#i have a whole base and its got a trail to the main village base

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Unlikely friends: Imagine being Toph’s cousin and befriending Azula, much to the gang’s horror and confusion as it starts to become something more...

Note: The is loosely based on the comic the search which takes place after the tv show ended

Part two here

part three here

Your pov

You’d never been exposed to Azula much. Of course you knew who she was, everyone in the four nations did, but you’d never met her face to face. You only joined the gang after Zuko was firelord and so the first time you met her was when Zuko recruited her to help find his mother.

You were at the royal palace when Zuko revealed his sister would be coming on the trip with the rest of you. The others all gasped as a girl appeared beside Zuko but you just blinked confused. The girl in front of you was your age, average to small height and honestly just looked tired and worn down. You’d heard Azula had been locked up for a year due to her mental health difficulties and you couldn’t understand how the others didn’t see this all over her.

Zuko noticed you staring at Azula and realised you’d never met before. “Ow you don’t know each other....y/n this is Azula, Azula this is y/n Toph’s cousin”. “Hmmm a Beifong so not a peasant but earth kingdom scum is still earth kingdom scum” Azula replied glancing over you. “Azula!” Zuko snapped but you just shrugged “it’s fine, nice to meet you Azula”. Azula blinked at you confused at the notion any one of her brother’s friends would ever be pleased to see her. She stared at you before moving past you. “Sorry she’s....like that” Zuko commented and you smiled “no need to apologise, i’m sure after everything she’s been through this is hard for her, tracking your mother down...I bet she’s very nervous to be seeing her again, that’s probably why she’s lashing out”. Zuko frowned “I guess, I hadn’t thought of it that way...”.

Throughout the trip you had more patience with Azula than the others because you empathised with her. Yes, she was rude and snarky but you could tell she was only doing that to get a reaction out of the people she knew hated her. You’d grown up with difficult people who liked to annoy an reaction out of you (your cousin was Toph freaking Beifong) and so you knew they usually did it when they didn’t feel welcome or good about themselves. So you never responded to Azula’s quips about you or retaliated in any way and slowly she stopped. Soon you noticed you were the only one in the group who Azula didn’t rush to attack. She largely acted like you weren’t there but you took that as a good sign. If it was just the two of you she seemed more relaxed, less guarded and you were glad you had that effect on her. You wanted her to know not everyone hated her and apparently she did. 

Obviously however Azula couldn’t just be alone with you the whole trip. She was surrounded by the gang who rightfully mistrusted and intensely disliked her. It was a stressful environment and you saw its growing mark on Azula each day...

You usually took the main night watch as you didn’t need as much sleep as the others and you’d noticed while everyone else slept soundly Azula would often jerk and mutter in her sleep endlessly. One night it was particularly bad. Azula curled up into herself and her mutterings sounded more like whimpers. You tried to ignore it and just focus on your book but after a while you couldn’t. So you approached her slowly and realised she must be having a particularly bad nightmare. Azula” you called trying to wake her up. When the girl didn’t respond you walked closer and knelt down beside her “Azula?” you called shaking her slightly. Azula jolted awake suddenly, sitting up so fast she almost headbutted you. She flinched away from you, fire at her fingertips before she blinked “ow it’s just you, what were you doing leaning over me?”. “You were having a nightmare I was trying to wake you” you replied and Azula glared “impossible nightmares are for weak people and children”. You laughed “no they’re not! Everyone gets nightmares, it’s not something you can control and it certainly doesn’t mean you’re weak”. Azula huffed sitting up and pulled her legs into her chest “well either way I wasn’t having one okay?”. You nodded your head raising your hands in surrender “fine”. Silence settled and you looked at her “well i’m going to go sit back by the fire, you can join me if you want. It’d be nice to have some company”. Azula huffed “no thank you” she said sarcastically and you shrugged “suit yourself but the invite is there”.

You sat down by the fire and returned to your book. You heard Azula shuffling around and after a few minutes saw her stand up and head towards you. You pretended not to notice as Azula got closer and only looked up when she reached the campfire. “Since you rudely woke me up and I can’t get back to sleep I’ve decided to sit here, there’s no point just laying on the floor”. You nodded your head “that makes sense” and smiled slightly. Azula looked down embarrassed but seemed grateful you didn’t push it. You sat in comfortable silence, only talking fleetingly and it was calm and neutral. Azula looked the most relaxed and normal you’d ever seen her and sure enough she soon fell back to sleep. You smiled and grabbed a blanket laying it over her. She may be difficult but difficult people were that way because they were hurting. You could sense that in Azula and didn’t want to cause her any more harm. You thought Azula could sense your intentions to her were different than the other’s and that’s why she behaved differently with you. Every time you interacted you saw more of Azula, the healthy happier Azula, but all the walls went back up as soon as the others were around. It upset you Azula didn’t feel comfortable with the others but at least feeling comfortable with one person was a start.

3 days later

You were finally only one day away from reaching the village Zuko’s mom was in and you all sat around discussing what to do next. Well apart from Azula, she was always made to stand away when you discussed plans, nobody forced her to but she felt unwelcomed so would usually go sulk out of earshot. It was decided you’d make the journey the next morning rather than arriving in the middle of the night. You nodded along with the plans before standing up and heading off in Azula’s direction “okay i’ll go let her know”. “Let who know?” Katara asked and you paused “Azula, she doesn’t know the plan”. “So?” Zuko asked and you hesitated “well shouldn’t we tell her....i mean she’s a part of the group now, she deserves to know what we’re dragging her into”. Aang nodded, Toph and Sokka shrugged but Katara and Zuko didn’t look convinced. “Fine i guess” Zuko shrugged and you nodded, going to get Azula from her stance by the woods. The gang all watching on confused. 

The next day

You reached Ursa’s village the next day and found her home easily. She was thrilled to see her children again and the town threw a large party to celebrate the return of Ursa’s son the fire lord. You all attended and the whole gang looked so happy to finally be off the road and in a house, Zuko especially was in high spirits. He was beaming, a grin spread from ear to ear and you smiled to see he hadn’t left his mother’s side since he’d found her again. You saw Zuko’s family, his mom, new little sister Kiyi and stepdad all sat together and paused....they looked like a perfect happy family but someone was missing. You glanced around and saw Azula was outside, as far away from the happy occasion as she could get and was staring intensely at the surrounding scenery. You made your way outside and Azula jumped. “Only me” you said holding up a hand and Azula lowered her hands but her shoulders were still tensed “what do you want?”. “Nothing” you shrugged “just wanted to see if you were okay”. “Of course i’m okay” Azula snapped and you frowned. Over the period you’d spent travelling you’d seen Azula improve, she was less jumpy and agitated but the second you’d reached her mother’s town she was right back at square one. Her mother had been the reason for her initial mental breakdown and you were worried something like this could set her over the edge again. You knew Azula wasn’t one for small talk but wanted her to feel less alone so started talking to her. “You know I haven’t seen my family in 5 years?”. Azula didn’t attack you so you carried on. “They sent me to go live with Toph’s parents when I was 12 and I haven’t seen them since. To be honest it wasn’t a big move I was at Toph’s all the time but still to make it permanent... My father...he worked a lot so I never saw him even when I was home but as for my other family. My mom and I never saw eye to eye on anything, she hated all my decisions and honestly I think she was glad when I left...it gave her more time to focus on my brothers. Her favourites, she’s always preferred my brothers to me just because they’ll carry on the name or whatever”. You trailed off and Azula raised an eyebrow “are you actually trying to bond with me over mommy issues?”. You paused and rushed to explain you weren’t trying anything when you saw Azula had a slight smirk on her face and so you smiled. “Why not?” you asked “my point is, my parents were never there for me and I turned out fine! They only have as much power over you as you let them. Azula tutted “you should save the philosophy for Aang y/n”. You smiled “I probably should but all i’m saying is you’re not a product of what they’ve done to you unless you let yourself be, unless you hold onto that anger. I’ve forgiven my mother and father for how they treated me”. Azula spun on you and you jumped to see how angry she suddenly looked. “You expect me to believe after all she did to you, you forgave her? How stupid do you think I am?”. “I have” you said confused “I hold no anger towards my mother anymore”. “Well you should” Azula commented “she doesn’t deserve anything less”. You shrugged “maybe so but that anger was causing me way more harm than it was her”. Azula didn’t respond and you frowned. “I haven’t forgotten what she...what all my family did to me and I haven’t let them off for it, I set boundaries and refuse to let them treat me that way anymore...but I also don’t fixate over what happened, it happened, it was in the past and that’s where it should stay...that’s where I make it stay, I won’t let it take up any more of my time”. Silence settled and as time stretched on you stopped expecting a reply. That was fine with you, you just hoped any part of what you’d said had made Azula feel a little better. “I’m cold so i’m going to head back inside, you could come with me? I hate entering parties alone” you tried to joke but Azula didn’t glance at you. You shrugged and started back inside when Azula sighed and appeared beside you “come on then, if I must hold your hand with everything”. You grinned as you realised this was Azula’s way of saying she’d come back to the party with you. “But we’re getting food” Azula told you “i’m starving, that food Sokka hands out is awful”. You grinned as you walked in together “blubbered seal jerky, it is awful but it does sustain you”, Azula wrinkled her nose in disgust and you laughed. “I never figured you a picky eater”. “I’m not” Azula said defiantly “but i refuse to eat any animal’s blubber” she commented piling a plate with food. Not wanting to make her eat alone you copied her and filled a plate too. You found a table near the outskirts of the party and sat down together. Azula tucked into her food and you were surprised at her appetite though you knew you shouldn’t be. The girl was a machine of muscle and strength, of course she ate a lot. Still you watched impressed as Azula cleared her plate "you were hungry" you grinned and Azula smirked "why do you never believe me?". "I don’t know maybe your whole history with manipulation?". Azula’s smirk vanished and you worried you’d gone too far when she laughed. It was odd seeing her face contort into a laugh and her shoulders shake but a good weird. You liked seeing it and felt very proud you’d made the fearsome and dreadful Azula laugh. So proud you didn’t even notice that your and Azula’s table was getting attention.

Ursa’s POV

Ursa’s head shot up as she heard a vaguely familiar but sorely missed sound and her eyes landed on Azula almost instantly. Azula was laughing! She was smiling at a friend and appeared happy. Joy filled Ursa’s heart and she felt her eyes tear up to see her daughter happy. "Mother?" Zuko asked and she jumped. "Are you okay?" Zuko asked and she nodded "it’s just your sister...". "What has she done now?" Zuko snapped and Ursa shook her head "nothing! I just, i know i showed favourites and i always regretted leaving you both, i worried it would impact you both beyond repair especially Azula but then i saw her smiling...". Zuko followed his mothers gaze not believing her until he saw Azula beside you. His mother was right, Azula was actually smiling...well her form of a smile which was more of an upturned lip but still for Azula that was insane. "Who is her friend?" Ursa asked "she seems lovely". "Y/n" Zuko said confused "i didn’t even know they were friends" he was ashamed to admit. Ursa noticed and patted his back "i know things can’t have been easy and i’m sorry for my part in that but things can only get better now, for all of us" she said glancing back to Azula and Zuko nodded "apparently so".

Your POV

After the party was finished you were heading to your shared room with Toph when Katara appeared "y/n can we talk?". You shrugged and motioned for her to follow you into the room. She did and once inside you turned to her expectantly. "What are you doing are you insane!" she burst. You blinked "come again?". "Since when are you friends with Azula! Why would you want to be? What is wrong with you?". You took in the comments and breathed "erm...i guess we’ve become friends over the journey, i have spent the most time with her, i didn’t try to become friends with her i just talked to her and treated her like a human and it kind of just happened. As for what’s wrong with me....how long have you got?". Toph laughed and Katara glared "y/n this isn’t funny, don’t you remember all she’s done!". You rolled your eyes "ow yeah all water under the bridge...of course i haven’t forgotten what she's done but i have seen enough of her to know she’s just as broken as Zuko, she’s human Katara and she deserves the decency of being treated like one". Katara tutted "i don’t remember seeing an inch of humanity in her". "Well i’m sure if you start really looking at her you'll find it" you said sharply "now I’m going to bed so goodnight" and you turned away from the water bender letting her know this conversation was over.

Mai’s POV After Ursa had been found everyone returned to the fire nation to celebrate. Zuko was the happiest Mai had ever seen him but he wasn’t the only one who returned from the journey oddly happy. Thanks to her help Azula hadn’t been locked back up upon her return and she was freely roaming the palace. Old habits die hard and Mai found herself watching the girl who’d tormented her through her childhood and was surprised by what she saw. Azula had made a friend and one that actually seemed to genuinely like her judging by your smile. "So...Azula and y/n seem to get on" Mai commented and Zuko nodded amazed that this friendship had formed and that Azula was here at the party at all. He figured knowing their mother would be here she’d have run and hidden but here she was. "They seem quite close" Mai carried on "are they...is it more than a friendship?". Zuko paused "what?". Ty lee nodded "i was thinking the same thing, notice how Azula hardly looks away from her?". Mai nodded and Zuko frowned, clearly lost in the conversation. "I don’t know...i don’t think so" he babbled. Mai rolled her eyes at how clueless Zuko was "well is y/n or has y/n ever dated anyone to your knowledge". "No..." Zuko frowned. "They’re so dating" Ty lee grinned and Zuko frowned "are you sure? I mean my sister...date anyone?". Mai shook her head "you know she is a human being right Zuko? And an attractive one at that, i wouldn’t be surprised if she and y/n kindled something it's actually rather...sweet".

 Azula’s POV

Azula had only agreed to come to this party because you were going to be here and also because she’d been assured her mother wouldn’t try anything with her. Still Azula had been apprehensive to attend and the second you left her side her suspicions were confirmed. She was ambushed.  "Sooooo" Azula heard and turned to see an old friend? Ex friend? She still wasn’t sure but either way there was Ty lee grinning her. "Ty lee" she nodded at her curtly. "It’s good to see you" Ty lee smiled "i noticed you and y/n seem close". Azula raised an eyebrow, Ty lee was never good at being subtle and clearly meant something more with those words. "If you’re worried she’s beating you in the rankings of friendship you needn’t worry, you dropped right out of there the minute you betrayed me". Ty lee paused and Azula smirked "your face, you always were too easy to fool". Ty lee laughed nervously, Azula knew how to joke now?  "But seriously what’s up with you and y/n? Is it friends....is it more?". Azula paused "more?". "Well you guys just seemed very close" Ty lee shrugged "almost couple-y". Azula paused, this was a new perspective for her, she hadn’t even thought about her friendship with you or that it could be something more....now the idea was there she realised it wasn’t such a bad one.  She liked you, she thought you were nice to be around and funny. Not to mention you were beautiful and athletic. Azula thought it over while Ty lee almost burst. "So?" Ty lee finally asked and Azula paused. She didn’t want Ty lee to go around telling people before she even knew what she wanted so she shook her head "me and y/n are just friends". Ty lee looked disappointed "ow...well i’m still glad you’ve got such a good friend, you look a lot happier than i’ve ever seen you" Ty lee smiled and Azula realised she was. Even here at the palace where she had so many bad memories it wasn’t as bad anymore. Azula suspected a lot of that was because of you and felt a blush rise to her cheeks. How hadn’t she worked this out sooner? 

A few days later

All good things had to come to an end. With the mission a success the avatar and all his friends were leaving the fire nation soon and Azula knew you were planning on leaving too. You were going to help the little earth bender with her school. Azula knew Toph was the person you cared most about in the world so of course you’d want to go with her but part of her wished you wouldn’t. She wished you had nothing to pull you away from her.

She’d heard from Zuko you were leaving soon and so she debated back and forth if she should come see you to say goodbye or just let you go. As the time trickled away and the day of your departure arrived she decided to just swallow her pride and come and find you. She found you in your room in the palace doing some very late packing. You had apparently just finished as she found you lining up your luggage for the trip. “Azula” you said happily spotting her and she couldn’t help but smile “hi y/n”. “Hello” you smiled “how are you?”. “I’m good, and you?”. “Great” you smiled “we’re all set to leave soon! I can’t wait to get home”. Azula nodded “I can imagine” and stared at the floor. “Is everything okay?” you asked and Azula tensed. “Everything’s fine I just wanted to say goodbye”  Azula shrugged meeting your eye and smiling slightly. She thought she’d been pretty convincing but apparently not.

Your POV

"Azula what’s wrong? I can tell somethings bothering you" you said frowning and came to stand closer to her. You could tell she was nervous, something you’d rarely seen on the firebender’s face. "I...i was just wondering when you were coming to the fire nation again?". You paused "well i’m not sure honestly, i guess whenever the gang comes again, why have you got a big festival coming up or something?". Azula shook her head "no we don’t...". She sounded disappointed and an idea formed in your head, did Azula not want you to go? "The gang might be too busy to just swing by but that doesn’t mean i can’t" you said testing the water and saw Azula’s eyes widen and her cheeks flush slightly. "I think that would be nice" she said looking down and you smiled softly. Azula wanted you around! "Yeah?" you asked and Azula nodded "i guess i’ve become...accustomed to your presence" she said.

You almost laughed that this was what Azula thought was an honest compliment. No, Azula could do better than that so you prompted her.

"Accustomed to my presence?" you asked raising an eyebrow and Azula searched for words before sighing. "I like being around you" she shrugged going red "so you coming back to the fire nation wouldn’t be a bad thing i guess". You grinned "you’d cope with that idea?". Azula nodded her head still blushing "i would". You laughed and couldn’t stop smiling at Azula’s blush. "Well in that case i’d be more than happy to have regular visits, not to mention you can come visit me and Toph at her school anytime you want". "I can?" Azula asked and you nodded "of course! You think i’d leave you all alone with these firebenders and no escape route". Azula smiled at you, a genuine happy smile and nodded her head "that’s...thank you, i’m sure i’ll be taking you up on that offer frequently". "As much as you want" you said taking her hand "i mean it Azula, even if it’s just for a few hours or a night, you’re always welcome with me". Azula stared at you and wondered again how she hadn’t realised she liked you before. It was so obvious to her now, she only hoped it wasn’t so obvious to you but judging by the fact she had a permanent blush this whole time she wasn’t too sure about that. Azula nodded "thank you y/n" and you smiled "no problem". You carried on looking at her before blushing at your close proximity and stepped away. "So i best be going but expect many letters". Azula chucked and you shrugged "what? I’m not kidding? I love writing letters, you will receive many from me, once a day if you’re lucky". Azula smiled "i promise to reply to every single one" and you grinned "you better". You started towards the door and stopped to look back at her. "I’ve really enjoyed our time together and I just wanted you to know...i think you’re pretty amazing”. Azula blushed "thank you....you’re also very good". You chuckled at her awkward reply and smiled "all i meant was, don’t let anyone tell you you’re not good enough, from where i’m standing...that’s not the case at all, in any way". Azula’s face turned an even deeper shade of red and you smiled. "Anyway i’ll go now, bye Azula". "Bye y/n" she managed and with a last smile you were gone. Azula immediately felt a pang of loneliness but then thought of what you’d do. She took a few deep breaths and repeated what you’d told her. She was good enough, she was more than good enough, she didn’t need to be insecure or cruel. She opened her eyes, let out a sigh and turned to her daily tasks. She'd see you again soon enough and only 13 hours until your promised daily letter, Azula could wait that long.

____

I absolutely love this idea of Azula finding someone she can be open and vulnerable with and might make this into a 3 part series??

#azula #azula imagine #azula x reader #team avatar #atla #avatar imagine #atla imagine #atla azula #avatar azula #princess azula #zuko #aang #katara #toph #sokka #toph beifong #huan beifong #firelord zuko #atla the search #ursa #atla zuko #atla toph #atla katara #mai #ty lee #fire nation #avatar the last airbender #avatar the last air bender imagine

[fanmoose12]

Hi fanmoose! Got a prompt for you, if you're interested: Levi seeing the 104th and the vets preparing gifts for Hange's birthday, but he's wondering what to give them so he goes above and beyond... all the Scouts are taken by surprise.

Thanks, and good luck!

i changed a couple of things..... hope you still enjoy it! thanks for the prompt <3

Jean got a notebook. Armin made a new quill, using a feather from the owl he and Mikasa caught. Connie brought from his home village a whole basket of peers Hange loved so much. Sasha was responsible for baking a cake.

Nifa made her favorite brownies. Mike decided to gift Hange a new jacket, Nanaba bought a new pair of shoes, Erwin got her a new pair of glasses and a microscope she was whining about for so long. Moblit drew a fucking portrait of her.

Even Eren, as obtuse as he was, prepared a present for Hange.

“My mom was very good at sewing,” he shared with Levi, in the middle of his training, “she didn’t teach me how to do it,” at that, his voice lost some of its edge, tints of sadness appearing, “but Mikasa knows how to sew and she promised to help me with it!”

Levi could only arch an eyebrow. “And how is that related to a gift for Hange?”

Eren leaned closer with a hand next to his mouth, looking so serious, like he was going to tell the biggest secret in the world. “I’m going to sew a plushie for Squad Leader.”

“A plushie? A fucking toy with your titan’s face?”

There was a beat of silence. Then… “Damn it.” Eren took head in his hands, tugging at his hair with alarming desperation. “Damn it! I should have sewed the plushie of my Titan! Hange-san loves it!”

Yeah, as much as it annoyed Levi, there was certainly no way he could deny that.

“So… what did you sew instead?”

Peaking beneath his fingers, Eren mumbled. “A plushie of me holding a heart that says ‘I love you, Hange’.”

Fuck… as dense as Eren was, Levi had to admit… the gift was not bad at all. Especially for Eren. Especially comparing to his gift, which consisted of…

Nothing.

Just two days were left before Hange’s birthday, and he still no idea what to give her. Hange was probably expecting a present from him. Or, maybe, she was not. She was nice like that – always giving without asking for something in return. Hange was also kind, she thought he was her friend, and even more than that. Best friend, she once told him. And Levi had to admit. He felt it too. Hange was his friend. The first one he made in Survey Corps. The closest one he had.

Some friend he was, apparently. Not even preparing a gift for her.

Sensibly, he knew that he was making a problem out of nothing. He could give Hange something simple – a shampoo she obviously didn’t possess; a book she would probably like and squeal in his ear about; a new shirt or a bottle of good wine.

Hange would probably enjoy these kinds of gift. They were certainly useful. But were they meaningful? Would Hange remember them, ten years from now?

He wanted her to. Hange was his friend, perhaps, even something more. He wanted only the best for her. That’s why picking up a gift was such a problem.

With only two days left, Levi was getting desperate. He was thinking about seeking out help, but just before he gathered the strength…

The help came to him themselves.

“Good day, Levi,” with a good-natured smile, Erwin invaded his office, Mike and Nanaba trailing after him. “Are you busy?”

Levi pointedly looked at the mountain of paperwork on his desk. “Yes,” he drew, “All thanks to you, Erwin.”

“Well, you can take a break,” Erwin waved his hand dismissively, and took a seat on the opposite end of Levi’s desk. Nanaba and Mike occupied the sofa. “We came to discuss something very important,” the smile was gone, as Erwin clenched his jaw and knitted his eyebrows in a hard line. Looking at that expression, Levi felt his stomach sinking. What was this all about? If it was about their upcoming expedition, then where was… “A little birdie shared with us,” Erwin interrupted his heavy thoughts, “That you still have no present for Hange.”

What? Levi gawked at his guests, switching his confused gaze from one to the other.

“And what is the name of that birdie?” He would find that birdie and give them a piece of his mind, for sure. Who dared get poke his nose into his personal matters?

“Please, Levi,” Mike joined the conversation, “You couldn’t get more obvious. I can smell your desperation from miles away.”

Levi’s annoyance rose. Birdies, smelling desperation. Could they talk like normal people?

Seeing his increasing frustration, Nanaba decided to come to rescue. She smiled, tucking a lock of her hair behind an ear. “I overheard your conversation with Eren. You looked a bit distressed, honestly I thought you were going to kick his ass again… And since I doubt Hange is enamored with Eren in that way, I concluded that you…”

“Are angry not because the boy is a titan and spends too much time with Hange, but because he already has a gift prepared, when you do not.” Erwin finished.

Well… the conclusion was sound, at least. But that didn’t mean that Levi felt any less annoyed.

“So?” he raised an eyebrow, staring judgingly at his intruders. “What do you want from me?”

“We want to help, of course,” the smile was back at Erwin’s lips. “And we have some ideas.”

“Such as?”

Nanaba bounced from her seat, crossing the room to bang her palms against the surface of Levi’s desk. He jumped slightly, certainly not expecting it.

“You know what Hange really likes?”

“Books?” Levi tried. “Science? Titans? Books about titan’s science?”

“No, dummy,” Nanaba shook her head, “Hange likes you.”

It took him a long moment to comprehend. Even then, the only thing Levi could get out of his mouth was a very faint, “Eh?”

“We all know how much Hans makes you happy.” Mike said.

They did? How so?

“You spend a lot of time with Hange,” Erwin noted, answering his unasked question.

“And you allow her to do things that you deny everyone else,” Nanaba continued.

“And when she is with you, that constipated expression disappears from your face.” Mike finished.

He… didn’t have a constipated expression. And while Hange did make his days more pleasant and his survival that easier and more enjoyable… Levi was sure that no one knew about it, but him.

“Listen, we all know that you like Hange, and we’re telling you that Hange likes you. That’s why…” Erwin lifted his chin, his smile becoming nearly devilish. Were they still talking about a simple birthday gift? “I made a reservation in a restaurant in Sina. Take Hange there, eat good food, drink some wine, have a good night… Make Hange happy.”

Their suggestion was certainly better than Levi’s nothing. However…

“What you’re offering seems a lot like fraternization. Isn’t that illegal?” he narrowed his eyes at Erwin, skepticism oozing from him. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“Perish the thought!” not swayed by Levi’s scary expression, Erwin chuckled. “You’re correct, technically, two officers are not allowed to enter romantic relationship, but I think it’s a little too late for that.” Huh? Just how Levi was meant to interpret that? “Besides… think about humanity, Levi! If you and Hange were to conceive a child…” the expression on Erwin’s face was so dreamy, Levi felt chills at the base of his spine. “A child born from the union of humanity’s strongest and smartest… It could very well save our world!”

Levi stared at his Commander, at loss of words. Saying ‘you’re fucked up in the head, Erwin’ seemed a little too rude even for him, considering that Erwin was his superior officer. Still… he was fucked up in the head.

“Don’t listen to him,” Nanaba spoke, attracting Levi’s attention. “But think about our offer. An evening like that will really make Hange happy. You want that, don’t you?”

Did he want to make Hange happy? More than anything…

“Do it for Hange,” Nanaba urged.

“Do it for love,” Mike added.

“Do it for humanity!” Erwin passionately concluded.

Fucked up in the head, Levi thought. All of them were. Himself, included. But what was he going to lose? Besides, their offer was better than anything he could have come up with.

“Alright,” he surrendered, a sigh escaping him. “I’ll do it.”

Nanaba cheered. Mike nodded at him with a smile. Erwin looked like he was about to cry. Then, to Levi’s horror, he saluted.

“Get out of my office now,” he shooed them away, lowering his gaze back to the papers. “I need to work.”

“Just another quick thing,” Nanaba patted his shoulder with a cheerful smile. “Walk Hange to the door of her room after the dinner. And make sure that you return after nine o’clock.”

Ah. So they had an ulterior motive. Of course. Levi shouldn’t be surprised.

“You’re planning something for Hange, I take it?”

“A little party,” Mike confessed. “We’ll deal with food and drinks, but you’re in charge of getting Hange there in time.”

Levi didn’t remember agreeing to be in charge of Hange, but… he didn’t like the idea of anyone else doing it in his stead.

“Nine o’clock, four-eyes’ room, I got it. Now get out of my office.”

Nanaba, Erwin and Mike didn’t need to be told twice.

___

After finding a solution to his main dilemma, Levi was now met with another, no less important and challenging than the previous one.

Erwin and the others got him a reservation at the restaurant. But... now he needed to invite Hange there.

His first attempt, executed not long after Erwin, Nanaba and Mike left his office, failed spectacularly, despite his expectations. He naively thought that a simple note, carried to Hange via Moblit, would suffice. But, perhaps, the note didn’t reach its destination. Or Hange forgot to read it. Or she somehow misinterpreted the sentence ‘do you want to dine together?’. Or the fault laid in the absence of Levi’s signature.

Nevertheless, he needed to do better.

His next attempt was slightly more successful. At least, he got some kind of reaction. Still not reaction he had needed. Apparently, there were ways that one could misunderstand the simple phrase ‘hey, four-eyes, want to eat with me?’. Levi had expected a very enthusiastic ‘yes’. Instead he received ‘I’ll see you at the dinner’ and a door to his face.

Evidently, he had to do not only better, but also be a little clearer about his intentions.

After lots of pondering, Levi decided that nothing could be clearer than throwing a shiny new black jacket from Mike at Hange and barking, “Get dressed, Hange. We’re going out.”

That got him an intrigued ‘oooh’ and a promise to be ready in five minutes.

Levi smirked to himself. Finally, his plan had worked. Finally, he got through that brilliant and extremely dense head.

___

At first, the dinner was, for the lack of better word,extremely awkward.

Erwin failed to mention just how fancy the restaurant would be. Turned out, it was fancy. Very fancy. Fancier than anything Levi had seen in his life. Even Hange, despite not being a street rat from Underground, was feeling a little off.

“Everyone is staring at us,” she whispered to him, leaning over the table to do so.

Hange was right. Everyone was gawking at them. Perhaps, the reason for it was their clothes. Both of them were dressed in their best suits. Still, their best didn’t even begin to reach the best of the gathered crowd. Perhaps, other guests were weirded out by Hange’s loud cheer at the sight of meat in the menu.

Or, perhaps, their reputation preceded them, and everyone in here knew about humanity’s strongest soldier and crazy titan scientist, two of Erwin Smith’s loyal devils.

Whatever the case was, Levi didn’t like the obvious staring. They came here to eat and have a good time, not be observed like clowns in the circus.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered back to her. He really was. It was Erwin’s mistake, but it was Hange’s birthday and it was his fault for not checking the restaurant beforehand. He was a scout, for fuck’s sake. It was his job.

“Don’t even start,” Hange huffed, waving her hand dismissively. “Not the first time I receive that sort of treatment. Probably not the last one as well.”

Hange paused, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. “And if they want to look at us so much, let’s give them something to stare at.”

Levi’s lips twitched up. “And what do you suggest?”

“Let’s order the priciest meals they have, eat them like animals they think we are, and then run away and let Erwin deal with that.”

There were many reasons why Levi loved Hange. This was one of them.

___

True to Hange’s plan, they were at their worst behavior. They used spoons instead of forks, they drank straight from the bottle, Hange ate the dessert with her hands, smearing cake all over her mouth, cheeks, palms and shirt. Barely keeping himself from laughing out loud, Levi wiped it all with his cravat, as Hange cooed at his chivalry.

Two hours later, their stomachs were full, the crowd was scandalized, their hearts were merry and their eyes were shining with unbridled mischief.

“I think we’ve succeeded at making the worst impression possible,” Hange spoke, following it with a loud laughter. Several guest scoffed at the volume. Levi showed all of them his scariest scowl. The rich fuckers returned their attention to their plates in record time.

“It’s time we make our exit,” he agreed.

He looked at Hange more closely, thinking if he should take the risk. She had been touching him freely throughout the whole evening. She pressed their calves together under the table, she ran a hand through his arm, she let him touch her face and tilt her chin. She didn’t seem opposed to the idea, so… Levi took a deep sighed, searching for every bit of courage inside of him. Once all of it was gathered, he took Hange by the hand, helping her to stand up.

To his surprise and huge relief, she didn’t shake his hand off. On the contrary, she squeezed his palm and interlaced their fingers.

Hand in hand, they started towards walking out of the restaurant. On his way there, Levi discreetly pushed a plate of soup at some wealthy lady, staining her light creamy dress and receiving a indignant cry and a joyous giggle from Hange.

After that, they had to speed up a little. It was Hange’s birthday. Levi didn’t want to spend it in the prison cell.

Once they were outside and some distance away from the restaurant, Hange stopped.

“Shit, Levi! Had you seen her face? She was—”

She didn’t finish. Hange leaned against the wall and threw her head back, laughing without abandon. She doubled over, hugging her stomach, her mirth not ceasing. Finding her mood strangely infectious, Levi couldn’t help but chuckle too.

Still snickering to herself, Hange looked up to meet his gaze. Her whole body was shaking from the laughter, and tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. Disheveled, red-faced and laughing, she was the most beautiful sight Levi had ever seen. The moonlight and faint stars only accentuated her beauty.

Levi was lost in watching her.

Subconsciously, in a mindless attempt to get a better look at the wonder that was Hange Zoe, he leaned in.

Hange leaned in too, her hand finding place at his shoulder. She moved that hand slightly, closer to his neck. Her fingers ghosted around his hairline, making him shiver.

He was looking in her eyes. Hange was looking at his lips.

The world around the two of them faded, the sounds of a street at night, the singing from the nearby pub disappearing to the background.

Levi didn’t know, had failed to register who moved first. But a moment later, his hand was on her waist, and Hange buried her fingers in his hair. And then, they were kissing – sloppily, desperately, without skill but with lots of passion.

Levi felt like he was struck by lightning. Nothing he had ever done before felt even remotely as good as kissing Hange did.

As the kiss progressed, becoming deeper, Levi found himself pressed against the wall.

Hange was everywhere – her tongue was in his mouth, her palms on his cheeks, her knee was rising, resting against his crotch. It was almost too much. And yet, not enough.

“Hange, Hange,” with some difficulty, he separated himself from her hot mouth and soft lips. “Hange, if someone sees us—”

“Oh, right,” still pressed dangerously close to him, she giggled. “Erwin would have a heart attack if we get jailed for making out on the streets. He’d deem us a disappointment to humanity.”

“Back to barracks then?”

Hange licked her lips and winked. Levi felt another strong surge of desire. “We can continue there.”

After that kind of promise, Levi hurried to find where they left their horses. He all but raced there, and jumped on his loyal stallion, grasping the reins a little too tightly.

Hange followed his suit. “Who arrives at the barracks first, gets to be on top?” she challenged.

Without waiting for his reply, she started off. Cursing, Levi struggled to keep up.

That day, he learned one essential lesson. Riding a horse with a raging boner was a fucking torture.

___

Hange was the first one to reach the stumbles. Dismounting her horse, she ran up to Levi, pulling him off the saddle and instantly connecting their lips. Levi would have liked to complain, but… who was he kidding?

Without another word, he brought Hange closer, putting his hand on her hip.

Just as the first one, the second kiss was amazing, enough to knock his breath out and make his knees buckle underneath him.

“If that’s my birthday gift,” Hange murmured, panting after they broke apart. “Then it’s the best one I ever had.”

And here Levi thought that there was nothing more enjoyable than kissing Hange. But as he saw her gentle smile, the adoring expression in her twinkling eyes, he was ready to melt in her arms.

However, he wouldn’t be himself if he passed an opportunity to use a sarcastic quip. “Is it better than Erwin’s microscope? Than Eren’s plushie?”

Hange put a finger to her chin, looking up with a thoughtful expression. “The microscope is really good, and that plushie is so adorable…” Levi’s good spirits vanished, as something ugly found its place inside his chest. Before it could manifest in a scowl, Hange caught his lips with hers once again.

“But nothing is better than you, shorty,” she confessed as they separated.

Hange likes you, Nanaba had said. She wasn’t wrong, it seemed.

“Your room or mine?” he asked, already tugging off Hange’s jacket.

“Mine. I was the one to win, after all,” she smirked, rapidly turning away and starting to run. Levi had no choice but to chase her.

___

He caught up with her near the entrance. Ceasing the moment, he wrapped arms around her waist, pressing her to him. Hange’s giggle turned into a moan. Levi delighted in that.

Exchanging messy kisses, they tumbled through the front door. Unable to break away from each other, they clumsily walked through the barracks, tripping and stumbling. And, despite the growing desire, they didn’t hurry as well. They stopped near the stairwell, so Hange could put a hickey on a spot above his collarbone. They paused at the middle of the hallway, so Levi could grind against her. Hange pressed him against the wall to whisper, “Fuck, Levi, this feels so good.”

When they reached the bedroom, Levi was ready to cheer. It was the longest walk through the barracks he had ever had. Was Hange’s room always that far away from the entrance?

With her hands shaking, she searched through her pockets for a key. She found it after a long minute that Levi spent kissing her neck. Once she fished it out, she put the key in the keyhole, and decided to celebrate that grand achievement with another breathtaking kiss.

Getting a little too eager, Levi pushed Hange forward. That was his mistake.

Apparently, the door to her room wasn’t closed. And, apparently,the room also wasn’t empty.

Unfortunately, Levi realized that and remembered the second part of Erwin’s plan a second too late. After he had heard the loud and cheerful ‘Happy birthday, Hange!’

With his arms still around Hange, he froze. Everyone else in the room froze too. The awkward silence settled over.

Levi’s thought frantically moved around his head, jumping from one corner to another. What should he do? Apologize? Let Hange go? Tell all of them to fuck off so he and Hange could finish what they had started?

However, he didn’t get to decide what to do with the unexpected audience. Hange chose for him.

“Guys!” she clasped her hands joyfully, her smile brighter than all the candles that stood around the room combined. “That’s so sweet! Thank you!”

She pulled away from Levi, sprinting to get to her friends. She gave a tight hug to Erwin, Mike, Nanaba, Moblit, Nifa, Eren, Armin, Mikasa, Sasha, Jean, Connie… Levi thought the string of people who wanted Hange’s attention would never end.

After hugs, came cake, and after cake was wine. He felt ignored, he felt utterly forgotten. He contemplated if he should go back to his room. He wanted Hange to kiss him again.

But instead he was sulking in the corner, munching on a cake Sasha had prepared. At least, the cake was good. But his frustration left a bitter taste in his mouth.

As his plate was emptied, Levi thought once again about leaving. But in that exact moment, seemingly out of nowhere, Hange appeared by his side.

“Planning to ditch the party early?” she wiggled her eyebrows, staring at him with unmasked mischief.

“It’s your birthday, not mine, four-eyes.”

“Exactly!” Hange threw an arm over his shoulders. “You’re my guest of honor!”

Ignoring the awakening of butterflies in his stomach and chalking them up to the effects of Sasha’s cake, Levi grunted, “Meaning?”

“Meaning I want you to stay!”

Levi rolled his eyes. He couldn’t really say no to Hange today, right? Although, he had troubles saying no to her any other day as well…

“And thank you for spending the whole evening with me,” Hange punctuated her gratitude with a kiss to his cheek. The butterflies were now flying freely, making Levi dizzy. It was hard to deny their origin anymore, with the trigger standing so close to him. “It was the best birthday I ever had.”

Well, that was all the gratitude Levi needed.

Before she left his side to receive more birthday wishes from their friends, Hange put her mouth above his ear, lowering her voice to a whisper, “Stay until the end, shorty. I’m not finished with you.”

She bounced off before he could give an answer. Perhaps, it was fairly obvious to her.

After all, how he could refuse Hange on the day of her birthday? How could he say no to receiving more of her attentions, and kisses?

With a satisfied hum, Levi settled against the wall, aiming his glare at all the guests. He couldn’t wait until all of them would leave. He couldn’t wait to have Hange all to himself.

#levihan #hange zoe

[sweetest-honeybee]

Impulse’s New Outfit

Summary: Scar helps Impulse into a suit much like his own.

TW: None

Word Count: 1278

Notes: This wasn’t edited lol

Enjoy!

——————

Impulse wanted to try a new look, a style he usually wasn’t very familiar with. But, he supposed that Scar could help him given the man’s taste in his clothing.

After Charlie’s message, he got to work on building his factory and it eventually hit him that a factory meant business and business, on this scale anyways, meant that he’d have to dress in something more formal. At least, more formal than his usual t-shirt and cargo shorts. Scar seemed the perfect choice as he’d been swaying away from his usual brown denim jacket and towards coats made of expensive fabrics- his head now crowned with a top hat as well, of course.

So, he did just that. After finishing the entrance of his factory, he glided over to the large wagons across the village. Thankfully, Scar was around, having only been in his garage until he looked up as Impulse landed with a stumble. Through the iron bars, Impulse watched as his friend finalized his Swaggon restock and walked to the garage’s entrance.

“Hey Impulse!” the builder greeted happily.

Impulse approached him with a wave. “Hey! The new, uh, Swaggon? I think? It’s looking great,” he chuckled.

Scar glanced at the new version of it with a proud smile. “Yeah, I’m excited to roll ‘em out.”

Impulse nodded. “Right right, so um, I need a favor from you.”

The other raised a brow but then shrugged. “For the right price, anything’s possible.”

“I need to look like,” he gestured up and down towards Scar, “that. Can you help a guy out?”

Scar looked down. “My clothes?”

“Yeah. I’ve got this whole business thing going on with the factory, thought maybe you could get me looking kinda fancy, you know? You’re the fanciest Hermit I know.”

“Aw, well I do love me some flattery. Sure! Just step on inside this here wagon and we’ll get you started.” He bounded away with what Impulse noticed was a skip in his step. Scar must’ve been excited to do this.

He followed and the builder led him to the top floor where his desk, bed, and lounge resided. Scar left him to stand idly while he dragged a large trunk from out beside the couch near the window.

“I’ve got a whole chest of stuff you could wear,” he started. He eyed Impulse with a hum. “I’m thinking black and yellow to not throw off your whole theme. Or, if you had something else in mind-“

“Black and yellow sounds just fine,” Impulse answered.

“Alright, what do you want to wear? I’ve got shirts, vests, jackets, coats of many kinds, and a bunch of hats,” he listed. “If you want my opinion, I’d say some kind of tailcoat at least.”

The redstoner pondered over the suggestion then shook his head. “No, too fancy I think. A jacket kind of like yours seems like a good choice.” He raised his hands with a shrug. “But, you’re the expert here so you don’t have to listen to me.” He flashed a lopsided smile.

Scar tutted. “It’s your outfit, Impulse. Your feedback is crucial in this process. But,” he trailed off to dig into the trunk, then pulled out a black top hat with a yellow ribbon wrapped around its base. “I think I’ve got an idea.”

He went over and placed the hat on his friend’s head. Impulse looked up as if he could see it which promoted Scar to grab a hand mirror from his desk. He held it up in front of Impulse.

“If you like this hat then my idea should be a good one.” He awaited an answer. Then, really much to some surprise, Impulse broke into a wide smile.

“I like it!”

The builder clapped happily. “Awesome! I’ll grab the rest of the main suit, then you can help pick accessories, yeah?”

Impulse still stared into the mirror admiring the hat. If it were only the hat that produced such a reaction, he assumed Impulse would die from smiling so much. It did bring one to Scar’s face though. Impulse would leave the wagon looking like a new man.

They two set to work on the rest of the outfit. Scar rummaged through the chest and pulled out a matching black coat and slacks trimmed with yellow, and a yellow vest to match. He showed them to Impulse.

“Thoughts?”

The redstoner only looked confused. “Aren’t those…your size?”

This brought out a laugh from the other. “Oh, a little vex magic never hurt anyone. Some tailoring is all.” He waved a dismissive hand which he then used to snap his fingers. The snap produced a blue sheen that travelled down the clothing, effectively enlarging their size. “This should fit you fine.”

Impulse opened his mouth to say something, then clamped it shut. Whatever worked, he supposed.

He put on the articles of clothing with ease. With more vex magic, the builder summoned a full body mirror that sat against the wall. Impulse twisted and turned, marveling at the look. Though, the t-shirt under such a suit made his face twist which prompted Scar to find a button up to go underneath. After the change was made, Impulse was extremely impressed and so excited that he bounced on his toes.

“I love it! Maybe a bit longer of a coat but I’m very happy with it!” He commented as he tipped his hat at the mirror with a laugh.

Scar was more than proud of himself. His friend looked amazing and it only made his cheeks burn from grinning. Or, it might’ve been the flush that rose to them from the compliments. He turned and lifted a small wooden box from where the trunk previously was by the window. Impulse eyed him curiously as he walked back.

“Are you more of a bow tie or necktie person?” Scar asked. “I also suggest a monocle if you’re feeling particularly dangerous.” He winked and his friend laughed.

“I’m not that dangerous, but a bow tie sounds fun. Not a very serious thing, you know? It’s a candy factory.”

The builder opened the box with a hum. “Any colors you have in mind? Maybe a yellow to match the ribbon on your hat or a darker shade?”

The other peeked into the box which held many accessories- bow ties, neckties, cufflinks, collar pins, and decorative gold and silver chained charms. Much more than he was certainly used to and likely wouldn’t use. But, a vibrant yellow bow tie caught his eye which he pointed at.

“How about that one?”

Scar plucked it from the box alongside a grey bow tie. He put it down on his desk, leading Impulse to the mirror. He put up the bow ties in front of the other.

“Yellow seemed fitting for the kind of business you’re running, but I grabbed a grey one in case you didn’t want something so vibrant,” the builder explained. He alternated the bow ties, giving Impulse time to choose.

“Yeah, I like the yellow actually,” agreed the redstoner. So, Scar put it on the other and stood back, taking in the finished outfit from farther away.

“You look awesome! You’re like a whole new man!” He mused. “It suits you,” he added with a snicker.

“This season and the puns,” Impulse muttered with a laugh. He looked over into the mirror. “I absolutely love it, thank you.”

Scar patted him on the shoulder. “That’ll be a diamond block by the way.”

“Wait, what-“

“Kidding! Only kidding, it’s free.”

“We’ll I sure hoped so-“

“The first time anyways. Additional appointments are a diamond block.”

Impulse rolled his eyes with a fond smile. “Right.”

#this came out a lot longer than I thought #oops #I’ll add a read more here soon #my fic #hermitcraft #impulsesv #goodtimeswithscar

[hysterialevi]

Hjarta | Chapter 2

Fanfic summary: In an AU where Eivor was adopted by Randvi’s family instead, he ends up falling in love with the man his sister has been promised to despite the arranged marriage between their clans.

Point of view: third-person

Pairing: Sigurd Styrbjornson x Male Eivor

This story is also on AO3 | Previous chapter | Next chapter

A WHILE LATER

BJORNHEIMR, THE TEMPLE

Walking underneath the white sun, Eivor worked his way around the village as he scanned the surrounding buildings, keeping an eye out for Randvi’s bright head of hair. Roughly half an hour had passed ever since Thora first approached him on the hill asking for his assistance, but he had yet to catch a glimpse of his younger sister anywhere.

According to some of the people Eivor had spoken to, Randvi was last seen heading towards the town’s temple. She was accompanying the local seeress on an “urgent matter,” and apparently hadn’t returned since. Eivor didn’t have a clue as to what Ingrida could’ve needed help with on a day like this, but nonetheless, it was the only lead he had. And so, he took it.

Pushing himself up the steep incline that led to the temple’s archway, Eivor slowly ascended a dirt path decorated with ceremonial bones and charms, causing a soft chime to rattle in his ears as they swayed gently in the wind.

His boots dug deeply into the many layers of snow blanketing over the path, and with every step he took on his short journey, a sharp crunch emitted from his feet, alerting nearby hares and birds.

Up ahead, Eivor saw a majestic line of wooden statues standing proudly in front of the temple’s lake, towering over its still waters like a row of guardians. Piles of snow had gathered on their heads and shoulders as a result of the frostbitten weather, and in the bowls that lay at their feet, Eivor saw a handful of fresh offerings left by some of the locals.

The main thing that caught his attention however, was a toppled statue of Freya lying motionlessly in the snow. The base of its structure had broken somehow, and now, it was garnering the care of their seeress, as well as Randvi herself.

Eivor stopped briefly in his tracks, feeling a sense of relief. 

“There you are.” He whispered under his breath.

Approaching them from behind, Eivor hurriedly made his way to Randvi as the two women covertly bickered with each other, speaking in a hushed manner. At first, he simply assumed they were trying to figure out how to get the statue back on its feet, but once he got closer, their conversation suggested otherwise.

“....You’re not listening to me,” Ingrida insisted. “It’s a sign! We must not ignore it.”

Randvi crossed her arms in disagreement, attempting temper the seeress’ fear. “I understand that, Ingrida, but there isn’t much we can do about it now. What’s done is done.”

“You must cancel the wedding,” the older woman reiterated. “The gods have made it clear that this joining will ensue nothing but chaos!”

“A king is coming to our shores at our invitation, Ingrida. To turn Styrbjorn away would be a grave insult to him and his clan. We have no choice but to go through with this.”

Still, the seeress was unconvinced. “An insult holds little weight in the face of death. The arrival of the Raven Clan will bring naught but misery and conflict. The gods have shown this to me.”

Eivor stepped in the middle of their altercation, trying to get a grasp of what was going on.

“Randvi,” he called out, earning a glance from the woman. “What’s going on? Why haven’t you joined father at the docks yet?”

She sighed in frustration. “I apologize for the delay, Eivor, but Ingrida is concerned about the nature of this wedding, and nothing I say seems to ease her nerves.”

Eivor turned to the seeress, curious to hear her side. “What troubles you, Ingrida? You look perturbed.”

The elderly woman scoffed. “Perturbed is an understatement, young man. Last night, the gods visited me in my dreams, and showed me visions of things to come. They were not good.”

“What did you see?”

Ingrida took a moment to recall her memories. “...There was a man. He appeared human in my dream, yet carried a monstrous nature to him. His eyes burned bright with the heat of Muspelheim itself, and his hair was so red that, at first, I mistook it for fire. There was a strange mark etched into the flesh on his neck, and one of his arms had been severed clean off. Lurking behind him, I saw a white wolf whose snout was stained by the redness of his blood.”

It didn’t take long for Eivor to make the connection. “You dreamt of Tyr?”

The seeress seemed unsure. “Perhaps... but I did not get the impression that this man was a god. He seemed too earthly. Too... familiar. That’s not the part that frightens me, though. What worries me is, when I awoke, the statue of Freya had fallen to the ground, despite the fact that it was still standing mere moments ago.”

Eivor shrugged. “I fail to see what’s so alarming about that.”

Ingrida gestured to the statue. “Use your head, Eivor! Freya is the goddess of love. Her collapse -- paired with my vision -- signifies what this marriage will bring. War.”

“How could this marriage bring war? The whole purpose of this joining is to forge an alliance between the Bear and Raven Clans.”

“I’m aware. But our plans do not always match what the gods have in mind.”

Randvi tried to defuse the situation. “Have faith in our jarl, Ingrida. I know these are frightening times, but our father is simply trying to eradicate Kjotve’s people from our waters for good. We would have killed him ourselves long ago, but we alone do not have the strength necessary to do that. We need Styrbjorn and his people.”

“What we need is to avoid more bloodshed. We have had enough.”

The seeress sighed in annoyance, deciding to put an end to this argument. It was clear that her message wasn’t getting through to the other members of the clan, and despite what she may have believed, she couldn’t deny that Randvi had a point. 

Ingrida may have been skeptical about the outcome of this wedding, but Styrbjorn was already on his way. His entire clan was accompanying him to Bjornheimr’s shores, and there wasn’t much she could do about that now.

“...Alright, you two.” Ingrida finally said. “I can see that this is going nowhere. If your father believes this is the best way forward... then I suppose it is not my place to defy him.”

The young woman beamed at her. “Do not fear, seeress. Everything will be alright.”

“I certainly hope so. Our people have suffered enough at the hands of Kjotve and his men. I pray that this joining will put an end to that.”

Randvi nodded in agreement. “As do I.”

Eivor smirked humorously at his sister. “Well, it’s never going to happen if you don’t make haste to the docks.”

The woman chuckled. “Alright, alright. I’ll be on my way soon. Just...” Randvi took a breath, “...give me a moment.”

Her brother grinned. “Nervous, are we?”

Randvi gave him a friendly shove. “Yes, and you are not helping.”

Eivor smiled at her. “I’m sure you’ll be fine. Father wouldn’t promise you to this man if he thought he couldn’t be trusted. You know him.”

The woman remained somewhat anxious. “I know he would never do anything to put me in harm’s way. I’m just... nervous about what the future holds. What if my husband and I don’t get along? What if we’re miserable together? What if this only brews more animosity between our clans?”

“All the better,” Eivor replied. “You’ll fit right in with the rest of Norway’s royalty.”

Randvi let out a laugh at that. “You certainly know how to make light of any situation, don’t you?”

Eivor leaned against a tree, crossing his arms in a jesting way. “It’s my blessing and my curse.”

Ingrida rested her hands on her hips. “More often a curse, I would say.”

Randvi rolled her eyes in a playful manner, finally deciding to return to her duties.

“Alright,” she said with a troubled sigh. “I’ll go find father at the docks now. He’s probably wondering where I am. I’ll see you and Thora at the feast this evening. Try to keep things orderly, will you?”

Eivor nodded reassuringly. “Of course.”

“Good. Father’s counting on us to make a good impression. I trust you won’t scare anyone off before the feast starts?”

“Now that, I can’t promise.”

Randvi snickered in amusement and threw a casual grin at Eivor before taking her leave from the temple, following the trail of dented snow that her brother left behind. The sun was nearing the center of the sky at this point in the day, and if Eivor squinted hardly enough, he could’ve sworn he saw the miniature silhouettes of distant ship sails billowing on the horizon. 

The Raven Clan had arrived.

“Ingrida?” Eivor said, continuing his talk with the seeress. “Can I ask you something?”

The old woman took a seat on a nearby bench, placing herself in front of the statues.

“Of course, young cub. What’s on your mind?”

Eivor strolled towards Ingrida’s position, keeping his eyes nailed on Freya’s fallen figure as he put his thoughts into words.

“Do you truly think this wedding will bring more chaos to our clan?”

The seeress shook her head in uncertainty. “I cannot speak in absolutes, for I do not know what the gods are thinking. All I can tell you is that this marriage sparks a sense of worry in me... and it stems from the man in my dreams.”

Eivor sat beside Ingrida. “Is there anything I can do to tame your fear?”

A warm smile radiated on the woman’s face. “You are kind, but I suspect that this situation is now in the hands of the Nornir. If they wish to lead us into battle, then it would be pointless to cower behind our shields.”

The young man recalled a conversation he had with the seeress many years ago, bringing up one of her own quotes.

“Ingrida, do you remember what you said to me? After my parents were killed, and Arngeir took me in?”

She shook her head, staying silent in response.

“We are all bound by the threads of fate,” Eivor reminded her. “Any attempt to deviate from the path--”

“--will simply be met with what was always destined to be.” Ingrida finished. “Yes, I remember now. And it seems that I would do well to follow my own wisdom.”

The woman chuckled softly, gazing at Eivor with a motherly twinkle in her aged eyes. “You have grown into a fine young man, Eivor. It seems that your mind is as sharp as your axe. Varin would be proud of you. I know Arngeir certainly is.”

“...Thank you, seeress.”

Ingrida rose from her seat, ready to head back inside. “Well, I should return to my duties. We have a busy day ahead of us, and this statue isn’t going to stand up on its own. I’ll see if I can find my son. Perhaps he could help me.”

Eivor mirrored her actions and removed himself from the bench, offering assistance. “I can help you now, if you’d like.”

The woman raised a hand of refusal. “No, no. It’s alright. I’ve occupied enough of your time. You just focus on tending to your own family, and seeing that the Raven Clan receives the welcome they deserve. In the meantime, I will stay here, and do what I can to prepare the temple before King Styrbjorn arrives. It’s possible he will want to make an offering before the wedding.”

“Very well,” Eivor said, making his way through the temple’s arch. “I will speak with you later, then.”

“Farewell, Eivor.” Ingrida replied. “May you carry Odin’s favor.”

~~~~~~~~~~

A FEW MINUTES LATER

THE DOCKS

Rushing down to the harbor, Randvi weaved her way through Bjornheimr’s crowds and hurried to join her father as the Raven Clan steadily approached the docks, drawing everyone’s attention.

By now, there was a canopy of clouds hovering in the sky, slowly inching its way across the ocean’s vast length as it passed through an array of sunbeams.

Meanwhile, underneath them, an impressive collection of longships glided over the sea’s rolling waves, causing spurts of white mist to spray in their wake as they crashed into the tides.

It was an armada fit for a king, Randvi thought. Even though she had never made contact with the Raven Clan before, it was clear that they carried a strong sense of pride and honor with them, similar to the one that her own clan held.

It made her wonder if, perhaps, it wouldn’t be such a difficult task to bring their people together, after all. For many days now, Randvi had spend most of her nights twisting and turning in bed with the worry of causing more trouble like Ingrida suggested, but after seeing the Raven Clan face-to-face, it managed to put some of her fears to rest.

Her heart still hammered with the nervousness of meeting her future spouse, but the anxiety in her chest was no longer as debilitating as before. 

Freya willing, it would stay that way.

Finally reaching the harbor, Randvi came to a halt when she spotted Arngeir waiting by the edge of the pier, standing quietly as his fur cloak danced wildly in the breeze.

Arngeir Hallbjornson was a tall man clad in fierce armor that broadened his already stocky build, causing him to stand out from the clan like a walking giant. Most of his visage was hidden behind a grizzled beard and mane that had been twisted into multiple braids, and the parts of his face that remained uncovered were creased with years of experience.

Despite the boldness that his presence carried however, Arngeir did not wield an intimidating temperament as others might have expected. Instead, his pragmatic nature only enhanced the fatherly spirit in him, and a firm sense of nobility stood proudly in his eyes. 

A certain kindness radiated from his stern expression, but due to the plethora of burdens that came with being a jarl, there was also a rougher edge to him like thorns on a rose. 

He was no stranger to the idea of mercy, but he wasn’t able to engage with it as often as he wished.

“Father!” Randvi exclaimed, taking her position beside the man.

Arngeir turned around at the sound of her voice, slouching his shoulders in relief.

“Randvi. There you are. I thought you weren’t going to show up.”

The woman replied with a humorous response. “I wasn’t. But then Eivor found me.”

A chuckle escaped her father’s lips. “I understand if you’re hesitant to go through with this wedding, but trust me. Everything will be fine. Sigurd is a good man. I believe he will be a worthy husband.”

“He’s also a prince,” Randvi added, “which means someday I’ll be...”

“...his queen. A daunting task, indeed, but I have faith that you will live up to the challenge.” Arngeir rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Do not fear, Randvi. You are ready for this.”

“I hope so. I’m just worried about the future of our marriage. What if Sigurd and I don’t go well together? What if this turns out to be a disaster?”

Arngeir gave her a reassuring smile. “These thoughts you’re experiencing are quite normal for someone in your situation. Fear is a natural part of change, and marriage can be a life-altering event. But as I said before -- I would not have chosen Sigurd if I did not think he was suitable to be your husband. Even though this wedding is for the good of our clan, I also want to ensure that you are happy as well.”

Randvi took a deep breath, attempting to conceal how much she was shaking. 

“I suppose I won’t know for sure until I meet him myself.”

“Exactly.” Arngeir paused for a moment, suddenly realizing that King Styrbjorn had reached the dock. “But enough of that. The Raven Clan is here. Keep your head high, and do your best to stay calm. The gods are watching over us.”

Turning away from his daughter, the jarl swiftly approached the opposite end of the pier with open arms as Styrbjorn stepped off the longship, eager to return to the feeling of solid ground beneath his feet.

He appeared to be a man of great stature and etiquette just based on the elegancy of his demeanor, but it was no secret to Randvi that he had seen his fair share of battles throughout the years. 

There were many faint scars hiding beneath the surface of his weathered skin, and even though Styrbjorn spent most of his time occupying a throne these days, his hands remained hardened with the callouses of a soldier, implying that the hilt of an axe once sat in his palm.

Though, as age would decree, the muscles that once sharpened his physique had softened over time, and the shaved hair sitting atop his head had been washed with silver. The lids of his eyes hung slightly low with with a tinge of fatigue, and sitting between his brows, Randvi saw the wrinkles of a serious man embedded into his skin.

“King Styrbjorn!” Arngeir called out in a convivial tone. “Welcome to Bjornheimr!”

The older man returned his smile, beaming brightly as he adjusted to the land beneath his boots.

“Arngeir Jarl!” Styrbjorn said boisterously. “Now there’s a face that I haven’t seen nearly enough of.” He pulled Arngeir into a tight embrace, greeting the man with a warm hug. “You look well, my friend. It is a blessing to see you safe in times like these.”

The jarl welcomed the gesture, immediately picking up on the smell of sea salt. “And you, my lord. I trust you had a safe journey from Fornburg?”

Styrbjorn nodded, separating the hug. “We did. Njord graced us with calm waters and strong winds today. We were also lucky enough to avoid Kjotve’s men during the voyage. I’m glad to say our journey was rather uneventful. Though, I fear it may have been too uneventful for my son’s liking.”

Arngeir chuckled. “A warrior’s heart beats inside his chest, just like yours.”

“Indeed,” the king joked, “and it will be the death of me someday.”

Styrbjorn diverted his gaze to the woman at Arngeir’s side, instantly realizing who she was.

“Ah, and you must be Randvi.”

The young viking bowed her head politely, admittedly unsure of how to address Styrbjorn.

“...Yes,” she answered. “I-It’s an honor to meet you, my lord.”

Styrbjorn gently took Randvi’s hand into his grasp, shaking it in an affable manner. “The honor is mine, my lady. Your father has offered nothing but praise in response to the questions I’ve asked about you. I’m certain you’ll make a fine addition to our family.”

“Thank you,” she said, slightly more relaxed. “You’re too kind.”

An extra pair of footsteps thudded on the pier’s wooden surface, causing Styrbjorn to throw a quick glance over his shoulder.

“Ah, but enough about me. Allow me to introduce you to your betrothed.” He placed a hand on his son’s back, presenting him to Randvi.

“My lady Randvi, I’d like you to meet my son. Sigurd.”

Staring silently at the person in front of her, Randvi was met with a young man clothed in noble attire and light armor, similar to the image she had in mind. His face was embellished with a handful of neatly-drawn tattoos, and in the middle of his forehead stood an unfamiliar rune resembling the shape a tree.

The strange part about Sigurd’s appearance though, was that he happened to match the exact description Ingrida described to Randvi earlier. He wasn’t missing an arm like the man in the seeress’ dream, but everything else seemed to be identical.

A certain type of ferocity enhanced the raw ardor in his icy gaze, and with the sun’s light getting trapped between the strands of his red hair, it almost looked as if his head was surrounded by a ring of fire.

He was certainly a sight to behold, even without the context of Ingrida’s vision. He cradled a peculiar flame inside the breast of his soul, and even though he appeared as human as anyone else in Bjornheimr, Randvi couldn’t help but sense something more otherworldly in his presence.

“H-Hello.” Randvi said, sounding much more nervous than she intended. “I’m pleased to finally meet you.”

Surprisingly, Sigurd shared her timidness. “As am I. I’ve heard much about you, my lady.”

Styrbjorn laughed softly at his son’s quiet response. “Have no fear, Randvi. That shyness will wear off soon enough.”

Arngeir agreed with the sentiment. “The same could be said for my daughter.”

The king began making his way off the pier, growing weary of the ocean’s chilled winds. “Well, I think I’ll go help my clan settle in now. We’re planning to pitch camp in the woods outside of Bjornheimr, but I hope it won’t be a bother if some of my men need to share a roof with your people?”

Arngeir shook his head. “Not at all, my lord. Bjornheimr is open to you. We have plenty of open space in the village should your men require more shelter. You’re free to use it.”

“Thank you, my friend. Your hospitality is appreciated. In the meantime,” Styrbjorn looked at his son, “Sigurd, why don’t you stay here with Randvi? Take some time to get to know her, and the locals as well. In two weeks from now, these people will be our family.”

“Of course, father.”

Arngeir’s face lit up with a look of remembrance. “That reminds me -- my people are preparing a feast to welcome your clan. It should be ready before this evening. Your men are welcome to join us at the longhouse.”

Styrbjorn seemed pleased. “A perfect opportunity to bring our people together. I’ll be there.”

“As will I.” Sigurd promised. 

“Wonderful,” Arngeir said. “I’ll let my oldest know. Her name is Thora. She and a few others will make sure the tables are laden with food. You should introduce yourself to her when you find the opportunity, though I fear she’s not quite as sociable as Randvi. I also have a son who’d like to meet you as well. His name is Eivor.”

Styrbjorn made a mental note of that. “I shall keep that in mind. Until then, let us dig our boots into the soil here, and thank the gods for our safe arrival.”

The jarl joined his king as the two of them ventured deeper into Bjornheimr, ready to tackle the rest of the day. “And may they bless us in the days to come.”

Strolling off into the distance, Arngeir and Styrbjorn returned to their lengthy list of duties as life carried on in the village around them, causing the small crowd that had gathered at the harbor to disperse.

Meanwhile, Sigurd and Randvi stayed behind at the docks, rendered silent by an awkward lack of conversation. Neither of them really knew what to do with themselves from here on out, but in spite of that, the young woman had to admit that she was feeling far more relieved than before.

“So,” Randvi started, “I’m curious. Am I what you expected?”

Sigurd turned his head towards the young woman as he examined her, revealing a strange mark on the side of his neck. 

“Yes, actually. Though, you are a bit taller than I pictured.” An inquisitive expression spread across his face. “...What about me? Did you think I would look like this?”

“No,” Randvi answered honestly. “Not at all. D-Don’t get me wrong, though. I’m not disappointed.”

Sigurd chuckled lightly. “Glad to hear it. I must admit -- I was somewhat nervous before coming here. I had no idea what I would be walking into or what kind of person you would be. So far though, I’m pleasantly surprised.”

The woman found some comfort in his words. “I’m relieved. These past few days have been filled to the brim with stress. It’s good to finally set things in motion.”

“Agreed.”

Randvi gestured to the other areas of the village, beckoning Sigurd to follow her. “Would you... like me to show you around before the feast starts? Bjornheimr has many places to see. I could also introduce you to my siblings, if you like.”

The man smiled cordially. “Of course.”

“Great. Thora should be at the longhouse, but... I’m not sure where Eivor is right now. He was at the temple the last time I saw him, but if we can’t find him, I’m certain he’ll show up at the feast. He’d never miss the opportunity to get a fresh cup of mead.”

Sigurd smirked in amusement. “A man after my own heart.”

Randvi returned the jest. “You might change your mind once you meet him, but I digress. Shall we?”

“Lead on.”

Finally removing himself from the ocean’s vicinity after a long day of traveling, Sigurd stuck to Randvi’s side as she led him away from the bustling harbor, enthusiastic to spend more time with her betrothed.

The two of them had only known each other for a few moments, and yet, Randvi got the impression that Sigurd was far gentler than his exterior suggested him to be. His appearance resembled that of a war-weathered vikingr who knew only stoicism, but his personality seemed to stem from a heart of honor and compassion.

The one thing about him that concerned Randvi so far was how accurate Ingrida’s vision had proven to be. Nothing about Sigurd gave off the impression that he harbored any malicious intent, but that didn’t stop the young woman from wondering if the seeress’ instincts were correct. 

The timing of Freya’s collapse struck Randvi as somewhat odd now that she thought about it, and the fact that Ingrida dreamt about the god of war beforehand did nothing to ease her nerves. 

She had to admit that she was beginning to understand the old woman’s fears surrounding this wedding, but alas, it was too late to back out of it now.

And so, with a quick change of the subject, Randvi brushed off her worries for the time being and simply focused on getting to know her betrothed. She was just as clueless as Ingrida when it came to the events of the near-future, but she figured it would be pointless fretting about it now.

The fires of this alliance were already being stoked, after all, and there was little she could do to snuff it out. She may as well have just drifted off with the waves, and allowed the tides of fate to do their job.

#hjarta #assassin's creed valhalla #ac valhalla #sigurd styrbjornson #eivor wolfkissed #eivor wolfsmal #eivor varinsson #male eivor #sigurd x male eivor #ac valhalla fanfic

[jordanstrophe]

ok ill send like two more before i get back to my movie: blood (i sent this one to liv/raccoon and she created a new OC and i felt particularly nefarious) ~violet

(That’s Racoon for you, I feel like I need to go all out on this one now. Well, at least stepping out of my comfort zone a bit, rather then the usual scenarios.)(Edit: WHOOPS! I got a bit carried away. Enjoy!)

CW: Kidnapping, mild stripping, Knifes, blood, cutting, restraints, torture, kind of a tribe ritual? Idk... Whumpee left as a sacrifice (or a snackrifice?)  Monster caretaker

“WAIT! PLEASE!” Whumpee begged, as two large men had a hold on each arm, pulling them through the thick green forest. Whumpee’s toes were barely skimming the dirt, they were practically being carried as they kicked, screamed and fought, but the men were having none of it. They were covered in hide, bones flowing around them from twine decorating their bodies with beautiful war paint. Whumpee would be fascinated by them if they weren't wasting any time dragging them through the forest. 

They broke out into a clearing, where there was a village made from twine, straw and hide. A massive bonfire in the center with more tribals surrounding it. All heads turned toward them, as they passed through.

“Please! Let me go! I don’t mean any harm, don’t let them take me!” Whumpee pleaded, but the eyes only lingered at them with fascination as they were taken to the main tent. There was a man sat at a large throne, decorated with bones, feathers, comforted with rich looking hides. There was a small stage in front of the throne with two long wooden poles on each side with rope dangling from each one.

Whumpee was hoisted onto the stage, the rope tightly tied around each wrists. They weren’t quite tall enough to stand comfortably, as their toes just barely grazed the floor. The man stood up, barking a language Whumpee couldn’t understand. Two tables on each side of them were filled with people who were all chattering amongst themselves, some standing and yelling at whoever the Chief was. 

“Please! I don’t know if you can understand me, but I swear, I’m just an researcher! We didn’t even know there were people here, we were just exploring and I got separated, we mean no harm!” Whumpee cried out. The room fell silent, all eyes staring them down. The Chief looked at them for the first time, their eyes burning into theirs. They raised an eyebrow, curiously looking them up and down, before walking around them in a circle.

The Chief gave them a smug smirk, before pulling out a knife that was stabbed in the side of the throne before approaching Whumpee. “Wait! Wait what are you doing!? Wait! I’m begging you, Please don't!” Whumpee cried out, as the Chief took the knife, grabbing their shirt and tearing it off with the blade, straight down the middle. 

Whumpee yelped, squeezing their eyes shut tightly, but shocked they weren’t cut. When they opened their eyes, the Chief was nowhere to be seen. They let out a breath of relief, but was short lived as they felt a sharp blade slice across their back. 

Whumpee cried out, jolting at the unexpected pain, as they struggled trying to get away, but could hardly even move with their feet barely touching the ground. Another slice, another scream, as they could hear the Chief’s deep chuckling from behind them. Ten slices total, four slices on their back, four slices along their ribs, one deep slice down each shoulder to their elbow, all Whumpee could do was cry, and pleaded, as they hung mercilessly. 

The Chief cut the bindings, as they hit the floor on their knees. They didn’t get a moment to breathe, before they were grabbed again and drug out. All eyes stared at them, but they were different this time. It wasn’t curiosity anymore, it was both pity, and excitement. 

There was a large rock overhanging a tall ledge, torches blazing a trail leading, with a wooden stake at the end. Whumpee was dumped at the end, wrists tied together with a gracious three inches of slack from the stake.  

‘'Bleed for them.” The Chief spoke from behind them.

“W-what?” Whumpee muttered, dazed. They could understand them the whole time? They could have communicated from the beginning?! “It smells blood, bleed for them, and it will come for you. Bleed for them, and save us all.” He hissed, before turning and walking away. 

"WAIT!" Whumpee screamed, before breaking into tears, blood dripping down their arm and chest to a pool at their knees. They desperately tried to break the rope binding them, but whoever made it clearly knew how to make them strong. Hours passed, the hot sun began to fade in the distance. Some of the villagers crouched down, huddled at the base of the rock, watching, waiting, but now there were none, some running off hollering in a high pitched voice into the darkness. 

It got cold fast, Whumpee was starving, dehydrated, flesh burning with pain as they awaited their fate. Something deep in the forest shifted, birds bolting off in the air as the trees swayed unnaturally.  Whumpee stared with wide eyes, something was coming... They were two entranced by the anticipation to realize whatever was coming was already there, lingering underneath the rock, it’s large, massive hand with scales and sharp claws gripped the rock behind them. Only when the rock shifted did Whumpee snap out of it, shooting a glance behind them to try and figure out what on earth what that?! 

They could barely make it out in the darkness, they only knew a weight had just come on the rock with them. All they could see was some large figure, about their size, sitting on the side of the rock. Whumpee looked back in front of them towards the forest, only to come face to face with a massive creature, it’s head was as large as the structures, it’s eyes burned and glowed in the night, horns and spikes coming off it at every angle. 

Whumpee was frozen. This couldn’t be real, this had to be some kind of night mare! Wake up... Wake up! This isn’t real! Even if Whumpee wasn’t tied to a stake, they don’t think they could even try to run, they were just frozen. Another hand slowly appeared, reaching towards them, Whumpee finally had the instinct to let out a cry, cringing their body, squeezing their eyes shut. As badly as they wanted to keep their eyes open for the mare seconds they had to live, they couldn’t watch it... They just couldn't!

They felt something shift at their wrists, after a couple of seconds of silence, Whumpee opened their eyes to realize the stake was ripped from the ground, only the bindings around their wrists were left. Whumpee instinctively jumped to their feet, staggering a couple of steps back, but before they could run, they fainted. Before collapsing the creature quickly put their hand underneath Whumpee, catching them gracefully preventing them from hitting the hard rock.  

The creature lifted Whumpee’s unconscious body in their hand, they fit perfectly in the palm of their hand, as it carefully closed its fingers around them, gently hugging their body, as the creature took off into the jungle.

>><<>><<>><<

Whumpee blinked awake, they were laying down on something soft, was it leaves? Moss? They were inside a cave, they could see the exit, as the sun was just now rising. Whumpee looked around, confused, there were random items littering the cave, hides, plastic, shiny silverware, a bike, even a whole fridge. They looked down at their body, they were bandaged... How were they bandaged? Despite being crudely done, it gave an odd feeling of relief. 

The ground trembled, as slow heavy footsteps approached, as the creature crawled into the cave. Whumpee let out a silent gasp, as they hid behind the fridge. They could hear the creature stop suddenly, it’s head creaking as it looked around. Whumpee covering their ears, cringing. They could feel the fridge move, as they glanced behind them, only to see the creature had picked it up, as was staring at them with a disappointed expression. 

Whumpee whimpered, fearfully staring up at the creature, who set the fridge down, and wrapped it’s hand around Whumpee. They cried out, trying to jump out of their grasp, but it quickly tightened its grip, but just enough to hold them in place. Before they could panic anymore, it held something up to their lips, it was a broken shell, that was filled with fresh water. The creature motioned it closer with anticipation. 

Whumpee had to admit, it looked appetizing, they were so thirsty they would take anything. They drank the water, as the creature held it for them, allowing them to drink every little drop. When they were done, the creature laid them back down in the little bed they made them, gently giving them a pat on the head with a single claw. 

Tag list: @grizzlie70  @alien-octopus

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Thank you for reading!

(there was more planned, but it got long.)

#whump #whumpee #monster caretaker #whump prompts

[alatismeni-theitsa]

16 anti LO anon opinions

All under the cut

(1) Fastpassers are also probably mad bc when smythe post fastpass title on twitter(which was heathers musical song ripoff) everyone was so hyped up and excided, they thought this gonna be about "Underqold badass queen Persephone " or something with her trail or something big with her, but no, they got Minthe flashback that didnt change anything in the story

(2) Fastpassers are annoyed bc this episode was flashback of Minthe. Two previous fastpasses got pretty big(and stupid) revals(leto is bad guy,apollo and artemis may be zeus child and last but not least Cronus awakening) so they were hopping for something more not a filler wpisode that changes nothing in to the story bc there were wpisodes that make Minthe more "symphatetic" than this one.

(3) Am i the only one a bit concerned that a Minthe episode made LO fans demand their money back but apparently episodes and a planned redemption over Apollo, who R*PED the main character, was met with fans sympathizing with him and feeling bad for judging him "too soon"?  They can accept a sexual assaulter having mommy issues to excuse his bad actions, but a boring filter episode about Minthe, who we know will be killed by the end anyway, gets outrage? That doesn't sit well with me.

(4) oh my god the LO fans hated the minthe fast pass so much they actually made LO's rating start to go down 😭 most of us here dont even like the comic but none of us would purposely review bomb it over a boring episode over a character we didnt like, thats so entitled!

(5) Adding on to the recent fastpass, it was extremely boring. I get that you can't please everyone but the fact that Minthe is having a backstory now just feels like filler.

This is the main issue I have with Rachel's story, she has so many characters but chooses to develop them at the worst times. If we got this backstory earlier in season 2, this would make sense. However, the fp before this one ended on a cliffhanger. You'd think it'd continue but no, we just get Minthe backstory.

I'd rather see an Apollo backstory, he's an active villain and would be interesting to see his motive.

Minthe doesn't have a compelling motive other than jealousy.

(6) I can't be the only one who thinks the new hairstyle updates for characters like Apollo or Eros look weird right? Eros literally looks like an adult version of one of his siblings Storge (who has curly permed hair and was holding a hamster)

(7) That Lo eros panel ... oof. Wheres his hairline going? He had a damn 7 head. Also at least for awhile the men had a different face from the women, but I guess they’re also women now, facial features wise?

(8) On a side note: why the fuck is Eros so ugly in this episode😭

(9) SMYTHE DOES NOT ONLY HAVE A DD/LG KINK, SHE A L S O HAS A PREGNANCY KINK!!! WHY ELSE HADES WAS SO *SMIRKY* ABOUT THE WHOLE FERTILITY GODDESS THING BACK WHEN HE AND PERSEPHONE WERE AT THE BEACH???? i swear to Allah this shit gets even more and more disgusting.

(10) This is something i see so much but LO especially but why do all of them have boring ancient clothes? It's always white or tan sheets or maybe black if it's someone in the Underworld. I'm going more off ancient images but shouldn't the gods especially have more grand and detailed clothing options? i get it's probably harder to design based off colorful skin tones but it's not impossible. it just seems so much of the comic design feels very flat, so if the story can't hold up then the art should.

(11)  The main problem I had before with lore olympus was its cliffhanger syndrome. Like, why do some many chapters leave on a cliffhanger and for no reason at all? Like when Hera got hit and nothing happened. When I was experiencing the episodes coming out in real time, it drove me mad.

It's gotten better recently but that's probably because the three recent episodes (fastpass) felt more like filler.

That's the main reason why I feel like the plot is being dragged out. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for cute character moments and creators getting money but, LO is slowly becoming less and less interesting. I literally skipped around in most of the fasspasses because it really wasn't interesting. The only thing memorable about all of the fp episodes is the beginning and end, the middle is just kinda there.

(12) Ampelus (psyche)'s eyes used to be golden/yellow but now its coloured purple lmao

(13) Wtf is happening in lore olympus?! Now they want to bring cronus back and do another war?!? Are they crazy nothing like this didnt happen in mythology and obviously not bc of persephone(in comic her pink tree in underwold will give crounus power and life). It supposed to be romance not whatever fuck this is now.

(14) I feel like if I was at Henson Co. or Webtoons with a tv deal on the line, I would make Smythe to hand writing duties to a pro or take a hiatus seriously plan everything out, because all these new plots are distracting from what people signed up for, which is to see HxP get together and the myth. It seems like filter seeing as any TV adaption wouldn't cover most of it anyway, so why even include it? If RS wants it over sooner than later, this isn't how you do it, she's just procrastinating now.

(15) I find Demeter in LO just confusing. If she’s so overbearing and controlling, why would she ever allow Persephone out of their domain to live with Artemis in the city? Even the most liberally easy going parents don’t let their naive children out into the world like that with people they barely know, yet the supposed helicopter parent does. Why not literally literally lock her up? Especially when Persephone can’t control her powers and is desperate to hide that she killed a village of people? Demeter knows she’s a danger to others yet let her out anyway? That doesn’t sounding overbearing to me. It sounds like she’s right to want to hide her away. Persephone is a bigger threat to everyone else than they are to her. More so, actual controlling parents do give their children phones to keep easy tabs on them, yet LO Demeter doesn’t? She could constantly call Persephone or check up on her without physically needing to be there, yet they don’t do that. What modern parent would let their child leave home without a way to contact them? If anything, she’s extremely loose on parenting her and lets Persephone do/have whatever she wants. The controlling helicopter parent premise too is undercut by the fact LO Demeter ends up being right in wanting to hide her daughter away because within a month of leaving home Persephone is drugged, kidnapped, threatened by several people, r*ped, blackmailed, is close to dropping out of school, attacked by shades, and had a mental/emotional breakdown, many of those things being linked to her future “caring” husband. I just don’t buy it. Demeter ends up looking correct by anyone who isn’t blinded by the rose colored glasses of HxP.

(16) If I'll ever bother to read LO I'll do so only to see how horrible exactly it is.

#anti lo #answered

[dogcircle-scans]

Natsume Yuujinchou: “Cookies to the Forest’s Entrance” Summary (Chapter 105)

Our cuties are back with more adventures!

I was trying to get this out within a week of the chapter’s release, but life happened so it took a while. ;w; Anyways, this is our first chapter after the 4 month hiatus! Perhaps to serve as a breather after the super intense Homura arc, we have a relatively short chapter (only 24 pages compared to the usual 30-40 pages) about Natsume, Tanuma and Nyanko-sensei stumbling into an old house in the middle of the forest. In some ways, this chapter felt more like a special chapter rather than a main one (don’t expect any plot or character development for this one, especially not information on the grandpa), but surprisingly, it also helps wrap up some stuff in the Homura arc (firstly, DID NYANKO GET HIS COOKIES, secondly, our poor cinnamon roll pure boi needs a hug ;w;). It still gives me the usual NatsuYuu feels, so no complaints from me! Also (I’m sorry for plugging), but if you enjoy what we do, and don’t mind giving a couple of dollars,

please buy me a coffee or two. At the moment I’m using my Kofi funds to buy raws of the manga for our scan uses, but after losing my Tumblr account, I haven’t had any new donations, so my tank is running empty (especially after buying the raws for Volume 25). ;w; If you have some spare cash and would like to help support our scan work, please help donate. You have my eternal gratitude. TwT As always, special thanks to Jessica for proofreading this for me on a Sunday!

- Niji

Chapter 105: “Cookies to the Forest’s Entrance”

While walking home from school, Tanuma accidentally steps onto a cookie, hearing it crack under his foot. He spots another cookie in the distance, and begins finding more and more of them the further he looks.

Tanuma: (It leads into the forest.) // This is just like Hansel and Gretel. / I wonder who dropped these…

Tanuma: ! // Natsume? Natsume: Huh… // Tanuma!? / Why are you in a place like this? Tanuma: You too, Natsume, what are you doing here…

Tanuma asks if Natsume might have been the one to drop the cookies, but it turns out Natsume didn’t notice the cookies at all. After recognising the cookies, he runs off, following its trail. Tanuma runs after him as well. At the end of the trail, they find a little house.

Natsume: Ah. // In a place like this… / Is it a vacant house? Tanuma: Hey, Natsume… / Do you know what these cookies are? / You looked like you were looking for something.

Natsume: …It’s nothing big. / I guess you can say I was just curious… Tanuma: Curious? Natsume: ——These cookies are…

Natsume recounts what happened shortly after he and Nyanko-sensei returned from Homura. Touko and Shigeru were extremely glad that he was able to find Nyanko-sensei, and gave Nyanko-sensei the cookies that they had kept aside for him (if you remember at the start of the arc, Nyanko-sensei wanted some pretty cookies but ran off before Natsume went to buy them). Nyanko-sensei was super happy about them too. However, when Natsume returned home from school that day, Nyanko-sensei was nowhere to be found in his room. Thinking that Nyanko-sensei might have ran off to play as usual, and that he might be going beyond Yatsuhara…

Natsume: I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and I figured it would be interesting to try following Sensei at least once… Tanuma: … I see… Natsume: ...Don’t laugh. Tanuma: Haha, I’m sorry. / So, at the end of these cookies will be…

Yes, it is Nyanko-sensei.

Natsume: Found him! Tanuma: Fufu. / There’s a hole in his bag. / So that’s how the cookies fell out.

Tanuma: *sigh…* ……Natsume? Natsume: ——As I thought, I’m still a little worried about Sensei. Tanuma: Ah… / That’s right, at the White Mist Pottery* Village, he caught the eye of a strange Collector……

[*I’m gonna translate “Hakka Pottery” to “White Mist Pottery”, since I can pretty much confirm that ‘Hakka’ is not a family name lol. So, for localization sake, I am translating the whole term.]

Natsume: …There was someone who reassured me, saying, “I’ll take care of this incident, so you don’t have to worry.” // He isn’t someone who would say things without thinking, so I did think that things would be alright now. / But when I didn’t see Sensei around like this, I can’t help but feel anxious. // ...But I’m glad.

Natsume looks around.

Natsume: I guess he found this vacant house and has been idling around in it. / …Seriously, he even brought his favourite sake and sake bottle with him. Tanuma: Wow… // It doesn’t look like anyone is here, and it’s quite wide. Rather than a residence, this is more like… an arbor?

Tanuma: It’s old, / but it’s pretty. // It’s perfect as a hideaway / or as a secret base.

Natsume: A secret base… / Then we’ve done something bad, haven’t we? Since Sensei has been secretly having fun here… Nyanko: *open!* Hm hm. / Natsume and… the Tanuma brat. Natsume: Ah! Nyanko-sensei! // I’m sor- Nyanko: You came here with perfect timing. Help me out. Natsume: Huh!?

Nyanko-sensei explains that he discovered this place while chasing butterflies during his patrol. He figured that it would be the perfect place for him to take his afternoon naps, and was just in the midst of checking it out. The only issue is that the place is rather dusty, and Nyanko-sensei doesn’t have the spare time to clean the place up as he likes.

Nyanko: I’ve brought some dust cloths with me. / Just wet them in the river over there. Natsume: What— Nyanko: If we don’t at least clean this veranda, you two won’t be able to idle around either, right?

And just like that, the boys got to work.

Natsume: Geez~~~ *wipe wipe wipe wipe* // This house may be vacant, but it might have an owner, so don’t just do whatever you like, Sensei. Nyanko: Come on! / Put your backs into your wiping! Boys: Phew~~ // We’re finally doneee—

Completely exhausted, they plopped down onto the veranda, and had their rest. And as they closed their eyes—

Natsume: (What is this?) / (There’s some sort of sweet fragrance coming from somewhere.) // (Is it Sensei’s cookies?) / (No…) // (Maybe it’s flowers.) / (——It’s very) // (kind and sweet——)

Soon enough, Natsume notices that evening has already arrived, so they prepare to leave.

Nyanko: By the way, how did you two learn of this place? Natsume: How? Because your cookies had fallen out, Sensei. Nyanko: WHAT!? // *stunned* There’s a huge hole… Natsume: Shall we pick them up on our way home, Sensei?

Nyanko: …… / No, just leave them as they are. // We still have lots of maintenance to do. / Tomorrow, you two will follow this trail back to my afternoon napping spot. We will gather there.

[Did Nyanko just… sacrifice his cookies!? Omg!]

Natsume: “Maintenance”……? Tanuma: Haha, I’m sure birds would have eaten them by tomorrow, Sensei.

The following day, the two boys find the trail of cookies and arrive at the empty house.

Natsume: We’re here. Nyanko: You two are so slow! / You’re gonna be devoting yourselves to the maintenance of my drinking party spot! Natsume: Wasn’t this your afternoon napping spot? Tanuma: ——Huh? Natsume. / There’s something on the pillar there…

Indeed, on the pillar was a hand-written note, saying,

“Thank you for wiping the place. Please enjoy yourselves here.”

Natsume: Uwah! / It’s probably from the owner. (S- So embarrassing…) Tanuma: I wonder if it’s okay to just take advantage of their offer like that. / Even though we entered as we liked… Nyanko: Stop complaining! Today, we are wiping the sliding doors! / I want the moonlight and the evening sun to shine on it beautifully.

Natsume: …As an apology for Sensei coming in as he liked, we should at least clean the frame of the sliding doors. Tanume: Let’s do that. Natsume: You help too, Sensei. Nyanko: Hmph. / Just this should be enough, right?

Or so they thought.

Nyanko: *rip…*

Stunned by the tear, the two boys inspect the damage. Natsume asks if it can be fixed, and Tanuma figures that, if they bring some sliding door paper and glue tomorrow, it should do the trick. Natsume returns to the note on the pillar, and quickly jots down an apology.

“Sorry, we tore the sliding door. We will fix it tomorrow.”

Back at home, Natsume asks Shigeru for some sliding door paper.

Shigeru: ...Hm? Sliding door? Natsume: Yes… // Can I have enough for one grid? / We were staying at a place and we kind of… tore it. Shigeru: Oh. / Were you at the Tanuma’s? Natsume: Ah, no. Shigeru: It’s okay to be mischievous, but you have to keep it in moderation.

Shigeru: If it’s at home, you can break as many as you like, // but always make sure to apologize, alright, Takashi? Natsume: …… Yes.

[Shigeru is such a good papa ;w;]

As Natsume leaves the next day, Touko stops him, handing him some strawberries.

Touko: Here, give them these strawberries as an apology. // *rustle!* Do your best! Natsume: ——… // Thank you so much. Nyanko: Oh~~~ These strawberries look tasty~~~ Natsume: They are not for you, Sensei.

[And now we have our sweet mama TwT]

They continue to follow the trail of cookies (how have they not been eaten by animals yet??), during which Natsume asks if the owner might be there. Nyanko-sensei promptly answers that he doesn’t need to care so much about an uninhabited empty house.

Natsume: Don’t you start, Sensei. Tanuma: Oi, Natsume—

The three of them head to the house, and find that a new note has been attached to the pillar.

“Thank you for cleaning the sliding doors. I have a request. Could you help me plant these seeds in the garden?”

Natsume: Huh? // By ‘seeds’, do they mean this? // …They don’t sound angry. Tanuma: You fix the sliding door, Natsume. / I’ll clear the weeds over there and plant this. Natsume: Thank you, Tanuma.

Natsume: …… // (The owner of this house sure is strange…) // (Rather, it feels like…) // Hey… Nyanko-sensei…

Nyanko: HEY! / ENOUGH OF THAT! HURRY UP AND BRING OUT THE PAPER! // Let’s paste it down right away. It’s time to repair my afternoon napping spot! Natsume: ——… Yeah. // You’re right.

The three of them set down to work, and finally finished everything. Once again, exhausted, they plop onto the veranda and napped.

Natsume: (Nevertheless…) // (This is such a comfortable place——)

In his dreams, Natsume hears a man speak, and the thoughts of someone else…

Man: “——Hey there. Sorry to keep you waiting.” ??: ——It’s alright. // Always, / forever, // I will be here, waiting for you.

Natsume wakes up.

Note: As an apology, we have left some strawberries here. Tanuma: It’s quite a mysterious arbor. // It’s like we are exchanging letters with the house owner. Natsume: That’s true. Tanuma: ——Hey, Natsume. Natsume: Hm?

Tanuma: ...Nah. / See you tomorrow. Natsume: Yeah. // See you tomorrow.

And that night, Natsume had a dream.

Natsume: (There was a gentle-looking man sitting alone on top of the veranda.) / (And around him, perhaps it was the flowering season… There were so many colors as though it was overflowing with it.) Man: Ah, my beloved arbor. // I can only visit you once every year. / I can’t even maintain or take care of you. Please forgive this useless owner of yours. // This year, I’ve been busy with my family business as well. / The days where I come here provide emotional support, so I always look forward to it. // Ah, / the view here is so beautiful. // I built this here hoping that someday, / I could bring my wife, my children, and my family here to view this scenery. // But after so long, it has always just been me.

Man: I’m sorry. Even though I built you, // I’m always here alone. // I’m sorry I couldn’t make it lively. // ——Someday, // should // guests arrive here——

Natsume wakes up. The following day, he meets up with Tanuma again, and they follow the trail of cookies into the forest. Natsume wonders about all the strange things involving this situation, about the forest that was so close to his house and yet he doesn’t know much about it, about these cookies that still look great even after so long, and about the mysterious owner who never shows his face. And when they arrive at the arbor—

Flowers had bloomed across the garden.

Tanuma: What!? / Flowers!? // …This can’t all be / the seeds I planted yesterday…? // Just how did… Natsume: ——I’m guessing // this arbor made all of them bloom.

Tanuma: Huh… SFX: *rustle*

The one who wrote notes to thank them for cleaning the floor and the sliding doors might have been the arbor itself. With its memories of bygone days, it’s always been here inside the forest, waiting.

Natsume: You finally have guests coming here. / But I’m sorry that it was us.

This was such an old, old little arbor, and it felt as though it was mustering the last of its power to show them this scenery.

Nyanko: Ooh, there are strawberry flowers here too. Natsume: Tanuma. / Why don’t we take a seat at the veranda and look at this scenery for a bit? Tanuma: Huh? Natsume: Somehow, / I feel like we won’t be able to come here again tomorrow.

Tanuma: ———……… // I see——… Natsume: (——I wonder if there are buildings that can become ayakashi too.)

That was the mysterious arbor that Nyanko-sensei found. It was only a short while, but it was where two people, one beast, and another certain someone, had spent their time together. As they take a seat on the veranda, Natsume recalls the words that the owner had said in his dream.

Man: ——Someday, // should guests arrive here…

Man: Make sure to welcome them with lots of flowers, alright?

It was a beautiful and lovely, secret arbor.

“Cookies to the Forest’s Entrance” END

#natsume yuujinchou #natsume's book of friends #summary #tanuma kaname #Natsume Takashi #Nyanko sensei #natsume manga spoilers

[marvel-ousnesss]

The one with all the theatrics (Zuko x reader)

Summary: Following your escape from the air temple, you and the rest of the gaang made it to Ember Island. This gave you and Zuko the chance to make up for lost times. More specifically, camping, training, and a night at the theater. 

A/N: This was meant to be a shorter follow-up for this fic, but can be read on its own. As always, enjoy 💜💜💜

Word count: 3k (???)

masterlist

The group eyed you with curiosity as you sat down in front of the pot full of rice and water. Zuko and Aang settled by your sides and the others sat around, closing a circle. Zuko lit a small fire on his hand, and you stretched out a hand to transfer the hit to the pot, closing your eyes and enriching your breath. In a matter of seconds, the water had boiled and the simple meal had begun to cook. 

You gushed about the nice weather for a bit, and told them about the few times that you and your father had gone camping as you grew up. You were about to tell them about the time you learned how to climbed, but were interrupted by Toph’s stomach roaring. 

As if on cue, you took a deep breath and sniffed the main course, takin no time on announcing was ready. 

Aang helped you fill the plates and Zuko took care of the tea department. When everyone was served, you began eating what was left on the pot. 

“You know, I’m glad you guys are here,” Sokka spoke as he stuffed his mouth with rice. “Food had never cooked so fast.” 

“Well, glad you found our talents useful,” you laughed, still with one of your hands under the clay dish. 

“And Zuko”, he continued, “who would’ve thought you’d save us from Azula after continuously trying to snuff us out.” 

You softly shoved him with your shoulder, noticing a light blush gracing his cheeks. 

“I can't believe I'm saying this but, today, you're our hero! To Zuko!”

You put the pot down and grabbed your tea, happily toasting with the others. 

“I’m touched,” he hummed, “I don’t deserve this.”

“No kidding.”

Zuko’s gaze fell immediately. He didn’t want to confront Katara, but you weren’t about to let her treat him like that any longer. 

Afraid of making it shatter, you placed the cup in front of your crossed legs and boasted, “I’m sorry, last time I checked, none of us would be here right now if it wasn’t for him.” 

“Yeah, who would’ve thought he could do more than just destroying people’s lives.” Katara stormed off before you could say anything else. 

 Defeated, your eyes followed Zuko as he went after her. 

Knowing he was gonna need some space, you went to sleep right after dinner. A few hours passed and he still hadn’t entered the tent, so you headed out and ignited a small flame that began dancing on your right palm. 

You closed your hand when you didn’t see him around camp, putting your fire out. When you were about to get in the tent once again, ready for another attempt of calling it a night, he dragged himself out of Sokka’s tent, awkwardly bumping into Suki. 

You snickered at the awkwardness before approaching your friend. 

“Wanna talk about it?” you offered. He just walked past you and into the tent. 

You could only picture how difficult this whole redemption thing was being for him, so you didn’t push him. Instead, you followed him inside and laid down next to him, honey eyes meeting your own. “She’ll come around,” you whispered. 

“It’s not just her, Y/N.” He sat up, letting the blanket fall off his upper body. His raven curls covered his face, and his shoulders fell lifeless and burdened. 

You mimicked his posture, and leaned in to grab one of his hands with between yours. “You can talk to me. You know that, right?” 

“I do,” he offered a smile, but it didn’t reach past the corners of his mouth. When you squeezed his hand, he exhaled and dropped his head further, ashamed. 

“It doesn’t have to be now, if you don’t feel like it.” 

As he remained silent, you gathered he was processing whatever had his head spinning. When he lifted his head, you could see the grief and remorse that radiated off him. He took a deep breath before he voiced his thoughts. 

“Everything I believed in, how proud I was of being my father’s son. It- it was all wrong.” 

You trailed off, “Zuko…” 

“I believed all the lies that they implanted on my head. The war, the killings, the burnt villages. I can’t believe it but-”. He sighed. “-Katara’s right. The only good thing I’ve ever done is joining the Avatar and after tonight I know that even that won’t give me my honor back.” 

You meditated over what to say, scanning the your surroundings while trying to chose your words. “She needs time to heal, and closure. You know, better than anyone, that honor can always be restored, but it has to be earned back. Maybe if you help Katara get the closure she needs-”

“The southern raiders,” he recalled. 

“What about them?” 

“Their commanding officer killed Katara’s mother. If she confronts her mother’s killer, she’ll get closure!” 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, violence won’t help this time, Zuko. If she does anything, she’ll blame you for it when she regrets it.” 

He thought about it for a moment, but shook his head. “It’s the only way I can think of earning her forgiveness. I have to take her to them.” 

Zuko’s lips were purses and his brow was frown with conviction. There was no way of talking him out of this. 

“Guess it’s settled then.” 

They left the following night, so the rest of you decided to take that time to move into the fire lord's beach house on Ember Island. As you wandered through the halls, flashbacks of toddlers running around bragging about little fires and sandcastles flooded your mind and you smiled, wishing for better times to be back. 

The first night at the house, you went to bed early, eager to get rid of the memories. Although you woke up early the following day, and took a look at the gardens, the kitchen, the library and the guest room that you used to call your own. When you had walked around the grounds for a bit, you decided to join the others, who —you assumed— were hanging by the porch. 

The day had practically come to an end, as the sky was a tone of orange and the sun was laying on the sea. You crossed paths with Katara when you headed to the dock, offering a soft smile. You had seen her interaction with Zuko and Aang from afar, and couldn’t be prouder of both of them for coming to terms. 

Aang followed her shortly after, leaving you and Zuko alone on the dock. 

“I’m assuming it went well.” You stepped forward and sat at the edge, silently inviting him to do the same. 

“She almost killed him, then did nothing.” 

You shrugged, turning to face him. “For better, I guess. What’s important is that she got what she needed and that you were the one to help her.” 

After a moment of contemplative silence, a smirk made its way to the prince’s face and you quirked a brow in question. 

“Aren’t you gonna say it?” 

“Say what?” You knew what he meant, but were eager to hear him say it. 

With a huff and an eye roll, he granted your wish. “That you were right all along. “Violence was never the answer, Zuko; you have to forgive, Zuko; focus on your chi, Zuko; bla bla bla...” 

"Why would I say it if you already know I'm right."

"We both know you wanna get it out, this is your moment. I'm all ears."

"Fine, then-." You cleared your throat. "-As always, Prince Zuko, I was right and you were wrong," you gloated teasingly. "And, not that it’s nice to hear you mock my wisdom,” you taunted, shoving his side, “but I'm really happy for you.” 

————

Your eyes were glued to the Avatar as he mimicked your every movement. You had lost count of the times either you or Zuko had performed the basic bending sequence with Aang. In general, his steps were calculated as he crossed the beach house patio, and his technique was not bad. But his movement lacked precision; not to mention, the flames he shot were a vivid, airy shade of red. 

After shooting a stream of fire with a straight kick, you bowed at each other and you grabbed your water bottle. 

“Again.” you instructed, wiping your forehead with your arm. “Your form is sloppy and your fire needs more fuel.”

The three of you had woken up at dawn, ready continue with Aang’s firebending training. 

Instead of repeating the sequence once more, he flopped on the fountain and took a huge gulp of water. “Can we just take a break? Like a really, really short one,” he pleaded. 

Zuko, who had been practicing some forms based on the Dancing Dragon, took a sit beside him and wiped his brow with his discarded shirt. “I think Aang’s right, he can run it again in a few minutes.” 

You quirked a brow. 

Zuko had always kept up with you in training; maybe you had gotten carried away. Another glance at him confirmed how drained the three of you really were. Letting out a breath, you agreed. “I suppose we can slow down a bit.” 

After you coached Aang through the sequence a few more times, Zuko and him ran a more advanced set and he flew off to take a bath, leaving the two of you. You got up from the stairs and walked up to Zuko, sporting a wide grin that, he knew, could only mean one thing. 

“You know,” you tried to play it cool, needless to say failing miserably. “We haven’t sparred in ages.” 

He grimaced at you, incredulous. “Y/N, we’ve been training for hours.” 

“Oh come on, don’t be such a snail-sloth, flames for brains,” you taunted. 

When the nickname left your mouth, his features contoured into a glare of annoyance which later morphed into a grin to match yours. He took a stance and lit his fists, challenging. 

You laughed and got into position. 

You glided around each other, studying every detail and making sure you could still read one another with only a glance. You mirrored the strike of a jab but lashed a whip with a spinning kick instead. You relaxed a bit, thinking he had been shocked by your attack, but Zuko effortlessly redirected your flames with a flowing movement. 

He smirked, not once averting his eyes from you.

“Show off,” you scoffed. Your eyes widening when he dropped a fire lash that missed you by inches.

He chuckled at your expression and kept advancing on you, as you blocked his attacks with a shield. Zuko wouldn’t cave, so you augmented your flames into an arch, using a sweeping arm movement to try and knock him down. 

His right leg hesitated so that’s where you blew next, but instead of dodging, like you expected him to, he disintegrated your flame with a roundhouse kick and equipped himself with a fire dagger. You advanced toward him, gaining space, and summoned two daggers yourself. 

A few strikes were exchanged, but your simulated Agni Kai quickly morphed into a good old hand in hand encounter. You had to think fast, he had always been a better up close fighter. 

With repetitive jabs, you made Zuko’s stance quiver and launched a kick to his ribs as a final blow. He fell on his back but got up with a quick motion, and advanced on you with powerful stomping. 

Balancing your options, you walked backwards on an impulsive attempt to get out of his range, unaware of the fountain behind you. Before you could react, a stair took your balance away, making you fall into the water with a loud splash. 

Moving a few rebel strands out of your face, you looked up to find a hand stretched your way. “Now I see what you meant. You’re sparring like a kagura dancer.” 

You took Zuko’s hand and pulled yourself up, muttering in response. 

“What the hell happened to you?” Sokka’s snarky voice made you both turn around to face him and Suki, who were standing by the patio’s gate with a scroll in their hands. 

“Flames for brains happened.” 

“She fell into the fountain.” You playfully hit Zuko for his response, but he brushed you off with a scoff. 

“Anyway…” Sokka’s gaze drifted between the two of you. “We were, you know, out and about, walking around town and guess what we found.”  

With a grin matching his, Suki lifted a scroll with familiar faces inked on it. “There’s a play about us.” 

You exchanged a sneer with Zuko, but neither of you spoke up. Just then, the other three members of your group strolled into the patio with glasses of coconut water. 

“Just in time!,” beamed Sokka, proceeding to read the poster out loud. 

Katara immediately expressed her reluctance, to which you responded with a relieved breath. But your joy was short lived as the others coarsed the three of you into agreeing. 

“Come on, theater? That’s the kind of saggy nonsense we’ve been missing,” pleaded Sokka. 

"But… the Ember island players?" Zuko's voice was a pitch higher as he complained. 

“I mean, how bad could it be?” you inquired. 

The answer to your question was quick to come. So far, as Zuko had well said it during the first pause, the interventions had been the best part of your night at the theater. Aang had gotten up and left, upset about his portrayal; Katara was trying to convince herself of how inaccurate it truly was; and Sokka, he was just bitter about the way they had limited his sense of humor. As for the rest, you couldn’t help but enjoy the parodic representation of your friends. 

Sans Aang, you were gathered by the entrance of the theater, looking up at Suki as you and Zuko sat on the floor. 

“It’s like you barely make it alive after all big battles,” she noted.

“Yeah, no offense but you guys lose a lot.” You rested your head on your friend’s shoulder. It was something you did often, but he stiffened for a second. 

“Like you two can talk,” huffed Sokka. “It's not like you got captured by Azula or anything. Oh wait, yeah... you did.” 

“Asshole”, you snarled, but Sokka showed no remorse. Zuko’s body shook lightly with his chuckle. 

“I’m just saying.” 

Silence surfaced and, shortly after, Katara left to find Aang while the Fan and Sword Duo embarked themselves on a mission backstage. 

“Geez, everyone’s so upset about their characters, even you seem more down than usual,” Toph decreed. 

You snorted at her bluntness. “Easy for you to say, 6 feet-tall, ass kicking wrestler.” 

“You’re right,” she sighed, “my character is pretty great. Still, it’s just a play.”

Zuko’s gaze fell on his lap. “For me, it’s a parade of all the mistakes I’ve made being shoved in my face. My uncle has always been there for me. He taught me everything I know and and, what do I do? Stab him in the back.” 

Your arm looped around his, rubbing his bicep comfortingly. “We’ve all done things we’re ashamed of.” 

“But I may never get to redeem myself. Uncle will never forgive me.”

“Zuko, I’m sure he will.”

“Yeah, Sparky, don’t you see it?” Toph sat down next to Zuko.

“What do you mean?” His brows frowned.

“I once talked to the guy. Like, really talked-.” You eyed her with curiosity as she disclosed, “all he did was gush about was you. He loves you.” 

“That’s sweet.” 

“Neh, more like sappy and annoying.” 

You shot the girl an amused side glance. “Aren’t you a ray of sunshine.”

She just beamed proudly at your words. “Anyway, he said he only wanted you to make your own path. To find your destiny. That’s what you did and look where it has brought you… to us!” She punched Zuko, then got up. “That’s already way better than where you were before.”

“Thanks.” He looked up at her with fondness.

“Now, Sokka said something about fire gummies so, if you’re done sulking, I’m gonna go see what that’s about.” 

Zuko had lightened up. He was now sporting a relaxed smile and his head rested atop yours. His breathing was serene as he took in Toph’s words. You hesitated, afraid to disturb his demeanor, but, after a moment of thought, let your hand fall toward his. You were gonna loop your fingers together but he beat you to it. 

Your breath hitched as you mentally scolded yourself for looking up at him. You tried to say something but no words came out. His golden eyes bored into yours before briefly gracing your lips. Shyly, you leaned up, wanting to get closer. His nose brushed your own before he leaned even further forward, softly pressing his lips against the corner of your mouth. 

As the other members of the audience began evacuating the halls and returning inside , Zuko moved to stand up and pulled you with him. 

“Come on," he prompted, “I think it’s about to begin.” 

Requests open!

tags: @writers-thoughts09 ​  /  @eridanuswave

#prince zuko #Zuko #zuko imagines #zuko x reader #zuko imagine #atla #atla imagines #Avatar The Last Airbender #avatar imagine #prince zuko x reader #zuko drabble #zuko drabbles #zuko blurb #zuko blurbs #prince zuko imagine

[platypanthewriter]

The Dragon’s Prince

Chapter One: Humans Aren't Furniture

Steve knew he was in the right spot when the first villager to see him--a man with a huge bruise on his forehead--yelped and ran, clutching at what looked to be a solid-gold chamberpot. 

“I heard there’s a dragon here,” Steve called out, standing in his stirrups.  His horse sighed. “I don’t want any trouble--I definitely don’t want your chamberpots--”

“Who the hell are you?”  A young woman poked her face over the fence near his elbow.  “What’s that sword for, then?”

It was both convenient and annoying, Steve thought, to be travelling without his entourage and ceremonial armor.  “This sword wouldn’t hurt him.” He grabbed the hilt and pulled a few inches of blade to show plain steel, not the slick, greenish sheen of an anti-magic enchantment.  

“Mmmm,” she hummed, squinting.

“His privateer license expired, is all--” Steve shrugged.

“Go away!  You’re here because he ate our sheep!” a kid yelled, and Steve sat back down in the saddle, brushing snow off his arms.

“Is that what happened?”

“He just strolled into town and asked whose sheep he’d eaten,” said another villager, hanging out a window.  “Been up on north field. Hucked treasure at everyone.” More of them were venturing forth, one of them holding a golden harp.  

“Broke my front tooth,” said the kid, yanking her lip back to show a gap, “--he was naked.”  Steve stared between his horse’s ears, and the kid smacked his boot.  “You gonna take all the stuff he gave us? It was too much, but he gave it to us.”

“No,” Steve grimaced at the guy hiding in plain sight “behind” a tiny shrub, “--no, keep your...chamberpots, I understand a trade caravan will be coming through, if you want to sell some…” he trailed off as a villager waved and pointed him to a ceramic vase larger than she was.  “Uh, some of his...gifts. They usually keep track of where he’s been.” A cheer went up around him, and he sighed. Definitely the right place, he thought.  Now I just have to convince him to listen to me.  And risk his life. If anything, he felt more tired, and he rolled his shoulders, hiding his wince as it strained the bandages under his jacket.  While I’m doing those two impossible tasks, maybe I can convince him to put on pants.

After some negotiation--and a stern refusal to accept harps or encyclopedias in payment--Steve stood at the base of a fall of boulders, and began to climb.  He started scrambling faster as the sun set, and the boulders shifted, and caught his boot. He froze, taking a shaky breath, and clung to the rock face, remembering the expression on General Hopper’s face after Steve received his orders.  

“Why not a dragon that responds to summons,” Hopper had gritted out.

“We need a fire dragon,” Steve had echoed his father’s words in his own voice, and tried to sound certain.  “He--he doesn’t kill anyone outside his license. I just--I don’t know what I can offer him. He could be in danger from them too, and they didn’t give me any--I can’t go to a dragon, even that dragon, and say “Please fight our battles, we’ll definitely figure out something to pay you with later--”

“There was that bandit.”  Hopper had shaken his head, and stomped away.  

Steve had imagined himself seared black, and speared on a tree like a butcherbird’s breakfast, and wondered semi-hysterically which had happened first.

“E-except that,” he’d agreed.  “I’m--I’m sure there was some--”

“He is a dragon,” Hopper muttered.

Steve yanked on his leg, yelling at the flash of pain, and the boulders shifted again, sending an avalanche of rocks and dirt down slamming into his shoulders, and the back of his head.

When he awoke, he was warm, and clean, and everything was bright through his eyelids.  “...oh shit,” he whispered, curling tighter, “--I’m dead, and now everyone else will be dead--”

“Whoa there,” breathed a voice next to his ear, “--pretty boy.”

Steve stilled, opening his eyes on gold, and golden scales, because the voice of a dragon was unmistakable.  It rumbled all around him and blew across the skin of his back like bellows over hot coals. He swallowed, closing his eyes again.  Of course I’m naked.

“I know, touching me feels like heaven,” the dragon continued, “--but I have to ask.  What drives a prince...to climb a landslide...to knock on my door?”

Steve tried to stand, and found his right foot was a sea of pain.  His vision went starry.  

“Whoa, whoa,” the rumble said, and smooth scales curled around him.  Steve allowed himself to be propped up, then lifted, grabbing at the talons around his butt and ribs, and blinked into the face of the gold dragon.  He’s young, he thought distractedly, his head’s barely the size of a pony.  

“My--I’ve been sent--”

“Are you a present?” asked the dragon, ignoring him.  “I took your giftwrap off, it was a bit--” it waved a claw, “--torn, after I dug you out.  I think you’d look great on this rock here,” it held him up to a slanted boulder the size of Steve’s bed, and tugged some furs from a pile to toss over it.  “I think your ass would really bring the room together.”  

“My--what,” Steve tried to turn, and the dragon leaned its head within view, teeth bared in what Steve suspected was an annoying dragon grin.  “My--I am not--I am his Royal Highness Prince Steven of Hawkins, Duke of Harringtown and Knight of the Realm, and I have been--”

The dragon sniffed him, and he resisted jerking away, swallowing.  “Why send you out without your guard? You were wounded before you came here,” it informed him, and he stared back into enormous, bluey-gold eyes.

“I know that.”  Steve gritted his teeth.  

The dragon’s grin widened.  “Entirely-gold hoards are out this year.  I think a prince’s smooth skin would really make it pop.”  

“I thought you didn’t eat people.”

The dragon blinked, then huffed.  “I’m just saying you’d look nice lounging--”

“I need your help,” Steve hissed.

The dragon momentarily stopped trying to angle him different ways in the light.  “What are you offering?” he asked, the flames flickering in his throat.

Steve rolled his eyes.  “I don’t know what you want.  You must have enough money,” he waved at the piles of treasure, “--this isn’t even your main horde.  And you aren’t paying taxes, like you agreed to do when you applied for your privateer license--”

“...you.”  The dragon went still, running a knuckle down Steve’s face, and then met his eyes again and laughed.  “As--as decor, naturally--”

“In a cave where you put me?” Steve asked, to clarify.  It was better than being roasted, he figured, or dropped onto a spike.  “I’ll need to ask you to defer my payment until--”

“One night, with you,” the dragon interrupted, turning its face away.  “I mean, if you can’t tear yourself away after--”

“One night?” Steve squinted at him, and then grabbed for the dragon’s talons again, kicking for balance as he was suddenly lowered to the floor of the cave.  The mountainous gold coils and wings folded and curled inward, packing themselves impossibly tiny until they resolved into a human-ish shape covered in shining scales, and sporting dragon horns.  

He crouched, frowning at Steve’s swollen foot, then smirked up.  “One night...with me.”

“Oh!” Steve almost clapped in realization, but caught himself, blushing, as the dragon-man leaned his face into his scaly hand and cackled.  “Just…” he trailed off, rephrasing his objections, until he remembered the amount of people at risk, and the whole reason he was there.  Maybe he enjoys sex where the human survives, he told himself, and held out his hand.  

The dragon took it in both of his, edging much too close for a handshake, and held it, grinning, as though he was delighted Steve had offered it, and didn’t intend to give it back.  

He leaned closer, his clawed thumb rubbing gently at the skin between Steve’s knuckles, and licked his lips, his gaze dropping to Steve’s mouth, and Steve barely had time for a startled inhale before he had warm lips pressed to his.  Up close, the dragon looked a bit like a very expensive costume, Steve thought, like someone at a masquerade ball, when he would wonder whether the person pressing him into the wall knew who he was kissing. He wondered, now, whether the dragon had ever attended.

 The gold was digging into his butt, and his foot throbbed, but the dragon’s warm bulk was surprisingly cozy.  He had unreasonably long lashes, and soft lips, and Steve let himself relax into the kiss, licking curiously into a dragon’s mouth.  He found it nearly steaming hot, and thankfully clean of singed bandit. The pile of treasure he was lying on shifted.  

He winced as something jabbed into his side, and the dragon reached over--still licking gently into Steve’s mouth--and bent the metal arm of it back with a grating creak.  The reminder that a dragon could have crushed his skull with one hand, and instead was running soft fingertips along his jaw--and shifting scaly knees so as not to jostle his sore foot--made him feel a bit like jelly inside, and he laughed into the kisses, panting.  He pushed himself up on his elbows, into the kiss.  

The dragon hummed, grinning against his mouth, and dropped alongside him.  His hands were pleasantly hot, running up and down Steve’s ribs. “You should see what I’ve got, before you agree to anything.”

“What?” Steve murmured back, tossing a leg over the dragon’s waist.  

“We can--we can make sure this is fine--after I’ve saved your humans.” 

“What--what do I call you,” Steve whispered into the kisses, and the dragon pulled back to grin at him, then leaned in for another kiss, and another.  

“You don’t--you don’t know my name?”  He kissed Steve’s lips again. The skin was starting to feel tender.  

“You’re designated by color, ability, and area,” Steve rambled, accepting kisses when he paused.  “--it’s--mm. It’s a mess--the way you keep flying around--I thought your name must be some--some Dragonish growly noise that--that they didn’t know how to spell, which, rude--” he panted into another kiss, losing his train of thought.

“...Billy,” he snickered into Steve’s ear.  “You always let strangers do this?”

Steve remembered with a jolt that he’d been sent to bring a dragon back, whether it required his oath or his life, and he shook his head.  “It’s dangerous, what I--what I need from--”

Billy bit, oh-so-gently, up the side of Steve’s neck, and he groaned, losing track of his words as his eyes fluttered shut.  “You finally came without your guards.”

“Were you waiting to get me alone?” Steve snorted.  “If you weren’t giving pornographic statues to children, you wouldn’t rile everyone up so much--” 

Billy snickered.  “It was heavy! I didn’t wanna carry that thing!  Fun though it was.”

“She was eleven--”

“Oh, she kept cows, she’d seen worse.  You probably bought it from her.”

“We couldn’t very well--”

“So she’s better off, now.  Several times the price of a couple cows.”  Billy’s teeth shone sharp in his grin, and he leaned in to run his knuckles up Steve’s side.  “I’ve got some treasures I’ve been saving for you…actually, here--” he leaned off the edge of the rock, then held up a vial of sparkling silvery fluid.

“It’s--it’s just my ankle,” Steve stared at it.  “We can stop by a healer on the way back, there’s no need for--”

“You’re hurt,” Billy uncorked it with his teeth, “--that’s what it’s for.  If I’m not paying attention, and you get hurt again, it’ll use it up later, maybe.  Maybe your tears will start healing the sick.”

“How would I even find out that was happening,” Steve asked, frowning at the vial.  “You should sell that stuff to some kingdom with a dying queen, or something.”

“Or maybe,” Billy whispered, “--you’ll live as long as a dragon.  Try for that one.”  

“How am I supposed to try for something--”

Billy grinned, sticking it in Steve’s mouth, and Steve drank it, staring at him over a potion worth as much as...a prince’s ransom, he wondered.  A king’s castle?  

“Why didn’t you drink it yourself?” he asked, as Billy frowned at, tapped it, and tipped the last drop onto Steve’s extended tongue.  “You could--”

“I’m a dragon,” Billy licked his lips, watching Steve’s mouth, “--you think I’m going to get hurt?  You’re fragile.  If something happens--”

“Why do you care about me?”  Steve asked, lowering his eyes to flex his suddenly-painless foot.  He reached down to tug at the loosened bandages. They were stuck together with blood.  “I mean--”

“You--you’re the prince,” the dragon laughed, tossing the empty vial against the far wall, and Steve nodded, biting his lips.

“Right.”

“No, I mean--” Billy crouched in front of him, cocking his head to catch Steve’s eye, “--everyone knows what you’re like.  We know what you do, because you’re the prince. You’re on coins--”

“I’m valuable.”  Steve nodded, keeping his shoulders relaxed, and giving his best public ‘welcome’ smile.  

“No,” Billy pushed him back, climbing over him again, and kissed his nose, “--no, I mean--I know you, I read every copy of the Imperial Gazette--”

Steve snorted, bursting into cackles of laughter.  “You think you know me through that?!”

“...no,” Billy muttered, his gold scales pinkening.

“What’s my favorite color?”  Steve grinned up at him, and Billy leaned in for another kiss.

“Gold,” he whispered.  “The best color.”

“...I do like yellow a lot,” Steve whispered into the kiss, and Billy squeezed him.

“I know enough about you,” he mouthed along Steve’s ear, “--to know I want to know everything about you.”  

Steve’s heart pounded, and he took a shaky breath, then cleared his throat.  “...what kind of name for a dragon is ‘Billy’,” he mumbled, his head muzzy with warm hands and bright smiles.  “Shouldn’t you be. The Slayer. Something about fire. Smog.”

“Rude,” the dragon whispered against his mouth.  “Billy the Slayer?”

One more question, Steve thought, before he burns them all away, kissing me.  “Wha--Billy.”  he cleared his throat, leaning into the hand on his head.  “Wait. Why did you burn that man?” 

Billy punched his shoulder.  “You saw his crimes!”

“I didn’t,” Steve raised his eyebrows, tugging a fur over himself, and lying back against the boulder with a sigh, “--because you didn’t send in your paperwork, like usual--my lungs are full of bandit flesh now--you couldn’t just break his legs and drop him at a guard station--”

“I--I definitely sent--” he paused, thinking.  “I didn’t.” The dragon scrambled away, sliding down the mound of treasure in his tiny human form.  “Ah, here they are--”

“How do you fill them out?” Steve asked.  “Do you use your claws? With your eyes shut?  Because that would explain--”

The cavern brightened with a poof of flame.  “I use a quill--look--” he clambered back up the shifting mounds of treasure, waving a handful of papers, “--see, look, he stuck his cock in places it wasn’t wanted, so I stuck a tree through it.  And set him on fire.”

Steve grimaced, finally relaxing.  “Oh. Well. That’s fair.”

“And then I threw his golden chamberpot at the first person I--”

“Who has a golden chamberpot,” Steve started snickering, and couldn’t stop, curled against his warm dragon.  Eventually the days travelling wounded caught up to him, and he mumbled his replies, then snored, with the vague impression of gentle claws combing through his hair.

@neonlaynes​ @tracy7307​

#harringrove #harringrove for Australia #stranger things #platypan #platypan fic #art by neonlaynes #Lookit Steve's squishy face!! #Squish his face Billy! #Steve needs a break #Billy needs a prince #All the best interior design guides advise one

[crystalgirl259]

How to Train Your Dragonblood 3: The Dragonblood Alpha Ch1

The bright, yellow, morning sun shined and shimmered over the stunning blue sea surrounding the northern islands. Suddenly something fast moved across the surface causing the water to part and spray sideways. A colorful, bustling town sat atop one of these many northern islands. A few sea birds were heard in the background along with the shifting waves as they hit the base of the island. This was the island of Ninjago. The only island that housed both dragonbloods and humans as one community.

It was the best-kept secret this side of anywhere.

Much had changed on the island of Ninjago in the five years since Jay Walker and the Fire Dragonblood Kai had first bonded together and became a couple and showed humans and dragonbloods alike that coexistence between their two species was not just a possibility. It was the way of the future. The catapults and trebuchets that once dominated Ninjago's towers during wartime have now given way to aqueducts, wing-inspired windmills, and Dragonblood Racing bleachers.

Similar changes also occurred beneath Ninjago's surface.

There was a reinforced hangar, complete stables, feeding troughs, and a dragonblood wash for when they were in dragon form. Granted, it may not look like much, but this wet heap of rocks packed more than a few surprises. Life here was amazing. Just not for the faint of heart. The streets were seemingly empty, aside from the shadowy blurs zipping over the many roofs of the town. In-between two houses, a group of scared sheep watched the sky as they trembled in terror.

The bunch of sheep started crossing the plaza back to back as their eyes darted around in fear.

On their sides, they had different colorful targets painted into their white wool. They quickly scurried into a space between two buildings, only it was too small. One of the marked sheep was pushed away and into the open. It looked up alarmed just before being snatched by a sudden, flying blur. Fast shapes moved across a totem and buildings. While most folks enjoyed hobbies like whittling or needlepoint, the people of Ninjago preferred a little something they liked to call Dragonblood Racing.

Dragonbloods barreled past at a dizzying speed.

Their riders swiped, kicked, and rolled into one another while they weave between the houses, docks, and revamped structures of Ninjago. Dareth, who is now twenty, rode Tox, his Poison Dragonblood, who carried the sheep in her claws, until Plundar, also twenty, but every bit as a juvenile, and Adam, his Lightning Dragonblood, side-checked them and stole their sheep.

"Sorry, Dareth! Did you want that?" Plundar laughed as Dareth glared at him and Adam. Adam fell back toward Zane and Harumi, who lag on their Ice and Wind Dragonbloods, Pixel and Morro. "Here ya go, babe!" Plundar called out and, with a chivalrous grin, he tossed the sheep to Harumi. She snatched it with a sneer and a grumble. "Did I tell you that you look amazing today because you do?" He smirked, but she wasn't impressed.

"Ugh, come on, Morro, it's starting to stink around here." She huffed in disgust Morro started to peel off, spewing a gust of wind as he did so.

"You must see that she still hates you." Zane sighed at his friends' antics before he and Pixel also flew ahead. As they flew, Pixel released a wave of frost that blew into Morro's previous gust and left Plundar and Adam shivering. As they rush past the main bleachers, Harumi dropped her sheep into one of seven baskets suspended over a chasm at the lap crossing. Each backboard bore an image of its corresponding dragonblood. Morro and Harumi's basket was filled to the brim with sheep.

Presiding over the game, Cliff turned to the frenzied crowd.

"That's nine for Harumi and Morro, Cole and Rocky lags with three, and Plundar and Adam, Zane and Pixel, Ronin and Shade, and Dareth and Tox trail with NONE!" He roared over the crowd as his eyes fell on an empty basket at the far end, its backboard painted with an image of fire. "And Jay and Kai are... nowhere to be found." He sighed as he slumped back into his large chair.

"Scared your boy off with the big talk, didn't ya, Cliff?" Ed chuckled lightly. Plundar, still defrosting from the blast, suddenly got a punch from behind. Cole rolled in, astride Rocky, spirited and competitive as ever.

"What are you doing, Plundar?! They're going to win now!" He growled.

"She's my princess! Whatever she wants, she gets!"

"Harumi?! Didn't she try to bury you alive?!"

"Only for a few hours!" He argued. Cole rolled his eyes in frustration and Rocky flew as far away from the love-struck Plundar as he could get. He loved Adam with every fiber of his being, but his human rider could be very annoying. The racers chased each other through a sprawling hangar and into a vast cave, teeming with colorfully painted dragon stables. They exited through the far side and circled back through the village, blasting past many of its dragon-friendly additions.

In the village, one of Rocky and Adam's children suddenly sneezed, releasing a little molten rock and accidentally setting one of the houses aflame.

Cole saw this and Rocky peeled away from the other racers, and yanked open a spout on the overhead network of aqueducts, dousing the flames with a surge of water. Back to Cliff, amused as he watched the racers around the island, searching for sheep. He turned to Ed and nodded.

"It's time, Ed."

"Righty-ho! Last lap!" He shouted to the crowd. A horn sounded and the racers all turn to each other, excited. It was time to release the Black Sheep.

"Come on, Rocky! We can still win this thing!" Cole grinned and the Earth Dragonblood kicked it into high gear.

"Come on, Shade!" Ronin shouted.

"Let's go!" Dareth cried to Tox.

"Go, Adam!" Plundar yelled as Ed loaded the Black Sheep onto a catapult. He pulled the trigger, launching the Black Sheep into the air. Cole spotted it first and steered Rocky into a steep climb toward it. In a flash, however, Dareth and Tox flew in and nab the sheep.

"NO!" Cole shouted and Rocky roared in frustration.

"Good job, Tox!" Dareth praised as he patted the green dragonblood's neck and tossed his captured prize to Harumi. "Here you go, darling! Mine's worth ten!" He called to her when she caught it. She cheered and steered Morro towards the baskets

"You guys are fighting over Harumi?!" Ronin scowled at his brother in disappointment while Shade let out a laughing sound, but Dareth just ignored them and Tox flew to catch up with Harumi and Morro. When they saw him, Morro rammed into Tox, sending her and Dareth into an uncontrolled spin. They slammed into Plundar and Adam, sending them all tumbling head over tail. The crowd went wild. Harumi thought they were in the clear until Zane and Pixel came up beside them.

He grabbed at the sheep, but Harumi fought back, inciting a tug-of-war.

Neither of them noticed Cole and Rocky flying toward them. As they got closer, Cole stood on Rock's back, keeping his balance.

"Get 'em, Cole!" Cliff shouted out in excitement at what was to come. Cole leaped off of Rocky, ran up Pixel's back, and plucked the Black Sheep from Zane and Harumi's hands. He laughed in victory as he tumbled through the air onto Rocky, sticking a perfect landing, the Black Sheep in hand. Zane smiled at Cole's strategy while Harumi and Morro growled in annoyance at losing the Black Sheep. As they flew, Cole eyed the fast-approaching finish line, unaware as Dareth suddenly rammed Tox into Rocky, sending them off-course.

He recovered and saw Ronin flying headlong toward them, war hammer cocked, aiming at his head.

He cried as Ronin hurled his hammer. Rocky suddenly ducked and rolled Cole out of the way. The hammer caught Dareth in the face with a clang and the crowd collectively winced. Cole and Rocky recovered from their roll, looped over the water, and blasted past the finish line, dunking the Black Sheep into their basket.

"That's thirteen! Cole and Rocky take the game!" Cliff shouted and the crowd came unhinged. The winners flew over the crowd, basking in their victory while the loses flew away to lick their wounds. Ninjago was pretty much perfect. All of Jay's hard work had paid off, and it was a good thing too because, with humans on the backs of dragonbloods, the world just got a whole lot bigger...

#ninjago #ninjago zane #ninjago cole #ninjago kai #ninjago nya #ninjago jay #httyd #plasmashipping #How to Train Your Dragonblood

[mirkwoodshewolf]

Wizard of Oz Queen x pre-teen Chap. 2; Landing in Oz

*Author’s note*

Alrighty here’s where things get interesting now just a few things. Now for the person I’ve chosen to be Glinda, the witch of the North I had a combined costume idea, so based on the gifs below imagine Fred’s outfit from the Christmas 1975 Hammersmith concert, and the very LAST costume David Bowie wears in the film Labyrinth. Also a face cast you can imagine for the 4 Fae Queens, just think of Lucy Boynton’s!Mary Austin.

Warnings: Tornadoes, death of a character (not a main one).

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things​

@waddles03​

@psychosupernatural​

@ixchel-9275​

@simonedk​

@platawnic​

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels​

@queensdivas​

@queendeakyy​

@geek-and-proud​

@kairosfreddie​

_______________________________________________________________

*3rd Person POV*

About a half mile away from the house, a giant F2 tornado had hit right near Rockfield studios.  Henry Gale was frantically racing towards the barn to get some of the cows and horses lose from the stable so that they wouldn’t be trapped and end up getting killed.

Covering herself with her shawl, Aunt Em raced out the backdoor near the storm shelter and she cried out for (Y/n) as loud as she could over the harsh winds.

Just around the trail leading to the house, (Y/n) and Toto arrived back home to see the tornado coming right up towards the house. She and Toto as best as they could ran around the fence dodging bushes and trees that were now flying right towards them.

“Henry! Henry I can’t find (Y/n) she must be out there in the storm!”

“We don’t have time to look for her now we’ve got to get underground!” Henry urged his wife as he dragged her over to the storm cellar.  All the while Em was screaming out for (Y/n) till she was gently shoved into the storm cellar.  Henry followed close behind her and struggled to close the doors till finally he got it and bolted it from the inside.

*1st POV*

The loud winds, the trees flying right at us, and the sheer force of the winds themselves almost wanting to take us with whatever it could grab.  I set my suitcase down and quickly grabbed Toto before racing toward the house.

When we finally got there, I grabbed the screen door but as I opened it, it flew right off its hinges and into the air.  Without a second thought I opened the main door and started searching all the main leveled rooms for my aunt.

“Auntie Em! Auntie Em!” the storm cellar! I ran towards the backdoor and opened it and was petrified cause the tornado was now just a foot away from the house.  I ran over to the cellar door and tried to open it only to find it was locked.

I kicked it trying to be louder than the rapid winds and crying out as loud as I could.

“Auntie Em! Uncle Henry!” the tornado was getting closer so with no other choice I went back inside and closed my bedroom door. My heart was racing and I was completely terrified.  I held Toto closer to my chest praying that the twister was going to pass.

Suddenly my windows exploded from the hinges and went flying around my room.  I shrieked and tried to duck away from my window, I crawled towards my bed but as I tried to pull myself up onto it, the window suddenly flew right at me and hit me in the back of my head.

Soon I was knocked out as I fell against my bed.

When I woke up, I heard the sound of chickens clucking before the cries of a rooster.  I looked out towards the open window and saw a whole chicken coop was outside before blowing away.  I was also surprised to see a cow suddenly fly right by mooing as it did.

Toto came right up towards my window barking at the cow before hopping right off and going to hide underneath the bed. Shortly after the cow went away, two men in a canoe soon appeared.  When they saw me, they took off their fishing hats and greeted me before rowing away. I then looked down my window to see just where exactly we were.

And I got the shock of my life when I saw nothing but spiraling winds.

“We must be up inside the tornado!” I exclaimed to Toto who peeked his head up right at me.  Soon another surprise came at me when I saw Paul Prenter just a few feet away from my window.  He sat on top of a car (god I hope Freddie and the boys aren’t in there).  I exclaimed his name in shock but it wasn’t until a few seconds later that I thought I was going mad.

As quick as a snap. Paul’s appearance soon began to change.  Now he wore an all-black witch’s robe, the car turned into a broomstick, he wore the typical sharp pointy black witch hat, and his skin turned a sickly green color.

Terrified I buried myself into my bed as the echoes of a wicked laugh came out of him.

The house continued to spin faster and faster, so much so that now my bed was moving from side to side of the house.  I kept screaming and shrieking as I held Toto close to my side so that he wouldn’t get hurt.  It felt like forever that we kept spinning on the bed and swaying back and forth.

Then as quick as it happened, it suddenly stopped and everything went silent.  There was no more wind howling, no more movement, no cackling, nothing.  Just pure silence.

After waiting about a minute or two to see if we really had landed, I stood up picking Toto off the bed and grabbed my basket that I kept some essential things in and walked out of my room.

The house was disarray with things falling over, pictures broken, books scattered everywhere, and furniture turned on its side. Toto and I walked through the damage right towards the front door.

When I opened up the front door, I was greeted with the most beautiful sight.

All around was nothing but bright colored flowers, a small bridge with a crystal clear river flowing underneath it, and up ahead a tiny little village of sorts.  I slowly got out of the house with Toto at my side and the two of us walked out and explored this abandoned place.

It was beautiful.  Flowers that looked like the ones back home and some flowers I had never seen before, like this one flower looked like a rose however it was sky blue color, and when you went to smell it, it didn’t smell like a rose at all. It smelled more like a daffodil.

We walked over the small bridge closer to the village homes and I could see just behind the village were rolling hills just like back home.  And the floor was even unique, it spiraled around into two colors, one was a red brick trail while the other was yellow.

“Toto,” I started, “I have a feeling we’re not in Wales anymore.” I told him.  I continued to look around this beautiful place and was just in awe at it’s beauty. It was like something out of a fairy tale. “It’s so pretty here.”

I then heard a shimmer of a bell behind me and when I turned around floating right towards Toto and I was a crystal ball of sorts.  The sun reflected off the beautiful rainbow within it and to my surprise, the ball began to grow bigger and bigger the closer it got to us.

I backed away slowly as the crystal soon landed on the ground and soon appearing before us was a man.

He was—very handsome.  Dark, tan skin with black hair that almost made him look regal looking (kinda like a lion’s mane).  His eyes were emphasized with the Egyptian cat’s tail, and glitter specked across his cheeks giving him a more ethereal appearance.

He wore a mixture of white and silver clothes. His pants and tight shirt were all white but he was draped in a silver fur coat.  Well the fur stopped midway while the rest of it was like expensive silk or even satin material.  

He also wore rings across almost each finger and his nails were painted the purest black.  And in his hand he held a dazzling wand glittered with diamonds.

What was also unique yet slightly familiar about this—being was the overbite he had.  I couldn’t place it but I swear I knew someone else with an overbite just like him but—I could remember his name.

“Now I—I know we’re not in Wales.” I muttered down to Toto.  He walked up to his, hit white boots clicking underneath the stone-brick road.  His eyes stared at me intensely as he said.

“Are you a good witch? Or a bad witch?” I looked around confused before pointing to me.

“Who me?” he nodded. “I’m—I’m not a witch at all. I’m (Y/n) Gale. From Monmouth.”

“Oh well is that the witch?” he said pointing down to Toto who looked up at the man with a tilt of his head.

“Who Toto? Toto’s my dog.” He chuckled softly before saying.

“Forgive me my dear, but I’m a little muttered. The seasonal faes had called me to say that a new witch has just dropped a house on the Wicked witch of the East. And there’s the house, and here you are, and there is all that’s left of the Wicked witch of the East.”

I looked over toward my house and low and behold, right where my bedroom was, I saw feet sticking out from underneath my house. I gasped and that’s when the man said to me again.

“And so what the faes want to know is are you good? Or are you wicked?”

“But I already told you I’m not a witch at all. Witches are old and ugly!” I then heard the musical ringing of laughter which startled me.

“What was that?” the man chuckled cunningly as he said.

“The seasonal faes. They’re laughing because I am a witch. Or well—Warlock. I am Fiyero, the Good Warlock of the North.”

“Really? Oh forgive me sir.” I curtsied. “But I never knew a Warlock could be handsome.”

“Only Bad Warlocks are ugly my dear.” Dear? The way he even called me that sounded familiar but—I still couldn’t place the face back home. “The seasonal faes are happy because you have freed them from the wrath of the Wicked Witch of the East.”

“If you’ll forgive me for asking but—what are seasonal faes?” I heard the musical laughter once more and that’s when Fiyero answered.

“The fairies responsible for making all the seasonal or earthly changes in our happy home of Oz.” he told me.  Then with a graceful turn of his cape, he soon came up onto a platform and proclaimed, “You may come out my darlings and thank her.” But no one came out.

“Do—do they not trust me?”

“Oh pay no mind my dear. They’re just a little shy. But a little song helps ease them out. Do you know any?”

“I—I think I remember a song that my Auntie once sung to me when I was a little girl.”

“Would you care to sing it for them?” he extended out his hand for mine.  I walked towards the platform and hesitantly looked up at him.  His gentle brown eyes assured me that it would be okay, so I took his hand and he helped me up the stairs till I stood at the center of the platform.

I rubbed my sweaty palm against my jeans and cleared my throat before turning towards Fiyero who only nodded softly.  I took a deep breath and softly began to sing. This was a song my Auntie Em used to sing to me to ease my fear.  She said that her mum once sung it to her, and her mum before.

A song passed through generation to generation. As I did the soft vocalization part, I was shocked to hear a reply from a beautiful female voice echoing my vocalization, but adding another part to it.

Play video

*Me*

Every inch of me is trembling But not from the cold Something is familiar Like a dream I can reach but not quite hold I can sense you there Like a friend I've always known I'm arriving And it feels like I am home

I have always been a fortress Cold secrets deep inside You have secrets, too But you don't have to hide

Show yourself I'm dying to meet you Show yourself It's your turn Are you the one I've been looking for All of my life? Show yourself I'm ready to learn

Ah ah ah ah

*Female fae voice*

Ah ah ah ah

I could see Fiyero’s wide smile and he gestured for me to go on.  I walked down off the platform and ventured further into the village.  The first thing I went up to was a large Hollow tree. I touched the proud trunk before climbing up on top of it.  When I scaled a certain part of the tree, I saw just to my left and ice slide.

I pulled myself onto the branch and slowly walked across it before sliding all the way down.  Going side to side, loop-de-loops, and dipping straight down till I came to an underground cave.  Fire soon sparked through the dark cave and I saw ahead of my large rock pillars just ahead of me.

I took the leap of faith and jumped across from rock to rock, using the fire as my light and only guiding source.  When I reached the other side, I soon came across an icy paradise.

Ice surrounded most of this part of the cave, the light from the fire made the ice sparkle like a soft rainbow.  Along the trail was an ice bridge and just underneath it was a flowing river.  I walked along the bridge still singing my song till I came to an elegantly made ice staircase.

I quickly raced up the stairs only to come back to the beginning back to the front of the village.  But still no faes made themselves known.  Toto came up to me and I picked him up and turned to Fiyero shrugging in defeat and sadness.

Maybe they didn’t want to see me.  And that was sad cause I’ve always secretly longed to see a fairy.

*Me*

I've never felt so certain All my life I've been torn But I'm here for a reason Could it be the reason I was born? I have always been so different Normal rules did not apply Is this the day? Are you the way I finally find out why?

Show yourself I'm no longer trembling Here I am I've come so far You are the answer I've waited for All of my life Oh, show yourself Let me see who you are

He held his hand out in wait as he walked down the platform and gently waved his diamond wand around and magic soon surrounded me with images of the four elements and seasons.  

Spring and Earth, Summer and Fire, Autumn and Air, and Winter and Water.  When he finished the verse he gestured for me to take over.

I set Toto back down on the ground and just stared in awe at each of the elements/seasons slowly spinning around me. I then found myself reaching out towards the Spring element and as soon as I touched the flower, a powerful magic blast exploded out across the village.

*Fiyero*

Come to her now Open your door Don't make her wait One moment more *Me*

Oh, come to me now Open your door Don't make me wait One moment more

        Soon I saw nothing but fairy dust fly out from either the homes, the tree, the caves, and even the garden I had crossed earlier.  I was soon surrounded by thousands if not millions of fairies. All of them wearing the colors representing each season or element.

Winter and water spirits wore blue and white, Spring and Earth wore green and brown, the Autumn and Air wore orange or pink attires, and the Summer and Fire faes wore yellow or red.  The faes then began singing in a beautiful choir and soon vocalizing were four beautiful women soon coming towards me.

They looked identical in facial appearance but each of them had their own significant ethereal based on each season or element they represented.  They were also the same size as Fiyero compared to all the other faes.

I also noticed how these four women each wore a crown upon their heads.  I turned to see Fiyero bowing to these four women, I began to realize that these four must be the Queens.  I bowed in respect as well and that’s when I felt a hand under my chin.

It was the Spring Fae Queen and with her gentle green eyes she looked down at me with a motherly gaze as she sung to me. Her beautiful dark brown hair was like looking at the very earth at the ground, and with her spring flower crown decorating her hair, it just made her dark hair pop out even more.

*Faes*

Where the north wind meets the sea

*Fae Queens*

Ah ah ah ah

*Faes*

There's a river

*Fae Queens*

Ah ah ah ah

*Faes*

Full of memory

*Spring Fae Queen*

Come, my darling, homeward bound

*Me*

I am found!

For some reason I felt tears in my eyes but I sung out proudly and that’s when the four Queens allowed me in their circle. The Spring fae Queen first gifted me with a flower necklace that was a beautiful pink color.

The Summer Queen with a fire igniting from her hands, forced my hair to come undone from my braid and finally be long and flowing like fire itself.  She even gave my hair some bright red highlights that almost resembled fire across the field.

The Autumn Queen soon came up and gifted me with two bracelets made of twig and she used the air to bring some Autumn leaves to decorate the bracelets.  I even saw how along my arms a pattern of golden leaves were imprinted into my skin, kinda like a tattoo.

The Winter Queen changed my entire outfit into a pure snow white dress, but at the bottom of the dress it was an indigo color. It was also decorated with snowflake crystals of white, blue and indigo.  And on the back it even had two wing-like flaps that came out of the shoulders.

The millions and millions of tiny Faes then began to circle me and as fairy dust came down upon me, I felt myself lifting into the air and I was soon spinning around like a top.  I closed my eyes as I allowed the faes voices surround me and envelope my very soul.

It was like being wrapped in a blanket of warmth and love.

I would join in with the faes whenever I could as I raised my arms over my head and my hair rose high above me.  With one final loud vocalization from me, fairy magic exploded across the land.

*All*

Show yourself Step into your power Grow yourself Into something new

*Fae Queens*

You are the one we've been waiting for

*Seasonal faes*

All of our lives

*Me*

All of your life

Oh, show yourself

*Faes*

Ah ah

Ah ah ah ah

Ah ah ah ah

Ah ah ah ah

Ah ah ah ah

*Me*

Ah ah ah ah

Soon I was gently lowered back to the ground as all the faes fluttered all over the place and the four Queens stood before me.

“We thank you again dear one. For you have freed us from the wrath of the Wicked Witch of the East.” The Spring Queen said with a voice that warm and sweet just like honey.

“And from each of us, we have bestowed upon you a Faes life force. Should the time come, our magic will help heal any wound or brink of death you may encounter.” The Winter Queen told me.  Her white hair resembled the snow in winter and her icy blue eyes held such warmth.

“Let the news be spread far and wide from every far reaches of our Fae kingdoms,” the Autumn Queen first started off.

“The Wicked old Witch at last is dead!” the Summer Queen finished as she raised her arm high over and shot a fireball into the air. All the fairies cheered and rejoiced.

Fiyero came up to me and placed a hand to my shoulder smiling down at me.

“Being gifted by the Fae Queens is a most powerful thing. You should be considered lucky.” I nodded and I bowed to the four Queens again and said.

“Thank you, your majesties. I shall treasure your trust and gift forever.”

Suddenly out of nowhere an explosion happened right in the middle of the fae kingdom.  An evil red smoke soon exploded out and an awful smell took over the air. All the faes soon took off fleeing back to their hiding places and there stood an evil looking man.

He was dressed in a full black Warlock robes and held a broomstick in his hand.  His green skin was like the grassy fields back home and his eyes were gleaming with hatred right at me.  The 4 Queens and Fiyero all stood protectively around me as the green warlock walked towards the feet that were sticking out from my house.

“I—I thought you said the Witch was dead.”

“That was his sister. This creature is the Wicked Warlock of the West. And he’s far worse than his sister was.” Fiyero said to me.

“Who killed my sister? Who killed the Witch of the East? Was it you?!” the Warlock of the West said as he slinked towards us before glaring right down at me.

“No. No it was an accident. I didn’t mean to kill anyone!” I said fearfully.

“Well my little lass. I can cause accidents too!”

“Aren’t you forgetting the Ruby slippers?” the Spring fae Queen asked.

“The slippers, yes!” the Warlock of the West said. He turned back towards his sister’s feet.  Next thing we saw, the slippers disappeared and the feet curled in before disappearing underneath my house. “They’re gone! The ruby slippers. What have you done with them? Give them back to me or I’ll—”

“It’s too late. There they are, and there they’ll stay.” Fiyero said as he wand pointed down toward my feet.  I looked down and gasped.

My normal shoes had now been replaced by the witch’s ruby slippers.

“Give me back my slippers. I’m the only one who knows how to use them. They’re of no use to you. Give them back to me. Give them back!”

“Keep tightly inside of them my dear. Their magic must be very powerful, or he wouldn’t want them so badly.” The Summer queen warned me.

“You females stay out of this. Same with you Fiyero! Or I’ll fix you as well.”

“Ha! Rubbish green-meanie! You have no power here. Now fly off! Before someone drops a house on you too!” Fiyero laughed.  The Warlock suddenly grew fearful as he looked up at the sky for a moment before looking back at us.

“Very well, I’ll bide my time. And as for you my little lass. It’s true I cannot rid of you here as I’d like but just try to stay out of my way. Just try. I’ll get you my pretty, and you’re little dog too!” I looked down at Toto who was hiding behind my legs.

I quickly grabbed him and held him in my arms as the Warlock of the West let out a sinister cackle before moving away from us and disappearing into red smoke and fire.  We all heard the fearful exclaims of the other faes.

“It’s alright now you may come back out. He’s gone.” The Spring queen assured all the faes.

“It’s alright. He’s gone. You may come back out.” The Winter queen spoke out as well.  Fiyero waved his hand in front of his nose and said.

“Ugh what a rotten smell of sulfur. I’m afraid you’ve made a rather nasty enemy out of the Warlock of the West. The sooner you return home safe and sound, the safer you’ll sleep at night my darling.” He stroked a strand of my hair out of my face.

“I’d give anything to get home all together. But…..which way is the way back to Wales? I can’t go the way I came.”

“No indeed not. The only person who might be able to help you, would be the Great and benevolent Wizard of Oz himself.” At the mention of that name. the Fae Queens and all the fairies bowed their heads.

“Wizard of Oz? Is he good or is he wicked?”

“Oh very good but very mysterious. He lives in the Emerald City and that’s a long ways from here. Did you bring your broomstick with you?” I grinned sheepishly.

“No I’m afraid not.” I admitted shyly.

“Well then you’ll have to walk. The faes will see you safely out of the borders of their land. And remember; never let those ruby slippers off your feet for a moment. Or you will be at the mercy of the Wicked Warlock of the West.” Fiyero said as he led me across the garden before standing in front of me and giving me a kiss on each cheek.

“Okay but—how do I get to Emerald City?”

“It’s always best to start at the beginning. And all you have to do, is follow the yellow brick road.” He said going a grand gesture towards the trail of yellow bricks.

I hesitantly walked towards it before turning back towards Fiyero and asked him.

“But what happens if—”

“Just follow the yellow brick road my darling.” He said with a smile and a wink.  Then he transformed back into his crystal ball and it began to shrink as it floated off back towards the sky.  All the while some of the faes flying behind him waving goodbye.

“Damn. People come and go so quickly around here don’t they?” the faes all nodded.  

“Here, let’s get you back into your normal clothes. Those aren’t really meant for traveling.” The Winter Queen said and with a twirl of her hand, the dress disappeared and my normal clothes came back. I also took notice that the Autumn leaves along my arm had also disappeared, and when I looked at my hair, the red highlights were gone as well.

“Wait, did you…..”

“No my dear. You still have our ties to you. It’s best to keep Fae magic outside of our kingdom a secret. Anyone with the gift of the faes becomes a target and you’ve already become one for the Warlock of the West.” The Autumn Queen told me.

“But if you do need to prove yourself protected by the Four Fae Queens, just touch the necklace of earth I’ve gifted you and your protection marks will come forth.” The Spring Queen assured me.

I nodded before looking down at the point where the yellow brick road started.

“Follow the yellow brick road.” I said to myself as I slowly began walking the spiral of the road. “Follow the yellow brick road.”

“Follow the yellow brick road.” The Autumn Queen told me.  I looked at her and she nodded as I continued to walk along the Yellow brick road.  All the while I could hear the other Queens tell me to follow the Yellow Brick road.

Soon the faes all began to sing as I walked along the trail before some of the Spring faes held out some violins and began playing them as they continued to sing as the Queens soon came up alongside me and we all skipped down the road.

Follow the yellow brick road Follow the yellow brick road Follow follow follow follow

Follow the yellow brick road Follow the yellow brick

Follow the yellow brick

Follow the yellow brick road

You're off to see the wizard

The wonderful wizard of oz You'll find he is the wizard of wiz

If ever a wiz there was, If ever or ever a wizard that was The wizard of oz is one because,

Because, because, because, because,

Because, because of the wonderful things he does You're off to see the wizard

The wonderful wizard of oz

When I reached the borders of the Fae kingdom, they all stopped as I continued to skip along ahead with Toto right at my feet. I briefly stopped and turned to bid the fairies goodbye.  They all waved goodbye to me and I blew them a kiss before continuing down the Yellow brick road.

#freddie mercury #brian may #john deacon #roger taylor #freddie mercury x reader #freddie mercury imagine #freddie mercury imagines #roger taylor x reader #roger taylor imagine #roger taylor imagines #john deacon x reader #john deacon imagine #john deacon imagines #brian may x reader #brian may imagine #brian may imagines #queen band #queen fanfic #queen fluff #queen x reader #queen x reader platonic #queen imagine #queen imagines #bohemian rhapsody #bohemian rhapsody imagine #bohemian rhapsody imagines #bohemian rhapsody fanfiction #bohemian rhapsody movie #bohemian rhapsody x reader #queen

[missbrightsky]

On My Honor

Fics Masterlist

Previous Chapter

Chapter 5: Feyre

I straightened my spine, lifting my chin and throwing back my shoulders. Look like a man, act like a man, be a man, I commanded myself. The posture was stiff and awkward, my muscles trembling at trying to hold it. Releasing a sigh, I slumped out of the pose. Ridiculous, you looked ridiculous Feyre.

“This is fucking hopeless,” I muttered, easing down onto a rock. The armor was stiff and heavy, clearly built for a frame bigger than mine. Hair was starting to escape from the low bun. Another great decision by me, cutting my hair with a sword.

The war camp was still a two-day trek away and my muscles were already aching. Chores around the house and with animals coupled with treks through the woods had kept me fit, but not to the point of hauling around armor, a sword, and my supplies. The late afternoon sun beat down on me, shade had been far and few in between on the road. Sweat slicked my skin and my clothes stunk of it. At least I smell like a man.

I shifted, trying to keep the sword pommel from digging into my side, I still haven’t figured out how to have it sit comfortably at my side. Much less how to use it.

When I finally stopped for the night on the first day away from home, it was too dark for me to try it out. I had spent the whole day at a brisk walk, fearing that my family would come after me. Or worse, they would send the soldiers to find the imposter. I tried over and over again to shake those thoughts, trying to reassure myself that they wouldn’t put me in that danger. More likely, however, was that Nesta wouldn’t want to bring that kind of dishonor upon the family. She would rather me die far away and then deal with the fallout.

I relaxed a little on the second day, slightly reassured that no one was on my tail. I stopped in the early evening that time when there was still light. Drawing the sword from its sheath, I tested its weight and balance. Like the armor, it was made for someone with more muscle than me, but the weight was not unmanageable. I would need to hold it with two hands until my arms strengthened. Which would mean no shield for me. Maybe they would let me use my bow instead…

A few test swings already had my muscles weakening, even more sweat running down my back. I sighed and returned it to its sheath, determined to worry about it more during training. No use trying to learn how to wield it and then developing bad habits.

Today was the third day and I was exhausted. Most of my anxiety about being followed was now replaced with what the hell I was going to do when I got to the camp. Questions plagued me like who did I report to? Where was I going to sleep? And how the fuck was I going to hide that I was a woman?

Shit. Oh Feyre, how your ancestors must be laughing at you.

(They’re currently cursing her stupidity)

I hauled my aching body to its feet again, pressing forward for a few more hours before stopping for the night.

More grassy plains stretched out, broken by the occasional patch of trees or farmland. I’ve been avoiding any towns, skirting around them, not wanting to put my disguise to the test quite yet.

Finally, with the sky deepening to periwinkle did I stop under a crop of trees. A nearby stream gurgled, cool and inviting. Dropping my pack at the base of a tree, I stumbled on sore feet to the source of the sound, nearly collapsing to my knees to drink from the stream. I splashed my face a few times to wash off the dried sweat. It had been hours since I last saw another human and it was almost dark out, but it was still too risky to take a dip in the water to wash off the grime and dust. That would just have to wait.

With a small fire flickering across my face, I drifted off to sleep, my dreams filled with mocking voices and bloody battle cries.

The increase of activity was the first warning I had that I was close to the war camp. A few miles back, the small country path I was on dumped me onto the main road. More and more bodies began to trickle onto the road; soldiers and merchants and peasants and wealthy either coming or going. Voices rose and fell, pouring in from all sides.

I kept my head down, no more than a boy scurrying to make his summons to the front. None stopped me or looked my way for more than a second, all preoccupied with their own mission. Spotting a group of soldiers that looked like they were heading the same way as me, I started to trail them from a distance, not wanting to have to ask for directions.

In the distance was Velaris. Even from far away, the buildings sparkled in the late morning light. Far enough away from the front, the buildings were unmarred by the scars of war. Had it not been for the smoke coming from the many campfires, it was almost easy to pretend that there was no war at all, and that I was there to explore the city famed for its artists.

The soldiers ahead veered off, taking the road to the left that led to the war camp. My heart pounded in my ears. Each step was one closer to potential discovery and certain death. More bodies packed in, the stink of men shoving its way up my nose. By smell alone, I fit in perfectly.

Tents every color filled the horizon, like someone had overturned a fruit cart on a hill. Even miles from the front, whoever had picked the site had chosen well. Situated on a ridge, it was easily defensible, visibility for miles around. Lines had formed, each one ending with someone who looked high ranking were taking names and giving orders. I picked the line closest to the road, in case I needed to make a quick escape.

Inch by inch we crawled forward, voices pressing in from every side. Some had come together, lifelong friends from villages who joked and shoved and laughed. Others, like me, we quiet, solidary, either too scared to talk to someone new or too knowing of the fate that lay ahead.

Minutes that felt like hours and hours that felt like seconds went by until I was the next to report in.

“Name?” the bored voice came, barely looking up from their paper.

“Flynn Archeron,” I said, trying to make my voice deep and even.

The commander's head lifted at that, his eyes meeting mine.

Shit shit shit shit SHIT. What had I done? Was my voice too deep? Too high? Did my chest binding come loose? Cold fear sluiced through my body, even more sweat streaming down my body, metallic saliva pooling in my mouth.

“Archeron, huh,” the man mused, taking in my form. “Knew him back in the war. Good soldier,” he grunted, lost in memory, “Shame about his leg.” He looked over me again, “Guess he married that healer after all.”

When he looked back down at the paper again, scribbling my name, I let out a breath of relief.

“You’ll be reporting to Lieutenant Tamlin Verdant, to the right, about halfway down the tents. Big, blond man, can’t miss him.” And that was that.

“Thank you, sir,” I set off to find him, the first test passed. Only a million more to go.

Next Chapter

#acotar #mulan #feyre #feyre x rhysand #rhysand #sarah j maas

[peggysousfan]

Anomaly Misfire

This is the fic add on to the edit I had posted previously to do with Bellarke. The Anomaly sends Bellamy back in time to Earth after Primfaya, what will happen when he sees Clarke? This is based on a gif set I saw on Tumblr lol its amazing and looks so real, I wish it were.

"It's been 58 days. By now, Monty should have the algae farm producing." Clarke speaks through a makeshift radio while eating a few berries she found in the valley. Compared to algae, berries were better. "How bad does it suck? No offense Monty." She stops speaking but only hears static. She never gets a reply to her calls. "And I found berries, a whole field of them! They're not very sweet, but they're beautiful. I think that's what they used to make the paint for-"

As Clarke speaks through the radio and turns her head aside to look at the paint on a house, an illuminating green swirl appears seemingly out of no where. A small crackle of lights move through before the green mist vanished, leaving behind something- or rather someone. She stands up from her chair and cautiously steps closer to the man left behind by the mysterious green swirl.

"Clarke?" He whispers with his hands out stretched, unsure how to proceed. Her hair is longer than it was at Sanctum, and from the looks of his surroundings he's back at Shadow Valley.

"Be-Bellamy?!" Her voice cracks a bit as she looks around unsure if she's hallucinating from the radiation and dehydration. She did just discover the valley not too long ago after all.

"Wher-uh... I'm back on Earth? How..." He looks around and walks but before he's aware, a pair of arms wrap around his torso, blonde hair now fills under his chin. He chuckles and embraces her back, but what he doesn't expect is her to panic and start dragging him to the rover. "Clarke? What are you-"

"We have to get you to Becca's lab before the radiation sets in and kills you! Bellamy..." She turns around to face him, worry etched in her face. "It hasn't been five years. Its not safe for you to be here."

He chuckles lightly and halts to a stop, confusing Clarke. She pulls him more but he continues to laugh.

"Bellamy!?"

He takes her hand in his and walks back to the table where she was sitting before he had appeared. He then notices the radio and sighs. Madi was right, she did call to him while he was in space. At this thought he looks around.

"Where's Madi?" Now Clarke is even more confused.

"Who's Madi?"

"Your daughter..."

His words barely process through her mind as they stand near each other. But as Bellamy sees the perplexed expression over Clarke's face, he realizes they haven't met yet. That is, if he's thinking correctly about where and when he is in time.

"Bell I don't have a-" But before she can finish her sentence, she stops and looks to her left. A child stands from a distance and watched them. "Oh my God..."

The little girl runs off and before Bellamy knows it, Clarke runs after her. "Clarke!" But its no use, she can't hear him.

With a huffed breath he runs after her. He catches up to her within moments, trees and branches hanging in his face as he tries to smack them away. Its been a long time since he's been on earth, when things actually made since then. Clarke shouts in Trigedasleng to grab the girls attention, but she keeps going further into the woods. Bellamy stops running when he sees Clarke stop, she's looking at a child with crazed hair from afar. That has to be Madi. He thinks. But in the blink of an eye she runs off again. Clarke doesn't hesitate to run after her and so Bellamy follows them with a roll of his eyes. How can a small child run this fast? Clarke is still ahead of him but her voice echoes through the trees.

"Wait! Are you alone? Are there others?" She stops running to look at her surrounds and stops when she sees the little girl staring at her on the trail. Clarke speaks in trig once more.She says, "You're a nightblood, right?"

Clarke steps forward cautiously, trying to talk down to the girl, but she doesn't move. Instead Clarke does and eventually steps into a bear trap. She screams out in pain from the metal piercing the skin of her leg. Bellamy hears and runs faster. The little girl attacks Clarke in the mean time, attempting to stab her with a knife. She avoid most of the blows but her arm is cut, leaving black to trickle down her arm.

"Clarke!" The valley girl looks up at Bellamy and runs in the opposite direction, but seeing as Clarke is screeching in agony, his main focus on her. Bellamy bends down and helps her out of the bear trap, then carries her back to the village, but not without  fight. He sets her down after a while and she limps into one of the houses.

She grabs her bag on the way to sitting down on a table, ripping her pants leg as she does so. Bellamy tries to help but isn't sure what to do. "Its okay, Bellamy. I-I got it." Her words come out in a stutter as she hurriedly grabs a thread and needle.  At first she hesitates, but proceeds to stitch up the gashes on her leg. The only thing Bellamy can do is sit and listen to her agonizing sounds. After she's done, she passes out from the pain, but not before Bellamy rushes to her side and catches her head.

Clarke stays unconscious for several hours, so long he starts to worry about her. He periodically checks the wound and takes the liberty of cleaning it up as much, and as gently, as he can. But after several more minutes of waiting, and dozing off himself, Clarke wakes and startles at the pain in her leg.

"Hey hey hey! Easy... don't hurt yourself." Clarke jumps slightly before remembering Bellamy's presence. It takes a few moments before she realizes he isn't burning from radiation.

"You're... you're okay?" Her arm reaches out to him, inspecting the skin on his neck, hands, and face.

"Me? Of course I'm fine. You're the one that stepped into a bear trap."

Clarke thinks for a moment as the memories flood back into her mind, but right now the tap isn't her main concern. "No, that's not- Bellamy... how are you still alive? The radiation levels aren't safe. And how did you even get back?"

"Uhh... well I can answer one question." He shrugs and smiles, though she's still unhappy with his answer. The glare from her face tells him that very thought, though it is also contorted in pain. "Abby injected us with nightblood before returning to Sanctum." But as he says this his eyes widen and he flinches. "Sorry I didn't mean to... I'm sorry."

"For what? And when did my mom make you a nightblood? You went off to space because the blood wasn't tested. I was the only one who took the syringe and injected myself." It was then he realized that Abby was still alive in the bunker. Clarke hadn't lost her yet. He feels like he should warn her, tell her whats coming, but then again who knows what will happen if he does. "And why are you looking at me like that? You still haven't answered my question of how you got here." Bellamy freezes and looks away from her.

"Look, Clarke, I don't know how I got here. One minute I'm in the Gabriel's tent holding Octavia after she's stabbed, then I'm taken by invisible people through the anomaly. I fought them off and I ended up falling and then landing here."

For several moments she sits quietly trying to process everything Bellamy has just said, and yet none of it makes sense to her. "What!?!? You were just in space with Monty, Raven, and the others. Octavia is still in the bunker and I have no idea who Gabriel is or what the 'Anomaly' is either. And what is Sanctum?"

"Uhh... shit."

"Bellamy?" She presses for more answers but he doesn't budge.

"It's complicated, okay?"

"Complicated." She echoes his words before trying to stand up. He asks what she's doing but shrugs it off. "You wouldn't understand. It's too complicated." She bites back, causing him to startle.

"Clarke come on. Its not easy to explain."

"Really? Then what is?" She turns to look at him over her shoulder and he freezes in place unsure what she means. Clarke scoffs at his confused look and sits facing him. "Bellamy we were born in space, sent to earth with no knowledge if it was inhabitable, then set up camp and fought a war with savages for land. Then Mount weather happened, I was on the run from literally very clan that existed only to be stuck in a worse situation fighting an AI and having to become a nightblood and fight off a whole city of innocent people. Then after almost dying I  find out the world was once again going to burn down into nothing, which left us having to choose and send hundreds of our own people to their deaths! Which left me one of the only people left on Earth above ground. But no, I wouldn't know complicated."

Bellamy inhales a deep breath and sighs, knowing everything she said is true. But what happens next is even worse than what they've faced before. Everything on earth were trial runs building up to Sanctum and the war raging on there.

"You really wanna know?" She gives him to look and he chuckles. Of course she wants to know. "Well, believe it or not I'm from the future."

"Future? Seriously?" He laughs at this and sits back in the chair he occupied before she woke up.

"Yeah. Seriously." Clarke looks at him through the moonlight and does realize he seems different, but she couldn't' think of how much time had changed since then. "Earth becomes uninhabitable within a matter of weeks after 6 years pass by. Once that happens we leave. Travel in our sleep to another planet where...things are the same as Earth. Trouble every where we go. We tried to be peaceful, civil even, but-" As Bellamy stops talking his voice cracks. The memory of figuring out Josephine taking over Clarke's body still haunts him.

"But what?" Her voice is soft and light, curious at why he stopped talking.

"They tried to kill you. I thought you were dead, Clarke." At this Clarke sits up straighter, trying to ignore searing pain in her lag as she does so. "To me and everyone else, you died and there was nothing we could do. There was nothing I could do! Peace was the goal and even though we tried to not.. to- dammit!"

"Bellamy..." She reaches out to him as he jumps from his chair and combs his hand through his hair. His mind fills back with the emotion, the dread, of thinking he had lost her forever.Clarke reaches out and touches his arm, grounding him back to reality.

"I tried, Clarke. I tried to keep the peace but... it didn't work out." he explains everything he could. From the mind drives, to nightblood and its connection, to Russel, Josephine, the Primes, and Sanctum. As well as the rebellion and the strange Anomaly that had taken Octavia back. Bellamy told her everything. As he does so, she sits back and groans from the pain. He reaches out to her but she says she's fine. "Clarke?"

"I-I don't know what to say to that, Bellamy. But now I understand why you apologized for mentioning my mom." He sighs and reaches out to her again, this time she accepts and holds his hand. "So all of this happens and what? We can't change anything can we?"

"I don't think we can."

Silence falls between them as the whirlwind of information is absorbed between them. For the rest of the night nothing else is said, they simply stay, hands together, and content on this moment.

For Clarke it has only been 58 days, but for Bellamy it has been over 70 years with a moment of content silence between them. A lingering, unsaid, feeling moving through the air. In his time living in space, Bellamy never thought he would end up with Echo, and yet he did. His mind says he cares for her, but his heart yearns for another, and still their relationship lingered on. But forces beyond his control tell him that its up to him to take fate in his own hands and be with the one he truly cared for-  the one he truly loved- and to do that was to atone for their past mistakes, if only to create a path for their future.

#bellamy x clarke #bellarke #bellamy blake #clarke griffin #anomaly #the 100 #fanfiction #the 100 fic #au #au fic #what if

[kmomof4]

Operation Secret Santa

And that is not just the title to the fic! Hello @teeandsnowflakes, I was your CS Secret Santa this year! It’s been so much fun chatting with you this month! I hope you’re enjoying your Christmas break and that you like this little fic I’ve written for you! I had planned a series of scenes showcasing CS getting ready for the holidays, but then presents showed up and the fic went in an entirely new direction. I still tried to incorporate some of your favorite Christmas things though and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it for you! I also hope you have a wonderful Christmas! Thank you to @cssecretsanta2k19 for organizing this fun event and to @profdanglaisstuff for beta services! 

And now for your gift Tee! Merry Christmas!!! 

Under the cut unless Tumblr ate it.

ao3 link

Operation Secret Santa “Just a little more to the right, Killian,” Emma instructed, waving her hands in front of her as if her husband, who was currently hidden behind the newly cut Christmas tree, could see her.

Killian spit out the pine needles that he’d gotten a mouthful of as he tilted the tree to the right. He was so surrounded by the spicy scent of pine and scratchy branches that he could barely tell which way was up, much less whether it was straight or not.

“No, no, no Killian, the other right… my right,” she admonished, when the tree hovered precariously near the point of no return in its potential, imminent journey to the floor.

Killian huffed. “Well, how am I supposed to know that darling?” he groused affectionately as he straightened the tree up in the stand. “Ok lad, crawl under there and screw the trunk in place,” he said to Henry who was trying desperately, but unsuccessfully, to smother his laughter at his mother, who looked to him to be trying to take flight, and his step-father who he couldn’t even see properly behind the evergreen.

Henry crawled underneath the tree and proceeded to twist the screws into the trunk. Crawling back out, he was greeted with bright, happy smiles from his parents that he immediately returned. He turned around with a flourish of his arm. “Behold, the first annual Swan-Jones Christmas tree! Now for lights and ornaments!” He dashed off toward the basement to collect the boxes of decorations that had come with them from New York and that he and Emma had collected after the Final Battle in anticipation of their first Christmas as a fully intact family.

“Need some help, lad,” Killian called down when the teenager didn’t immediately reappear.

“Uh, yeah,” Henry called back, a note of, something, in his voice. “There’s more down here than I remember.”

With a cheeky grin at his wife, Killian sauntered over to the basement and disappeared down the stairs.

When Killian also didn’t reappear, Emma started down the stairs. “What’s taking you guys so lo- ohhh!” she exclaimed. For in front of her eyes and filling the basement were boxes upon boxes of not just Christmas decorations, but presents. Lots and lots of presents. Wrapped up in brightly colored paper, topped with sparkly bows and tags with the names Emma, Henry, and Killian.

Emma stared, slack jawed at the sight. There were enough presents here to make up for all the lonely years growing up when she was lucky if she got one present. And as an adult as well, when the only presents she ever got was if she bought them herself. Killian moved forward from the foot of the stairs to the first gift with his name on it. He ripped the paper and deftly opened the box with his hook. Looking inside, his eyes got as big as, well, a child’s at Christmas. His mouth opened and shut several times, before she finally asked, “What is it?”

He swallowed heavily before bringing it over to them. Peering down into the box, they found a soft, black teddy bear. A bear that was missing an eye, but otherwise was completely whole. Tears were gathering in his eyes as he explained, “He was mine… be…” he rubbed his hand over his face before continuing, “before Flint threw him overboard. Said only babies had those. I remember the day he lost the eye. I just couldn’t leave the loose thread alone and it came off in my hand. I cried for hours thinking I’d ruined him.” Emma gathered him in her arms as a barking sob escaped him. “I never thought I’d see him again,” he cried, his words muffled into her shoulder. “Where did this come from?” He raised his head from her shoulder and turned his inquiring eyes back to the piles of boxes.

Emma shook her head slowly. “I have no idea, Killian,” she said in awe, slowly making her way over to a gift with her name on it. After opening her own, she could feel her own tears gathering. She could feel her husband and son come up behind her on either side before she turned to them. “It’s a wooden music box. I remember seeing it in a catalog when I was about 10. It had Disney characters carved into the sides and played “When You Wish Upon a Star.” I remember thinking that surely wishing on a star and having that music box would mean that my parents would find me and take me home.” Now it was her turn to be enveloped in two pairs of strong arms and to feel the tears escape.

“And now you have, Swan,” Killian murmured into her hair before placing a gentle kiss there. “Your turn lad,” he nodded, encouragingly.

Henry untangled himself from their embrace and slowly walked to the pile of presents. Picking up a large gaily decorated box, he opened it. Inside he found The Chronicles of Narnia. The entire series. In hardback. He held up The Magician’s Nephew to his parents, stunned. “This was at the top of my Christmas list when I was eight. My other mom never really listened to what I wanted for Christmas or birthdays before I brought you home, Mom. I think she gave me a remote control car for Christmas that year. Along with an art set and some other books that I couldn’t care less about. How can this be?” he asked, incredulously. “Could Santa be real too?”

“Given the denizens of our fair hamlet, I’d have to admit to a sneaking suspicion that he is,” Killian speculated.

“But who?” Emma interjected. “Who could it be?” She turned her emerald gaze upon Killian first, then Henry.

A smirk broke Henry’s face and his eyes twinkled. “Sounds like Operation Secret Santa to me!”

Killian’s anticipatory grin could have lit up the Christmas tree all by itself. “A fine name for the operation, my boy!” He turned his eyes upon Emma. “Are you in, Swan?” he asked.

“Are you kidding?” she barked, “I’m the OG Operation cohort! Of course, I’m in!”

“All right!” Henry gave an enthusiastic fist pump. “Let’s get the rest of these gifts upstairs and the tree decorated, then Operation Secret Santa can commence!”

“Let’s go,” Emma agreed. Picking up as many boxes as they could hold, they moved back to the main floor of the house.

~*~*~

All of Storybrooke had gathered at Granny’s on Christmas Eve for a blowout Christmas party that rivaled any yuletide ball held in the Enchanted Forest. This was the first time since the original curse broke that they’d been able to celebrate Christmas, what with villians running amok and general magical mayhem. Granny’s was decorated with every tacky Christmas decoration you could possibly think of, from the tree in the corner covered with brightly colored lights, balls, and tinsel, tinseled garlands strung across the windows to the kitchen, balls of holly and mistletoe holding up the garlands and in every doorway, fake snow on the counters and a fairytale village in the front window. With the jukebox playing Celine Dion’s recording of  O Holy Night, Emma looked around at all her friends and family talking, dancing, and eating their way through Granny’s bountiful Christmas buffet. Catching Henry’s eye, she joined him at the jukebox.

“Well?” she asked, “What do you think? Have you gathered any clues on who Santa could be?”

“None,” he answered. “But, everyone has had the same thing that happened to us, happen to them.”

“Really,” Emma exclaimed.

“Yeah,” he began, “Ashley, Shawn, and even Alexandra got a pile of presents. Ariel and Eric, Grandma and Grandpa, Mom, Zelena, and Robin, Archie, Pongo, even the fairies! No one’s been left out.”

“Hmmmm…”

“But, from what I can tell, everyone’s gotten presents based on the years of the curse, or…” he trailed away with a puzzled look on his brow, “their years as a hero. For instance, Mom only had six presents, the years since the curse broke, and Zelena had even less, but Robin had two, since she’s two. You had thirty-four, the years of the curse plus the years since, Killian had thirty-seven, as near as I can figure, his years growing up until Milah died and he became a villain plus the years since you all saved me in Neverland.”

“Interesting,” she mused. “It’s like he was saving them up for when we could all relax and enjoy the holiday.”

“Yeah, exactly,” Henry agreed.

“But that doesn’t get us any closer to who it might be.”

Killian joined them then with a grin that nearly split his face. “I have succeeded!” he exclaimed.

“Succeeded? You know who Santa is?” Emma demanded.

“What?” he asked, startled, “No! I sweet talked Granny into giving me her secret gingerbread cookie recipe.” He slipped his arm around her waist and gave her a cheeky smirk and wink. “Since I know your fondness for that particular seasonal delight.” He leaned in and whispered, “She doesn’t measure the molasses.”

Emma shrugged with a sheepish grin on her face. “Well, okay, I guess I forgive you.”

Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas is You now poured through the speakers as Emma’s attention settled on Marco and Archie sitting in the booth nearest them enjoying Granny’s gingerbread and cocoa. Marco got up suddenly and smiled widely at her. The booth was close enough that she knew he could hear every word they said. The twinkle in his eye made Emma narrow hers at the older gentleman, and when he shot a wink her way, her eyes grew huge as the puzzle pieces clicked into place. Marco raised a finger to his lips before turning away and heading for the door. Emma could hardly contain her excitement as a plan began to take shape in her mind.

“I think it might be time for all the good little children to get to bed if they want Santa to visit,” she said, staring pointedly at Henry. “It’s getting late.”

Henry rolled his eyes at her. “Good grief, Mom. I’m sixteen, not six. I don’t need to be in bed yet.”

Killian pulled Emma closer in to his side and waggled his eyebrows lasciviously at his bride. “Well, I don’t know about ‘good little children,’ but I know a grown up pirate who’d like to go to bed.”

Emma giggled and slapped his chest playfully as Henry rolled his eyes again and groaned. “Ewwww, gross, Dad! Teenager present! Fine, I’ll go home and go to bed. Just keep it down, okay?” he pleaded.

“I make no promises, lad.”

~*~*~

Emma came down the stairs of her home, much later, on tiptoe, seeking to surprise their midnight visitor.

“Ah HA!” she whisper shouted.

Marco spun around with his hand to his chest. “You scared the life out of me, your Highness!”

Emma rolled her eyes. “You know better than to call me that, Marco.” She approached him as he turned back to his work, placing presents under the tree. “You’re Santa Claus?” She couldn’t keep the awe out of her voice as she watched him.

“I have many names around the world in this realm, my dear. The one I’m known by in the Enchanted Forest is Belsnickel.”

“Where did all the Christmas presents come from?”

“Always the sheriff,” he chuckled, “Have to have the answers to all the questions, don’t you? Henry was right. Years as a hero that I didn’t get to deliver presents,” he explained. “Whether that was because of the curse, or the chaos of the ensuing years.”

“What about Killian?” she asked. “He had thirty-seven presents.”

“That blessed boy!” Marco laughed. “As a child and lad growing up in servitude, and even at the Naval Academy, it would have been pointless to give him his gifts. They would have been confiscated or destroyed by his masters. Before he turned villain, it just wasn’t practical to give him the things that had collected over the years. A ship just wasn’t the place for them. Once he turned villain, after Milah’s death, he didn’t deserve anything from me, so there wasn’t anything for him for centuries. But once he chose the hero’s path, I started saving his gifts again. I knew this day was coming and how much it would mean to him to receive all those gifts from his childhood.”

“But…” She trailed away. He turned his bright brown eyes upon her as comprehension dawned.

He smiled gently at her. “Yes, I am many hundreds of years old. I have far sight and can see many things that are secret,” he winked at her, “and yet to be.” Emma’s eyes fell toward the floor as a blush graced her cheeks. “And now, my dear, my work here is done. I must move on to the other residents of our fair town before I retire tonight.”

Emma’s eyes were still focused on her feet as Marco raised her chin to look at him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Merry Christmas, Your Highness.” And then he was gone.

~*~*~

Christmas night, Emma sat tucked between Killian’s legs on the sofa in front of the fire and Christmas tree just watching the blinking lights and enjoying a cup of cocoa before bed. Christmas Day had been magical and perfect. Filled to overflowing with love and laughter, family and friends. Killian shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut as he muttered, “What in the world is that?”

“Hmmm? What in the world is what?” she replied, twisting to look up at him.

“Every time the lights blink, something blinds me. Something on the tree.”

Emma hoisted herself up and walked over to the tree. “I don’t know. Is it reflecting off an ornament? Or maybe there’s something else hidden in the tree?” she wondered, aloud. She reached in and withdrew a tiny wrapped box with Killian’s name on it. She gasped in surprise as she turned and brought it over to where he sat. “It’s for you.”

“Thank you, love.” He reached up and took the small token from her, not quite able to hide his surprise.

“Don’t thank me. I don’t know where that came from. Must be from Santa,” she whispered with a small smile on her lips.

He smirked at her. “Marco, you mean?” he cheeked. “I still can’t believe that Marco is Santa,” he murmured opening the box. Inside was something that had his eyebrows shooting all the way to his hairline. He pulled out a pink pacifier with his hook and held it up for Emma’s inspection. A bashful grin lit up her face.

“I just found out for sure this afternoon,” she began, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.

“You’re with child?” Killian choked out, rising from the sofa and drawing Emma into his arms.

“Yes,” she beamed at him. “Merry Christmas, Killian.”

“A very merry Christmas, indeed, Swan.” He lowered his head towards her and captured her lips in a kiss filled with love and joy of the future laid out before them.

Fin

A/N Obviously in my timeline, Emma got pregnant with Hope much earlier than in canon. I hope you liked this Tee! Merry Christmas!

#cssecretsanta2k19 #teeandsnowflakes #operation secret santa #krystal writes #art by krystal

[the-awkward-outlaw]

Second Chances - Ch. 24

No Man Left Behind 

Warnings: swearing, blood

Word count: ~7700

Masterlist

Read on AO3

Camp is heavily subdued for the rest of the night after Molly’s death. A fire in the center of the clearing has been started and while Uncle and Javier sit around it, there is no music. Everyone keeps to themselves; little talk is traded. After Pearson served dinner, he planted himself at the base of a tree and buried his head in his hands. The sight is so pitiful, you want to cry. 

The entire area feels cursed, almost like a darkness seeps from the ground where all those treacheries happened. The one time you wandered close to the cavern, you noticed a foul stench of decay seemed to come from it, although Dutch had assured everyone it was clear of bodies. The smell was enough to make your stomach turn and your eyes water, forcing you to return to the safety of Arthur’s arms. 

Arthur has been a great comfort already. He’s kept his promise of not leaving your side, although he’s quiet. He’s angry and upset about Molly and the whole situation. You are, too. Whatever Molly was, she didn’t deserve her fate. You have a feeling in your gut that she wasn’t responsible for how things went during the bank job. Something about the way she had been screaming at Dutch didn’t seem right. She acted as though she knew saying she had betrayed Dutch would be the thing that hurt him most. Still, you wonder if she hadn’t been lying.

Arthur brings you a plate of stew as you sit on his cot, thinking about Molly and how things seem to be going from bad to worse. You take it and set it on your lap, not eating. He sits down next to you with his own plate. He takes a few bites but then stops.

“What’s happening to us?” you whisper, your eyes tearing up.

Arthur looks at you. “I don’t know. Seems like… I don’t know, like our luck has finally turned. Somethin’ tells me things are gonna get worse from here.” 

You sigh and close your eyes, tears running down your cheek. “I’m sick of losing people, Arthur.”

“Me too, darlin’. Me too.” 

Arthur takes your plate of untouched stew and sets it down on the table along with his own. He takes off his boots and then lies down, pulling you down with him. “Try to get some sleep, sweetheart. I ain’t gonna leave your side.” 

You bury your face into his neck, planting a hand over your exposed ear once more. Arthur puts a hand on your head, his fingers brushing against your scalp. Despite everything, you manage to fall asleep.

In the morning, Arthur brings you a cup of coffee. You’re still feeling nervous and miserable. As he puts his boots back on, you lean against his shoulder, drinking. 

“We’re gonna get out today, darlin’,” he says. “I don’t want ya bein’ here more than ya have to be.” 

You pat his knee in response. He takes your empty cup so you can put your own boots on. Standing, you stretch and follow him over to Pearson’s fire. The cook is sitting on a crate, a half empty beer bottle in his hand. He sniffs and continues his staring contest with the dirt. 

  Just as Arthur grabs your hand to take you over to the horses, Grimshaw stomps over, looking distraught.

“Mr. Morgan! The donation box has been smashed!” 

“Who’d wanna do that?” he asks. 

“Well, I don’t know! We had that thing forever! What’s happening to us?”

Arthur sighs heavily. “I know. We’ll manage somehow.” 

“I suppose we’ll have to. Y/N, I need you to-”

Arthur holds up his hand. “I’m sorry, Susan. She’s helpin’ me with a job today.” 

Grimshaw puts her hands on her hips. “Mr. Morgan, I need her help here.”

“I know. Listen, I ain’t gonna lie to ya. She’s probably not gonna be in camp much while we’re here. Like I said, somethin’ real bad happened to her here.” He squeezes your hand. 

“Mr. Morgan, we cannot support anyone who doesn’t contribute.” 

He chuckles and rubs his chin. “We been supportin’ Uncle for how many years, how much he done?” 

Grimshaw puts her hands up and walks away, muttering angrily. You let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Arthur. I… I hate it here.” 

“I know.” He drapes his arm around your waist and guides you over to the horses. He lets you take the lead on Rannoch and you canter down the path to the main road. As soon as you reach it, your eyes involuntarily draw to the hill you’d gone up on Rain just before she died. Rannoch stops and Arthur stands next to you on Artemis. 

“Hey, look at me,” he says, pulling your attention to him. “Don’t think about that, okay? Think about somethin’ that makes you happy, like Rannoch.”

You nod and follow him down the trail south past the sickly village. A rotting, moldy sign announces the name Butcher’s Creek. Going a short ways down the path, you pass a green lake with a waterfall. The water has a strange color to it; a mangy coyote drinking from it sees your horses and scurries off. 

For the next hour, you and Arthur travel south and into Lemoyne. The farther you get from Beaver Hollow, the better you feel. You and Arthur begin to pick up conversation easily. He leads you to the edge of the river where the frames of an old house stands, bushes growing inside it. A precarious boat dock sticks out into the river and on it, Sadie and Abigail stand near a small boat. 

After you’ve dismounted, Arthur tells you to grab some of your larger guns, explaining that there will be a guaranteed gunfight while rescuing John. You pull out your springfield and bolt action rifles. He nods approvingly, shouldering his own rifle and walking towards the pier. 

“I must come!” you hear Abigail say to Sadie. “He’s my husband!” 

“It’s gonna be violent, ya ain’t comin’!” Sadie shoots at her. 

“I insist!” Abigail snarls.

“Insist all you like, it ain’t happenin’!” Arthur walks onto the pier and the two girls turn to look at him. Sadie approaches him, “Arthur! Tell her she ain’t comin’.”

“Abigail, you ain’t comin’,” he says as he and Sadie go to the boat. You follow, barely meeting Abigail’s gaze. “That’s the end of it.” 

“But-”

“But nothin’!” Arthur says, stepping into the boat and offering his hand to you, helping you in. 

“Why she goin’?” Abigail points to you. “If she can go, I can!” 

“Abigail,�� Sadie says, throwing one of the ropes holding the boats off the pier. “You got a boy! I ain’t gonna watch him get turned into an orphan. Besides, John will be calmer without worryin’ about you.” 

“We’ll get John back,” you say to her. You sit down in the middle seat as Arthur throws off the last rope and grabs the oars. 

Abigail sighs and looks at the three of you. “Well, I ain’t the cryin’ sort, but I’m real grateful.” 

“We know you are,” Sadie says.

Arthur begins rowing the boat out and into the river. Abigail remains on the pier, watching. The boat heads across the river towards the island. 

You and Sadie pick up an easy conversation. While Arthur and the others had been lost on Guarma, you and Sadie had come to depend on one another and even developed a friendship. Over the months since she joined the gang, Sadie’s become unmovable and steadfast. 

As the boat approaches the island, Sadie looks hard at it. “Might be enough marshland to move in close enough to find a spot for us to look for John.”

“Prisoners should be workin’ the fields by this time, I reckon,” you say, staring at the land as well. 

“All we gotta do is bust John out and row our way outta there. Seems simple enough.” 

“Don’t it always?” Arthur says. 

He guides the boat over to the edge and you and Sadie hop out, pulling it further onto land so as to not float away. The edge of the river is hidden by a tall raise in the land topped by thick bushes. It provides the perfect cover.

As Arthur hops out of the boat, Sadie pulls out her binoculars and looks ahead.

“There,” she says, pointing. “A guard tower. We can get a better view of the fields from there.” 

The three of you use the bushes as cover and run towards the tower, Arthur in the rear. When you’re fifty feet from the back of the tower, you and Sadie stop. 

“There’s a guard up there,” you say, spotting an officer in a blue suit. 

“I’ll deal with him,” Arthur growls. Staying hunched over, he runs over and climbs up the ladder. You and Sadie follow in his lead and you hear the guard grunt as Arthur knocks him out. Once you’ve climbed up the ladder, you look around. Three wide fields lay before you, a large shed on the right. Farther along on the island, across a small river, is the penitentiary itself. A small group of prisoners watched by two guards on horses work in the field closest to you. Arthur grabs the scoped rifle that the guard had and peers through the sight at the group. 

“Think that might be him,” he says, focusing on a prisoner. 

“Take the guards out,” Sadie hisses. 

Arthur pulls the trigger and one of the guards falls off his horse. Arthur fires again and the other falls as the prisoners scatter. 

“Shit, that might not have been him,” Arthur growls. He throws down the rifle as you and Sadie to crawl down the ladder. Once he’s reached the ground, he runs towards where the guards fell, you and Sadie follow. 

“I think one of the guards is still moving,” Sadie yells to him. 

The three of you run over the field and find the guards Arthur had shot. One of them gasps on the ground, clutching his bleeding stomach. When he sees Arthur, he starts reaching for his gun laying beside him. Sadie kicks it from his reach and whips out her pistol, pointing it at him.

“You know John Marston?” she says. 

“He… he ain’t… workin’ today,” the guard chokes. 

“Put the gun down, lady!” a new voice snarls. You and Sadie look up to see a guard pointing a rifle at Sadie. You make to grab double action revolver from its holster and he points it at you.

“Don’t even think about it. Put your guns down!” 

Arthur walks up behind him and pushes the barrel of his pistol at the guard’s shoulder. “No, you put the gun down.” 

The guard gasps and drops his rifle as you slide your bolt action off your shoulder. Sadie holsters her pistol and grabs the rifle next to the dead guard. Arthur grabs the guard from behind, folding his arm around his chest and holding the pistol to his temple. 

“Ya made a real big mistake pointin’ that gun at these two,” Arthur snarls into the man’s ear. “Now, where’s John Marston?” 

The guard pants nervously, his head leaning away from the gun. “He… he ain’t in the work detail today.” 

“Well, why don’t we go and get him together?” Arthur says. He begins pushing the guard forward towards the penitentiary, still holding a firm grip on him. You and Sadie walk ahead of him, keeping a lookout. A guard walks around the corner of the shed on your right and you slam the butt of your rifle into his head, knocking him out. Sadie dashes forward and does the same to two guards. 

Your group slowly makes its way to the steel bridge, where you’re met with more guards. Arthur threatens to kill his hostage and they hold up their guns in surrender, making it easy for you and Sadie to knock them down. Arthur asks the guard who the head guard is and he answers with the name Jameson.

You cross the bridge and Arthur stops, still holding onto the guard tight. A line of guards stand on top of the penitentiary, their rifles pointed at the three of you. You and Sadie point your guns back at them. 

“Okay, just be cool now,” Arthur says into the guard’s ear. “Jameson!” 

A guard standing above the gate responds, “He’s in Saint Denis.” 

“They got Milliken!” one of the other guards calls out.

“Got him, and going to kill him,” Arthur says. He releases his arm from Milliken’s neck and holds a tight grip on his shoulder, still pointing the pistol at his head. “Unless you bring me John Marston! You got one minute! I’m counting. One. Two. Three.”

He pauses and leans towards the guard. “Milliken, ain’t it? Will you count for me? I got talkin’ to do.” 

Milliken, his arms held up, looks back at him, his brow dripping with sweat. “Yes, sir, of course, sir. From one or four, sir?”

“Oh, very funny,” Arthur growls. “We must be at eleven by now!” 

Milliken looks forward and starts counting from eleven. When he reaches thirteen, he begins to cry. Arthur tells him to count faster, so he does, sobbing harder. 

“Now hurry up!” Arthur shouts at the guards. “Or this poor fool’s gonna get his brains shot out for nothin’. Now Milliken, don’t stop countin’, I can’t hear you.” 

The guard, who has gone silent the past few seconds, looks pleadingly up at the other guards. “Hurry up and bring that asshole out here, you bastards! Come on!” 

“Don’t cry, buddy,” Arthur tells him.

“I don’t wanna die!” 

Arthur pats his shoulder. “I know, I know.”

“Hey!” Sadie yells. She gestures with her gun towards the gate. Through the bars, you see someone wearing a striped uniform with a guard coming through. John walks out, his feet in chains. 

“Hello, you three,” he calls out. Sadie dashes over to him and shoots the chains. 

“Now, no funny business,” Arthur calls, “or Mr. Milliken here will stop cryin’ once and for all.” 

John runs behind you, uttering a quick greeting to you. Sadie follows him and you take your queue and lower your rifle, running back to the bridge. 

“Today’s your lucky day!” Arthur says to the guard. Immediately, gunfire rings out. You take cover behind some crates near the bridge and begin shooting at the guards on the ramparts. Arthur dashes behind a wagon as Milliken runs towards the prison, sobbing loudly. 

Several guards fall, only to be replaced by more. The gates lift and more run out, shooting. After a few minutes of heavy gunfire, Arthur hollers at you.

“Go now! Go with Sadie and John!”

Knowing better than to argue, you take the small break and run down the bridge. A thundering sound of foot steps tells you Arthur’s on your heels. He suddenly grabs you and slams you on the ground behind some barrels as the ground you had just been on explodes. 

“Damn cannons!” he growls in your ears. Your heart seems to be attempting to escape from your chest. “Come on!” He rolls off of you and the two of you get up and chase after John and Sadie through the fields you had come through, getting farther from the roaring cannons. 

Bullets ring through the air after you. Up ahead, several guards on horses charge and aim their guns. You and Arthur aim and fire, three of them fall and the other two fire. One of the bullets whizzes past your ear and you quickly take aim and shoot another one of them. He falls and Sadie kills the last. 

You and Arthur run as fast as you can after John and Sadie towards the river and the boat. Every once in a while, Arthur will pause and shoot at the pursuing guards. Finally, you reach the river. John and Sadie leap in; Arthur has paused to take down more guards.

“Come on, Arthur!” you shout, stumbling into the boat. Sadie takes the oars and Arthur climbs in, aiming back at some guards who have reached the river. She rows as you and Arthur shoot them.

“You always need rescuin’, Marston,” Arthur says as he shoots a guard in the head.

“Nice to see you too,” John retorts. He sits on the bench behind Sadie. 

“You just relax and enjoy yourself, John,” Arthur calls back as you reload your rifle. “Leave the real work for them as can still handle it.” 

“Thanks for the hospitality, boys!” John yells to the guards as Sadie rows the boat further away from the island. It finally reaches a point that the guards can’t shoot you. Sighing, you lower your gun, your heart pumping. Arthur sits down next to you, shouldering his rifle. 

“Everyone a’right?” he asks. 

“Think so,” Sadie says. 

John leans back slightly, looking up into the sky. “Feels good to be leavin’.” 

Sadie pulls the boat next to the pier; you and John tie it up. 

“You know,” Arthur says to John as they step onto the pier, “I think I liked you better when you was all trussed up like a prized chicken.” 

“No doubt.” 

“Come on,” Sadie says. She pushes them forward hastily towards the horses. “They’re gonna be on our tail soon enough if you don’t hurry up!” 

“That’s us told then,” Arthur mumbles behind you. You quickly mount Rannoch, patting him. The others hop on, John riding behind Sadie. 

“Thank you, all of you,” John says. 

“Don’t mention it,” you reply. The group canters down the trail and your heart sinks when you realize you have no choice but to return to Beaver Hollow. 

“What happened in Saint Denis?” John asks. “Is Abigail alright?” 

“She’s fine, Jack is too,” Sadie answers. “She managed to escape when they got Hosea.” 

“Hosea. That still don’t seem real, somehow. All them years, Arthur. He was like…” 

“I know. We lost young Lenny too.”

“What a goddamn mess. And what about the money?” 

“Somewhere at the bottom of the sea,” Arthur says with a heavy sigh. He quickly tells John about his adventure on Guarma. “Things ain’t been good, John,” he finishes. 

“You’re tellin’ me.” 

“We’re holed up now in the mountains to the north,” Arthur continues. “The Pinkertons caught up with us, so we had to move.” 

“Yeah,” Sadie says. “Seems Molly ratted us out, the bitch, so she’s dead too.” 

“Jesus. Maybe you should have just left me to hang.” 

“I should warn you,” Arthur says as the horses cross the border of Lemoyne into New Hanover. “Dutch didn’t want us breakin’ you out. Said it wasn’t the right time, so it might not be the hero’s welcome you’re imagining.” 

“So much for no man left behind,” John replies. “I can’t stop thinkin’ about this. In the bank, when they grabbed me, he saw it. Felt almost like he had a moment to do something and didn’t.”

“Dutch ain’t himself right now, or maybe he just ain’t who we thought he was.”

“Guess we don’t need to worry about who’s his favorite no more,” John says as you ride up on Butcher’s Creek. Your heart sinks further as you head down the painfully familiar trail towards the wide cavern. 

As soon as the horses stop and you’re dismounting, Abigail runs towards John and Sadie, looking relieved. “You brought him back to me!” 

“We told you we would,” Sadie answers. 

As she hugs John, Dutch hollers across the camp. “What are you doing here?” He marches over to your group, followed by Micah. 

“Good to see you too, partner,” John says back bitterly. 

“I meant I hadn’t sent for you yet.”

“I went,” Arthur says, walking casually up to John’s side. You follow him, not liking the anger on Dutch’s face. You stand just behind him, keeping your hand on the butt of your gold revolver just in case. 

“But I said-” Dutch starts.

“Yeah, I know what you said. I felt different.”

“Is that so?” 

Arthur walks up to him and stops within arm’s reach of him. He stares defiantly at Dutch. “Yes.” 

“And when springing John brings the law down on all of us, what then, Arthur?” 

“Well I guess we’ll have another fight on our hands.”

“Loyalty, Arthur,” Dutch hisses with a small shake of his head. “It ain’t… I had a goddamn plan! John, you are my brother, you are my son. I was coming for you.”

“They was talkin’ of hanging me, Dutch,” John says. Abigail makes to charge at Dutch, but John stops her. 

“They was talking!” Dutch growls. He begins backing away. “They was talking! And now they may come and hang all of us.” 

Micah backs up with him, throwing the four of you a daring look. As he and Dutch turn to go back to Dutch’s tent, he coughs. 

John and Arthur watch them walk away, their faces stony. Arthur kicks a rock angrily as Abigail grabs John’s hand and leads him away to their tent. You put a hand on Arthur’s shoulder and start guiding him to your tent. 

“No,” he says, stopping. 

“What is it?” 

“I don’t wanna be here right now. Dutch is… well,” he pauses.

“I know,” you say, squeezing his shoulder. 

“Come with me.”

The two of you mount back up and leave Beaver Hollow, much to your relief. You travel north with the river, hunting along the steep ravine until a tall waterfall prevents you from continuing to follow it. Arthur leads the horses east up the mountain, the forest growing thicker. As you reach the top of it, Rannoch breathing heavily, the setting sun is blocked by a wall of dark clouds. Arthur stops and dismounts, walking over to stand at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the waterfall. You do the same, touching his arm gently. 

“Things are bad, Arthur,” you say flatly.

“I know. Dutch is, well, like I said. Dutch ain’t Dutch no more. On Guarma, he kept sayin’ strange things.” 

“Like what?” 

He sighs, not looking at you. “Kept sayin’ things along the lines of you poisonin’ my mind against him. Says ever since I fell for you, I been doubtin’ him. Even said he regretted lettin’ you stay with us.” 

You don’t quite know what to say. While Dutch had been suspicious when Arthur first brought you into the gang, it had been him who demanded you stay with the camp. He even told you he was glad to have you around. It feels like Dutch has become a completely different person. 

“I haven’t done anything to you,” you say finally, looking over the ravine. “How can I be poisoning you?” 

“You ain’t, darlin’. The only thing you done is given me a center, somethin’ to come back to.” He faces you and grabs your hand. “I don’t know what’s goin’ on with him, and the only reason I’m tellin’ you this is so you stay on your guard around him.”

You bite your lip, looking down. “You don’t think he’ll kick me out or something?”

Arthur huffs. “Where you go, I go. Dutch knows that. Whatever he’s thinkin’ now, he won’t want me gone. You’re safe as long as you’re with me.” 

A slew of emotions runs through you. It seems that camp, the place that had been the safest space for you, is now the most dangerous and yet you can’t leave. You won’t leave Arthur to try and carry the gang on his shoulders, as he seems to have done for so long. You slide your arms around his waist and pull yourself against his chest. “I’m not going anywhere, Arthur. Whatever happens, I’ll be there by your side.” 

He holds you close and kisses your head. The sky is suddenly illuminated, causing you to jump. A crash of thunder ripples through the air as the wind picks up, the temperature dropping quickly. 

“Come on,” Arthur says as the sky grows dark. “Let’s try and find somewhere to take cover for the night.” 

Mounting up, you fold your jacket closer around you as the cold sets in and the rain begins. Within moments, what had been a light sprinkle has turned into a downpour, the wind ripping through the trees. Water drips off your hat in thick drops as you follow Arthur west and across the wide river. He looks for a place to pitch the tent for the night, but the wind is howling so strong he decides the best option would be to look for a building or a cave. He leads you north, across the train tracks. 

The sky flashes once more, accompanied quickly by a massive boom. You look up ahead of the path, your hands shaking from the cold. Above the trees, a large metal ball stands by a large, brick building. 

“Arthur, what about there?” you say, gesturing to it. He follows your shaking finger and nods when he sees it.

“Let’s try it.” 

He guides the horses through the trees and up to it. The building is surrounded by piles of wood and metal scraps. The tall windows of the building show a large room with panels and gears illuminated by electric lights. The metal ball sits atop a tall tower and as you get closer, you see it’s made of bars, the inside hollow and exposed. A tree up the hill explodes as the sky flashes again, making Rannoch snort nervously. Arthur dismounts his horse and puts a hand on your back as you walk up the steps to the double wooden doors of the building. 

When you walk into the building, the first thing you see is a circular cage with an open end. The only thing inside it is what looks like an upright operating table with a large burlap cloth draped over it. All around the room are wires, coils, panels and other contraptions you can’t put a name to. In the corner sits a room, the upper walls made of steel fence as if to hold an observer. Tall control panels stand, blocking part of the room from your view.

“Hello?” Arthur calls out, closing the door and muting the raging storm. He looks around, flabbergasted as you are. “Is anybody here?” He walks to one side of the room near a rotating steel wheel and you go to the other, looking around at the control panels with blinking lights. Several metal contraptions stand against the wall, some with electric lights, some with moving bits and others stand still. 

A tinny voice suddenly echoes through the room. “If you are here to rob me, I wish to make clear that I have weapons that could liquefy each of your internal organs in turn and leave you just a puddle on the floor.” 

You and Arthur look around the room, trying to find the speaker. Arthur gestures for you to stay put as the man speaks and approaches the observing room. 

You recognize the thick accent of the strange professor with the toy boat in Saint Denis. Arthur seems to remember him as well.

“Professor, we ain’t here to rob you,” he calls out, approaching the room. “It’s us, we helped you at the pond.” He peaks into the room and stares at a corner blocked from your view by a table and a tall control panel. 

“You did?” the voice responds. Arthur raps on the fenced door and the professor pops up. You join Arthur’s side and see him wearing a white lab coat and holding a strange dish with a long handle, a metal stick stretches from one edge of the dish to the other. You realize it must be the contraption that allowed his voice to echo through the room. 

When the professor sees it’s you and Arthur, his eyes widen. “Oh! Yes, you did. The buffoons.” He puts the contraption down and glares at Arthur. “Hello.” 

“I hope we’re not disturbin’ ya,” Arthur says. “Just needed some shelter from the storm.”

“Of course you’re disturbing me, buddy,” the professor grunts and stomps out of the room. You and Arthur follow him a few steps behind, curious. 

“I almost solved biggest problem and you mess it up.” He begins adjusting some dials and handles on a panel. 

“I did?” Arthur asks.

“No, but I did,” Marco responds, rushing to another panel. “I can’t get the bloody conductor straight.” He begins mumbling and you hear him say, “It is the geometry of life, the grand theory of power, the grand theory of theories!” He goes into the room and comes back out, holding three long, forked rods and a fourth, smaller one with a dark light bulb at the end. He leads Arthur to the door, continuing to babble on about how he has a problem, yet he never states what it is. 

“I don’t understand,” Arthur says with a small, confused smile. 

“Of course you don’t. Help me adjust these things and I will show you what I mean.” He hands the rods to Arthur.

“Well, I ain’t much of a scientist,” he says, collapsing the rods and placing them into his satchel. 

“You are an American. Science is far beyond you, but you make a fine buffoon.” He pats Arthur’s shoulder, opens the door and then shoves him out into the storm. He closes the door and goes back into the observing room, grabbing the dish he had been speaking into. You stand awkwardly in the room. 

Marco begins speaking into the dish, which echoes through the room and you realize it must also somehow echo outside because he addresses Arthur and tells him to follow the light of the short rod until it glows and to place one of the other rods. Lightning flashes and you run over to one of the windows, looking out but not seeing anything in the watery darkness. 

“I swear,” you say to the professor, squinting at the window, “you get my future husband killed, I’ll beat you to death.” 

“He’ll be fine,” Marco grunts, rushing over to another panel and twiddling with a switch. “Make yourself useful and grab me that.” He gestures to the table by the observing room. Atop it sits nearly a dozen tools, all alien to you. 

“You’re gonna have to tell me which one,” you say, looking at them. 

“The one with the prongs,” he sighs, almost as though it were something everyone should know. 

You grab a thin steel rod with four prongs and hand it to him. He grabs it and sticks it into a slot on the panel, turning it slightly. A small light above suddenly flicks on. 

“Good, now grab the handle there.” He points to a panel close to where you’re standing with a small, thin handle at eye level. You grab it and are just about to push it down when he tells you to stop. 

“We must do it at same time,” he says. “Current must hit the coils evenly.” He counts down to three and you both push the handles down, a sizzling sound rushes through the metal cage in the middle of the room. You look at it, but don’t see anything. 

“Well, I hope your future buffoon is almost done,” he says as lightning flashes again. The door swings open and Arthur walks in, drenched. 

“Ah, wonderful!” Marco says, dashing around the room and fiddling with more handles and panels. 

“I wish I ever went to school so I had a clue what was going on,” Arthur says, handing him the rod with the light. Marco takes it and tosses it onto the table, dashing over to a large panel with three large handles. 

“Now, I become the second creature after God himself to bring life to this earth.” He flips a handle and then runs over to a second panel with a half dozen handles with lights and dials. He gives you and Arthur a meaningful look and pulls one of the handles down. You hope he was expecting nothing because that’s exactly what happened, except the slight sizzling crackles from the cage again. Marco glares at the panel, tapping on one of the dials.

“Am I missing something?” you ask. 

“The switches!” he cries, grabbing Arthur’s arm and pulling him to the door again. “The bloody switches. Climb up the tower and adjust them.” He points to the tower with the coiled steel ball on it and shoves Arthur out one more time. You stand at the window and watch him as he climbs up it. A few moments pass, the storm seems to grow more intense as lightning flashes above the mountain. Something must have happened in the tower because it suddenly lights up with flickering electricity, sparking and travelling down. Several of the contraptions in the room also begin to spark and move, some of them clicking or hissing. You look around, feeling nervous as the atmosphere becomes static. Marco laughs almost maniacally, calling Arthur back down.

A moment later, Arthur stomps into the building, looking flustered. “If I had been electrocuted-” he starts, pointing to the professor.

“I knew you’d be fine. Now hurry!” He adjusts a few more dials again as you and Arthur stand near the panel he had tried using before.

“Second time lucky, eh?” Arthur grumbles. 

“Second time? Try seven thousandth. This is my life’s work.” Marco opens the door to the cage and goes into it. He puts a hand on the cloth covering the stand and gives you both a meaningful look. “It is incredible.” 

He rips the cloth off and reveals what can only be described as a man made of steel, the body looks like a barrel with lights, dials and cogs. The limbs are stiff and his head is perfectly round with circular eyes and a barred vent as a mouth. A tiny rod with a ball on the end sticks out of the back of the head. 

The professor looks at the machine briefly and then runs back to the panel, instructing you to watch. Arthur clasps his hands in front of him and you put your hands on your hips, expecting nothing to happen once again. 

Marco flips a few more switches and then grabs the largest one, turning it down. A giant ball dangling above the cage suddenly explodes in crackling, blue shards of light, causing you and Arthur to jump, a small scream slipping from your mouth. The lightning travels directly into the metal man, flickering to the bars of the cage. 

Without warning, the lightning stops, but the air is still thick with its static, the smell of hot metal fills your nostrils. You look at the metal man. His round eyes are brilliantly lit, the dial on his chest ticks back and forth sporadically. His right arm suddenly lifts of its own accord and turns its palm up. 

A maniacal laughing rips behind you and Marco screams out: “He lives! My son lives!” 

Your heart pumps hard in your chest and you latch onto Arthur’s arm. The two of you watch as the metal man raises his leg, takes a step forward and hobbles off the platform. He takes two awkward steps forward and then falls with a heavy clang. Something sparks in its head and his eyes fall dim. 

Marco huffs a small laugh, looking proudly at the machine. 

“Is that it?” Arthur asks.

“For now. Isn’t he wonderful? I am so happy!” He turns back to the panel and lifts a few handles. The air loses its static and several of the machines lining the room stop moving. 

“You just saw Creation’s second birth!” Marco says, kneeling next to the machine. 

“All I saw was a machine waddle a few steps,” Arthur says. You can’t say anything, too dumbfounded by what you had just seen. First this professor made a boat move without a pulley system and now he’s created a metal man that is powered by electricity. 

“I have a son,” Marco whimpers. “I am the luckiest man alive. Those morons! They doubted me.” 

Arthur shakes his head and grabs your hand, pulling you towards the door. He pats Marco on the back as he passes. “We’ll see ya later.” 

“Yes, yes. Good bye.” 

Arthur leads you out into the storm, which is still pummeling down into the earth, the wind howling. At least the lightning has stopped. 

“What are we doing back out here?” you shout at him over the wind as you mount up. “If we set up our tent, it’s just going to flood.” 

“I know, darlin’. But we shouldn’t stay there. Leave him alone with his work.” 

He leads you down the path and back to the train tracks. He starts heading down the path of the tracks and a short ways after, you spot a small shack that must have been a station at some point. Now it lies dark and empty, but at least it’s dry.

For the next two days, the storm continues on, occasionally with lightning and thunder. The shack has proved to be a useful shelter against the downpour. Arthur insists on hunting as much as possible, despite the rain. This results in you coming back the second night completely soaked and freezing to the shack, Rannoch’s back piled up in pelts. 

The shack’s empty when you get there, so you light the lantern inside, wishing it was dry enough outside to light a fire and warm yourself. You change into dry clothes and drape a blanket across your shoulders. Placing the lantern on the floor, you try to warm yourself while drying out your hair, but the lantern isn’t very effective. Arthur comes in just as a bolt of lightning lights the sky.

“Ah, thank God you’re here,” he says, stripping off his coat.

“Why? What’s wrong?” 

“There was a cougar around. When I was skinnin’ it, he had fresh blood on his chin. Was worried since we know your luck around cougars.”

You laugh and look up at him. He’s wearing nothing but his soaked union suit. He smiles down at you.

“You look cozy in that blanket.” 

“I’m freezing, Arthur. Come join me.” 

He chuckles and strips out of his union suit, sitting down next to you. You open the blanket and his eyes immediately rake your naked body. You can’t help but blush as you wrap the blanket around him and then crawl into his lap, nuzzling up against him. Despite his damp skin, heat radiates from his chest. He enfolds you in his arms and the blanket, warming you better than the lantern could. 

Without warning, he lays down onto his back, pulling you on top of him. His cold hands slide up your back and he sighs. 

“Mm, I’ve missed this.”

“You’ve been back for over a week, Arthur,” you smile into his chest. 

“I know, but we ain’t done nothin’ since. What you think about gettin’ warm properly?” he growls in your ear. You smile up at him and then lean up to kiss him on the lips, sliding your hips to straddle him. 

By the next morning, the rain has finally slowed down to a light drizzle. Arthur decides it’s time to return to camp. You know he’s right, despite not wanting to go back to that miserable place. You both saddle up and head back. 

Beaver Hollow is just as miserable as it was the last time you were here, if not more. Javier greets you both coldly when you ride in. Dutch and Micah are nowhere to be seen, but to your surprise Trelawney is here. He sits by the table, chatting quietly with John. 

Grimshaw comes up, looking just as sour as ever, a cigarette between her fingers. 

“Mr. Morgan, Mr. Bell wanted me to tell you to meet him and Dutch in Annesburg. Something to do with that man Mr. Cornwall.” 

Arthur tips his hat in acknowledgement. He pats you on the back and saddles back up, heading out of the clearing. Grimshaw pounces on you, setting you on multiple tasks. She checks on you constantly as though expecting you to sneak off, which you’re tempted to do. This clearing is so foul and horrible, it seems to be leaching into everyone. 

When you sit near the other girls to wash clothes and sew, there is little talk traded between you. When someone does say something, one of the others usually responds with a quick snap. Karen slumps against the wagon, too drunk to help. She gets up after a few hours and stumbles over to Grimshaw.

“You’re a nasty woman!” she growls at Grimshaw, who’s sitting against a tree near the stew pot. 

“I did what needed to be done!” Grimshaw replies, standing up and tossing her cigarette. “And you know the rules, Ms. Jones!”

“She didn’t break no rules, you horrible woman! She was in love. You’re a murderer. A murderer!” Karen swayed off, her face red. 

Grimshaw stands for a moment, looking miserable. After a moment, she sits back down and puts her head in her hands. 

This isn’t the only scene of how much the gang seems to have disintegrated. You noticed Jack earlier going around camp, calling for Cain the dog. He hasn’t been seen since leaving Lakay. Bill is more irritable than ever, snapping at the smallest comments. Pearson remains sitting down by his cabin, drinking heavily and sniffing; he’s stopped whistling. The only good thing that seems to have happened is that John and Abigail seem to actually be trying to have a good relationship. They haven’t argued the entire time and Abigail has moved her and Jack’s things to John’s tent. 

Mid afternoon sees the return of Dutch, Micah and Arthur. Micah and Dutch look pleased while Arthur looks irritated and angry. He marches into his tent but doesn’t come back out. After checking that Grimshaw is still sat by the tree, you get up and go to him. 

“What was that all about?” you ask quietly, sitting next to him on the cot.

Arthur sighs, taking off his hat. “Damn Dutch. Losing it again.”

“I thought he just wanted something to do about Cornwall?”

“Oh he did. Found out Cornwall’s paying a lot of money to keep the Pinkertons on our tail. Said we were just makin’ a social call to make a deal to get all of us out of here. Cornwall didn’t take too kindly to it, so Dutch shot him.”

You sit confused for a moment. “That’s a good thing, ain’t it? Maybe the Pinkertons will ease off a bit?” 

“No it ain’t good. Sure, Cornwall was a thorn in our sides that needed to be dealt with, but I don’t think it was our job to send him to his judgement.”

“Arthur, how many people we killed? How many people have we sent to their own judgements? Isn’t Cornwall just another?” 

He sighs. “Yes, but to be honest, I’m growin’ tired of it. If we keep killin’ folk, we ain’t gonna get outta this mess. We’re gonna stay stuck in situations like this.” He pauses and shakes his head. “For some reason, I’m seein’ things a lot clearer. We can’t keep livin’ like this, Y/N. I wanna marry you nice and proper, but I’m terrified every day that someone will mess up and one of us will get killed.” 

This causes you to pause. In all the months you’ve known Arthur, he’s never shown any worry for his own safety, always putting the gang before himself. You wonder what has brought about this new line of thinking. 

“I am, too, Arthur, but I thought it was my job to worry about that. You’ve never had a problem being Dutch’s right hand gunman before.” 

“I know, and look at what’s happened. I been wonderin’ what would be different if I hadn’t been for so long.” 

“Ain’t no use in wondering about the past, Arthur. Nothing can be changed. Only thing we can do with the past is learn from it, try to make a better future.” 

He looks at you sadly and then smiles. “What would I do without you? Feels like you’re the only thing keepin’ my head straight.” He grabs your hand and squeezes it. 

You smile and then look down. “Arthur, what would you think about maybe getting out of this?” 

“What do you mean?” his grip on you lessens. 

“I mean leaving the gang. I know everyone here is our family, but things just seem to be going from bad to worse. How much longer can we last like this?”

He shakes his head. “We might still have time, Y/N. Time to change Dutch’s mind. He might not be so far gone just yet. Let’s not think about that until we see how things play out a while longer, darlin’. Not only that, I’m gettin’ worried about Micah.” 

“Micah? What’s there to worry about with him?” 

He sighs again. “I ain’t worried about him, worried about what he might do. He’s convinced there’s a rat in the gang, figures that’s the only way the Pinkertons found us so quick. Not only that, he’s gettin’ crazy and talkin’ in Dutch’s ear. You remember Mrs. Downes?” 

You nod your head, recalling the widow. 

“She’s dead,” Arthur looks at you.

“Dead? How?” 

“Saw her lyin’ near the coal factory, bullet in her head. I can’t say for sure, but when we were runnin’ after Dutch shot Cornwall, we passed her and Micah spat on her corpse. I gotta nasty feelin’ he killed her.” 

You pause and bite your lip. “Why would Micah kill her? I mean, I know he’s a blood thirsty bastard, but what would be the point?” 

Arthur huffs. “You think Micah really needs a reason? When I got him out of jail all those weeks ago, he and I pretty much shot everybody in that town all for his precious guns. Like I said, he don’t need a reason.” 

You sigh and squeeze his hand. “Well, be careful around him, Arthur. I don’t like how close he’s gotten to Dutch and I know he ain’t overly fond of you. Try not to give him a reason to come after you.” 

“I can handle myself just fine, darlin’.” 

“I know, but please be careful.” You lean over and kiss his cheek before getting up to go back to your chores before Grimshaw has a chance to attack you again.

#Red Dead Redemption #rdr2 fanfic #red dead fanfic #red dead redemption 2 #arthur x reader #arthur morgan #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan x female reader #arthur morgan x female #van der linde gang #R* Games #rockstar games #I'm awkward #second chances

[j-whirl44]

A Binding Ache Remains Within

Hey hi what’s up you ever love a key relationship and dynamic between two characters that is actually so intricate and beautiful but the main medium of the franchise they’re in never really takes time to explore it????

Or is it just me?

Anyways I wrote this Poe & Leia fic because I love them both so much and their mother & son bond will always be the death of me. It’s sort of in a “Missing Scene” format in three chunks from TFA, TLJ, and TROS.

This in general was just very cathartic for me to write and it’s a dynamic Ive wanted to write about for a while I just didn’t know how lmao.

Enjoy!!

Title From: I’ll Be Your Skin by Sara Kendall

Read it on Ao3 (x)

1: D’Qar Resistance Base

Poe woke up with a splitting headache for the second day in a row. He squeezed his eyes shut just as quickly as he opened them, the harsh light of fluorescents above mixed with the buzz on machines by his side overstimulated him.

He tried again, this time using his arm that wasn’t bound to wires and needles to shield his face as he slowly opened his eyes. He let out a long breath as he groaned and tried to get up from the stiff and cold medical cot.

He’d been confined to the med bay since he came back to D’Qar two days ago. He lumbered in limping and filthy and about to pass out. People watched him as if they’ve seen a ghost and Poe suspected they might have thought they were. It’d been a week and a half since he was taken by the First Order and since losing Beebee-Ate he had no way to securling send a signal from Jakku letting them know he was alive.

Though he wished he wasn’t.

He tried to talk to Leia immediately, but the General shook her head and sent him to get patched up with a look in her eye that told Poe now was not the time to argue.

A nurse wailed next to him as he tried to get to his feet. He looked at her with a tinge of annoyance.

“I need to talk to the General. I’ve been tied up here for two days now. I’m fine,” he said trying his hardest to drown out the pounding between his eyes. He could tell the nurse saw right through him, but nevertheless most people on this ship are aware how Poe can be when he sets his mind to something. She walked up to him carefully removed the various mechanisms in him.

Poe nodded his thanks and turned to rush out of the small room before the nurse wailed at him again. She handed him some sort of pill and a cup of water. Poe looked hesitant at it. The nurse pointed at his head. Poe blushed and took it, instantly he felt some of the weight in his head decompress. He looked back at her with a grateful look as he went to go find Leia.

“Poe? What are you doing here,” Leia asked as he stepped into the briefing room where she and a few other officers were going over their daily checklist.

“Doc gave me the all clear, did my droid come back? What’s happening,” he asked. The room was still and silent, save a few beeps from monitors. Poe didn’t like it.

“I’m afraid there’s been no sign of Beebee-Ate since he was sent off with you to Jakku. We have reason to believe the First Order has him-”

“No,” Poe interrupted, other officers around him went stiff at the intensity he just cut of the General, but Leia didn’t flinch, “No he escaped when…” Poe trailed off. His head pulsed as he tried to remember everything that happened since being captured and tortured. His eyes widened, “Beebee-Ate! I-I told the First Order he had the map to Luke. They know.”

He said the last two words more to himself than the room. His hands clumped into fists. His shoulders drop. Gasps are heard around the room as he feels their eyes burn onto him. Leia cleared her throat, which snapped everyone’s attention back to her.

“Give us the room please,” she said. The room made its way out the door. The two of them stood across from each other in silence.

Poe’s mouth was dry, he couldn’t look in Leia’s direction. “Sit, Commander,” she said as she walked and took a seat at one of the tables near the window. He didn’t move, his body bristled with fear and shame. “Poe,” Leia whispered. The sound of his name snapped him back to the present just enough to take her invitation. He sat stiff and focused on his hands.

“What happened. We heard about the attack on this village…”

‘The village,’ Poe thought. They attacked so fast and so strong against unsuspecting people. He sees flashes of it now, the screams, the sounds of blasters, the heat of his exploded x-wing on his back as he watched Kylo Ren kill Lor San Tekka.

Then he remembers being on the ship. How dark and cold it was. Being strapped into the chair, IT-O droid next to his face; Kylo Ren himself in front of him. Remembers him invading Poe’s mind. Breaking through whatever defenses Poe tried to put up to keep him from seeing where the map was. More importantly who had it.

But he got it anyway, after what felt like hours of agony Poe gave in showing the scene right there for Kylo. Leaving his droid out in the open.

He failed the mission. He failed the Resistance. He failed…

“Poe,” Leia said again, which again brought the pilot out of his own head. She looked at him with the same kind eyes she always did. She reached out and grabbed his forearm and squeezed it. Poe felt himself relax a bit. “It’s not your fault,” Leia said. He bit back a sarcastic laugh; his face twisted around as it tried to stay neutral. Leia furrowed her brow, “There was no way you could’ve known about the First Orders ambush because we didn’t even know about it.”

“I should’ve saw the signs,” he counted. Leia scoffed.

“What signs, Commander? There were no signs. We both were after the same thing. We thought we got to it first. We clearly didn’t-”

“Maybe they were tracking my X-Wing somehow. Has anyone ran diagnostics yet? Maybe I-” Poe stopped when Leia smacked him behind the head. He yelped as he ran a hand to rub the spot.

“In case you forgot in that thick skull of yours, Commander Dameron, you’re part of a crew. A whole resistance. It’s not just you that makes mistakes. This wasn’t your fault,” she said.

There she went again, those eyes now stared at him with a mixture of anger along with the kindness. Like any mother would look at her son when they were being difficult.

Poe sunk in his chair. She was right; it wasn’t his fault. In the beginning maybe, but everything that came after…

“But now I really have led them straight to it, General, Kylo Ren-he…” he didn’t know how to continue. He knew how much it hurt Leia to talk about he son. Her real one.

“What happened. Please, tell me,” she urged.

Poe cleared his throat, “He...forced his way into my mind. He saw my memories,” his fists on the table clenched tighter, “old and new.”

Leia looked away, face as stoic as ever, but Poe could see through the cracks.

“General I’m sorry. He was too powerful. I was too weak, he saw me store the part of the map on to Beebee-Ate. He knows,” he hesitated, “he knows where it is.”

Silence again fell between them as they both looked down at the floor.

Poe felt defeated. He felt like shit; lower than shit even. He remembered what he was thinking while he was still tied up after the interrogation, he thought all there was left to do was die. He failed the mission and he failed hard. He was ready and willing to accept whatever fate the gods had in store for him.

His eyes started to sting as he blinked back tears. He jumped when Leia’s hand grabbed his own.

“Poe, that still isn’t your fault. You were being tortured,” Leia said, the last word thick in the air, “you didn’t have a choice in the matter. What’s important now is you’re back here and you can help us fight like you always have.”

Poe was always so in awe of her. He’s known this woman almost all his life. Known what she’s gone through, whether it be first hand experience or through the little stories he was told by his father. He’s seen her still be so vulnerable yet strong all these years. It inspired Poe to just be a better person.

“I failed everyone, I failed you, General,” he said ashamed.

“You haven’t failed yet. Luke still hasn’t been found by anyone yet. We can still do this,” she said as she squeezed his hand, “together.”

Poe closed his eyes. A few tears finally fell as he nodded.

He thought of his parents and what they say to him right now.

And then he thought it’d probably be everything the General just did.

2: Resistance Escape Pod; Above Crait

“A mutiny, Poe? Really?” she said as she looked down at the unconscious pilot in front of her. He looked peaceful and it was one of the times he wasn’t actively being a pain in the ass. She smiled a little as she remembered the dumbstruck look on his face right before she stunned him, “You got your love of flying from your mother but your impulse from your father,” she said with a slight chuckle.

It had only been a few hours since Leia had woken up after being spaced. She heard quick news about what Poe was doing and all she could do after hearing about it was roll her eyes and head towards the bridge to do all but drag that man out by the ear.

Leia knew there was not a lot of men out there like Poe. His heart was big, although sometimes his ego was bigger. He would sacrifice himself before letting anyone fall in his place even though losing him would be a major blow to the Resistance. Not only for morale, but there isn’t anyone that can fly a ship like him; except maybe his mother.

Leia remembered when she died. Hearing word from Han who heard from Kes. Her heart ached; knowing they had a young son. She arranged a trip to Yavin 4 where Poe and Ben zoomed around the backyard together, blissfully unaware of the heaviness in the visit.

----

The adults sat under the little piece of the Great Tree planted there six years prior. They laughed as they recounted stories of the war. The sticky situations Han and Kes would get into when left unsupervised. They also mused about Shara and her pilot skills.

“I just hope he’s more like her than me,” Kes said. The three watched as Poe and Ben played in the cockpit of Shara’s old RZ-I. Leia smiled as Poe explained the inner workers of the A-Wing as Ben watched with wide eyes.

“Looks like he’s on his way to that already,” Luke said, “Shara was the best of them, Poe will be too. It’s in his blood.”

Kes smiled as he raised his cup of ale towards the sky, “I just hope he won’t have to fight like we did. Sacrifice as much as we did,” he said solemnly.

Leia looked again at the two boys, “yeah, me either,” she said.

Back in the present, Leia’s teeth chewed at the inside of her cheek at the memory. They were all still so hopeful back then; wary but hopeful. They wanted to believe darkness was defeated on Endor. 

----

But it wasn’t. The two boys that played in the cockpit of that fighter ship were now on opposite ends of an ever growing battle that got more dire by the day.

That was the last time Leia or Han ever saw Kes and Poe, but she always kept tabs on them. It wasn’t very hard, Poe’s reputation and familial lineage preceded him at any military level. All Leia had to do was pull up his reports. When the time came and the First Order was too big to be ignored as a legitimate threat she knew she had to ask Poe to help lead the Resistance. He had the same spark as his mother. 

“Passion is something we desperately need these days,” she had told him. And Poe being Poe he didn’t hesitate when asked.

He had grown so much into his father’s look, Leia almost thought it was him sometimes when she saw him out of the corner of her eye.

She reached down and touched his cheek with the same hand that had slapped him days before after that stupid dreadnaught mission that got him demoted and good fighters killed. She was angry with him but a part of her heart also ached for him. She saw the look in his eyes, how elated he was they sank the ship but how conflicted he was in himself for doing it in a way that cost so many lives.

And much like everything these last few weeks there wasn’t any time to dwell on it. Everything moved so fast and if you tried to get bearings on anything you’d be too consumed by grief and war and you’d crumble.

“The life of a soldier,” she thought. It was cruel. It was unfair. Leia wanted nothing more than to clear Poe of his conflicted feelings. Like any mother would do when she saw a son struggling.

But in this moment she was still his superior and she had a whole Resistance to rebuild. She leaned down and kissed his forehead.

“This is for your own good, idiot.”

3: Ajan Kloss

Her face was covered and Poe was at least a little thankful for that. If he couldn’t see the General’s lifeless face maybe he could believe she wasn’t really dead. She wasn’t really gone.

He started at the sheet in front of him, he willed it to move. He wanted a sign this wasn’t really happening. Begged for it.

Nothing. Utter stillness.

Poe clasped his hands together and rested his forehead as he let out a bitter laugh.

Of course, death happened around him all the time. He even caused some of it. He’s had plenty of ghosts that followed him around. That came to him at night as he tried to sleep, but none dare compared to the pain in his heart right now.

Leia trusted him in all things, even when he didn’t deserve it. The two of them worked side by side to build the fight against the First Order. The late nights, the early mornings. The near misses and the celebrations. It was all done at each other’s side.

Poe thought back to when his mother died. His dad was stone faced through all the formal military funeral proceedings, but the night after the service Poe walked by his dad’s office and heard him crying, it made Poe’s heart break. He wished he remembered more of his mother outside the war stories and medals.

He made a note in his mind to make sure Leia’s story wasn’t so serious. She’d be remembered as a great war hero of course, but also as a headstrong woman who in any situation was never afraid to speak her mind and knock people down when they needed it. Poe smiled; he needed it a lot it seemed.

His throat tightened as he now remembers his new acting position.

“General. You named me general,” he said. General Poe Dameron. He was excited at the new title, he just wished it was under much better circumstances.

He reached out involuntarily reached out and before he could register what he was doing he was holding her hand. It was cold and weak and Poe didn’t like the feeling. The reminder. He gave it a tight squeeze before letting go. He gently placed her arm back by her side and covered her again. “I won’t let you down, Leia,” he said.

But what was he to do now? He failed to get the support her needed. They barely made it out of Kijimi and Kef Bir alive and now this blow to their already dwindled forces. It was hard to find hope in any of this.

“But hope is what you were all about huh,” he said, “was.”

He wondered truly how long anyone in this war would have survived if it wasn’t for Leia and her abundance of hope. After all she’d been through, she still believed there was good in even the most wicked of people. Her dying moments, Poe understood, made that note abundantly clear.

There’s so much Poe still wanted to learn from her, but now that was all gone. He just felt lost and undeserving of the tasks that now fall onto him. He needed his friends. He needed a sign.

He really needed Leia.

Lando came in soon after and tried to squash Poe’s worries, but honestly nothing stuck to his brain. He felt himself shutting down, the grief, he thought, may finally get to him.

He closed his eyes, still sat by her side. He needed a minute before he swallowed his sadness down and stood up.

He stood up, suddenly as determined as ever. He wasn’t going to let Leia die in vain. He walked up to her covered body and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Shoulders tight and fists clenched, he walked out towards the fight.

#i wrote this. #Poe Dameron #Leia Organa #Star Wars #Idk what else to tag really that's it lmao #im FEELING okay #also v proud of this LucasFilm if youre watching please hire me