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ladyjanegr3y · 9 months ago

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Love is a Human Invention

Love is not a stronger will than war. Famous last words. Aphrodite is a force to be reckoned with and Gods do not take kindly to being insulted. As punishment I was forced to live among the humans, I was stripped of my immortality, and abandoned by my family. Gods are prideful. I suppose I should feel grateful. My father took pity on me and convinced them to let me attempt to ‘earn it back’, through groveling and begging for it. My family agreed only on the basis of knowing how prideful I can be, especially when I’m wrong. So like they assumed I would, I refused.

I kept to the woods, to the forest, alone. I wore cotton dresses I wove on my wheel and sewed myself. I taught myself to paint using paints made from plants. I hunted rarely and respectfully. I prayed to Artemis every night. I grew comfortable in my solitude and grew sure into my pride. Though I lived in the middle of the forest, and I had long given up my godly status, there was always a fresh supply of charcoal and paper in the chest at my bedfoot. I think my father took pity on me. He was the one thing I missed terribly about Olympus. But I had experienced the sanctity of knowing I could die, of knowing I could take one of my arrows and strike it into my own heart and that would be it. I never wanted what I had back. So I wrote him letters and painted for him the views of my cabin and burned them in my fires as offerings. He supplied the paper and I told him I loved him.

I was rinsing myself and my dresses in the river running by my cabin. As part of my nightly routine, I was in the middle of beating my cotton against the rocks on shore to soften the fabric. When I went up the shore, I would pin it on my line to dry as the sun rose. After a year of exile, I had become familiar with the sounds of the night; the crickets, the breeze, the footfalls of the deer and small game. My ear twitched, what I wasn’t familiar with, was the splashing water from a mile away. I trained my ears on the sound and followed the path. I could tell it was coming from farther down the river bank. I hurriedly gathered my wet dresses and put them on the largest flat rock. I dressed quickly in the dry cotton I brought with me and grabbed my hunting knife laying next to the washing rock. I quietly padded into the treeline and followed the river until I came upon a man standing in my river. While he closed his eyes scrubbing his hair, I peered out a little farther, I could see his clothes laid on the riverbank.

A real, presumably, human man was standing just 15 feet from me. I hadn’t seen a human man with my own eyes ever in my life. Godly men, lesser gods, and demigods when they had been invited to Olympus, but never a real human man. It felt inappropriate to stare, but I couldn’t look away. I was fascinated by the way his skin reflected the moon light and his muscles rippled the shadows. I kept quiet and kept to the treeline, gods knew how he would react to being lurked on by a stranger. A harmless stranger, but a stranger no less. I watched him walk out of the river, collect his clothes and walk off in the opposite direction of me. I fought the urge to chase after him. If he’s still here tomorrow then maybe I had a right to know who had invaded my forest.

The next night, I remained strong in my normal routine. I hunted, I painted, I sang, and I went down to the river at night at the same time as the day before. And again, as I finished washing up, I listened for and heard the gentle splashing of water from just around the riverbend. I dressed and grabbed my hunting knife, and off I scurried to watch him from the treeline. I caught him in the same act as before, washing his hair, collecting his clothes and walking off into the opposite treeline. Is this a hallucination? Have I begun to lose it after a year of solitude?

The following night, I went down to the river to wash my clothes, much earlier than I normally do. I went down just before the sun began to set, and finished just as the sun crested the horizon. I almost giddily dashed into the trees to take my perch and wait for him to arrive. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to intervene yet, but I was sure I wanted to understand what he was doing here. I hadn’t seen any human in the entire time I’d been cast out, I was half convinced it was part of my punishment.

I watched for a long time, I waited for an hour past sunset. I convinced myself he wasn’t going to show up, and right as I went to stand, I saw a rustle in the leaves ahead. Gold hair glowing in the moonlight, peeked out of the brush as he stepped into view. I watched as he undressed, laying his clothes on the riverbank. He sank down into the sun warmed water and leaned back until his head was nearly fully submerged. I watched with fascination, I wanted to paint him, draw him, name him, immortalize him in some way. The Gods believe the most beautiful things exist in Olympus, but what I saw in front of me bested even their greatest artists. I decided I would bring my charcoal and paper and I would sketch him while he bathed, in case he up and left, so I’d have some proof I saw him.

I waited until I saw him leave like always, and then bounded home, freshly reigniting the fire of excitement in my gut. Maybe not excitement, maybe fear? Hope? Joy? I don’t know of a word to describe the glitter churning in my stomach. I dropped into bed still dreaming of how his voice would sound, if he even spoke of all.

That is how it went, for six months, I washed early and followed my obsession to the river, watched him, sketched him, tried to come up with ideas of how he got here, why he was even here. It became so routine to me that watching him yards away was the part of my day I looked most forward to. The indulgence into a fantasy of a world so foreign to me, it may have been odd to most, but I had never experienced the mortal beauty of humans and I wasn’t going to deny myself the simple pleasure of curiosity. Who knew the next time a human would wander into my grove?

One night, I skipped my river routine altogether. I wanted to know where he was coming and going from. I needed to confirm that the Adonis standing before me was not a mirage I’d imagined to cope with my loneliness. I crossed the river line where I met him every night and hid in the trees on the side he entered from, just a yard or two away from the break in the trees he’d begun to create. From the six months he’d done this routine, a small path had begun to wear itself into the grass, giving me a clear breadcrumb trail to follow. As the sun began to set and shadows marked the trees, I noticed that the trail had been decorated with small lanterns he’d hung in the trees, giving the foliage a romantic glow.

I heard rustling and moved back, away from the warm lanterns and into the shrubbery to hide myself. I still hadn’t landed on how I thought he would react to my presence, especially one where I’m hiding and watching. He passed in front of me, not even noticing. I waited as he kept down the trail, only moving forward after I heard the gentle splash of him getting in the river. I let out the breath I’d held and stepped out of the trees and onto the trail. I retraced his steps and the walking worn path led me to a small cabin, nearly identical to mine, in a small clearing in the woods. I walked around the woody perimeter, my bare feet crunching the leaves, muffled by the moss. I saw more lanterns fixed on the porch and lighting up the outer walls. The position of his cabin was far darker than mine. While mine sat in a large clearing, able to see both the sun set and rise; his was surrounded by trees, with next to no sunlight being able to directly filter in. I understood the need for lighting.

“What are you doing?” a deep voice gently cut into the air behind me, I froze in place.

I turned around slowly to face the mystery Adonis behind me, his face even more beautiful up close. Soft eyes and lips framed by a strong bone structure and jaw line. Curly blond hair poured from his scalp, dry, not freshly washed like it was supposed to be. You would think the contrast between hard lines and soft lines on his face would make his features confusing, but instead it made you want to confess every sin you’d ever committed and beg for forgiveness.

“I could ask you the same thing.” My voice was indignant even though I really couldn’t, considering I was on his property.

“Could you really?” His lip twitched like he was hiding a grin, though why he’d be happy with a strange girl on his porch I wasn’t sure.

“Why isn’t your hair wet?” I blurted out before I could think about a proper response to my attempted breaking and entering.

He tipped his head back and laughed. A sound so full of joy I had never heard in my life, like music but better. I wanted it on repeat forever.

I don’t think my face conveyed how I felt because once he stopped laughing and looked at me again, he chuckled again. My face contorted more.

“I’m not laughing at you, I swear. I’ve just never spoken to someone so bold, forgive me.” He said, “I mean you stalk me for months, find my house, and then you have the gall to ask me why I didn’t wash my hair. You’re a funny little thing.” Light danced in his eyes.

I felt my face get hot, “You knew? You knew this whole time that I was watching? Why let me?”

“Of course I knew, I knew where you were, I knew you were a human and not a deer and I heard you every time you moved. You’re actually extremely quiet for a human.” I frowned at his words, my eyebrows knitting together.

“Maybe I liked the challenge of listening for you, maybe I was waiting for you to approach me..” He paused, “or maybe I just liked you watching me” He grinned and my face got hotter.

I turned on my heel and nearly dashed out of the woods. I hadn’t been prepared to come face to face with him and even if I had been, his behavior was so far out of the realm of anything I expected I didn’t even have a response. My mind was both blank and about to burst with questions. I heard the branches cracking behind me.

“Woah woah woah, I didn’t mean to offend you, I was trying to make it clear I wasn’t angry or disturbed. I just wanted you to know I was grateful for the presence of a human.” He says it again, a human, like he’s not.

“Are you not a human? You keep speaking like you aren’t” I huffed out. It was clear he had no intention of hurting me, but I despised being laughed at.

“Half human” He said, “Half God.” I rolled my eyes, “great, even in hell I can’t escape arrogant demigods who think they’re Olympus’s gift to women”

“I’m not a human” For some reason I felt protective of the perception he had of me, I was not some frilly human he could toy with, I may have given up my immortality, but golden blood still ran in my veins, they can’t take what my being is made up of.

“Then what are you?” His voice sounded genuinely intrigued, but I refused to look at his face so I couldn’t decide how genuine it was.

“None of your business” I replied, wincing at how rude I sounded.

“Actually that was mean, I’m sorry,” I stopped and turned around to meet his eyes.

“I’m technically human if you want to call it that, I offended the gods and they cast me out. No immortality, no powers, nothing special.” I sounded bitter, was I bitter? “I’m Delphi” I stuck my hand out awkwardly.

He gingerly grabbed my hand like he didn’t want to hurt me and shook it. His hand was warm in mine and his palm overlapped the edges of my own.

“Atlas,” He replied, smiling. We’d made it back to my own cabin, I walked up the steps of my porch, he waited at the bottom.

I gave him a small smile and opened my door.

“I’d like to see you again,” He called from behind me, “You know where to find me,” I turned around in my doorway as he winked and turned away. I blushed and gently shut the door.

That was how the next six months passed, instead of me staring from afar, I’d make my way over to his cabin and wait for him to return from his hunt. He’d cook me dinner and I’d wash the dishes. He’d hang up my art in his living room and whittle little trinkets for me to paint. He’d ask me to sing for him and I would oblige. I had never known such serenity on Olympus. We spent nearly every day with each other, sometimes I would even fall asleep before I made it back to my cabin. I always woke to an empty house, covered in a blanket. He’d leave notes telling me how long he’d be gone on a hunt. Sometimes he came back with nothing, sometimes he came back with deer and pelts for me to sew for the winter snow.

Part of me wished he’d let me go with him, I was a child of Apollo, I knew how to handle a bow. Part of me was grateful he did the hard part of forest living for me, I hated hunting, despised it. I never liked the killing and lugging the body back home felt barbaric. I always worried about him hunting alone, I hadn’t explored far enough in the forest to know what lurked in the deeper parts of the shadows.

It was far too late for me to go home, I was sleepy and frankly too lazy to walk the quarter mile back to my cabin. I was curled up on his bed in front of the fire. He sat next to me, whittling a small wooden flower. I was nearly asleep when I turned around to face him, burying my face into his warm side.

“You’re the best companion I’ve ever had, in a hundred years I’ve never known anyone that ever truly understood me.” I spoke just loud enough for him to hear over the crackling fire.

He stopped what he was doing and put the wood and knife on the nightstand. He scooted down so he laid eye level with me.

“If the sun didn’t rise one morning, I would carry it up to the heavens just so you could see it turn the sky pink” He said, in the most earnest tone I’d ever heard him speak in.

I didn’t respond, instead, a single tear rolled down the side of my face. I leaned in gently and placed my lips on his. They were warm and pillowy, just like I’d imagined they were a year ago. He held the side of my head, his large fingers lacing into my hair. I broke away and leaned my forehead on his.

“Don’t leave tomorrow morning” I whispered, urging him to agree.

“I have to.” He said, closing his eyes, “Just one more time before the winter hits, I want to make sure you’re warm through the frost, it’ll hit any day now.”

He was right, if I had tracked the days correctly, we were in mid November, the temperatures had begun to drop and I knew a storm was on the horizon. But something in my gut tugged every time I thought about him leaving tomorrow. I swallowed it. I was nervous every time he hunted, this was no different. One last hunt and then I’d have him every morning until the spring.

“Okay” I breathed.

I turned around and he laced his arm around my waist, pulling me against his warm chest. I fell asleep to the sound of the fire and the feeling of his chest rising and falling against my back.

I woke to a cold bed and a pit in my stomach. Something was wrong.

I walked around the entire cabin, hoping I would find Atlas somewhere. That he listened to me and didn’t go, that he decided our stash would be enough. I found him nowhere. I stumbled outside in a panic, the air outside felt wrong. Every time I breathed it was like I was breathing in smoke and the scent was tinged with metal. I needed to find him. I knew he set off in the direction the sun rose, but I had no idea where he hunted or if he changed grounds every time. Only where he left from.

I let my feet guide me, they seemed to be more aware than I was. I could barely keep up my own pace, it felt like I was running downhill. I was going to topple over any second, only kept upright by my need to find him before Fate did.

I heard a scream rip the air open, clearing the smoke for me to run straight into a bloodbath. Atlas’s bow had been thrown to the ground, the wood stained red. I followed the blood trail to a clearing where a wild boar had thrown my hero to the ground. As if in slow motion, I watched his knife clatter to the ground, his chest heaving, and the boar ran backwards as if to charge. I let out a scream, my feet still moving towards him. I was too far away, I wasn’t going to make it before the boar did. I watched the boar lean his head down and run straight for him. The creature's tusks rip into Atlas’s torso and red stains the grass underneath him. I crash to the ground and grab the fallen knife. I jam it between the wild boar's shoulder blades and twist. It lets out a squeal, throwing its head back and ripping its tusks out of my lovers’ gut.

The boar stumbles away and falls to the side, twitching. I turn back to Atlas and survey the damage. He’s holding his stomach closed, but blood is seeping out from under his hands at an alarming rate. I let out a sob.

“It’s okay it’s okay I can fix this you’re okay” I repeat to him over and over, he’s just staring at me calmly, pain tinged his face.

I press my hands to his gut, willing my hands to work the magic they used to. I know I could save him, if the gold would just pour out of my hands and onto his wounds. There’s nothing, just a wisp of residual magic drifting out of my fingertips, the remaining ghost of my old self. It does enough to relax the tension in his face, like it’s eased some of his pain. His blood runs slower, and for a second I believe he’s going to be okay.

I watch as his face loses color, his eyes becoming glazed like he can’t see me anymore.

“I love you” He manages, every word sounding like he’s holding the world. I choke out more tears, words dying in my throat.

I say it back and cradle him to my chest. I press my lips to his forehead as he lets out a final breath. I scream, I tip my head back and let out an animalistic scream. I’ve never wished to take something back more. I can’t believe how wrong I was about mortality. I want him back, I want to bring him back. He can’t just die. He can’t just leave me to keep living. It's not fair.

I can hear the sound of my fathers voice echoing in my head, “the price of your humanity will cost you a lifetime of heartache, love is a human invention”.

At the time I didn’t believe him, what did he know of love? What did he know of me? I regretted everything, I regretted leaving my tower, walking down the riverbend, allowing myself a reward in my punishment. This was my fault.

“Aphrodite,” I spoke, I held back my rage towards her, “You’re right. Who would wage war if they didn’t have something they loved worth fighting for. I’m sorry and I was too prideful to admit I was wrong, but I am begging you to bring him back. I’ll do whatever you want, I will give you whatever you want, just let me bring him back.” My voice broke on the last word and I laid my head down on his still warm bloody chest.

A warm gentle breeze drifted through the frosted woods, it smelled like home, for a split second I felt calm. I heard my fathers voice, quietly as if it had been carried by the wind.

“All can be mended if one just learns to look up” He spoke.

I lifted my head, my eyesight blurry from my tears. I wiped my face and looked down at my lover. I watched as his chest slowly began to rise, and fall again. I looked down to find the wound he’d been holding had disappeared, leaving the blood but no mark. I glanced back up, not believing what I was looking at, only to find his eyes no longer closed, the green of his eyes full of light, looking back into mine.

“You were right, shouldn’t have left” He managed, grinning like he hadn’t just returned from the doors of death.

#aphrodite #adonis #rewrite #original story #fated lovers #star crossed lovers

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polarisgreenley · 11 months ago

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A Bouquet of New Beginnings: Chapter 6 "Harebell"

[AO3]

All roads lead to Hogsmeade :)

Except below (the rest can be read through the AO3 link above!):

“Fantastic. Come on, let’s head on out. Ever been to Hogsmeade?”

Artemis shook her head, and Garreth’s eyes widened like saucers.

“Really? Well, you’re in for a treat then! Loads of fun things to do,” said Garreth as they started down the cobbled path. The smell of pine and oak lingered in the air as other students went to and fro; yellow daffodils honked as little, purple harebells rustled in the wind.

“I’m sorry,” apologised Artemis.

Garreth looked down at her, surprised.

“Huh? Whatever for?”

“You probably had plans with friends, and your aunt threw you guide duty. I appreciate it, of course, but.”

“Oh! Don’t worry about it. Plus, there’s a few things that I wanted to get; you gave me the perfect reason to go,” said Garreth with an affable smile.

“Like Billywig Stings?”

“How did…?”

“You were writing out an ingredients list during Runes. Do you experiment with potions?”

Garreth looked steadily more and more excited.

“I do indeed, bit of a potions prodigy, actually,” started Garreth as his arms spoke just as animatedly. “You see, I think there’s little difference, fundamentally, between brewing a modification to Butterbeer and a Wiggenweld Potion. So, I came up with one this summer. Had a few people test it this morning; needs a bit more work.”

“Butterbeer?”

“Yes I- wait, have you had Butterbeer before?”

Artemis shook her head once more. Garreth looked aghast as his hand came to his chest.

“What do you drink then?”

“Water and tea.”

“You’ve really got to expand your repertoire Snow.”

Artemis let out a small laugh as Garreth shook his head.

“Right, good thing we’re stopping by the Three Broomsticks - can’t believe you’ve never had Butterbeer - after we’re done with your list. Aunt Matilda’d be furious if we didn’t finish what you needed to and get you back for your Sorting. That happening in the Great Hall?”

“No, in the Headmaster’s Office.”

“My sincerest condolences,” said Garreth before he looked up and pointed. “Look!”

As Garreth exclaimed, two winged creatures – heads of eagles and bodies of horses – emerged from the tree lines.

Artemis’ jaw dropped - hippogriffs were real.

#hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy fanfiction #a bouquet of new beginnings #garreth weasley #artemis loreley #natsai onai #sebastian sallow #victor rookwood

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spoofymcgee · 8 months ago

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ooooo thank you! aight, gimme a sec

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

75! two are podfics i think.

2. what's your total ao3 word count?

239,111? apparently? when did that happen.

3. what fandoms do you write for?

uh, star wars, star trek, morrigan crow, doctor who, discworld, tortall, hamilton, encanto, leverage, magnus chase, marvel, one good omens fic i don't think should count because i haven't written anything else for that fandom, and one bnha fic that also shouldn't count because i've watched two seconds of the show and wrote it after a two week fanfic rabbit hole

in my drafts i also have atla, danny phantom, pjo, sonic the hedgehog, toh, phangs and artemis fowl

4. top five fics by kudos:

- no longer do i want otherwise known as that goddamn codywan soulmate au i wrote four years ago

- when the smoke clears the fix it i wrote to the krell arc with some tatooine worldbuilding

- starlight and sunrises the 20k clone wars fox/anakin/padme fic that i'm actually still very proud of because i spent so much time on it and it made me feel like a 'real' writer (all writers are real, obviously, but yk what i mean)

- the stars will set my path the clone wars fix it series opener i wrote after crying about the first three episodes for an hour straight

- the colors you press into my skin the rex/anakin/padme soulmate fic i wrote for anakin rarepair week in 2022 instead of studying for my exams

it makes sense that all of them are star wars because that's the biggest fandom but. i like the rest of my stuff better, i think.

5. do you respond to comments?

i try!

6. what is the fic your wrote with the angstiest ending?

uhhh i am not an angst person, but probably we were together. i forget the rest. which is my post journey's end donna character study. i cried while writing it.

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

um. all my star wars fics i guess. maybe my tortall one.

8. do you get hate on fics?

no, i don't think so. the occasional rude demand for a continuation or tactless comment but that's not hate i don't think.

9. do you write smut?

no. i've though about it once or twice but i don't think i have the technical knowledge or skill to write it well, so if i ever did i probably wouldn't post it.

10. craziest crossover:

nothing posted i don't think, but i have a pjo/leverage crossover i'm having fun with. the strangest one was probably the pjo/hp/eragon/wings/marvel one i started writing when i was twelve.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

not to my knowledge. i don't think they're big enough for that.

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

no, but i have thought of writing fic in hebrew. haven't gotten around to it yet.

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

nope!

14. all time favorite ship?

hhhhhh i probably have to say jupiter/ezra just based on how i constantly have a part of my brain set aside to obsess over them, but if we're counting platonic and queerplatonic ships then stobin all the way and also donna and the doctor.

15. what's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

laughs in four page long wip list document

if i had to pick only one, probably either my 62k stardew valley au star trek fic i wrote for nano and never finished, or the fae au codywan fic i outlined and never really wrote

16. what are your writing strengths?

i like to think that i'm funny, and decent at character studies? also i have good punctuation usually.

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

well. writing, for one. i hate editing, too, and i am not great at dialogue or length.

18. thoughts on dialogue in another language?

i will admit that i do this badly... too often, probably. read too much marvel fic as a kid, and it stuck. getting better about it. personally i don't really mind it.

19. first fandom you wrote in?

ohhhhh. well, the first fanfic i ever wrote was a very well worldbuilt fic of pokemon insurgence, the first thing i posted was terrible dialogue only fic of either hp or pjo on wattpad, and the first on ao3 was star wars. make what you will of that.

20. favorite fic you've written?

oh, almost definitely sorry i could not travel both, the 14k aaron burr character study i wrote back in november. still obsessed with that fic, had the time of my life writing it, and i love it so much. it has 194 hits and 21 kudos probably because it is not a shippy fic but i wrote that for me and the ghost of aaron burr haunting my brain and i am at peace with that.

no pressure tags to: @shipskicksandgiggles @sarah-sandwich and @cj-kenobi

20 questions for fic writers

tagged by @ussjellyfish who is keeping the sapphics afloat in this trying time.

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

798....

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count?

1,305,372

3. What fandoms do you write for?

482 - Star Trek Discovery *

281 - Julie and the Phantoms,

15 - Critical Role *

10 - Detroit Become Human

Plus miscellaneous others, including: The Bright Sessions* and Pacific Rim*. The fandoms marked with * are currently active fandoms of mine

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

I don't tend to get a lot of Kudos.

A Swarm of Crochet Octopi (JATP)

Vocal Rest (JATP)

The Duolingo Owl is a Ruke Shipper (JATP)

Sunset Curve Unsolved (JATP x Buzzfeed Unsolved)

Alex Is Tired, Gay, and Caffeinated (JATP)

That... surprises me.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes. I try to respond to every comment

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Uhhhh.... I've written A LOT of fanfic with angsty endings. I genuinely don't know. I don't feel like that's for me to judge. Maybe A Forfeit Soul

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

kind of the same as above... I have no idea.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not particularly but I occasionally get snide comments. I think they're funny.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

No. I'm ace and sex repulsed so its not comfortable for me. As anyone who has read Do No Harm knows, I try and it just becomes religious imagery. Massive kudos to smut writers.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I do. I wouldn't call any crazy although I did write an 11 chapter disco x pacrim fic... actually that's more of an au. I tend to write AUs more than crossovers.

I think my only "true" crossover is Sunset Curve Unsolved (JATP x Buzzfeed Unsolved)

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don't think so, although I have written fic in German before

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

A fair number with @noworneverphantom

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Noooooooo don't make me choose

Culmets, mirror Culmets, Mirror Michael/Mirror Keyla, Shadowgast, Beauyasha, Joyla

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I half wrote a JATP college au I never finished, inspired by Atypical. I also have a DBH long fic where Nines is captured and Ada and Gavin have to work together that I abandoned. I have a few collab fics too that haven't been touched because I'm waiting on my co-author's guidance. Honestly I'm a fic graveyard.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Hard to say. I think sheer volume maybe? Or

Extrapolating an entire character from less than a minute of screen time.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Everything. Seriously, everything I need to work on. But if I had to pick one I'd say writing fast moving plot without it feeling rushed. My longer fics tend to be very slow character studies.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

If its done well I love it. I think sometimes it falls into cringe and I am certainly guilty of that but it can also be an incredible way to convey intimacy between characters.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Marvel. Specifically Clintasha and the Fraction Hawkeye run. That 700k+ fic will never see the light of day.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Thats really hard.... I write fic every day. I'm very proud of Do No Harm, my Dark!Willie series, and my Pacific Rim Fanfilm script. Plus I have a bunch of shorter fics that on any given day would be my favourite. But I gotta give it to my Terra Firma series where instead of prime Hugh, mirror Hugh is pulled from the Network in s2 of disco.

No Pressure Tags: @noworneverphantom, @spoofymcgee, @katterrena

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pathologic-the-musical · 3 years ago

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new song! I wrote the lyrics ages ago and then did nothing with them for months lol. the next song I post will probably be the one that comes next chronologically in the musical, The Plague; I just have to finish the lyrics for that one before I can record/post it. Anyway, enjoy!

This is a duet with Artemy and Daniil, leading up to the discovery of the plague. The imagined staging has half the stage set up to be the Abbatoir and half to be Isidor's house. There are some longer bits of just instrumental in this song where dialogue would be in an actual production; I included the dialogue parts as well in the text below, although they're subject to change if I ever make more polished recordings.

Lyrics/stage directions/dialogue below the cut:

[The left half of the stage is the Burakh house, the right is the Abattoir. BACHELOR is exploring the late ISIDOR BURAKH’s house, and ARTEMY is suffering the effects of the poison from ELDER OYUN.]

DANIIL:

This house is falling apart at the seams

darkened and musty and cold,

and cloying like a weeks-old disease.

ARTEMY:

Wandering through a haze of fatigue,

I look around and sigh and try to breathe

and try to trust I haven’t been deceived.

[simultaneous to Daniil's lines] It’s true;

I’m a fool when I want to be, I

put my trust in a madman, then pay the price;

I know, in my heart, he’ll betray me, but

there’s no one else left; I’ve no choice-

I’ve no choice but to take his advice.

DANIIL, simultaneously:

But, look!

The rats are bolder than they should be, and

blood clings like sea foam to the floor, and

who was it that made this man their enemy, and

what were they looking for?

DANIIL, overlapping:

Isidor Burakh… a stranger.

What was his story about?

Did he search for something?

Something that lives in this house?

ARTEMY, overlapping:

Isidor Burakh… my father.

You cannot protect me now.

If only I’d never left Gorkhon,

if only I’d never left my father’s house.

DANIIL:

What killed you, old man?

Why did you leave before I met you?

Before you could show me the way

To another life

An unending life?

[music softens to background, retains steady, low, discordant beats, drums. ARTEMY falls to the ground, OYUN standing above him. Lights go dim on ARTEMY’s side of the stage, lights on DANIIL brighten slightly and reveal a woman hunched over in pain in the corner. Dialogue spoken.]

WOMAN(spoken):

Oh, Doctor! Doctor!

DANIIL:

Who’s there - a thief?

WOMAN:

Help me! Please, god, have mercy! Have pity, it burns!

DANIIL:

What, are you hurt? Let me see.

[DANIIL approaches the woman and starts to bend down and reach for her. At that moment, she turns, revealing her face, which is covered in boils (?or something else immediately indicating plague). DANIIL jerks back in horror.]

DANIIL (spoken):

My god! What is this?!

[Lights flicker from one side of the stage to the other. The woman starts to stand, and DANIIL balks. Then, lights settle on ARTEMY's side of the stage. ARTEMY is picking himself back up with difficulty.]

ARTEMY:

Elder, I have passed your test.

OYUN:

The first of many.

ARTEMY:

I will do whatever it takes. But, Elder, I wanted to discuss my father's research – I think he found something-

OYUN:

Isidor’s research shall mean nothing to you until you know our ways. You have strayed from the Path, Artemy.

ARTEMY:

I am doing my best. But people could be in danger. I need to find his notes.

OYUN:

Quiet! Do not contradict me. Do you question my authority as your Elder?

ARTEMY:

...No, of course not. Forgive me.

[ARTEMY lowers his head, fists clenching, and OYUN turns away and exits the stage.]

ARTEMY:

Is this what you wanted, Father?

Is this what you’d planned?

I am lost without you,

I can’t think, I can’t sleep,

I’m just stuck here, waiting for the Elder to show his hand.

[Partial lights up on Daniil, just a spotlight while he sings]

DANIIL, overlapping on previous line:

Show your hand.

What was it that brought you here?

What was it that brought me here?

Could it be that I’ve been chasing the wrong kind of killer,

Could it be that he was taken by sickness, not steel...?

Isidor Burakh, a victim

Of something far more deadly than a man.

Could it be he had a darker secret-

some virus...

The only thing left living in this house.

ARTEMY, overlapping:

Isidor Burakh, a menkhu,

A man the likes of which I’ll never be.

And Elder Oyun tells these lies - would you be alive

If only I’d never left your house...?

[Music softens to background again. Lights return to just DANIIL’s side, dim on ARTEMY, who turns away in frustration and starts towards the Burakh house.]

WOMAN:

Help me!

DANIIL:

There’s- there’s nothing I can do, I’ve never see a disease like this-

WOMAN:

Aren’t you a doctor?! You must do something, for God’s sake!

DANIIL:

I can’t! I can’t- I need to know what happened!

[Lights switch to ARTEMY for his line, then back.]

ARTEMY:

I need to know what happened.

WOMAN:

We only wanted to see if the house was alright-

DANIIL:

You mean to say it spread just from one posthumous visit? That’s the only contact you had?

WOMAN:

We heard Burakh was dead, and we thought we’d look after the place for him, and now we’re all-

DANIIL:

‘We?’ There are others?

WOMAN:

My sisters and I - my poor sisters! It spread so fast, came on so quick- You must help us!

[Two more women, also covered in boils(??), step out on either side of DANIIL, reaching out for him.]

WOMAN 2:

Doctor! Help us!

WOMAN 3:

Save us!

DANIIL:

Don’t touch me! I can’t afford to catch this, for all our sakes!

[The first woman’s voice rises almost to a shriek.]

WOMAN: You’d abandon us?

DANIIL:

I just need to-

WOMAN 2:

Please, Doctor, please! I’m on fire, it hurts, it hurts!

DANIIL:

I don’t have- Get away from me!

[The second two women advance on DANIIL while the first collapses to the ground. DANIIL ducks under their arms and flees, terrified. The women wail despairingly, trying and failing to grab him. Lights up on both sides, the women’s wailing bleeding into the music, which rises and grows more and more discordant. (note - high warbling violins for the wailing?) ARTEMY is bending over Isidor’s notes, and has an unpleasant revelation. DANIIL bursts through the door separating the left side of the stage from the right, then immediately slams it behind him. ARTEMY straightens, and he and DANIIL make eye contact for the first time.]

DANIIL and ARTEMY:

It’s a plague.

#pathologic #pathologic musical #pathologic the musical #surprise! i live #Youtube

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yjwhatif · 2 years ago

Note

i can see Dick and everyone not really thinking about Lor or what happened to him or theorizing that Bart could be in SERIOUS danger because while yes, they do care about Bart, Conner has been their best friend for ten years. they've spent months thinking he was dead and now he might not be. after all the losses, they might be able to get HIM back. i can understand why they're more focused on that and leave the Bart situation at "we can trust him to handle himself" even when they probs shouldn't

I totally agree anon, it’s definitely understandable - whether they overlooked information or not, Dicks reasoning for choosing Conner over Bart was very valid - it’s a difficult situation and I do think he showed an appropriate level of objectivity to justify the decision he made. Conner was literally asking for help - that was the path they had to follow.

Though, I do think Zatanna has a bit of a habit of overlooking others when she fixes her focus on something/someone that means a lot to her. We saw it in her arc where there were multiple moments when her fathers well-being came before her students (something I started writing about but I don’t think I ever actually finished - part one’s on here somewhere)… My point being, as soon as they link Bart’s mystery friends to Conner, we never see Zatanna mention Bart again - her focus return’s to being completely set on Conner. Therefore she only looks as far as the answers regarding Conner and overlooks any which could suggest Bart’s not as dismissible in all this as they are willing to believe. Once they have that solid lead on Conner - that’s it - Bart becomes an afterthought. (Oh, and I just wanna clarify that this isn’t me hating on zatanna in any way - it’s just an observation I’ve picked up on with her character throughout the series that I thinks interesting.)

The only person to bring him up unprompted is Artemis - which either speaks to her having more of a connection to Bart than the others or simply that she’s just better at not letting her emotional investment in something/one sway her focus/judgment… of all the OGs who have taken on leadership responsibilities, I think Artemis has proven to be the strongest, with her ability to remain objective without losing touch with her reasonability or empathy… but that’s a whole other post that I will probably never get round to doing - or at least not until after we finish the season anyway.

Obviously all this is just my personal perspective on thing and any other interpretations are completely valid - this whole situation is just so interesting to me and I really wanna see what the outcome is of them discovering what Bart has been through. Also I want to finally get an answer on whether they told anyone about the information they gathered on Bart - because fair enough, if they want to follow the Conner side of things, that’s fine - he means a lot to them - but I will no longer accept them doing that and NOT passing on the Bart information to those who may still want to continue looking for him. There are people who care just as much about Bart as they do about Conner, and I don’t think it’s fair for Dick to be the one who makes the decision on who knows what regarding him - he needs to let (at the very least) the outsiders decide whether they want to trust Bart’s judgment or continue the search for him… OR, failing that, tell big boss black lightning, who I think technically oversees everyone and let him be the judge on who gets to know. That would be the reasonable thing to do.

And on that note, I’m gonna call quits before this gets any longer (oops 😬)

Thanks for your message anon!

#thanks anon!#ask box #my response #this got a bit long #personal opinion #dick grayson #zatanna zatara #artemis crock #conner kent #bart allen #young justice #yj #young justice phantoms

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angelz-dust · 3 years ago

Note

Bro cowboy!jason with some smut would be beautiful 😭

yeehaw baby - minors avert y'all eyes 🤠

(as i was writing this i realized i was writing a female reader but if you'd like a male or gender neutral reader instead let me know and i'll come with up an whole new scenario!!)

minors/ageless blogs who interact will be blocked - read rules before interacting

what's a sheriff without his hat? (jason todd x female reader)

warnings: nsfw 18+ (no condom, pulling out - wrap it up y'all). angst if you squint.

...

"sheriff!"

you kicked in the doors to the saloon, gathering the attention of some of the patrons nearby. the place smelled of smoke and sweat, which was why you tried your best to avoid the spot altogether. however, it was becoming increasingly difficult to do so with sheriff todd making it his new hangout spot. the bastard could've picked a place with a bit more circulation as far as you were concerned.

"sheriff!" you yelled again, holding your dress up as your steps increased in speed. you saw the man in his booth with deputy harper and the rest of their little posse. they felt more like thugs to you.

"he's asleep," the woman, artemis, said to you as she opened her bottle of booze on the side of the table, subsequently chipping off some of the wood. you weren't sure if it was due to the poor structural integrity or her strength. probably both.

"i don't give a damn if he's neck deep in his grave," you spat, walking up to him. his seat was leaned back, which mean he was definitely awake. no one could balance their own weight like that and be unconscious. his hat was covering his face, some smoke coming out of the sides. asleep my ass.

you ripped the hat off of his face, bellows of cigarette smoke barreling out. his eyes shot open, the white slightly red from how he was abusing them just now. how he was still breathing, you didn't know. maybe the rumors about him coming back to life and being immortal were true.

"can i help you?" he glared, making an attempt to snatch his hat back from you. you quickly pulled back, making his seat lunge forward and his chest hit the table. you heard the deputy snort at the scene. "as my companion just told you, i'm asleep."

your glared right back at him, holding his hat behind your back. "you promised to keep those hooligans away from my place of business, todd."

"did i?" he asked you, giving you a fake grin. "well, i'm sorry little lady. it musta slipped my mind."

"don't get smart with me!" you snapped at him, the entire saloon getting quiet now. everyone was suddenly very interested in your little spat. "you're supposed to be protecting us and all you do is sit on your ass. i'm surprised you ain't collecting dust already."

"someone should sew that damn mouth of yours shut. maybe then we'd get some peace and quiet around here," he said back, getting a few chuckles from his little fan club. "give me my hat back."

you stared at him as your frustrations bubbled inside of you. that's all he had to say? his lack of concern for your issue just let you know what kind of man you already knew he was. he wanted his hat back? fat chance. you silently grinned at him before turning around and starting to walk out of the saloon. screw him and his stupid hat.

"hey!" he shouted as you continued walking off. you could feel the vibrations of his movement in the floorboards. he was coming after you. "get back here!"

you sped up, running out of the saloon and back towards the bathhouse. maybe if you got him off his sorry ass he'd be more willing to hear you out. that is, if the theft of his precious little hat didn't irritate him too much. if you weren't so preoccupied with outrunning him, you'd love to see the look on his face. you made it up the few step to the front door, where he quickly caught up with you. you pressed your back against it, securing the hat in between.

the sheriff glowered down at you, his hand pressed against the doorframe above you. you stared into each other's eyes, the sounds of your panting breath sinking up with one another. as much as he agitated you to no end, he was a very handsome man. it was the only thing that had kept you from shooting him in that pretty face.

"you've had your fun," he told you with a low tone, holding his other hand out. "now give it back."

you were surprised he hadn't just tossed you around and took it for himself. back when jas- the sheriff... first came to town, he seemed like a respectable man. you didn't cross paths very often, but every encounter with him was pleasant and memorable. he was kind, sometimes even a little flirty with you. he was a little rough around the edges. all those cowboys seemed to share that trait. but it was worse when when he returned after disappearing for a long time. you barely recognized him. it seemed he had been hardened by... whatever it was he experienced while he was gone. you didn't ask, nor did you care. he and his gaggle of dirty thugs had taken control of the town and it's been this way ever since.

"you don't deserve it," you decided to say, relishing in the instant gratification that came from seeing his expression change so quickly. oh, he was angry and you loved it. "you're no sheriff. you're an outlaw. you don't care about anybody but yourself."

you felt the hot air blow out of his nose and you had to fight back the smirk that was playing at your lips. you looked down and saw his hand moving towards your waist. the hell was he trying to do? before you could move or protest, you had fallen backwards into the bathhouse, right onto the freshly cleaned floor. he looked down at you from where he stood with a smile, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. you scrambled away from him, his hat still firmly in your grip. you got yourself off the floor, ready for whatever he was going to try.

instead of making his way towards you like you assumed he would, he looked around the place, taking in his surroundings. he eventually started walking in your direction. it was menacing watching him slowly approach you with an expressionless face. he stopped at the counter, looking down at the little bell. pressing his finger on it, it rung. he waited a few seconds before ringing it a few more times, looking over at you expectantly. your gaze narrowed as you made your way behind the counter.

"yes?" you asked with gritted teeth.

"i'd like to have a bath, please."

"... i'm sorry, sir, but we've had to close early today on the account of having no sheriff to protect my girls from harassment," you explained with a sickly sweet smile. "if we had a sheriff, which we don't, then maybe my girls would feel comfortable continuing to work. but since we don't, there's nothing i can do to help you. sorry for the inconvenience."

you saw a flicker of what appeared to be remorse on his face. he looked down at the counter, his finger tracing the grooves. "you're here, aren't you?"

"you must be out of your natural mind."

"why? because i'm requesting that the bathhouse worker give me a bath?" he asked with a snarky tone.

"that you're requesting anything of me after disregarding my concerns earlier."

he pulled some money out of his pocket, slamming it on the counter. "let's discuss it over a bath."

...

this was the last thing you wanted to be doing. you stared at the back of his head as he laid in the tub of warm water. you grabbed the rag from the bucket of soapy water, ringing it out and bringing it to his chest. as much as you wanted to be rough with him, your desire to not touch him at all prompted you to just be gentle instead. you heard him let out a content sigh as you scrubbed him down.

"you wanted to talk to me, didn't you? so talk," he said, resting his chin in his hand while you worked.

"i already told you what the problem was," you reminded him, lightly pressing against his back to get him to sit up. you scrubbed his back, watching as the dirt and grime disappeared, revealing his actual skin color.

"don't present a problem without a solution. what do you want me to do?"

"kill them."

he let out a hearty laugh at your suggestion, laying back down once you finished with his back. your fingers went to his hair as you poured some water of it, massaging it into his scalp. you could've sworn you felt him leaning into your touch. "isn't killing your clientele bad for business?"

"their existence is bad for business," you told him matter of factly, leaning down to wash his stomach. "i want them gone."

"now darling," he chuckled softly, turning his head towards you. his scruff brushed against your skin, making you shiver. "you know i can't do that. try again."

you could feel your face heating up, so you pulled away, washing his arms now. you dragged the rag along his muscles, revealing all kinds of scars as you cleaned him. "give them a stern talking to."

"about what?"

"respecting my girls."

"or else what?"

"use your imagination."

he hummed with a nod as you finished up with his upper body. "i can do that."

you threw the wet rag at his face, making him flinch. he dragged down his face, plopping into the bath water. "i'm not washing you below the belt. you can see yourself out."

...

after dramatically stomping your way up to your bedroom, you changed out of your clothes and into your nightgown. being around the sheriff was exhausting and you weren't going to waste anymore time on him. your only hope was that he'd stay true to his word. as you were getting ready to retire for the night, you heard a knock at your door.

"i want my damn hat back, y/n. i'll kick the door down if i have to," you heard him say through the door. you went and grabbed it off of your dresser, putting it on your head and looking at yourself in the mirror.

"i think i'll keep it for myself, actually."

"you have five seconds to open this door."

out of frustration, he start twisting the knob. unbeknownst to him, it was never locked to begin with. he opened the door, surprise on his face as he let himself in. he looked over at you, the same expression on his face, but for a different reason now.

"take it off."

"i actually quite like it, so i don't think i will."

he must have been fed up with you at this point, because he started approaching you with purpose in his step. you stepped back some, slipping on the length of your gown and falling back on the bed. the hat had fallen off of your head, onto the floor. instead of going around to pick it up, he found himself on top of you. the two of you held eye contact, but it was different from earlier.

"why do you do these things to me?" he asked you softly. "i'm starting to think you're doing it on purpose."

"i don't like you."

"you used to like me."

that may have been true once upon a time, but it wasn't the case now. the person you used to like didn't exist anymore. he was replaced with a hollow shell of a man and you wanted nothing to do with him.

his thumb made its way to the corner of your mouth and your heart started racing. "i still like you," he said with a small frown, his fingers tracing your jaw and moving down your neck. "i think deep down you still like me."

"no," you responded without missing a beat. his hand was on your chest, feeling the shockwaves of your pulse underneath. "i don't."

"i think you do."

you wanted to badly to smack him in his face but his response was different than you expected. the snark and smugness you were expecting was replaced with a tenderness you were unfamiliar with. or, more accurately, had forgotten he was capable of conveying. he sounded honest. genuine. like he really believed what he was saying. or wanted to, at least.

that's what caused you to let your guard down and let him in. his nose rubbed against yours before he leaned down, giving you a kiss. his large hand cupped your cheek while his other one lifted you off of your back and into his lap. you parted from him and he looked at you with a little smile. "see?"

"that doesn't count," you objected, despite not moving out of your new position. you actually found yourself getting comfortable, placing your legs on both sides of his lap. you could feel his erection growing beneath you.

"sure it does," he insisted, grabbing his hat and putting it back on your head. he laid back on the bed, starting to slowly undo his belt. you didn't dare look down at what he was doing, too stubborn to give him the full satisfaction, but you didn't stop him either. you felt your own arousal becoming stronger. it was hard to ignore when you didn't have any underwear on to begin with.

you soon felt his tip rubbing against your slickness and you sucked in a gasp, getting his attention. he stopped moving, looking up at you for approval to continue. still feeling stubborn, you just looked away and felt him slip inside of you. his hands moved up your thighs and to your hips, repositioning the skirt of your gown. it allowed the two of you to reserve a bit of modesty in your compromising state.

the first movements were shallow and slow, as you were both trying to adjust. it didn't take long for you both to find a rhythm. soft pants and moans came from you as you rode him, his hips thrusting upwards so you weren't doing all the work. you had been resisting from touching him, but as he bounced you on his lap, his hand went to yours. his fingers grazed yours, sloppily laced together as he brought it towards his mouth. he planted a kiss on your palm, placing it on his heart.

shifting your weight, you pressed your hand firmly against his chest and he picked up the pace, his hips snapping up into you. your arm was starting to grow tired and he picked up on it. he sat up, pulling you into him. his face rested in the crook of your neck, his breath fanning against it while his hands slid up your back, one at the top of your spine and the other at your ribs. you continued rocking against him while his mouth made quick work of your neck, sucking at the junction between it and your shoulder.

your moans became embarrassingly loud. you were just glad no one else was around to hear them. jason kissed up the base of your neck until he met your lips, swallowing up all of your sounds. you felt his hat slipping off of your head and you both reached back to catch it, his hand on top of yours. the two of you smiled into the kiss as he readjusted it for you.

feeling your release coming up, you slipped your fingers down to your clit, teasing it to help push yourself over the edge. jason moaned against your lips as he pulled out of you, making a mess on your nightgown. you were too blinded by your own pleasure to yell at him as you continued rubbing yourself. you felt his fingers probing at your entrance, thrusting in and out until you came all over them.

"sorry about the stain," he breathed out, pulling the skirt up in an effort to keep it from touching you. his other hand worked to untie the bow in the back, making it easier for you to get it off. he grabbed his hat from off your head and used it to cover his face while you slipped out of the gown. you set it aside, pulling your blankets up to cover yourself. "are you decent?"

"yes," you answered as he lowered it, giving you a grin before putting it back on your head. your eyes peered upwards at the brim. "i thought you wanted it back."

"i'll come get it later. there are a few men i need to give a stern talking to first," he said, fixing his pants and getting up. "you'll be here when i get back, won't you?"

you raised your brow at him, chuckling. "it's not like i have somewhere else to be."

"i'll be back soon," he winked before walking over to the door. "oh, and darling?"

"...yes?"

"leave that on for me, alright?"

#jason todd x reader #askbox

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her-world-on-fire · 4 years ago

Text

It Was All Yellow {Jason Todd x Reader}

MASTERLIST

REQUEST HERE

Word Count: 2,424

Request: Jason or Damain finding you, the happy girl, singing a sad song and crying while on patrol. If possible, do you think the song could be If I Could Ride a Bike by Chevy? Thanks, you're a godsend <3

A/N: Sorry if this wasn’t what you imagined, hope you like it anon!

I LISTENED to the sound of own heartbeat. It echoed loudly, and I looked over at Jason, fearing he would wake at any moment. He had fallen asleep almost as soon as we got to the apartment. I didn’t blame him, almost every night he was working himself to death. Crime rates increased with every new vigilante. The work never seemed to stop. No matter how much we tried it seemed like Gotham was the same as we left it the night before. I watched as his chest slowly rose then fell. His face was expressionless, his usual smirk was gone.

Jason was sore, I could tell by the way he moved he was in pain. He tried his best to hide it, but I noticed it. I noticed that he hot showers to try and ease the pain. The steam flowed from under the crack over the door, and found its home on the mirrors and walls. Every night before he went to sleep he would sneak into the kitchen and take ibuprofen. I could hear the pills rattling inside the bottles, and his hushed footsteps as he hurried back into his room.

This was the most peaceful I had seen him all week.

His head was resting on my lap. I pulled the blanket over him as gently as I could. It was only 8pm, he needed to sleep to recover. I didn’t have to worry about the boys waking him up. Jason had insisted on getting his own place. He knew I never felt quite at home in the manor, and let me stay with him.

I turned off the TV and leaned against the arm rest. I wanted to try and get some sleep too.

I woke up to the sound of Jason’s phone ringing. I looked around, and he wasn’t in the living room or the kitchen. My best guess was the shower. I grabbed his phone, it was Artemis. I bolted to the bathroom. “Jason!”

I reached the bathroom door and he immediately swung it open. He looked over at me. “What? Are you alright?” I held up his phone. He looked at the caller ID. “Oh shit.” He took his phone, and answered it, bringing it to his ear. “Hey.”

I looked at Jason, his hair was still soaking wet. The water dripped from his hair down to his neck, them his chest. He had his towel wrapped around his waist. I motioned I was going to go into the kitchen. And he nodded and closed the door. He spoke quietly. A few moments later I heard him move into the closet.

Artemis.

Artemis was a former teammate, and from the way Dick told it, they were more than that. I tried my best to push the negative thoughts out of my head. I started making breakfast when I heard a loud crash. “Jason?” I moved away from the kitchen and into the hallway. I heard rustling coming from inside his room. “Jason? Are you okay?” The door opened and Jason emerged with a duffel bag. “Have you seen my holster?” He didn’t look at me as he zipped up his duffel bag.

“It’s in the laundry room.” He moved past me and to the laundry room. He didn’t speak. He moved back and forth between the rooms collecting his things. “I paid this months rent. Alfred will continue the payments on my behalf just in case.” I blinked in shock. A month’s rent? Just in case?

“You’re leaving?” He stayed silent. He looked over the apartment, trying to make sure he didn’t miss anything. Finally he looked over at me. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He reached for the door and paused. He mumbled something under his breath. He turned back to me and pointed a finger.

“Don’t go out on patrol alone.” With that, he was gone.

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

Dick had noticed a change in Y/N’s behavior. Normally, Y/N was the highlight of patrol. Constantly positive and bubbly, it made the night go much faster. But since Jason left, Y/N was quiet. No more humming, the laughter that had once illuminated the night was gone.

Not even Dick knew why Jason was gone. It was Jason didn’t want any backup, it was something he needed to do alone. He didn’t want to risk Y/N getting caught up in his mess. He was sending updates to Jason but he wasn’t sure that he was getting them. If Jason wanted to be alone, he knew exactly how to do it. He cut off all forms of communication and was consumed by the job. It had been 2 weeks and he was silent. No one knew where he was. No one knew if he was even alive. Roy informed Dick that Jason had stopped by for supplies. But he hadn’t heard anything since.

Whatever he was doing, he was sure to hide it. No news reports caught wind of his activities. For his sake, Dick hoped that Jason was on the right path. The last time Jason broke his promise to Bruce beat him until he was almost unrecognizable. Jason had even remarked he had never seen him hit the Joker as hard.

There was an insatiable anger in Bruce. He had trusted Jason to operate in Gotham under the condition he wouldn’t kill anyone. Then Jason went on national television and nearly killed Cobblepot, by shooting him point blank. The boys were at a loss, neither of them knew what to do. Bruce insisted on dealing with it himself. Jason only got away because Roy saved him. Dick wasn’t sure how they would stop Bruce this time.

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

Jason slung his duffel bag across his shoulder. He released a sigh as he stretched. He had been driving all night to get back as soon as possible. He had a lot of explaining to do. He had received all of Dick’s messages.

Let me know you’re alright.

Tim can’t track your location, just check in.

Jason we haven’t heard from you in 3 weeks.

Y/N’s not doing good.

He felt guilty for just leaving, but he had to. He knew that if he gave explanations then Dick would try and talk him out of it. It would give Tim more time to figure out how to track him. More importantly he knew if Y/N had asked, he would’ve stayed.

Jason entered the apartment. After being gone for so long it seemed almost foreign. There were a few noticeable changes. The curtains that were almost always drawn open to let in the sun were shut. More importantly it looked empty. Almost as if no one was inhabiting it.

There was no evidence of dirty dishes, no laundry, and everything was spotless. It was too clean for anyone to be living here. When he opened the fridge his suspicious were confirmed. There was no food. It was almost empty, apart from a case of water. He sighed, Dick was right. Things were not good. He looked around the apartment, trying to find any hint of where Y/N went.

The only thing missing, was a single outfit.

Y/N’s suit.

Jason decided to visit all the patrol spots he knew. Each one of them came up empty. Just as he was about to give up, he heard something. Jason stopped. He faintly heard a voice in the distance. It was barley audible, but he somehow caught it. He tried to find the source, he walked towards the stairs. It had to have been coming from the roof top. As he got closer, he heard an accompanying soft piano.

“If I could sail a boat I'd cruise across the sea. A sweet adventure for us two. I'll be Jack and you rose.”

The voice began to falter, there were so many emotions just begging to be released. Jason didn’t want to interrupt, in fear of the voice stopping. He didn’t walk completely up the stairs. He was mesmerized by the sound. He stayed at the bottom steps, as quietly as possible. It took him a while to process that he knew the voice.

It was Y/N. He had not ever heard Y/N sad. He continued listening as the voice grew louder. “Just please don't let me go. Cause I'll be nothing without you.” The desperation made Jason want to make his presence known. He wanted Y/N to know that he was there. He wanted to help, more than anything. He slowly walked up the stairs. “Oh when you call me, I'm drifting on clouds. Like I'm dream-ing.”

“But in the morn-ing, I'll wake up and see that you’re stuck here with me. If only you knew what I would do for you I'd jump up and hold you so tightly.” With every verse, the voice grew softer. There was more sadness in each line. He listened carefully to the lines, trying to piece together the information. Each line made it apparent, unrequited love.

“But I will never be able to do these things, so I'm just left imagin-ing.” As the song ended, I finally let all my emotions go. No one knew where Jason was and I was beginning to give up hope. I was sitting on the ledge of the rooftop. Police scanners were quiet. There were no distressed civilians. For once it seemed like Gotham was having a good night. Jason wasn’t here to see it. I moved to get up, in search of something. I had been trying to distract myself as much as possible with work. I couldn’t stand being inside the empty apartment anymore. For the first two weeks I stayed in hoping that one night Jason would come back and everything would be okay. But by the third week, it was evident he wouldn’t be back any time soon. When I did sleep, I stayed with Roy. We had been working together to try and track Jason but it appeared he had learned some new tricks.

I heard a creak come from behind me. I turned around immediately, but there was nothing there. I was about to venture down the stars when I heard something. “Hey.” I froze. That voice. I turned around and saw Jason. He was in his street clothes. He looked drained. There were a few small cuts and some bruising on his face. I moved closer to him, and let out a breath I had been holding in. I was relived he was okay, but I was angry at him for leaving.

“I didn’t know you were back. I didn’t even know if you were-“ I couldn’t bring myself to finish the sentence, but he knew. “I went to the apartment and it was empty. I noticed your suit was missing. I figured I would find you out here.” He moved closer and wiped the tears from my eyes. “How much did you hear?” I asked nervously. I was hoping he arrived after I had finished but by the look on his face it was apparent he didn’t.

“Almost all of it.”

“I don’t even know where to start.” He paused, “I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I just disappeared.” I nodded and thought back to each restless night. Not knowing was the worst part. “A long time ago, someone really bad got away. I lost his trail, but I’ve been keeping tabs on him. He resurfaced and I couldn’t let him get away again.” He put his arm around me, “But I won’t ever leave you like that again.” He placed a kiss on top of my head. Silent tears streamed down my face and I took in his warm embrace.

“Let’s go home. The boy’s have this covered.” I looked at him in shock. He had never called the apartment home. He always said that it was just somewhere he slept. He had never felt that it was home. “I thought the apartment wasn’t home?”

“It’s not home without you.”

We got back to the apartment and Jason reached for the door. He opened the door and I moved to turn on the lights. I stopped, the table was lit by candles. The floor was scattered with rose petals. It was nothing like how I left it. It felt comforting again. “I had Roy bring your things back.” He shut the door behind us. “It’s perfect.” I turned around and wrapped my arms around him. He ran his hands through my hair. “Come on,” He took my hand and led me to the bathroom. It was lit by a few candles. The bath was set with warm water. “I know you haven’t been here much and I thought you would appreciate it.”

“I’ll be in the bedroom, when you get out.” He placed my towel and some clothes on the sink and departed.

Once I got out I followed the petals into the bedroom. The bedroom was back to it was before. Jason had left a mess when he left, and I left a mess moving back and forth between Roy’s. Everything was neatly put away. Jason by now had changed out of his street clothes and into his sleep wear. He was laying down staring at the ceiling. Once I closed the door he looked over. “How was it?”

“I haven’t done that in a long time.” I moved to the bed and joined him. He opened his arms and I put my head on his chest. “Are you okay?” I looked up at him and examined his face. The darkness hid the severity pretty well. Now in the light, it looked worse. “You should see the other guy.” I shook my head and laughed a little. “Really, I’m okay. It’s not as bad as it looks.”

“Prove it.” He leaned over and kissed me. It was soft, and needy. After weeks, it finally seemed like it was going to be okay again. He pulled away and pulled me closer. He pulled the covers over me, and kissed my forehead again. “Get some sleep babe.”

“How are you?”

“Better, now.” He ran his thumb across my cheek, “I’m so sorry.”

And for the first time in weeks, I slept soundly.

MASTERLIST

REQUEST HERE

#Jason Todd #jason todd x reader #jason todd imagine #jason todd x you #jason peter todd #red hood #red hood imagine #red hood x reader #Red Hood X y/n #red hood x you #jason todd x y/n #gotham #batfamily #batboys #batman

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nanaminsonyfans · 4 years ago

Text

✨Birds of a Feather✨

Masterlist ✨ Requesting Rules

Request; Could I request a YJs1 Dick x reader with the reader being new to the team and a protege of black canary? He’s my favourite 🥰

A/N; honestly, if one robin is AT LEAST one of your favorites, if they aren’t in the top three, i don’t trust you. also, i really like the way i wrote this a stuff, if anyone wants i can make this a thing. I fucking grew up on young justice i love these characters. rock and roll buckeroo!

Pairing; Dick Grayson(Robin) x Fem!Reader

Warnings; fluff, slight cursing

Your upbringing wasn’t pleasant, for a short backstory, Black Canary found you when she did a raid on an illegal Meta-Human fighting ring. Your parents sold you to the leader of the ring. Your power was similar to Canary’s, in which your voice was a power. You could mimic sounds around you like a mockingbird, but you had similarities with an owl in the fact that your neck could turn all the way around and you had night vision. Black Canary found you when you were ten, taking you in as her own. She took you under her wing. *dad jokehehuheh*

She had taken care of you for four years, you ever really made you debut as a hero, until Batman started the underground team of sidekicks. Robin of course knew of you, as did Batman because, duh. Well, Roy did too but that was mainly because Green Arrow was dating Canary. He was like a big brother, and he deeply cared for you.

“And this is Black Canary’s protégé, Mockingbird.” You walked out from the shadows, a black hoodie and red jeans on. Your hoodie had your favorite band one it, whatever it may be. “Sup.” You nod your head at the boys, your hood covered your face since it was dark but you also had glasses on, kinda like Robin’s but they were reading glasses. The glasses could profile anyone and bring up their history, if it’s in the web or files on the cloud, you gotem.

Kid Flash was easy, he didn’t both with covering his face, everyone else was open with you, but not Robin. You glasses always got glitched out when you tried to activate them while looking at him. He knew this and did it on purpose. He didn’t know much about you, only you hero name, you also did that on purpose, it was a fun little battle. You were closer to Robin anyways, being close in age but that didn’t stop Wally from flirting. “Hey babe~ Wanna spar~?” The redhead would ask, before you could speak he would go pale. “Nevermind.” Then he’d run away, you guessed it was Robin, he had mastered the infamous bat-glare.

When Artemis joined the team, you were happy. Another human girl on the team, no offense to M’gann but you felt more comfortable with another human female around. Plus, she was funny. You lived in Star City with Diane and Oliver, and you met her first, it was awesome when you came with her to the Cave and saw all of them shocked.

“What’s up, birdy?” You smile as you trotted over to Robin, you didn’t really have a superhero suit, you kinda took after Black Canary, civilian clothes were your hero clothes. It was usually blood stained black leggings, a navy blue crop top hoodie and black paint around your eyes and bridge of your nose rather than a regular mask because those were itchy. “Do NOT call me that.” Boy Wonder grumbled and elbowed you playfully. You gave him a smirk and batted you eyelashes at him. “You love me.” “No I don’t.” He snorted.

“The Wallman is here!” A redhead yelled through the zeta-tubes as he entered, the loud noise made you yelp and grab onto the nearest person, which was Robin. When you both realized that you both turned red. “Yeesh...stay whelmed Mockingbird.” He finally got out after being frozen. You both had completely ignored the situation going on around you, until...

“Recognize: Speedy, B06.” The computer spoke, making you grinning like an idiot and turn towards the tubes. “Well for starters, he doesn’t go by speedy anymore. Call me Red Arrow.” Your eyes lit up at your brother, well not really brother but you both looked at each other as such. “Roy-” Oliver started but you cut him off. “Roy!” You yelled happily and ran towards your redhead. “Wa to ruin his moment...” Wally grumbled but you flipped him off as you hugged Roy. “Why don’t you call anymore? I’ve been worried. So was Olly, and I guess Robin, Kaldur, and Wally, but I’m your sister!” You whined and teared up, your tears mixing with the paint you used as a mask causing black tears.

“Oh birdie...you know why.” Roy soothed causing you to sniffle and rub your tears away. “Right, sorry.” You mumble and pull away, “Sorry.” You mumbled again and walked back to your spot by Robin, the taller boy put a hand on your shoulder. “Roy, you look-” Oliver started, “Replaceable.” Roy hissed and walked over. “You know it’s not like that.” “Then why bother with a sub? Can she even use that bow?” He gestured angrily to the blonde archer. “Yes she can.” Artemis hissed back. “Who are you?!” Wally whined. “I’m his niece.” “She’s his niece.” “She’s my niece.” Artemis, you, and Green Arrow stated in a matter-of-fact like tone. “Another niece?” Robin snorted, earning an elbow from you.

“But he’s not your replacement!” You chimed in, walking over to the arrows. “We have always wanted you on the team.” Aqualad said, walking over to the now, Red Arrow. “And we have no quota on archers.” The leader continued. “And if we did, you know who we’d pick!” Wally chimed, glaring over at Artemis. “Whatever Baywatch,” Artemis glared, “I’m here to stay.” You stifled a chuckle and looked away. “Baywatch...” You snorted. “But you came here for a reason, right Roy?” You asked when you finally calmed down. “Yeah, a reason named Dr. Sterling Roquette.”

Both yours and Robin’s eyes widened before you both pulled up a file with the holographic computer. “Nano-robotics genius-” Robin started as he began typing. “And claytronics expert at Royal University in Star City! I love her!” You finished and gushed the last part. “Vanished two weeks ago.” Robin continued, earning a frown on your face. “Abducted two weeks ago, by the League of Shadows.” “Woah, you want us to rescue her from The Shadows?” Boy wonder said in a hopeful tone. “Hardcore.” Wally said in awe and fist bumped the other boy. “Dumbasses.” You scoffed and hit them both in the back of the neck. “Roy probably already did that.” You pointed out and walked over to him with a big smile. Roy smiled back and ruffled your hair. “She’s right, I already rescued her. There’s only one problem, the shadows already got her to make a weapon, ‘Doc call it the Fog.” Roy pulled up an image of a dark cylinder looking object with red buttons.

“It’s comprised of millions of microscopic robots, nanotech infiltrators, capable of disintegrating anything in their path- concrete, steel, flesh, bone.- but it’s true purpose isn’t mere destruction. It’s theft. The infiltrators eat and story raw data from any computer system and deliver the stolen data to the Shadows. Providing them access to weapons, strategic defense, cutting edge science and tech.” “Perfect for extortion, manipulation, and power broking.” Artemis starts, earning a groan from Wally, an admiring look from you, and a knowing look from Robin. “Yep. Sounds like The Shadows.” She finishes. “Oh like you know anything about The Shadows.” Wally groans and glares at the blonde, who just smirks. “Who ARE you?!” Wally yells obviously irritated, both you and Robin chuckled a little.

“Roquette’s working on a virus to render the Fog inert.” Roy says, ignoring the childish behavior. “But if The Shadows know she can do that...” Robin started quietly, you gasped softly. “They’ll target her.” You whisper in shock. “It’s okay, right now she’s off the grid. I stashed her in a local highschool computer lab.” Roy shrugs, opening his mouth to speak again. “You left her alone?” Green Arrow asks in shock and mild disappointment. ‘Oh great, here we go again.’ You think as you roll you eyes. “She’s safe enough for now.” Roy spits and glares at Oliver. “Then let’s you and I take care of that together.” “You and I? Don’t you want to take your new protogé.” The redhead spits again, earning a groan from you. “Roy, you brought this to the team, we’ll talk care of it okay?” You say softly, putting your hand on his shoulder. “And she is part of the team. I promise nothing bad will happen. Trust me, big bro.” You smile, a child like glint in you e/c eyes. “Fine, Y/n. I trust you.” Roy whispered, kissing your forehead before leaving. “Speedy-” The computer started, “Change that to Red Arrow.” You spoke up before Roy could, you winked at him before he left.

Robin knew it was a platonic gesture, you both looked at each other like siblings, he knew that. He fucking knew but a piece of him was jealous. He didn’t know why, maybe he like you? No, he wouldn’t, doesn’t matter anyways. The team had a mission to do. But god damnit he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He wished he could be the one kissing your forehead, holding you, knowing your actual name like Roy did. Damn, being a teenager with feelings fucking SUCKS.

All of a sudden you all were linked up by Miss Martian telepathy. “Everyone online?” Her voice rung inside your head, causing a giggle. “Mhm.” You hummed in your head while you sat on a table between Kid Flash and Robin. “Woah, this is weird.” Artemis said, in her head of course, and you just giggled in response. “I know right? Prepare for a killer headache when Megan cuts it off!” You giggled more as you popped some of Wally’s fruit snacks in your mouth. Then the doctor started complaining. “Lady, I’m not really diggin your attitude right now.” You say while rolling your eyes. “You literally look like some random kid they got from the street!” The doctor replied earning a huff from you as you sat up straight.

“You literally look like some random kid they got from the street.” You said, using your mocking power, you spoke in her exact voice, earning a shocked look from her. “Now shut the fuck up.” You hissed in your normal voice, earning a stern look from Aqualad. “Oh don’t judge my language fish boy.” You grumbled and crossed your arms, looking through a blind. “Do you always act like this when people try to help you?” Wally’s voice rung in your head. “Pot, kettle, you’ve met?” Artemis replied, you snickered slightly. “Great, now I want kettle corn. Thanks Art.” You whined and then ignored them arguing until Robin spoke. “You should give her some more credit. It was /her/ arrow that saved you from Amazo.” Robin said with a smirk, in which you practically swooned. “No, it was Spee-Red Arrow’s arrow, right?” “Not so much.” Robin snickered and you did as well.

“God I love his voice.” You thought and then you realized that everyone was connected, SHIT. Your eyes widened and your face turned red. “I mean haha, I was thinking of something else.” You got up. “I’ll...I’ll go an patrol the halls...hall monitor duties.” You got up. “Oh god oh god. This is so embarrassing.” You though as you messed with your fingerless gloves. “Should we tell her?” Wally’s voice rang in your head, you could feel him smirking. “THEN DON’T LISTEN!” You screamed from the hallway and you could hear his laughs. Everyone basically knew you had a crush on Robin, it was obvious to everyone but him. He felt the same, it was also obvious to everyone but you. This was not the TIME.

You were walking down the hall, until you heard footsteps behind you. You turned around, punching the figure and wrapping you legs around the person’s waist as you pinned them down. “Woah woah, stay whelmed, Mockingbird.” You squeezes you legs tighter when you realized it was Robin. “What do you want?” You whisper-shouted. “You seemed to be distraught. You really should get traught.” He gave you a smirk that you always melted over. “Mind not squeezing me to death?” He asked and you flushed as you let him go from you thighs crushing him.

“Your wordplay is so stupid...” You smiled softly and tucked a piece of hair behind your ear. “So what? You said you love my voice.” Robin teased. “I do.” You sighed and then covered your mouth in shock. “I-I mean...shut up!” Robin bit his lip and rubbed the back of his neck. “I have to head out with Superboy.” He mumbled in which you sighed and grabbed his wrist before he could leave. “Be safe okay?” You whisper softly, getting closer to him. His lips were inches away from your. Robin smiled and kissed your forehead. “I’ll try.” He smiled in which you turned so red you were sure you would’ve been glowing. “It’s Y/n...Y/n L/n.” You spoke up as he started to walk away. “That’s my name.” You mumble. He turned around, wide eyed.

“Y/n L/n eh? That’s a pretty name.” Robin teased before running off.

#young justice #young justice x reader #young justice robin #robin x reader #dick grayson x reader #wally west x reader #superboy x reader #aqualad x reader #roy harper x reader #red arrow x reader #young justice robin x reader #robin x reader fluff #fluff #young justice fluff

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lifeofkaze · 3 years ago

Text

When Stars Ignite - Chapter 29

HPHM Rockstar AU

A/N: General Warning: This whole fic has a general warning of being NSFW / 18+. We will give specific warnings for every chapter in itself, but several adult themes will be more or less present in every chapter, may it be explicitly or in mention. These include sexual topics, drug abuse, (ab)use of alcohol, smoking and a whole lot of cursing. Specific Warning: Language, drinking, Jason Everett, a whole lot of bad decisions ~~~ Find the masterpost here, the previous chapter here and the next one here. The songs featured before every chapter can be found on this pretty badass playlist here. ~~~ This work is a collaboration with @the-al-chemist Taglist: @slytherindisaster @night-rhea @carewyncromwell @thatravenpuffwitch

I'm in the details with the devil

You know, the world can never get me on my level

I just got to get you out the cage, I'm a young lover's rage

Gonna need a spark to ignite

~ Fall Out Boy - My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark ~

Despite her fears, Lizzie managed to find and calm down Everett before he had been able to do anything stupid.

The amount of sweet talk involved in getting him to come back with her had been obscene; Lizzie wasn’t sure if she’d ever had to flatter someone as much as Everett. But no matter how blatantly exaggerated her words had been, they’d had the intended effect and had coaxed the huffy singer back to finish the soundcheck.

When the two of them returned, Artemis was still nowhere to be seen, which was probably for the better.

Charlie was working on the igniters that were still unchecked in silence. His brow was creased in concentration as he worked his way through the devices with the greatest care; he would make sure a blunder like the one before would not happen again.

It had been an accident, of course, but an igniter going off unprompted was the worst thing that could happen to a pyro tech; Lizzie could tell how much it was eating away at Charlie that someone could have been severely hurt.

Although Everett had agreed to come back, the hard words between the two men were far from forgotten. Both of them seemed to have come to enough of their senses to ignore each other, however; at least for the time being.

Everett held his head high as he strutted past Charlie to his microphone, while Charlie didn’t even bother looking up. Lizzie sighed as she sat down behind her drum kit.

Why did it always have to be like that with Everett these days? He’d always had arrogant tendencies, even back when he had joined Equinox, but if they had known what fame and pressure would turn him into, maybe they would have thought twice about Ethan’s idea of signing up the charismatic singer.

But even so, when Everett sang his first lines, his voice was warm and soft like honey, as if nothing major had just happened. The sound carried Lizzie away, her mind shutting off and her hands taking over the well practised patterns she had to play.

It was in moments like these when the old Everett was shining through, showing that he was still there, hidden under all this rockstar bravado.

He had always been a fun guy to be around, easy to talk and joke with. Lizzie truly wished there was a way back for him from the path to ruin he was walking on, for the sake of the band and for himself.

***

If there was one thing every member of Equinox had learned over the years, it was how to put their personal grievances aside when it was showtime. Even so, Lizzie was surprised just at how good their performance had been.

The crowd had been ecstatic, the people rocking along with them, screaming on the top of their lungs. Lizzie had been able to hear them shouting for more long after the lights had turned on again.

After they had all taken a well deserved shower, they met up in one of the more spacious dressing rooms of the arena.

The atmosphere was quiet but tense as everyone was waiting for Ethan to return with news; even though it was already far after midnight, he and the representatives of their record company had already started discussing their new deal.

The amount of time it took them to reach an agreement made Lizzie nervous; where she was concerned, tonight’s show must have been among the best they had played.

But why wasn’t Ethan back already?

Her fingers itched for the red pick buried in the pocket of her jeans, but she resisted the urge to let it wander through her fingers.

For whatever reason, Orion still wasn’t talking to her, only adding to her restlessness; if there was one thing Lizzie hated above all else, it was not knowing what was going on.

Everyone’s eyes darted to the door when it opened what felt like an eternity later.

Ethan’s face was stony as he walked into the room, everyone inside waiting with baited breath on what he would have to say.

He left them guessing a moment longer before an impish smirk spread on his face. He drew his hands he had held hidden behind his back to the front, revealing a thick brown envelope he waved at them triumphantly.

“We did it everyone!”

A collective cry of relief went through the room. The cold knot in Lizzie’s chest dissolved in an instant, and she and Skye clasped their hands together with big grins on their faces. Lizzie felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders; she hadn’t even realised how on edge she’d been.

Her eyes went over to Orion; naturally, he wasn’t as exuberant as the others, but the relief radiating off him was almost palpable.

As if feeling her eyes on him, Orion caught her gaze. But instead of smiling, he dropped his eyes to the ground and turned to Merula. The cheerful smile on Lizzie’s face faltered, if only a little.

“I just want to say, I’m proud of you, everyone. I know it hasn’t been the easiest tour so far, but like always, we’ve come out on top,” Ethan beamed at them like a proud father would at his children.

“The show was a success all the way through. The execs were over the fucking moon.”

Ethan smirked as he continued.

“The deal was good as done even before they came here. You really did the trick with all the charity shit. They just wanted a last confirmation,” he went on, clearly satisfied his plan had worked.

He nodded to where Charlie and Artemis were standing.

“They told me to give our pyro tech their regards, they were blown away by the new effects. Keep up the good work, Charlie and Alexis.”

Lizzie and Skye exchanged a look; the irony of the fire effects being praised especially after the catastrophic soundcheck wasn’t lost on them.

“We might have our budget in the bag, but that’s no reason to half our efforts,” Ethan said. “There are some fans waiting to meet you in the bar and I’ve prepared a little surprise for you as well.”

As it turned out, Ethan’s surprise consisted of several boxes of ice cold champagne he had sent to the bar adjacent to the arena.

When the band arrived, most of the fans waiting for them were already holding glasses of the sparkling golden drink; they weren’t quite sure what was going on, but not complaining about it either.

Lizzie noted that there were far more people present than there would usually be, and she suspected Ethan behind that as well.

There were far more women than men present, and most of them rather pretty, too; with a flash of annoyance, Lizzie could even spot the familiar face of Emily Tyler among them.

Lizzie forced herself to smile when all she wanted to do was roll her eyes; count on Ethan to turn their moment of triumph into a publicity event.

All of a sudden, Lizzie wasn’t in the mood to celebrate anymore; she spent the time that was expected of her talking to their fans, politely thanking them for their support and enthusiasm. She usually enjoyed interacting with them, but today it felt more like a chore than anything else. All she wanted to do was go back to the hotel, curl up in her bed and sleep the day off.

She watched Orion, who was still avoiding her company; he was standing next to Emily Tyler and some other girls. The influencer was twirling the ends of her long brown ponytail, which was decidedly less messy than Lizzie’s own, around her finger while laughing at something Orion had said.

Lizzie’s hand brushed over her own tangled curls in an unconscious attempt to make them appear more neatly, and she turned from the sight with a frustrated sigh.

After a while, Ethan escorted a part of the fans - those who were only there because they had bought VIP tickets - outside, and then left for their hotel himself; Lizzie was glad to see all of them go. She was tired of smiling all the while when she didn’t feel like it.

She would have loved to have a little chat with Charlie, who never failed to cheer her up; but her childhood friend was standing in a corner of the room with Andre and Artemis, and Lizzie wasn’t in the mood of being snapped at.

So she stuck with Skye and Erika, who was watching the people in the room with her usual unmoved expression. At least the blonde head of security seemed to enjoy herself as much as Lizzie did, which wasn’t that much at all.

Lizzie was good friends with both of them, but she could also tell when her presence was tolerated rather than enjoyed. So when she had finished her drink, she lingered at the bar, giving Skye and Erika some space.

Her eyes swept the room, unsure of what to do now; Lizzie wasn’t used to having to look for a conversation.

After a few minutes, company found her in the form of Everett. Considering how many girls were scattered around the room, Lizzie was surprised he’d come to her instead of weighing his choices for the night.

“Hey,” he said quietly.

His tone wasn’t the overly confident one Lizzie was used to hearing from him these days. If anything, he looked very serious.

“What’s up?”

“I wanted to talk to you for a bit.”

Lizzie raised her eyebrows. “What about?”

Everett dropped his eyes and sighed. “Today. What happened at the soundcheck.”

Lizzie tensed, fully prepared to hear a whole load of excuses or, even worse, allocations of blame towards Charlie and Artemis. She wasn’t in the mood for arguing with him and wanted to tell him so, but he cut her off prematurely.

“I wanted to thank you for getting me back before I could do anything stupid. I didn’t expect anyone to come after me, to be honest. I know I don’t have the best standing in the band at the moment.”

He chuckled, but it was a bitter sound. “It’s no secret that all of you wish I wasn’t part of this anymore.”

Lizzie shook her head. “That’s not true. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“Yes, it is,” Everett shrugged. “No need to sugarcoat, we both know how it is. No one really gives a fuck about me anymore,” he snorted, “For fuck’s sake, most days not even I do.”

It made Lizzie sad, hearing him talk like that.

While he had a point in the relationships between him and the band being complicated these days, they had been friends for years. And it wasn’t like Everett was the only one feeling the strain of being in the spotlight.

“Don’t say that,” Lizzie said softly, “you have a lot on your shoulders, we all do. But you’re front and centre, you’re pretty much getting the thick of it. I always thought you didn’t mind much, though,” she added after a moment.

“Most times I don’t,” Everett said, “but it’s been getting worse ever since we came back from the break. All that shit with the record company wanting us to be their perfect little money making machines. It’s just modern prostiution, if you ask me.”

They had wandered over to one of the sofas with their drinks. Lizzie was astounded at his bitterness; she had never known him to be so cynical. It was something she’d expected from Merula, not from the spotlight-loving extrovert that was Jason Everett.

“Don’t you think that’s a little harsh?” she said. “We’re incredibly privileged after all. We get to do what we love most, and we can share our passion with people who love our music just as much as we do.”

Everett regarded her for a moment and shook his head.

“Jesus bloody Christ, Liz, listen to yourself. You’re beginning to sound just like him.”

Lizzie didn’t need to ask who Everett was referring to; his derogatory tone spoke volumes by itself.

But that was something she wouldn’t let stand, not even today.

“I’m not,” she replied, “but I stand by what I said. Most people can only dream of doing what they love for a living, and a decent one at that. We all knew it would come at a price.”

Everett tilted his head to the side.

“What would you know about that? Don’t get me wrong,” he added hastily as he saw her brow creasing, “we all know you’re the popular one. You’re one fucking ray of sunshine after all,” he snorted with a lopsided grin that made Lizzie chuckle.

“But still, you get to hide behind your drums if you want to opt out. Not me though, I have to serve the masses, all day every day.”

Lizzie hummed in response, thinking about what he had just said. In some ways, she had to admit, Everett had a point.

“Is that why you’re doing all that shit?” she asked quietly. “The drugs, and the girls, and all that? To cope?”

“In some ways,” Everett shrugged. “It’s become a bit of a habit. A decent line and some good, meaningless sex do take the mind off things. But of course you’d know about that, wouldn’t you?” he said with a strange glimmer in his eyes.

Lizzie didn’t like the direction this conversation was taking at all.

Most of their friends seemed to know about her and Orion at this point, so she had expected word to reach Everett sooner or later. But that didn’t mean she was feeling comfortable talking with Everett like that either.

“We all have our ways to wind down,” Lizzie answered evasively.

Her eyes fell on Artemis and Charlie, who were still talking to each other, and jumped at the chance to change the subject.

“I find it hard to believe someone like Artemis would be among the girls running after you. No offence,” she added quickly.

She didn’t want to offend Everett; one hissy fit per day was more than enough.

“She just never struck me as the type.”

“Well, not all that glitters is gold, is it?” Everett remarked wryly. “We should know, we’ve been in this fucking business long enough.”

He motioned at the people gathered in the room, indicating all and no one in particular.

“Just look at all of us. Everyone fighting their own demons, and putting on a show for the world to see.”

He looked at her, and for the first time that evening a genuine smile crossed his features.

“You might just be the only decent person that’s left.”

“I very highly doubt that,” Lizzie laughed; maybe Everett hadn’t figured things out after all.

“I mean it,” he said earnestly. “You’re caring about everyone. You were the only person who gave a shit about me running off today.”

Lizzie shook her head. “That’s not true. Orion offered to go after you first. If anyone is the good one in this God forsaken band, it’s him.”

Everett raised an eyebrow.

“Funny you’d say that,” he said casually.

“Why?”

“Believe me sunshine, Orion is not all that he makes himself out to be. Not letting me sing because I don’t get the songs right? Bullshit. I’ve been getting his songs right for six years now. No, he loves the attention he’s getting, but doesn’t want to admit it. Wouldn’t suit his troubled poet persona.”

“You’re wrong,” Lizzie answered.

She was still annoyed with Orion’s behaviour, but what Everett was suggesting was ridiculous. She knew Orion like the back of her hand, and if he could make his music without the spotlight, he’d do it in a heartbeat.

“His music is all that counts for him. He never cared for all the rest that comes with being famous.”

“Really?” Everett said with a smirk and nodded to where Orion stood with Emily and her posse.

Emily was standing as close to Orion as she could without actually touching him, fluttering her eyelashes everytime he spoke.

“Just look at him,” Everett said quietly, “stealing my thunder and my girl, over and over again.”

His eyes never left Lizzie as he spoke.

“He’s not stealing anything from you, don’t be ridiculous,” Lizzie quipped with much more conviction than she felt. “It’s not like he wants all those things.”

“If he doesn’t want them, then why is he taking them from me? How much of a good person does that make him?”

Lizzie wanted to defend Orion but couldn’t really think of a proper reply.

She refused to believe he would do anything like what Everett suggested; she knew Orion after all, didn’t she?

But the nagging voice at the back of her mind had to admit Everett had a point.

Orion had told her the reasons for refusing to let him sing the new songs, but would that have been really so bad?

They had been playing together for years now, and although Everett would probably never get to a deeper understanding of Orion’s music, surely it was good enough to give a credible performance.

Instead, Orion had chosen to dabble with the well-established dynamics of their group - thrown everything off balance, as he would have put it.

“You see what I mean, don’t you?” Everett said with a gleam to his eyes. “He could be in my place right now, spending the evening with you. But instead he’s content having that fame hungry slapper all over him. What a good one he is.”

Lizzie frowned. “Wasn’t she the girl you took home yesterday?”

“Neither one of us was exactly first choice. She was fun enough for a night or two, though.”

Had she listened to him, Lizzie would have told him to stop speaking in such a derogatory way, but her attention had shifted away from Everett.

Orion had gone to get a new round for himself and his admirers. Lizzie desperately wanted to speak to him, make that voice in her head that was agreeing with Everett shut up for good.

Quickly downing her drink, she stood up from the sofa and pointed at Everett’s half finished glass.

“Do you want me to get you something?”

He leaned back into the sofa with a satisfied smirk.

“No, thanks. I got everything I could possibly want.”

When Lizzie stood next to Orion, he had just ordered white rum with cherry juice for one of his silly girls.

Lizzie fought not to roll her eyes; she had wanted to get herself the exact same drink, but couldn’t think of anything less appealing all of a sudden.

“Having fun?” she asked casually while she had the barkeeper fill her glass up whiskey.

“I would prefer other means of entertainment but as far as it goes, yes, I’m having fun,” Orion said, and his tone was guarded.

He could tell something was off by how much whiskey was already filling Lizzie’s glass; it was almost double the amount she was usually having, and she made no sign to stop the barkeeper either.

“Do you want to tell me what’s bothering you?”

Lizzie snorted. “Oh, now you suddenly care? After not talking to me for the whole day.”

She sipped on her drink and put it back onto the counter a little more forcefully than she had intended, the golden liquid sloshing up the walls of the glass.

Orion raised an eyebrow. “No need to snap at me, drummer girl.”

Hearing his nickname for her vexed Lizzie more than she cared to admit.

“Don’t ‘drummer girl’ me. You’ve been ignoring me the whole day without even telling me why. So why should I tell you now?”

“As you know, I put my focus on the important matters at hand,” Orion said, “and I simply advised you to do the same.”

Lizzie made an indignant sound and she took another sip of her whiskey. The sharp taste burned in her mouth and made her grimace.

“I can tell that you’re focusing on the important matters at hand,” she said coolly.

Her eyes trailed over to the group of girls waiting for Orion to come back. When hers and Emily Tyler’s eyes met, the influencer’s painted lips curved into a smirk.

Orion had followed her gaze, a mix of surprise and understanding forming on his features.

“If I didn’t know you had neither reason nor motivation, I’d say you’re jealous.”

“In your dreams.”

“Then care to tell me why you’re acting so out of your mind?”

Lizzie’s eyes flashed. “I could ask you the same. You’re always going on about how this is not your thing, being the centre of attention and all that shit. But here you are, enjoying the way these brainless bimbos are dancing around you.”

Orion raised his hands defensively.

“Easy now, this is still our fans you’re talking about here. And I’m being friendly to them, that is all.”

“Yes, I can see that,” Lizzie rolled her eyes. “Admirable how much you care about these fans in particular.”

“Liz, you’re being ridiculous,” Orion replied, the hint of a strain stealing into his voice.

Lizzie saw the group of girls watching them, giggling between themselves; she had the sudden urge to go over and pour her glass out over Emily Tyler’s head.

Orion’s voice drew her attention back to him.

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” he asked, a bitter ring to his voice. “Lie low, act like nothing ever happened. Well, here we are, then. A perfectly normal conversation between two perfectly normal friends. Although one of them is a little off balance tonight, if I may say so,” he added sardonically. “Come talk to me when you have found your centre again.”

With that, Orion turned his back on her and made his way back to the group of girls waiting for him. Handing out their drinks, he smiled before touching glasses with all of them.

When Lizzie saw him draping his arm around Emily Tyler’s shoulders, she’d had enough of it. Orion wanted to play dirty?

Well, so could she.

She grabbed the bottle of whiskey still standing on the countertop and marched back over to Everett, who had watched the whole scene unfold with a badly concealed smirk.

“That looked like it went well,” he chuckled as Lizzie slumped back onto the sofa next to him.

“Shut up,” she said glumly, refilling her glass before holding the bottle out to him. Everett took it from her with a mischievous glint to his eyes.

They continued in that fashion, passing the bottle between them until it was almost empty. Lizzie’s head was spinning but her anger at Orion hadn’t subsided one bit; on the contrary, with Everett reassuring her that it was Orion who was the one acting like a jerk, Lizzie was madder than ever.

She couldn’t even remember when she had last spent so much time talking to Everett.

It was a shame really; when you got past the boisterous and arrogant first impression, he was fun to talk to. He had a biting sense of humour, and his dry remarks made Lizzie laugh more than once; it was nice to laugh with him for a change.

Lizzie was starting to feel dizzy, and the only thing which wasn’t tilting ever so slightly around her was the glass in her hand. If she kept perfectly still it was alright, but as soon as she moved, she needed a moment to find her balance again.

Lizzie snorted at the thought; fuck that stupid balance talk.

“Hey rockstar, are you alright?”

She raised her head slowly, carefully not to make the room around her spin. She hadn’t even noticed Charlie joining them.

“Charlie,” she called out to him, her West Country accent thicker than usual. “What’s up? You all good, mate?”

He blinked at her in confusion.

“Uhm, yeah, I guess. Thought I’d check on you once in a while.”

He eyed the almost empty bottle of whiskey in Everett’s hand. “Don’t you think you’ve had enough for today?”

Lizzie wrinkled her nose indignantly.

“Don’t tell me what to do. Why do men always have to tell me what to do?”

“I’m not. I just want you to drink a little water once in a while.”

“Leave her alone, Weasley,” Everett chimed in. “If she wants to drink, let her.”

“Exactly,” Lizzie agreed; she noticed her words were slurry and tried very hard to keep them clear. “Everything is alright, don’t you worry about me.”

Charlie looked at her, and then at Everett’s arm, which lay draped half over the back of the sofa, half around Lizzie’s shoulders. It was only now that she noticed how close she was sitting to him.

“You sure about that?”

She made an effort to give Charlie her best reassuring smile.

“I am. I’m a big girl, Charlie. I know what I’m doing.”

“If you say so,” he sighed. “Just take care, will you? If you want me to get you home, just tell me.”

With that, he pressed a bottle of water into her hands and returned to Artemis.

Lizzie noticed he was glancing over every now and again, much to Artemis’ dismay. She was watching them as well, her face guarded and her expression unreadable.

But the young pyro tech wasn’t the only one who had their eyes on them; Lizzie could feel Orion’s gaze on her as strongly as if he was physically touching her.

When she looked in his direction and they locked eyes, he frowned before turning his attention to Emily in his arms again.

Lizzie’s eyes narrowed at the sight; Everett must have seen it, too, because he moved his arm from the sofa around her shoulders fully. Lizzie jumped slightly when he leaned in and whispered into her ear.

“What do you say? Want to make him jealous for real?”

Orion was already looking over to them again; he smiled half-heartedly at something Emily said to him, his hand running through his dark hair as Lizzie caught his gaze. She held his eyes for a moment before turning to Everett with a smile.

“What did you have in mind?”

With a smirk Everett stood up and held his hand out to her, and Lizzie walked closely behind him as he led her to the door. She didn’t have to make sure Orion would see them leaving; Lizzie knew he was watching, she could feel his gaze burning between her shoulder blades.

As Everett opened the door, she shot a last, pointed look over her shoulder at Orion, before stepping into the darkness of the deserted hallway.

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #harry potter hogwarts mystery #orion amari #lizzie jameson #artemis hexley #charlie weasley #emily tyler #jason everett #rockstar au #when stars ignite #wsi #besties collaborate

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raviotherabbit · 3 years ago

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royal pain in the ass - chapter 7

Chapter 7: Era of Force Princess Zelda heads to the forge.

[first] - [previous] - [next] read it on ao3!

△ ▲△

“Is the peppermint tea alright?” Zelda asked her companion sitting across from her on the picnic blanket. “I thought we’d try something a bit more herbal this time.”

“It’s lovely, thank you,” Hyrule smiled at her past his cup. “In fact, I’m tempted to start growing peppermint myself.”

Ever since she found out the Hero of Hyrule liked tea, Zelda had begun setting aside certain flavors for him to taste whenever he visited. Though he was older than the two of them, he reminded her a bit of Link just a year or so ago. A bit brash, always buzzing back and forth… they both needed to be reminded when to relax.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Zelda responded. She sips at her own tea, deeply sighing as its warmth settles in her stomach.

What a beautiful day…

“Excuse me, Princess Zelda?”

Looking up from her drink, Zelda was a bit surprised to see the Hero of Warriors. He stood above the two picnickers, ignoring how Hyrule’s gaze narrowed on him.

“Why, hello hero!” Zelda happily lifted her teapot to show to the captain. “Would you like to join us? Today’s choice is peppermint.”

“Maybe some other time,” Warriors waved the pot away. “I had some questions about the castle’s security.”

Subtly, Zelda met eyes with Hyrule. His lips were pressed together tightly, and his grip on his teacup seemed almost desperate. But the moment he saw her, she swore he forced himself to act natural.

“Go ahead, Princess,” he hesitantly nodded. He brushed himself off before he started to head towards the castle gate. “I need to stock up on potions in town, anyway. We can talk more later.”

“If you’re sure,” Zelda stood, taking Warriors’ nervous hand into her own. “Come with me, brave knight.”

Wordlessly, Warriors allowed himself to be guided into the castle. Zelda looked back towards the gate one last time. Despite his words, Hyrule was still there, leaning against the stone.

Then the door closed.

One step at a time, Zelda walked Warriors through the castle’s defenses. The armory, the barracks, even the throne room. But wherever they went, it seemed the hero grew even more nervous. He eyed the knights with suspicion as they passed by, and every time Zelda looked at him, he was even more fidgety than before.

But there was no reason to suspect Warriors of any ill intent. He’d been nice on all of the Links’ previous visits. Better than nice, really. Always courteous, opening doors ahead of her, even joining in with ribbing Four a bit. So if he was a bit nervous about her safety, Zelda would do anything to assuage those fears.

“You’re kind for your concern,” Zelda told Warriors, leading him into one of the empty banquet halls. “But we’re safe here. With Vaati sealed, there’s no longer any threat to Hyrule.”

“What about threats from within Hyrule?” Warriors asked the second they were alone.

Zelda couldn’t but gasp at the accusation. “Are you speaking of traitors?”

“Soldiers can be… easily manipulated,” Warriors explained warily. “It’s happened before, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, we… we did have an issue with mind control,” Zelda admitted with a frown. “But again, Vaati is gone for good. None of our soldiers will harm us.”

“What if… what if it wasn’t just any soldier?” There was a paranoid gleam to his eyes. “What if it was someone you know?”

Warriors was taller than Zelda, that was true. But the wrath of a princess is not feared just for her height. Zelda’s hands tightened into fists, and Warriors almost seemed to cower from her rage. “Just what are you suggesting, hero?”

His shock wore off, and Warriors righted himself again with the rigid composure of a knight. “If Four turned his blade against you, what would you do?”

“Stop!” Zelda commanded, silencing him with a single pointed finger. “Don’t speak of my four that way. He… none of them would ever do that!”

“But what if he did?!” Warriors suddenly grabbed onto her arm with a vice-like grip. “Can you honestly say that you would fight against him?!”

Zelda yanked against his hand. “Let go! Let go of me!”

“Stop it!”

There, silhouetted by the hallway’s light, was Hyrule. He rushed past the doorway, shoving Warriors away from the princess.

“Wars, you need to control yourself!” Hyrule shouted. “What’s wrong with you?! Why are you all acting like this!?!”

Warriors blinked is confusion, as if waking up from a dream. He spotted Zelda, helplessly clutching to her aching arm behind Hyrule.

“I didn’t mean…” he started, but his words drifted away.

“Just go,” Hyrule sighed as he dropped his head into his hands.

Stunned into silence, Warriors left before Zelda could stop him, scattering as quickly as he could and leaving the door open.

“I’m so sorry, Princess,” Hyrule turned to her. “I knew he was acting off, but I didn’t think… Anyway, are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she said breathlessly. The light spilling in from the door only twisted her stomach further. “I’m fine.”

△ ▲△

With her head held high and her steps confident, Princess Zelda Lucille Hyrule passes through the town gates.

“Princess!” one of the guards shouts after her. “It’s dangerous to go alone! Let us come with you!”

“I’m just going to visit Smith!” Zelda calls back, keeping up her quick pace. “I’ll be back before you know it!”

The soldier says something, probably about her father or the minister. But to be honest, Zelda couldn’t care less. A little time out of the city could never hurt, after all, and someone has to check in on the old man.

Once she’s out of hearing range of the guards, Zelda takes in a deep breath. The morning air is still fresh, a bit of a chill hanging onto it. It’s the perfect day to spend out in the world, not cooped up in the castle.

The walk to Link and Smith’s house is rather short. Zelda lightly knocks on the door, pushing it open as she does so.

“Smith? Are you home?”

But when she peeks inside, Zelda’s surprised to find she’s not Smith’s only visitor today. There are five girls seated around the room, Smith delicately balancing glasses of water as he delivers them to his guests.

“Princess!” Smith grins when he sees her at the door. All eyes turn towards Zelda, embarrassingly enough. “Come in! You’re right on time.”

“Uh, who are all these people?” Zelda asks, slowly stepping into the humble home.

“Friends of Link! They just stopped by asking about him, so I thought I’d offer the poor things some hospitality,” Smith moves behind her, guiding her to one of the chairs by her shoulders. “How’s your arm feeling, by the way?”

“I’m fine, not even sore anymore!” Zelda waves her arm up and down to demonstrate. She eyes the two ladies across from her, one in a simple pink dress and the other in a long black cloak. “So, you all know Link.”

“Well, we know the Links!” one of the girls sitting against the wall, wearing bright blue, amends, putting emphasis on the ‘s’.

“Plural,” her short friend with the bandana clarifies.

“And you,” the cloaked one leans forward, folding her hands on the table. “You’re Princess Zelda.”

“Yes, I am,” Zelda’s eyes narrow at the strangers around her. This has got to be the most suspicious way she’s ever been approached by potential crooks, that’s for sure.

“Well then,” the tallest one, wearing light pink, pushes herself up from the floor. “Welcome to the club.”

△ ▲△

Of course, once they explain the situation to Dot, she sweetens right up. Her suspicious glares and crossed arms melt away, and by the time they’ve stayed their welcome at Smith’s home, she’s walking in tandem with Tetra along that path back to town, all while Flora takes notes in her journal.

“So, you and your Link have known each other for quite a while,” Flora remarks as Dot finishes a story about the time Four lost his first tooth. He’d cried so hard that day, the whole town was complaining. But in hindsight, it’s incredibly funny.

“We’ve been friends since we were kids,” Dot explains, a fond smile on her face. “His grandfather is friends with my father, and his dad is one of the kingdom’s best knight’s. We’ve always known each other.”

“That must be nice,” Flora comments, speaking as she writes. “I didn’t meet Wild until we were twelve, and it was a bit of a rough start.”

“Yeah, well, Wind I met two years ago,” Tetra chimes in. “But unlike Four, I don’t think he grew up out of his crybaby phase.” She snickers to herself. “Still my best friend, though.”

“Oh, same here,” Flora twirls her pen.

Dot giggles. “Ditto.”

“When was the last time you saw them?” Dusk suddenly asks from the back of the group.

When Dot turns back, Dusk has stopped in her tracks. There’s something about the way she looks at her, desperation mixed with something else. Regret? Guilt?

“It’s been about two months,” Dot reveals. She looks to the one of them standing next to Dusk, Artemis, concern clear on her face. “Your hero is Warriors, right?”

Artemis startles, perhaps a bit shocked by the shift of conversation. “Y-yes,” she confirms.

“Well, he was-” Dot suddenly glances down, fidgeting with her hands. “He- Did you see him after me? Because he seemed very upset, so I was wondering if-”

“Woah, hold on,” Artemis interrupts. “He was upset?”

“Paranoid, more like,” she amends. “He wanted to know about the castle’s security, he was convinced that… that Four would turn on me.”

Artemis gasps, covering her mouth with a hand. “His paranoia came back?”

Flora gently closes her book, moving to place a hand on her fellow queen’s shoulder. “Artemis, are you alright?”

But before Artemis can respond, someone else speaks.

“Sky was also acting strange, when I saw him,” Tetra says.

Suddenly, all of the group’s attention is focused squarely on the pirate, particularly Sun, whose eyes are wide.

“What?” Sun questions. “Something’s wrong with my Link?”

Tetra snaps suddenly. “Oh, he’s yours! I’m not the best at keeping track of all these guys.”

“Tetra, now isn’t the time,” Flora reminds her.

“Right, right,” Tetra leans back on her left foot. “Well, I found him all alone, and he asked me about the flooding… About who died when it happened.” She sighs. “Called it the legacy he’d left the world, shamed the faith the people had in the Goddesses.”

“He… what?” Sun brings a hand to her forehead. “He said that?”

“Twilight was also angry, when I last saw him,” Dusk reveals abruptly. “He… he snapped at me, said that protecting Hyrule had always fallen to him when I should have… But we-we’ve talked about it before, I don’t know why he…”

A deafening silence hangs over all of them. After so long, so much work to get close to normal again, Warriors was somehow convinced once again that there was a traitor around every corner. Sky, always so brave, so dedicated, now believed that faith in the Goddesses could only bring sorrow. And Twilight, the loyal farmer, who’d always listened to his friends, used words spoken in confidence against Dusk.

What had happened to their boys?

△ ▲△

After so long on the road, being welcomed to Hyrule Castle feels like a dream. Nice soft beds, clean clothes, and the first bath Flora’s had in a week at this point. The grime of seawater and city filth washed away like nothing. Afterwards, she sat on her bed in one of the castle’s guest rooms. It’s much smaller than she expected, in fact, she and Artemis would be sharing a room. It reminds her a bit of their first night together, back in the Era of the Sky.

Idly, Flora doodles in her journal. Silent Princesses have always been her favorite, and their curled leaves and five petals are practically engrained in her mind with how much she draws them. One hundred years ago, whenever she was stressed, it was always these small sketches that helped calm her.

Flora’s stomach twists, the deep dread from before their arrival to the castle returning. So far, none of them had mentioned Wild, but if something had happened to her dear hero again…

So she writes it in her journal. Everything she knows, from what Dusk, Tetra, and Dot have shared. She may not know what’s wrong, but for Hylia’s sake, she’s a researcher. If anyone’s equipped for putting mysteries together, it’s her.

Luckily, just as she finishes her writing, the door creaks open. Artemis steps in, her hair damp from her own bath. She’s wearing a robe the castle staff so nicely provided.

“Artemis,” Flora smiles. “Thank goodness you’re here. I’m going to figure this out.”

“Oh, are you?” Artemis quips, though she’s missing some of her spark.

“I’ve just finished writing my own account of the last time I saw the Links,” she taps her journal. “And we know that you saw them next. So-” she pats the spot on the bed next to her. “Tell me everything that happened. Leave out no details.”

Artemis’s smile is weak, maybe even a bit forced. But she sits down by Flora’s side anyway.

“Alright,” she says. “Their portal appeared in the courtyard, early in the morning…”

△ ▲△

By dinnertime, Flora has managed to collect a statement from everyone she has available.

Flora (me) -Last saw the Links 3 months ago. -The Links spent an afternoon at Hyrule Castle. -Four and Legend were allowed to investigate the library, but to be careful. -Wild and Wind took a trip into town. -Twilight was concerned Wild would get into trouble, but I told him they’d be fine. I got some drinks for us, and I asked him about his time period (refer to prior notes). Same questions were asked of Warriors later. -I’m not sure where Time, Sky, and Hyrule were. -Everyone left before the evening. Wild said goodbye, promised to let me know as soon as he returned.

Artemis (Era of Warriors) -Last saw the Links 2.5 months ago. -Heroes went through a portal right into the castle courtyard. Artemis let them know they were welcome to explore Hyrule Castle and the town. -Wild wandered off with Sky and Legend, though Artemis noted he was leading that pack. -Warriors brought Wind to visit some of his fellow soldiers he hadn’t seen in a while. -Time came to her with concerns about group morale, so she suggested spending time with some of their loved ones (including the Zeldas! This bodes well for future statements). -They left the next morning. Other than Time, nothing seemed off. -Artemis wants it known that their army has had troubles with traitors in the past. This caused much paranoia for Warriors for quite some time, but she was sure he’d worked past it by the time he began travelling with the heroes.

Sun (Era of the Skies) -Last saw the Links a little more than 2 months ago. -Arrived at the Sealed Temple late in the day. Sun and others helped make them feel comfortable (classic Skyloft hospitality), they let most of them sleep in the temple that night. Sky slept in Sun’s tent. -They were all very tired from traveling, so she didn’t see a lot of them. -Sun found Legend staring up at the Goddess Statue. He was wondering what the point was of defeating evil if it always rose again. Sun told him a story about the First Hero (reminder: ask for THAT later), which seemed to calm his nerves. (Is this strange for him?)

Dusk (Era of Twilight) -Last saw the Links less than 2 months ago. -Four told her at some point before arriving, Legend said something rude and Twilight had to tackle Wild to stop him from pouncing on his fellow hero. -At the castle, Four made a comment about the armaments available to the guards. Something about this made Twilight explode, saying how they couldn’t even protect the castle. He turned on Dusk, asking why she couldn’t have stopped the Twili invasion on her own. She tried to reason with him, but he stormed off. -Dusk took Four to the armory to try and calm him down. He noted that all of them seemed to be tense. -The next day, Time went to Ordon Village (Twilight’s hometown) to look for him. The rest of the Links followed in the afternoon.

Tetra (Era of the Great Sea) -Last saw the Links 1.5 months ago. -They were staying on Outset Island (Wind’s hometown), so Tetra decided to drop anchor and spend some time with Wind. They were there for several days. -Wind was excited to see Tetra. He babbled on and on about his adventures with the heroes. She asked if he’s done any exploring, and he said he had in Wild’s time. Got very quiet. -One the second morning, she found Sky alone in the woods of the island. He asked her about the flooding that created the Great Sea and wanted to know how many lives were lost. He was dismayed by the “legacy [he] left the world”, wondering what faith brought the people.

Dot (Era of Force) -Last saw the Links about a month ago. -They were only passing through the area. Four and some of the others had stayed back at his house to talk to Smith. -Over time, Dot has made friends with Hyrule. Apparently they both like tea a lot. -While she and Hyrule were having a picnic, Warriors approached with questions about the castle’s security. Hyrule said he’d go get supplies and catch up with her later. -After Dot showed how secure the castle was, Warriors began questioning the procedures for traitors (see Artemis’s statement). He then asked what she would do if Four betrayed her. -This part, Dot has asked me not to share with Artemis: Warriors grabbed onto her arm with enough force to hurt her. The bruise lasted for quite some time. -Hyrule suddenly appeared and stopped Warriors, asking what was wrong with him. Dot thinks he implied there was something wrong with the others, too. Warriors left, seeming confused. -Four came to visit with Wind, later, to say goodbye. She didn’t mention the incident to him.

Several red flags stand out to Flora. The first being Time noticing tension amongst the group. If their issues started small and built their way up, then perhaps what he saw were the beginnings of whatever happened to him. He’s not specific, though, about where their problems were originating from, much to Flora’s dismay, but whatever happened must have been not long after they left her castle.

Sky was definitely acting strangely, but truthfully, Flora has no idea if Legend’s actions were out of character. She can only hope they’ll make it to his time soon, so she can ask his Zelda herself.

By the time they visited Dusk, though, there was clearly something wrong. Wild apparently almost physically attacked Legend at some point, which Flora can barely believe. Wild would never hurt his fellow Hylian, let alone another hero. And Twilight’s respect for his queen apparently going out the window? What was up with that?

If what Artemis says is to be believed, though, Warriors has regressed. He’s lost a lot of the progress he made towards himself after the War Across the Ages. If he’s so out of line, Flora can only imagine what’s happening to the rest of them.

Flora’s stomach grumbles loudly. Right, dinner is soon. A full stomach will definitely help her thinking, and Dot already made the rounds to let everyone know her father will be attending. Whether he knows anything or not, she has about a million questions to ask him anyway.

Closing her book, Flora carries it with her to the dining hall.

△ ▲△

The whole world, all of it, is coated in shadows. They hang from the sky like drapes, and never before has Zelda felt more alone.

“Link?” she calls out to the darkness, raising her torch just a bit higher. “Link, are you there?”

WIth her limited light, she almost runs right into a small statue. It comes up to Zelda’s hip, depicting a bird with its wings outstretched. But the top of its head is caved in, revealing a pile of kindling.

Right, it’s a torch.

Zelda lights the bird torch, which does nothing but provide a little more light. Perhaps on a whim, she decides to follow its directions, walking where its beak points.

“Link?” she shouts again. “Please, answer me!”

Again, Zelda comes upon another bird torch. And another, and another. Each time she finds one, she lights it, and she changes her path to follow its point. In the back of her mind, she remembers an old fairytale about finding your way back home.

As she travels more and more through this darkness, Zelda can see other things as well. Just on the edges of her torchlight, there are ruins. Buildings, torn apart or decayed, suffocated by the pervasive shadows. But she can’t stray from her path, not now.

Then, her light finds someone.

“Link?” Zelda asks. “Link, is that you?”

When he turns to her, Zelda is relieved. It’s Link, it really is! They can go home now, together, and-

The torch’s light gleams against the Master Sword. Blood drips from its hilt.

“Link, what did you do?” Zelda demands.

He says nothing, just takes a step closer. In fear and betrayal, Zelda steps back.

“Stop it,” Zelda says shakily. “Link, I’m warning you.”

Link still doesn’t respond. He darts towards her, raising the sword in a swift motion, and Zelda-

And Artemis wakes up in bed, gasping for air.

△ ▲△

There’s one last thing Dot wants to do before she leaves with her fellow queens and princesses. A job that’s all hers, as Princess of Hyrule, and one she wants to make sure is done before she’s away for who knows how long.

“You’ve all met my Link,” Dot explains to the group as they make their way through the woods. Her pack is already full, “And you’ve seen his sword, the Four Sword.”

“It’s a remarkable blade,” Dusk comments. “From the legends I’ve heard, it could give the Master Sword a run for its money.”

Sun humphs at that, crossing her arms and sticking her chin up.

“Not as you’ve seen it,” Dot reveals. Just then, they come across an old stone sanctuary, with pillars standing proud. Everything is covered in moss and vines, except for one item. At the center of it all is a sword, its hilt gleaming a pure white.

“The Four Sword that my Four carries is a fake,” Dot continues. “A recreation, with the power Four needed after his journey. This is the real Four Sword.”

“Oh, wow!” Flora marvels at the blade. “I can’t believe it! To see such a historical artifact up close like this…”

Dot tugs on her cloak, stopping her from running. “I’m only here to check on the seal,” she states with exasperation. “We don’t want to disturb Vaati, now, do we?”

“Oh, don’t we?”

As the Zeldas were distracted, none of them noticed the shadows behind the Four Sword twisting and gaining shape. The being behind the sword was a perfect facsimile of Link, but with pure red eyes and darkness all over his body.

“Shadow?” Dot can’t help herself but reach out. “Is that-?”

Tetra suddenly grabs onto her shoulder, pulling her back. “Whoever you think that is, Princess, you’re mistaken. He’s no friend.”

Of course, Tetra’s right. Shadow never had such malice in his eyes, and he would certainly never hover over Vaati’s seal like that.

“I’m hurt, Princess,” Dark Link fakes a pout. “I’ve always been a friend to her grace.”

He turns to Sun, a wicked grin suddenly on his face.

“Isn’t that right, Hylia?”

All eyes turn to Sun. The progenitor of their bloodline, the founder of their kingdom. The first Queen of Hyrule.

The… Goddess Hylia?

Flora is finally the first one to speak. “What?”

#linked universe #lu dot #lu flora #lu artemis #lu dusk #lu sun #lu tetra #rpita #fanfic #rav's writing

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