#this was originally on ao3 but i wont be posting it there anymore as i rarely use it besides reading so

[thefish-arecoming]

I'm officially continuing Consumable, chapter four it is will be up in like two to three weeks

Until then here's the full thing so far (cut so this doesn't take up my whole page)

@fyodors-rat-colony

WARNINGS: Swearing, sexual humor, absurdist humor, violence, masochism, sadism, drug addiction, alcohol.

Chapter one: C Pre-notes: Sorry for any inconsistent spellings ( I'm looking at you, Michirozuki D:< ) --------------------

“ C o n s u m a b l e “ .

That’s what everyone said. “Consumable”.

”Consumable.”

”C o nsumable.”

”C o n sumable.”

”C o n s umable.”

”C o n s u mable.”

”C o n s u m able.”

”C o n s u m a ble.”

”C o n s u m a b le.”

”C o n s u m a b l e.”

...

Someone grabbed my shoulder, jostling me out of my thoughts. Ironic. It was the person I thought of as consumable— Michirozuki. “Come on, Saka! You’ve got to go to the party with us tonight~” It took less than a minute for me to think of a response to his horrendous suggestion. “I don’t want to,” I responded bluntly. I wasn’t lying; I didn’t want to go. Parties were loud, obnoxious places where people got high, drunk, and arrested. Not something I wanted to be a part of.

“What, scared?” I should have known he was going to start mocking me. Michirozuki’s voice made me want to tear his organs out to the brink of death, yet just enough life capacity left to live another day. “For your information, I do not wish to partake in your activities not because of fear, but because I actually have a place to go after academics, unlike someone here.” How did I manage to stay so calm when I had the impulse to reach down this ravenette’s throat and tear his esophagus out? The gods above know the answer to that. “That someone is you, Michirozuki. You spend your time at worthless events. I do not.”

”I kind of picked up on that.”

”Now, leave me alone before I act on my impulses to tear you limb from limb and watch your blood pool onto the floor until you turn pale.”

+~+~+~+

After finishing my work, I simply headed home— to bathe, get dressed, and probably drink some alcohol. Truly, I did not have anything better to do than go to the party, but I had to think of some excuse that could be both excusing me from my absence to his party and rude towards him as well. The moment I arrived at my house, after unlocking the door with a click noise, I slid off my shoes and headed straight to the bathroom to clean. I felt disgusting after academics every day, my joints ached and my skin did not feel right on my body. I turned the water on, medium heat, and waited, staring at my horribly messy, warm grey hair.

I tested the water’s heat, putting my hand under the pouring rain-like drops. Still too cold. Honestly I had been hoping it was hot enough to melt my skin off. That would have been an interesting experience, and I wouldn’t have to feel uncomfortable in my own skin if it wasn’t there...  I tested it again. Perfect. Sadly it still wasn’t hot enough to melt me. Oh well. Better luck next time. I slowly got in the glass-like container, gently grabbing the bar of soap that had been resting on the shelf in the shower. 

After cleaning, I dried myself completely— my hair dry before my body. That was what I liked the most about myself, my warm grey hair and my central-heterochromatic eyes. Green around my pupil and the rest of my iris blue. That and my ignorance to the annoying voice consistently telling me to tear out Michirozuki’s throat and organs. Besides the point, though, because I was ready to get re-dressed.

And after that, I simply sat in my dining room, alone, with a wine glass filled with vodka— which was in fact not wine. My heart sunk the moment I realized that was the last I had. I needed to go shopping anyways, but another item to add to my list was just embarrassing. I had enough money, but still.

Long story short, I went shopping. I grabbed my house keys and wallet, shoving both into my pockets. And then I started the 3 minute walk to the store. Which was boring, to say the least. All I could to was pray that Michirozuki didn’t notice me walking by. He would most definitely say something tomorrow if he did. Upon reaching the building, I sighed. Here I go..

I was quite common to find in here. The cashiers knew me. The workers knew me. Did I talk? No. Did they know my name? No. Did they say hello to me when I walked by and almost give me a heart attack because it was so sudden? Absolutely. And that wasn’t any different today. “Ah, hello there, sir!” Kikotosori greeted. I glared at him. Kikotosori Mujime, restocks the alcohol supply ever three to five days, depending on how fast the stock went down every week. I was typically the cause if he had to come back twice a week. I didn’t like him. He was exactly three and a half years older than me, and had gone to my college before he dropped out. No wonder he worked here. 

I grabbed the things I needed without speaking. When I reached the cashier, I should have expected who was there.

Damn Nuure. ------------------- Post-notes: 876 words. Wow, I really can't write long chapters, can I? -- How does a sadist pick up a bar of soap 'gently' after wishing to tear someone's throat out? I do not know. Don't question it. ------------------- Chapter two: O Pre-notes: Should I continue this series after this book? I would like to see people enjoying my writings. Please do let me know if you would like me to continue this alongside my typicals (fanfiction) --------------------

Damn Nuure.

Nuure Katshiko. Drug abuser since high-school, taking pain killers as often as possible, even when she wasn’t in pain. One of the most violent people I knew (minus myself and Hurusē). She had attempted, several times, to stab five teachers with a plastic butter-knife from the cafeteria during lunch in Elementary. And afterwards was sent to a mental institution. And then got diagnosed with schizophrenia. And then had to start taking even more drugs for her health... and it only got worse from there. 

She wasn’t doing anything. Yet. She would either try to assault me or someone else, because I have seen her in the past seven weeks three times on the news, being arrested for battery. Gods know how she escaped, but I was more so fearful of her attacking me than her criminal records at this time. “....” I stayed silent, waiting for my turn in line. I would rather put a gun in my mouth and blow my brains out through the other side with a bullet than aggravate her. 

And then she turned around and noticed me.

Fuck. This day was just going wonderful, wasn’t it?

“Oh, it’s you... still just as much of a pitied twig as when I last saw you, hm, Sakana?” God dammit, not only was she a literal criminal probably on the run from the police, she was also still just as mocking as I remembered. “And you still have your unnecessarily bright blonde hair.” I retorted. Was this going to get me impaled on a motorbike, skewered in at least twelve different was? Probably. There was absolutely no chance of me winning a fight against this monstrosity. She would have me twisted into a human pretzel before I could say one more word. She could have torn me apart, then and there, leaving me standing there with my internals exposed— 

But she didn’t. She just left. She grabbed her five bags filled with exactly fifteen items differing in size. I could bet she probably caused twenty percent of the over 37,900 people that have died today. Nuure was one of the extremely few people that could make me feel genuine fear, wanting to curl up into a ditch twenty-seven miles away from my home, dying from the eight stab wounds she gave me. She would drop me in a ditch, any given day so long she had the chance. 

I paid for my things and left the store immediately.

Once back at home, I started sorting my new purchases— alcohol (mainly wine and vodka) in one shelf, actual food in another. The last thing I had enough money to pay for was bread. Because of course I bought bread. It’s one of the ‘anyone can afford this bullshit’ foods I moderately enjoyed.

I lay in my bed, alone and sorrowful.

I lay in my bed, when will this night end?

I lay in my bed, alone and sorrowful.

I lay in my bed, when will this night end?

I lay in my bed, alone and sorrowful．

I lay in my bed, when will this night end?

I lay in my bed, alone and sorrowful.

I lay in my bed, when will this night end?

I lay in my bed, alone and sorrowful.

I lay in my bed, when will this night end?

I lay in my bed, alone and sorrowful．

I lay in my bed, when will this night end?

I lay in my bed, alone and—

...

I woke from a dream. My parents had died when I was merely twelve, in reality. I had been living alone for ten years. No one knew about my parents death. I hadn’t told anyone— I barely spoke in general. They had caught on fire during a home invasion. I escaped with severe burn injuries, unconscious from the smoke. Poisoned. There was a slim chance of me living. They had to clean my wounds, my house, my parents bodies— traumatizing experience, really. It wasn’t as bad as people say it was. Not to me at least. Having severe issues because my parents are dead and I can’t light a candle without being horrified of burning to death? Never.... BANG!

Wha t was I talking about again? My mind was too foggy to recall. The loud noise had caught me off guard, it was similar to a gunshot. I looked over to my bedroom window. A dead hummingbird had been smacked against the glass. How was it staying attached? Who knows. I got off my bed and investigated it. Only to be jump-scared by that disgusting blonde.

------------------- Post-notes: Sorry for the short chapter (only 767 words this time), I'm still working on developing the plot and my motivation is running low. Nevertheless, expect chapter three by next Sunday! ------------------- Chapter three: N Pre-notes: Nuure. Again. -- I just reread this and HOLY SHIT WHAT WAS I ON? --------------------

The dead hummingbird was somehow still on the window, its tiny body still twitching as if clinging to some final, invisible thread of life. But the only thing more jarring than the bird’s sudden arrival was the presence standing just outside my window—Nuure, her eyes alight with something between fury and amusement. My blood ran cold, yet a dark thrill coiled through me like smoke, almost daring me to move closer.

“Sakana,” she drawled, her voice just loud enough to seep through the thin glass, “did I interrupt your beauty sleep?” The smile that followed was a jagged tear across her face, as if mocking the very idea of peace.

I clenched my fists, nails biting into my palms to keep my expression neutral. Inside, the monster I kept caged stirred restlessly, whispering with an almost gleeful hunger. Here she was, the only person who could twist fear and rage into a volatile cocktail inside me. Yet, as much as my sadistic tendencies screamed to be let loose, logic tethered me to stillness.

“I see you’re still good at sneaking around like a rat,” I retorted, voice a cold knife’s edge. It was a dangerous dance we played, her violence versus my venom.

Nuure tilted her head, blonde hair catching the dim moonlight in an almost angelic glow that belied the storm in her eyes. “A rat? Is that the best you’ve got?” She pressed her palm flat against the window, leaning forward so that only the glass separated us. “Come on, Saka. I know you better than that. Where’s the creativity, the fire?”

The air between us crackled, my breath fogging the glass as I edged closer, heartbeat pounding a wicked rhythm. I wanted to see that smile falter, to twist her amusement into a mask of shock and rage. But I needed control—a controlled burn, not a wildfire.

I forced a smirk. “Why waste my creativity on a pest who can’t tell the difference between chaos and desperation?”

For a moment, a flicker of something unreadable crossed her face, quick as lightning. Then, just as fast, she barked out a laugh, a sound so sharp it could have shattered the silence like glass. “Desperation? You’re projecting again, Saka. I can see it.” She leaned back, eyes narrowing, daring me to prove her wrong.

The silence thickened, each second stretching until it felt like we were both perched on a knife’s edge. Then, without warning, she spun on her heel and started walking away, disappearing down the alley like a shadow evaporating into the night.

I exhaled shakily, pressing my forehead to the cool surface of the window. The house felt smaller, its corners tightening around me like a cage. The encounter had stirred something deep within me, something I both feared and craved—a violent promise left hanging in the air.

The knock came softly, three beats against the door that might have been lost in the quiet if not for my hyperawareness. I set the glass down with deliberate slowness, standing so the chair’s scrape against the floor sounded like a gunshot. I crossed the room, every step amplifying the pulse thrumming in my ears.

I opened the door to find Nuure standing there, golden hair disheveled, a bruise blossoming on her cheek like a dark flower. She didn’t smile this time. She didn’t speak. Her eyes, wide and alert, scanned the room behind me as though expecting someone else.

“What do you want?” I asked, keeping my voice low, my tone dripping with impatience.

Her gaze met mine, and for once, I saw no mockery, no challenge. Just raw, unfiltered anger. “They’re coming, Sakana,” she whispered. The intensity in her voice, a tone I had never heard before, snapped my spine straight.

“Who?” I demanded, the taste of dread rising in my throat.

Nuure pushed past me, shutting the door with a force that rattled the frame. “We don’t have time for your questions. You think you’re untouchable in this little cocoon of yours? Wake up. There are worse things out there than you, and they’re already watching.”

Her words were like ice water down my back. Before I could respond, she turned, facing me with a fierceness that almost made me take a step back. Almost.

I leaned in, eyes narrowing. “What did you bring here, Nuure?”

She met my gaze, unfazed. “Something that makes your twisted games look like child’s play.”

The air thickened, the edges of the room blurring. The silence was gone, replaced by a thrum beneath my feet that felt alive. The night hadn’t yet begun, but the game had already changed. And for the first time in years, I didn’t know if I would be the predator—or the prey.

------------------- Post-notes: Sorry for the overextended wait for this chapter! My motivation was completely drained over the course of October (especially sorry to Robin, lol). Exactly 786 words (still pretty short, sorry!!!), chapter four will be out next Wednesday or before :)

Nuure is schizophrenic guys

Completely forgot about the formatting when I wrote this, just corrected it. Sorry!!!

[speakofthedebbie]

ASK GAMES IN SESSION:

fandom asks

moots on anon (debs original; moots go on anon, say a few things about them [usually 3] and i have to guess who they are)

fic writers: directors cut

some things of varying importance (<- my fav colour btw)

came for one. singular. fucking. post by @elsa-fogen, stayed for the hazbin brainrot

names debbie (read about why here), nicknames are any variation that suits you

she/her

after much deliberation (thx for your insight @lifea16 <3) im a femme-leaning biromantic and femme-leaning sex-indifferent demisexual (makes sense to me at least)

in a qpr with @lifea16 >:3

minor (not saying majors [literally why arent 18+ called that] cant interact, but watch yourself)

in regards to above: ♐ (december 14th) [have had 1 bday on tumblr]

no comm beggars/any asks relating to money. i am a minor, i cannot help you

#1 luci lover/defender

started shipping radioapple as a joke but it becomes less of a joke each day (while i am now radioapple inclined, i am still a multishipper at heart)

priestess of @cali-and-chaos' radioapple cult (@manicali has deleted the blog but i will go on carrying out my duties as priestess and spread the word of radioapple far and wide)

almost certainly some flavour of neurodivergent

transphobes dont even look at this blog. me and my trans besties WILL beat you up and it WILL be embarrassing

same goes for terfs, racists, bigots and the like. do not test me

fandoms:

currently:

hazbin hotel (wow who wouldve thunk it)

helluva boss (somewhat)

mouthwashing (i wont curse That One Friend That Gets Me Into Everything for this but rather a mutal friend. havent finished kubz scouts playthrough but liking it so far)

namesake (they get linked cuz the chances of anybody who follows me knowing what it is are slim) [you prolly wont see much content about it {for now >:)} but i do really love it and will be clawing at walls until my pookie warrick shows up again /lh]

previously:

mystreet (may return when s7 comes out)

hermitcraft (im way too behind to catch up now)

percy jackson & the olympians (left off on titans curse)

murder drones (now that its done might come back to)

the promised neverland (i still like it, but i finished the manga)

project SEKAI: COLORFUL STAGE! (feat. hatsune miku) [i had a stint with it but since i could never play the game it died off. still have a high key crush on akito 😍]

heathers: the musical (i debated moving it down here but i dont care for it much anymore lol. like i still like the musical, i still really like the songs, and will probably make it my mission to memorize the entire thing one day but its impact is fading man)

unique tags:

#debs is a yapper (i talk about shit. usually hazbin shit. intersects way too much with-)

#debs is a memer (i make memes. usually hellaverse memes. intersects way too much with #debs is a yapper.)

#debs is an artist (i make art occasionally. so far 100% hazbin art.)

#debs is a writer (i post my hellaverse fics. either wip snippets or links to the ao3 page. previously under #debs is an artist.)

#debs is a responder (i respond to the [semi!]rare ask or two [used to be #debs is an answerer but it sounded too weird lol])

#debs is an original poster (i make original posts. opposite of-)

#debs is a reblogger (i reblog usually hellaverse shit, which for my apprehensiveness about it at first has become [more than] half my blog. opposite of #debs is an original poster.)

#debbie's never ending rivalry with her own fucking brain (i wage psychological warfare against my own brain. no one wins.)

#"for your queueing has just begun~" (i queue posts.)

look at the top 10 posts yourself lol

individual follower shout-out (hasnt been updated in a WHILE mb chat)

oh yeah i got a sideblog lol (high school advice)

also luci-centric sideblog lol im so predictable

[littlemisssatanist]

on the topic of alicent's sexuality

ok ok so this is a little late but if im going to be honest, ive completely lost any interest in hotd when the first episode came out and its taken a little bit to get back into it. i already mentioned this in a twitter gc when the first alicole leaks came out but i wanted to put it into better words for tumblr.

foreword: i am a lesbian.

a lot of people on twitter, specifically rhaenicents, were up in arms about the alicole leaks because they couldnt understand the idea that alicent isnt a lesbian. now, i understand having a headcanon and it being disproven by canon. i understand the struggles rhaenicents went through against daemyras when the first season came out, because i was a rhaenicent also. im not a rhaenicent anymore (id call myself more interested in alicole, but im still a multishipper).

however, the idea that theres no way in hell alicent could ever be bisexual really rubs me the wrong way. i wont even get into all the undercover biphobia that had been going on on twitter when these leaks first came out, but the fact that a woman fucking a man suddenly means theres no way she could ever be queer speaks volumes about how the larger hotd fandom views the bisexual community. this is already a very large and ongoing problem within the community, the fight against homophobes and biphobes that you 'have to choose a side' and that if you have a straight-passing relationship automatically means you are straight. the idea that alicent can only be a lesbian or straight pushes this bad notion further.

now, lets get into why rhaenicents are so desperate to have alicent be a lesbian. i get it. you want lgbt representation in mainstream media, i do too. i want to see myself represented in media, i place headcanons about many characters sexualities all the time. the difference is that i understand the difference between headcanon and canon. imo, many rhaenicents desperately want lesbian alicent to be a canon thing, instead of settling for headcanons and fanfiction and fanon. i understand that too. i understand the want to have canon lesbian representation; however they have to come to the realization that hotd was never meant to be lgbt representation. laenor's storyline was included because it was in the original book, and it was stated outright that he was gay. rhaenicent was always the make of the show, it was never stated to be canon in either show OR book, and thats why it will never be canon.

im not saying that to be mean. im saying that because thats how it is. hotd is not supposed to be lgbt representation, its meant to be an adaptation of fire and blood (and i have my own thoughts about how well thats going, but thats not the point of this post).

its ok for things to be headcanons. in 2023, the most popular ship on ao3 was steddie (steve harrington/eddie munson) from stranger things. is it canon? no!!! its the most popular ship because people like seeing gay people in media, regardless of whether theyre canon or not. sasunaru is the most popular ship in naruto, and theyre not canon either! they know its ok for things not to be canon; thats why fanon exists in the first place. i think rhaenicents should get used to this. this is what fandom is like. im not sure what else to tell you about that.

theres a particular argument of rhaenicents i want to talk about. 'alicents struggles in the show reflect the struggles of lesbians and comphet in the modern world.' now. as a lesbian who has struggled with comphet in the past, this argument actually annoys me a lot. alicents struggles (being forced into a marriage she didnt want, forced to have children she didnt want) stem from the fact that she is a woman in westerosi society, not because she is a lesbian.

and sure! you can headcanon that alicent is a lesbian with comphet, but the problem is that: we dont have enough insight into alicents head to be able to tell the difference between comphet and misogyny. comphet is a very personal struggle, and its different for everyone. hotd focuses not only on alicent, and we simply do not see enough of her thoughts to be able to tell.

anyways, i guess my point is this: you can headcanon whatever you want. however, the moment you start being angry at other people for viewing things differently than you is the moment i dont really care about what you think. so youre a rhaenicent?? great! wonderful! i hope you have fun. you think alicoles are stupid and attack them for shipping? i think you have absolutely no experience in fandom. if a female/male ship is enough to make you fall apart the moment you see it, then youre not going to have a lot of fun being in fandoms later on.

[luminetti]

𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒅𝒖𝒆 𝑨𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒚 ༺♡༻ Chapter 3

༘⋆Notes: this chapter went a bit differently pacing wise than I originally planned! Last chapter I added a 7th prospective chapter to the navigation post because I wasn't sure if I could fit everything into just 6. I think the 7th chapter is very likely to happen, so just letting you know ch6 wont be the last. I love reading your guys' comments both here and on ao3, they're all so sweet and it's what keeps me posting so thank you to everyone who did that 💜

༘⋆ Chapters: ┆[1] ┆ [2] ┆[3]┆[4]┆[5]┆[6] ┆[7] ┆

ao3

The metal handle of the withdrawing room bore cold through your hand as you hovered in front of the door. Your mind was reeling. Gale had mentioned magic and mages that morning, and he seemed quite adamant for your presence. Bending down to peek through the rusted keyhole, you squeezed one eye shut, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was to come. Your vision was fuzzy, blurred from old bits of metal that had rusted from years of unuse.

After your eyes finally began to focus, you could just barely make out a figure on the ground, toying with what almost looked like string? Like plucking invisible thread, Gale peeled apart the translucent strands, letting bits slip through his fingers in a breath of mist. The string between his fingertips glinted in the moonlight as he redirected it into a soft wave, the line following its path and deftly falling into place. A quiet gasp escaped your lips when the final pieces settled themselves in the air like brushstrokes of greens, blues, and purples in the air. Gale had painted an aurora into the air with nothing but his hands.

The warmth of your breath hit your face as you pressed closer against the door, subconsciously leaning against it harder in hopes of somehow seeing more. Too engrossed in the display, you failed to recognize the indicative clicking of the door latch coming undone. With a creak, the door swung open into the room and spat you out onto the floor, landing behind Gale in embarrassing proximity.

Gale leaped to his feet, swiping a hand through the aurora and waving away the remnants of the sparkling colors into the moonrays. “Gods, you caught me practicing,” he mumbled, brushing the dust from his clothes and smoothing the wrinkles. “I thought I had prepared well enough but– are you alright?”

Scrambling from the floor, you nodded, far too starstruck to answer him properly. “Aurora– in the air– moving with your fingers–” your sentences spewed out like strands of word vomit, unable to finish a single thought before beginning another. Mimicking his gestures from earlier, you waved your hands around, hoping they would convey your questions better than your words. You had to know more.

Gale paled and clasped his hands around yours to steady your erratic movements. “Please don’t be alarmed,” he begged, “I wanted to tell you, There just wasn’t– Never the right time–” Gale caught himself from blithering any further and took a deep breath. “Let us start over–”

“I’m not,” you interjected, forcing Gale to fall silent. “Not alarmed, I mean.” Grabbing one of the nearby chairs, you dragged it towards the center of the room and sat. “Don’t restart. I want this.” You motioned to himself and your surroundings. “I want it to be genuine. You in your entirety.” 

His jaw softened and he nodded silently. “I suppose I’d quite like that…” He began, looking around the room for inspiration. “I had something more ostentatious planned, but that doesn’t feel right anymore.” Gale’s eyes locked onto your unfinished painting of Euphemia’s garden. “This however…”

You watched in a daze as Gale swept a hand over the canvas, the dried paint morphing at his touch. It was as if a breeze had come over the painting. What was once static scenery of flowerbeds and grass spotted through a window, now had begun to ripple. Each individual flower and blade of grass swayed as if it was caught in the wind and even the graphite outline of the window’s curtains drifted lightly.

Gale stood off to the side and faced the painting. Cupping his hands around his lips, he blew a puff of air and the garden trembled as if a gust of wind had blown through the field. As the wind grew stronger the curtains billowed and petals detached from their stems. One of the flowered bushes shook in the wind more ferociously than the others, shaking harder and harder until a single flower snapped off the branches.

The flower–small and pink–flew around the painting, carried by the wind which had now slowed to a zephyr. As the flower drifted closer, the pointed petals and golden center became more apparent. It was a sweet brier. Rosa rubiginosa, as Euphemia calls it. But more commonly known as–

“An eglantine rose,” Gale mused, catching the painted flower as it emerged from the canvas. Twirling it in his fingers, he carefully plucked off the small thorns covering the stem. Once cleared, he bent down and tucked it neatly behind your ear. “Your favorite, if I’m not mistaken?”

Dumbfounded, you raised a hand to stroke the flower sitting in your hair. Sure enough, the petals were smooth and velvet-like. It was a real eglantine rose. “I’m impressed you remembered…” you murmured, more to yourself than to him. It was hard to fight the rosiness creeping up your neck, accompanied by a familiar sense of transparency, though different than before. You weren’t quite sure if you minded it or not. It felt as though Gale could see right through you, or that you were bare before him. And yet, you made no move to cover yourself. 

“If that trick isn’t called ‘gale force winds’ then I’ll be highly disappointed.”

Gale snorted, exhaling sharply through his nose. “I’ll admit I’ve never attempted to name any of my abilities before. Though, I suppose I wouldn’t be able to come up with anything like that on my own.” 

“It’s a pity you’ll lose my naming prowess when you depart.”

“A day I have come to dread, it seems.” He chuckled nervously and slipped a hand into his pocket, retrieving a small coin purse. “I suppose I was dreading it more than I realized.” Undoing the drawstring, Gale produced a small necklace from the pouch. Hanging from the thin chain was a crystal pendant, unceremonious and unassuming. “When I eventually return to Waterdeep, I want to leave you with something… Apologies, I wasn’t sure what jewelry you preferred.”

You took the necklace in your hand, rolling the gemstone between your fingers. It looked deceptively light. The pendant bore a surprising amount of weight, indicative of high quality material. 

“This is for me? Really?”

Gale nodded, chewing on his lower lip as he watched your expression closely.

A glimmer from within the necklace caught your eye. Suspended in the clear pendant were engraved stars, shining with all the colors of a sunset sky.

“It’s beautiful,” you breathed, undoing the clasp and holding it out for him to fasten around your neck.

Gale hurriedly took the chain and positioned himself behind you, draping the cold metal over your neck and lifting your hair aside.

You forced yourself to still and let his warm fingers brush against the nape of your neck as he fiddled with the fastener.

“That is most gratifying to hear,” He said, motioning for you to turn once he finished. “I would’ve asked whether you liked silver or gold, but I…” Gale trailed off, his eyes locking onto the pendant hanging just beneath your collarbone. Clearing his throat, his gaze flicked back up to meet your own. “It suits you nicely.”

You reached up to feel the necklace against your skin. “I rarely wear jewelry outside of balls. But this,” you closed your fingers around the crystal. “This I believe I’ll be wearing for a while.”

Gale raised an eyebrow, looking from the necklace, to the flower in your hair, then back to you. “You’ve been to the balls this season? How could I possibly have missed you?”

You fidgeted with the necklace. You were never particularly lucky when it came to courting. Ballroom dancing felt too monotonous to be worthwhile and in sensing your discomfort, no suitor had requested a second dance in one night. There was another time when a suitor had professed his undying devotion with a bouquet of amaranth barely a day after you mentioned your aversion to pollen.

Euphemia excitedly told you that amaranth represented longevity and in this case, longevity of love. You, however, found it to be the longevity of sneezing, which eventually solidified the poor suitor’s rejection.

Finally, you shrugged. “I don’t suppose we run in quite the same circle, Viscount.”

A warm hand brushed against your temple, slipping a couple strands of hair that threatened to cover your eyes off to the side. “I must be in the wrong circle then.” The back of Gale’s hand trailed down the side of your cheek and rested underneath your chin, gently tilting your face to look up at him.

Just as you began to feel his warm breath on your lips, the doors swung open once more and Euphemia strode in, her nose deep in a newspaper.

“Scandal of the season!” She cried, pacing back and forth in the room, not once looking up. “Newly made Dowager Duchess Mystra of Waterdeep swarmed with suitors come the following of Duke Elminster Aumar’s passing,” she recited, frantically flipping to the next page.

The warmth of Gale immediately disappeared as he rushed to read over Euphemia’s shoulder with you in quick pursuit.

“The mother of magic retreats in mourning and withdraws from the shortly upcoming ball hosted by Duke Ravengard of the Sword Coast,” she continued, letting Gale take the paper and read himself.

You rose to your tiptoes, trying to skim the paper over Gale’s tall frame. “The mother of magic? I thought she was just a normal mage?”

Gale shook his head, his fingers tangled in his hair, grasping it like it would disappear from his head. “The Duke and Duchess were some of the most powerful mages in Faerûn. Just the union between the two helped ease fears of magic across all of Waterdeep and even parts of Baldur’s Gate.”

You bit your lip. The opinions on mages were already precarious. The loss of a Duke would be difficult for any region, but a Duke of arcane magic would be difficult to replace. From what it seemed, the Dowager Duchess was still excruciatingly desirable. Despite only seeing a couple portraits of her, you’ve always noted her impossibly youthful appearance. Someone of her status would have no trouble…

“Remarrying.” Gale gripped the paper so hard it began to crease in his grip. “She’s surely remarrying.”

Euphemia took the crumpled newspaper. “You think so? Her mourning will last at least another half-year, a full year until she can remarry.”

He shook his head and pressed his lips together. “Her Grace is the face of mages all over the world. She cannot just vanish from society.”

You bit your lip, feeling helpless at the sight of Gale so disheveled. “Was the Duke unhealthy?”

Gale shook his head once more. “He was healthy as can be, and that’s what worries me. I need to attend the Ravengard’s Ball. There’s people I must talk to.” 

That wasn’t possible. Gale had specifically requested for utmost discretion surrounding his presence in your manor. If he were to attend the ball, he would need to come from Waterdeep. Which meant…

“You’re leaving? Now?” You asked, reaching out and catching his wrist before you even realized you had moved.

Euphemia eyed the two of you silently. “I’ll request a carriage,” she said before turning away and leaving you alone with him..

Gale traced the flower behind your ear with a pained expression. “I know, I’m sorry it’s sooner than either of us would’ve liked.”

“Let me come with you,” you begged.

A hand snakes up your waist to lay over the necklace. From beneath his palm, your skin thrummed with warmth emitted a soft white light. When he pulled away after what felt like ages, the small pendant purred with life, glowing and dimming repetitively like a heartbeat. “If you need me, touch the crystal to relay a message. No matter where you are I will hear it and find you.”

“And if I come to the ball? Would you save a dance for me?” You leaned into him, memorizing the feel of his touch.

Gale nodded. “I’d put myself down on your dance card ten times if I must.”

You smiled sadly as he pulled away. “I’ll have quite the lonely eleventh dance.”

He took one step closer and tapped the necklace making it sway gently. “You only need to ask.” With a final parting glance, Gale let your joined hands drop as he turned and exited the room. You watched him thank Euphemia, asking her to give regards to Sebastian for him until finally Gale stepped into the prepared carriage and disappeared off into the night.

As you stood in the doorway staring out into the empty hallway, you felt the necklace thrum against your chest. Like a passing whisper caught in the wind, you felt the faintest voice in the back of your head. Goodnight, Tav.

taglist:

@vhaldren @qiific3 @cryingoverpixelsetc

[navysealt4t]

OFFICIAL #1 JAY UNDERSTANDER!!!!

welcome to my blog! <3

pfp by @/bat-lunn and banner by @/canyourlawnmowerdothis (go check em out <3 amazing art)

i'm blue but i have a variety of names for u to choose from (hestia, elle, jazzy, artemis, bee, abby)! my interests change very rapidly lmao but i am primarily obsessed with jrwi, tloz, dbh, and pjo! dont be surprised to see other stuff tho :)

i use he/she/it + all neos (no they/them!)! my favs probably he/him, she/her, sol/sun, and ey/em!! i like em all tho! PRONOUN PAGE!

i'm a minor!

bigender and (tentatively) afab/honeybee transfem <3 and an arospec lesbian <3

EXCLUSIONISTS FUCK OFF. we support mspec gays and lesbians here.

@thiriumstains - my dbh blog!

@sageoflightning - my loz/botw/totk blog!

@hyacinthstims - my stimboard blog!

i'm a fanfic writer! my ao3 is navysealt4t and i post most of my writing there!! feel free to drop by and leave a comment! they make my day :)

sometimes i open fanfic requests! i usually just reblog and ask game or prompt list and tell ppl to go wild lol. though, warning, there is a less than 50% chance ill end up writing the prompt u send </3 my motivation and energy is so unpredictable so lots of the time im just not feeling it, and the other half i forget the prompt even exists!

another note, im terrible terrible at responding to dms :P i much prefer to chat through asks or just posts. im not totally opposed to dms but they do give me a bit of anxiety and then i tend to pretend they dont exist.

INTERESTS: writing, jrwi, tloz, hunchback of notre dame (movie and musical), choir, musical theatre, ukulele, dbh (mainly connor, markus, hankcon, and rk1k), video games, unpacking (game), drawing, baking/cooking, cats, etc :] PLEASEEE send asks about this stuff if u want :D literally send me asks about random ass things i love asks :3

my discord is @/beelue if u ever wanna chat!! (close mutuals/close friends can ask for my instagram :3)

tagging system! (i barely ever use this :()

#some blue thoughts - my general tag for my original posts!

#blue's headphones - music!! whether its my choir music or music im obsessing over or music i relate to a character :)

#blue's writing - where all my fanfics n writing go!!

#blue's theatre - all my theatre stuff!! this wont have much traction anymore since my show ended recently (:((() but yeah!!

#blue's faves AND #blue's saves - stuff i wanna save for later or stuff that is REALLY COOL

#and the universe said i love you - positivity tag!! scroll through if ur having a bad day <3

#bumbling thoughts - posts about characters!! can be in depth analysis' or just silly 2 sentence headcanons :)

thats about it for now!

NOW THE BLINKIES

[leninova1997]

Soooo where will you release the novel once it's finished? Here on Tumblr or did you have another place/site in mind (since you've created an AO3 account very recently)?

Hey, thank you for asking!

Most likely, i will upload my done work on my personal blog too. But currently its for amateur photography only. 😂😂

Tumblr wouldnt be too bad, however, im not a huge fan of the site (still better than Twitter, so its an important advantage). I can give it a shot though, wont hurt. The other site i had in mind is Fanfiction.net: pretty chill a community, with much fewer cancer inducing literature tragedies to deal with.

I refuse to post anything on Wattpad. I was active for 5 years there, the original (undone) version of the novel was posted there, and nobody cared to even look at it. Also, the majority of the members are either horny teens or egotistical morons with zero talent or both. Im not wasting my time there anymore.

My downfall in all of this is the language barrier: the work will be done in my native language first and sadly, almost nobody visits any of these sites for reading and writing. So im already aware once the work will be out, only random people will find it and maybe do something with it. Sucks, i know 😂😂 But currently, there is nothing i can do about it.

I thought about writing in English, however for me the language is so limited and formal (especially compared to Hungarian), doing something artistic is like pulling teeth. A proper translation is a whole another thing...and its a topic for the future to be brought back after im done.

[sakasakiii]

Do you have any original characters? Whether for Tolkien or in general

hello nonnie!!! eeeeee i was actually really surprised and excited to receive this ask! LONG POST INCOMING warning cuz its time for Rin's Ramblings again

i do have two ocs actually! although i haven't paid them much mind up until recently 😂 I wanted to write Ithilos as an extra healer into that one AO3 story where Elrond performs emergency surgery on Maedhros (and i never did!!!). Marildë came from a concept headcanon I had waaay back in January where I was obsessed with the thought of Maglor having kids (twins??) of his own back in Valinor, but unfortunately being unaware that his wife was pregnant up until just before he had to depart to M.E with the Noldor (something that eats him up like crazy but hasn't been able to tell anyone but Maedhros)

heheh so yeyeye... these are my Tolkien ocs!!! although they had been banished to the Void of my mind up til u asked hehe. When it comes to OCs I absolutely ADORE though, @astral-romances has Aredhel's triplet children I have had utter the delight of getting to know better recently, so go check them out if you haven't already!! (they are so SO cute pls stan Walya and Canyo) 🥺

now in response to the second part!! i uh,, i do have non-Tolkien ocs actually 👉👈 i wont go on about them too much here lolol, but ill place the rest under the cut due to it not rly fitting in with the theme of this blog!

when i was a fandom drifter last year i used to work on my own stories WAY more, but now that I've been into the Silm consistently (its the longest fandom I've ever stayed in cuz it has such a lovely community!!) I barely draw them anymore... but here are some sketches of assorted ocs from all my various stories:

they all come from different ones, but all exist in the same overarching world... I won't ramble about it too much here, but I do have a side blog where I sometimes dump old sketches/art I find when I'm digging through my sketchbooks for archiving purposes. So the stuff there is probably way more detailed than my response here!

still though, THANK YOU NONNIEeeEE im so very flattered you asked!! sorry I ended up rambling more than answering your question LMAOOO but im very grateful i had a chance to talk about these guys for a lil while!! 💓💓 thanks again and i hope u have a wonderful rest of your week!

[stuckycreativity]

I posted 394 times in 2022

That's 394 more posts than 2021!

8 posts created (2%)

386 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@musette22

@endgame-steve-is-not-real

@all-chickens-are-trans

@rollingthunderpouringrain

@andrea1717

I tagged 393 of my posts in 2022

#fanart - 328 posts

#bucky - 86 posts

#winter soldier - 44 posts

#au - 36 posts

#howlies era - 34 posts

#pre war - 29 posts

#fanfic - 27 posts

#angst - 27 posts

#here come the hugs - 22 posts

#modern - 21 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#made me think of my greatgreatfather that went mia. was a prisoner of war never came back.was in his late 20s. the story scared me as a kid

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Miss her.

Her being Steve & Bucky during the Howling Commandos era.

Bucky struggling with trauma from having been a horrible horrible lab rat on top of being in an unforgiving war, Steve struggling with trauma from being thrown into that unforgiving war after minimal time to prepare his new body for all this.

Them needing to find a new footing in regards to their relationship because

There's something broken within Bucky, Steve can feel it, but he's not used to Bucky being like this and he can't bring his friend to talk.

And Bucky? Bucky feels flat out useless, now that Steve has this new body and is cured of all those maladies. Bucky feels swallowed and spat out again, all wrong and dark and ruined, so surely Steve wont need him anymore.

(He’s so so so very wrong).

So yeah, it takes them a careful dance and probably some verbal collisions to find the rythm again, but it’s a testament to their bond that they find it again, and really, there wasn’t any real doubt about that anyhow. They rile each other up, spray fake poision around, compensating stuff left and right, until the sweet sweet catharsis comes along and they fucking communicate.

There’s a bone crushing hug, trembling fingers, a few tears, hushed words and many downward gazes, Sorry, Buckys and Stop it you yucks and It’s gonna be okay, Bucks and Yeah I know Stevies.

And the Howlies watch it all happen from start to finish right before their very eyes when they got out of that Hydra hell, with a mixture of amusement, sadness and annoyance - most of all affection though.

18 notes - Posted June 25, 2022

#4

so, about that DALL-E, huh?

23 notes - Posted June 21, 2022

#3

[ID: A statue of an archangel with blurred out eyes, in the middle of a white background. It holds a shield in their right arm. Left and right of the statues is the title of the story below, “A Superhero learns to Fly”.]

originally posted on Ao3 (in 2014)

Fandom: Captain America, MCU Characters/Pairing: Steven Rogers & Bucky Barnes Tags & Warnings: Kid Steve Rogers, Kid Bucky Barnes, Pre War, Howling Commandos Era, CA: TFA, mentions of torture, Hurt/Comfort, Angst (Open/Goodish Ending), Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, POV Bucky Barnes, Character Study,

WC: 1455 - A story in 6 tiny parts.

See the full post

26 notes - Posted July 2, 2022

#2

another doodle

that Chris Evans puppy interview tho huh

31 notes - Posted June 20, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Someone please send me Howlies Era Stucky headcanons so I can have feels over them and maybe even add my thoughts to it? 😍🥺❤

Angst, fluffy, anything... 🤭🥺

62 notes - Posted June 22, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[cinderspots]

Hello everyone today I'd like to speak about toxicity. But before I begin let me answer some questions

Is this an informative rant?

Sort of.

Am I being passive aggressive/agressive/sarcastic towards mentioned people who will remain anonymous?

Yes

When will you post another headcannon?

I am currently juggling finals, tutoring, music lessons, debate tournaments, concerts, controlling parents, and writing for other things, please for those who have deemed it necessary to dm me or send me agressive asks, be patient. I am working on them, i promise.

Is it alright to keep sending requests for headcannons, prompt posts, or fanfics?

Yes!

Before you spoke about original works, what would those be?

There are TWO book series Im writing, 'The Abnormal Chronicles' and 'Legendary'. Legendary is being posted in an abstract format and the first novel for AC is being rewritten

Okay, now moving onto the actual rant.

As mentioned in one of my answers, some users who will not be named have been aggressively messaging me and asking me about updates. First off, I do not OWE you updates, i work for free because its enjoyable and I will update as quickly as possible and when I want to.

There arent many and I hope it stays that way.

Some SiX fandom fans that have proven problematic and toxic towards me in the past seem to have persisted through my disengagement of the fandom and are still very set on antagonizing me and have possibly become worse with me slowing updates even further due to this.

Again, I dont owe you anything, and while you drove my love for the fandom out of me I wont let you harass me any longer.

Now to those who have dmed me either on tumblr, discord, wattpad, or put a comment up that i deleted immediately on Ao3, you may suddenly find that i am not responding to you, that is because ive blocked you and reported you.

Aw :( you cant harass me anymore after this post, because i wanted to make sure you saw this before it happened.

Thank you so much for making me feel like shit for not meeting your standards I really appreciate it and I hope you have a fan-fucking-tastic time wallowing in your self-righteous anger as you find someone else to harass.

Or maybe (just maybe) youll stop pulling this shit with people.

Anyways to everyone else, youve been great, dont mind this post im just upset.

[mystic-kitten-writer]

you wanna write angst? 👀 yue, zuko, and aang (i cant spell for shit so i wont even try that ship name) having an argument because some hater made them feel insecure about their relationship, and the one that’s upset threatening to leave :(

LOOL; you mean Yuengko 😂😂😂

Here is me, trying to write some angst but I’m wheezing at your comment “i cant spell for shit so i wont even try that ship name.” What a fucking MOOD.

Kaay, a quick drabble before going to bed. (I highkey stopped answering asks for a hot minute because I realized I bought a watermelon and cutting a watermelon shouldn’t be a battle and a half).

AU: Limerence AU (Yuengko)

Pairing: Zuko x Fem. OC (Ying Yue Jiang) x Aang

Masterlist

Zuko’s voice was booming, his complexion flushed as Aang and he argued. The way Aang’s face twisted with hurt, brows pinched as the usually airy and calm voice he possessed rose to match Zuko’s.

It was strange, seeing the way they bickered.

Usually, their expression was so soft, eyes twinkling and filled with love.

Kisses and hugs shared amongst us, but at the moment, the veins in their necks bulged, words of anger replacing the ones of admiration. The pain, the hurt- I don’t like this, I don’t want this, not between the people I love.

“Fuck, Aang- you really think I value my relationship with Yue more because she’s a woman.” Zuko hissed, and Aang huffed. The air that left Aang’s pink lips was grand, causing our robes to flutter. His arms crossed, shaking his head, annoyance flashing.

“Listen to what I’m saying, Zuko. I understand that you don’t prioritize Yue over me, but hearing the royals say that Yue is more valuable of a partner than me because she’ll bear the future heirs hurts.”

“But why does it hurt if you know it’s not true that I love Yue more than you, that I love the both of you the fucking same!” Zuko raged, pinching his nose in exasperation. His hair was no longer perfectly pulled into a bun, the golden Fire Lord emblem that rested on top, shaking with Zuko’s voice.

“But that’s not the point-” Aang cried.

I watched as Aang’s shoulders dropped in frustration, letting his body fall onto the bed we shared. The way his body went limp, defeat written on his face, all while I stood. His eyes were locked with Zuko’s stunning gold ones, both of them breathless as they argued in circles.

My heart was pounding, palms sweaty because of this fight, it was all my fault.

They lived in peace, happily, before I joined. If I just kept to myself, didn’t join the relationship, maybe, just maybe- Without thinking, I took a careful step forward, my hands falling over my chest.

I loved them, both Zuko and Aang.

They were the missing puzzle pieces in my life, the ones to make me smile and laugh when I was in a world of pain. I don’t want them to fight anymore, not because of me.

“Zuko...Aang...” I whispered softly.

Their gazes snapped towards the sound of my call, my fingers digging into my dress. My lips parted, trying to find my voice, as I took in the both of them.

They were perfect, perfect for each other-

Zuko’s warm touches, the way he would always hold the both of us close with his arms wrapped around our waists. He was often silent, not one to express himself, but the small smiles and the twinkle in his eyes spoke plenty. And then you had Aang.

Unlike Zuko’s naturally rough demeanour, Aang managed to uplift our spirits. With his tender caresses and easy-going personality. The way he would spontaneously surprise us with hugs and humour but was also the best shoulder to cry on because he never judged.

I love you both.

“What is it, Yue?” Zuko huffed, patience gone. I swallowed largely, my body trembling as my mouth dried. The blood rushing to my ears, tears building-

Do it, say it, Yue.

But I love them, I don’t want to-

If you really love them, then say it-

“I think- I think it’ll be better if I leave,” I whispered, and the moment the words left my lips, my hands covered my mouth. Soft sobs left me, stepping backwards because of the expressions on their faces.

The pain, the hurt, Aang jumping on his feet, Zuko’s body tensing-

“Yue.” Aang gasped as I shook my head, tears flooding my vision.

“I-I don’t want to be the reason you fight.” I cried.

Zuko rushed forward, arms outstretched, and I moved back with ease, slipping from the touch I wanted.

“I’m sorry.” I sobbed, twirling on my heel, running for the grand doors.

They were the ones who deserved happiness, not me.

Copyright © 2020 Mystic-Kitten, inc. all rights reserved. No reposting, modifying, or translations of any kind allowed. Thank you for your cooperation.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Avatar characters besides any original characters I have created.

Cross-posted on Ao3/Tumblr/Quotev/Wattpad to discourage plagiarism.

❤ Buy me a coffee? ❤

[guktwt]

an update (sort of)

hi. so. i wasn’t going to do this originally but uh, well, i changed my mind? this isn’t an official formal post or anything i just wanted to drop by bcs it’s been a month and i still don’t know how to explain whatever prompted me to delete all of the fics i had here. sorry for that (and i’m really sorry to myself, too, because i’ve had some of those fics for years and i basically just threw all of my hard work and progress and memories ? away). i wasn’t in a good place mentally and i needed an outlet to take out all of my... anger? into and. well? 

don’t worry i have all of those saved in my google docs so they’re still here with me, but i don’t know if i’ll ever reupload any of them ever again. i just don’t think it would be the same? so thanks to everyone who’s given them so much love up until their time here was over! sorry i’m a mess. swear im working on it. 

if anyone’s wondering, yes, i’m still writing fics. surprisingly more consistently than i expected the past few days. will i ever get anywhere with any of my wips? we’ll see.

i read all of the sweet messages u guys left in my inbox while i was away and im really thankful for that. i’m okay now <3 

if anyone wants to contact me my kkt is adultkth and my new twitter is tkooist but im not active there and i wont bother trying to be active unless it is to scream into the void about writing (twitter still gives me anxiety ffff)

my new ao3 is lovings and any new works i decide to upload will be posted there (no mxr fics sorry :( just mxm) 

and if u want to send me anything anonymously my curiouscat is adoreguk (i wont be answering to tumblr asks anymore sorry!) 

ah. i didn’t want to make this long but it’s hard trying to get everything out when youre not even sure how to say the things u want to say.

thank you again for all the support on my fics this far, and thank u to all the people ive talked to for putting up w me <3 

[doodlebeeberry]

It’s Not The Same Anymore

bubble’s may not have brains but that sure as hell wont stop her from thinking

// bfb 23 spoilers

kinda rambly post bfb 23 bubble fic inspired by a thread by @ yoylese on twitter

AO3

They screamed in intervals on the brb, a concept that had never dawned on her until she’d found herself on the thing. They’d spent the past several hours hooting and hollering until their throats were scratchy and the sun had vanished far beyond the horizon. Honestly, it stopped being frightening after the first hour or so, though it was still a bit nauseating. Really they all only kept screaming because it was something to do up there, beyond watch their ex-teammates compete every few days, and even still it was more-so akin to watching ants run around in the grass for several hours, without even any of their chatter making it up this high, past the loud clatter of the building and the cages as they spun. Several days in and Bubble had already gotten tired of it.

Ruby just shrugged it off when she brought it up between screeching sessions.

“You’ve just gotta use what you have to keep the boredom away,” she’d replied, pulling out a small phone. “The signal up here tends to be pretty bad, but at least I still get to look at cat pictures, and play math games!”

Balloony’s answer was similarly useful.

“Yeah, it’s pretty boring at first, I guess you just need to wait until Four gives you something to keep busy with.”

“Oh,” she’d replied, “how loing did you have to wait?”

“Two or three days, I think?”

By that point, it had already been four.

She’d filled the time previously chatting with Ruby and Balloon as much as she could, swapping jokes and stories, but she’d largely run out of good stories to tell, not to mention that they didn’t want to spend all their time only talking to her. She’d tried calling out to the other contestants, but none of them could hear her over the noise.

So that left her here, blinking up at the stars wheezing by, clinging to her sweater like it was the only thing she had. She supposed, in a sense, it was. Her garden was in the hands of the tpot crew, and while it wasn’t her’s per se , she tended to think of X’s aloe vera as her own while tending to it and worried for it every day since she’d been eliminated. As for anything else, well…

She glanced at the Have-Cot’s tower as she passed it, spotting a flicker of orange and a vague smudge of green side by side on the roof. Despite the competition, the Have-Cot’s had been sharing the tower every night since they won it, as the facing off against potentially rain-soaked, grouchy competitors with aching backs tended to dampen the energy of the game.

(though, most of the original contestants on the team agreed to share simply because they knew how unpleasant sleeping on the ground was, herself included)

Ever since they’d made up, he and Leafy had been spending more and more time together in an attempt to make up for lost time. Everyone else was happy for them, for the most part, and left them be as they rekindled a relationship that’d spent nearly a decade gathering dust. As she passed them again, she swore she could hear them laughing, spilling mirth out into the air.

Another thing she’d left behind in her elimination, she supposed, turning her eyes back to the sky.

It’s not loik I had much going for me there anyway.

She tried to shake the thought away, but nothing else filled the space. She didn’t want it to, but it continued,

The only real friend i had was Roiby, and she got eliminated before me!

She turned to the gem in question, scrambling for a distraction, but she was asleep. A glance to the left showed that Balloon was the same way.

Every new friend got eliminated or forgot about me. They didn’t noitice i was gone, they didn’t even care!

She tugged on the sweater harshly, vision blurring.

Book and Ice Cube left me, Flower bullied me, Match didn’t listen, Pencil didn’t care, Leafy—

She looked up as she passed the tower, and for just a brief moment Leafy’s eyes met hers. The memory struck her.

Leafy recovered me. She remembered me. But…

...but she hoited me.

She took to watching the sky again. She couldn’t tell how much of the blurriness was because of the spinning and how much was because of the tears, nor did she find it within herself to care.

I never got to fix things. Not loik he did.

A wave of bitter envy hit her that she didn’t bother trying to repress. She wanted what they had. What he had.

She wanted people who cared about her, who would listen and wouldn’t leave and wouldn’t force her to play some stupid part.

Bubble screwed her eyes shut, aching.

She wanted a second chance with someone.

Was that too much to ask?

[make-me-imagine]

Request Rules and Guidelines

*** This is not an 18+ only blog; however; though I do not write smut/NSFW work anymore, I did in the past and that content is still available on this blog. If you are younger than 18; be advised and please do not read those works. If you do, it is entirely your fault if you do not like what you read. (That goes with everything I write anyways.)

**You DO NOT have permission to repost or copy any of my work on any other sites!** I only post my fics here and on Ao3, so if you see my fics someone else, they were stolen!

*If you have the default profile pic, no bio and don't reblog or make posts, you look like a bot/spam account and will get blocked. Please PERSONALIZE your blogs.

*If you’d like to know more about me personally; feel free to roam around the “stuff about me” tag. I have q&a’s, tags, and just random personal info about me :)

Requests

What you can request:

Headcanons (aka preferences): If you don't know what Headcanons are; Here is an example And here, you can find a list of Headcanon Prompts, if you aren't sure what to request.

Mood-boards and Camera Rolls (here is a example) And 'here' is a list of prompts you can request from (but you can send in an original idea as well) *whether I do your request or not depends mostly on if I can find appropriate photos

Fics/Oneshots/Drabbles: Depending on how much a request motivates me; it can become a decently long fic, a one shot, or a drabble (or even a multi-part fic). You can also request one shots based on gif imagines I have already done, or if you want your own one shot just send in a idea/plot or prompt(s) with the fandom/character you want. 

Ships: Ships are when you send in information about yourself and I ship you with a character from a tv show or movie that you request. *I typically only do these at follower milestones. 

**I no longer make Gif Imagines

Drabble/Oneshot Prompts (all written by me):

Here you can find a masterlist of all the Prompt Lists for Requests I have made. You will find a variety of Dialogue, Scenario, Sensory, and Headcanon Prompts. These range in genre as well.

A/N: You can send prompts from multiple lists (mix and match); but if you do this I prefer there to be at most 3 prompts in total (Though if motivation does not strike, I may not use one of them)

*You do not have to send in prompts for your requests, these are just options in case you cannot think of a plot. (You can send in a plot and prompts as well)

Scenario Game Prompts: 

You can also request a oneshot/fic from a scenario from any of the Fandom Scenario Games.  Example of a request: ‘From Male Avengers Scenario Game; March 13, C; Steve Rogers takes you dancing because they have a crush on you.’ 

- - -

What I don’t write for:

Pregnancy/children, or child readers. Or reader x child platonic or not (whether real character or o/c)

Age Specific Reader: I generally don’t write-in the specific age of the reader, but I wont write anything with a reader under 18 years old and I wont write anyone under 19 with a character that is in their 20’s.

Religion: I am not religious, and I don’t know enough about pretty much any religion to feel comfortable writing for them, and I would not want to offend any religious people if I were to write something incorrect. I will write for holidays, that may have a religious background, like Christmas (as a lot of non-religious people celebrate them as they are commercialized), but I will not write anything specifically religious in reference too it. 

Some forms of abuse (will do mentions of past abuse/or characters saving reader [never graphic], but will not do reader x character abuse) - this does not include violence, fighting, or “torture” for whump or action fics.

Substance abuse, drugs, addictions, etc. Mentions of drinking alcohol may be used or acceptable but not to a degree of addiction or abuse.

Cheating: Will not write for character x reader cheating. What I can do though is a reader with past cheating boyfriend/girlfriend, or assumed cheating; like a misunderstanding, but not blatant purposeful cheating.

Suicide, depression, self harm, etc. - I used to do fics for/about self-harm, but I no longer accept these requests, I’m sorry. (I might write comfort fics for something similar to depression)

NSFW/SMUT: I used to write it but I don’t enjoy it and I’m not good at it so I don’t write it anymore - I might write suggestive one shots that are leading to sex (I.e touching, flirting, foreplay) but will not do detailed sex scenes. (I may do commission fics in the future)

----

Important Notes:

I write reader inserts; not character x character fics (meaning I wont write stories just for your ships, sorry). I can write platonic relationships, and I can include multiple characters as long as a reader is involved and is the “main” character of the request. 

I mostly write gender neutral stories. The exceptions are if it’s a mood-board/camera roll, an original story, or if the request is too specific to change.

I have every right to reject any request I get. I might reject a request if 1) it doesn’t follow the above rules; 2) the request itself makes me uncomfortable whether or not it follows the rules; and 3) I have no muse or motivation to write said request.

I have tag-lists available for any fandom and/or character I wrote for, you can request to be added to any of them. Here is a link to my taglist form, if you want to fill it out. 

--

*Last updated 04/12/23

[ghost-maya]

Fic Writer Interview

thanks for tagging me @omgchyeahplease !!! nick ily <33 god i missed tag games so much 🥺 (i just got back from a month long on hiatus for future context)

Name: maya :D

Fandoms: on ao3 that’d be vld, tdp, ml, ghibli, and hq. i dont think im going to be writing anymore tdp, but ive been writing for the others (yes, even voltron aslkdfj) so they may or may not pop up again :^)

Where you post: just ao3! i technically have a wattpad..and theres a fic i wrote sitting there from when i was 13...but i dont plan on posting there ever again lol

Most popular one-shot: hits-wise, that’d be Unrequited, a lil piece i wrote because i was frustrated with how the vld writers were handling lance’s relationships lol. kudos-wise, it’s Finding Our Way, a backstory fic i wrote for amaya and gren from tdp for a secret santa. both are from 2018 so id love to see another one of my fics get more attention, but i do still like those two well enough!

Most popular multi-chapter: well..i supposed by default it’d be Sensations...it’s SUPPOSED to be a multichap,,but it still only has one chapter. it says 1/? so im counting it tho lol. maybe one day ill finish it :”D

Fic you were nervous to post: probably Ruins because i originally started it for a bang that i joined..didnt finish it on time..then got inspiration to finish it later and posted it separately :”D. i got MASSIVE guilt over that ohn god

How you choose your titles: i used very chaotically pick lyrics from meme songs exclusively LSDKJF but then i actually started thinking about story themes and through lines and just choose it based on that now lol

Do you outline: god i wish i did LOL maybe id be able to write a multichap for once in my life if i actually had a solid plot to follow. the closest thing to outlining that i do is ramble about my ideas to my friends and then make up shit as i go along 

Do you take prompts: aha well i dont really use my socmeds for writing - but if i ever got followers for my writing maybe i would! i did once for the ml writers guild im in and i actually really enjoyed it

Complete: 16 full fanfictions (tiny oneshots)! posted that is. i have another complete one sitting around because its for a zine that hasnt been shipped out yet.

In Progress: i have one posted in progress multichap as i mentioned, and then...well..hm i mean i could count all the docs in my “current wips” google folder but who am i kidding LOL im only really actively working on like 4 of them rn. im really excited about my haikyuu wips but i wont say anything about them because if i do i might never finish any LOL

tagging @kiroiimye @bringingglory @uh-leesh @deitay @eggscellence @actuallyasweetpotato  @pacifistpinnapple @e-milieeee and any of my other moots if you want to!

[notveryglittery]

all the way home i’ll be warm

summary: 'tis the season for spending time with your loved ones! for some mischievous college kids and their "unfortunate" dads, that happens in more ways than one. ships: romantic roceit, romantic moxiety. siblings logicality, brotherly thvi. familial morolo, familial remceit.  wc: 6.8k / warnings: sympathetic deceit, food mentions, flying mention, two characters locked in a room together. author’s note: participated in @sanderssantas as a pinch hitter and got to write some lovely wishes for @max-is-tired!! it was a lot of fun and not gonna lie, i kinda want to write a moxiety prequel to it now LMAO. anyway, happy belated holidays!!

read on ao3 | @fandersfic-roceit @fandersfic-moxiety​

—  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  — 

“Did your disaster of a dad sweep the librarian off his feet yet?”

Patton sighed and rested his cheek on the palm of his hand. It made his face sort of squished and extra cute. Virgil wished they were having this conversation directly so that he could be the one squishing Patton’s face with his hands. 

“Nope! Vee, I swear, they’re worse than we were.” 

“That’s really saying something,” Virgil said. 

“Do you want to hear something impressive?” 

“Anything you say is impressive.”

Patton giggled. “Oh hush, that doesn’t even make sense.”

Virgil shrugged helplessly. “Nothing in this world does, babe, but you sure help make it easier to deal with.” 

Patton was turning properly red now and Virgil made a mental note to thank Picani again for the suggestions when he’d expressed wanting to buy a new phone. The camera quality on this one made video calling with Patton even better. 

“I said hush!” Patton squeaked. “We’re moving on!” 

Virgil just smiled back innocently. “Well, what impressive thing do you have to share?”

“Logan hasn’t gone a single day without complaining.” 

That was, actually, pretty impressive. 

“Logan? Complaining?”

Patton nodded.

“Never has anything to say about you always mentioning that you’re fifteen minutes older-Logan? Has aced literally every final he’s ever taken without a single whine-Logan? Can sit in traffic for hours and not protest once-Logan?” 

Patton nodded, fervently. “I know!”

“Explain,” Virgil demanded, feeling very much like he’d just been deposited into an alternate universe.

“Well, you know how he had a secret sweetheart for, like, ever and we only found out on accident, right?”

“Right.”

“He says Dad’s being ridiculous for pining for so long! Apparently, in the time it took for Logan and his lover to get their feelings sorted out, Dad had only just got Dev’s phone number.” 

“You’re having fun with alliteration,” Virgil mused, before continuing. “That…” He paused to process. “Pat, they’re not just worse than us, they’re like… the worst in existence.” 

“I don’t know how they do it,” Patton moaned, tilting his head back. 

“At this rate, I’m going to visit over break just so that I can lock them in a closet together.”

“And that’s the only reason for you to visit, hmm?” 

“Of course,” Virgil answered, solemnly, “not like I got my act together and have a handsome boyfriend that I’d like to spend 7 Minutes in Heaven with, or anything.” 

“Virgil!” Patton exclaimed, nearly screeching. 

“Yes?” 

“I’m hanging up on you now,” Patton threatened. 

“You’re impossible to fluster in person. When else am I supposed to snipe you?” 

“I’m confiscating the love gun!” 

“It’s cute how you think that’ll stop me,” Virgil said, delighting in the way Patton was still pouting.

“Good night!” 

And with that, the call ended. 

Virgil laughed, switching to their text thread without missing a beat. 

stormcloud: love you lots. hope your dreams are as happy as you make me. sunshine: i love u too, u bully, good night!!!!!!!! >:(  sunshine: … sunshine: 💜💙💜💙

—  

“Operation Matchmaker is a go!”

“I am making the executive decision to reject that name immediately.” 

“Vetoed.” 

“On what grounds?”

“I was born first.” 

“By fifteen minutes, that hardly counts.” 

“It does, too! It counts fifteen whole times.”

“You realize how little sense that makes, don’t you?”

“It doesn’t have to.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because I’m older!”

“That is not how this works—” 

“What are we debating this time, kids?” Roman interrupted, arriving before a full blown argument could start.

“Dad!” The twins chorused, one far more enthusiastic than the other. Then again, one of them had been complaining for the last two weeks of his father’s oblivious pining. 

“Patton and I were wondering if you wouldn’t mind driving us today, since you haven’t got anything planned?” 

“And just how do you know I’m not busy? I could have many dragons to slay!”

“And princes to swoon over,” Patton mumbled. 

Logan elbowed his sibling in the side. “It would be quite efficient to take just the one car out instead of both. However, we all know how much I dislike driving in the snow, and I don’t trust Patton behind the wheel when I know Virgil could call at any moment.”

“Hey!” 

“Good point.”

“Hey!”

“And if we leave now, we’ll beat rush hour traffic and be home in time before nightfall.”

“Alright, fine, as long as we’re all good with stopping to get takeout for dinner.”

“That is agreeable.”

“Perfect!” 

The trio separated to get their things together. Roman had still been in his pajamas when he happened upon Logan and Patton at the dining table. 

They had seemed suspiciously like they were scheming but given it was nearing Christmas, it was safe to assume they were just figuring out gifts. He’d taken care of presents for everyone last month, including Patton’s aforementioned boyfriend. That one had been fun to plan and if everything else went up in flames (as the holidays were sometimes wont to do), he knew that this, at least, would be well worth the work. 

Figuring the pair only had a few quick errands to run and that all they’d really expect of him was to keep the car running and warm, Roman went with dressing down for the day. He bundled up in crown patterned sweatpants, a maroon turtleneck, and a black beanie. His hair would not see the light of this day, thank you very much. 

“You look comfy!” Patton chirped as they regrouped at the entryway. Their pink pronoun necklace matched the earmuffs and gloves they were wearing; in fact, Patton seemed to have decided on more of a pastel aesthetic than normal today, what with the rest of their outfit in complementary soft shades. 

Logan, on the other hand, had gone with his usual and was covered head to toe in navy and black. “Indeed. Do you intend to join us at all or will you be taking self portraits in the car?” 

“Ha ha,” Roman deadpanned, shooing his kids outside and locking the door as they left the house.

It wasn’t until they were settled and on the road that Roman thought to actually ask what the plans were.

“What’s on the agenda, then? Gifts? Missing ingredients for cookies? Dropping anything off at Goodwill?” He hadn’t missed the fact that they both had bags, and that they seemed rather full. 

“All of the above, actually,” Patton piped up from the backseat. “I wanna donate some of my old plushies and Lo’s got some books he doesn’t need anymore.” 

“Patton is in need of vanilla extract and food coloring. I wonder how we could possibly be out.” 

“If I don’t make red velvet French toast every morning during holiday break, then what's the point of you being home from college?” Roman asked. 

“Quality time spent together, a reprieve from coursework—” 

“There is no point!” Patton interrupted. “It’s the best part about being back!” 

“Patton, there is no ‘being back’ for you seeing as you do not even live in the dorms. Theoretically, you could have red velvet French toast every morning, regardless of the time of year.” 

An offended gasp from his father made sense but to hear it from Patton as well surprised him. 

“Blasphemy!” Patton cried. 

“The disrespect!” Roman exclaimed. 

“That breakfast is tradition, Lo! We’d never have it without you,” Patton promised, clasping Logan’s shoulder and squeezing. 

“Thank you,” he responded, voice dripping with sarcasm, “that truly eases my concerns. I was so worried.” 

With the streets empty as they were, getting to and from locations took no time at all. Sure enough, Roman waited in the car while Patton and Logan stopped in at the grocery store. 

This hadn’t been part of their plan but it was better this way; originally, one would have had to distract him while the other worked. Logan emptied the contents of his backpack, old plastic bags to be recycled, to make room for the pre-ordered bouquet of flowers from the floral department. 

“It’s lovely,” Patton gushed to the seasonal employee. “We’re finally gonna get dad to confess his feelings to Dev. It’s been years in the making, they’re both just so clueless. Not that that’s a bad thing!” They hurried to correct while Logan muttered “It really is,” under his breath.

“I think it’s real sweet what you kids are doin’ for your pa,” Valerie said sincerely. “Roman’s been a blessing since I moved out here. I swear, the number of times he’s sighed wistfully during our Disney movie marathons while thinking about that man… I bet the whole town’s rooting for them.” 

“It’s a miracle the whole town hasn’t lost their collective mind waiting for one of them to make a move.” 

“Logan!” Patton scolded despite looking delighted over their brother being so exasperated that he could hardly be bothered anymore to resist roasting their hopeless father and his crush. 

“Well, keep me up to date, won’t you?” Valerie requested, shoving another handful of ribbon into Logan’s bag. 

“You bet!” 

With the flowers and groceries, not forgotten thanks to Logan, safely secured, they were on to their next stop. Roman denied any teasing of having picked just the right parking spot for prime selfie lighting (not that any of them would have been posted anyway, given his casual look today).  

True to their word, Patton stopped in at the local Goodwill and emptied their backpack of stuffed toys and books. If they stopped by the counter to buy something they’d begged be held for them earlier that week, well… 

“Darlin’, I dunno how y’all are gonna pull this off.” 

“Oh, ye of little faith!” Patton said, running their hands through the purchased scarf to check for any snags or loose threads. “I think I know enough about romance to make it work.” 

The snap of Remy’s bubblegum startled Patton into peering up at him. 

“You’re joking, right?” 

When Patton didn’t answer, Remy reached up and took his sunglasses off. He pointed them right at Patton’s nose, who went slightly cross-eyed trying to focus. “Babes, tell me you’re pullin’ my leg.” 

“I’m not!”

“Oh, bless your heart,” Remy cooed, smiling as he perched the eyewear on top of his head. “Honey, romance could be painted on the broad sign of a barn and you’d still miss it.” 

“Uhm, hello? Virgil?” Patton replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Planned the cutest prom-posal in the history of prom-posals despite his anxiety after you mistook your first three dates as him trying to get to know Logan better through you.” 

“Listen—”

“Yeah? To you yelling at me over the phone about whether or not Virgil kissing you meant he liked you or like-liked you?”

“Remy!” Patton whined.

“I’m just sayin’, sweetie,” Remy relented, “It’s a good thing Logan’s helping.” 

Patton huffed, shoving their receipt into the bag. “You’ll still meet us there? You’re kinda important to this going right.” 

“Only kinda?” Remy rolled his eyes. “I take offense to that. But yeah, I’ll be there.” 

Patton bounced a couple times on their feet, leaning across the counter. Remy couldn’t help grinning as he pressed his lips against their forehead. 

“You’ll grow out of that someday.”

“Never!” Patton crowed, backing up and towards the exit. “See you later!”

Patton returned to the car and startled Roman by opening the driver side door. 

“I’m afraid we might’ve been a bit dishonest with you,” Logan said, only barely managing to cover smug with sheepish.

“Out, daddio! I’m driving us to the last stop and you get to be blindfolded for it!”  Patton exclaimed, bright and mischievous.

“The betrayal,” Roman cried, unbuckling his seat belt. “And so soon before Christmas, too. Whatever are you surprising me with?” 

After some poking and prodding at Patton’s ticklish spots and Patton yanking Roman’s beanie down further over his eyes, they were off. Roman didn’t stop griping the entire way. Logan kept the banter going, texting Remy all the while to make sure everything was going according to plan. 

 —

“I’m here, you’re welcome,” Remy called into the break room very obviously marked Employees Only.

“I’ll only be thankful if you brought lunch,” the pile of blankets on the couch replied, muffled.

“Hot soup, hot cocoa, hot tea.”

“Last one’s literal or figurative?” 

“Guess you won’t know ‘til you shed.” 

“Uuugh.” 

The voice groaned the entire length of shrugging the blankets off until they were all gathered around his waist and over his legs. 

“Ah, there he is! Dearest dad emerges from his cocoon.” 

Devereux glared at his son as Remy crossed the room and set a plastic bag down on the table. 

“All I do for you, just to be relentlessly tormented by your sass.”

“I learned from the best,” Remy said seriously, setting up a series of thermoses and tupperware. 

“Suck-up.” 

The moment Remy was sat beside him, Devereux was ruffling a hand through his hair, tousling the oh-so-meticulously-taken-care-of locks. Remy shouted in outrage, batting his dad’s hand away and scooting to the other end of the couch. 

“All I do for you!”

It took nearly a minute of the two glaring at each other, waiting for one to make the next move. When Devereux’s stomach growled noisily, the stalemate ended. Remy smirked. 

“Truce?” He offered.

“... Truce.” 

They reached for the table at the same time, picking their own containers. Remy grabbed a thermos, no doubt filled with hot coffee. Devereux chose a microwavable bowl and a spoon, cradling it carefully to his chest. Silence followed for awhile longer while Remy texted with one hand and Devereux stared out the window as he ate, scowling slightly when snowflakes started drifting slowly into view. 

“A shame I won’t get home tonight,” he grumbled, glaring into his soup. 

“And why’s that?” Remy asked distractedly.

“The weather. Too cold. If only you’d look up from your phone and—” 

“Okay, boomer.” 

“I hate you.”

“I’m telling mom.” 

“Who’s she? Never heard of her.”

Remy took an extra loud sip from his drink, maintaining direct eye contact with his dad as he did so.

“I’m sending you to boarding school. Far, far away. You’ll live with your grandparents.”

“No, not the Witch and the Critic,” Remy hissed, actually suddenly nervous. 

“They really aren’t that bad,” Devereux said, doing a terrible job of hiding his self-satisfied grin. 

“I had to sneak my caffeine in!” 

“It would’ve canceled out Grandma’s sleeping spells.”

“Stop that!” Remy shrieked at the same moment his phone started ringing. He glanced at the screen and then back up. “You’re lucky I love you even when you’re being this mean to me.” 

Answering the call, Remy set his thermos back on the table and stood up from the couch. “Y’all make it safe?” 

Devereux tuned the conversation out as he put his soup down and worked on getting out of his blanket nest. He cleaned up as Remy chatted, thinking about everything that needed to be done before the day was over. Did the grind ever stop? Not that he’d change anything; Remy was the best thing that happened to him, and while the nightmares had seemed unending at the time, life nowadays was a dream come true in comparison. Sure, there was one unattainable fantasy that would be the cherry on top, but he’d learned not to get his hopes up anymore. 

“Got something to show you,” Remy said and Devereux supposed he could put up with whatever nonsense was to follow since Remy had brought him lunch. 

They headed out into the library, which was relatively empty since school was out for the holidays. That didn’t change the fact that some families simply couldn't handle being cramped in the same house together for long periods of time. Devereux saw all sorts come through for a reprieve from the stress: teenagers with headphones blaring music loud enough that even he could hear it, parents with tense shoulders that appeared worn out no matter the hour, students visiting home that felt out of place after being away, now in need of a break from their discomfort. 

Devereux followed Remy to the private study rooms. These were ideal, usually, for finding some peace and quiet, but he had a feeling some sort of havoc was inevitable. 

“Eyes closed!” Remy exclaimed suddenly, pivoting. He practically resembled the Cheshire cat. 

They had paused in front of room five. The lights were on and the blinds pulled but Devereux could see shadows moving through the slats. 

“Might as well get it over with,” he muttered sarcastically, doing as requested. 

Several things happened in the next moment. 

Remy knocked once on the door and it creaked open. A hand took Devereux’s wrist and yanked him forward, presumably into the room. He collided into something sturdy, though the sound of crinkling plastic sounded less so. Someone erupted into giggles, another muttered “finally,” and then the door slammed shut, and the lock clicked. 

“Oh,” squeaked the voice of whoever it was holding Devereux up from falling backwards. 

(‘Whoever,’ we say, as if Devereux wasn’t achingly familiar with this voice.) 

His eyes flew open and he resisted yelping in alarm. Just so. Roman was stood in front of him, dressed in loungewear, and holding a bouquet of flowers. He was rapidly turning red and he seemed about as confused as Devereux felt. This wouldn’t last long, it never did with the two of them, but it was really just a matter of who would snap out of it first. 

“You look exquisite,” Devereux murmured finally, pulling back from Roman just enough that he could brush a hand along his forearm. “As if you’ve just gotten out of bed and yet… still so effortlessly handsome.” 

“I can only imagine how divine it’d be to lay with you,” Roman responded smoothly, “though there’s not been created a material that could match your warmth.” 

A pause, both realizing what they’d just said. 

“Flowers!” Roman exclaimed suddenly, voice cracking, as he stepped away, and thrust the bundle towards Devereux. 

“Wonderful,” he coughed, holding them gently, and admiring the colors. “Not nearly as lovely as you, of course, though one could search the ends of the Earth and still nothing would compare.”

“Why, Devereux,” Roman purred, “it sounds almost like you’re calling me the prettiest thing on the planet—” 

“Aren’t you?” 

“— when in fact, your beauty outmatches that beyond this world. I’d choose still to gaze into your eyes, reminiscent of sweet honey crystallized, even if offered a glittering sea of endless diamond skies.” 

… Was it getting hot in this room? Roman looked exceedingly pleased with himself and Devereux cursed the competitive, theatrical streak they shared. There would be no moving from this spot if they continued like this… Not that he had a problem with it. Roman truly was a vision: hair tousled (Devereux could only imagine combing his fingers through the tangled locks), cheeks rosy (what he’d give to cause that blush daily), lips curved in satisfaction (oh, how he’d love to kiss that grin right off his face). 

The same moment Devereux glanced upwards, Roman’s gaze flickered down. 

‘Interesting,’ thought Devereux, taking note of the little sprig of green pinned to the ceiling.

Their eyes met again, their smiles melting into something softer, more sincere. 

“Our kids will be the death of us,” Roman muttered with a resigned sigh. 

“Our?” Devereux echoed. “I like the sound of that.” 

“Oh,” Roman managed, breathlessly. 

Keeping the flowers tucked in the elbow of one arm, Devereux reached forward with his free hand and rested his palm flat against Roman’s chest. His heart was racing. They had that in common. 

It was imperceptible, trying to figure out who leaned closer first. The kiss was hesitant to start, years of yearning and pent up passion and fragile feelings. Once the realization hit, that the pining was mutual, that they both wanted this, that they both had been wanting this… 

Well, it was a good thing the window to study room five was shuttered. 

 —

“Vee, it went perfectly!” Patton screamed into the receiver. 

“Uh, yeah, I sure hope it did,” Virgil answered, shifting so that his cellphone stayed firmly between his ear and shoulder, despite Patton’s volume, “given how long they’ve been flirting for.” 

Patton went on, gushing about how he and Logan had successfully tricked their dad into driving them to his own trap; how Remy had been instrumental in bribing Devereux with lunch; how they’d unlocked the room to find the pair slow dancing to music playing on Roman’s phone— “A Thousand Years,” covered by Boyce Avenue, they’d discover later. 

Had Virgil not been so busy with finals, he surely would have heard the story sooner; it had been just under a week since the set-up and, apparently, Roman and Devereux were, somehow, even more sickeningly affectionate than before.

Not that Virgil would have any room to talk in… He glanced at his watch. The nerves over his flight were replaced quickly by the excited anticipation about seeing Patton in three hours. 

“Sweetie?”

“I love you,” Virgil exclaimed suddenly, “just… so much.” 

Patton squealed. “Ahh!! I love you too!!” 

“Good. That’s… I’m glad. Hey, I gotta email a couple of professors. Talk later?” 

“Of course!” 

‘Sooner and closer than you think,’ Virgil mused, smiling at his lock screen photo after the call ended. They’d been going through his closet for spring cleaning and despite the silliness at the time, something about seeing Patton wearing his clothes warmed him all the way to the tips of his fingers and toes. 

Virgil let his mind wander as he headed through security and to his gate, wondering just what he’d do during his two weeks back home. Attending college a state over was miserable to start but he’d been grateful there’d been one still relatively close, at least, with his stupidly specific major. He hadn’t been able to visit during Fall break and so it’d been an agonizing five months since he’d last hugged Patton, last held his hand, last— okay Virgil calm down before the touch starvation rears its ugly head. 

Boarding, thankfully, took no time at all, since it was a smaller flight. The weather stayed mercifully clear and landing went off without a hitch. Grateful that he’d only needed to bring a carry-on and his backpack, he headed passed baggage claim and right for the pick-up zone outside. He was checking his phone to see where Thomas was parked when a body slammed into him from the side. Before he could panic about being attacked or robbed, his brother’s voice was rambling a mile a minute. 

“I literally have so much to tell you, I cannot believe how much has happened since you were here last, and look!” Thomas exclaimed, shoving his phone into Virgil’s face. It was a picture of a kitten he didn’t recognize which meant Thomas had adopted another pet. Virgil gave Thomas a deadpan stare as he rattled off all the reasons he’d definitely needed a new cat. 

He threw an arm over Virgil’s shoulders and led the way to the car, still gesturing excitedly as he went on about everything that had happened in Virgil’s absence. Apparently, Halloween had seen a jack-o’-lantern carving contest that was all for naught when Remy and Patton switched pumpkins, Logan’s boyfriend got a little knife happy with the picnic table, and Devereux realized halfway through his design that it was too humiliating for anyone else to see and had promptly threw the entire thing against a tree. 

“Was it Roman’s face?” Virgil asked, rolling his eyes. 

“Joan swears it was but you know them,” Thomas responded. 

“Agent of chaos,” Virgil agreed. 

Thanksgiving was the same as each year: Roman and the twins, Devereux and Remy, Valerie, Leo, Joan, Talyn, Terrence, Kenny, and Thomas all gathered at the local theatre. Even if any of them did have a house big enough to host a large group, the theatre held so much weight in all of their lives, and felt like the best place to express all the things they were grateful for— namely, each other. They made sure to leave the stage as clean as at the start of dinner, taking care to not leave any stains or scuffs by laying the floor with a plastic tarp. It took a bit of extra work, everyone having to transport their food, but the following games of charades and group improv made it all worth it. 

Virgil swore to himself he’d never miss another one again, college be damned. 

“No offense to Roman but the twins really got him good,” Thomas was saying as he merged onto the freeway. “They left Goodwill and just drove in circles until Remy let them know he’d made it to the library.” 

“The fact that neither of those disaster idiots had even a clue as to what their kids were planning is…” Virgil gestured broadly, as if he could pluck the word out of thin air, “ridiculous.” 

“But not unbelievable!” Thomas added. “I think they get blinded by the gay.” 

“Yeah, you’re one to talk,” Virgil began but Thomas was slamming the button on the console to turn on the radio, drowning out whatever his brother was planning on saying next. 

Virgil just settled into his seat, whistling innocently as Thomas’s face went bright red and Straight No Chaser sang through “The 12 Days of Christmas.”

Making it to the Sanders household took longer than Virgil would have liked but it was three days before Christmas and people were out and about for their last minute shopping. It didn’t help that it had snowed heavily the night before and so traffic was slow moving with everyone driving so carefully. 

Still, they arrived before Patton got home, which was the important part. Roman was standing on the porch, waving excitedly as Thomas pulled into the driveway. Virgil glared at the second parked car, recognizing it as Devereux’s, and prayed that Roman didn’t actually have company over. Patton’s surprise was supposed to be known by as few people as possible and the gossip in this town spread fast. 

“Welcome home!” Roman exclaimed, yanking Virgil into a hug as soon as he was within arm’s reach.

“Yeah, yeah,” Virgil said back, voice muffled as his face was pressed against Roman’s shoulder. “I’m happy to see you too, don’t get me wrong—” 

“I know,” Roman sighed, dramatically, relenting as he let Virgil go and ushered them in from the cold. “I’m not the one you want to be squished by.” 

“Shut up!” Virgil spluttered, swatting at Roman as if that would wipe the amused look off his face. 

“Oh, there he is!” 

Virgil was accosted the next moment. His face was met this time with a leather jacket and all he did in response was groan. Remy eased back but not before gently tugging once on Virgil’s earlobe and then tapping his nose. 

“We are way too old for that,” Virgil complained, scowling. 

It lasted all of three seconds before he caved, kicking out to tap the tip of his shoe against Remy’s ankle. 

“I still stand by that being a stupid handshake,” Devereux said, appearing out of nowhere just as suddenly as his son had. 

“Well good thing it’s not a handshake then, huh?” Virgil replied. However, it went mostly unheard as Roman stole Devereux’s attention at the same time, as if they literally hadn’t just been in the kitchen together three minutes ago. 

“I hate this already,” Virgil said, taking his phone from his pocket, hoping for a text from Logan to distract him. 

Sure enough, the younger of the twins had sent a photo of Patton at the candy store, eyeing a display case filled with fudge. His pronoun necklace stood out against the white of his sweater and matched the violet beanie pulled over his curls… the same one Virgil had left with him the day he had gone off to college. His heart swelled and if he’d been paying any attention, he’d have noticed the picture Remy snuck of him and the absolutely smitten smile on his face. 

Thomas clapped his hands, snapping Virgil out of it. “Okay, I’m gonna drive home. Roe’s gonna follow and then bring us back over here. Doesn’t make any sense for me to be hanging out but, not gonna lie, I think the twins would be sus if Roe wasn’t here.” 

“Hey!” Roman protested. 

“No offense, darling, but he’s not wrong,” Devereux said, smirking. 

At Roman’s put out expression, Devereux pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. 

Remy and Virgil were staring at each other as if they were each other’s cameras on The Office. 

“We got the decorations out earlier,” Remy said, pointing towards the living room. 

“Oh thank God, please get me away from them before I get cavities.” 

The two ducked out of the entryway where they’d all been gathered since Thomas and Virgil’s arrival. For the most part, the house had already been dressed up for Christmas. The tree was lit, the stockings were hung, and there was one final box left to be unpacked. It’d been left on the coffee table, waiting to be opened and taken care of. 

“I forget how sappy you look when you’re thinking about Patton.”

Virgil only gave Remy a rather rude hand gesture in return before lifting the lid off the container. Inside were the ornaments he and Patton had made together over the years. It was a tradition they’d had since before they began dating. Some of them were simple, made out of foam or cardboard and drawn on in marker or glitter glue pens; others were glass or ceramics and decorated with paint or sequins. The one thing they all had in common, though, was the indigo ribbon used to hang the baubles. It was the perfect mix of their favorite colors and needed to be special ordered anytime they ran out. Each one had the year written on it wherever there was space for it. Virgil loved them. Patton loved them so much that he refused to hang any of them without Virgil there to do so with him. 

According to Roman, who Virgil really had to thank for making this trip possible, Patton hadn’t even considered touching the box housing the ornaments, since there hadn’t been any guarantee of Virgil making it home for Christmas. Now, though… 

“Seriously, Virge, if I didn’t already doubt your dark and edgy exterior, I would be right about now.”

“Shut up, Rem,” Virgil said, laughing. 

For awhile longer, the pair just caught up on the last half year. Eventually, Devereux and Thomas returned. Apparently, Patton had gotten chilly and sad (not that he’d admit to that last part but there was no hiding it from his twin), so he and Logan were heading home early. That was all fine and good; they mostly had just needed to get Patton out of the house long enough for Virgil to get home and to bring out the special ornaments. 

While Virgil wanted to disagree with Thomas, Remy, and Devereux being there, he couldn’t be mad about having them around to keep him distracted… as long as they were gone before Patton arrived. With Remy sticking around… Virgil doubted it would happen, and he wouldn’t actually be mad if it did, but he was very good at hogging Patton’s attention. Which was hardly fair! 

Remy got all the attention he could ever ask for already; admittedly, he and Patton had grown up together, were best friends throughout school, not to mention still living near each other and getting to see each other every day and okay sure, without Remy’s guidance, he was pretty sure that even now, Patton wouldn’t believe that Virgil loved him because no offense, but he could propose and Patton would still ask “as like… friends?” 

… Alright, so maybe Virgil couldn’t get mad, pretend or not, at Remy being greedy with Patton’s company. That still didn’t make it fair. 

The following thirty minutes were agonizing. Sure, this wasn’t going to be nearly as extra and it wasn’t like Virgil wanted to outdo Roman and Devereux’s confession but also if he could outdo the drama gays (a term coined by the majority of the town, which was really saying something), then he’d have it to hold over Roman’s head for the rest of time, and that sounded pretty cool. In his humble opinion, jumping out and surprising your loved one was way more romantic than being locked in a room with them and hoping everything would go well. Was he sure yet when he’d be jumping out and surprising Patton? Nope! He kind of figured it’d just be something he knew. 

“They’re here!” Thomas exclaimed, nearly dropping his phone at the suddenness of receiving the text. 

“Get out,” Virgil snapped immediately and unthinkingly at Remy and Devereux. 

“Kinda late for that, doll,” Remy said, at least looking a little sorry about it. 

“We’ll hide out in the crafts room,” Devereux offered, already pulling Remy down the hallway. Virgil pointedly ignored the kiss he blew in Roman’s direction. He very pointedly ignored Roman catching it.

“You know they’ll see Roe’s car, right?” Thomas prompted, grinning.

“I’m glad you’ve already thought up a reason for them to be here then,” Virgil responded, shooting finger guns at his brother, who started stammering reminders that he was terrible with excuses. Never mind that he was an actor and should have been able to improvise something. 

“I’ll handle it,” Roman cut in, patting Thomas on the head, which looked a little ridiculous since they were the same height. “Better get hiding, Virgil.” 

He didn’t need to be told twice. Virgil hurried to the kitchen where he proceeded to shove into the storage closet, which had been cleared out just enough for him to cram his scrawny self into. It smelled like various spices which reminded him of last year and baking cinnamon cookies with Patton. He wondered what they’d make this time. 

The sound was muffled but the front door opened and shut and… God, how was he supposed to wait long enough to properly surprise his boyfriend? Just hearing Patton’s voice made Virgil want to throw himself into his arms, to kiss him senseless, to hold onto him and never let go. He steadied his breathing by focusing instead on the various scents surrounding him, only half listening to whatever Roman was saying to the twins. The noises got louder as they moved towards the kitchen, probably for Logan and Patton to put away the desserts they’d gone shopping for. 

“Thanks for agreeing to help decorate, even if it is just a— a possibility,” Thomas expressed, voice cracking on the last word. Ugh, he really never had learned how to lie.

“The odds of Virgil actually being able to visit are quite low, Patton,” Logan was saying, “I just don’t want your hopes to get up too high.” Wow. Were they even trying to be subtle? 

“I know that!” Patton exclaimed and Virgil was sure he was flapping his hands. “Imagine if he could, though! What if he showed up on Christmas Eve, oh, that would be so magical!” 

This certainly wasn’t as magical as it could have been but Virgil was sure he’d explode if he waited a second longer. So as soon as it started to sound like the trio was heading back out, Virgil nudged the door open with his foot. It creaked and he winced. No doubt having peaked Patton’s curiosity, Virgil threw the door open the rest of the way, and practically launched himself at his boyfriend’s back.

Patton, for good reason, screamed.

The arms locked around his neck now, however, allowed him to see the hands clasped over his chest. Purple nail polish. A black ring on the middle finger of the right hand. An old friendship bracelet hanging loosely from the wrist. 

Patton screamed again. 

“Virgil!” 

If asked, neither could guess how long they stayed embraced for. Patton was laughing breathlessly into Virgil’s shoulder, muttering his name over and over, sprinkling in the occasional “I love you.” Virgil couldn’t have stopped combing his hand through Patton’s hair even if he wanted to. 

Eventually, they would separate, but only just enough so that Patton could pepper kisses all over Virgil’s face. There might have even been a couple minutes of just gazing at each other, soaking up the mere presence and warmth of the one they loved so dearly.  

Of course, they weren’t really alone which meant the reunion had to end at some point. The house was still full of nosy siblings and parents, after all. So, when Remy came crashing into the kitchen, shouting about how bored he was, neither Virgil nor Patton were all that surprised. He stole Patton away, claiming they had to do something really quick and insisting that Virgil catch up with Logan in the meantime.

“Hey, L,” Virgil said, greeting Logan with a signature two finger salute.

“Nice to see you again, Virgil. How was your semester?” 

They chatted about college, and their respective majors, and any hall mates from hell. Without really realizing it, they got into making a large batch of hot chocolate for everyone while they talked. Each mug was picked especially for its recipient, as well as the various ingredients added to each one. Virgil dropped a peppermint stick into his, added extra marshmallows to Patton’s, and a generous spoonful of caramel sauce for Thomas. 

With Roman’s help, all the drinks were brought out safely to the living room. Devereux seemed to have dozed off in the recliner closest to the fireplace. Thomas was nowhere to be found, so Virgil assumed he’d been roped into whatever nonsense Remy and Patton were up to. 

“So,” Virgil started, settling into the corner of the couch. “Did I outdo the drama gays?”

“Absolutely not,” Roman responded vehemently. 

“Virgil!” Patton shouted suddenly, appearing from the hallway, carrying a bag. “Honey, oh my god.”

Patton shot an apologetic look towards Devereux, who was stirring from his nap, as he hurried towards Virgil. He threw himself onto the couch next to his boyfriend and abandoned the package in favor of grabbing onto Virgil’s arm.

“Earlier, you…” He paused, giggling. “You came out of the pantry.” 

Logan groaned. 

Virgil blinked, slightly bewildered, before he started laughing, too. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess I did.” 

“I have something for you,” Patton continued, retrieving the present. He shoved it into Virgil’s lap.

“Christmas isn’t for another three days?” 

“Yes, and?” 

Thomas, who had just arrived with Remy, snorted. “As if you’ve ever had the patience to wait until the actual day to start opening your gifts.” 

While Virgil pestered Patton about not needing to get him anything, really, Remy and Thomas fought over the last armchair, and eventually just ended up tangled together on it. Logan rolled his eyes at their stubbornness. 

After some insisting from Patton, Virgil pulled out all of the colored tissue paper. Patton proceeded to ball it up and throw it at Remy, whose complaining got progressively louder, until his dad finally tossed a pillow at him with a grumbled “please shut up.” Roman settled on the arm of Devereux’s recliner with the most adoring look in his eyes and carded a hand through his hair, whispering sweetly to him.

“Oh,” Virgil gasped, momentarily losing himself in sensory bliss at the material he’d just got his hands on. 

Patton wiggled, patting Virgil’s knees excitedly. It was the very same scarf he’d bought from Remy barely a week ago. It was black which meant it’d go with anything in Virgil’s wardrobe or with whatever outfit Patton decided to wear should he steal borrow it from him. 

“Try it!” Patton said, moving the rest of the wrapping out of the way.

Looping it around his neck provided Virgil the realization that it was of an infinity scarf, which meant all sorts of different ways to wear it. Would he still just bundle it up to hide his face in it as much as possible? Probably. 

“It’s so soft,” Virgil murmured, rubbing the fabric against his cheek.

“Cashmere,” Remy piped up. “You’re welcome.” 

Patton leaned in, waiting with bright, hopeful eyes. “Do you like it?”

“Like it?” Virgil huffed, failing spectacularly at downplaying his delight. “I love it. Thank you.” 

If a person could embody !!!, then Patton would be doing a very good job of it. He surged forward, catching Virgil by surprise with the intensity of the kiss. One hand cradled his face while the other clutched at the scarf, using it to pull him closer. Smiling against Patton’s lips, Virgil couldn’t help but think that this was very much something he’d like to have for the rest of his life.

Later, they would hang up their personal ornaments. Tomorrow, they would work on making new ones. The holidays would only continue to get more magical as the years passed, he was sure of it, and honestly? He was really looking forward to it. 

[themysticorder]

The Child of the Dark Crystal Chapter 8 “Saviour”

DISCLAIMER

I do not own the Dark Crystal or Winx Club and its Characters, all rights go to their rightful owners. I do however own Mara and her story.

Rated E for Graphic Depictions of Violence and Rape/non-con (E Chapters will be announced and only posted on Ao3)

Chapter 8 “Saviour”

The shadow slowly approached the woman laying on the floor, her body trembled in shock, and she could not prevent the uncontrolled sobs from escaping her lips. She breathed heavily through her nose as the figure knelt beside her, the sound of his steady breathing reaching her ears as he bent over her. Mara closed her eyes, pressing the eyelids together tightly in fear of another assault on her exposed body. But none of it happened, instead she was surprised by a sudden feeling of relief as the shackles around her wrists and ankles where ripped open and fell to the ground with a loud rattling sound that made her wince. Now that her extremities were freed, she curled up into a ball and wrapped her arms around her upper body to cover her exposed chest.

The rustling sound of fabric reached her ears and shortly after she felt how something warm was wrapped around her body. Next thing she knew were the pair of strong arms that were wrapped around her body and lifted her into the air, carrying her out of the dark room that she never wished to set a foot in again after this day. Mara could not see the face of the being that carried her through the hallways of the castle, as they were drowned in darkness. Whether he was her Saviour, or just another cruel soul that wanted to take advantage of her weakened state, she couldn’t tell. But no matter the case, she was to weak to fight, her legs felt like Jello and her ind was still in a state of shock.

She was carried through the hallways for quite some time, none of the corridors that they crossed seemed familiar to her. She had never been this deep beneath the Castle and the further her rescuer, or whatever he was. Walked, the colder and darker it seemed to get. Eventually he stopped, in front of them a huge wooden double door engraved with strange symbols that she had never seen before. With a creaking sound it swung open, revealing a dimly lit room. He stepped inside and walked towards a divan chair, which was lined with fabric of a crimson color, and gently placed her down onto the seat. Mara immediately grabbed the blanket that was wrapped around her body and pulled it up under her chin , only her head remaining visible. Her gaze slowly wandered over towards the figure, that walked towards a small alcove on the other side of the room. It was lined with large wooden shelves that kept glass bottles of different shapes and sizes that where filled with strange looking liquids. Another Shelve was filled with glass jars that stored all kinds of dried herbs, plants and mushrooms. A stone hearth stood in between the shelves, a fire crackling inside of it, heating up the iron pot that hung above it.

She observed him as he grabbed a few of the jars from the shelves and placed them on a small counter that stood in the center of the alcove. His claws reached inside the containers, pulling out a few of the dried ingredients before he placed them inside of a small bag of thin fabric, that he tied up with a piece of twine. With the help of the wooden ladle he poured some of the boiling water from the kettle inside of a small wooden cup and placed the bag of herbs inside of it.

“Who are you?” realizing to late, that she had actually spoken the words out loud, she covered her mouth with her hands, her fingers still clinging to the blanket, pulling it over her mouth. Her eyes went wide with fear as he approacher her again, his long robe dragging over the floor behind him, the steaming cup of Tea sitting between his claws.

He was one of them, a Skeksis, which she could tell by the long snout protruding from his face, but he looked so much different than the others of his Kin. He was tall, taller then all of the other Skeksis in the Castle and his body wasn’t bony or lanky like theirs. He had broad shoulders and his chest was muscular as she could see through the fabric of his robes that where clinging tightly to his torso. His clothes mostly consisted of white and blue shades with golden accents, which where quite unusual colors for a Skeks. His face too wasn’t as bony, his facial features smoother, making him look less morose and agonizing, almost benevolent. A full set of grayish-silver hair decorated his head, and was tied together in a loose braid, that ran down his back. But it where his bright turquoise eyes that caught her attention the most, they reminded her of the waters of the silver sea or the sky on a warm summer day. He was the most beautiful Skeksis she had ever seen.

He came to a halt in front of the divan, his claws reaching out to her, which made her wince and push herself against the Sofa, trying to get away from him. “Please don’t hurt me.” These words made him stop, slowly pulling back his arm “I wont” he assured her, his voice deep, melodic almost, not as raspy and shrill like those from the others of his kin. He placed the cup of tea on a small table next to the divan, knowing very well that she carefully observed each of his steps. “You should drink this, it will help you calm your nerves.”

“Who are you?” she asked the Skeks again, who was again wandering towards the alcove. Her voice was shaky and barely above a whisper, but it was loud enough to reach his ears.

He lightly turned his head in her direction “The ones I used to call my brethren gave me the name SkekVazur, the Alchemist, but I prefer to just be called Vazur now”

She swallowed hard before forming her next question “What are you doing with me now?”

Upon hearing the fear in her voice he turned towards her completely, his face showing no trace of evil or mischief “Nothing, I just wanted to bring you to a place where they will not find you, you are safe here, but you are free to leave, if that is your wish.”

Her gaze wandered over to the wooden door, what would happen if she left the room? A wave of different emotions ran through her mind, each connected to the many thoughts that did not allow her to calm down. SkekUng wouldn't stay unconscious forever. Maybe he would start searching for her, try to finish what he had started in the cold dusty chamber. Maybe he would kill her so the others would never hear of his assault on her. She wasn’t safe in the Castle anymore, not with SkekUng as the Emperor. But would she be save anywhere else? What would SkekEkt do if she would never return to her? She hadn’t seen her foster mother a lot after she had moved to the lower chambers of the Castle, but she had still visited her as often as her duties allowed her to, gifting some new gowns and Jewelry to Mara. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in, one of her arms came crawling out from underneath the blanket and grabbed the cup of tea that still sat on the wooden table. She brought it to her nose and immediately her nostrils were filled with the lovely floral scent of the concoction. Her lips closed around the rim of the cup, leaving a wide enough gab for her to let the liquid flood her mouth and play around with her taste buds. Valerian Root, Honeymoss and Hogweed, all these Aromas mixed together into a symphony of flavors.

She immediately felt the soothing effect of the brew, her thoughts calmed down and her body stopped shacking. When she opened her eyes, Vazur stood in front of her, a folded piece of clothing in his hand “Here, you can put these on” he said and turned around, giving her some privacy while she dressed in the robes, that were way to big for her, but they would have to do for now. “I have never seen you in the Castle before, why are you not with the others Skeksis?”

His brows furrowed slightly “I….left them a long time ago, I do not exactly feel of them as my brethren anymore?”

She draped the robes over her body and sat down on the chair again, taking another sip of the tea “I can tell that you are not like them, there is something different about you, who are you”

“I told you already, my name Is Vazur.”

A weak smile formed on her lips “You told me your name, but that still does not tell me who you are, please, I only want to know who my Saviour is.”

A soft sigh escaped his lips before he turned around and sat on the far end of the Divan “Do you now the story about the Urskeks and the Great Division?

She nodded in response, SkekEkt had told her everything about it, The UrSkeks were beings that had been banished from their home planet and came to Thra, they sought to purify themselves to get back to their Home world through the Crystal during the second great conjunction. But instead of being sent home, each of the fallen UrSkeks were inadvertently divided into two separate beings, the Evil and violent Skeksis, and the gentle and contemplative UrRu. They were however still connected to one another, if one part of them died, the other would do so as well.

“Good” he said and continued to explain “I was there too, during the Great division, but something went wrong, the personalities of me and my UrRu self got exchanged, UrJellak got the evil and destructive soul that was originally intended for me, while his was planted inside my body. The others living in the Castle soon realized that I was different, where they sought immortality and power, I searched for answers, answers that would allow us to return to our former selves. But they would not listen to me, their greed turned them into incorrigible beings, lead by the fear of death. And even though they keep the Crystal of truth as their slave, it is them that have become slaves to the Crystal.”

As he continued to tell her the story she realized how few she actually new about the Skeksis, there were a lot of things she didn’t new about them and their plans for Thra. But then it did not really surprise her, as she was never allowed to leave the Castle. All that she knew about the outside world she had heard from the stories SkekEkt had told her when she had been a child but she had never seen it herself. They had always told her that they were trying to rule over it to bring back order and justice but their real intentions were to drain the Essence of the Gelflings to turn themselves immortal and now there were only two Gelflings left, fighting for existence. She didn't know how to feel about all these newly achieved information, it was to much to process for one day, especially after what happened earlier. But sadly the bad news wouldn’t stop there.

“What happened then? Why are you down here?” Mara asked.

“They first started their unethical experiments on me, trying to exchange the soul of me and my UrRu self but things didn’t go as planned so they banished me into the lower floors of the Castle to prevent me from disturbing their experiments and crossing their plans. That's when I realized that hope for them is lost, they wont turn from their plans, even if it means to banish the ones of their own kind.”

Mara sighed, her heart felt Heavy and her soul crushed “I cant imagine they are this cruel, they experimented on me as well, but it was just to save my life, I would be dead if it wasn’t for them, well some of them.”

A small chuckle escaped Vazur’s snout “Do you really think they tried to keep you alive because they care for you? They saved you so that your powers could serve them in the future, you are nothing but a tool to them, a tool that they used to hunt down the Gelflings and bring the Garthim to life, it is the Darkening that has destroyed a lot of Thra, and will still continue to do so as long as the Skeksis keep misusing the Crystal.”

Was that true, this they really use her own powers without her consent? Did SkekEkt knew about this? Had she lied to her all these years? No this couldn't be, it couldn't it just…

“Do you want to see it?”

His deep voice ripped her from her thoughts “What?”

“Do you wish to see the outside, see for yourself what the Darkening has caused?” for a moment she thought he had ost his patience with her, bot he stayed calm and collected, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes”