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minty-mumbles · 1 year ago

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Flared Fins

AN: I posted part of this AU a while ago, but I've since written more. Enjoy! I also have a lore dump post here

(Read on AO3)

~~~

“Hey! I’m not going to hurt you! Stop running away!” The shouts from the sea slug Mer behind him did nothing to persuade Hyrule to slow down.

The other Mer hurting Hyrule was the least of his worries. Of course he wouldn't hurt Hyrule. The Mer had seen Hyrule use magic. He knew that there was much more to gain in keeping him alive than killing him.

If he could just lose the other Mer in the maze of coral, he might be able to get away. Sea slug Mer were notoriously slow, even if this one seemed faster than he should be. As long as Hyrule got a large enough lead, he could find a good hiding spot or outpace the other mer.

Suddenly, Hyrule spotted his possible chance of escape. A high rock formation loomed to Hyrule’s left, which had been keeping him from turning left, but as Hyrule moved along as quickly as he could, he spotted a narrow crack in the rock. The faint coolness of a fresh current coming from the crack assured him that it went all the way through the rocks. The opening of the crack would be too small for most Mer to slip through, but as an octopus Mer Hyrule was much more flexible than others.

Hyrule wasted no time in shoving himself into the crevice, but to his horror, he found his way barred by more rock only a few feet in. The crack didn’t lead all the way through. There was a small gap where he could see the open ocean on the other side, but it was a dead end for anything bigger than a small eel.

The part where Hyrule could fit wasn’t deep and despite his best efforts Hyrule couldn’t fit more than an arm’s length into the crack. The other Mer could reach in and pull Hyrule out if he wanted, and Hyrule wouldn't be able to stop him.

Hyrule squeezed his eyes shut, gill fluttering as he breathed in quickly to try and calm his pounding heart. A trill of panic escaped him, and he hoped the other Mer hadn’t heard that. He didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

Wind, Wild… I’m so sorry. Hyrule thought miserably. He should have been more careful, but ‘should have’s didn’t mean anything. All that mattered was that Hyrule had made a horrible mistake.

It didn’t take long for the other Mer to appear at the opening, peering in with eyes that were a starling shade of violet. “Come out.” The other Mer was out of breath, but still able to demand Hyrule leave the limited safety of the crevice.

Hyrule didn’t want to leave. He wanted to stay here, but the other Mer could very easily reach in and grab him if he wanted to. He probably wouldn’t be gentle about it either. He wasn’t much bigger than Hyrule was, but his lean form was filled out with muscles, and a healthy layer of fat offered him protection. It was obvious that his pod kept him well-fed and healthy. If Hyrule wasn’t so overcome with terror, he would have felt a flash of envy.

His pod didn’t do nearly so well for themselves. They were a pathetically small pod, too small to really support themselves. There was only Hyrule himself, Wild, and little Wind. Only two juveniles and a pup. They couldn’t hold down a permanent territory, so they were forced to eke out a living on the edges of other pods’ territories, constantly on the move so as not to overstay the generosity of those whose prey they stole.

Even Wind, who was given more food than Hyrule or Wild, was still concerningly skinny for a Mer his age. He should be plump with baby fat, and if he was in the stranger’s pod, Hyrule was sure he would be.

(When food was particularly scarce to come by and when they were sure Wind was asleep, Hyrule and Wild argued about leaving Wind on the edges of another pod's territory. A kind pod, who might adopt him and feed him better than they could. They’d never tried, but it had come close, sometimes.)

The other Mer was still staring at him from the opening of the crevice. Slowly, knowing he had no other option, Hyrule let out a small warble of submission to tell the other Mer he will capitulate. The Mer blinked at him, backing away from the entrance, leaving enough room for Hyrule to exit.

He thought about darting away again but he knew this close, the Mer would catch him easily. He emerged slowly, hands held up to show he wasn’t armed.

The two Mer observed each other in silence. They hadn’t had the chance to get a good look at each other during the chase.

The stranger was a sea slug Mer, as Hyrule had noticed. His tail was a baby pink color, with a few sparse lines of a darker red. The bright pink showed he was a juvenile, and perhaps even nearly an adult, with that red coming in. He was older than Hyrule was, in any case.

His hair was a dark golden blonde, with a pink stripe along one side. Hyrule wondered if the stripe was natural, or colored with dye.

The wickedly sharp blade of a fishing spear poked over the other Mer’s shoulders. Hyrule tore his eyes away and tried not to imagine that blade piercing his own flesh.

The Mer wore a plethora of sparkly rings and a pretty necklace studded with bits of sea glass polished to a shine by the waves. He even wore a golden tail ring. Perhaps the Mer was courting someone who had an expensive taste in gifts. He wore little clothing, as was typical in the shallow seas. A large bag was tied around his waist, and his only covering was a red shawl wrapped around his shoulders. It was made of gauzy silk-like material with small golden beads woven into the edges, and looked expensive.

Hyrule reevaluated his previous thoughts about the Mer’s Pod. Not only were they well-off, they were downright rich. (With the territory they possessed, he wasn’t really surprised. There was more food here than anyone could eat. They could easily trade extra food or even temporary hunting rights with neighboring Pods. And that wasn’t counting other goods they might produce.)

As for the other Mer, he took the moment to glance Hyrule up and down. Hyrule tried not to let his tentacles squirm under the scrutinizing gaze. He knew he wasn’t half as impressive as this Mer was. He’d grown into his juvenile colors- going from a dull olive green brighter, leafy color- but he hadn’t started to get his adult markings yet.

He wore no clothes or decorations except a roughly woven band of seagrass around his waist with a knife tied to it. His Pod had no time to learn the skills required to make clothing, and they couldn’t afford to buy things unless it was absolutely necessary. His knife, the only personal object he had, had been stolen from a Pod whose territory Hyrule had passed through when he was still a loner.

(He did not dare try and use the knife on the Mer in front of him. Hyrule wasn’t going to escalate it to violence if the other Mer hadn’t. He knew wouldn’t win.)

The final difference between him and the other Mer was the scars. They both had them- it was unusual for a Mer to grow up without accumulating a few- but Hyrule had more by far. The few he could see peppering the skin of the other Mer were old and had healed over nicely. Nothing at all like the scars that littered Hyrule’s body, which showed the poor healing they had undergone.

(There was no time to rest and let the skin heal when one of them was injured, and there was only so much Hyrule’s healing could do. His Pod had to move ever onward.)

After a moment, the other Mer stopped his inspection. He sighed. “I guess I gave you a bit of a scare, chasing you like that. My bad. I didn’t want to lose track of you. My name is Legend.” It was a good sign Legend had apologized to him. Maybe this Pod would be kind.

After a pause, when it became clear Legend was waiting for a response, Hyrule offered his own name. “Hyrule,” was all he said, so quietly the other could have missed it.

Legend nodded in acknowledgment. “That was very impressive magic. I can’t do magic myself, but I have a collection of magical items back at my Pod’s grotto.”

Oh, great. A collector of magical items, was he? Hyrule knows better than to hope that the Mer doesn’t see him as a magical item to collect.

“Do you want to come back to see?” And there it was. The question that wasn’t really a question.

Hyrule bit his lip, restraining himself from giving a sad trill. With one last thought of Wild and Wind, he closed his eyes and nodded his assent, sealing his fate.

~~~

Wild remained ever thankful that his scales had turned a dark blue as he had left pup-hood. It was a pretty color, the same shade as the deep ocean and dark trenches. More importantly, it wasn't overly flashy like the scales of tropical Mer could be.

The color made it vastly easier to be stealthy. He was an ambush predator, lying in wait along the sea bed for unsuspecting prey to pass over him. His dark color helped him blend into the rocks and coral. He couldn’t imagine how much harder it would be if he were, say, a bright red.

Wild knew hunting down in the depths would be even easier for him, where he could hide away completely in the darkness. He couldn't say he minded, though. He might not catch something every time he tried hunting up here, but there was so much more prey in the shallows. He had more chances to hunt in a day than he would in a week down in the depths.

That was what had drawn him up to the shallower waters in the first place. He’d been following the prey, at first. A lone Mer, freshly out of pup-hood, seeking the easier prey the shallows offered. And even if he hadn’t managed to catch anything, there were always mussels or clams to eat as long as he could pry the shells open.

The abundance of food might have been why he had come to the shallows, but it wasn’t why he stayed.

That honor went to the small figure Wild held in his arms.

Wild sighed, tightening the grip he had on the pup. Wind was young, and had been even younger when Wild had found him. Too young to be all alone. His birth Pod had been driven out of their territory by a larger Pod, and he’d been left behind in the chaos. Thankfully, the encroaching Pod had been kind enough to leave Wind on the edge of the territory, in case Wind’s old Pod came back for him.

They hadn’t.

Wind had been left to wander by himself when he wasn’t even seven years old. He was lucky Wild had been the first thing that found him.

Before he had met Wind, Wild had never counted himself as very parental. His species was solitary, only ever coming together to trade and breed. Wild had never thought he would ever sire a pup, much less raise one. Pups of his species stayed with their mothers until they gained their juvenile coloring, and then they left to strike out on their own.

Other species often thought it was cruel, but it was simply the way it was. Wild did not resent his mother for it. He even had many fond memories of her from his time as a pup. When he’d grown into a strong young juvenile, she had paid less and less attention to him until instinct had driven him to leave her territory.

He had not known his sire, and did not ever think of him. Wild knew that even if he did ever sire a pup, he likely wouldn’t know that they even existed.

But here he was. Even his species knew that pups could not be left alone. Once they were juveniles they could look after themselves, but pups were mostly helpless. They couldn’t defend themselves and they couldn’t hunt. They weren’t even strong enough to break through the shells of clams and mussels.

So when he’d seen Wind, Wild had known he couldn’t leave him alone. He’d taken the little pup under his fins, lack of parental skills be damned.

It had been hard at first. It had been made only slightly easier by the addition of Hyrule to their group, making them a proper Pod rather than a pair of loners. Wild thanked his lucky seastars that the two of them had wandered into the meager territory that Hyrule had been camping out in. The octopus Mer had been kind enough to let them stay, even though the space hadn’t been enough to sustain three Mer. When Wild and Wind had left, Hyrule had left with them.

Neither Hyrule nor Wild were meant to be part of a Pod. Wild’s species was solitary, and Hyrule’s usually preferred to be by themselves or in bonded pairs. Neither of them was built to be social. Yet neither of them could bear to leave a pup by himself.

Wild frowned at the thought of Hyrule. The Mer had left three days ago to hunt. He hadn’t returned, and Wild and Wind were growing hungry.

Wild would have to leave soon too.

Carefully, Wild released Wind from his grasp.

He slipped out of the cave as stealthy as he could. Mostly because he didn’t want to wake Wind, but also because they were in another Pod’s territory. He didn’t want to be caught. Anyone who could hold onto territory like this must be fearsome fighters indeed. He didn’t want to be spotted if one of their patrols came this way.

Wild’s Pod had already cleared the area directly around the cave of shellfish, so Wild had to move further away to gather an armful of clams. Not too far though. This territory was truly rich in prey. Wild envied the pod that owned these waters. They must never go hungry if there was this much abundance here.

When he returned, Wind was awake. The pup was still curled up, but was blinking up at Wild with big blue eyes as he shook off lingering sleep. The sight of the food Wild had brought back roused Wind enough for him to uncurl. The pup gave a tired trill in greeting, and then an inquiring buzzing sound low in his throat.

Hello, good morning, I love you. Food?

Wild gave a comforting warble in return, and then an inviting chirp.

My pup, good morning, I love you. Come eat!

They ate quietly, focusing on breaking apart the shells rather than speaking. The only sounds in the cave were the occasional chirp of happiness from Wind as he filled his belly. Wild ate only enough to give him the energy to hunt, leaving the majority to Wind. He needed it more, as a growing pup.

When they finished eating, they curled up, twining their tails together, purring at each other. The sound was meaningless but comforting, and they spent an hour or so just enjoying each other's company. They both knew that Wild would be leaving soon. He needed to hunt. Shellfish were all well and good, but they needed more substantial meat.

This was routine by now. Wild and Hyrule would go out one at a time to hunt and bring back food to wherever they were staying. It was unusual that Wind would be left alone, but this time they had no choice. Hyrule was gone, had been gone for almost four days. That was longer than they usually spent away from each other.

In such a prey-rich territory like this, it shouldn’t have taken the octopus Mer two days to bring back food.

Wild tried very hard to ignore the explanations for why he might not have returned. It didn’t matter why Hyrule had not returned. They could wait no longer. Wild must hunt.

But hunting meant leaving Wind alone. He didn’t want to do that. Usually only one of them went out at a time, leaving the other to watch over Wind. That wasn’t an option this time.

Wild wrapped his tail tightly around Wind’s, cuddling the pup closer and tucking his head under Wild’s chin. Wind gave an inquiring buzz, and Wild sighed.

“I have to go.”

“Don’t want you to.” Wind complained, and when Wild pulled back his face was scrunched up in an adorable scowl.

“I know, but aren’t you still hungry? I have to go get us food. I’ll try and get some octopus for you, if you want '' There wasn’t a taboo against eating the animals that you looked similar to, but Hyrule didn’t like eating octopus anyways. Wild didn’t exactly blame him, but octopus had become something of a special treat shared between Wind and Wild.

“Hyrule will come back with food. You don’t have to go.” Wind protested. Wild said nothing in response, not voicing his own doubts. He pulled away reluctantly, removing Wind from where he clung to Wild’s tail. He swore, sometimes he thought Wind was the octopus Mer with how clingy he could get.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can, pup. Stay here, and be quiet as a cuddlefish for me, okay?” Wild purposely mispronounces the word, hoping it would make Wind laugh. It didn’t.

Wind’s lip wobbled. Wild would admit, he fled like a coward. If he had stayed to hear Wind’s sad little trills, he might not have left.

~~~

Wind wasn’t crying.

For one thing, Mer couldn’t cry. What was the point of leaking water from your eyes when you were already underwater? Wind thought Hylians were very strange for leaking water, even if they did live above the surface. They wasted water when they did that. With the dry environment they lived in, it didn’t make sense to go about spilling water from their eyes whenever they were upset. Then again, things above the surface of the water rarely made sense, and Hylians could be a little stupid sometimes.

So no, Wind wasn’t crying. But he was releasing the semi-involuntary squeaks, trills, and wails that counted as the same thing, to Mer. It was meant to signal to his Pod that he was in distress and needed comfort or help.

Wind was a big boy, though. He should be able to control his calls. It was especially necessary for him to learn how to do so. His pod was so small and only consisted of him and two juveniles. They absolutely could not afford to attract predators or rival Pods. No matter how upset you were, nothing was more important than keeping yourself hidden.

Wind’s pod couldn’t afford to fight. They’d learned that a long time ago, and Wild had paid dearly for it. It was only by the grace of Hyrule’s magic that he’d survived, and even then he hadn’t come out of that encounter in one piece.

So Wind knew how to be silent, even if he was upset. He knew how to muffle his wails as well as any adult could. At least Wind had thought he could, but here he was, wailing desperately for his pod.

Wind wanted them, where were they? They wouldn’t leave him alone, would they? They said they would stick together for as long as they could.

Wild and Hyrule’s species were usually solitary, but they had promised Wind that no matter how much they each wandered, they would always return. And usually, they made sure one of them stayed with him while the other went hunting to blow off steam.

Their species might typically be solitary, but Wind’s wasn’t, and he was only just shedding his pup fat. The scales along his ribs and the end of his tail were a slightly brighter orange, hinting at the colors his scales would turn in a few years, but the rest of him was still firmly the dull orangey-brown of a pup. He was still too young to truly be alone.

When Wild and Hyrule had found him, Wind had thought the universe had been kind to him. He’d thought he had found a replacement pod for the one he’d lost. But it’d been five days since Hyrule had wandered off last, and Wild had gone hunting, but that was two days ago!

Wind was hungry, but he didn’t want to leave to try and find something to eat, because what if his pod came back when he was gone and they couldn’t find him? And Wild had told him to stay here and stay quiet.

Wind couldn’t make himself quiet, no matter how hard he tried. But he would stay here. He could at least do that much.

So he curled up on the cold rocky floor, his tail coming up to drape over his neck protectively. Normally it would be one of his Wild’s tail draped over him to keep away the chill, or Hyrule’s arm slung around his vulnerable neck. But they weren’t there, so he had to do it himself. He did his best to ignore the calls that still escaped him.

There was no one to answer him anyway.

~~~

Wild hadn’t been careful enough while he was hunting. He’d stupidly forgotten that while fish and other animals might overlook him lying on the seabed, a patrol of mer from the Pod that owned this territory wouldn’t. He’d been deep in thought when they’d happened upon him, and they’d startled him so badly he was struck dumb, staring up at them.

They were only feet away.

There were four of them, three adults and a juvenile. Although calling the largest one an adult was a bit of a disservice. The white Mer that led the patrol was absolutely massive.

Wild knew, logically, that Mer didn’t stop growing when they reached adulthood, but he’d never seen a Mer this large before. He was nearly three times the size of Wild! He must be positively ancient.

Finally breaking out of his trance, Wild flung himself up. He wouldn’t be caught failing in the sand. If he needed to fight or flee, he would do so, but he would not simply wait for these Mers to condemn him.

Strangely, the four Mer didn’t attack him automatically. That was the typical response when someone caught him hunting in their territory. They didn't even look mad, really, just surprised.

Okay, the juvenile in the back of the group looked pretty mad but other than him, no one looked mad.

The largest one, however, wasn’t looking at him with surprise like the others were. He looked thoughtful. “I think,” he rumbled, “That this one might be able to shed some light on the mysterious Mer Legend brought back a few days ago.”

Wild turned tail and fled. He wanted to scream and wail and thrash in grief, but he still had Wind to look after. At least now he knew what had happened to Hyrule.

The sounds of the four behind him giving chase weren’t surprising at all.

~~~

A familiar scream woke Wind. He’d slept in late, and the sun that filtered through the shallow water shone brightly into the cave entrance, warming the water while he slept. It only took a few moments for him to shake off the haze of sleep after hearing that noise.

That was Wild’s warning call and from the sound of it, he was fighting something.

Wind was at the entrance of the cave in a flash. The relief he felt at hearing his podmate’s return was quickly squashed by the sight outside the cave.

A good distance away, Wild was facing off against four other Mer. A spear of dread shot through Wind for a moment, before relief hit him when he realized Wild wasn’t actually fighting them yet. Wild was a good fighter, but there was no way he could win against four Mer at once.

Wild had stopped a good distance away from the cave entrance, evidently not wanting to lead the strangers directly to Wind. He faced off against them, but Wind could see it was hopeless.

One of the strange Mer looked like a pup at first glance, but his colorful scales revealed him to at least be a juvenile, despite his small size. A second Mer with a royal blue tail with orange markings hovered near the back of the group, observing the on goings on with a critical air.

The two that drew the most attention were the two that were closest to Wild. They were both large, especially compared to Wild. One of them practically towered over Wind’s podmate. He looked especially fierce, with scars crisscrossing his white scales. One long scar covered his eye, bisecting the red and blue markings he had on his face.

The fourth Mer had a seal’s pelt tied around his shoulders. He wasn’t nearly as large as the white one, but even from Wind’s distant point of view, he could tell the Mer was rippling with muscles. In fact, all four of these Mer looked incredibly strong and well-fed. They looked to be in better shape than any of Wind’s pod, who were all too scrawny.

Wind could see Wild pressing himself down to the sea floor. It might have been confused for submission if it weren’t for how he flared all his fins out. (And WIld had a lot of fin to flare.) His mouth was open in a silent hiss, fear stealing his voice from him for a split second. Wild’s silence only lasted a moment, before the Mer with the pelt made an aborted movement towards him.

His movement seemed to give Wild a bit of courage. The Mer flung himself up, all his fins flaring out.

Even with half his dorsal fin being a mess of scar tissue, Wild’s threat display was truly impressive. He wasn’t fully grown yet and his markings hadn’t started to come in yet, but he was still a sight to behold. Wild’s bioluminescence didn’t add much to the display in the middle of the day like this, but Wind knew from experience that at night or in deeper waters, the eerie blue glow could make some fully grown Mer back off.

These Mer remained mostly undeterred, which showed exactly how confident they were. Rightly so. Despite his threat display, it was clear Wild was no match for them.

The large white Mer seemed utterly unphased. He flicked his tail, sending himself effortlessly through the water, closer to Wild. Wild snapped his jaw threateningly, his teeth clicking together sharply. When that didn’t work, Wild unhinged his jaw fully and let it gape unnaturally open. His long sharp teeth were on full display. It was something only deep sea Mer could do, and it was a little unsettling even to Wind, who’d seen him do it before.

That display finally made the white Mer stop moving forward, but he had gotten too close to Wild for Wind’s taste. Wind couldn’t stop the chirps from rising in his throat.

Here, here! I’m here, I’m scared, I want you here!

The attention of all four of the Mer snapped towards Wind at the sound of his chirps. Wild screamed in anger at that, but the damage was done. This new figure was more interesting to the Mer than the angry juvenile they’d been chasing. No matter how Wild flared his fins, he wasn’t able to grab their attention back from Wind.

The small one with the colorful scales huffed when he saw Wind peeking out of the cave. “Exactly how many pups are we going to find swimming around in our territory?”

The royal blue Mer seemed to agree. There was a hint of amusement in his voice when he spoke. “It seems we have an infestation.” He agreed.

The one with the seal skin around his shoulder was frowning at Wind. It would be rather intimidating, especially with the crooked fangs poking out of his upper lip, but Wind got the feeling that the Mer’s frown was directed at him.

“Is that your pup? He doesn’t look like it.” The question was directed at Wild. Even Wind knew he was referring to the fact that Wild was a deep sea Mer, and Wind was tropical. That and the fact that Wild looked too young to have sired a pup as old as Wind.

Wind bristled at the implication that he wasn’t Wild’s. He hated it when Mer did that. They may not be the same species, but Wind and Wild and Hyrule were Pod. Wind hadn’t seen any tropical Mer lining up to adopt him when he’d been alone and wandering.

Wild seemed to take the same offense. “He is mine! Don’t you dare touch him!” Wild’s voice had risen to a fever pitch of stress and anger. Wind flattened his ear fins to his head at the sound. He hated to hear Wild sound so distressed. He moved without thinking, flinging himself out of the confines of the cave.

Wild gave a warning call, and the strangers startled back, clearly not expecting Wind to move. But Wind only bee-lined towards Wild. The two of them were going to need to flee, and Wild couldn’t do that if the strangers got between him and Wind.

With Wild sounding so distressed, Wind wanted to be right next to him, not waiting helplessly for whatever fate would befall him.

Within moments Wind was at Wild’s side, pressed against his scales. With a movement of his tail, Wild raised himself high enough for Wind to duck under him. It was a little awkward. Wild wasn't full grown, and couldn’t hide Wind entirely. But he was still big enough to loom protectively. It made Wind feel slightly better.

(Whenever Hyrule or Wild did this, it reminded Wind of his mother and his birth pod, bringing comforting memories of being so very small and pressing comfortingly to his mother’s yellow-orange scales.)

More confident now that what he was protecting was within his arms reach, Wild gave a hiss towards the stranger. The sound was wounded, but there was a challenge there too.

Grief, grief, grief, anger, rage, I will never forgive you.

Then Wild spoke. “You already took Hyrule from us. Go away! Go away, we don’t have anything for you! We’re leaving, we’ll never come back here if you just let us leave.”

Wind felt an icy chill shoot through him. He sank down to the sandy seafloor, feeling weak. Wild followed him, keeping his chest pressed against Wind.

These Mer took Hyrule? What did that mean? Was Hyrule… dead? Wind had known that Wild had thought Hyrule was dead when he hadn’t returned from the hunt, but Wind hadn’t wanted to think of that possibility.

The white Mer slid forward a few feet, making Wild shift uneasily. “Are you sure about that? I’m sure Hyrule would love to see you.” Wind perked up from where he’d been pressed to the sand, wailing welling up in his throat.

Hyrule wanted to see them? That meant that Hyrule was alive!

“Wild, we have to go get Hyrule.” Wild hesitated. He still glared at the strangers, but Wind could tell his mind was racing. Wild clearly didn’t know what to do.

The other Mer could tell it too.

“You won’t be harmed, I swear it.” This time it was the Mer who wore a long blue scarf that spoke, moving forward towards the front of the group. “It can't be easy out there, just the three of you. Come rest with us for a while.”

Wind looked up at Wild, tugging plaintively on one of his fins. “Wild, I want to go see Hyrule.” He knew he was whining, but they hadn’t seen the octopus Mer in days and Wind missed him. And the strangers didn’t seem too bad. Maybe they had food at their grotto?

Wind hoped so.

Wild only hesitated another moment more before drooping, his fins closing. He looked defeated. Wind had little time to worry about it before Wild nodded his assent and Wind was distracted by the thought that they were going to see Hyrule soon!

#linked universe #lu mer au #mint's writing #lu wild #lu hyrule #lu wind #lu legend #lu time #lu twilight #lu four #lu warriors

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chowtrolls · 1 year ago

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New Perspectives

Google Docs Link Mondes & the Cheongs are @/byrdstrolls. Paenit is @/homicidalfantrolls.

Before you left for the Fleet, you made sure to say goodbye to everyone. To Nesseo, in rehab, Marsie, Hanagi, Mondes- and little Daseos. She was, at the time, much shorter than you. You had become quite smitten with the little jade as you got to know her. She was unlike anyone you had ever known. You loved the facts she spouted, how she lived and held herself so unapologetically. Das never seemed to fear taking up space in a room. It helped, of course, that nobody in the little Airbnb ever tried to make her small.

Watching her grow up in those five months, even as fearful as it had been awaiting Hanagi’s return, reminded you of watching Twitch and Bertie and Calysa and Faxaen and Merkii grow up, too. Some days, you wanted to wrap your arms around her spunky jade frame and hold her close, tell her to never grow up, to always stay herself. You never did, of course.

The only downside to Daseos, was having to pick her up from school. You’d see him across the lot. He wasn’t there every week, and then again neither were you. You tried so hard to figure out what weeks he was working pick-up duty. He seemed too busy to notice you, thankfully. Distracted by students pestering him, by other teachers. One time you caught him staring at a worm on the pavement. The world around you seemed to move in slow motion as you watched him nudge the little creature back into the damp soil, away from the harsh rays of the moons. An act of gentle kindness, unlike the man you once knew. The jagged rust you grew up with never noticed the small creatures. He was kind but never gentle, living his life in a rageful tunnel vision. In that moment, your chest ached. He wasn’t just alive. He had been alive long enough to change as a person. Without you.

You ducked away behind Marsie right as Festur looked up. Then Das came running up to show off her diagram of a sea slug, and the world resumed as normal.

The day that you left, you held Daseos by the shoulders. You looked into her bright, young eye, sparkling with wonder, swirling with age and trauma and things no child should have to hold. You told her to be good, to take good care of Mondes. And you gave her a letter.

“Give this to your literature teacher. Mr. C, right?”

She gasped, “You know that guy?!”

“I thought I did. But now, I’m…not so sure.”

✦✦✦

Five more months. Of silence, of staring into space and watching the stars swirl around your ship. Of hearing Paenit’s voice but never really understanding him. Choking down food to keep him happy. From hiding in his office to isolating yourself in your block. Five months of mapping the stars with nothing but your eyes. It’s a miracle you didn’t get voidrot from that alone. The stars changed from violet, to bronze, to jade, to yellow- never rust. All this time, Fester’s voice had been the sound of your consciousness, part of your never ending, never touched grief. Somewhere in those five months, your palmhusk had died. And you never bothered to charge it again.

That was, until the faithful day where the bravest fool you’d ever know showed up at your ship door. Mondes Rosado, with all the confidence of a man who’d stared death in the face, commanded for you to come home. The recruits on Commander Almiss’ ship were more appalled that Rosado had the gall to boss you around. Showing up at the Fleet’s doorstep was one thing. Telling you what to do was an entirely different, dangerous ball game. Despite that, it only took Commander Almiss all of twenty minutes to convince you to leave. By the time Mondes showed up, you were speaking again. The decision should’ve been easy- looking back you regret those long twenty minutes. Mondes must’ve been in agony. You didn’t want to leave Paenit, you didn’t want to leave Twitch. But as you told your commander this, he softly held your hands, and said you had punished yourself enough. He told you it was time to start enjoying your life.

You were convinced Mondes flew back much slower than he flew out. Not that you minded. You liked eating more than tater tots. You’d never admit it, but you even enjoyed rewatching Dune. You felt safe falling asleep tangled in his arms. Safe in a way you hadn’t felt in many, many sweeps. Hell, you didn’t even mind the spontaneous detour to a planet more ash than anything else.

You had about three dozen missed calls by the time you finally went back online. Siblings, your father, your moirail, Kitty even called twice. But only one number called once, five months ago. The joyous vibe of the ship had diminished significantly after visiting Corsica. In a morbid way, Mondes’ grief provided you a good distraction for what you needed to do.

“Rosado,” You softly broke the comfortable silence, “What time does Das get out of school?”

“It’s Sunday. She doesn’t have school on the weekends.”

“....Right.”

“Why? Something wrong?”

“No- no, not at all.” You slowly stood up from your seat on the couch, eyes never leaving the screen, “I-..I’ll be right back.”

Twitch’s ship was small, impossible to have true privacy. It didn’t seem like Mondes had followed you. He didn’t even take his eyes off the vegetables he so attentively chopped. Giving you the perfect opportunity. You locked yourself in the bathroom and turned on the fan. Your mask was set unceremoniously in the sink as you leaned against the counter. With shaky hands, you redialled the number. It rang twice.

“Hello?....Joey?”

Your blood ran cold. His voice, smooth like honey.

“...Jodiah? Is that you?”

✦✦✦

⇒ Your name is now Festur Canuis, and your ex-matesprit just entered your old barn.

You had been diligent in returning to the barn every Thursday. Was it creepy that you knew what days your brother wouldn’t be home? Probably. But even if he was, it was unlikely he’d venture out here again. The one time he did…poor thing, he just about passed out at the sight of you. It was pure luck he didn’t. No way in hell you could’ve dragged his heavy ass back to his hive.

Since your call with Jodiah, you had returned every Thursday. You would sit in your old, dead car, and grade papers, work on lesson plans, go over your rosters…boring adult things you couldn’t forego simply because you awaited an old friend. At first, you would freeze every time those rotting barn doors would creak. You convinced yourself after some time that he wasn’t going to show up. That was probably why you didn’t even bother looking up from the worksheet you were writing on. Not even when you heard the door shut, did you look up. It was only the uncomfortable feeling of eyes drilling into you that finally got you to look up.

There he stood. Baggy clothes hanging off his shoulders and hips like a funeral shroud. Staring at you with unease, discomfort, looking down at you from the top of his mask.

Oh god, that mask.

It was horrifying. The cold look in his eyes should’ve been what chilled you to the bone, but in all honesty, it was that mask. Sharp and heavy, concealing some horrible secret. You had seen it from afar, and had caught a glimpse or two from when the court case had been televised. What had the Fleet done to his face? Had it been the Fleet, or was it your death? Could you even blame someone in that instance? Your papers are set aside as you slowly rise, never breaking eye contact. In actions reminiscent of someone trying not to piss off a rabid bear, you slowly exit the vehicle and dare to venture closure.

“You’re alive.” The sound that leaves his mask is hardly a voice. And certainly not his own. It reminds you of the growl of an engine. A robotic, deadly thing.

“If it’s, uh, any consolation…I’ve only been alive the past, er…sweep or so?” You offer a half-hearted shrug.

“Oh.” You could practically see the gears turning in your ex’s head, his eyes studying every visible aspect of you. Mentally calculating the length of your arms compared to your torso, cataloging every hair on your head. Checking his mental list several times over. Making sure, without a reasonable doubt, that you are in fact Festur Canuis.

The silence that falls is thick. You began to wonder if you were purely imagining things, if Jodiah actually stood in front of you. You were just beginning to relax when Jodiah’s mask suddenly just…turned off. The lights died out entirely. He started to sway. His lime eyes rolled back right as his legs buckled under him.

Instinct took over as you closed the gap between you two with record speed. You grabbed him by his hoodie, momentarily shocked at how lightweight he was. You pulled the unconscious lime close, keeping him as upright as possible. Nostalgia fogged at the edge of your mind, memories of being kids and having this same issue happen. The electricity in his body would overwhelm his heart, and he’d pass out. You recalled holding him upright would sometimes speed up his recovery time-

With a sharp, muffled gasp, Dia’s eyes snap open. His nails grip into your arms frantically. It took a few seconds for the recognition to spark in his eyes. When it did, he immediately buried his masked face into your chest. You yelp and stagger back slightly, taking him with you. It became quite clear that his mask was not designed with hugs in mind.

“Joey–Joey, stop–” You squirm slightly, “Your mask- it’s, its sharp-”

He looked up, eyes wet with sorrow and terror, silent as ever.

“Let’s take it off…please?”

“Y-You can’t look at-at me.” Jodiah’s voice, no longer mechanical, wavers in his demands. He shifts to hold you at arm’s length, his vibrant eyes studying your own deadpan ones with a startling new frenzy. “Pr-Promise me. You-You c-can’t look. D-d-don’t f-f-fucking- d-d-“

You knew that stutter. Like an engine stalling when you turned the key. The starter trying so hard, desperate to ignite. But the spark never lights. The words fall out of his lips clumsily but never whole, never the right words. You said nothing in return. A hand moves from Jodiah’s waist to the mask on his face. You’re not sure how you know what to do, you just do. You’d been reading a lot of books lately- part of the Language Arts teacher job, right? A common theme these days has been soulmates. Trolls with souls that were destined to be tangled together. You always thought that idea was fucking idiotic. There was no way to prove fate or destiny existed. You had died, how could you have a soul?

But as your hand found its way to the right sweet spot on Jodiah’s mask, gently pulling back and then down, you started to wonder if the concept was really all that stupid. He doesn’t stop you. The mask is discarded unceremoniously, dropped off to the side. He’s shaking like a leaf in the wind, and with how small he felt in your arms you worried he’d blow away like one too. Your expression softens ever so slightly.

This wasn’t your Joey. Your Joey had a round, clean face, warm cheeks decorated with freckles. He always wore a smile. His fangs poked out over his lips like a promise. The man who looked at you with your lover’s eyes was so tired, so aged. His jaw was sharp, his nose broad and round. His face looked sunken in, hollow, decaying. His lip quivered in a nervous silence as he studied you. Waiting for his powers to do something, anything. Waiting for the facade to end.

You raise your brows in the subtle way you often did to show you weren’t upset. “I’m fine, Joey.” The hand that removed his mask now cupped his cheek. The lime turned his face into your palm, closing his eyes for a brief second, relishing the touch. “See? I’m fine. I feel nothing- It’s okay.”

Nothing was an understatement. Seeing his face sent warm sparks down your spine, made your chest bubble with excitement, made your head fizz. Certainly a far cry from the sedative powers Jodiah remembered himself as having. You’d explored his memories, of course you had, and could recall him taking down highbloods far greater than you with just a cold glare. The buzzing carbonation in your think pan was a muted version of his powers. But you couldn’t let him know that, not with how he felt now. You were always a little too good at lying to your Jodiah, and it appeared that trend would continue with the Jodiah in your arms.

Fat tears welled up in his bright, sunken eyes, right before he buried his face into your chest. You instinctively wrap your arms around him, swallowing his small frame in your own. You close your eyes and press your face into his hair. He didn’t even smell the same. The Fleet had done horrible things to the man you once knew. But you knew in your bones that it was really your death that had made him sharp, had forced his edges to be so jagged to protect what he had left.

You couldn’t love this man in the same way you once had. Too much time had passed for that to be a possibility. You were different, he was different- love wasn’t some kinda puzzle you could finish just by forcing the pieces in a certain way. You missed your Joey, and you always will. You couldn’t call up a necromancer to bring him back. But you could get to know the man he’d become, the man in your arms, holding onto you like he was afraid you’d vanish. The love that melted its way across your skin was much deeper. Warm, genuine, pure. Pinker in nature. Oh, how the time apart gave you a newly painted perspective on your feelings towards him. You knew, as you nuzzled into his soft hair, that you’d do everything in your power to make sure he never sobbed like this again. Not over you, not for any reason.

You weren’t pieces from each other’s missing puzzles. You were two halves of the same star that found its way back together.

#ghost.art #new perspectives #festur canuis #jodiah monark #many others 2

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iassignpeoplehomestucktrolls · 9 months ago

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FANTROLL BY POLL lusus edition

violet and invertebrate have won so far so here's some categories of invertebrate sea creature and what they include (this list has been shortened for preference and to not include too many animals)

Gonna add a tw to people who know about marine biology: I don't. this is all from Google searches, sorry in advance

#homestuck lusus #homestuck original character #homestuck oc #homestuck polls #hs oc #homestuck fantroll #fantroll by poll #trollsona

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ms-scarletwings · 15 days ago

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Every Dredge Aberration (2024) , Part 12

Twisting tendrils thwarted, then followed down,

by the flotsam’s single-minded greed.

Unyielding until they have found what they need,

so very soon they too, can feed

on nature distorted and innocence drowned. ₊˚.༄

Crown of Nadir

Encyclopedia #169

Aberrant form of crown of thorns

Description:

A fractal gateway, reaching beyond the abyss. From its maw whispers a call from below.

Comment: It resembles uncomfortably the crab pot boon from one of the shrines- Mouth of the Deep. Perhaps one of these was involved in its construction. Despite this creature's association with the water, "Nadir" is a celestial term. In the astronomical sense, it directs to a point on the sphere one stands on directly under the observer's current location. It means below one in the sense of the lowest bottom possible, and taken from the literal Arabic, "opposite". For pondering's sake, if symbolic link from the name “crown of thorns" is to Jesus of Nazareth, ask yourself what more fitting a name could be given to this cosmic perversion than Crown of Nadir? | have no answer, myself.

How to catch: Must be captured by a large enough crab pot. Requires 9 squares of inventory and is only found at depths of 5 meters or shallower in the Basin.

Entangled Crab

Encyclopedia #170

Aberrant form of blue crab

Description:

Glistening purple strings sprout from solid rock, tying and untying themselves. They fall way and whither, making way for new knots.

Comment: Can barely be recognized as the crustacean it supposedly once was. A lovely color of sea spaghetti, at least, and this is a good thing, since the painter will be wanting one towards unlocking the royal purple pigment.

How to catch: Dwells the same depth and areas as the crown of thorns starfish, while only taking up 2 slots, making it suitable for smaller traps if checked frequently.

Imperious Lobster

Encyclopedia #171

Aberrant form of Spiny Lobster

Description:

Iridescent purple feelers recoil from the dry air. Sacs of violet fluid embedded in its carapace begin to drain.

Comment: No answers in sight as to what this fluid is, or its purpose, but there has been discovered a much better function- mixing into a stylish new coat of paint for the fisherman's vessel.

How to catch: A pot catch that actually does not overlap with the zone of the previous two. Place traps between 5 and 50 meters in the Basin.

Mimic slug ˚.༄

Encyclopedia #172

Aberrant form of sea slug

Description:

Foolish morsels of the deep make mistakes they will not live to regret.

Comment: A slug befallen a hideous sort of infection, or an entirely new visitor with a picky selection of prey? Nudibranch often are toxic, or themselves mimics… of their toxic relatives. This makes fairly interesting the theory that this aberrant’s resemblance to these slugs, which try so hard to deter threats with their appearance, is actually meant to draw in their narrow would-be predators, quite possibly the genuine specimens they impersonate. I find amusing though a speculation that there are even stranger Deep dwellers we haven’t yet seen, and how their appetites may crave the promise of danger that most life is wired to fear or find distasteful.

How to catch: The trickster is, ironically enough, easily fooled itself. Any crab pot will do, provided appropriate placement over a tarry patch at sea level to 25 meters of depth.

#dredge iron rig #iron rig dlc #grotesque dish #aberrant fish #dredge game #dredge #fish horror

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liquidcrystalsky · 9 months ago

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Here's all the gear names in the new update

LONG ass post so under the cut:

HEADGEAR:

Long-Billed Cap, King Flip Mesh, Blowfish Newsie, Pilot Hat, Barrelfish Baseball Hat, Octoleet Goggles, Worker's Head Towel, El Rey Calamar, Zekko Cap, Ink-Guard Goggles, Teal Pinhole Shades, Green Pinhole Shades, Pink Pinhole Shades, Yellow Pinhole Shades, Patched Hat, Fugu Bell Hat, Hothouse Hat, Mountie Hat, Black FishFry Bandana, Squidfin Hook Cans, Matte Bike Helmet, Deca Tackle Visor Helmet, Barrelfish Headgear, Slipstream Helmet Pro, Slipstream Helmet, King Facemask, Motocross Nose Guard, Digi-Camo Forge Mask, Yamagiri Beanie, Sneaky Beanie, Tee Time Visor

CLOTHING:

North-Country Parka, Octoleet Armor, Dev Uniform, Cooler Jacket, Fresh Octo Tee, Chilly Mountain Coat, Takoroka Windcrusher, FA-01 Jacket, FA-01 Reversed, Pullover Coat, Birded Corduroy Jacket, Deep-Octo Satin Jacket, Zekko Redleaf Coat, Lemon Mountain Coat, Zekko Jade Coat, Light Bomber Jacket, Navy Eminence Jacket, Tumeric Zekko Coat, Custom Painted F-3 , White Leather F-3, Chili-Pepper Ski Jacket, Whale-Knit Sweater, Rockin' Leather Jacket, Kung-Fu Zip-Up, Panda Kung-Fu Zip-Up, Shirt with Blue Hoodie, Grape Hoodie, Hothouse Hoodie, Pink Hoodie, Olive Zekko Parka, Black Hoodie, Baby-Jelly Shirt & Tie, Prune Parashooter, Red Hula Punk with Tie, Dots-on-Dots Shirt, Toni K. Baseball Jersey, Barrelfish Baseball Uni, Short Knit Layers, Positive Longcuff Sweater, Annaki Yellow Cuff, Annaki Red Cuff, Octarian Retro, Takoroka Jersey, Octo Jumper Home, Pink Easy-Stripe Shirt, Inkopolis Squaps Jersey, Lime Easy-Stripe Shirt, Annaki Evolution Tee, Zekko Long Carrot Tee, Zekko Long Radish Tee, Black Cuttlegear LS, Takoroka Crazy Baseball LS, Red Cuttlegear LS, Khaki 16-Bit FishFry, Blue 16-Bit FishFry, Sharkfin Raglan, Black V-Neck Tee, White Deca Logo Tee, Half-Sleeve Sweater, King Jersey, Gray 8-Bit FishFry, White Urchin Rock Tee, Black Urchin Rock Tee, Wet Floor Band Tee, Squid Squad Band Tee, Navy Deca Logo Tee, Mister Shrug Tee, Chirpy Chips Band Tee, Hightide Era Band Tee, ω-3 Tee, Missus Shrug Tee, League Tee, Friend Tee, Tentatek Slogan Tee, Octoking HK Jersey, Dakro Nana Tee, Dakro Golden Tee, Black Velour Octoking Tee , Green Velour Octoking Tee, Slate Streetstyle Tee, Red Tentatek Tee, Blue Tentatek Tee, Squid Yellow Layered LS, White King Tank, Slash King Tank, Navy King Tank, Lob-Stars Jersey, Fishing Vest, Front-Zip Vest, Silver Tentatek Vest, Tentatek Slipstream Vest, Teal Body Warmer

SHOES:

Deepsea Leather Boots, Annaki Arachno Boots, New-Leaf Leather Boots, Tea-Green Hunting Boots, Octoleet Boots, Knockout Boots, Cream Basics, Shivery Squidkid III, Fried Squidkid III, Big Squidkid III, Chained DC Toejamz, Jeweled DC Toejamz, Swirled DC Toejamz, Trifecta Duck Boots, Trifecta Hi-Tops, Trifecta Sandals, Smoky Wingtips, Gray Yellow-Soled Wingtips, Inky Kid Clams, Musselforge Flip-Flops, Cyan Dakroniks, Black Dakroniks, Piranha Moccasins, White Norimaki 750s, Black Norimaki 750s, Gray Sea-Slug Hi-Tops, Orca Hi-Tops, Navy Enperrials, Amber Sea Slug Hi-Tops, Yellow Iromaki 750s, Honey & Orange Squidkid V, Sun & Shade Squidkid IV, Orca Woven Hi-Tops, Green Iromaki 750s, Purple Iromaki 750s, Red Iromaki 750s, Blue Iromaki 750s, Orange Iromaki 750s, Red Power Stripes, Blue Power Stripes, Toni Kensa Black Hi-Tops, Sesame Salt 270s, Black & Blue Squidkid V, Orca Passion Hi-Tops, Truffle Canvas Hi-Tops, Crab-Trap Squidkid III, Violet Trainers, Canary Trainers, Yellow-Mesh Sneakers, Orange-Mesh Sneakers, N-Pacer CaO, N-Pacer Ag, N-Pacer Au, Sea Slug Volt 95s, Athletic Arrows, OB Gaiter Waders, Noir Guppies, Birch Climbing Shoes, Green Lace-Ups, White Laceless Dakroniks, Blue Laceless Dakroniks, Suede Gray Lace-Ups, Suede Nation Lace-Ups, Suede Marine Lace-Ups, Toni Kensa Soccer Shoes, Stamina Cycling Shoes, Energy Cycling Shoes, Polka-Dot Slip-Ons, Burden of Floof

#splatoon #splatoon 3 #game rip #text #clothing #unreleased content

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acim-ed-ortsac · 2 years ago

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Ruler of the End - Chapter 7

Twisted Wonderland x Male reader

The young boy huffed, crossing his arms, “I suppose I can’t turn a blind eye to this.” He then introduced himself, “My name is Riddle Roseheart and that attire is inappropriate for school.” he pointed at the dragon’s shirt. Said dragon looked down at said shirt, raising a brow. “Is it? The head mage had given me this when he settled in our dorm.”

“You mean that ramshackle building?” The boy, named Riddle, widened his eyes in surprise before shaking his head in exasperation. “I can’t believe the head mage would leave you in that wreckage of a structure.”

“It’s quite fine, I was able to renovate it so it will meet our comfort and provide a solid roof over our heads.” Tenebris shifted his hold on the books. “Putting that aside, my name is Tenebris, nice to meet you Riddle Roseheart.”

“The pleasure's all mine,” Riddle then sighs as he gazes with furrowed brows at the shelf above him. Again, Tenebris asked him the same question “Can I help you in reaching your desired book?”

“No thank you, I can manage.” Once again, the dragon stood there, bearing witness to Riddle’s struggling and futile attempts to reach his book. Didn’t help when Floyd popped around the corner and grinned at the sight. “Goldfish!”

Tenebris waved in response, despite the feeling of dread that churned in his stomach, as Floyd took long strides towards them. “Hello, Floyd.”

“Orca is here too!”

“I thought I was a sea slug,”

“Mm, nah, we already have a sea slug and you look like an orca.”

“Ah, is that so?”

And for the next three minutes, the dragon watched as Floyd teased Riddle of his height. He decided to end it by wrapping his tail around the redhead and lifting him up to his desired shelf. He should check on Yuu and the rest after this.

*-*

Yuu was having a bad day.

Classes were fine, just the usual bratty child Grim and trouble-making Ace and Deuce (Though Deuce is more of an unintentional trouble-maker) until the Unbirthday party after school. But it was when the Unbirthday party started that everything went to shit. After meeting Cater at the front and helping him paint the roses, he dressed them up for the party with Heartslabyul uniforms for their friends and an outfit similar to the Mad Hatter for Yuu.

Then came the giving of the tart.

Oh boy, everything was wild with the cute but scary redhead guy, Riddle, getting angry because they brought a tart that was against one of the rules of the dorm ‘Do not bring a mont blanc to Unbirthday parties’ or something along those lines before destroying the tart they made! At that point, they were fuming as they retorted to the redhead and his by-the-rules attitude.

And that’s how they ended up with a collar around their neck.

God, it felt like being in their household again. Collared and forced to obey every command and rule.

Riddle looked down at them despite being shorter than Yuu by inches, it felt like they were being looked down upon. Beside them were Deuce and Grim who were equally collared, struggling. “Trey! Cater! Eject these offenders out of here!”

The two seniors that Yuu befriended, Trey and Cater, looked hesitant but still complied. “Yes, house warden.”

Yuu will not stand for this, “Wait! You can’t seriously follow him when he’s like this!?”

“Sorry,” Cater apologized with a sad smile. “But we can’t disobey the house warden.”

Ace glared at their other side, “So that’s how it’s gonna be? Bring it on!”

But before any of them could make the next move, a voice deep and smooth spoke from the entrance. “What in the three realms is happening?”

Relief flooded through Yuu’s system as they swiveled to see Tenebris in a pair of knee-length shorts and a grey tee while being bare feet. His hair was let down, letting some of his locks go to the front of his face as he arched a fine brow over one of his sharp purple and pinkish violet eyes. A frown tugged at his lips as he surveyed the area and the situation, “Mr. Riddle, was it? May I know why my roommate and cat have collars around their necks?”

“I’m not a cat!” Yuu ignored Grims’ protests.

Riddle, the tyrant, huffed. “These. . .ruffians broke one of the rules and ruined the Unbirthday party! And not only that, they insulted the rules of the dorm and the Queen herself!”

“May I know what rule they broke so I can understand their ire?”

Then Riddle told him the rule.

“. . . the type of tart they brought was what ruined the party? “

“A crime against the Queen of Hearts rules! So you could see why they must be punished.”

“. . .” Tenebris’s face then turned into this adorable confused expression that sent Yuu to heaven. “Is anybody in this dorm allergic to chestnuts?”

Trey had answered, albeit hesitantly under Riddle’s gaze. “Not that I know of,”

“Hmm,” Then the dragon turned to the crowd around them. “Does anybody have any allergies here?”

A majority of them mumbled no with only a few having allergies to peanuts and soy, but those two weren’t even in the tart! Yuu had a feeling that Tenebris was trying to see the logic behind this as he was as confused as he human here.

After getting a response from the crowd, Tenebris nodded before looking at them and their other three. . .accomplices. “You four, wait for me outside of the dorm.”

Yuu didn’t want to, afraid of what will go down, but with a firm look from the dragon, they could only look at their friends and their ward, gesturing the exit with their head, before walking out with collars around their necks.

They glanced back at Tenebris as they head out of the garden, seeing the dragon’s back with folded wings and a passive swinging tail.

*-*

“Could you be a bit lenient with this rule? The tart will hardly harm anyone since none of them are allergic to chestnuts.” Tenebris asked, but Riddle was stubborn. “If I let this slide, then that will lead to my dorm members breaking more rules thinking that I’ll bend more of them! If I do not hold firm on them, then they’ll never learn.”

The dragon furrowed his brow, “ But they weren’t aware of that rule, plus they made that tar to apologize, by making the type of tart a big deal, you literally made their efforts a waste!”

“ Then they should’ve read the rules to make sure! Coming unprepared would be unbecoming of a resident of the Queen of Hearts, who keeps a close eye on her citizens with an iron fist.” Riddle then sighed as if the dragon was a child. “Mr. Tenebris, I’m aware that you’re not familiar with human customs, but I believe that as a ruler yourself, you shouldn’t question how one handles their soldiers. ”

Tenebris eyed the nervous dorm members, who gulped and shakes a bit when glancing at their strict dorm leader. The dragon is aware that all monarchs, rulers, and empires all have different leaders and all leaders will have various ways of managing their civilization. But there are those who handle their citizens harshly and cruelly in their eyes, and when the citizens are not satisfied - they’ll think their ruler is unfit and then they’ll rebel. A dictator will only bring pain, be corrupted by power, and will fall into the hands of their people. Ripped apart by the furious hands of their citizens that they swore to lead and protect.

Licking his dry lips, Tenebris relents. “I apologize, Mr. Rosehearts,” He looks directly at the redhead’s greyish-blue eyes, “But I must warn you, should you not loosen your strict hold, they’ll be no telling when your people will snap. I hope you’ll be prepared when that happens.”

With a bow, he turns his back to the Red Tyrant and leaves the Garden. When he joins the quarter, he sees them interacting with a purple feline beast-man - who immediately takes an interest in him.

“You got quite the fellow here,” The feline beast man grinned, amber eyes that are lighter than Treys’ curved into moons as he plays with the dragon’s tail.

“. . .I’m glad you like my tail?” He wasn’t sure why he said the statement as a question.

Chapter: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x male reader #ender dragon reader #twisted wonderland x reader

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