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penny00dreadful · 4 months ago

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STWG Prompt: Falling Star💫

Continuation from this post

Steve felt discomfort squirming in his belly.

Though he no longer had the star–Eddie, he reminded himself–chained to him like a mule or a dog, he still felt like there was a power dynamic, a weight of responsibility sitting on him.

Eddie trudged along behind him through the woods, looking downright miserable, exhausted and covered in dirt and debris from where he had landed in the forest and the crater his body had created.

He was faintly glowing in the light of dawn, but it was much dimmer than it had been in the dark of the night, like his brightness was waning.

Steve tried to think of how he would feel, dropping into a strange foreign world with the hope of finding love, only to be chained up by some guy from Hawkins of all places and told he was to be taken back as a… as a prize for who Steve hoped would become his finacé.

It wasn’t the best feeling in the world.

Glancing back over his shoulder at Eddie’s tangled dark curls, ripped and muddy silvery cloak and robes, his pale skin spattered with a dark contrast of dirt, almost as stark as the tattoos adorning his arms and the dark bags under his eyes, he made a decision.

“We’re going to take a detour.” He announced as Eddie stumbled over another root in the ground.

“Why? The sooner I go meet your Nancy, the sooner I can start on my own journey. I’d prefer if we got it over with.”

“You’re exhausted—”

“Well it’s past my bedtime already—” Eddie snarked back, waving at the rising sun.

“And you’re filthy.”

“You’re not looking so hot yourself, sunshine.”

Steve looked down at himself, also covered in mud and scratches from where he’d had to crawl through brambles and hedges just to get to Eddie’s crater site.

“Exactly so… so we’re gonna head to the nearest town. It’s not that far from here, I think. We can wash this dirt off and we can get you some new clothes and a nap or something.”

Eddie frowned at him.

“Why do I need new clothes? We can just get these washed. That’s something you do down here, right?”

Steve blinked at him.

“Yes. We wash our clothes but…”

Well… it was now or never. Time to voice the other worry that he had sitting in the back of his head.

“I highly doubt I’m the only one out here looking for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s… you…” He shook his head, not able to think of a way to make this sound not terrible. “Stars are valuable. You’re valuable. There’ll be some people like me, who will probably be looking for a big lump of rock, but I suspect in a land like this one, there’ll be plenty who know exactly what they’re looking for. Someone like…” Steve gestured over all of Eddie.

“If they’re looking for a star, I doubt they’ll be looking for someone like me, Steve.”

Eddie crossed his arms, leaning against a tree, his whole body drooping with some kind of bone deep exhaustion that wasn’t just coming from the daylight.

“They’ll be looking for someone pretty and perfect and bright. Shiny hair and unmarked skin and someone who isn’t so fucking weird.”

But you are pretty and perfect and bright, something in Steve’s head said and okay maybe that was a little too far for right now.

He’d only met the guy a few hours ago and he still had… Nancy was waiting for him.

“Your clothes are very star-like?” Steve hedged, unsure of what else to say.

“Only because I didn’t really have a choice in the matter.” Eddie mumbled back.

“Okay, well… then I’ll get you something that feels more… you.”

Steve was forced to swallow as those dark and intense eyes looked up at him from their slumped position. Almost being pulled in by gravity.

“Why?” Eddie asked again.

Because I want you to be happy. I want you to be comfortable. I want to see what you look like when you feel more like yourself.

Steve only shrugged.

“And your Nancy isn’t going to mind the delay?”

“She’s not my Nancy.” Steve huffed. “Not yet anyway.”

Maybe not ever, if the hesitation on her face had been anything to go by, when he’d proclaimed he’d go and bring her back the star for her hand in marriage.

Eddie sighed and it seemed to take a lot of effort for him to push himself back to standing again.

“Fine. Whatever.”

Sneaking Eddie into a village and then into a room at the inn was much easier than Steve had anticipated.

He’d heard whispers of the villagers about the fallen star but Eddie was correct in assuming people wouldn’t glance at someone who looked like him.

It also helped that his brightness was nonexistent under the midday sun.

So while Eddie bathed and slept off his exhaustion in their room, the only room available at the inn, one bed between them–what were the chances– Steve ventured back out to the local market to get him something to wear that was less star-like.

Steve had noticed Eddie’s eyes catching on the shiny jewellery and dark leathers as they had passed, so he took a risk and picked a few of those pieces up for him, feeling a little fluttery about it.

Like he was buying gifts for courting or something, which was a ridiculous idea.

He couldn’t court a star.

But when he got back to the room, arms laden down with whatever he could carry, he was forced to reevaluate when Eddie was just lying there, face relaxed in sleep, beautiful and placid, breathing slowly and easily, clean and combed and glowing.

And probably naked as all hell under those sheets. They only came up to his hips and Steve had to tear his eyes away from the lean muscle and sharp bones sitting under delicate pale flesh marked through with a shock of black tattoos.

How anyone could think he wasn’t pretty and perfect and bright was beyond him.

Steve set the clothes and jewellery down on the desk and snuck his way around the bed, to the window with the heavy curtains drawn closed.

The room should have been dark, but Eddie was giving off enough light on his own for Steve to easily find his way around.

He managed to sneak behind the curtains, sitting himself down on the little cushioned alcove seat beyond, and curled himself up into a little ball.

He stared out the window to the small village below and tried to remind himself of why he was here in the first place.

Eddie was ignoring him.

Eddie had been ignoring him for the entire day.

Steve didn’t know what he’d done wrong. Everything had been going great. They’d been talking about… well, nothing really.

It was one of the things he really liked about Eddie. That they could talk about anything for hours and every time they did, Steve inevitably kinda forgot what he was doing here.

He was supposed to be bringing Eddie back to meet Nancy. The girl he hoped to… to marry.

And… and then he was going to help Eddie find love.

And that was… that was fine.

That had always been the plan.

And okay, maybe he had mentioned that he wasn’t totally sure about the Nancy of it all anymore, so that might have been it?

Maybe Eddie thought Steve was going to back out on his side of the deal now.

But he didn’t know because Eddie wouldn’t even look at him.

Whenever Steve tried to strike up a conversation, Eddie just hummed, turning his head away and staring ahead of them and Steve could practically hear him begging him to stop talking.

So Steve did.

But he couldn’t anymore.

“Did I do something?” He asked, hands shoved in his pockets as he looked out over the green fields and mountains, over the landscape while they walked the road leading them back to Hawkins.

Eddie didn’t open his mouth to answer, just made a questioning noise at him, still kicking rocks down the road. Still not looking at him.

Steve sighed and stopped. Waited for Eddie to stop too, which he did. He turned and looked with a furrow in his brow, silently asking why they had stopped moving.

“Did I do something wrong?” Steve asked again. “If I said something to piss you off, I’m sorry for whatever it was but… can you just tell me so I don’t do it again?”

“No. It’s not-” Eddie shook his head, turning his back again. “It’s not you, you didn’t do anything.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Steve took a few steps forward.

“There’s no problem, Steve.”

Not Stevie. Or sunshine. Or sweetheart. Just Steve.

“Clearly something is wrong, Eds, you’re not even glowing anymore. Just tell me so I can fix it-”

“It’s nothing you can fix.” Eddie snapped back, so suddenly loud and angry, Steve was struck dumb.

He reached forward, catching Eddie’s wrist up in his hand. Eddie didn’t try to pull away, but instead froze, face turned away and whole body tense.

“Eds, please.” Steve brought them face to face, a hand on his cheek.

Eddie looked somehow both angry and heartbroken at the same time.

“I can’t drag you down with me.” He muttered.

Steve could only shake his head in bewilderment.

“What?”

“I can’t drag you down with me, Stevie. We just need to get you back to Nancy and everything will be fine.”

“But… but I don’t even know if that’s what I want anymore.” He let go of Eddie’s wrist, brushing his fingers along Eddie’s, trying to take his hand. “I think… I thought… maybe—”

Eddie ripped his hand away.

“I’m a fallen star, Steve!” He shouted, his face crumpling. “I’m not just a star, I’m a fallen star. I can’t take you back to the skies with me, I can’t give you everlasting life, or magic or wealth or whatever else you humans might want me for. I can’t give you anything like that!”

“Eddie- what? I don’t care about any of that-!”

“It’s fine.” Eddie shook his head and started to stomp his way back up the road. “We’ll get you back to Nancy and you don’t even have to worry about helping me out on my side of things, I can… I’ve got it covered. We’ll get you back to Nancy and everything will be fine.”

“Wait- Wait!” Steve shouted after him, jogging to keep up and planting himself in Eddie’s path again. “I don’t want any of that stuff from you. I just want… I don’t want Nancy anymore. I want you.”

“Sweetheart-”

“Eddie. You know what my life has been like. Let me make this decision for myself. I don’t care that you’re fallen. I don’t care that you can’t give me all of that. Why would I want an everlasting life when I could grow old with you?”

“You would want that… with me?”

“Eddie.” Steve almost whispered, their faces so close together, Eddie’s big wet eyes staring at him, the faintest glow of hope coming off of his skin. “I want everything with you.”

Eddie closed his eyes with a little laugh, letting his head tilt forward until their foreheads were pressed together.

“God damn it, Stevie.”

Eddie pressed his face in that little bit closer, finally sealing their lips together.

#steddie #stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #steve x eddie #eddie x steve #stwgdailyprompt #dailydrabble #stardust au

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darkened-writer · 1 year ago

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imagine | Star

This is based on a TikTok by @ / hamrikaa , their art piece is so stunning and I hope I can capture the sadness and beauty of it. This imagine was also made with Mitski's 'Star' in mind, so please enjoy.

PAIRING || Astarion x Tav (reader)

WORD COUNT || 881

PART TWO

Old and withered bones, the smell of old wood, and the quiet of night as red eyes were trained on the sleeping body of Tav.

Who knew that seventy-two years could pass so quickly?

As each day passed, their body aged and aged, while he stayed still so young and bright.

Like a star.

But, the years spent together were never, ever in vain, as marriage happened, nights wrapped up in eachothers arms, gentle caresses and whispered nothings. Reassurances and soft kisses on every exposed part of skin.

He never knew how much he need to be touched in a soft manner.

He never knew how much he needed to be held.

If anyone were to tell him back before their journey that he’d find someone to live for, he would’ve laughed in their face.

Their chest rose, up and down, up and down, hoarse and shallow. Tav knew it, He knew it too, it wasn’t long before they’d pass on. It was creeping up on the two of them like a deadly darkness.

The darkness was something that he was used to, but gods, did he want to stay in the sun for as long as possible with Tav.

“My Sweet, wake up…”

Their eyes opened slowly, the muscles frail and feeble, their gaze shaky.

“Would you come with me? Just on the balcony, My Dear.”

“Isn’t it almost sunrise…?”

There was a knowing look shared, Tav’s head shaking, the most movement he’d seen from them as of late.

“No… No…”

They’re lifted up into his arms and carried promptly despite the barely strong pushing against his chest, but they give up, just leaning their head into the crook on his neck until the cool night air hits their skin, eliciting chills. The sky was subtly lighting up, so slow, and yet the pit in Tav’s stomach was heavy.

Astarion couldn’t live without them.

So, he’d go with them.

He sets them down next to him, wrapping an arm around their shoulders, pulling them in as his eyes stay focused on the colors that have started to paint the skies.

Red, Purple, Orange.

“Ideally, even when I was just a spawn, sometimes I thought about walking into the sun to end my suffering. Dissipating into the air, alone, hopeless, missing my old life.”

A beat of silence.

“But…” He looks down at Tav’s resting head, a adoring look in his apple red eyes.

“I was taught, by someone, who was my favorite little travelling companion that… life was worth living for. And, I found myself living for them. Without them, I could never… would never.. Make it another day.”

His voice wavers into the crisp morning air, the dew upon the grass and leaves of trees sending an earthy smell into the atmosphere.

“So, I cherished every single hour, minute, second, and fleeting moment with them because I knew that the day that they were set to die, I’d have no choice but to go with them.”

“Astari–”

“Shh… let me finish, Darling.”

They let him continue.

“I’d move mountains for you to live for another century, to live for ions with me, hand in hand, watching others pass, get old, live their own lives while we continue our together but… our story– our story has come to a close, My Dear.”

His hand shifts to hold Tav’s.

“As I see it, we are a star that has burnt out. We’re tired, aren’t we?”

Tav erupts into a coughing fit, in which Astarion holds them close until they calm down.

The sun begins to rise, slowly, the beams hitting the grass as it slowly moves to cover the entirety of everything, all at once.

“I think we lived well, all things considered.”

He looks down at them, listening to them speak.

“That knife to my neck was quite the impression. And the seduction. But, I knew that all you needed was compassion.”

“You were always a wicked little thing, but your kindness knew no bounds.”

His skin began to flake, a gasp rising from his throat as he held on for dear life, cold hands grasping his lover.

“I never knew love until I met you, and I hope if there is another life after this, we may reunite and continue where we left off, My Treasure.”

A tear fell down his pale cheek, heat radiating from him as he begins to fade into the ether. His head leans down to connect with Tav’s, eyes open, looking into theirs as the last thing he wanted to see before he truly disappears, is the first thing he noticed about Tav. Their eyes.

“See you soon?”

“See you soon.”

The red is gone and now replaced by the view of an empty chair, Tav now sat alone as the sunrise graced their wrinkled skin, but nothing could ever replace the warmth of Astarion. Nothing.

A week later, Tav’s body was discovered curled up on Astarion’s side of their shared bed, a small smile gracing their face, as if satisfied with their life, all the ups and downs, battles won and lost, blood shed and wounds patched up. All of it cultivated to a love that would transcend past their last breath.

Even a dead star can be made anew.

In another life.

#baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #astarion x reader #astarion #astarion x tav #astarion x mc #astarion x you #baldurs gate astarion #self indulgent angst #xreader #fanfiction

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fr3sh-tragedies · 10 months ago

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Hurt What's Mine

[Shadow of the Tomb Raider] Lara Croft x Female Reader

Word Count: 8.05k

Proofread: No

Content Warnings: Language, mentions of blood, heavy descriptions of gore and death, hospitalization, brief mention of medication

Categories:

Angst Fluff Mix

One-Shot Preference Headcanon

[A/N]: Thank you for 170+ followers! I've got a couple of people who have requested things through my inbox, and I'm hoping I'll be able to answer them soon! I will be open to requests soon, but there are a few more characters I want to write for ahead of time so it's easier to get an idea of what fandoms I'm open to. If you sent in a request, thank you! Once I've posted for a bit longer, I'll upload the masterlist I've made as well as the rules for requesting, then I'll answer requests!

[A/N] #2: If you do have a request that you'd like me to write in the future, please let me know! I'll get to it eventually, things are just hectic right now. Thank you for reading!

Enjoy!

Amongst the loud snapping of twigs combined with the rustling of the leaves overhead, softened chatter could be heard throughout the entrance to the forest. The sky, which had been painted warm shades of red and orange mere moments before, had grown murky with hues of purple and black. Small stars illuminated the sky as it grew darker, bright pools of light poking through the inky atmosphere to aid the moon in flooding the landscape with a soft glow. In accompaniment with the darkness seemingly swallowing up the woodland area that Lara and [Y/N] wandered into, a harsh breeze rushed through the air.

As the two walked deeper into the forest, Lara made sure to reach over when coming across drywood and break it free from the ground, tucking it under her arm. After seeing her do this, [Y/N] mirrored her actions and began to gather wood as well. The two had decided they’d head into the nearby forest to gather kindling for the fire they planned to build back at camp. There, Jonah was waiting, sorting through his supply of herbs and a small flask of water he’d said he would use to stir up a broth of sorts that would help all three stay warm for the night. The only problem being there was no fuel for a fire nearby, so both women volunteered to scavenge for some together.

It had taken quite a while to make it to the woodland area safely, but the conversation they had struck up with each other managed to keep the journey bearable. Thankfully, Lara had remembered to snatch her makeshift machete before heading out. Using the sharpest part of the rusted blade, she sliced through the brush that obstructed their path, allowing them to meander forward with a partial trail behind them.

Soon enough, neither of them were able to carry more of the drywood they came across. With a huff, Lara spun on her heel and jutted her chin toward the path she had made. “We should head back. We can always come back later if we need to gather more.” [Y/N] nodded, trailing behind the brunette as she led the way. A few minutes passed in silence, both women focused on not tripping over the loose roots or pebbles that littered the dampened blades of grass. Ultimately, as they neared the halfway point of the path, [Y/N] decided to break the silence.

“God, I’m glad we haven’t had any run-ins with Trinity. Those guys are a huge pain in the ass,” she complained. At her words, the corners of Lara’s lips perked up into an amused smirk. “Yeah, they are. We still need to keep our guard up, though. There weren’t any traces of them following us here, but that’s been the case the last couple of times as well. They’ve got the wrong motives, but they’re clever, and they know how to handle stealth operations.”

A grimace painted [Y/N]’s features as she nodded in response. “Yeah, I guess that’s true.” Silence once again fell upon them, allowing their senses to return to the sound of their own footsteps beneath them as they staggered ahead. While they recalled the way they came from, they struck up another conversation with one another, trying to keep the mood light in the eeriness that made itself known between the towering trees. It seemed to work–both felt more at ease as they chatted away. Merely a moment seemed to pass, however, before a loud clamp echoed throughout the area, followed by a ticking and whirring noise nearby.

Before either had time to react and understand what had happened, Lara flew backward with a holler and collapsed onto the ground. She was yanked forward once she made contact with the soil. The whirring noise returned, louder this time, and she was soon dangling high in the air by her foot. She groaned, her ears ringing and vision blurry from the way her head had bashed against the floor. Her eyes were pinched tightly shut, though her hand instinctively reached for her belt to find her gun.

Squinting and blinking her eyes rapidly, Lara managed to clear her view. All at once, she could make out what had happened. Just a few feet away, [Y/N]’s leg had been caught in a similar trap, but she wasn’t conscious enough to try and escape. Lara’s arm whipped forward to take aim, watching with a newfound sense of terror as a horde of shielded soldiers, clad in black, swarmed forward to the two. Even as she struggled to steady the hand that she gripped the gun harshly with, Lara began to fire warning shots, striking several of the soldiers and watching them plummet to the ground in waves.

A few that hadn’t been shot dashed toward [Y/N] and took hold of her limp arms. They hollered at each other to get her down, using her as some sort of human shield to avoid being killed as well. Upon seeing them grab the unconscious girl, the blood pumping from adrenaline underneath Lara’s skin lit aflame with fury and a desire to defend. Her aim became far more accurate, more fatalities becoming visible as she fired away at them, a wolf’s snarl lacing her words as she bellowed at them to leave her alone.

She knew she just needed to get enough of them down so she could break free from the pulley that tightened the rope around her ankle to a painful degree. If she could do that, she could protect [Y/N] and help her flee. A false spark of hope flushed through her veins as she noticed she had cleared most of the squad, the lie of it evident as her clip ran empty and more men emerged from the distance. She cursed at herself, her hands unsteadily flying back up to her belt to find another magazine and reload. As she struggled with fiddling her pack open to search, she failed to register the sound of thundering footsteps nearing her from behind.

Finally, she pulled a clip free with a small huff of relief. She let her empty mag drop to the ground, flicked upward with the new one to reload, then cocked the hammer back before taking aim. A single bullet fired from the barrel, and everything went black.

Everything seemed to come back at once–every sense flowing forward and overwhelming Lara’s mind. A muffled groan slipped past her lips as she managed to lift her head. Entirely unaware of her bearings, her eyes flitted around in confusion, unable to see with her eyes wide open. She jerked her arms forward, hoping to grab hold of whatever fabric covered her face, only to feel cold steel dig harshly into the skin on her wrists. She hissed in pain, wriggling for a moment as she tried to understand what had happened.

Her focus returned to what she could feel. She had been chained to something, though it was hard to make out exactly what it was. Against her back, she could feel jagged wood scratching at her scarred skin each time she moved. Her arms encircled whatever it was she was pinned up on. Piecing things together, she figured she had been cuffed to a wooden beam somewhere. That didn’t explain where she was, though. Aside from the village she and the others had passed through once they arrived, there were no structures of any kind as far as she could tell. Had one of the villagers turned and taken her hostage?

She could feel the frigid grated steel beneath her, which confirmed she had to be somewhere else. The ground in the homes of the village had been purely dirt and tattered cloth.

Then where the hell was she?

What had happened before she blacked out?

“Oh, look who’s up from her nap,” a booming voice called out, pulling Lara from her thoughts. Her head shot up, a quick yelp of pain greeting her as her head throbbed from the sudden motion. “Who the hell are you? Where am I? Where’s [Y/N]?” She couldn’t recall what she had been through beforehand, though some part of her told her she needed to defend herself regardless. A deep chuckle rumbled nearby before the owner of the previous voice stepped closer. Lara braced herself for a hit, fighting back a flinch when gloved fingers gripped the top of what had been obstructing her view and tugged upward.

She squinted with a hiss as the overhead lights flashed their way into her eyes, effectively blinding her for a moment. As her vision cleared and adjusted, she jerked her head to the side to face whoever had granted her the ability to see again. A moment hardly passed before her face contorted with anger: her brows furrowed tightly together, practically knitting themselves as one, her jaw clenching as her teeth ground painfully against each other.

“Who the fuck are you?” She snapped. Quickly, her outrage completely replaced the feeling of distress, only worsening when her gaze flickered down to see Trinity’s emblem stitched into the man’s tactical vest. He laughed, tossing the woven bag that had been tied around her head to the side. “You don’t need to know who I am, but I certainly know who you are.” He grinned, then reached behind Lara to pick something up from behind the pillar. Briefly after, he leaned back again, dangling her tactical belt tauntingly in front of her, still fully equipped with all of her weapons.

Her eyes widened a fraction at the sight, instinctively flying down to find and confirm that she had indeed been stripped of her only means of defense in this position. Immediately, she knew she needed to free herself. With the methods she had been taught after tussling with offenders before, she knew she could easily wrestle this man to the ground and overpower him. With her arms restrained, however, she could only fight back at an infuriatingly close range.

He seemed to notice the stress that had returned to Lara’s mind, letting out another cackle at her misfortune. He stood, twisting his torso far enough to hurl the belt over the railing. As he made his way over to squat in front of her again, she took this opportunity to look around. She had been right: she was chained to a wooden support beam, and she was seated against steel. Through the holes in the grated plates, she could see she was far up off the ground, at least three or four stories high.

Looking up, she could see layers of other platforms above, towering to an ungodly height. Dropping her gaze back down, the platform she was on curved around a circular building just behind her, and ahead of her, a long metal bridge stretched out to connect to an identical structure. As her eyes focused in on a figure across the platform, her blood ran cold, wishing she hadn’t recognized what was happening.

Everything that had happened before she ended up here came flooding back. The forest, the traps, the soldiers, everything. Now separated, [Y/N] was similarly cuffed to a pillar. Her binds seemed tighter, red lines already formed on her wrists as though she had been struggling against them for a while. For the first time since making it to the town, Lara felt genuine fear. Had they already hurt [Y/N]? Had they forced her to give away where Jonah was?

“[Y/N]!”

“Ah, so you noticed,” the man voiced, bringing her attention back to him. Shakily, she lifted her head, She screamed at herself, willing her voice into intimidation. “Let her go. She has nothing to do with this.” Internally, she cursed at the way her voice wavered and cracked.

The man grinned devilishly, shaking his head. “You don’t get it, do you? The moment you brought her here, you forced her to be a part of this. Like it or not, she has everything to do with this.” He leaned forward, blocking her view of [Y/N] and forcing her to look him in the eye. “It’s your fault.” Bringing his hand to his chin, he glanced up and mockingly pretended to think. “I suppose the saying, “like father like daughter,” is true after all. Wouldn’t you say so?”

At the mere mention of her father, a concoction of emotions bubbled beneath the surface of Lara’s skin. Even so, she forced her expression to remain stern. “Don’t you fucking talk about him.” Once again, she was met with a laugh.

A soldier that had been stationed nearby stepped closer to the two, concern laced in his tone. “Sir, shouldn’t we be careful? She’s taken out half of our men already, and most of it was entirely on her own.” The man in front of Lara rolled his eyes and stood, giving a small shrug. “Relax, I’m just having a bit of fun. There’s nothing she can do like this,” he gestured toward her. “With respect,” the soldier started, “she’s gotten out of tougher situations. Maybe we should–”

In an instant, the man, who Lara assumed was the captain at this point, whipped his gun from its holster on his hip and stood. He flicked his arm upward and pointed the barrel directly against the soldier’s forehead, prompting him to freeze. “I’ll fucking take care of it, you got it? All I’m gonna do is get her to tell me a few things, then we’ll blow both of their brains out, then be on our way. Stop me like that again, and the first round will go through your thick skull. Understand?”

Quickly, the soldier nodded and stepped back to his station. “Yes, sir.”

The captain then tucked his gun away. He turned and made a motion with his head to the group across the bridge. Lara glanced behind him to see what was happening, only to panic further as they crouched beside [Y/N], who flinched away at their touch. “Don’t touch her!” She screamed, thrashing violently against her restraints.

“Oh, don’t worry,” the captain teased, crouching down in front of her again to look her in the eye. “As long as you answer some questions, we won’t hurt her anymore.” Anymore. That word bounced through Lara’s head as she barely managed to notice that [Y/N]’s skin was littered with bruises and cuts. She swallowed hard, glaring at him. “What do you want? What questions?” He again acted as though he was deep in thought. “Well, for starters, you could tell me where the artifact you're looking for is.”

She scoffed. “So what? You can use it to wipe out humanity? Like you tried to do with the Divine Source?” The captain forced a smile. His hand lifted from his side and made a motion toward the group behind him. Lara watched, horrified, as one soldier used all his strength to kick [Y/N] in the stomach, another grabbing a fistful of her hair and slamming her head back against the pillar. She cried out in pain, desperately trying to free herself.

“Like I said, tell me what I want to know, and she won’t get hurt.”

Lara practically growled at him when she spoke. She ordered him to call the group back, threatening to make his death hell if he didn’t comply. “What do you think you can do? Can’t exactly kill me while you’re stuck here.” She scowled, her fingertips tapping at the chains in search of the padlock. Her arm shimmied a bit, allowing one of her hairpins to slip from the cuff of her sleeve and into her hand that she kept tucked away for situations exactly like this.

As she fiddled with trying to find the padlock, the captain continued to hound her with questions.

“Where’s your camp? I know you brought someone else here too.” She shuddered at the thought of Jonah being dragged into this as well. “I don’t know. I don’t even know where the hell I am, and you expect me to remember how to get back?” Another motion was made, prompting another harsh punishment to be given to [Y/N]. Lara shouted her name, begging her to hold on and promising she’ll get the two of them out.

The captain scoffed and crossed his arms. “Are you really not grasping what I’ve said? Answers for me means less pain for her.” Panicked, Lara thrashed again, her hands trembling as they continued their search. “I’m trying! But you aren’t giving me questions I can answer!” It was hard to mask her relief when her fingers finally found the padlock, though she instead focused on wriggling the bobby pin into the lock. “Well,” the captain huffed, standing again and slipping his gun from his belt. “I think I know something that might trigger your memory.”

At that, he turned and began walking toward [Y/N], wordlessly ordering the group of soldiers to back away. “No, don’t hurt her!” Lara was practically screaming at her hands to still, and with another brief moment, she finally managed to pick the lock, wrestling her arms free from the chains and stumbling as she stood. Without an ounce of hesitation, she lunged forward toward the captain, grabbing hold of him and trying to keep him away. He hollered in surprise, reaching back to claw at her and get a grasp. “Get off of me, you bitch!”

The team of soldiers that had been abusing [Y/N] only a mere moment before were now hurtling toward her. With a bit of a struggle, three of the soldiers managed to pry her off of him, throwing her back before forcefully pinning her against the pillar yet again. She fought against them, screaming for them to let her go. The captain ahead grumbled and stared her down for a moment, though he was quick to turn and walk toward [Y/N] again.

As Lara thrashed against the soldiers holding her down, the head of the team reached up toward a sheath against his hip, his gun having been smacked out of his hand and over the ledge from Lara’s outburst. Something felt as though it were burning in her mind, growing hotter and hotter as the captain closed the space between him and [Y/N]. She couldn’t let Trinity take another person she loved away from her. She wouldn’t allow it.

Hardly managing to remember her training, she turned and lunged her torso forward, using all of the momentum to headbut the soldier grasping her right arm in the face. He howled in pain, letting her go and falling backward. She then turned to the man holding her left shoulder. In the blink of an eye, she whipped her arm in a circular motion, gripping his wrist and forcing his arm to twist until he let go. Just as quickly, she shuffled forward and kicked the third soldier square in the chest, effectively knocking the wind out of his lungs.

Before she could stand, two more men sprinted forward and blocked her path, one of them managing to land a few rough kicks to her face and head. She hooked her arm beneath the back of his leg, jolting up to stand and flipping him backward. The second soldier struggled to free his rifle from the band on his back. By the time he managed to try and aim at her, her forearm flew sideways and struck his wrist, the impact catching him off guard and causing him to drop his weapon. Lara then leapt forward and gripped the straps of his tactical vest. She spun around to gain more force before driving him around again and launching him over the railing, not bothering to watch as he plummeted toward the ground countless meters below.

She turned, determined to get to the captain, but froze in place. Still so far away, he had freed [Y/N] of restraints, knowing she wouldn’t have been able to fight back. He pinned her against the platform, his knees planting themselves on either side of her hips as he drove his knife down into her stomach. Lara watched as [Y/N] tried to gasp for air, only to choke and let out a silent scream.

She felt everything grow heavy, ready to give into the temptation to drop to the ground. An inhumane level of fury coursed through her veins, and soon she found herself running forward at full speed, no longer in control of her body.

The neared the captain in only a few seconds, leaping from the ground and thrusting her arms forward. She tackled him off of [Y/N]’s writhing body and ripped the blade from his hand, dropping it and instead using her fists to beat any part of him she could see. Hit after hit, punch after punch, a new bruise formed on his skin, thinner sections splitting open into gashes. His blood seemed to all pool together beneath his head.

Lara let out a yell with each strike made against his skill. She lost count of the amount of times her knuckles made contact with the swollen form beneath her, not even noticing that her knuckles had begun to tear open and bleed from the sheer force alone. As his arms and legs fell limp against his sides, Lara’s punches came to a stop. Her bloodied hand reached over and grasped the handle of the knife, knuckles white from the tightness as she lifted the blade above her head.

Instantly, she plunged the knife down, listening with a sick joy as the thin metal ripped through layers of skin and organ, cracking through parts of his ribs. Mirroring what [Y/N] had done, the captain hopelessly tried to gasp for breath, instead wheezing and sputtering while his hands weakly scratched at her arms. Only for a moment, she kept the knife there. Before she could watch the life leave his eyes, she drew the blade out and immediately thrusted it down into his jugular with an equal force.

Her hands let go of the handle and dropped to land at her sides. She stared down, gleefully studying the way the captain clutched at his throat, a thick puddle of blood erupting from his mouth and trickling down his cheeks and jaw, disappearing into his hairline and accumulating with the crimson red under his trembling form. Glaring down at him with dull eyes, she lazily tugged the rifle from his back, forcing herself to stand and turn around.

She hadn’t heard the group of soldiers thundering up the stairs, but she had apparently sensed it. Effortlessly, she lifted the rifle and took aim, crouching down and firing away as the men made their way up one by one. By the time the team died out, she heard the gun click. Her gaze bored down at the rifle, realizing she had burned through the ammo. With a grunt of disapproval, she discarded the gun, then ripped another one away from a nearby lifeless body. She used that rifle to finish off the squad, blankly staring ahead after lowering the gun.

As her mind clouded over, taking in the scene before her, she tossed the gun to the side, straining to hear as it clattered against the steel platform. A bloodbath. That was the only way she could possibly describe it. Piles of bodies across such a small space, silver metal now stained red from blood and black from gunpowder. Lifeless eyes of the fallen seemed to watch her as she lifted her hands, taking in the way blood coated her skin. She wasn’t sure how much of it was hers and how much of it was the captain’s. She paid it no mind, instead rotating her hands to examine her knuckles. She had most definitely broken a few, if not all, of them,

Had she actually done all of this?

Nothing felt real.

The sudden sound of harsh coughing broke her out of her trance, forcing her attention toward the source. She scrambled over to [Y/N]’s side, holding her head up as she processed just how badly she had been hurt. Adding onto the gaping wound in her torso, countless bruises and cuts peppered every exposed inch of skin. The back of her head had been dripping blood from being hammered into the wooden beam. Lara gasped and frantically helped her prop her head up to prevent choking on her blood, her eyes scanning the surrounding area for something to help stop the bleeding. She grimaced when [Y/N] whimpered from the way she stretched over to grab a torn uniform.

Thinking on her feet, she slid to the wall of the base and leaned the wounded girl against it, apologizing tearfully each time she yelped in pain. After tearing the uniform into a thinner piece, she began stuffing part of the wound, earning more cries. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, finally using the rest of the cloth to ball it up. “This is going to hurt, but I need you to trust me.”

Before [Y/N] even opened her eyes, Lara forced her hand downward, applying an immense amount of both pressure and pain to the wound. At this, [Y/N] screamed in agony, her eyes beginning to roll back as her breaths quickened. Lara cupped her jaw and shifted forward. “[Y/N]? No, [Y/N], I need you to stay with me, okay? Keep your eyes open! Everything’s going to be okay, I promise. Stay with me,” she said, struggling to keep her voice steady.

“[Y/N], please, I can’t lose you. Not like this. Keep your eyes open–that’s all I need you to do!” Her words fell upon deaf ears, no matter how desperate they became. Before Lara could beg for her to listen again, [Y/N]’s head drooped down, her body now completely limp.

“[Y/N]?” Lara whimpered, shaking the unconscious girl’s head as a silent plea. When no response came from the motion, the Croft felt her tears beginning to spill, only being able to whisper “no” repeatedly. Her hand, the one that had been holding up the woman’s head, slid down to check for a pulse. She gasped softly when she found it, though realized she had to act quickly from how weak it was. “Shit,” she blurted, once again examining her surroundings. That bastard had thrown her radio over the railing with her weapons. There was no way she could contact Jonah without alerting any other potential Trinity bases of where they were. One look down at [Y/N], however, forced her to take that risk.

She stood and quickly rushed over to the nearby bodies, her calloused, bloodied hands desperately searching their equipment for a radio of sorts. She cursed with each failed search, though lit up only a fraction once she found one. Quickly, she ran to sit by [Y/N]’s side again, holding her up and pulling her close, keeping an eye on her as she sent out a message.

“Jonah? Jonah, are you there? Can you hear me? I need your help: [Y/N]’s bleeding out!”

She released the button, only earning static in response. Her eyes shot back to the woman beside her, her only shimmer of hope dimming immediately. Her finger clicked down again, lifting it closer to speak into it once more.

“Jonah, I need you here! Jonah, please, can you hear me?”

A choked sob erupted unwillingly from her throat. She felt like curling into herself and breaking right there. Now hunched over, she clutched the radio tightly against her chest, grasping a handful of her hair as she tried to come up with another plan. All she could bring herself to do for a moment was weep, terrified of losing the woman propped up by her side.

Her mind cleared for a brief second, and although she had no idea where they were, she knew they couldn’t stay there. More reinforcements were bound to show up sooner or later, and she was in no state to fight them all. She stood, peering out at the landscape in hopes of finding a landmark she had passed before. The lids of her eyes threatened to shut, heavy with fatigue from the loss of adrenaline and the salty tears that had fallen.

She staggered closer to the rail, gripping onto it tightly as a way to ground herself as she searched further. Her heart felt like it was going to sink down into the pit of her stomach upon spotting a village in the distance. She turned to [Y/N], unsure if either of them could even make it that far. There was a chance it wasn’t the village she had been in either, on top of the fact there could be more traps hidden in the forest.

That only stopped her briefly. She knew they needed to leave, and she knew it was better to head out with the chance of finding Jonah than staying there to die.

Willing every ounce of strength she had left, she plucked the rifle she had thrown to the side back up, slinging it over her shoulder before wobbling back to [Y/N]. She huffed, sucking in a deep breath to ready herself, then bent down to pick her up, one arm tucking itself underneath her knees, and the other wrapping around her torso.

She turned, stumbled forward toward the stairs, and wrestled with the urge to look down at the unconscious form in her arms.

Each step down felt like a mile, Lara’s calves straining and aching, feeling as though they would give in and snap like twigs. By the time she managed to make it to the ground, it took everything in her not to collapse. She just kept telling herself they’ll be there soon. That was all she could do to keep moving forward. If she didn’t make it, not only would [Y/N] die, but she would as well. The marks from the beating she had taken had begun to finally sink in, adding to the difficulty.

She swayed every few steps. Her body threatened to fall over anytime she leaned too far.

She had no way of knowing she was going in the right direction, only able to rely on her instinct. There was no path, no landmark, no sign of nearing the village, which is why it was such a surprise when she could hear hollering up ahead. She strained her ears, hardly managing to make out that the unidentified voice was calling her name.

“Jonah?” She whispered hoarsely.

“Lara! [Y/N]! Are you two out there?”

“Jonah,” she weeped, unable to raise her voice any further.

Her feet continued to stumble toward the sound of his voice. The closer she got, the stronger the small spark of adrenaline she somehow still had grew. Finally, realizing he was only a few feet away, Lara managed to pick up her pace, lightly jogging forward. “Jonah, we’re here,” she cried out weakly. She moved ahead, breaking through the entrance of the forest to reveal the small patch of land they had originally tried to set up camp at. There, Jonah turned around and instantly ran over.

“Lara, you’re alright! I heard gunfire, but I didn’t know where you were, and–”

“Jonah, we need to get back to the plane right now. [Y/N]’s losing too much blood, and I don’t know how much longer she’s going to last,” although her tone was weak, there was no doubt she was terrified. Jonah finally looked down to the woman in Lara’s arms, his body tensing at the sight of all she had been through.

“Shit, what did–okay, but what about what you came here for? We can’t come back! Trinity’s going to–” Jonah knew that even mentioning the artifact in that moment was a mistake, but his mind was racing, preventing him from thinking logically.

“Forget the artifact, Jonah!” Lara snapped, her raspy voice finally reaching the volume she’d wanted to have when calling for him. “I don’t give a shit about that right now! I just want [Y/N] to survive! I’m the reason she’s in this state to begin with–I don’t want to be the reason she dies!”

At her sudden tone, Jonah could only nod and motion for Lara to hand [Y/N] to him to carry her there. Reluctantly, Lara did so, only after realizing she wouldn’t be able to make it to the plane in time if she were the one taking her. Without a moment to lose, Jonah began rushing up the path toward where they had landed, shouting behind him for the Croft to follow.

The ringing returned the closer they got, her vision blurring and growing dark. Everything was spinning, and she had to force herself to keep track of Jonah. By the time they had all made it into the plane, Lara’s body finally gave out.

“You know, I don’t think I had ever scared my father that badly before,” Lara murmured, a gentle chuckle escaping as she smiled fondly at the memory. With a sigh, she felt the pad of her thumb caress the tattered skin on the back of [Y/N]’s hands. For just a single moment, the ticking of the clock hanging above the door synced up with the beeping of the monitor beside the bed. Just as quickly, they fell out of rhythm again, and Lara waited for them to repeat it. Every few minutes, for the past several weeks, both would beat together for just a brief second, only to fall apart again.

It was the only thing she could look forward to anymore. It kept her distracted so she didn’t have to process everything just yet–so she didn’t have to look up at the woman deep in a coma in the bed she sat by. Jonah would come in here and there, reminding her to eat something small or to bring her a spare blanket for the night. Nurses would step inside to take vitals and update Lara on what was happening. And even though [Y/N] was there, whenever everyone else would leave, Lara still felt alone.

She could talk to her, but it was more like talking at her. She had no idea if the woman could hear anything she said, nor did she know when she was going to wake up. It had been seven weeks since they made it back from the expedition. Lara’s injuries were treated fairly easily, but [Y/N] had fallen into a medical coma from blood loss and excessive blunt force trauma. Her chances of survival in the beginning were slim, but things started to steadily improve as the days passed by.

Those days, however, felt like years to Lara. The woman she could once talk to and joke around with, the woman she could once hold and be held by, the woman she could once gaze into the eyes of, now lay before her, unmoving and silent. She was alive, but to Lara she seemed dead. She had been so lively before, and now she couldn’t even open her eyes.

To fill the never-ending silence that weighed heavy upon her shoulders, Lara would talk aloud, pretending as though she was sharing her thoughts with [Y/N] like she had done before everything went awry. Recently, after running out of small-talk she had murmured like it was scripted, she had resorted to retelling memories she had of her father back as a child. Somehow, even as [Y/N] stayed unconscious, Lara felt comfortable sharing her favorite times spent with her late father. Anyone else would’ve been waved off and told she wasn’t comfortable, but [Y/N] had always been the one person she could come to to speak of him freely.

Even seemingly dead, [Y/N] was still the only one she trusted. It was funny, in a way.

She huffed out a sigh, lifting the woman’s hand to her lips and pressing a featherlike kiss to her knuckles. Once her lips left the clammy skin, she brought her head down to lean it against the back of her hand. Her eyes closed, brows furrowed as she bit back a sob.

“I wish I had never brought you with me. If I hadn’t, you would still be comfortable at home, watching TV and sleeping in. You wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t… You wouldn’t be hurt, or strapped to this machine, or fighting for your life. You wouldn’t be in a coma.” She sniffled, squeezing the hand still against her forehead. “This is all my fault. I’m so sorry, [Y/N]. I would take it all back if I could.”

Some part of her waited, half-expecting a response. She whimpered, clearing her throat to prevent herself from bursting into tears again. With a hard swallow, she lifted her head, gaze trailing up to [Y/N]’s face. She smiled. “I have no idea how, but you still look so beautiful. Even when you’re out like this.”

Her free hand lifted far enough to caress the girl’s cheek, then pinch the bridge of her own nose, internally groaning at how heavy her eyes felt. Once her hand planted itself back on her thigh, she glanced over at the heart monitor, watching each movement on the screen intently for a moment, allowing herself to gather her thoughts. Finally, she faced [Y/N] again. Her hand squeezed her leg, unsure of what to say.

“I love you. So, so much. I should’ve said it more before… all of this, but I’m saying it now. I do love you, [Y/N], more than anything in this world.”

She huffed out a pained laugh.

“I don’t know why I’m so mad at you. None of this is your fault. I’m the one who dragged you into the expedition, and I’m the one who ended up getting you captured. I wish I hadn’t begged you to come with me. You deserve to be at home, not in this bed. I should’ve protected you, and I didn’t, and for that, I’m so sorry. You deserve someone better: someone who wouldn’t have gotten you into this mess.

“The worst part is: I don’t even know if you can hear me. I’m not sure if you’ve heard anything I’ve said this entire time. I’m not sure why knowing that you might not hear me hurts so badly, but it does.” Tears once again pricked the corners of her eyes. “God, I wish I could hear your voice again. I miss you so much. I know you’re right in front of me, and I know you’re still breathing and alive, but I’ve never felt so alone. It doesn’t feel like you’re really here. It feels like you’re not you.”

The tears stinging her eyes now blurred her vision and poured down in thick masses. Her free arm raised, allowing her to use the sleeve of her jacket to wipe them away. Once they dried, she looked up at her again, hands trembling harshly.

“Please wake up. I’m begging you.”

Grumbling was all Lara could do in her unconscious state. Any small sound she could hear had her grumbling louder: pages flipping, pens scribbling, pills rattling, doors opening, monitors beeping. Everything that she could hear seemed to be working against her, screaming at her to wake back up. It was late at night when she finally let herself drop her head onto the edge of the hospital bed to rest. Hand still clutching onto [Y/N]’s, she managed to drift off for the first time in days.

The sounds grew incessant, however, stirring her partially awake. Each little noise irritated her further, and she had to fight the urge to muffle the scream bubbling up in her throat with the sheets cushioning her head. To add onto her growing frustration, something squeezed softly at her hand, forcing her back to her senses.

“For fuck’s sake,” she mumbled, lifted her head, then looked down at her hand. Her brows pinched tightly together, she sat there, processing what she had just felt. Again, her hand was squeezed.

Her brain, although severely sleep deprived, finally managed to register what had happened. Immediately, she looked up from her hand, her eyes landing on [Y/N], who finally opened her eyes for the first time in months. She gazed back at Lara the way the brunette had been craving the entire time. Upon seeing that she was now awake, tears instantly trickled out from Lara’s eyes, a shaky sob accompanying them.

“[Y/N]?” She whispered, unsure if she was actually awake.

“Hey, Lara,” came her raspy reply, a tired grin gracing her cracked lips.

Right away, Lara sprung up from her seat by the bed and leaned forward, capturing [Y/N] in a tight embrace. “Oh my god, I don’t–” She sniffled. Her leg lifted up, allowing her to sit beside the woman now practically cradling her in return. “You’re awake. You’re finally awake. I don’t believe it.”

She leaned back from the hug, cupping [Y/N]’s face in her hands and studying every little feature she could see. Sob after sob wracked through her body as she pressed a kiss to the wounded woman’s lips, only shifting back to pepper the rest of her face in similar kisses. “I thought I lost you,” she whispered after calming down enough to speak. Her voice trembled and broke more with each passing word, rambling about what she had feared.

“God, I love you so much.”

Again, she captured [Y/N]’s lips in her own, pure relief washing through her senses when she felt her kissing back. Weakly, the bandaged girl chuckled. “I love you too,” she rasped out.

Lara instantly leaned back into the embrace, clutching desperately at the hospital gown she rested against. She swayed side to side, shivering as [Y/N] soothingly rubbed up and down her back. She couldn’t begin to explain how she felt at that moment. All she could say was she was so relieved to know that the woman she held closest to her heart was alive and breathing.

“Can I ask you something?” A soft voice whispered. She leaned away again to look her in the eye. “Of course. Anything at all.”

“What happened after I was stabbed?”

Lara froze, now growing uncertain. “You don’t remember?” She sucked in a shaky breath when her only response was a shake of the head. Her gaze dropped down, unsure of where to start. She scratched the back of her neck anxiously, took another deep breath in an attempt to steel her nerves, then cleared her throat. “Well, I’m not really…”

She turned to glance behind her, ensuring no one else was in the room before she spoke again. There was no shame in what she had done–not for her–but she’d be torn away instantly if someone overheard. [Y/N] had just woken back up, and she wasn’t going to risk losing her all over again. Although, that still might be a possibility, depending on how she took the news.

She explained herself, sparing no detail of what she had committed in her blind rage. From wrestling with the soldiers to stabbing the captain of the team in both the chest and the throat, she confessed every little atrocity that had been brought about by her hands alone. As she spoke, she averted her eyes, too afraid of being gazed at with disgust. She focused on the pattern stitched into the bedsheets bundled up atop [Y/N]’s legs.

Finally, she managed to tear her eyes away from the sheets and look back into [Y/N]’s. She swallowed, surprised to see that familiar glint of admiration in her eyes. There was no sign of repulsion or discomfort at the heinous things she had admitted to. “You’re not mad?” Was all she could ask. [Y/N] snickered and shook her head.

“Are you kidding? Those asswipes beat the shit out of me, and one tried to kill me. I don’t exactly have sympathy for them after that.” Relieved, Lara sighed and grinned. It was a breath of fresh air to see her laugh again, even though it was rather weak.

She turned to sit next to [Y/N], who she then pulled into her side. With a quick peck to the top of the head, she closed her eyes and yawned. “Tired?” “Mmhm.” “Yeah, same.” Lara laughed, looking down at her in confusion. “You were in a coma for nearly three months. Why are you tired?” [Y/N] smirked and rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t willingly unconscious. Plus, my body just sucks,” she murmured, earning another chuckle.

“Well, I love your body,” Lara mumbled, tugging her closer. “Every bit of it.”

Waiting a moment, [Y/N] leaned against the brunette fully, her head dropping onto her shoulder as she closed her eyes. She grinned, listening to Lara yawn again before she shivered. “Move your legs for a second,” she whispered to the already half-asleep woman. “Hm?” “Move your legs.” “What? Why?” “So I can cover you up with the blankets.”

Lara seemed to take a moment to understand what she had said. Finally, though, she lifted her legs with a groan, letting [Y/N] slip the covers out from under her and essentially tuck her in beside her. Both sighed in relief: Lara from the warmth of the sheets and [Y/N] pressed against her, and [Y/N] from the feeling of Lara holding her close.

Lights had been turned off throughout the ward for a while, which both women were silently grateful for. As they shuffled to lie down more comfortably beneath the covers, everything seemed to settle down for the first time in months. Lara’s body finally relaxed, the lack of sleep from the past several weeks catching up to her at a rapid speed. She hummed softly as she turned onto her side, pulling [Y/N] into her chest.

“I’m never taking you on a trip like that again,” she slurred out. “At least, not until I know Trinity won’t be there.”

[Y/N] nodded as she listened, also partially asleep. She squirmed a bit, sliding closer while trying to mind her IV. As her head settled against Lara’s chest, she yawned. A moment passed before she spoke again.

“You do know the nurses are gonna come in any minute and realize I’m awake, right?” A groan sounded from Lara, prompting a snicker from [Y/N]. “I’m gonna crawl back into the bed again the second they leave. I just want you in my arms right now.”

“Well, either way, I want you to know that I could hear you for most of the time I was out. And I also want you to know that I plan on saying “I love you” as many times as you did before I woke up. I really do love you. I mean, you were right here the second I woke up, and I don’t know if you ever…” She thought for a moment, opening her eyes and looking up at Lara. “Did you ever leave the room?” Even as she fought to stay awake, Lara scratched her cheek nervously. “Only when I used the restroom. I was afraid I wouldn’t be here when you woke up.”

[Y/N] grinned. “Well, I’m glad you were here. I was worried you wouldn’t be here at all when I woke up. I figured you’d leave and head home, or maybe go back to the village we were at.” Gently yet reassuringly, Lara squeezed her closer. “I would never do that to you. You’re everything to me.”

“And you’re everything to me.”

Another yawn managed to escape the brunette’s lips. She pressed a small kiss to the top of [Y/N]’s head and sighed, already drifting off again. “I love you, so damn much. No one’s going to hurt what’s mine, never again.”

“I’m yours, huh?”

“Of course.”

A gentle smile graced [Y/N]’s features as she shuffled closer, pressing a kiss to Lara’s collarbone as her eyes fluttered shut.

“Of course I’m yours.”

#fluff #x reader #female reader #angst #tomb raider #rise of the tomb raider #shadow of the tomb raider #lara croft #lara croft x fem!reader #lara croft x reader #lara croft x female reader

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tragedybunny · 28 days ago

Text

Caught Out

༺Summary༻

Astarion and Serafina get caught out in a storm and come up with a plan to get warm again.

༺Pairing༻ Astarion x Serafina (Female Tav/OC)

༺Warnings༻ Non-explicit sex, a hint of suicidal ideation, otherwise just mostly fluff

༺Word Count༻ 2554

༺A/N༻

This a gift for my dear friend @icybluepenguin as part of our server exchange. Sorry I had to keep secrets for so long on this. 😅 I hope you love it.

Thank to @leomonae for betaing and assuring me it worked, and for the great addition at the end.

Read on AO3

Darkness was coming earlier with each day; while on the one hand that meant more time Astarion was able to travel freely, it also meant that the nights were becoming colder and the weather less pleasant. Serafina had watched the sun sink down past the horizon through a gathering tide of dark clouds that held the promise of a storm.

She and Astarion had left Baldur’s Gate some weeks back; their first lead on a way for Astarion to walk in the sun had proved fruitless, and now they were on their way to Waterdeep to consult with Gale on some research he had done.

Though at the moment, Sera wished they could just take shelter for the night. Astarion would likely want to press on: not only was he eager to find a way back into the light, he was eager to explore the world he’d been kept from for two hundred years. His impatience in that regard was understandable and forgivable, and so she would relent to continuing on, hoping the rain wouldn’t catch them.

As if sensing her thoughts - and she wasn’t sure that was out of the realm of possibility, with his new talents that had emerged once the tadpole was gone and he started being fed properly - Astarion emerged from their tent, immaculately dressed and perfectly coiffed. He flashed her a brilliant smile, fangs on full display; reveling in himself, with nothing to hide from her any longer.

“Good evening, my love.” He came over to wrap his arms around her and face the direction she was keeping watch, as she smothered the last of the cookfire. A sudden wind shook the leaves of the surrounding trees, drawing her gaze back to gathering clouds she had been observing earlier.

“Maybe not so good judging by those clouds.” Leaning her head back, Sera’s lips softly brushed the edge of his jaw, innocent and sensual at once. “Perhaps we should just stay at camp tonight?”

“Don’t tell me the hero of Baldur’s Gate is scared of a little rain!” Astarion’s teasing was followed by a playful nip to the point of her ear.

Swallowing down her growing misgivings about continuing their journey with the threatening skies, she turned in his arms and playfully tugged at one of his curls. “Oh, I'm not, but we'll see how you feel as soon as these get wet.”

“Cheeky.” Cool lips brushed over hers. “Let’s just see who surrenders to a little inconvenience first.”

With the camp packed, the two of them set out for the night along the road north to Waterdeep, emerging from the edge of the trees that marked the boundary of the Misty Forest. Astarion had been hesitant to fully enter the woods initially, knowing that the elves within saw it as their sovereign kingdom and might not feel kindly towards a half-blood and a vampire intruding. Sera had agreed with that assessment; what she hadn’t agreed with was not taking a room at the well-known traveler’s refuge, the Way Inn.

But Astarion had argued it was too crowded; too many would-be heroes. In the end, she couldn’t blame him for being cautious about being discovered; not after they’d accidentally discovered another vampiric ability of his near the start of their journey when he’d walked right up a wall in front of the inn’s patrons they were trying to defend. Luckily they had been playing heroes that night, and so the owners of the inn had been willing to overlook the obvious vampire who’d spent the following day hidden away in one of their rooms.

A distant peal of thunder broke the silence of the night; Sera glanced back towards where the stars were disappearing into a looming blackness. “If this storm catches up to us, we are staying in a real building tonight – one with a proper bath.”

It had been weeks on the road, bathing in rivers and ponds a good portion of the time; with the temperatures falling, a hot bath was most definitely in order. Maybe she should apologize to Astarion for teasing him when he’d previously complained about his creature comforts, Sera thought.

“Of course we can’t have a delicate lady such as yourself exposed to such elements,” Astarion said, then laughed merrily, darting just out of reach of her attempted playful smack to his shoulder.

“Impero te.” A clap of thunder came, right beside Astarion; he froze in his impish dance, looking worriedly up towards the clouds despite having heard her vocalize the spell. A simple Prestidigitation cantrip; now it was Sera’s turn to laugh. “I thought you were unworried about the elements.”

“That was cheating, madam,” Astarion groused.

The banter and chatting continued as they walked, before finally they fell into a companionable silence. While Sera certainly didn’t mind Astarion’s usual more talkative moods, his jokes and gossip about their friends gleaned from letters, the silence was lovely. The silence meant he was comfortable: not feeling driven to be entertaining and witty, every second of his existence, in order to earn his place. Not feeling like he had to earn his place with her.

Slowly, the light of the stars vanished, and then the moon as well, taking the ambient color of the world with them, until she and Astarion were left to rely upon their inherent darkvision as they continued along.

Another boom of genuine thunder sounded, closer than the first; the wind answered it with a fierce gust.

“I believe your storm ha-” Astarion cut himself off at the first drops of rain pattering down, looking up at the sky. “- has found us.”

Sera shivered in her armor, pulling the hood of her cloak over her head and trying not to be cross with her love over his earlier stubbornness, but finding herself longing for the warm bath she could be enjoying right now instead of standing in the frigid rain. “Shall we pick up the pace? Bowshot shouldn’t be far.”

Lightning danced across the sky, briefly returning color to their surroundings. Astarion stared at the falling water with disdain, but seemed determined not to admit defeat by agreeing with her outright. “If that is what my beloved wishes, we’ll make haste to town.”

With a gallant bow, he set off at a brisk jog; a pace designed for her to keep up with. He was faster now too, these days; it wouldn’t sustain over long distances, but in a short trek, he was near-impossible to catch.

Not to be found wanting, Sera hurried to follow, slipping the strap of her staff over her shoulder to keep it out of the way.

The patter of rain soon became a downpour, the water soaking into the padded cloth of her armor and weighing her down. Astarion had slowed, his own leather armor sodden as well. The relentless wind made her blood feel like ice water in her veins. Shaking, she pulled her now useless cloak tighter around herself.

Astarion further slowed his pace to let Sera catch up, then put an arm around her.

“I'm sorry, my love; I should have listened. You're freezing.” His voice sounded so genuinely pained that Sera couldn't help but let go of any lingering irritation.

“Let's just find some place to stop.” Gods above, how far could Bowshot be?

“Perhaps that will suffice?” Astarion pointed to what looked like a rather worn down building some distance off the road.

It would at least be dry. But…

“There could be other things taking shelter there,” Sera mused, though the steady flood from the sky was making her care less and less about that with every passing moment.

“What's the worst there could be? Goblins? Kobolds?”

“You know, I think you secretly like eating kobolds,” Sera teased; Astarion scoffed at the remark. “But you're right, it has to be better than this.”

The two of them scurried from the road and down along the overgrown, muddy track that looked to have once served as a cart path.

The structure loomed before them, two stories of worn wood, grime-covered windows, and a door barely clinging to its hinges. It couldn’t be any worse than camping in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, though, Sera thought, hanging back to keep an eye on the road behind them while Astarion, as the more silent of the two of them, entered first to scout the place.

It wasn’t long before he reappeared, a pale face and faintly glowing red eyes looming out of the darkness; it would have been frightening, if Sera didn’t know it so well.

“It’s not a well-kept inn, but there are no kobolds.”

“That will do.” Sera followed up into the house as Astarion led the way, down an entry hall into a parlor with a large hearth and the broken remains of furniture scattered around. Various doors led to the rest of the house, and a stairway vanished up into darkness.

At least the roof above this area seemed to be holding fast against the continued torrent of rain, even as the storm banged and boomed in even fiercer fashion.

“Nothing for it but to sit it out, I suppose,” Sera said, after taking in their surroundings.

“We need to get you dry first,” Astarion said, brushing a strand of hair out of her face and cupping her cheek. “You’re cold as death. And I should know.”

Astarion set to work without waiting for a reply, removing his armor and breaking apart a few of the chairs; in the meanwhile, Sera stripped off her cloak and padded armor before tugging off her boots as well, leaving both her and Astarion similarly garbed in loose shirts and breeches. From inside their Bag of Holding, she pulled out a couple of bedrolls and extra blankets - they might as well make themselves comfortable.

“Ignis,” Astarion spoke; a fire blazed to life in the hearth, adding at least some warmth to their bleak shelter.

When he turned back toward her, Sera had the bedrolls spread out on the floor and had already made herself comfortable; she patted the spot next to herself invitingly. The grin Astarion gave her in return was both mischievous and lascivious.

He wasted no time in settling next to her, pulling her into his arms. “Why, my sweet Serafina, this won’t do at all. Your clothes are still far too damp; best to remove them.”

“How will I keep warm at all without them?” Sera looked up at him through her lashes, eyes wide in a pantomime of feigned naivety.

“I’m sure I can think of a way to get you warm.” Astarion’s hands gripped her shirt, beginning to tug on it as though to pull it over her head. Feeling a sudden flush, she yielded, growing passion starting to push away lingering trepidation about the storm.

Brilliant lightning brightened the room, flashing just as thunder rattled the house’s rickety bones, followed by a strange thump from up the stairs.

They both froze.

“I thought you cleared the house?” Sera asked, lowering her voice to a whisper.

“I did!” Astarion shot back, defensively, before recovering his composure. “Perhaps it’s a ghost. Do you need me to protect you from the other creatures of the night?”

His hands went back to attempting to remove her shirt.

“We fought a ghost and won,” Sera muttered as one of his icy hands suddenly palmed her breast, leaving her sighing and leaning into his touch. A metallic sort of whine came from upstairs; it had to just be the house having been shaken by the storm, the wind still battering it, but they seemed safe enough for the moment. Why not indulge in a bit of fun?

“Oh no, a ghost. Maybe we should hide under all these blankets.”

“Excellent idea, love. I can keep you nice and safe under there.” With a quick tug, Astarion pulled her shirt off and pushed her down to the bedroll. “Oh, but these breeches are…”

Astarion trailed off, clearly unable to decide whether to keep going with the ghost pretence or the “too wet” notion. “Well, either way, they just have to go.”

Soon Sera was left naked and shivering, eager for both the blankets and Astarion, even if his body temperature wouldn’t help with warming her up. But there were other ways he could help her with that, as he’d promised.

“No fair, you’re still dressed. We should be equally vulnerable to the ghosts,” Sera teased, sliding her foot up his leg to run along the obvious bulge at his groin.

“Of course, I’ll make myself a similarly tempting target to lure the ghosts away from you.”

Astarion quickly dispensed with his own clothes until he was left bare, shining like marble in the soft glow of the fire; a truly ethereal beauty. Sometimes, Sera thought that if he accidentally killed her during one of his feedings, she’d be happy to die that way: in his arms, lost in passion, offering him the sustenance to sustain his life.

There was another thud somewhere in the house, quickly blotted out by yet more thunder as the storm’s fury began to build to a crescendo.

“Oh no, protect me, my brave love!”

Sera held her arms out, lost in the building warmth in her core, unable to muster any care for the fact that this particular thud seemed closer. Gathering the blankets, Astarion lowered himself down to her, lips pressed against hers, covering them both. The chill of the rain-soaked walk was instantly forgotten. He was right: he was very good at getting her warm - with teeth and tongue and hands and cock stiff with wanting her.

The blankets surrounding them trapped the heat of their coupling while the fire burned itself down. A sheen of sweat covered them, by the time Astarion collapsed into her arms, face nuzzling into her neck.

Sera hummed, running her fingers up and down the lean muscles of his body, less sharply defined now that he was no longer being starved. “Is it my turn to warm you up, love?”

“You're too good to me,” Astarion breathed, just before his fangs sank into her neck.

The storm slowed as he fed, leaving behind only the sound of a gentle patter of rain and the crackle of dying embers.

Safe, warm, loved - there was nothing more Sera could want. Except for the goal they sought: Astarion returned to the sun. And they were well on their way to that one.

Once Astarion finished feeding and had licked her wounds clean, Sera sat up. Waterdeep was still a long ways to go.

“The rain’s stopped. Our armor is still soaked, but we could get on the road without -”

Sera was cut off by Astarion wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close, kissing along her shoulder. “A little longer, Sera, love; no need to pay for my impatience twice in a night.”

Sera wavered, then gave in, her eyes closing as she sighed contentedly. As they shut, for a moment she almost thought she’d glimpsed a silvery figure from the corner of her vision.

A trick of the shadows and the ghost talk from earlier, surely, Sera thought, dismissing the imagined apparition as she leaned back against Astarion. Besides. She had a vampire.

Tag list: @writingmysanity @snowfolly @sunfire-ancunin @vixstarria

@just-a-refrigerator @ladyofcrowsandcoffee @tallymonster @azu21

@wilteddreamsofbaldursgate @spacebarbarianweird @cilil @bg3obsessedsideblog

@talented-bitch @claryvoyantfray

#bg3 #astarion #baldurs gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 fanfic #astarion x tav #bg3 tav #bg3 tav: Serafina #my fanfic #my writing #astarion x oc

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vivs-fics · 3 months ago

Text

Just As It Is

Bucky Barnes x Reader

College AU

No minors allowed. Read at your own discretion.

TW: Swearing, religious imagery, smoking, mention of underage drinking

Part 1

Dark clouds linger overhead, far too close for comfort. A twinge in the air and rain birds circling the sky makes unease swell in the pit of my stomach. A storm is brewing, something dark this way comes- and here I am walking down the street with no jacket, no umbrella and Bucky’s place nowhere in sight.

I quicken my pace. Shoes stomping heavily on the asphalt, desperate to outrun the impending shower- to no avail. Thunder claps, electricity crackles, the birds make their descent in the sky behind me and the floodgates of the dreaded downpour open. I feel the rain spilling through my hair, the chill crawling down my spine and soaking my clothes. I wish more than anything just to be inside, warm and in good company.

The D&D campaign tonight is one I’ve been looking forward to for weeks. Bucky let me in on a few minor details now and again. This story was meant to be his most enticing yet, described by the man himself as “a fuckin’ mind-blowing maelstrom of malice, monsters and murder.” He added that the alliteration was meant to captivate and create anticipation- fucking English majors.

I have a feeling we’ll be trekking through some haunted castle, infested by a lonesome vampire luring innocents into his clutches. I recall when the theory solidified for me, it was just a few days ago- after classes had ended for the semester. Bucky and I were meeting up on the benches on the edge of campus for our afternoon chit-chat and I convinced him to act out a snippet from the forthcoming adventure.

Bucky slinked behind me, fallen auburn leaves crunched under his boots and the chains on his pants clinked together- I held my breath as he brushed his fingers over the side of my neck. The touch was light, almost untactile- nevertheless my skin felt like it was lit ablaze. The flames spread, embers sizzled deep in my stomach, the red blaze surged through my arms, and it settled in the tips of my fingers.

Blood rushed to my ears and my heart pounded against my chest, I could feel his breath on my neck. “Are you scared, little bird? Or do the pleasures of the night entice you? Are you willing to take this journey and receive your hearts desires, or do you fear the lurking horrors may consume you before you reach the summit?” Bucky whispered. A shuddering breath escaped my lips, and I took a moment to compose myself, a shoddily concealed smile on my face, “Jamie is the whole campaign going to be voiced in that sultry, bad guy accent?”

He beamed, “I guess you’ll have to wait and see, sweetheart. You should, however, expect to be wowed beyond your wildest dreams.” He raised his right hand and touched it to his heart, “That’s your beloved dungeon master’s guarantee.”

He sat himself down on the bench next to me, the wood creaked under his weight, and I brought my eyes up to him- I found myself lost in the vast blue of his eyes.

God, he’s beautiful. Gazing upon the pastels of a rococo could not compare to him. The glittering of all Klimt’s work would never be able to culminate to the way he shines, my Bucky glows from the inside. The light in his eyes are millions of stars burning in the sky, had Van Gogh’s masterpiece been done today, surely Vincent would have drawn inspiration from them. The figures taken out of stone by the great Michelangelo wouldn’t amount to the statuesque beauty I see in him, skin smoother than marble and a face that could have only been carved by the divine.

“You alright, Birdie? Somethin’ on your mind?” His voice was smoother than honey, it dripped from his lips slowly and it covered me in its splendour. I shook my head. I couldn’t tell him. I wouldn’t allow myself to say just how much he means to me. I couldn’t risk ruining years of friendship and muddying the dynamic we have. We’re in tandem, parallel lines that are destined to run beside each other for as long as the universe allows.

“What’s up with the ‘Birdie’ thing, Buck? Were you inspired by my beady eyes or the way I flew down from the trees to see you today?” I jested in the hope it would cover up the black hole that would in the pit of my stomach.

His eyes drifted down, and his ring-clad hand pulled a fallen leaf fragment from my sweater. Bucky shrugged, “I don’t know, it was in my dialogue for the campaign. I thought I’d run with it, it’s cute. It suits you.” He leaned back, palms flat on the dark wood of the bench. He tilted his head back and flashed me a bashful smile.

I look toward him in earnest, and he continues his ramble, “No, actually, it’s stupid. Sorry, sweetheart.”

He shook his head, the beautiful cascade of brown hair framed his face and I retorted, “No, no. I was joking Jamie, I do like it. It’s just different, is all. You had me thinking someone usurped my title of your cherished sweetheart. I was just brainstorming my plan of action- you know- setting my targets and ensuring I could retrieve the name that’s rightfully mine.”

He sat up and rubbed his hands down the length of my arms, a comforting gesture. A reassuring one. Hands caressed me like the singed spine of a book salvaged from the fires of Alexandria- as if I were a priceless artefact not to be handled precariously. “Nobody could steal that from you, Birdie. And if you catch me callin’ anyone other than you, sweetheart, know that I’ve been body snatched and you need to come save me.”

A laugh escaped me, he knows just how to make me feel safe when I’m with him, in every capacity. Bucky wrapped himself around me, encompassing me in the warmth that melts the welts of my worries. It’ll be fine, I thought to myself. I can do this. Right?

Rain beating down on me like the mighty wrath of Zeus hauls me out of the fond memory and pushes me back into my very cold, very wet reality. In the distance I can see the living room light turn on in Bucky’s home, the exterior of it seemingly harsh and bitter but it’s filled with more love and acceptance than I’ve experienced elsewhere. The wind whistles riotously as I bang on the door, “Jamie! I’m getting hypothermia out here! Can you open the fucking door please?”

He emerges, brows furrowed, “Birdie, what are you doin’ here? The campaign isn’t for another hour,” Realising that I look like a drowned subway rat he ushers me inside, “Shit, sorry! Come on in sweetheart, uh- let’s get you dry.”

“Thank you, Jamie, truly. Really glad you didn’t decide to leave me outside to die.” I shiver out. He looks at me apologetically. Jesus those eyes. He could get away with murder with those eyes. He could glance at St. Peter at heaven’s gates and Bucky would be admonished of all his sins. He’d be allowed in and be given the best resting place Heaven has to offer without so much as a word. They’re soft, an endless Mediterranean blue- so captivating it would rival Narcissus and his reflection.

He disappears for a moment and emerges with a dry article of clothing. Bucky extends his hand to me, the soft grey fabric now within my reach.

“Here sweetheart, fresh shirt. You can go to the bathroom and change if you want. I’d offer my room but… truth be told, it’s a mess and I’d be embarrassed if you saw how I really lived.” He ducks his head and rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “I- uh- I can also grab a sweater for ya, if you’re still cold.” He adds, with a smile.

“Thanks, Buck.” A small grin graces my features, the cold that clung to me dissipates in the confines of his kindness. “My god, the Zeppelin shirt?” I clutch it to my chest and gasp dramatically. “Maybe I should walk to you in the rain more often, I don’t get this five-star treatment all the time.”

“Hush, sweetheart. You know I’d give you anything if you asked.” He retorts, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

After changing into something significantly more comfortable than the soaked fabric that clung to my skin, I return to the living room to find my knight in shining armour lighting a cigarette on the back porch. He turns to look at me and inhales, “You feelin’ better now?”

“Much,” I move to sit beside him on the battered porch swing, and tilt my body towards him, “Can I have a puff, Bucky? Light of my life, saviour of my world?” He smiles and puts the orange filter up to my lips, I breathe in. Letting the nicotine fill my lungs, I feel the menthol spread across my body, it tingles down my arms and a calm settles over me.

“You want one for yourself sweetheart, or would you prefer to smoke half of mine like always?” He cocks his head to the side and smiles.

“I’m fine with our arrangement just the way it is, Jamie.” I shift over and place my head on his shoulder. He kisses the top of head, a familiar gesture. For him it was a sign of reassurance, as if he was saying: ‘you’re going to be okay as long as I’m here.’

“Why’d you decide to come here so early, Birdie? You miss me that much?”

“Don’t flatter yourself James, I just needed a smoke.” Taking a long drag of the cigarette, I close my eyes- happy to finally be where I needed to be.

He hums in acknowledgement. “Of course, sweetheart.”

“You want me to help you set up?” I enquire and he shakes his head.

“Nope. I got it all sorted out, you can just sit and look pretty.” He places his thumb and index finger onto my chin and squeezes, his nose scrunches up and a smile graces his face. “Although, that shouldn’t be a problem for you sweetheart.”

“Are you calling me lazy, Barnes?”

“I’m callin’ you beautiful, Birdie.” He says simply, the words roll off his tongue with no more effort than a breath.

What I wouldn’t do for him to always look at me like this, with those azure eyes full of contentment. They’re warmer than the embrace of a summer’s day, than the encapsulating feel of steamy water in the bathtub, than a balmy breeze whispering past me on the beach.

“Oh, uh, Buck? I got you a little something.”

“What? You didn’t have to do that, sweetheart. You should know that you bein’ here is a gift in and of itself.”

A smile makes its way on to my face, and I chuckle, “Sure, but this is something that you absolutely need,” Sifting through the contents of my bag, I find it. A small black box with a glittery red bow on the top, “Here. Open it.”

With the unveiling of the contents of the box, Bucky’s face lights up- like a Christmas tree on December 25th. “No fuckin’ way, sweetheart.” He shakes my shoulders excitedly and promptly goes back to admiring his new possession, running his fingers over the cold metal links, “Holy shit, this is so cool. A fuckin’ chainmail pouch? Is this for my dice?”

“Yes! You can keep them all together now, I know they always end up in weird places after campaigns so I thought this could help.”

“Thank you, Birdie. This is amazing.” He laughs.

What an angelic sound- comparable only to the trumpets of heaven or the symphonies of a divine orchestra. He wraps his arms around me and squeezes, “I love it.”

I turn to face him, bending my leg up on the worn porch swing, the wood is soft under my skin, such a familiar feeling- upon which so many memories were made. Bucky moves closer to me, an indistinguishable look in his eyes. My breath halts, it feels as if my lungs were dipped in iron. My insides are hot and there’s a fluttering in my stomach. Why’s he staring at me like that? Am I melting? It feels like I’m melting. Come on, get a hold of yourself. It’s just Bucky, looking at you the way he always does.

A small smile graces his face, the edges of his lips lifting ever so slightly and the corners of his eyes crinkling up. He tilts his head to the side and places his hand on my cheek, his thumb shifting up and down so gently I almost don’t notice. I wonder if this is how people experience religious euphoria. Is this how it feels to be touched by the hand of God? Could the promise eternal peace be held within the fingers that are caressing my face? Is it possible that the divine culminated in this Adonis of a man?

An abrupt knocking at the door startles me and Bucky recoils, “Let me, uh, I- I’ll get it.”

“Bucky, open up already!” A woeful gust of wind screeches outside the door. “Jesus Christ, Barnes, I’m gonna grow old and rot before you let us in!” Sam yells, announcing his presence.

“Alright, alright! I’m comin’.” Bucky shuffles to the door, a twinge of annoyance laced in his tone. His demeanour, however, shifts when the boys come inside. He’s happy to see them, he always is. I am too, they’re some of my best friends. I won’t lie to myself though; I would have appreciated them arriving just a few minutes later- if for no reason other than quelling the sheer curiosity about what was going to happen.

“If it took you any longer, Buck, I would have assumed you were dead.” After hugging him, Steve sets down his bag and greets me, “Y/N, Hey! It’s so good to see you. We didn’t interrupt anything did we?” He raises his eyebrows suggestively.

“No, no, Stevie- you’re all good. I missed you.” I ruffle his hair when he comes over for a hug, my actions are met with a disgruntled groan from the six-foot-three puppy of a man.

Nat pulls up behind me and I embrace her excitedly, “Nat, baby! How have you been? How’s your girl?” She slinks her arm around my neck and in return I put my arm around her waist.

“We’re alright, hon. Why? Have you reconsidered our request for a threesome?”

“Aw, Natasha don’t flatter yourself. We agreed to do it without you, obviously.” I give her a light pat on the back and turn away, going to greet Sam.

The rest of the group starts filtering in after a bit, Steve and Thor creating their usual ruckus.

“Alright sinners, are we ready for the campaign of the century?” Bucky announces, as he stands at the head of the table- a king ready to lead his troops into battle. A Greek god, blessing his subjects with the greatest gift- a myth, a legend, a story to be passed down ear-to-mouth and mouth-to-ear for generations to come. And we, his loyal subjects listening in earnest, hanging onto every vowel, every consonant as if it were our life force- sustaining us. His words igniting a bonfire to provide light and warmth as we make our way through this ominous cascade of casting spells, battling beasts and me trying not to visibly sweat because of that sultry voice Bucky is speaking in. Anxieties fly high as the six-hour campaign draws to a close.

“Xanaphia of Excelsior, you have travelled a distance incomparable to any other, you have seen nations built and destroyed, you have brazened the path to my home- a journey no man before you had been able to conquer. A path, little bird, no man should be able to survive.” Bucky narrates, his character so carved out and precise I almost don’t recognise him.

“Luckily for me, Alaric... I am no man.” I smile up at Bucky, he reciprocates- a genuine beam shines upon my face. I knew the Lord of the Rings reference would get to him. The rest of the room melts away, the cries of Sam telling me to finish the job and Scott excitedly banging his fists on the table become nothing but distant memories. Bucky stands, in all his glory- broad shoulders block the light behind him and a halo encompasses the edges of his physique. Is he an angel, or just the devil in ambient lighting? With his eyes piercing into mine like they are, I don’t think I could bring myself to care.

“No man indeed.” A corner of his mouth turns up, a devious smirk creeps onto his face. “So, little bird. What shall it be? I am completely at your mercy. You have me on my knees.”

Everyone perches on the edge of their seats at the final roll of the D20, the last dance between my character and the Vampire at the top the Hill approaches. To stab or to seduce, that is the question. Will I succumb to the pleasures of the night or fight my desires and kill him for my brethren, currently surrounded by ghouls? I should kiss him, right? A move to seduce could ensure that the Vampire lets the surviving members of my party go, whereas a move to kill him could result in everyone being murdered. This is purely a selfless choice.

“I’ll roll for charisma. I want to kiss you- him! Ahem- Alaric.” Heat rises in my cheeks and a pit forms in my stomach. Oh, my God.

A hush falls over the room, the booming of the dice upon the table is all that can be heard, save for the thudding of my heart that pounds in my ears. The resin contraption stills, and Bucky leans over to inspect what the gods have decided my fate shall be.

“A… a fuckin’ nat’ twenty.” He says in bewilderment, his voice barely above a whisper. And the crowd goes wild- jests and jeers come from all around the table.

“Alaric of the Hill concedes! Your kiss has bewitched him, congratulations. He decides to let your party go on the condition that you keep him company. Will you, Xanaphia, stay with Alaric and forgo all other quests?”

“Fuck yes.” I state triumphantly, relieved as all heaven that the risk I took paid off.

Celebratory drinks are raised, and toasts are made in my honour- to Xanaphia of Excelsior, she who could warm the heart of even the most cold-blooded of creatures.

Bucky gets the music going and Thor pours the drinks, perhaps the most dangerous of combinations. Bodies push against each other, the sounds of Def Leppard’s Pour Some Sugar on Me intertwine with the heavy breathing of the people in the room, dim lighting overhead makes for a danse macabre-esque sequence to play out around me. We are neither here, nor there. Dead, nor living. Could this be a man in front of me, or an angel? Deep shadows are carved under his cheekbones and his jaw is sharp under this light, threads of walnut hair are strewn across his face, moving with him to the music.

Rhythm flows through me, I lift my arms up close my eyes in sheer delight- being here with these people is all I could ask for.

Bucky is beckoned over to the kitchen and upon arrival, he laughs boisterously at something Sam says. Steve claps his shoulder and throws his head back as he always does when someone makes a stupid joke. I wonder if he knows that he lights up the room the way he does, if he has any idea of the fact that he could put the Nevada sun to shame, that all the bonfires in the world couldn’t amount to the warmth he brings to a room.

Well, perhaps this exact situation is not all I could ask for, but it will do just fine.

As the song reaches its summit Nat approaches me with an inebriated smile on her face, she reaches her hands out to me and interlocks her fingers with mine.

“Hey pretty girl, you havin’ fun?” the red head exclaims, her voice barely swimming above the music. We move together to the rhythm of the song; I sway my hips and look around the room, to find Bucky over by the counter, pouring himself another drink.

My eyes shift back to Nat, and I smile, “Of course, babe! It’s always a good time when you’re here.”

She lifts my hand and spins me before resuming our prior position. She raises a quizzical brow, “You sure, hon? Because you keep looking over in that direction.” Nat tilts her head towards Bucky. Of course she’d know. She’s like a bloodhound when it comes to people’s feelings, sniffing out the source for minor ticks in their facial muscles, every dilation of their pupils and apparently each longing stare in their direction. “Y/N, do you have something to tell me?”

I shake my head, grimacing slightly, “Don’t worry about it, babe. It’s fine.”

“No, uh-uh. Come on.” Nat takes my hand and pulls me through the room and to the restroom. She points at the clawfoot tub, “Sit. Tell me what’s going on.”

“Nat, I really don’t want to talk about it right now.” I turn my gaze from her, mortified at the prospect of having to spill my feelings.

“Baby, if you like Bucky it’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’ve suspected it for a while now.”

“How the fuck did you know? I thought I was good at hiding it, Nat.”

“Freshman year, orientation mixer. Do you remember that Y/N? Because I do. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that drunk. You vomited into a flower pot- really not a good look for you, baby. Bucky showed up in that black leather jacket and you physically faltered when you saw him. I had to hold you up for the better part of five minutes because your legs, and I quote, ‘couldn’t possibly stay solid with how fucking hot he looked.’”

“Oh my God!” I exclaim and put my head in my hands, “I have to dig a hole and hide away in it forever. Nat- that’s fucking awful. You never told me!”

“I assumed you’d bring it up when you wanted to talk about it,” She shrugs, as if she hadn’t just unearthed the one dirty little skeleton I would have liked to keep buried, “And you never did, hon. But it’s been years and you’re clearly still enamoured with him, and I feel like I’m entitled to a little bit of an explanation.” She takes a seat on the cold porcelain next to me, a half-smile decorates her face.

“Okay- you’re right and I’m sorry for not telling you before. I just couldn’t- I didn’t want to make it real. You know? Because if I admitted that he’s on my mind constantly and that he’s the only person I’ve really, truly wanted for fucking years, and that he makes me feel seen and heard and cared for in a way I never thought was possible- then there was a possibility of all that going away.” An exhale escapes me, and I look away from Nat- who seems less flabbergasted at this admission than I’d expect.

She places a supportive hand on my shoulder, “Baby- you know that man loves you, right? You’re his best friend, he’d never let you go like tha-”

“I know, I know.” I interject. “He’s my best friend too- but if it ever came up that I wanted more than what we had right now and he didn’t want that, then everything would fall apart. And you know that, Nat. Everything is perfect the way it is. I wouldn’t want to jeopardize it for anything, not even for my own feelings.” It’s a lie, deep down I know there will always be a part of me yearning, wanting, needing something just out of reach.

Perhaps it is a sacrifice I’d be willing to make. I could be the slaughtered lamb on a pyre, if it meant Bucky would be happy, if it meant he could get love and support and care from me and everyone around him, without me fucking everything up.

We’ve all been together since freshman year, some of us before that. We’re a family. For me to toss it aside in favor of this childish crush, it would be selfish. It would be building your home and setting it on fire, pushing a boulder up a hill just to push it down the same way, it would be Icarus flying into the sun and dying a horrible, fiery death.

“Hon, I love you but you’re really fuckin’ stupid sometimes.” Nat shakes her head with a small laugh.

“Stop it, Nat. I mean it. He’s never said anything about that- us, you know in that way- and… And he was dating that girl a couple months ago- what was her name? Jo-Ann?” I retort quickly, attempting to repress the feelings that arise from her steadfast argument.

“And do you remember when that ended? Less than two days after you and that asshole you were seeing broke up.” She bumps her shoulder against mine to drive her point forward. My eyebrows knit together at that, she’s not wrong. Technically.

“We all knew that was never going to last. She was so mean and self-involved. I mean- I know I can also be those things… and there’s nothing wrong with being a little bitchy and vain but at least when I do it, it’s classy and everyone loves it.” I jest in an attempt to shift her focus away from Bucky and I, but to no avail.

“Come on, hon. We all know why it didn’t work out. The real reason why.”

“Oh yeah, Nat?” I tilt my head to the side curiously. Music bleeds through the vacant space under the door and I can hear Sam singing along to the song, loudly and off key. It makes me smile. “And what is the real reason?”

“Because she wasn’t you.” She lays it out plainly. Her shoulders shrug in an almost exaggerated display of nonchalance.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Natasha. There- there’s no way.” My voice comes out a bit more strained than anticipated and I stand up from my seat on the bathtub.

“Fine, since you clearly don’t want to listen to reason... I’ll drop it for now, but you’ve got to understand that I meant everything I said. We can all see how head over heels he is for you, baby. You just- maybe you should talk to him about it.” She follows my lead in standing up- there’s an air of finality in her voice and I know our conversation is over.

I take the quick reprieve as Nat leaves the restroom to collect my thoughts. If the alcohol in my system didn’t make the room sway slightly, the revelations that Nat unleashed on me certainly did. I rest my hands on either side of the cool, white basin and look at myself in the mirror that stands proudly on the wall. Good god, pull yourself together. An abrupt knock on the door interrupts my much-needed mirror reflection time. “Occupied!” I yell out in the general direction of the door. For fucks sake, I can’t even get a moment of silence to think.

“Sweetheart? You alright in there?” Bucky’s voice sifts through the door and caresses my ears. His tone so soft, so full of warmth and concern- it makes my heart clench in my chest.

“Yeah, just give me a second.” I smooth down my shirt that had crumpled and gathered in the worst possible way as Natasha berated me about my lack of perception and emotional intelligence while we balanced on the edge of the bathtub.

“Can I come in?” He asks, almost tentatively- or at least as tentative as James Buchanan Barnes could sound. I quickly move to unlock the door and I let him in. His hair is slightly damp from what I assume could only be vigorous beer pong playing or dancing drunkenly to the music. Either way, I’m thankful for it. It's hot.

There’s a slight dusting of red along his cheeks, it is amplified as he gives me a lazy smile. “You alright, Birdie? Do I need to be concerned as to why you’re hiding out in the bathroom when you could be dancing or singing or losing to me at beer pong?”

“In your fuckin’ dreams, Jamie. Do I have to remind you about Thor’s Halloween beer pong tournament?” I raise my eyebrows in challenge and step closer to him, my arms folded across my chest.

Bucky lets out an exaggerated scoff, “That was beginner’s luck on your side. Had to be, sweetheart.” He follows suit and takes a small step toward me.

“Beginner’s luck? Three games in a row? I don’t think so, pretty boy.”

He smiles at me, his eyes searching my face. “Pretty boy, huh? That’s new.”

“Don’t change the subject, Barnes. I could beat you blindfolded, with one hand tied behind my back.” Smugness drips off my words and Bucky’s gaze darkens.

“You want to bet, little bird?” He towers over me now, arms on either side of the basin, confining me between him and the cold tile.

“Sure, why not? There’s no way you’d win anyways.” A deceptively sweet smile is plastered on my face in a challenge to him. My heart thumps loudly in my chest. I feel the blood rushing to my ears and butterflies erupt in my stomach. He’s so beautiful, it’s nearly impossible to stop myself from thinking about how much I’d like him to grab my face and kiss me.

“State your terms, sweetheart.” He backs up and folds his arms over each other across his chest.

“One round, first one to no cups wins. We can have one redemption shot each. And when I win… Hmm…” I tap my finger against my lips in contemplation for a moment, “When I win, you have to let me drive your car.”

His eyes widen slightly, and his lips move to form a small ��o’ shape. “Sweetheart, you- you can’t possibly be serious. I don’t even let Steve drive my car.”

“I’m deadly serious. I’ve had my eye on it for a while now, to be quite honest. I would love to drive her down to the coast… Put the top down, play some trashy pop music on the speakers…” I taunt, my voice low and melodic.

“I…” He starts, but I cut him off before he can argue.

“Unless you’re chicken, that is. You scared, Jamie? Shaking in your boots over your inevitable, devastating loss?”

“No- I mean-” He takes a breath in and lifts his hands in surrender, “Fine. Fine. If you win, you can drive the car down to the beachfront. But I’m ridin’ shotgun.”

“I expected nothing less. It’ll be fun- we’ll make a day of it.” I say with a smile, my eyes light up at that prospect.

“You don’t want to know what I get if I win?” He pivots.

“Nope. Don’t need to. Because it’ll never happen. Come on, let’s play.” I tilt my head in the direction of the door and smirk at him with as much cheek as I could muster.

Bucky grabs my hand, returning the smile. He stops for a moment and stares at me, that same indecipherable look in his eyes from earlier. Our fingers are interlaced, one continuous string moves in between him and I.

It felt as if I’d be able to hear a pin drop, despite the hustle and bustle of the party raging on outside. I move to grab the door handle and exit the restroom when I feel him pull me back towards him. He grips my hand and pulls me flush against his chest.

“Bucky, what are you d-”

“You- I-” He clenches his jaw and exhales sharply. “I just- I wanted to tell you that you look beautiful tonight. Your- uh- your outfit looks good on you.”

“You mean your shirt? You mean to tell me that your most beloved article of clothing looks good universally?” I laugh out nervously, not wanting to mention the proximity.

“No- just on you. It looks- you look fuckin’ incredible, sweetheart.” He flashes me a lopsided smile and gives my shoulders a squeeze. “You can keep it. If you want.”

“You don’t need it? I thought this was your secret weapon that you used to bend all of mankind to your devilishly handsome will?”

“I could do that with or without the shirt, believe me.” He drawls out, the cocky bastard. His smile falters the tiniest bit, unease flashes across his features. He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. He clenches his jaw one final time and finds my hand again.

“Let's go.” Bucky leads me out of the bathroom to the outskirts of the party. The beer pong table is left uninhabited, red solo cups stacked messily from rounds passed.

Bucky quickly sets up the cups and I fetch the most tolerable beer I can find and start filling the cups in preparation of the battle ahead. I roll my neck and crack my knuckles before we begin- Bucky rolls his eyes at me with a laugh. “You ready, sweetheart?”

“The real question, James, is… are you ready?”

“Just play, smartass.” A cheeky smile appears on his face.

Something is wrong. Dear God, something is horrifyingly and incredibly wrong. Bucky is winning at beer pong. Never, in the history of us, had he even come close to beating me- except for tonight.

“What the fuck, Barnes? Have you been getting private beer pong lessons just for this?” I shoot and miss again. Third time in a row. I haven’t even hit the rim in the past few turns.

Could it be because Thor got too tipsy and spilled his drink all over Bucky’s little conservative long sleeve sweater and he had to go and change into one of those ridiculously stupid, sexy, (did I mention stupid? And also so, so very sexy) wife pleaser vests. His muscles are on full display- arms toned and chest rippling. Dear God. The alcohol buzzing around my system is screaming at me to bite his bicep- surely it wouldn’t be that weird, right? Just a little nibble...

No. What the fuck is wrong with me? I need to get a fucking grip. Perhaps a grip on those sculpted pecs while- No. Not doing that now.

Looking like the cat that ate the canary, Bucky wears the smuggest, filthiest grin on his face. “Oh, sweetheart…” He saunters over to my side of the table and picks up my last red solo cup- there is a small, orange ping pong ball floating tauntingly in the cool brown liquid. He fishes it out with his fingers it and sets it down on the table.

“Drink up.”

I flash him a glare, my eyes narrow as he brings the cup up to my lips. His eyes are trained on me as I gulp down the last of my drink.

“Good. Now let’s discuss my prize.” He removes the cup and wipes away a stray droplet of beer that escaped out the corner of my mouth, with his thumb. Without stopping, he brings that same digit to his lips and licks it. I feel frozen, dumbstruck, and I’m quite sure I look it. My jaw hangs open slightly as I watch him. I gulp, suddenly very thirsty.

“Cocky, weren’t you? Sweetheart?” he smirks and pinches my chin lightly with his pointer finger and his thumb. He gives me a light squeeze and retreats. The touch sends a shiver down my spine, goosebumps erupt down my arms and the delicious burn of desire settles in my stomach.

“Shut up, Barnes. I don’t know which devil you gave your soul to for skills like that, but I have got to say… that seems like a pretty good deal. You're alright." I admit defeat, my shoulders rise and I hold my hands up in surrender. I smile at him cheekily as he approaches. His steps are slow, deliberate. Wrapped in confidence and assuredness.

“So, Jamie. Your prize- what’ll it be?” I ask, after a small beat of silence.

We look at each other for a moment, just a single moment. Although, it doesn't feel that way. Lifetimes could have passed us by, empires could have risen and fallen- and I would still be lost in his eyes. The deep azure pierces my very soul. He blinks and clears his throat, looking to the floor almost embarrassedly.

"Buck? You alright?" I enquire, moving closer to him.

He chuckles and nods his head slowly.

“You know my cousin, Emma? She’s uh- she’s gettin’ married next Saturday and... And I need a date.” Earnest fills his words, and an irresistible, infuriatingly beautiful smile appears on his face.

I have to resist the urge to pinch myself, because this could only be a really fucked up, steamy dream. I’m silent for a beat, trying to comprehend exactly what he said and the implications behind that.

“I mean, sweetheart, only if you want to. If you- uh- like if you’re not into that, I can just go solo.” His voice holds a slight tremble at the end of his sentence. Holy shit- is he nervous?

“No, no! I am- I’d be into that. We can definitely go together.” I reassure him. My heart pounds against my ribcage, my cheeks heat and a bright smile finds its way onto my face.

“It’d just be better for my ma to think I’m seein’ someone. I know she’s gonna try pair me up with her neighbour’s daughter. Again.” His hands are dug deeply in his pockets, his Adams apple bobs as he swallows.

Realisation flashes on my face. Friends. He wants to go as friends who are pretending to be dating. Right, of course.

“Yeah, for sure. Uh- I’ve got you covered, Jamie.” My smile falters, only for a moment. His eyebrows scrunch together, concern flashing across his features. I give him a half-hearted smile.

“Alright, thanks Birdie. You’re a lifesaver.” He removes his hands from his pockets and claps them together. “You want another drink? I can make you somethin’ quick.”

“Sure, yeah. Do you still have that margarita mix? It was yummy.” I suggest, clumsily. I need to find my footing after that absolute emotional rollercoaster, so he will just have to excuse my unbecoming behavior.

People start filtering out one by one and soon, the disco lights are turned off and the soft, warm glow of the lamps fill the living room. I find myself leaning against Bucky on the worn leather couch, exhaustion weighs heavily on me, and I find my eyes flitting shut for a few moments at a time.

“Birdie? You wanna go to bed?” Bucky coos.

I grumble in response, not fully committed to giving him a proper answer.

He chuckles, it’s rich and dark and perfect. “You can take the guest bedroom if you want… Or do you want to sleep here, sweetheart?”

“Bed.” I manage to mumble, with half lidded eyes and a stifled yawn.

“Do you need me to walk you there? You good to do that, baby? Or should I carry you?” His voice is soft, full of compassion. Even drunk and exhausted, it makes my heart swell. I can’t help but smile- it’s lazy and probably not my most picture-perfect smile, but it’s there now.

“Just fucking carry me. I know you want to- you know I want you to.”

He laughs out and hops up to scoop me up from my position on the couch. His strong arms come up under me and Bucky carries me to the guest bedroom, he doesn’t even break a sweat. You’d swear he was a goddamn superhero or something.

Bucky lays me down gingerly and I shift to get comfortable as I feel the softness of the mattress beneath me. “Thank you, sweet Jamie. My sweet… sweet Jamie.” My eyes flutter shut and I nestle into the pillow.

“G’night, Birdie. Sweet dreams.” He leans down and presses a chaste kiss to my forehead. If I'd been more cognizant, perhaps I would've seen the way he smiled down at me from the side of the bed, eyes soft and full of care. Maybe I would have noticed his hesitance to leave, or the way he brought his fist up to his chest and rubbed it soothingly. Perhaps I would've picked up on the fact that his heart burned inside his chest for me, the same way mine did for him.

Hello everyone! This is the first part of my first ever series, I really hope you like it!

Please let me know what you all thought of it!

xoxo, Viv

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #mcu #james barnes #james barnes x reader #james barnes x you #james barnes x y/n #bucky x you #bucky barnes x you #bucky fluff #james buchanan barnes #bucky barnes fanfiction

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seneon · 8 months ago

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senation lore part two : ice kingdom

WAR AFTER WARS... the kingdom of senation remains powerful and strong under the leadership and ruling of king sen, their mighty and conquering king. however, one day, the king felt silly and decided to venture away from his piles of paperworks. no weapons, no nothing. just a silly little letter addressed to his loyalest greatest servant.

so he ventured as he said he would. for hours he walked in the forest like a baka, not knowing where to go or what to do. just keep walking, tripping, and praying to the lord that he didn't even get up from his throne. he is lost. oh but! there's a giant magical portal there 😧😧😧

mighty king sen is curious. he then ventured through the magical blue / white portal in the middle of the woods. why? all out of the interest of skipping paperwork duties. he might be a might king in battle, but irl, he's lazy about paperworks. anyways.

a white light flashed before his majesty, revealing a beautiful woman in all glistening white. there is a flower in his hand, coincidentally, so he knelt down and offered the flower to the beautiful fairy. however. when she took the flower, she immediately FROZE. then the king flashed his eyes opened.

"heavens! what a realistically artistic image of a maiden in completely glorious and heavenly white garment that i just hath in my brains!!"

fast forward ⏩⏩⏩

people of the ice found the king venturing alone in the snow. of course, he is confused. however, they explained to him and said "great lord! you are our saviour! save us from cold hell!!!" and the king replied "of course! i am conquering sen overall! i shall save thee kingdom!!" he realised he has some cool gears on with an ice sword that never breaks, and realised that this.... is his time to shine. literally.

the ice people then prepared for war and they summoned their secret trump alpha monster card to assist king sen in the war. one of them then led the king to the ice palace, where the evil dark ice lord is.

together, they set out for war after regathering with the rest.

duudududud

WAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!!!!!

HIYYA

HUACKS

UEGH

EUFK

SHING

KACHING

RAAAARRGGGHHHHHH

WE FIGHT FOR FREEEDOOMMMM!!!!!

in the end... dark ice lord lost with the @saewako ice blade struck through his chest... and the ice nation...?

"MIGHTY SAVIOR SEN! MIGHTY SAVIOUR SEN! MIGHT SAVIOUR SEN!!!"

mighty and conquering sen once again saved the world (a land he didn't know how or why he got involved in but it's ok it's all good.) the ice people then thanked him and helped him prepare for his journey back to senation.

they bid each other goodbye, and that is the end of it. back in senation, general @milyz found the king stranded in the forest and immediately took king sen back to his palace. while king sen told the story to the general, the general laughed it off as the king being exposed too much poisonous plants in the forest and all that he needs is rest.

does the king know he killed the only king of the ice kingdom while all the ice people are evil...? well. that is for you to figure out.

𝖑𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖑𝖎𝖛𝖊 𝖐𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖘𝖊𝖓𝖊𝖔𝖓.

STARRING. @milyz @saewako @amourlyns @wishmemel @saelestia @atrirose @rinzsu @omitea @hyoismbbg @todorokies @kaiser1ns @rizzmin @steleir @noirflms @peaktora @iluvies @sugurustattoo @bfajax @saturvue @honeydewsblue

note: hope u guys enjoyed pt2 of senation lore. read part one here. part two here. part three here. once again, this is pure crack 😭😭 pls don't kill me btw i spun the wheel to determine your roles mooties

#﹙🗝️ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ 𝐰𝐫𝖎𝐭𝖎𝐧𝐠﹚#﹙🦇 .𖥔 ݁ ˖ 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝖘𝖘𝐞𝐝﹚#﹙🕷️ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ 𝑠𝑒𝑛.﹚

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dark-corner-cunning · 1 month ago

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Nature's Comfort in Times of Grief, Sadness, Depression, & Shadow Work

As the days grow shorter and the veil between worlds thins, those of us in the northern hemisphere prepare for our descent into the darker half of the year. The turning inward begins—a time of reflection, rest, and connection with the mysteries of the unseen. With Samhain and All-Hallows fast approaching, many of us will be honoring our beloved dead, inviting their spirits into our hearths and hearts.

Yet, here in Appalachia, the weight of this season feels heavier than usual. We are still grappling with the aftermath of Helene, not only facing the destruction left in her wake but mourning the loss of family, friends, and neighbors. The land, our sacred connection, has been scarred, and we feel that pain deeply in our spirits. In these moments, grief is a shared burden, an ache that runs through the hills and hollers, touching us all.

With this in mind, I wanted to offer some healing guidance to those of you navigating this challenging time. Grief, loss, and depression can be overwhelming forces, but nature has always provided us with allies—herbs that soothe the spirit and support us through our shadow work. These plants can help us not only process our emotions but also guide us through the necessary inner journeys of transformation and healing.

Agrimony: Dispelling negative feelings

Amaranth: Healing the brokenhearted

Ashwagandha: Stress relief

Balm of Gilead Tears: Healing from loss & the broken heart

Beech Tree: Emotional wound healing

Bleeding Heart Flower: Ease broken hearts

Bluebell: Soothes grief & sorrow

Brussel Sprouts: Helps to process emotional heartache

Burdock Root: Removes negative feelings from trauma & wrongdoing

Calamint: Soothes sorrow & aids in the recovery of emotional pain

Cannabis: Aids relaxation & calms

Celandine: Helps with depression

Centaury: Repels hurtful energy

Chamomile: Reduces stress

Chaparral: Aids in resolving sleep disturbances triggered by the mind

Chestnut (Bark, Leaves, Nuts): Relieving worry

Chickweed: Calms anger & releases long-held grudges

Clover (King’s): Helps with depression

Clove: Eases grief

Coffee: Removes negative self-views

Coriander: Eases broken heart

Cypress: Eases grief & broken hearts

Fireweed: Trauma recovery

Garden Sage (Any Sage Other Than White): Eases grief & loss

Ghost Pipe: Assists with shadow work, emotional pain, & aids with bad habits

Katydid: Letting go of patterns, beliefs, & behaviors that no longer serve you

Kola Nut: Helps remove depression

Lamb’s Ear: Dispels despair

Lantana: Helps heal depression

Lavender: Promotes calmness, soothing, & helps overcome depression

Lemon Balm: Helps in healing mental & nervous issues

Linden Tree: Heart healing & stress relief

Lotus Root: Aids in preventing intrusive & negative thoughts

Meadowsweet: Relieves distress & disharmony

Narcissus: Promotes peace of mind

Neroli: Overcoming emotional blockages

Nettle: Dispels fear

Onion Flower: Banishes bad habits & negative influences

Pampas Grass: Aids in overcoming depression

Papaya: Aids in bringing you out of darkness

Passionflower: Aids in destressing

Pine Nuts: Aids in releasing & moving on

Rabbit Tobacco: Aids in helping ease restless spirits (Great for the departed lost to traumatic situations)

Redbud: Healing shame & emotional pain

Reindeer Moss: Helps feeling uprooted, disconnected, displaced, & coping with sudden changes out of your control

Rosemary: Remembrance

Sassafras: Overcoming addiction

Skullcap: Relieves disharmony & disruption

Snowdrop: Relieves sorrow & grief

Spider Plant: Reduces stress

Star of Bethlehem: Releases shock, trauma, psychological & emotional blockages

Sugar Cane: Aids in sympathy

Thyme: Eases grief

Tumbleweed: Releasing the care of other’s thoughts about you

Willow Tree: Overcoming sadness

Witch Hazel: Eases grief

Wood Betony: Eases grief

Wormwood: Eases anger

Ylang Ylang: Overcoming depression

Zinnia: Eases sadness

#traditional witchcraft #witchcraft #witch #witchblr #magick #spellcasting #appalachian magick #folk witchcraft #folk magic #green witch #green magic #herb magic #shadow work

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yaekiss · 1 year ago

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#Mailroom Open! — HI QI! *falls to my knees* a letter for traveler!aether, any petnames are fine and i would love to have a nsfw + yandere reply <3

—

“To the love of my life, my dearest adventurer,

I’m hoping this letter actually reaches you. Really, how hard is it to stay in one place at a time? Somehow, having Paimon as a destination landmark seems to work. Ah, but don’t let her read this one…or open the gift that I’ve included… Just tell her I’ll give her some cookies when we see each other again!

Anyhow, enough about my complaints when sending a letter. I don’t know if I can go much longer without you. Oh, mighty traveler, how can you leave your partner in such a state? I fear that my imaginations have now run too wild now due to this. I’m this close to sending a commission to the Adventurer’s Guild where I’m able to ravish you on our bed for a day straight.

I wish you well on your journey in Sumeru, but please, come back soon. Diluc has threatened to ban me from his tavern because of my constant babbling of you, and not all of them are appropriate for the public.

—Your needy one.”

(The box that the letter is attached to contains some dried Windwheel Asters, but most importantly, a dog collar.)

꩜ Letter Content: GN! Dom! Top! Reader x Yan! Sub! Bottom! Aether, no gendered terms used for reader, Aether calls you "my star", unhealthy obsessive and possessive relationship from Aether, collar (used on Aether), small mention of edging and marking, lmk if I missed anything ! ꩜ Delivery Notes: It was ridiculously hard tracking the ever-elusive traveller down, but I did it! Looked like he was sporting some new accessory too, cool! ꩜ Wanna write a love letter yourself? Check out it out here!

Aether’s reply consists of two items: A small cloth drawstring sack made of a fabric that seems to faintly glitter in the sunlight and a separate wooden box. The box is slim, made of flawless Karmaphala wood with a hinged lid. The area for storing items is shallow so the gift he sent can't be all too big and it has you speculating as to what it could be.

Putting your curiosity aside for now, you first open the sack, only to see a void somehow contained inside. It looks like the night sky, the dark space adorned with the stars that Aether conjures up in his palm every once in a while to impress you. Trusting your dear traveller, you reach an arm in and pull out the first thing you come into contact with, a miniature little wood carving of him as an aranara (he’s written so much to you about the aranaras so to see him as one makes your heart melt a little). Afterwards, you continue retrieving the other included gifts like a bouquet of various Sumeru flowers preserved with his dendro elemental resonance. There’s also a tied stack of recipes along with an attached note saying: “So you can also have a taste of my journey so far!”

Finally, you dig around the empty space and pull out the last remaining item, his letter. The envelope he used is nothing out of the ordinary but what makes it endearing are all the silly doodles he scribbled on it. There’s one of the both of you on the back of a Sumpter Beast and another one of him popping out from a precious chest. In the top right corner, there’s a regional stamp exclusive to Sumeru, one specifically showcasing the scenery of Port Osmos. Now, the mailing system this time through the love hotel doesn’t really require a stamp. Still, he’s had this habit of writing back to you from his journey across Teyvat and through that, gifting you these little collectable stamps from the different nations. Quite sweet really!

Taking his note out, it’s written on a fairly normal parchment, the kind you could find at any general goods store. His response reads:

“Hello, my cherished starlight!

I’ve received your letter safely, thank you, my star! Sorry if it was hard for you to track me down, the recent developments in Sumeru just had me travelling around the region a lot :( There’s too much to unpack in this letter alone so I’ll just talk your ear off when I return to your side! :D

Ah, I also apologise for being away for so long, my star. I know this trip to Sumeru has been one of the longest I’ve taken so far but please believe me when I say that I miss you just as much, if not tenfold more. The company here is nice but they could never compare to you, the warmth of your body next to mine, the way your hands roam allll over me. There’s no one quite like you, my star! I miss you so so so much, and I quite love how much you seem to miss me too…

Did you like the bottomless sack I gave you? It’s like the one I use on my journeys, really useful for when you have too many things you want to bring with you on a trip! Maybe I could even get you in my bag… haha kidding! I know you wouldn’t want to be cramped up next to my Sweet Madames and Paimon’s snacks so I’ll just stick to inviting you along for my adventures, my star.

Speaking of adventures, maybe you should put out that commission to the Adventurers’ Guild. After all, it wouldn’t be right for the Honorary Knight to leave someone so direly in need of help. And if I happened to get my brains fucked out by a very familiar employer, it’ll certainly be a welcome surprise. What would your reaction be if I showed up at your doorstep with the collar you gifted me around my neck? Would you loop your finger through it and pull me in for a heated kiss for everyone to see? Drag me into your bed and pound me senseless? Until the both of us can’t come anymore? Gods, I’m getting giddy with desire, I need you right now, my star. :((( To appease your appetite and imagination, I managed to leave a message for you using a stone mirror I obtained during my trip that serves as some sort of recording device. Watch it while you’re alone, I don’t want any prying eyes around, it’s just for you, my star. Hopefully, after this, you won’t have to resort to rambling to Diluc while drunk.

I think that’s enough rambling from me, go watch my message and tell me what you think! I look forward to your reply, my favourite star~

My love for you spans across worlds,

- Aether -”

Impatiently, you reach over to the box and hurriedly unlatch it, quickly flipping the lid open. A polished smooth stone slab gleams back at you. Underneath the glossy surface, there’s some sort of dense fog, coiling and drifting like smoke. Running your hand over it seems to do the trick, the fog ripples like a droplet on a serene lake and morphs into the image of a scene. It shifts into the rough shape of Aether seated on a bed, the smoky edges in the picture are soft and look like they blur into each other, and the colours are slightly muted. But you still manage to make out the collar he’s holding in his hands. The exact one you gave him in your previous letter.

“Is the mirror working well for you, my star? I hope it is, I wouldn’t want you to miss this.” His voice is sultry and his gaze through the tablet even more so. He strips slowly for you, sensually peeling each article of clothing off, all while running his hands across his body. Occasionally, he tweaks his nipples to let you hear his cute yelps or strokes his already drooling cock, edging himself as he whines for you to touch him, to fill him up.

“Ah, before I forget,” he eagerly fumbles with the dog collar and secures it snugly around his neck, “There we go, perfect!” Shifting closer to the stone mirror, he tilts his head for you to see the new accessory.

“Maybe you could even attach a tag with your name on it to the front,” Aether says, and you think you can see hearts in his eyes as a light blush overtakes his features.

“Aww, I think I’m running out of recording time for this, I’ll see you soon, my favourite star!” The scene freezes and you’re left with Aether beaming back at you and a burning lust to see your dear traveller again.

However, the still image of the final frame ripples once again. For a split second, you think his message will replay but what appears on the surface of the stone is vastly different. The visage changes to Aether’s back view while he’s still on the bed, knees tucked under him. The collar is already on him in this one so it must have been recorded after the previous message. Now that you have a good view of his bare back, you can tell that the marks you left on his back are fading, no longer the angry bright red from the night the two of you spent together before he departed for Sumeru.

“Ugh, they’re so faded now.” You pick up on the disappointed note in Aether’s voice. He looks over his shoulder, brushing his long hair aside. He’s probably using the stone as an actual mirror to examine his back. Did he know it was recording?

“I’ve been away for too long…” He murmurs as his face turns back before he continues, “But when did they even get close with Diluc anyway, spending so much time with him?” The simmering rage (jealousy?) in his voice startles you slightly. You’ve witnessed Aether’s anger and frustration in the past but you’ve never heard him use such a harsh inflection before.

“Looks like I’ll have to cut this trip short.”

The darkening tone in his voice is unnerving, and you don’t know if you’re lucky or not that you’re unable to see the expression on his face.

Thanks for reading! Consider supporting me on kofi if you enjoyed this or check out my other works hehe ♡

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starrywooyo · 10 months ago

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treasure: Six

synopsis: when y/n gets whooshed into an alternate universe, an adventure: one with pirates and monsters and much, much more

pairing: ot8! pirate ateez x fem! reader

genre: pirate au!!

!!warnings(per chapter)!! - [bellow cut!] no warnings i can think of- plz lmk if there is

notes: omg- guess who's backkkkk with an update!! I'm so sorry it's taken this long to get this chapter out.. i also split this chapter into 2 since i felt its a bit much to read with it being so long.. or do you guys not mind really long parts/chapters?? maybe i also done it to keep you guys in suspense too 😏😏

word count: 4.3k

taglist: (if you want removed or added to the list please lmk)

@toxic-babexe , @sunnyhokyu , @cambriel , @lelaleleb

if if missed anyone again just let me know! i also don't know where my tag list is so please let me know if you wanted added and are not on here

series masterlist | main masterlist

previous chapter | next chapter

previously:

hongjoong stands, placing his hands in the table, slightly leaning forward.

“I have some news I want to share” he says

your breath gets stuck in your throat. He doesn't know, does he??

“i have progress of our voyage for the Cromer.” he adds

everyone now gives him their full attention.

“thanks to sedna here, we have our heading. it'll be a long, dangerous journey but I know we as a team, a crew. can manage it!! we will get the cromer before they do”

You don't know how long, it’s most likely been days that have passed. All you can see from the horizon is the ocean and then more ocean.. Water as far as the eye can see.

Crew are starting to feel as though this mission is lost, that you were all lost on the sea, some starting to get bored out of their minds.

You sigh

“What’s wrong?” a voice asks

You close your book over

“Are we ever going to reach wherever it is we’re trying to get to yeosang?” you ask

He bookmarks his own book and lets out a small laugh.

“I’d tell you to be patient but I feel we’re all getting a bit restless these days, we’ll get there all in good time y/n.. Now let's continue reading shall we?” he replies and then proceeds to open his book to continue reading.

Deciding to do the same you reopen your own book and continue reading.

…

You toss and turn in your bed, unable to get some sleep. You still can't help the thoughts that pass through your mind. Tossing off the covers you pull your boots on and make your way through the ship.

It's mostly quiet as you walk down the corridor, the only thing to be heard being the waves crashing outside the ship and the slight creak of the wooden floorboards, the rest of the crew getting some kip while they can.

Walking up the stairs you slightly shiver from the nip from the cold air, rubbing your arms you take no notice of your surroundings and make your way to your spot you like to rest on at the front of the bow.

Leaning on the wood, you look out into the dark, there's not much visibility bar the light coming from the little lantern hanging down but when you look up, you’re in awe. The stars are out and shining bright. They look so… pretty. You wish you had a camera so you could capture this moment

Still gazing at the stars above you don't catch the sound of someone walking up behind you

“D’you like stargazing?”

You flinch turning to the voice

He laughs slightly “sorry didn't mean to scare ya” he says leaning beside you

You finally take in your surroundings you notice hongjoong is at the wheel and that's pretty much everyone who’s still awake

You turn back to him, he’s just looking at you intently

He gestures to the stars with his head and asks again.

“D’you like stargazing. y/n?” he asks.

“I do.. Do you like the stars, Yunho?” you ask him.

He smiles

“I do, being a lookout i get to see ‘em pretty much every night, i know a lot of the constellations too but what ‘re you doing awake at this time.. Can’t sleep??” he asks

You shake your head

He looks away for a second, then walks away a little bit and hold out his hand for you to take.

“Follow me”

You take ahold of his hand and he and he begins to lead you up the stairs past hongjoong at the helm to where the mizzen mast stands.

“Ladies first” he gestures to the rope ladder

And you climb up till you get to the barrel-like section at the top and yunho climbs in after you.

“It’s easier to see the stars from up here” he says and blows the candle out from the little lantern that's hung up in the mast so that he or wooyoung can have a little light when they need it. And then he sits beside you on the ground and tucks his legs up to his chest just like you.

Looking up you can see all the pretty twinkling lights and you’re in awe of them all.

A light tap on your shoulder brings you back to the man sitting beside you, and you listen and watch intently as he points out various stars and constellations and explains some of them to you

…

You shiver slightly rubbing your arms as a chill wind blows through you in the mast.

“Hmm cold?” yunho asks, tilting his head to the side a little.

You nod “ a little bit.. Yeah”

He shuffles about a bit in the space and opens the basket sitting in the corner, and pulls out a worn out greyish blue blanket

“ ‘ere “ he wraps the blanket around you and you pull it tighter around yourself

“it does get pretty chilly up here so there's a blanket in every basket for the three masts just in case you need that information” he laughs a bit and he sits back into his spot beside you on the ground and he wraps one of his arms around you pulling you closer to his side

“See that one ‘ere.. thats pleiades its-” he stops seeing you are now fast asleep he breathes out a laugh and then pulls you closer to his chest and then proceeds to fall asleep not long after you

…

You’re drawn out of your slumber from people talking in hushed tones, one of which you know to be yunho but the other you can't tell, still being in a haze.. The other person leaves.

“Yunho..” you voice out.

He hums

“What's the prettiest star youve seen?” you ask randomly still in your sleepy haze while wrapping your arms around his waist snuggling into him

“Hmm well… it's not actually a star but the aurora’s the most beautiful thing i've seen in my life time”

You smile and shut your eyes again resting your head on his chest

“I'd like to see that too” you say as you slowly drift off

Yunho rubs your back as you do

“I'll take you to see it.. Don't worry”

…

Your eyes flicker open and you stretch bones clicking in the process. Scanning your surroundings you see you’re still up in the mast with yunho still wrapped up in his arms as you shuffle around he stirs in his sleep, hands coming up to rub the sleep from his eyes.

“Hmm good morning” he says, his voice still laced with sleep.

You reply to him and the both of you begin to make your way to the kitchen to get something to eat before everyone else.

You grab a bread roll as does yunho as well as an apple that yunho reluctantly lets you cut up yourself with your history of knives.

“Thank you.. By the way” you say as you begin to nibble on your food “for last night.. I had a good sleep thanks to you, yunho” you smile.

“Don’t worry about it, m’glad you could get some rest”

You both sit and continue to eat your food in the peaceful silence quite content.. Until it wasn't- more of the crew came piling in to grab their own breakfast before getting to work and it's then that yunho leaves you to go do his own chores around the ship again. And you go and join yeosang again.

…

“So where is it exactly we’re going yeo??” you ask him

“Well we’re going here to this docking town to restock supplies then we’ll head east or ‘tis where captain says we need to go” he explains pointing places out to you on the map “not to worry though, we’re almost there i'd assume we’d be arriving to the dock at any minute”

And he was right, you were in fact pulling up to the dock but not 20 minutes later.

Most of the crew started flowing out the ship, stretching. Their feet finally on firm solid ground. Standing on the dock you watch in silence as members of the crew converse with the workers on the dock, seonghwa wagering with the man how many pieces of gold would grant the amount of time the ship could stay docked

In the distance you see hongjoong talking with sedna about what.. You don't know but it looks to be a serious conversation. The conversation stops and he seems to make his way back over to you all and he speaks.

“I want everyone to stock up on supplies they may need and rations for the ship as for seonghwa, mingi, jongho, yunho, wooyoung and san you all come with me.. y/n you stay with yeosang” he says then he claps his hands together.

“Okay. everyone get to work” he says and he and his little team head off.

…

And so you walk through the streets of the town with yeosang carrying some of the things he buys to help him carry them back. You’re bored out of your mind, it’s been a good few hours since hongjoong and the crew left to god knows where. And you wont lie, you’re curious so… you pester yeosang about it. To which he replies something about a mini mission for the actual mission..just boring stuff

“Hey y/n.. I'm gonna nip into this last shop real quick. Can you wait out here for a second?” yeosang asks you, you nod watching him through the window of the store after he enters.

Bored you end up zoning out looking in the opposite direction, lost in your own thoughts.

Something catches your attention, as you stare your features contort in confusion

What.. is.. that..!?

You must've been staring for a long time as you’re brought out from your trance from yeosang calling you

“y/n… you good?” he asks, looking worried.

You hum

“Hmm.. yeah.. I thought I saw..” you look back, the thing is no longer there “nothing.. nevermind ..”

And then the both of you head back to the ship.

…

The others didn't get back to the ship until a long while after you, some covered in cuts and other bruises.. Just what was the ‘mission’

San ushers those with cuts to his study to clean the wounds up the rest follow hongjoong to his cabin and you’re left in the dark.. Not included. So you just help the other crew carry the stock onto the ship

…

With the ship now stocked and ready for the vast journey on the water you can finally start the main voyage.

The main 8 currently gathered in the captains cabin, map sprawled out on the table as hongjoong points to the locations on the map and explains in detail the route to be taken for this quest.

They all end up piling out of the foom after a few hours

You sit in your cabin seemingly lost in deep thought

“A penny for yer thoughts y/n.. What's got yer mind so busy” there's a knock from the doorframe.

Being drawn from your thoughts your head snaps to the doorway.

Hongjoong leans on the frame, sleeves of his white button shirt rolled up and his jacket discarded, being held in his hands.

You frown.. Thinking about it some more

“It’s nothing” you brush it off

He sighs

“May i?” he asks, gesturing to your room, you nod and he enters placing his jacket on your bed and taking a seat next to you.

“It cant be nothin if its got you frowning like that.. Did somethin happen??” he asks slight worry on his face

“No.. nothing happened per say.. I just.. I don't know.. I saw something but i don't know if my brain was playing tricks on me”

“Whatd ye see? Maybe I can help if I know what it was?” he pries some more..

You turn to face him

“I thought i.. When you and the others went on that little mission.. When i was shopping with yeosang.. i .. i thought i saw you.. Only it wasn't you?? I don't know.. you had different clothes on and.. All black and a black hat too” you laugh “i’m going crazy right?” you ask him

Only a sinking feeling comes to your chest as you see his face, its pale as if the colours been drained out

“y/n.” he begins “if you see that person again or someone similar. I need you to tell me or one of the others.. Can you do that for me?” he asks

You nod.

He shakes his head “no. i need you to say you’ll do it. Promise me you will”

You tilt your head in confusion

“I will” you say

“Good” he starts to grab his jacket and stands to leave the room

“But hongjoong,who or what was that?” you ask

“You don’t need to know that right now” and with that he leaves the room.

…

The ship comes to a stop with a sudden jerk, an island in the close distance.

Hongjoong stands giving commands as the crew rushes about the ship preparing to leave the ship and get to the piece of land on the longboats.

Chucking equipment onto the small boats crew piling in and getting lowered to the ocean.

Most of you make it to land, some crew having to stay back and watch the ship.

This is it. The main island.. Whatever it is you're searching for. It's here.. Somewhere.

Making camp on the beach tents get set up in all different sizes as well as some crates as makeshift tables, a fire being planned to get set up in the middle of camp.

“Yunho, wooyoung go scout the surroundings and make sure its safe” hongjoong orders. And the two do as told with woo whining a tad.

“And y/n, mingi, jongho come with me.. Lets split up and get some firewood for that fire later”

And the four of you make your way up the sandy dunes to the entrance of the woods. And slowly you all creep in.

You walk a good few minutes in far enough in that there's branches and leaves

“Just take as much as you can carry, we won't be camped on the beach long, take just enough to keep the fire going overnight and to cook a dinner” hongjoong says and begins to pick up the sticks on the ground and the other three of you follow suit.

With arms now filled with branches and dry leaves for kindling you make your way back to camp on the beach and dump the wood on the ground where the fire will be set up. And seonghwa comes along and gets started on the fire and you watch him intently; he starts by taking stones from the beach to which you help and places them in a circle for the boundary of the fire, then taking the twigs and branches you all collected and places them neatly in the stone circle, lastly he takes the dried leaves and skaters them throughout the logs.

He pulls from his pocket a rock of flint and holds it securely on one of the big stones surrounding the unlit fire close to some of the kindling and he whips out a small steel dagger. He pauses-

And briefly looks up to you.

“You good?” he asks

You let out a hum

“It's just, you’ve been watching me for a while.. Is it really that interesting?” he asks

You nod

“Hmm! I always used to watch my da- i mean i just think its cool to watch” you tell him

He kind of looks at you with your first choice of words but he decides to not comment on it. And just nods along.

“Y’wanna try then?” he taps the sand beside him

You slightly laugh

“I don't know if i can do it but i'll certainly give it a shot” and you get on your knees beside him.

Seonghwa briefly shows you how to hold the flint and the angle to strike the dagger against it, once you're sure you’ve got the hang of it, you take the items from him and strike the blade against the rock.. Nothing happens the first few times but then all of a sudden a few sparks fly off and land on the leaves slightly letting some smoke travel in the air. Seonghwa gets closer to the leaves and gently blows on them and at last the fire is going!! It works its way through the other twigs and leaves until finally a big blazing fire lights up the camp.

“Why don't you go see what the others are doing and if they need any help while I get started on dinner” seonghwa tells you. And with a nod of your head you're off through the camp.

Walking around the camp you find jongho sitting cleaning out his gun, all the pieces laid out..

You sit in front of him and he looks up from cleaning and gives you an awkward smile

“y/n… hi” he says

“Hi Jongho”

The awkward smile still there he doesn't pay you any mind and goes back to cleaning

Damn this is awkward..

“So.. jongho..” you begin-

“Look y/n. With all due respect just leave me alone” he sort of snaps as he puts the cleaned gun back together “im not interested” he gets up and walks away.

Oh…

Disappointed you sit and look out to the waves.. The sun is starting to set, it hangs low in the sky

Someone takes the place of jongho..

“y/n?” they speak

“Captain.” you reply.

Hongjoong sits across from you.

“I.. um.. I have somethin’ for you.. Will you come with me a minute..?” he asks, his eyes darting everywhere bar into your own.. His cheeks slightly flushed

You let out a small yeah and get up to follow him, he leads you towards his tent and holds open the fabric for you to enter. Which you do.

Hongjoong enters after you and you take a look around the large tent.

There's a make-shift table to the right with a chair and to the left his bed, some clothes folded on top with his hat neatly placed against them and a rucksack laying on the floor at the foot of the bed and some oil lanterns hang in random spots

“y/n.. Come in. don’t just stand there..” he says now standing at the table so you walk closer to the table.

He clears his throat and places a medium-ish flat box on the table in front of you.

“I.. haha um.. It might be weird but.. I got you this.. I know you were lookin at one a while back..” as he rambles on you peel the lid of the box off and your eyes go wide

“A-and you don't have to like it. I know it's not the same one you saw.. And its probably weird that i bought you it-” he continues

“I love it” you whisper out

“That's okay.. Wait- you do?” he asks

You nod and take it out of the box. Inside was a pretty black lace up corset with little white and red flowers embroidered on going up the left side with green vines and on the right side in the same red as the flowers which looks to be an ‘A’ in a red circle.

Hongjoong watches as you look at the corset with pure happiness in your eyes and a smile goes onto his own face

You look to him

“This is probably one of the nicest gifts anyone has given me..thank you. Hongjoong.”

“Of course, I'm just glad you like it.. Now. let's go get something to eat shall we?” and you both go out to join everyone else around the fire to eat.

…

The next day you all wake up bright and early ready to make your journey into the dense forest. Getting ready, you pack your little bag first and change into your clothes: trousers and a nice white flowy shirt.. The corset catches your eye in the corner so you decide to put it on. undoing the laces you slip it over your torso and go to pull the laces shut.. Only you realise something. You can't do it by yourself.

You make your way to the entrance of your tent and slightly poke your head out..

You see hongjoong giving out orders and overseeing them as most people are packing up their things and tents, majority of the crew are busy though someone catches you sticking your head out, with a cheeky grin on his face he saunters over towards your tent, you quickly pull your head back in and hold the opening shut

“y/n~~ are you ready?? We’re about to head off” he says..

“i - nearly, i'm just getting ready but i-” you weigh up all the options in your mind. Cursing at yourself you pop your head back out again and look at the blonde who's still smiling, his arms crossed over his chest.

You bite your lip slightly “wooyoung” you sigh out “can you come in here and help me?” you ask

He frowns slightly and tilts his head

“Help? Hmm sure, but with what?” he asks

You pop back in the tent

Wooyoung follows in after you, brushing a hand through his blonde hair and when he finally looks at you he sucks in a breath.

“Y-you need help lacing that up..” he asks a faint yet prominent blush creeps its way onto his cheeks

You nod slowly.. “if .. you wouldn't mind” you add.

He quickly shakes his head.

“I don't mind” he says and he walks over to you.

You turn around for him and he takes hold of the laces with shaky hands

“Let me know if it's too tight.. Okay..? i don't wanna hurt you” he says and begins to fix the strings before pulling on them. You feel yourself being sucked in oh god you don’t know how those women in towns do this, He pulls them tight a few times before he's asking you if it's okay you tell him it's fine before he’s pulling some more more and then he ties the bow in the back. His hands rest on your waist for a moment.

“There” he whispers out.

“Thank you”

He smiles though you can't see it.

Turning around you grab your bag to head out. It's wooyoung's turn to look over you, he bites his lower lip looking away slightly before looking back to you.

“You look good.. It suits you, pretty” he says and you both leave the tent. He helps you pack the rest of your things and roll your tent up and attach it to your bag.

Walking over to the rest of the group by the forest entrance, the fact you're wearing his corset doesn't go unnoticed by hongjoong. A blush of his own coating his cheeks as well. He clears his throat and continues his ‘speech’ and not long after you're all off into the forest..

…

hongjoong leads the line from the front, map and compass in his hands. You don't know how long you walked for.. All you know is this island is bigger than it seems to be and all you've been seeing is trees, trees and even more trees. And you’re losing daylight again.. Wherever it is that map leads.. We’re not getting there as quickly as hongjoong hoped we would.

You come to a small clearing in the woods.. Still covered with trees but space enough to make a small camp for your team of 15..

Hongjoong stops turning to face everyone.

“We’ll camp here for now” he sighs out shaking his head frustrated. He seems to have a silent conversation with seonghwa before he's speaking again “Mingi.. Jongho you both take night watch.” he says to the two men before he begins to walk off seonghwa close behind him.. Yeosang too before he adds

“We don’t know what or who lurks in this forest..”

…

The camp set up everyone seems to get settled seemingly staying in their own tents exception of jongho and mingi who pace around a makeshift border of what you call ‘camp’

Sitting watching the flames of the fire at the side of the camp.. It's quiet.. Peaceful.

“y/n..” yunho stands in front of you with a smile on his face. He outstretches his hand for you to take.

“Come with me.” he says and you look at him suspiciously.

He sighs out.. “Just come on.. Or we’ll miss it” he grabs your hand and begins to pull you away. Away from camp.. Down the path. You walk hand in hand with yunho for around 10 to 20 minutes. Until you come to another opening. This time a cliff opening. He lets go of your hand and goes and sits on the edge of the cliff sighing dejectedly

“Missed it.. It was right there my star.. I'm sorry” he says to you.

You sit next to him

“What was it?” You ask

“The lights..” he sighs

You smile

“Thank you for coming to get me because you saw them.. Don’t worry though Yun.. the stars are still very pretty to watch” you tell him. He nods still upset that he failed to get you on time.. You sit in silence for a few moments and then he turns to you.

“I'll be back quickly star.. I'll go get a blanket and my telescope and we can watch them better” he says to you and you agree and he gets up and walks back in the direction you both came from.

You sit yourself in the quiet and peaceful for a bit looking up at the stars.. Occasionally looking at the darkness of the ocean below from your viewpoint.

You hear the crunching of the ground in the distance

“Sorry I kept you y/n.. I’m back” he says and sits beside you again.

#starrywooyo #starrywooyo fics #starrywooyo treasure series #starrywooyo treasure #treasure #ateez x reader #ateez au #ateez pirate au #hongjoong x reader #seonghwa x reader #yunho x reader #yeosang x reader #san x reader #mingi x reader #wooyoung oneshot #jongho x reader #ateez series

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journeytothewestresearch · 10 months ago

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Sun Wukong's Final Battle

Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記, 1592) chapter 99 describes the Monkey King's final battle as a fierce, stormy confrontation against demons wishing to steal the hard-won scriptures for themselves. This takes place shortly after the pilgrims and holy texts are dumped into a river by an annoyed river turtle spirit:

Master and disciples had just climbed up the riverbank when suddenly a violent gale arose; the sky darkened immediately and both thunder and lightning began as rocks and grit flew everywhere. What they felt was One gust of wind And the whole world teetered; One clap of thunder And both mountains and streams shuddered. One flash of lightning Shot flames through the clouds; One sky of fog Enveloped this Great Earth. The wind's mighty howl; The thunder's violent roar; The lightning's scarlet streaks; The fog blanking moon and stars. The wind hurtled dust and dirt at their faces; The thunder sent tigers and leopards into hiding; The lightning raised among the fowl a ruckus; The fog made the woods and trees disappear. That wind caused waves in the Heaven-Reaching River [Tongtian he, 通天河] to toss and churn; That lightning lit up the Heaven-Reaching River down to its bottom; That thunder terrified the Heaven-Reaching River's dragons and fishes; That fog covered the shores of Heaven-Reaching River with a shroud of darkness. Marvelous wind! Mountains cracked as pines and bamboos toppled. Marvelous thunder! Its power stirred insects and injured humans. Marvelous lightning! Like a gold snake it brightened both land and sky. Marvelous fog! It surged through the air to screen the Ninefold Heaven [Jiuxiao, 九霄]. So terrified were the pilgrims that Tripitaka held firmly to the scripture wraps and Sha Monk threw himself on the poles. While Eight Rules clung to the white horse, Pilgrim twirled the iron staff to give protection left and right. That wind, fog, thunder, and lightning, you see, had been a storm brought on by demons of yin energy" [yinmo, 陰魔], who wanted to snatch away the scriptures the pilgrims had acquired. The commotion lasted all night, and only by morning did the storm subside. Soaked from top to bottom and shaking all over, the elder said, "Wukong, how did this storm come about?" "Master, you don't seem to understand," said Pilgrim, panting heavily, "that when we escorted you to acquire these scriptures, we had, in fact, robbed Heaven and Earth of their creative powers. For our success meant that we could share the age of the universe; like the light of the sun and moon, we would enjoy life everlasting for we had put on an incorruptible body. Our success, however, had also incurred the envy of Heaven and Earth, the jealousy of both demons and gods [guishen, 鬼神], who wanted to snatch away the scriptures from us. They could not do so only because the scriptures were thoroughly wet and because they had been shielded by your rectified dharma body [zhenfa shen, 正法身], which could not be harmed by thunder, lightning, or fog. Moreover, old Monkey was brandishing his iron rod to exercise the nature of pure yang energy [chunyang zhi xing, 純陽之性] and give you protection. Now that it is morning, the forces of yang are evermore in ascendancy, and the demons cannot prevail." Only then did Tripitaka, Eight Rules, and Sha Monk realize what had taken place, and they all thanked Pilgrim repeatedly (based on Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 4, pp. 363-365).

師徒方登岸整理，忽又一陣狂風，天色昏暗，雷閃並作，走石飛沙。但見那：一陣風，乾坤播蕩；一聲雷，振動山川。一個熌，鑽雲飛火；一天霧，大地遮漫。風氣呼號，雷聲激烈。熌掣紅銷，霧迷星月。風鼓的沙塵撲面，雷驚的虎豹藏形。熌晃的飛禽叫噪，霧漫的樹木無蹤。那風攪得個通天河波浪翻騰，那雷振得個通天河魚龍喪膽。那熌照得個通天河徹底光明，那霧蓋得個通天河岸崖昏慘。好風，頹山烈石松篁倒。好雷，驚蟄傷人威勢豪。好熌，流天照野金蛇走。好霧，混混漫空蔽九霄。諕得那三藏按住了經包，沙僧壓住了經擔，八戒牽住了白馬；行者卻雙手輪起鐵棒，左右護持。原來那風、霧、雷、熌，乃是些陰魔作號，欲奪所取之經。勞攘了一夜，直到天明，卻才止息。長老一身水衣，戰兢兢的道：「悟空，這是怎的起？」行者氣呼呼的道：「師父，你不知就裡。我等保護你取獲此經，乃是奪天地造化之功，可以與乾坤並久，日月同明，壽享長春，法身不朽。此所以為天地不容，鬼神所忌，欲來暗奪之耳。一則這經是水濕透了；二則是你的正法身壓住，雷不能轟，電不能照，霧不能迷；又是老孫輪著鐵棒，使純陽之性，護持住了；及至天明，陽氣又盛：所以不能奪去。」三藏、八戒、沙僧方才省悟，各謝不盡。

I really like the idea of a battle between a divine force of yang energy and demonic forces of yin. This is a common occurrence in Chinese Folk Religion—e.g. a Tangki spirit-medium channeling a god to exorcise evil spirits.

But the above description really sets my mind alight with images of the confrontation. Monkey peers through the pouring rain to see an unfathomably large demon army the likes of which the cosmos has never seen. It contains innumerable commanders, vanguards, and an ocean of spirit-soldiers armed to the teeth. This demonic force would be the joint effort of demon kings and jealous gods wanting immortality and salvation for themselves. [1] Monkey takes this assault on the scriptures as a personal insult given his great effort in helping procure them.

A demon commander might say something like, "Leave the scriptures and the priest if you value your life!" Then Wukong would scream:

Who said that? Who the FUCK said that? Who's the slimy, little, demonic shit, twinkle-toed, cocksucker up there, who just signed his own death warrant? [Surprised silence from the army] Nobody, huh? The fairy-fucking-godmother said it! Out-fucking-standing! [pounds chest three times in a row] I WILL BEAT YOU ALL UNTIL YOU FUCKING DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Adapted from dialogue spoken by Gunnery Sergeant Hartman from Full Metal Jacket (1987).)

In all seriousness, though, his speech should be a chilling threat similar to Subodhi from chapter 2:

[Y]ou can be assured, wretched monkey, that you'll be skinned alive. I will break all your bones and banish your soul to the Place of Ninefold Darkness, from which you will not be released even after ten thousand afflictions! (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 125) ... 把你這猢猻剝皮剉骨，將神魂貶在九幽之處，教你萬劫不得翻身！

Anyway, the army commences its attack, the commanders sending forth wave after wave of spirit-soldier units wielding thunder and lightning as their weapons. In response, Monkey's body explodes with millions or even billions of hair clones to meet the oncoming storm. Each one wields the magic iron rod, which dispenses pure yang energy along with every ass kicking. The resulting battle is beyond imagination, with various units of Great Sages working to both defend the scriptures and Tripitaka but also drive back and decimate the malevolent force. Wukong succeeds in routing/destroying the entire demon army by dawn of the next morning.

Note:

1) The Buddha states that the scriptures of the Great Vehicle are "for the cultivation of immortality; they are the gate to ultimate virtue" (Wu & Yu, vol. 1, p. 205).

Source:

Wu, C., & Yu, A. C. (2012). The Journey to the West (Vols. 1-4) (Rev. ed.) Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press.

#Sun Wukong #Monkey King #Journey to the West #story idea #Lego Monkie Kid #LMK #scriptures #JTTW #demons #spirits #thunder and lightning #army #epic battle

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imagines--galore · 2 years ago

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Hi! How are you? I saw your request for lotr characters are open, and was wondering if you could write something Legolas x reader. Where the reader is an elf (or maybe a dúnedain). And she and the prince elf had known each other since forever, but over time took separate paths because of their duties. And now after many years they are finally reunited for one last adventure. (It could be to help Frodo destroy to ring, or something entirely diferent).

Thank youuu!!

Pairing: Legolas x Reader

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance if you squint.

Translation: Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo, Legolas. - A star shines on the hour of our meeting, Legolas.

A/N: Cannot believe I missed this in my ask box. I hope you like this Anon! And I'm so sorry for being so late about it. Also I'm making the reader an elf.

The journey had been long and brutal, yet they had to have speed on their side. There was no time to be lost. The Uruk-Hai would be marching upon Helm's Deep soon. Thank the Valar, the weather had been in your favor. As Helm's Deep came into view, you couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement settle within you.

It had been so long since you had seen Legolas. Too long in fact. Since the beginning of the Quest for the Ring, you had only just missed him and his companions while you were having your own adventures. You were a mere Ranger of Lothlórien, yet somehow, the Prince of Mirkwood himself had deemed you worthy enough of his friendship. At first you had considered it an honor, but as time had passed, the two of you began to build a relationship built on a trust that ran deep.

You had been most disappointed when you had returned from a scouting trip, only to be told that the Prince had left with his comrades. Despite the urge to go after them, you had stayed. You had a duty to the Woods you called him and the Lord and Lady that ruled over them.

But when Elrond had made that call, calling elves to arm to help man fight against the darkness that had swept across their land, you had been one of the first to volunteer. Had been the first to pack your necessities and filled your quivers with the finest arrows, before shouldering the bow he had gifted you long ago.

It had been years and years since you had been in his presence, and you had realized, quite early on, that you felt his absence greatly. It was surprising to you at first, and yet, as time went by, it had become clear.

You were in love with Legolas. Perhaps had been the moment you had first met him.

But now would not be the time to discuss such matters. They were at war. A battle was to be had, and if the outcome was in their favor, you promised yourself you would act on your feelings and see what he would have to say.

As you and the rest of the elves marched into Helm's Deep, you were made aware of every man looking in your direction, or rather in the general direction of the army. You had barely lifted your head when your eyes caught sight of an achingly familiar head of golden silvery hair. You lowered your gaze once more, hiding your smile.

Haldir, your Captain, greeted King Théoden, and Aragorn thanked him for arriving so timely. You hadn't seen Aragorn in quite some time too, perhaps this would be a reunion for the ages? Aragorn embraced Haldir, as did Legolas, both visibly glad at their coming. You were standing right behind the Captain as the elves shifted in their position to look straight ahead.

It was then that Legolas looked from over Hadlir's shoulder. His eyes widened. Your name fell from his lips in a whisper. Despite the fact that you would be breaking a few rules, you glanced at your Captain who smiled and gave a small nod. Stepping forward, you reached up to pull back your hood. A few surprised gasps followed your act, the men having not expected a female to be amongst the elven army. What they didn't realize was that there were just as many females as there were male elves.

"Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo, Legolas." You greeted him in Elvish, eyes wide and hopeful as you smiled at him. Another call of your name, this time louder before he embraced you. A small laugh fell from your lips as you wrapped your arms around him just as tightly, returning the embrace. He picked you up and swung you around once, before setting you back on solid ground.

Neither of you cared that there were so many eyes on you, yet everyone seemed to want to share in your joy. To catch a glimpse of a joyful moment such as two friends reuniting after so long. They were to face the ugliness of battle soon. This would be there last bit of beauty before that. Théoden called for the Captain of his Guard to show the elves where they would be positioned. Aragorn began to speak to Haldir of strategies, prompting you to glance in the direction of your Captain.

"You were never one to shy away from a fight were you?" Legolas asked, with his arms bracing your own, as if to reassure himself that you were still here. That you truly were in front of him. You smiled at him. "And let you have all the fun?" You teased, though you could sense the underlying worry in his eyes. He surged forward to press his lips to your brow, closing his eyes as if in a silent prayer.

"Stay safe my friend. We have much to speak of." He whispered against your skin, prompting you to nod and close your eyes, inhaling deeply as you memorized his scent once more. "That we do Legolas. I shall see you once we have won." You said with conviction. There was not a doubt in your heart that you would loose. Not when you had Legolas at your side.

With a parting glance, and a joining of the hands that lingered until you had to step away from him, you disappeared into the crowd to do get to your station, just as Legolas turned to take care of his own duties.

-------------------------

A/N: Hmmmmm should i continue this?

#legolas x reader #legolas x y/n #legolas x oc #lotr imagine #lord of the rings imagine #hobbit imagine

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meadowlarkx · 1 year ago

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elvenkings

Fic for @sindarweek day 2: Locations | AO3

Afterwards, they went back. No tale contains this part: no one set it down. Few set out: Oropher, his tall, gangly son, and a handful of others. A small cluster of green shoots. Spring was returning to the forest, and it smelled sweet, like unfurling leaves and old rot melting. They were very careful. They moved and slept in the trees, wishing their foliage fuller and missing Melian’s temperate cradle. But at the rushing Esgalduin, before Menegroth’s bashed-in mouth, there were no boughs to make the going safer.

“Finrod’s brother,” one said, weeping, “wished his mortal’s beauty to live on unmarred in his memory.”

Oropher looked searchingly at his son. Should we not have come back? the look asked. Should I not have brought you back?

Thranduil shook his head. He was serious-faced, with an edge of temper and a merry wit that darted free at times like a bird startled from a branch. No humor glinted in his gaze now. He was named for the spring, but perhaps it had been this kind of spring. “We had to,” he said simply. “Pass me a lantern:” and he crossed the stone bridge and went inside.

Ringing silence, orchestral silence, the tremor of the air from breath and speech shimmering up the vaulted halls roofed by gleaming roots, through the wide proud galleries with their pillars fashioned like beech-trees. No robbers or kinslayers had made lair of this place. Still they trod softly, reverently, until in the garden with its fountain gone quiet—not the throne room—Medlithor sang out clarion a love-song of Daeron’s, and briefly illuminated the dark like lightning.

Three of Nimloth’s gowns for the little princess. Torn tapestries—gleaming silver. A great book of heraldry, and another of sketches, plans for uncarved statuary. Daeron’s prized notes nowhere to be found. A chest of Oropher’s things, still fastened shut, guiltily perfect. A zither broken and unsinging. The dark space where the bodies had been heaped and burnt atop the frozen ground by their enemies. White bones of a few they had missed. The tree-roots embracing them, the new moss blanketing them. Circles ever widening outward, months late seeking children who would never be found.

Somber return, days in the making. Thranduil sat on a pier and watched the silt swirl and mingle with the clear salt of the ocean. Something tugged in his young breast: he could not name it. It was not sea-longing.

“It was very fine. The floor was fashioned like a vast ocean, sweeping out—oh!—with bright fishes, and strange sea-weeds like purple flowers, and amongst them, stars.” Evranin’s hands fluttered like birds, even when she was not at her stitching. “You used to hop from one spotted ray to the next.”

Elwing nodded dubiously.

“You remember it, don’t you, my girl? I know you do.”

“I think so,” Elwing said.

“Your great-grandfather planned it. He was the first to make the journey across the Sea, and he returned with a beautiful light in his eyes: they glowed in the endless dusk under the starlight.”

Elwing flinched.

“Not thus, sweet,” Evranin said, “like auntie Idril’s. ‘Twas a shine like the dawn, though of course, we knew no dawn then.”

Elwing looked confused, then squinted her eyes like two clenched fists, as though trying to work out a time before sunlight. Evranin thought this very Bëorian of her. At last, satisfied, she gave a little nod of approval.

“He loved the Sea: your great-grandfather. He and his brother meant to cross and live by the shore on the other side—where the fish leapt in the colorful shallows, and the stars’ reflection could yet be seen.”

“But he did not,” Elwing interrupted, frowning. She knew this part, and meant not to be appeased.

“He loved your great-grandmother more, and the woods’ green smell underfoot in the summer. But his brother—your great-great-uncle��did cross over, and he built a fair city for our people by the water. When you look west, my dear, think of all your family waiting to meet you. We live on the shore now, just as they do.”

“I don’t remember the floor of that gallery,” Elwing said quietly. “But I remember the music of the fountains through the room, and Naneth dancing with Ada. There were nightingales in his hair.”

If you looked carefully, as Bilbo was wont to do, you could see the places where the tapestry in Elrond’s library had been repaired. It nearly covered one complete wall of the hexagonal room, confidently draping languid and liquid across space where more books and scrolls could have been squirreled away. Its colors seemed to shift, unearthly, and the weave was finer than any Bilbo had seen—which made the repairs, neat as they were, quite obvious. The image was one of a shadow-crowded forest of brambles and feathery boughs, and in the foreground dark, shimmering water. Shapes were awakening beneath the stars in the twilight by the water’s edge, stretching up glistening bodies and dancing and drawing one another in to embrace. At one corner the winding border had been singed and the damage had not been mended. Still, it was very beautiful. Nearby, upon a varnished wooden stand, a book sat partly open, with thin, cracked pages of birch-paper. It was full of sigils, but Bilbo, despite making a study of Elf-lore, recognized none of them.

“Nor do I know most of them,” Elrond said, when asked. “It is far older than I, and a gift from Oropher from long ago, ere he left eastwards. See, though. Here is Beleg’s seal, and Mablung’s: the marchwardens from Túrin’s unhappy tale.” Bilbo exclaimed over these a while, and then asked: “What about the tapestry?”

“Melian the Maia wove it in the Elder Days.” He did not need to add: I thought it should be admired.

They had argued bitterly on the day the gift was made. It was vanishingly rare to see Elrond angry, but Oropher had managed it.

“Name me not king. I have chosen my king, and I am his herald. Leave it, I have begged of you. I won't ask again."

“And in what world am I to be named lord, while Elwing’s son bears no title? While our prince—”

“You might stay!” Elrond said rather wildly.

“And you might come with us—to oak and elm, the deep forest, people of our own ways—”

“I have made my choice.”

Silence fell between them, a silence of set jaws and brittle gazes. It was from an excess of care that they crossed wills.

“You are so like Lúthien,” Oropher said at last. Pride was soft in his voice. “Nay, your mother in her lordship. You are so like all of them.”

Elrond did not know what he meant.

“Accept these at least. They are your own inheritance. How I wish we had been able to offer you more.” Oropher said nothing else, but Elrond heard in his inmost heart all he meant, and opening his own heart he offered him forgiveness for the harsh words freshly spoken and for the old aches, the beaded necklace of orphans upon orphans, the bruise-tender childhood, the sunken continent, the houseless shades of the dead that crowded like moths: all the wounds still bleeding, and in which Oropher was faultless.

When Amon Lanc grew too dangerous, Thranduil knew what had to be done. Harried and unmerry was the Wood-elves’ journey northwards through the forest’s tree-paths. They took from the hill only what they could carry. Those of Thranduil’s people whom he met on the way—for many lived simply in the trees throughout Greenwood with their companions and children, and had joined themselves to no great settlement—spoke with him in troubled voices, though on the nights his following gathered around their small talans wine flowed and songs were sung.

“We need to make fast a stronghold,” he said. “Underground: a place of stone.”

“Better to go through the trees quickly! to travel lightly!”

“And if there is nowhere left that the Shadow has not touched?”

These Elves shook their heads and he read their thinking: we have always dwelt in this forest. But Thranduil’s heart misgave him, insisting the direst hour was still to come, and that he ready all his scattered people a sanctuary in advance of that hour.

Kingship did not rest easily on this son of Oropher. He had not been born to it, and he had meant never to find it. He preferred swimming the forest’s rivers and downing the sweet nectar of more summery lands to difficult counsels and deference, however warmly they were offered him. Very often since his father’s death, the way did not seem clear.

It was clear in this moment. He felt Elu Thingol’s hand cool upon his shoulder, as surely as if the king sojourned with him in the dappled wood and spoke as he had at the height of his wisdom. He saw in his mind’s eye the bridge that would cross the running water, the enchanted door, the roots that would be sung into high ceilings, the beech-carved pillars, the golden lamplight.

__________

From The Silmarillion: "But the Elves also had part in that labour, and Elves and Dwarves together, each with their own skill, there wrought out the visions of Melian, images of the wonder and beauty of Valinor beyond the Sea. The pillars of Menegroth were hewn in the likeness of the beeches of Oromë, stock, bough, and leaf, and they were lit with lanterns of gold. The nightingales sang there as in the gardens of Lórien; and there were fountains of silver, and basins of marble, and floors of many-colored stones. Carven figures of beasts and birds there ran upon the walls, or climbed upon the pillars, or peered among the branches entwined with many flowers. And as the years passed Melian and her maidens filled the halls with woven hangings wherein could be read the deeds of the Valar, and many things that had befallen in Arda since its beginning, and shadows of things that were yet to be. That was the fairest dwelling of any king that has ever been east of the Sea."

#wanted to post this one in as tumblr friendly a format as possible since it's not long !#thank you so much for running this event!!! 💕💕#thranduil #elrond #elwing #oropher #evranin #silm #silmarillion fic #silmarillion #etc.#lotr #the hobbit #thingol #menegroth #sindarweek #sindarweek2 #my fic

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felixcloud6288 · 1 month ago

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Dungeon Meshi Chapter 13

As soon as I saw the title artwork, I knew this chapter was going to be about mimics.

After my little speculation about the winged lion last chapter, I've realized it actually appears a lot throughout the dungeon.

That little montage of Chilchuck dealing with mimics made me think back to chapter 5 and how he had to stick his hands in the treasure chest to disarm it. If that chest had been a mimic, Chilchuck would be missing a few fingers. Is he able to identify mimic chests because of an intuition forged by years of practice? He flagged the treasure chest as a mimic by its location rather than any actual identifiable features.

The whole "Not too obvious. Not too hidden" description also matches the mimic chest from chapter 0.

Chilchuck is a real salary worker. He's not going to do or say anything that will just mean more work for him.

So many mimics and trap chest in Dark Souls would be trivialized if you could open them this way.

Of course Chilchuck is getting worse at going hungry. The party has been eating well on this journey.

At first, I thought those treasure insects were working with the mimic to lure Chilchuck into that room. Like, the insects lay themselves into a trail leading to the mimic and any adventurer dumb enough to follow the coin trail would then open the chest and the mimic would kill them. Then the treasure insects would eat the scraps of adventurer the mimic leaves behind.

I'm going to try defending Chilchuck's bouts of incompetence this chapter. He's hungry, he hasn't slept, and his mind is so preoccupied over the mimic that he's not able to think about possible traps. If you're in the woods and you notice a bear nearby, you're going to focus on making sure the bear doesn't notice you. You're not going to check for snakes in the grass.

The chapter did a lot of buildup to the reveal of the mimic. It almost felt like a horror story. We're shown the imminent threat of a mimic and we get a montage of its actions without actually showing what it looks like.

And then the sequence of events leading up to its reveal had a subtle ominousness to it. The room with the fountain is dimly lit and we know there is a mimic nearby. I was almost waiting for the mimic to just appear out of nowhere or for that chest to have just moved randomly.

And after a moment of tension followed by a sense of relative safety does the mimic reveal itself.

The mimic's design is the same as chapter 0 so I think it probably was in that treasure box previously and recently moved into that cabinet.

I didn't find any characters on the plaque that look like what Marcille said in her incantations. So I don't think magic is spoken in the ancient tongue.

Some little details that I can glean from Chilchuck solving the lock puzzle:

Chilchuck is innately able to determine cardinal directions

The planet rotates in the same direction as our planet

There is a moon and it orbits the planet in the same direction as our moon

There is a North Star that is perfectly aligned to the planet's rotation axis

Laios sleeps in his chainmail apparently. It's not easy to tell because of all the hair, but I get the feeling Senshi sleeps without a shirt on.

Marcille looks cute with her hair down.

So yeah, I first thought mimics and treasure insects might have a mutalistic or at least commensal relation but it turns out that it's parasitic. And it's the same type of parasitism as a spider wasp.

So now I'm curious if the tiara insect nest is made from pieces of a mimic's carapace. Also, was that treasure box full of treasure insects in chapter 10 originally a mimic? And if so, why was it being carried by a zombie?

I guess the sequence of events could be

human dies while carrying some jewels in a box -> mimic comes across the box and hides in it -> treasure insects find the mimic and eat it -> spirit animates the corpse still carrying the box

So Chilchuck is 29 and based on everyone's reactions, that's still fairly young for an elf and dwarf. Laios meanwhile is apparently younger than him.

back

#dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #dungeon meshi readthrough

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sllverchariot · 2 days ago

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the rest of our lives [gale dekarios x durge!reader]

my first gale fic hehe theres not enough gale love out there so i am here to provide… if anyone has any prompts or requests pls let me know!!!

not much to say abt this other than durge is sad about being durge and gale is there to help <3

word count: 2.4k

notes: a little angsty, a little hurt/comfort, mostly soft and sweet tho. dont think i used any pronouns for reader buttt i dont remember oops

The water was still, the night was quiet, everything bathed in darkness save for the soft glow of the moon and its reflection on the waters in front of you.

You took quick, shallow breaths as you gazed over the softly rippling lake for a moment, before shutting your eyes tight. The Urge. It felt like it was devouring you. Swallowing you whole. Like you were in the middle of the sea and each time you tried to swim to shore another wave would crash and engulf you completely. It was relentless. Suffocating.

Many of your nights were spent like this. Restless dreams gave way to the even more exhausting waking hours. So many early morning hours spent with your hands balled into fists and jaw clenched while your companions slept, trying desperately to contain the bloodthirsty compulsions that wracked your body.

Everyday you fought against your Urges. Your energy was divided between the daily journey and battles, and keeping your murderous impulses at bay. It was exhausting. And even despite your resistance, every day felt like one step forward and three steps back.

The weight on your shoulders had grown even heavier lately, following an evening spent with your beloved wizard.

An intimate, romantic, yet bittersweet night spent both underneath and within the beautiful cosmic landscape he painted in the sky for you.

You and your companions had just reached Moonrise Towers, making that very first step into the place you’d fought so hard to reach. You didn’t stay long that first day, merely testing the waters and getting the lay of the land. Everyone was already so exhausted by the time you arrived, no one was quite ready to face what lay beyond. Just a quick peek inside before returning to camp, with a misguided hope that a long rest may better prepare you all for the challenges ahead.

After peeling off your armor and washing off the blood and dirt of the day, you noticed the absence of your favorite wizard, replaced instead by a glowing copy.

You approached his likeness, trying to push down the growing feeling of dread in your gut. Your mind always seemed to go to the worst place. Every terrible possibility flitted through your mind as you made your way to the projection. You were always worried about Gale. That feeling was only magnified after the bombshell Elminster dropped on Mystra’s behalf not too long ago. Mystra. Your blood boiled at the very thought of the goddess.

But that evening you weren’t worried about Mystra, not directly at least. You were only worried about Gale, and unraveling the mystery of his absence.

Why wasn’t he at camp? Where had he gone? Had he done something rash? Was he okay?

Every passing thought just served to deepen the pit in your stomach. But as you spoke with his mirror image, the wave of relief that washed over you was so powerful you feared you’d burst into tears on the spot.

You followed the wizard's copy through the woods and into a clearing, where you found the man himself. Your breath caught in your throat as you took in your surroundings. Gale, sat on a blanket beneath the most beautiful night sky you’d ever seen. Hands weaving through the air, as he quite literally hung each star in the sky for you.

That night was more than you could’ve ever dared to hope for. Something right out of a fairytale, your deepest desire that you’d never let yourself imagine becoming reality.

Your beloved Wizard of Waterdeep. Gale. You’d have plucked the sun from the sky if he’d asked you, if it meant seeing that smile that you’d grown to hold so dear.

Even after all of your terrible mistakes, he’d brought you here tonight. Still painted the most beautiful picture in the sky for you. Confessed his love to you in the most gut wrenching way, his voice laced with nerves and uncertainty, as if you wouldn’t already go to the ends of the earth for him. As if there was any universe where hearing those three little words from his lips one single time wasn’t enough to fuel you for the rest of your days.

Even after Alfira. Even after that night where you nearly killed him. Despite all of your evil, he still loved you.

But it was nights like tonight when you almost wished he didn’t. The nights when your Urges felt impossible to fight, and you feared they may truly take over again. You wanted to protect Gale, not hurt him. You wanted to hide him away from every wicked thing this world had to offer, yourself included. To save him from his goddess. To ease his pain, to heal his wounds.

You curled into a ball on the beach, nails digging into your arms, letting the pain be your anchor to reality. You tried to curl into yourself further, as if pushing yourself in would help keep you together. You lie there gasping for breath, face wet with hot tears you hadn’t even noticed were falling.

You were stronger than this. You were more than this. More than your Urges, more than your past, whatever it may be.

You repeated this mantra in your mind until the words didn’t even sound like words anymore, and your consciousness slipped away, letting you drift into yet another restless nightmare.

When you awoke the next morning, in the wee hours just as the sun began to rise, your sweating, trembling form was beneath a soft blanket, and your head atop a cushion. A far cry from the sorry state you’d fallen asleep in.

Beside you, just a few feet away, was Gale.

Sprawled out on his own bedroll, a book lay open across his chest.

You pushed yourself to sit up, letting the blanket fall to your lap as you scanned his sleeping form. The early morning sun illuminating his features in the most beautiful way. He looked so peaceful like this, a stark difference from your own torturous slumber.

Your heart ached at the sight of him. When did he come out here? Why did he stay out here?

You fought the impulse to reach out and touch him, too afraid to risk waking him. But then, as if he could hear your thoughts, his eyes fluttered open.

He blinked a few times as he woke, eyes slowly beginning to make out your form, backlit by the morning sun rising over your shoulder.

Immediately, his lips curled into a smile, gaze softening as he took you in.

Your breath caught in your throat as you met his deep brown eyes, flickering with affection.

“Good morning, my dear.” He said softly, voice still low from sleep. He pushed himself onto his elbows, the book on his chest slipping as he shifted. Your hand shot out to grab it before it hit the dirt. He chuckled quietly, sitting up fully then as you held the book out to him. “It appears I dozed off last night.” He rubbed his eyes, and took the book from you, slipping a bookmark into the pages before setting it down beside him.

“Why… are you out here?” You croaked out, mind swirling with thoughts. Maybe he was here because he was afraid. For himself, for your companions. Maybe he saw your little episode last night and feared you’d do something unpredictable again. Your stomach twisted at these thoughts. If that was the reason, it was perfectly understandable. But that didn’t make the thought hurt any less.

He reached out and took your hand within his own, his warm embrace engulfing you as he gave it a gentle squeeze. “I was worried about you. Thought I might lend you some company.”

“Worried about me? Or worried about what I might do?” The words left your lips before you had time to consider them, and you immediately regretted it. Your eyes went wide, wishing you could take them back right then. But the damage was done. A look of hurt briefly flickered across his features, before his brows furrowed.

“Can’t it be both?” He questioned, eyes full of worry and concern, and your heart twisted painfully in your chest. His other hand came up to cup yours. His warm, gentle hands cradled your cold fingers, with your threatening claws and cuticles bitten raw. “Can I not worry for you when I find you missing from camp? Can I not worry about what you may do to yourself when I can’t see you? Can I not be concerned for you when I find you curled in the fetal position alone on the beach, sweating and shaking with tear stained cheeks and claw marks on your arms?” His hands squeezed yours tighter now, looking at you with pleading eyes. If your heart hadn’t broken before, it most certainly snapped clean in half by now.

Your throat burned as tears began to well in your eyes again, every word drying up on your tongue. You took a breath, and pulled your hands from his.

Before he had time to react, you leaned forward and wrapped your arms around his neck, nearly tackling him to the ground as you buried your face into his neck.

A small grunt escaped his lips at the impact, body tensing for the briefest of moments before melting into your touch, arms circling around to clasp behind your back. You couldn’t hold back the tears now, body shaking with sobs as you clutched desperately onto the fabric of his shirt.

His hands stroked up and down your back comfortingly, his face buried in your hair as he whispered reassurances against your skin. You felt like a blubbering child, unable to hold in your emotions any longer as he held you.

The two of you stayed like that for several minutes, until your wails finally subsided enough that you could breathe again. You looked at him with glassy eyes, your face red and puffy from tears. His gentle expression never wavered, still holding that same gentleness and concern he always exuded.

“I’m sorry,” You croaked, using the heels of your hands to furiously wipe at your wet eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m just so– I don’t know. I’m so worried. All the time. I fight so hard, every day. And still I fail to keep the Urges at bay. I don’t want to hurt you, Gale. I can’t. But I’m so fucking scared that I might.” Your voice cracked at the end as you tried to bite back yet another sob. “I love you gale. More than anything in the world. I just want to protect you… From all of the evil that lurks here. Protect you from me.”

His hands came up to cradle your face, forcing you to look at him as the pad of his thumb swiped away the tears gathering in your eyes.

“You needn’t protect me from anything, my love. Least of all you.” He murmured softly, thumb still gently stroking your face as he held it. “I love you more than even I can put into words, even with all the words I know. And I would love you even if you did rip out my heart, so long as you were the one to do it.” A sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob escaped your lips as he spoke, a smile spread across your face through the tears. “You make me feel whole again, despite everything. All those days locked away in my tower, I’d have spent a thousand more if it meant even one minute with you.”

Your heart was so full you almost felt nauseous. Gale. Your Gale. He meant everything to you. You would do any and everything it took to see him happy, keep him safe. Even if it meant a hundred years of sleepless nights alone in the cold dirt.

You reached a hand out to press against his chest, hand flat against his skin where the orb lay. You could feel the quiet hum of magic buzzing beneath the surface.

“I will fight this Urge. I will fight it to the end even if it tears me apart to try. And I will save you, Gale. I will get this thing out of your chest, I promise you.” You spoke quietly, fingers brushing against his carved skin. “So long as I draw breath, I will fight for our happily ever after.” You looked back up at him with a smile, his own expression mirroring yours, before straightening up and pulling him in for a kiss.

It was far from the first time your lips met his. Since your night in the stars, you selfishly took every opportunity that presented itself to kiss the wizard. But still, every time, your heart beat faster and your stomach fluttered, as though you were a school girl with her crush. Sparks seemed to fly every time, without fail. You had to force yourself to draw away from him, but you would’ve happily stayed like that forever if not for your lungs nagging need for air.

But eventually, you did will yourself to part from him, opting instead to cuddle up against his side as the two of you watched the sun rise the rest of the way.

“How long were you out here?” You questioned, breaking the silence as you peered up at him.

”I’m not entirely sure, actually. I flew into such a panic when I didn’t see you by the fire, that by the time I finally found you I was wide awake. So after I tucked you in and settled myself, I went and found a book to keep me occupied. You were so restless. Your body was convulsing, and your eyes darting around beneath their lids, I couldn’t dare go to sleep anyway. But you appeared to calm when I spoke, so speak I did. But then I realized it’d be awfully embarrassing for you to wake up to me composing a thousand sonnets about my love for you, so I elected to read the book aloud instead.” He patted the hardcover of the book that lay at his side with a nervous chuckle.

Your stomach flipped at his confession, and you wrapped your arms around him a little tighter, burying your face in his chest and inhaling his scent.

”Thank you,” You whispered. “I don’t know what in the Hells I did to deserve you. But I promise to spend the rest of my life showing my gratitude.”

You felt the quiet laugh that rippled through his chest, his hand coming up to stroke your hair. “Careful, I might just hold you to that.”

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