is the powerhouse of a military. Yukiya’s grandfather is a warrior and so are the male inhabitants there. They supply the soldiers in the Center. Yukiya is beyond this bc in the first place he doesn’t want anything to do with it. But the brothers have to think how to go forward while eliminating the naysayers in the government and within their relatives.

And I don’t know why, but saying “I need you” seems to be not enough to cut it? This is an aristocrat who’s used to manipulation, poisons, and people trying to assassinate him like it is an everyday occurrence. He’s seen the outside world, knows his preternatural powers, he’s also learned to using convincing words to move people. And this time against a teenaged raven, who only wants simple things: to defend his family’s honor and protect his hometown from pesky noblemen from the Centre.

Show him more, Wakamiya. Show Yukiya what he’s capable of because he can.

PS: This is an analysis on anime Yukiya (just to make it clear)

[renegadeontherunn]

hi have a snippet of a wip i keep telling myself to finish before i share but i wanna share it sooooo bad so HERE (you get no context)

Obi-Wan knows it's preposterous to hate the man who's trying to save his village from pirates more than the actual pirates themselves, but when he sees the bounty hunter leaned against one of the barns or walking through the village center, he can't help but glare.

It’s not his fault, he decides. Really. It’s just that as soon as the man landed his (rather shoddy) ship on the edge of the village, Obi-Wan knew there was something suspicious about him. Something to be wary of. Something potentially dangerous. At least the pirates had made their intentions crystal clear. This bounty hunter . . . he wasn’t so sure. But when he’d quietly brought it up to Runa the other night, he’d told Obi-Wan to stop being so paranoid.

“Or maybe it’s another one of those prophetic dreams,” Runa said with his eyebrows raised in mocking.

Obi-Wan glowered. “I never said they were prophetic, Runa. Just strange.” Ashla called him then, with an accompanying question about dinner. “Never mind. Goodnight.” 

He hasn’t told Ashla anything. She’s only fifteen; old enough to help Obi-Wan teach at the school, but she’s still young. And, he thinks with a familiar swirl of warmth in his chest, she’s still his daughter. Which means he gets the final say, though he knows it’s a delicate balance between protecting her without being stifling and letting her flourish into her own person knowing she still has so much to learn. 

So Obi-Wan keeps the rest of his thoughts to himself. He’ll just have to be careful, is all. Keep an eye on—

“Ani, was it?”

The man turns, a slight smirk on his face. “So I’ve been told.”

Obi-Wan forces a polite chuckle. “I understand you’ve been doing this for quite some time, but might I ask after your plan for eradicating these pirates?” Always scope out a potential threat before engaging; or so his father drilled into him. He tries to teach Ashla this, but she tends to think with her fists before her head. 

“My plan?” The bounty hunter—Ani—rubs the back of his neck. Obi-Wan raises a brow.  “Right.  Does . . . killing them work for you?”

“That’s your plan? Just . . . kill them?”

Ani straightens. “You got a better one?”

Obi-Wan huffs. “Surely, any plan at all is better than none.”

“I just told you my plan.”

“That is not a plan. That’s barely even a goal. How exactly do you expect to succeed if you don’t know how you’re going to do so? Perhaps you should ask some of us. We know the area, and the pirates, best.”

“Thanks for the suggestion, but who’s the bounty hunter here? With years of experience? Because last I checked, it wasn’t you.” Ani turns, striding back toward his ship.

Obi-Wan’s tight-lipped smile drops. “Excuse me? Is this how you treat the people you’re supposedly trying to help? Because if so—” They both stop short at the sight of Ashla laid beneath the hull of Ani’s ship.

“Hey!” Ani calls, dirt misting up under his running feet, Obi-Wan just behind. “Are you trying to rob me?”

Ashla hauls herself out from under the ship and jumps up. “I was just—” Ani grabs her arm and pulls her away. “Hey! Let go!” She aims a swing straight for his face, but he ducks out of the way, so she knees him in the—well, Obi-Wan has at least enough sympathy to wince.

As Ani folds and stumbles back against the ship, Ashla turns and sees Obi-Wan. “Dad!” Obi-Wan looks pointedly at Ani. “Oh, sorry, I should’ve—sorry,” she says to Ani even as she jogs over to stand beside Obi-Wan. “Did I do the thing again?” she whispers. 

Obi-Wan sighs, trying to tamp down his fondness. “Oh, you mean the reckless punch first, ask questions later thing? That thing?” Ashla laughs. “Why, now that you mention it, yes, I think you may have.”

Ani finally recovers himself and storms over to them, face red. Obi-Wan prepares himself to apologize on Ashla’s behalf. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Ani towers over them both. Ashla sobers. “First you try to rob me, then—”

“I wasn’t robbing you! I was just checking out your ship. It’s a class BH-2 picket ship, right?”

Ani looks at Obi-Wan, then back at Ashla. “How’d you know?”

Ashla just shrugs. “You know, you should switch out the engine for a skipper’s, if you want to upgrade it.” Ani’s brows raise. “What? If you know your stuff, you’ll know I’m right. Skippers are like the fastest in the galaxy.”

“You got one of those here?” he asks. Obi-Wan’s surprised at the change of tone. Ashla nods enthusiastically.

“Yeah! One of the pirates had a skipper, but they crashed it on the south bank when they landed. I’m not positive the engine is still functional, but there’s a chance. If you want to go look at it, give me a shout.” Woah, what?

Ani laughs, clearly warming up to her. “I might actually take you up on that. I’m Ani.” He holds out a hand. A mechanical hand.

“Ashla.”

He eyes her. “Your hand-to-hand isn’t half bad, you know. I’m surprised you haven’t taken out the pirates already; you guys might not even need me.” Ani gestures to Obi-Wan. “Oh, uh, I didn’t catch your name.”

“Obi-Wan,” he replies. He opens his hand, palm up, in the traditional greeting of Bridhe. So old fashioned, Ashla always calls him, but tradition is important. He takes a breath, ready to instruct Ani on how to respond, but Ani places his hand on top of Obi-Wan’s and looks down—respectfully, perfectly. Obi-Wan blinks in surprise and lets go. Ashla’s face brightens.

“How’d you know how to do that?” She leans forward. “Your look was really good! It took me months to get it right! Who taught you? Have you been here before?”

Obi-Wan puts a hand on her shoulder. “Take a breath, dear. There’ll be time for all your questions.” He looks back at Ani. “How did you know? I’ve yet to meet an off-worlder that did.”

Ani shrugs, that smirk back on his face. “With a job like mine, you get around. It usually pays to know some of the customs.”

“Oh.” Obi-Wan would be lying if he said he wasn’t impressed. “Well, thank you. And yes, Ashla certainly gets into her fair share of brawls. I think we’re all a little shocked she hasn’t run toward the pirates head-first.” 

Ashla gives him a purposely proud look. Obi-Wan rolls his eyes and tugs on one of her braids. He’d done a poor job of them this morning, it seemed. The flowers have already fallen out. 

“A little fighting never hurt anyone,” Ani replies easily. “The way I see it—”

“Where else have you been?” Ashla interrupts.

“Ashla.” 

Ani waves a hand. “I’ve picked my way through pretty much the entire Mid-Rim, plus a few Outer Rim worlds.” A hard look passes over his face, but it’s gone just as fast. Ashla’s eyes are wide. 

“Woah,” she says. “I’ve never even been off Bridhe.”

“Really?” Obi-Wan can’t tell if Ani’s just being polite—unlikely—or if he’s actually invested in this conversation—surprising. “How do you know so much about ships?”

“I’ve always wanted to learn to fly. Reading books about it just isn’t the same, no matter what my dad says.”

Obi-Wan scoffs. 

Ani gets an adventurous look in his eye. “Well, we’ll have to change that, won’t we? Maybe once these pirates are dealt with, I can teach you a thing or two about flying.” 

“Really?” Ashla has never looked so excited in her life, and that’s saying something. “Come on, I’ll show you the skipper!”

Before Obi-Wan can process what’s happening, or more importantly, object, they’re already halfway across the square, Ashla skipping eagerly next to Ani’s easy stride. Obi-Wan hears her laugh, the sound loud and bright against the honeyed sky, and then a faint whirring of speeder engines zipping down the hill, and an icy pick stings his spine. He sees the first pirate, skidding down through the grass, as her blaster aims almost carelessly on his daughter.

“Ashla!” Obi-Wan screams, panic choking his throat, alarms in his head shrieking loud enough to drown out the pounding of his feet on the path.

Time melts to syrup as he lurches for his daughter, too far away to do anything, horror pushing him forward too slow, too slow—

Ani’s head whips up and the shot is fired just as he grabs Ashla around the waist and they both plummet to the ground, shielded behind the boulder that serves as their well marker. But Obi-Wan doesn’t stop running until his knees hit the ground next to them and his hands are on Ashla’s shaking shoulders. “Are you alright?” he demands, voice harsh with residual fear. “Are you hurt?” 

Ashla blinks and shakes her head, the movement jerky as her hands grip Obi-Wan’s robes. “I’m okay.” He pulls her into a hug, his chin resting on its usual spot on the top of her head. He lets go when the shouting behind him grows louder, and he realizes Ani is no longer beside them. “Stay here.”

Obi-Wan’s staff is worn in his hands, but his first two hits knock a pirate off their speeder and into unconsciousness. Something bumps against his back and a blaster pistol is shoved into his hands. He looks up to Ani’s face, still smirking even as shots and screams blur the air around them. “Know how to use it?”

Instead of answering, Obi-Wan fires at a pirate that would’ve taken Ani’s head off. Ani laughs, the sound like rolling thunder. They stand back to back, fighting as one while more and more pirates come over the hill, and more and more pirates fall. Obi-Wan catches Runa and T’alik smacking raiders to the ground with their staffs, and Lihana ushering people into one of the barns for cover. 

It’s almost too easy, Obi-Wan thinks as he and Ani rush for the square’s edge. Without speaking, somehow just knowing, Obi-Wan takes the left while Ani takes the right, and they work in quick tandem to drive away the remaining raiders. 

When the pirates have all fled back to wherever it is they’re hiding out, Obi-Wan and Ani look at each other. He looks as surprised as Obi-Wan feels.

“How did—I mean that was—” Ani huffs a laugh. “Looks like we make a good team.”

Obi-Wan knows what he’s really saying, can hear the silent question in his voice. Something is off—but also feels so . . . right? But that will have to wait. Ashla first. Obi-Wan turns and runs back to where she’s standing—far from the well marker—wiping blood off her knuckles. Of course she hadn’t stayed put. He scoops her up in a tight hug, breathing a sigh of relief as her own arms wrap around him. “Are you alright?” he asks again. She nods into his shoulder. He makes eye contact with Ani past Ashla’s disheveled hair, and gives him a loaded look. Ashla pulls away, but keeps her hand in Obi-Wan’s. “Thank you,” he tells Ani gravely. 

Ani blinks. “Of course.” He looks at Ashla. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

He and Obi-Wan lock eyes once more, an almost-conversation passing between them. Obi-Wan clears his throat and tugs Ashla closer. Warm blood is dripping down her fingers. “We should go.”

Ani nods a bit too vigorously. “Right, yeah, of course. I’ll go . . . make sure no one else is hurt.” 

They turn away, Obi-Wan already fussing over Ashla’s hands. He decides to think about what happened today later. Or even better, never again.

—

Obi-Wan thinks Ashla might burst with her contained excitement.

“Wow!”

Ani looks downright smug. They’re standing in the cockpit of his ship, Ashla’s hands running reverently across the console. Ani said he’d help her get some “hands on experience” with real ships—Obi-Wan just hopes that doesn’t mean actual flying. 

Ashla’s face is bright with a wide smile. “This is incredible! You know, I’ve read so much about these, but it’s totally different when you’re actually in a real starship. I can’t believe this is yours.” She turns in a slow circle, eyes darting all around. “Is R2 in here?”

Ani’s face twitches. “Who?”

Ashla looks at him, then at Obi-Wan. “What?” She blinks and gives a small, confused laugh. Obi-Wan’s brows furrow as she fidgets with the tie of one of her braids. “Oh. Never mind.” She laughs again, strained. “It’s nothing.” She turns back to the viewport. 

“Right,” Ani says slowly. “Well, anyway, I should get to bed. Got a long day of flight lessons tomorrow, right Ashla?”

They say their goodbyes and part.

Obi-Wan and Ashla walk back home in comfortable silence as the sage sky deepens to emerald. The floor is warm when they slip their shoes off, and Obi-Wan contemplates if there’ll need to be satin sip tea involved in the evening routine. Ashla is twisting her hands together, a habit she got from him, and hovering outside her bedroom door.

“Is everything alright, my dear?” Obi-Wan asks, tone lightly inquisitive, eyes on the counter to lessen it even more.

Ashla runs her hand down the length of one braid. Obi-Wan nods to himself—a small smile cresting—and makes the tea. There’s a murmur in the back of his mind telling him that something is about to happen, and, as he always says, there’s nothing a conversation over tea can’t fix. Ashla is already moving toward the low table on the rug, bottom lip now the victim of her teeth.

She sits stiffly, gently untying her braids, though her hands seem restless. Obi-Wan busies himself with the tea, humming quietly as he moves about the kitchen.

Ashla is finished by the time he places a steaming mug in front of her, deciding he’ll go for a casual approach. “What is it?” he asks, taking a seat across the table from her, folding his legs beneath him on the soft carpet. Ashla immediately takes a sip of her tea; Obi-Wan holds back a sigh. No matter how many times she burns her tongue—

She huffs at the taste of the tea and smiles. “It’s not anything satin sip level, Dad.” Obi-Wan just smiles back. She sighs. “Do you feel like things are . . . not right?”

That’s certainly a new one. “What do you mean?”

“Like everything is fine, but something is off.” She bites her lip again. “Like that time we went to the market with Lihana—do you remember—when those merchants—or like . . . like when you came home and I had moved all the furniture a few inches to the left? And you didn’t notice at first but then you kept bumping your side on the couch edge?” Her words are tumbling, clumsy coming out of her mouth. “It’s like that, but . . . with everything.” She groans. “That probably makes no sense.” 

Obi-Wan’s hand comes up to his chin. “I can’t say I’ve noticed what you’re describing.” Ashla drops her head onto the table. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

“Really?” Ashla raises her head, looking so relieved Obi-Wan wonders how long she’s been thinking about this. “Because I feel like I’m going crazy.” She scooches closer to him. “Honestly, I think it all started when Ani got here.”

“I see.” Obi-Wan’s heart thumps in his chest. Ani’s only been here a few days and they’ve both noticed something strange. Fear skims up Obi-Wan’s neck. “We’ll have to keep an eye out for anything else.” He looks at his daughter, knowing that if anything happened to her—“And thank you. For confiding in me your concerns.”

Ashla gives him a look, then punches him lightly in the arm. “Duh,” she says in a way so Ashla, it dissolves the tension in the air immediately. She stands to get ready for bed, picking up her tea. “I’ll let you know if I figure out a better way to describe it. It’s almost like deja vu.” She shrugs, then leans down to kiss Obi-Wan’s temple. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, my dear.”

Her green-painted door closes with a soft click and Obi-Wan is left in the amber light of their living room with nothing but swirling questions and no answers.

The pirates don’t return for several days. Life flows on as usual; warm mornings break, the noon sun watches the daily chores, night drops a blanket over their little town. Ashla continues her schooling, Obi-Wan his teaching. Ani mostly keeps to himself, though Obi-Wan often sees him drifting in and out of the square helping on odd jobs. It’s normal. It’s nice.

Which is how Obi-Wan knows something bad is coming.

[kalpasio]

Beauty and Decimation

Things Go Well Until They Don't

A Kalpas x Reader fic loosely based on Beauty and the Beast, Chapter 3 below!

Honkai never had a particularly strong presence in your village. The reason as to why seems clear now. Nearly every night, Kalpas goes out. At first you thought he enjoyed walks, or perhaps the curse drew Honkai beasts to his home; but as Su put it, the prince still clung to his destructive ways. Even if that was what got them in this mess in the first place. Any fight was started by him. Not the creatures outside.

Occasionally, Sakura or Elysia (and sometimes even Mobius) would join him on the outing, but it was more to keep Kalpas from destroying the forest rather than to keep him safe. In the month that you had stayed here, you had only seen him return injured once. That was also the first time he voluntarily spoke to you.

It was to tell you to get out of his way, but that still counted, right?

Eden would clean up his wounds, while Hua (who you still haven’t met) would clean the blood from the halls.

Even though you shared all your meals together, it wasn’t until the second month a proper conversation was struck up. To your surprise, Kalpas asked if the castle was to your liking. Shock kept you silent until you heard an unhappy grumble come from the other end of the table.

“Truly, you have a lovely home!” The halls could be crawling with spiders, and you would have declared this the most wonderful place in the world. Anything to keep from angering your host.

“You haven’t left your room,” he pointed out the one fact that you’d hoped he wouldn’t notice.

Leaving the room felt like a gamble. You could win the bet, run into Eden or Sakura and enjoy a lovely conversation. Or you could lose and run into Mobius or the beast. It hardly seemed worth it at this point, though you were well aware the number of books in your room that had yet to be read was dwindling.

More than once, you had thought of sneaking to the kitchen for a snack or tea, but every time, Kalpas’ mask would appear in your mind like an omen of what would happen, should you stray too far.

“Your servants take such good care of me, I have little reason to,” you gave a polite smile, hoping your excuse would be accepted.

“Elysia may dote on you, but that is hardly enough to distinguish you from a prisoner.” The prince—you had learned—hardly ever spoke in a tone that could not be considered a growl. Knowing this still didn’t make you feel any better.

“I greatly appreciate your hospitality; I do not wish to presume you are willing to offer more.” You were spouting nonsense at this point, though the sentiment held true. The time you spent in the castle was remarkable, even if you rarely strayed from your room.

All of your clothes must have come from the wardrobes of nobles, each piece fit as though custom made for you, and there was no shortage to choose from. After a week of not understanding the complexities of the bathroom, you had given up and decided to simply enjoy the inexplicable features to their fullest. You had been spoiled and returning home at this point seemed impossible. Not only would it mean a drastic change in lifestyle, but you were positive the town thought you dead you’re your neighbors didn’t take kindly to ghosts.

“The world never asks before it takes; why should you?” Kalpas was being oddly philosophical, but you understood the point he was trying to make. Not that you necessarily agreed with it. “If you do not leave your room by choice, I will drag you out of it.” That was a threat you fully believed he intended to follow through on.

Unfortunately, you did not realize quite how short the window for you to leave by choice would be.

Not even forty-eight hours later, he was throwing you over his shoulder and marching down the halls. When you were returned to your feet, you found yourself in the middle of a courtyard. Sakura and Rin were pouring tea and setting little cakes on a tray underneath the shade of a gazebo. The whole scene screamed ‘Elysia’ but she had yet to make an appearance.

Kalpas refused to take his mask off to enjoy the treats with you, but he remained seated across from you (looking annoyed, like he’d been placed in time out) until the tea had gone cold and Elysia announced that lunch was ready inside.

Chats with the prince usually consisted of him recounting a battle—whether it be from the night before or decades ago—while you chimed in about life in your village. He never failed to make a disgusted face you could sense even through the mask. Hearing how mundane your existence had been appeared to only inspire him to change your habits.

Where you used to take short walks around the castle’s gardens, Kalpas would insist upon horseback rides that lasted hours across the entire property. After his late-night fights, you were now expected to stay awake until his return so he could regale you with all the details. The only moment of peace he allowed you to retain was the hours spent in the library.

After the courtyard, this was the second part of the castle you visited. It had taken Kalpas a few weeks to figure out where you had disappeared to (no thanks to Elysia). He burst through the doors so loudly the first time, you nearly threw your book in the air and fell off the couch. Now, when he joins you, he’s much more subtle, though you could hardly say he’s quiet. The two of you will share a couch and simply enjoy the time spent together.

Sometimes the prince will read his own book, surprising you with how careful he is to not singe or tear any of the pages. Other days, he will bring his whetstone and you find yourself transfixed by how diligently he sharpens his knives until they can cut through beasts as easily as they do through air.

One day, after a couple of hours reading in the library, you had fallen asleep. This wasn’t uncommon; on multiple occasions, Sakura or Eden would cover you with a blanket or you’d awake to find another resident of the castle (usually Kalpas or Rin) waiting next to you. The prince was surprisingly good—by his standards—at keeping quiet while you were trying to focus or rest. It still didn’t take much to rile him up, however, and that was what happened today.

Apparently, Kalpas had entered the library shortly after sleep overcame you. His natural body heat only lulled you into a deeper sleep, meaning you didn’t even notice when Mobius joined the two of you. What roused you was her furious shushing after Kalpas grew too loud. To no one’s surprise, it had no effect, and the yelling continued. You managed to fake your continued rest and overhear the rather noisy conversation.

“We only have one year Kalpas,” Mobius’ voice had lost all hint of teasing, the harshness of it sending shivers down your spine. “How you’ve gone this long without warming up to any of us, I’ll never understand--”

“You make it too easy to hate you,” he growled back, the rumble in his chest vibrating through the couch you laid on.

“Well, now there’s someone new. We’ve spent too much time together to ever get along, and you’ve wasted too much time to be picky about who you use to break the curse.”

Your heart froze for a moment. What did she mean by use? Were you about to become some unwitting sacrifice?

“This is none of your business.”

“Oh?” Mobius sneered, “Really? You think you’re the only one suffering?” Kalpas remained silent but you could feel him getting hotter next to you. “Doing this your way has gotten us exactly nowhere. Your options are to give in to Aponia or do it my way.”

The sound of heels on carpet marked her exit, but the bitterness Mobius brought still lingered in the air. Before you had a chance to say anything, Kalpas was up and had left the room as well. That left just you and your thoughts in the overwhelming silence of the library.

Su had said Kalpas needed to find someone he truly cares about in order to break the curse. That may be true, but Mobius seemed to have a different theory, and you didn’t think getting involved in any of her plans would end well. ‘Giving in to Aponia’ likely meant accepting the curse permanently, never leaving the castle, and never being able to move on from this exact moment in time. It was certainly a horrible fate, but you weren’t willing to die to remedy the situation.

As open as everyone had become with you, there was no doubt in your mind that they still held several secrets close to their chests. Trusting them so blindly had been a mistake. It was clear now that the only reason they were so kind to you was because you were a means to an end. You needed to get out of this place before that wasn’t an option.

Escaping had not gone well.

Kosma supposedly guarded the castle—though you doubted Kalpas left him many enemies to guard against. Your first time meeting him was when he pushed your face into the ground with his knee pressing into your back. By the distant light cast from the castle’s windows, you could see the horns curling out from his head and you knew you’d been caught.

Now you sat in front of Kalpas.

Leaning back into his throne, legs spread and mask firmly in place, he truly fit the role of crown prince. His elbow rested on the right arm of the throne so his head could lean upon his fist. Sakura stood at attention to his right, prepared to strike, though the relaxed position of her ears said otherwise. Perched on the other arm of the throne, Elysia had one foot on the ground for balance, the other lazily swinging back and forth. Mobius seemed to be the only one interested in confronting you.

“Was our generosity not enough for you?” she asked, circling you like a snake around its prey. At the shake of your head, you could feel the coils tighten around you. “Then you must have grown tired of this place, surely?”

You could practically feel the scales pressing into your skin as she continued to pace in circles. “If not that, what could have possibly driven you to leave in such a hurry, little guest?” Mobius finally stopped in front of you, the look in her eyes all but spelling out ‘danger.’

“I don’t want to die,” you whispered, unsure of what more to say.

“Oh?” She feigned ignorance, clearly not understanding the meaning behind your words.

“I heard you in the library.” It sounded as though you were being choked, and very nearly felt like it too. Mobius’ glare pierced through you as she stopped in front of you, but you refused to meet her—or anyone else’s—eyes.

“Then you know how important it is that you play your part--”

“I won’t!” You shook your head twice before the feeling of nails digging into your cheek made you freeze.

“It’s not your choice little guest.” The harsh whisper and heartless eyes nearly brought you to tears.

“Mobius.” As cruel as her tone had been, this one word alone was worse.

Sakura now stood completely alert and Elysia’s carefree air had disappeared. Embers flared and rose from the throne behind Kalpas while the entire throne room grew hotter. For a brief second, the claws dug deeper into your cheeks, nearly drawing blood before releasing you so Mobius could turn to face her so-called master.

“Yes, my prince?” her voice was sickeningly sweet. Suddenly, it became clear that Elysia and Sakura were not there to protect Kalpas from you, but the other way around. Or so it would seem in Mobius’ case. He lunged at her with such speed you were shocked the two girls saw him move, let alone reacted quick enough to stop him. Between the both of them, they managed to wrestle him back while he struggled like a caged animal.

Mobius must not have realized the severity of her situation, because in the next breath, she was taunting him again. With the blazing flames surrounding the room, you couldn’t hear her. Seconds later, however, the flames grew hotter, to the point you could hardly breathe. Just before you passed out, you heard Kalpas shout, saw him break free, and all you could do was hope you wouldn’t be part of the casualty count.

Why do I always have Kalpas kidnap reader :( also KALPAS CAN'T READ. KALPAS CANNOT READ. HE JUST WANTS TO SIT NEXT TO READER AND KNOWS BETTER THAN TO JUST SIT THERE AND STARE INTO SPACE SO HE PRETENDS TO READ. Reader does not know this shhhh

[apocalypticavolition]

Let's (re)Read The Dragon Reborn! Chapter 37: Fires in Cairhien

This picture doesn't depict anything in the chapter, but it does depict things in the chapter several days before the chapter happens, more or less. Don't like it? Take up fanarting! And also beware of spoilers because I am addicted to them and am liable to tell you exactly how this whole series ends right under the Keep Reading, for kicks.

This chapter begins with the rising sun icon because our girls are in Cairhien.

A village was sliding past, or what had been a village once. Half the houses were only smoldering piles of rubble with chimneys sticking starkly out of the ruins. On the other houses, doors swung with the wind, and pieces of furniture, bits of clothing and houseware littered the dirt street, tumbled about as if thrown. Nothing living moved in the village except for one half-starved dog that ignored the passing ship as it trotted out of sight behind the toppled walls of what appeared to have been an inn.

The fact that the civil war is escalating to such scorched earth tactics shows how the social order in Carhien broke down long ago. They've been rotting from within for a long time - at least twenty years - and now it's festering in the open. The grand contraction of humankind continues; without the coming political upheavals, I think Cairhien would have been the next nation that vanished off of the map.

She vowed to learn at least some of what it was they were doing; she did not like feeling ignorant.

Even in a setting where the people around her aren't practicing a skillset that will ever be relevant to her, Egwene wants to learn. Pirate!Egwene AU when?

Andoran soldiers do hold a few towns on the Cairhienin side.

An early echo of the ultimate merger between Andor and Cairhien, this one - and of course another way it's easy to see how Cairhien might have faded away entirely, with everything in their heartlands irrelevant and their towns on the trade network absorbed into an Andor that is itself a generation or two away from admitting to the world that it has no real authority west of Whitebridge.

Trees that made flowers in the spring had them, tiny white blossoms on snowberry and bright red sugarberry. One tree she did not know was covered in round white flowers bigger than her two hands together. Occasionally a climbing wild-rose put swaths of yellow or white through branches thick with the green of leaves and the red of new growth. It was all too sharp a contrast to the ashes and rubble to be entirely pleasant.

Egwene is already too drawn into the current White Tower-centric order of the world to be comforted by the truth of the fact that its inevitable breaking is just making way for new things to grow.

In one dream he had been on a huge stones board, the black and white stones as big as boulders, and him dodging the monstrous hands that moved them and seemed to try to crush him under them. It could have meant something. It very probably did, but beyond the fact that Rand was in danger from someone, or two someones—she thought that much was clear—beyond that, she simply did not know.

The symbolism of Rand as the Fisher King is entirely lost to Egwene because she doesn't know the game. Less justifiably, she also misses the message that at this point Rand is not his own player in the game but just another piece; his promotion will only occur when he finishes crossing from one side of the game board to the other.

She had dreamed of Perrin with a wolf, and with a falcon, and a hawk—and the falcon and the hawk fighting—of Perrin running from someone deadly, and Perrin stepping willingly over the edge of a towering cliff while saying, “It must be done. I must learn to fly before I reach the bottom.” There had been one dream of an Aiel, and she thought that had to do with Perrin, too, but she was not sure.

Most of these are relatively obvious but the dream of Perrin is fun because it's both a short-term dream (Perrin running into the Wolf Dream to save Faile at the end of the book) and a long-term one (he'll promptly ignore the Dream for most of the rest of the series until there's no other choice).

And a dream of Min, springing a steel trap but somehow walking through it without so much as seeing it.

Min sets off the Tower coup but escapes it.

Of Mat with dice spinning ’round him—she felt she knew where that one came from—of Mat being followed by a man who was not there—she still did not understand that; there was a man following, or maybe more than one, but in some way there was no one there—of Mat riding desperately toward something unseen in the distance that he had to reach, and Mat with a woman who seemed to be tossing fireworks about.

I don't blame Egwene for not understanding how Mat is about to reinterpret fireworks in a horrifying way (another dream that is both short- and long-term), but not understanding the Grey Men right away is silly.

Men and women breaking out of a cage, then putting on crowns.

The Forsaken being freed and making themselves the rulers of the world.

A woman playing with puppets, and another dream where the strings on puppets led to the hands of larger puppets, and their strings led to still greater puppets, on and on until the last strings vanished into unimaginable heights.

This is probably Graendal specifically.

Kings dying, queens weeping, battles raging. Whitecloaks ravaging the Two Rivers. She had even dreamed of the Seanchan again. More than once. Those she shut away in a dark corner; she would not let herself think of them. Her mother and father, every night.

The kings dying include those of Arad Doman and Amadicia, the queens weeping include Morgase and possibly Tylin, and the battles duh. The rest is pretty straightforward and like Egwene herself admits, her dreams about her family are only caused by homesickness.

The servants said Mat had been right about the civil war in Cairhien, and what it had done to prices. To Egwene’s surprise, Elayne had pointed out that Brown sisters wore wool more often than silk.

Nynaeve trusts Mat enough to at least test his claims, which is sweet, and despite Egwene being starstruck by the Aes Sedai, Elayne has enough sense to pay attention to what the women are actually wearing. Egwene is definitely being a bit myopic.

“I can ignore it because I do not want to think of what the people are going through, because I cannot do anything about it, and because we have to reach Tear. Because what we’re hunting is in Tear.”

Boy does she have leadership traits though, good and ill.

If the fighting is as bad as what we’ve seen on the banks. . . . Well. You cannot feed a people for twenty years and feel nothing for them when they must be starving.

Elayne also has leadership qualities, but more well-rounded ones.

“Do not be so hard on yourself,” she whispered back. “Perhaps it does mean that, but I did not see it, and neither did Nynaeve.”

Counterpoint, maybe all three of you girls are fools! What is the point of infodumps if you refuse to retain the info???

“You blind worm of a farmer!” he roared toward the man in the bow, who was clinging to the rail to keep from falling the rest of the way over. “You dirt-grubbing get of a goat! Haven’t you been on the river long enough yet to recognize how the water ruffles over a mudflat?”

I need to remember to add these to my repertoire.

Nynaeve appeared at the head of the ladder that led down to the passenger cabins, still straightening her skirts. With a sharp tug at her braid, she frowned at the knot of men in the bow, then strode to Egwene and Elayne. “He ran us onto something, did he? After all his talk of knowing the river as well as he knows his wife. The woman probably never receives as much as a smile from him.”

Nynaeve continues to be the best, even when she's ridiculously judgmental.

She drew a deep breath, but her voice grew tighter. “Have I explained my reasoning fully enough? Do you need more?”

Nynaeve is NOT used to Egwene being basically her equal, but she's at least trying. This is why Elayne's playing peacemaker of course, because she knows that as hot-tempered as Nynaeve is, Egwene's clearly trying to take over the party.

“We will reach Tear,” Egwene said. “And sooner once Nynaeve realizes she is not the Wisdom any longer. We are all”—she did not say Accepted; there were two many men hurrying about—“on the same level, now.” Elayne sighed.

Egwene's right to chafe under authority that doesn't actually bind her, but again Elayne is actually the barometer we can use to judge the others by. If she's tired of Egwene's shit, it's because she has reason to think that Egwene is starting fights for the sake of fighting.

Nynaeve’s mouth thinned. “If need be,” she told the air in front of her, “we can frighten off any brigands the way we did those Whitecloaks. If we can find no other way.”

Nynaeve is willing to do what it takes to survive, but note how she is clearly respecting Verin by not wanting it to be the first move they make.

A figure in brown and gray rose from behind a bush standing by itself almost in front of them.

Oh thank fuck, it's Aviendha. Elayne finally has someone to talk to who isn't insane! Well, mostly not insane. Or uh... compatibly insane with her?

Next time: Aviendha introduces herself! Also probably other stuff, it would be a short chapter otherwise.

[honeyhhearted]

Hold My Hand - Chapter 4

Previous Chapter / Start from the beginning

Read on AO3

Warnings: Arguing/Fighting

A/N: THANK YOU for holding tight while i've been drafting. i am so sorry it's taking me so long between chapters, i work full time and have severe ADHD, so i find myself so burned out so quickly. i'm working on it :)

Fic summary: When a young village girl begins to exhibit magic she should not wield, the Firm takes her in as one of their own, to be trained and raised as Princess of Asgard. (Or the one where Loki meets his match and falls head over heels (and is embarrassed about it).)

Chapter summary: You have an unfortunate run in with your new betrothed...and it doesn't go well, to say the least.

Word was sent to your parents of your new arrangement as Thor led you to your chambers. The silence was suffocating as your mind ran a mile a minute.

How would this arrangement work? Did Prince Loki know? Was this his doing? Why would they set you up with the Prince, rather than punishing you? Your stomach swirled. What would your life be like with him? Would he be cruel? Would he take pity on you?

“My lady,” Thor began, his voice filled with discomfort. He came to a stop in the center of the hall and turned to you. “I apologize that this has been sprung on you.” You cleared your throat, head beginning to pound as you shoved back the tears you wanted nothing more than to let fall. You wrung your hands as you looked up at him. “Thank you, your Highness…I am just overwhelmed. Does Prince Loki know?”

His eyes dropped. “I do not know.”

Your chest tightened. The Prince was not told about his arranged marriage. And I am here to bear the brunt of his inevitable anger.

“If I may ask, my Prince–” You started. Thor raised a hand. “Please. You will be my sister soon, no matter the situation. Call me Thor.”

You nodded, appreciating that Thor seemed to be genuine and kind. “If I may ask, Thor, do you believe Prince Loki will be angry?” Thor’s face was grim. “I am unsure, but…” His face twisted into a grimace. “I believe so. But if he is a good man at all, he will not blame you.” You hoped so. Thor walked you the rest of the way to your rooms in silence, though slightly more comfortable than before. - Your chambers were amazing. The floors were marble, with gold detailing and fixtures. A large, plush bed with a light pink canopy sat against a floor length mirror facing the cities and gardens below. You observed the other furnishings in awe as you stepped into the room. An attached bathroom held a bathtub the size of a pool. You were overwhelmed as you took it all in. Yesterday, you’d woken up as a poor girl in the outskirts of the village; a family shunned for your oddities. You could never have believed that in less than twenty-four hours, you would be a ward of the Royal Family, arranged to marry their youngest son. Though your fate as the wife of the cruel son was unbearable, you knew that this was the better path for your life to take. The Norns would not have sent you here if you were destined to suffer in this place. There must be some reason your life so drastically changed. You spent the remaining time in your afternoon outside. Thor had left you with the knowledge of how to get to the gardens if you wanted to explore the palace grounds, so you’d figured it best to familiarize yourself with the layout of the wing you resided in and its surrounding area. Your walk was peacefully quiet, the occasional member of the housekeeping staff passing by you and nodding politely. You would adjust to having staff cater to you, but it was surreal to be treated like you were anything but the village pariah. When you reached the gardens, you drank in the view. Rows of ornamental shrubs and flower arrangements, gardeners tending to the plants all over. You walked through slowly, enjoying the soft fragrances carried by the breeze. Deciding you needed a moment to take in your new surroundings, you followed a path deeper into the garden, leading to a secluded area with a small bench for you to rest on. You sat, sighing. Looking out past the greenery, you drank in the kingdom of Asgard in its entirety. The view of the village, the city line, people moving about their daily lives as small as ants from where you sat. It almost made you feel smaller, to realize that you had always just been part of an almost anonymous whole. To see everyone now, small specks in your view, set your new path in perspective. How many times did the King and Queen sit in these gardens, looking down at their subjects? How often did any member of the royal family enjoy watching the village like children staring at farm animals through slats in the fences? You heard a snap sound from behind you. Whirling around on the bench, you met a pair of green eyes looking sharply down at you. “You are the one my parents have decided I will settle down for?” His voice was sharp, dripping with venom. “How pathetic.” You stood quickly, running your clammy hands down the front of your skirt. “Prince Loki. My name is-” “I do not care for your name. Do not assume I care for you at all, girl. You are merely a pawn in my father’s games, and I refuse to play along this time. I merely wanted to get a look at you, and I see now that there is not much to see.” His eyes roam over you with disinterest. Your cheeks heated as your heart pounded in your chest. You felt a stinging behind your eyes and tried to blink away the beginning of tears before he could notice. “I apologize, your Highness, but I have as little choice in the matter as you do. The Allfather-” “The Allfather does not speak for me. And I will see to it that this is rectified immediately.” With that, Loki turned and stalked out of the garden. You pressed a shaking hand to your chest, exhaling slowly. You felt your heart thumping under your chest as you were filled with a sharp sense of unease. You had known that the Prince had a temper, and could be downright unpleasant, but the way his eyes had roamed over your body like you were nothing cut through you. When he was finally gone, you allowed yourself the moment to cry, hot tears spilling over your cheeks. This life is not the one you wanted for yourself. Of course, you were not stupid. You knew this would be difficult. You knew your life was never meant to be a happy one, being born with a curse such as yours. But you never could have imagined that being brought into the palace, something that every other Asgardian would view as a blessing, would be something so miserable. You decided to walk back to your chamber, eyes puffy and red. You just wanted the day to be over, to have a reprieve from the awful day you have had thus far. Of course, you have never been one to experience good luck, and you walked straight into Thor on your return. You slammed into each other, knocking you off balance. He reached for you, straightening you before you could fall. You see him scan you for injury, landing on your puffy face. “What happened, my lady?” He asked, voice full of concern. His gentleness in contrast to the abrasive cruelty of his brother spurred on another round of tears, and you let out a sob. He hushed you, guiding you into another room and seating you at a small bench. When you are able to calm down, you recount the conversation you’d had with Loki in the gardens. You watched as Thor’s face turned from surprise to disappointment and anger as his brother’s behavior. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to speak poorly of him,” You started, hiccuping. “But I do not understand what I’ve done wrong.” He shook his head. “You have done nothing wrong. My brother’s words are meant to hurt. He knows destruction and how to bring it, and he lashed out at you. You did not deserve that. I will not speak to him about this, my lady. But I must inform my parents of his behavior.” You nodded, sniffling again. “Thank you, Thor. I appreciate your comfort and understanding.” “You do not need to thank me. It is only the right thing to do.” Thor guided you back to your chamber as he made small talk about the palace grounds. You told him of your visit into the gardens before your confrontation with Loki, and how beautiful you found it. He seemed pleased. In your room, exhausted, you decided it would be for the best to lay down. Despite the fact that the sun had not yet set, you could not imagine being forced to face the rest of the day.

-

You woke in the morning to the sun illuminating the room. For a moment, you could almost hear your father’s humming, or your mother’s soft rustling as she moved about the house trying not to wake you. Then your surroundings settled on you, and you sighed as you blinked up at the ceiling with watery eyes. A soft knock at the door persuaded you out of bed. You stretched, standing and feeling the cool tile beneath your feet. You padded to the door, opening it tentatively to see a small girl who looked to be part of the palace staff. She gave you a small smile, curtsying. “Good morning, my lady. Are you well?” She asked. “Y-Yes, I am,” You say, awkwardly. She seemed to sense your discomfort. “My name is Camille. I am tasked to be your lady-in-waiting.” She shifted on her feet, wringing her hands. Your stomach turned. You didn’t want to make the poor girl uncomfortable, but the idea of having someone assigned to cater to you felt wrong. You sighed quietly, forcing a smile. “I’m sorry. I was unaware,” You said, trying your best to look reassuring. “Please, come in.” She gave you a small, hesitant smile, entering the room. She walked toward a door to the left, opening it wide and stepping in. Inside was a large wardrobe room. As you followed her, your jaw dropped at the sheer size of it. The room was the size of your family home, full of casual dresses and gowns, shoes, and accessories you could never have even dreamed of owning before. “While you were away yesterday, Her Majesty had us stock your wardrobe. The size is approximated, as you seem to be similar to Her Majesty in stature, but if anything does not suit you, please let us know.” She explained, motioning to the hanging dresses. “I will go over with you the dress occasions, but you will never have to worry. When it is time for a particular event that requires dress assistance, I and my co-lady, Lille, will be here with you.” Your head spun. Still taking in the room, her words only served to overwhelm you. You knew nothing about how to dress as a member of Asgard’s high society. What if you made a fool of yourself, or worse, embarrassed the Royal Family at an important engagement? Camille seemed to sense your nerves. She rested a gentle hand on your forearm. “I know it’s a lot to take in, my lady. But I promise, we are here to help you.” You nodded, swallowing hard. “Thank you,” You croaked. “I’m sorry. I just…I am not yet used to this.” She smiled at you. “I understand. If I may, my lady, can I familiarize you with your options? Please stop me if you have any questions.”

-

After what felt like an eternity, reviewing corseted versus non-corseted gowns, day dresses, evening gowns, riding gear, shoes…your head felt tight. Camille was extremely helpful, answering all of the questions you had. But still, it felt like so much to take in. With her assistance, you had chosen a simple day dress, pale yellow and simple. She directed you to the main hall, where meals were held, for breakfast. You ran into Thor at the entrance to the hall, and relief filled you. You weren’t looking forward to entering the hall alone. His face brightened. “Good morning! I trust you slept well?” His voice boomed. You smiled back at him. “Good morning, Thor. I did, thank you.” He nodded, pleased. Offering you his arm, he turned toward the door. “Shall we head inside?” You took his arm gratefully. “We shall.”

-

Breakfast was…awkward. Odin sat at the head of the table, his face stern. Frigga, to his right, and Thor, to his left, looked at the empty chair beside Thor in exasperation. You sat beside the Queen, fiddling with your hands beneath the table. All of your plates remained untouched. Loki was late. Again, if their exasperation could be interpreted properly. Odin sighed, a low rumbling sound. “The boy does not show respect in even the most mundane of moments. It is a wonder he even fulfills his general duties at all.” Frigga shook her head. “He will show. A lack of faith in him only serves to push his behavior further.” “You think this is a result of lack of faith? This is insolence at its finest, a show of disrespect toward the very simple rules we ask him to follow. Thor has no issue with them, yet the boy persists in defying me.” Odin’s voice hardened. “Please, dear,” Frigga said, “Do not pit your sons against each other in that way. Loki will show.” As if on cue, the doors swung open, echoing to the table. Loki, with a smug smile curling his lips, strode to the table. He sat beside Thor, staring at Odin defiantly. “Good morning, everyone,” He spoke smoothly, beginning to gather food on his plate. He ate slowly, tearing a piece of toast and slathering it with jam before looking around the table. “Oh,” He started mockingly, “you all didn’t have to wait for me.” Odin’s neck strained, his brow furrowed. “You disrespect the palace staff, you disrespect your post, you disrespect your family. Is there nothing that you are willing to do? Do you even think to behave yourself?” You sat silently, looking firmly down at your hands. You didn’t want to be involved in this conflict, and you feared if he noticed you, really noticed you, he would do it by force. You didn’t understand why Loki’s tardiness was so important, but you were not going to question it. Loki sneered. “My apologies, Father. But perhaps I have better things to do than posture as the obedient son. I stand in for mischief, after all.” Odin’s voice tightened. “It should not be posturing. You are a Prince, and you need to start acting like one.” “Or what?” Loki challenged. “Loki, please,” Frigga started, her voice pleading, but Odin’s voice filled the room. His fist slammed on the table, rattling the dishware. You flinched, looking up. “I will not tolerate your disrespect any longer, Loki! You are not here for-” “Odin!” Frigga exclaimed over him. “Do not continue this here. Please.” Loki’s face was frozen, contemplative. “What am I here for, Father? I am an heir to the throne of Asgard. I will fulfill my duties as needed, but I will not be your pawn.” His eyes flicked to you, and you felt your heart seize. “Particularly in terms of the joke of a marriage you are trying to impose on me.” Frigga placed a soft hand on your upper arm. “Loki…we were told of your behavior and, ahem,” She cleared her throat delicately, “opinions of this arrangement.” He rolled his eyes. “Of course, the golden boy came running to Mother and Father, didn’t he, after the pathetic thing told her woes?” Thor tensed. “Brother. Your cruelty is needless. Your ire at me is allowable, but not toward her.” “You defend this wretched woman, support her weaseling her way into our family? I am not surprised by your nobility, brother, you have always wanted to be the knight to every weak maiden you encounter. But you, father, I am surprised at.” He bared his teeth. “I mean really, to think that this woman,” He spat at you, and you could hear your own heart pounding, “is doing nothing more than plotting her way into a Prince’s bed is pointless. I’m sure her family will be pleased to have a Princess for a daughter, no less-” “That is enough.” Your own voice shocked you, hard and unwavering. “How dare you speak of my family. You know nothing, you arrogant, spiteful, disrespectful man. My family is cursed because of me. Because of my ability. It is a curse, and you will not sit here and spit on them and spit on the sacrifices they made for me.” You blinked away traitorous tears, pulling in a shuddering breath as your anger consumed you. “You have disrespected me, you made me feel like I was nothing but a speck beneath your shoe, and I can take that. I am not unfamiliar with men who believe themselves to be wolves when really they are small and pathetic and insecure in themselves. But do not disrespect my family.” The table was silent for a moment. Thor looked at you in shock at your outburst, Odin’s face arranged in a similar way. Frigga beside you kept her face composed, but you noticed a slight tick in her cheek. You glared at Loki, your ragged, angry breathing filling the room, before he smirked at you, raising an eyebrow. “She has claws, I see.” He spoke. “Glad to know you at least will have a backbone.” With that, Loki stood, the sound of his chair scraping on the floor echoing on the walls. “I will take my leave.” You let out all of the air in your lungs as soon as the door slammed shut behind him.

[mylifeactually]

Butterfly Effect (Third Life Au)

In Third Life, it's often expected for Grian to team with Scar and Martyn to team with Ren, but everything changes when Martyn teams up with Scar after taking fault for the creeper explosion, owing to protect Scar until he turns red himself. Grian decides to pair with Ren after seeing the man struggling to stand up for his enchanting business. The server is chaotic as the usual allyship is thrown into a loop. Trust is on thin ice and the line between friend and foe blurs.

The beginning will be similar to how third life starts, but small details will be changed as this is an au and fanfiction.

Ao3 link if you prefer to read it there!!

Chapter One

Martyn's green eyes shot open as his head rose from the ground. The sun glowed from the sky, brightly shining onto his face. The grass was soft, and Martyn was left confused. Martyn rustled his blonde hair, fixing his bandana to remove any strands from his face, and lifted himself from the grassy terrain with a massive grunt.

Martyn kept his ears open, listening in for a single noise that caught his interest, perhaps some villagers he could begin to trade with, but he heard something much more enjoyable. A man has already started to speak, narrating his actions, perhaps so he doesn’t feel lonely. Martyn doesn’t mind; he would love to mess around with this guy.

Martyn heads forward, slowly creeping in this guy's direction, steps silenced by the wind blowing. Martyn knew he had the opportunity to encroach upon him as Martyn leaped in the air and grabbed the man’s shoulders.

The man flinches and spins around, tripping on his feet as he falls to the ground. Martyn has a boisterous laugh stumble out of his mouth, and he gets to stare at the man’s face.

It reeks of familiarity; he swears that he knows who this person is, and as his laughter ceases, the man stands up, grumbling under his breath.

“Not funny, dude.” The man scolds, and immediately, Martyn recalls who this is.

“Oh, BigB? It’s been forever since I’ve seen you!” Martyn exclaims, the smile never leaving his face.

BigB gets a glance of recollection onto his expression, his lips quick into a half-sided grin, before tossing his arms around Martyn in a loose hug. Martyn politely hugs back, happy to see a familiar face.

“How has life been treating you since Evo?” BigB asks while pushing back Martyn. Although Evo had forever been a sensitive topic for every member who left that cursed place, the realm still could give Martyn and BigB some fond memories.

“It’s been good, just been..” Martyn’s expression goes blank, and BigB’s brow quirks up at this. Martyn tries to put words to how anything that was currently supposed to be going on within his life was, yet nothing is connecting in his head;

That was odd.

Martyn clears his throat, “have you kept up with anyone else from Evo? Perhaps they are with us here.”

BigB scoffs, “Maybe, but if we were fortunate to get all of us out when the sun is in the sky, it would be a lucky day; we all know Grian is a night owl.”

Martyn chuckles, “That was Grian; I do miss him.” Martyn notices the mood souring, so he escapes from the conversation, pounding his fist into a nearby tree to collect wood.

Evo mechanics were similar to this, even before they jumped into the watchers’ portals. You would be hitting trees, and it would remove the logs and give you wood; you could collect saplings and plant another one, and it was a cycle that made life more manageable than needing an ax to get the wood.

Martyn needs a brand new ax, though; grabbing the wood he collected and pulling up an inventory bar in the corner, he could see a small bar he could make a crafting table; once it’s produced, it holds heavily within his hands, with a groan he stumbles a bit and throws it to the ground.

BigB runs over and starts working at the crafting table. Martyn jokingly pushes him away. “Who said you could use my crafting table?”

“I said so when you almost gave me a heart attack earlier!” BigB exclaims, continuing to craft himself a wooden pickaxe. Martyn disregards wanting to make himself an axe and instead goes for a pickaxe.

Once the pickaxe is entirely crafted, Martyn digs his way through some dirt to get to what his heart currently wants to make his advancement: some good old stone. Once collecting his stone, Martyn turns to Bigb with a proposition.

“I think the two of us should stick together; we can allow someone to join us and throw them to the wolves later on, but it will be the two of us all the way.” Martyn, although liking Bigb, still has his fingers crossed behind his back.

It’s nothing against the man, but he feels some weakness with an allyship so early, and instead, he will take advantage of it for the beginning and team up with a more exciting offer later on.

“We found each other first off; I don’t see a problem with teaming up, Evo buddies to the end.” Bigb solidifies that with fist-bumping Martyn, a massive grin on his face that feels contagious to Martyn.

Martyn returned to the crafting table and created his stone pickaxe, initially mining down in the spot he had dug up for some stone, searching for a mine shaft below. Martyn wishes Bigb a farewell and goes deep below, hoping to find a good haul.

Martyn tightens his bandanna as he heads back up, heat rising to his face as his forehead drips with sweat. Martyn put his blood and sweat into his work but felt rather lonely and had gotten sick of the torches being his sole company. Martyn didn’t find anything suitable, but more stone never hurt a soul. He’ll go back down after getting some proper fresh air.

As he climbs his way up, he hears Bigb laughing with someone else who has some mischievous giggling. Martyn takes a second to try to listen in, but before he can adequately hear who is up at the village, a loud “Hey Martyn!” is shouted down towards him.

Martyn panics and shouts, “Oh my word!” clutching onto his items to keep them all in one place. Martyn heads up to glare at the person who jumped him, but he cannot stay angry at the face before him.

Grian, a face he hasn’t seen in forever, stands before him, loud cackling spilling out of his mouth. Martyn is pleased to see him and offers a hug; Grian takes the offer and embraces Martyn in a tight hug. Martyn has to get used to those wings of Grian’s again; those things are massive.

Once Martyn releases his grip, he asks, “Are you just going to bother us, or do you want to help find some valuables?”

Martyn hopes that came off as a joke, and with an inner sigh of relief, Grian takes it as one, keeping a broad grin on his face. “I’ll help; I suppose you need my luck to get some diamonds.”

“Whatever, man, I’ll come down with you too,” Bigb states with a roll of his eyes.

Martyn nonchalantly shrugged and took the lead. The trio, consisting of Martyn, BigB, and Grian, descended Martyn's staircase tunnel; the dim glow of torches flickered on the walls.

Martyn, with his stone pickaxe, noticed some diamonds shining below him. Martyn's inner monologue cheers for him before he realizes his pickaxe will destroy the diamonds. Without even needing to ask, Grian is passing him an iron pickaxe.

“Woah, how did you get your hands on one of these already?” Martyn exclaims.

“Did you not notice the iron golem in the village? Bigb and I took that mob down for some iron while you were away.” Grian states, shrugging his shoulders as if to say, be more observant next time. Martyn tries not to let that one bruise his ego.

“How about this then? I will give you and Bigb two diamonds each, and you both can make yourself a diamond sword.” Although Martyn wishes he could keep the diamonds to himself, he agreed with Bigb to ally with him, and Grian gave him an iron pickaxe. It seems like a suitable deal.

Both Bigb and Grian’s faces light up as Martyn tosses the two of them diamonds. Bigb looks surprised at receiving them, holding the diamonds out as if he expects Martyn to snatch the two of them out of his hand.

“Are you seriously giving me this?” BigB questions, brows furrowed in worry that it’s all some punchline to a joke.

“We are the blue sword boys! So we can all be good allies together.” Martyn tells them, “And besides, I’m a bit of a coward; it never hurts to start making teammates early when it comes down to it.”

“Well, Martyn, you just sealed a pact.” Grian grins; the man never seems to stop smiling today. “For that, I will give you one of my most prized possessions.”

Martyn’s eyes grow to the size of saucers as Grian tosses down a golden apple. Even with just the torches lighting their way, the darn thing still has a beautiful reflection; with shaky hands, Martyn scoops up the apple and holds it up by the stem. After admiring the apple, he tucks it away.

Bigb gives a low whistle, releasing a small nice under his breath. Grian stands and waits for some form of appreciation from Martyn.

“Thank you, dude. Way to make Bigb feel like a third wheel, though, yikes.” Martyn jokes, and they all laugh, Taking the time to enjoy each other's company and joke around, breaking apart after a moment and going off into the mines to do their own thing.

Martyn nearly died in the mines, and if that didn’t tell him that this whole realm was a trick played by the watchers, maybe his amount of lives could confirm that for him. Although narrowly avoiding a timely death from skeletons, creepers, and endermen alike, his body instantaneously started collecting the noises being made by each being.

Martyn feels embarrassed to admit it, but he can properly mimic any creature/person he gets into the general vicinity. Sure, he’s been told that’s cool and to use it to his advantage, but it’s rather embarrassing when he accidentally parrots someone’s voice right into their faces. Instead, Martyn tries to use these as harmless pranks.

Martyn tells Bigb, “I think it would be all in good fun to start messing with any new people, prank them a bit with my ability.”

Bigb catches on immediately and is on board with the idea; he seems more enthusiastic than Martyn ever could be. “That is so funny; I’ll keep it a secret.”

Martyn decides to wander back up to the surface, hoping to see more friendly faces; what he stumbles upon significantly affects his temper. A pen is full of sheep with a sign that states, “Tango and Etho’s Homestead.”

Their homestead? Who do these guys think they are? Bigb and Martyn claimed the village before them, and he has Bigb to back him up once he sees these guys' faces. They will be Martyn’s first prank victims after the stunt they have tried to pull. Martyn crafts some sheers and starts to collect wool from the sheep while waiting for these thieves to return.

The two of them act shocked to have stumbled upon Martyn waiting there. The one with the mask and a rip-off of a good anime Martyn enjoys has his brow tilted curiously. The other one with blonde hair that seems ready to ignite in flames has his mouth slightly agape in surprise, watching Martyn chop off some more wool.

“Step away from our sheep!” The blonde one, whom Martyn assumes is Tango, exclaims.

Martyn laughs. “Well, technically, you put these sheep in my village, so now I own these sheep, so thanks for the donation.”

Martyn continued to shear the sheep nonchalantly; Tango and Etho exchanged perplexed glances, caught off guard by Martyn.

Etho, the one with the mask and anime-inspired attire, crossed his arms. "What do you mean, your village? We found it fair and square."

Martyn raised an eyebrow, pure agitation forming on his face. "Fair and square? My friend BigB and I spawned here first. You must have missed the memo. We're the rightful owners around here."

Martyn begins shouting towards Bigb, “Back me up here! We spawned here first, and these chumps are trying to say they found it!”

Bigb runs over, ready to defend the land with Martyn; Martyn couldn't help but feel satisfied seeing his friend stand by his side. The banter between the two groups intensified, with both sides defending themselves.

Etho, adjusting his mask, retorted, "Well, it doesn't matter who spawned here first. We're here now, and we're not backing down."

Feeling the heat of the moment, Martyn seized the opportunity to prank them with his ability to mimic a creeper sound. With a subtle wink at BigB, Martyn, holding his shears, stepped back, maintaining an intense gaze on Tango and Etho. Suddenly, the unmistakable hiss of a creeper echoed through the air, catching everyone but Martyn off guard.

“Oh, Tango, behind you!” Martyn shouts, hoping that indeed confirms which one of them is Tango.

Tango's eyes widened, and he instinctively reached for his sword, ready to defend against the unseen threat. Etho, too, tensed up, glancing around for the source of the sound. BigB even turned around for a second. Once they all realized where it came from, they turned to look at Martyn as he cackled.

"Even though I saw it coming, that creeper sound got me," Bigb admitted.

Martyn chuckled, pleased with the success of his prank. "Gotta keep things interesting, right?"

Tango, with a scowl, decided to chime in, "Martyn, you jerk!"

Martyn put on an innocent expression. "I don’t know what the problem is exactly."

Martyn knows what he did wrong, but will he ever admit that to these scoundrels? Not at all; they deserved to get their hearts racing in fear.

Etho, still recovering from the shock, shook his head with a fierce look. “You even made me jump!” It seems to Martyn that Etho is holding back laughter, probably not to show Tango that he finds the current situation rather amusing.

“How did you even do that!” Tango demands to know, and Martyn couldn't resist adding another playful joke to the encounter.

Martyn turned to Tango with a devilish grin and said, "Hey, Tango, whatever you do, don't look me in the eyes."

Still wearing a sly smile, Martyn began making eerie endermen sounds. Tango's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but chuckle nervously at the unexpected turn of events.

"Okay, that's just creepy," Tango remarked, glancing around half-expectantly for virtual endermen.

Martyn decided to admit something, hoping it would keep these intruders wary of him. "It's a useful skill, you know. Imagine if I ever have to get into battle. They won't know what hit them."

As the sun descended, casting a warm glow over the landscape, the thought of their rivalry over the village hadn’t wholly left Martyn’s mind. Martyn continued to joke and fool around with them, but he still wanted to send them on their way on the gloomy night.

Martyn, taking the chance to relax, was soon interrupted by the approach of a group of unfamiliar figures. The female zombie hybrid leads the way with an air of mysterious confidence. Behind her, the man with an "I" on his shirt exuded a calm and collected demeanor.

However, the man with the brown jacket truly captured Martyn's attention. The casual yet confident air about him and a well-defined physique that could only be described as impressive left Martyn momentarily distracted. His eyes lingered a second too long, and to his embarrassment, the man noticed.

Caught in appreciating the guy's well-defined abs, Martyn blushed as the man shot him a wink and a smirk. Quickly looking away, Martyn tried to regain his composure, realizing he had been caught staring. The man, seemingly unfazed, continued his casual conversation with the group.

Even after that small spectacle, Martyn's initial wariness lingered, and the zombie girl’s cautious gaze didn't go unnoticed. The zombie’s response was more measured as if she was still sizing up the situation.

"We heard there's a lively village around here. Mind if we join the fun?" the girl asked, her tone careful and observant.

With a forced smile and exaggerated cheerfulness, Martyn replied, "Absolutely, you're more than welcome. The more, the merrier."

However, there was a hint of insincerity beneath Martyn's seemingly warm welcome. His eyes, despite the smile, had lingering signs of mistrust.

Martyn couldn't resist playing another prank; he wanted to mess around with them and see how that was planned. The creeper noise would probably get Martyn in trouble with his overly functioning brain, but he would like to mess around.

Waiting for the perfect moment to interrupt the conversation, Martyn mimicked the hissing sound of a creeper. The group, engrossed in conversation, didn't notice Martyn's sly grin. As the creeper sound echoed through the air, everyone, including the newcomers, jumped in surprise.

The zombie girl quickly recovered, her eyes narrowing as she realized what had happened. Scar, on the other hand, let out an audible yelp, his eyes wide with shock. Martyn couldn't contain his laughter, revealing the source of the unexpected prank.

Still slightly salty about the prank, The zombie girl introduced herself with a forced smile. "I'm Cleo. Thanks for the warm welcome."

Martyn, detecting Cleo's subtle annoyance, flashed a cheeky grin. "Anytime, Cleo. Just consider it a way to keep things lively."

Undeterred, the guy with an "I" on his shirt stepped forward with a grin. "I'm Impulse, and that was quite the welcome you've got here."

Still recovering from the surprise, the other new guy offered a good-natured smile. "Well played, I'll give you that one."

"And what should I call you?" Martyn inquired with a playful glint in his eyes.

The guy, Scar, returned the banter with a charming smile. "Scar. And you?"

Martyn, offering a teasing grin, replied, "I'm Martyn.” he replied, holding eye contact for a moment longer than necessary.