#they are so me i too wanna get lost in a misty forest

[amid-fandoms]

dan and phil on a spooky date in autumn is so real

[schemmentisjacket]

Chapter 10 - Sad Cowboy pt 1

‘That was real nice hun, and I don’t say that about just anyone’s cooking, ask Janine.’ Melissa said, pushing her empty plate away and taking a drink from her ice water. ‘A glass of wine would have gone down nicely too.’

‘Maybe next time. When you’re not concussed. I’ve got some nice stuff in the wine fridge. Shall we move to the lounge? I’ll wash the dishes later.’

‘Really treating me,’ Melissa chuckled, the medication was beginning to kick in and the pain in her head subsiding, a light warm feeling coming over her instead.

They headed into the living room, a large clean room, a plush corner sofa with a coffee table in front, a reasonably sized tv, nothing crazy, an acoustic guitar on a stand and a couple of pieces of art on the wall.

‘Do you wanna watch something or just have some music playing and chat?’

‘Are you going to play for me?’ Melissa asked cheekily as they sunk into the comfort of the sofa. Melissa pulling her legs up and tucking her feet underneath to the side. Charlie leant back in the corner section that was almost a chaise lounge, legs stretched out in front of them.

Charlie blushed the tips of their ears turning red, ‘How about I tell you more about myself? You seemed interested earlier?’ They said deflecting the question.

Pulling out their phone, some quiet music began filtering into the room, filling it with soft country.

‘You really like country music huh?’

‘So I grew up on a ranch up north. A pretty successful family one. I was in college studying when my parents and grandparents were in an accident on the way back from a vacation. I’d never really had an interest in taking over the family business, so they had plans in place. The business was sold, but all the employees stayed on as part of the deal. I didn’t want anyone to lose their jobs or livelihoods. I kept a small cabin down by the forest and lakes that belonged to my grandfather’s family. Then once I’d finished my studies I started looking for places to live. Philly has a lot of stuff I like, hockey, food, a little taste of the city without being too crazy. The neighbourhoods that need help also remind me of home. There’s wealth but also those less fortunate. It’s not pity. It’s just wanting to help those how I can, I remember being different and not always meeting societies expectations. If that makes sense.’

Melissa smiled, tilting her head sideways against the back cushion of the sofa to look at Charlies profile, ‘I’m real sorry you lost everyone. Sounds like you picked something that called to your heart.’

Charlie avoided eye contact, but Melissa could see the misty look take over their eyes. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever really opened up to someone about it all.’

‘Well thank you. For telling me. Usually most people are intimidated by me. I mean usually thats the vibe I give off. But with you I guess you gave off some intrigue. All hidden and secretive.’

A watery laugh came from their mouth, ‘I don’t cover up like that outside of work. I guess I wanted to make a good impression and seem professional. Especially with you know Barbara being religious and stuff like that.’

Melissa let out a bark of laughter, ‘Barb ain’t that strait laced. Hell you should meet sea barb sometimes. She comes out at Pesca. She’d probably be more upset you thought you couldn’t be yourself around her.’

‘I’ll think about it,’ Charlie hummed, ‘I get worries people will get the wrong impression of me, that I’m some sort of wrong un or thug.’

‘When you’re just a sad little cowboy.’

‘Yes Ma’am.’

[mayasaurusss]

Day two: autumn in the wilderness. There's no pairings in this one.

In the wilderness there is no time to appreciate the change of the course of nature. Rather, everyone fears it.

You are watching the leaves fall outside, yellow and red among evergreen trees. There is nothing you want more right now than getting your mind off of the fact that you know you're going to die.

"I'm going out" you say, sitting up from your seat and throwing on some makeshift scarf you made with old rags and some of your burnt clothes.

"To do what?" Lottie asks you, dark eyes scanning your figure. "I don't know. I just want to go out" you answer, turning the knob and letting the cold enter inside, then close the door behind you. As you walk down the last step, you stop and close your eyes.

You breathe in deeply, letting the cold wander through your lungs and feeling it seep inside your bones and flesh. You want to relax, you want to lift weight off of your mind, but it's not simple. Despite it all, you know that it's coming; something awful hiding inside the forest and the cabin, waiting to be let loose and wreak chaos among you.

You are too lost in your thoughts to hear the door creek behind you. "Hey" Lottie stands beside you, a small and timid smile on her lips. "Hey, I thought you'd rather stay inside..." she laughs, walking past you, "I can't leave you alone. Besides that cabin is creepy as fuck".

"So, what are we doing here?" she asks you, fiddling with the buttons of her jacket. The forest floor near the fire pit is a disaster, leaves and small branches scattered everywhere. "Well, we could give this place a makeover for starters" you grab the broom you made some months ago out of twigs and a branch, starting to sweep leaves away from the fire pit.

Since there's only one broom, Lottie's only option is to use a fern as one. Five minutes later, she made a little pile of leaves, ready to be burnt to feed the fire. But something else comes to her mind.

You hear her gasp behind you and turn around quickly, expecting to find an animal or Lottie having one of her usual episodes. Instead, you're greeted by yellow and red leaves pushed on your face. "Lottie! You fu-" grabbing a handful of leaves, you push them roughly on her face. They crunch on her skin, leaving a mess of dust and broken colors on her. "I did it playfully! You-you are doing it wrong!" the taller girl feels her blood run cold when she sees you pick up the whole pile you made -much fuller than hers- and hold it above your head, like a giant bomb.

"This is my revenge!" you scream before charging at her.

"Wow...they're having fun..." Misty's eyes follow you, feeling a bit jealous of all the fun you're having. "Yeah...seems like it" Natalie answers back, looking at how you're basically climbing on poor Lottie.

"Yeah, as much fun as you can have while death's axe is on your neck" from the other side of the room, covered in blankets and cuddled to her lover, Taissa speaks. "I dunno, it seems better than staying here" Van replies, glancing outside while Tai looks at her in disbelief.

A moment of silence passes, then Natalie gets up from seat.

"I am going. Better than staying in this creepy ass cabin" at which Misty also moves, following Nat closely "Y-yeah me too!".

"So, this is where the gays hang out" you whip your head to see Natalie and Misty standind at the door. What they see in return is you trying to keep Lottie from moving beneath you while holding a giant ball of leaves on your head, promptly making them fall on you and Lottie.

"Leaves fight" you spit out a leaf piece, "wanna join?".

"Seems very...violent, for a leave fight. Lottie is basically fighting for her life" Natalie murmurs, seeing how Lottie was trying and failing to get up.

"Naah, what are you talking about?" you proceed to bury Lottie alive underneath piles of leaves, "She's great!".

"Right...well, I guess we're in for it" Natalie can only faintly see a glint of maliciousness in your eyes, before you say to her "Great! Me and Lottie against you and Misty!".

Poor Misty is so excited she lets out a gasp, already in position and balling up chunks of leaves in her hands. "Ugh, fineee" Natalie moves close to her, readying herself "Bring it on".

"I can't understand. What are they doing?" Tai's heart is heavy with guilt, sadness and envy. Little by little, everyone left the cabin, only her and Van remaining. She looks at your figures moving outside the window glass, wind blowing and leaves falling all around you, dancing like mad people.

"What are we doing, Tai?" next to her, Van is watching, looking at her with something resembling pity. "W-what?" Vanessa gets up, dusting herself off. "Come on Taissa. We can't let ourselves waste our last days" she extends her hand to Taissa, who for a moment thinks to reject it. But maybe Van is right after all.

When she goes outside, her mood suddenly lifts. Everyone is dancing, playing around, chatting and gossiping. Just like the parties she used to go to.

You see them and smile, gesturing to come closer, "Hello! Want to participate?".

[exielimon]

Guess who said was not a writer and proceeded to write another thing?? that’s right, me. So, this is-

Forest song

————————————

The night was chill and the air felt cozy, I was with the chain sitting around the fire and telling curious facts about ourselves.

“Seriously? call Epona, with grass??” The vet deadpanned to the sentence Twilight had said.

“If we were in my Hyrule I could show ya!” Twilight defends while Epona, behind him, flicks her ears at the mention of her name.

“Does it have to do with that instrument you hang around your neck?” Wind asks curiously, slightly looking up from the second bowl of soup he has taken tonight.

“Yeah, kinda”

“You can actually call her by many methods, I, for example, could play the same song with an ocarina” Time proudly states.

“Still, grass is not exactly what is expected to be included in the ‘many methods’ of calling a horse” I defend Twilight’s curious fact about himself.

“I can get the notes on a recorder. Play the song and I’ll repeat it” The traveller says suddenly taking out a wooden recorder flute from his way-larger-inside-than-it-looks-outside pocket.

“Oh- no, I can’t do that, that’ll alert m’ girl, and she’s so relaxed right now, I don’ wanna wake ‘er up” Twilight says glancing over his shoulder to Epona, peacefully resting against a tree.

“Awh, kinda wanted to learn the song” The traveller pouts, lowering the recorder and putting it aside to take another sip of his soup.

I look at the wooden object and something passes through my mind; a memory of myself playing Zelda’s Lullaby with a beige recorder flute a few weeks before getting tossed in this adventure with these nine heroes. What were the notes again? Fa, La, Mi… Fa, La, Mi… oh yeah, I remember the melody, I remember song of storms and song of healing too… damn I miss my flute… wait… “Hey, ‘Rules, do you mind if I try your flute??”

“hm? You know how to play it?” He passes it over to me and the rest of the group’s eyes land on me, which I don’t realize, for I’m too focused in my excitement, it’s been a while since I played my instruments…

I take the instrument up near my lips and stop to think what I was about to play, I know quite a bunch of songs, what can be good for this occasion?

.

..

…

The air whispers and makes the leaves dance above my head, there is a faint mist that swirls and hums a melody that is not comprehensible yet not less calming… reminds me of…

Lost woods.

So that’s What I start playing. Saria’s song; the melody that can be heard in the misty forest Time grew up in, the song that the skull kid played when Twilight arrived to get the Master Sword during his journey.

My fingers move, making different melodic sounds with ease as I close my eyes and feel like I’m back home, annoying my mother with the same song time and time again. Once I finish the song I open my eyes and chuckle at the memory.

“How do you know that song?”

I flinch at the sudden Time’s firm, deep voice, that one that people use when they’re confused and will end up in a negative reaction.

I let out a quite nervous chuckle and begin “Uh- well… history says an old hero used to play that song when he missed a certain person… it’s said that one can still go to Lost Woods and will hear the soft notes of an ocarina playing that song, along with a childish laughter, in certain place… I don’t know which, though…” That was the longest lie I’ve ever made up.

Damn I wish I could tell them the truth, but the idea of them starting to question their existence for being just game characters for me… yeah, I wouldn’t like that reaction.

Time smiles softly and lets out a calming huff through his nose —Dad Time was tense, glad he relaxed— “A good friend wrote it… along my fist journey, I could play it and I would feel like i could hear her voice…”

“Oh… that why is called ‘Saria’s song’?” time to play dumb.

“…Yes.” His face is not one hurt, nor of loss… but nostalgic. Ouch, sorry.

“Wait- a skull kid played it whenever I entered the sacred grove that guarded the master sword,” Twilight started “that lil’ brat attacked me with marionettes”

“Wait wait wait- a skull kid played it?? THAT skull kid is still alive in your era?!” Time exclaimed… the others are missing the way a faint smile is twitching on his lips…

“YOU KNOW HIM?!”

[jojofox]

Ok, new story dump. This one's not a fanfic this time, so get ready for some new characters :)

just setting the mood rq

"Questing and adventuring is hard, long, and quite tiring, so why not take a break from it all?! Ride on down to the Drag Inn hotel! Rest you and your party’s head for however long you need to! With inclusive accommodations from our tallest giants to the smallest fae, there’s always a room for you!"

This story, Drag Inn, is about the staff that helps run the hotel and their stories. It a bit more of a slice-of-life piece so far. Usually, my stories are linear and action-packed, so this one is a nice change of pace for me.

The world that this story operates in is pretty meta, with whole towns, cities, and districts centering around story genres, like a Drama city or a Fantasy town. One of the big events is something called a Prophetical Counsel will come up with a prophecy every six months for a chosen one to go and slay some evil. There are a couple councils in every district. They have to tell the other councils when a chosen one has been selected so there aren’t any overlaps. Sometimes, mistakes happen. Chosen ones usually become pretty popular and wealthy after their adventure, if they survive.

Oh wait, you wanna see drawings of it, don't you? Well, I don't have many (oddly enough), but I do have a ref sheet that includes the entire staff (*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)/

Oooo and they have descriptions too (*^‿^*)

this is about to get very long ( 〃．．)

TL;DR Po is the owner/manager, Telady is co-owner/receptionist, Raven and Lucki are baristas, Jade and Edith are housekeepers, Donovan is a lifeguard, Veris and Axel are security with Pix being unofficial security, Dave is a bartender, Ash is a therapist, and Dyna and Derrin are cooks

Po Eider: Po is a retired chosen one from the Action Adventure genre who slew the Dark Dragon of ‘08. They had learned frost magic in order to do so and are in possession of a frost suit of armor and sword. Unfortunately, while fighting the Dragon, it touched their heart and cursed them. This curse is known as the Dragon’s Touch, and it severely limits the magical abilities of the victim to the point where they could die if they use too much magic. They have no home outside of the hotel as they blew all of their money on purchasing it and lost the lease on their apartment. They tend to act quite arrogant. Po is the owner and manager of Drag Inn.

Telady Pinsnap: Telady is a retired spy from the Spy thriller genre, as well as Po's aunt. She took down many organizations with her old partner. Telady had learned to not be scared of anything, otherwise, it could cost her her entire mission. She tends not to hesitate and is very sure of her decisions. Having retired from spying, but not about to let her nephew run a business alone, she works the receptionist position and is co-owner of Drag Inn.

Raven Macintosh: Raven is an out-of-work superhero from the Action genre. She has the power of electricity and her hero name was Fritz. The town she was in lost its villain as he was arrested and taken out of the country. Raven had always wanted to be a writer, but she could almost never find any good inspiration or conflict. She loves slice-of-life tales, so she thought working as a barista would give her the inspiration she needed, while also keeping her busy.

Jade: Jade is a bird-human hybrid from the Dark Fantasy genre. He used to live in a hollow tree in a misty forest, right around an area where people would walk in and instantly go missing. Jade liked to try to protect the smaller, younger people who came through from the darkness inside, but sometimes, he couldn’t help but indulge in the darkness himself. Always has a spooky story to tell or fact to share. Loves to try to keep the plants alive as there weren’t very many where he used to live. At least, not many that were harmless.

Edith Farley: Edith is an actor from the Fairytale genre who tried to be a Disney Princess. However, standards to being cast as one is much different there than it is here and she didn't make the cut. She is great at singing and can hardly stand a mess. Loves to meet new people. She was hired as housekeeper alongside Jade.

Donovan Clarke: Donovan is a survivor from the Horror genre. He used to be the generic jock stereotype, but for some reason, he managed to survive instead of the final girl surviving. The incident drove him to be a more caring and selfless person. Despite the incident taking place near a lake, Donovan still loves to swim and finds his comfort from bad days in the pool. He can sometimes be seen talking to something in the water. He takes full advantage of the free employee therapy. Donovan was hired as a lifeguard.

Pix: Pix is a fae that used to reside in the Dark Fantasy forest, but when she was hired to sabotage the hotel, she claimed a room to stay in. Overtime, she warms up to the staff and instead becomes an unofficial part of their team. Pix is a vessel for chaos and a master of trickery.

David Theodore Maridale II: Dave was killed in a duel where the hotel was built. He haunted the land and continued haunting even when the hotel was up and running, sort of. Dave worked as a bartender before he died. He loved to talk with his patrons and had the ability to summon multiple familiars to help him. His ability carried over into his afterlife, where he is now able to summon what he calls “ghostlings”. He comes from an older version of the Action Adventure genre and is a ghost bartender for the hotel. He is the oldest of the staff.

Ashtaroth Blackwell: Ash is the child of a demon and a human from the Supernatural genre. They spent their entire childhood being taught their father’s ways. When Ash turned 18, they moved away, not wanting to be associated with their father. They faced stigma wherever they went, due to their familial ties. Ash did manage to find a place in the Urban Fantasy district and study psychology. They became a therapist for people who struggled with family and sudden chosen status. Ash eventually got a job at the hotel to reach a broader category.

Dyna Harris: Dyna is a mechanical engineer and gamer from the Sci-fi genre. She is a shapeshifter who loves to cook. She uses her shapeshifting ability to get the intricate details of her mechanical builds. She had lost half of her right arm from a trap in the woods while she was shifted as an animal. She managed to rebuild that arm out of mechanical parts, but it can never come back, despite her shapeshifting ability. Inspired by the incident, she put aside building and took up her passion for cooking as her main career. She has been hired as the head chef at the hotel.

Veris Urgfim: Veris is an orc bard from a DnD town in the Action Adventure genre. Veris looks big and intimidating, but he is really a big sweetheart. He likes to make people feel safe, and has no time for assholes. His party had left him to die in a cave, but he managed to make it out and survive. He loves to joke and was hired as security for the hotel.

Lucki Caldwell: Lucki is an elf from the Urban Fantasy genre. He is the youngest of the staff. Lucki is very eager and naive. He was quite sheltered, so a job as a barista in a hotel that has all sorts of people coming and going every day is quite new for him. He doesn’t know much about how the other genres operate, so he is usually found getting into trouble. Raven tends to act like a mother towards him since they work together a lot. Lucki has some of the best energy in the hotel, so if someone is having a bad day, then they could count on Lucki to make things a bit better.

Derrin Torres: Derrin comes from a completely different dimension from the others. He came here after following what looked like ghosts of himself until one led him to a reflective, red pool that pulled him into this world. Derrin is usually the one to have a clever solution to something without the use of magic. Derrin had absorbed the magic that the portal used when he was transported, gaining illusionary abilities.

Axel Lavon: Axel is a former actor from a medieval reenactment group. He was usually performing as a knight, but took the role very seriously, even going as far as to learn how to fight with various blades and melee weapons. He was fired from his job for fighting with and injuring a customer. Axel is rarely seen without a weapon of his by his side, his favorite being his sword. Despite his fascination with fantasy things, Axel is from the Comedy district. He was hired as security.

Heheh, yeah. I like this story (*^‿^*) kinda debating whether I host the story on Tumblr or on Webtoon. Maybe I'll do both. One things for sure, I will definitely try to post anything random I draw about this on here.

That's all for now. Stay determined<3

[lichfucker]

say it. out loud.

Trent pinches the bridge of his nose. “Ted, you must understand how utterly foolish I feel even having this conversation.”

“Would you rather have said conversation in a creepy, misty forest? Because I know I would. Aw, but the weather’s too dang nice out today and I don’t wanna keep waiting, we’ve been dancing this dance for too long already. All right, we’ll just have to do it here, then.” Ted moves to stand behind Trent.

Trent says, “What are you—”

“Come on, now, can’t you just humor a guy?” Ted says. “Been wanting to do this ever since that movie came out.”

There’s a long beat of silence while Trent wonders when he’ll wake up from this nightmare or perhaps when he’ll realize that this cannot possibly be his real life and in fact he’s caught in his own particularly inane version of The Truman Show (The Trent Show, naturally) and the horizon isn’t really the horizon, it’s just a wall, and on that wall is a staircase he can climb and at the top he’ll get to walk out into a world where things actually make sense, and then Ted is clearing his throat and saying, “Um, I believe your line is, ‘I know what you are.’”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Pretty please?”

When Trent looks over his shoulder he sees Ted pouting like a child, his bottom lip sticking cartoonishly out, batting his eyes. Nothing infuriates Trent quite like being confronted with just how endearing he finds Ted, cartoon mannerisms and all. In for a penny, in for a pound. He sighs and he says, “I know what you are.”

Ted says, putting on a voice all husky and brooding (the sound of which Trent will be filing away for later, thank you very much), “Say it. Out loud.”

“Vampire?” Trent says with as much resignation as he can muster. He feels Ted step a bit closer and so he turns once again to face him head-on.

Ted’s giving him a different kind of smile than he has before. This time he’s not hiding his fangs. This time he is offering all of himself, Trent’s for the taking.

“Why, yes, I am, Trent Crimm. Does that frighten you?”

“No,” Trent says. “It shocks and it intrigues, but it does not frighten.”

“Good,” Ted says, and now he’s fully crowding Trent, his hands on Trent’s waist. “I’d hate to think you were worried I couldn’t control myself around you. I’ve had so much practice keeping my teeth to myself.”

Trent shivers a little bit (he tells himself it’s because Ted’s hands are just so cold), but he shakes his head and extricates himself from Ted’s grip. “You don’t get to act all seductive after forcing me to quote Twilight at you.”

Ted laughs. “I dunno how much more seducing I need to do if I’ve already got you quoting Twilight at me.”

“You know,” Trent says thoughtfully, “I think my countrymen would’ve had a much easier time accepting a vampire as the manager of a Premier League football team than an American. You really should’ve led with that.”

**

this is gonna be so much longer bc I’ve lost control of my life but for now. an offering. ty @leupagus​ for specifically suggesting recreating this scene

[darksapphire29]

Imagine #5

Peter being afraid of needles.

Warnings: blood, needles, inaccurate description of wound-fixing (basically; don't copy how the reader fixes Peter cuz idk what I'm doing)

You pumped your legs harder, faster. Your heart pounded in your ears. Your limbs ached with every swift movement and you had a stitch in your side. Your pursuers followed with an energy you had left in the camp.

“This way!” Peter hollered from in front of you. He turned suddenly, your exhausted brain making you nearly ram into a tree. Luckily, Peter had slowed to grab your hand. He dragged you along through a thicker and darker part of the forest. After a minute, he pulled you around behind a tree. He pressed his back into the bark, his arms wrapped over your stomach as he clutched you to his body.

The two of you stood immensely still, huffing and puffing, sweat dripping down your back.

The pirates ran right past you.

The stupid men hurried off into the woods, and when their grumbles were out of earshot, you slackened against Peter. A relieved laugh bubbled up in your chest. Peter’s chest shook behind you. His angelic giggles filled your ears, and soon you were both trembling with mirth.

Not 10 minutes earlier, that codfish Hook had somehow found his way into camp. But it didn’t matter. You and Peter and the Lost Boys were prepared and hungry for a fight. Before you ran off to play tag, half of them were bleeding on the ground. It was grand fun. It still baffled you how they ever thought they could win.

“How many… did you get?” He gasped from behind you. You were still laughing, ignoring your ever-worsening stitch.

“E-Eleven.” You turned to face him, and he was grinning, his eyes sparkling with joy. It was a rare and beautiful sight. But then, he winced, and your laugh caught in your throat.

“You alright?” You took his hand, feeling familiar tingles from his skin on yours. It gave you butterflies, but something was wrong.

“Yes, I’ll… I’ll just walk it o—” He cut himself off, collapsing into you. You caught him, you hand touching something warm and wet on his side. He cried out.

“Peter! H-Hang on, we need to get you b-back…” You looked around quickly, trying to remember where you were. You had never been to this part of the forest before. You looked back down at Peter. The side of his shirt was soaked in his blood, and some of it dripped onto the leaves.

You lowered him onto the floor, peeling back his shirt to look at it. A long line of his skin was split open, blood leaking down the sides and staining his paling skin. It wasn’t too wide, but it was deep. You guessed he had been sliced by a sword. It was a clean cut. Easy enough to fix. But that didn’t make it easy to look at. Against your wishes, you started to tear up.

“Oh my gosh…” You whimpered, staring down at the red in shock. “A-Alright. L-Let me see if I h-have anything…” You searched your pockets. Normally, you would bring supplies for something like this. You were basically Neverland’s doctor. But you hadn’t, this time.

“Peter, I-I don’t have anything!” Your hands were shaking. Peter grabbed them.

“(Y/n), it’s okay…” He croaked. He closed his eyes, frowning a little. Suddenly, he was lying on a cot, and you were kneeling beside him in your healing chambers.

“Oh, Peter, thank you.” You scrambled to your feet and ran to the cupboard. Gathering ointments and disinfectant and stitches and bandages while Peter groaned in response. You placed everything on the table beside the bed, gathering some cloth and a bowl of warm water.

“Okay. This is gonna sting, so, on three?” Peter nodded; eyes squeezed shut. You breathed out slowly. “One…” Peter’s breathing sped up a little, and your chest tightened. “Two…” You got some scissors and cut open his shirt so you could get to the wound. “Three.”

You dabbed gently on and around his cut. You swiped away any dirt and washed the cloth in water a few times when it filled with blood and grime. All the while Peter squirmed and grunted and whimpered. It broke your heart to know you were causing him this pain.

"For Neverland's sake, Peter!" You grumbled, washing out the cloth for the third time. "Were you running even... even with this?"

How could the poor boy even move with such a wound, let alone run around in the forest?

Peter shrugged while lying down, which you weren't afraid to admit looked really weird.

"What could I say?" He smirked. "You were having such a good time, after all. It was fun... you don't smile like that often." You shook your head.

"For the record, Pan, you hardly smile at all." He laughed, but his eyes showed his pain. Both physical pain and emotional.

There was one speck of dirt that wouldn’t budge, you using the corner of the cloth to try and move it. Peter squeezing the mattress, you finally got it out.

When you finished cleaning, you rinsed off the cloth again. Your hands were a little red. You gagged at the sight. There was so much of Peter's blood; on your hands, in the bowl, on his shirt, on his skin, on the cot... it worried you. And it had to be fixed up before he lost any more.

“Peter.” He groaned again, opening his eyes to look at you. There were swollen and misty. “I’m going to need to stitch it together.” Peter’s eyes widened. He recoiled into the bed.

This was always the part you and every Lost Boy hated most. You just hoped Peter wouldn’t kill you; on purpose or accidental.

You’d had stitches before, and it sucked. The only difference here was, you were all out of poppy seeds, and Peter wasn’t about to fall asleep any time soon. Besides, he was the lightest sleeper on the whole of Neverland. So, you were going to give him a needle.

He seemed to read your mind, and you saw he was trying to prepare himself. You gathered your things, dabbing disinfectant around the wound. But when you brought out the needle, he was stiff as a board. “You okay?”

“Of course.” He said a little too quickly. You giggled.

“Are you afraid of needles?” He glared at you, trying to look intimidating. You waved the needle in his face. He flinched.

“Aw, Pan, it’s alright. (Y/n) will be gentle with the scary needle.” You teased.

“Just get it over with.” He growled. Your gaze softened.

“Really, Pete. It’ll be alright. Loads of people are afraid of needles.” You tried calming him down, the playful mood dissipating faster than it appeared. Peter scoffed.

“I am not afraid of needles.” You smiled softly. It was cute that the tough and intimidating Peter Pan was afraid of needles, but it was a pretty big needle. You weren’t about to mock his pride. Not again, anyway.

“Wanna hold my hand?” You held out your other hand for him to take. He looked away from you before he (somewhat begrudgingly) grabbed it. You smirked.

“Shut up.”

You positioned the needle over his skin, and he looked over into your eyes. His gaze steering clear of the small but sharp object.

“Ready?”

“No.” He grinned sheepishly, before it was replaced with a look of fear. He gulped, clutching your hand. Just before you pushed the needle through his skin, a vase nearby exploded. You and Peter jumped, a few shards of glass flying across the room. One of them nicked your cheek while another got your arm.

"(Y/n), I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" You shook a little, the needle still in your hand. You looked over to where the vase used to be, little pieces all over the table and ground. Some were even sticking out of the wall behind it.

Lucky for you, th vase was on the other side of the room. So aside from a scratch here and there, you were fine.

You looked back down at Peter. "Uh... yeah! Yeah, let's just finish this."

He didn’t move while you injected him. And to your relief, nothing exploded this time. He watched you with guilt in his eyes.

He fell asleep almost right away, and you went to work sewing him up. When it was done you washed the blood off his and your skin, taking off his shirt completely and putting him in a fresh one. Then, you sat in a chair with a book and waited for him to wake.

When he finally stirred, the first thing he searched for was you.

“(Y/n)?” You heard, and you put the book down.

He was looking around the room for you, eyes blinking slowly and his arms stretching above him. It was adorable.

“I’m here.” You smiled. His head turned slightly to the side, finding you. He smiled lazily.

“Come here.” You sat on the bed beside him, he not even bothering to sit up yet. Which was good, since it would ruin your human needlework. He grabbed you shirt and tried pulling you down. But he was still weak from sleep.

“Oh, stop it, Pan.” You giggled, taking his hands away. He just linked his fingers with yours. “Your still injured, and there isn’t enough room, anyway.”

Peter pouted. “You know you… want to.” He tried, but then yawned slightly. You laughed at his attempt to seduce you. He frowned.

“You’re tired. Get some rest.” You kissed his forehead, standing up to walk away. But his hand was still holding yours.

“I just was resting.” He argued, going to sit up. You quickly grabbed his shoulders.

“Don’t!” He stopped. “You’ll hurt yourself. Pop the stitches I was working on for hours.” He chuckled.

“My hero.” You ignored the sarcasm, forcing him to lie down.

“And as your hero, I am ordering you to go back to sleep.” He rolled his eyes, letting go of your hand and sighing (rather dramatically).

“Only if you stay with me.” You thought about it for a second, biting your lip. You weren’t a sound sleeper. What if you touched his stitches? Or took all the blanket? Or rolled on him? Or pushed him out of bed? Or—

“Just get in, (Y/n)!” He laughed at your thoughts, and you gave up. You climbed under the blankets next to him.

He went to roll on his side to face you, wanting to hold you. But then he winced and stopped himself. Instead, he put his arm under your neck and tucked you into his side. You laughed at the awkwardness of it all.

“Happy, now?” You giggled. He smirked at you.

“More than happy.”

***

“So, All-Powerful Pan… wanna talk about your fear of needles?”

“Shut up.”

You laughed.

[seizethesam]

Ode to an Angel-Chapter 7

A/N: Hello again! We are almost halfway there!! Chapter 7 here, I hope you will enjoy it! This is another experimental chapter for me! Ode to an Angel has been a way to experiment on my writing!! As always, the feedback is always appreciated! Love you! Happy reading!

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Female Reader

Warning: Non, I guess, maybe a little bit angst.

The recommended song is Ruby’s Arms by Tom Waits!!!!

Chapter 6

Then…

“Why did ya stop?” he asked.

It was the same question you’d kept asking yourself when you’d first joined the group. Eventually you had found the answer.

“What I’ve found turned out to be way more important than a revenge,” you spoke, turning your face to him.

He was watching the dark forest while chewing his tongue. He looked… beautiful under the moonlight.

You watched him for a while, put your head on his shoulder. He flinched at the sudden contact but eased into it after a while.

Then you held his hand.

Now…

Chapter 7

“Hey, you wanna see a very impressive craftsmanship,” you said smiling to the man who was loading wild pumpkins on the back of the truck.

You were in a field not so far away from the prison that Glenn and Rick had spotted a few days back. The area wasn’t a plantation, but just a dumpster people used throw in rotten vegetables.

“C’mon,” Daryl gestured you to start the show. His features lacked any hint of excitement.

You cut a little piece of branch from the pumpkin plant and showed Daryl the inside of the branch. “See, the inside is hollow,” you did all this so dramatically like it was a cheap workshop that a little faint smile appeared on the archer’s lips.

You cut a semicircle whole at the end of the piece. You looked around the field to see if there was any walkers- there was one fairly far away from you. Then you blew air into the little hallow piece of branch. A very annoying, not too loud, borazon like sound came out.

“Huh? It’s a whistle,” you concluded, very proud of yourself.

He scoffed; “S’ impressive.”

“I know,” you said, lifting one brow at him, playfully. “Matt used to do that when we were kids.”

He looked at you confused. You realized you’d never told him his name, “my brother,” you explained.

“It’s practical,” he nodded, “all my brother had taught me was how ta drink and pick locks,” he said.

All the time you’d spend with Daryl, he’d never mentioned he had a brother. Had. You wondered what more there was to discover about this extraordinary man.

“I’m sorry,” was all you could say.

“S’ alright, he was an asshole,” he said, bending down to pick up another pumpkin. He turned body away from you. He was uncomfortable.

“Daryl,” you called him. He didn’t look at you. You wanted to tell him that it’s okay to open up, that it’s alright if he’s hurt or anything.

But you didn’t. he would talk to you when he wanted to talk to you. You decided on not pushing on it.

“Here, take this,” you said, instead, and offered him the handmade whistle, “in case you need me to save you. Just blow it,” you finished, giving him a smirk.

He scoffed at your sudden playfulness but took the whistle anyway and placed it in the pocket of his vest.

“I’ll keep it,” he muttered before he bent down to grab the large pumpkin.

Everyone was on edge.

The air in the car was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. No one said anything, no one looked at each other, no one made a noise, except for Michonne giving directions. She appeared outside the fences of the prison with baby formulas and clothes in her hand and a gunshot wound on one leg. No Maggie, no Glenn.

She had told you that “a young Asian guy and a pretty girl” had the baby stuff but they were taken by some men, men of someone who called himself the Governor. She’d said that they were living in a town called the Woodbury, about seventy-five survivors.

They wanted the prison Michonne had told you, your home. So, they took Maggie and Glenn hostages. But no, you weren’t going to give up on your home that easily.

The interrogation didn’t last long. You were on your way to the town when Michonne had told you that she would take you there. It wasn’t easy to trust her, but she was also your only chance at saving your friends.

So, you hit the road with Rick, Michonne, Oscar and Daryl.

You left the car near the woods and covered it safe with tree branches before continuing on foot.

Michonne had informed you about the lay out of the place, where this Governor usually is, about the fighters and the common people. But you still weren’t sure what to expect.

You were nervous, but still kept your head high and held the heavy machine gun tight in your hands.

You arrived at the breach that Michonne had told you about on the way here. Your eyes wondered around the place before stopping on Daryl. He looked back at you and gave you a reassuring nod.

You didn’t kill anyone before. But you weren’t going to hesitate on taking down the ones who had hurt your family in any way.

You were not losing anymore.

---

Michonne led your group into labyrinth of a place that was built out of metal scraps, telling you that the Governor could be keeping Glenn and Maggie in there for interrogation or— worse. Your heart was pounding against your ribcage so hard, wondering if you were too.

No, you weren’t. You were just in time, in fact.

Thankfully, the metal walls were badly structured as there were holes and gaps in between, so you got a good look at the other side.

You saw four men with guns, one with a blade for a hand actually, and two other people with sacks covering their heads; Glenn and Maggie.

They were alive. You let out your breath that you weren’t aware of holding.

Rick and the others were waiting close behind you. You pointed to the other side of the wall with your index and middle finger as you nodded to Rick to take action. With your signal, they threw the gas bomb to other side and you shot at the enemy for cover.

You escaped the place and took refuge in one of the town houses. Words that didn’t make sense to you escaped Glenn’s mouth, “Merle’s here,” he said.

Daryl’s head snapped to Glenn’s direction, “ya sure? S’ he the Governor?” he lined his questions.

“No, that’s some other guy,” Glenn answered as he put on a hoodie.

“Then, we gotta go for him, take him with us,” Daryl talked as he moved back and forth. Clearly, he knew this ‘Merle’ guy. He was in such an excitement to see him.

“Dude, he tried to kill us,” Glenn tried to reason with the archer. Merle didn’t seem like good news according to Glenn, but Daryl obviously cared about the guy.

But whatever it was, this wasn’t the time to argue. The town was slowly turning into a war zone.

“Guys, sorry to interrupt, but we have to leave,” you said, turning away from the window, “now.”

You gave Glenn the pistol you were keeping under your belt. Just as you were getting ready make the escape, Daryl spoke, “I can’t leave him here, man, he’s my brother.”

Now it made sense. He was blood.

Rick looked at Daryl before speaking, “Look, there’s a whole army out there. You gotta be there with us if we’re gonna make it out alive,” his voice was deep, “I need you, ya with me?

The archer weighed Rick’s words and nodded slowly.

You open the front door and let your friends get out of the house one by one. You were last one to exit the place and step into the fog of the gas bombs.

The glazing fire of the ricochets on the asphalt was illuminating the misty air that covered you. The sounds of guns shooting were filling the air. And until then, you’d never thought what a bliss of God it would be to be deaf.

You ran for your escapes shooting any obstacle that came on your way. You helped Glenn and Maggie up onto the bus to go over the wall, leaving Rick and Daryl close behind for cover. After Maggie, Oscar helped you up.

Everything happened so fast.

Oscar was pushing you up to the bus roof and the next thing he was lying dead on the floor. He was shot right through his chest. It wasn’t not a wound that even a big guy like him could handle.

It wasn’t long until Maggie put a bullet into his skull.

You found yourself shouting for Daryl and Rick to came back to you; Daryl didn’t. He disappeared in the foggy street of Woodbury.

Shit.

­---

You put your rifle in your hands like if was now a part of your body. Not just a machine, but an extension of limbs.

What you saw before you was a perfect example of mania. The Governor was standing in the middle of an arena, talking out of his ass. Then came Daryl, and his long-lost brother, Merle.

The scenery was obscene; people were cheering for them to kill each other, red flames around the league was adding to the dreariness of the situation. Deadly. It was unbelievable how these people were thirsty for blood.

Your index finger was on its rightful place, pressing close to the trigger. You were waiting for Rick’s signal to shoot. You were going to kill some you didn’t know— to save the man with the angel wings.  So, you shot. The man who stood behind Daryl. Headshot.

Through the binocular of the rifle, you saw Daryl flinch when the man fell on the ground with a whole in his face.

The first human you’ve ever killed.

Soon after, you shot at another one holding a walker. You shot the man on his collar bone, but he didn’t get up from the ground. Then you shot the walker.

Rick stepped into the arena to get the archer when you and Maggie were covering for him.

---

“No him, no me,” Daryl said with a low voice. What? You couldn’t help but frown at his words. He was really considering leaving. No, he wasn’t considering anymore, he was leaving.

“Daryl, you don’t have to do that,” Maggie spoke.

“It was always Merle and I before this,” he said. It was almost like he was trying to ration his decision to himself, putting out reasons to go with his brother.

You should’ve understood him. He didn’t want to leave his brother; he said he already did that once. You should’ve been able to let him go. Not over a year ago, you were doing the same, and your brother was dead.

But you couldn’t. You couldn’t let him go.

“Don’t,” it was the only thing that came out of your mouth.

“You would’ve done the same thing,” he said.

He started to walk towards the car to get his things.

You went after him while Glenn was sighing in defeat. Your steps were fast and soon after you were next to him.

“Wait!” you reached for his arm but failed. “Don’t go like this, Daryl.”

He didn’t say anything; he just kept walking like he wasn’t hearing you. You took two more big steps and stood in front of him and placed your hand on his chest to stop him. It was an involuntary movement, but it was enough to send him a step back.

A wave heat rushed through your ears. “You can’t leave like this. You can’t,” you jabbered, “we need you to be there when the Governor comes.”

You stopped to see what he was going to say, but he kept his silence. “I need you,” you finally said.

The second words left your mouth you tried to swallow them back in, but it was too late. And they were true. You needed him, more than you’d like to admit.

“I ain’t leavin’ him again, Y/N,” he told you. You heard the bitterness in his voice when he said your name. “Ya should understand.”

“It’s not the same,” and it wasn’t. You didn’t know Merle, but based on everyone’s view on him, including Daryl’s, the guy was, in fact, an asshole. Your brother, on the other hand, was dead, and nothing could stop you from going with him if he were to stand before you…alive.

That was when it clicked. You were being selfish. You cared about the archer more than you’d let on.

You swallowed the lump in your throat and nodded. You couldn’t bring yourself to speak, afraid that you would break.

“I have ta,” he said, looking into your eyes. “I’m sorry.”

You didn’t let the tears spill until he turned his back to you and vanished into the green woods with his brother.

 Taglist:

A lark was singing a happy song in the sky when Daryl left.

Chapter 8

@spidergirla5 @twdeadfanfic @kamieshep @sophia-gwendolyn @jodiereedus22 @purplebtsmagic @302rocks @decadentsoulbiscuitgoth @crossbowking @bunnymother93 @ly--canthrope @mrsfortune1306 @pillowjj

[too-much-sunshine]

Fangs for the Hospitality

Chapter 4

Summary: After Roman leaves his family reunion mad at Remus, his car breaks down. The huge snow storm forces him into the forest hes always been told to stay away from. Who will he meet? And why are they being so nice? Most importantly, why are his teeth so sharp?

A/N: My self-indulgent magic/vampire fic! Let me know if I need to tag something or you wanna be tagged!

Relationship: Familial DAM, Eventual Roceit, Eventual Intrulogical

Warnings (per chapter): Small reference to past child abuse, mention of late parents, let me know if there anything else!

Catch up!: Master list, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3

Word Count: 1869

Read on AO3!

Remus sat on the steps of his childhood house. Or well...mansion. Even he could recognize that this wasn't a house. It definitely wasn't a home either. 

He had his head in his hands thinking about everything that happened that night that led up to this point. He really, really messed up.

It wasn't that Remus thought that nothing bad would happen when he told that rumor to his mother. In fact he was quite hopeful some shit would go down. His mother would be the best to win over with her propensity for being very gullible. Then he was hoping he could just coast along to victory after she believed him. Sadly that worked and bit too well.

Remus knew everyone was hoping Roman would finally contribute to the family. So by giving him and wife, fake or not, would alleviate the worry in the family. They wouldn't question it too much. What he didn't account for was the fact that Roman never wanted that kind of attention.

Remus was kicking himself remembering the look on his brother's face as he ran from the ballroom. He looked scared and shook up. Remus was hoping he would take it as a joke, or at least play along until Remus could dispel the rumor. But It was already too late.

He ran right out the door and into the car and away before Remus could catch him. Which leaves Remus on the front porch in the snow regretting most of this night.

Remus just thinks too fast most of the time. Never being able to stop the next thought even if the first one isn't finished yet. It's not an excuse for putting Roman on blast, but it is a reason. He just never thought though to the consequences before he opened his mouth. The fact of the matter is that he should of asked Roman before he talked to anyone.

 Remus gave a heavy sigh as Remy came up from behind him. 

“Listen babe, you should come back inside for a bit. I’ll drive you home once nobody is looking for us.” He said solemnly.

“Where do you think he went? There so much snow, that car is a piece of shit and hes freaking the fuck out.” Remus said back, not hearing, or not caring about, Remy's first statement.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. Its fucking cold out here Rems. Lets go inside and talk about th-”

“NO! Remy you don't get it! Who knows what he could be doing or thinking! I never think! After all these years he's been the person this family hated the most and I certainly never helped him!” Remus stood up and started yelling at the snow falling. “I’m his twin brother and even I treat him so poorly.”

“I hear what you're saying and I raise you, you are the only one who has ever stuck by him. Yes you fucked up today Remus but he’s bound to forgive you. You have your own issues Rems. He knows you didn't mean it. Just give him a bit to calm down.”

“I know he’ll forgive me. He always does. He's the kindest person in the whole bitch ass family! But no one has ever been the same to him!” Remus groaned loudly at the sky. 

Remus turned back to look at Remy, who was still standing and shivering on the porch. Remy looked over Remus and nodded his head.

“You’re right. But you and him stick together. Just let him go for a bit. We’ll find him tomorrow.” Remy pulled a set of keys out of his coat pocket. “For now I’m sure that nobody is looking for us since no one came after us. Come home with me and then we will find him. Grab his coat before we leave though.”

Remus huffed then nodded back. He walked back inside to grab both him and Romans coats from the coat rack. He doesn't feel any better from what happened. He’ll have to have a long talk with Roman to try and figure this out. 

Remus walked out the front door to Remy's car.

 ~~~

Janus walked through the halls of his house, away from the guest rooms. He knew that there was no way that anyone could go in or out of that room without his knowledge. But that did little to alleviate his worry of having this stranger in his house. 

There was so much unknown with this stanger. How could he see Janus’ house from the road? That road was miles away from his house, and it is heavily snowing. Even if he could for some reason have seen his house, there should have not been a way for him to just wander into the forest. 

These woods were not the typical thick forest that one may travers as they want. Janus didn't want to say it had a mind of its own, but they may be the best way to describe it. It just...played by its own rules. He needed to go to his library and, though he didn't really want to, call a friend over. Maybe they would know more than he would about these things. ‘They probably won’t but it’s worth a shot.’ Janus thought.

Janus continued meandering his way to his home library, thinking of the possibilities of why this Roman could walk into the woods. 

‘I’ve lived in this damn forest for over a century and I’ve never met someone like this.” Janus thought. ‘It should have just sent him away. Humans can't walk in here. I certainly couldn't so why him?’ As Janus continued his inner monologue he passed by his son's door. Realizing this he stopped and took a step back.

Janus realized that before he goes to his library to inevitably get lost in his thoughts and books, he should check on his two sons. The night had had a lot of excitement; it had been just short of a nightmare getting the two to sleep.

He made sure to put the stranger into the room furthest away from any of the living quarters that either his kids or himself used. That being said, his room was the closet, then Virgils, the last being Pattons. 

He first peeked into little Virgil's room. The 3 year old was sleeping soundly in his crib. The poor child had the hardest time sleeping without some sort of song sung beforehand, not that Janus minded. He's pretty sure he would do just about anything for the little boy. He was just about ready to move into an actual bed, which Janus was not looking forward to. He's growing up too fast.

He still remembered when Virgil was a baby. He was so small and fragile. Janus has done many things in his life he was not proud of, but taking Virgil in will never be one of them. He will admit that taking in the infant was not what he had planned that day but he's forever glad he did.

He was a hard baby to take care of too. He was a mix of two beings that were told to never be together. And instead of punishing the parents, they went after the small child instead. Virgil was in pain most of his first months of life. His little body is a mix of things that have never been mixed. Janus was so glad he grew out of the pain, even if he still needed a little help sometimes. 

Taking little Virgil from his crib turned prison, was one of the best decisions of his entire life. 

Smiling softly at the sleeping child, Janus stopped his walk down memory lane. He was just so glad to have Virgil with him. Janus was determined to give this child a second chance that nobody else was willing to give him.

He silently closed the door to move to Pattons door. He cracked the door open in on the 8 year old. Luckily, he too was sound asleep. 

He's had Patton longer than he's had Virgil, but he didnt take Patton in as young as Virgil. He still thinks about Patton's story and gets a bit misty eyed. Janus had been great friends with Patton's biological parents, and though Patton didn't remember them much, Janus did. They were amazing forest witches and had a love for nature. They are the most loving people. Distantly Janus thought that you'd have to be to be friends with him. 

He would always rather have Patton's biological parents here, but he will never ever regret agreeing to being Patton's godparent. After Pat's parents passed, and he was left in Janus care, it was a large learning curve on how to be a parent. But now he wouldn't trade either of his sons for all the power in the world. 

Patton had scared Janus so bad when he opened the door for the stranger. Yes Pat wasn't used to visitors. But he was taught from a young age to never open the door alone. Janus had always preached safety to them both for fear of what lurked around in the woods. Pat was lucky the person behind the door was actually a person. They were going to have to reiterate the rules of the front door once the morning hit.

Closing the door to his son's room he finally let out his last strained sigh. It's been a long night even though it's already 2am. 

Finally catching some calm, Janus made his way just past his two sons' rooms into the fairly large library. The circular room went from the first floor all the way up to the third, and even a bit into the attic. It could be entered from any of those levels as well. Each shelf was completely filled with books. 

This is the place where he spends arguably the most time. Even his sons would hang out here with him. There just so many things that can be learned here.

Speaking of learning things, he needed to find out who the hell Roman was. There was no way this guy was who he said he was if he was able to see and walk into the forest. There were many things that could be happening here. Though Janus thought there were a few that were more likely than others.

No matter what though, Janus thought that there was no way in heaven or hell that Roman was trustworthy. 

Running his hands down the spines of the books and he walked around the room, Janus was looking for a specific book. After a few minutes of reading through the books with his fingertips he finally found the right book: ‘The Complete Book of Different Beings, Magic and Otherwise.’

“A-ha!” He whispered triumphantly. “This should be it!”

Taking the book to the corner of the room, Janus sat in his favorite chair. Not for the first time he's glad he doesn't need to sleep, he's gonna be here for a while. The book itself was quite large and he really didn't know where to start with Roman. 

With a contented sigh Janus opened the book, and started at the beginning.

~~~

Next Chapter

Taglist:

@primaveradoodles @bluerosesbleedred

[sergeant-donny-donowitz]

The Babysitter (Aldoxfem!Reader)

@owba-chan @war-obsessed @inglourious-imagines @tealaquinn @struggling-bee

Let me know if you wanna be added to the taglist! :)

You heard footsteps all around you. You'd been running for as long as you cared to remember.

It was your life at that point.

In fact, the only way you'd still have a life was if you kept running.

Your lungs strained to get every ounce of biting, freezing air as you raced against blood through the snowy woods. You ran around trees, ducked under boughs and branches. You held on to the one thing you had left to fight for.

A baby, wrapped in your coat and your sweaters.

You ran, the wind and thorns lashing against your bare skin, red and raw with winter and woods' scorn.

Your ribs felt as though they were caving in. Your stomach was twisting into an empty knot. Your throat felt as though you'd swallowed a pint of coarse sand.

But it didn't matter.

None of it mattered since 1936.

You had a mission, and you would get it done, or you would die trying.

Your fighting spirit and determination was no match the simple fact that you were outgunned, and outnumbered.

The sounds of guns and boots circled around you.

Your heart stopped when you heard the words you'd heard too many times.

"Halt. Oder wir schießen"

Stop, or we'll shoot.

You looked down at the bundle in your arms. It was over... A tear streamed down your face as you looked at your mission unraveling.

You murmured through the icy air, hopelessly, as you stopped... "Warum ich..."

Why me...

You realized you weren't surrounded by nazis, but the exact opposite... You still had a chance.

"Wait!" You panicked, scrounging through your scattered mind for the words in a language that was not your own, "Don't shoot!"

A man with a scar on his neck stepped out from the trees carefully, "Speak English?"

"Just enough, " you nodded.

Aldo eyed the coat in your arms, fearing you'd hidden a weapon in it, he ordered "Pertty lil jacket you got there missy." He saw a ragged, torn messenger bag around your shoulder. "Why don't you toss that and the bag on over here, easy like, and put your hands in the air up slow."

Aldo, and the rest of the basterds found it odd that in spite of the freezing winter, you weren't wearing your coat.

In fact, you were wearing boots that were not meant for the snow, overalls meant for an overheating factory, and a cardigan that could not shield you from the wind.

You froze...the impending reality of shots being fired was more frightening than ever, even if they weren't your enemies.

"Don't shoot, it's a baby! Don't shoot!"

Aldo turned to the emerging basterds.

The one nearest to you was a face you vaguely recognized.

"Hugo." Aldo nodded to him, wordlessly ordering for him to check your claim.

Hugo turned to Aldo, then back to you...This was not his forte...

But orders were orders.

He stepped forward, though he was internally panicking.

On one hand, it might be the end of the line if you really were hiding a weapon. On the other hand, if it was really a baby, he'd never actually held one before, and had no clue what to do.

He reached out as you shivered in the cold, his hand grazed your side, and you flinched and grimaced a little. You clenched your teeth through the pain, and adjusted the bundle in his arms, helping the clueless basterd out a little.

Hugo raised his eyebrow and looked down at coat. He moved it aside a little, and looked down at a sleeping baby.

It was so tiny, it scared him. He looked up at you, "So? Mache ich es richtig? Wie halte ich es? Wo kann ich-"

"Like this? Am I doing it right? How do I hold it? Where do I-"

"Hugo?" Aldo was waiting for the verdict. He noticed the uneasiness in Hugo's tone, but then realized  Hugo may not have been the best to send if it was a baby.

Hugo nodded slowly. "It's a baby."

You looked back at Aldo, and pleaded through your shivering, "Please, I need to get to Toulouse."

Aldo raised his eyebrow, "Toulouse? That's a long way from here, miss."

You nodded, "I know." Your eyes wandered to the treetops on the southern side of the forest. Way beyond the horizon was Toulouse... Your ticket out.

"Well, whenever  a kraut gets this far, we make sure we're in the know. Ain't that right, boys?" Aldo was still unsure what to make of you. It was just a precaution on hearing your German accent. They'd chased you down, thinking you were a trap set by the nazis.

"I'm not a kraut." You clenched your teeth, trying to keep them from chattering, though the breath at your lips was practically ice.

"That's a German accent, aint it? Makes you a kraut, little lady. Makin' you an intruder on our terf."

"I'm Austrian."

Wicki smirked, as you managed to stutter through the cold, "But I'm not a nazi." You gulped, involuntarily raising your arm against your ribs, which made the basterds tense up. "I'm not a nazi, I'm not a spy, I'm not even a contact for either side of the war."

"No? So what are you, huh? Why're you all the way out here? Who are you?" The biggest basterd, the one you assumed was the one the Germans called the Bear Jew, stepped up.

"My name is Y/n. I'm 22 years old." Your eyes wandered over Omar and Hirschberg, who were still out of breath from the chase.

"I'm in my college's cross country team."

Hirschbeg nodded, after a strain for air, "Noted."

Smitty chuckled, "Haha...cross country... Get it?"

Omar rolled his eyes.

Aldo had noticed you flinched when Hugo took the baby from you. They realized you were 'underdresssed' because you'd wrapped the child in all the extra layers you had, making it highly possible you'd freeze to death if they hadn't found you first. Some of the boys had also noticed you gripping your side at that point.

"You hurt, little lady?"

You gritted your teeth, and lied, "No."

"We're soldiers. We know what hurt is. You ain't gone make it far if you go on like that. So I'm gon' ask you again. Are you hurt?"

"It's just a scratch. I can make it."

Aldo sighed, "Think of the kid."

"That's all I do." Your eyes grew misty and heavy...

Meanwhile, Hugo stood awkwardly holding the bundled up baby in his arms. His eyes widened when he saw the baby waking up.  Hugo looked up, "Scheisse. Ich meine ... Ah ..." The baby cooed up at him, and he looked around, "What do I do with it?!"

Donny narrowed his eyes, "Well first of all, don't call the kid 'it.' It's fucken demeaning."

Smitty sighed, "Well don't say fucken-I MEAN THAT WORD around it either!"

Donny rolled his eyes, "See you did it again!" Wicki shook his head and looked at Hugo in disapproval, "Herr, wirf Hirn vom Himmel..." Lord throw some brains from heaven...

Omar sighed, "Oh for the love of-"

The baby started to whimper, and cry. Hugo seemed to fall apart.... He had no idea what to do.

Hirschberg sighed, and marched through the snow grumbling, "Can scalp a goddamn nazi but don't know how to change a goddamn diaper, some men you are." as he impaled the butt of his gun into the snow.

Hirschberg was in his early twenties when he was drafted. When he left home, he had a daughter that was two years old, and another on the way...

He took the baby from Hugo, and started rocking it, cooing "What's the matter, soldier? Ya hungry? Y...Oh no...It's...It's the diaper."

Aldo ignored the chaotic babysitting, and stepped closer. Though you were trembling, you didn't look scared. You looked defeated, as if you'd been running for a lifetime. You didn't seem fazed by his sudden movement. You barely seemed to notice them anymore.

"Hey..."

Your knees buckled beneath you.

You were starved, sleepless, tired, and wounded. You felt yourself giving up, though your hope was still an ember, fighting against the winter dread.

Aldo caught you, and turned back to his men. "Omar!"

Omar immediately trudged through the snow, toward you.

Aldo murmured, "Fucking hell," as he pulled his jacket over you, as you shivered. He held on to you, and felt your temperature. "Fuck's sake, Y/n..." His heart broke.

You may not have been a soldier, but you sure as hell were a fighter.

He looked down at you. "Omar here's a medic, let him have a look, alright?"

You nodded slowly, and Aldo helped you unclasp one side of your overalls and saw the sweater you wore beneath it.

Blood was beginning to seep through.

Aldo held up the sweater a little, revealing a bloodied shirt, and layers and layers of gauze, with blood pooling through.

Aldo looked up at you, admiring your fighting spirit. But by then, he'd lost a few basterds. He knew sometimes that fighting spirit wasn't enough. He followed your eyes. Even as you slipped in and out of consciousness, you had your eyes set on the child, willing to give every last ounce of strength you had to protect it.

"You done a good job, Y/n. We'll take care of you 'n yours. Don't worry."

Your heavy eyes voyaged to the side. You breathed out shakily, your lips trembling as a pale shade of blue spilled over them, "Elias... His name is Elias..."

Aldo's heart broke as he held on to you. The love in your eyes melted the lieutenant, and he looked back at Omar.

"Keep her awake, sir, she's got hypothermia."

Aldo looked back to you, his hand wrapped around yours.  He felt your freezing cracked skin against his warm, calloused hand. He looked at you, wondering what your story was. Why you'd run from them for so long...

He talked to you, he asked you questions, he tried to keep you awake.

But your words became few and far between, slurred and soft.

His words seemed so muffled, like an echo in the alps.

The last thing you saw was Aldo Raine's blurred, worried face...

"Toulouse. Toulouse..." You mumbled until your eyes shot open. You didn't know where you were exactly. It looked like the inside of a tent...

You were in an army cot, in clothes that were not yours. You threw the covers off yourself, and shot to your feet. You grabbed onto your ribs, pressing against the shooting pain. The ground seemed to spin beneath you.

You felt strong hands at your shoulders, steadying you. "Come on, Y/n. Sit 'own kid. Rest."

You struggled against Aldo's protective grip, "Where is-" you groaned a little, as the pain knocked you back into the cot.

"Rest, it's alright."

"Where is-"

Aldo smiled softly, admiring your will power, and your love... "The kid's doin' fine. Hugo!"

Moments passed, and Hugo marched into the tent, holding onto the baby. The boys had washed sheets (which no one was quite sure how to do...though they figure it out eventually...) and wrapped the baby in them. They also found the baby's diapers and food in the torn bag you'd been carrying.

Hugo looked down at the kid. The boys joked about him being the softest basterd because he took care of the baby (until there was a diaper to change...because Hirschberg was the only one that could handle that). When they joked about it, though, Hugo scowled....

Still, he looked down at the baby in his arms for a moment with an inaudible sigh, and a genuine smile for an infinitesimal moment. If you'd blinked, you would have missed it...

In fact, no one else saw it happen...

But Hugo gave him back to you, not wanting to get any more attached than he already was...it just wasn't like him.

You smiled at Hugo, with a silent promise to keep the secret of his smile, "Dankeschön."

He forced a smile, and nodded politely, and left...

You looked down at Elias, pulling the sheet back a little as he looked up and giggled. It was like your soul returned to your body in that moment. You took a breath, and held him as if your life depended on it.

You looked back at Aldo, "How long's it been?"

"Three days. But you'll be here till you heal up, ya hear?"

You sighed, knowing you couldn't make it very far on your own. Not any time soon...

"Alright." You smirked a little, "Basterd."

"You heard of us?" Aldo smiled, genuinely intrigued as he looked at you.

"Who hasn't? You're Aldo the Apache, aren't you?"

He turned a little red, and nodded, holding his hat between his hands, "That's right, ma'am."

You smiled, though you looked away. Something about him made your heart skip a beat.

And something about you made his stop.

"Now, I gotta ask, Y/n. What the fuck happened? What were you runnin' from?"

"About ten yank troops chasing me through the forest."

He chuckled as he rolled his eyes, "Who the hell gave you that?" He gestured to your ribs.

"About ten krauts over on the alps. Bullet ricocheted."

"You made it down the alps and all the way down here with that bullet in your side?"

You nodded, as you looked down at Elias, then back at Aldo. "I had to."

Aldo nodded, and sat by you, "Where you takin' the kid? We can help you 'n your baby."

"Elias' isn't my son. He was my neighbor's son."

"Wh...Your neighbors? What the fuck's goin' on here?"

You sighed, and saw it all happening again...

"They were Jewish. The parents were taken away. I'd been his babysitter, and his older sister's since she was born... She's only six. He's not even a  year old. His mother asked me one last favor."

"Where's the girl?"

"Toulouse. I have to get Elias there. From there, a friend of mine will take him out of France with his sister to London. They have an aunt there who's waiting for them. "

"You took a bullet for them..."

You shrugged, "Anyone would. He's just a baby. The kids only have each other now."

"Not anyone would have done it." Aldo sighed, knowing you were too young to realize most of the world was not so noble and honorable.

You nodded again, "I suppose you're right... There's a reason this has to be done again."

"Again?"

You sighed, "I used to babysit all the children in my neighborhood. I've been helping the families escape."

In that moment, Aldo completely and fully fell for you. You had heart, not many people could say the same. And very few had one as big as yours.

He could see that.

He saw it in your perseverance. Your will.  Your eyes.

Your eyes...

He saw that same love looking back at him...

He pulled the covers back over you, "Get some rest, Y/n. Once you're better we'll take you 'n the kid to Toulouse." He walked to the entrance of the tent, leaving to get you something to eat.

"Thank you, Aldo."

He smiled when you said his name, though you didn't see.

Back outside, he gathered something for you to eat, and overheard the boys talking about you.

The past three days, they'd been coming up with possible theories and explanations about you.

The boys were at it again.

Wicki rolled his eyes, "That's ridiculous. If Y/n was a nazi, why was she running from Germany?!"

Smitty shook his head, "She wasn't running from Germany, she was running from us!"

Hirschberg groaned, "What the hell was she doin' all the way out here anyway?!"

Donny shrugged, "Ok. Maybe. Just maybe...Y/n is married to a nazi, and Elias is their kid, but she doesn't love the nazi cause he's a fucken nazi, so she ran away with the kid. That's why she was headin' for Toulouse, it's part of Free France, ain't it?"

Omar nodded, "Donny's got a point. What if her husband or boyfriend or whoever that asshole was, found out, and shot her? That's gotta be it."

Hirschberg rolled his eyes, "Ok but-"

Aldo sighed, and sniffed some tobacco, "We were all wrong."

"What?"

Aldo sat for a minute. "The kid isn't Y/n's kid. Y/n was the kid's babysitter. His parents are Jewish. They got taken away, and Y/n promised Elias' ma she'd take care of him, and his sister too. She got the sister to a friend in Toulouse. That's why she was runnin' there. From there, Y/n's friend is taking them to England, where the kids' have an aunt who's gonna take em in. Thing is, she was a babysitter for her whole neighborhood. She's been helping other families out too."

Omar shrugged, "Well shit...how 'bout that."

Hirschberg nodded, and sat back. "Huh...I like her..."

Aldo smiled softly and sighed, "Yeah. I do too, son."

****************************************

Some time passed...

Every now and then, your name would come up in conversation, and Aldo would smile, wondering about you.

Hoping that you and the kids were safe.

Wishing you'd meet again.

He'd wait. Maybe there was a time and place for luck and love after the war.

He sighed as the boys marched through the forest to a small town called Nadine, where they'd meet a British soldier who would be assisting with one of, if not the most important missions of the war.

Operation Kino.

It was unlikely any of the basterds would survive. But he hoped for everyone, as much as it was worth...

And he still hoped for a chance to see you again.

As the boys stepped beyond the trees, they heard running footsteps.

They all raised their weapons, but Aldo chuckled, "At ease men."

He'd seen you in the distance.

You saw him...

He nodded at you once, and you smiled back.

"Bring anything our way, Y/n?"

"Left about ten krauts two kilometers that way on your trail, lieutenant. Figured I'd give you a headstart." You winked at him.

You'd just helped the last family over. It took years, but they were all safe.

Aldo smiled, he had an idea what was going on. He would've asked you to join the operation, but he knew it wasn't your mission.

And when he saw that look in your eyes, he understood.

You'd be waiting for him.

You saluted the basterds, and they saluted you as they marched out to Nadine.

You smiled softly, watching Aldo leave again... Something told you that there would be a place for luck and love after all... All that hope was worth it.

A/N Yall...I liked writing Hugo's scenes with the baby so much like ;-; anyway...I'm now working on a fic like that which will be up in a few days :)

[sykilik101]

Arguments

It's his fault. Yeah, of course it is. It's always his fault. It's not like I did anything wrong. He's the one with the map, not me. He's the one who's supposed to be leading us through this forest to get to Pallet Town. But he's still arguing back at me, like it is my fault. How can he be so dense, so stupid, so adorable…

Wait, that's not what I meant to say.

Okay, so maybe I did mean to say that. After all, how could anyone be mad at him after looking into his brown eyes? Those brown eyes that hold so much determination and passion. Those amazing brown eyes that I've fallen in love with…

Ack, pull it together, Misty! You're supposed to be mad at Ash, not thinking about how much you love the guy…wait, stop it! Argh, I can't take this! Why does he have to be so darn cute?

…okay, forget it. There's no point in trying to be mad at him anymore. Even when we argue, I can't stop thinking about how much I love him. Sometimes it's a real hassle, but at this point, it doesn't matter. Looks like Brock is trying to calm Ash down. Good, just what I need, a minute to clear my head.

Wait, what was that? Did Ash just…smile at me? It looked like it, but I only saw it for a second. What was that about? We just got finished with argument number 862 of our journey together, and he smiles? Wait, did I actually just remember exactly how many arguments we've had? I really have to stop being so exact with things…

Anyways, where was I? Oh, yeah, the smile. It's not like he enjoyed the argument, right? I thought I was the only person that did. Wait…well, I suppose that didn't come out right. It's not that I like making Ash mad. Heck, I don't even really like arguing at all. So why does Ash always get me so hyped up?

Like right now, we were arguing about getting lost again. Sure, most people should be mad when they get lost, but Ash…that boy just drives me crazy! I tell him that it's his fault we're lost, which is just an observation, right? I'm just pointing out a mistake he made; no big deal, since he makes mistakes all the time. Then he goes and starts yelling at me like there's no reason to be upset, when clearly there IS a reason, since we're LOST in the middle of the forest, with NO idea where to go, and the person who's reading the map of the forest just HAPPENS to be the DENSEST PERSON IN THE WORLD! Ugh, I need to go get some air…

It's weird, now that I think about it. While our arguments DO give me a headache after enough of them, sometimes…I like them. It's confusing. I mean, normally, when I'm arguing with my sisters or somebody else, I get seriously annoyed, and I just want to pummel them into the ground! But with Ash…sometimes, it doesn't feel so much like an argument. It's kind of like…a competition. Like he's challenging me, and he knows darn well that I don't back down from a challenge that easy.

Oh, hey, I didn't know there was a lake around here. Guess if I'm gonna get some air, it might as well be here. This log looks like it'll be a good seat.

So what was I thinking about again?…oh, yeah, Ash. Well, I suppose when we argue, it feels like he's trying to be better than me. Yeah, that sounds weird to say about an argument, but Ash is a weird guy. A sweet, caring guy, too…

Do I always have to think about why I love him? Honestly, I think I get the point already! I don't need any more hints!

Still, sometimes he acts weird during our fights. Every time I bring up my bike, he never talks about paying me back. He just whines that I'm complaining about it again. Every time I tell him he needs to pay me back, he changes the subject, or something else. Honestly, he goes about how he's such a good guy, always caring about his friends, and he won't even pay me back for my bike? What POSSIBLE reason could he have for not getting me another bike?

Well, I'll get one from him one of these days.

But what's even weirder is that…when we argue, I have fun. Wait, what the heck am I thinking? Fun in an argument? That doesn't work! But still…Ash is definitely a strange one. I get mad, but not an angry, gonna-pummel-him-with-my-mallet kind of mad. Okay, so maybe sometimes I do, but for the most part, I get excited when we argue. Most guys would probably just apologize if they made a girl mad, but Ash fights with me as if I were another guy. No matter what I do, Ash is always treating me the same. Maybe that's why I love him so much. We get along so well…okay, maybe not exactly, but it's like we…I dunno. Ugh, I have no idea how to explain it. It's kind of like…he completes me.

Oh, please don't tell me I just used such a corny and overused phrase! Get it together, Misty!

Well…it's not like it's a bad thing. After all, why should I be mad that I love Ash? Oh, wait, I remember now…there's no way he'd ever feel the same way about me. All he seems to care about is Pokémon training. I know it's not fair to be mad at him for it; after all, Pokémon training is his dream, and I admire that he's putting so much into it. I know it's selfish, but I just wish he felt the same way…aw, why is this so unfair? I'm in love with that raven-haired blockhead, but there's no way he'd ever love me back. That dense, dumb, stupid, sweet, caring jerk…how can he not see how I feel…?

…wait, did I just insult him, but not insult him? What's wrong with me? Darn you, Ash! Quit messing with my head!

Ugh…and no matter WHAT I do, it's like he never seems to notice me as something more than a friend. Kinda like back when we were at Maiden's Peak. I tried my best look pretty for Ash; heck, I even let my hair down. And I think he liked it…but he was also noting how pretty the other girls were. Sometimes I wish I could pummel him into the ground for being so naïve. My motive? You always hurt the ones you love. Yeah, that'll do.

…You always hurt the ones you love? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Enough with the cheesy lines, Misty! No wait, it's not my fault, it's Ash's fault. Yeah, of course. I almost forgot. It's his fault for being so easy to love. He does have a lot of bad traits, for sure, but he always makes up for it. He's handsome, sweet, caring, and he never gives up. He always put others before himself, and he never backs down from a challenge.

Wow, that was such a girly thought. Then again, I guess I AM a girl. I just wish Ash could see that, instead of just a friend. And I'm glad that we're friends…but I just wish we could be more…

Oh, great…stop crying, Misty…you have no reason to be sad…

I guess I'm just looking into our arguments more than I should. Still…I love him so much, and yet we keep arguing. Does that mean I don't really love him? And yet, I feel that he's more special than anyone. I couldn't imagine living without him, yet we always seem to end up fighting. But at least he doesn't soften when we get into an argument…winning would be too easy, and wouldn't be any fun.

Mmm…that breeze feels really good. Maybe I'll put my hair down for a while…yeah, that feels better. Now where was I again?

Oh, yeah. Still, even if I don't like our arguments, I do get angry with Ash sometimes, and I know I shouldn't. I just get mad when I think of how he doesn't feel the way I do, and I end up taking it out on him. I love him, and yet I hate him for not seeing how much I love him. Jeez, our relationship is so confusing…

Huh? Who's that?

Ash?

Wait, is he staring at me? He never does that…well, as far as I know. Hold on…he stared at me like that the last time I…had my hair down…oh, wow, I think my cheeks are getting warm…get it together, Misty. Looks like he noticed I saw him. So what does he want?

He's apologizing? What the heck is going on? He's never apologized about an argument before. Maybe Brock told him to. Maybe he just doesn't want me to be mad at him. Well, sorry, Ash Ketchum, but I'm not going to forgive you that easily…even IF you're looking at me with those adorable brown eyes…and that goofy expression…and…

Hey, hey, hold on, Misty! Don't let him get you again!

But, he really does look sorry…

No! Don't let him trap you! He'd just trying to get you down! He knows what he's doing!

…wait, WHAT? There's no way Ash could purposely be making me feel like this! He'd too dense for that!

Oh, why does he have to be so cute? Why can't there be something about him that I absolutely hate? Oh, right, it's Ash. It's freaking impossible to hate the guy. Darn him.

Yeah, yeah, okay, I forgive him. It's not like I can stay mad at him for very long, anyways. And being mad at him wouldn't help matters.

…no, I wasn't crying. What are you talking about?…oh, my eyes? I just had something in my eyes, that's all. No, I didn't just sob. Shut up, Ash! Stop knowing when I'm sad!

Okay, now why does he look a little embarrassed? Hold on…now he's moving towards me…

He's getting closer…

No, he wouldn't…

He couldn't…

And yet, he just did.

I can tell my face is red by how hot it feels, and how fast my heart is beating.

Ash Ketchum…

That kind idiot…

That caring jerk…

My dense best friend…

…is hugging me.

And now all my anger and sadness is gone, for sure. His hold on me is firm, but gentle. My head feels dizzy, and I can't think.

…oh, wait, that's probably because of all the blood rushing to my head. Y'know, maybe hugging him back would be a good idea.

I don't know how long we are gonna hug, but I don't really care. My mind is only on him. No arguments, no reminders of my bike, no pummeling him with my mallet…none of that. I feel happier than I've ever felt, and I know it's all because of him. This is why I know I love him. There's no way I can explain it, I guess.

Aw…I guess the hug's over. Thankfully, he's still holding onto my shoulders. His fingers are touching my bare skin, and I'm trying my best not to shiver. Darn you, Ash…how do you do it?

…okay, don't you EVEN flash that smile at me! Don't do it, Ash! Don't! DON'T!…too late.

Great, now I just wanna melt in this guy's arms. What a jerk…

Still, I love this jerk…

Hey, I think I heard Brock calling us. Now Ash is telling me we have to start back again towards Pallet. Darn it, why'd he have to let go of my shoulders?

Well, here we go again. We're probably gonna get lost again in a few minutes, or something will happen, and then we'll be arguing again. And I'll be going through this whole stupid thought process again. And then I'll be remembering one of the many reasons why I love him.

I love him because we argue. And I guess that's not so bad.

xxxxx

This is an older fic, so dunno if it’ll be as good as some of my current ones, but I’m rather fond of it.

[annnoel]

Previous part: Wraiths CONTENT WARNING: This story contains murder, decapitation, alcohol and heavy language. Read at your own risk.

Muddy footprints were left in Rhippos wake as he stumbled into a small village, rain bathing the place in a thick mist. Despite the rain some were still wandering about the square, some getting supplies to help them weather the storm until it let up. Rhippo had no care for supplies or a place to stay, he just wanted to drown his sorrows and forget his friend. He stumbled onto a building and placed his hand against the wall, somewhat losing his grip from his rain soaked hands. Regaining his grip he leaned his back against the wall and fell to the floor, taking a swig from a wine bottled he had been carrying with him. Footsteps could be heard coming near him, eventually stopping beside him. "My, you're soaked head to toe! What happened to you?" Rhippo glanced to the side and saw a xweetok holding a lace umbrella leaning down to get a better look at him. Her body fur was a lilac purple while her hair and mane shimmered a dark violet, her eyes a vibrant pink that almost seemed to glow in the shadows. She wore a black dress with purple floral patters coming up from the bottom as if it was winding across her dress. Rhippo paid no mind to her and let out a heavy huff before turning away from her. "Are you doing alright? Do you need any sort of help with shelter or such?" She asked as she leaned down closer to Rhippo. "Go fuck yourself, I don't need any help." Rhippo let out before taking another swig from his wine bottle. "By Gods, such language! You shouldn't talk to someone who offered you help in such a way!" She stood herself back up and placed her hand on her breast, letting out a scoff. "I can talk to you however the fuck I want, like I give two shits about what people think about me." Rhippo peered into the bottle before tilting it, a single drop falling from the brim into his lap. Rhippo flung the bottle to the side, the sound of glass clanging as it ran over rocks and dirt. The xweetok furrowed her brow and pursed her lips, contemplating on how she could get him to talk about his situation. "Sounds like someone you knew betrayed your trust in a way."  She said softly as she scratched at her face, implying how Rhippo had gotten the scar across his face. "Nobody betrayed my trust, I betrayed someone elses trust thanks to my desperation. I tried to help her, and now she wants nothing to do with me." Rhippo let our a heavy sigh before dropping his head into his legs. "How did you betray her trust?" Rhippo clenched his fists onto his knees and slowly raised his head up, glaring back at the xweetok. "You of all people should know why." Rhippo hissed. "I beg your pardon?" She asked as she backed up, clenching her umbrellas handle. "I know it's you wraith, your act is as unpolished as your looks." In a flash all her clothes fell to the floor, the umbrella splashing onto some wet rocks. The black mass manifested next to Rhippo, turning into the xweetok he met before. She held her face in her hands, the lower half of her legs raised in the air crossed. "Guess I'm a bit of an open book now aren't I?" Rhippo snarled at her. "What the fuck do you want with me?" "Oh, I always check back up on my clients to see how they're doing! I see in your case it didn't end too well." "Like HELL it did-" Rhippo slammed his hand down where her head was, but she wisped away before he could grab her. She manifested behind him and wrapped her arm around his neck. "You really thought you could get me like that? Oh that's so very cute." She rested her other arm on top of his head, pressing her cheek onto his. Rhippo clawed at her arm, but his claws just phased through her arm. "Also, I can tell you got yourself a wraith as well, I can feel them. Gave you a bit of a struggle now, didn't they?" She ran a finger on top of the scar covering his face. Rhippo yelled and stood up, getting the wraith to finally manifest off of him. "You need to just- get the hell away from me. You ruined my life enough, and I don't want you near me ever again!" Rhippos words slurred as they came out, barely just forming a coherent sentence in his anger. "Alright, I'll leave! I was just checking up on you," She winked as she backed herself up, "Maybe you can take this opportunity to restart your life, create a fresh start, make a new you! I feel it would do you some good." He lunged at her but she disappeared into the air before he could grab her, the last of the black wisps faded into the air as Rhippo looked down at his hands. He clenched his fists and yelled into the air before falling to his knees, wrapping his arms onto his head and letting out another desperate scream. He pushed his hair back as he stood himself back up, leaning against the wall as he regained his footing. He staggered back to the entrance of the forest, kicking the wine bottle away as he entered. Rhippo wandered through the woods, barely able to keep himself upright as he would catch himself on nearby trees. He stopped and leaned himself against a tree, his breath forming small clouds of mist in the rain while he panted. As he was about to get back up, he heard a voice in the distance. Listening in he could tell it was elderly, the tone shaky and struggling to get louder as it called for help. A krawk green in tone like Rhippo walked through the frame, holding a makeshift cane as he propped himself on the nearby trees, struggling to keep himself up. Maybe you can take this opportunity to restart your life, create a fresh start, make a new you! I feel it would do you some good. Make a new me Rhippo thought. Create a fresh start, start new. Restart your life, restart your life, restart your life... The voices of reason were drowned out as he wandered towards the elderly krawk, the thought of restarting his life repeating over and over in his mind. His chest and face started to burn intensely, his hands trembling as he wandered closer to the krawk. Rhippo placed his hand against a tree trunk and leaned against it, the krawk hearing him and turning back to Rhippo. "Oh, thank the Gods! C-can you show me where the nearest village is? I got a bit lost in these woods." The krawk trembled, clutching his cane to keep his balance. Rhippo just stared down the krawk, the way he looked reminding him so much of himself. Maybe this was another trick from the wraith? Maybe he's finally gone insane from his sadness? Or possibly drunken hallucinations manifesting in the foggy rain? It didn't matter to him, he wanted him gone. "Make a new me." Black snake like tendrils manifested from Rhippos back, pointed straight down onto the elderly krawk. The krawk gasped as he backed up, dropping his cane and leaning against a tree. "Make a new me!" Rhippo repeated, cackling madly as the snaky tendrils inched closer to the krawk. He tried to run, but all four tendrils shot down at him in a split second. A pained scream rang into the evening rain, birds flying off as it echoed through the forest. *~* Tendrils reached down and grabbed the top of the deceased krawks head, twisting it off as the sound of bones snapping and flesh tearing rang through his head. He removed anything inside the head he didn't want before sitting himself down, dropping the skull into his lap. He used his claws to rip off any skin and hair until nothing but the bone was left. As he brushed off any leftover blood, he placed the skull on top of his head. It was a bit big on him, but that didn't bother him. He sat as he felt the weight of the skull rest on his head, glancing back at the body as the tendrils came into frame. Black and pink wisps ran up the wraithy tendrils as pink spots scattered the top, forming where the rain came down onto them. Rhippo stared back down and played with his fingers, letting out a low cackle and slowly raising his voice until it rang out through the forest. "Make a new me!" Rhippo trembled out. He leaned forward and slammed his hands into the mud, cackling as streams of tears trickled down his face. "Make a new me!" He yelled out as his cackles rang through the misty rain. His cackling shifted to pained sobs as he folded into himself, wailing as he continually repeated the phrase over and over again. Make a new me. ---------------- DID Y'ALL WANNA KNOW HOW RHIPPO GOT HIS SKULL?? No??? WELL NOW YOU DO! I had been wanting to make a sequel to his last piece for a while now, but never knew how to approach it. I always knew it'd be him having some major depressimos and drunk but thats kinda all i knew i got some inspiration recently though from the most recent episode of primal (Plague of Madness) + In This Moments newest album. The two combined just gave me major creepy vibes and made me wanna write something creepy and unsettling, which resulted in this! Hopefully I get the idea i wanted across. Characters losing touch with reality for one reason or another can be hard to write because it can be hard making sense of their actions if not written properly. I MEAAANN TECHNICALLY if the character is losing touch with reality and going insane it doesn't need to make sense, but in this case where he isn't really going insane and is just very drunk and cant really form reasonable thoughts it was a bit harder. But again, hopefully i get what i wanted across!! I had to rewrite this a bunch and might still rewrite it again since some parts I felt weren't that well structured and feel very jarring. Either way, I still had SO much fun with this and i love the whole idea of the story. I already have some sequel stories i wanna make up for this. I never thought i'd hyperfixate on rhippo of all characters fjkghdkjfg

[tigerlily1615]

HRRRRGGNN I AM BRAIN BLASTINNGGGG AND WANNA BE A WEREWOLF DESPERATELY

HHH SO I WROTE A THING. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GM8qfd3gy8

I lift my head from the ground, looking around with wide brown eyes. There’s a cold breeze ruffling my fur. All around me it’s a deep, cool green. Moss. I chuckle a low rumble-y sound, almost like a growl. Lost in the moss. Unsurprisingly, even in my wolfish form, I am thinking about the many things that I read, heard, wrote, saw, ate, watched, and experienced. Even in this form, in this state of mind where my instincts force themselves into the forefront of my brain, I still find myself thinking. Always thinking. 

My soft, curved ears flick forward and I become alert as I hear a soft crinkle of leaves. It was nothing but a small creature. Nothing to satisfy the hunger that slowly grows inside of me. Being a werewolf takes energy, after all.

I rise to my hind legs, strong things, these legs of mine. I’m in my bipedal form, a great being, at my strongest. It’s early morning in this mossy forest, and the moon has not yet set, so I can still feel the massive power flowing through me from the moon. It’s a soft, pulsing, rushing, cold and yet warm feeling. A powerful feeling. In my barely conscious state, I lift a humanoid paw and examine the dull yet long and large claws that stick out of my hands. Funny, I’ve always wanted claws. And the paws! I clasp my hands together and rub the back of my palm with the other hand. This creamy brown fur is so very soft, yet has a hint of bristliness to it.

I am not sure how I arrived here, or how I became the creature I am. Not complaining, though. In an attempt to understand myself, I run my tongue over my teeth. This mouth of mine is not familiar, although in a sense it is… Dumbly, I shove a paw into my mouth, feeling around for the molars and sharp canines. As I do this, I slump back down onto the mossy, soft ground with a quiet thump. This form...was it not what I had wanted ever since I was a young teen?

I open my eyes, glancing up and squinting, although I need not to. My eyesight is more powerful than it ever had been before, and I look around, dumfounded, at the sheer strength of the wolfish eyes I have. All I can see in any direction is green. Green, and trees. Fog. Or...mist. That’s a better word. And so many smells. Damp smells. Sharp, foul smells. Intriguing smells. Enticing smells. Delicious smells.

I once again heavy myself to my feet and stare hard into the forest ahead of me, my nose going haywire. Oh. My nose. I again raise a paw and press it over my large, wet nose. That’s new. But so is everything else, now that I think about it. Quickly, I focus myself again and inhale deeply to smell the scent of warmth, of life, of food, of blood. Something of sustenance for my body. Quietly, I drop down to all fours, my front limbs considerably furrier and beefier than the slimmer hind legs. I feel a little imbalance, but know in my soul that this is right. That this is what I’m supposed to be doing. I set off, slowly, in the direction of the delicious smell, and I forget that I am a creature as big as a bear...too much noise. My ears prick at the sound of frantic crunching of leaves quickly fading away, and my pupils dilate to the size of moons as my instincts take over and I clumsily run after the quicker, lithe creature. Faster now I move, getting the hang of the rhythmic movements of my new body. I feel the muscles rippling underneath my deep chocolate brown fur, and I lose myself in the hunt.

Run.

Run faster.

Catch it.

Need to run.

I don’t know how long I chase, but eventually I gain on what I know recognize as a deer, and with a powerful push from my hind legs, I lunge forward and grapple onto the creature’s backside. We tumble down a small hill, forming a brown blur, and I make no hesitance to sink my sharp, unforgiving teeth into the smaller, more graceful animal. Now this, this is something I could get used to. I don’t wait another moment to dig into the prey, snarfing up every last bit until I am satisfied.

I lean back onto my haunches, bringing a clawed thumb up to my muzzle and wiping a tiny amount of blood off of it. Hm. That’s new. Although, not inherently bad, I’d say. Now that I have satiated the little hunger that I had, I turn my attention to my body. It’s hard to see down my long snout, but I feel with my paws up my torso. My chest is a fuzzy mass of muscle and fur, and I find myself in absolute sensory heaven as I rub up and down. Then, I make an effort to reach back over my head to feel down my back. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, my palm sinks into a mane of downy, dark brown fur. Oh, goodness. I slowly close my eyes and sigh a great rumble, and enjoy the moment where I can just feel my own being and everything around me. It’s getting warmer, I feel it, and the first tiny rays of sunlight come streaming through the trees and the fog. Even though I do not feel the moon, and know it is morning, I drop my paws to my lap and tilt my head up, letting out a low howl. Boy, does it feel good. It’s not perfect, as it breaks and wobbles, but it’s mine. A noise only I am able to make. A grin forms on my face as I let the note ring and rise up into the misty air. I howl until I can no longer hold breath in my lungs. The howl fades into a soft, wheezy whine and I lower my muzzle, smiling wide. Nothing excites me more than hearing the far off return call of another wolf, not unlike me, and it’s at that moment I know that this is where I belong.

https://blog.freddieardley.com/post/634689355127078912/forests-of-the-united-kingdom-photographed-by

Anyways if you’ve watched She-Ra go read this werewolves/vampires au it’s awesome https://archiveofourown.org/works/24373462/chapters/58784137

[weeping-petals]

The One Behind the Mirror

 Word Count - 2,316

They were at a stalemate. The King stood before the pawn, the Knights far out of reach of their commander. Within a series of moves, it would all be over. The fight would be glorious, but despairingly too short.

 “Checkmate.” Pearl set the figure down. It was a good strategy, but ultimately she came through. “Your tactics are somewhat unorthodox, but their almost effective. Almost.”

 Steven moaned and looked at the figurine of his King. “Can we play something else for a change? How ‘bout Gutters and Scaffolding?” He began clearing off the coffee table and gathering up the pieces from the game. “You’re too ruthless, and I’m no good at chess.”

 “You always manage to beat Garnet.”

 “She always lets me win, because she wants to build up my confidence.”

 Pearl couldn’t help but smirk. “Well, that’s the reason you never manage to defeat me.” Abruptly, she stood when the warp pad activated.

 The light beam evaporated, revealing one Amethyst and the Garnet under scrutiny. Amethyst was coated in mud and stormed off the pad. Steven and Pearl beheld, wide eyed. “Uhh….”

 “I hate that FOREST!”

 “You’re tracking over my freshly waxed floor!” Pearl cringed when Amethyst zipped upward and crashed to her backside. “Why do I bother!”

 “‘Coz your picky as plucky,” Amethyst grumbled. Only her narrowed eyes were visible.

 “What happened!” Steven sprang over. “Are you hurt?”

 “She’s annoyed, but otherwise unharmed,” Garnet spoke. She adjusted her shades, out of habit.

 “A certain someone set a BOOBY TRAP!”

 “Ah.” Steven croaked.

 Garnet sighed. “I tried to warn you.”

 “She insulted my honor!”

 “You shapeshift into Pearl all the time. What’s the difference?” Garnet went over and plucked Amethyst up. She shook the smaller gem up and down, casting off the thicker folds of gunk.

 “Yeah,” Amethyst gruffed, “but she hit a cord. Uncool.”

 “You want me to hose you off? We can go to the carwash.” Steven offered. “I bet Dad wouldn’t mind the company.”

 “Someone has to stay here, and I need Pearl to accompany me.” Garnet dropped Amethyst. Promptly, the small gem raced over to the couch – much to Pearl’s protest.

 “At least let her hose off outside! Not on the furniture!” Pearl grabbed Amethyst by the boot, but Amethyst held onto the couch really digging her fingers in.

 “It’s just mud! I’m not diseased!”

 “On a good day, you’re a plague!”

 Steven turned to Garnet, while the other two persisted to bicker and hiss. “Can’t I watch the pad? You just wanna know if she comes by, riiight?”

 “Not quite. The warp pads connect across the globe, and that’s not the problem. The problem is, we don’t want her coming here for you.”

 “Aw, guys. Can’t you lay off?”

 “Steven,” Garnet chided, but gently.

 “I think it’s impossible to find her, anyway,” Steven muttered, slyly. “She’s a master at hide-and-seek.” The argument shut down abruptly, and Pearl uttered,

 “Have you gone back to the forest? Steven!”

 Oops. Steven began sweating, looking from the stoic gem back to the ruffled Pearl, her arms stained in mud. “Er, uh… no! That would be irresponsible. Heh-heh.”

 Pearl shook her hands of the muck and hurried to Steven. But Garnet stepped forward and raised a hand.

 “We’ll discuss this later,” Garnet grated. “For now, Steven.” She looked to the child. “Please stay put.” Those orders delivered, she motioned to Pearl and moved to the warp pad. Pearl followed. In a blinding zip of light, the two vanished.

 In the meantime, Amethyst still loafed on the couch, or, sat on the cushions leaning forward. She waited for Steven to join, swaying her boots in the air. Steven climbed onto the seat beside her and sat, deflated and glum.

 “She used her ‘you’re so grounded’ tone.”

 “How are you even able to sneak onto the warp pad?” Amethyst queried.

 Steven clamped his lips together. It took some effort to draw forth a lie. “I haven’t then, have I? Case closed!”

 “Or did she manage to get through?” Amethyst stroked her chin – it was hard to tell, due to all the muck. “You haven’t by chance seen her lurking around? Plotting something di’bolical?”

 “No!” Steven burst. “I couldn’t ge—” Amethyst gawked at him.

 “What have you been—” Amethyst didn’t finish. Steven sprang off the couch and raced to the doorway, screaming his head off. A go to solution, when things overwhelmed him. “Wait! Steve!” Amethyst made an effort to follow and drag him back, but Steven was much faster than she gave credit for. He was already stumbling down the steps and sprinting across the beach.

 Amethyst would have gone after him and hauled him back, but the warp pad. It was typical of her to ignore orders, but this was different. In the case of Spinel, she wouldn’t risk it.

 Out across the fields, Steven was still screaming as he raced across the border of Beach City, until he reached the It’s a Wash.

 “Hey, sorry!” Greg called, from within the inner chamber of the carwash, “gimmie a sec, and I’ll grab the trusty bucket’o suds.”

 “Dad! It’s me!” Steven hurried to the entrance of the carwash scrub chamber, and cautiously peered inside. It still gave him the creeps since his experience with the cat final form. Eek.

 “Shtuball? Eeh!” Greg wobbled on the ladder. He worked with a wrench, adjusting the screw on one of the large brushes. “Come all the way over yonder to see your old man? I appreciate that.”

 “Yeah. Kinda needed a break and some space.” Steven managed to catch his breath. He glanced back toward the rising gradient of the beach point, and the remaining arms of the temple guardian. “Not much going on, aside from a lot of board games. Oh, and Amethyst might come by for a deep scrub.”

 “Eek,” Greg groaned. “Have her hose off first. It took ages to flush the grates after the blood blorp, whatever that was, yuck!”

 “It won’t be that bad. She just fell into some mud.” He debated, twiddling his thumbs. “Some thick, magic mud.”

 Greg gave Steven a no-nonsense look. “Yep. Have her hose off before I slot her in. Not gonna fool with that.” He banged around a bit, and wrestled around with the tool box set on the platform of the ladder. “Anything else on your mind? The Fryman mentioned you’ve missed swinging by for your daily quota of them bits.”

 “I have, haven’t I?” He loved the bits. They were one of the best parts of his daily routine. “Homes been a lil weird with the gems. They’ve been ultra-protective, and I think I’ve messed things up again.”

 “Uh-oh.” Greg ceased his work and carefully stepped off the ladder. He took a rag from the tool box and wiped some of the soap goo from his hands. “You need to spend the night with me? If you need space, I can sack it up in the office.”

 “I don’t think so. They get a tiny bit upset if I’m out of sight for too long.”

 Now Greg looked anxious. He tossed the rag aside and approached his son. “This sounds a little more serious than the usual, Sthu. You sure everything’s all right?”

 Steven nodded. “Um… yeah. Pretty sure.” He looked up at his father, and the somewhat expectant but patient gaze offered. “Er, would you by chance know a gem called Spinel?” Now that look of adoration and apprehension flipped to utter panic. Oh, so he did know Spinel. She wasn’t lying.

 “WHAT! Spinel’s loose? I thought they caught her! What gives?”

 Steven blinked, alarmed but more upset by his father’s cold terror. “No…?” Greg hoisted Steven under arm and sprinted to the van, he leapt inside and slammed the doors. Shoot. “Are you okay?

 “I should ask you that!” Greg stammered. “What happened? Did she hurt you? Talk to me, Steven! Why the heck would they get you involved with her?”

 “They didn’t know!” Steven spat. He shrugged out of Greg’s grip and stood back. “They had no idea she was there!”

 “But how could they not know?” Greg rebuked. “How’d she get out? They told me she was dealt with! That’s what they do with those monsters, they bubble them and lock ‘em away! Who let her out! Why?”

 “She’s. Not! A. MONSTER!” Greg gawked, stunned and a little misty. Steven felt the same way. All these secrets, all the precaution. No one told him why. They said they were protecting him, but he was also scared. They made him scared of something he didn’t understand.

 “They keep saying she’s horrible, and that she’s dangerous! She hasn’t done anything. Really!” Steven rubbed his eyes. “All I did was fall asleep. I was bored! But they won’t leave her alone, and I think… being lonely and chased around the forest is really messing with her. Dad! She said the knew me! She knew you! You knew her, right! What’s going on?!” He threw his arms high, panting. “Please.”

 Greg softened and deflated a bit on his seat. “Aw, Steven. I’m sorry for wigging out on you. I… it’s just, she’s bad news. You gotta believe me.”

 “Why? Garnet said, she was hurt and broken! Why can’t we try and help her! If we can, we should! She’s not all bad.” He clenched his fists and began quaking. “You were once friends. Why did that stop?”

 “Ah… uh,” Greg dawdled, scratching the back of his neck. Steven got his directness and confidence from Rose, for certain. Sometimes, it ached a bit to see how much he was like her. “Did Garnet mention how bad losing Rose was, for all them?”

 “Yes!”

 “Okay.” Greg picked up a crumpled shirt, and used it to dry Steven’s eyes. “The truth is, they’re afraid of her.”

 “That’s not a good reason!” Steven barked. “Why?”

 “Let me finish. Blow.” Steven blew his nose, and Greg tossed the shirt. “They’re afraid of her, because when— well. Let me see. She was badly upset, let’s start there. Badly upset, okay. For a while, the gems lost track of her. She’s good at hiding, getting around, that sort. And when she did come back, she kinda… she came for me, and… well, she uh… she didn’t come for a visit.” He fumbled, looking anywhere but at Steven. “She was upset, and wound up… hurting me. Physically. All around, I was… it wasn’t good. Not good at all.”

 Steven felt everything click into place. The distrust, the anger. Betrayal. Everyone believed and trusted his mother, but they were losing her. They accepted it. This crushed Spinel.

 “Did she hurt you bad? Did you have to wear a full body cast!?” Steven sniffled.

 “No-no,” Greg was quick to assure. “Mostly scared the pi— pants, off me.” He chuckled, but it was uneasy and dejected. “But, I could tell she was hurting something bad too. I don’t know why she did it, and I doubt she really knew either. They endured a lot, while Rose and I were waiting for you. And that’s why they’re afraid of her. I’m guessin’ they don’t know what she might do, or if it is safe to let this be. I’m sure they don’t want to fight Spinel, and to be honest, I don’t want her hurt either. I think it was worse seeing her that way… after all,eh….” Greg let his words escape.

 “They could leave her alone,” Steven asserted. “She seemed… sad. I don’t know. I think she really wants to be left alone. If she’s really sorry, that means she doesn’t want to come back.” That meant, maybe she didn’t want to see him either.

 Greg nodded. “The gems tried that. Once. Gave her space, gave her distance.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “Look, I don’t get involved with their business, unless that business involves you.” He pulled Steven up onto his lap and gave him a tight hug. “Leave the danger and life-threatening missions to the pros. They know what they’re doing. They’re trying their best, for your sake.”

 “I know,” Steven grumbled. “But Spinel seemed really nice.”

 “Nice?” Greg squawked.

 “And she must’ve really loved mom.” He returned Greg’s hug. “It wasn’t her fault she broke. It happens, right? People break. It made her do something bad, and that made everything worse. Now she’s all alone, with no friends. No home. It shouldn’t be that way.”

 “I know, Sthuball. I know.” He pulled Steven back and looked him in the face. “If you want, I can tell you some stuff about her. She was… actually really on board with Rose and I. Totally shipped us.”

 Steven mumbled, still gloomy but it felt good to talk. And cry. “Yeah. I think I’d like that.”

 “On one condition.” Greg held up a finger. “You leave the nope rope to the Crystal Gems. It sounds like she got ahold of you, somehow.” Steven nodded. “I’m glad she’s sort of cooled off. I wish they’d come here and given me a warning. At least, an update on how you’re holding together.”

 “They’re freaked out, too.”

 Greg grumbled something, which Steven didn’t catch. After a while, they opened the doors and let in some fresh air. Greg remained somewhat skittish, glancing around the roof buildings and patches of grass. For Steven, it felt good to know the reasons behind the Crystal Gems behavior, yet all along, he was hoping they’d been blowing the encounter out of proportion. Occasionally, they were known for that. It brought on new feelings of conflict for the gem, and her ill-begotten history with his family. He wanted to ask his dad more about this encounter, but recognized the uneasiness in Greg’s quick glances around the nearby field. It was kind of the same way he looked at Amethyst, but more on edge and spooked.

 He felt bad for defending Spinel.

[violetwolfraven]

Ninjago Playlists

(Playlists of songs that remind me of each character and short excerpts from the lyrics of each)

Kai:

Natural by Imagine Dragons (Tell me, will the stars align, will heaven step in will it save us from our sin will it cause this house of mine, stands strong. That’s the price you pay, leave behind your heartache, cast away. Just another product of today.)

Hey Brother by Avicci (Hey, Brother. Do you still believe in one another? Hey, Sister. Know the water’s thick, but blood is thicker. Oh, and if the sky comes falling down, for you, there’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do.)

Wings by Little Mix (Mama told me not to waste my life. She said spread your wings, my little butterfly. Don’t let what they say keep you up at night. And if they give you shhh... then they can walk on by.)

Zane:

See You Again by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth (It’s been a long day without you, my friend. And I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again. We’ve come a long way, from where we began. Oh, I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again.)

Titanium by David Guetta (I’m bulletproof, nothing to lose. Fire away, fire away. Riccochet, you take your aim. Fire away, fire away. Shoot me down, but I won’t fall. I am titanium.)

No Light, No Light by Florence + The Machine (You are the hole in my head. You are the space in my bed. You are the silence in between what I thought and what I said. You are the nighttime fear, you are the morning when it’s clear. When it’s over, you’re the start. You’re in my head, you’re in my heart.)

Jay:

I Lived by One Republic (Hope when the moment comes, you say, I, I did it all. And I, I did it all. I owned every second that this world could give. I saw so many places and things that I did, yeah with every broken bone, I swear I lived.)

To the Sky by Owl City (Bird’s eye view. Awake the stars cause they’re all around you. Wide eyes will always brighten the blue. Chase your dreams, and remember me, sweet bravery, cause, after all, those dreams will take you up so high, so bid the forest floor goodbye as you race the wind and, take to the sky.)

Thunder by Imagine Dragons (Just a young gun, with a quick fuse. I was uptight, wanna let loose. I was dreaming of bigger things and wanna leave my old life behind. Not have a yes-sir. Not a follower. Fit the box, fit the mold, have a seat in the foyer, take a number. I was lightning, before the thunder.)

Cole:

Who We Are by Imagine Dragons (It’s who we are, doesn’t matter if we’ve gone too far, doesn’t matter if it’s all okay, doesn’t matter if it’s not our day. Won’t you save us, what we are, don’t look clear it’s all uphill from here.)

Noah’s Ark by Young Heretics (Noah’s ark can’t save us all. Binary against the squall. And in its wake, good men will fall. And finally we can move on.)

100 Bad Days by AJR (When all is going wrong and you’re scared as hell, whatcha gonna do, who you gonna tell? Maybe, 100 bad days made 100 good stories. 100 good stories make me interesting at parties.)

Lloyd:

Whatever it Takes by Imagine Dragons (Looking at my years like a martyrdom, everybody needs to be a part of them, never be enough, I’m the prodigal son, I was born to run, I was born for this.)

Explosions by Ellie Goulding (Explosions, on the day you wake up, needing somebody and you’ve learned... it’s okay to be afraid. But it will never be the same.)

Centuries by Fall Out Boy (Some legends are gold. Some turn to dust or to gold. But you will remember me. Remember me for centuries. And just one mistake, is all it will take. To go down in history. Remember me for centuries.)

Nya:

Alive by Sia (I was born in a thunderstorm. I grew up overnight. I played alone. I played on my own. I survived.)

Natural by Imagine Dragons (Will you hold the line? When every one of them is giving up or giving in, tell me, in this house of mine. Nothing ever comes without a consequence, a cost, tell me, will the stars align?)

I See Fire by Jasmine Thompson (Oh, misty eye of the mountain below. Keep careful watch o’er my brothers’ souls. And if the sky be filled with fire and smoke, keep watching over Durin’s sons.)

Wu:

When We Were Young by Lost Kings (For a second, for a minute can we go? For a second, for a minute can we go, can we go back when we were young? And didn’t care if we messed up. We have forever, so we got lost in each other cause time wasn’t catching, time wasn’t catching us.)

Good Old Days by Macklemore, feat. Kesha (I wish somebody would have told me then, that someday these would be the good old days. All the love you won’t forget, and all these reckless nights you won’t regret. Someday soon your whole life’s gonna change. You’ll miss the magic of the good old days.)

Lean on Me by Bill Withers (Lean on me, when you’re not strong. I’ll be your friend. I’ll help you carry on. Just call on me, brother, when you need a hand. We all need somebody to lean on.)

Garmadon:

Control by Halsey (I’m bigger than my body. I’m colder than this home. I’m meaner than my demons. I’m bigger than these bones. And all the kids cried out, please stop you’re scaring me, I can’t help this awful energy, goddamn right you should be scared of me, who is in control?)

Nightmare by NateWantsToBattle (We’re only kids who lost our way. But if we wait long enough, we will be saved. Just sleep, just dream. This isn’t fair, no we’re not just what we seem. We want to fly but our souls are trapped inside. It’s not a game, not to blame, we’re forced to hide. Just sleep, just dream. It’s only a nightmare and soon we’ll be set free.)

Monster by Imagine Dragons (I’m only a man with a candle to guide me. I’m taking a stand to escape what’s inside me. A monster, a monster, I’ve turned into a monster. A monster, a monster, and it keeps getting stronger.)

Pixal:

Never Be Alone by Shawn Mendes (Take a piece of my heart, so when we are apart, you’ll never be alone. You’ll never be alone.)

Gasoline by Halsey (You can’t wake up, this is not a dream. You’re part of a machine, you are not a human being. With your face all made up, living on a screen. Low on self-esteem, so you run on gasoline.)

Radioactive by Imagine Dragons (I feel it in my bones, enough to make my systems blow. Welcome to the new age, to the new age, welcome to the new age, to the new age.)

Skylor:

Glory and Gore by Lorde (You could try and take us, but we’re the gladiators, everyone a rager, but secretly they’re saviors. Glory and gore go hand in hand. That’s why we’re making headlines. You could try and take us, but victory’s contagious.)

Try by P!nk (Where there is a fire, there is gonna be a flame. Where there is a flame, someone’s bound to get burned. Well, just because it burns, doesn’t mean you’re gonna die. You gotta get up and try, try, try.)

I Walk The Line by Halsey (I keep a close watch on this heart of mine. I keep my eyes wide open all the time. I keep the ends out for the tie that binds. Because you’re mine...I walk the line.)

Harumi:

The Devil Within by Digital Daggers (I’ll keep quiet, you won’t even know I’m here, you won’t suspect a thing, you won’t see me in the mirror. But I’ve crept into your heart, you can’t make me disappear, till I make you.)

you should see me in a crown by Billie Eilish (Bite my tongue, bide my time. Wearing a warning sign. Wait till the world is mine. Visions I vandalize. Cold in my kingdom size. Fell for my ocean eyes.)

Angry Too by Lola Blanc (And does it get your blood boiling? And does it make you see red? Do you want to destroy it? And does it get in your head? Cause it gets my blood boiling. And I’m coming unglued. It would hit you like poison, if you knew what I knew. You would be angry, too.)

[emo-floof-child-writes]

The Sword of the Solstice

Chapter Eight: On the Road to the Warrior Village of Leeno.

They reach the edge of Ghia Forest, where a purple mist stands before them. Eijiro groans. “Well, now what?” Katsuki hops off the horse with a grin. He cracks his knuckles, and runs towards the mist at full force. The Solstice Sword makes a chime in Izuku's head. “NO, STOPPETH THINE FRIEND!” HOW?! Izuku asks. The Sword makes a noise not unlike a sigh. “Presseth the button to activateth mine blade, and tosseth me at the misty barrier.” Izuku frowns, but pulls out the hilt, and squeezes the button.

“Katsuki, look out!” Izuku yells, as he flings the blade towards the mist. Katsuki skids to a halt, the sun-blade flies past him, sending shimmering light into Katsuki's eyes. Katsuki growls. “DEKU, DON'T THROW SWORDS!” He yells loudly. The Sword makes contact with the barrier, landing on the ground with a clatter. A silence takes the woods, then a strong wind blows towards the party. The horses rear up, with a shrill whinny.

Ochaco, with the unexpected wind, and the force of the horse rearing up, falls off, landing on her side. “Miss Ochaco!” Momo says, as she strokes her horse's mane in an attempt to call the horse down. Izuku whispers something reassuring to his horse, as if he were some kind of horse whisperer, and perhaps he is, for the horse relaxes. Katsuki grabs the reins of his and Eijiro's horse, with an annoyed grunt.

“First of all, Ochaco, are you alright?” Katsuki asks, as she stands, dusting herself off. She nods. “Yeah, it wasn't that far of a fall.” He sighs, and then looks at Izuku with confusion. “Great. Second of all; WHAT ON THESKYX WAS THAT, DEKU?!” Izuku dismounts from his horse, and goes over to where the Sword landed. “I am not sure, the Solstice Sword told me you running towards the mist was bad, a-and that I needed to throw it at the mist...”

Izuku reaches down to pick up the Sword, now back to being a hilt, but upon touching it's surface, he feels heat. He retracts his hand, and winces. What just happened, Solstice? Izuku asks the Sword. The Sword shakes on the ground. Katsuki frowns, and motions Ochaco to follow him over to Izuku's side. They make their way up to him, as the Sword's blade reforms.

Only, instead of the golden yellow glow of sunlight, it is a red-ish pink glow, not unlike a setting sun. Izuku swallows, and he looks at Ochaco. “You wouldn't happen to have anything that can help pick up this Sword without burning your hand?” She points her staff towards the Sword. She takes a deep breath. “I have this spell, um, called Prestidigitation. It has many small uses, like cooling things down. I'm not sure how it would work on a magic, sentient sword, but it's worth a shot.” She closes her eyes, and in Elvish chants out the incantation.

A pink light emerges from the red gem on her staff, and it shoots out little specks of ice shoot out of it. They bounce off the Sword's surface, but when Izuku hesitantly reaches for it, he realizes it is ice cold now. He squeezes the button again, in an attempt to turn off the blade, but the red-ish pink blade remains. He frowns, and flips the sword in the air, repeatedly pushing down on the button to turn it off.

“You know, Solstice, when I said it'd be nice for you to have more powerful magic that last longer, this isn't what I meant!” He yells out loud at the blade, hoping to get a response. Ochaco frowns. “What's wrong with it?” She asks. Izuku sighs, and Katsuki groans. “Aren't you the mage here? Shouldn't you know?” Ochaco shakes her head. “I only know bits and pieces of information on this Sword. Shoto would know more...”

Eijiro nudges his horse forward. “S-speaking of him, we should get going...who knows how long it'll take them to get to Loyaci?” Katsuki nods, and climbs on, shoving Eijiro behind him. “I'm steering this horse.” He says, and looks back at the mist.

“That didn't even do anything. I mean, the mist is still there!” Momo says, as she spurs her horse up to the others. Ochaco walks closer to the foggy barrier. She waves her hand over. “Aw, no worries, everyone. I know this spell. It's a poisonous fog.” Momo groans. “Why is that a good thing?” Ochaco giggles. “Glad you asked! It's a good thing because I can dispel it with my magic!” She rubs her hands together. “This'll be fun...” She says, sarcastically.

She raised her hands, her one gloved hand pulled close to her chest, and with her ungloved hand she shoves into the fog, and she grunts, feeling the pain of the poison seep into her. She lets out a cry in Elvish equivalent to “Have mercy on me!” as she flings her other hand into the fog. She grits her teeth, and takes a large step forward, her boots digging into the dirt path beneath her.

With a loud fwoosh, the mist dissipates. She gasps, and falls face first into the dirt. Katsuki laughs, finding that to be a funny end to something that could be described as a powerful and amazing act. Izuku helps Ochaco get to her feet, and smiles. “You okay?” She nods. “Well, that is one barrier that we can pass through.” Momo says, with a sigh. “Maybe it isn't impossible to get into Loyaci.” Ochaco mounts behind her again, and shrugs.

“Well, what are we waiting for? We need to get to Loyaci!” Ochaco says. Izuku nods, and gets on his horse. With Solstice still being fully activated, he had to get on slowly, but once he did, he uses the Solstice Sword to point to the trail ahead of them. “I agree with Ochaco, we need to get Shoto back, and fast. So let's keep going!” They nod, and continue on down to the East-West Road. As the light starts to leave the sky, the five of them contemplate whether or not to rest.

“They will need to rest, because even with their magical teleportation, it takes a lot of energy to go a league, let alone 162 leagues! We can make quicker time if we continue until the moon shines high in the sky.” Ochaco says, with certainty. Kasuki, Izuku, and Momo nod. Eijiro frowns. “Is this a good idea, us riding on the road after dark?” Katsuki scoffs. “Don't be pathetic. We're a group of five adventurers, people will know better than to cross us.” Eijiro bites his lip, with one of his fangs. “If you say so, Katsuki.”

Izuku holds the Solstice Sword, which still hasn’t changed back to being a hilt. “I suppose the Solstice Sword can work as a light for now.” The others agree, and start down the East-West Road. Hours pass, and the moon shines through some clouds overhead. They stop, and decide to make camp. Momo takes first watch, and as they are settling in, Ochaco plants her staff in the ground. She kneels behind it, and grasps it. Her nails dig into the wood, and she closes her eyes.

Eijiro and Katsuki set down their beddings, and Eijiro frowns. “Are you okay, Ochaco?” He asks, and she nods, but doesn’t relax. Eijiro shrugs, and pulls Katsuki aside. “You wanna try?” He whispers to Katsuki, who scoffs. “What can I do that you can’t?” He asks Eijiro, who folds his arms. “Maybe she is right, you are a little dimwitted.” Eijiro says, laughing. Katsuki growls, and rolls his eyes.

“What are you talking about, Scales?” Katsuki asks, and Eijiro chuckles. “Whether you would admit it or not, you are the closest to her. She seems to be more comfortable around you.” Katsuki sighs. “I guess I can try.” He says, sitting down by her. Izuku looks down at the Solstice Sword. He has been periodically trying to communicate with it, but it is either recharging, or isn’t responding.

Maybe I’ve lost contact with it, or whatever made it sentient is gone? Maybe it suicided against the mist... But the hilt was so hot, and the blade reappeared on it’s own...and it was like a sunset. Maybe something’s happened? Izuku looks at the party, and sighs. “What am I gonna do?” He asks himself out loud. “With Shoto gone, I don’t know what to do. I’m lost...” He feels a metal bracer touch his shoulder.

He turns to see Momo standing behind him. “As a leader of a leaderless kingdom for many years, a word of advice.” Izuku tilts his head, and frowns. “What is it?” Momo sighs. “If you have doubts, either be honest with those you’re leading, or keep them quiet.” Izuku shakes his head. “I never really thought of myself as a leader, I’ve always taken advice from others, and just said what the general consensus is.”

Momo nods. “Maybe you are just the final vote in the consensus, but they agree with you and listen to you. Being a good leader is just being able to listen to those around you.” Izuku nods, and sighs. “Well, then what do you think of this mission, is there any chance of success?” Momo taps her chin. “I think it’s a small chance of success, but I know that for me at least I need it to succeed, for my young lord.”

Izuku frowns. “By my honor, I will do my best to get you to him.” She smiles. “I appreciate that.” She says. “I hope things aren’t too terrible with him.” She adds, and Izuku clenches his fist. “We’ll make sure that those villains are dealt with. But Shoto is strong, he won’t bend easily. He’ll be fine.”

With those villains everything wasn’t “fine”. Shoto was tied to a tree without his sword, and Himiko used an evil sigil of Dendar that messes with the Paladins of Light. Or at least that’s what she said it did. Unfortunately Shoto couldn’t see it, because it was carved into the tree behind him. Even if I could see it, I doubt I would be able to identify it, let alone read it. Shoto sighs.

Dabi and Himiko used black magic teleport them and Shoto to wherever they were. Shoto couldn’t identify it, but all he knew was the trip was taxing on both of cultists, so that they just set up camp right then and there. They must have trust that I can’t cast spells... Well, I suppose the worst case scenario, if I die, whatever they want me for won’t work. He channels his power, hoping to cast Call Stead.

All he feels is a stabbing pain in his chest, coming from the glyph behind him. Shoto smirks. “Oh, it’s anti-magic?” He whispers to himself. He knows that these anti-magic runes can be undone if you deface them. Since my arms are tied around the tree, the only way I can undo the mark is by moving. He sighs. I am pretty strong, right? I can do this... He glances back at Himiko and Dabi, and grunts.

Got to do it quietly and fast, but going fast is going to make a lot of noise. He takes a deep breath. Here goes nothing... He inches around the tree, and hears a mumble. He freezes, and having gone maybe a quarter of the way around, looks back at the cultists. The mumbler was Dabi, but he seems fast asleep, and facing away from Shoto. Shoto lets out a relieved sigh, and tries to slide around the tree.

Whether the ropes were fraying, or he got a random burst of strength and dexterity, Shoto couldn’t determine. But he manages to get his hands by the sigil. Right, I need some slight of hand here. Hopefully I can make a deep enough scratch in it to cast my magic. He digs his nails into the tree trunk, in an attempt to destroy it. He feels his index nail chip, and growls. I just got to keep trying!

He tries again, and he feels it scratch a little, but again, he breaks his middle finger’s nail. He grits his teeth, getting more frustrated. They say third time's the charm, so here we go. With a grimace, he uses his thumb’s nail. His frustration and his urgency to break it cause him to apply as much pressure as possible, which makes a deep scratch in the sigil. Instead of feeling the evil magic dissipating, he feels that same jarring pain in his chest, although it wasn’t as strong.

A girl-ish giggle echoes through the dark woods. “Did you really think that was gonna work?” Himiko asks, walking over with her jagged black dagger. Shoto gasps. She smiles, and points the dagger at him. “I wasn’t asleep. Dabi told me to watch to see what you’d try to do if we left you unattended. Although my magic ward won’t be be undone by anyone except me or Dabi.”

Shoto sighs. “So now what? What are you going to do?” Shoto asks, trying to figure out how bad a situation is. “Well, I wasn't supposed to do this yet, but hehe, I'm impatient.” She lifts her dagger. Did she actually say “hehe”? Also... WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? What's happening?! She chants in Dark Elvish, and the dark blade glows purple. Shoto looks around in a panic, hoping to find some kind of escape. Himiko giggles. “You think you can escape? Like we'd let Enji Todoroki's greatest dark creation go!” Shoto gasps. “My father? And ‘dark creation’? What kind of sick game are you playing? I am a Paladin of The Morning Lord, Guardian of Light! How am I a dark creation?”

Himiko frowns. “Your father never told you?” Shoto growls. “Told me what, you corrupt fiend?” He retorts. She grins. With the purple illuminating her face, her grin has an eerie glow. “Exactly! Fiends!” She says, placing the dunes of the dagger to his forehead. He grunts. “What on Theskyx are you talking about?” He asks, and she sighs. “You! You have fiendish blood!” Shoto's eyes widen. “That's not possible. My parents were elves!” She nods. “Yeah, but your father was experimenting with fiend blood in hopes of reviving the old powerful demons. He used you and your brother Touya to test it.”

Shoto frowns, remembering what Momo said happened to his brothers and sister. “But Touya's body was burned beyond recognition.” Shoto says. She giggles like she knew something he didn't, but doesn't say anything. She removes the blade from his forehead. “There. That should do it.” Shoto gasps. “W-wait. WHAT DID YOU DO?” She holds up a finger, indicating for him to wait. She walks around the tree, and riffles through her bag. She comes back with a mirror in her hand. She holds it up to his face, and on his forehead is the words that were on the blade.

Before Shoto was sure he couldn't read these Dark Elvish runes, but for some reason, he understands them perfectly. To him it read; “To the long lost Fiend King of Darkness.” He looks at Himiko. “The fiend king? Who is that?” She gasps. “You can read these runes?” She asks, and Shoto bites his tongue. I probably shouldn't say that I can read it... He scoffs. “No, I can't. I just heard you say that.” He tries to maintain eye contact with her. Lying is very honorable, but perhaps it will help me here. Lathander, forgive me.

She puts her knife back into its sheath. “Isn't it wrong for a paladin to lie?” She says, cackling. “You've already done things to darken your heart. Believe me or not, you are part fiend.” He feels a shiver run down his spine. She folds her arms. “The only way you're getting free is if you embrace your fiendish nature. Only a demon has the strength to break free of these magic ropes.” Shoto groans. So even if I had messed up the sigil, I wouldn't be able to get free. But if I truly am part demon, I cannot embrace it. I will fight it with every ounce of my being.

Shoto closes his eyes. “Us Paladins of Light have tons of patience, and I am blessed with a long life. How long can you hold up, I wonder?” She hisses at him. “You'll give in, we know your weakness. That girl paladin...” Shoto takes a deep breath. She's trying to get a rise out of you, get a hold of yourself. “She isn't anywhere close to us. You have no power that could weaken me.” She clenches her fists. “What about Reneumel? I could destroy it.” Himiko says, with a smirk. Shoto nods. “Yeah, you could, but that would break our agreement, and I won't come willingly to Loyaci. And you clearly need me.”

She scoffs. “You'll cave. It's only a matter of time.” She lies down nearby. “Get to sleep, we're going to teleport again at first light.” Shoto chuckles. She was trying to get a rise out of me, but she's the one who frustrated and annoyed. Interesting how that works. But about the stuff she said, how can I be part fiend? They were all but destroyed by in-fighting and the paladins of old. It definitely gives me a lot to think about.