#so me and val made a joke that the next time she sees patches she basically- | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

crazyyanderefangirlfan · 3 years

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Chapter 2: Bring on the Mania pt 2

Everyone stared at Amane once they got to the classroom. They already parted with Jack, Epel, and Sebek, and the three boys wished the ADeuce combo luck with Amane. The latter basked in the attention, even sending a teasing wink to the lingering stares, who blushed and turned back to the teacher. Crewel made it VERY clear to Amane that if he disrupts the class in any way, he will receive punishment, like how he did before. All he got from was...

"Yes, daddy."

"Oh, does Professor Crewel remind you of your father?"

Amane wanted to laugh at her naivety if he wasn't being tied up and suspended in midair.

He remained like that for the rest of the period. Occasionally he would let out a joke or flirt with one of the students. Though nothing too vulgar, lest he would incur the wrath of the bi-colored man again.

He was finally free when the bell rang. Valerie had to pull him aside and gave a small warning for the next class.

"Please behave. Professor Trein is awfully strict, and I don't think he'll appreciate your humor." Amane wanted to protest, but the look she gave was enough to make him reconsider his words.

"Fine, I'll tone down my charms here too."

Looks like he’s seeing DILF again

Turns out, it was a good thing he did. The entire lesson was boring, and some students were nodding off. Ace got bored and decided to entertain himself with Lisha, while was Deuce truly focused on the lesson.

Valerie kept herself awake by having a small staring competition with Lucius. The cat's eyes were the perfect thing to keep her awake. A light snore disrupted her concentration from Lucius and glanced beside her.

Amane is already fast asleep and using a sleeping Grim as a pillow. The sight made her smile. But it didn't last long, as a large book slammed onto the table, waking everyone up.

"Gh-Huh!... Wha?" Amane rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, found himself being stared down by the elderly professor and his cat.

"Mr. Mania, I see you haven’t changed. Just because you are a guest doesn’t mean I will tolerate sleeping, so I expect proper respect from a guest." "Meow."

With that, he turned away and carried on with the lesson. Amane sunk low on his seat with a troubled look on his face. He is never pissing off that guy again.

Amane stretched himself on the patch of grass he and Lisha laid on. He was getting a kick out of seeing Valerie beating half of the boys in P.E. He cheered her on each exercise and laughed out loud at how some boys can't keep up with her. Namely Grim.

"Oi! Quit laughing!" The monster huffed as he tried and failed to do another push-up.

"Maybe if you'd stop using Valerie as carriage and start using those fat legs of yours, you wouldn't have much of a problem doing this." Ace snickered, having a much easier time than Grim. A whistle blew in the air.

"Alright! That's enough for today! You're all dismissed!"

Grim collapsed and panted heavily. Lisha hopped over to him and poked his fat tummy. The former tried to swat her way but was too tired to do so. Valerie shook her head and picked up her baby.

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"Yes! Finally lunch! Onward Henchwoman, you have to keep your promise to me!" Grim commanded, tugging the ends of her pink bow, steering her to the selection. Lisha was perched on her shoulder, preening her wings.

"Yes, yes." She casually said, maneuvering through bodies of students while keeping pace with her friends.

"Damn, I kind of miss this." Amane had to give the school credit for having such widespread choices.

"Oh, Valerie, take this stuffed crab! And this cordon bleu! And the lamb curry! And...and..." Grim kept on pointing at dishes and ordering Valerie to grab as much as possible. But she didn't mind, the food is food. She also took the liberty to take a chicken alfredo, salisbury steak, fruit milk, and tons of cinnamon rolls.

"Damn, that's a lot. You sure you can pay Sugar tits?" Amane probe, examining her tray filled to the brim with food Grim picked. On Amane's plate are a garden salad, croutons, and water.

"Sure, I can! I think." She muttered the last part, but he heard it. Amane pursed his lips, watching her fumble with her wallet. Before going stiff upon noticing what she had left. He sighed and went in front of her.

"I'd like to pay for mine and this girl's lunch." This action stunned her.

"B-But...T-This i-is unce-" She tried to protest, but he placed his finger on her lips.

"Hush Sugar tits. Think of this as a payment on what you spent on me during my recovery period."

Oh yeah, he ran her wallet dry with his expensive tastes. After paying, they saw Epel waving his hand and their way over. The boys did their best to stay calm, but the way Amane watched them with mischief in his eyes was hard.

"Haha! Thanks for the food!" Grim said as he happily devoured the food.

"So, how your day so far, Amane?" Valerie questioned as she gave small pieces of chicken to Lisha.

"Pretty good. Despite the fact, I was bound, hung upside down, and got slightly traumatized."

"That's all the students in Night Raven experienced." A new voice interjected. Next to their table stood Cater along with Trey and Riddle.

"Dorm leader Rosehearts! And Cater and Trey. Good afternoon." Deuce greeted his seniors.

"What's up?" Ace asked.

"I heard from the students that a man has been joining Valerie in her classes and has been an inconvenience to the teachers," Riddle replied, giving Amane a hard stare.

"Also, we just came to meet our guest of the day~" Cater airily added.

"Well, he's right here hot stuff~" Amane flirted. He thanked the Great 7 for making these schoolboys hot. Cater smiled in his direction.

"So you're the guy everyone's been talking about. Let's take a quick selfie you're joining too, Valerie." Cater threw his arm around him and pulled in Valerie too. He took his phone and snapped the pic.

"Hey! I didn't even prepare!" Amane complained. But Cater laughed.

"Relax, you look great. Especially you Vally~" Cater bopped her in the nose. She giggled at the action.

"What's your name? I need to tag you." He asked as he typed on his phone.

"The name's Amane Mania. What about you cuties~" He ended with a wink.

"I'm Riddle Rosehearts, dorm leader Heartslabyul." The young man proudly answered. Amane scrutinized him. His whole appearance is the perfect combination of handsome and adorable.

"I'm Trey Clover, the vice-dorm leader." Amane let out a low whistle as he ogled Trey.

"Hello, daddy~" Amane puckered lips and winked.

Trey let out a nervous laugh. "Nice to meet you too."

"Hey~ Don't forget about me. I'm Cater Diamond. Hey, look how many likes you got on MagiCam."

He showed them the pic. Cater had his signature smile and peace sign. Amane didn't smile, but he looked like one of those male models in magazines. Valerie looked like a deer in headlights with her lips forming a small o shape. They were getting approximately a hundred likes a second.

Amane hummed as he admired the picture. "Not bad, not bad. You should have pulled off something cuter, Val."

"She's always cute." Deuce blurted.

... ... ...

Deuce's face burned bright red once the words sank in and covered his face. Ace burst out in laughter, patting Deuce on the back. Epel tried to comfort Deuce but to no avail. Jack and Sebek merely shook their heads for their friend's mistake.

"Aww, thank you, Deuce. You're so sweet, and you're cute too." She sent him a closed-eyed smile.

Unaware of Ace's abrupt stop of his laughter or the irritated looks the rest of the boys are sending to Deuce. Amane, however, found it amusing.

Riddle cleared his throat to regain their attention. "Back to the main topic." He cast his eyes towards Amane.

"Even though you are a guest, you must conduct yourself and NOT create unsolicited trouble for anyone." He emphasized the last part, eyeing at ADeuce and Grim, who looked away from his gaze. Amane waved his hand dismissively.

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say, cherry boy."

Ace choked on his drink and covered his mouth to suppress his laughter. Jack's eyes widen in disbelief, while Deuce, Epel, and Sebek just looked confused.

"Cherry... boy?" Epel repeated. Valerie and Grim were just as confused. But, Lisha just shook her head.

"Is it because his hair is the same color as a cherry?" Grim mused, Valerie shrugged.

"Could be."

Meanwhile, the boy in question frowned. Confused about the nickname and oblivious to the true meaning behind. However, the two seniors froze and stared at Amane slack-jawed. After a few moments of awkward silence, Trey let out another nervous laugh.

"Anyway, we should probably go and let you guys finish your lunch," Trey remarked.

"What's a cherry boy?" Riddle asked.

"Let's go, Riddle!" Trey exclaimed. Harshly tugging on his dorm leader's hand, Riddle stumbled from Trey's rushed steps with Cater not far behind. Failing to hold back his laughter. Valerie watched in confusion as her seniors retreated back to their table.

What was that about?

A loud banging interrupted her train of thought and turned her attention back to her friends.

Ace was booming with laughter, repeatedly banged his fist on the table, earning stares from the other students. Jack was furiously rubbing his temples, trying to fight back the blooming headache he was getting. While the other three just sat there, still confused.

"HHAHAHAHA! Oh, Great 7 that was too good!" Ace let out guffaws of laughter, leaning against the table.

"I can't believe you said that," Jack grumbled. Amane just stuck his tongue at him.

"I still don't get it," Deuce commented.

"Well, I'll gladly explain-ACK!" Amane offered but was cut-off by Lisha's brutal pecks and swipes of her tiny talons.

Deuce winced at the sight. Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut.

"Oww! Hey! Quit that!" She didn't. Lisha has been with Amane long enough to endure his vulgar jokes to the point that they don't affect her. But she refuses to have the innocent corrupted too early. Especially Valerie.

Ace was calming down from his laughing fit and snickered at the sight of Amane being tortured by a tiny bird. Ah, revenge comes in unexpected ways.

Sebek voiced his exact thoughts. "Hmph. Serves him right for being so debouched." Folding his arms and casting a disapproving look at the hetero male.

"Should we do something?" Epel asked. As much as he enjoys Amane's pain, he had to pity him. His grandfather was attacked by a flock of owls when he was younger, and he still has faint scars from the incident.

"I'm pretty sure Valerie's got this under control," Jack replied, and he was right.

The opal-eyed girl managed to catch the small owl when she too busy tugging on Amane's hair. Lisha hooted a protest, but it died down once Valerie rubbed her head.

"Good girl, stay calm." Once Lisha was calm, she went back to her discarded chicken pieces.

Once they finished lunch, they were headed to class when they were stopped by Professor Crewel. After giving Amane a warning glare, he asked Valerie to pick up a few magnolia petals from the botanical garden due to a student accidentally using too much.

"Of course. Honestly, I prefer favors from you than from the crow." She admitted. The man gave a deep chuckle.

"Careful pup, last time when Crowley walked into a conversation like this, he sulked for a week." He warned, but there was a smirk on his face.

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lightbulb77724 · 3 years

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Here is a short story I made for school

While walking down the street isabela and katie came across a group of six teenagers that look close to their age. Kaite ran towards them, Isabela just stood there and assumed they knew each other so she decided to join them. When she got closer she felt that they had met before.

“Hey issy” a short girl in a bright orange hoodie called over

“Oh um hey?” isabela was confused; she didn't know how they knew her. Her sister never said anything about them and she wasn't one to go to parties or anywhere for that matter so how is it that they knew her. Then she saw that the girl wasn't human. She had the ears of a fox and a tail to match. She also noticed how much she tried to hide them constantly trying to pull the hood up and keep her tail tucked in. She then noticed her face was wearing an eye patch covering her right eye.

“You don’t remember us do you” a girl with long black hair next to the short girl. She kept pulling her back to her side every time she tried to run. She also had an eye patch on her right eye and a pentagon on her left wrist holding the girl. “Ahh always the forgetful one am i rite kiki” a blond girl said “what did i say about calling me that” the short boy said next to her. The girl was wearing an olive green jacket drinking coffee. The short boy had white hair and hoodie clearly annoyed with the girl's nickname. A boy with black hair stepped up holding the hand of a girl who looks similar to him which isabela assumed to be his twin “can we get on with why we are here please kaity” he said looking at the blond “o o ya sorry. Isabela we are here to help you find your group we will explain everything but first can everyone say your names i know we all know each other but she forgot” kaite said gesturing to her older sister and back at the group. She then pointed atthe boy with white hair “i’m-” “hey im cora but you know me as fox my aillis” the short one said “that's not your aillis it’s you last name.” the girl next to her said “i'm valkyrie vince valentine nice to see you again isabela” valkyrie put her hand out and isabela took it. “Hey can i speak now” they all nodded and he shighd “good, im kio hey” she nodded in return “clara nice to see you again” the girl looked at isabela “i would say the same but i still don’t remember” clara said it was fine next was the twins “ max and this here is my sister daisy, she’s shy so you won't hear much” cora and clara stifled a laugh and hid behind valkyrie who pushed them away not wanting to be apart of there jokes.

“Ok now that we all know each other we can talk about how they know you……...there your extras” isabela stared at her shocked and confused. “How i thought i got rid of you and your real people” “ok one ow! Don’t forget I'm one too. And two yes we are how do you think you're things go missing, a brownie no this isn't spiderwick chronicles this is real life be realistic” kaity said making isabela slightly mad “you lied to me for all of my life all of you did” isabela pointed at all of them remembering her past “i needed help and you all new it i trusted you now look most of them are missing and assumed to have died three ran away and who knows what happened to the rest” isabela started to cry so she looked away from them. She heard footsteps and someone hugged her from behind “ don’t forget everything happens for a reason that's what she told you right and that's why we're here let's bring them home”. After she calmed down, Cora let go and ran back to her spot next to valkyrie. Isabela turned around and asked for the time “3:04” clara looked to cora who looked back at her like they had just got the best idea “because its late how about we all get a motel room together like the old times and in the morning we can look” the blond stated kaity seemed to like that idea and happily clapped her hands “yes yes yes get in my car now who is driving” they all looked to each other “ME!” everybody except kio,val and daisy said. “Ok then how about the oldis drives” after valkyrie said that they heard cora giggling “ok no” isabela said sternly “ w-what why im 22” cora pouted “you never got your driver's license” katie said walking towards the car “and who’s fault is that” she said joining the blond “you crashed the car” a soft voice said “he was screaming daisy” cora said as she helped the girl get in to the back of katies seven seater ascent “because you hit a stop sign in front of a preschool” kio said walking away from them.

“Kio, where are you going?” Max said following him “I'm not joining you on the little treasure hunt” he said as he waved to his friends but stopped when Clara said she would tie him up and put him in the back. “ Clara, that's kid-naping” he said as he looked at her. “You're not a kid kiki” then he saw it. In her hands were rope he went to run but she was faster and tied him up. “Ya but if you my extras dissent that means he can turn into a child like the rest of you” she said as she helped Clara drag Kio back. “Solution: tie him up and put him in the front seat” and that's what they did. “So how are we all going to fit in the car” isabela counted the seats Max and Daisy are in the back with starfire isabelas alaskan malamute. Katie and Kio are in the front seats leaving the three middle seats with four people. “Solution:i’ll turn into a kid” and that's just what cora did. Isabela picked her up and sat next to Valkyrie who was next to Clara as they drove to a motel and started their search for 22 people with no leads.

The next morning cora went out to find leads with valkyrie at her side. Max and Daisy went to the store to see if they heard anything and for food. Katie and Kio stayed back while Clara and isabela left.

Isabelas perspective

Clara and I decided to take Katie's car and just drive around to see what we find. “Hey i got a question” i looked at her then back at the road “what job did lan have again”. I smirked remembering the reason she got the job for “she was a detective, said she was going to put me away if she found me why whats up ``''we should break into her office” i took a left heading straight to her place. I looked over and Clara looked confused. “She keeps the important ones at home” she nodded and we continued.

Once we got there Clara went in to get the file. I waited in the car listening to music when Clara opened the door handing me the file. “Ok now let’s see” we were going through the pages when Clara stopped me “what does that mean” i looked to where she was pointing and i was shocked. “That's the hospital record for poppy, it’s the one me,Em and some of the others were working at” she looked at me and i continued reading “poppy left the hospital and Em went after her, this was after the incident she and Em are still alive” i smiled. Something fell out of the file and Clara picked it up. “What is that?” she looked at it then back at me shocked “it’s a letter… from Kristena to Lan.” I looked at her surprised. Clara asked me if she could read it and I nodded in response. As she got closer to the end she read a part that made me happy “while i was looking around the woods i found poppy hope we can all get together again”. I looked up at her and saw she had a smile “there looking for each other, not only that but we got a lead there in the woods” we started up the car and noticed a police car coming our way so we had to just go.

We got back to the motel and Clara filled everyone in on the situation. Turns out Max and Daisy heard something at the store just a rumor but we take what we need.

We pulled up to the abandoned hospital and got out of the car. “ Leave my dog cora” I said as I saw her trying to get her out of the car. I got out my flashlight and the rest followed. The building was dark. It was destroyed on the inside and there was also graffiti everywhere. We all split up into groups of two. I was with Cora. Cora had a duffel bag to carry whatever we found. I just had a flashlight. The hallway we were going through was dark and disgusting. It seemed to connect to the other hallways and a staircase. The rest of us met in the center of the building when Cora ran into a room throwing something in her bag. We heard a creak and Clara looked up. Right above Cora there was a light that started to fall on her. Lucky Clara was faster and pushed her out of the way. I went to check on Cora who was slammed into a boiler. “ Wow Clara I get she is loud but you didn’t have to go that far” Valkyrie joked and started laughing until Max hit her in the back of the head. Me and Katie helped her up. Whail Katie was checking her I looked around and heard a whistling sound coming from behind me. “ Um, what's that sound?” I turned to look at them and saw it. Cora broke the boiler and it's about to explode with the heat. “Run!” I grabbed Clara and Kio and the rest followed.

We were running as fast as we could when we heard an explosion. I turned around to check on them when I saw fier. I let go of their hands as they all ran ahead. I just stood there staring at the fire getting bigger and closer. Cora noticed I didn't join them and when to get me as she was still oblivious to the fier. “Hey what's that smell” as she looked up her eyes widened in fear. Cora started to shake her head over and over again repeating “no, not again”. Valkyrie came to get us “if you stay longer you’ll burn come on, cora”. I might not remember much of them but I do remember Cora is afraid of fire from past trauma and so was i. Cora transformed into a five year old but still didn’t move. Valkyrie picked her up and took my hand, dragging me out.

Once we were outside I could finally breathe. I looked over and saw Cora crying as Valkyrie concerts her. Just because they act like they hate each other doesnt mean they aren't there for one another. “Good your ok i don’t know what i would have done with your dog if you died” clara said but i can clearly tell she was going to cry. Katie came and hugged me while Max was holding his sister.

“I'm sorry we found nothing, “ Daisy said as we walked back to Katie's car. I looked at her and smiled “at least we made it out alive”. I looked at all of them and when I got to her she was smiling like a mad man. “What's wrong with you, you almost died,” Kio said when he grabbed her hoodie. Cora started to laugh “we can’t die remember” Kio looked back at her and smirked “wanna go back and test that”. Cora looked at him shocked and I started to laugh. Max cleared his throat and we all stopped and looked at Cora . She opened her bag and pulled out a camera giving it to me. As I looked at it I saw the name MAC was carved into the side. “Hey max who did you say was there?” i said pointing to the building on fire “ Em why what’s up?” he said looking back at me. I opened up the compartment and read the tape. I was about to speak when I heard sirens. “Get in, I know where to go”. When i was driving cora kept trying to grab the camera. Once she successfully grabbed it with her tiny arms Katie showed her how to play previous tapes.

“Heyyyy welcome to the mother tree” a girl with blue and pink hair said as she sat on a rock with a tree growing on it. “What about Fort rose?” a asian girl with black long hair said. Walking next to her was isabela and a short tan skinned girl all holding sticks. “Apparently things i make don’t matter” isabela said with a pout the short girl pushed her and laughed. “Nana, I was looking for you” the camera focused on two girls both with medium length brown hair. “Ahh what can i say everyone loves me, calm down D and B it was a joke” the one known as nana said to the girls rolling their eyes as she followed them. The camera then focuses on a blond girl holding a baby star fire “ashy what do you hate about fort rose?” mac said to the blond. “They can’t keep things neat” she said as a tall dark skinned girl came from behind the huge old house “o.c.d” she whispered pointing at the girl. “That's not a seacret nole” a girl with her brown hair in a side pony said, scaring the two girls. “Holy- jessy don’t scare people like that, what is it?”nole said staring at the girl. “Have you seen Nia,Em or Emilia?”Jessy said, looking at all of them. Mac then got up and walked to the back of the house. When she got there she saw all of her friends. The rest of them went to sit down for a group photo. “I just want to say tha-”

I took the camera away not wanting to hear what else i had to say thou i remember it like if it was yesterday. “W-what day is it” I yelled at myself for stuttering and started to get out of the car not wanting them to see me like that. We stopped outside the woods. I heard everyone get out of the car. Star fires coller got closer to me till she was by my side. I smiled at her then walked into the woods.

After hours of walking we made it to the mother tree still the same as all those years ago. The old tree was standing tall. The top half broke off years before they found it but it was still surrounded by flowers planted by poppy and some of the rest. It still looked beautiful to me. Carved into it was the sibule we used for fort rose. A small circle with nineteen in it, around it was a bigger circle with four loops connected to the smaller one. Behind the tree was a huge old house. The red paint worn down from harsh weathers and been unattended for years. We all built the house together with rooms for all of us. It was our get away. It belonged to us and no one else. It’s the only home where people like us could go that kept us together. I walked around to the back there was a bonfire in the middle of flat ground by the eave of the roof are folding chairs for everyone. There were five picnic tables. Attaching the tree’s together were fairy lights none of which are plugged in.

I went to the door and noticed one of the lights was on. I stuck my arm out telling them to stop moving. I then opened the door and in front of me was a short girl with black hair. She was shocked and so was i. “BB?” she ran to me and hugged me close. “It's good to see you again,” she said as she let go. “How are you, how did you get here i have so many questions”

She nodded and looked behind me “I will explain later”. She pulled us all in and sat us down in the living room. It was the same as a few seating places: a fireplace,tv,bookshelves,plants, and the group photo. Only thing is that the people aren't here making it really sad and lonely. “I'm happy your back, but there is something or rather some people that need to see you again”.

#creepypasta #oc #la la land

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toothpastecanyon · 4 years

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Noie’s Brother, Chapter 21: Rewrite

FINISHED!! Thank you @feferipeixes for betaing this story!

Fate sometimes rhymed, but Alcor felt like this one was a little on the nose. A newborn Mizar fading away in the hospital and a loving father pleading to him from behind a circle of candles.

Fate sometimes rhymed, but Naomi Argenta just wants this stupid vampire to stop harassing her brother. It’s making him go… weird.

See most updated version on Archive of Our Own.

______________________________________________________________

Noie had to run. She dashed down the halls, clutching a textbook to her chest and forcing air in and out of her mouth. The door was just to the right - she was nearly there, nearly there, there!

She crashed into the door and staggered into a lecture hall full of people. A few turned to look at her - she reddened at that - but most of them paid no attention.

The professor continued talking, and she slipped past him to take her seat.

“-in microeconomics, it is often observed that the opportunity cost - which is the cost incurred by not choosing the next best option, for those of us who need a reminder - the opportunity cost is often evaluated in terms of…”

Noie reached the back of the class, and slid into place beside an elven woman in fuzzy pyjamas. The woman cracked a smile at Noie as she hurriedly unzipped her backpack.

“Someone likes to be fashionably late.”

“I know, I know.” She took out her magi-orb. “It wasn’t my fault this time, the library printer jammed while I was trying to print out- Oh, what did I miss?”

“Uh, econ stuff?”

“Bea…” Noie stared down at her empty desk. “Why don’t you take notes?”

(And stars, she thought, she sounded just like Dipper there)

“Don’t need ‘em. I know this shit already.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Bea winked at her. “I know lots of things, Silver. You coming to debate club tonight?”

Noie made a face as she opened her textbook. “I don’t know. I don’t think I did very well.”

“I would argue that’s inaccurate.”

“I got yelled at for speaking out of turn.”

“Yeah, and the look on your face was fucking hilarious.” Bea chuckled and nudged her. “Hey, you forgot the rules for a second. Big whoop. You’re new. Come back, alright? I liked your section.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you made good points and all that. And you didn’t talk like a mile a minute, so I could actually hear ‘em, too.”

“Oh.” Noie flashed a smile at her. “Thanks. Uh, I guess I could go back, then?”

“You’re guessing correctly, Silver.” Bea looked at her for a moment. “So… you gonna boot up that magi-orb of yours anytime soon?”

“Huh? Oh, right!”

Noie fiddled around with the base of the orb until she found the button. It was a strange thing, like a crystal ball mounted on top of some hardware. It booted up and instantly went to her notes, which was convenient but… weird, that it knew exactly what she wanted.

Magitech was weird, Noie thought. She didn’t really like it.

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Noie lay on her bunk bed, absentmindedly scrolling through her phone as her magi-orb sat open on her lap. The dorm around her was small, but cozy. It was a little messy, with some clothes on the floor and a couple papers strewn around her desk, but clean enough for a college student.

Besides, the clothes weren’t hers. There was laughter and the jangle of keys; Noie cut her eyes towards the door as it opened.

“-did not do that!” A woman burst into the room with raucous laughter. “Hahaha, J, you’re such an asshole! Get outta here! Go! I’ll see you later!”

She then slammed the door, loud. Noie raised her eyebrows.

“Hi, Val.”

“Huh?” Val looked over at her. “Oh, yo, Noie! How’s it going!”

“Uh, pretty good.” She switched off her phone. “Just doing my homework.”

At that, Val chuckled. “You’re always doing your homework, aren’t you?” She took off her jacket and dropped it on the floor. “When do you even have fun, dude?”

“I have fun!”

“Oh, yeah?”

“I do!” Noie curled up a bit. “I’ll have you know, I’m the fun twin.”

“Hah! So where’d you go last night, again?”

“...Debate club, but-”

Val cut her off there with a cackling laugh, and Noie scowled. She turned back to her phone.

“No, no, dude,” Val tapped the side of bed, still chuckling. “We’re cool, dude, we’re cool. You do whatever nerdy shit you like, okay? I don’t care. I love it.”

Noie shot her a tight smile, and she snorted.

“Aw, come on, dude, take a joke.” She looked around the room. “Yo, did you clean up in here again? It looks great!”

“Yeah. I did the bathroom, too.”

“Man, that is awesome! You’re awesome! See,” Val reached over and nudged her shoulder. “this is why I like you! I don’t have to worry about anything when I’m here!”

“That’s-”

“Oh, was gonna tell ya! I’m not gonna be here over the weekend - I’m going over to Joss’s.” She grinned at Noie. “He’s gonna throw, like, the best halloween party - dude, I can’t wait. It’s gonna be lit.”

“That sounds cool. What costume are you wearing?”

Val only sniggered in response. Noie looked over at her.

“What?”

“Nothing, dude, nothing. Oh my stars, you’re precious, did you know that? I love you.”

“What?” She raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, you’ll understand when you’re older.”

“We’re… the same age? What do you mean?”

Val just shook her head and took her phone out. She disappeared under the bottom bunk, and Noie rolled her eyes.

“Oh-kay. Good chat. Whatever.” She stared at her phone for a few seconds, then kicked off her covers. “I’m going outside.”

“Mhm… What did you say?”

Noie stalked across the room and out into the hall, fist balled around her phone as she brought up Dipper’s number.

Outside, she called him up. Her phone rang once, twice, and then put his face on screen.

Dipper’s face. She just got a look at his fuzzy beard before he adjusted the camera. He was lying on the floor, surrounded by papers, and he shot her a crooked smile.

“Hey, Noie! Just doing homework, what’s up?”

“Oh my stars I am turning into you.”

“What?”

“No, no, it’s fine. It’s fine.” Noie laughed it off nervously. “Heyyy, Dipper! Dipperino. How you doing, bro?”

“Pretty good!” He looked down at his papers, and shrugged. “Just, uh… just doing homework. What’s up with you?”

“You know what people do at a Halloween party?”

“A Halloween party? Uh… dress up, I g-”

“Yeah! So I’m not crazy!” Noie paced underneath a tree. “That’s what I told my roommate, but she seemed to think I was being stupid about it or something!”

“Oh, that-”

“And she still acts like I’m her maid or something! What’s up with that? I got 24 hours in my day just like her; why do I have to spend my time cleaning up our room while she goes partying!”

Dipper made a face. “Yeah, I’m sorry, Noie. That really sucks.”

“Ugh. Ugh.” She rolled her eyes. “Roommates.”

“Heh, yeah.”

“What, you got roommate troubles like me?”

“Oh, no, I just - I was just sympathising. Roy’s cool!” Dipper gave a thumbs up to someone offscreen, then smiled back at her. “We made a chore wheel.”

Noie slumped against the tree. “Oh, I wish Val would agree to a chore wheel. I even made one up for her and hung it on the wall, but she didn’t even notice it!”

“Did you… tell her it was there?”

“No, but she’s gone all the time, I never remember to talk to her when she’s there.” Noie’s frown deepened. “Besides, why’s that even my responsibility? She’s an adult, just like me! She should know how to do her stupid chores by now; I shouldn’t have to tell her to do it!”

“Yeah…” Dipper made a face. “Yeah. What are you gonna do now?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, maybe you could talk to an RA, or-”

“Ugh, I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to blow it into a massive thing - I mean, it’s fine! I’ll survive.” She shrugged at him. “I dunno. Am I being a downer? I’ll stop being a downer now.”

“No, no, you don’t have to-”

“So, how’s the week been treating you, bro?” Noie crossed her legs and leaned forwards. “Is it just more of the homeworks for you, or…?”

“No, no, actually, I went to, uh, spellcasting club, actually!” Before she could open her mouth, he added: “Online. They stream it, and you can join the stream. And I-I wasn’t participating - obviously - but it was cool.” He grinned, and his eyes twinkled with excitement. “Really cool. And the teacher stayed later, and we had this whole conversation about enchantments… you’re probably not interested in the details, but it was really fascinating!”

Noie beamed at him “Aww, yeah! That sounds so cool, bro! I’m so glad you got to do that.”

“Yeah!” He rubbed the back of his neck. “And, uh, I don’t have class Wednesday, so I went back and visited Grandpa.”

“How’s he!”

“Doing okay! Doing okay… He says he misses you.”

“Hah! Good one.”

She laughed at that, but Dipper didn’t join in. “No, seriously,” he said. “He was talking about how he can’t wait to see us all back together on Christmas.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” Dipper’s voice lowered. “I… I think he’s kinda lonely in the house, Noie. You know… ever since Grandma…”

He trailed off there, and she looked away. She stared at a little patch of grass off to the right, and it was quiet for a moment. The only sound was the rustle of the wind.

“Yeah…” Noie felt herself say. She cleared her throat. “Yeah, I bet he… is.”

There was a noise on Dipper’s end as a door opened and closed. He sighed. “Yeah.”

There was a pause, as he seemed to think over his next words. Then:

“Have you thought about… giving him a call this week?”

Noie made a face. “Yeah, I should… I should do that.”

“You don’t have to, but he’d like that, I think.”

“No, no, I should. You’re right, I should.” She shrugged. “I just, I dunno… I don’t know what to say, I guess?”

“That’s understandable. Maybe just something like hi, how are you doing? Then go from there. It doesn’t have to be long.”

“Yeah… you’re right. You’re right, I’ll do that.” She looked back at him, and managed a smile. “Thanks, Dipper. I love you.”

“I love you too, Noie.”

She beamed at that. “Man, I just wanna hug you right now! Why aren’t there video hugs? Someone needs to get on that!”

“Heh, that would be cool.”

“And I just wanna poke your cute little beard, too. I love it.”

Dipper’s hand went to his chin. “Cute? I mean, thanks, but I don’t think cute is the right-”

“It’s soooo cuuute and soooo little-”

“Okay, ha ha. You’re very funny.”

“And you’re a big dork.” She snickered at him. “It looks great, bro. I’m just teasing.”

“Really?”

“Yeah!”

“It doesn’t look too thin, or-”

“Nope! It looks great on you, seriously.”

“Oh… thanks!” He stroked it, and grinned. “Thanks, Noie!”

“Anytime.” She watched as he shuffled through some papers. “Welp, I won’t keep you. Have a good day, Dipper!”

“Thanks, you too! See you on Friday!”

“See you on Friday,” Noie said, and the video feed shut off with a beep. She stared down at her phone, and found herself still smiling.

It was good to talk to Dipper, she thought. Things never felt as bad after one of their chats.

She didn’t go back to her dorm right away. She turned her phone off, and just sat on the grass for a little while.

It was peaceful. It was nice.

______________________________________________________________

>im at the parking lot. wheres this place again?

>Down the main street where all the shops are on the right, you’ve probs passed it before. It’s got a black sign that says ‘Tree’s Teas’

>If we see you pass by we’ll all scream for you. You won’t miss us ;)

Noie made a face at that last text from Bea as she walked down the street. Hopefully she wouldn’t miss this place.

“Alright,” she said, and looked up at the signs. “Tree’s Teas, Tree’s Teas. Where are you?”

She passed by sign after sign, glanced in window after window. It was a hot day; there weren’t very many people out on the streets, and she could feel the sun beating down on her hair.

Why they were going for tea on a day like this, Noie had no idea, but she still felt her heart skip a beat as she caught sight of the sign.

They were going to tea. They.

Noie took a deep breath, and opened the door.

“Is that who I think it is?” Bea’s voice came with a rush of cool air. She was sitting by a group of other students, waving her over. “Ey, Silver! You found us!”

She laughed nervously. “I, uh, found you! Hi Bea, hi…”

She recognised a few faces from debate club, but not their names. The others were even more of a mystery - thank the stars Bea immediately launched into an introduction.

“You know Gus and Meena from Tuesday. And, ah-” She pointed a finger at the other three. “That’s Sara, Mako, and, uh - what’s your name? Heh, just kidding, dude - he’s Jess.”

Noie tried for a wave. “Hi. I’m… Noie. Nice to meet you?”

“Yo, Noie.”

“Nice to meet you too!”

“Hi!”

Smiles and greetings filtered in, and she allowed herself a smile. Maybe this would be fun.

“Cool! Nice to, uh… So, I just get a drink, and we study together?” Noie looked over at the menu; there were a staggering number of options there. “Jeez, these guys are serious about their tea, huh? Think they’ll kick me out if I order a soda?”

Bea snorted. “Blasphemy, Silver. No, you gotta order a tea! They’re really good here!”

“Alright… which one should I do?”

“Dude, you should get the macha!” One guy - was he Gus? - held up his drink. “It’s my favourite!”

“Or you should try the chai!”

“Or apple cinnamon!”

Noie made a face. “Thanks? I guess I’ll, uh, pick one of those.”

“Or I could go up there with you?” One of them, a woman with bright purple hair, looked up. She spoke quietly. “I, um, I work here, actually, so I could walk you through it…”

“Oh, that sounds great.” Noie smiled at her. “Sara, right?”

“Yeah.” She got up from her magi-orb. “Alright. And I can give you my, my employee discount, too.”

“Oh, sweet! Thanks!”

Bea waved at them as they went over to wait in line. There was an awkward silence as they stood there, just a little too far away from the group and not entirely sure what to say to one another.

Noie cleared her throat. “So,” she started. “You like… tea?”

“Yeah…” Sara nodded. “I get a free cup every shift.”

“Oh. Sweet. That’s… fan-tea-ast… uh…”

“What?”

“Bad pun, sorry. Butchered that.”

“Oh…”

They moved forward in line. Noie glanced her way, and then scuffed her foot on the tile. Oh, stars, she shouldn’t have tried a pun. Now this lady probably thought she was a weirdo.

“Hey,” Sara looked over at her. “Were you from Diamondback High?”

At that, Noie frowned. “Yeah? Why?”

“I went there too!”

“What?”

“Yeah, I remember you from my history class senior year.” She smiled at Noie. “You have a brother, right?”

“Yeah, Dipper! He’s going to SASU, he’s my twin.”

“Ohmystarsyouretwins.”

“What, you didn’t know?”

“No! I- well, duh, you guys were in the same year, I should’ve figured it out.” She smacked her head, and Noie chuckled. “I’m dumb, ignore me.”

“No, no, it’s cool.” She picked at her shirt. “Seriously, we were in the same history class?”

“Yeah! You don’t recognise me?”

“I… uh-”

“I get it, don’t worry about it.” She ran a hand through her purple hair. “I didn’t have this until I went to college. Trust me, I look pretty generic without it.”

“No, your face looks really nice!” Noie blinked. “I mean - sorry, I didn’t mean to be weird-”

“You’re fine. You’re fine. Thank you, Noie.” Sara grinned at her. “You know, I, uh, always wanted to talk to you. Back in highschool.”

“Really? Why?”

“I dunno, you guys - you and Dipper - you seemed like really cool people. To me.” A little red was sneaking into her face. “I dunno, you guys just seemed like you were always having fun with each other, and… I dunno. I dunno, it seemed cool.”

Noie stared at her for a moment before cracking a smile. “Aw. You should’ve.”

“Yeah, I should’ve! I, uh… I dunno. I’m kind of… bad with people. Sorry.”

“No, don’t apologise!” She hesitated, and then bumped Sara’s shoulder. “No time like the present, huh?”

“Yeah. Yeah! Nice to meet you, Noie.”

“Nice to meet you too…”

“Sara.”

“Sara, sorry. Bad with names.”

“No, it’s totally okay-”

“Hi! Are you ready to order?”

Noie and Sara stared at the cashier waving them forwards, and then blinked at each other.

“Oh… oh!” Noie turned to the person standing behind them. “Why don’t you go ahead of us? I still need to decide.”

After a moment, Noie ordered her tea, and sat back down among the group. It was a little new, a little awkward to sit with so many people… but the longer she sat there, the more she was aware of a great big beaming grin on her face. It was nice to be here - really nice.

She sat back, and sipped her tea, and let the hours slip by.

______________________________________________________________

11:47. Dammit, she should be at class by now.

“Come on, submit!” Noie stabbed a finger at her magi-orb. “Submit! Submit, you stupid thing!”

It kept loading. She huffed and stomped her feet into her shoes.

“Come on, come on… wait, no internet? Seriously?!” Noie tapped aggressively at the white error message that popped up. “No! No, you can’t do this to me! What happened? Did the internet go down? Arghhh, I don’t have time for this!”

She paced around the room for a second, hands on her temples. She had to submit her slideshow - the presentation was in ten minutes! Why did she always do this to herself?!

“I gotta… I gotta fix this.” Noie clicked to troubleshoot her wifi problems, hesitated, then opened her desk. She hadn’t cleaned it out since highschool - maybe she had a USB in here or something?

Stars, she hoped she did. She rifled through random papers and pieces of old homework, growing increasingly desperate as the minutes ticked by too fast and oh fuck it was 11:50 now she was definitely going to be late-

“Oh!” Noie happened upon something small and grey and rectangular - a USB! “Oh, yes! Thank you thank you thank you!”

She kissed it and then plugged it into her magi-orb. After pulling up her files, she copied her slideshow and went over to paste it into the USB’s drive-

And there, she paused. Frowned.

“Huh?” She moused over a file titled ‘For_Naomi.mov’. “It’s… for me? What is this?”

She had never seen this before in her life… or had she? The longer she stared at it, the more something came back to her; an awful feeling of déjà vu flooded through her like ice in her veins, and she felt her heart beat faster. She felt her head begin to pound behind her eyes. She stared longer, and she almost saw flashes of something, someone, a dark figure looming over her, digging its claws into her stomach and ripping out-

Noie staggered back, panting hard. She was shaking all over.

“What the…? The fuck?” Noie felt her stomach, then looked back up at the screen. “What the fuck?”

Nothing answered her. The only sound was the hum of the air conditioner. She gulped down air, and tried to steady her heartbeat.

She shuffled forwards. “Well… that was…” she tapped the screen to minimise the file. “That was… something. Okay. Oh-kay.”

Her head had stopped hurting, but everything still felt strange. She stood over the magi-orb, just breathing for a moment. In, and out. In, and out.

In, and her eye was drawn to the clock. 11:53. She let it out in a sigh.

“I’m gonna be so late.”

Noie glanced down at the USB, and grimaced at the way it set her brain tingling - it was like pins and needles inside her skull. Whatever was on it, whatever that file was…

She’d deal with it later.

The presentation was twenty percent of her grade, and the internet hadn’t come back, and this still seemed like a perfectly fine USB, so she took a deep, shuddering breath and decided to brush over this for now.

She copied her slide onto the drive, rubbing her head and trying not to look at the file with her name on it.

This was fine, she thought. Everything was fine.

Her head hurt when she wondered what was on it, so she tried not to think too hard about that. She thought about getting her keys and getting her bag and getting out the door. On the way to her class, Noie rehearsed her lines, pointedly ignoring the weight in her pocket.

There was a flash of something as Noie tiptoed into the back of class. It was cold in here, but she was sweating. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible… had happened? Was happening?

She stared through every presenter, tapping the desk with the USB. The weight of it, the slight curve to it that fit around her thumb-

picking it up from the ground gripping it shouting where’d he go WHERE’D HE GO-

“Naomi Argenta?”

Noie stiffened. The man who called her name had wings and a suit and glowing yellow eyes- then he was just her professor.

“Do you have your presentation?”

“P… presentation?” Noie nodded, stiffly. “Yes. Yes, I-I have it. I just need to plug it… in.”

“Alright. You’re next.”

tore apart the angel horrible screams looking at her like YOU’RE NEXT-

The presentation was… awkward. Noie liked to think she was an okay public speaker - she didn’t need to rehearse something a million times to sound natural. That day, though, she really wished she had a script to fall back on; she stumbled through her words, talking fast, breathing fast, gripping the microphone with white knuckles and trying to think past the pain behind her eyes and the flashes in her vision-

“A-and there was, there was this presi-, uh, president, Ch-Chancellor-”

A voice in her ear, a laugh, “a very pro-nat President you guys elected a hundred years or so back-”

She got through it, and was met by scattered applause. Class was nearly over. She took the USB, and sat back down at her desk.

desk and looking over at dipper knowing what he is KNOWING WHAT HE IS-

What was going on? What was happening to her? She groaned into her hands, acutely aware of the heads she was turning right now; just a little longer, then she’d be able to go back to her dorm. Just a little longer, then she’d be able to sort this out.

...Stars, she hoped Val wouldn’t be there.

The pain behind her eyes just kept pounding away at her, and it felt like eons before this class was finally dismissed. As soon as she heard chairs moving, Noie stumbled out of her seat and started off on the walk across campus.

It usually wasn’t that bad of a walk, but today it seemed to drag on. Time seemed to stretch, and suddenly each footstep

felt like

eternity.

Leon’s eyes. They closed, and accepted their fate.

I want you to know that I don’t regret a thing.

A man’s voice echoed from the pain behind her eyes, and Noie staggered into her dorm room. Her eyes went right to Val’s bed; when they saw it empty, they fixed on the magi-orb.

Slowly, almost reverently, Noie took the USB out of her pocket. She was going to find out what was on it

and why there was a part of her that already knew.

She closed the door. Locked the door. Walked to the magi-orb, and sat herself down before it.

Breathed. In, and out.

Plugged the USB into the base. Saw her name once again - ‘For_Naomi.mov’.

Clicked on it

and watched

and felt the pressure behind her eyes suddenly pop and-

Oh. Oh.

Oh, no.

______________________________________________________________

It was dark in Noie’s dorm. The lights were off - had been off all through the night - and the early morning sun glowed against the blinds.

Noie was there. Lying in bed, on top of her covers. Her phone screen illuminated the deep bags under her eyes, the creases on her forehead, the sheen of sweat that had collected in her hairline.

She hadn’t slept all night. How could she? If she closed her eyes, she’d start thinking, and if she started thinking, she’d think about her brother and how he was Alcor the Dreambender and how it felt to have his claws dig into her belly and-

Noie felt her whole body shiver. She shifted in bed a bit, and stared down at her phone.

No. No, she wasn’t going to think about that. It didn’t seem real.

Maybe it wasn’t real.

Maybe this was all, like, a really intense dream she’d had. All that stuff with the angel and the vampire and… him, that wasn’t her life! That wasn’t the kind of person she was! It wasn’t!

Noie could see her hands. Her palms were sweaty - in the darkness, the shine looked a little like blood.

She gulped. It wasn’t.

It couldn’t be.

She didn’t stab him.

______________________________________________________________

Noie woke to the sound of her phone ringing. She groaned; her head felt awful, and when she moved a hand to cover her face she felt the weight of her phone - she’d gone to sleep with it in her hands.

Why’d she do that? And why was it… night outside? She sat up, and looked down at her phone.

Dipper Argenta was calling her.

She saw his face, and everything came back to her like a kick in the teeth - oh, god. The phone rang again, and she flinched and tossed it to the ground.

It sat there, ringing, ringing, ringing. Noie curled up tight and plugged her ears with shaking hands.

Ringing.

…

Silence.

She sniffed, and opened her eyes. Her phone was lying still on the carpet; she stared at it for a second, and then shuffled out of bed to pick it up.

Her stomach growled as she got to her feet. Her legs felt weak. She knelt down, and picked up her phone, tapped the screen, squinted as it turned on.

6:23

Friday, October 29

Dipper Argenta - Missed call

Noie sighed. Of course… she was supposed to call him today. What the fuck was she supposed to do about that?

The phone rang again. Noie jerked back and banged her elbow on the edge of her desk.

“Ow! Fuck!” She jerked it back, and glared at the phone. “Argh, Dipper, you… you demon.”

It felt weird to say it out loud. The phone kept ringing, ringing, ringing, and she opened her mouth.

“You… You…” She stared at his dorky profile picture, the one they’d taken on a trip to the Grand Canyon last year.

She stared at the gentle grin on his face, the way his hand came up to stroke his patchy stubble. And to think, all this time, buried underneath that, underneath him…

“Y-” she tried, but her throat had gone tight. The words wouldn’t come. Her phone finally stopped ringing, and her brother's smiling face faded to black.

Noie took a deep, shuddering breath, and turned off her phone.

______________________________________________________________

Maybe this wasn’t that big a deal.

It was three in the morning on a Saturday, and Noie was wondering if, you know, maybe it wasn’t the end of the world if her brother was a meaty shell formed around a bloodthirsty demon. He was still a demon, yeah, but as long as the demony bits like the wings and the claws and the urge to kill stayed locked away, you’d never be able to tell!

So in a way, nothing had changed, right? Just don’t bring up the demon thing, and it could still be normal between them.

Noie stared up at the ceiling. She stared up at the moment she slit her brother’s throat, at the terror shining in his eyes, the terror of her. She stared until she couldn’t anymore, and pressed her hands to her face.

Stars, she never wanted to see that again as long as she lived. If she could get things even halfway normal after that, well…

Well, she didn’t know.

…

She didn’t know what she wanted to do.

______________________________________________________________

Noie didn’t know what time it was. She didn’t know what day it was. But sometime late at night on her magi-orb, she heard keys jangle outside her dorm. Her heart caught in her throat as the handle turned; for a moment, she imagined she’d see Dipper on the other end, see his golden eyes glowing in the darkness, see-

See her roommate Val peek her head in, then raise her eyebrows as she caught sight of her.

“Wow, you still awake?” Val cracked a smile. “Lemme guess: some kinda homework shit. Am I right or am I right?”

Noie tried to form words, but they caught in her throat. She just stared as Val shut the door.

“You not gonna say anything?” A pause. Val’s chuckles died off. “No? You, uh… you alright there, dude? Noie?”

She just shook her head. A sob came out of her, and suddenly the lights came on.

“Whoa, whoa!” Val stood on the ladder, her bewildered expression looming over Noie. “What’s the matter, dude? What are you doing? Why are you surrounded by… soup cans? And- are those dry noodles? What the fuck?”

Noie tried to cover them with a blanket. “I-it’s fine… Val, d-don’t-”

“Uh, no it isn’t? You look like you haven’t slept all weekend, dude.”

“I-”

“And your hair. Eugh. When’s the last time you showered, ‘cause it’s officially been too long.”

Noie clenched her fists. “I-it’s fine, Val. Leave me alone.”

“Oh, come on. I’m only trying to help.”

“Leave me alone!” She snapped, and watched Val flinch away. She sighed. “Sorry. Look, it’s just… it’s just complicated, okay? Thank you for the offer, but it’s just… you can’t help, so just leave me alone. Please.” She turned back to her magi-orb. “Let me figure this out.”

There was a moment of silence as she tapped away at the screen. Val shuffled her feet, then cleared her throat.

“Okay.” She said. Then: “You wanna smoke?”

“What?”

“I just got a pack, if you wanna-”

“No! Just leave me alone!”

Val put up her arms. “Okay, okay, you don’t have to be rude about it. Sheesh.” She then turned off the lights. “Well, I’m going to sleep. Good luck with your issues, dude.”

She got into her own bed, and Noie sat there in silence. She looked at her magi-orb; there were several articles it had automatically pulled up on demons, and she’d been reading through them before Val came in. As she stared, another one popped up: ‘Fight with your roommate? Browse over 50+ listings in your area with roam4homes.com’

Noie turned it off in disgust. Stupid magi-orb - what was she even doing up this late?

…She had a class in the morning, didn’t she. What was it, Tuesday now? Ugh, yeah, there was no way she was going to that. She felt awful; her head was pounding, and her hands were trembling, and her hair felt dirty and there were little shards of hard pasta in her bed and she was still kinda hungry…

Noie put her face in her hands. This was… she couldn’t go on like this. She was going to fail college. She needed to, to talk to Dipper, maybe, or maybe not… well, she needed to come to a decision about whether she was going to talk to Dipper or not. She needed to do something to resolve this… but what?

She sighed, deeply, then dragged a hand down her face. She looked over at her phone, picked it up, and just held it in her hands. She hadn’t turned it on since Friday; there were bound to be a lot of missed calls on there.

Yep, it was probably going to make her feel awful.

Yep…

…

Her stomach growled. She hesitated, and then sat up in bed.

Maybe she should get something to eat first.

______________________________________________________________

“Here’s your order, ma’am. One crispy fried fish taco and a medium soda.”

“Thank you so much!”

“Thank you for stopping by, have a good night.”

“You too, dude!”

Noie stopped for a minute to smell her order before placing it on the seat next to her and driving off. It smelled nice and warm and fishy; Bea said it made her car stink - and yeah, maybe it was a little strong - but she couldn’t see why it smelled bad. It brought her back to drive-through dinners, her grandfather piling everyone into the car and setting out on the road. They used to do them a lot after Allie stopped cooking… it was fun, back then, sitting in a car with her family all around her. It was comforting, and right now, a little comfort sounded good.

Noie parked her car under a streetlight in a near-empty parking lot. She took a deep breath, and let it out. She looked at her phone, which sat still turned off in a cupholder.

She took a bite of her taco, chewed a little… and then turned it on. It booted slowly; the silence hung for a few, awful moments, before it came to life.

The first thing she saw was the time: it was 3:30 in the morning. Then there were her missed calls. She had twenty. Her texts were filled up, too - one of them was from Bea asking to hang out, but the rest were all Dipper:

Sent last Friday at 6:31pm

>You there?

>Today is our weekly meeting, btw. That’s why I’m calling.

Sent last Friday at 6:40pm

>Let me know when you want to reschedule!

Sent last Saturday at 8:06pm

>Are you okay?

Sent last Saturday at 9:17pm

>If you’re busy with homework or something that’s fine. Just text me when you get this.

Sent last Sunday at 11:57pm

>Please call me, Noie.

Oh… whoops. Noie could feel herself cringing into her seat as she scrolled through his messages. Yep, that was… expected. He was probably worried sick by now, and at that she gave a dry smile.

Her brother, Alcor the Dreambender, was worried sick about her. Stars, but it was true, wasn’t it? He used to get worried if she got home from work too late; she only could imagine how frantic he’d be after getting ghosted for a whole weekend.

Noie had no idea what she was going to do with him, but the pang in her stomach made her type out a short reply:

Sent last Tuesday at 3:37pm

>Still alive. Sorry.

She sent it off, and took another bite of her taco. Now he was probably going to call her in the morning. What she was going to say to that, she had no-

Bzzzing!

Noie jumped. “Aaah!” She yelped and glanced down at her phone. Dipper was calling. “Seriously? You’re calling me now? It’s three in the- ugh.”

She hit the ignore button, hesitated, then went over to her messages. She could already see Dipper typing something up, so she rolled her eyes and sent a text.

>go to bed, ding dong. well talk in the morning ok?

Dipper’s typing paused for a second, and then continued. She snorted a little at that, then brushed some taco crumbs off of her pyjamas.

His replies popped up in rapid succession:

>Are you okay?

>What happened Friday?

>Also you should go to bed too, it’s 3 in the morning. Don’t you have French at 10 tomorrow?

Despite everything, Noie found herself smiling at his texts. This was so, so... Dipper of him. This was the brother she knew, not Alcor, not some kind of demon.

She made a face.

Even though… that wasn’t true, was it. Because. Dipper was a demon. The brother she knew had always been a demon.

It’s still me. This is still… me.

Always. She just… hadn’t seen it before, hadn’t known, hadn’t wanted to know-

“Noie?” She watches him stagger back, fall against the binding circle. “Y-your eyes… what’s going on?!”

-let people tell her who she wanted him to be, and then…

her hands on the knife across his throat. her hands feeling the tug of parting skin. her hands covered in warm, golden blood, her hands, her hands, HER HANDS-

Noie didn’t realise she was crying until she felt a sob rip through her body. She’d dropped her phone; with shaking hands and blurry eyes, she fished it out of her lap and turned it on.

There was another text from Dipper.

Sent last Tuesday at 3:45pm

>Just call me after that class, okay? Love you, hope everything’s okay. Sleep well <3

Noie stared down at that text, sniffed, and then smiled. It didn’t last long, though; she thought about what she had to do in the morning, and sobbed into her steering wheel.

It was a while before she could bring herself to drive home.

______________________________________________________________

Val had left. The door was locked. Her phone was fully charged, and open on Dipper’s phone number. Noie had even dressed herself for the occasion; she passed some time just looking through her t-shirts, waiting for things to feel right.

Eventually, she sat down at her desk, took in a deep breath, and let it out. There was nothing left to delay this with anymore… but for a moment, she stared at the wood grain on her desk, at the morning sun shining in and putting a soft glow on her carpet.

It had been a weird night. She’d cried a lot. Questioned life. Wondered what the fuck she was going to tell Dipper. Came to a decision, thought it was a terrible idea, talked herself out of it… and then talked herself back into it after every other solution seemed to work out worse.

After all that, she finally felt… not calm, but quiet inside, if that made sense. There was an uneasy stillness in her mind, a lull in her thoughts; it was like she’d worried so much about this conversation that she’d exhausted her ability to worry at all. At this point, whatever happened, happened.

All she needed to do was get this over with, so Noie looked back down at her phone, pressed the call button, and waited.

It rang once.

Then it picked up.

“Noie!”

Dipper. Noie grit her teeth at his face. “Hey,” she said, and then nothing more. Dipper hesitated a moment before replying.

“Uh, hi! Hi!” There was relief in his voice. “Oh, I’m so glad to hear from you! I couldn’t reach you all weekend - I-I thought maybe you’d lost your phone, I didn’t want to freak out Grandpa so I just- I- what happened?” He stared at her unsmiling face. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s…” Noie tried for a smile. “Um, it’s nice to see you.”

He frowned. “It’s nice to see you too? Also, it’s ten fifteen - aren’t you supposed to be at French? You didn’t have to-”

“Are you alone?”

“What?” He looked around his room. “Uh, I think Roy’s at class for the next hour. Why?”

Noie just stared at her brother’s face. She knew it so well; she knew those worried creases in his forehead, that slight tilt of his head as he leaned in closer. A part of her wanted it to stay like this forever - wanted it to stay normal. Human.

“Why? Noie?”

But it couldn’t. She knew that now.

“What’s going on?”

She took another deep breath, and let it out. Didn’t look him in the eyes; she trained them on his chin, and opened her mouth. “Dipper,” she said, slowly, deliberately. “I have to tell you something.”

“What? What is it?”

He was leaning in very close, now. Her eyes slid down to her desk. “I have to tell you… you need to remember. The deal, it’s broken, you need to remember now.”

“Remember? What do you-”

“You’re a demon, remember you’re a demon!” Noie’s head shot up; she stared him down. “Dipper, I remember who you are, you’re Alcor the Dreambender and I need to talk to him- I mean you. I need to talk to the whole you.”

“Wh- what? Argh!” Dipper clutched his head. “I- what are you talking about, Noie? I’m not a- ugh… I’m, I’m not a-”

“Yes you are! You’re Alcor, you took a human form so you could grow up with me. We made a deal so we’d forget but I remember and you have to too, okay!”

Dipper had crumpled out of frame; she could only see the top of his head. “Noie…” he moaned. “I don’t… it’s not… what’s… what’s happ̗͘e͎̭͈̭̗ni̲̫̖̜̬n̫͉g?”

“Please remember, Dipper.” Noie felt a pang of guilt at the pain in his voice. “I’m sorry it hurts. I didn’t want to do this, but it’s the truth, okay? You’re… you’re a demon.”

He wasn’t speaking anymore; she only heard a whimper in reply. There was a wet pop, and then another, and then a tearing sound that made her squirm in her seat.

“Dipper?” She watched as the last bit of his head fell out of frame. “How’re you, uh, taking this? Everything okay?”

Something bumped against the desk. Other than that, it was dead silent. All she could see was the chore wheel at the far end of his dorm; she stared at it, and waited for him.

Waited, until she heard a low, distorted growl. The sound of someone swearing under his breath; a hand coming into frame as it gripped the desk, a tall, suited figure rising up, and locking glowing golden eyes on her.

Alcor the Dreambender.

Noie thought she’d gone past worrying, but she saw him and suddenly she was trembling all over. Her stomach flipped and made her feel sick; it was something about those teeth, those claws, those wings flaring out behind him, those eyes staring her down as he dug inside her and ripped and tore-

“Mizar.” Those eyes; she watched them narrow slightly, then widen. “Naomi.”

Noie forced a laugh. “That’s… that’s me. Hi. F-fancy meeting you here, huh? Ha! Haha! Jokes. I’m funny!”

“N-”

“That was an entrance, huh? Ent-er-ance. En-trance. Enterancé! That’s Spanish for, uh, nothing, I just said it in a, in an accent.” She felt herself leaning back as he opened his mouth. “I-it’s actually, uh, entrada, la entrada, th-that’s Spanish for entrance, s-s-so th-that’s-”

“Naomi.”

Noie stopped talking. She could feel her heart beating in her throat. She closed her mouth and sat there, staring at him. He started to speak, then stopped, sighed, and shook his head.

“This… hold on a moment. Stand back.”

Noie heard that. It took a second to register, but he reached towards the camera and she backed up to the end of the room. She didn’t know what he was doing at first, but then she saw his hand come out through her phone screen; his head appeared, and then his torso, and then he stepped off of her desk and dusted himself off.

“That’s better… Naomi?” His expression fell as he looked at her. “Look, this is… weird, I know. I’m sorry you remembered, that wasn’t meant to happen. What set it off?”

She tried to speak, but nothing came out. After a moment, Alcor nodded to himself.

“The USB.” He picked it up from her desk. “Of course - why didn’t I think of hiding that? Ugh, that’s dumb. I’m sorry.”

Noie swallowed. “I-it’s okay, Dipper-”

“It’s no̕t͟. I made a deal, I promised you wouldn’t have to worry about this anymore, but I… I rushed it.”

She watched his hands ball into fists.

“I just wanted to get away from it all as fast as possible… just like I did with Leon. Just like it! Argh, why can’t I just ge̴̶t į͝ţ t͞h̷ro̵u̵͞g͏͡h̸̸̡ m̢y̨͝ ḩ͢ę̵̡a̡d̵ ͏͝th̸͢a̕t̴̨-” He stopped, and glanced her way. When he saw her flattened against the wall, the echo dropped from his voice. “Sorry. It’s fine… I’m fine, Naomi. I’m not gonna do anything.”

He seemed to think for a moment. In the silence, Noie peeled herself off the wall.

“It’s just…” Alcor started, and then sighed. He straightened. “Well, it doesn’t matter. I’ll do it right this time, Noie, I promise.”

Slowly, he extended a hand. Noie stared at the tips of his claws, then followed his arm up to his face. The demon - her brother’s expression was carefully blank, and the black-and-gold stare he fixed her with still sent shivers down her spine. He’d shaved, she noticed.

“Dipper?”

There seemed so little of her brother to recognise, but…

“Just take my hand, Noie. I’ll put it all back to normal, okay? Like you want.”

“Normal.” Noie gave a wry smile. “That’s what I always wanted, isn’t it.”

Alcor tried for a laugh - it was awkward, familiar. “Heh, uh… don’t worry about it. I… I get it, you know? This is a lot. I’m a lot.” He didn’t quite meet her eyes. “It’s… okay, if you don’t want to deal with it.”

She recognised that tone. She recognised it from fights they’d gotten into, when she’d said something hurtful and Dipper went quiet. She recognised the pang in her chest.

Noie stepped forwards. “Dipper, I-”

“And it’s not like I don’t deserve it.” He was talking faster now, hugging himself. “After everything I did to you, a-and your family, it’s no wonder you don’t want me around like this! I killed your dad! I ruined your life! I was horrible and demonic and a monster and-”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know, I-” Dipper blinked. “Wait, what?”

He was staring at her now, golden eyes wide in astonishment. Noie took a deep breath, and clenched her shaking hands.

“I wanted to say… I’m sorry, Dipper.”

“Why are you sorry? I-”

“Let me talk, okay? Because I’ve been thinking on this, and I owe you an apology. I owe you an apology, Dipper.”

He frowned, but he didn’t speak. Noie grit her teeth.

“It took me a long time to realise I did. It took me all of last week, I barely slept, I ate-” she gestured to her bed, “dry pasta at three AM while I was looking up stories about you, I… well the point is, I know what I did wrong now. I know I didn’t treat you right, bro. And I’m sorry.”

Dipper just looked bewildered. “You think you didn’t treat me right? I ki-”

“I know you killed Leon!” She snapped. “I know, okay? And I’m not saying you didn’t do bad shit, I’m saying we both did bad shit! We both… hurt people, you know?” She shook her head. “I hurt your friend, Lucy Ann. And I hurt y-you.”

Her voice cracked a little. She stood there, looking down at the carpet, trying to get it back under control. Dipper’s eyes were boring into her head.

“I-I sold you out, bro.” Noie managed. “You and your friend, I sold you out to some pro-nat angel because I thought he could fix you.”

“Oh, Noie, I never blamed you. You were possessed, you-”

She shook her head. “I wasn’t possessed. Maybe at the last moment it was the angel who stabbed you, but everything that led up to that? That was me.” A crooked smile, a mirthless laugh. “That was… me. And you wanna know why I did that? I was scared of losing you.”

“That’s unders-”

“I was scared of losing my grip on you. Things were bad, back with Grandpa, okay! Everything with Granny a-and school, everything felt like it was spinning out of control, but you were… you didn’t change up on me. You were always there for me - it was supposed to be the two of us looking out for each other, you know? Not one of us turning into some all powerful demon who… who didn’t need me anymore!”

“No! I need you, Noie!”

“Don’t say that.” Noie stabbed a finger at him. “Don’t say that, Dipper. You don’t need me.”

“I do, I-”

“You don’t need me.” She backed away, shaking her head. “Not in the way I wanted you to need me. Because I needed you to stay human and I slit your fucking throat over it!”

Dipper flinched away from her, eyes wide, mouth open, but saying nothing. Her words hung between them. She took a deep breath, and let it out with a shudder.

“And maybe…” she started. “Maybe that’s what messed me up so bad. About you being a demon. It wasn’t what you are, or what you did… it’s what I did - what I did and never apologised for. It ate me up inside, Dipper.” She swallowed, hard. “It’s been eating at me all week. I couldn’t handle it when I was fifteen, and I… I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

It was silent. Noie hung her head low, and felt the silence stretch. She had nothing more to say but sorry, sorry, sorry… and when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she looked up, wordlessly.

Alcor was there, gazing down at her with his gold-on-black stare, his face framed by his fancy suit and by wings as black as the void… but Dipper was there, too. Dipper was there in the nervous smile he flashed her, in the awkward pat he gave her shoulder, in the stuttering way his words tumbled out of his mouth when he tried to speak.

“It’s… uh…” he tried. “You… want a hug, Noie?”

Noie stared at Alcor, Dipper, her brother for a second. Then, she sniffed, and threw her hands around him. He squeezed back, and she buried her face into his chest as his arms wrapped around her.

It was nice, for a moment. Then something else wrapped around her, something warm like skin but also much, much wider and she looked back and-

“Aaah!”

“Whoa, sorry, sorry!” The darkness swallowing her up suddenly flared out behind Dipper. “Those were just my wings! Sorry!”

She stared. “Just your… just your wings, huh.”

“Yeah, I-I’m sorry, I should’ve known that would, that would be weird-”

“No, no! I’m sorry I freaked out!”

“No, don’t be sorry-”

“No, you don’t be sorry!” She giggled. “We… we’re a pair aren’t we?”

“What do you mean?”

“I guess it’s just… I don’t know! I don’t know, Dipper!” She sat down on the bed. “There’s a lot of things I have to get used to, I guess? Having a demon for a brother.” Her chuckles died out. She looked up at him. “But… I’ll work on it, okay?”

Dipper frowned. “You… don’t want to forget?”

“No. Not again. You’re a demon, Dipper. I don’t want to hide from that anymore. I don’t want to pretend you’re something you’re not.” She smiled. “You’re my brother, Dipper. Everything after that, that’s… I can get used to that, okay?”

Slowly, he gave a smile. “Okay.”

She grinned, and stood up from the bed. “Now let’s try that hug again, huh?”

Dipper sniffed, floated forwards, and wrapped his arms around her. They squeezed each other tight; Noie buried her face into the crook of his shoulder, and closed her eyes.

This was okay, she thought.

They’d be okay.

______________________________________________________________

“Hi! Welcome to Tree’s Teas, how can I- Noie!”

“Ey, Sara!” Noie swaggered over to the counter and slung her arm over the counter. “How’s it going? What’s cracking? Hopefully not the mugs, ha!”

Sara giggled as she raised an eyebrow. “It’s going okay… how are you? You seem kinda excited today!”

“Oh, yeah! I’m hanging out with my friend right now!” She grinned as Sara blushed a deep red. “And! I’m studying econ with my brother, so I’mma need two cups of my usual today!”

“Alright!” She picked up a mug. “By usual, do you mean the one tea I ordered for you last week? The Nutty Chai?”

“Yeah, yeah, that one! It was good!”

“Okay, then!”

Sara turned around to pour the tea. Noie fished around inside her wallet - there were so many receipts in here she could barely find her card.

“So your brother,” Sarah started. “Are you video chatting with him or something?”

Noie opened her mouth-

“Wait, you’re buying two teas, I’m dumb.”

“You’re not dumb.” She cracked a smile. “Maybe I just really like tea, yknow?”

“Heh. We do have free refills.” Sara turned to look at her. “But is he actually in town? Dipper?”

“Yeah!”

“That’s awesome! How long’s he visiting for?”

“Visiting?” The smile froze on her face. “Um…”

She trailed off there; Sara seemed to get the hint.

“Oh, am I asking like a bajillion questions? I’m sorry.” With a nervous laugh, she placed the first cup on the counter. “I haven’t seen him since high school, that was - wow, that was nearly a year ago!”

“Hah! Crazy, right? So much has changed.” Noie stared at steam rising from the mug. “So much has changed.”

“I know, right? So that’ll be… five thirty-nine for the two of them, Noie. Noie?”

Noie looked up. “Huh?”

“Five dollars and thirty-nine cents.” Sara frowned at her from behind the register. “Uh, are you okay?”

“Me?” She barked a laugh, started digging through her wallet again. “Oh, I’m fine! Never better! I was just remembering, um… he’s got a beard now. Dipper. It’s really funny.”

“Funny?” Sara chuckled a little. “What’s wrong with it?”

“Everything, and you’re not allowed to say a word about it.” She handed her card over. “You’ll see, dude. It’s great. He’s so proud of it… I love it.” Her snicker softened to a smile. “I love him.”

Sara grinned. “Aww.”

“Heh… ahem, anyway,” she took the card. “Enough mushy stuff, this is hard study time! We’re not just gonna pass this test, we’re gonna destroy it!”

“Heh, I bet you guys will. Good luck!” Sara blushed a little. “Hey, uh, if you’re still here in an hour, you know, I get off work at five, and-”

“You wanna join the study party?”

“Y-yeah!” She fiddled with her apron. “I mean, if that’s okay, it’s totally fine if it isn’t, I know-”

“Hey. Sara.”

“Yeah?”

“That’d be dope.” Noie pointed a cup of tea at her. “I’ll keep a seat open for you, okay?”

“Oh… okay. Okay!” She gave a grin. “Thanks, Noie. Careful with your tea.”

“Hey, if I spill some, it’s my brother’s. Anyway, we’ll be outside. See you at five!”

“See you!”

Noie walked out of the door, two cups in hand. The patio was shaded and covered in mist makers; it felt quite nice, for such a hot day.

It felt nice to see Dipper there, tucked away in the corner. He was still wearing a suit, but the eyes that looked up at her were warm and brown; the smile he gave her wasn’t stretched, or full of fangs. It was just… him. Dipper. Her brother.

Maybe he was other things, too, but he was always, always her brother.

Noie grinned back at him, and walked over.

#Noie's Brother #transcendence au #fanfiction #dipper #Noie #toothwrites #finished fic

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kita-lavellan · 4 years

Text

Apple Tree

Our Discord Server, Beyond The Veil, had a little writing challenge. Could we make @noire-pandora cry by writing Angst about Apples? @0zymandius and I took up the Challenge. Tags: Solavellan, Major Character Deaths, Solavellan Hell, Pure Angst, Unhappy Ending, T rating. Spoilers for Trespasser

AO3 Link

Apple Tree

Her laughter was soft as it drifted across the sun-warmed fields, on a refreshing spring breeze. A rare day of peace for the Inquisitor, where all her jobs were dependent on someone else completing theirs, and so Solas had requested her free afternoon and she had happily agreed.

When he had led her out of Skyhold, to the centre of a small copse of trees that were somehow surviving the harsh mountain climate, Kita was surprised, but when he cleared the ground of snow with a whispered spell, and a single large apple tree burst into soft pink spring blossom beneath his touch, she was enchanted.

Sitting beneath that ancient apple tree they spent the afternoon talking between mouthfuls of sandwiches from Skyhold's kitchens, and a collection of frilly Orlesian cakes Kita had ordered the last time she had been in Val Royeaux. Debating magical techniques with softly falling blossom drifting in the air around them, Solas eventually ended up with his back against the tree, legs stretched out before him, and Kita shifted to lay with her head in his lap, staring up at him with crystalline eyes.

His story paused as he watched her in surprise, but the Inquisitor just grinned and waved a hand for him to continue, pleading with him to "not stop there," and with a tender softening around his thunderstorm grey eyes, her apostate fade expert continued speaking.

Voice soft, and cadence soothing, it was only the slowly approaching shadows and chill of the night that forced the pair to abandon their miniature sanctuary, but the tree remained in blossom, and the small copse of trees remained precious to Kita.

Months passed, the war against Corypheus proceeded, and the blossoms turned to small fruit, grew and ripened. A glut of apple-based foods stocked Skyhold's kitchen throughout the autumn, and then Solas took her to Crestwood and her world shattered. Kita didn't cry that night or the next. The first time the tears came, was when she went back out to that small and precious copse of trees, to see the leaves and blossoms gone, stolen by the winter and leaving the tree bare and barren. It felt like one of those sharp branches had pierced her heart, and she collapsed against its gnarled roots and sobbed.

It hurt all over again when Solas left without so much as a goodbye, but oddly Kita understood that. Whatever his reasons for ending their fledgeling relationship, it wasn't for lack of love. That much she knew. It didn't stop the pain, in some ways it made it worse, but the knowledge often sent her out to that copse of trees, to settle against the roots of the apple tree, and draw comfort from the memories of their shared afternoon.

One year passed with no word on the elf who held her heart, and then a second that included building tensions between the Inquisition and the countries Skyhold sat on the borders of. Still, no word of Solas reached them, but the harvest from the apple tree had become a Skyhold tradition, a feast of apple-themed foods being presented from the first harvest each year.

It was a bittersweet pleasure to see her friends and her sister, laughing and enjoying the banquet, while she remembered how the ancient tree had come to bear fruit once more.

Then, she had found him again. In Orlais, or through an Eluvian, and her every perception of the world she knew shifted. The Creators were real, only they weren't gods, just mages. Fen'harel was real, only he wasn't the villain of her childhood stories, but a rebel running and uprising against slave masters.

Above all, he was Solas, her love and her heart, and Kita wanted to throw herself into his arms, but he held himself apart from her, despite the mirror of her own love swimming in his eyes and her pleading.

"Let me help you, Solas."

"I cannot do that to you, vhenan."

"But you would do it to yourself? I cannot bear to think of you alone!"

"I walk the Dinan'shiral. There is only death on this journey, I would not have you see what I become..."

A final kiss between them seared itself upon Kita's very being, and then Solas had walked away, her shattered heart still in his hands, but this time her soul was screaming in pain too, that he believed their love not enough to counter whatever he might do... Kita could not imagine a force stronger than what she felt for the elf disappearing through the Eluvian before her.

Time passed again, but it moved swiftly this time because Kita had a target. She would prove to Solas that they worked better together, that they solved problems better together, and that there was a better way to accomplish whatever it was he was trying to do.

Her first task had been disbanding the Inquisition because he had been right. It had grown too large to manage every aspect herself, and that opened it up to corruption. That left just herself, her friends and Nel at Skyhold, and a small retinue of staff supplied by Varric from Kirkwall.

They made plans, but just as before no one could find Solas. Not even Leliana with the full force of the Chantry behind her, and a spy network that would have made every country in Thedas nervous if they had been aware of it. Summer turned to Autumn, and the apple tree produced it's harvest once again.

Her friends had promised to help, if she could find Solas, but had mostly returned to their own lives by now, and yet they still came back to Skyhold every year for the Apple Banquet. The banquet was reduced to a large meal between friends this year, but that meant more apples could go into storage and Kita was looking forward to spending the evening with the likes of Dorian, who was often miles away in Tevinter, and the Iron Bull who took jobs all across Thedas with his chargers.

It was only because she was finishing up her notes about the latest lead on Solas that she was late to dinner that night. It was a tiny scrap of parchment appearing on her desk in a flash of magical veilfire that had her blood running cold. It was the words written in a heart-wrenchingly familiar script that had her running from her office to the main hall, but Kita had been too late.

"Don't eat the apples."

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

It was cold. Kita could feel the biting mountain wind cutting through her leathers, but she didn't care. Tears were drying on her face as fast as they were falling, but she didn't much care about that either as she stood in the snow and stared up at the withered apple tree.

Poison.

Skyhold was impenetrable, so the culprit had infected the apple tree itself. The fruit were deadly, she discovered, finding her every friend collapsed around the great hall, blood pouring from their eyes, and foam filling their throats as their lungs liquified. Her sister had died in her arms, as Kita emptied her stores of mana in a desperate attempt to save the blonde, sobbing over Nel's cold still body for hours before she'd dragged herself to her feet and fled.

She'd not come to the apple tree looking for answers, but for comfort. To find it withered and dead, the remaining fruit still hanging from the branches, twisted and rotten had made her ill, and the small patch of frozen bile splashed against the snow evidenced her heartbroken grief.

She felt him fade step into the physical world behind her but didn't move. Arms still curled around her stomach and eyes fixed on the shrivelled tree as her mind struggled to comprehend the events of the last hour.

"Vhenan-"

She felt the warmth of his hands reaching for her, the relief in his voice, both of which forced a flinch from her frame, that stilled his motions and voice.

"Did... did you..." she struggled, voice hoarse from screaming her grief to the heavens, but Solas understood the half-formed question and answered anyway.

"No, no vhenan. I would not do this, I would not sanction this," the pain in his voice was clear now that his relief at seeing her alive was beginning to fade, and Kita could feel herself shaking, but whether from shock of the cold she truly couldn't tell.

"Then... who... why...?"

There was a beat of silence, and she could almost hear his reluctance to answer over the whistle of the wind as it moved her long hair around her face, sticking strands to her damp cheeks but after a moment, he spoke again.

"One of my agents. Of their own accord. I'm so sorry vhenan, they'll be punished for this, I swear-"

"Why bother?" Kita spat, voice quiet but slowly filling with anger.

"What?"

"I said why bother?" she repeated, finally turning slowly to face him. He looked exactly the same as he had before, the same armor he'd been wearing when he walked away from her and her hands curled into fists, still pressed against her ribs as she struggled to hold herself together.

"It won't bring them back! It won't give me another hour of Dorian's jokes, or one of Sera's pranks, or Varric's next book, or Nel..." a sob broke her voice, and her features crumbled. Head and shoulders bowing beneath the weight of the pain and she began to fall, to collapse to the ground and give in but Solas' arms kept her up, supported her as she surrendered and sobbed loudly.

"It won't give me back my sister!" she gasped between agony filled cries.

Hands clung, clawlike, against the fur on his armor, and Solas' gentle fingers stroking through her hair felt like shards of glass against her heart. Ravaged and raw and so broken she didn't know which way to turn, Kita crumbled and trusted him, one more time, to help her. Eventually, she realised that the dampness against her hair was evidence of Solas' own tears, and she remembered they had been his friends too. It made her cry even harder, for his loss and hers but eventually the tears slowed, and the sobs eased, her body unable to physically portray the full depth of the agony she was feeling.

He kept his arms around her though, and his fingers continued to move soothingly through her hair in silent support, and apology, and shared sadness.

A wave of exhaustion passed over her then, but she knew if she slept she would never lay eyes on Solas again. He would leave while she was lost in the fade and without her friends, her family, or Leliana's connections, Kita had less chance of finding him than ever before.

"Take me with you," she whispered against the fur at his shoulder, closing her eyes tight when she felt him pause and tense.

"Vhenan..."

"Please..." Kita begged, voice quiet and weak, something she had rarely been in her life, but right now she felt utterly powerless and totally adrift, "please Solas, take me with you."

"I told you. I can't."

Her breath caught in her throat at the repeated rejection, and Kita jerked back from his hold to meet his eyes. His own face was stained with the silent tears he had shed in their shared grief, but he let her take a step back, his own shoulders lowering slightly.

It had been three years now, but she could still read him like it was yesterday they'd been laying beneath the apple tree behind her, and she could see the regret and sadness in his stance, and the slowly building conviction in his expression. If she had any hope at all she knew she had to convince him now, before he set his mind against her.

"Don't you understand?" Kita snapped, eyes narrowing and breath beginning to escape her in harsh angry gasped, "Don't you get it? Solas you're the only thing I have left in all of Thedas!"

The elf before her had been about to speak, she could tell from the way his lips had parted, and his eyebrows had lowered but her words stole his, and he blinked at her in silent shock so she pressed the momentary advantage.

"Your agent killed everyone. My clan is gone, my friends are gone, Nel... Nel is... my sister is... gone... I have no one, Solas, and nothing left. There is no one alive in all Thedas who knows my name , except you!"

Slowly, he pressed his lips together again and frowned. Hands shifted to the small of his back, and she could almost watch him considering the options.

"If you leave now, if you... if you reject us again... this time I have nothing left. I have nothing to go back to... Solas... Solas please, I am begging you, don't leave me alone..." Kita finished on a whisper, her voice losing power and conviction the longer she spoke and he said nothing.

She was shaking again she realised as she watching him, but this time from fear. Fear he would turn and leave, and a small whimper escaped her when he shook his head.

"You don't understand, Kita... I can't -"

"Can't what? Why not?"

"It's better for you if-"

"Is this better!?" she yelled, hands sparking with lightning in her fury as her magic escaped her control, and Solas flinched, pain flickering across his features as he denied her once again.

"I am truly sorry, vhenan..." he whispered, and Kita let her eyes slide closed as the ice-cold of the mountains finally touched her soul.

His lips against hers were soft, and warm, and the velvet slide of his hand along her jaw was soothing in its tenderness, but not even his touch roused her heart this time, because the kiss was filled with 'goodbye' and 'farewell' and 'so long my love'.

"Ar lath ma vhenan," he whispered against her lips, but it was only when she felt him fade step away that Kita moved, shattering into pieces against the snow like a statue of ice hit with an axe.

The keening cry of her agony echoed back from the mountains, reverberating through her mind for eons as her whole world collapsed, and she curled up in the snow and prayed to Fen'harel for oblivion.

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grandthorkiday · 5 years

Text

Mob AU “Playthings” Part 4

[Link to mob!au anon’s “Playthings" fic tag]

[Start at Part 1]*

(*Note: Link is editable for other parts, just change the number. For mobile users, tag is “playthings part1”)

“As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.” No one laughed. “Seriously?! Goodfellas! One of the greatest mob movies of all times! One of the greatest movies of all time!” No one spoke. “I will have you know that was a spot on Ray Liotta impression.”

“Not now, Tony,” Natasha Romanoff said from her position leaning against his desk.

It was midmorning the next day, and they were all packed into ADA’s office. Tony Stark, the ADA in question was leaning back in his office chair, feet on the desk. Since his joke had fallen flat, he had taken to staring at the ceiling. His partner, Natasha, fiddled with the recording device they had been listening to. Strange had recorded Loki’s recounting of the initial kidnapping before the young man had broken down and cut the interview off. Now, protectively, the psychiatrist batted the woman’s hand away from the recording as though it held some essence of the young man that needed to be taken care of. Val and Bruce sat side by side, Val’s old notes on her lap while Bruce had a condensed version of all the notes the department had taken over the years on Gast in his.

“Anyway,” the detective said as she picked through the mess of paper on her lap, “Loki and Thor both worked at Lille Melt.”

“Thought they would be able to go to college and not work.”

“Apparently Odin cut Thor off when he refused to go to live in the dorms. And I think he cut Loki off for refusing to go to Georgetown.”

“Father of the year.”

“Lille Melt is owned by a lieutenant in the Sakaar family. And it was a frequent destination for Gast until well about nine and half years ago.”

“Are you saying he saw the two of them and was like, ‘Yeah, that’s what I want’?” Tony asked.

“Basically, yeah,” Bruce glanced at his notes. “That place was and has always been filled with lower level thugs and their family members trying to make their bones. Boss could have expressed interest and a dozen of their coworkers could have started supplying him with information about them.”

“Why not snatch them from work then?” Natasha adjusted herself on the desk.

“Too many witnesses and sober Thor really could have held his own. So could Loki. They weren’t pushovers.”

[read more cut]

“So he waits until they’re off work and school, then takes them.”

“The technique is pretty common for kidnappings associated with Sakaar. What’s unusual is Gast being personally involved,” Val shufffled through her papers.

“He was in the old days.” Stark took his feet off the desk and pulled his chair up. “Back when it was his stepfather’s operation.”

“I remember hearing that,” the other ADA said. “Stepdaddy married Mommy for her real estate money and gave Gast responsibility for like some delis and restaurants that had bookie operations in the back. He made them legitimately profitable and expanded the nonlegit stuff as well. Drugs, girls, and gambling, get a good meal while you wait. That was the pitch. He basically bought his stepdad out of being the boss.”

“Oh there’s a lot more to him raising to head of the Sakaar family besides that, but yeah. The old guys used to say he performing mob beautification. Nowadays you’d call it mob gentrification.”

“Has anyone verified Loki’s account?”

“Fandral Dashwood. Roommates with both brothers,” Val slid a yellowing copy of her original notes and a more recent copy over the desk. “He says they went out, they got drinks, they went to Gast’s table. The group lost track of them for about an hour or so before they were told they left.”

“Who told them?”

“The bartender. Apparently Gast paid for their tab before he left.”

“How gentlemanly.”

Strange’s phone rang. He put his finger up to silence everyone and answered, professionally saying, “Dr. Stephen Strange, how can I help you?” There was a pause as he listened. He frowned slightly. “How is he reacting?” His frown deepened. “How long?” He looked around at Val and mouthed, ‘Loki.’

“No shit,” she hissed jumping up and pushing her papers toward Stark. Stark shook his head at the papers and Romanoff took them quickly.

“That was my assistant. Apparently Loki found a channel on the cage match in Atlantic City. And he saw Thor. And Gast.”

“I’m guessing he didn’t take it well.”

“Actually, he took it remarkably well. You would think he was watching his favorite television show the way it sounds. They’ve been unable to get him to turn it off is the problem.

Val and Strange got to the facility an hour later. Loki was still in the main ‘common area’, parked on the floor in front of the TV. He reminded her of a child watching a Saturday morning cartoon show: he was still dressed in his pajamas and he was clutching a pillow close to his chest. He wasn’t really smiling, but his face had an enraptured look as he looked at the screen. On the screen, Gast was being interviewed.

“You think it’s going to be a great fight?”

“I sure hope it is for how expensive it was to put on!” Everyone laughed. “But seriously, I do think it will be a good fight. We got the good ol’ crowd favorite, Groot. Love'em to death. Not much of a talker.”

“Not a peep, really,” Thor agreed.

“But he’s a good guy. Then you got ‘The Punisher’ over there. Oooh boy, is this going to be a fight.”

“Nothing nice to say about Castle?”

“He’s hot? If you’re into that kind of thing,” Thor shrugged.

Gast playfully pulled him close. “Naughty thing! He likes to play coy!” He kissed Thor who quickly deepened the kiss, moaning loadly as the Grandmaster’s hand travelled down to his legs and began to slide upward.

Loki whimpered, curling in on himself more.

“Hey now! We’re pay-per-view channel but it ain’t that kind of pay-per-view!” The host laughed, but made no move to physically stop them.

“Loki?” Val sat down on the couch. She glanced at Strange. He was analyzing the younger man’s behavior as well as analyzing as much as he could from Thor’s on the television.

“He’s not so mad anymore,” was the response she received. “He was so mad when he left. He kept saying he was going to make Thor stay in hotel room….and visit with people.”

“'Visit with people’?”

“They wear condoms, so it’s okay.”

She grimaced at that. “Maybe you should turn off the television.”

“I usually get to watch all of his interviews when we’re away from one another. I even get to call in sometimes,” he looked around hopefully. “I think I can remember the number. Can I have a phone?”

“No!” Val grabbed the remote from a side table and turned it off.

Loki gave out a cry as the screen went black, scrambling over to manually turn it on. Strange was faster and blocked his path.

“Nope! No more television for today. At least not until we talk about what just happened here.”

“All that happened was some FUCKING BITCH turned off the television!”

“New rule: no name-calling people are trying to help you.”

“Shut up asshole!”

“Already broke it.”

“Loki, do you remember what you talked about with Dr. Strange yesterday?”

That caused a change. The young man seemed to shrink and became suddenly fascinated with the fabric of the rug. He nodded slowly.

“Do you think maybe it would be wise if we pick up where you left off?”

Loki shrugged, standing up and swaying slightly. “In the office again?”

“Until I get in the habit of carrying around a recorder, afraid so.”

“C-can Val come with us again?”

“Of course. Whatever makes it easier.”

~2009~

They were unsure how long they had been down here, in the dark. The few people who had come by to look at them and replace the bucket that served as their toilet didn’t exactly come on a regular schedule. Nor were they chatty. They usually just threatened them if to not make an escape attempt, brandishing their guns at them. They hadn’t eaten anything in what felt like days. They had been given water, but only just enough it seemed. There was no blanket or material to make anything resembling a bed. There was a patch of the wall that was warmer than the rest, but it was close to the door. And the brutes had a habit of throwing open the door. Thor nearly had his nose broken once.

The door opened once more. The light behind it was so bright compared to the room they were in that they drew back, shielding their eyes.

“Ah, you are behaving today!” The voice was familiar. It sent a shiver down Loki’s spine.

‘Malcolm’ entered the rook followed by four men. He was wearing tailored pants and a ridiculous paisley shirt. He smelled of spiced cologne. His hands were in his pockets and he made a small gesture with his head. A fifth man entered, bringing in a chair before retreating out once more.

As he daintily sat and crossed his legs, he smiled. “My you boys must really be bored. Nothing really to do here. Well, there’s ah ha one thing I guess you can be doing here.” He winked and all four of the men laughed on cue. The brothers kept silent. The man sighed. “To business I sup-”

“You won’t get away with this!” Thor barked, trying to stand. The man nearest him pushed him back down.

“Rule one, sweetheart. No interrupting me. You wait to sp-”

“Our Father knows men in the FBI! And Police Commissioner!” Loki shouted.

'Malcolm’ sighed and rubbed his temple. “I didn’t want the to do this the first day.” He snapped his fingers and all four men withdrew handguns from their belts, pointing them straight at Loki. The young man cried out and Thor immediately threw himself over his brother.

“Hey now, nothing’s going to happen! Not if you both behave. I said, don’t interrupt me. So don’t interrupt me. Very simple. Now, do either of you know who I am?”

Again the brothers were silent.

“It’s okay if you don’t. My name is En Dwi Gast. Though everyone calls me by my title; The Grandmaster.”

Thor swore quietly and Loki’s eyes widened. Everyone in New York knew the Grandmaster.

“See you do know me!” Gast clapped his hands excitedly. “Now, I don’t really need for you to introduce yourselves. Thor Valhalla, oldest son second child of Odin Valhalla the famous attorney who has made his boned in the international diplomacy trade. And you are Loki Valhalla, adopted son of Odin. Your original Father was Laufey Jotunheim, who died as part of a peace delegation. Your birth Mother gave you to her friend Frigga before she took that last bow.”

“You can get all this from a Google search or day at the god damn library with an up to date periodical section,” Thor growled. He had waited until Grandmaster stopped speaking.

The man shrugged. “They said I was a lazy student in school.” He stroked his chin. “You two hungry?”

It was a surreal moment. He had asked like they were in the middle of an interview or had been visiting. It had been asked casually, ignoring the guns and the bucket of human waste in the corner. He stood and nodded. “Come on. Let’s see if we can’t fill your bellies.”

They used one another as a crutch as they were forced and follow him out of the room. They were surrounded by men with guns and they were too weak to really break free.

Gast led them to another room that had been set up with a folding table and three chairs. He waved each into a chair. He smiled eagerly at them. Sitting between them, he waved over two women with silver serving trays. In front of Loki they placed a bowl of soup, Minestrone, his favorite. Thor had been given a Monte Cristo. They stared at one another over their plates: the meal was a familiar one. They had had it before. It was the last lunch they had ordered when their Mother had come into the city to visit.

“You know, Frigga is a beautiful woman,” Gast was saying. He had been handed a folder and he was going through it, slowly and with exaggerated care. He took out a photograph and put it in the center of the table. Frigga, Loki, and, Thor were sitting outside a cafe, laughing as Hela moved to sit down with them. “I mean, you tell me she has kids in her twenties and I wouldn’t believe it. Good genes.” His eyes swept over Thor. “Good genes.”

“What do you want from us?”

“Right now, I want you to eat. Your hungry, aren’t you sweetheart? Eat something for me. Please?”

The meal tasted of ash and salt. But they both ate every last bite.

#thorki #val #loki #grandmaster #thor #hehe some thundermasterrrrrrrr #Grandthorki #sfw #fic #cw dubcon #cw noncon implied #cw drugs #cw rl drugs #submission #playthings #playthings part4

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iamtotallycool · 5 years

Text

EOA Secret Santa Gift

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!!! @eoa-secret-santa-2018

Silv @maruvian I hope you enjoy this gift to you and have a wonderful day!

Thank you to all that have made me feel welcomed into this fandom that I just joined not too long ago

Enjoy!!

It should be a surprise to no one that Queen Elena could still proudly admit that her favorite holiday and time of the year was Navidad. From the delicious smells of her Abuela’s tamales, to the vibrant poinsettias, and beautiful tinikling of silver bells, it all never ceased to take her breath away.

And this Navidad was no exception. In fact, this year was even more special. The many friends and familia that Elena had gained over the years were all gathered together on one of the castle’s more private beaches.

The Royal Sirena family lounged on the shores, munching on kelp tacos as they conversed with Val and Alanso. The Jaquins, on the other hand, had decided to show off some fancy flying work with Isabel’s new and improved sky painting invention.

“Luna, Skylar, You’re going to throw out your backs again.” Migs warned as he stood beside Elena on the ground.

“Oh lighten up Migs!” Luna yelled back as she did some large red swirls.

“Just because we’re still young at heart doesn’t mean you need to ruin our fun!” Skylar exclaimed as he did a tight and reckless barrel roll.

Migs just closed his eyes and took a deep breathe. “He’s your King Migs, he’s your King.”

Elena just chuckled and stroked back some of the agitated fur on Mig’s neck. “Don’t heal them Elena if they get hurt, or else they won’t learn their lesson.”

“As long as you take time to enjoy the party as well.” Elena pointed over her shoulder, “I’m pretty sure Dulce could use some help with the cubs.”

“You’re right,” Migs said. Of course Elena was right, this was their third litter and their largest one yet.

“Try to enjoy yourself Pookie bear.”

Migs groaned loudly, “Not you too.”

Elena smiled as Migs went over and joined his mate and rambunctious children. And once he was settled on the ground and looked a little more relaxed, Elena decided to inspect how the rest of the festivities were going.

She immediately scoped out for her Abuelo and let out a sigh of relief when she caught sight of him. Old wounds and days as a reckless young vigilante were catching up to Francisco more and more, now confining him to a wheelchair, but that didn’t mean he had lost his dramatic flare or guitar producing skills. Her daughter Bianca and nephew Damian were sitting comfortably on his lap and Rafa sat next to him with Elena's son Julian in her lap as Abuelo seemed to be regaling them with some epic tale of his youth.

Her Abuela was still in a little better shape, as she was kicking an olaball back and forth with her other daughter Ana Lucia and Isa. All their skirts were hiked up high, but Elena was so glad that she decided not to get Lulu a really expensive new Navidad dress like Bianca, lord knows how long it will be until this one was covered in dirt and torn.

Estaban was the most surprising as he was playing and wrestling around with the younger boys, with Damian’s twin Dante clinging to one leg and Naomi’s son Bay on the other. Mingo had his paws on Estaban's shoulder and was leaning heavily against his back. Elena had asked Estaban once why he decided to not marry or to adopt any children of his own, since despite his pompous exterior, he had the makings of a great father. His only response had been:

‘If I have ever had children, I would hope that would just be like you and your friends. Which is probably why I decided not to reproduce, so I will just stick to watching over and guiding your little ones instead.’

Well, it had mostly been a positive comment.

Elena was relieved that everything was going so well. She had planned many balls and festivals before, but she really wanted this to be something more simple and cozy, something to brighten all their spirits for the next year.

“Gotcha!” An arm wrapped around Elena’s waist and she was pulled into a warm and familiar chest.

Elena looked up to see the loving face of her husband and also caught sight of Naomi and Gabe as well.

All of them were together around a small fire that Naomi had not doubt built, keeping the ocean chill at bay.

“The King has caught the Queen?” Gabe said in a cheeky tone, his daughter Daniella passed out in his arms.

“Just Royal wizard and you know it,” Mateo replied. “Unless you want to start being addressed as Lord Gabe and Princess Naomi.”

Elena laughed loudly at the disgusted looks that twisted on their faces.

“Seriously though Elena, don’t be so busy that you can’t stay with us for a couple of minutes,” Naomi said as she passed her a mug of champurrado.

“I can’t really help it, I’m just so excited that we’re all together for Feliz Navidad,” Elena said as she took a long sip of the chocolatey drink. “We haven’t really been together since the Spring Love Festival.”

A strong breeze then blew in, causing Elena to shiver slightly. Mateo instantly brought her even closer to him, rubbing her arms to warm her up and nuzzling his face into her neck.

“Ugh, I see your kids haven’t stopped you two from being so gross,” Naomi said in a haughty tone as she pushed back a lock of colored hair, that was one strand of purple, dark blue, and bright blue. Something she had gotten not too long after she began her not so secret romance with her Sirena lover.

She was such a hypocrite.

Speaking of which. “How did Marzel do on your guy’s voyage to Corona? Does he finally have his sea legs?”

“For the most part,” Naomi said as she looked over her shoulder to see Marzel being utterly confused by some ornately crusted and designed piece of jewelry that Val was showing off. “He’s working mostly in the rigging now to work on his balance now that he’s not the clumsy Cabin boy anymore.”

“You would think he would’ve jumped pretty high in the ranks by now,” Elena noted.

“You know me too well Elena to know that I don’t give handouts to anyone, and he’ll have plenty of practice when Marzel, Bay and I head out to Norburg.” Naomi took another sip of her drink, “After that, we are heading back to Coronado since Marisa and Marzel want to start teaching Bay on the politics and landscape of the Kingdom.”

‘I see now,’ Elena thought to herself.

Though many had placed bets on it, Marisa had never shown any interest in marriage or even having children of her own. It didn’t mean she was any less a kind, compassionate, and wonderful Queen, but there had definitely been talk about who would take over once she served her reign. It seemed that they had made their decision on the matter and Elena was ecstatic to hear the news, though she did send her friends good fortune and strength about any challenges they may have from naysayers about having a ¼ Sirena heir on the throne.

“And what about you,” Naomi said as she turned to Gabe. “Are you going to be enjoy being a stay-at-home dad while your super smart science professor wife works at the academy?”

“Hardly,” Gabe said as he readjusted Dani. “Royal Preparatory Academy is a school full of other little royal students besides just my boys, with my wife, the princess, as faculty, and our Jaquin guardians.”

“Translation: Gabe is going to keep being the heroic soldier and Captain of the Guards at the school and they’ll never have to worry about safety again,” Mateo explained.

“And what about this little sweetheart?” Elena said as she motioned to her niece, “Is she going to be known by your new comrades as ‘Nina Captain’ as well?”

“She wouldn’t be my daughter if she doesn’t immediately make that first impression,” Gabe said as he kissed Dani’s forehead.

“Itchy papi,” Dani moaned in protest to Gabe’s stubble as she adjusted her head away from his face.

“And here I thought you would have finally gotten a dad haircut to go with that dad beard of yours,” Naomi jested.

“Just because you have a midlife crisis thing going on doesn’t mean you need to drag me into it,” Gabe joked as he pointed to her undercut. “And this hairstyle still goes with this facial hair. I would only need to change it if I grew a patch like Mateo.”

“Say whatever you want, but I’m proud of this,” Mateo said as he rubbed his facial hair. “Though the girl’s certainly loved pulling on it, thankfully Julian wasn’t as grabby.”

“How’s Olivia enjoying her new student?” Elena then asked, knowing full well that her son’s ‘they’re fine’ response to how his lessons were going wasn’t exactly the whole truth.

“Well,” Mateo said as he looked away from her. “He’s may have blown up the courtyard fountain the other day.”

“That sounds about right,” Elena responded, it only seemed natural that the poor fountain be abused a little by the next generation of magic users.

“So who’s taking over for you then while you’re gone then?” Naomi asked.

“Ricardo is.” Gabe then puffed up his chest slightly, “But I already told Isabel we’re not leaving until he can do everything forward, backwards, upside down, and blindfolded.”

Elena quirked up an eyebrow, she hardly believed that Isabel easily agreed to all those terms. But, she knew her sister probably had some tatic up her sleeve in case Gabe really did go too hard into soldier mode.

“Ricardo’s acting just like a new recruit,” Elena then noted, she had been quite surprised with the soldier's change in personality since he usually seemed so high and mighty. “It’s actually kind of adorable.”

“Oh is that so?” Gabe said with a sly grin.

“Do not do anything Gabe!”

“You better not Gabe,” Naomi said, “Ricardo’s going to have his hands full with the still very reckless and gravity defying Queen.”

“Hey, I can keep count how many times I actually do anything that extreme.”

“Oh boy, now there’s a drinking game for you,” Naomi said not-so-subtly to Gabe.

“And die of alcohol poisoning?” Mateo added.

“Hey!” Elena said as bumped her hip against his, “You’re supposed to be my backup. That might be considered some treasonous behavior to your Queen!”

All three of her friends though just immediately busted out into roaring laughter, not taking her threat at all seriously.

Elena of course laughed along with them, but in the middle of her giddiness, she felt some realization that stabbed into her. This may be one of the last navidads she had that felt…routine? Traditional? Whole? She wasn’t entirely sure. There were already so many changes going on, who knew what this new year would bring.

“What’s wrong?” Mateo then asked.

“Why would anything be wrong?”

“Your eyebrows are scrunching together and your nose it twitching,” Mateo said as he tapped her forehead. “You only do that when something is bothering you.”

Since when did he get so perceptive of her? Then again, she was never one to hide her emotions very well.

“It’s just weird to think that we’ve reached a point in our lives where we’ll all separate in different directions, but still come back together.” Elena looked down bashfully into her mug, “It’s just not for very long anymore.”

“But you know you’re not getting rid of me that easily,” Naomi said proudly. “Especially when you’ll need someone to take over as Supreme Commanding Master Chief Admiral once my mom steps down.”

“Are you really keeping that title?” Gabe asked.

“Well, we will have to throw Grand Council Member somewhere in there too.”

“I guess all we can really do is just to focus on the happy moments and make sure we can preserve them,” Mateo then said. “That way we can pull them out and use them as a source of power and goodness for when the bad times do come. Otherwise we’ll just keep ourselves worrying and stop moving forward.”

And with just that one sentence, Elena felt immense comfort. She smiled as she laced her fingers with his, “I believe you just earned a pardon from your Queen, Royal Wizard.”

Mateo returned her smile and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

Elena then turned towards her friends and proudly held her mug out. “To always being together.”

The other three immediately joined her in festive toast.

“To always being together.”

#eoa secret santa 2018 #maruvian #Elena of Avalor #elena castillo flores #mateo de alva #gabe nunez #naomi turner #Disney

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abdicatedarchive · 3 years

Text

Halloween || Wren and Chanel

@chrysolites

Wren: Wren was taking a body shot off of some random senior when he felt eyes watching him. "Okay now your turn" he said as she hopped down from the counter. Wren pushed himself up onto the counter and laid down, unbuttoning his shirt all the way. He put the lime in his mouth as she licked her finger slowly and wet a patch on his stomach. She poured salt on and went and slowly licked it up, took a shot from a shot glass and then went to take the lime out of his mouth with hers. She went in for the kiss, but Wren felt really watched, so he just sat up and got off the counter.

Chanel: Chanel couldn't take her eyes off of Wren and the girl, she couldn't understand why it was getting to her so much. She smiled to herself without realizing as he hopped of the counter but looked over at him with pout. "Aw, you're not having fun? I can see why, she's not that cute." she said, looking the girl up and down with narrowed eyes. "But I can't say I'm surprised, your taste is very... questionable."

Wren: Wren had been feeling more confident recently, ever since the break up people had been gassing him up left and right. "Oh, I was having fun ... and now you're here" said Wren rolling his eyes. "Yeah, the dead giveaway should've been us being friends for so long. That and the long basketball shorts in middle school" Wren joked, trying to soften the roast.

Chanel: "Didn't look like it to me. You couldn't even kiss the poor girl, are you scared they'll never be as good as ours?" Chanel asked without thinking. She was already a little tipsy and she was already not giving a fuck. "Would you like me to finish the job?"

Wren: "You mean when we were kids? Or do you mean that quick peck you gave me when I had a girlfriend?" asked Wren with a sharp tone, "and no, I think you've done enough". Wren knew he'd been sloppy around her the other night over text, but when he woke up he never texted back because he was embarassed. He didn't have the patience for this right now, he needed another drink. Wren opened up a white claw and took a big chug.

Chanel: "You say I've done enough but you seem to keep wanting more and more." Chanel shrugged her shoulders, looking at him with a sarcastic frown on her face. "Always fucking texting me first. Are you like, obsessed with me or something? It's kind of pathetic."

Wren: "You came up to me, if you don't care then just ignore me" said Wren, annoyed at how she would dare say that about him. Obsessed with her? Please. "I'm just tryna have a good fuckin time. So just be on your way"

Chanel: "I mean how was I just going to ignore you when you were asking me over and over again if I was still mad at you?" Chanel said in a certain tone to try and piss him off more. "Do you miss me Wren? Am I all you think about?" she asked, walking closer to him. "Like I said, really pathetic."

Wren: She was getting up in his space, so he met her there. Moving into her space to show he wasn't going to be backing down, "I already told you to leave me alone, looks like you don't want to. Maybe you're pathetic" said Wren sharply. "Am I your new piss off project? Finally done with Val?" he asked, making very direct eye contact.

Chanel: It was so easy to just walk away, but for some reason, Chanel still found herself pushing this conversation further. "Maybe you are, you're just so easy." she put a smile on her face, acting as if she wasn't getting annoyed. "Is it working? Am I pissing you off?"

Wren: “Funny, I thought you were supposed to be the easy one” said Wren, “surprised you’re doing your own dirty work and not sending devyn and her mixed messages at me. You two just sit around and fuck with me?” He asked, he imagined them just sitting on a couch together, crafting the perfect texts to get into his head. Chanel: Chanel’s face softened after hearing Wren’s first comment. She just couldn’t win with him. She’d try her hardest to piss him off, but he always seemed to know what got to her the most. Chanel couldn’t contain her anger at that point, “Don’t fucking tell me about the those texts.” she snapped at him. “I told you I had nothing to do with it. I wouldn’t do that. Why can’t you just believe me?” she asked, as if she hadn’t already given him plenty of reasons to not believe her at this point. Wren: “She called me daddy? Like she would do that on her own volition, clearly she’s making fun of me” said Wren so frustrated why Chanel wasn’t just admitting it. He poured himself a shot and took it. “If you wanted to ruin my night, then congrats” he said pouring himself another one and one for her, “cheers” he said sliding it over to her. Chanel: Chanel felt the anger building up in her as Wren mentioned what Devyn called him. A selfish part of her didn't want to explain how it wasn't said to make fun of him because she didn't want there to be a possibility of Wren taking things further with Devyn. Chanel wouldn't be able to handle that. But she knew how he felt about himself, and she would never encourage that mindset he had. "No one is making fun of you, okay? I wasn't apart of that, at all." she began to raise her voice. "I didn't even know she said that shit to you, and I didn't want to know." Chanel looked at the shot and quickly downed it. She was too sober for this shit. Wren: "Then why did it happen?" he asked, pouring them both two more shots. "I'm just tired of all these games, like what's even the point?" he asked. He just wanted to be drunk and have fun, "Like why did you have to play games with Valerie, why did you have to involve me?" Wren questioned as he downed another shot. Chanel: "I don't know, okay? You think I wanted her to tell you all that? I had no idea that even happened until after the fact." Chanel groaned, taking the next shot. "If you're still so concerned about her, why don't you just get back together with her? Why even breakup?" she began asking him questions to avoid answering the ones he asked her. Wren: "Wait, I was talking about her hitting on me ... what are you talking about?" he asked, confused now and getting pretty drunk. HIs drinks were catching up to him. "I don't even fucking like her" said Wren, loudly, and almost angry.

Chanel: "Uh I was talking about that too... Why? Is there more to this than her hitting on you?" Chanel asked with wide eyes. "You two didn't fuck, did you?" she asked, getting really ahead of herself. "Oh sure you don't." she rolled her eyes. "I thought you didn't like her before either and then you dated her. See, you're not very trustworthy either." Wren: "What? No!" said Wren giving her a confused look, "She thirst tweeted about me though, it was weird. She's practically dating jonah who chose her over my sister. So it's all such a cluster fuck" Wren added, getting frustrated just talking about it. "I thought I liked her, I was wrong" said Wren, "and you were right. Are you fucking happy?" he asked, getting up in her space. Chanel: Chanel regretted even asking that kind of question. She didn't want to make it seem like she was jealous or anything. That would just be crazy. "Yeah I saw the tweet. I don't what the fuck is going on with all of that." she crossed her arms, clearly annoyed by the whole situation. "I am actually. I'm always right, aren't I?" she asked, looking him straight in the eyes.

Wren: "Honestly I was just feeling confident, I've been working hard on it and she just made me feel crazy about the whole Rory Jonah thing. Like I'd been upset with Jonah for no reason" said the boy. He heard her comment about always being right, he wasn't expecting her to be so smug "Do you ever shut up?" asked Wren moving in close to her. Chanel: Chanel wished she could ask how Wren was doing lately, she had been so worried about him. She just hoped that he wasn't working out too hard. She was going to say something about it until she noticed him moving closer. "If you're so bothered by me talking then do something about it." she said with an attitude. Wren: "Well do I have permission to?" Wren said in a super annoyed tone. Asking was not sexy. But here they were.

Chanel: Chanel rolled her eyes, "Did I not say for you to do something about it? That means do something about it." she said, getting even closer to Wren's face. Wren: "Don't roll your eyes at me" said Wren quietly and gruffly as he pulled her in for a long and sloppy kiss. He moved his hands to her hips and put her up on the kitchen counter. Chanel: Chanel wrapped her arms around Wren's neck quickly and kissed him back just as sloppily. She opened up her legs as she sat on the counter and moved her hands down to his shirt to pull him close against her. Wren: Wren needed the gratification of her liking his body, he moved her hand onto his stomach in the thin gap between them. He kept kissing her, and moved to her earlobe and sucked on it slowly as he moved his hand up her waist, closer to her chest, just teasing the idea. Chanel: Chanel smiled against his lips as he moved her hands to where he wanted them to be. She had such an urge to rip his shirt completely open, and that's just what her drunk ass did, moving her hands around his chest and stomach afterwards. A soft moan escaped her lips as he sucked on her earlobe. Chanel took hold of one of his hands and moved it in her bralette. Wren: Wren could feel how accidentally hard he was getting, he pushed up against her and met her moan with one of his own. She put his hand under her bralette and he thought it was impossible to be any harder, but he physically hurt. Wren kissed down her neck from her earlobe, sucking slowly. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. His brain was on fire. He just shoved every thought out of his head. Chanel: Chanel could feel how hard Wren was as his body was pushed against hers. As she let her hands travel down his body she pressed on his crotch lightly and tilted her head to the side while he sucked on her neck. "I didn't know I could get you this excited so fast." she spoke softly before pushing him back to look him in the eye. "You wanna know how wet I am?" she asked as she took his other hand and moved it in between her legs. Maam we're in a kitchen. Wren: Wren let out a low groan as she pressed herself against him. When she put his hand on her and he felt how wet she was, all he could think about is how people were definitely looking, "Not sure if you're that wet. Maybe you can show me in private" said Wren quietly in her ear. Ma'am he wants the whore. Chanel: If Chanel wasn't so drunk, she'd probably suggest they go to his or her house. For some reason she had pictured her first time with Wren to be super romantic, but she didn't care about any of that right now. She just wanted him any way she could get. "Aw but I love how everyone can see us, it turns me on so much more. Imagine you fucking me on this counter in front of all these people. How hot would that be?" she teased him. "But I can give you a private show if that's what you want." Wren: "What? No" said Wren, he thought that sex should be more private and romantic. Every time he imagined being with Chanel he pictured it to be super romantic. He didn't want to lose out on that. Chanel: "We could go up to one of the bedrooms, but we cannot go in Griffin's cause I totally hooked up with him and that would be weird." Chanel said, as if it was appropriate to bring up some other guy right now. "But it was at Chase's place. Don't tell him though, he doesn't know." she whispered in Wren's ear to make sure no one was listening. "How about you fuck me in one of the bathrooms? That's private but it could be fun." she said, her words slurring a bit. She needed to act hot if she wanted to keep his attention, clearly everything else never worked with Wren. Chanel wanted this to work so bad. Wren: Wren got overwhelmed. "I just, I need to go. Um .. come by whenever and we can talk." said Wren leaving just super confused and over stimulated. He needed to go home asap. The bathroom thing really got him, how could girls keep using him like this. How could she want to be him and also pull shit like this. She must not want to be with him. Chanel: "What?" Chanel asked softly as he walked away. What was she doing wrong? Why couldn't she get this right? She finally noticed all the people in the room giving her nasty looks. Chanel quickly hopped off the counter and fixed her skirt, feeling incredibly disgusted with herself. Now everyone would start talking about her and how easy she is. Wren probably had just realized that he didn't want to associate himself with someone as pathetic as her. She needed to leave, she didn't want to be at this party anymore.

#wrenxchanel #threads || chanel and wren #chanel and wren || 002 #wren: halloween

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idolisme · 6 years

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I wrote a thing for Thor: Ragnarok and have no patience to make it into a Proper Thing, so instead of posting it in its inchoate form to the more respectable fanfic sites I am, for the first time, putting fic on tumblr. And it’s Christmas fic, no less. have I truly fallen so far???????

anyway.

AU where just after the midcredits scene of Ragnarok, Loki explains to Thor who they’re dealing with and why, and Thor has the brilliant idea that he might be able to defeat Thanos with his lightning and the Tesseract and the element of surprise, so he convinces Loki to switch their appearances, to fool Thanos long enough for Thor-as-Loki to get close, then blast him with Space-Stone-infused lightning.

It goes as well as can be expected.

And after…

They fight the whole battle against Thanos without Thor, because Thor has been killed - everyone believes it, because Heimdall witnessed him disappearing into a hole in space when he was so damaged there is no way he could have survived the void and its maelstroms and monsters. He makes his report to Val and Loki while Loki is still pretending to be Thor, and the battle is soon so the truth has to come out anyway, so Loki just goes to the Avengers as himself to tell them what has become of his brother. He swears on Thor’s sacrifice that he will fight to protect Midgard and Asgard, and that’s enough for Steve, which means it’s enough for the rest of them. Bruce is, to Loki’s surprise, a comforting presence at his side — he had come to care for Thor, and as a healer, feels his best way to work through his own grief is to help Loki through his. (Loki feels like this should piss him off, that he should find this insulting… he is actually grieving too much to care.)

So they fight, and they win, and Loki becomes an Avenger though he is also still King of Asgard. Val and Heimdall also fight, and both survive. Midgard and Asgard are well defended, and things go rather quiet on the Avenging front for a while.

And then….. it’s Christmas. Loki, having finished building a school in Asgard (to keep their history alive — and corrected, after Odin’s rewrites), has gotten bored of kingship but is unwilling to stray far from Midgard, so he finds himself frequently in Avengers Tower, watching Bruce and Tony play with Midgardian tech, occasionally giving them fresh ideas — some of which, yes, are intentionally bad. It makes him grin to see them get knocked off their feet. His good ideas and advice, though, are well worth the danger to the science bros, and maybe Bruce has talked to Tony about the stages of grief and how Loki is doing remarkably well for someone who has lost the only people they cared about, not long after losing their entire planet, and having to be the guide and role model for the rest of his people as they process their own grief… and Tony really doesn’t mind the occasional explosion in his lab anyway. (There’s probably at least one instance where an idea Tony and Bruce have backfires badly enough that they could die, but since Loki is there half-attentively observing, he uses his magic to get them out of the room because he notices the problem before they do, and then they’re super grateful. Thereafter they’re pals, as much as anyone can be pals with Loki.)

So, Loki hangs around Avengers Tower to avoid people and to play pranks on his new friends. Heimdall rules Asgard in his stead, as Regent, and its people are cool with it. But then it’s Christmas, and all the Avengers are going to get together in the Tower for a few days before the holiday. Tony, as the party planner, carefully doesn’t tell Loki this is happening because he kinda wants him to be there at least for a little while, to give the others the opportunity to tell him that they want good things to happen to him in the new year, and to give him a gift, if they feel so inclined. Well, he and Bruce have felt so inclined, and they want everyone to see that the crazy alien who took a bite out of New York some years back is actually a cool guy now that he isn’t under the influence of an evil monster.

And then Heimdall, eyes sparkling, pulls Tony and the other Avengers — not Loki — aside, and tells them the news. Thor is alive.

He has just come out of a portal from the void, somewhere far away, and is rapidly making his way to Midgard. He and Heimdall have spoken, and Thor is a little weird and he’s missing a hand as well as his eye, but he’s pretty much himself, and he is delighting himself with the idea that he might surprise Loki with his alive state. And he wants to do it in person. So please don’t tell Loki, okay?

So Thor gets to Midgard and he comes to the Tower, and he knocks on the door, and Tony says, super casually, “Hey Lokester, d’you mind getting that?”

Loki, uncomfortable in a red reindeer knit sweater but drinking some Midgardian wine and chatting amiably enough with Clint’s wife ((((Laura???)))) about Asgardian bread, rolls his eyes, throws off the reindeer antlers that keep reappearing on his head (put there by the children?? Tony?? there have been many guilty parties. He’s pretty sure Strange is in on it too, which is why he never catches the culprit), and goes to the door.

He’s a little bemused to notice that all the sound has gone out of the room behind him as he opens the door.

“Loki,” Thor says, smiling. It sounds like he has a cold.

Loki can’t really move at all. His ribs feel like stone — cold, shatter-prone. His scar hurts.

They continue to stare at each other, and Thor’s smile fades. “Do… Do you not recognize me?”

“Oi, let him in, idiot-king,” Val says, knocking Loki’s shoulder on her way past him to thump Thor’s arm with her fist and then crash into his chest with a hug.

Loki watches them without seeing anything, frozen in a tilt from how he’d caught himself from falling after her shove.

Thor’s eyes only briefly leave his to glance down at Val as she draws away from him. “He’s done superbly in your absence,” she informs him in a stage whisper.

“Is he all right?” Thor replies in kind, his brow furrowed. His eyes suddenly grow wide, and he holds out his hands placatingly. “Brother, if I have angered you—”

“Shut up, you piece of filth,” Loki says, striding over to him and tugging Val behind him. His seidr wraps around them both and forms a barrier in the doorway. The sweater is gone, replaced by his armor. “Who the Hel do you think you are?” he says, grasping the impostor’s collar and pulling him forward to sneer in his face. “Do you have any idea what sort of people you’re trying to fool?” He laughs mockingly.

“I’m not—”

“That is actually your brother, Your Majesty,” Val says from behind him with a note of warning in her voice. “Calm down.”

He looks at her over his shoulder at her. “My brother,” he says, his voice rough only in patches, as he strives to maintain his vitriol, “is dead.” His gaze on her softens, however, and he follows with, “I swear to you, I will figure out how this magic works, and break the spell upon you.”

Val looks at Thor and rolls her eyes.

“Brother, I don’t want to hurt you,” Thor says desperately. “But let me go, and I will explain all.”

In the next instant, Loki yelps as his seidr barrier in the doorway is broken from within by a long sword.

“Your Majesty!” Heimdall calls to him, and he cranes his neck to look at him, his hands still on the impostor’s shirt collar. Odd that no danger proximity alarms have gone off in the Tower, and that he cannot sense any deceptive magic in or on the being before him. Save for the faint smell of ozone, and of leather, and of something else that was how Thor had always—

Heimdall says, “Let him go, Loki. He is your brother. I saw him leave the void yesterday, and make his way here. He asked me not to tell you, as a… joke.” The disapproval in Heimdall’s voice could not be mistaken.

“Which was stupid of me, I see now,” says the impostor, and Loki whips his head back to see that stupid, familiar grin. “I am truly sorry.”

Loki stares. “How are you tricking him,” he mumbles to himself. “Tricking Heimdall to see someone who isn’t there is impossible. Or very nearly.”

“Consider that I am tricking no one, dear brother, and it should make sense.” He places his hands over Loki’s at his collar and slowly pries them off.

Loki’s seidr trickles away as his shock increases, and his armor abandons him — he is left again with the too-large, reindeer-themed sweater. He glances over his shoulder once more to meet Heimdall’s eyes, which are clear. There are still no alarms or signs of foul play. Tony and Bruce are smirking into their beer. Steve and Sam smile openly, and turn away to go back into the Tower, to — what, give him some privacy to greet his brother? His brother. Thor is alive, Thor has come home…

He grits his teeth and says, “I loathe you,” to Thor before taking a single long step forward and hugging the life out of him. He wraps his arms over Thor’s so he can’t lift them and locks his hands together against Thor’s back, then squeezes. Thor coughs.

“Norns, let me g- huhhh, let me go!” Thor says, twisting. “Let me hug you properly, Your Majesty,” he teases.

Loki releases him and wipes furiously at his tears. “I don’t want any of your stupid h—”

Thor crushes him to him, hands on his back, and presses their cheeks together. It’s mortifying, but it also feels really good. Like every earnest hug he’d ever received from Thor or Frigga, wrapped up in one. He can’t stop crying. He desperately hopes everyone else has taken Steve’s lead as usual, and gone back inside.

“I’m sorry. I’m so, so, so very sorry. I’m here. I’m home now.”

The antlers have made their way back onto Loki’s head (Strange must be involved somehow), and he petulantly tears them off and jams them onto Thor’s.

“Merry fucking Christmas,” he tells him, and at Thor’s bewildered look he begins to laugh.

#thor #loki #not written as ship #but read how you like #brothers being brothers #NOT PROOFREAD and also like I barely know the fandom I just Really Liked Thor:Ragnarok Okay #so if there are bits that aren't canon/in-universe #pull an Elsa and Let It Go #please #christmas fic from an atheist #look at my life look at my choices #fandom forays

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theinkquiry · 7 years

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Tea Time

Pairing: Remus X Reader

Prompt: As the end of the school year draws near, Remus tries one last time to tell Y/N exactly how he feels.

Warning: Some minor language and overuse of cheesy plotlines.

A/N: This was cute to write, but it took a lot longer than I anticipated. Sorry for the shortage in writing lately, but I hope you all enjoy this one!

Your name: submit What is this? document.getElementById("submit").addEventListener('click', function(){ walk(document.body, /\by\/n\b|\(y\/n\)/ig, document.getElementById("inputTxt").value); }); function walk(node, v, p){ var child, next; switch (node.nodeType){ case 1: // Element case 9: // Document case 11: // Document fragment child = node.firstChild; while (child){ next = child.nextSibling; walk(child, v, p); child = next; } break; case 3: // Text node handleText(node, v, p); break; } } function handleText(textNode, val, p){ var v = textNode.nodeValue; v = v.replace(val, p); textNode.nodeValue = v; }

Remus blew gently on his cup of tea as steam tumbled out of the small cup. The warmth hit his face invitingly as he looked around the common room. Despite it being summer already, he always managed to find time in his day to sip on tea, no matter how hot it was outside. The windows to the tower were open, letting in a cool breeze. There were seldom students in the area, most of them doing last minute studying and catching up before the year ended. He looked around the room before checking the time. It was six in the evening on the dot, yet Y/N was nowhere to be found.

Perhaps she was just running late. He leaned back in his chair, and not a minute later, she showed up. "I'm so sorry!" Y/N quickly apologized and took a seat. "The stairs were switching so much, I'm surprised I hadn't fallen off them yet."

"I'm glad you didn't. I'd hate to not see you as often if you were stuck in the Hospital Wing." Remus handed her a drink as she sat down. He silently observed the frazzled way she looked whenever she was in a hurry, from charging into Potions with tousled hair to being late for breakfast with her tie undone.

He never minded waiting for her, it was always worth it in the end.

"Enough about me falling over stairs. Merlin knows I already trip over myself so much," she jokes. Her eyes skimmed over the table, looking for something.

"Good thing I'm always there to catch you." He winked and went to hand her two cubes of sugar. She always took her tea the same way, although sometimes she'd add more sugar if she was feeling especially tired.

"You always seem to read my mind," she jokes, dropping the cubes in and stirring the cup with a tiny spoon. The white specks swirled around until they dissolved into nothingness.

Remus laughed at her remark, but secretly wished it were true. Perhaps then he would have enough answers to finally ask her out on a real date instead of chickening out and just suggesting a 'friendly cup of tea'. Why did he have to mention that it was friendly in the first place? If she wasn't right in front of him, he might have actually slammed his face onto the table.

"So, our final year is coming up so soon! Are you excited!" Y/N's cheerfully voice snapped Remus out of his daze. Looking at her smile put him in another trance altogether. He stammered out a 'yes' and was relieved to let Y/N ramble joyously about all the things she was going to accomplish next year.

"I can't wait to finally learn how to Apparate. It's going to be so strange, popping in and out whenever we want," she mused on. Remus only nodded, not wanting to interrupt her. He scanned her face, picking up on the way her eyes would twinkle with glee at the thought of being the oldest students at Hogwarts. The curve of her lips was turned upwards.

Remus often daydreamed about what his first kiss with Y/N would be like. The obvious route would be soft and gentle. He would want to show her how much she made his life all the more bearable, taking her by the waist and pulling her close to him. Would she wrap her arms around his neck and lean in? Just them together, secure in each other's arms with nothing in all of Britain that could separate them.

Or would it go differently? Sometimes, Remus thought about rescuing her from some dangerous situation. Catching her from falling down a height, protecting her from a herbology lesson gone wrong, standing up to bullies. She'd be so grateful and realize her feelings right at that moment, throwing herself at him in gratitude.

Of course, then the more reasonable side of him would smack himself in the face. Y/N would usually be able to handle herself just fine. Still, he could dream.

"-don't you think?" Remus blinked twice, shaking his head. Shoot! He had been so busy daydreaming about you that he may have gotten lost between your ramblings.

"Erm, I'm sorry?" He scratched the back of his head, chuckling nervously. "I didn't quite get that." He bit his lip, just waiting for the impact of her frustration with him.

Instead, she laughed and repeated herself. He wasn't sure if it was because she knew he was dawdling off or if she genuinely believed his excuse. "I said, I think that I'd be pretty good as Head Girl, don't you think so?"

"Of course!" He responded instantaneously. "I mean, you're great at everything you try your hand at. Perfect for Head Girl material." Remus corrected himself before he came off as too eager to please.

She only sighed. "I appreciate that, Remus. I do have some tough competition. Lily is everyone's favorite. I don't blame her. She's a fantastic friend and a brilliant witch. Perhaps I should focus on something else?"

Remus frowned. "Hey, don't say that. You're brilliant in your own right, Y/N."

"You think so?" She straightened her back and leaned in. When Remus nodded enthusiastically, he got to see that lovely beam dawn her face. It made him want to shower you with praise if it meant that she would always smile. He hands her a small tea cake and changes the conversation.

They got to talking about all sorts of matters, from Quidditch to OWLs to all the fun and adventurous activities planned for next year. It was going well if Remus didn't feel like he was going to die from trying to figure out how exactly to ask her out every time he spoke a word.

"I'm going to miss you," Y/N confessed. She looked up at him, eyes a little glassy. Remus' train of thought stopped, and every part of him wanted to comfort her.

"We still have next year." He reassured her.

"I feel like this is all going by so fast. It's like only yesterday you were picking up my textbooks after I slammed face-first into a wall," she laughed through the tears.

"Hey, hey look at me." Y/N did as he told. "You're going to be alright. We're going to be alright. We can still write to each other. There's no way that we're not going to see each other after we graduate, alright?"

She sniffled but nodded. "I-I'm sorry. I don't know why I got so emotional all of a sudden."

"It's not a big deal," Remus shrugged it off. "I'll miss you a lot too." He could never describe in words how missing her felt. Just last summer, he spent a good chunk of it in regret for not telling Y/N how he felt sooner. And he had to do it this year. At that rate, he'd be a hundred years old before he could ever utter a single 'I love you'.

Between the tea and the tears, Y/N had wrapped herself around his arms. Remus was glad that no one could see how red and warm his cheeks were. This was it. His chance to tell her everything that had been on his mind since last year. He took a deep breath, and slowly pried her off him until he could look her in the eye.

"Y/N...I really like having tea with you." Remus internally groaned at how awkward that came out, but his friends will never let him hear the end of it if they had to endure another summer of his moping.

"I really like having tea with you as well, Remus," she said.

Remus laughed, shaking his head. "That came out so weird. I can't believe that I'm saying this, but I really...really care about you Y/N. You're sweet and you don't judge me for disappearing sometimes. You're always there to patch me up and help me with notes. You're dependable. And I could think of no better person to spend a whole afternoon with between cups of tea."

"Remus..." Y/N didn't know what to say. She stared into his eyes, waiting to see what he might say next.

"Bloody hell, it's taken me so long to get the courage to say this. I-I completely understand if you're freaked out, but please just listen when I say that-" Remus stopped all of a sudden, and closed his eyes.

There she was, just like he had always dreamed. Better even. Pressed firmly against his chest and arms tossed around his neck without a care in the world. And best of all, Y/N was kissing him on the mouth. As if she would never be able to do it again. He was so lost in her embrace that he nearly forgot to kiss back. All the emotions he was unable to convey suddenly flooded out like a waterfall.

Even after she had pulled away, Remus was stuck in a daze over what just happened. The bells rang, signaling that it was time to move on to more classes. Different groups of students began to clamor into the Common Room, bright chatter filling the previously serene atmosphere. The sounds were muffled to Remus, who could only hear her enchanting laughter.

"So, I guess I'll see you around then?" She gave him a timid smile.

"Yeah. I'll write you every day if I have to," Remus confirmed. She gave him a final kiss on the cheek before running off to class. Remus could only stand there until his friends ran up to him.

Sirius reached him first, giving him a giant clap on the back. "Mate! Did I just see Y/N and you kissing?"

Remus turned red. "I-it wasn't like-"

James snickered. "Calm down, it was just a kiss on the cheek. Unless we missed something else?"

Remus' silence and red face made the trio of boys break into more laughter. "Merlin, this must be your luckiest day. Come on, I bet she's going to be really excited when she finds out that you're totally going to wait for her outside of class," Peter said.

"I am?" Remus was worried his friends were getting up to their usual tricks again.

"Don't worry mate, it'll be romantic! Get a few flowers, tell her she looks pretty," Sirius listed.

"Last time you tried on a girl she gave you a black eye," James stated. Remus gulped, but only received reassuring looks from his friends. "Fret not, Remus. Y/N is totally into you, even if you act like a complete idiot around her all the time."

Remus protested as his friends dragged him off to surprise Y/N once more by the end of the day. Despite all their over-the-top antics and terrible romantic advice, he knew that she would never turn him away. And that, he supposed, was just one of the many reasons why he liked her so much in the first place.

#remus lupin imagine #remus lupin oneshot #remus x reader #harry potter #harry potter oneshot #harry potter imagines #harry potter imagine #hp #reader insert

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typhonserpent · 7 years

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Stealing Away

Fandom: Dragon Age Genre: Slice-of-Life Description: When Ivnar and Lady Bug get into a scuffle, Ivnar finds out that his friend has been keeping a secret from him. Luckily, his nosy little sister has some tricks up her sleeve.

If you’re interested in more writing on my OC dalish clan, please feel free to check out the Clan Suledin tag!

Ivnar lounged on the back of the aravel.

The ground was rocky, and every step the halla took made the wheels rattle beneath him. One leg, which dangled over the edge, swayed slightly when they went over an especially large rock. He was slouching against the side, bow resting on his lap with an arrow lazily strung and dangling between his fingers.

Bug poked him in the knee. "Hey," He said.

He stirred just enough to raise his eyebrows, blinking twice in his friends direction.

Bug nodded at a bush as the passed it. "Betcha can't hit that nug." The arrow went off with a thwip, embedding itself in the ground beside the nugs rump. The little creature immediately bolted, a pink blur against the rough, dry landscape.

"You're right, I can't." Ivnar grumbled and swing his leg back onto the cart, curling against himself.

Bug tilted his head to one side, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Ivnar mumbled without moving a muscle.

"It ain't nothin'. You should try shooting things. That's what cheers me up."

That made Ivnar shoot up, yellow eyes as sharp as shards of glass. "You get to be happy, Felassan." He snapped, jaw tight, and, Bug visibly flinched at the harsh name. He inhaled as if to say something, but was immediately interrupted by the Keeper's voice from the head of the convoy.

"Hold!" Sohon called, raising a wrinkled hand, "We'll set up camp here."

Hallamas hair trailed behind her as she leaped between Bug and Ivnar, landing on a patch of grass. She was gone between the aravels in seconds.

"Did she have to pee?" Bug asked, his question punctuated by the scuff of Ivnars feet hitting the dirt.

"Where are you going?" Bugs words stopped Ivnar only a few paces from the aravel. Ivnar swiveled and gestured broadly to the convoy, where passengers here and there were already lowering sails and untying ropes. He raised one eyebrow.

"We're not through with this." Bug added, arms crossed.

"Whatever." Ivnar grumbled with an eye roll.

Bug propelled himself off the back of the aravel.

Ivnar stumbled forward a few steps when Bug latched to his back, arms locked around Ivnars shoulders. "I know where you're ticklish!" Bug taunted just before reaching a hand under one of Ivnars arms. Ivnar squirmed, working an elbow under Bugs ribs so he could jam it into Bugs stomach.

Bug reeled back a half pace and was met with Ivnars fist to his chin. Ivnar jumped onto him like a cat onto its prey, and both elves tumbled to the ground. A nearby halla snorted and attempted to move away from them, only to be caught by the aravel it was still tied to.

Bug jammed a knee into Ivnars stomach, dazing him long enough for Bug to roll them both around. A shout interrupted their scuffle. "Alright, break it up!" A familiar voice bellowed.

Bug felt bony fingers dig into either shoulder and watched as Ivnar was yanked away by his shirt collar. The elf who'd spoken dragged Ivnar back a pace while Arwen held Bug back, her salt-and-pepper hair falling over eyes that glared down at him.

Ivnars eyes were glued to the ground, jaw clenched. There was a smear of dirt on his left cheek. Bug rubbed a sizable bruise on his chin. Ivnar yelped when Elnar, the elf holding him yanked him to his feet by his ear.

"What is the matter with you?" Elnar snapped.

"Sorry, dad." Ivnar muttered, wincing with pain. Bug dared a glance at the gathering crowd, where Hallama was shrinking back behind her mother, Varrinas back. So that's where she was off to in such a hurry. Rotten little snitch.

Elnar finally released his son and Arwen loosened her grip on Bugs shoulders. Bug stood and rubbed one of his shoulders.

"I have half a mind to ground both of you. Acting like cats in heat." Elnar scoffed, his gaze moving between the two of them, "We're not here to tear each others throats out like the shemlen. We're better than that."

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." Bug muttered, cheeks flushing. Elnar had lines on his face that were etched in stone and a demeanor as hard as his gaze. It was hard not to feel guilty when he was scolding you.

"_You _should know better." The older elf growled, arms crosses. His eyes rested on the vallaslin that covered half of Bugs face, dark and not yet faded by age or sunlight. Bug touched his cheek with his fingertips. "And if you," Elnars eyes returned to Ivnar, "Want to be even considered for the ritual, you had better start acting like you deserve to become an adult." Ivnars eyes stayed on the ground, though a flicker of something flashed behind them at the scolding. Anger, perhaps? Jealously? Before Bug could place his finger on it, Elnar spoke again, "You'll both unload the Aravel and then brush and tend to the halla until I tell you to stop. And at some point I had better hear that you two figured things out."

"Yes, dad."

"Yes, sir."

The words were spoken in unison, and Bug was happy to see that most of the clan had gone back to their own business, save for Hallama and Varrina. Elnar wasted no time in storming past the pair and returning to his duties. Varrina took Hallamas hand and ushered her in the same direction.

The moment alone would have been awkward, save for the fact that Ivnar had already turned his attention to the aravel they rode in on. He was untying the ropes in seconds, and Bug was left to follow suit.

The motions were pure muscle memory for the pair. Bug would take the left side of knots and Ivnar would take the right. Ivnar would climb over the cart to throw the ropes to the other side, but Bug would crawl underneath to untie the last of the ropes. Bug would catch whatever Ivnar threw down from the top. Tarps first, then tent covers, bedrolls, furs. The difference here was that where their chore would normally be filled with sly comments and dirty jokes, they now spent the whole task in silence. With each silent minute, the tension grew thicker. When they were done with the first cart, they moved onto separate ones. Ivnar was the first to begin unloading the halla. He stripped one of her bridle and harness, stepped back a pace as she shook her head, then set to work tugging the knots from her fur.

Night fell and Bug had been assigned the task of scraping dirt and peeled paint off the aravels. It meant he was even further away from Ivnar, who'd led a few halla down to the nearby creek for a drink. Hallama approached behind while he was crouched by one of the halla, using a dagger to dig out the dirt caked onto her hooves.

She held out a wood plate bearing a few strips of roast venison and a little pile of berries. Ivnar accepted it with a grateful nod and settled on a nearby rock to eat.

Hallama plopped down on the ground beside him while he was tearing off a bite of the meat with his teeth.

"Lady Bugs upset with you." She said after a few seconds of silence.

Ivnar scoffed and swallowed his food, "I should be upset with him!"

Hallama scowled, though it was hard for a small child with messy hair to look anything other than cute when she wrinkled her nose in disdain. "You're so... Dense!"

"You don't even know what that means."

"It means you're stupid! I would know!"

"Oh, yeah? Just what would you know about being stupid?" Ivnar quipped with a smirk.

Hallama stood and crossed her arms, closing her eyes with an all-too-confident humph, "I know how to fix it so you're both happy. And you'll still get the apology you want."

Ivnar shook his head, still smirking. "Tell me then, oh wise peacemaker Hallama. What do you have in mind?"

She brightened, grinning from ear to ear. "You just have to get something for me! A present for Bug, from Val Royeux."

"From Val Ro- what sort of stories has he been telling you?" Ivnars eyes widened, his face paling with the suggestion.

"Um... This was my idea. I just heard him say it was two hours away on a good mount."

"Oh, so you're nosy _and _insane." Ivnar shoved the now-empty plate into her hands. He yanked the wire brush from his pocket and turned to one of the halla that was still lapping at the water. Most of the herd had wandered off to graze.

The brush passed through the soft fur easily. Hallama came up behind him. She hummed her words like a songbird, "You could be there and back before midnight. Ivnar, come on." She tugged on the waist of his pants.

"What in Mythals name makes you think this is a good idea?" Ivnar brushed the same spot without looking up.

She leaned back, fingers weaved though his belt as leverage. Ivnar didn't budge.

"Dad's busy on a scout and Lady Bug is working on the Aravels," She sang, shifting her feet from one foot to the next, "And Arwen is having a meeting with Keeper Sohon and no one's gonna notice a halla wandering off for a few hours."

He looked down at her over his shoulder. His eyes narrowed. She grinned, two gaps in her smile where baby teeth had fallen out. She tumbled backwards onto her rump, leather belt in her hand, and Ivnar felt a chill.

Grumbling incoherent curses under his breath, he pulled his pants up and snatched the belt from Hallamas hands. "If I say yes will you never suggest anything like this ever again?"

She bounced on the balls of her feet. "Yes, yes, yes!"

"I mean it, Hallama! Never again. If dad catches us headed for a shemlen city, we're dead."

"Promise! Swear it on my life!"

Ivnar heaved a sigh and pocketed the brush he'd been using before hoisting himself onto the hallas back. He held down a hand to help Hallama climb up.

"There and back. Quick visit. Grab the present and then leave." He said.

"Quick visit. Promise!" Hallama chimed as she settled into a seat in front of him.

As it turned out, she was right. The huge, glistening towers of Val Royeux came into sight within the hour. Ivnar left the halla to graze in a field outside the main gate. Unlike a horse, she wouldn't wander far. The halla knew who cared for them.

Hallama swept past the gate like a tiny breeze, her brother following close behind.

It was fortunate, he thought, that the the marketplace was so close to the city's entrance, or else they may have been stuck wandering until dawn.

Hallama stopped at every store window. She cupped her hands, pressed her face against the glass, and squinted to confirm the contents before moving onto the next store front. Ivnars fingers itched to reach for his bow. Every rustling of bird feathers or echo of his own footsteps had him glancing over his shoulder. He spied the soft glow of a lantern peeking around one corner and took bow out, slinging an arrow just as Hallamas voice whispered, "This one!"

He kept eying the light while he stepped backwards to where she was standing. Only when the glow faded and he was in front of the door did he finally sheath the arrow and try the handle.

"They're closed." He said, nodding to the padlock that barred their entry.

Hands on her hips, Hallama raised one eyebrow.

Sighing, Ivnar rolled his eyed and fished a lock pick from his pocket.

"This had better be worth it." He muttered as he worked the thin strip of metal against the lock pins. It clicked open within seconds. Orlesians, it seemed, weren't known for complex locks.

The door opened with a creek. Ornate dresses lined every wall, some proudly displayed on mannequins with a few pieces of jewelry thrown in for decoration. The back wall sported sketches of dress designs and a lock box on the counter, alongside rows of needles and thread.

Hallama was already pushing past Ivnar and running into the shop.

"This is... A women's clothing store." He voiced slowly.

"Uh, yeah?"

"Thought we were shopping for Bug."

"What's Bugs name?"

"Felassan?"

"Not his dead name! His real name. The full one."

"Lady ... Bug?" Ivnars cheeks flushed with immediate realization. His eyes widened before lowering to the ground. "Oh." He breathed. Hallama paid him no mind. She was already lifting the hem of one of the gowns on display, rubbing her fingers on the material.

He heard boots hitting stone outside and swiveled to face the door, fingers twitching as he reached for an arrow and paused with his hand poised behind his back.

"This one's nice. She'd like the acorns on it." She said. He didn't bother turning to look. His eyes were fixed on lantern glow that had returned to the square outside.

"I'm sure it's fine. Just pick one." He hissed.

"You're supposed to help! Otherwise what's the point?"

Ivnar rolled his eyes and swiveled to see the dress. It was a slim piec with ruffled layers forming the skirt and acorns and vines embroidered along the neckline. He picked up the fabric and rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger. He'd never seen silk before, but he'd heard about how it was soft and slippery.

"It's fine. Let's go." He whispered.

"We should pick up some jewelry, too.”

"Hallama ..."

Ivnar has barely growled the warning when a voice bellowed from the street.

"Halt! Who goes there!"

His warning quickly turned into a swear, "Fenedhis."

Hallama yanked the dress down, causing the mannequin to fall with a loud clatter. "Run!" She shouted, then darted out the door with yellow silk and ruffles trailing behind her.

He had little choice but to follow, though he kept his bow in one hand. He saw the glint of heavy armor from the corner of his eye, shining from the lantern in the guards hand. He shouted again, though the pair were well on their way to the gate by then.

The guards metal boots clanged against the stone streets with every step. He was trying to match their pace, but that armor was slowing him down. Ivnar dared a glance over his shoulder. The tall, lumbering human was several paces behind them now, and they were putting more distance between them with every pace.

Horses raised their heads when the two elves darted past the stables that were outside the city gates. Ivnar could see the familiar white hallas figure in the nearby field, her head bent to graze the grass there. He put his fingers to his lips, and the halla raised her head when he whistled.

She trotted up to meet them. Hallama threw the dress across the hallas neck.

She grasped the creatures fur in her hands and tried pulling herself onto her back, causing the halla to release an indignant bray. Ivnar came up behind and pushed Hallama up onto the hallas back before leaping on just behind her. The guards footsteps were softer in the grass. Ivnar hitched the halla into motion. He found himself grinning, caught Hallama sporting an equal smile. As the halla sprinted away, he finally took a good look at the guard behind them. Doubled over, huffing and puffing and well aware of the fact that he couldn't outrun a halla. Ivnar caught himself laughing while the city spires grew smaller behind them.

The halla eventually slowed to a steady trot. He still sported a grin, and to accent the mood Hallama broke the silence with a giggle.

Her laughter, it seemed, was contagious. As her giggles grew in intensity, his own low chuckles joined until they were both doubling over, the halla paying no mind to her giggle-struck passengers.

Ivnar caught Hallama in a headlock and noogied her hair with his fist.

"Never again, brat. If we don't talk to the shemlen, then we definitely don't buy ball gowns from them."

"Stealing ball gowns is fine, though, right?"

Ivnar glanced at the stars while he chewed on the question. "Sure," He decided,

"Just this once, stealing ball gowns is fine."

She scoffed, "Not like they would have traded furs and leathers for a gown anyway."

"It's... Probably better to leave trading to Keeper Sohon and Arwen. Shems can't be trusted. Besides, it's not practical. Trading perfectly useful furs for something soft and fragile."

He ran his thumb along the embroidery. Ivnar could see the creek approaching along with the halla who grazed by it. Tufts of white fur against a sea of dark grass. Hallama scoffed, "Bug won't think so. You can ask him yourself." With that, she wiggled until she could swing one leg over and hopped off the halla. She wasted no time in hurrying back to the camp, leaving Ivnar alone with the herd and his stolen prize.

Lady Bug was on the edge of the camp, leaning up against an aravel, her mouth hung wide in a snore while a rag hung loosely from one hand. Ivnar steered the halla up next to her, purposely letting his boots hit the ground hard when he dismounted. Bug stirred and yawned as she woke, rubbing an eye with her palm.

"Hey." Ivnar said. She grumbled something incoherent, though Ivnar could swear he heard the word 'jerk' sprinkled in there.

"Whatever you just said, I probably deserved it. Here." He pulled down the dress and thrust it into Bugs face, "I wanted to give you this."

Bug squinted at the dress with an incredulous look, not so much as raising a finger in response. "That was Hallamas idea, wasn't it?" She said. Ivnar cringed, "Is it obvious?"

Bug snorted a laugh. "Sneaky brat. Asked me to tell her 'bout when I was living in Val Royeux. Let slip that I used to go to the marketplace and look the dresses in the windows. You? You never would've thought of somethin' like this."

His eyes went downcast and the hand holding out the dress lowered by a few inches. "Well," He added, "I also wanted to say... I'm sorry."

One of Bug eyebrows very slowly raised. She reached out and took the dress from Ivnar. Dropping the rag she'd been holding, she spread it out in her lap, fingertips gently brushing the embroidery.

Ivnar sat across from her, legs crossed. "You should have told me sooner. I never would have called you by that name if I'd known. Even if I was angry. I'm sorry. For that. And for punching you."

She let out a short, breathy laugh. "No, I'm sorry. When you get like that I shouldn't assume shootin' nugs is gonna fix it." She had moved on to touching the skirt now, thumbing through the layers of lace that made it poofy. "Where'd you even get this?" She asked.

"Don't ask." He said, throwing up his arms, "As it is I'm going to scrub the aravels for a month after Dad sees that thing. I just hope the guard didn't put together that we were Dalish because if he shows up here in the morning, I'm dead."

She laughed, a familiar snort through the nose, making her cover her mouth like she always did. "I'm sure you're fine." She said, wiping a tear away with her thumb, "Thank you, Ivnar. I've no idea when I'm gonna wear it, but thank you."

Ivnar flashed a tiny, stiff smile. "You could try it on now if you want."

Her expression rapidly cycled between several emotions. First, sheer terror, then shock, bewilderment, and finally her eyebrows perked in a tiny spark of curiosity. "Y-you really think it's okay?"

"I didn't go through all that trouble just to steal you the wrong size. I wanna see how it looks." He said, still smiling.

It took a few minutes for them to move far enough away from camp that Bug was comfortable. Even so, she made Ivnar turn his back and wait on the opposite side of the thicket where she'd chosen to change. He had his arms crossed, leaning against a tree while he listened the rustle of fabric and the occasional snap of a twig.

Her voice, trembling slightly, sounded from behind the thicket, "Y-you gotta promise you won't laugh." To which he rolled his eyes and kicked off the tree to spin around, "Oh Creators, just come out already. I don't care."

He could hear the rustle of skirts and the drag of leaves against the ground. The dress was entirely too long for her, and the silk pooled around her feet and dragged behind her as she walked. Scoffing, she glanced down and grabbed a handful of fabric, but stopped when she caught Ivnar staring.

The moonlight bathed her and washed out the deep yellow of the dress, turning it into a pale gold and making the vines and acorns stand out all the more. It would seem they were meant to frame breasts, but on Bug they were just a bit wrinkled.

"It's loose here." She muttered, tugging at the low neckline. When he kept staring, her already red cheeks flushed even further. She clutched her arms to her chest. "It's that bad?" She asked.

Ivnars eyes snapped back into focus, "Huh? No! You... You look pretty."

Her mouth hung open a bit. She was staring at the ground, still holding herself. He approached and took a wrist in each hand, prying her arms apart. "We can look for some cotton plants while we're on the road tomorrow. Or maybe if we catch a ram I can sheer some of it's wool. We'll fill it out, don't worry."

Bug sniffled and tugged a hand away to wipe her eye, "Guess when I'm invited to one o' them fancy Orlesian balls, I'll have somethin' to wear." He ran his thumb over her wrist. "We'll have to get you some evening gloves, then. Maybe a necklace? Hallama wanted to get you some jewelry, but it didn't work out."

She chuckled, snorted, and covered her mouth. It was then that Ivnar remembered the wire brush in his pocket. Removing it, he made a motion for her to turn around. When she obeyed, he started brushing her hair. It was shorter than his, a messy straight bowl cut that barely went past her ears, but the tangles worked out with ease, and he discovered for the first time a little natural bob at the tips.

"I don't know what it was like in the alienage," He added, "But it isn't that way here. You know Dad considers you one of his own. We'll accept you. No matter what."

He embraced her from behind, smiling. She beamed back, "I ain't seen you this happy in days."

For once, his smile didn't falter at those words. "I guess I'll just have to steal you gifts more often."

#dragon age #dragon age fanfiction #dragon age fanfic #typhon writes #fanfiction #fanfic #original characters #oc dalish #oc dalish clan #clan suledin #lady bug suledin #ivnar suledin #hallama suledin #dragon age: origins #dragon age 2 #dragon age: inquisition #da fic

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frenchy-and-the-sea · 7 years

Note

♟: Patching up a wound for Val and Amon

From this ask meme way back here, and with several more forthcoming! Written using @dalish-farther-roam‘s punchy idiot, who I hope I have done some small measure of justice because he is GREAT.

About 1300 words, mostly because I can’t shut up about anything I’m fixated on WHOOPS.

Amonwas limping.

Val hadn’t noticed it before,between their frantic attempts to revert Ianry from stone and Sarula’s stormingoff into the woods to collect herself when none of them worked, but his grimacewas hard to miss now. She watched from her place across their hastily made fireas the other tiefling shifted his weight to circle Ianry again, then winced andimmediately shifted it back.

“Did they get you too?” she askedbefore he could try again. Amon jumped at the sound of her voice, but his turntowards her was haphazard and slow. Too slow, Val thought, with moredeliberation than she had seen a monk - and Amon in particular - ever use.

“It is not too bad.” he saidquickly, waving her off like he could hear her silent concern. “I will be fine.”

Val only just restrained herselffrom rolling her eyes. She had heard that tone before, on cocky youngmidshipmen who had no idea what it was they were getting themselves into. Andmost of them didn’t have Amon’s body count to back them up; hisbravado would be the death of him if there was no one around to temper it.

“‘Course you will,” she saidevenly, then gestured him closer with a jerk of her head and patted the spacebeside her at the fire. “C’mere.”

He didn’t move at first, whichshe expected, but it thankfully only took a glare and one more jerk of her headto get him to sag and hobble his way over. In the light of the fire, she couldfinally make out the puncture through the thigh of his pants, and the darkstain spreading through it.

He set himself down gingerlybeside her, hissing through his teeth.

“‘Not too bad,’ aye?” Val asked,with a grin that she hoped was only gentlymocking. Amon sighed and tuggedat the hem of his pant leg.

“I did not want to bother Sarula.She had….a lot on her mind,” he muttered. He finally sounded appropriatelyweary, and Val felt her grin shift from gently mocking to just gentle.

“She did,” she admitted. “Butlike the surgeon I sailed with always said, infection’ll kill you same as asword.” She paused. “Or, in this case, same as a giant demon chicken.”

He chuckled, wincing as he slid the hem of his pant leg carefully over the wound and out of the way. “Ithink I might prefer the giant chicken.”

“You’d be alone there, mate.”

Now that she could actually seethe wound, Val had to grimace. The gash was narrow but agonizingly deep, stillbright and angry with the blood welling underneath. She was suddenly struck bythe notion that Amon very well might have been hit this hard before, and thatthey had all missed it thanks to his silence and the red of his skin. Thethought needled her in a way she couldn’t bring herself to think too terribly longabout.

“See?” Amon’s voice pulled herattention up and away from the wound, and back to where he was flashing afaint, pained grin. “Not too bad.”

This time, Val did rollher eyes.

“Not too bad now that you’ve gotsomeone giving a shit,” she retorted, reaching into her pack and pulling outone of their poultices. Sarula would likely be able to heal him properly, butVal had no idea when she’d be back or what state they’d find her in. Best tokeep Amon doing slightly better than limping, in the off chance that shebrought company.

He grunted when she pressed thewet mass onto his thigh, claws digging deep into the dirt. On instinct, she puther free hand to his knee and pushed it flat against the ground.

“You don’t complain about gettinga chunk taken outta your leg, but the poultice gets you squirming,” shemuttered under her breath, loud enough that he could still hear. Amon managed ashort, strained laugh.

“Maybe it is your bedside mannerthat makes it worse,” he teased. Val made an offended noise.

“My bedside manner’s fine,thanks.” She eased off of Amon’s knee as he slowly began to relax, and reachedback into her pack for bandages. “I helped in a hunting ship’s sickbay foryears, and you’re the first complaint I’ve ever had.”

“I do not think many humans wouldtry complaining to you, Val.”

He gestured loosely to her headwhen she looked up, then down to the tail curled in the dirt beside her. Valtugged the strip of cloth taut underneath his leg and lashed her tail away witha dramatic huff.

“Well, you don’tseem to have any problem doing it,” she said dryly, winding the sheets of clothup and over the poultice. Already, she could see the little differences; someof the brighter color leeching away from the skin under the bandages, Amon’sshoulders sagging, his brow smoothing out as the pain eased away.

He sat up just a little further,and didn’t flinch this time when he moved to nudge her gently with his elbow.

“Or I just know better than to bescared of you.”

He said it like a joke, ofcourse, like it was something meant to make her feigned anger spike again sothey could continue their good-natured bickering. But the fire in her chest,even the fake one that she tended socarefully to make sure it didn’tslip over the edges into something dangerously real, simply flickered out. Amoncouldn’t know how hard she worked at keeping herself in check, how deliberatelysoft she made the bits of her that weren’t already until they were needed in afight. He couldn’t know how just mentioning that he was not afraid of her madethe breath stick to her lungs and the knot she carried inside of her comeapart, just a little.

Or maybe he knew exactly.That thought almost scared her more.

She finished tying off thebandage in silence, with the steady nettling of Amon’s gaze in her shoulder asshe struggled to find her next words. She could tell him that she was insultedthat he thought so well of her. She could tell him that there were bandits andfish people and one very dead badger that would think much differently. Shecould even remind him of their tavern brawl for the fifteenth time, and offerthat he might do well to be just a littleafraid of her.

Instead, Val found herselfpushing quickly to her feet, and offering a hand back down to the tiefling onthe ground.

“C’mon, then,” she said with ajerk of her head towards his freshly bandaged leg. “Give it a go.”

Amon looked nearly ready toprotest, but mercifully did not - just took her hand and pulled himselfunsteadily up again, testing his weight on the injury.

“Good enough,” he said after amoment, with a smile that was half genuine, half hesitant teasing again. “Thankyou.”

Val made a dismissive gesturewith her hand.

“Might wanna try letting the onein armor take the big hits next time, though,” she said,rapping her knuckles against her chest so the links of her chainmail jingled.Amon gave a conciliatory nod.

“Good idea,” he agreed. “The nexttime something is trying to attack me, I will be sure to ask it to wait whileyou to take my place.”

Val certainly did not hit himwith the half hearted swing she took at his arm, the one that deliberatelymissed and that Sarula, who was extracting herself from the trees, scolded herfor anyway; but she also didn’t make it seem like she wouldn’t hithim either.

And he still didn’t so much asflinch.

Unafraid after all.

#d&d shenanigans #my writing #oc crap #other people's ocs #frenchy replies #valtish #honestly did not expect this to go on this long #or take the turn it did #but sure lets talk about Val and her complicated relationship with her lineage that's fine

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celticrune · 7 years

Text

Family Resemblance

On the importance of choices, names, and family.

Chal belongs to @spitaverse-burr. Set in the same continuity as Names

Val is whoever people need them to be. A blade in the dark, a friendly ear, a daughter, a sister. They’ve worn many faces and more names, all temporary and fleeting. They’ve chosen names before, have a variety of lists in the back of their mind at any given time, but the names that matter, those that last, those were all given.

***

(They’d asked sera Illith’vir-, no, Chal, what he wanted to name them now. Tergeste was sinking into the distance behind them, but they were looking down, watching as the waves dragged the remains of their long hair into the depths. They felt strangely light now, the ocean breeze cold on their neck, dagger still in hand.

He’d tried to hide a wince. When he looked at them, it was with a strange sort of sadness in his eyes. “You should choose your own name, if you want to change it at all,” he’d said.

“Oh,” they’d replied, gaze dropping to the ocean again. All traces of long red hair were long gone, taken away by the wind and the waves. They shouldn’t be disappointed. He’d never promised to keep them, and they never should’ve had the audacity to hope. They would already never be able to repay him for taking them this far, they shouldn’t have expected anything more.

“You can take however long you’d like to think about it,” he’d said, misinterpreting their silence. “It’s an important decision, and we have time.” He’d caught himself then, and schooled his expression into something less… hopeful? “That is, if you want to stay together. Please don’t feel forced to, you’re free to go wherever you want once we arrive.”

Their eyes jumped back to his. “You’re not leaving?” they’d asked, a desperate sort of hope threaded through their voice.

He gave them a confused look, but shook his head. “Not unless you want me to,” he’d said, and smiled when they shook their head. It was blinding.)

***

They live on the road, always on the move, always keeping their guard up against Temperance’s spies. Between the two of them they know a lot of her tricks, but her connections have always been her greatest weapon, and they can’t take any chances.

When they visit towns, they make sure to use fake names. Chal changes his face, but he never asks Val to do the same. They follow his example anyway, use wigs and makeup and magic to become other people, until they-

don’t.

(“It’s your choice,” he’d said. “I will never force you to do anything.”

They’d wanted to laugh. It was a worthless promise, all hot air, and they refused to let their guard down and be fooled again.)

“Are you ready to go?” he asks, when they’re packing up and they haven’t made a move to disguise themself.

They nod, not trusting their voice, and set their shoulders for the order that will surely follow. The promise is months old, he’s surely forgotten, there’s no way-

“Let’s go, then,” he says simply, as if that’s the only possible answer.

(“Handsome boy you got there, sera,” a merchant says.

Chal looks at Val, talking animatedly to the merchant a stall over, short red hair and mismatched green eyes right there for the world to see, and he smiles. “That I do.”)

***

Neither of them ever learn to fully control their magic. They train together, learn to recognise the signs, the tingle of wild magic in the air just before a surge hits. They help each other through the rough patches, the misfires, the battles gone south when one or both of them loses control.

Eventually, Val stops flinching away from Chal whenever they make a mistake. Eventually, Chal stops expecting them to leave when he loses control.

They hear stories, sometimes, of other people like them. Of the good it can do, and how this magic can help, rather than hurt. Val hopes that, one day, they might spread stories of their own. That, one day, they’ll crouch down, and tell a young child that they are not broken, not irreparably damaged.

Maybe one day they’ll believe themself.

***

(They came across a slaver’s camp, once. A storm front was rolling in, and they needed a place to stay, when they found the camp. Two boys, twins, were chained to a tree and to each other, while rough-looking slavers laughed and joked about the price they’d fetch.

Val could taste frost in the air as the temperature dropped a few degrees, Chal’s magic sparking out and blanketing them both. Their eyes met, and a nod was all the confirmation Val needed before they slipped right up to the leader’s back and put a dagger between his ribs.

Chal followed right in their wake, laying down a blizzard of ice and sleet across the camp. They made short work of the slavers, but then-

the taste of ozone, a chill down Val’s spine as their magic roiled in response to the sudden surge. They turned just in time to catch a look of horror on Chal’s face, a flash of red, before they were thrown back by roaring flames.

They hit the ground hard, biting down on their cheek to keep from screaming. They turned their head, blood dripping from the corner of their mouth, and relaxed at the sight of the twins huddled against each other, unharmed.

“Val? Val!” a voice called, and they took a shuddering breath as Chal dropped to his knees next to them. His pink eyes were shining with tears, but his hands were gentle and blessedly cool as he checked over their injuries.

Too soon, they struggled to sit up, pain flaring up bright and immediate. “I’m alright,” they said. They caught one of his hands in theirs and he froze, their eyes meeting. “I’m alright,” they repeated, holding his hand tightly.)

***

During long nights, Val sometimes looks back. They think of what they had in Tergeste, what they lost, but also what they found. They think of Chal, the one who delivered them into Temperance’s hands, but also, ultimately, the one who saved them.

(“You saved yourself,” he says. “When you made the choice to leave.”

‘Without you, I never would have realised I had a choice,’ they don’t say.)

When they left, they lost a mother master owner, but gained a father. He’s taught them a lot, but he keeps coming back to the importance of choice, of freedom.

They’ve been many people throughout their life, but only some that mattered. Elia, fiery and bright and oh so eager, her name given by loving parents. 53-2, terrified and alone, her number assigned for convenience. Valyria, lovely and beloved daughter, her name chosen by a loving mother. Val, cold and practical and ever obedient, their name picked by an uncaring master.

Chal refused to name them, when they asked. They think they’re starting to understand why.

***

They find a library, next time they visit town. “Be back before dark,” they whisper to Chal before slipping away. He tells them to be safe and lets them go.

They’re not sure what to look for, doubt there are books on name-giving. The dour librarian brightens when they ask, tells them “Of course sera, right over here. Is your wife expecting, then?”

They don’t bother correcting him, accepting the convenient excuse for what it is. They give an absentminded nod as he excuses himself, and bury themself in books about various cultures.

They don’t have a new name when they leave, but they’ve found a starting point. Heritage is important, and what culture a child is born into will often be vital in determining their name. They’re not a child, not anymore, and they’ve worn too many shapes for any culture to feel theirs, but they do have a family.

They don’t ask him, unsure of how he would react, but they keep the idea in mind.

Next time they come into town, they duck into the library again. Chal raises a curious eyebrow, but they don’t say anything, and he doesn’t ask. The visit doesn’t provide any answers however, as the library proves very lacking on drow naming traditions.

***

It takes them visiting a city, and a library larger than any they’ve ever seen before. They excuse themself while Chal secures supplies and a place to stay, and spend the next few hours bend over books and scribbling a list of names onto a piece of paper.

Someone calls their name and they slam the book shut, an instinctual illusion blanking out the paper. They turn to find Chal standing there, looking rather amused.

“The sun set an hour ago, I was worried something happened to you,” he explains, though he doesn’t ask.

They mutter a thank you, and don’t offer more. They reshelf the books, and slip the piece of paper into a hidden pocket while he isn’t looking. They leave together, talking quietly about small, everyday things.

***

Over the next few weeks, they keep returning to that piece of paper. They only look at it when Chal isn’t there, either away or in his trance, and they whisper the names, testing the way they fit in their mouth. They pick them apart, weigh reason and symbolism and anything else they can think of.

They make a tentative decision one night, but it takes them another week to bring it up.

“Hey, dad?” they ask, and they’ll never get tired of how that sounds, what it means.

He hums, not looking up from his journal, but they know they have his attention.

They twine their fingers together, clear their throat. Obvious tells, and Temperance would have their head if she knew, but they don’t have to hide here. Not with Chal. “Could you call me Kiari from now on?”

He does look up at that, meeting their eyes with a surprised look, but it quickly melts into a smile. “Of course, Kiari,” he says and oh.

They smile back at their father, then turn their face towards the sky. They could get used to this, Kiari decides.

***

Eralae (too soft) Vasryne (too similar) Lythrana (too long?) Vierdia (victory) Kiari (maybe) Elvanlae (too elvish)

#i write things sometimes #val #temperance #oc's #slavery tw #this is set after they escape #but there's still fall out #i love this au so much #just give me all the found family #chal finding redemption with his child #val healing and growing and finding their own way

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dracimalfoy1988292 · 3 years

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(ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 32: ɢᴜᴇss ᴡʜᴏ?)

Valentine was impeccably slow the next morning. She was dreading breakfast, purposefully putting on her robes inside out before fixing them. Macey, on the otherhand, was about to throw her second shoe at the girl for taking her sweet time to get ready.

"Godric, Val! If you could just pretend those bloody Death Eaters were on your tail and speed this along, that would be great!"

Valentine gasped, her smile disappearing for a hot second as she turned towards Macey, appalled.

"I ought to throw a shoe at you for that!" Valentine exclaimed. "You shouldn't joke about it."

"Well if you'd hurry up, I wouldn't have taken such extremes measures. Besides, a girl gotta eat, and I'm hungry."

"Based off the way you act," Valentine grumbled, slipping in her shoe. "You aren't a girl. And you're always hungry, it's barbaric."

Macey sarcastically smiled, making a face. "Thanks. What's up with you, anyways? You practically flew away from class yesterday, then when you finally came back you got right in bed and couldn't stop smiling. Now you're still wearing that stupid grin, and you're taking decades to put your bugging shoes on."

Valentine laced her shoe quickly, getting to her feet so she wouldn't have to listen to her friend complaining. She pocketed her wand, making her way down from the dorms, Macey on her heels.

Don't get her wrong, Valentine was more than excited to see James. But she was so nervous. So, so, so nervous. She hadn't even begun to brain storm about what to say, how to act, or what to do. And she had to know, otherwise she'd lose it completely. Things never went well when Valentine freaked out, and she was close to losing it.

So when she and Macey had finally entered the Great Hall, she'd taken a deep breath to find the Marauders hadn't even arrived yet. Valentine allowed her heart to calmly reset, reassurance setting in.

"Whats got you all stressed out?" Macey inquired, setting bacon on her plate as she watched Valentine with curious eyes.

James Potter kissed me. Hard. Good. Hot.11

"Nothing in particular," Valentine shrugged, picking at her food, mouth dry at the thoughts she enslaved in her head.

"Are you sure about that?" Macey pressed, not believing Valentine one bit.

"Yes?"

"You're a terrible liar."

"Yes."

Macey sighed. Then she stole a look over her shoulder towards Celia, frowning as the Slytherin ducked down to avoid her gaze. Then Macey looked back at Valentine. Then her eyes widened, making Valentine's eyes widen, assuming the worst.

Suddenly, Valentine's vision was obscured as two warm hands pressed firmly over her eyes from behind, only a bit of light peaking through the cracks of his fingers. Valentine allowed herself to sink into his touch soft, in no control of the smile that rolled onto her lips.12

"Guess who?"1

"Hmm," Valentine drawled, clicking her tongue in thought. "Headmaster Dumbledore?"2

"No, better," the hands lifted from place on her skin and James' face peeked over her shoulder, his nose grazing her cheek as his eyes locked on hers."It's me."

Macey's nose curled in disgust at the display, unsure of what exactly was occurring. She kept watching, however, alerted, confused, and enthralled.2

James sat down besides Valentine, and Macey watched the two awkwardly sit in silence, not knowing what to say. Macey was embarrassed for them.14

Macey glanced at the Gryffindor table, seeing the Marauders expression. Sirius wore a satisfied smirk, having pushed a poor boy in his house out the way so he had a good view of James and Valentine. Peter spoke excitedly with Remus, and Remus seemed pleased that James had finally patched his relationship with the Hufflepuff.4

"Can we talk?" James kindly asked, causing Macey to redirect his attention back to the couple? Was that what they were now? Macey didn't even know.

Valentine nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

And James and Valentine stood up together, walking towards the door. If that wasn't enough, James had slipped his hand into hers, and basically everyone in the Great Hall was watching their departure. Professor McGonagall smirked triumphantly, quickly wiping it off her face when Professor Sprout spoke to her.34

As soon as the two in question left, Peter, Remus, Sirius, and even Marlene and Lily came running over.

"What did they say? Tell me everything!" Sirius demanded, breathing heavily as he combed his hands through his hair. "Oh, I'm like a father. Look at what I've birthed."

_____________________

"WHAT DID YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT?" Valentine asked, watching the slick surface of the Black Lake move with the breeze, water ruffling and surging against the bank.

"I think you know what I wanna talk about," James said, choosing a place to stop. He sat down in the grass, and Valentine took the seat besides him, pulling at the green blades.

"What about it?" Valentine obliviously continued, not quite sure where this conversation was headed.

"What did it mean to you?"

James snorted quietly, using his shadow dancing along the ground with the sun heating their backs.

"I hate when you answer questions with questions," James prompted, turning his head slightly to stare at Valentine. She did the same, noticing the automatic flip of his lips and curls of his hair.

"I hate when you ask questions I don't know how to answer."

Valentine's words made James frown. "I know what it meant to me."

Valentine was trying to latch onto a specific word she could use to describe this... relationship. This thing James and her had going on.

"What? What did it mean to you, James? Because it all happened so quickly I'm not even sure it actually happened. I mean, one second I'm so angry at you for getting me detention and ignoring me for three months, and the next we're snogging! You're giving me whiplash."8

James nodded, understanding her completely. "In my defense, it wasn't my plan to kiss you. It just... it just kind of happened. I missed you and I figured the only way I could show that was through a physical form of affection."

"Physical form of affection?" Valentine repeated. "Did you spend all that time not talking to me studying?"

This made James laugh. "Nah, didn't pick up a single book the whole summer. I wanted a reason for you to tutor me again."

Valentine shook her head, finding his response cute.

James' face went serious however, and he lightly picked up Valentine's hand once again, tracing the veins and running his fore-finger down her smooth skin.

"There's a lot I should say. There's a lot you want me to say, but I'm so caught off guard I can't really form any coherent sentences. But I wanted to tell you that this isn't a spur of the moment thing. I didn't kiss you because it was convenient, I kissed you because that was something I've wanted to do for a while now, so I took the opportunity. I totally get it if you want time to think this through. I also want you to know that I'm not proud of my actions, and I'm trying to be a better person for you."

James stared at the sun, high in the sky and so yellow. It rained down on daisies and trees, making them shine in the morning light.

He took a deep breath, readying himself.

"I'll keep it simple. The truth is, I plan on kissing you again. A lot more. But only if you want me to. And if you don't want me to, then you should tell me now, because I don't want to hurt you or myself."

Valentine bit her bottom lip, and the action along drew in James' eyes, although he diverted his attention quickly.

"I was confused last year, James. I saw you in a different light after the Snape incident. It was wrong. Even though Snape is a foul git, what you did to him was horrible. But you acknowledged your actions. I acknowledged them too, and after a few weeks I wrote to you. And you didn't respond. It's in the past. I want you to know it hurt me, though. I put myself out there for you, and I did that so we could rekindle our- whatever we had. But you tore it down. In a way, that was worse to me than what you did to Snape. Because you hurt me when you did that, not him.

"And now here we are, and the problem is that you're already forgiven. I don't remember doing it, but it was almost like as soon as I saw you step off that platform, everything was okay again because it was just you and me, even from afar. I trust you, James. Even when I thought I didn't, I did. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm still mad at you. We should take it slow, okay? I don't want to rush into it things, especially not after the whole issue last year."

The two stared at each other. James had braced himself for rejection, because by the looks of her speech, that's what it had sounded like.

Valentine set a hand on the side of James' face, her thumb brushing along his jaw. He in distinctively leaned into her touched, feeling comfort.

"And I want you to kiss me again."

Valentine cracked a grin, and James couldn't help but do so as well.

"Is now a good time to take advantage of that? Because I feel like it is. We just had an epic make up, and usually that's when the two people kiss again."

"How would you know?" Valentine quizzed. "You never read books, nor have you seen a film."

"Right, well if you're on the forgiving kick, nows the time to tell you I stole your book. 'Romeo and Juliet', I think. You wouldn't shut up about it so I snagged it and gave it a try. It was pretty good until they both died. I mean, how morbid is that?"34

"I want that back," Valentine instructed, blushing at the fact he'd actually bothered to pick up a book only because she had liked it.

"Sure thing, and I'll do that just after..."

James didn't get to finish his sentence before he kissed Valentine again, this time better than the last, if that was even possible.

Because like submerging from water, Valentine found her breathing in James as if he were her only air. His lips were soft and innocent against hers, tasting like candy Valentine would gladly let rot her teeth.

The world melted away around the two, the wind whipping around Valentine's hair, and she'd complain about being cold if not for the feeling of immediate warmth left behind by James' touch.

Two words could be used to describe this kiss; sweet and gentle.

Until Valentine was pulling at James' hair and teeth were grazing teeth, tongue on tongue, and hands moving places they only should move unless something other than a kiss was going to happen.3

Valentine, hesitating, pulled away. James moved forward to kiss her again, and Valentine laughed, moving farther.

"Slow down, hot rod. I'm not going any farther when we haven't even gone on a date."

"Are you hinting that you wanna go on a date with me, Lotus?" James queried with a goofy grin, cheeks flushed and glasses barely hanging on his nose.1

"Wasn't it obvious enough, Potter?" Valentine rebutted with just as much humor in her voice.

James cocked his head, getting to his feet and throwing out his hand, which Valentine so graciously took, James heaving her up.

"Then how would you feel about me formally inviting you to go on a date with," James stopped, taking an over dramatic spin. "Yours truly, next Hogsmeade trip?"

Valentine placed a hand to her chest, playing along. "I'd be delighted."

"Dorks!"

Valentine and James turned to see their whole friend group standing just outside the castle.18

"How much do you think they saw?"

Valentine nervously asked.

"I think that's a question better left unanswered," James whispered, though he wasn't ashamed. Valentine groaned, resting her head in the crook of James' neck.

And he looped his arms around her back, breathing in.

He smelt Amorentia.4

Thank you Professor Slughorn.

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reddogf13 · 4 years

Text

Escape: To Salvation Ch:3

Blake X Val

Summery: Blake wakes up in the hell town known as Templegate. confused and alone he must fight through both his past and present for his future. however, hallucinations of festering demons haunt him along with something else more of mortal blood. now he must fight to keep his nightmares and reality separate or succumb to the deadly wilds. however is he truly as alone as he feels in this world?

status: complete

rated: M - fowl language, sensitive topics, and gore

previous chap: Escape: To Salvation CH:2

next chap: Escape: To Salvation CH:4

_____________________________________

~Ch:3 Truce~

Blake opened his eyes again after hopelessly trying to sleep. Going back and meeting Val again making his anxiety too high for sleep. Stretching as he looked up at the sky. His neck and back popping after laying on such a uncomfortable rocky surface. Being so far out in the wilderness left the sky filled with the milky way. Although beautiful it was a bitter reminder how far away he was from civilization. Temporarily removing his glasses to wipe the fog away his body heat created in the cold. “fuck. … where to start?” Blake thought, returning his glasses to their place. Should he immediately find Val? Or go collecting pumpkin seeds for travel? He'd have to stuff his entire bag for the both of them. The thought of sharing food and eating around her made him again feel ill, but he had to face it. Can't just expect Val to travel who knows how long with him and not give her at least some food. “mite as well get more pumpkin seeds first. Hopefully i'll find her on the way. If I never find her ill at least have food for me ready.” he mumbled to himself. Blake carefully made his way to the cliff edge. Regretting that he didn't go earlier as there was no moonlight to light the cliff edges this time. He'd have to carefully climb down totally blind. He took a few deep breaths as he carefully turned to start heading down. Taking one step down at a time. The feeling of his heart jumping into his throat with every little slip. Having no idea how close he was to the ground. “what a way to go after everything.” Blake joked a little to himself. Thinking of falling to his death being his end over all the other things he suffered through. Finally letting out a sigh of relief as his foot hit the ground while searching for another edge. “never climbing cliffs again.” he joked again while jogging back toward the town. As he got closer he slowed into a quiet crouch. The moon had rose enough to give a small light now. Giving Blake the vision to see armed men with flashlights still wandering around. Talking and laughing amongst themselves. Some even seeming to be taking lunch breaks near the mountains of bodies. “who are these sick bastards?” Blake thought as he watched them with disgust. “val knew something was wrong with them, but that could have just been a lucky guess from the psycho.” he thought as he carefully moved forward. Doing his best to navigate around the town by certain buildings. He managed to find a field and was quite uplifted by the achievement. Until he realized it wasn't the pumpkin patch, but a orchid for apples. “well, apples can be a lot better.” he thought with a watering mouth. Thinking about fresh apples filled with juice. Cautiously walking up to the trees, to avoid being possibly sighted, he stood fully once next to one of them. Flinching back a bit at the horrible smell of rotten apples. Up close he could now see all the fruit being rotten. The horrifying smell of decay had him step away from the tree with an agitated sigh. He'd never smelled anything so bad in his life. There was something more rotten here then just the apples. “even if they were fresh you couldn't eat them.” that familiar voice spoke, startling Blake practically out of his skin. He turned to face Val with a huff of air he didn't mean to let out. He wanted to keep composed when facing her, not seem like a scared child. “the trees were grown too close to the poisoned river. Any one who eats from the trees dies by the next morning.” Val spoke in her oddly friendly manor. “what are you doing here then?” Blake asked, making sure to keep distance between them. “watching.” Val answered looking toward the town. The sight of easily seen flashlights moving between the buildings. “have you seen them before?” Blake asked curiously. “once, when they started building far up the river.” Val spoke before heading away. Blakes heart seizing up in his throat as his mind froze on what to say. He had to tell her his idea before she disappeared again to who know where. “what do you plan to do?” Blake blurted out. The question being the first thing to pop up on what to say first. “nothing yet. I just want to see what they plan to do. Although i am sure I already know the answer. Templegate won't be around much longer.” Val spoke, pausing her walk. “... I know a way to another town.” Blake stated. The statement being a partial lie. He didn't know the way, only a direction and even that was iffy at best. “Do you have an idea?” Val asked. “ we have to leave and we're the only ones left. I know the way, but i am not good with traversing the forests and mountains. I know you are. We can share food and help each other.” he spoke, trying to get everything out. “you want me to come along?” Val questioned, some honest curiosity coming forth. Getting a nod of confirmation from Blake. “... which direction is your town?” Val asked a little slowly. Possibly considering the idea still while she did so. “past the mountains.” he said, pointing the way he came from. “... I don't know the landscape far out that way. I do know this way and there is a town far out there.” she explained, pointing in the total opposite direction. Blakes heart sunk a bit at the news. Then grew fearful at going off in a direction known only to Val. Despite him not really knowing his own way, he felt safer heading the way he wanted. Who knows if Val was telling the truth. for all he knew she was leading him to a secret secondary group of heretics that survived. “uh, I don't know that direction. If we head my way we can make it to a town in a few days.” he lied, both to Val and himself. “there is no town that close. I don't know that way well, but I have on rare occasions been out there. If your town is past the mountain, you'll have to cross the gorge there and I know we cannot cross it. We'd have to go around and I am not sure how far it spans.” Val stated. Blake swallowed thickly as he thought for a moment. “what if she's lying, what if there is no gorge and its just to make me follow her? But I really have no idea of the way out there. What if we take days to the gorge and then have to track back?” he thought with anxiety back and forth. “... how far is the town that way?” Blake asked hesitantly. “about a month.” Val answered. “ a month?!” Blake said a little loudly in shock. “depending on how much the recent storm has twisted the land. Could be more.” Val added. “ … I need help gathering pumpkins. For food on the travel, they're safe to eat right?” Blake asked. “yes, if you find the few that are not rotten inside.” Val answered. “follow me, we can go down a trail the strangers don't go by.” Val said with a gesture for Blake to follow. Blake hesitantly watched her walk off for a moment. Debating if he should follow and again on whether or not heading out with her was was a good idea. He really had no other plan while needing Val to navigate for him. He was stuck with her no matter what with no other option. He'd have to get used to following her at some point. Although being around her for possibly a month was a shock to him. He could barely stand the idea of being around her for a week. What was he going to do? He swallowed thickly down his dry throat before walking at a fast pace to catch up. Following Val into a dark deep ditch filled with a small amount of mud with the surrounding dirt walls covered in dead branches or dry ferns. As they walked the deep dark ditch slowly grew more shallow. Raising them back up to the more level dry ground by the fields. Getting out by the empty corn stalks to pass by for the pumpkin patch. “okay, we need like a months worth of seeds to eat. So grab any big ones you can and we'll take them back to that boat hidden campfire.” Blake explained awkwardly as he looked about the field. “the big ones are all rotten.” Val spoke before looking over toward the smaller ones. “how do you know?” he asked, looking over them and seeing nothing wrong. “the vines to them are all dead. Bugs must have ate the roots, that means they probably ate at the pumpkins as well.” Val explained as she separated a small pumpkin from the green vines. “hmm.” Blake hummed in disbelief. The pumpkins looked perfectly fine from what he saw. He picked up one of the large pumpkins. Hearing a second later a slopping noise. He looked down to see the whole bottom of the pumpkin was rotten and falling out. Some kind of beetle flowing out of the bottom from the infested middle. “ech!” Blake said as he dropped the pumpkin to furiously wipe off the crawlers. The whole thing smashing easily into a mush pile with beetles spreading out from it. “i told you.” Val chuckled, having a small armful of pumpkins. “yeah, how do you know these are not poisoned like the rotten apples?” Blake questioned angrily. “the beatles, there still alive.” Val answered calmly at Blakes aggression. Blake grumbled to himself. He knew collecting seeds from little pumpkins would take forever to gather a months worth. He continued checking all the big ones. Managing to find a couple that the beatles had just started nibbling on. He dusted the nuisances off his two prizes. Ready to head for the campfire. Allowing Val to lead the way as he was too turned around while traveling the darkness. Blake felt a little more at ease once they were back underground by the fire pit. He hated being so close to the strangers while out in the open. However there was still the fact of Val being overly close. Val sat by the fire pit filled with ashes and started preparing another fire. Meanwhile Blake sat on the opposite side of the fire by the pumpkins. After Val got the fire going Blake began carving into the pumpkins with the metal shard he kept. With Val watching unnervingly close to what he was doing. Her expression turned to confusion as she watched him gut out the pumpkin and carefully try to save the insides. “what?” he asked with a glare. No longer liking to be stared at. “why are you preparing it like that?” she asked. “so I can save the guts and the seeds.” he stated with a bit of confusion toward her. “why save the guts? Why don't you cut it in half? It's easier to peel that way.” Val spoke with confusion about how Blake was tackling the pumpkin. “i don't know how to cook pumpkin. Just the seeds and the guts.” he said with a grumble as he continued. “for the most part.” he thought to himself. “... you don't know how to prepare a pumpkin?” Val asked, confused as how a grown man doesn't know how to prepare a basic vegetable. “no. I never worked with pumpkins.” he grumbled as he angrily carved into the next pumpkin. His body tensed up as Val sat by him to grab the open, gutted , pumpkin he put to the side. “pumpkins are usually one of the first things were taught to prepare and grow. Same with making them dried for storage through the winter months.” Val said as she sat nearby with the pumpkin in her lap. Taking out a long knife hidden from inside one of her long sleeves. The sight of the knife having Blake go a bit pale. Now he was intently watching Vals movements. Watching the knife carefully as she sliced through the pumpkin. When she started peeling the skin off Blake uncomfortably scooted as far as he could away. Trying to avoid her attention being brought on him. Val paid no attention to him, only on the pumpkin she was peeling. Flicking out left over gut pieces into the fire. Filling the small space with a nice pumpkin scent. Blakes attention was split between his pumpkins and Val. Being paranoid about her having that knife. He would prefer she had no weapons at all. Then again she didn't really need weapons to be threatening. “so how is it that the pumpkins were not poisoned?” he asked, trying to get his mind off the knife. “different water supply. Apples got the river while pumpkins lived off the rain.” Val said as she carved the peeled pumpkin into thin strips and setting them on a large stone she pushed close to the fire. Taking the next gutted pumpkin Blake pushed over to her. The smaller pumpkins were a lot easier to get through. “looks like this might just be enough if we ration it right.” Blake said as he shifted the huge pile of cooking seeds. Looking over at the multiple rocks covered with slices of pumpkin. They were quickly drying into nice dark orange sticks about the size of a long pea pod. Once all the pumpkins were taken care of there was awkward silence filling the void. Besides Blake shifting the cooking seeds or Val turning the dried pumpkin pieces over. “we should sleep now so we're prepared to walk tomorrow.” Val said while moving to lay away from the fire. “ill watch the food.” Blake said as an excuse. He didn't want to sleep anywhere around Val with that knife. “it will be fine. We should rest together, keep each other warm.” Val spoke with a smile toward Blake. “ill sleep later.” Blake said while swallowing down his stomach to avoid being sick. “you have to sleep. We'll be doing a lot of walking.” Val said. “ill deal with it fine.” Blake said a little agitated. “very well.” Val said as she dropped the subject. Turning over so her back was facing Blake and the fire. He let out a exhausted sigh as he shifted the cooking seeds again. He was exhausted, but his anxiety far too high to sleep, especially next to her. He waited and waited till he was sure she was asleep before pulling out knoths journal again. Quickly flipping through to where he was.

_______________________________________ “1997, September 7th Val has definitely grown in grace despite the harsh start of his life. I have been watching him speak to the flock with such ease that even I have grown jealous of. But tonight that changes as I will soon own that power of voice. Years after drilling into the others that Val is male the time has come to promote him as deacon. Soon I'll have my own holy trinity to guide my loyal flock. Tonight is the ceremony that I will happily lead. Now I just need Marta to make space for Val. Move some of the ill or remove a few I suspect as sinners. Usually the ceremony is a week after a young boys 12th birthday, but I wanted to move forward as soon as possible. Having the ceremony go forward on the day of Vals birth. Who knew something I once saw as a curse would become a weapon of mine? God must have given me this gift after so many of my prayers I believed were unheard. I shall never doubt again what the lords path lay for me. I must also say that Vals looks have matured well as he's grown older. Maybe this is a second gift to me from the lord. Val will surely be one of my favorites to call for bed. After all I must share my special love with all of my flock and this must be a special christening.”

__________________________________________ Blake had his mouth covered in disgust. He barely saw Knoth, but he knew him well from all his gospel writings. This action was no different and shouldn't have surprised Blake so much that he was this vile even so many years ago. “val was only 12. she probably suffered years of sexual abuse under Knoth. Believing it to be for her own good.” he thought. Wishing a bit now that he wouldn't have let Knoth die from a slit throat. After everything he should have just strangled him to death. Even then that probably wouldn't be a punishment worthy of calling it justice. “if the journal is right this would be incest too. No surprise as that mite be the reason of Vals deformity. The lack of fertility being a good thing in this case. Who knows how many spawn have been born and tortured in this hell.” he thought as he closed the journal. Not having the stomach to read any more or really wanting to touch the thing. He grabbed some more wood and tossed it into the fire. Shifting things with a long branch. Moving the now cooked seeds into the bag he had. The pumpkin slices needing still a good few hours to remove all the liquid in them. He leaned back against the dirt wall. Looking over to Val to watch her breath. An idea to sneak the knife off her coming to mind. He slowly shifted over to look first. Seeing the tip of the knife just sticking out of her sleeve. He carefully moved his hand over to try and reach the blades tip. Snapping his hand to his chest after Val shot up. A large boom having scared the both of them. Val quickly got to her feet and went out the tunnel to the boat entrance. Followed soon after by Blake who was nervous to see as well.

_______________________________________ Meanwhile. The men stood from behind there shields. The detonated dynamite decimating a whole building to rubble. “that's one down. Set the second charge on building B and C!” one of the more armored guards called. Picking out the radio from his hip holster. “demolitions going smooth on site A. still no townspeople seen. If their hiding in a building we'll get them. Although i am pretty sure the gun crew did a thorough sweep.” the officer called in. a crackling noise being made from his jaw as he spoke. “I'm sure they did, but I want to be confident 100% that there are no survivors.” a women's voice spoke from the other end. “i asked the 2nd clean up crew while they were leaving and they said the same thing-” the man started before being interrupted. “2nd clean up crew? There was only one sent on site.” “well, we didn't see another team. But clean up said another team did some cleaning first. Big piles of bodies found burned.” the man explained with a pop of his jaw snapping in place. “no, it's impossible. there were no other clean up crews. Someone else is out there and you better find them. Or find out what idiots broke protocol or it will be your ass in the burning pile next.” the women angrily snapped. “yes mam.” the officer ended. His jaw crackling again. “hey, higher ups are looking for blood on who broke protocol! So I suggest one of you give me a name!” the armored man roared out to all the other officers. Holding his jaw to avoid it slipping too far out of place. Many of the men scrambled to get out of the man's sight to avoid blame. If that didn't work somebody was going to have their name thrown out as a scapegoat. “fucking idiots.” the man growled to himself. Slipping the radio back into his belt. He blew off a layer of dust that had settled on his dark uniform. Thick black pants containing many pockets with a leather heavy duty belt hanging over them. Tucked under the belt was a thick black fabric shirt hidden mostly by gloved arm braces and a bullet proof vest. Adorning each shoulder were patches with a blue white logo of a strange M. along with one mostly scratched off on a black mask hiding the lower half of his face. Hiding away most of the damage done to his face besides the deep scaring going over his scalp that prevented hair from regrowing. A nasty reminder of what happens when you went off on your own in a Murkoff experiment containment. Some parts of scaring getting dangerously close to one of his bright emerald green eyes mixed with flecks of cold silver. The man began to walk in search over the area. A hunting eye for anyone speaking in whispers or out of line in what Murkoff commands. “Someone broke the Murkoff command, couldn't have been a survivor.” he thought. Stopping mid step as he tripped over something. After catching himself from totally falling he looked back toward the ground in agitation. Curiosity taking over at the strange mud covered object. “metal?” he thought at the sight of something shiny. Grabbing the object to shake the mud off for a better look. His eyes of curiosity turning into a dark glare at the realization he was holding a camera. Seeing the sticker informing him it was water proof he tried turning the device on. The small screen lighting up with a half full battery. “what idiots brought this here?” he thought, going to the start of the recording. Glaring as the recording played a women speaking of the Jane doe case. “reporters.” the man growled before slamming the camera down and stomping it thoroughly to bits. “we have a breach in the walls.” the man spoke into his radio. “They're panicking over something.” Val said as the two watched from the rotten boat. Seeing the flash lights swarm out from the town area. “about what, the explosion?” Blake asked. “no, that was probably them. I think they may have found out about one of us. They're really searching now.” Val answered. Some flashlights getting closer to their entrance. “you look left and i'll look to the right!” one officer yelled to two others. The small search group splitting off into singles. “get ready to leave.” Val spoke as she took out her knife. “what, no?! Put that away they'll just pass over!” Blake argued. Both going silent and ducking as the light waved over the rotten boat. Hovering back onto it with the steps growing closer. Val and Blake staying down with Blakes heart jumping into his throat as the boat was lifted by the officer. Before the boat could be entirely raised. Val stabbed right through the man's foot yanking him off his feet to drag him down underneath. Blake panicked as he stumbled back away from the two fighting. Before the officer could fully register what was happening Val quickly sunk the knife into his throat. Quickly killing him without so much as a scream escaping the dying man. “fuck, you killed him!” Blake exclaimed in shock. “it was him or us. Grab what you can we have to leave.” Val stated as she looked out for any others approaching. “a-alright.” Blake nodded, heading to grab any of the dried pumpkin that looked ready. He was hoping death was behind him, but apparently not. He knew she was right in what she did. He lifted up the boat, discovering them with their hideout. He had to be taken out or they would have been exposed to the strangers. Most of the pumpkin pieces were ready. Being quickly scooped into the seed bag. The pieces that were still raw or wet had to be abandoned. Blake met back with Val at the entrance. Her gesturing him to follow as they got out to run from the hiding spot. Blake following without his usual mistrust of Val. Right now he had a bigger issue following both of them. He was sure that Val wouldn't take the time to turn on him and risk her own life as they ran. After who knows how long Blake had to stop running. His chest tightening up painfully with his breathing becoming dangerously difficult. “val, Val.” he spoke between wheezing and coughing. Stopping to lean against a nearby tree. Val only got a little ahead before seeing him stopping at the tree. “we're not far enough.” Val spoke to him urgently. Stopping when she realized the breathing issue he was having. Blake grew dizzy and slid down against the tree to the floor. this was one of the few times he needed his inhaler. He never needed it before until Templegate came into his life. Then again this is the first ever point in time he really ran. The last time he ever needed an inhaler was when he was a young boy. He never had an issue since then. On all his reporting jobs he only had to run 10 feet to a car at most. “whats wrong with you?” Val asked, concern seeming to come from her voice, but Blake didn't buy it. Just as he was beginning to catch his breath he freaked out as Vals hand went under his neck. He smacked her hand away from him. Standing up partially half way against the tree ready to defend himself. “if your injured let me see.” Val stated to him, coming closer again. “i am fine!” he wheezed out with a glare. Keeping his arm out in front of him to keep space between them. “why are you breathing like that?” Val asked. “its asthma.” he said, finally catching his breath again. “asthma?” Val said with confusion. “yes, but i am better now. So let's keep moving.” he said. going around her to continue moving forward. Val didn't stop him to talk further on what happened. The two running again for a time before Blakes asthma locked up his breathing again. “what happens with asthma?” Val asked, not in a hurry any more as they were far into the forest now. “complicates breathing.” he wheezed while leaning against another tree. “how?” she asked. “it closes them off, even when I breath in. It's just how my lungs work.” he started, taking deep breaths toward the sky. “can you take anything in at all?” she continued questioning. “why do you want to know?” he questioned back with suspicion. His breathing returning to normal. “to know how it works.” she said. “you never had anybody with breathing problems?” Blake asked. “they had to have had SOMEone with a breathing issue.” he thought. “i knew some children who couldn't breath most the time, but they were sent to the scalled.” Val answered. Beginning to walk forward after Blake seemed fit again to move. “makes sense.” he mumbled. “with a disease break out going on they were probably paranoid of every cough and sneeze.” he thought as he followed. “can it spread?” Val asked. “no, its genetic. ... Brought down through family. Like eye colors or hair and things … like that.” he answered, going off a bit on trying to explain genetics in a simple way. “does it do anything else besides harming breathing?” she continued questioning the subject. “no. there's nothing else. It doesn't cause blisters or wounds … like knoths disease.” Blake explained, realizing where Vals worry may have been placed. Thinking he was infected like the scalled or something worse. Which reminded him he should take one of those pills he has. He grabbed a bottle from his pocket and quickly took two pills. Returning the bottle back into his pocket. “why do you have those?” Val quickly questioned at the sight of the recognizable medicine. “a precaution.” Blake stated. “for what, what do they do?!” Val questioned more, paranoia entering her tone. “they keep me from getting sick by-” Blake started. “diseases?!” she interrupted. “no, no, just injury!” Blake said. Hiding the fact he maybe sick with something. Sickness being a terrifying thing in Templegate. “give me one then.” Val demanded. Blake hesitated for a moment. He needed the pills much more then her with his injuries. But having her not abandon him out of disease paranoia is even more important. He quickly got out two pills and gave them without an argument. Val quickly swallowing down the pills before continuing on. “... so where are we heading?” Blake asked. They had to stop eventually on their month long journey. “find the second river and follow it to a cavern. we can rest there till morning. Then we'll move again.” Val said. “how far mite the river be?” he asked. “not far now. I can hear it ahead. The cavern mite be a day of walking.” Val said. The sounds of the river slowly growing louder as they walked. “the water will be safe to drink in the cavern. So get your fill when we reach it.” Val said as they began following the flowing water. “the rivers safe, but not filtered through the cavern stone.” Val added. “whys this river safe?” he asked. “its upstream from the strangers building. There's no poison flowing through this part of the river.” she said. “do you know what the strangers are here for?” he asked. “no. they came many years ago. I lived in the wilderness for a time and saw them beginning to build. I tried to see what they were doing, but was shot at. After that i just tried to avoid them. I never saw them again till now.” Val spoke of the encounter as she carefully walked over shifting gravel on a steep river edge. Stopping when Blake slipped into the thigh deep water. “fuck, geeze!” Blake gasped out with surprise as half his body was thrown into cold deep water. Quickly scrambling out by grabbing a few thick tree roots. “you alright?” Val quietly laughed and Blakes shocked reaction. “ F-freezing cold!” he shivered angrily as he was laughed at. “the desert air will keep you warm.” Val said with a hum forward. “i-it isn't warm at night!” he shivered, trying to wring out the water from his soaked pants. “well, guess there a little cleaner then before.” he thought as he drained the water.

_______________________________________ Meanwhile “damn. There's definitely more survivors.” the head officer spoke as he looked over the hidden camp. Once hidden under the rotting row boat. The bloody dead body of a Murkoff employee laying inside like a dug grave. “looks like they were making food here sir.” one officer said as he appeared out from the tunnel. “fuck. There gonna try to escape here.” the head officer growled with his jaw crackling. “what should we do officer wicker?” the offer asked as he climbed out of the hidden ditch. “i have to call this in to the CEO. She's not gonna be happy about this.” wicker spoke as he pulled out his radio. “while I do this, burn that body and fill this thing in.” he commended his lower officers with a crack of his jaw.

#outlast 2 #blake langermann #val outlast

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