#what if fire+water duo but fire like the sun rising over the horizon and water like crying all the time

[mo-ok]

What's a Red without their Blue?

Seijuu Sentai Gingaman

Ryouma & Gouki

[theeyoungalabastor]

Technoblade and his Apprentice: The Shattered Totem- Kill or Be Killed (Part 1)

Part 1, Part 2

(Art by: Jammie on Twitter)

Where does this take place?:  The Arctic Empire, New L'Manberg, The Greater SMP

What event takes place?: Technoblade's and (Y/n)'s execution

Character pairing: Piglin!Hybrid!Technoblade and Bear!Hybrid!Reader

Information on chatacter(s): Both hybrids have a human like form but when feeling threatened both are able to shift into a bigger more animal like form that will add onto both strength, agility, and height (height to look more intimidating)

WARNINGS: Blood, character death, descriptive but mild gore, angst, explosions, murder, manipulation, foul language, freezing,

Status: Platonic, Angst, Fluff, Familial (Technoblade sees reader as a sibling)

Pronouns: They/them

Word count: 7,306 (7K)

Page count: 21.4

​​​Summary: Having been included with the aid of destroying L'Manberg with Technoblade both the Piglin man and dear reader soon become the main target for a certain quartet. Nailing wanted posters to the wooden poles around New L'Manberg the ensemble set off with the intent of having the duo pay for their crimes. Public Execution.

        A disk spun on its needle, the haunting like melody soaking into the wallpaper that layered the drywall surrounding them. A fire cackled not far from their pawed feet, hot flames lapping away at the charred wood, it's fuel radiating just enough heat to warm the bear hybrids toes. Shadows dancing with each flicker of the orange blaze.

        E/c eyes drifted to the compass that sat heavily in the palm of their hand, it's sheen surface shining with the loadstone enchant which only became more apparent with the fire's illuminance glinting faintly off of the glass surface, it's red pinpointing north.

        Nervousness gnawed hungrily at the pit of your rather empty stomach as the thick skin of your thumb traced the letters dug into the cold iron back, careful not to damage the devices surface with your keen talons. Ever since The Blade himself handed you the device it had been clipped to your belt safely. Every so often you would spare a glance in hopes the pin would click, directing you towards your friend's new home. 

        At times you would stand timidly at the end of the dock where you last saw the other hybrid, where he told you he was going to retire from everything. 

The conflict.

The government.

The violence...

        "Y/n..." Technoblade stare at the sun that began to rise above the horizon as if it were to be his last, tired eyes tracing over the water line as the ball of flames arose giving birth to a new morning. His hair reeked of soot and gun powder from the recent events, here and there a patch of his roseate fur was littered in dark splotches from where clumps of dirt and gravel had landed during the nation's destruction done by the hands of its own founder. But the hybrid seemed to pay no mind to his tainted coat but more on the effervescent ball of flames that bathed the smoke-filled firmament in ravishing hues of orange and gold. 

        He lost the man he considered a brother. Wilbur. To his own father. Impaled through the chest by a glistening diamond sword, if Techno didn't know any better, he would have mistaken the glittering blade as the one that Tommy had gifted the winged man on their last Christmas together. 

        "Yes Techno?" Your voice was dry, hoarse even, noticeably wavering and damn near dead of all emotion, along with the dull sheen that glossed your e/c eyes. His ruby hues drifted to meet your own. Pain pooling deeply in those blood tinted orbs. Not only did The Blade lose a brother, but you had also lost something as well. 

        Your home. 

        And your friends. 

        You lost their trust the minute you turned to face the Piglin��hybrid, hand held out demandingly as he had already placed two of those ebony skulls atop of the four blocks of inklike sand that wept, but their cries fell onto deaf ears as he afforded his gaze to your stony features. The third skull sat in his clammy palms, ready to slam onto the last block of soul sand; but he hesitated, looking down at your outstretched hand that itched to feel the smooth bone of the skull. Without a second glance, he placed it into the heel of your palm with a firm nod. 

        That is probably where the two made their mistakes.

        "I think I'm going to retire." His words were stern but soft as he glanced at you almost as if you were a kicked puppy cowering with its tail between its legs. Your eyes remained on the still waters that skipped across the shoreline, the sound was painful reminder of what once was. "Where will you go? Will I see you again?" 

        Technoblade knew you didn't hold what happened against him, especially knowing his unexplainable hatred towards governments, I mean shit. Look what it's done. He lost his brother for God's sake, to the unquenchable thirst for power that he had at the tip of his fingers.

        Techno shook his head, unsure. "I honestly don't know, wherever the wind takes me I guess." Digging a hand into one of his pockets the taller male ferreted around before fishing a handheld object from its depths. You watched with a quirked brow as the taller man held out a large hand, gesturing for you to take what sat in his grasp. 

        "For when things go south. Go north."        

        At first when Techno said those words, you didn't think he meant literally, but here you were, eyes glued to the red needle that pointed north. Ever since the day of Wilbur's passing you didn't intend on living in L'Manberg- or NEW L'Manberg that is- after Tubbo took the title of the shattered nations president you had turned away from that unfinished symphony. You now resided within the barrier of the Greater SMP, atop the hill of where a certain tumultuous British boy's home was dug into.

        Some people blamed you for the way things went down, Technoblade unleashing the hellish three headed beasts with the help of your traitorous hands, the TNT that tore the nation's structure, sending everything skyward. They blamed you for helping the Pigman fight against the government that drove his brother to insanity. The Government that exiled its two original founders or the same one that drove the once great leader whose eyes shown with pride's son to destroy the very walls that were made to protect him. 

        You glanced towards the dingy window another content smile splayed at your thinly lined lips.

        You remembered the time Technoblade- the man to who you looked up to with much pride- taught you how to correctly plant potatoes.

        "No, you don't plant them like that, they'll grow wonky." Pulling the vegetable from its hole, the one that you nonchalantly dug and tossed it into. You looked at the taller man that towered over you with a deadpanned expression, the six-foot something man paid no attention to your bored expression. Reaching into his pant pocket the fucia haired man ferreted for a moment. "Why? This is just a waste of fucking time they're just potatoes, nothing to get fussy or even get excited over." You spoke with the roll of your eyes and a shrug before standing beside Technoblade, dusting your soil caked fingers against your filthen and slightly tattered pants, perfect for farming.

        "Yes, they are just potatoes, but these potatoes' are what is going to fuel out battalion and keep our bodies from shutting down on themselves." Pulling a blade from his pocket the other dug its sharp edge into the middle of the vegetable and skillfully cutting it in half. Glancing at your curious figure his long tail snapped back and forth with entertainment. Just a moment ago you were groaning about how potatoes weren't much to be excited about and how planting them was a waste of time. 

        Extending his hand towards you he held the small handheld blade in his scarred clad hand. "Cut them in half, we need to ration as many as we can so there's enough for everyone." You glanced up at the older man with uncertainty glinting in your (e/c) hues, a brow quirked to add into your iffiness. 

        Chuckling softly Technoblade bounced his extended hand expectantly with a soft groan. "Are you gonna take it or not? I'm trying to do a whole bonding moment with my apprentice- and my arm is starting to ache." Now it was his turn to deadpan at your stiffened figure below him. Your round ears flickered as you jumped, fingers softly surrounded the blade, face bloomed with blushing embarrassment. Clutching the blades handle you glanced innocently up at the other, eyes glinting with questioning.

        Crouching slightly beside you Technoblade placed a large hand atop of your shoulder, a finger directed to the bottom of the knife. "Use this part the knife, it divides the meat in the potato better, but when you plant it make sure the small roots here-" He let his acute nails poked at the white spikes that protruded from the plants skin. "-Plant that part in the soil, make sure the cut part is facing the surface so that when it grows the plant's stem can break the surface better." Nodding you watched intently as he explained. 

        "Alright." Reaching into the small potato bag that hung from your hip you pulled out another potato as Technoblade turned away from you to plant the potato that he took from your hole and planted both halves in his own dug holes before scrubbing his palms against the knees of his pants as he covered the crops. 

        You held the potato gently, eyeing it with a faint smile before digging the tip into the skin.

        That was when the days were long and grueling but empty of most problems, the most you had witnessed within the walls of Pogtopia was Wilbur's constant and rabid mental decline that plummeted like a stone in water.

        Blabbering about being the villain and that if he couldn't have L'Manberg, then no one can. And with that, it was blown into the sky with the help of two shape shifting hybrids.

        You clutched the compass, pulling it to your chest. Not many ever forgave you for helping destroy the same thing that they were all fighting to protect, throwing all of their work down the drain like expensive wine. Sometimes it ate at the core of your brain, no matter how badly you wanted to apologize to the children that had to face the wrath of the man with big dark horns, or even witness the once lively leader loose his ever-living mind to the nagging voices and now a boy sent to exile by his own friend, the one who he saw as an actual brother. 

        Is this how Eret felt? When he expressed his remorse for the final control room? 

        Heaving a sigh your e/c eyes drifted out of the window as your mind settled on the boisterous blonde's home, one that use to bound pridefully down the prime path that just so coincidentally happened to lead up to his doorstep, chest puffed, and head held high. It was eerily quiet without his high-pitched laugh or passive aggressive threats. A spark of memory flashed through your mind as you recall a conversation with a certain winged man. 

        "That kid, I'm telling ya, he's given me more gray hairs than my own son." He chuckled humorously as he watched his adopted blonde son clash his skull against the firm horn of his friend. Crying out in pain before rubbing the soon to be bruised spot that blossomed due to their recklessness. Tubbo on the other hand, clutched his stomach that grew tense with laughter a few breathy taunts leaving his cavernous lips.

        He spoke about how incredibly corrupt that government was, how it tossed the presidential titles around like it were a game of Ga-ga ball, and whose ever feet the ball just so happened to hit was the new ruler of the damned nation. The blonde man spoke of how that government drove his one and only son to dementedness and now cast the other aside, doomed to bare exile with the ghastly apparition of who once was. After your departure from L'Manberg, much like Technoblade, you gifted the two a compass that led to your home located just off the prime path, a way to locate you faster when needed. 

        A content but solemn smile tugged at the edges of your lips as you began to reminisce the better times, the times you were still considered a 'good person' but you too, had shoved the goads of violence to the back of your mind. Now, you did not have the voices that sang out in demand for blood, but you did have the invasive or intrusive thoughts that would dance around your mind like a ballet dancing the nutcracker. They were tempting, urging you to wrap your large palms around the throat of anyone who stepped foot on your doorstep, watch as their lively eyes glazed over with the thin sheet of death or maybe see your clawed fingers tainted with the said crimson whine. 

        This is what war does to a person.

         No matter who they are. 

        A person could have the kindest heart and brightest eyes that one has ever seen before being tainted by the trauma of war that could make any man go berserk.

        But it's not the memories that were left behind that made these impulses bubble to the surface, it was the blood that stained your tongue during it. Once an animals tongue collides with the copper relish of blood, it lingers like honey, like a craving even. And that is exactly what it was for you, a nagging craving that had turned sour as of the recent months. You blamed the damned hybrid side of you, the rabid bear. 

        The snap of the fire awoke your dazed figure back to reality as you glanced over, eyeing the glowing ember that sat on the waxed wood of your floor, with a groan you heaved yourself to your pawed feet before padding towards where the smoldering chunk of charred lumber lay, nonchalantly kicking it back into the hot pit to smolder into ash. 

        'Get ready my dearest friend they have bound my wings, they've found you.'

        Gaze snapping to the communicator that sat atop the end table next to the hard leather cover of your recent read the screen illuminated. No one ever messaged you unless they wanted something from you, or it was an emergency. 

        Nimbly dancing around the furniture that littered your path, your large, clawed manus lifted the device to your line of sight. It was from Philza. The text a whispered message.

        >(Y/n) whispered to Ph1lzA< What do you mean 'they've found you'? Who is it?

        Panic slowly installed itself into the core of your stomach as the whisper sent, jumping around like an energetic puppy being taunted with an afternoon walk. 

        Who found you?

        What did they want?

        They bound his wings? 

        Did he mean Chat?

        Seconds felt like eons as your (e/c) hues stare daggers into the electronic device. If looks could kill, that communicator would be fine ribbons.

        >Ph1lzA whispered to you< The Buther army, they found your compasses. I don't have much longer for they are confiscating the communicator, be safe m8.

        Shit.

        The Buther Army, a battalion of men who seek vengeance on the ones who've wronged them, and it looks that you were one of the people at the top of that list.         

        Your rounded ear flicked as a stoic expression stoned your features into a thin but serious line. You needed to prepare. 

        Instantly your hands got to work, thumbing through the pages of your brewery book, collecting the needed supplies to whip up the potions you would undoubtably be needing to face multiple men alone. The house reeked of panic as your lip pulled into a focused snarl, revealing the sharp edges of your canines, jabbing the stick to your grinding bowl against the fragile blaze rod you spun the wand, crushing the rod into a fine powder to then be turned into strength potions.

        Your dark tinted armor sat on a nearby armor stand prepared and enchanted, ready for usage, in the stands hand a glistening netherite sword that shone with enchantments, in the other a bow that too sang with advanced enchants. (Technobalde had helped you find the best enchantments and how to get them).        

        A nearby stand bubbled as the brewing came to a finish to which you swiftly slid into your hotbar, storing the rest in the slots of your inventory. Minutes turned to hours as your grueling work was done.

        Fixing the strap of your armor your pawed feet slid into the metal of your boots that had been tailored by the great Puffy herself, lords bless that woman's soft soul. With the dusting of your shoulder to rid of the red stone dust, gun powder and blaze powder you were ready, body reverberating with fluctuating anxiety that gnawed at the core of your mind, clouding it with blurry cotton.

        They were bound to approach you first since you were undoubtedly closer to the reconstructing nation built off of corruption and pain and you were sure Philza had messaged Technoblade to inform him of the approaching battalion that approached your home radiating malice. 

        Fixing your sights on the carpet that sat at the foot of the rocking chair that you sat in just moments ago you eyed the fabric remembering what lied beneath. Swiftly making your way towards the said furniture you tossed the carpet aside revealing the trap door it concealed.

        A growl left your throat as the front door vibrated from the vigorous pounding as the lock held it in place.

        "(Y/n) Step out of your home and surrender your weapons." A venomous voice demanded firmly as the sound of metal on metal made it to your rounded hybrid ears, four, that's how many shadows' you'd counted from beneath the door. 

        The power behind each knock grew potent as you slipped down the hatch, the voice of Quackity being deafened by the banging door. 

        Grabbing the legs of the rocking chair you swiftly pulled it over the hatch as it rested on your head against the cold metal of your helmet. At this point the knocking was no longer but the hard thud of a boot colliding with the now splintering wood you lowered the hatch still covered with the carpet down. And with that you began climbing down just as the door was thrown against your wallpapered walls. 

        "WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU!" The duck hybrids voice reeked with sour venom as he spoke, you could hear the group of boots thumping against the floorboards over your head. "WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT BEAR!" His voice seethed hatefully. 

        Your boots hit the stone of the tunnel that stretched farther than you would have liked but this here hall of cold stone is what divided you from being captured and possibly killed and freedom that shown just beyond that faintly glowing opening just a few yards away.

        "Look at this," Fundy spoke deathly close to your hatch as the sound of furniture being tossed aside like a child's toy made it to your ears a deep odious chortle radiated the bird man's throat as the hatch was thrown open. Thats when the two of you made eye contact. A snarky smirk pulled at the corners of your lips as a two fingered solute was directed to the seething Quackity clad in netherite armor. 

        enraged vociferation erupted as you slid a speed potion from your belt and popping the cork before again glancing up at the winged man who scaled swiftly down the ladder, earth brown hues that burned with a dangerous fire still locked on your form. With a playful chuckle and wink you downed the vials contents that took effect almost as soon as it made contact with your lips, legs pumping, creating distance between you. Capture. And freedom.

        The illuminated opening approached rapidly as a crazed adrenaline-filled grin spread across your features. Blood pumped loudly in your rounded bear ears. But as fast as it came it was gone as your euphoria only lasted a few moments; the familiar sound of hissing sounded faintly, even the sound of racing blood and thinning adrenaline it made your whole world slow almost to a stop. 

        As if time were being manipulated as said, it seemed to slow as you frantically tried to stop your speeding form from the now crumbling wall, the shards blooming from beside your head, the sight just out of your prefrail vision as your armored hands lifted to shield your face.

        Like the flip of a switch time returned, your door to freedom slammed shut as your fingers brushed its closing knob. So close but again, so far. Your body was flung back to skid across the stone floor, a few hot morsels slicing through the flesh of your cheek. The sound of shattering glass made you curse loudly as the contents of your potion bottles spilled against the cold floor. Your shock was momentary as you regained your composure, jumping back to your pawed feet clumsily.

        The exit was blocked by debris. 

        There was no way out.

        Ringing enveloped your erratic senses, vision blurring together.

        The exit was blocked by debris. 

        There was no way out.

        You had to fight. 

        Guess it's time to sooth your hunger, your thirst for blood. 

        Turning to face the four who stood in the narrow hall, you lifted your netherite blade in comparison to their four diamond axes that were too raised, ready to strike.        

        Quackity's chest bounced with entertainment as your form took a battle stance as he lifted his axe, directing the point towards your now bulked form obscured in tainted and matted fur as you huffed, still out of breath from running."(Y/n) (L/N), you are under arrest for the assistance of destroying L'Manberg and being associated with Technoblade. You are here by sentenced. To death..."

.

.

.

.

        "That's great. That's wonderful, but you gotta get outta here Wilbur." Technoblade stated firmly pushing a finger to his temple to sooth the raging voices that roared in his ears whilst pulling the blade from its place on his mantal. The pale skinned ghost turned to face his younger brother as stress knitted into the skin of Techno's brow. "They're gonna come, they're gonna see you- and they- I don't know what they're gonna do to you-" Technoblade turned swiftly to another brewing stand, removing the potions from their spots on his counter, "-I don't know what they're gonna do to me but- I don't think it's gonna be good." Fixing the round vials to his belt, Technoblade lifted the shawl from its hook before swinging it around his shoulders, locking the chain that held it in place. 

        Ghostbur held his fist to his chest anxiously as he hovered over the wooden floor of his piglin brother's cabin. Technoblade turned to face the transparent male with a sigh, placing a hand on his shoulder before opening the door. "Alright, there are some bad men Wilbur that are coming to get me-" The pink haired male's words halted in his throat as the said ghost exited close behind the taller male. Swiftly making his way towards the spruce fencing that lined the staircase Ghostbur leaned over with wide oxy eyes. With a gasp the man pointed a directed finger to the open field of snow. "Techno look..." Scarlet hues following the older of the two's finger to the open tundra the piglin froze with furrowed brows. "It's a sign!" Wilbur turned back to his younger brother excitement swirling in his glossy black orbs. "Blue!"

        "Ghostbur, I need you to take that sheep." Using the tip of his sword to point tot he said animal he looked the ghost of Wilbur Soot in the eyes before speaking again. "And get as far away from here as possible." 

        Ghostbur's features shifted happily as he excitedly heeded the others warning. "Can I have a leash?" The man questioned innocently rubbing the knitted cuffs of his yellow sweater anxiously. He did NOT like the way the pinkette was acting. The said male rushed back into the house as Ghostbur sat atop of the plywood that connected the fencing rails.

        "Yeah, I can go far away," glancing back towards the taller male he watched as Technoblade's large pink ears flicked prudently. "Would it be easier for you if I went far away?" 

        "Uhh, I just want you to be safe Ghostbur!" Technoblade replied as he lifted the top to another chest, ferreting frantically through it before jumping to another letting the lids fall closed with a loud thud.

        "I'm always safe Technoblade, I'm already dead." The ghost floated towards his twin who hastily shoved the lead into his transparent hands, "what are they gonna do? Double kill me?" The brunette chuckled humorously at his own joke but stopped as he saw the glint of desperation in the other man's crimson hues.

        "Ghostbur, it's stopped snowing- go as far away as you can or go and hide over a hill or something, alright?" Leading the ghost out of the door he raked a clammy palm through his infrared locks as the said other contently bound from the lifted porch, lead in hand as he approached the animal, latching it to the lead and softly tugging it towards a nearby hill cameoed in thick pine. "Bye bye Techno, have fun preparing for the event!"

        Returning back to sporadically searching through the many chests that lined the walls he retrieved what he saw fit for battle, the paranoia that devoured his mind making things all the lot harder.

        Were they only going after him?

        What if they hurt Ghostbur?

        Was Phil okay?

        Were you okay?

        It had been a good long while since the God of Blood had fought another, it had been too long since his hands knew the form of his hands wrapped around the hilt of a sword tainted with blood. Maybe if things weren't as he seemed it wouldn't come to that, maybe he could negotiate with the ensemble to prevent spilling blood. He was a retired man, he sworn against violence a long time ago and sought refuge within the snowy tundra to live out his retirement.

        Chatter awoke the man from his thoughts as a pink bore ear flicked towards the source, crouching low the man clad in red and netherite tip toed his way towards the window where the voices seemed to grow louder. Using his index finger to lift the cloth of his drapes Technoblade peered through the thick sheets of glass softly blanketed with frost and fog. 

        Swiping a hand across the glass he peeked into the night where he saw Ghostbur chatting contently with the netherite wearing men. "He got captured IMIDIATELY, I've never seen a man get captured to quick holy Hell." The said ghost glanced towards the cottage every so often he gave a polite wave before pointing excitedly towards the windows. 

        "Shit, no, no don't wave at me- NO, DON'T POINT AT ME! DID HE JUST TURN AND POINT AT ME!" Pinching the bridge of his nose Technoblade groaned out in despair before sighing heavily before again peeking out the window, a bead of sweat dripping down his chin.        

        "Oh crap, they have full enchanted netherite- I thought they were broke-" The man chuckled to himself before lifting the curtain a bit higher to see what was happening despite not being able to hear the conversation. Almost instantly Ghostbur's face brightened impossibly bigger as he frantically waved at the man in the window. 

        Dropping the curtain, the man pressed the heels of his palm into his eyes with a groan of complaint. Standing from his crouched position he pulled the curtain all the way open only to cry out in complaint as Ghostbur ran enthusiastically towards the cottage.

        "HEY TECHNOBLADE! They say they're gonna kill you Technoblade-" Opening the wooden doors Ghostbur invited himself in approaching the nether beast.

        Technoblade lurched forwards to catch the door handle as Ghostbur again made his way outside, "Ghostbur- why- why are you leading them over to my house Wilbur- why are you doing this?" Ignoring his brother's words of betrayal Ghostbur turned to face the others scarred face. "What would you like me to say back to them?" Glancing towards the hill that the group of now four stood Technoblade eyed them wearily.

        "Uh, how about you look at them and tell them that I'm not here."

Ghostbur's brows furrowed tightly. "But that'd be lying, I don't like lying!"         

        "We- THEY'RE GOING TO KILL ME WHY ARE YOU NOT OKAY WITH LYING!? Aaand they're all here- and their all right outside my house- Thanks Ghostbur" standing on the flight of stairs Technoblade puffed out his chest as he clutched the hilt of his sword closer unsure to use it or not.        

        "Oh, Hello again Technoblade." Quackity's lips pulled into a wicked grin as Tubbo fixed the handle of his hatchet in his hand.

        "Uh, hello guy's, why have you guys come all the way over here- to my humble abode?" The said man descended the stairs where he stood a few moments ago as he eyed the Four before him. Quackity, Fundy, Ranboo and Tubbo. Where was the third? 

        Tubbo stepped forwards with a slight tremble in his stance as he spoke with a wavering voice. "Technoblade." He inhaled. "You need to pay for your war crimes." 

        "Woah, woah, woah, that was in the past man, alright? That was a different Technoblade. I'm a changed man now! I'm in retirement, I'm a good person now Tubbo." Here he went, negotiation, maybe he would be able to change their minds with assurance.

        Quackity hummed in denial whilst shaking his head, nose scrunching with malice as he lifted his axe to point at the man who stood before him the sheen of antipathy grew thicker with each passing second. "Techno, you and (Y/n) exploded L'Manberg with fucking-"

        "You two literally spawned withers EVERYWHERE!" Tubbo cut in, placing a firm hand to the ravenette's shoulder. 

        Shrugging the brunette's hand away the duck hybrid stepped forwards slightly, mock understanding lacing his already ill toned voice. "I'm sorry Technoblade, but you two need to be brought to justice for that. And there is nothing I can do to change that" The male shrugged boldly, spinning the blade of his axe in his hand.

        "Okay- Listen you guys, I've gone through so much effort over the past months to change my violent ways, I have reformed alright?" Lifting an empty hand to his head an index finger jabbed into the flesh of his temple as he spoke again. "The VOICES demand blood, and I- I have been denying THEM! I've been fighting back! PLEASE, please don't make kill all of you." Letting his hand drop the other that held the hilt of his sword directed to the four who stood before him before backing away a step. "Please just leave."

        A tenseful silence fell upon the men before one spoke again. "Technoblade, please just come peacefully..."

        Quackity lifted a hand to silence the president of the broken nation as he nodded firmly with a nonchalant shrug, "you know what, yeah, how about you show us around? Show us what you've been doing while in retirement. Let's do this peacefully."

        Technoblade tensed at the raven-haired man's tone as he side stepped away from the four, swiftly approaching the far side of his house hesitantly sliding the sword into its spot on his hip. "I- huh- Well I have Bees' here, aren't they nice?" 

        Tubbo's eyes lit up slightly now with relaxed shoulders at the mention of his favorite mob, approaching the small makeshift bee farm he placed a hand against the glass as one shimmied its chunky body from the hole of its hive to nuzzle into the flowers that lined the wall. At the sight of this the four others openly approached the bee farm. 

        With a few wary backpedal steps, the pig hybrid turned on the ball of his heel, sweat gathering at the hair of his brow as he began to run from the distracted battalion of four.

        After a few moments and a few feet away shouts of panic instilled as multiple footsteps followed behind the taller male who then skidded to a stop, hands raised in mocking surrender. "Hey, hey, hey, it was just a joke-"

        "You know what, fuck it Techno, we tried to do this civilly, but we won't let you out of here in one fucking peice, we are going to fuck you up techno. It's either going to be the easy way or the hard way. We're going to go back to L'Manberg and you're going to come with us. There's no other way around it." Quackity spun his axe skillfully as he took a battle stance.

        Technoblade's brows knit together tightly as the voices began to chant.

        Blood for the Blood God.

        Blood for the Blood God!        

        BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!

        His top lip pulled into a snarl revealing the sharpening canines, his figure seeming to take on new heights as patches of fur bloomed across his skin, the armor that sat loose across his stature grew tight as he revealed his full glory. 

        It was time to sooth their hunger.

        With a huff from his snout and the snap of his jaw's he growled. "If that's how it is... I CHOOSE BLOOD!" Ripping the leather belt from his waist he slammed it down, the glass splash vials that lined it shattered coating the beast in its contents as his muscles bulked, eyes grew dilated with speed and the screaming voices, followed with his body ached with regeneration. Technoblade ripped the sword from its sheath as he sprung, blade raised high with the intent to kill.

        The sharpened edge dug into the handle of Quackity's axe before unloding it from the wood and hacking down again as the said bird hybrid spun away, avoiding the deadly strike.

        Panicked shouting ensued as the group of four scattered, slipping against the sheet of snow.

        Turning his attention towards a certain fox featured boy Technoblade dug the hooves of his feet into the frozen forest floor, launching himself forwards delivering an armor crumbling blow. Clutching his now aching ribs Fundy scrambled to escape the beast's power whilst crying out about how God damned heavy, he hit even with the performance enhancing potions.

        Sliding just a few feet away was Tubbo, axe at the ready as he charged the pink coated beast that snarled, clouds of hot smoke bellowing from his nostrils as he too charged, scarlet hues glazed with the intent to annihilate to cut down each and every single one of the men who dared disturb his retirement and force him back into the ways of violence, forcing him to collapse under the pressure of the voices to sustain their unquenchable thirst.

        Fear replaced the once confident look that crossed his face as the boy turned to run, netherite boots sliding against the frozen ground. A cry of panic escaped the ball in his throat.

        "BIG Q DO SOMETHING, BIG Q!" The hook in his boot caught the root of a tree, sending the president tumbling to the forest floor, diamond axe raised as Technoblade's sword collided with the base of the smaller blade, applying pleasure to the hilt of his sword the Piglin beast snarled as Tubbo's arms trembled under the unbearable weight as his emerald hues met with the dilated pair that danced with pain. 

        Strings of curses fell from Quackity's lips as he glanced about, looking for something to use for leverage, knowing full well he could use his gift but that was needed for more drastic measures.

        The blade of the hybrid's sword dug into the flesh of Tubbo's shoulder as he cried out, struggling to push the massive creature away from him in order to escape, but it seemed that no matter how hard he tried, his attempts always went down in vain.

        The familiar sound of hooves awoke The Blade from his stoper, snapping his head to the sound he saw Quackity perched on the back of a rearing Carl who whinnied in displeasure before shaking his head in a final attempt to rid of his new rider.

        Panicked, Technoblade tore his blade from the other's before turning to face the ravenette.

        "WOAH, WOAH, WOAH, WHAT ARE YOU DOING, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT HORSE QUACKITY!?"

        "Technoblade, stop what you're doing, stop right now-"

        "Woah, woah, woah, woah, stop what you're doing. Get away from that horse Quackity." Lifting the blood tainted sword, the oversized beast directed it to the man who stirred the reigns of his stallion with a grin, satisfied that he finally found a weakness in the Legendary Technoblade. 

        "No." Quackity stated with a slight jerk of the reigns that willed the horse into a standing still as he held the handle of his axe to the horse's beige fur. "You get away from them Technoblade. If you pull any shit, I am going to kill Carl. I will fucking slay him if you don't get away from them." 

        The piglin beast's breathing stuttered as he widely stepped away from the two other hybrids.

        "Technoblade, I am going to kill your horse-"

        "-Why would you do that?"

        "Unless you cooperate." 

        Technoblade's eyes narrowed as he hesitantly stepped away from the raven-haired man who sat atop his noble steed. "What do you want from me?"

        "I want you to drop your shit, drop your shit Techno and Carl doesn't get hurt."

        With that being said the beast formed man threw his axe into the snow. 

        "All of it, this is not a negotiation. Drop it all"

        Technoblade glanced down at the blood slicked blade that sat light in his large palm before he huffed in what seemed to be amusement. "I can get a new horse if I need too. It doesn't matter." (I know he wouldn't really say this, but for plot's sake, he is.)

        Quackity looked slightly taken aback at the statement as the war criminal before him readjusted his grip on the swords hilt. With a stunned huff followed by demented and amused laughter the man on the horse shook his head with a nod. 

        "For some reason, I knew you'd say that. So that's why I brought you a gift, Technoblade." Digging the heel of his boots into the horse's ribs Quackity approached a small thicker part of the forest where he stopped and turned to face the oversized hybrid.

        Lifting a hand, the beanie wearing man spoke with wallowing pride as the gift was shoved from behind the thicket, the sound of chains rattling filled the tense thick air. "May I present to you-" Watching as it landed limply in the snow, Quackity slid from the horses back before hopping towards the thing like a child who was told they could have whatever they wished at the candy store. 

        Skidding to a stop, Quackity planted both feet on either side of the figure before gripped a fist full of hair, tugging the figures blooded face up from the soiled snow to reveal who it was. 

        "YOUR ONE AND ONLY APPRENTICE, TADA!!" He sang in excitement that he was finally able to reveal his plan B. 

        (Y/N) grunted painfully as Technoblade's breath caught in his throat. 

        Their (h/l) (H/c) locks were matted with dark and now frozen blood that had dripped down the crown of their head before drying, their nose busted and bloodied as clots of blood plugged each nostril, both lips that were now blue from the cold were split so deep that he was sure he could see the younger one's gums that were too painted crimson from their harsh faceplant into the icy ground as shallow and stuttering breaths wheezed past your swollen. The once nice thin clothes that they wore were torn and tattered, tainted with their own crimson whine, you had not been dressed to embark on a trip to the frigid tundra. Your hands were bound behind your back by a pair of copper cuffs.  (Copper is what keeps shape shifting hybrids from shifting into their animal form)

        But what made his blood turn cold was how deathly pale you were. From what he could see you lost quite a bit of blood while on your way over but the bruises and deep cuts that littered your figure did not make you look any better in any way shape and or form.

        Quackity held the handle of his axe with bubbling excitement as he glared challengingly at the shifted man. "Drop your shit Technoblade..."

        Technoblade was frozen where he stood, eyes glued to your weakened form. You looked to broken, your (e/c) hues that once glistened with courage and power now sat dull and defenseless, he could have sworn that he saw guilt swirl in those dull eyes of yours.

        Gripping the tufts of hair in his hand tighter Quackity lowered the sharpened edge of his diamond axe to rest tightly at the ball of your throat.

        "Or I will kill this kid, right in front of you."

 ��      "Don't..." Your voice came out hoarse, tone just above a whisper, but he was still able to catch it. "You still have time to r-run." 

        Tearing his gaze from your shivering form, Technoblade dropped his sword.

        His potions.

        His crossbow.

        Trident.

        Golden apples. 

        All of it, before finally unlatching the hold-knob of his cloak and tossing it to the side and finally letting the glistening crown that sat atop his head clatter to the forest floor alongside his netherite armor. 

        His hands raised in surrender. 

        Quackity's brown eyes burned with victory as he removed the weapon from your throat, both of his feet from either side of you were no longer there, letting your head again fall into the snow you were then hoisted up from under your shoulder. Whimpering painfully, you unwillingly leaned against the ravenette for support as he danced giddily before his energetic facade dropped to look Technoblade dead in his rage filled eyes. 

        "So here is what's going to happen Technoblade, (Y/N). We are going to take you both back to L'Manberg to face trial. Alright?" His voice seethed as the other person he was supporting weakly lifted their head. 

        "Sounds like... Bull shit..."

        Tubbo stood, lips pulled into a thin line. "They just insulted our government..."        

        Technoblade snapped his head to face the ram. "Oh, we just insulted your, oh your government has been insulted. OHHH!"

I had to put a few of Technoblade's funny moments because I am missing the hell out of that man.

Edited and not proofread

Masterlist

[ask-healthy-light]

Back at the entrance to the Palace, the crowd was spread out and were talking with each other in small groups. After Celestia had requested these items, Eclipse managed to find a blanket to give to Light, and Caff found a pitcher of water for them. They had put both of these items upon a tray to be able to move them more easily, if the need arises.

A little while after Nox and Harvest headed further into the Gardens, following Light and their flaming hoofprints, there were fewer sounds coming from whence they went. Light's fiery response to Harvest trying to reach out had heavily startled the group, and their deep, monstrous voice carried far into the Palace. Now, the silence and absence of deep voices reassured them somewhat.

Meanwhile, Celestia was thinking about the Gala where she was injured, and was trying to remember anything after she fainted, but failed to do so. Because of this, she asked around if anycreature could give any clarification as to what had happened that night, for Luna had left the Castle chasing the perpetrator, and did not know the exact order of events either.

After hearing this, Caff and Banana stepped towards the Princesses, and recounted their experiences. After Luna had led the charge, Light jumped towards the stage and began issuing orders with a commanding voice, asking Harvest to assist Luna in her pursuit and calling upon the Guard to escort Celestia to the Medical Centre.

They continued, saying that Harvest turned Nirik very quickly, and in a controlled manner, something they had not yet witnessed Light doing so. In fact, they had only seen glimpses of Light's Nirik form, primarily when they were dealing with stressful situations. Their eruption of emotion from this evening had startled the duo, and they were worried for their friend.

Celestia tried to reassure the two small Ponies, saying that they knew Nox well, and, from what she had heard, Harvest seemed to be a good Kirin to help Light with their transformation. She noted the lack of sounds coming from the Gardens, and told the two that any moment now, Nox, Harvest and Light would return, and together, all of them could rest and recover from their stress.

At that moment, a large column of fire and a bright flash appeared from further into the Gardens, and almost instantly after, a wave of heat followed. It felt as though someone had opened a baking oven, and everycreature present started sweating intensely, and retreated back into the Palace, followed closely by Guards to close the doors. All creatures, save for two, who ran to the Gardens.

As Banana and Caff were highly experienced with baking pastries and the like, they were used to waves of heat, though even they couldn't withstand it for long, and soon, they would have to retreat as well. Near the edge of the Gardens, when they turned the corner, they found Nox and Harvest trying to restrain and calm down Light, who had turned Nirik, to no avail.

The fireproof creatures saw the two bakers appear and loudly shouted at them to get back, for Light was losing control, and they did not know what would happen. Banana ignored their advice and started to run towards the heart of the blaze, when Light released a large magical blast that blasted the others away from them. Their eyes glowed, and they appeared to have become feral.

Looking around, trying to find more threats, Nirik Light found none, but saw Banana, who had been blasted away, being dragged to safety by Caff, who looked at Light with genuine terror in her eyes. Realising what they had done, but increasingly losing control, Nirik Light let out a bloodcurdling scream, and after a bright and chaotic flash, that kicked up dirt and loose rocks, they vanished.

After Nirik Light had disappeared, the heat subsided, and Caff breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the cool air fill her lungs, just as Banana woke up again. The sun appeared to rise over the horizons, yet Light was nowhere to be found. A moment later, Celestia appeared and called upon the Guard to get the four to the Medical Centre. Then, she realised with dread what was happening.

And now, dear reader, let us freeze time for a moment, for the following happens within less than a second.

(Thanks for reading! Please feel free to send a question or a thought you had! And if you enjoyed, please reblog! Thanks in advance!)

Send an ask! | Start at the beginning! | Next part!

Featuring: Harest Duran from @duran301 Banana Pie from @askbananapie Caff and Decaf from @askcaffeinehazard Nox Lunarwing from @nox-lunarwing

Solar Eclipse and Twilight Sparkle as Twilight Eclipse from @asktwilighteclipse

[helnjk]

Bad Idea - F.W.

Fred Weasley x fem!reader

Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates 🤍 Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season & new year 🧚🏼‍♀️

this is the first installment of my showtunes fic list, based on the song bad idea from the musical waitress !

Summary: fred weasley has the ability to get under her skin in a way no one else can. he also sends butterflies straight to her stomach like no one else can. 

Word Count: 4.1k

Warnings: enemies to lovers, slight cursing, steamy scenes but no outright smut

song lyrics are bolded & italicized

-

It’s a bad idea me and you

Y/N rolled her eyes as the Weasley twins made something or other explode at the Gryffindor table at breakfast. The awed cheers and whispers of her schoolmates at the colorful display of miniature fireworks did nothing to sway her opinion on the irritating duo. In fact, it might have even made her dislike for them grow.

It wasn’t as if she had no basis for hating the pair of them. They had been nothing but rude to her since their first year, and she was sure it was mostly due to her adorning the green and silver crest on her school robes. She had been at the receiving end of their nasty pranks more than she liked to admit, and some of them weren’t even a sliver funny. 

As if he practiced legilimency, the older twin’s eyes moved from his showy display of spellwork to hers and sent a subtle wink in Y/N’s way. 

“Like what you see, Y/L/N?” Fred yelled across the hall, causing the onlookers to turn their heads in her direction. 

Angrily, she felt heat flood her cheeks, “Not at all Weasley. Just wondering how many points I could take away from Gryffindor today.” 

She heard the members of her table snickering quietly at the sound of points lost for their least favorite house, but she paid them no mind. In all honesty, she knew that no amount of points taken away would sway the Weasley twins from their mischief making. 

Later in the day while Y/N made her way from her last class to the library to catch up on some coursework, she heard the familiar snickers of the two boys she wanted to interact with the least. 

“Oi! Watch where you’re going!” She yelled, annoyance bubbling in the pit of her stomach as the redheaded menaces rushed past her and nearly knocked her over. 

“Going to take some more points from Gryffindor, Y/L/N?” Fred taunted over his shoulder as his brother let out a huff of laughter. 

“Well, it’s not like she has any other important things taking up her time, don’t you think Freddie?” George said.

“You are absolutely right, George.” He replied. 

“Honestly, don’t you two have anything better to do than get on my nerves all the time?” She gritted out.

The twins slowed their pace and Fred turned around casually to wink at her, “No can do, love.” 

“Don’t call me love!”  

Their raucous laughter echoed across the hall as she pushed past them in a huff. Stupid redheaded twins. Stupid Fred with his stupid teasing. Stupid George for laughing and egging him on. 

Something about the way she determinedly called out over her shoulder made Fred pause. 

Her eyes caught the fading light that streamed through the windows of the hallway, and shone brightly. Her skin seemed to glow in the amber light, reflecting the sun as it set in the horizon. The way she moved so confidently as she weaved through the sea of students made heads turn, and Fred was beginning to understand why their gaze gravitated towards her. 

He had never noticed how pretty Y/N had gotten over the years. Another pause. Did he find her pretty? 

Yeah, pretty annoying. He tried to reason with himself, but still he couldn’t shake this new feeling. 

For the rest of the week, Fred had decided that if he couldn’t get her out of his mind, he would simply have to make sure he was on hers as well. Whenever the two of them walked past each other in the halls, he always had some sort of cheeky remark up his sleeve. 

Subtly, he would get close enough for their shoulders to brush and would mutter under his breath, just enough for her to hear. 

“Looking good today, Y/L/N, such a shame you’re a snake.”

“What’s a lad got to do to take a pretty prefect like you out on a date?” 

“Cat’s got your tongue, Y/L/N? I know it’s ‘cause you think I look right fit, you don’t have to say anything.”

The more she ignored his comments, the more it seemed to spur him on. She would catch him sending her flirtatious winks during meals, feel his gaze on hers in their shared classes, or hear him whisper something or other to his twin while he glanced in her direction. 

If it wasn’t something he said, he would manage to send practically every kind of prank her way. Tripping jinxes, jelly-legs jinxes, dung bombs in classrooms she was about to enter, puking pastilles or nosebleed nougats slipped into her drinks. 

It was getting to a point that Y/N grew frustrated and angry all day. Her friends tended to avoid her when she got this way because she would just repeat the same things over and over again to anyone who would bother to listen. 

Fred Weasley was a massive arse. Fred Weasley could jump in the lake and be used as food for the Giant Squid for all she cared. Fred Weasley this and Fred Weasley that. 

They had even once asked her why it was specifically him that she complained about and not just the Weasley twins in general. 

“Well, both of them do irritate me to no end,” She explained, “But there’s just something about Fred that irks the hell out of me. Merlin, does he know how to push my buttons!”

Y/N didn’t know what it was about Fred that got her going. It might have been because he was the instigator of most of the twins’ pranks, that he acted first and thought of the consequences later. It might have been that he would purposely send bludgers her way whenever Slytherin played Gryffindor and the many bruises that came from it.

It might have been the little flutters she would get whenever he whispered something cheeky into her ear. But that last one she had a hard time admitting to even herself. 

By the end of the week, Y/N was at her wits end. Every time the bell rang and she gathered up her things, her hand would clutch her wand, ready to put up a small shield charm or send a hex in the direction of a certain redhead. 

It being the weekend, many of her fellow classmates rushed out the door the moment they were dismissed from class. Y/N took her time packing her things back up, as her only plans for the night were to catch up on one of the novels she had had no time to read recently. As she exited the classroom, her eyes scanned the bare hallway for any sign of Fred. Her suspicions rose when she began her walk back to her common room and nothing out of the ordinary happened. 

She soon stood corrected as a flash of red hair danced in her vision and she was suddenly pressed up against a wall. 

With a gasp she said, “Weasley? What in Merlin’s name are you–”

“Can’t be quiet for a second, can you, Y/N?” Fred teased, his lips skimming the shell of her ear and sending shivers down her spine. 

She gulped at the proximity of their bodies, her eyes darting around the empty hallway for any onlookers. 

“Get on with whatever this is then,” She breathed, trying to keep her nonchalant act up, “I have other plans for tonight that I’d rather be doing.” 

A slow chuckle escaped Fred’s lips, causing her heart to beat even more erratically than she thought possible, “So impatient love.” 

“And I told you not to call me ‘love’.” 

His eyes darted quickly to her lips and she could only hope that he couldn’t feel just how fast her heart was beating, “I’m going to kiss you now.” 

He waited for her to give him any sign of discomfort or to say no, but she merely glanced at his lips and back up at his warm brown eyes. Then, as quickly as he had appeared in front of her, his head dipped and he captured her lips in his. 

Y/N felt all the breath in her body leave as Fred pressed the searing kiss on her lips. He was intoxicating, his smell, the feel of his skin as she gripped onto his strong biceps, the way his breath mingled with hers. 

When they broke apart, his eyes trailed the length of her body in a way that made goosebumps rise from her flesh. Y/N thought she must have looked like a fish out of water, mouth slightly agape and eyes wide. 

“Just a taste of what could be.” He winked at her and then turned on his heel, “Think about it, Y/L/N.” 

Far longer than she would like to admit, Y/N stayed rooted on the spot, staring in the direction that Fred Weasley had disappeared in and fingers running along the lips that he had claimed. 

Heart keep racing Let’s make mistakes

The adrenaline pumping through Y/N’s veins gave her a feeling of weightlessness and grounding at the same time. Being Slytherin’s best beater came with the responsibility of carrying most of the game and she played her role well. Still, she always made it a point to play fair and to compensate for the shitty sportsmanship the rest of her team subscribed to. 

When she had spotted a bludger to her right, making its way to where Malfoy was slowly circling, she set off. With a strong swing of her bat, she had it hurtling in the direction of one of the Gryffindor chasers. Neither of the Weasley twins was able to make it in time and the ball scraped the unassuming chaser’s shoulder. 

With the boost of confidence this gave her, she proceeded to play one of the best matches of the season. A triumphant grin etched its way onto her face at the frustration leaking from the Weasley twins, who were trying to keep up with her and her co-beater’s synchronization. 

Though, she had to admit that the way Fred’s arms flexed and his grunts of exertion every time he did manage to hit the bludger were a tad bit distracting too. The cheeky winks he sent her way weren’t helping either. 

“Feeling a bit tired, Weasley?” She teased when he began to hover close to her, “Can’t keep up?” 

“In your dreams, Y/L/N!” He all but growled and the fire in his eyes made her heart stutter for just a second before she set off in pursuit of another bludger. 

The game had ended when Malfoy caught the snitch, a feat especially when Gryffindor had Potter, and Slytherin had won.

She couldn’t help but feel a smug sense of pride as she and the rest of the team walked out of the pitch, hearing the cheers of her house at the stands. She took her time in the changing rooms, trying to still her erratically beating heart. Her teammates slowly trickled out, reminding her of the celebrations that were definitely going to happen in the common room. 

When she heard footsteps approaching the tent just as she had finished stuffing everything in her bag, she had just assumed that one of her teammates had forgotten something. She stood corrected. 

“Quite a game today, wouldn’t you say?” 

The familiar baritone voice made Y/N pause. Without turning to face him, she said in reply, “Definitely, Weasley. It’s always nice to kick your sorry arse out on the pitch.” 

“Now, now Y/N,” He drawled, his voice inching closer to where she stood rooted on the spot. Her hand gripped at the strap of her bag as she tried to think of an escape route, “That’s definitely not the context I imagined you’d be talking about when you first mentioned my arse.” 

She let out a scoff at his insinuation, but couldn’t shake the feeling that he could see right through her bluff. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she realized that she was trapped in the quidditch changing rooms with the person who had been plaguing her thoughts. 

The air surrounding the pair was thick with tension and charged with electricity. Countless days of teasing and rivalry, all the discreet glances and brushes of shoulders against each other, bottled up into a single moment, this moment. By the time Y/N had turned to face the cause of the palpitations in her chest, he was mere inches away. 

His hot breath fanned her face and his deep brown eyes scanned over her. She could practically feel the heat of his body against hers, white hot and tempting. He knew exactly what he was doing to her. 

“What do you want, Weasley?” She breathed, finally managing the courage to meet his eyes. 

“You.” He said simply, tongue darting out to dampen his lips. 

For a moment, it was as if they had both stopped breathing. Neither of them said a word or moved an inch, anticipating the other’s next move. 

“Fuck it.”

Before Y/N could let out a word, his lips were on hers and his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. 

All of the frustration and built up resentment between the pair of them came to play in the harshness of his kiss. It was not sweet nor soft, not what one would imagine a kiss between a prince and a princess to be. Rather, it was passionate, playful, and powerful. Two opposing forces clashing against each other, their convergence causing an eruption of flames. 

Fred was not a shy person, and it was evident in the way he kissed her. 

If she was the least bit surprised, he couldn’t tell, because as soon as his arms rested on the small of her back, she pressed her palms against his chest and leaned into him. For once, she let him take the lead and their mouths molded together in a passionate dance. 

“We shouldn’t be doing this.” She gasped as they broke apart for air, chests rising and falling rapidly. 

“You think too much.” He responded, leaning down to capture her lips in his once more. 

The way his lips deftly glazed over her neck and attached themselves to the point right below her ear made small sounds of pleasure escape her lips and her hips rutted against his. 

These sounds only spurred him further as his arms slid down from her waist to the backs of her thighs, urging her to wrap them around him. She complied, and soon her back was against the wall as he continued the assault on her neck. 

When the pair finally broke away, they took a moment to breathe, panting heavily. Y/N was the first to break the silence, laughing slightly at the compromising position they were in, and how they had just spent the last several minutes taking their frustrations out on each other. 

“What’s so funny then,” Fred smiled as he slowly eased his grip on her thighs, lowering her back to the floor.

“Nothing,” She shook her head, surprised at how casual they treated the situation, “Just not what I’d expected to happen when Slytherin won today.” 

“And what did you expect?” He quirked an eyebrow, “Especially when you were out there playing so well and looking that good.” 

Y/N had to bite her lip to keep herself from grinning like an idiot, “Definitely not snogging you in the changing rooms, that’s for sure.” 

“I know for a fact that you quite enjoyed what we did,” He whispered, pulling her close to him once more and closing the gap between them.

“In your dreams, Weasley.” She breathed.

And then his lips were on hers again. And again and again and again.

-

Over the course of the next few weeks, many noticed how the dynamics between the two shifted ever so slightly. There were still jeers and taunts in the halls, teasing comments made in classes or during meals, but there were also fewer eye rolls and less malice behind their words. It was almost as if they had an unspoken agreement. 

The only one who had really caught on to what was really happening between the two of them was George, and it was only because he walked in on them on Fred’s bed in the dorms. 

Y/N had been on top of Fred, straddling his midsection and pressing soft kisses all along his face and jaw, while he had his arms wrapped around her waist and held her tightly. Chest to chest, a soft hum verbrated from him as she continued her ministrations.

There wasn’t any sort of sexual tension at that moment, in fact, there hadn’t been an ounce of it the whole day. Laying like this with Fred made Y/N all sorts of confused, but she still enjoyed whatever the hell was happening between them.

It was cut short, though, as George had walked through the threshold of the dorm and saw their slightly compromised position. 

“Bloody hell!” He exclaimed, and Y/N sprung up immediately, his twin’s arms falling limply at his sides at her sudden movement. 

“Erm-” She mumbled, trying to move away, but Fred had none of it. If at all, his grip on her thighs tightened. 

She could feel his body shaking from the laugh he was trying to hold in, and smacked him on the chest, “Fred! Stop that!” 

“What?” He laughed, “It’s not like he saw anything, did you, Georgie?”

George, who was still trying to process what he had just witnessed, blinked a couple of times before shaking his head in disbelief, “Good Godric, so this is why you two have been acting so odd lately?” 

“Well, it’s not as if we’re bloody dating,” Fred rolled his eyes, but Y/N felt her heart skip a beat, “We’re just having some fun s’all.”

She swallowed the lump that was suddenly in her throat and gave a feeble nod, “Yep. Just some fun.” 

It was a pretty good bad idea  Wasn’t it though?

Y/N didn’t know why she began avoiding Fred. 

To everyone else in the school, all was well. The teasing between them hadn’t stopped. The little jabs at meals, in classes, or out in the hallways still happened. She was still a prefect and took points from Gryffindor whenever she caught the twins outside of curfew or running from Filch. They were both still beaters who played for their respective teams and shot remarks mockingly at one another out on the pitch.

Outside of those moments, though, Y/N made it a point to walk the other direction when she saw him walking her way, with or without his twin. She would slip out of shared classes as soon as the bell rang and their professor dismissed them. She even went as far as hiding in a spare broom closet once, when she was doing her prefect rounds and heard his telltale laughter just around the corner. 

They hadn’t shared a moment alone in a few weeks and Fred had wracked his brain trying to figure out what he did wrong. Their set-up had been practically perfect before she started avoiding him. Stolen kisses and the excitement of sneaking around with her were some of the best times of his life there in Hogwarts. He hadn’t had the Gryffindor courage to tell her how he really felt, but at least they shared intimate moments alone, away from prying eyes and judgemental stares. 

Instead, now he had taken to staring at her whenever he could, replaying all of their previous interactions to find out what went wrong between them. 

“Oi, quit staring at Y/N before McGonagall takes points from us for not paying attention to her,” George hastily whispered one day.

“I’m not doing anything wrong,” Fred defended, his eyes still locked on Y/N. She paid him no mind, unconsciously twirling the quill in her hands and chewing on her bottom lip. 

He thought she looked stunning. 

“I never thought I would say this,” George groaned softly, “But you’ve gotta listen in class right now or else we’ll lose even more points and everyone’ll be right chuffed. We can figure out your dumb bird problems after.” 

With a roll of his eyes, Fred finally brought his attention back to what their professor was going on about. He’d worry about whatever was going on with Y/N later. 

-

“I think it’s simple, really,” George shrugged, later on in the day when it was just the two of them in their dorm. He leant back against the headboard of his four-poster, an image of calm and nonchalance. 

“On with it then!” Fred exclaimed, the exact opposite of his twin at the moment. He fidgeted from his position on his own bed, his foot tapped anxiously on the hardwood floor and his hand kept running through his already disheveled hair. 

George couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His own twin, all out of balance because of some bird. 

But it wasn’t just any bird, he knew, it was Y/N. And if it had to be any bird in the whole school for Fred to become this mess of feelings and uncertainty, at least it was because of her. George always knew that their rivalry would either end in them realizing their feelings for each other or them hexing each other to death. 

“Grow some balls and just tell her how you feel, you daft git!” He exclaimed, humor sparkled in his eyes. 

“Be serious here, George,” Fred groaned and pushed his face against one of his pillows. 

His twin rolled his eyes, “I am being serious! It’s obvious she fancies the balls off of you, so just ask her out on a date or something and save us all from this awkward dance the lot of you have been doing for the past few weeks.” 

George’s words rang in Fred’s mind for longer than he liked to admit. 

One night, as dinner was coming to a close, he’d had enough. He spotted Y/N getting up from her seat at the Slytherin table and stood abruptly from his half finished meal. As she exited the Great Hall, he followed her out and into the drafty corridor.

“Y/N!” He yelled before he could stop himself. 

She paused briefly, shoulders tensing at his call to her. Instead of turning around though, she picked up her pace. 

Fred cursed softly, “Y/N, I know you can hear me!” 

As his legs were much longer than hers, he caught up to her quickly. Still, she paid him no mind and continued her on her way, “What’s got your wand all in a knot, Y/L/N?” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Weasley.” Came her reply. 

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, Y/L/N,” He rolled his eyes, “You’ve been ignoring me recently and I can’t think of anything that I’ve done wrong.”

“I don’t know about you, but I’ve been actually paying attention to my classes and doing all of my coursework, that takes up most of my time these days.” She shrugged, turning a corner and continuing her fast pace, “And I’m not at your beck and call, Weasley. I’m not yours.” 

“You could be.” 

Y/N’s resolve seemed to be taken away with the tide as he muttered those words aloud. In fact, she was so shocked at what he said that she quite literally had to stop walking and merely stared at the redheaded boy. 

“Don’t be daft, Weasley.” She managed to choke out after a few beats. 

He turned to face her and Y/N had never seen him look so serious before. Fred was usually the louder twin, the more explosive one, the one who acted first and thought of the consequences later. But now, now she could see that he had nothing but genuine intentions as his eyes scanned her and gauged her reaction.

She huffed, unwilling to let her walls down for even a second. It was too frightening, telling the person she had spent much of her formative years rivalling with how she truly felt about them. In fact, despite her act, she couldn’t get it in her to look him in the eyes.

“This, whatever this is, you know that it isn’t a good idea.” She tried to argue, but as the words left her lips they seemed to carry no weight in them. 

“It’s a pretty good bad idea if you ask me.” He said with as much conviction as possible, “C’mon, Y/L/N, you gonna back down from a challenge?” 

That sparked a fire in her eyes that he had missed seeing, one that said she meant business, “I’ll say yes to you on one condition,” She said. 

“Anything.”

“Take me out on a date first.” 

[snarkywrites]

December Horoscopes: Game Changer

We have made it to the last round of 2020, a time to put everything that was learned to the test because Saturn is about to exit Capricorn and enter its two year transit in the sign of Aquarius. For many of us, 2020 has been a tough year and we have been put through trials with all of these transits. Now as we get closer to the end, we are deep into eclipse season in the signs of Gemini and Sagittarius, the beginning of more eclipses to come with this Mutable duo. The month begins with the Lunar Eclipse in Gemini from November 30th, impacting us for the next several weeks (or months). The Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius on the 14th will have us all wanting to pursue some spiritual topics. We will be in touch with our higher mind and be motivated to learn. Sagittarius is the teacher for some and philosopher to others. It can be a jester at heart, but it is a sign that is inclined to pursue the realm of philosophy. Expect a month of reflection, even when Venus enters Sagittarius on the 15th. What we value will be analyzed as well as how we view our own self-worth. On the 17th, Saturn leaves Capricorn and begins its reign in Aquarius. Cardinal signs will rejoice while Fixed signs prepare. Things get slightly more interesting when Jupiter enters Aquarius on the 19th and both planets will conjoin on the 21st. This conjunction is a transit filled with growth, optimism, and enthusiasm for succeeding; an excellent energy needed to enter the year 2021. The Sun enters Capricorn on the 21st as well, giving a serious tone to the end of the month. Everything will close out with the Full Moon in Cancer on the 29th. It will be an intense period, but it is appropriate to have the peaceful, nurturing and caring energy of the Moon in Cancer ready to bid adieu to this intense and challenging 2020.

 Aries – As a Cardinal sign, you are most likely excited that we have made it this far. With Mercury moving into Sagittarius on December 1st, you are ready to let the world know just how you feel and with the energy of the Full Moon in Gemini still in play, there is no biting of the tongue for you. Remember not to be too blunt, even if you are in the right. This month is about patience. The Empress appears in your reading for the month, reminder to not be afraid to tap into that divine feminine energy that you might have neglected. This is a period of healing and devoting time to forgive yourself. The Solar Eclipse on the 14th in Sagittarius will leave you feeling quite inspired to pursue your goals and dreams. As a fellow fire sign, you resonate with the lessons here as you set off to plan what new things you feel like learning for the upcoming new year. Venus enters Sagittarius on the 15th, making you fall in love with ideas, education, and new philosophies. This is a spiritual energy that is all about bringing the peace with hints of optimism. On the 17th, Saturn leaves Capricorn and enters Aquarius, alleviating those tough times for you as you can now focus on transforming your personal connections and friendships for the next several years. Jupiter will also be changing signs on the 19th, allowing an easier flow when it comes to your view and general outlook. Finally, a major event will be the Full Moon in Cancer on the 29th. This is a time to meditate, focus on what is to come and bringing more harmony to the home. That Empress energy will follow you through the New Year.

Taurus – December will have you reflecting and analyzing your next steps. A lot will happen this month that will impact you for the next several years. One of the major shifts for Fixed signs is the transit of Saturn and Jupiter both entering Aquarius on the 17th and 19th. As a Fixed sign, this upcoming Saturn transit will be one that will help you evolve. With Uranus already in your sign, you are in for a lot of changes that lie ahead for the next several years. The Solar eclipse on the 14th is going to set the tone for what you will be focused on in the next few years. Your work ethic will be tested but this will not be stopping you as long as you understand your limits. On the following day, the 15th, Venus enters the sign of Sagittarius also moving your focus on self-care and changes in your health routine. 2021 will have you driven and in top shape. On the 20th and 21st, Mercury and the Sun enter the sign of Capricorn, which is an enlightening transit for you as you prepare to take a course you have been interested in or learn more about subjects in school. Either way, you are in it for some growth and understanding. In December, you are The Star, a very Aquarian card that can also relate to the changes currently happening to your sign. All your work and effort will be taken into account. Things might be shifting quickly but you should just take things as slow and steady and remember to breathe in when things are beyond your control.

Gemini – Geminis will be in awe as the Full Moon eclipse on the 30th of November does some numbers on your sign. This is not a bad thing; eclipse season is transformative and enlightening. It can even feel spiritual during this season, especially with Mercury entering Sagittarius on the 1st. It is a time of introspection and analysis for you. Letting for of the past will also be in your plans. You are seeing the opportunities that are presented in your horizon, especially when the Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius happens on the 14th and Venus enters the same sign on the 15th. Lots of potential and growth, lots of romance and exploration. This is a month that will surely keep you on your toes. Saturn and Jupiter change signs on the 17th and 19th. Another major moment as you see fellow Air Signs taking the helm now with this major transit. This period is going to make you question your beliefs, ambitions, and goals. It is a challenge, but it will be worth it as you set your sights for greater things once it is over. Six of Pentacles appears in your reading, a sign you will be imparting some valuable pieces of knowledge to those around you. Sagittarius season will be a time for learning and discoveries, so it is only fair you share your wisdom with others.

Cancer – The King of Wands Reversed is in your reading for the month, a sign you need to keep your eyes on the prize. The last two years have probably worn you down, but you have grown and felt more empowered by it, like your other fellow Cardinal signs. On the 30th of November, the Full Moon in Gemini will serve as a reminder that you need to recharge your batteries and if that didn’t settle in the first time, the Solar Eclipse on the 14th, in Sagittarius will be another reminder to take things easy and make changes to your habits. On the 17th and 19th, Saturn and Jupiter will finally leave the Cardinal grip and enter the Fixed sign Aquarius. You will probably be feeling the excitement around that time because these planets are no longer in Capricorn and they will not be in aspect to your sun, moon or rising. Your focus now will be on working through letting go of the past, but you have the mindset to continue to fight and succeed in what you set your sights on. Mercury and the Sun enter Capricorn on the 20th and 21st, making you feel more relationship focused on this time. You might want to reconnect with friends, an ex-lover or start a new romance. One transit that will keep you on your toes will be the Full Moon in your sign on the 29th. This will be a closing of a chapter that was probably initiated a few years back or earlier in the Summer. Either way, it is a reflective period where you will see how much you have changed and who you have become.

Leo – It is eclipse season and this upcoming one on the 14th in Sagittarius will be a beautiful one for you. It will be a time for reconnecting or initiating some new romances if you are single. On the 15th, magic will be in the air for you as Venus also enters the sign of Sagittarius and it would not hurt to have a little fun by either treating yourself or just doing Venus related things like a spa day or just resting. The King of Pentacles is your card for this month, in command and in control. Fixed signs will be looking forward to the 17th and 19th of December, as Saturn finally changes back into the sign of Aquarius. You have already experienced a bit of what Aquarius had in store for you back in the Spring. We will now be experiencing this transit full time until 2023, so expect the next couple of years to be very crucial for you. This is the evolutionary period for your fellow fixed signs. The Sun enters Capricorn on the 21st, a time that will briefly echo the Saturn in Capricorn transit. You will be focused on work and taking care of yourself and might even think back to what you have gone through in the last few years. The nostalgic period is amplified when the Full Moon in Cancer graces us on the 29th of December. A perfect way to close the year with this beautiful water sign, giving us a calming peaceful energy that is needed as we enter the new year.

Virgo – With the Page of Cups as your card for the month, you are entering an exciting phase. Saturn in Capricorn has brought things down a bit for you when it comes to your romantic life. If you are single, this will be the time where you can start to meet new people. Saturn and Jupiter move into Aquarius on the 17th and 19th and will meet up for an epic conjunction on the 21st the same day the Sun enters Capricorn. You might feel starry eyed and ready to take the plunge because everything will be rosy colored for you now that you are free from the ties of Saturn in Capricorn. The Solar Eclipse on the 14th will be pivotal for you, as you will experience changes in your immediate environment as well as school or work. No need to be afraid, changes are needed to help us evolve into our next kick ass form. The last year has been a challenge for everyone and you have worked through it all with patience that has made you stand out to those in charge. Keep up the good work. If you have slacked, this will be a good time to redeem yourself. Overall, the month is filled with many opportunities for work and success especially now that Saturn will be in Aquarius. On the 29th, the Full Moon in Cancer will bring you a happy vibe as you can spend time with friends and family over zoom or if you are already living with them, you can experience a joyful time together this holiday season.

Libra – The Full Moon in Gemini on November 30th will be a doozy for you and fellow air signs. You can feel the changes in the air as we all get ready for the big planet Saturn, to move into new waters. With Justice Reversed as your card for the month, you are ready to experience those karmic conclusions and this Full Moon will be eye opening for you. The Solar eclipse on the 14th will make you more communicative, allowing you to reach out to people and being in your chatty element. This is a great time for creatives to set new goals and begin some fun projects for the next six months. On the 15th, Venus enters the sign of Sagittarius as well, giving you more of an imaginative boost, masked in romance. You will be able to charm anyone during this time. Major changes with Saturn and Jupiter will begin on the 17th and 19th when the giants change signs into Aquarius. You will be dancing with joy since things will no longer feel as stressful compared with the Capricorn transit. This can be a period where you might begin to feel a bit more relaxed. The Jupiter and Saturn conjunction on the 21st, will have you feeling emotional about the people and relationships in your life, in a good way. Expect to feel appreciative and just an overwhelming sense of content. The month ends with the Full Moon in Cancer, illuminating your career house and you will see the results of your efforts around this time.

Scorpio – A momentous time for you will be the Full Moon eclipse in the sign of Cancer on the 29th which will serve as an empowering time where you get ready to make choices that will transform you for the next several years. With the Knight of Cups in your reading for the month, it will be a time for lighthearted moments and romance. You are in a very relaxed state, even with the Full Moon Eclipse in the sign of Gemini on November 30th, making you wonder how to make more empowering moves that will benefit you financially. This energy follows through towards the next Full Moon transit at the end of the month. Mercury entering Sagittarius on the 1st has you thinking about making money moves and you will not be afraid to jump into terrain you were not accustomed to before when it comes to learning new things. The Solar eclipse on the 14th in Sagittarius will also provide that sense of empowerment as you set your intentions now for a more prosperous New Year. On the 15th, Venus enters the fire sign Sagittarius as well, boosting your confidence and making you carry that boss energy. The big shifts will happen on the 17th and 19th when Saturn and Jupiter enter Aquarius, respectively. This will affect your sign because these two planets are no longer in Cardinal but Fixed territory. Expect your shift in values and home for the next several years as Saturn will restructure everything around you.

Sagittarius – So close! You can feel Saturn slowly leaving the sign of Capricorn because you might have felt your finances suffering a bit. Good news is that Mercury will be entering your sign on the 1st, giving you the mental prowess to solve problems, be charming and stress people out with your words. Remember not to be too harsh and to practice a little diplomacy. Luckily, Venus enters your sign on the 15th, adding that charm and passion into your demeanor, making your words feel like honey. The Five of Cups appears in your reading, showing that you need to stop being a downer and focus on the good times. Of course, you would never let others see just how much anxiety you can have since you give off the nonchalant vibes. This New Moon Eclipse on the 14th continues your evolutionary stage, so chill out and do not let that Full Moon in Gemini keep you nervous, just continue to focus and handle your business. On the 17th, Saturn enters Aquarius, and you might feel a sigh of relief. Your focus now for the next couple of years will change to other things pertaining more to communication and not your wallet. Jupiter will be in Aquarius on the 19th, initiating a very enlightening period for you, as you will most likely tap into your higher mind and spiritual pursuits for most of 2021. You will be right in your element.

Capricorn – This is a huge month for you since we enter your birthday season. Your ruler will also be leaving your sign later this month. It begins with Mercury in Sagittarius on the 1st, an interesting counterpart to the Full Moon in Gemini on the 30th. The themes with these two revolve around you taking care of yourself if you have been neglecting it. With the Five of Swords as your card for the month, you might feel drained by conflict, so this would be the perfect time to focus on creating peace and practicing diplomacy. Saturn enters the sign of Aquarius on the 17th, a time where the pressure starts to slowly leave you. Now you can focus more on restructuring yourself atter this Saturn transit in your sign for the last several years. On the 20th, Mercury enters Capricorn, and you will be inspired and motivated to take charge with what you say and do. The Sun will also enter your sign the following day, reenergizing you after what might have felt like a brief slumber. Finally, the month closes with the Full Moon in Cancer on the 29th, where you will devote your energies to your partnerships and appreciating the people in your life who are there for you. Rest up and Happy December!

Aquarius – One of the major events this month will be Saturn entering your sign on the 17th and Jupiter will follow right behind it on the 19th. This month will be transformative for everyone and you will begin your new journey for the next few years. You already got a taste of what Saturn in your sign has to offer earlier in the year and now you get to experience it. Seeking answers, learning about yourself and finding some new philosophies will be major themes for your sign in the next few years as shown with the Page of Wands Reversed. You will have to search deep inside to learn and truly understand yourself. Luckily, Jupiter will provide some healing qualities for most of 2021. Other notable events this month for you will be the New Moon in Sagittarius on the 14th. This is another eclipse that will open your eyes on how you view the collective. Venus will also enter the sign of Sagittarius on the 15th, a time where you can feel extremely passionate for a cause or you might just want to fall in love. This holiday season will be packed with fun and notable moments that will make you appreciate the circle of friends you have. This eclipse will let you know who has your back and who does not.

Pisces – Your card for the month is the Six of Swords, depicting that this is a transitional phase for you as 2021 approaches. Saturn will now apply some pressure since it will be in your house of dreams and secrets for the next few years. 2021 will begin your period of patience and focus. This is a meditative and contemplative time and 2020 has strengthened you up just for this moment in time. The Full Moon in Gemini was on November 30th, but the energies will still be felt through this month. Topics pertaining to your home will pop up, you might feel inspired to make changes around your immediate environment by decorating and making some home improvement changes. On the 14th, the New Moon will be in the sign of Sagittarius and Venus also changes to Sagittarius on the 15th. During this time, all eyes will be on you, so make the best of it as you capture the attention of mentors, teachers and/or bosses. This can be a time where you receive praise for the work you have done so far. Something we have all been looking forward to is Saturn entering Aquarius once more on the 17th and Jupiter changing signs on the 19th.  With Jupiter in Aquarius, you can feel a healing and spiritual vibe that will set the tone for 2021. Remember, you are ready for this, just before Saturn enters your sign in 2023. You should feel the excitement towards the end of the month with the Full Moon in Cancer, bringing some life to your house of creativity and adding depth and joy to the end of the year.

[commonwealthoccurences]

A Price To Pay

Prompt: Childhood Sweethearts and Happy Times

Word Count: 1,731

Days: 20 and 21

CW: Descriptions of rotting ghouls and general Wasteland nastiness.

There was something inherent in the Wasteland that Sole knew, in the long term, was new; the fact that if you loved someone you’d kill someone for them without question. Hell, if you cared for them at all, and maybe even if you didn’t, you’d kill someone for them. In the years before the War, a true declaration of love was saying that you’d kill someone. Now, it was simply fact, and Sole knew that all too well.

The first time Sole killed someone for John was when they were mere kids. They grew up together, tucked into a backwoods settlement of a few families that managed to stay hidden enough to not get hunted down by Raiders for their resources. Sole and John had been attached at the hip, constantly bickering like no other, but ready to defend each other at a moments notice; there was no one who could insult Sole but John, and vice versa.

They had been playing in the fields when something had begun stumbling through the waving reeds of grass, drifting from side to side in their movements. Sole had noticed it first; they were always the more observant one of the two, which they had never failed to brag about when it came to being competitive. Their grip on Hancock’s shirt was deadly and they made the mistake of attempting to tug him to the side, to get to some sort of shelter, away from whatever was making its way towards them with ill intentions. The movement caught the attention of the creature in the grass and it began moving even faster, now with a target to lock onto.

Sole’s parents had made them carry a knife on them since they were seven; you were never too young to defend yourself in the Wasteland. With shaking hands, too small to fit properly around the handle, they tugged it from their boot and stood in front of John, tiny face brave as a feral ghoul came stumbling into the clearing.

It was dragging one of it’s legs, nose oozing something slimy and indescribable, various wounds exposing their bones past leathery skin and torn muscle. The creature reeked, and considering it was a mobile, rotting corpse, they supposed it only made sense. Still, they recoiled at the smell as it flooded their nose and made their eyes water. Teeth gritted, their knife was raised higher, shaking in their grip.

The ghoul took a moment to recognize where the two children were, eyes glossed over from whatever was dripping from the holes in its face. Before they could take in another stuttering, hesitant breath, the situation was over. The ghoul charged forward, and as they had practiced so many times with their parents, they lunged at it and stabbed. The blade went clean through its skull and out the other side, and it stopped struggling.

A young John stood in shock and awe, though he would refuse to admit that he froze up in the face of his first real enemy in the future, and hid his trembling hands behind his back. This was the Wasteland; fear was a recipe for death, and he didn’t need to be part of Goodneighbor yet to know that. With a harsh swallow, he placed a hand on Sole’s shoulder. He nearly leaped back when they jumped, whirling on him with the knife raised, shaking like a leaf in the wind. “It’s okay.” His voice was higher than usual. “Its dead, I think.”

The second time Sole killed for Hancock was a reflex. At this point they were teenagers and had long joined the patrols that wound through the fields surrounding their tiny settlement. Armed with what weapons there were to spare, Sole and Hancock were always on the same patrol. They had gotten so used to sparring each other, moving around each other, and watching each other’s backs better than their own, it was simply stupid to separate them. As dawn crept onto the horizon in the form of the rising sun, the duo set off, leaving footprints in the fresh morning dew as the distance between them and home grew.

There was no hesitation in Sole’s movements this time, when they heard the pinching of claws tapping in their ears. It was horrifying, really. The clicking of pincers that promised a horrifying death were more than a warning to back down if you weren’t ready to put your life on the line and risk it all. But John had grown into his recklessness and a slight ego, and Sole knew that he wasn’t going to simply let it go. He had a point to prove. To who, they didn’t know.

So as he moved forward, a sly grin on his handsome face, his gun far too loose in his grip for such a situation, Sole knew they had no choice but to have his back. They mimicked his motions and got further to the ground, jaw clenched in frustration. If he had more than a single thought of being so competitive rattling around in his brain, they would get into a lot less complicated situations that looked a lot like this. Too late to be regretful now.

When the clearing gave no sign of the ominous clicking that grew ever louder, Sole and Hancock shared a confused look. There was no hulking shell in a threatening shade of green on the horizon. Then the ground shook and knocked Sole to their back, Hancock falling with a dramatic yelp as he landed with his head against a curb. They swore far louder than they should’ve with death in front of them, staring down with beady eyes, when he failed to move. 

They were faster on their feet than with their trigger finger, but they had no choice. They fired without hesitation, long practiced by experience with the Wasteland, proof that they were worthy of surviving. The Mirelurk was dead before it drew it’s breath to release a musty screech. Sole scrambled to Hancock’s side and carried him home, only to watch and laugh as his mother scolded him for his recklessness as he was given mandatory rest with an ice pack strapped to his head.

Sometime after that, Sole lost count of everyone that had lost their life for crossing them and Hancock. The numbers blurred in their nightmares, countless lost gazes, accusatory snarls, and harsh barks of laughter that had them shooting upright in the middle of the night, clutching at their head or heart, praying that someday they might wake up from a refreshed night of rest. Of course, they had always been a dreamer; Hancock was the first person to remind them of that.

And maybe it wasn’t so bad, despite the nightmares and the scars they had to prove that they were willing to lay down their life for Hancock. He had killed for them before, too, without a second thought the moment something threatened them. Even when they weren’t speaking, when the anger stretched into a loud, angry silence, he was the first to have their back as soon as things were going south. They never felt cold when he was near, never felt abandoned.

So maybe, they thought, that was why he had asked them to fulfill his biggest favor of all. In the middle of the night, Hancock had entered their room with a soft knock and a haunted look, eyes far away. That wasn’t so unusual, but Sole had become long used to telling when Hancock was high. He wasn’t. He was simply disturbed, and whether it was due to something he had witnessed or something echoing around in his brain, they weren’t sure.

The ensuing conversation was something they’d never forget for the rest of their life. A teary Hancock, hands pressed over his mouth as if he were horrified at the thought of letting his request escape his mouth. Once he’d gotten it out, had observed their gasp of shock and the way they folded back into the couch with horror and understanding, he simply bowed his head. Repentant for something he couldn’t do himself.

There was a debt to be paid, and it was well known throughout the Commonwealth that Hancock didn’t take kindly to being crossed. The debt came in the form of rivers of blood, betrayed expressions in empty eyes on ghoul corpses that laid in the streets, turned on by their people. Their neighbors, their family. There was a debt to be paid, and Sole was ready to collect on his behalf.

The morning of the collection, there wasn’t a word spoken inside the State house. Hancock had draped himself over the couch since the night before, so high he couldn’t comprehend forming words, face solemn despite the fact that he was on cloud nine. There was no escaping what was to happen. It was his fault, anyway.

Sole strapped their weapons to them slowly, despite the practice they had in it, the fact that it was something they’d done all their life. No breath came easy when they looked themself in the eye in a cracked mirror that hung on the chipping wall. Their face had aged a century in twenty years, lined with stories in the form of scars and wrinkles, dark circles screaming that they couldn’t sleep and it was all for their love for him.

Something kept them from looking back at Hancock when they turned to leave, to complete their mission. It wasn’t regret. No, they could never regret protecting him, whether that was in the form of keeping an iron grip on his reputation or physically. It was simply to hide the pity in their eyes; he saw right through them, there was no mask they could put up, and Hancock simply hated to be pitied.

The trek to Diamond City was dreadfully short, sickeningly so. The climb to the Mayor’s quarters even more so. McDonough looked up from his desk with a harsh glare until he realized who it was, and soon replaced it with a grin so fake it hurt to look at. When he asked what he could do for Sole they simply sighed and emptied all emotion from their gaze. Then, they reached for the silenced gun on their hip, and before he could react, raised it and took the shot. They had come to collect.

[is-that-another-soulmate-au]

Zukka Soulmate AU part 8

@mypureessence

@chaoticidiott

@ari-shipping-stuff

@knightedbot

@idkhowbutimgayer

@swampy-beans

@angrylittleintrovert

Zuko stepped outside just as the sun finally peaked over the horizon. His blue ribbon not tied half proudly around his right wrist. He stretched his arms above his head with a yawn only to be startled by someone running out of a small alley with a green spirit mask on and a bow in hand with a quiver of arrows on their hip.

The person only gave them a side glance before darting to the roof and an disappearing. Leaving Zuko to deal with the angry earthkingdom noble who came out of the alley with a scowl. "Young man! Did you see a green masked man?"

Zuko just stared at him sleepily "no?"

"You sound unsure"

"I only just stepped out si-" Zuko jumped when he felt a hand on his waist. Turning he found Sokka with his hair down standing beside him. He froze, oh.

"Whats going on Zuko?" Sokka yawned

"Oh! I'm sorry to disturb you and your soulmate, have a wonderful morning" the nobel then scurried off back down the alley.

The duo blinked and Zuko moved over away from Sokka's hand and cleared his throat "I was just stepping out for some fresh air and someone ran out then this noble guy started questioning me"

Sokka nodded "okay, but why are you up so early?"

"Im a firebender Sokka, I rise with the sun"

"Hey! Shh! You may not care that people know your a firebender but if you let people from this village know we could all be in danger" Sokka whisper yelled

"Okay, okay, I get it, by the way I saw a library on the way to the Inn that had a tea shop inside, I think it opens in a couple hours might be a good plan to check out some books, might even have some maps of smaller areas"

"Hm, I do like maps" Sokka said with a grin

"You do? I though Aang was the one reading the maps"

"Aang? He can't read a map to save his life, my dad taught me how to read a map before he left with his fleet so I can figure out any map atlas I need to" Sokka said with his hands on his hips.

Zuko smiled "oh? Is that so? Well then how about we go after breakfast?"

"Sounds good to me... by the way... I like the ribbon, but it'd look nicer on your neck, would you mind if I tied it there?"

Zuko flushed bright red "I uh! I actually avoided tying it around my neck because I know it is a similar style to water tribe betrothal necklaces so uh.. yeah, Ive been uh, avoiding that.. uh.. I mean I know its not an actual one but its a similar make and so I was trying to uh... avoid wearing it like one" he looked down and avoided all eye contact

Sokka took a moment and then laughed "I think thats the most I've heard you say, oh gods you are a treat.. but for real, a betrothal necklace has to be carved so this isnt like one in any way, plus the band is normally leather and this is silk so"

Zuko held his hand out to Sokka for him to untie it, which he did and then moved behind him and brought the band in front of him with gentle hands "you know, I used to tie Katara's necklace for her"

Zuko gave a small sigh when he felt the silk touch the skin of his neck "oh? You two seem close" he said with a small voice

With a laugh Sokka tied the silk ribbon in small bow "well of course we are, we're siblings during a war, that kinda thing will make family close you know" after finishing the bow Sokka leaned his chin on Zuko's shoulder

"Not all families" Zuko sighed out

"Hey, it made you and your Uncle close right? That counts for something"

"And Jee" Zuko mumbled

"Jee? The guy with you and your uncle?"

"Yeah, hes like a brother I guess" Zuko shrugged

They were both started by Aang bolting out the door looking for them and when his eye landed on them, seeing Sokka with his hands on Zuko's hips and his chin on his shoulder he grinned mischievously "hi there love birds"

Zuko let out a groan and pushed off Sokka's hands before storming inside mumbling "shut up Aang" with a bright red face.

"Youve been waiting to say that for ages haven't you?" Sokka glared and Aang nodded "well, too bad, I was just helping him with his necklace and we're both tired so I was resting"

Later on they all went to the library that Zuko mentioned, Aang and Katara wandering off to find the tea corner with Iroh and Toph, Jee spotting the owner and chatting him up. So that left Sokka and Zuko to search for maps, catching a boy their age organizing the shelves.

"Uh, excuse us, do you work here?" Zuko asked quietly.

The boy turned a bit too fast and one of his braids hit his nose before he swung it behind his shoulder. "Yes, sorry, Im Tarren, how can I help you?" The boy smiled and looked at the two scars "oh! You two are soulmates aren't you! You look so lovely together" he clasped his hands, Lily would absolutely gush over a fire and water pair"

"Woah woah, what do you mean fire?" Sokka said with a raised brow

"Did you... not notice your mate's golden eyes? Only powerful firebenders have golden eyes like his" he smiled "its nothing bad, firebenders are more than welcome here, one of our favorite customers is a firebender, he usually comes in around..." Tarren turned to look at a small sundial reflection "oh, around now... one moment"

The boy flicked his own wrist "Lily! Put on Kurt's ginger tea!"

"I already have! We have a customer here that requested it!" A young woman's voice could be heard from the far corner of the library

"Good, good, anyways, what were you looking for?"

"Maps"

"Oh, right over here, what area or areas were you looking to have maps of"

"Well, the firenation for one, and a few towns and cities in the earth kingdom" Sokka said with a pep in his step

"You seem to like maps" Tarren said with a grin

"I do! Its one of the few things I'm good at!" He said in a fairly chipper tone which caught both Tarren and Zuko off guard

"Hoooold on boomerang" Zuko grabbed the back of his tunic "you do so much more than just read maps, from what I've seen youre the only one capable of keeping this group sane, you a pretty good hand to hand fighter and whats more you're the only one capable of diffusing situations without any violence"

"Yeah, but I'm also the only one without any fancy bending" Sokka shrugged

"Who cares about that? You're a better fighter than any of them, and besides give me some time to train you with swords and you'll be even better"

"Hey now! Lily is a nonbender and can kick my ass and probably all of your bender asses with just a small blade and a few fancy steps" he jabbed a finger towards them

The duo stopped and looked at him "the girl you called out to earlier?"

Tarren blinked and awkwardly put his hand down and brushed the front of his uniform with a clear of his throat "right, yes, right, uh... sorry about that" he turned towards the direction of Lily "this scar his hers" he brushed a large burn on his right arm

"Im sure theres a big story there" Sokka said

"Yeah, there is, uh! But those maps!" Tarren then turned and skimmed his hand along several scrolls tapping three of them before lifting his hand and twisting it to bend the stone behind them, catching them in his other hand "here you go! You should probably join your friends over at Lily's tea corner, seems she's gotten into her story with them."

"How do you?" Zuko didnt get to finish before Tarren lifted his finger to show a small cut on his finger

"She normally breaks a cup when she talks about it... she has a deadly grip, works great with her training but terribly with serving tea" he smiled but then jumped when he heard the door open with a little bell "Kurt's here" he whispered before rushing off to greet Kurt only to freeze when he rounded the corner.

The duo rounded the same corner to find a short boy with firenation clothes and a torn right sleeve which revealed a matching scar to Tarren and apparently Lily. He had an awkward grin on his face and waved "heeeyyy Tarren, uh, I need to hide for a bit, and maybe a bit of a fix up?"

Zuko and Sokka looked at eachother and watched as Tarren slapped the back of his hand multiple times while calling out to Lily and shouting for Fin who was two aisles over. But by the time they got there Kurt fell and Tarren just barely caught him. He was out cold.

[som3thingcr3ative]

And I am Wanting 3

Wow! Two in two days? *this girl is on fire plays faintly in the background* 

but for real. that’s crazy. 

I’m so sorry about the angst I’m throwing at you with this one. It’s gonna suck, but I hope the ending of it will make up for it- and on a better note, part 4 is gonna be sooo much better for your heart!

Also: there are a few little non-canon-explicit details thrown in here, things that I’ve seen in the geraskier tag and have accepted as fanon. I’ll tag them as what they are once they’re exposed in the story, but I really don’t want to spoil anything just yet! Feel free to draw your own conclusions and let me in on them!

part one part two part three part four

Summary: Geralt and Jaskier get used to their duo becoming a trio; Lani has a nightmare; Jaskier finds a not-so-hidden talent

Warnings: mentions of arousal, a curse

Pairing: pining!Geralt pining!Jaskier 

Geralt wakes as the first light of dawn stretches across the horizon. Lani sits before the fire, having kept it alive all night despite having one hand occupied by Jaskier. The Witcher’s eyes soften when he sees how Jaskier curls around Lani, how the woman accepts his touch- but something also prickles in Geralt’s chest, a brief thought of how it is normally him that the bard curls against. He shakes it off as he stretches, drawing Lani’s tired eyes. 

“Morning.” She murmurs, yawning. 

“Hmm.” Geralt gruffs, standing rather stiffly. He lumbers off to the nearby woods to handle his business. 

Lani is still sat in the same position when he returns. The sun has painted the sky in navy and purple, but it’s still a ways off. Around them, the woods are starting to stir with life in the growing light. 

“Do you mind if I-” Lani waves a hand toward the woods where he came from, raising an eyebrow as if to question if she needs an escort or not. Thinking about the way he treated her last night, Geralt takes her sarcastic question in stride and gives her a slight nod. 

“Hm.” He burrs, not yet ready to talk. It’s too early in the morning for all that. 

Lani stands, stretches. Her back and shoulders pop and she lets out a low groan, yawning once more. Geralt watches her step carefully over Jaskier as she sets off into the woods. 

Roach nickers to the Witcher, waking up and expecting some sort of food. Geralt moves over to her, rubbing her neck before he unties her leadrope. She moves almost instantly to the other side of the clearing where there is grass. Lani’s gelding looks offended that he wasn’t free to graze too, so Geralt sets Roach’s leadrope over her withers and unties the black horse, standing back to watch the two. Still tied to the tree from last night, Lani’s dark grey mare is fully asleep, a leg cocked in rest.

Over the course of the night Roach and the gelding seem to have become friends with only minimal bickering; Roach boasts a little nip to her cheek, the gelding has a patch of missing hair on his throat. Roach pins her ears when he gets too close. He turns away, choosing a different patch of grass and placating the mare in the process. 

“Hmm.” Geralt says, watching them. He looks up as Lani reappears among the trees, looking exhausted. She spares a glance for the horses before she resumes her position by the fire. The Witcher watches her for a second before he decides he’s been awake long enough to be verbal. “He’ll sleep for an hour or two more.” He says, motioning to Jaskier. “I’ll keep watch.”

Lani nods, sending him a grateful half-smile. Anger pounds back to the surface when he sees her bruises in the growing sunlight; they look worse than they did the night before. She curls up on Jaskier’s bedroll beside him, scant inches from his sleeping form. The bard groans in his sleep, reaching out to tug her closer. Geralt watches, feeling something that isn’t anger burning in his chest as she drapes the blanket over them both and rests her head on Jaskier’s outstretched arm. Within minutes, her breathing has evened out and slowed.

The sky has turned from purple to pink to orange and finally bright blue by the time Jaskier wakes. He picks his head up, startled to find Lani asleep in his arms, and Geralt nearly laughs at his expression. 

“I thought she fell asleep on watch!” Jaskier whispers, his right arm trapped under her head. 

Geralt shakes his head, trying not to smile. That’s not why he looks so surprised, he thinks, watching as the bard slowly extricates his arm from under Lani, replacing it with a pillow made of her discarded blanket. He notes the way Jaskier’s clothes are rumpled, his hair a mess- and there’s a blush rising on his cheeks, a blush that has something to do with the arousal the Witcher can smell on him. Normal for the morning. Geralt’s inner voice of reason says. No different than any other day. Except today, Jaskier didn’t wake up next to the Witcher: he woke up curled around a woman, and to the same effect.

He can’t think on it too long, or the strip of fabric he holds in his hands intended as a gift of sorts for Lani becomes more like a burning betrayal of his feelings. 

During the time that Jaskier and Lani slept, Geralt hadn’t been sedentary. He’d caught, skinned and cooked two rabbits and boiled a pot of water for them from a nearby stream. He’d watered the horses- and woken Lani’s lazy grey mare. She reminds him of Roach, a little bit. It’s mostly in the way she carries herself; unamused by the world and its little annoyances, though she is significantly more sleepy than the chestnut. Maybe it’s the draft in her. 

Lani groans, coming to. She instantly puts a hand over her eyes, shielding them from the early morning light. Geralt squints up at the sun to find it behind a cloud. It’s worse than I thought. He thinks, already heading toward her with the fabric in hand. 

“Here.” he gruffs, holding the strip of black cloth against her hand. 

“What-” She questions, spreading her fingers just the tiniest bit. Her pupils are contracted to slivers in the light. “What is that?” 

“A blindfold.” Geralt says, as if it were obvious. “It will help.”

Lani grunts, pushing herself to a sitting position with a hand still over her eyes. She’s grumpy, that much Geralt can tell, probably from being woken after only a few short hours of sleep. Finally, she takes the blindfold from him with her free hand, pressing it carefully over her eyes. Once she’s tied it behind her head, she looks around curiously. “Thank you,” She eventually says, a soft smile on her lips. “I can actually see through this!” Geralt takes a look at the black discoloration around her left eye, the bruise that not even the wide strip of the blindfold can cover- and his mood sours. 

“Hm.” He says, without Jaskier there to translate. 

The Witcher moves to saddle Roach when Lani notices the rabbit on a spit for breakfast. He doesn’t do well with grateful behavior; it’s not something anyone outside of Jaskier has ever displayed around him for as long as he can remember. Speaking of, the bard is still gone. Geralt keeps an eye on the woods, his body tilted toward where Jaskier went as he brushes down his horse. Lani wordlessly joins him, holding a rabbit thigh between her teeth. She brushes and saddles her black gelding as she eats, stealing bites between her actions. 

Jaskier still isn’t back by the time Roach is tacked up. If it weren’t for his scent lingering in the wind, Geralt would’ve gone to find him. As it is, he notices Lani’s occasional glances from him to the woods but decides not to say anything. She still squints; he can see her brows furrow everytime she looks somewhere other than the ground, but at least she can see. Her gelding stands perfectly still, his eyes closing for a nap as she tightens her girth, strapping a few saddlebags to the back of her saddle. 

The bard finally returns from the woods just as Geralt’s gaze is focused on Lani as she holds a bit up to the gelding. He accepts it without question and she clips it to the halter.

“Hmm.” Geralt grunts. 

“He’s confused.” Jaskier says without pause, taking a glance at the halter with the bit attached. “Don’t you have to carry a bridle?”

Lani seems grateful that Jaskier hasn’t mentioned the blindfold, though his eyes certainly remain locked on it. “No,” she says. “I call this a travel bridle. I designed it myself so that I can just convert it to a bridle when I need it and take off the bit and reins when I don’t. It’s easier than carrying both a halter and bridle.”

“Hm.” Geralt says. 

“I agree.” Jaskier concurs. “It is cool.” He stretches his arms over his head, yawning. His eyes slide to the rabbit and he lights up. “Ooh, breakfast!”

Geralt thinks he sees Lani roll her eyes playfully as she looks in Jaskier’s direction, but he can’t be sure. Finished with her gelding, she moves to the mare and starts strapping her remaining saddle bags to her. 

“What did you bring?” Jaskier asks, his mouth full of rabbit meat. He looks from the bags on the gelding to the mare, curious. 

Lani doesn’t stop working, her fingers deft on the straps. Geralt notices with a hint of curiosity that she leaves room for a rider, unlike the way the mare had been the night before. “I brought what I thought was necessary. Food, shelter, a change of clothes. All the coin I could reasonably carry. Several weapons, some medicinal herbs and supplies.”

“You’re not planning on going back.” Geralt realizes. “Why?”

He could swear that her eyes are on him despite the black cloth. “There’s nothing for me to go back to. Loretta’s dead. My father’s dead. The only reason I’d ever go back is to get the rest of what I hid during my time as the vigilante.”

“Your plan?” Jaskier asks, the excitement of a possible song playing through his mind. “Did you bring him down?”

“I killed him.” Lani says without emotion. “But I didn’t get to make him watch as the empire he built crumbled around him. I didn’t get to make him realize just how many throats he’d stepped on in his quest for power. There was no justice in his death, just self-defense.”

“He’s the one who hit you?” Geralt growls, his eyes glowing with rage. 

“He’s dead for it.” She answers. For a second Geralt thinks she’ll say more, but she just walks over to the fire and picks up the remainder of the rabbit left out for her.

Jaskier seems to realize that the conversation is over, too. He kicks dirt over the fire and stands up, still chewing on a rabbit thigh. “Well,” he whines, “another day of walking.”

Lani’s eyebrows raise over the lip of the blindfold as she pulls her hood over her head. “You’re not walking.” She says. 

“What?” Jaskier asks, confused, but Lani just takes the mare’s reins and swings up on her from the ground, pressing a hand to her ribs once she’s up. “You could’ve asked for help-” Jaskier protests when he sees that she’s still hurt. She shakes her head, dismissing his concern. 

“You can ride Romeo.” Lani says, motioning to the black gelding and ignoring his concern. “He’s gentle.”

Jaskier preens, his brows raising as he looks from the gelding to Geralt. “I get to ride? My own horse?” 

“Still her horse.” Geralt grumbles, but he’s secretly relieved that Jaskier won’t be forced to walk. He watches Jaskier mount up with a careful eye, noting that the bard is awkward, but not incompetent when it comes to riding. 

“I used to ride when I was little!” Jaskier starts as the trio take the first steps onto the path north. “My mother had a grey pony, a mare, and she taught me how to ride on her. I’d ride every day. She was the best mount, so gentle, so kind. I rode her until she couldn’t be ridden any more, and when she passed away we got a horse who was so mean.”

Geralt watches Lani as she moves with each step of the draft mare, Jaskier’s babbling fading into background noise. Her hood is drawn, her face and the blindfold hidden by the shadow, but she doesn’t seem to have any trouble seeing through both; she guides the mare easily and gently while beside her Jaskier holds his reins too high and makes gestures as he speaks. If he couldn’t smell the coppery blood lingering beneath her skin or the occasional whiffs of her pain when the mare jostles her, he would never know that she’d been beaten by both a werewolf and her father. The Lady’s posture is still perfect as she rides. 

“Hm.” Geralt grunts, quiet enough that Jaskier can’t hear to translate. 

They travel like that until the sun’s rays fall below the horizon and the hooting of owls echoes around them in the dark. 

~~

“Such pretty red hair,” the witch comments, twirling a lock of Lani’s hair around her pinkie as the woman trembles, kneeling at her feet. She can’t move; her body is no longer under her own control. There’s not a time in memory that she’s been this terrified, absolutely out of her mind with it as she whimpers, eyes forced to remain locked on the witch’s face. 

It’s not a face she’d soon forget, anyway. 

“You remind me of a fox, little pup.” She says. “With such pretty red hair.” Her eyes slide to Lord Corro, equally frozen on his knees beside Lani. “She must’ve gotten it from her dam, yes? Tell me, what would you do to spare your daughter?”

And Lani’s gut clenches as her father is permitted to speak. Pleas fall from his lips faster than she can follow: ‘Anything, I’ll pay you anything, just spare her, spare me, please,’

His jaw clicks closed audibly and he whimpers, having bitten down on his tongue. Lani sees blood trickle from his lips as his tongue remains trapped, crushed between his front teeth. 

“You see, I don’t care for payment.” The witch comments, gaze falling back on Lani. Around them are the shredded corpses of knights who’d offered the same in exchange for their life. Lani feels inclined to believe the woman. Gold won’t get her out of this- her fathers’ or hers. The werewolf’s blood is on her hands and hers alone, though the witch doesn’t know that. “You caused my pet to be taken away, Lord Corro. I cannot forgive that.”

Lani’s breath catches in her throat when the woman clothed in blood bends at the waist, taking Lani’s jaw between her fingers. There’s nothing she can do as her face is tilted upwards toward the woman. 

“Your beauty…” She says, venom behind her eyes. They’re the color of a white sand beach, pale and cold. “T’would be such a shame if it were for naught.” For a second she seems to contemplate her choices before she releases Lani and steps back, pacing before them. “You see, Lord Corro, if I’ve learned one thing in my centuries, it’s that being lonely is the worst affliction a person can suffer. Being unlovable, despite beauty, despite power. To love, unrequited, to know that no one can ever love you… yes, I’ve decided.”

The witch turns to Lani whose stomach twists. She can’t breathe; her chest is too tight, her battered body fighting for every heartbeat under the panic of the witch’s hold. 

“Lani Corro,” Her voice reverberates, hands glowing with magic as she places them on Lani’s shoulders: “I curse you. Thrice I curse you; no human shall ever love you. Should you find something to love that cannot love you back, you will suffer. Your suffering can only be ended by a witcher; no mortal means can kill you and nor can you kill yourself. And thrice again; on each full moon you will become more and more a beast. You will live to see the destruction your body causes, aware of it and yet not in control. Your body will never bear life and any child you try to rear will fall sick and die before your eyes.”

When her curse is spoken, the witch releases Lani. She falls to her hands and knees, dry heaving. “Please-” She begs, though she doesn’t know what she’s begging for. Of all the curses suddenly placed upon her, she only cares about one. To cause destruction and be unable to stop it is the worst thing she can imagine, worse even than becoming a beast. 

She doesn’t realize her father has been released as well until he starts babbling. “No,” He says, “Not my Lani sweet, she must be loved, she must have an heir!”

The witch laughs when Lani’s scent betrays how sick she feels at her father’s words. “I will place one final curse upon you.” She says. “A curse like no other; the curse of hope. Should you be lucky enough to find something to love you, whatever form you are in at that time will be the form you have until the thing’s death. You will live exactly as long as they do.” She cackles, eyes glittering. “I am sure this will be your undoing. Hope is a fickle thing that destroys far more often than it aids.”

And then the witch waves her hand and Lani screams, a gut-punched sound as excruciating pain rips through her head. 

Jaskier is startled awake by Lani’s bone-chilling, terrified scream. It tears from her throat as she sleeps, thrashing, hands clawing at her eyes. Beside him, Geralt instinctively has his sword drawn, though he drops it when he sees the reason for the disturbance; a nightmare. He’d been on watch, so while Jaskier’s eyes are clouded with sleep, his own gaze is sharp, his mind unfogged. Lani is still screaming, though with every breath she whimpers, tears streaming down her face. Geralt catches her wrists before she claws her eyes out; she wakes with a gasp, shooting upward. 

“Please-” She whimpers, slitted pupils wide in the night. Her dream clings to her; the witcher can smell it. Her scent is terror and pain in a nauseating abundance and the way she starts to fall apart before his eyes is almost worse. 

Jaskier draws her into his arms, cradling her against his chest as tears stream in fat rivulets down her cheeks. She’s such a strong woman, Geralt thinks, wondering how in the hell she’d been able to hold it together during the day if her nightmares are this bad. 

“What was it?” Jaskier asks in between reassuring promises while Geralt watches, laying his sword beside him. Lani’s incapable of words as she curls into a tight ball on the bard’s lap, crying so hard her entire frame trembles. Geralt’s sure it can’t be comfortable, what with the way her body is slowly healing from the werewolf fight and then the beating she took afterwards. “You can tell us, Lani. We’re here for you.”

And damn if Geralt doesn’t feel that in his heart. We’re here for you, the words repeat in his head, over and over. We. He’d said it so easily, so honestly that he has to believe it. 

The Witcher reaches out a hand to the trembling woman, touching her shoulder. He strokes from her shoulder to her elbow and back, scooting closer to Jaskier. 

“My curse-” She eventually hiccups, still trembling as she drags the heel of her hand over her eyes. “It’s only going to get worse. I- I can’t- there’s nothing I can do about it. I swore I’d never be helpless again after-” and here she cuts herself off, shaking her head quickly before continuing. “I swore I’d never be helpless again, but now here I am. There’s nothing I can do to stop it.”

“Was that the nightmare?” Geralt asks. “You replayed your memory?”

Lani nods, sniffling. She leans her head against Jaskier, her ear over his heart as she closes her eyes, taking comfort in his presence. “The pain was horrible, Geralt.” She murmurs, sounding defeated. “When she changed my eyes- I never want to go through that again.”

“You said it’s going to get worse?” Geralt gets a glare from the bard for that one, a glare so hot he almost flinches. 

“Every month I’m going to turn more and more into a beast.” Lani admits, pushing away from Jaskier as she talks. She curls her legs to her chest and wraps her arms around them, suddenly avoiding physical touch. “I’ll be a monster.”

Geralt doesn’t know what to say to that. She very well could turn into a monster; a werewolf, a bruxa- he doesn’t know her curse so he doesn’t know what could happen. Thankfully, Jaskier makes up for his silence, gently taking one of Lani’s hands in his own. He strokes his thumb over her knuckles, brilliant blue eyes wide and worried in the firelight. 

“We’re here for you, Lani. We won’t let you turn into a monster.” He glances over to the Witcher. “Right, Geralt?”

“Hmm.” Geralt says.

Jaskier moves closer to her, draping an arm over her shoulders and sitting beside her. She sits stiffly, curled in on herself, still sniffling. “He said he won’t let it happen.” 

Lani lets out a short laugh, looking over at the bard with tear-stained eyes. “How do you know what he’s saying?”

Jaskier shrugs. “I’ve been with his insufferable ass for three years now,” He jests, grinning at Geralt. “One learns to understand the small languages he speaks.”

Her answering smile is watery, but it’s a smile. Geralt feels a weight lift off her shoulders as she leans into Jaskier, getting over her nightmare. He watches her as she stares into the fire, Jaskier tracing idle patterns onto her shoulder with his fingers. “Will you… will you sing for me?” She asks, her eyes holding lingering sadness in them. Geralt looks at the bard to find his eyes already on him, almost as if asking if it would bother him. The Witcher can’t find it in what remains of his heart to say no.

“Of course, love.” Jaskier says, the pet name rolling off his tongue as easily as ‘we’ had, and Geralt’s once more reminded of how easily the bard trusts, how willingly he accepts people despite their flaws. He clears his throat, drawing Lani closer. For a second Geralt waits and then Jaskier’s hums; it flows across the clearing, quiet and soft but with a haunting lilt. 

The bard sings in a language Geralt vaguely recognizes, catching very few words- Pais Dinogad, his mind supplies, as if from some long locked memory. Lani’s eyes droop almost immediately, her body sagging against Jaskier. Geralt feels the effects of Jaskier’s singing as well as the bard seems to lose himself to the song. 

His voice carries across the woods as Geralt lays down by the fire, lulled by the warmth and Jaskier’s song. Around them, all the animals go quiet to listen. Roach rests her head on Romeo’s back, her face turned toward the bard, eyes closed. Lani’s grey mare lays down with a soft grunt, relaxing utterly and completely. Lani herself is fast asleep in Jaskier’s arms as the bard repositions her to rest on the bedroll, still singing. 

Jaskier’s eyes are soft and wanting as he looks at both of his companions. Geralt’s features are eased by sleep, his unbound hair falling around his face in gentle waves. Lani lays beside him, close enough to touch. Jaskier’s voice continues as if it has a mind of its own, giving voice to the lullaby that he can feel in his heart. 

Something about it feels right to him- it could be the language he speaks in, a language he can’t remember learning but knows anyway- or it could be the melody. He doesn’t know why, but he feels calm, like all the tension has drained from his body. 

When the lullaby is over and the last lingering note rings out in the still air, Jaskier lays himself beside Geralt and Lani, drawing the blanket over their three bodies. He has the sense that they will not be bothered that night as every creature within earshot sleeps. 

TAG LIST (OPEN): @little-piece-of-tamlin​ @inforapound​

[etlunainmorte]

🎸 Saved By The Siren 🎸

***

~ A Nero X Reader set in an Alternate Universe.

~ This is dedicated to one of my friends, @shadowrosess , who loves Nero, and to you, Nero fans! I hope you like this.

~ Enjoy!

***

"I QUIT!" The band's lead vocalist raged as she slammed the door closed on the way out, startling the other contestants.

"YEAH! FUCK YOU!" The band's lead guitar screamed back, making the other people shook their heads.

But, who could really blame him? Nero and Lady just couldn't get along well from the start.

"YA MESSED UP BIG TIME, PSYCHO!" Nico, the band's bassist shrieked hysterically at him as she pointed her cigar stick at him.

"WHO NEEDS A VOCALIST LIKE THAT, ANYWAY? SHE JUST STRUTS ON THE STAGE AND SHOW OFF!"

"Guys, we really need a vocalist now,or we're gonna get disqualified." Lucia, the timid drummer nervously spoke from the corner of the room, not wanting to be shout at by the ever grumpy Nero.

"The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water,... and breeds reptiles of the mind." V, the ever calm keyboardist, quoted, not once taking his eyes off his William Blake illustrated collection.

Nero face palmed.

Ever since that incident involving Lady erupted, of her planning to leave the band for a much more popular one to become famous, Nero has been on a rampage, picking unnecessary fights with her and, therefore, almost ruining the band.

And who could just put them together but him? Not Nico, who just messes around ( one time, she almost set the old and smelly studio they were practicing in on fire with the cigar butt she carelessly threw away ), not Lucia, who was just too timid and shy to ever lead any kind of group ( she almost depleted the band's funds by having no guts to refuse the cute little scouts that always come knocking in to sell them all sorts and flavors of cookies ), and definitely not V, who was either busy reading, or busy being a regular member of the National Orchestra as a Concertmaster ( who was so talented as heck, he rejected the last twenty or so who auditioned as vocalist, only accepting Lady because he wasn't there to see or hear her sing due to one of his asthma attacks ).

So, simply put, they're all doomed.

No.

More like fucked up.

All of a sudden, Nero's phone vibrated. He took it out from his pocket and saw that his dad was calling him.

"Ugh, him again?" Nero muttered, not really wanting to answer the call.

"Answer that call, ya don't want him to come in here and drag ya away from him like a brat." Nico suggested calmly.

And so, with a deep sigh, he answered the call -

"What are you doing right now,... scum?"

"Fuck off, Vergil!"

"Don't you disrespect me in front of your so - called peers. If I hear that you get beaten by Dante's band once more, I will have no choice but to take away that wailing and foul - smelling instrument of yours, drag you out of there, myself, and send you to boarding school in Berlin."

"D- DAD! PLEASE! NOT MY ELECTRIC GUITAR!"

"Don't you ever dare lose,... scum."

And with that last threat, Nero's father hung up. The place was almost filled with loud applause and cheers a few seconds later as the last band just finished performing. The door opened, and in came the dynamic guitar and singing duo of Dante and Trish.

The sight of Nero's ( and Vergil's ) rival Dante looking so proud and confident that he'll win this battle of the bands made his stomach churn. And before he could even turn away to not be noticed by the man, his father's younger brother saw him and immediately went towards him.

"Hey, nephew! How's it going?" Dante greeted as he put a heavy arm around Nero.

"Piss off, Dante!" Nero growled.

"Ooh! What's with the little puppy growl? Oh! Let me guess: Lady left you, didn't she?"

"FUCK. OFF!" Nero pushed Dante away in anger, his uncle's taunt proving that his statement was, indeed, real.

But, Dante just smiled and chuckled at him as he shook his head helplessly. "Oh, well, I wonder how Vergil would react to this news?!"

"Stop."

"Maybe he'll come down here and take away your second hand guitar! Or! Maybe," Dante taunted once more as he stalked closer to Nero like a predator. " ...he'll send you to that military boarding school in Berlin!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Nero finally exploded as he grabbed Dante's collar.

"No! You shut up, DEAD WEIGHT!"

"Okay, okay! Guys, stop!" Nico intervened, successfully drawing Nero out before he could make a nasty scene in front of the people.

"What do we have here?" One of the organizers who saw the argument came in and asked.

"Oh, nothin'! Nothin' to worry 'bout!" Nico lied as she laughed hysterically.

The organizer only shook his head and left. After that, the door opened and a head popped out from it.

"SWEET SURRENDER?!" The person called the name of their band.

"Yeah! We're here!" Nero answered unwillingly, flinching at his own words.

"YOU'RE UP! AND MAKE IT FAST!"

"Good luck, kid! Adios!" Dante mocked once more as he saluted on his way out.

"I'll send you my autograph." Trish said as she blew all of them a good bye kiss and gave V a very sultry look, to which the poet only ignored.

All of four of Sweet Surrender's members looked at each other.

"What do we do now?" Lucia, who was already in panic mode from the start, stuttered as she clutched her drum sticks.

"We perform as usual." Nero replied.

"What if we fail? Yer dad's gonna send ya to boardin' school fer real!" Nico added as she pushed the rim of her glasses up the bridge of her freckled nose.

"Stop saying that, will you? I will sing in place of that bitch."

"But, Nero! That song is meant to be sung as a duet! This will not work! This will be a disaster!"

"Whoa, Lucia! Calm down! Trust me. We'll get through this!"

After those words, Nero, Nico, and Lucia turned to V, expecting him to say some words of encouragement.

And to this, the poetic musician only answered, "A man can't soar too high,... when he flies with his own wings."

"Okay, V. You're an interesting guy but, you're right." Nero responded as all of them faced the door that led to the stage. "Let's get this show on the road!"

However, no matter how hard V tried to give them enough words of motivation, courtesy of William Blake, they just couldn't shake the foreboding feeling.

That something bad was going to happen.

Nico, Lucia, and V may have done their best to perform their parts, but Nero's song, which was supposedly a duet, just couldn't, would not, work out. It just felt wrong.

And not even a few minutes in and they were already being booed by their audience. This made Lucia even more nervous and stopped playing altogether. Nico tried to pitch in for her but failed miserably because she lacked proper practice. V, on the other hand, remained calm as he multi - tasked, playing both Lucia and Nico's part on his keyboard.

"LOSER!" A girl from the crowd shrieked as she threw her candy wrappers at Nero. Some people took this as an opportunity to throw things at them.

"Look at them! They look so pathetic!" Dante laughed from the back of the crowd, enjoying Sweet Surrender's downfall. "I guess it's boarding school for Nero now - "

"HEY, GUYS! So sorry I'm late!"

Everyone in the room went dead silent as one unknown girl wearing a floral dress came up the stage and joined Nero.

"I'm sorry. Who are you?" Nero questioned as he watched the girl take hold of one of the microphones.

The girl just winked at him and gave him a confident smile. "We're gonna do this, right?"

"ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!" Lucia bravely screamed at the top of her lungs as she tapped her sticks together for their cue. And with the wailing of Nero's guitar, they played their song once more.

"Oh, oh! Oh, oh, oh! So jet lagged!" Nero started singing. "What time is it where you are?"

"I miss you more than anything." The mysterious girl sang, her beautiful voice surprising Nero, and the rest of the band.

"And back at home you feel so far."

"Waitin' for the phone to ring."

"It's gettin' lonely livin' upside down. I don't even wanna be in this town. Tryin' to figure out the time zone's makin' me crazy!"

"You say good morning when it's midnight. Going out of my head, alone in this bed. I wake up to your sunset. And it's driving me mad, I miss you so bad. And my heart, heart, heart is so jet - lagged! Heart, heart, heart is so jet - lagged! Heart, heart, heart is so jet - lagged, is so jet - lagged!"

"Oh, oh!" Nico, Lucia, and V sang at the same time the people stopped booing them and started bobbing their heads along with the song, actually enjoying the performance. And by the time the unknown girl started singing, the crowd started to finally cheer for them.

"What time is it where you are?" She candidly sang as she winked once more at Nero, who really enjoying their performance.

"Five more days and I'll be home."

"I keep your picture in my car."

"I hate the thought of you alone."

The girl took the mic out from the stand and pointed at the crowd. "I've been keepin' busy all the time just to try to keep you off my mind. Tryin' to figure out the time zones makin' me crazy!"

She, then, went over to Nero's side and by the time they're singing on the same mic, the crowd just went wild cheers.

"You say good morning when it's midnight. Going out of my head, alone in this bed. I wake up to your sunset, And it's drivin' me mad, I miss you so bad. And my heart, heart, heart is so jet - lagged! Heart, heart, heart is so jet - lagged! Heart, heart, heart is so jet - lagged, is so jet lagged!"

"Oh, oh! Oh, oh, oh!"

"I miss you so bad."

"I miss you so bad."

"I miss you so bad."

"I miss you so bad."

"I wanna share your horizon."

"I miss you so bad."

"And see the same sun rising."

"I miss you so bad."

"And turn the hour hand back to when you were holding me."

"You say good morning, when it's midnight. Going out of my head, alone in this bed. I wake up to your sunset. And it's drivin' me mad, I miss when you say good morning, but it's midnight. Going out of my head. Alone in this bed. I wake up to your sunset. And it's drivin' me mad, I miss you so bad. And my heart, heart, heart is so jet - lagged! Heart, heart, heart is so jet - lagged! Heart, heart, heart is so jet-lagged, is so jet-lagged, is so jet - lagged!"

"Oh, oh!"

"So jet - lagged!"

Nero and his friends, so was Dante, who was still watching, couldn't believe the amount of love they received from the audience.

All thanks to this mysterious girl.

"That was crazy!" Nero told her the moment they went back to the room. "You're really awesome!"

"Thanks!" The girl answered with that charming smile of hers.

The smile that made Nero's heart skip a beat. She's just,... so beautiful, and charming, and,...

"What's your name?" Nero asked her.

"Oh, you can call me (Y/N)."

"Heya, (Y/N)! I'm Nico." Nico introduced herself even before Nero could shake her hand.

"Hello, Nico!"

"I'm Lucia, the,... drummer,... at the back. You know,..." Sweet Lucia shyly introduced herself.

"You were awesome back there, Lucia!"

"Really?!" The girl's face lit up in excitement.

"Yes!"

"And I'm Nero. Nice to meet you." He said as he was finally able to touch her smooth hands.

"Same here, Nero." And she gave him that charming smile with that cherry colored lips again.

"Hey, where's V?" Nico asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"At the back, hiding from Trish." Lucia answered.

"Poor tattooed Shakespeare,..." Nico shook her head in disbelief.

"They're gonna announce the winner!" Lucia excitedly said as she pulled her friends back to the stage,...

... only for them to get disappointed when the host announced Dante and Trish's name.

(Y/N) noticed Nero's sadness and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulders. The boy smiled at him and shook his head.

"Thank you, (Y/N)."

"No, Nero. Thank YOU."

They were about to make way for Dante and Trish to perform their encore when the people started yelling their name!

"SWEET SU - RREN - DER! SWEET SU - RREN - DER! SWEET SU - RREN - DER! SWEET SU - RREN - DER!"

"OH, MY GAWD! THEY WANT US BACK!" Nico shrieked as she happily jumped up and down.

"Then, we're gonna give 'em what they want. Isn't that right, Nero?!" (Y/N) confidently announced as she nudged the boy's arm, who still couldn't believe what just happened.

"Okay! We're gonna do this!" Nero took his guitar and positioned himself in front of the mic once more. "Where's V?!"

"Right here." The poet calmly said as he reappeared and faced his keyboard once more.

"ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!" Lucia gave the cue, finally confident for their sweet, sweet encore.

After that, it was safe to say that nobody's instrument, foul - odored, second - hand, or no, got taken away by an angry parent. There were no more old, combustible and smelly practice rooms because they were invited by a talent manager named Morrison to perform to much better and popular places. There were no more girl scouts selling one particularly shy drummer some cookies because they were now being offered M&Ms and more backstage and for free. One skinny poet has to run and hide more often from crazed fangirls because someone released his photos and videos on Instagram, which quickly became viral. And no one got sent to a boarding school in any part of Europe.

And (Y/N) and Nero?

Let's just say that their first duet was the start of a truly sweet and meaningful romance.

***

🎸🎸🎸

***

[p-artsypants]

Breathe

In Which Astrid Makes a Small Mistake with Big Consequences

Rated Y for 'Yeesh' or 'T+' for blood and injury.

Set in RTTE before Blindsided

FF.net | AO3

—

“I’m an idiot.” Astrid thought to herself.

You see, it all started this afternoon, not long after lunch. She had anger issues, this was no surprise. Not in the slightest. So when Snotlout snagged her axe and attempted to impress her with some ‘cool new moves’, it was natural that she’d go ape shit when her beloved axe flew out of his hands and into the bay.

This was not her idiotic moment. But it wasn’t her proudest either.

There were curse words, there were rude gestures, and there were threats of bodily harm. Anything was fair game as she was blinded by a field of red. Hiccup and the gang came running as soon as they heard her screaming.

“Astrid! Calm down! What’s the problem?!” Hiccup shouted to be heard over her profanity.

“What’s the problem?!? The problem is that this no good, stupid, ugly piece of shit you call your cousin just threw my axe, MY AXE, into the bay!”

Tuff winced, “nice knowing you buddy.”

“We’ll get to work on the funeral. It’ll be lovely.” Added Ruff.

“It was just an accident, Astrid.” Snotlout tried to protest. “I’ll go get it.”

“You don’t get it do you?!?” She screamed, thrusting a finger painfully into his chest. “You have no self control, no self awareness. No regard for anyone but yourself! That was my axe, but more importantly, it was freshly sharpened and you could have killed any one of us or our dragons! You’re lucky it only went into the water!”

“I didn’t think—“

“Exactly! That your problem! You don’t think!! You just act on whatever inane thought comes into your thick skull!”

Hiccup tried to intervene, “Astrid...”

“No! You need to learn this lesson now, because if you don’t when it’s important, one of us could get killed by your recklessness! It could be me, you, Hiccup, or even Hookfang! Is that what you want?! You want a dead dragon?!”

“No...” Snotlout spoke quietly, ashamed.

“I think you made your point, Astrid.”

Oh no, she was not about to reprimanded for doing nothing wrong. She scoffed and stomped off the other way. “I need to be alone.”

Now, this was also not her idiotic moment.

But, in her short sight, she did leave Stormfly behind.

Shortly after she left, Hiccup went into leader mode and tried to control the damage that was done.

Snotlout did fish the axe out of the bay, but not without supervision. When that was done, he had his own tantrum and flew off on Hookfang to ‘prove his worth’, a sort of typical response from him.

Yet, Hiccup couldn’t help but follow, seeing the chaos on the horizon. Ruff and Tuff also tagged along, because they couldn’t get enough of Snotlout’s eminent failures. Fishlegs also went, because...well...he didn’t want to be alone if Astrid came back still angry.

Now, dear reader, we’re getting to Astrid’s moment.

Every morning, Astrid ran from one side of the island and back. Not up the mountains and not down in the caves, but a direct path that cut from one side to the other.

About 3/4 of the way to the other side, she had discovered some old dragon traps. Ancient really, rusted, mostly broken. She hadn’t really worried about them, and she and Hiccup made sure to dismantle any they found. But she always walked carefully through that small section of the wood.

But not today.

“Stupid Snotlout and his stupid attitude, stupid face…arrogant, bull headed, son of a—“

The only sound that warned Astrid that something was amiss was a ’twang’.

She didn’t even have time to move out of the way, because it came from behind.

The wind was knocked out of her as she was struck in the back. Looking down, she saw the head of the crossbow bolt sticking out of her mid-torso, just a bit under the right breast. The bolt was about a half inch in diameter, and made of steel.

The pain was not immediate, actually. As she stared at the puncture for a moment.

“I’m an idiot.” She thought to herself.  

No one else would have thought that though. For who would have seen that coming?

Looking back, Astrid could see the thin tripwire that had been triggered.

“Stupid me.”

Her hand clamped to her side, trying to stop the blood that oozed incessantly.

She would have to go back on her own. Her friends were all too prepared to give her as long as she needed to cool off. They wouldn’t start looking for her until it was too late.

With a wince, she took her first step. It was solid enough, though the bolt moved slightly, and she felt it. That’s what triggered the pain. Her nerves were on fire, her muscles torn or pinched, and she could feel her heart thundering in her chest. Astrid didn’t want to move, she didn’t want to be touched, because everything in her body wanted the arrow to get out and she couldn’t think of anything else.

“Breathe.” She said aloud. “Take a deep breath.”

Up until that moment, she hadn’t even noticed her labored breathing. So she swallowed, tasting blood on her tongue, and took a deep inhale, held it for a moment, and then exhaled.

The pain throbbed on, but breathing wasn’t too difficult. The bolt must have missed her lung. For that, she was grateful.

So she began her trek back across the island. Her steps were annoyingly slow, but every time she tried to move faster, the pain in her ribs would bubble, and paralyze her, just for a moment. At this rate, it was going to take a few hours to get back.

Careful not to jostle the bolt, Astrid took a steady hold and tugged, ever so slightly. A screaming pain shot through her whole body, starting from her chest and working out to the very tips of her toes. She let go immediately, breathing hard and sweating. She wasn’t going to be able to pull it out. But, it was best she left it in anyways. Especially with the hike in front of her.

Breathe.

Astrid took her arm wraps off, and carefully wrapped them around her waist, in an effort to keep from bleeding out. Then, once that was done, she searched the nearby area for a walking stick. With it, she had just enough support to pick up the pace a bit.

After what seemed like hours, the sun began to set, and Astrid had no idea where she was.

Well, she had an idea, considering she was on the worn path she had created, but in the large scheme of things, she wasn’t sure how far she had left to go. After a while, all parts of the forest started to look the same, and she wondered if she was just walking in circles.

“C’mon Astrid, you can do this.”

Breathe.

A stick snapped behind her, and she turned around, a sneer on her lips. When she saw a pair of foreign vikings, the sneer turned into a full blown growl.

“Well well well…lookie what we found.”

“Of course.” She bit, to herself. This would happen as she was practically dying.

“What do you think Viggo will pay us for bringing back a dragon rider? Especially the pretty blonde one?”

“Ain’t that the one that ‘iccup likes?”

“The perfect ransom.”

Astrid made no sudden moves, trying to figure a way out of this. There was no way she could outrun them, and fighting wasn’t really in the cards either.

“And she’s hurt too. Probably won’t put up a fight.”

The first man smiled. “If we make it look like we’re the ones who did this, maybe we’ll get a raise.”

“And dental.”

Astrid smirked to herself. Good, they were idiots.

She stood a little taller, despite the pain. “You really think your boss is going to be happy with me in this condition?”

“If you can’t fight, then we don’t have to worry about you escaping!”

Astrid shrugged. “But unfortunately, with the speed of your boats, I doubt I’d even make it to Viggo alive.” As to add to her point, Astrid coughed and spit up some blood. Hmmm, maybe the bolt did hit her lung. “And a corpse is not a good bargaining chip.”

The two men looked at each other.

“Can you imagine how angry Viggo would be if you killed an essential piece in his plan?”

“B-b-but we didn’t!” The second man protested. “We just found you like this!”

“And Viggo will believe you?”

The duo had their own little group meeting, thinking through their options.

Astrid called just a little bit louder to be heard. “Up until this point, we’ve been careful to spare your lives, but if you capture me, and I die…I can guarantee Hiccup and the others will spare nothing. All of your friends, everyone you know and care about…they’ll all burn.”

Astrid knew Hiccup would never do such a thing, just as she doubted she was going to die, but they didn’t know that.

“‘Ey! I see want you’re tryin’ to do! And it ain’t gonna work! You’re coming with us, missy!”

Dammit. Fighting it was then.

She waited for them to move, and once the first man had taken a wide enough stride, she struck using her walking stick. A scream tore through her throat with the movement, but a much higher scream came from the man since he was struck in the bits. He leaned over to hold himself and Astrid grabbed the back of his head, and slammed it into her rising knee. He crumbled.

The second man stole her stick, being at least that smart. But he grinned at her, leaving his face wide open. So she jabbed her palm up at his nose, breaking it on impact. As he covered his face, she elbowed him in the gut and then kicked him in the head. He also went down.

Astrid stumbled, her vision going double. That encounter had wasted too much time and energy. Both of which she didn’t have much of. Turning to look over her shoulder, she saw a trail of blood drops leading away from her. Then a nice little puddle formed at her feet.

“Well, at least I know I’m not going in circles.”

Breathe.

She wavered on, feeling more and more unaware of her surroundings. She only hoped there weren’t any more scouts on the island. She heard squawking and growls and knew there were dragons nearby, but couldn’t even tell what kind.

A black haze moved in front of her, followed by another haze, running by her feet. She vaguely wondered if it was the Night Terrors, doing their best to watch over her.

Then, a louder squawk entered her head space, and she came to a halt.

A sea of blue and turquoise filled her vision as familiar scales pressed against her outstretched hand.

“Storm..fly…?” She muttered.

The dragon squawked again, Astrid knew she was begging her to get on.

“I can’t…” She whispered. “I’m too weak…and I can’t move very well.” She gestured to her ribs.

Stormfly crooned softly, nuzzling Astrid’s face carefully.

The Nadder flapped a bit to hover and then grabbed Astrid by the shoulders. Astrid cried out in pain from the stretch and Stormfly dropped her immediately.

“I…it hurts…” she admitted.

Astrid took hold of one of Stormfly’s horns and continued her walk.

Breathe.

The sky was almost as red as her shirt, as Astrid finally made it to the club house.

“Hiccup!” She called again. Though, it really wasn’t a call, it was more of a whimper. When she returned, everyone was gone. Where? She didn’t know. She didn’t really even care.

Exhausted, she fell into a chair by the wall, careful not to bump the arrow.

A horrible, grating noise had been pulsing in her ears for the last hour or so, and Astrid realized it was her own breathing.

“Stormfly,” she beckoned, her palm open.

The worried dragon crooned again, vibrating in comfort.

“Go find the others. Please.” Now that she was sitting, her vision started to clear a little, and she could see her dragon more clearly. “I’ll be fine.”

Stormfly hesitated, but took off obediently.

Breathe.

Astrid closed her eyes, doing her best to relax. She refused to let herself drift off, however. Because she feared if she did, she’d never wake up.

As she peeked her eyes open, she glanced around the room, and saw dark spots littering the floor. It was not the Night Terrors this time, however.

“Oh gods! Look at all that blood!” She heard Fishlegs shriek from the air. Her friends were returning.

“Do you think she was attacked?” Snotlout asked. “If she didn’t have her axe…” There was clear worry in his voice.

Then Astrid heard a series of clambering footsteps, ‘thump, tak, thump, tak.’

“Astrid!” Hiccup’s voice was music to her. She felt him before she could respond. His hand touched her face, her neck, before he pressed his head to her chest.

“She’s still breathing, and I can hear her pulse!” His voice quivered in panic.

She peeled her eyes open, seeing all her friends surrounding her, concern radiating off of them in waves.

“You’re back.” She gurgled.

“What happened?!” Hiccup was in hysterics as he inspected her.

She managed a laugh. “Old dragon trap…had a little bit of ‘umph’ left in it.”

Hiccup was quiet as he studied the wound, then he peered around her and saw the back half of the bolt. “Holy shit…” he whispered.

Breathe.

Hiccup took her hand and held it tightly. She could hear him breathing deeply before he spoke again. His voice was much more calm and delicate. “We’re going to fix this.” Then he spoke crisply to the other riders. “I need everyone to stay calm, for Astrid’s sake.”

No one objected.

“Snotlout, write a terror mail to Berk and tell them of Astrid’s condition. Gothi won’t make it tonight, but the sooner she can come the better.”

“On it chief!”

“Fishlegs, you need to get my sewing supplies and the salve I keep in my bedside table. I should have some clean gauze there too.”  

“Got it!”

“Ruff, get Astrid’s bedding. Tuff, I need you to find the heavy nippers I have at the forge. Got it?”

“Sir!” They both replied as they too took off.

Hiccup stood and went to the table in the corner. He pushed all the other chairs out of the way and shoved the table back against the wall. Then he carefully scooted Astrid’s chair against the table.

“What are you doing?” She whispered.

“I have an idea, I just need you to trust me.”

“Always.” She managed.

Hiccup knelt in front of her and made light work of getting her out of her armored skirt and her pauldrons, then he took out his knife and carefully cut away her shirt.

“I’m sorry if this is uncomfortable, but I need to be able to stitch up the wound.”

“It’s okay.” She sighed. “Do what you have to.”

He balled up the two halves of her shirt and held them to the wounds around the bolt. “Normally, when I cut myself, I cauterize the wound. But I want Gothi to look at the wound before we do that, so we’re just going to stitch it up for now.”

She nodded in understanding.

Fishlegs returned first, setting the sewing kit, bandages, and salve down on the table. “How is she?”

“The wound isn’t very wide at least. It’s just…bleeding like crazy.”

Ruff returned next, and set Astrid’s furs out on the floor by the fire. “What’s next?”

“Go help Tuff, I need those nippers.”

As Ruff rushed off, Snotlout returned, his arms full. “Mail is sent. I said, ‘Astrid’s been hurt pretty badly, please come as soon as possible.’”

“Perfect, right to the point.”

“I also brought this.” He set a small mead barrel on the ground. “I…might have stolen it from home last time I was there. I was saving it for a special occasion, and I think this counts.”

Hiccup looked over to him and nodded. “Good thinking.”

Snotlout came and knelt by Astrid, pointedly avoiding her wound.

She met his gaze, though it was full of confusion and pain.

“I’m sorry about your axe,” he said, setting it by her. “You were right, you’re always right. I’m so so sorry.”

She winced, “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

“Please don’t be.” He said, small. “It’s my fault you got hurt this bad. I…you’re one of my best friends, Astrid. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”

Astrid was just so tired. She closed her eyes and let a bloody hand brush over his face. “It was an accident, okay?”

He nodded. “Okay.”

Finally, the twins returned, arms full of equipment. “I don’t know what nippers are.” Tuff explained, “so I grabbed everything.”

A quick glance over, and Hiccup could see other things he might need, so he did not reprimand them on their timing.

“The tongs that look like scissors, I need those.”

The twins set the tools on the ground, and found the one Hiccup asked for.

“These?”

“Yeah, give it here.”

The group gathered around Astrid, ready and willing to help when needed.

Fishlegs draped a blanket over Astrid’s shoulders, for decency’s sake.

“Okay, so I need someone to hold these rags,” Hiccup stated.

“Got it.” Ruff crawled around so that she could hold them.

“Then I’m going to need someone to hold her shoulders back so she doesn’t move.”

Wordlessly, Snotlout climbed on the table and wrapped his arms her shoulders, holding her fiercely. “Is that too tight?”  

Astrid shook her head, “uh uh…”

Hiccup maneuvered his way around towards her backside, and placed the nippers as close to the entry wound as possible. “I’m going to cut off the back of the bolt, and then I’ll have to pull the rest of it out through the front, okay?”

“Uh huh…” Astrid nodded.

With a sickening crunch, the back half of the shaft and the fletchings clattered on the floor.

He set the nippers down and took hold of the arrow, bracing his other hand on her stomach. “Once I pulled this out, we’re going to move her to lay down on the table. Everyone ready?”

“Wait…” Astrid placed a hand over his, and opened her eyes again. “Hiccup, wait.”

“What is it?”

“I have to say something.” She shuttered, “if something happens and I don’t make it…”

She watched him frown heavily as his brows furrowed. “You’re going to be fine,” he insisted.

“Hiccup…please.”

He bit his lip and nodded, letting her continue.

“You all…are my dearest friends…there is no one else…I’d rather fight beside…than you. I love you all.” Then she took a heaving sigh, and coughed a little. “But Hiccup…I…I love you. I have for a while…and I know I always will. I don’t know if you feel the same…but I just had to tell you.”

With a deep breath, she let go of his hand.

Hiccup had his eyes closed, clenched in pain. “If you really feel that way, Astrid. You’ll make it. Alright?”

Fishlegs took a hold of her hand with both of his. “We’re all here for you, Astrid.”

Breathe.

Astrid nodded, tears in her eyes. “Okay, I’m ready.”

So everyone braced themselves and Hiccup retook his grip on the bolt.

“One…”

Breathe.

“Two…”

Breathe.

“Three!”

Astrid gasped, which she supposed was better than the alternative, screaming. But all she could do was inhale in quick panicked breaths. The pain was ten times stronger now, and her entire mid-section felt wet. And so did her face.

Oh, she was crying. That made sense.

She heard the rest of the bolt fall on the floor, as Hiccup pressed hard on the exit wound. He moved one arm under her legs as other hands grasped at her.

She was moving, and each motion felt like she was shot all over again. Everything moved much too slowly and too fast at the same time. Once her back was on the table, then she felt little pinches on her ribs. She was sweating, but she felt so cold. Astrid had felt pain before, this was nothing new, but she had never felt so overwhelmed before. She felt like she was being torn in all sorts of directions.

“We’re going to turn you over, Astrid. Okay?”

She didn’t really respond.

Breathe.

Someone was screaming.

Oh wait.

It was her.

“Hi-hi-hi-Hiccup!?” His name came out in a cross between a cough and a wail.

“I’m here, Astrid.” He said gently. “I’m almost done.”

One hand clamped onto the table, her fingernails scratching at the wood, while the other arm groped the air. Someone took hold of it, and she squeezed as hard as she could.

“I…I can’t…”

Everything went white. Blindingly bright and no air came in or out.

“Astrid! Oh gods, please don’t leave me! Astrid!”

She heaved hard, coughing. In a few heartbeats, the pinching was gone, and she laid on something soft.

Breathe.

The wound in her side turned into throbbing, itching pain, instead of blinding hot searing pain. When she opened her eyes, she found that she was on the floor, on her bedding.

Ruffnut gently wiped her hands clean from the blood, a serious look on her face. A look Astrid had never seen before.

The girl seemed to notice and a look of relief crossed her face. “How do you feel?” Ruff asked.

“Bad.” Astrid offered, with a sad smile. She sounded bad too.

“That was…pretty scary.” She admitted. “I’ve never seen Snotlout cry so hard.”

“Snotlout cried?”

“I think we all did…” Ruff admitted.

“It wasn’t that bad.”

Ruff gave her a doubtful look. “Hey, I know you’re a badass or whatever, but your heart stopped. I think that’s pretty bad.”

Her heart had…stopped? “What?”

“For three minutes.” Ruff clarified. “Three…really really long minutes. Then you just took a shuttering breath and kept on going. But it was touch and go there for the last three hours.”

“What…? Three—I was just…” Before she could finish, she felt dizzy and her vision doubled.

“Hey, relax. You lost a lot of blood. That’s what Hiccup said.”

“Where is Hiccup?” She managed.

“He’s washing up. Don’t worry, he waited until he was sure you were stable.”

Hiccup spoke from the door. “Is she awake?” Speak of the devil.

“Barely.” Ruff stood. “I’m leaving now, Tuff and I are going to take over after Fishlegs and Snotlout.”

“Okay,” he agreed, coming into the room. “Get plenty of rest.”

Astrid couldn’t see them, but she heard them talking.  

“I, for one, think taking turns on watch was smart.”

“I know I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight,” Hiccup said, “I’ll stay with her.”

“Well, I know everyone else is worried. So, you’ll just have to deal with us being helpful for once!”

Astrid smiled to herself.

“Alright, I guess I shouldn’t deny a good thing, hmm?”

“Goodnight, chief.”

“Night, Ruff.”

Then he was next to her, sitting on the floor and brushing the hair out of her face. “Astrid? Can you hear me?”

“Yeah…” she whispered.

“Do you want some water?”

“Yeah…”

Carefully, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and lifted her up. She took the cup he offered with shaky hands and downed the cool liquid. Then he eased her back down.

“Did that hurt?”

“A little.”

He nodded in acknowledgement. “Just…try to get some sleep. Okay?”

“No,” she argued. “I can’t.”

“Astrid, you really need to—“

“If I fall asleep, I’m not going to wake up.”

He sighed, “you already did.”

“Ruff said my heart stopped.”

He nodded, adjusting the blankets around her. “Yeah, it did.”

“What if it does again?”

“Then…I’ll just have to do what I did then.”

Dare she ask? “What did you do?”

“Fishlegs said to do chest compressions. So I did, for the full three minutes.”

“Did you…call out for me?”

He looked away, shy. “I may have.”

“I heard you.” She moved on. “I…it feels like you only pulled the arrow out a few minutes ago.”

He huffed. “It’s been a bit longer than that.”

She gazed at him, noticing the bags under his eyes and the chaotic state of his hair. “What about you? Are you okay?”

He smiled at her, gently touching her cheek. “You don’t have to worry about me, Milady.”

“But I will.” She reached up and cupped his cheek. “Thank you, for taking such good care of me.”

He breathed, “Of course. Anything for you.”

Astrid watched his adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard. Tears welled up in his eyes, only to spill out. She watched as a tear rolled down his cheek and dripped off his chin. She felt it land on her cheek.

He wiped his face with back of his hand. “Sorry, I was just…thinking.” He sniffed. More tears started to roll, and he was helpless to stop it.

“For three minutes, I imagined trying to go on without you. Trying to be chief, beating Viggo…it all seemed impossible. You’ve been with me since the Red Death…and I can’t…”

Astrid watched his eyes screw shut as a painful gasp came in through gritted teeth. His fingers intertwined with hers.

“I can’t go on without you. Astrid, I love you so much…I wanted to tell you earlier, but I wanted it to be perfect…��� He covered his face with one hand as his shoulders heaved. “And I almost lost you…”

Astrid tugged on him, pulling his hand away from his face. “But you didn’t. I’m here, Hiccup.”

Breathe.

Hiccup unfurled his legs and reclined so he could lay beside her, but still look down on her.

Astrid let her hand rest on his ribcage, feeling the warmth of him through his tunic. He had shed his armor at some point, and she was glad for it.

“Astrid, can I kiss you?”

“I would very much like it if you did.”

He came closer, and she closed her eyes.

“I’ll be gentle,” he assured.

A soft sensation grazed her lips; a touch of warmth, a spark of excitement, and a hum of love. It disappeared for naught a moment before it returned, bringing joy and relief all at once.

Astrid felt her body relax and the ache in her side subsided, to let her enjoy this moment with Hiccup. He peppered her with sweet caresses over her cheek and her jaw, and even whispered sweet nothings in her ear. It made her giddy, she even giggled.

Then Hiccup slid an arm around her shoulders and held her, his face pressed to hers. Skin to skin.

“Well, now you can’t go anywhere. Now that I know how wonderful it is to kiss you, I can’t let you go.”

“Who said I wanted to leave?” She whispered back. “I want to stay with you, forever.”

“Forever it is, then.” He confirmed.

“But Hiccup?”

“Hmm?”

“Can you stay with me, here? I…I’m still afraid.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Astrid. I’m all yours.”

[ekhoecho]

Ice

Chapter 3

Yeah, yeah... I know it’s been about 4 months.. or more. probably more.

Anyway, Enjoy the next part of Ice!

First-Previous-Next

cheeky tag bc it’s @antisepticdie‘s AU. based off of an aesthetic of theirs

Jack stared at the crumpled piece of paper, folding it over and seeing the numbers rather than reading them. He sighed, picking up his phone only to place it down again. He didn't know why he was so nervous to text Signe, just that he was. A ball of knots sat in the pit of his stomach before simply tapping in the number and sending a simple message.

J: Hey Signe!

S: Hey! Jack, right?

J: Ding ding ding!

S: :D

J: Have you considered joining our team?

S: I have...What's it like? Being on a team, I mean.

J: We're just a bunch of friends who skate. It's nothing overly special. You do live around here, right?

S: I'll talk to my trainer. And yeah. I'm from around here.

J: Great!

A sudden blare of the fire alarm jolted Jack out of his seat. He smelled smoke, and his oldest brother was cursing heavily, running around in the next room over.

J: Oh crap- sorry Malcolm burned the food. I gotta go.

S: Haha! See ya, Jack.

Jack set his phone down on the old wooden table and made his way toward Malcolm and the burning spaghetti noodles. 

"How did you even...?" Jack asked, staring at the noodles which were on fire in the pot of water.

"I have no idea, just please help." Malcolm replied, desperately trying to quench the fire and shut off the alarm at the same time.

"Fine." Jack laughed. He grabbed a pot, filling it with water and threw it at the noodles. They hissed as the flames were extinguished, smoke curling into the air.

"Thanks" Malcolm muttered, heading off to shut down the alarm with his head bowed in embarassment. 

"Nah, its cool bro. You down for some pizza instead?" 

"Uhh...sure I guess."

"Sweet. Can you order? I know we're kinda in the middle of nowhere so it's gonna take a while to get it. I'm gonna go out to the pond." Jack backed out of the kitchen, heading for his room to grab his things without waiting for a response.

The walk to the frozen pond was absolute hell when there was already heaps of snow on the ground. Jack trudged through it, leaving behind long and loping footprints. The sun cast everything in gold as it set across the horizon.  Lacing up his skates, Jack smiled and stepped onto the ice. It was heaven, the smooth feel of the ice and the biting cold of the wind. He traced thin lines over the ice, breaking through the thin layer of snow and leaving looping designs. The roll of the skates on the surface was mesmerizing and Jack found himself closing his eyes just to listen to the sounds surrounding him. He had been out here so many times, he could practically trace the pond's edge blindfolded, having memorized every inlet on the perimeter and ridge from the currents beneath.

The sun had long since set when Simon stumbled out into the night to call Jack back inside for dinner. The two staggered inside, Jack setting his skates down by the door before heading into the kitchen for pizza.

"I'm beat." Jack murmured sleepily, rubbing at his eyes in an attempt to stay awake, cheese falling off the end of his half-eaten slice.

"Sleep, bro. You need it." Simon said, nudging Jack towards the couch. He flopped down onto the cushy surface, asleep before he could even say 'I'm not tired.'

"Night, Jack." Simon whispered to his sleeping form, pulling up a blanket under his chin and flicking off the lights.

*** The lights were blinding, reflecting off the smooth ice and into the frosty air. No crowd was in sight but the usual chants of the audience were present. Besides the chatter of the ghost crowd, the rink was surprisingly silent. A judges table sat alongside the rink, their scoring systems ready yet no judge ever came out to sit down and watch. Lifting his head slowly, Jack stepped onto the ice and the lights dimmed to form a spotlight around him. 

Music started off gently, playing out a simple and light piano melody. Jack made light footwork of it, not knowing the piece but feeling his way through the song. He fumbled up the timing slightly, turning late for a jump as the music started to crescendo. He winced, knowing that he'd get points off. As the final note sounded from the speakers, Jack posed and waited for an applause. He stood there for a second before dropping his arms and skating around the rink, gazing up into the stands.  They were filled with people and Jack could pick out a few familiar faces. Malcom, Simon, Signe... the list went on. Friends and family sat in the seats, staring vacantly down at Jack and made no move to clap for his performance. Confused, he skated over towards the Judges empty table and slid to a halt when that wasn't empty as well.

His eyes fell onto strange versions himself in each of the seats, deliberating with each other before turning back to him. On the far left was a man with a vibrant shock of green and a pale mask with crudely drawn-on markings. The person sitting next to them had purple hair in place of the green and white eyes instead of blue. He was zoned out, barely paying attention to Jack, much less the other judges on the panel. A rugged-looking man sat next to him, sullen and stern and Jack skated back from him and trailed his gaze on towards the rest of the judges. A strangely robotic version of himself sat in the next seat, half unfinished with wires and coils exposed to the frosty air. A doctor followed him, then a flamboyant man who refused to take off his blue mask. Another robot sat next to the duo, yellow hair and his blank expression faded whenever someone asked a question. The last two people seated was a man in a snapback while a man with a slit neck and black gauges sat at the right. A tinny voice sounded from a loudspeaker, announcing the show was over and urged everyone to go home. Jack looked up at the speakers in confusion before dropping his attention back to the assembled judges.

Deciding that the judge in the alabaster mask was the least threatening, he directed his question to him. "Who are you?" He asked hesitantly. Without warning, each judge disappeared in a wisp of smoke, the one at the right end leaping at him with a knife in hand. Jack screamed, scrambling back from him as his face took up his vision then faded to black. ***

Jack screamed, his hand over his racing heart before taking a deep breath and calming down. Footsteps pounded on the floor as he let himself fall back onto the couch, hiding his face in his hands. 

"What happened?" Simon asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Nothin." Jack murmured, embarrassed that he actually screamed. "Jus go back to bed." 

"It didn't sound like 'nothing' Jack." He pressed. 

"Just a nightmare. It's ok." Jack said and propped himself up to face his brother. The blanket shifted, falling to the floor and Simon picked it up and carefully folded it, placing it back on the couch.

"Wanna tell me about it?"

"Not really. I forget half of it anyway." He said. Details were fading fast with the rising sun, as if the sunlight could burn away the horrors he had dreamed up.

"Alright. You sure you're ok?" Simon asked again.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I swear. What have we got for breakfast?" Jack asked, pushing himself off the couch and walked to the kitchen.

Simon followed Jack into the kitchen, leaning against the counter and gazing around the small room. "We've got leftover pizza, or we could make eggs for the others. Malcolm is heading to his place later today and Susan is at her place so its just you, me and Allison." 

"Eggs it is." He sighed, shaking off the last bits of sleep before getting the eggs from the fridge. Simon set the rest up, turning on the gas and placing a little cube of butter into the pan and waited for it to melt.

"So I got a call from some people. They wanted speak with you about skating." Simon offered, sending a pit to Jacks stomach at the word 'call.'

[celeryw]

Word Count: 2k

Relationships: AF, BD, MB, SB, CF

Warnings: vague mentions of torture, gender dysphoria a tiny bit

Summary: Tsunade is tired and she just wants Kakashi to just step up for once. Kakashi is tired, he has to deal with team Kakashi and team 20 (or whatever they call themselves these days) Iruka is glad he wasn’t a teacher while they were going through the academy, Sasuke doesn’t want to know what’s going on and Aoba just wants to go home. There are dragons

or 5 times the konoha cool squad 8) are asked what theyre doing and the one time they ask it back. 

ao3 link

-1-

Crimson bakes, and he has baking companions (none of which are currently present at the moment) he’s really good at it says Chouji and Ino when they drop in for food. Sometimes he feels like a simple farmer feeding his animals whenever team 10 drops by. 

He’s made a monstrosity of a cake, it’s not even baked yet. It’s huge. He doesn’t know what to do with it. He needs to bake it somehow, but Scarlet isn’t home so he needs to find like someone who can do fire release... Maybe Iruka isn’t busy because it’s the weekend. No academy. With that thought in mind, he leaves to find the teacher. 

Iruka is in his office, because he apparently has no life outside of naruto and school. Crimson marches in and grabs him by the arm loudly proclaiming that he is in dire need of Iruka-sensei’s presence please come with me it’ll be quick i swear 

It is not quick. Iruka has been lied to (’conveniently deceived’) by an adult he trusts, a jounin he trusts. A jounin that has been drafted for anbu if the rumours are correct however...can you get into anbu if you’re utterly incompetent at reporting the mishappening that occur in your own home. Because, Iruka thinks, because Crimson Fist is one of the world’s most reknowned Earth: Release users and yet. 

The cake is huge, it is. It’s big and they had to take it outside using chakra enforced strength. It’s bigger than Iruka standing up and wider than three Irukas. Which is very funny but also not really when the academy teacher looks like he wants to rip him in half. 

“What the heck is this, Crimson?” Iruka continually asks through the adventure. He asks when he sees the cake, he asks when theyre lifting it out and through the front door, he asks when he’s made the hand seals for a slow burning fire release. 

-2-

Breeze Dancer is really famous, really very famous. Like top notch A class famous. Except he’s SSS ranked and almost everyone in the elemental countries knows who he is. Devastatingly beautiful and strong, he’s up there with Sakura Haruno, Tsunade Senju and Mei Terumi. Which is very flattering, but he can’t help but wonder what the tabloids would think of this. 

He’s interrogating a border spy. A grass nin who’d made a deal with Iwa to “check it out” he’s unimpressed and even more so when this kid starts using the wrong pronouns. Disgusting. He knows peripherally that he’s had worse than this and this petty thing shouldn’t bother him as much. But it is. He hates it.

His anger builds and he sends his partner for the mission away for a few short minutes. 

He gets the information, but he keeps the spy. He does not kill him, as is protocol. No, he continues to torture him. He wants the spy to suffer. Naruto would be so disappointed in him. He stops when the sun dips below the horizon and kills the traitorous ninja and returns to the camp his partner had set up. 

Aoba looks up tiredly from the rations he’s picking through and sighs, he puts it down and sits next to Breeze. “what were you doing, you get the information and then you get out of there. there’s no time for personal feelings.” Aoba knows Breeze knows this. Then again, most don’t get away with telling Team 20 the rules. 

Breeze looks up, he looks distraught and very sad. Aoba rubs his shoulder soothingly and gets up again saying something about finding a rabbit to eat instead of nasty war food. It is his fault they only have rations, snacking while travelling is fun ok. Breeze smiles tightly and nods, he curls in on himself as Aoba hunts. 

When he’s back, Breeze has tears running down his face and Aoba jogs up to him with placating words and a gentle hand on the back. Aoba really wishes that there was another member of team 20 here, because he doesn’t really know how to deal with dysphoria. 

-3-

It’s a miracle that Tsunade can get any work done when the majority of team 20 is in konoha. The purest joy she ever feels is when there is a team mission and she can just send them away and out of sight. However, only Breeze Dancer is on an out-of-village mission and her blood pressure rises with each day. 

Scarlet Blaze and Azure Fang are often inside the hospital, with varying reasons. Today it seems, is to make a hokage want to declare a loyal shinobi a fucking missing nin. The two have pushed three beds together up against the wall and surrounded themselves with everything that wasn’t bolted to the floor. They’ve made a medical forest and they’re giggling in the midst of it. Tsunade is mad. 

“What the actual fuck are you doing” she sorta yells, but not really because this is still a hospital, with feeling. Their heads poke up and she can see them through the tubes and windows theyd created by precariously balancing trays with things still in them on heart monitors. It’s a picture made for incredulity, she hates it. 

“Tsunade-sama we’re just” Fang trails off, thinking of an excuse. An excuse does not come and there’s a short minute of silence and then a puff of smoke and the sound of water and really this is exactly why she did not want to be hokage, konoha shinobi are the Worst. 

-4-

Kakashi has two favourites, it’s Midnight Blade and Genma Shiranui who he is currently talking to. It’s a nice pleasant morning, he hasn’t turned in his mission report but he can do that later. The conversation turns to Midnight’s significant others, because there’s always some form of drama or fun going on there. It usually takes a few hours for Midnight to finish retelling the stories of the day. Kakashi is happy he isn’t apart of that, he likes watching just fine. 

However, the three of them are pulled into some sort of madness when Azure and Scarlet appear next to them. The duo start sprinting towards training field 20 which is ‘the most epic training field for legends only keep out losers that means you naruto’ obviously coined by Breeze, the small caricatures of team 20 drawn by Crimson.  

Midnight puts his hand over his sword and he’s running after them. Genma sighs and looks over at Kakashi and they both walk slowly after them, wanting to see this happen but also the three need supervision. There’s really no entrance to this training field and today there is no floor either. The floor had been refilled and reconstructed a lot, because team 20 is extraordinarily powerful and they probably have more ninjutsu between them than kakashi knows. 

Team 20 is probably one of the worst things to ever face and when they are sent out as the entire cohort it’s probably for something really serious. It’s a terrifying thought if one of them were to defect... he doesn’t like to think about it. 

Kakashi surveys the field, Midnight is stood on top of a fiery pit and the other two are attempting to form some sort of lava? it’s a weird image and Kakashi knows that they’ve been working on a fire-water dragon combo but apparently it’s not going along well. Kakashi is a little amused because Midnight has his armour up and is also attempting to stand on the flame water. 

Scarzure are whispering frantically together and they try again and a huge fucking orange water dragon just burst out of the pit and it breathes fire and Midnight falls off the tiny rock he’s stood on and lands on the dragon and he’s flying on the firewater hell dragon. 

“what the fuck are you doing” Kakashi asks reverently, Genma is stood shocked next to him and Midnight is laughing loudly and apparently he can control the dragon and he’s just bouncing around. What the fuck. 

-5-

Somehow Azure has enough chakra to make another smaller water dragon, and that’s now flying around too. There’s a big silent ‘What The Fuck Is Going On’ in the air, it is really funny to see Kakashi lose his shit over the amount of inanimate dragons flowing around. There’s Hell Dragon and Water Dragon and they should get Sasuke so he can bring Kirin and hoo boy that’ll be fun. 

Azure ponders whether she can get Midnight to learn Kirin and then they could make an ultimate dragon. 

Sasuke Uchiha is unfortunate. He hears the loud shouting from training ground 20 and he gets curious, he really shouldn’t be. But he is. He knows it’s going to be a pain in the ass, because no doubt team 20 is there and messing around. Which would definitely move to sex back at their huge house, he doesn’t want to know. 

The training ground is, well, it’s not really there. And even if there is the occasional tree, the tree would be on fire and smoking. Sasuke isn’t surprised, at all this is really to be expected. Azure spots him first and perks up and is almost glowing, but that could just be the sheer amout of water surrounding her. 

He stumbles over dodging the huge dragons? literally what the fuck is that orange one. 

“what are you doing, what’s going on” he asks, because he’s here and probably won’t leave until they all get bored. Azure is suddenly talking, very fast. Super fast that he isn’t catching any of the words. She does however convince him to summon Kirin and she joins the other dragons and now there’s three. 

-+1-

Aoba and Breeze get back to konoha in the evening. Aoba says that he’ll deliver the report to the mission desk and lets Breeze go with a quick see you hope you feel better soon go find the rest of your partners. 

Breeze goes home first, gets changed into something a lot more comfortable and heads back out again, looking for the konoha cool squad 8)’s chakra. They’re in the training ground. Except for Crimson he’s on the hokage monument? for whatever reason, Breeze would go say hi afterwards. He leaves the house and very carefully does not look at whatever is going on in the front yard. 

The training ground is much deeper than he remembers, there’s like steps down to where the group is. It’s like a party. He’s impressed w the is that four chakra dragons wow and he just is glad he’s home. 

The sun is down and Scarlet realises that he is actually really hungry. Crimson had come to join them at some point and they were all sparring w the almost sentient dragons, which is very dangerous but he’s loving it. foreplay, Breeze calls it and he’s not wrong. 

They return home with two dragons behind them, Midnight has not gotten down from the hell dragon which is hilarious. They stop in front of the huge boulderesque thing that’s sat in front of the front door. Crimson is the first to start yelling in shock. 

“What the heck is this, wha, i, what... what’s going on i thought i, what??” Crimson sounds distressed so they move the alleged cake inside. 

The cake is decorated and Scarlet is so hungry and it smells so good in the house now. Oh god, he’s the first to take a swipe at it and dig out a fist sized piece and to put it in his mouth. It’s so good. This is good, and even if it’s been poisoned, they can deal with it later. For now, his husband is back and he’s perfected the new jutsu. Life is good