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nocturnalchaos · 1 year

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Chapters: 3/? Fandom: Teen Titans - All Media Types, DCAMU - Fandom Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Raven/Damian Wayne, DamiRae - Relationship, John Constantine/Zatanna Zatara, Dick Grayson/Koriand'r, Raven & Damian Wayne Characters: Robin (DCU), Raven (DCU), Damian Wayne, Rachel Roth, Jonathan Kent, Superboy (DCU), Donna Troy, Wonder Girl (DCU), Jaime Reyes, Blue Beetle (DCU), Garfield Logan, Beast Boy (DCU), Dick Grayson, Nightwing (DCU), Koriand'r (DCU), Starfire, Jon Constantine, Zatanna Zatara, Lucifer (DCU) Additional Tags: Mentions of Sex, 'cheating', Violence, AU Summary:

[AU] They lied, betrayed her trust, so she did the only logical thing she could think of; Raven fled. Where to? Oh, you know, just a little dimension called hell. And she may or may not be in charge...

Damian never understood why his brother or any of his previous teammates refused to talk about the "Fifth Titan"

They fully never expected to see her again, so they erased every trace of her possible. Their expectations had become false when she came to save them and the New Titans from a group of demons.

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I find this fanfic to be very original and still have the characters still acting "in-character". It is a great exploration into a "what if?" universe that centers around the Teen Titans. While, I do have a bit of a gripe about the number of chapters posted and the "eww" factor about the age difference between Damian and Raven. It still does not detract from how well done this concept is done. Plus, this one is worth a quick read by anyone who wants a little bit of bashing on Dick Grayson for being a "lady's man".

Personal Rating: 4.5 of 5

Metaphorical Aftertaste: It's like I just ate a small ginger snap cookie. Sweet and flavorful but with a bite.

Worth Rereading: Definitely

My Gripe: First, it needs more chapters! Second, there is a bit of an "ewww" factor in that Raven is supposed to be near the age of Nightwing/Dick Grayson and still be a love interest for Damian. ... It's better not to think about it and just enjoy the story.

Why Read It: Very original DamiRae fanfiction. While short, with only 3 chapters, it does pack a punch in terms of reading goodness.

#review #fanfic review #reading review #fanfiction #raven fanfic #raven fanfiction #damian wayne #damian x raven #damirae #demonbirds #raven teen titans #teen titans #teen titans fanfiction #teen titans au fanfiction #damirae fanfic #damirae fanfiction #demonbirds fanfic #demonbirds fanfiction #teen titans au

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theshapeshifter100 · 2 years

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Wolf and Raven: Anchor

Wolf and Raven

Wolf and Raven: Old Friends

Masterlist

And also the Fanfiction page on my blag because tumblr won’t let me edit my Masterpost!

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Despite the title, Raven, or Raven of Old, are not mentioned once

Wolf and Flow sat in front of Flow’s house, watching the people of old Alaunus go by, smelling smoke drifting from roofs and listening to the many voices of people living. How many of them remembered now? Did these children playing with sticks listen to stories of Alaunus? Did they dream of it? Did they even care?

“Some things do not change,” Flow chuckled, watching a pair of children pretend that their sticks were swords.

“Aye, they do not,” Wolf smiled.

“You used to bite me when we did that.”

“I had been a wolf longer than I had been a human at that point. Wolf pups bite. And if recall, you bit me back.”

Flow let out a bark of laughter. “Ah yes! I got in a lot of trouble for that with my parents.”

“As did I. Lowf still has the scars from when I bit him.”

“As do I!” Flow rolled up her sleeve, revealing an old, tiny, bite scar. Wolf winced.

“My apologies.”

Flow waved it off. “Water under the bridge, my friend. We were not even ten summers; children play rough, that is how they learn.”

“Aye,” Wolf watched the children now. One of them was pretending to scythe grass, while another might have been dancing to music only they could hear, thudding the stick into the ground rhythmically.

“Most of the children our age were afraid of me, I think,” Wolf remembered, half a smile curling on her lips. “I cannot imagine why they were afraid of the half wild girl who lived in the woods,” she chuckled.

“I was afraid of you too,” Flow admitted. “I used to hide behind my mother’s skirts when you and Lowf came into the village.”

Wolf placed her hand to chest in mock horror. “You wound me, Flow!” she mock gasped, before grinning. “I know, I saw. I thought you were going to be terrible at hunting if you kept doing that.”

“I never had your patience for hunting,” Flow tilted her head to the side. “Fighting on the other hand.”

“You could probably still beat me in a sparring match.”

“Do not doubt it!” Flow laughed, lifting a crutch into the air. “I come with weaponry included!”

“As do I!” Wolf allowed her fangs to grow as she grinned, before shrinking them back.

“On the forest edge at dawn?”

“Naturally.”

The two fell into another bout of laughter, not serious about the fight.

“That said, I grew to love you like a sister,” Flow said once the laughter had faded. “Although, I think you wished for the love to be different?”

All the humour drained from Wolf, and she glanced at Flow before finding the horizon.

“…Aye. For a time. You did not feel the same, so the matter rested.”

“… I did. Feel the same,” Flow clarified. Wolf slowly turned to look at her.

“Then why did you not say?”

“I did not realise until… until Cyrus came, and I realised that I was going to lose you. I was too much of a coward to speak.”

Wolf stared. “And… when I returned?”

“I was still a coward,” Flow chuckled, but there was little humour. “I had the courage to throw myself into battle, no matter who asked, but to admit to one of my oldest friends that I had romantic feelings for them? That was too much of an ask.”

“Flow, you have never been a coward.”

“You do not have to lie to me.”

“I am not. You are at least telling me now.”

“There is that,” Flow winced and shifted her position slightly. “One day my leg will realise it has gone,” she grumbled. “Besides, you were destined for things greater than me.”

“Do not say that!”

“I am not wrong,” Flow looked at Wolf. “I would have been an anchor, holding you in the harbour. When you should have been sailing free.”

“Forgive me if I am wrong, but is an anchor not always part of the ship? An anchor does not hold a ship back, but merely prevents it from drifting to unsafe waters.”

“The Royal Fortress was not dangerous,” Flow countered. “You would have been a grand ship, languishing in the harbour.”

“Or my anchor could have come with me.”

“Truly?” Flow raised an eyebrow. “Cyrus would not have allowed me, surely you understand that.”

“An agreement could have been made.”

“You do not believe that any more than I do. A commoner with two born shifters and the princess? Be realistic, Wolf. Apart or together, if you had known it would only have hurt us both.”

“You think it did not hurt to leave you behind?”

“Then the pain would have been sharper.”

“If you had been able to join me, then perhaps…”

“Perhaps what? Perhaps I would not have lost my leg? And perhaps you would not have been exiled? We all have our pain to harp on, Wolf. You know this.”

“The what-if’s, could-have-been’s, I am aware.”

Flow blew out of her cheeks. “Perhaps I should not have told you this.”

“No. I am glad you told me. Whether events would have gone differently if you had told me sooner, is impossible to know for certain.”

“Aye,” Flow sighed. “And, I have certainly moved on from that. We were young, we are not the same people now as we were then.”

“Aye. I still hold great fondness for you, but my romantic feelings for you have subsided.”

“I am glad we can agree,” Flow glanced at Wolf. “You know, I was not entirely joking about fighting at dawn.”

“Were you not?” a smile grew on Wolf’s face. “Then your request shall be honoured,” she held her hand out, mostly upright.

Flow looked at it, and with her own grin she clasped Wolf’s hand in her own.

While I had always planned that Wolf would have had a childhood crush, I always intended for it to be some unnamned character, not Flow. This is what happens when you listen 'Never Love an Anchor' by the Crane Wives on repeat!

And would you look at that, I'm back! Kinda. I got a burst of inspiration listening to that song, and I got a few pieces out of it, but after a few weeks I will most likely disappear into the ether again

Thank you to @fairyofsomething for always being up for beta read even if it’s completely out of the blue

#Wolf and Raven #Wolf #Flow #Alaunus #RavenCBBC #Raven 2002 #Raven OC #Raven Fanfic #TheShapeshifter100 writes

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thevoidstaredback · 22 days

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Okay, so, crisis averted. Both of them, really. Red Robin had not asked or attempted to get any more of Danny's drink and the World Ending Crisis was less World Ending and more World Threatening. Either way, no one is hyped up in lethal amounts of caffeine and the world is in no more pieces than it had been before.

That brings attention to a new problem, though. It's uniquely Danny's problem and Constantine and Zatanna and Deadman won't stop laughing at him. He's also pretty sure that Raven is laughing at him in the privacy of her mind, so that's making him feel worse.

The problem is that every single hero that had been at the meeting a week ago that was not a part of the JLD has been overly concerned about him.

So what if he half died when he was fourteen and therefore will never look over either fourteen or eighteen? So what if he consumes enough caffeine to kill an elephant within a few minutes? What is he gonna do, die? That's not a real threat as long as he only fights as Phantom.

Ignoring the fact that he can, in fact, get hurt to the point of near death as Phantom. It's not like anyone knows that, though! Besides, ghosts run on god rules. They can't die, only fade when forgotten. People aren't likely to forget about most ghosts, though, even if they can't remember their names.

He's not gonna share that, though. Let Batman keep his contingency that won't work because the only contingency that will work for Phantom is the one he made himself. Tried and tested! He's marked it off of his Bingo Card.

Anyway. Heros and their kids/proteges have been trying to track him down for the entire week. He can't risk even leaving the House of Mysteries because the Supers are all probably listening out for him and they can't hear him through magic. It sucks. He just wants to go get a cup of coffee as Danny. The second he leaves, though, the Supers will be on him like bloodhounds. He'd leave as Danny, but the rest of the JLD don't know what he looks like as Danny and he'd like to keep it that way, thank you very much. Being stuck as Phantom was going to start causing issues to his human half if he doesn't get to leave soon.

Should he risk it? Is coffee that won't kill him really worth risking the Supers finding out his civilian identity? Sure, they wouldn't tell anyone, but he didn't like the idea of someone being able to pick him out of a crowd when all he wanted to do was blend in. It's why he avoided Gotham and Bludhaven, actually, but that's both self explanatory and another story for another time.

"You're still here?" Zatanna sat on the couch beside him. "You're normally gone by now. You can't not be tired of us yet."

He sighed and sunk down into the couch slightly. "Believe me, I'm tired of being stuck here, but I can't leave. I can't leave as a human because you guys don't know what I look like and, no offense, but I'd like to keep it that way. I can't leave as I am now because Superman will be on my ass quicker than I can blink!" He whined this time, "I just want a cup of coffee."

"What about your special brew?" Raven asked, coming into the room.

"I want to drink coffee as a human. That stuff will kill me if I drink it as a human."

"At least you know your limits."

"That sounded like a dig at someone, Z."

"It was."

"Why don't you just go out under a protection spell?" Raven offered, "We could cast one over you and you could leave. Superman can't hear through magic, so he won't be able to tell. Neither will Superboy."

Danny thought for a second. "You're a genius, Raven! Has anyone ever told you that?"

"A few times," she blushed.

"Well, it needs to be said more!"

Zatanna laughed. "Alright, kid, let's get you outside before you drive yourself crazy."

Practically vibrating in place, Danny waited for the protection spell to settle over him. The second it did, he was out the door and wandering the streets of whatever city the House of Mysteries decided to drop him as Danny instead of Phantom.

"Who are you," was not the question or voice he wanted to hear the second he stepped into the open as himself.

"Danny," he squeaked out through his absolute panic. He didn't dare turn around.

The sound of fabric moving minutely clues him in to the second person behind him. What the hell were these two doing out? It's the middle of the day and there's no attacks going on anywhere in Gotham!

"Where did you come from?" Robin asked.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! This was really bad! Why did the House drop him *here* of all places? Does it *want* him to die again? It was very painful the first time, thank you very much! "Illinois?"

"Was that a question or an answer?" Why is Red Robin here now?!

"An-an answer?"

"Ah, you guys are scaring the little guy!" That was Nightwing. They're surrounding him! Why is Nightwing here? This is Gotham, not Bludhaven. "Give him some room to breathe."

They did not, in fact, give him room to breathe. Maybe coming outside was a bad idea. If he gets out of this no more dead than he already was, he was going to move to the middle of nowhere and become a hermit. Smallville is a town in the middle of nowhere, right? He'll retire as Phantom and move to Smallville until the people get suspicious and burn him as a witch-!

Maybe moving to a big city would be a better idea. Or locking himself in the basement of the House of Mysteries. Yeah, yeah that's a good idea.

"-even listening?"

Oh shit. They were still talking to him! Now is not the time to panic! "Gottagobye!" And then he was running.

Good job not panicking, Danny.

Part 1 Part 3

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alexandriaellisart · 2 months

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bills

#raven #robin #teen titans 2003 #teen titans comics #teen titans #robrae #i think they're platonic but i've also read a lot of fanfics of them ngl #either way i think they love each other a lot

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disc0bandit · 1 year

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Anyway, go and read My Stranger, My Dream by SigniorBenedickofPadua

'tis where this scene is from

#dream of the endless #matthew the raven #dreamling #dream x hob #dreamling fic #fanart for fanfic #sandman #Sandman fanart by me

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chodzacaparodia · 1 year

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Me, when characters who are practically meant for each other destroy their relationship by a misunderstanding they could have avoided if they’d just been honest with each other:

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damianwayne0 · 3 months

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Y/n: Damian!

Damian: Yes beloved?

Y/n , putting on her shoe: I am going out ! Do u want something to eat !?

Damian, smirking : Yeah, you.

Y/n : ....*beep beep* *beep beep* Hey , Raven imma little sick, can we go out later? Thanks love ya~

Damian : I was kidding-

•The rest is unfortunately a history•

Raven: *sighs* I better get some nephews and nieces

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honeydew-turtle · 3 months

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Ever After High Dolls was an account that often contacted the writers of ever after high and released facts about the franchise. Despite what many people may believe, Raven is not apple’s aunt.

#rapple #artists on tumblr #ever after high #eah apple #eah #eah raven #eah art #eah fanfic #fun facts #random facts

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dan-i-am21 · 1 month

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Is there a fic out there for Neil (or Katelyn) full on decking or attacking someone cause they mentioned having Aaron and Andrew at the same time. I’ve seen a lot things like “twins would be so hot at the same time” and it makes me feel gross.

With Andrew having the background he has it wa send him into shock for sure. I guess Katelyn wouldn’t know about it but I feel like she would be grossed out and flip out on someone. Idk I just want some angst and protectiveness from Neil or Katelyn,

#the foxhole court #all for the game #the raven king #neil josten #the kings men #aftg #andrew minyard #andrew x neil #aftg fanfic #katelyn aftg #aaron minyard #aftg aaron #Katelyn x Aaron #neil being a menace #Katelyn is underrated #I need more Katelyn fics

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cultpastorkevin · 4 months

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Cult Tips for AFTG writers

notes from the resident ex-cult pastor

If you’re in the cult, there is nothing bizarre abt what’s happening and in fact the normal stuff that happens outside of it is what’s bizarre to you. Target? Weird. McDonald’s? Even weirder. I can like guarantee Jean and Kevin never had McDonald’s until they left the Nest.

When you leave, you’re gonna be paranoid as fuck. All the time. Ngl at least for weeks but sometimes for years. Nightmares and insomnia 24/7. Hallucinations too lmao Riko is in every corner of empty rooms and you can hear his voice echo in the confines of the lockers.

I see a lot of Jean wanting to go back to the Nest, but not a lot of Kevin wanting to go back. He definitely struggled, 100%. In fact when he was in the pits of agony from his broken hand, was when he probably wanted to go back the most. Cult is home, cult is safe. Four walls you’ve always known and while it’s a cage at least it’s dependable. They hurt you but by god it always works out and the reward of pushing through this tragic incident is greater than the terror it caused in the first place. It’s a gift, actually. A gift from Riko. He saved Kevin. Cults save you. Cults make you wanna return to them like damn homing pigeons bruh. Give me more shattered hand Kevin screaming at Wymack to let him go back home and having a breakdown when he’s denied fics thanks

Piggybacking off the last one: cults are saviors; you’re nothing without them and they make sure you truly believe that; that everything that is done to you is for you and you’re blessed for it to be happening. You’re lucky even, to be allowed in it. Everything is as it’s supposed to be and order must never be challenged, because it works, and you’re the Edgar Allan Ravens, and this is the most honorable place you could be. All the pain you go through is you earning the right to be saved and to prove your worth every day on court. Only the worthy are honored.

You justify everything that happened and you will start fights and get angry with people who try to correct you and tell you it was wrong what went on.

On the other hand, you blame yourself for everything ever that happened there whether you were at fault or not. Hurting others, hurting yourself, gaslighting the fuck out of yourself over things maybe you could’ve prevented and over things you never could’ve stopped. The guilt is crippling and it eats you alive and haunts you.

There’s a lot of shame too. I see more guilt written than shame but shame is a huge portion of emotions that cult survivors have. Shits embarassing dude like “god how did I end up thinking this wack ass shit was normal” 😐 Shame comes later in the healing process usually, it’s after you have come to terms with shit that’s happened and you understand it. Looking back, you go “Jesus fucking Christ that was a red flag what the hell. Should’ve left then, or then, or then, or then” and then you’re just plain fuckin embarrassed.

Please look up how hive minds and brainwashing are created and work; also Stockholm Syndrome; understanding these would be incredibly helpful tbfh.

Diets are big; everyone eats the same thing; food is used as a reward and a punishment.

Hype hype hype. They whip up a frenzy of one singular emotion and use that to push you into a blind hysteria because you’re more suspectible to their influence when you’re out of your mind.

Drugs. Depends on the cult. But yeah these little bitches can be a huge factor for shit and can help with the brainwashing and hysteria and stockholm. Sometimes you don’t even know you’re being drugged or poisoned until you leave.

OH I ALMOST FORGOT. Dehumanization and then being treated like a person again can be traumatic as fuck yall!! Holy shit! Sometimes it feels worse than being dehumanized!

EDIT AGAIN: you don’t know what mental illness is !! Cults don’t fucking tell you these things lmao. if you show symptoms it’s your fault. Kevin being depressed his mom died was gonna get blamed on him and he was never going to be told grief is normal and it’s okay to be insanely sad. Jean also never got told his anger was correct or his trauma responses to being raped were realistic! They just got blamed for any reactions ever that weren’t neurotypical !! that is all; do with that what you will.

Idk if I think of anything else I’ll write another one but that’s all for now; I haven’t slept much lmao 🫡

#aftg #all for the game #edgar allan ravens #jean moreau #kevin day #riko moriyama #riko was a cult victim too yall #smh keep seeing people forget this #tetsuji moriyama #cult stuff #psycho analysis of aftg #kinda #it’s close enough #castle evermore #aftg fanfic #cultpastorkevin

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aftg-paranormal · 14 days

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Do you love AFTG? Do you love the paranormal? Then this is the fest for you!

The AFTG Paranormal Fest aims to inspire fanfics and artwork based on all things supernatural.

You can sign up as a writer, an artist or both! Express your interest by filling out this form now! Sign-ups begin May 1st.

Please reblog to spread!

What content is allowed?

Anything and everything paranormal, supernatural and AFTG. All we ask is that it is tagged correctly when posted.

All transformative works will be accepted. All relationships, tropes and ratings are accepted. There are no limits, other than the paranormal!

You may use themes such as, but not limited to:

Vampires

Werewolves

Witches / Magic

Ghosts / spirits

Superpowers and/or abilities

Reality shifting

Mermaids / Sirens

Ressurection

Demons / Angels / Devils

Time Travel

Seers / precognition

Faeries / Fae

Dragons

Aliens

And more! If it is supernatural, it counts!

If you have any questions. do not hesitate to reach out through our inbox, asks or discord!

FAQ

Q: Am I allowed to sign up as both an author and an artist? A: Absolutely!

Q: Can I finish my WIP for this event? A: Absolutely, as long as it is completely unpublished (i.e. is not already up on AO3).

Q: Can I write a sequel? A: You can write sequels to already-existing fic! However, it must also be possible to read as a standalone. If you are writing a sequel of someone else's fic, you must have their permission.

Q: What kind of art is accepted? A: Everything! Drawings, paintings, fan videos, podfic, edits, everything in between!

Q: Can my friend and I sign up as a pair? A: You absolutely can! Can't wait to see your collaborative efforts.

Q: Are crossovers or fusions allowed? A: Yes, as long as AFTG is the main focus.

#aftg paranormal fest 2024 #aftg #all for the game #fic fest #foxhole court #the raven king #neil josten #andrew minyard #jean moreau #jeremy knox #andreil fanart #aftg fanfic #aftg art #artists on tumblr #fic writing

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nocturnalchaos · 11 months

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This is the official start of the Raven pregnancy fanfic. I’m still working on a title but here it is!

Summary: Life was finally at a good place for Raven. She and her longtime boyfriend, Jason Todd aka Red Hood, had created a comfortable routine and were both happy with their relationship. However, Raven has unexpectedly become pregnant and it feels like the world has decided to empty a dump truck of problems onto her head.

~*~

(Author’s Note: This fanfic draws a lot of inspiration from BluBooThalassophile’s Hopes For A Bastard Universe, Xaphrin, and other JayRae fanfics. In this fanfic, I have altered a lot of Jason’s storyline after the “Under The Red Hood” story arc. Also, Trigon’s sealed state does not allow for him to initiate contact with Raven or anyone outside of his gem prison. And, finally, in this fanfic Raven is a bit more expressive in this story. This is because she is no longer a teenager who is still getting a handle on her abilities and emotions or affected by teenage hormones plus Trigon has been sealed for about a decade now.)

~*~

Prologue

John Constantine had never needed a cigarette so badly in his life.

And alcohol.

He needed a cigarette for the stress and enough alcohol to make him forget all of this shite.

He would have gotten that cigarette by now if he wasn’t afraid of a certain Arsehole with a gun shooting the hand holding the desired cigarette. The last one he tried to smoke near her had ruthlessly been shot out of his mouth. His only consolation was that the Arsehole was forced to quit smoking cold turkey out of necessity.

John looked down at the very pregnant 27 year old woman at his feet. Her panting could be heard over the chaos outside the pocket of calm readiness that enveloped the magic circle. The magic circle beneath their feet gave off a red glow. Giving everything an eerie vibe as they were partially lit from below. John prayed that this magic circle would do its job and provide enough protection from the shit show outside.

“Ahhhh! CONTRACTION!!” She shrieked as her hands clenched and stretched the fabric of her oversized shirt. Her face briefly turning demonic before reverting back to her usual appearance. Sweat dotted her face and dampened her hairline. Purple strands of hair clung to her sweat soaked face.

Bracelets of a matte black metal encircled the woman’s wrists. Hairline cracks had started to appear in the metal when her first contraction had occurred. With each subsequent contraction the cracks had grown, and occasionally, gave off the odd black spark. Both the magic circle and metal bracelets encircle her wrists working together to protect everyone. Especially the bracelets, they will hopefully prevent her from leveling… everything.

“Hey! Magic Dude, you really can’t you do anything about the pain?!” His red helmet didn’t block his words from being heard. This fact continually annoyed John whenever he looked at the blighter in his getup.

Through gritted teeth she spoke.

“Jason, honey. We already discussed this and it’s not going to happen. So, fucking DROP IT!” After the words left her lips, she tried doing another round of controlled breathing.

Sighing. The helmeted man resigned himself to this decision and muttered a growled, “Fine.”

The woman nodded at his resignation and continued her controlled breathing. After experiencing another contraction with its accompanying yell, her face became very firm.

“John!” Determination filling her usually emotionlessness voice.

“What!” He snapped the word at her as he stood next to her supine body. On the opposite side of her body, the Arsehole stood guarding her with a gun in each hand. The Arsehole cocked a gun and tilted his head at John in a not so subtle warning before going back to his vigilant readiness.

In a voice as hard as stone, Raven said, “You’re going to have to deliver the baby!”

~*~

Please let me know what you think in the comments or reblog and if there are any grammatical errors or constructive criticisms. I’m working on chapter 1 right now. I will post it when I finish it. Your comments and likes are appreciated and what motivate me to continue posting and writing. Also, this is my first fanfic.

P.S. I have been continuously been making small edits to these chapters as I spot them so please keep that in mind when you read the typos and changes in the reblogs.

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theshapeshifter100 · 2 years

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W+R: Flow and Wolf Part 2

Masterlist

Fanfiction Link

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The instructor clapped for attention, the sound carrying through the field. “We are about to start sparring! Put your staffs away, get some armour on and I will split you into groups based on height!”

Flow followed the rest of the ten/eleven year olds to the basket to put back her training staff, then followed the small mob to the pile of brown chest, head, arm and leg pieces that made up the sparring armour. There was a crackle in the air, excited whispering and chattering. This was the first time they were going to apply their practice to a fight!

Wolf’s grey hair stood out in a group of blonde, red, black and brown, and it was currently bent down with everyone else, trying to find armour pieces that fit. Even after being a semi common sight in the village for that last five or so cycles of the seasons, it was hard not to stare a little.

Flow found some armour that fit her, tucking her thick, wavy, brown hair under the helmet with some difficulty. The padded armour made it difficult to move properly, but the instructor assured that they would get used to it.

Once everyone had been tied into the armour, the instructor scanned the group.

“Flow, Wolf, Mac, Rowan! You’re a four! Head to the end of the field!”

The four of them shuffled to the end as the instructor sorted out the rest of the group. They all knew each other, but not all of them ran in the same groups. Wolf was usually with the older children these days, and Mac and Rowan were just in a different set of friends.

They all nodded to each other, and waited for the instructor to finish. Wolf was already moving a little, bouncing on the balls of her feet and tapping her nails against the arm guard. The sound was both annoying and satisfying.

“Catch!” the instructor called, throwing padded sparring staffs to the groups. Flow’s nearly hit her in the face, and Rowan and Mac floundered to the catch theirs. Wolf caught it with one hand, and looked around like she was wondering how everyone else had failed to catch it.

“Pick a partner to spar with in your group! We will be rotating sparring partners every few rounds, so do not waste time thinking about it!”

Mac and Rowan immediately stood opposite each other, leaving Flow and Wolf to spar each other.

“You do know biting is not part of sparring?” Flow asked her, and Wolf raised an eyebrow.

“Aye,” Wolf hefted the padded staff, feeling its weight. “Is it truly necessary to pad us and the weapon?”

“They do not want to risk injury?” Flow shrugged. “It is harder to hold though.” Only the ends to properly padded, the middle leaving space to hold, but it still felt restricting.

“Ready positions!”

Flow and Wolf held their staffs out towards each other, shifting to longer stances and lifting onto the balls of their feet.

“Begin!”

Flow was first to launch forward, making Wolf block and dodge, then coming in for her own strike before Flow could follow. It became clear that Wolf was both strong and fast, but Flow was stronger.

As the instructor called “Time!” Flow shoved the butt of the staff into Wolf’s chest. Wolf staggered back and tripped over her own feet, sprawling on her back as the bout came to an end.

“Per-perhaps,” Wolf panted. “That is why the staff is padded too.”

Flow held a hand out to help her up, and Wolf took it.

“Reset!”

Wolf and Flow took their positions again.

“Begin!”

Wolf was even faster this time, not wanting to be knocked onto her back again. She suddenly lunged and Flow staggered back, something primal kicking in as she looked at Wolf’s face. She’d been so convinced that a real wolf lunging for her.

Wolf then managed to swing and knock Flow’s legs out from under her. Their bout paused for a moment as Wolf helped her up, and they continued from where they left off.

“Time!”

The two relaxed, breathing heavily and faces pink under the helmets.

“Everyone, move one person to the left!”

There was a bit of shuffling as everyone tried to work out exactly what they meant, but soon Flow was facing Rowan, and Wolf was facing Mac.

The next few fights weren’t as good. Flow initially had a hard time realising why, but soon put her finger on it. Neither Mac nor Rowan were as good. They weren’t bad by any means, but they lacked the ferocity of Wolf.

They apologised when they landed a hit, almost as though it was reflex, and their hits were soft, cautious. They’d been chasing and rough housing each other for years, why this change?

After everyone had fought everyone in their group, the instructor called to the end of sparring, and bid everyone to take their armour, put their staffs back, and start gentle walking to cool down.

Flow ended up walking behind Wolf, both of them looking like their hair hadn’t seen a comb for at least a week. For Wolf that might actually be true.

The session came to an end, and the children all wandered back to their homes, but Flow followed Wolf as she walked towards the edge of the Whispering Forest.

“Why are you following me?” Wolf asked, barely stopping.

“I think we should do our own sparring.”

That made Wolf stop, and she turned to face Flow, face creased and head tilted as she thought.

“…You were the best fighter in our group,” she said slowly.

“Exactly, and so were you! So, we should spar together!”

The corner of Wolf’s mouth lifted into a smile. “No biting?”

“No biting, obviously,” Flow rolled her eyes. “We could do it with proper staffs, without armour!”

“I think we should wait on that. We are new to this.”

“We will be fine!” Flow brushed off. “We are not babies! We can handle it!”

“I still believe we should wait, a little bit. We do not have our own staffs.”

“You live with Lowf! Make some!”

Wolf opened her mouth to counter, then closed it.

“…Only if you can find practice armour.”

“Deal!”

---

They kept the staffs at Lowf’s hut, and Flow kept the armour in her room. She did have to ask the instructor in the end to borrow it, but the instructor was fine with it, as long as they brought it back for training.

A few months into this arrangement, the pair were dropping their staffs off a Lowf’s hut, taking their helmets off and shaking out their hair.

Lowf poked his head out of the hut, the smell of salt and herbs drifting out of the door.

“Would you two like a drink? It is rather warm out.”

It was summer now, with biting insects hovering over every body of water they could find and the days dragging on, while the heat only climbed.

“That would be lovely,” Wolf panted, tongue lolling like a wolf even as she sweated.

“Come in, it’s cooler inside.”

Flow had never been inside Lowf’s hut before, and jumped at the chance to look.

The hut was small, it seemed like there was barely enough room for two people, let alone three. To the right of the door was a small hearth and cooking pot, and Flow had to duck as she entered, as herbs and meat hung from the ceiling.

The hut itself was cluttered, with finished and half-finished carvings and their tools. There were plates and other utensils, carved from wood, scattered rather haphazardly. To the left was a pile of furs, while a basket of feathers and sticks hung just by a small window. A couple of packs sat under the window, one empty, one in the process of being packed.

The hearth was not lit, and the pot only filled with cool water, and Lowf was right, it was cooler in here, away from the sun.

Flow and Wolf found some space on the wooden floor, sipping their water. After a minute or so, Wolf flopped down, pressing her back against Flow’s side and drinking from there.

Flow looked down in surprise, half expecting to see a dog, or a wolf even, but Wolf was still human.

Even Lowf looked surprised. “Acting like a wolf without being one?”

“Too hot for fur,” Wolf grumbled.

“We can go to the River of the Diving Bird later if you want to cool off.”

“Yes!” Wolf popped back up again, making Lowf laugh and almost clashing heads with Flow.

“You would be welcome to join us,” Lowf added to Flow. “If your parents do not mind?”

“I can ask.”

“I would suggest that you finish your water first,” Lowf smiled warmly, his weather-beaten face crinkling and a leaf hanging from his curly, nut-brown hair and over his ear as though it were fixed there.

---

The sun was still up, although finally beginning to set when the three of them reached the bank of the river. They found a section of bank that formed a pebbly, muddy shore and Wolf ran straight in, fur and tail flying.

Flow shielded her herself from the spray of water as Wolf jumped in, and Lowf laughed and shook his head. Flow then yelped as Lowf pushed her in.

Freezing cold water splashed up as she struggled to maintain her balance in the calf deep water, and she shrieked from the cold. It was then Lowf’s turn to yell as Wolf burst from the water and grabbed his sleeve with her fangs, dragging him down too. He lost his balance and fell onto hands and knees for a moment, water splashing up and completely soaking him.

“You asked for it!” Lowf roared as he pushed himself up. He plunged his hands into the water and splashing repeatedly at Wolf, who chuffed and yelped as she dodged each splash.

Flow got caught in the crossfire, and began to splash indiscriminately. Wolf, Lowf, the trees, everything got soaked.

Lowf was still laughing, and Flow joined in. Yaps and laughs came from Wolf as she changed form with every leap and dodge.

Finally they ran out of energy and trudged back to the bank, sheltering in the shade of the trees.

Wolf didn’t turn back to human right away, fur dripping and tongue lolling as she made her way up the bank. Lowf seemed unconcerned, but Flow found herself skittering away.

Wolf wasn’t full grown, still a young wolf with gangly limbs and scrappy coat, but her shoulder still came up to just below Flow’s chest. The fur was in a shorter summer coat, mostly grey and white, with brown mantle on the shoulders, streaking down the back towards the flank.

White tipped her muzzle and paws, and a solid grey ear flicked towards Flow as she walked towards Lowf. Once she was within range, she began to shake herself dry.

“WOLF!” Lowf tried to shield himself from the deluge. “Enough! Wolf!”

Wolf didn’t stop until she stopped dripping, sending Lowf a wolfish grin before flopping down onto the grass, panting. Lowf sighed heavily and ruffled her between the ears before collapsing under a tree.

Flow remained standing, still eyeing Wolf nervously. She was relaxed now, but… but she was a wolf. She hadn’t had that realisation for a while, but here it was again.

“You are safe,” Lowf assured, with a rather defeated tone, like he’d said that many times. “She will not harm you.”

Wolf let out a huff that sounded like a laugh and her tail thumped against the ground.

Flow cautiously sat down, still keeping Lowf between her and Wolf. Lowf and Wolf looked at each other, and another huff and chuff she stood up and flopped between Lowf and Flow.

Flow froze as Wolf rested her head on Lowf, but rested her back against Flow’s side.

She slowly began to relax as she realised that nothing was going to happen. Wolf’s tail swished and thumped against her foot, and the weight was comforting. Drying off in the warm, summer air, she began to feel safe. At peace.

---

Sparring is an odd thing, it doesn't happen to everyone, but quite a lot of people, the first time they spar, with contact, they get nervous and apologetic about it. They're suddenly afraid of hurting you. It's just something that happens, and you grow out of it with practice. As for why they're doing this sparring? I assume it's a like a Warrior precursor, everyone gives it a go as a kid and they can walk away if it doesn't work for them.

@fairyofsomething suggested I start calling this the ACU, or Alaunus Cinematic Universe, and I'm down for that!

On another note

This was made with kaylink's wolf maker, which is one various sights like DollDivine and Azalea's Dress up Dolls www.azaleasdolls.com/animals/g…I'll never pretend I made this! A general idea of how I think Wolf looks in her Wolf form, the scar was never going to be entirely accurate, but there you go

#Wolf and Raven #Wolf #Flow #Lowf #Alaunus #The Island of Alaunus #Raven CBBC #Raven 2002 #Raven OC #Raven fanfic #Raven fanfiction #TheShapeshifter100 writes

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