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stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage · 11 months

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I said I wasn't going to get started on the topic of Aveline ruining Carver's chances with the guard but I lied okay, it's Carver Hawke defense hours.

Here's the thing; it doesn't matter if you believe Carver was or wasn't fit for the guard. That's a different debate that I'll get to. What matters is Aveline's in no position to tell the guard not to accept his application. Why does she think that's her right to judge whether or not he's fit?

Carver should've had the chance to prove himself one way or another. If it turns out he's not a good fit, then let him fail. Let him learn from it.

"Oh but failure could mean lost lives-"

Aveline doesn't get to talk shit about failure and the people. Plenty have died on her watch yet she still believes she's a good guard and Guard-Captain.

"maybe Aveline's protecting him, Carver could die while on patrol-"

Carver could die working in the Bone Pit, or serving as a templar, or when he's running around with Hawke. Carver could trip and fall down a set of stairs and die. In fact, he can die in the Deep Roads, somewhere he wouldn't have to go if the Hawke's weren't desperate.

Either Carver fails as a guard, or more likely, he succeeds and proves himself worthy of it.

But let's be real, Carver probably kept getting rejected due to being a Fereldan with a past of smuggling/mercenary work and Aveline only reaffirmed the decision, either because they asked her what she thought or she stuck her nose in unprompted.

But what irritates me is that she admits to telling them not to accept his application, and then has the balls to call Carver too proud to take up a trade or find another line of work.

Carver tells her, "And who would take on a Fereldan apprentice? Maybe in another year I could work my way up to pissboy." He has a good point here. Aside from the guard, the only other place Carver could work and use his skillset is with the Templars. Or go back to mercenary/smuggling work.

And Aveline doesn't even have a real answer for him. No suggestions, no encouragement, nothing. Just "Fine, let's crawl down some holes. Good bloody luck for your sake."

Also, if you do the Mark of the Assassin DLC in Act 1-

Aveline: You should see if any of the noblemen are looking for new men-at-arms. Carver: Are you trying to get rid of me? Aveline: It's a role with some autonomy. A good fit with your training and... tendencies. Carver: After serving King Cailan? You want me to suffer some poncy git who needs two servants to wipe his own ass? I'll find my own way, thanks. Aveline: I wish you would.

You wish he would?? Aveline, he was trying to find his way into the guard, a position he'd make a good fit for, and you helped deny him of it because YOU didn't think he would be good enough, I just-

If I haven't made it clear yet, I firmly believe that Carver would've made a great guard. He wants to help people, to be a protector. He's loyal, and despite what Aveline claims, he can follow orders and take his duty seriously. We see him do incredibly well with the Grey Wardens, after all. If he were a guard, he wouldn't have to go down into the Deep Roads with Hawke, and I think he would've been okay with that! He's so hurt and bitter when you leave him behind because that effectively tells him, "I don't need you." Carver's spent the whole first act telling you he wants to go on the expedition aka that he wants to be needed.

But if he were a guard, he would be needed elsewhere. He'd be in training as a recruit. He'd look after Leandra while you go. He wouldn't be backed into a corner with no income and only the templars left as his chance at forging his own path and providing for his family.

He doesn't get that opportunity, though.

By the way, if he becomes a warden, you can get this banter:

Aveline: I'm glad you found a place with the Wardens. Carver: Well, it's not the city guard, but it'll do. Aveline: Carver... it wasn't the place for you. Carver: No, it's all right. It is. It cost a lot, but I get it. I really was a bit of a tit those days, wasn't I? Aveline: Well...

This banter makes me want to scream.

Aveline's just... she's so insistent that she's right. She's someone who will double down rather than entertain the idea that she's wrong and it's not just with Carver and the guard, it's with everything. The "my beef with Aveline" list gets longer and longer every time I replay da2, I swear.

Say what you will about Carver, whether you think he would've been a good fit or if Aveline's right and it wasn't for him, he was denied a chance and it cost him so much in the end. He either dies, or he joins the templars where he deals with Chantry's bullshit trying to brainwash him with "mages aren't people" and "magic is a cancer in this world", or he's infected with the blight and becomes a Grey Warden, forced to serve the rest of his life fighting darkspawn, tormented by voices and nightmares.

I will never not be bitter about this.

#dragon age 2 #da2 #dragon age #carver hawke #aveline vallen #aveline critical #oh and also forever bitter that hawke doesn't have the option to talk to aveline about this #because listen my hawke would be on this #carver would be annoyed and all 'i don't need your help >:[' but that's not gonna stop ed from turning on Big Brother Mode #this is just one of many reasons i can't do the friendship path with aveline #i hate the thought of doing rivalries for all my other companions but i feel like aveline's rivalry route is the only chance to shake her #of her unwarranted over confidence and make her realize that she's not this lawful good 'i stand for all of us' guard captain #she still stands with me in the end but at that point i wouldn't be surprised if she was just doing to because she still feels she owes ed #for getting her outta fereldan and into kirkwall rather than because we're loyal best friends y'know?#she's certainly not doing it for the mage rights #but anyway i never miss an opportunity to defend carver #that's my baby brother and i love him

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nothorses · 8 days

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i am a trans man who has been transitioning with top surgery for years, but still only like 50/50 passing. still legally female.

i joined a trade union on a social media post asking for women to recruit, as they have a goal of 10% women, and currently are at less then 1%. i know that certain government based jobs require a certain amount of women working on them, so sometimes i have a bit of an advantage being dispatched to a new company over a cis man apprentice.

ive had some people say its wrong to take advantage of this, because if i want to be a man, i shouldn't use these spaces that were made for trying to get more women to join the trade. but i don't think im really taking space from women, because theyre still not even close to their goal, and most women don't even consider this trade a viable option anyways (hence the extremely low numbers, despite the fact they are actively trying to reach out and recuit women)

I think that's the right call. I mean, consider why they have that ratio requirement in the first place; you are not Taking Up Women's Space As A Privileged Man. They are trying to create space for people who are marginalized for their gender and may struggle to find space in the field otherwise, and you fall under that umbrella as a trans person.

Also, like, as someone who works in education: it's still more common for trans men and transmascs generally to be working in education than it is for trans women, even though cis women are vastly more represented in the field than cis men are. [source] (I would not be super surprised if the reverse was true for tech, but I can't find stats on it.)

I think it's a lot more complex than just "AGAB socialization" or whatever, but it's silly to pretend that the possibilities you were raised to see for yourself based on the gender other people thought you were are like, completely irrelevant just because you're trans.

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bonefall · 6 months

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what is the crow/night/breeze family dynamic like in this au? you've mentioned crowfeather being the one still emotional over leafpool so that would definitely affect breezepelt, but im curious of the wider scale of it. love this au btw!

I'm trying to infuse more nuance into all three of them like they're a cold brew tea.

HOLD UP THOUGH; let me be CLEAR!! I don't think Nightcloud has done anything wrong in canon (besides the rebellion which they forgor about anyway). I do not like how the narrative put a lot of blame on her in Po3/OotS/field guides when her greatest sin was... loving her child.

So in BB she is going to do bad things because we support women's wrongs <3

NIGHTCLOUD

I keep going back and forth on when she was born, if she was nabbed as a kit after the WindClan Massacre or if she was a young warrior during the BloodClan battle.

In either case, she is the sister of a cat named Tawnyfur, and their Mi is Hillrunner. They were born to Hillrunner's identical twin Downwind, but she was killed during TPB.

Hillrunner was incredibly traumatized by the horrors. She was obsessed with strength and phobic of ShadowClan for her entire life.

If you met Hillrunner, you'd think Nightcloud was a sweetheart in comparison (and she will be)

Tawnyfur was killed in the BloodClan battle.

Nightcloud hated Tallstar agreeing to trade with them, and she was easily recruited by Mudclaw based on her fury at Leo, Snapper, and Spagbol joining WindClan.

When they got to the Lake, Nightcloud joined Mudclaw's Rebellion. She spoke out against involving cats of other Clans in the cause, but fell in line quick.

The rebellion sabotauged a muirburn. The controlled burn became uncontrolled FAST.

I think she wanted to blame the cats like Hawkfrost for how far it went, but after the rain doused the flames and WindClan had to keep putting out smouldering peat fires, she realized it didn't look good to keep blaming others.

Plus how Mudclaw got smote. THAT put fear of StarClan into her

So it wasn't neccesarily out of regret that she apologized for her role and begged forgiveness, but a mix of guilt, fear, and genuine desire to fix the collateral damage.

I think she did take Crowfeather as a mate for reputation purposes, but she did also like him and want a mate. It wasn't an Honor Siring, for her it was more of an "arrangement" which she hoped would strengthen

She wanted to prove her loyalty, but also that she is a good and loving cat.

When Breezekit came around, she tried her hardest to be a good mom. She really didn't want to be like Hillrunner.

But she hadn't worked through anything else. Still had a distaste for Brushblaze, Snapstorm, and Cranberrysplash. Strongly valued strength and aggression. Only approved of Onestar when he pushed for violence and rejected the notion that you can trust cats of other Clans.

Breezepelt struggles with it for most of Po3, because he gets very close to the Three and considers them friends. But when the reveal drops, he believes she was right all along

I don't know how to preserve it yet but I do want Nightcloud to keep the housecat friend she makes in CT. Eventually.

Basically... she's dealing with a lot of anger of her own, not really knowing how to sort it, following along with what she was taught.

And Breeze inherits many of those problems.

CROWFEATHER

Significantly different from canon. Not aloof; dramatic

He's also a REALLY good cook. He was Mudclaw's apprentice and it shows.

I'm actually going to wrap him up in the rebellion. He endorsed Mudclaw's claim over Onestar-- and over the word of Brambleclaw.

But he snitched and fetched help on the night of the sabotauge.

After that and then Leafpool, he was also looking for a way to boost his reputation. Having kits was a way to do that, and he's a cat who was chosen by StarClan to go on a great journey, son of an old deputy and a new deputy, with an honor title, who ran to fetch help and thwart the assassination attempt.

He knows he is a bit controversial but also that he is undeniably a big shot. And he's not going to pretend like he's not proud of that. He's not even 5 and hasn't even had an apprentice but he's the most significant cat in WindClan

So when Breezekit comes along? He should be grateful. But he's not, he's a snot nosed little brat (child) who backtalks (child) to his own father (adult)

And he sure doesn't appreciate Nightcloud always trying to fight him. How dare she tell him how to be a Ba?

She won't let him BE involved in the way he wants, turning his kit against him, this is all her fault.

"If it wasn't for her, Breezepaw would know discipline!"

The whole world is out to get Crowfeather and anything bad that happens around him is someone else's fault.

So obviously the mateship falls apart fast.

He doesn't respect anything about Breezepelt, and blames all of his kid's problems on Nightcloud.

In a furious fight, he likes to compare Nightcloud to his other lovers. He says Feathertail, even if he IS talking secretly about Leafpool, because she is dead and can't confirm it, and it always hurts Nightcloud to be compared to an outsider.

This is an exhausting person to be around, and the boost in status and resulting ego makes him insufferable in contrast to the young warrior he was on the Sundrown Patrol.

After the Secret Reveal though, when Leafpool is stripped of her Cleric status and Crowfeather starts talking openly about his love, it is the LAST straw with Onestar. He rips his warrior name off and exiles him for a month-- begone CROW, NO SUFFIX. No you're not going back to CrowFOOT either. Not even an entire Dishonor Title. Just Crow.

He does start improving after that, but he needed a drastic punishment

BREEZEPELT

The kid was only born as a status symbol. Do you blame him for being a special kind of messed up?

He really cannot remember a time where his parents weren't fighting. Never liked it when Crowfeather did parental duties either. Kids are really sensitive to bad vibes.

Was, and still is, really close to his mom. But he always spent a lot of time with his buddies.

Harepaw, Kestrelpaw, Breezepaw, and Heatherpaw were the oldest apprentices in WindClan, the first ones born in the new territory. They all hung out together, except Kestrelpaw who was in Cleric training as soon as possible. Not even 6 moons.

When he's in a good environment, Breezepelt really shines. He isn't like Crowfeather says he is, he's actually fine at making friends and getting along.

When Crow or Night are around, he will often noticeably get more rude and xenophobic, eyes darting back at them like he's looking for approval. Night is always approving of this and giving light chuckles, Crow will engage in it too, but snap if he feels like Breeze embarassed him somehow.

When they go away it's like it drains out of him.

His worst choices in BB always go back to him being pretty desperate for approval, snapping between idealizing people or thinking they're the absolute worst.

So yeah. It's a screwey little dynamic. They hate Crowf, Crowf hates them, the arrangement was massively based on status, Breezekit was always in an unstable environment from the get-go, Nightcloud did contribute to Breezepelt's mindset especially post-reveal.

#better bones au #BB!Crowfeather #BB!Breezepelt #BB!Nightcloud #Tw abuse #Cw Child abuse #Cw toxic family #Cw xenophobia

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digitalagepulao · 8 months

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Ok I am snooping on your AU but I would like to ask- how is everyone’s dynamic with each other ? Is it essentially the same as in JTTW or do you have different relationship dynamics between all of them? Or do you have special little quirks they have or do, interesting headcannons, little fears or even gripes that the pilgrims may have ?

BDJHBWAJDBAWHDA HIIII TvT

mmmmm there are a lot of similarities to JTTW but with some nuances since i do focus on the interpersonal aspect more than the allegorical on my au!

For instance, Longma is still a stand-in for the human will, but he's more active in the story. He's often the one pushing the others to keep going, encouraging them to come up with plans or not give in on a fight, he keeps them from wasting time but doesn't step in unless he has to. The fact that he's not always in his horse form also goes a long way xD

The fact that in my AU he's also the head disciple makes for an interesting dynamic shift. The others often turn to him for advice or well, to Do Stuff, but he's still a prince and very good at delegating jobs xD He's also the last line of defense for Tripitaka, so when he's not outracing demons, he's the one putting up a fight to keep any kidnappers away. Stallions can be quite terrifyingly protective when they need to be, after all!

Wujing is the second disciple and it shows. He often uses his impressive size for shelter from the weather when none other is available. Due to his higher status after Bajie and Wukong get recruited, he wasn't the luggage carrier for a long time, the task falling on Wukong overall. However as the relics begin to pile up and the dangers get worse, he kind of takes up the mantle out of practicality. He has a severe fear of bladed weapons due to his punishment, and though he has no visible scars from it, the mental toll is very heavy on him. Despite all that, he takes his role seriously and is quite reasonable on his requests from Wuneng and Wukong, so their antics get toned down thanks to him and Ao Lie.

As for the other two welllllll, they are still very close and very prone to squabbling. Think youngest and younger sibling dynamic, one moment they are at each other's throat, the next they are trading quips, the next they are fighting over the last slice of food, and the next they are swearing undying loyalty to each other. Often they are left to their antics unless it affects the rest of the group which, happens more often than not.

Wukong is very close to his characterization in the book, equal parts rowdy grandpa and puffed up teenager, wearing his heart on his sleeve and always surprising the others with his moments of wisdom and clarity. Same thing for Bajie, he's very much a hardworking being and has an exasperated fondness for Wukong under the bluster and whinging.

Wukong is much more tactile in my au, which took the others some time to adjust to, as well as his (seemingly) random acts of incredible violence and ruthlessness. Before he's a demon or a man or an allegory for the mind, he's a monkey. They bite and screech when angry, they steal and hoard food for themselves, he lived 500 years as a wild animal and it colors his morals and thinking a lot. Most of what the others can deem as his evil nature is just brutal nature practicality, and as the others are either human or have memories of their past as nobility or celestial beings... it leads to quite a bit of conflict.

Aaaand then there's Tripitaka trying to keep his gaggle of apprentices in line xvx

My Tripitaka is closer to the historical Xuanzang than the fictional one, he's the son of a nobleman who chose to live as a monk and took the journey illegally. His call to adventure came through his own frustration and sadness over the lacking scriptures available, and he requested the emperor to go many times, always denied. One day the emperor gifted the abbey a cassock and staff from the West, in a not-so-subtle hint for him to just stop asking and move on. To everyone, they seemed like your average items, but he could see their sacred nature. Guan Yin then came to him in a dream, saying that whoever left for the scriptures should take "whatever they needed" and go. Tripitaka argued that the emperor forbade anyone to make the trip, but Guan Yin just repeated herself and left it at that.

So he did the reasonable thing, plotted with his older brother who lived in the abbey with him, gathered resources and bailed to the west, stealing the cassock and staff on his way out. He thought he was failing a test when Guan Yin appeared, but she reassured him he'd need the relics' protections on the journey ahead. Still throughout the journey, Tripitaka lies and cheats and steals, whatever he needs to continue the journey, and those sins weigh heavy on him. Especially with the sort of disciples he was given. He desperately tries to be a role model for them, but those moments of weakness feel three times worse than they should.

His relationship with Wukong is very hot and cold, seeing an almost paternal figure on the monkey at times but also knowing that the demon could kill him anytime he dropped his guard - and in fact even tried to once! Wukong has a lot of issues to work through and sadly a lifetime of violence makes for a very jumpy and tense monkey, which is a bad mix for the squishy human of the group. He tries his best to comfort the monkey despite the very obvious discomfort he brings him, and Wukong does the same for him... in his own way.

They get along the best when Wukong shares stories from his past or teaches him new things he never learned before, particularly when they get together to work on translations. Ao Lie is also a savvy person, and is often the one helping Tripitaka earn favor with the local kings and nobles to get their "papers" stamped and approved, or yknow, very plainly forged.

Wukong also gets saddled with matters of food more often than not, and he always surprises the group with how delicious the food he can come up with just by foraging ingredients. He's a very good and dedicated cook! It's also fun that Bajie had to go vegetarian on northern Tibet in my AU, cus the communities there are mostly pastoral so most foods are meat-based. He wasn't joking when he said he was rather starved by the time he got recruited, but Wukong luckily gets him back on track.

Wujing is, rather reclusive unless he has to interact with the others. Him and Tripitaka have a lot of baggage to work through, what with the whole eating-his-sifu's-past-incarnations situation. Coupled with his own sword trauma, Wujing and Wukong are on the same level of "unnerving threats" for Tripitaka's subconscious. It's very slow and wobbly progress between these three, and it's thanks to Bajie's jokes and Ao Lie's drive that they keep pushing on.

On the bits where my Expedition and Sun Clan AUs intersect, Tripitaka, Ao Lie and Wukong have a lot of filial guilt to process as well. Wukong may flaunt how they are the ones who left the family and how they must act for it, but the Havoc in Heaven and the siege on Huaguoshan clearly weigh on him and it very much shows when he thinks the others don't notice. Meanwhile Tripitaka feels guilt for involving his own brother in his planning for the journey, knowing that if he's found he'll suffer for it, and likely his father and mother too. And Ao Lie well, he's effectively in exile until the journey is either complete or well, he serves his death sentence. The occasional times when the group's path crosses with his father or his uncles is also a... tense bit for him. Needless to say, pearls make him very twitchy xvx

Oh dear this got.... very long i'm so sorry TvT anyway this is, what comes off the top of my head tbh!

#jttw #journey to the west #xiyouji #jttw au #expedition to the west au #tripitaka #sun wukong #zhu bajie #sha wujing #bai longma #ao lie #tang sanzang

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naukaridesk · 2 years

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rippleclan · 4 months

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RippleClan: Moon 15

(Moon 15, Part 1)

RippleClan declares war against AshClan.

[Image ID: Downstar and Autumnstar face each other. Downstar says “We’ve had it with your bullying, Autumnstar. We are a sovereign Clan!”]

“AshClan won’t be happy,” Fennelspot groaned as Downstar led him, Rustshade, Clampaw, and Shadowpaw along the border between AshClan and WheatClan.

“I know that,” Downstar huffed. “I don’t really care if they’re mad at this point. I gave Autumnstar our ultimatum. I’m not bowing down to him anymore.”

Clampaw walked between Downstar and Rustshade with a basket in her jaws. Flint shards littered the bottom of the basket and gently clattered together. Their shiny black surfaces caught the light of late dusk. The leaves around the RippleClan patrol were just starting to turn into their brilliant autumn colors. Shadowpaw, who wandered beside his mentor, stared at the shadows that pooled under the leaves. The human farms in WheatClan territory bloomed with the yearly harvest; fields of flax shimmered in the distance. The patrol walked in an unbroken line, with Downstar strolling along the border itself.

“I don’t like this,” Rustshade grumbled, glancing toward AshClan territory.

“When are we going to get an actual artisan to trade with the other Clans?” Shadowpaw groaned. He shook out his pelt and walked closer to Rustshade.

“We’ll have to recruit more cats like Parsley and James,” Downstar explained. She slipped around the patrol and walked on the other side of her son. “I’m sure someone will want to be an artisan.”

“James doesn’t even do anything,” Shadowpaw grumbled with a sneer.

“He’s only been with us half a moon,” Downstar chuckled, nudging Shadowpaw. “Give him some time to adapt. He helped prep the apprentice’s den for autumn, didn’t he?”

“And then he complained about splinters,” Rustshade muttered.

“You’re supposed to be on my side, Rustshade,” Downstar laughed. Rustshade purred softly and rolled his eyes. “James is fine. We’ll all be fine.”

“So you made good on your promise,” a loud voice called. Downstar could smell Autumnstar and his patrol before she saw them as a stiff wind shoved their woody stench over her whiskers. Autumnstar shoved through the browning foliage and into a brilliant orange sunspot. The setting sun turned his orange pelt into fire and the scars around his mangled tail into currents of blood. Bearchaser, a crooked old tom who looked like a darker version of Puddlespeckle, stood at Autumnstar’s side, glaring at the RippleClan patrol. Bile rose in Downstar’s throat as she remembered Weedfoot’s horrified retelling of just what those two did to her and her friends.

“That we did,” Downstar said, marching in front of her Clanmates. “It’s just like I told you at the Gathering last night. We’re going to trade with the other Clans whether you approve of it or not. We’ll be sticking by the border, just like LynxClan does when they visit you.”

“We don’t want you wandering through our lands,” Autumnstar huffed. “All we ask is that you wait for us by our border and let us escort you past!” Autumnstar stomped up to Downstar with Bearchaser lurking behind him. The tortoiseshell leader could feel his hot breath against her whiskers. “We let you trade with the other three Clans, we let you attend Gatherings, we let your antsy little cleric there freely visit StarClan’s Shrine, what more do you want from us?”

“Respect,” Downstar hissed. “We’ve had it with your bullying, Autumnstar. We are a sovereign Clan! We will conduct our own business with our neighbors and we will not let you hound after us!”

“StarClan would not allow a band of traitors to so easily enjoy the well-fought privileges you demand from us,” Autumnstar hissed. He stepped back and glared at each member of the patrol. Clampaw squirmed next to her father and Shadowpaw lifted his chin at Downstar’s side, forgetting the fact that he was half of Autumnstar’s size. “Everything you have is because of charm and pity. You’ve won nothing by the strength of your own claws. How can we ever respect a Clan that is too afraid to stand its ground?”

“Meet us by the border, and we’ll show you who can stand their ground,” Downstar snapped. “If our words mean nothing to you, we’ll show how strong we really are. RippleClan, we’re leaving.” Rustshade nudged Clampaw onward. Fennelspot lurked behind Downstar, glancing over her back at Autumnstar’s burning yellow eyes.

“Good job, Mom!” Shadowpaw whispered as the stiff winds that whistled through the trees sent clouds over the half-set sun. Downstar looked over her shoulder toward Autumnstar and Bearchaser, but the duo were already returning to their territory.

“Downstar, did you just declare war on Autumnstar?” Fennelspot gulped, scampering in front of her. “They have so many cats! Downstar, we have maybe ten cats who can actually fight them off!”

“I wish we didn’t have to,” Downstar groaned, stepping around Fennelspot, “but Autumnstar won’t respect us without a fight. We need to get back to camp quickly. I need fresh paws. Hurry, everyone!” Downstar ran along the border. The sound of clattering flint was her only indication that the others were following her. Fennelspot ran alongside her, the worry as evident on his face as the clouds were evident in the sky. A few drops of rain speckled Downstar’s pelt as she ran to inform her Clan of what she hoped was the best decision.

(Fennelspot: 72, male, cleric, insecure, valuable insight, incredible runner)

(Downstar: 74, female, leader, adventurous, trusted advisor, very clever)

(Rustshade: 59, male, codekeeper, sneaky, learner of lore)

(Shadowpaw: 7, male, codekeeper apprentice, adventurous, confident with words)

(Clampaw: 9, female, caretaker apprentice, lonesome, interested in Clan history)

Despite wishing Autumnstar would listen, Downstar feels forced to send a border patrol out to the AshClan border and prepare for an assault.

[Image ID: Downstar and Weedfoot face each other. Weedfoot says, “There will be other battles. It’s too dangerous out here!”]

---

The clouds that overtook the sunset brought a strong rain with them. It was the sort of rain that glued Weedfoot’s fur to her skin and turned the ground into slick mud. She helped Oilstripe, Scrubmask, and Parsley keep their footing as they made their way to the AshClan border. Downstar led the way, her soft and fluffy fur transformed into a soaked mess. The cold rain turned the world gray and nearly blinded Weedfoot. The only way Weedfoot could tell they were at the border was by the sight of those ever familiar trees with AshClan scratches lining the trunks.

“Mark as much of the border as you can!” Downstar yowled as the sky rumbled.. “Be ready to challenge any AshClan cats you see!”

“Downstar, the rain is going to wash away any scent we leave behind!” Oilstripe called, her belly fur sagging with water weight.

“I know Autumnstar,” Downstar snapped, “you don’t! He won’t wait for the rain to pass to show his strength. If our scent isn’t fresh, he’s going to come here and claim our territory! We need to make a stand tonight! We’re walking the whole border tonight.” Downstar pushed past Oilstripe and marched along the border. Scrubmask looked half-drowned from the rain, but she dutifully searched for a spot to mark.

“If there’s one thing I miss about my old barn,” Parsley groaned, shaking herself out, “it’s the water-proof roof.” Her paws slid in the mud, but she followed after Downstar. Oilstripe pressed into Weedfoot as her dirty claws searched for solid ground.

“Weedfoot, I don’t like this,” Oilstripe gulped. She coughed out the ever-intrusive rain and said, “This is a big storm. It’s not safe to be out here!”

“Downstar’s right,” Weedfoot huffed. The mud sucked at her paws as she followed the rest of the patrol. “With what she’s said to Autumnstar, he’ll be looking to reclaim the territory we took from him. Fresh scent markers may deter him for a bit.”

“I can’t even smell you, Weedfoot!” Oilstripe whined. Her eyes bounced around as though searching for hidden enemies. “Weedfoot, if we stay here, I think one of us is going to die.”

“It’s just a storm, Oil,” Weedfoot promised, touching her nose to Oilstripe’s ear. Thunder grumbled once more as distant lightning flashed in the clouds. Oilstripe jumped into Weedfoot and nearly knocked her over.

“Weedfoot, do you trust me?” Oilstripe yowled.

“Always,” Weedfoot said immediately.

“Then get us home before something horrible happens,” Oilstripe snapped. Up ahead, Downstar and Scrubmask were marking the border. The rain disrupted their process, but they closed their eyes and pressed on. Weedfoot hurried through the mud, squinting as the wind blew the rain into her eyes.

“Downstar, let’s head back!” Weedfoot yowled.

“We’ve only marked a portion of the border!” Downstar snapped, turning her face against the wind. “If we don’t mark more of it, Autumnstar will swipe it for himself! Winter is coming, we need this land!”

“We have the entire ocean!” Weedfoot cried as lightning screamed somewhere in the distance. “We’ll have enough prey! It’s just land, Downstar! Storms like this send trees and mudslides down. We can’t get stuck here. Think of your kits!”

“I am!” Downstar yowled. Rain dripped from her face into her wild amber eyes. She hissed and shook out her pelt, but the water came right back. A new crack of thunder echoed through the Clans with such force that the entire patrol jumped. Downstar’s back arched as high as the Shiprock.

“There will be other battles,” Weedfoot promised, reaching a mud-soaked paw toward Downstar. “It’s too dangerous out here!”

“StarClan’s telling us to go back,” Oilstripe huffed, slipping beside Weedfoot.

“You aren’t a cleric, Oilstripe, you don’t know what StarClan wants,” Downstar hissed.

“I can guess!” Oilstripe yowled as more thunder roared overhead.

“Even the humans huddle inside in a storm like this, Ms. Downstar,” Parsley added, mud clinging to the back of her legs. “There’s no shame in it. Autumnstar’s a fool if he brings his cats out here, and I’m sorry, but you’d be a fool to make us stay.” Downstar’s back slowly smoothed out. The ground was more water than mud at that point. Downstar’s paws splashed rather than sunk into the ground. She stared at the puddle she found herself in.

“Then we’ll go home,” Downstar huffed. Her ears sunk as she turned away from the border. Oilstripe bolted ahead, any patrol decorum lost in the face of such a loud storm. Downstar took the hint and picked up the pace. Weedfoot helped Parsley and Scrubmask through the mud as her neck burned under the eyes of unseen AshClan warriors.

(Weedfoot: 64, female, deputy, charismatic, very clever, formidable fighter)

(Oilstripe: 19, female, historian, charismatic, ghost sight)

(Downstar: 74, female, leader, adventurous, trusted advisor, very clever)

(Parsley: 109, female, warrior, righteous, good speaker)

(Scrubmask: 32, female, warrior, gloomy, fast runner, good hunter)

Halibutpaw convinces his siblings to defend the border with him.

[Image ID: Shadowpaw, Graypaw, and Halibutpaw gather in the bottom left corner. Halibutpaw yowls “And stay out!” at a distant gray and white tom in the upper right corner.]

---

The storm a quarter moon prior made the territory look more like mid summer than early autumn. The rain and thunder had knocked the colored leaves off their trees, leaving only those still clinging to their green glory. The ground had finally dried, at least, allowing Halibutpaw and his littermates to journey across the territory with dry feet.

“Mom will be so mad at us when we get back,” Graypaw giggled, wiggling her flank.

“How can she be?” Halibutpaw scoffed. “This is our job.”

“Technically, it’s our jobs when we’re with our mentors,” Shadowpaw reminded him. He walked on Halibutpaw’s right and kept an eye out for other cats, AshClan or RippleClan.

“Yes…” Halibutpaw admitted, dragging his back foot for emphasis, “but don’t you think they’ll be impressed if we can get some of our territory back?”

“Autumnstar may respect our gusto,” Shadowpaw said with a flick of his whiskers. “He seems like the sort to appreciate a move like this. It’s what he did to us during the storm.”

“We’re here!” Graypaw said. She ran in front of her brothers and eyed the land ahead. The siblings were partway through the forest northwest of camp. If Halibutpaw climbed a tree, he could probably see the old border, but it was too shrouded in shrubbery and trees to see from where he stood. AshClan scent drifted off each rock and stained the earth around them.

“According to Weedfoot,” Shadowpaw said, sniffing the new border, “this is where AshClan territory used to end before Mom founded RippleClan.”

“The patrol should have stuck around,” Graypaw huffed. She scratched at the grass. “If they hadn’t come back to camp, Autumnstar might not have moved the border.”

“They also might have died,” Halibutpaw groaned, one ear turned to Graypaw as he sniffed for fresh scent. “Either way, it’s the same; Mom starts moping around camp like she did right after Duskkit died.” For a few moments, Halibutpaw wondered what his older sister would have done had she become an apprentice. She probably would have suggested their little adventure days earlier.

“Shadowpaw and I came up with this little trick a while back,” Graypaw said, trotting up to a tall fir. “It’s sunhigh, so whatever unfortunate soul Autumnstar picked for border patrol should be coming around any minute now. If we wait up here for them, we’ll show them we’re serious when we move the border.” Graypaw scurried up the fir, sending crumbs of bark tumbling after her. Shadowpaw was at her heels, and Halibutpaw climbed up a moment later. Graypaw and Shadowpaw delicately balanced on the thicker branches of the fir, studying the ground below, while Halibutpaw wrapped his paws around the branch and kept still. His tiny heart flew into his throat.

“Halibutpaw, even if you fall, you’ll land on your feet,” Shadowpaw scoffed.

“I know!” Halibutpaw huffed, staring dead ahead. “I just realized that I… don’t like heights.”

“Scaredy-mouse,” Graypaw sang, swaying her tail back and forth.

“I am not a scaredy-mouse,” Halibutpaw snapped. “Now stay focus! AshClan could be here any minute!”

“This is so exciting!” Graypaw cheered in a whisper.

It didn’t take long for someone to appear. It was a silver and white tom with laurel leaves tucked into his fur. From the way his white pattern laid on him, it was like his front half was dipped in white dye.

“Anyone recognize him?” Halibutpaw whispered as his littermates noticed the new arrival.

“That’s Heronflank,” Shadowpaw explained. “He became a codekeeper last moon. I met him at the Gathering. He’s a nice tom. Maybe we should wait for someone else.” His paws shifted back.

“AshClan won’t be back here for ages!” Graypaw groaned. “We’re doing this.” She glared back at Shadowpaw, who stiffened and crouched along the branch. “Halibut, unclench!”

“I don’t think I can,” Halibutpaw gulped.

“Then you can just watch us,” Graypaw purred, eyeing Heronflank below like prey. The unassuming codekeeper carefully marked the new border, yawning as he did so. Graypaw and Shadowpaw danced on their feet, stalking closer and closer. Graypaw raised her tail high. Halibutpaw swallowed hard and slowly unpried his front legs from around the branch. His unsure paws dug into the wood. Before Halibutpaw could pry his feet up, Graypaw and Shadowpaw jumped from the tree.

The two gray tabbies landed on Heronflank before he realized what was happening. Heronflank yowled and screeched, batting at the two as Graypaw attached herself to his back. He smashed her into the fir trunk while Shadowpaw clawed at his side.

“Who’s a coward now?” Graypaw laughed as she fell off Heronflank.

Heronflank spun and kicked Shadowpaw in the jaw. He pinned Graypaw down and bit into her scruff. Her scream ripped Halibutpaw’s feet off the branch. He launched off the tree, claws unseathed and eyes shut, yowling the whole way down. His claws struck something soft as they flailed. Heronflank screamed as Halibutpaw landed on all four paws in front of him. Halibutpaw inched an eye open as he processed the fact that he hadn’t died. A long claw wound ran down Heronflank’s right eye. Blood dripped into his eye and turned it from green-yellow to brown. Heronflank stumbled back, desperately blinking the blood out. He scrambled back into AshClan territory as the blood trickled down his jaw.

“And stay out!” Halibutpaw yowled, panting.

“Ha ha ha, yes!” Graypaw cheered. “We scared him off! Come on! Let’s move the border before he brings reinforcements!” Graypaw hurried over the border. Halibutpaw stared at his feet. Blood and fur stuck to one of his paws.

“Did I just blind someone?” Halibutpaw gulped as Graypaw moved the border further into AshClan territory.

“AshClan has a good cleric,” Shadowpaw said, rubbing his chin on his shoulder. “Heronflank should be fine. Let’s help Graypaw before she yowls at us.” Shadowpaw joined Graypaw further into the trees. Halibutpaw rubbed his paw into the grass and ran after the others.

[Image ID: Parsley, Rustshade, Carnationspeckle, Oilstripe, and Burdockpaw stand in a line on the bottom half of the screen. In the upper half, in the distance, we see AshClan cats; Barkfur, Eelgrowl, Autumnstar, a ginger tom, and Bearchaser, in that order. Carnationspeckle says “StarClan, what did they do?”]

Halibutpaw, Graypaw, and Shadowpaw took a chunk out of AshClan’s new border, marking as much of it as they could. They made it all the way to the WheatClan border before Halibutpaw suggested they turn back. Sunhigh had passed, and the rest of RippleClan was certainly looking for them.

“Do you think Rustshade will be impressed with me?” Shadowpaw asked.

“He’d be a fool not to!” Graypaw laughed. “Oh, did that bite draw blood earlier?” She lowered her head. Shadowpaw and Halibutpaw stared at her scruff.

“I think he bruised the skin,” Halibutpaw said. Graypaw groaned and kicked a small stone. Shadowpaw chuckled, but his ears perked up.

“Do you two hear something?” Shadowpaw asked. Halibutpaw and Graypaw tilted their ears. Somewhere in the distance, voices yowled through the trees.

“Graypaw?” the voices called. “Shadowpaw? Halibutpaw? Anyone?”

“That’s Carnationspeckle,” Graypaw chirped. “Let’s tell her what we did!”

As Graypaw preened in her imagined praise, shapes danced within the bushes. Halibutpaw dropped as figures ran through the trees toward Carnationspeckle’s cries. The brown molly herself slipped through the scrub with Parsley, Rustshade, Oilstripe, and Burdockpaw behind her.

“Halibutpaw?” Shadowpaw gulped. Before Halibutpaw could say anything, a wizened gray tom soared into view and collided with the patrol. Shadowpaw and Graypaw dropped as Autumnstar raced toward RippleClan with Eelgrowl, Barkfur, and a ginger tom thundering beside him.

“StarClan, what did they do?” Carnationspeckle yowled as she pulled the gray tom, Bearchaser, off Rustshade.

“My son was doing his job, you fox-hearts!” Bearchaser screeched. “You nearly blinded him!” Halibutpaw pressed his full body into the earth as AshClan collided with RippleClan.

“Our first battle!” Graypaw gasped. “We need to help!” Autumnstar and Parsley locked into each other’s shoulders. Burdockpaw faced down Barkfur and held his focus as Oilstripe attacked from the side. Bearchaser turned on Carnationspeckle and slammed her head down.

“You realize Bearchaser fought an actual bear?” Halibutpaw hissed. “Do you know what he might do if he sees me?”

“We can’t stay here!” Graypaw huffed.

“You’re not going to.” The three gray apprentices yelped and spun around. Rustshade loomed over them, a tuft of fur torn off his shoulder.

“How did you get over here so fast?” Shadowpaw stammered.

“We’re going back to camp, now,” Rustshade hissed. He pulled Shadowpaw to his feet.

“But the others!” Halibutpaw gulped.

“They’ll handle it!” Rustshade snapped. “You’re not ready for this. Hunter’s crouch, all of you. Stay low and stay quiet.” Rustshade dropped into a low crouch and glared at the apprentices. Slowly, each one copied the ginger codekeeper. He shoved them forward and kept his eyes locked on their identical pelts as they snuck away from the disaster of their own creation.

(Halibutpaw: 7, male, warrior apprentice, impulsive, quick witted, lover of stories)

(Graypaw: 7, female, caretaker apprentice, bloodthirsty, careful listener)

(Shadowpaw: 7, male, codekeeper apprentice, adventurous, confident with words)

(Carnationspeckle: 17, female, caretaker, compassionate, talented swimmer)

(Rustshade: 59, male, codekeeper, sneaky, learner of lore)

#warrior cats #clangen #rippleclan #warriors #rippleclan story #downstar #injury #halibutpaw #graypaw #shadowpaw #fennelspot #autumnstar #bearchaser #heronflank #weedfoot #oilstripe #parsley #rustshade

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ruiniel · 1 year

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ah hi! I love your writing so much so I’m so excited requests are open. Could I request a short fic (if possible) of fem!reader x alucard of them both pining for each other for a long time & maybe one day they just snap b/c it’s too much & make out? (Or… more than that if u want.)

A classic! This is the first ask since I opened requests and here’s a scenario that fell down the hill. It then snowballed turning into a fic that is excruciatingly in Alternate Universe territory *guilty laughter* hope you like some of this, anon.

To be free

Fandom: Castlevania series (2017-2021)

Pairing: Alucard x fem!reader

Rating: T

Count: 1.6k

Tags & Warnings: Mutual pining, Angst, It just happened, Adrian has 0 idea what to do with this, Here's some unsavory Alucard traits, He means well but ugh, Context of battle, Mention of death, alternate universe, dark fantasy AU, unresolved sexual tension, unresolved emotional tension, Second Person POV, Alucard POV, more tags coming

Summary:

The murder of Lisa never happened. Instead, sometime in the future there is strife in the vampire world with an alliance of rebelling war chiefs over territory and Dracula is forced to respond. Reader character is an apprentice learning the doctor trade under Lisa, and a friend of her son.

Will post part II soon but wanted to share this for now

All characters depicted are 18+

Wallachia, 1485

“Faster!” comes the sudden strike, the wooden staff colliding with your shoulder.

“That hurt!” you hiss, ducking your head as a flash of gold gains on you.

“Well for god’s sake, move your feet!” Adrian snaps, falling upon you with frightful ease.

You retreat, movements slower, your legs fumbling. “You... you’re awful...” you pant, “This is too much, even for an average recruit!” you barely parry before being flung aside by another vicious strike.

You gasp as he’s upon you again, leaving you struggling to regain your balance. “I do not train you to be average,” Adrian throws in the tone he only ever uses with the other soldiers. “I train you to stay alive,” he kicks your legs from under you before you can preempt him.

You swear, cry out and grab at his shoulder; a surprised son of Dracula crumbles together with you in a heap to the ground.

Your faces come to be so close you can see the hint of swirling lights in his eyes. “That was unfair,” you whisper, breathless.

“Who ever said war is fair? Do you think the enemy will care for your codes of honor?” Adrian asks, unaffected by the effort—he’s not even flushed—his forearms propped on either side of your head. “Now pay attention and stop wasting my time, else you find someone else to teach you.”

He’s mainly like this, nowadays. Morose, at times even scowling, having little to no patience. His words scald often, and this change came and stayed with him for a while now. When Adrian tries to rise, however, your thighs turn into a vice around him; a sudden shift of unexpected strength, and then you’re sitting atop him, pressing him into the earth.

You grin, holding him down, finding some familiarity in it. You’d slept beneath cold skies back to back, huddled against each other for warmth before; you knew him in a physical way, one demanded of practicality. When you lean closer to his face, you see ice and even distaste, and stupid words gurgle in your throat. “I do pay attention, more than you think,” you say with a hint of satisfaction, which soon fades at the look he’s giving you.

“Rise to your feet, please.”

“I listen. I hear your words, harsh when once they’d been kind. I feel this wall you’re raising higher and I don’t understand why. I’m not your enemy. I’m...” your voice fails when his eyes narrow. “I’m your friend. Come back.” You watch his face, the shape of the mouth you know, down to every detail.

“I am right here, to my dismay. Now rise, don’t make me ask again.” But he does not do so himself, possibly giving you the choice of dignity.

“Tell me why you do it. Why you’re so dismissive, why you seem to make yourself scarce whenever we’re in the same room for long.” Why he acts like this task is something he loathes, even though he was the one who offered to include you in his daily routine when you’d made your wish to train known. You sound wanton in your demand now, you know, but he near always pushes you to the end of your tether lately. Today had been another rushed, supremely uncomfortable sword fighting lesson besides. Why are you like this? The words bite into your tongue, but you dare not ask them, afraid of what they might bring; you don’t want to fight him, not now.

Before, when Adrian welcomed you to stay for the friendship you had, he was open in manner and kind; but lately there is no reprieve, and you sense the tension in him as though it were a living thing. It turns him into a merciless trainer and hard to please—it also makes him ten times more infuriating to be around.

Adrian gazes up at you, inert, but the tension in you seems to bleed into his own body. “I do it for you,” he answers late, his voice gentler like a bleak reminder of before. “I do all of it for you.”

“I should be grateful, then?” you mutter into his shuttering stare. “For this?”

A softness to his eyes, a clench to his jaw; you feel compelled to do something you have not the courage to.

“Move.”

Defeated, you nod and rise, quietly regaining yourself as Adrian comes to his feet. You retrieve your staff, back turned to him. “I think I’ve had enough for today.”

You start when your weapon is roughly pried from your hand. “As you wish,” Adrian says. The hardness in his voice makes you flinch, like talons leaving raw and festering places in their wake.

As you turn, he’s already leaving the practice yard with rushed steps. You fall limply against a tree trunk, covering your face with your filthy gloved hands, wanting more than anything to be free of this.

Having reached the armory, you wipe your sweaty brow with your hand, then attempt fluid movement. The leather practice armor you’re using until a better suited one is ready hinders your motions. You blow a stray wisp of hair out of your face, yet panting from exertion. It has to be done; it has to be done.

You attempt to undo the fastenings and utterly fail, resenting having to train in full battle gear, but one tireless tutor insists this is the way. With a huff and a pull, your attempts cease.

A heavy hand is on your shoulder; heavier than it used to be. It urges you to turn.

“You slouch,” come the soft words. Deft fingers aid you out of the constraint posed by the armor and you go still, throwing the speaker a brief, scathing look he cannot see, focused as he is on his task.

“I try,” you say.

“I need more focus, mere blinks of moments matter here,” Adrian says without looking at you.

Before you reply, he finishes and turns away, arms raised and hands pulling at the tie in his hair.

His aloofness is even more biting than usual; has something happened? You’ll need to speak to him, because you can't help but feel somehow... you can't define it exactly. A heaviness, a weariness over your heart as it beats. You can't but feel he's being unfair.

This familiarity in your concern, though natural now, has taken long to develop. The two of you crossed paths once, had bled to stay alive and became close along the way through a string of unbelievable though unavoidable events. You still laugh at the absurdity of it sometimes: meeting and befriending the son of Vlad Dracula Tepes, meeting Lisa his mother and becoming her aid after Adrian offered for you to stay until you found your bearings. You, finding Dracula with a family of all things.

Having nowhere else to go, you stayed, of course you stayed. This was a household, the semblance of a strong-knit family, or at least—for you—the proximity to one. And if you were being bluntly honest with yourself, you starved for this: a purpose, a goal. It led you to accept the schooling suggestions from Lisa Tepes. It had you deciding to train in arms so you could defend yourself if need be. And you, well… you were apprentice to his mother now, learning her trade, living here, eating and walking and seeing him—though thankfully (or painfully), less and less lately as the days pass.

You stare out the window, to the shadow lengthening across the trees and the horizon, over a scattered front where white smoke billows eerily into the air against the violently bruised sky of evening. Beneath it, two factions will inevitably clash. You shudder, chewing the inside of your cheek. “How stupid. I should learn to save lives, not take them,” you murmur, placing your gloves on a rack in the training hall.

“Remember, these are vampires. And you may end this, it was your wish afterall,” Adrian looks over his shoulder at you.

“I know.” You turn from him, rummaging in your own things, hiding the flash of pain on your face. “But I have to learn.”

All is prepared, and you overheard the others speaking of it at the recent council. They would start at the following evefall to be stationed along camp lines across the valley. You turn your head left and right, roll your shoulders, grimacing at the stiffness in your upper body.

“Here,” Adrian says, approaching and presenting you with a vial containing a clear liquid.

“What is it?” you reach and take it from his hand.

Adrian walks away and takes a seat at one of the long tables laden with pieces of armor and weaponry. He rolls the sleeves of his crinkled shirt up to his elbows and reaches for a whetstone, then his sword. His golden flecked stare turns on you, briefly. Cold light creeps through narrow glass windows, finding him. “A salve, did Mother not get to those yet? Use it on your muscles in the evening.”

You swallow. “No, not yet. When are you leaving?”

He lowers his eyes as a metallic sound scrapes away the silence, and you watch him whet the sword placed horizontally in his lap. “Tomorrow.” Another wail of the stone, like glassy cries of pain.

Of course, you knew; merely wanted to hear him say it. You near as Adrian works, continuing to sharpen and wipe the blade with a cloth in turns. “Are you afraid? Are you well? I know you were reluctant to join this, I—” But it was he who said that in wisdom, we too know fear. It keeps one alive, it keeps one fighting.

“I'm well,” Adrian cuts in. The answer is impassive, his eyes averted from yours, set on the motion of his hand.

His stilted replies leave no room for doubt—the wall is up and you’re more than eager to get out of here. You sling the bag with belongings over one shoulder. “Good eve, Adrian,” you say. “Actually rest, you’ll need it.” And without lingering, you turn, leaving him behind with as much dignity as you should possess.

Part II

#ruiniel:fanfiction #i brought scenes from an abandoned story back #adrian tepes x reader #alucard x reader #alucard castlevania x reader #adrian tepes x you #castlevania x reader #x reader #alucard castlevania x you #castlevania x you #castlevania imagine

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