#then change the gryphon mouth

[bad-rper]

the freakshow found a ghost bird

Magdal Fogeye belongs to @fog-eye

Stimmy Castfuse is starred by @bestwarlock

#ren'dorei #void elf #night elf #kaldorei #gnome #warcraft #art #holy shit #i had to upload this 10 times #then change the gryphon mouth #because tumblr cannot parse between a bird beak #and something worse #Thanfred Veilborne

[sashi-ya]

𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐓𝐎𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟑 DAY 25: HAKI Shanks 𝘹 F! 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

Requested by: @bookandyarndragon ➡ Hi Sashi,  May I please have haki play with Shanks and an Afab reader who also has all three types of haki for Kinktober? Sort with of some give and take peting ans stroqking with Haki as well a domination. tw: mdni. usage of haki to fight and sexually. dominating shanks. breathe play. masturbation. vag. wc: 1k masterlist

In strength and power, you could say both were almost equal; however Shanks has always made you weaker…

It is fun enough to fight with him, using your swords and innate powers. It is pretty destructive, however, for the environment; either on the ship or on a random island, there is always a trail of devastation when you are finished.

“No, stop you two. Go fight on the beach, no more on the ship!” Benn scolds both of you, kicking you out of the Red Force. Shanks might be the captain, but Benn is like a mother.

“Either way you are gonna lose tonight” you mock Shanks, jumping to the shore right from the railing.

The red-haired laughs, and soon as you land on the sand, he does the same.

You run, unsheathing your sword to start the fight. Shanks, who can be a very honourable fighter, isn’t with you and attacks you by your back.

It is your observation Haki what alarms you, and your armament Haki what protects your shoulder from his blade -and of course Shanks holding back his force-.

“Traitor! You are attacking me from behind now? how dare you? Coward!” you turn around, hitting Gryphon’s edge with yours.

The brawling extends its length for more than twenty minutes, and, when you two become disarmed, it’s time to fight with your own hands… however, there are no fists involves but rather looks.

Eyes on fire fix into the other’s, a power that reaches the extents of the island and perhaps even further. It is invisible, but it can be felt; some pass out, others feel dizzy… both of you, like falling into a dark pit, with no oxygen and no light… but still standing still with no visible changes.

“I can leave you breathless, you know that?” Shanks brags about his unmeasurable power.

“You might, but I can still live with no air” you answer, feeling like invisible hands surround your neck and squeeze harder each second it passes.

Shanks smirks and allows his shirt to be fully opened as he walks slowly towards you. He seems not to be bothered by the constant usage of his emperors Haki, while you lose concentration.

Your knees become weak, and your legs are unable to hold your weight. You fall to the ground, but his strong embrace surrounds you before you could do so.

“Does my enemy here require some mouth to mouth to keep going?” he murmurs, holding your almost limp body with his arm.

You blink… “motherfucker… you won because you are too sexy, even to me” you grunt, before he could plaster his lips against yours.

Soon, his tongue takes advantage of your lazy one. You were still dizzy, suspecting that he didn’t stop using conquerors Haki at all. You let him do as he please, after all, your fights always end up this way… either Shanks lets your Haki make him dizzy or you do; in any case both always end up tangled in a lustful session of brutal sex.

He carries you, while kissing, towards the back of a big rock. The waves hit the surface and some water filters and wets the sand beneath. You don’t mind, he doesn’t either. Your sweating bodies are pleased to feel refreshed, nevertheless.

With your back resting on the rock, you take a deep breath. “Shanks… stop it.. I can’t breathe” you plead, feeling the crushing pressure of an irrational force that can’t be seen but of course can be felt.

“I am not using my conqueror’s babe… what are you talking about?” he lies, enjoying the way your eyes go white from time to time.

“You are… I know… you are” you huff, coating your fist in armament Haki to hit his abs. You can’t hurt him; you don’t even have the strength to do so.

He scoffs, attacking your neck with kisses and bites. “You are strong… why don’t you show me how much you could resist while I fuck you?” he whispers in your ear, sucking on your earlobe after.

You shiver. He can be dominating in so many ways, one of them is by overpowering you… but also, guiding you to the most submissive states you could ever think of. None of them are because of his Haki, however, but because you are naturally weak to his tempting demeanours.

And as competitive as you can be, but also needy and desperate to please him, you accept the challenge… “fuck me and don’t hold back, I will show you I can give you pleasure as much as I can take the force of your will”

“Very well… if you keep training like this, you will become a Yonko like me… now, where should I start… maybe, let’s see… touching you here?” he laughs, sliding his hand inside your pants and reaching for your sex.

Playful fingers, totally trained, slide in between your labia and land on your throbbing clit. He plays with how wet the surface is, slippery texture perfect to masturbate.

You wish it was easier, but at the same time being under his total domination tells you it’s totally worth it to feel like your world spins around in circles.

Moaning in silence, feeling like fainting and your core like exploding. Shanks slides his fingers now, deep inside your walls. You clench to them, even if your legs would not respond and neither your arms will…

But his fingers aren’t of course enough, and he wants more. And so do you.

“You are a monster… what are you, Shanks?” you mumble, with tunnel vision now and cold sweat running through your temples. His will, his power, his haki is beyond strong… he is not like the others, he is not a common human, he might be as well some type of God, some type of Seraphim.

He smirks, and perhaps he is not an angel, but a demon… “Am I…? are you already delirious, babe?” Shanks scoffs, lifting your weightless body up.

Your legs fall wide open as you lay on top of that rock, where the moonlight bathes you in silver hues and the waves crashing on the shore splash your back.

Shanks crawls on top of you, with his capri pants pulled down and his hardness out. Him, ready and effortlessly imprinting in your body and soul his haki, penetrates you unceremoniously and ruthlessly.

You are able to gasp, thankful for the air filling your lungs. Shanks Conqueror’s Haki is different from the rest… if he usually leaves people breathless, when he indeed uses it, oxygen seems to vanish from the whole atmosphere.

And so much he moves in and out of you, that you can only hear his grunts and little sighs… the blood in your ears, and the blurry vision, your pale blue lips, your trembling muscles…

He has conquered you; your body; your will… your climax and even beyond. You, had conquered him, as well… his will, his climax, and everything beyond…

taglist: @stephisokay @henrioo @shuzuiikoiii @bullbonez @fengxinwifutobecalled @i-started-reading-fanfics-at12 @crimsonlikeshellsing @weebare808 @thestarwasborn @bookandyarndragon @cyberdazetragedy @uzxotic @fushiguroshotwife 💖🙆‍♀️

#shanks #akagami no shanks #shanks x reader #shanks x you #one piece x reader #shanks one piece #shanks hc #kinktober 2023 #one piece x y/n #one piece #one piece shanks #shanks headcanons #hentober #shanks x y/n #red haired shanks #kinktober #shanks imagine #sashi ya #one piece x you #one piece x oc #sashi-ya #shanks smut #kinktober 23

[luxudus]

Dragons in a Trail of Cryptids

I don't care if this technically was posted in march i uploaded it to deviant art in time this is a february art post lmfao. This was meant to be a birthday gift for @jennywolfgal and her other project Trail of Cryptids. Enjoy!!!

   The world of Trail of Cryptids explores an evolutionary history for life on earth. One in which the beasts of our folklore are more fact than fiction. Cryptids and mythological creatures exist and evolved naturally through both expected and unexpected origins. 

One such group of organisms are the legendary dragons of countless tales of our world. Here they only recently diversified, but their ancestry dates all the way back to the beginning of the triassic.

    Their earliest ancestor was a third offshoot of the Avemetatarslians, the same group of archosaurs that gave rise to the dinosaurs and pterosaurs. Ancient Silesaur-like Paradrakoans lived under their brothers’ shadows for the entire mesozoic period. Only scraping by through the smallest niches and farthest corners of the world like the equally unfortunate mammals.

    Once the asteroid hit the earth 66 million years ago and wiped out the dinosaurs and pterosaurs. Only 2 representatives of this once great clade remained. Birds, and a single paradrakoan. A small burrower classified as Fodermasaurus superstes, cheekily named by paleontologists as the spug. 

     It took a long time for the Drakoans to grow their wings and spread it. At first climbing trees and making burrows, then gliding to ease the falls from the canopy. Then longer webbing on the hands to change direction. And finally learned to flap them to gain height. Countless now dead lineages, finally producing the first Drakoan over 40 million years ago during earth’s late eocene.

    Nowadays the Drakoans are a fairly small group. They only consist of roughly 1,116 species. A far cry from their far more successful avian cousins. But nonetheless a monumental achievement relative to their entire evolutionary history.

    Some common traits that distinguish the Drakoans from other vertebrates are developed egg-teeth that some species retain well into adulthood. Large auricles or external ears, Keratin horns. And most notably powered flight, evolving independently from their avian cousins. 

    We’ll start out with the order Avidrakoa. An order of Drakoans unique for possessing fully developed beaks derived from their egg teeth. And a unique wing structure made more out of fur bristles than a tough skin membrane. The Avidrakoans first split the moment the class as a whole first evolved powered flight. Allowing their wings to be this derived

    They are not too common, numbering in 148 species in total. Most of which are split between basal bipeds such as thunderbirds and the more derived quadrupeds which include griffins.

    The species here is an actual griffin. Gryphon tropicus to be exact. They are apex predators of the rainforests of indonesia. Their deep warm coloration and disruptive stripe conceal them in the forest scenery to ambush prey. And their powered flight lets them hop across islands, making them not only a formidable predator, but a widespread one too.

    The most famous members of the Drakoan class are the Eudrakoans, the true dragons. They are characterized by their strong parenting mentalities and a natural ability to breathe fire. Through 4 orifices in the corners of their mouth they spew out a liquid biofuel into the path of a similarly regurgitated and highly reactive gas, igniting the fuel into a stream of flaming liquid. 

    They are the most widespread group of dragons, totalling at 447 different species. Most species are either small sprawling quadrupeds such as the European forest dragon to erect striding quadrupeds like the legendary Eurasian mountain Tsar

    The species representing the True Dragons. Megaloros thereusicthys is a close relative to the Eurasian mountain Tsar. Although unlike their apex cousin this species is a wading piscivore. Using their stilted legs to practically hover over the water and their flexible necks to pluck fish out of the rivers they tread through.

    Next up is the order Wyverna, a group of Drakoans distinguished by the development of poison laced quills found in certain places along the body. All interconnected to a set of poison glands in the upper mandible. These glands oddly enough share the same ancestry as the biofuel tanks in the Eudrakoans. And a stiffer wing structure making them obligate bipeds

    They are the second most common order of dragons. Numbering at 335 documented species. Including the cockatrice surprising many.

    The species pictured here is Ouranodyno chrysokephale. A generalist omnivore with a generalist range across Mexico with a rather extravagant hunting method. They dive-bomb towards their prey and catch them with their mouths. More as showmanship for mates than an actual means to survive. They also have extravagant coloration to warn would-be attackers of their poisonous tail quill that could kill a bison in under a minute

    The order Neosauria is in a way, a twisted mirror of the beasts of the past. They are notable for a complete lack of wings. Reduced horns and aurica. But are most unique for their Theropod-like body plan as a consequence for their ancestor and their stiffer wings like their wyvern cousins.

    They are a very rare order, the rarest order of dragons in fact. There are only about 62 species documented. Most of them are found across africa as smaller generalists. But a few can get big enough to recapture what the original dinosaurs had lost

    Representing the Neosaurians, the Kasaii asymneter is a south african desert dwelling relative to the legendary Kasaii rex of the southern congo rainforest. They are both pursuit hunters and act relatively similar. The main difference is the prey selection and differenc coloration.

    And finally there is the order Wurmiza, the most derived group of dragons recorded. They are distinguished by a near complete lack of hind legs. Fully internalized ears, a streamlined annelid-from body plan, and aquatic to semi-aquatic lifestyle. They are the 2nd rarest order of dragons. Consisting of only 124 documented species. Consisting of the smaller seafaring Ladons and the larger Oceanic sea Serpents.The species used to represent the Wyrms, Pachaktevenator horribilis. Is a medium sized sea serpent found in the Indian ocean. They are notable for their extreme aggression and their mating season being spent on the beach. Draconian elephant seals if you will.

#speculative zoology #spec bio #speculative biology #my art #artist on tumblr #art #worldbuilding #dragon art #year of the dragon #wyvern #creature #creature art

[justallihere]

Powerful Violet is so hot, I am no better than Xaden 😮‍💨

Wonderful chapter. The angst hurts so good😭 Violet missing Xaden without even having all of him, not being able to sleep without him and acknowledging she doesn’t want to be hurt and angry all the time 🥺 she has severe trust issues thanks to Dain and she just needs more time.

Xaden coming through and inviting her to the meeting with the fliers is huge. He’s committed to earning her trust back and I love that. He’s a little touch starved and I’m sad for him. I need his thought process for the following scenes:

- finding her asleep in the library

- watching her with Tairn and Andarna before going to Athebyne

- while she tore cat a new one

Andarna thrashing in her harness is so funnnnny😭 Tairn knew she’d end up with a gryphon in her mouth in 0.2 seconds

I think Bodhi is the only person in Aretia not in the Violet Sorrengail fan club and I need that to change! I need Xaden to realize she stole all of his friends and they would choose her in the divorce (not literally). I always picture him as the easy going version of Xaden with a sarcastic and dark sense of humour. Idk he gives those vibes.

Cannnnot wait for the heist next chapter. It was one of the best parts of IF. I like this version of the characters more and Cam is so funny. He knows Xaden is in love with Violet and I’m excited to see how far he’s willing to push him now that he knows Violet will protect him😂

powerful-and-knows-it Violet is the hottest Violet without a doubt!!

She definitely isn’t giving up on her and Xaden and is slowly admitting to herself what he means to her. And he’s proving that he can be what she needs immediately by telling her about this meeting with the fliers

Xaden in the library + watching her with the dragons is just trying to deal with the distance between them. Him and Sgaeyl both are in pretty bad moods and I imagine, like Tairn and Violet, they kind of feed off of each other, especially since they’re in the same boat right now. Watching her with Cat was just straight up pride—not shock, of course Violet can take care of herself, but just the way she’s stepping into her role as queen is something he enjoys watching

Andarna 😭😭 she definitely would’ve killed someone for insulting Vi if Tairn wasn’t there

Bodhi’s not not in the Violet fan club, they just haven’t been around each other very much yet. Don’t worry, he’ll be firmly on Team Violet soon

#storm in the quiet

[shipmistress9]

Stranger In The Woods

Fandom: Fourth Wing - The Empyrean

Pairing: Xaden/Violet - Riorgail

Rating: Explicit

Summary: What if Tyrrendor's rebellion was successful? What if Xaden became a Gryphon flier instead of a Dragon rider? What if the bond that tethered Violet and him together still existed?

Sometimes, the attraction one feels toward a stranger--an enemy even--can be too strong to resist. Or... is it all just a game?

@kinktober2023 or on AO3

. o O o .

There’s the sound of a twig cracking, and I freeze. I hold my breath when I see him entering the clearing, my back is pressed against the tree behind me, my rider boots safely placed on one of its thicker branches. The foliage keeps me hidden just enough so he doesn’t spot me up here.

My lips pull into a snarl when I recognise the stranger. Although, stranger might be the wrong word; we’ve met too often for that. He wears the typical outfit of a gryphon flier, brown leathers that fit their beast’s colouring, two swords strapped to his back, and a set of daggers in his hands. Too bad he’s too smart to burden himself with the longer blades amidst the thick underbrush.

When he’s right below me, I jump down, praying that my ankles won’t give out on me. But the chance of finally getting rid of him is just too good.

However, at the last moment, right before my dagger rips open his arm, he spins, and all I hit is air. He stares at me, baffled for just a fraction of a second, then takes a defensive stance. “You again!” he snarls. “So there’s rats in these woods, after all. But tell me, why is it always you? Are you stalking me?”

I let out a harsh laugh. “Yeah, I bet you’d like that, you conceited ass.” I take a step to the side, hoping for an opening to strike, but he moves with me. Annoying prick.

It’s always like this, every time we meet. I didn’t look for him, only tried to glean some information about our enemies. Ever since Tyrrendor rebelled against the kingdom of Navarre and became an independent supporter of Poromiel a few years ago, they’ve been a thorn in our side, and many riders regularly get sent across the border to look for ways to reconquer our lost lands. But how it is that I run into this flier every single time is beyond me. It’s as if there’s a bond between us, fate tethering us together so we’re drawn to each other, or something. And it’s annoying as hell.

Not that I would mind if he were just anyone else. With dark skin over an incredibly muscled body, black eyes, black hair that seems to be the only soft part of him, and that perfectly chiselled jaw and mouth, he’s easily the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. If things were different and we were on the same side of this war, I’d gladly climb this man like a tree at every given opportunity.

But as it is, we are enemies, and nothing will ever change that.

I feint a step to the right, then strike left, hoping to catch him off guard. But the ass saw my move coming and parries me easily.

“You should learn some new moves.” He smirks. “Else, I might get the impression you don’t really want to hurt me after all.”

I growl. Close combat has never been my strong suit, but against this guy, I really need to up my game. I try again and again, direct hits, hidden ones, switching as much as I can between what my instructors taught me. But he dodges or parries every one of my strikes, and I have to fight to not let my annoyance guide my moves.

“Is that really all you’ve got?” He didn’t even break a sweat. “Pathetic.”

Then he makes his move, and before I know it, he’s behind me, his blade at my throat and my arms pinned to my sides with the way he holds me.

Fuck!

I wait for the silent movement, for my vision to turn dark and my blood to spill to the ground—but it never comes.

“Aren’t you going to kill me?” I snarl, trembling with anticipating his next move.

His grip around me tightens, but the blade stays where it is. “Not if I don’t have to.”

I huff a sharp laugh. “And what else are you going to do to me?” I know the answer already, it’s the same every damn time.

“I want you to listen,” he hisses into my ear, and I shiver.

I hate how my body reacts to being close to him. Fantasising about this asshole in the depth of the night is one thing, but out here, I have to be professional. I can’t grind back into him, can’t enjoy the touch of his rough hands on my skin, mustn’t imagine how his calloused fingers would feel rasping over my nipples.

I lean back against his chest, and when he lowers his defences for a fraction of a second, I spin out of his hold, my daggers at the ready again. “Listen to what?” I spit. “Your fairy tales about imaginary monsters attacking our world? You really must be dumb as shit if you believe even for a moment that—”

I strike before I finish the sentence. This time, I do catch him by surprise, feinting first left, then right, then kicking his knees out from under him. I’m on him before he even hits the ground, and even though he throws me off and is back on his feet in a heartbeat, he’s too slow. A thin red line appears on his right cheekbone, and his eyes widen.

“You little bitch,” he growls.

I smirk at my triumph but don’t get time to fully enjoy it as he switches to the offence now. It’s all I can do to dodge his attacks, stumbling backwards across the clearing. Fuck, he’s fast.

My back hits a tree, hard, but my outcry gets cut off when, for the second time in too few minutes, a blade gets pressed against my throat.

“You will regret that,” he snarls. He’s close now, his entire body pressed against my own, pinning me in place. But even if I was able to move, I’m not sure I could. Not with his chest pressing against my breasts, with his knee between my thighs, holding my legs in place, and his hips grinding into me. Not when I feel a hardness poking against my lower belly where none should be and when heat pools low in my stomach.

My eyes are blown wide as I gaze up at him, dumbfounded. Is he as attracted to me as I am to him? What does that mean? I take a moment to look at him, really look, and notice the oddest details. Like the golden flecks in his onyx-black eyes or the thin scar that crosses his left eyebrow. The perfectly carved lips.

He’s so. Fucking. Beautiful.

My eyes flicker up to his and for a moment, the whole world around us seems to drop out of existence. There’s only him and me and a mutual understanding, a question and an answer.

With a low thud, his dagger lands on the grassy ground, but neither of us pays it any mind as he wraps his hands around my cheeks and we kiss.

Heat flares, low in my belly then in my entire body, surging through me. I reach for him, pull him closer, as close as I can. His tongue pushes into my mouth, demandingly, and I mewl, my hips grinding against him and my hands clinging to his back. Fuck, this is everything. More than I ever imagined, more than any kiss has a right to be. Our tongues glide together, teeth clashing with how fierce the kiss grows. Desperate, even.

He pulls back as quickly as he leaned in, eyes blown with want and confusion. We’re both gasping for air, staring at each other, and I think I can see my own thoughts whirling mirrored behind his eyes. I know I shouldn’t want him to continue. He’s my enemy, I should kill him on the spot, or at least capture him and bring him back to Basgiath for questioning, and not… not…

“Oh, fuck it,” he growls. I couldn’t agree more, and not a second later, our lips meet again.

This time, there’s no restraint at all. We both know where this will lead us, no point tiptoeing around it. His hands roam down my sides, my waist, and come to fondle my breasts, while mine explore the vast expanse of his muscles chest, his arms, his firm ass. I moan when my hand wanders between his legs, and I can feel how hard he is beneath his leathers. Fuck, I want him. Now!

In a hurry, I loosen the cords of his leathers just as he does the same with mine, his mouth dropping to devour my neck as his fingers dip between my folds. “So fucking wet,” he groans. “And all that for me?”

“Shut up!” I growl, but can’t suppress a whimper when I finally wrap my fingers around his quite sizable cock. Fuck, why does everything about him has to be so fucking perfect?

I try to guide him to my entrance, eager to have him inside me, but with my tight leathers only pushed down to my thighs, that’s impossible. I grimace, realising I’d have to take them off completely when waiting even a second longer feels like torture.

“Turn around,” he groans, his hand on my shoulder to guide me, and I follow immediately.

I gasp when he pushes my front against the tree but pulls my ass back into position, my back arching. “Ingenius,” I mewl as I feel him poking at my drenched sex, and he huffs a laugh.

“You really think I’m dumb as shit, eh?”

I cry out as he fills me with one smooth thrust. Sweet fucking Amari, he feels absolutely perfect inside me. “With all the nonsense you spout? Yeah, I don’t think you’re any bright.” I try to sound sensible, but with how breathy my voice became, I’m not sure it works.

His head drops to my shoulder, his mouth back at my neck as he slowly pulls out until only his tip is inside me. “I just wish you’d listen.” He punctuates his last word by thrusting back into me, hard, then sets a harsh pace. It’s good that we didn’t strip further, or the rough bark of the tree would shred every inch of my skin.

One of his hands is at my hips, holding me in place as he fucks into me with abandon, and I’m sure I’ll have bruises there tomorrow. But I don’t care. Not, when he hits that perfect spot deep inside me with every thrust, when his free hand roughly gropes at my tits through my leathers, and when his mouth sucks so deliciously at my puls point that I arch back into him even further.

“Oh, Gods,” I mewl as heat coils tight in my belly. It’s only been a couple of minutes, but I already feel the edge coming.

Behind me, he lets out a dark laugh. “No Gods, only me, sunshine.” He sucks another bruise into my neck and his thrusts turn even harder still, his hand dropping from my tits down to where I can all but feel him poking from the inside. “Fuck, I’m gonna fill you up so good.”

I mewl at his words, my body locking up tightly around him. I’m close, so fucking close, so—

“Need anything, babe?” He bites at my earlobe, and I go fucking cross-eyed.

“Yes, please,” I whimper. “I… I need—aAHH!”

My eyes fly wide when his fingers press against my clit, his rough trusts making me grind into them. Within seconds, the tension becomes unbearable and I shatter, clenching down hard on his cock inside me. The pleasure is all-consuming, blinding, and I can’t even scream with how deep inside me he is. He thrusts a few more times before pressing in as deeply as he can, and I can feel him fall apart, his hot come flooding me.

For a few heartbeats, everything is silent. There’s only our harsh breathing, my heart pounding in my ears. Then he gasps and pulls back, stumbling away a few steps. Without him holding me up, my knees are too weak, and I slip to the ground, turning my head to look at him.

He stares at me with wide eyes, shock written all over his face. “Fuck,” he mutters, his eyes flickering down to where his seeds drip out of me and onto the mossy earth. He shakes his head, his hands running through his hair. “Fuck, that shouldn’t…” He throws me a last unreadable look, then turns and all but flees into the woods.

I follow him with my eyes, too dumbfounded myself to do anything else. That was… well, that was certainly something.

Only slowly, I work myself up onto my feet and return to where Tairn is waiting for me.

“Not one word,” I say, holding up a hand.

“I wasn’t going to comment,” he says in my head, but I can feel his amusement anyway. “Only this: you humans and your mating rituals a weird.”

I roll my eyes as he bends his leg for me to climb onto his back. “Let’s get home.

. o O o .

We fly straight back to Basgiath, but when I enter the room Xaden and I unofficially inhabit together, he’s already there. How he managed to get here so fast and without me even spotting him anywhere is beyond me, though. Even the brown leathers he burrowed from one of Syrena’s gryphon fliers are already neatly folded, though I guess their owner would prefer it if we washed them before the return.

“So,” Xaden asks with one raised eyebrow as I approach him and let him wrap his arms around my waist. “How was your tryst with that stranger in the woods?”

“Well…” I say, my fingers drawing shapes onto his bare chest. “It was pretty hot, I’d say. There’s something to be said about fucking an enemy.” I grin and can’t keep myself from adding. “Although it was over rather quickly.”

Xaden snorts. “Some heated fighting can serve as great foreplay.” Then his eyes drop to my neck and he frowns. He runs his fingers over where he left me covered in bruises earlier. “Did I hurt you?”

I shake my head. “Only in ways I liked. Don’t worry, I would have called for an end if it had been otherwise. But what about this?” I run my finger below the harsh red line across his cheekbone. “I… didn’t expect to actually hit you.”

At that, Xaden smirks. “Me neither. It was impressive. The first time you ever landed a hit on me during sparing.” He pulls my fingers away from the cut and brings them to his lips. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep that scar as a sweet reminder of that wildcat I once fucked in the woods.”

. o O o .

AN: Another relatively short and tame one. What do you think? Xaden and Violet apparently like to do elaborate roleplaying to spice things up every now and then. 😇 I had a lot of fun writing this one, but I'd like even more to see the premise as a real AU one day. Where Xaden and Violet go from true enemies to lovers. If anyone feels inspired, feel free to write it, and maybe tag me, I want to seeeeeeee. 😁

Also, yes, a rather tame one... the next few ones are going to be a bit more... intense.😬

* - . - * - . o O o . - * - . - *

I am but a street artist, offering my art to those around me. If you enjoyed it, a tip in the form of a comment and a ❤️would be highly appreciated. 😊 

If you want to leave a tip you can buy me a coffee. I love coffee 😊 (Ko-Fi)

#Riorgail #violet sorrengail #xaden riorson #fanfiction #fourth wing #rebecca yarros #the empyrean #kinktober #kinktober23

[cypriathus]

Here's my version of Zerachiel!

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: I briefly mention pedophilia and talk about OCD.

Zurachoniel Absevomuthi is a self-confident, honest, and patient charismatic fallen hybrid between an archangel and a choir angel with a strong fondness for young children. He’s exceptionally compassionate and wise, and often behaves in an enthusiastic and cheerful way, trying to inspire positivity within others. However, he can come off as frustratingly boisterous, gullible, naive, and even mischievous at times. Despite the betrayal of his kind and his persistent loneliness, he tries to maintain an optimistic outlook on life. He’s a workaholic with intense loyalty in his relationships and materialistic desires. Due to his pragmatic nature, he’s concerned more with matters of fact than with what could or should be. He’s tenacious and stubborn when it comes to his responsibilities and love of music, but can make brash and clumsy decisions. Whenever he feels extremely stressed out or mentally exhausted, he tries to remain calm, bubbly, and stoic. He has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), possessing an irrational fear of contamination and misplacing items. He has a need for things to be orderly and balanced, and a difficult time dealing with uncertainty. He experiences unwanted, aggressive, and horrific thoughts about sexual objects, losing control, and harming himself and others. Zurachoniel tries to think of more pleasant thoughts, follows a strict cleaning and organising routine, and often demands reassurance.

He’s a 5’ 3” (160.02 cm) ectomorph with an inverted triangular figure, sloping shoulders, a square chest, and a mediocre musculature. He has pallid skin with cut marks on his thighs and greyish-brown freckles on his face, neck, hands, and feet. He has inverted T transgender mastectomy scars and a silvery birthmark that’s shaped like a long-haired comet on his lower right abdominopelvic quadrant. Zurachoniel’s side-swept hair is a silvery-green with messy surfer vibes, and he has sunburst soft maroon-salmon pink eyes with blue tapetum lucidum. He used to have two wings that mimic the natural hues of a purple sterling, but changed into a glossy black with pink sheen after his fall. He has two tattoos: a fiery gyrfalcon emerging from an old-fashioned furnace and a blue serpent coiling around a golden trumpet on his right arm.

During his time in heaven, he wore a linen alb of shimmering blue-green with slight ripples and it reached above his mid-calves. Over his alb is a golden dalmatic that had embroidered designs of hibiscus flowers, rivers, shooting comets, turtle doves, and circles of fire. He wears a cashmere red-violet skirt with white ermine trim at the bottom and gilt-brass anklets. Around his waist was a metallic purple girdle of bluish-yellow bells, red grapes, and poet’s daffodils. He originally had a simple golden halo that gleamed with bright light, but that would turn into a smoky black with sharp spikes. After Zurachoniel’s fall from grace, he wears a tight broadcloth shirt of mine shaft and a viola bowtie with diagonal marigold stripes. He dons a fuzzy wuzzy brown tuxedo and dusty grey trousers with copper rust and pirate’s gold polka dots. He also has an acapulco formal V-neck vest and gypsum rose lace-ups with metallic blue bottoms. He carries around an acoustic guitar made from Hawaiian koa wood and a golden carnyx that has a bell styled in an open-mouthed dragon’s head. His gryphon-adorned thurible is tied to his black leather belt and his carnyx has a thin, yet sturdy shoulder strap.

Zurachoniel can manipulate holy music, fragrance, bitterness, and angels, and use omni-telepathy, meta-teleportation, and psychokinesis. His omniscience is nearly perfect, but various details and topics are mentally blocked. However, he possesses absolute knowledge on moons, the musical arts, and the apocalypse of each universe. He’s a master of singing and musical instruments, using his voice to purify negativity in those who are willing to listen. His physical strength and emotional intelligence is enhanced by prayers, and he can sense the coming of death and act of dying. He can create a violent firestorm and falling comets that poison rivers and water springs. He’s able to freeze the movement of the stars, moons, and the Sun, diminishing light and causing complete darkness during day and night. He has the ability to summon crowned locusts, earthquakes, hailstorms, lightning, and thunder. He can heal people of their physical and mental scars, and damage the souls of parents for their incompetence to protect and educate their children. Zurachoniel has dominion over the earth and purifying light, and can absorb addictions, night terrors, and memory problems.

FAMILY:

Unknown

ALIASES/NICKNAMES:

Zerachiel

Acrid Wyrm

Angel of Bitterness, Fractured Childhood, and Slow Healing

FUN FACTS/EXTRA INFORMATION:

He’s questioning and transgender

As an Æylphitus, the different parts of his name have special meanings: Zurachoniel means “god has remembered” and Absevomuthi means “woodworm”.

He views door handles, empty sinks, and public toilets as sources of contamination.

He silently repeats a series of words in gibberish nonsense while doing unrelated tasks

When organising his clothing, antique items, books, and musical instruments, he always counts backwards and avoids the number 7.

During his time in Eylvhraszokjumni, he was a babysitter, an educator, and the leader of the choir angels.

He questioned the divine council on the unjust rules they impose on sinners and how some people were unfairly judged. The divine council weren’t impressed, so they orchestrated a plan to turn most of the angels against him by proclaiming that he’s a pedophile. They used fabricated evidence to strengthen their claim, so they can “justify” why he was kicked out of heaven.

His penis was surgically removed and his vagina mutilated with a ceremonial dagger, basilisk venom, and medicinal alcohol.

He dislikes to admit that he’s a fallen angel

He’s the vocalist and acoustic guitarist of Amara Lignum (“Bitter Wood” in Latin), a funky jazz band he founded.

#writerscorner #writing #creative writing #pedophillia mention #mental health mention #mental health issues #original character #personality #physical appearance #outfit #abilities #power #zerachiel #fallen angel #archangel #choir angel #jazz #singer #vocalist #guitarist #fun facts #extra information

[powerpointprofessor]

May I ask what mythical creatures each of the characters in the Fantasy AU are?

P.S. FAU!Milo’s design looks absolutely amazing-

I forgot about the fantasy au but

Heres the list of the fantasy au species

Keep in mind that this AU is a work in progress and i have not worked on it since february

Also this list is outdated

Jesse- just a human girl with no crazy ears or anything (the jesse i used for the au is the fuchsia/purple hairclip jesse though in the au she has purple/fuchsia dyed hair)

Reuben-an ordinary little human boy with a pink pig hoodie

Petra- a cat thing

Olivia- owl with robotic parts

Axel-minotaur?? (I might change into deer though)

Lukas-ocelot creature

Aiden-monster eel

Maya-cat

Gill-dog

Gabriel-dragon

Ivor-has a spinning orb for a head (i have to show a picture of him to explain)

Magnus-impish thing with horns with fire

Soren-dog (again)

Ellegaard-gryphon

Isa-fantasy bird (i have to show a picture because she looks cool)

Reginald-a rooster

Founder/benedict-a small fantasy bird

Milo-fluffy dragon

Cassie rose-a cat

Winslow-small cat

Harper-has kind of a solid mask like face with glowing orange eyes with no mouth she has antlers and hoof hands and a fennec fox tail and also branch like wings

PAMA-PAMA in the au is robot with a computer screen,redstone heart,winglike razors and a scorpion like tail

Otto-similar face to harper only with a glowing yellow eye and a glowing green eye and has a mouth and antlers and wings and is covered in flowers

Mevia-a demonic light blue centaur thing (might redesign)

Hadrian-purple monster snake with claws (not redesigning i hate him)

Nell-made out of water

Radar-a bunnybat hybrid with a long tail

Stella-a peahen with the peacock feathers because its cool and she also has pointy animal ears (i love pointy animal ears) she does have bleached feathers and hair

Lluna-a girl with llama ears long white hair that covers one eye

Jack-a wolfy lion creature with pointy lynx ears

Vos-a cat critter

Admin Romeo-a huge dragon like beast (i drew before and its so detailed)

Admin Xara-more tiger like beast with also insane details

Fred-another beast more wolfy to me and also has insane details

Warden-a clock head but has a human body

Binta-she has animals ears and a fox like tail with a curved horn

Cam-mouse critter

Hilda-fox

Kent-jackalope

Willy-dog

Wanda-dog

Soup & val-both robots. Val has a knife hand

#mcsm #minecraft story mode #mcsm au #alternate universe #fantasy au

[spacemaverick]

[ID: a three panel comic of martyn, grian, and jimmy from last life. martyn is a stocky human with flippy blonde hair wearing a dark gray headband and a green t-shirt. grian is a short gryphon hybrid, with small white wings and feathered ears, and lion legs and a tail. he’s wearing rectangular glasses, dark gray jeans, and an oversized red turleneck under a brown half cape. the neck of the sweater covers his mouth. jimmy is a tall skinny human with short blonde hair wearing a white t-shirt with a red stripe across the middle, a cropped blue jean jacket, and slightly darker blue jeans.

panel 1: grian is slouching and glaring back at his outstretched small white wings. a white speech bubble reads “Ugh, why do I even have these things when they’re so small and useless?” martyn is standing next to him with a hand on his hip, looking at grian’s wings with a smile and a quirked eyebrow. they’re in a spruce forest.

panel 2: the perspective changes to be behind grian, where jimmy is standing next to him, looking at him through a spyglass. a white speech bubble reads “Hey, maybe they’re just chicken wings!” grian stares unimpressed at jimmy while martyn hunches over wheezing in laughter.

panel 3: grian takes a threatening step towards jimmy, wings splayed out and hands in fists. he yells “How about I just kill you right now?” in a burst-shaped speech bubble, the neck of his sweater falling down to show his mouth. jimmy is snickering down at him with his hands in his pockets, and martyn has fallen to the ground, a laughing speech bubble coming from out of frame.

end ID.]

#artists on tumblr #digital art #fanart #mcyt #last life #last life smp #llsmp #inthelittlewood #grian #solidaritygaming #jimmy solidarity #described

[whoovesnassistant]

Skit Contest Entry 6

A TARDIS Tale - By Ryan McCrimmon @twilighthooves

Opening Titles (or not depending on preference)

SFX - clops as The Doctor and Derpy walk through the TARDIS corridors.

DERPY: So explain it to me again? DOCTOR: It’s the Architectural Reconfiguration System. The TARDIS can alternate between an infinite amount of control rooms and interior styles. Typically she changes whenever I regenerate into a new body to fit with the new me. 

DERPY: Oh, so like when you get new furniture for a house? 

DOCTOR: In a simplistic sense yes.

DERPY: Sooooooo why did you need to use it in the first place?

DOCTOR: Well….

SFX - Flashback music, fading into the sound of running hooves and a large amount of gryphons

DOCTOR: Now come on, all I said was the scones could use some butter! Is that a crime!? Blimey gryphons are sensitive. Ah, the TARDIS, now I can escape!

SFX - skid as the Doctor stops in front of the TARDIS, sound for his rummaging in the pocket in his tie, random foley as he drops things.

DOCTOR: Bugger, where’s the key!?

SFX - More random foley as more things drop before it stops. Some form of sound indicating The gryphon crowd is getting closer now.

DOCTOR: Right, guess there’s only one thing to do now. Hope I’ve still got the cubby hole above the P!

SFX- Grunt from the jumping Doctor and wooden thunk as he clings to the Police Public Call Box sign on the TARDIS, looking to find the spare TARDIS key. There’s also occasional hits on glass as his rear hooves bounce off the windows. He manages to fish the spare key out with his mouth but he loses balance, 

DOCTOR (with the key in his mouth): Wh-wh-whoa! Oof!

Sfx - thud as the doctor has fallen on the ground, and the sound of metal on dirt as the key falls from his mouth on the way down. Luckily it was a simple matter of picking it up.

DOCTOR: I really need to find a way to ponify that compartment so I can get to it more easily.

SFX- the key going into the lock and turning, TARDIS door opening, then brief clopping as The Doctor makes his way inside. Abrupt sound of arrows suddenly thwipping by him and hitting the console, and sound of sparks burst bursting from the console

DOCTOR: WHAT!? DARN IT!

SFX - Door closing, Doctor running to the console and button pushing and lever pulling as the TARDIS dematerialized.

DOCTOR: I really need to get that temporal grace thing fixed.

SFX - the TARDIS’ engines sound wrong, the sound all jittery. Clearly she didn’t like the arrows and they appeared to have hit vital controls as alarms are going off.

DOCTOR: Oh boy.

SFX - Sound indicating end of flashback, probably the indication sound in reverse.

DERPY: Wait, so that’s what you were doing while Tick Tock and I were here in Ponyvile?

DOCTOR: Yeah…in hindsight, not my greatest outing.

DERPY: Soooooooo why did the… Architectural Reconfigamawhozits turn everything in the control room buttery yellow?

DOCTOR: I think that’s my fault, subconsciously thinking about butter and all, you know me. Wait, where’s Tick Tock?

DERPY: Still needed parts, so I told him I’d let you know to wait for him.

DOCTOR: Ah….okay.

DERPY: So where are we actually going?

DOCTOR: Vital controls in the console got damaged so I had to divert control to an older console model. We just have to find the right control room.

DERPY: There’s multiple control rooms?

DOCTOR: Like I said, the TARDIS changes with me, but she also archives the old rooms.

DERPY: Why?

DOCTOR: Dunno really, she just likes to I think. Ah, I think we’ve got it

SFX - Door opening and clopping as they walk in

DOCTOR: Oh, brilliant!

DERPY: Ugh, why is everything white and gray? It’s hard to look at.

DOCTOR: Oi, this is the look she and I left Galifrey with! DERPY: Sorry Doctor, I’m just used to the other one.

DOCTOR: Ah never mind, we’ve gotten worse before.

DERPY: What’s with all the round things on the wall? DOCTOR: Some house the TARDIS’ systems, some are decorative, dunno why they’re designed that way.

DERPY: We’re not going to have to travel in this control room forever are we? DOCTOR: Oh good heavens no! This is just until the repairs in the proper console are done, then we’ll be back to what you’re used to.

DERPY: Oh. Good.

SFX - The Doctor pulling some levers on the console, and a whoosh from the engine.

DOCTOR: Still, better to sync the doors with this room than letting Tick Tock wander the TARDIS like we did.

DERPY: True.

DOCTOR: By the way, I was walking in the forest close to the TARDIS and I found this really nice looking flower, so I picked one and brought it here. SFX - The Doctor rummaging in his tie pocket, pulling out a potted plant, and then a gasp from Derpy as she recognizes the plant.

DERPY: Doctor are you crazy!? That's a Poison Joke flower! Something strange is going to happen to you! How long have you been carrying that around!? DOCTOR: About an hour or three. But Derpy please it’s just a plant, what harm could a plant do? SFX - MAGIC POOF! Also yelp from Derpy DERPY: Doctor your mane and tail!

DOCTOR: What? I don’t see-.

SFX -Gasp and childish laugh

DOCTOR: I’M GINGER! DERPY I’M FINALLY GINGER!

DERPY: But Doctor you’re not supposed to be ‘ginger’, and it looks weird.

DOCTOR: Rude, spoil my fun.

DERPY: Well one of us has to be the rational one and it’s apparently not you.

DOCTOR: Hmph. Fiiiiiine, I’ll fix it. What do we do?

DERPY: Well I heard from Carrot Top the spa’s started keeping an emergency supply of the cure, just so they’re not caught off guard, So if we go to the spa we can get you cured!

DOCTOR: Is it really that frequent of a problem? DERPY: Well, the effect is different for everypony. Somepony might want the reversal done quickly I guess. And in your case I want it done quickly.

DOCTOR: Right then.

SFX - The Doctor trotting to put the poison joke on a table in the room. There’s a clunk because it’s potted.

DOCTOR: To the spa!

SFX - trotting to the console and starting to program coordinates.

DERPY: Doctor, what’re you doing?

DOCTOR: Don’t feel like walking today, not after earlier. Sorry ol’ girl, I know we more or less just had this problem but I promise this pettiness will be just this once!

SFX - TARDIS takeoff, as well as beeps and boops as the Doctor is working the console.

DOCTOR: Blimey, now I see why we changed it up. Derpy, confession.

DERPY: Yeah?

DOCTOR: I’m not 100% sure I remember how to use this version of the controls, so it might be a bit before we can cure me.

DERPY: Greaaaaaaaat. DOCTOR: Oi, never said I was perfect.

SFX - TARDIS materializing

DOCTOR: Right, let’s see

SFX - Doors opening (but classic sound effect), clopping for walking

DOCTOR: Alright then, let’s see if I’ve got it r-WHOA! DERPY: Doctor!? SFX - Clopping for running to the door. DERPY: Wait….Doctor we’ve landed in Cloudsdale!

DOCTOR: Derpy, maybe a little less snark, and a little more help!?

DERPY: Huh? Oops! SFX - Some form of the clopping and grunting to indicate Derpy helping The Doctor climb from clutching the edge of the TARDIS to standing in its threshold.

DERPY (in between grunts while helping him): Don’t….worry Doctor….I’ve….got you!

DOCTOR: Phew. Don’t worry I’ll get the hang of this.

DERPY: I’ve heard that before. DOCTOR: Oi, I eventually do.

SFX - Door closing, Clopping as The Doctor walks to the console

DOCTOR: Right, lets try this again

SFX - lever pull and TARDIS vworp-ing, beeps and clicks.

DOCTOR: Right here we go, hopefully I’ve got it this time.

SFX - TARDIS materializing

DERPY: Guess I’ll stake it out, seeing I’m still by the door. DOCTOR: Alright but be-.

SFX - Cloister Bell

DOCTOR: Oh bugger.

DERPY: What’s that? I’ve heard it before. DOCTOR: The Cloister Bell, the TARDIS’ last-ditch, all-hell’s-breaking-loose alarm system!

SFX - sound to indicate the TARDIS is tipping

DERPY: Whoa! Doctor what’s-. OOF! DOCTOR: Sorry Derpy! I forgot to turn the Gravitic Anomaliser back on! The interior dimensions are linked to those outside right now! DERPY: What!? SFX - TARDIS slamming onto the ground. The Cloister Bell stops ringing

DOCTOR: Oof! DERPY: Ow!

DOCTOR: Ngh! NGH! Curse this pony body’s lack of fingers! I can’t get back up to the console!

DERPY: Well at least I managed to stay by the door, I’ll peek out and see what’s there.

DOCTOR: Alright, be careful.

SFX - TARDIS door opening, Derpy walking across the wooden surface. DERPY: Oh horseapples. Doctor, we’ve landed in the middle of a dragon’s hoard!

DOCTOR: What!? Bollocks! Give me a moment, I’ll come and help get the TARDIS upright!

SFX - Growl

(So it’s clear, the following is a brief jump back to the Doctor inside the TARDIS)

DOCTOR: Ngh…

DERPY: Uh Doctor!?

DOCTOR: Ngh…Ungh…Yeah!?

DERPY: I think you might want to hurry!

DOCTOR: The dragon the hoard belongs to is coming back isn’t it!?

DERPY: Yup! (SFX note for the ’hyaaah, oof!’: sound of The Doctor’s body hitting dirt as he leaps from inside the TARDIS)

DOCTOR: Hyaaah! OOF! HA ha, even gravity can’t get the best of the ol’ Doctor!

DERPY: Doctor, focus! The TARDIS won’t push itself up!

DOCTOR: Right, sorry. 

SFX - clopping as he runs into position

DOCTOR: Ready?

DERPY: As I ever am.

DOCTOR: Right, one……two……three! SFX - SOUND OF BOTH GROANING AS THEY TRY TO PUSH THE TARDIS BACK UP, AND THE STOMPS OF THE DRAGON GETTING CLOSER DOCTOR: We’ve almost got it! DERPY: Doctor it’s closer SFX - Thump as the TARDIS is upright again

DOCTOR: Okay, g0-go-go-go-go-go!

SFX - Clopping as they both run into the TARDIS, door closing, the Doctor pulling a lever, and the ship dematerializing.

DOCTOR: Phew. Sorry Derpy, one of these times I’m going to get it.

DERPY: Just as long it’s not in another dragon hoard.

DOCTOR: Right.

SFX - TARDIS bangs against something

DOCTOR: Sorry, rough landing!

DERPY: I thought we dematerialize!

DOCTOR: Sometimes we exit the vortex too.

SFX - Doctor clicking the door switch and walking to the door as it opens, Derpy joining him in peeking outside.

DERPY: Doctor you actually got into town!

DOCTOR: Hold on Derpy, sorry to rain on your parade but knowing my luck there’s still a hitch.

SFX - Both exiting the TARDIS and the door closing, the Doctor digging through a trash can

DERPY: Ewwww, Doctor, why are you digging in a trash can?

DOCTOR: Looking for a newspaper. Got it

SFX - ruffling of the paper as he shows it to Derpy.

DOCTOR: See? DERPY: Doctor that’s the date we left, we’re back in the present.

DOCTOR: Oh…..so…we can cure me now? DERPY: Yes. DOCTOR: Awwww come on, five more minutes of Ginger?” DERPY: Ugh…fine, but then you’re cured. DOCTOR: YES!

SFX - Sudden, mangled groan of the TARDIS dematerializing

DOCTOR: NO! SFX - clopping as the duo run back to the spot the TARDIS materialized to see it do the opposite

DOCTOR: gasp! She just left! Blimey if it’s not poison joke it’s an apparently grumpy TARDIS.

DERPY: She probably just wanted to go find somewhere else to go, hiding and all that.

DOCTOR: I hope so. No offense to your planet, from what I’ve seen it’s nice, but I like having the option to travel elsewhere. Oh well, if something happens or she’s ready for us again, she’ll just tell me via the key.

SFX - Clopping as they walk around, indistinct chatter from ponies around them.

DERPY: Oh, Doctor, I almost forgot. It’s market day, you want me to show you around?

DOCTOR: I know you agreed to a little more ginger time, but that seemed like a quick hoof-turn.

DERPY: I still don’t like it but I don’t want to force you anyway.

DOCTOR: Right, well…..maybe after we’re done at the spa.

SFX - stomach growling

DOCTOR: And maybe some food. Starving.

SFX - the duo walking

DOCTOR (Hushed whisper to Derpy): I assume she just went back to recharge from the rift.

DERPY (Also hushed whisper): Wait the supposed rift in the Everfree Forest?

SFX - indication The Doctor’s stopped, and Derpy’s stopped because he did

DOCTOR: Bugger! DERPY: What? DOCTOR: Of course! She’s trying to cheer us up!

DERPY: What’re you talking about?

DOCTOR: The TARDIS has her own feelings Derpy, she is partly alive. So she probably wanted to try and make us feel better by dropping us on random places. Don’t ask me what she was thinking.

DERPY: Weird. So now what? She’s gone.

DOCTOR: Well like I said she’s most likely going to use the key to tell me when we can come back.

DERPY: Riiiiiight. (It’s here the whispering stops) Oh, here’s Sugarcube Corner, you said you were hungry.

DOCTOR: Alright then.

SFX - Door and chiming bell, pony background chatter

DERPY: Whoa, they’ve certainly added more staff since I was here last. Mr and Ms. Cake took the orders as well last time I checked.

DOCTOR: Maybe the business boomed while we were gone.

DERPY: You’re probably right.

SFX - Sound of them walking and sitting down. Then a waitress, one of the new staff Derpy noticed, walked up.

???: Good afternoon, my name is Golden Cherry and I’ll be your waitress. Anything you’d like to start off with? DOCTOR: I’d like two English muffins with butter, and a side of apple juice please.

GOLDEN: And you?

DERPY: Oh I’m fine, just bring what he ordered please.

SFX - Golden walking away

DERPY: Hmph.

DOCTOR: Oh come on, don’t start that whole thing again.

DERPY: I just can’t stand them! They taste like cardboard soaked in disappointment.

DOCTOR: Well it’s the only thing both worlds have that I know I like. Hmm, still not sure if I regenerated into the pony body or not. Not too keen to find out quickly though.

SFX - Golden returns with the order.

DOCTOR: Ah, there. Now that’s service, thank you Miss Cherry.

GOLDEN: Just doing my job sir.

SFX - Golden walking away again, Doctor starting to chow down on the english muffins

DOCTOR: After this, I promise, no more interruptions, it’s to the spa to cure me.

DERPY: As long as it happens at all, I’m okay with that.

DOCTOR: Huh. Strange we haven’t seen Tick Tock, you’d think he’d’ve tried to call out to us if we passed him.

DERPY: Well you know him, probably has his muzzle in a book somewhere.

DOCTOR: True.

Both snicker

DERPY: So…..I just realized aside from a few things, you never really talk about where you're from.

DOCTOR: Bah, who needs that you lot are a fine bunch, no need to compare yourselves to that.

DERPY: All the same I’m curious.

DOCTOR: Maybe later, that green pony with the minty mane is staring at us.

DERPY: Oh. So, ready to go yet?

DOCTOR: Right, avanté!

SFX - clink of bits being put on the table, the duo walking out into the street and continuing towards the spa.

DOCTOR: I will say, I’m gonna miss it, but if it means you’ll be happy Derpy, I’ll get rid of the ginger.

DERPY: Good, and I don’t think Tick Tock would’ve been too enthused about it either. 

DOCTOR: Quite.

SFX - clopping stops as they arrive.

DOCTOR; Right, first time in a spa, pony or otherwise. What could possibly go wrong?

(insert a thing going wrong: The Doctor winds up accidentally adding on a massage to the spa outing, he’s practically screaming like a child because he’s being massaged too hard. Jump to when he’s in the bath curing the poison joke)

DOCTOR: Blimey that was horrific.

DERPY: Well at least you’re back to normal.

DOCTOR: Me too. Now, stand back

SFX - Derpy doing so, then The Doctor getting out of the bath and grabbing a towel.

DOCTOR: Anyway, once I- GAH!

SFX - TARDIS engine, muffled because it’s the TARDIS key and it’s in the Doctor’s tie pocket

DERPY: What happened?.

DOCTOR: Owwwww, I’d forgotten how hot the key gets when she calls with it. It hurt.

DERPY: Oh Doctor, never change.

DOCTOR: Oh you know me miss Doo, you’re stuck with me.

DERPY: Ready for another adventure?

DOCTOR (shown putting his tie on if illustrated, otherwise a sound for it): Always. Avanté!

SFX - The duo walking out of the spa

(Artist note if this gets drawn; I was gunning for the dragon to be the same dragon as the dragon from FIM season 1, but doesn’t have to be, or have to be drawn. Also, if the scene with the bath is drawn, Derpy is standing next to it. Another thing, the green pony thing is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fandom’s tendency to make Lyra human obsessed.)

#contest #doctor whooves #doctor who #my little pony #derpy hooves

[cloudbattrolls]

Make Of Me

Thrixe Varzim | Present Night | The Ruins of An Unnamed Forest

Thrixe beheld the ashy ruins of what had once been a forest, blackened stumps and scorched piles of leaves, exposed rocks dusted with ash. He was the only troll - person - for a mile, he was pretty sure; he couldn’t sense anyone else. 

Archimedes hid behind his legs, hissing.

Though in most respects a normal gryphon, the pet he’d made shared his sensitivity to the state of growth in the world around them. They could both feel that this forest hadn’t been destroyed by any natural blaze; it confirmed what he had heard.

That someone called the Torch had razed it. 

Some forests did need fire to grow. Yarrow loved burned earth; some seeds only germinated after a fire, and sometimes dead growth needed to be cleared so new life could thrive.

This forest, however, had been young. Not ready to feed an inferno yet.

Torch, he thought with slightly morbid amusement. You ruined this place. But I guess I should thank you. Overgrowing an existing ecosystem is bad for everyone. This, though…

Thrixe walked into the first space between the stumps, and he began to sing.

“I’m…made of bones of the branches the boughs and the bough beating light..”

First; the soil. Nothing could grow without a strong base, nutrients and insects to make a living system again. He reached deep into the earth with his power, feeling out the survivors, tempting them back to the dirt near the surface. 

Bacteria and insects thrived again, buried eggs hatching, crawling and wriggling through the earth, and he nudged the nitrogen to begin replenishing.

Then the air itself. It still had traces of smoke; he had altered his lungs slightly to cope with it better, growing a temporary skin-shield over his gills.

He sprouted tendrils weaving into the air, absorbing the toxins and fostering the oxygen, cilia sprouting to filter it and catch particulates dangerous to life. He grew more out of the few remaining microorganisms in the air, using their life as a base for his own, clearing away the acrid smell and tainted gases. 

Eyes glowing a bright violet-white, he took a breath.

“Well my feet are the trunks…”

He reached for the roots, shriveled and starved of nutrients - the ones that were still alive - and he regenerated them, encouraging new growth. Not too much - he didn’t want the restored trees to crowd each other out, to have no room to grow further. 

He was setting the place back on its course, not allowing it to rapidly choke out again.

Tendrils extended from his legs into the earth, tilling it, taking dead plant and animal matter and turning it to rich compost that he fed directly to the new roots he made. He extended several feet underground and into the air now with his gleaming pink and violet network, further using the existing life to spread himself.

He smiled a wide, slightly jagged smile in giddy in anticipation.

From the mouths of his many extensions he continued:

“And my head is the canopy high!”

The trees burst back into growth with a creaking and crackling of wood and sap, a thunderous cacophony as they went from withered to blooming, shedding their ashy skin for fresh bark and flowers. Stumps became fertile, springing up with mosses and lichens. Small plants pushed through the ground.

As the trees settled, their new wood hot from the change that had sprung it into being, they blinked with scattered violet eyes, woven through with veins of grayish pink. Starfish tendrils rippled among the soil, spines dotting the leaves of the underbrush. 

“And my fingers extend to the leaves in the eaves, and the -“

Thrixe as the forest breathed, felt the moons on himself, rustled in the breeze…and with a choir of content sighs, took himself out of the plants, let them fade fully back to their natural selves. His extensions faded to nothing, and he had only one body again. 

A bit sad, just the one. It was fine! He had nothing against it, it was the one everyone knew him by. The one he always had to appear in for everyone but Zanzul.

Or Vallis, but Vallis hardly counted as company, he thought with a roll of his eyes.

Archimedes had already taken off, no doubt hunting some small animal. He hadn’t raised anything from the dead…but it had been tempting. He was a bit tired, though. It wouldn’t be good to push himself.

Thrixe flopped on his back, lying on the newly grassy ground.

“Brightest shine, it’s my shine…” he finished the verse softly, looking at some ivy and marigolds that still glowed faintly pale violet. 

He couldn’t bring himself to feel bad about it. Didn’t he sign his works as a painter? It didn’t hurt to leave a small trace of himself behind, not enough to interfere with the forest life. 

No one would ever know it was him, that’s what mattered. No troll he loved would ever know what he could be like, as long as he let it out safely and away from their sight.

A bug crawled on his left fin and it flicked involuntarily, tickled by the tiny feet. The skin-shield over his gills had since dissolved, and they shone violet, rippling slightly.

Yes, he could show small parts of himself, if trolls were all right with it. But he had to ask first, had to be careful. 

He looked at his black-tipped claws, which had been that way for a while, and he was fairly certain extra fins were coming in on his arms and legs as well. No, he wasn’t the only seadweller with such things, but he wondered how much else he had to grow.

Uryali had had tendrils in his fins, and permanent extra eyes…he definitely didn’t want those. Maybe there was a way to at least choose which traits he got, since the process was probably impossible to stop entirely.

He got up, shaking dirt out of his curly braid, and looked back at his work. This place should thrive now, he hoped.

Archimedes flew back to Thrixe, and he hugged his furry, feathery pet before letting him go to fly alongside him.

He walked away, leaving the forest to flourish once more.

#cloud writes #I actually had the idea for this months ago but only now finished it. even though it's not all that long #thrixe varzim #horrifying man. but at least he wants to use his powers responsibly #song he sings is the queen's rebuke by the decemberists #Torch is Platar btw he belongs to Lard

[gale-heart]

((A smattering of journal entries penned over the last couple of months. Only a couple consist of more than fragmented notes and reminders.))

——

September 14

I used to think riding a gryphon was such a thrill; the closest I could get to tasting freedom in my rooted mortal life. Now I look back and marvel at how dull the limits of my imagination truly were.

Words fail to aptly capture the experience of my first real flight. If I’d still had my usual mouth and vocal chords, I might have shrieked and whooped for sheer delight on leaving the ground. I probably did that anyways, coming up out of that first dive. I’ve been ignorant of what’s practically another world all this time, one of light and space and weightlessness and winds that would just as soon cruelly dash you back to earth as soften against your feathers to coax you up and onward. Once I tired of chasing fast currents and doing flips for the sake of it, I found a nice thermal and let it carry me whilst I simply basked in the sun and observed the world crawling by leagues below.

I really love being a bird. Perhaps later I’ll experiment with changing my shape or try to channel some of my spells whilst transformed (imagine if I could become a giant storm crow! The havoc I could wreak on an enemy ship!) But for now, I am more than happy to remain a simple, dignified raven. I cannot WAIT to heckle the shit out of Cyri like this!

——

September 30

Has Silverpine always been this noisy? I know I’ve only visited the Respite a handful of times, but I think I’d recall if all that creaking and rustling and buzzing was loud enough before to keep me awake. Then again, I’ve hardly spent much time on land these last months. Maybe I just forgot what sleeping under trees was like when I got used to waves and rain, and this is normal for forests.

The root of our problem at the Funnybone Acreage turned out to be more benign than I’d initially prepared myself for. Note to future self: if I ever start taking on apprentices, I am CLOSELY monitoring their magic usage if I deny them a request for a pet. Or, at the very least, I’ll make sure they do a proper job of using magic to create their own pet. Casualties of the evening: one biting pumpkin head severed from its vines to wiggle ineffectively on the ground, one gigantic squashling which exploded all over the children’s bedroom, and several fighters left slightly more orange in the aftermath. Shadow-animated pumpkin, it turns out, tastes exactly like a normal pumpkin—abjectly disappointing in its raw state and nothing like the delicious autumnal pastries I’ve become so enamored with. All in all, we saved the majority of the crop, and talked the farmers into allowing their kids a much more manageable piglet. Why can’t all our missions go this well? (Be honest with yourself, Shrub. You know damn well you’d get bored if things didn’t go to shit now and then.)

Naturally I seized the excuse to make practical use of showing off my new wings, and ended up having a good and long chat with Samara (who has found her own druid-y mentor!) about nature magic and the disaster wedding and traumas and deserving better and our respective journeys to finding healing and love and accepting that we deserve good things. Later, in the quiet lull that followed, I realized that I’ve come to adore this strange little ramshackle community and the people of whom it consists. I feel…strong, at last. A few small cracks and painful slivers remain from the past, but I’ve healed enough around them that I barely notice them most days. I have my people, I’m finding out what I want to do and who I’m happy to be, I have the power to throw my weight around if I need to, and now I can become a fucking bird. My heart is full. Now I just have to wait for the name change to be legally finalized, and then I can lay the old name of Starspire to rest and make room for the new.

I’ve decided on Galeheart. It’s a bit on the nose, yes, but tastefully so. Properly ambitious, too, for the impact I plan on leaving in my life.

FUCK I forgot to tell her about the bachelorette brawl! Ah, well, there are always other drinking nights. Goodness knows I’ve no shortage of outlandish stories to share by now.

#character logs #journal #ic

[aeon-harshal]

Winged Bluejay

Not long after a great tragedy, a young horsewoman, Asha Fliecer longs for a change. What springs to mind is a mirror of her closest friend’s dream- To become a Gryphon Rider for Cor'vale- and it does not seem all that impossible with her affinity for animals.

However a different change falls into her lap one autumn morning and it rattles her to her core, making her think twice about leaving her family home.

 With an amnesiac half-elf recovering under her care, two wildly dangerous fae creatures lurking on her ranch and the sudden threat of bandits, her resolve is tested as the world outside her quiet village suddenly turns its attention onto the Raven’s Bluff.

First draft of Chapter 1 below (approximately 3,035 words), some spelling errors may have slipped through and it's missing Italics

<>-Chapter 1 An Autumn Lament-<>

"Hey! Get back here you scrawny chipmunk!" Alexos yelled after Asha, struggling to keep up as they climbed a massive oak tree.

"I ain't scrawny and you know it! You're just slow, like the lumbering ox you are!" She yelled down at him, climbing out onto one of the highest branches to sit. Aside from her friend's complaining it was a beautifully serene meadow they were on the edge of. The crisp breeze was singing through the trees, sending her raven hair dancing, and the happy birds and giddy insects added their voices to the song. Asha looked up through the leaves, the blue sky was perfect, there were only a handful of white puffy clouds sleepily drifting overhead.

Alexos grunted and cursed, covered with a dozen new scratches, as he finally caught up, picking a branch a bit lower than hers. "I don't understand how you can climb this tree like you're a damn elf," he said while squirming to get comfortable.

"I don't understand how you can't do the same," Asha laughed, "We've been playing in the woods together for years, yet I'm the one who can climb like a squirrel."

"Hey! I had to wraggle horses, you only ever had to train them and you did it the soft way," He pointed at her, smirking in that annoying way he always did, his dark green eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Just be quiet or he won't come," Asha huffed, smiling while she crossed her arms over her chest. Her balance never failed her, even with the branches trembling in this pleasant autumn wind.

Every spring and autumn for the last five years he came by this spot. Asha found him by accident, but he was just so stunning with his tawny mane, bright golden eyes and ashen skin. He would talk, sing and strut. She loved him so very much and could not wait to see him this year. It would be the last time she ever would… and she wished to share him with Alexos.

"I really wish you would tell me who I'm meeting," Alexos grumbled, running his fingers through his hair. It was almost the same color as his mane.

"Didn't I tell you to shush?" He laughed at her and she shook her head.

A harsh screech made them both jump. Asha smiled and Alexos looked all around, his brows knitted together. He turned towards her mouthing 'what'. She merely put a finger to her lips. He was skittish, so meeting a stranger might scare him off and this would all be for naught.

Not long after that cry, the heavy beating of large wings passed by, a shadow and a large brown body sailing past their tree. There he was! A stunning example of a gryphon flying gracefully over the meadows, smoothly turning on the edge of the trees, circling before he decided to land.

He was magnificent! His large onyx talons dug into the ground and he held his head up high. He shook his head, ears falling back and the massive, light brown plumage around his neck flattened. His body was a spotty mess of creamy and barky browns. Most every gryphon had a different avian look to it. His was like that of a tawny eagle.

He stopped his posing to scan the treetops for her, his head turning as though hunting for prey.

Asha glanced over at Alexos. His jaw hit the ground. She giggled and immediately the beautiful gryphon's head swung around, his eyes locking onto her. She whistled at him and he shook his head from side to side, his mane proofing up and he made the sweetest thrilling sound, hopping towards the oak, leaping like his feline half would.

"Stay here. I'll let you know when to come down and keep quiet," Asha said, pushing her friend with her foot. He grabbed the beach tightly, barely keeping from making a sound as instructed. He had wanted to see a gryphon up close since he was little, and now Asha comes and delivers one? He would be heartbroken to screw up and miss out on the opportunity!

The girl climbed down just as quickly as she had climbed up, hopping down the last couple of feet. She whipped around grinning at the creature who stood transfixed on her. "Hawke," she called, taking a few steps towards the gryphon.

He stood in place, perfectly still. Then made another great leap towards her, wings flaring. As he landed, leaving a fair stretch between them still, he lifted his head up and warbled. She discovered through him that gryphons had a far wider range of sounds they could make compared to the raptors they shared traits with. They were almost like song birds.

Asha beamed, "Good boy," she closed the distance, reaching a hand out for him. Hawke huffed, pushing his beautiful beak against her hand as she neared, the fathers on his head fluffing up for a moment. "How have you been?" She asked, touching both sides of his beak as one would do with the jowls of a dog.

Alexos starred in shock. When did his friend learn how to whisper to gryphons! He joked about her way with horses, but this was truly impressive! And she talked to the beast rather like a pet. Suddenly Asha turned his way, waving a hand, "C'mon, just take it slow and don't look him directly in the eyes."

"Right," Alexos mumbled only to flinch as the gryphon's attention instantly shifted to him. He swallowed and started climbing down. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. That magnificent beast was a top predator… and all his attention was focused on him! How did Asha ever befriend him?

The young man turned around slowly, facing his head slightly away and tried not to look the Gryphon in the eye. He was an amazing creature. With his head held high like that he was taller than Asha and Alexos.

"Be nice, Hawke. Alexos is a friend," Asha spoke softly, gently brushing the back of her hand against the Gryphon's head. Even as her fingers traced the top of his ear, Hawke's attention did not falter, flicking his ear to be rid of the pitiful distraction. Alexos' heart was beating out of his chest, every step a step closer to danger. Asha seemed calm, so maybe everything was fine. The gryphon's focus was merely like that of any bird of prey, intense and unyielding.

"Stop and put your hand out," Asha's heart was dancing to it's own wild song. She did not believe Hawke would attack, but then she had never introduced anyone to him before. She knew she did not truly understand him, however gryphons were famed for their intelligence, were they not? He was friendly enough towards her, he trusted her right? He should be able to see how frightened her friend was, how respectful both him and her were trying to be of the regel creature.

Alexos did as she instructed, his arm trembling. Air hissed through Hawke's nostrils, his feathers fairing. Both humans froze. The gryphon lunged his break against the palm of Alexos' hand, chittering sweetly. Asha and Alexos both let go of a tense breath, both laughing somewhat hysterically at the tame behavior from Hawke.

 "See? He's a friend," the girl grinned, taking a step back. Her legs wobbled as her fear began to subside. If she had gotten her friend killed while trying to share this treasure with him- but she had not.

"Are you talking to me or the gryphon?" Alexos chuckled, petting Hawke's beak. The gryphon seemed happy to have the attention from the strange human. If anything he appeared to want more attention from him, like an affectionate house cat or a loving dog.

"Both of you, I suppose," Asha shook her head. "Now who's the soft one? I befriended a wild gryphon and you were shaking in your boots."

"Haha, ya got lucky finding a friendly beast like… Hawke was it? You named him?" Alexos asked with an incredulous tone and she shrugged. Said gryphon thrilled, pulling his head away from the human's hand, then began sidestepping around him. All the way around him and Asha.

The two humans watched him curiously. "He's… kinda like a giant cat isn't he?" Alexos asked, struggling to hold back laughed as Hawke genuinely turned into a playful kitten, bouncing around them, obviously looking to play.

Asha chuckled. "I guess you can call him a big cat. He is part cat isn't he?" She turned and jumped at Hawke. He skirted back, half sitting before rearing up and hopping back on his hind legs, shrieking at a tolerable level.

Alexos flinched, rubbing his ears anyway. "How did you do it, Ash? How did you tame a gryphon?" He looked towards his friend, hopelessly confused. This tiny girl who might have always been an animal whisperer had somehow befriended a deadly, wild beast…  the kind of beast everyone knew only took to those with something special in them.

"I'm not really sure," Asha answered, rubbing her neck, focused on Hawke. The gryphon was a little saddened that she did not continue the play, but did not become aggressive in his attempts to earn her attention. He leapt closer than backwards, closer again than turned and ran a few feet before turning back around, wanting to entice her into the games they always played. "I just… have a way with animals?" She smiled sheepishly at her friend.

Alexos tilted his head. He smiled and shook his head, crossing his arms. "Ash, I know you got a way with critters, but this isn't just any critter. It's a gryphon. Please, tell me what you did!" 

"I just..! Talked to him!" Asha threw her hands up. Hawke stopped to watch, tilting his head as he listened. "I found him by chance when I was in that tree!" She pointed at the oak they waited in. "He came down, I was frightened and kept quiet as long as I could. 'Till he spotted me and I just… eventually came down while talking and he let me. I dunno what I did aside from keeping a calm head… kinda… and I guess he's just the friendly sort. I've seen other gryphons pass through, pairs of 'em, and they're much too aggressive. I would never dare to let them see me, so I wait for Hawke."

Alexos listened in awe. "I can't believe it, you tamed a gryphon. I wish you knew what you did. It might make it easier for me to get into the imperial academy in Azurlaise."

She chuckled. "Still want to be a gryphon rider?"

"Of course I do!" He spoke vehemently. "C'mon Ash, tell me everything. I want to hear it."

"I really don't know… I'm sorry I can't help you more," Asha smiled sadly. She turned her gaze back towards Hawke. He moved in a playful manner again, seemingly hoping to entice her into playing. Maybe she should have paid closer attention to what she did, she could have helped them both pursue their dreams.

"Ash," Alexos waited for her to look at him. "What's wrong?" He could see it in her eyes and hear that sad note in her voice.

"I'm… I'm leaving after winter," She answered without hesitation, her eyes alighting with somber determination.

His eyes widened. Asha leave Raven's Bluff? That was… "Wait, what? You're leaving?"

"I'm leaving as soon as spring comes. Sure I'm a good horsewoman, but this life was never meant for me and without my father or brothers around, or even you," she gestured to him, "or your family, everyone's going to just keep trying to swindle me. It's tiring having to go through the same arguments and disagreements with people who think they can get my horses for less than they're worth. I'm gettin' to the point I want to hit my buyers for thinking I don't know that they're trying to talk down to me."

He sighed, rubbing his neck, "I suppose that's true, but- Asha where are you gonna go? What are you gonna do?"

"Well… I tamed a wild gryphon," she smiled sheepishly, pointing at Hawke. "I think I like the idea of becoming a rider for Azurlaise."

"I- you got a point, but… what if you don't make it in? You'd be alone in Azurlaise," Alexos was hesitant to even speak against her, he never wanted to put her down, but he had to be realistic. He could not imagine his friend alone in Azurlaise, there were too many things that could happen to her in the capitol.

"Then come with me!" Asha shouted. Hawke stopped what he was doing to watch the two humans. "You've talked about becoming a rider since we were both little. So- come with me, we can do it together! Even if only one of us is accepted, then the other tries again the following year," her enthusiasm brought a smile to his face.

"And if neither of us makes it? What then?"

Her spirit faltered for a moment and his heart sank in response. Asha shook her head. "We'll figure it out if it comes to it, 'Lexos."

He sighed, running a hand through his tawny hair, "You got a lotta faith in our ability to improvise."

"Well, someone has to!" She shouted, throwing her hands up. Hawke shrieked and sprang in between them, hackles raised and beak ajar, hissing at Alexos. He closed in quickly too. The human flinched, stumbling back while instinctually raising his arms to protect his face. "Hawke, no..!" Asha tried speaking calmly, "No, no, it's fine!"

The Gryphon glanced her way then back towards Alexos. He huffed, shutting his sharp beak, but did not leave his spot between the humans and his feathers remained raised in agitation.

Asha sighed followed by Alexos. "You're a damn miracle worker, Ash. Look at this! A wild gryphon trying to protect you," the boy chuckled, rubbing his neck.

"Well if you weren't such a moron," Asha grinned like a feline.

"Hey..!" Alexos smiled reluctantly. She snorted and they both broke out into laughter. The sound confused Hawke for a moment… he recognized it was a good sound, but… well as long as his person seemed safe. The gryphon purred, tucking his wings in and his feathers slowly flattening as he calmly slipped away.

The humans both smiled. "So, Ash. Next spring we march into Azurlaise, demand that they make us Gryphon riders and fly off into the sunset?" Alexos scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Indeed! Something like that," Asha beamed, "I'll need to get my affairs in order...  I've been working on it all this year."

"I thought your stock of horses was getting lower than it should be. You haven't been settling for less have you?"

"You know me better than that. Now there's also the house-"

"Woah! Hold on, slow down… you'll want to keep that just in case of… whatever might happen. It might be nice to be able to come home to your home."

"I-! I suppose that sounds nice, but it'll just rot with me being away."

"Let my father rent it out for you… in fact, I bet if you talked with him, he could take care of your horses. Sell 'em, breed 'em. A few free horses from your stock would do my family some good since I won't be around to help and Rory could do with more work. You'll still get plenty of money for them, but you'll have to share the profits."

"That money would be a while away… but it would be nice knowing that there's something waiting here if I need it."

They eventually settled down in the field discussing what to do with Asha's property and how exactly they would share the coins to get them to the capital city. Alexos himself had been saving for years now for his own trip to Azurlaise, so it was not a one sided exchange. All the while Hawke flitted about, entertaining himself for the most part. He would come by and beg for a few scratches and head pats before going off to flop around and preen.

They ceased their conversation to simply watch the graceful gryphon mill about like a giant kitten in the afternoon sun. He was a heartwarming sight… and perhaps if Asha was capable of taming a wild gryphon, the exams to become a rider might be easy for them.

All three of them froze however. The loud, shrill call of another gryphon came from overhead. Asha and Alexos both looked to the sky, instinctively searching for the sourse. Hawke gave his own call in response, wings flaring. He leapt into the air, his wings beating heavily as he took to the air. Asha and Alexos stared in awe. Hawke circled the meadow until another gryphon joined him. They were roughly equal in size, however the newcomer was more reddish than Hawke. They both slowed, beating their massive wings to stay in place somewhat. Hawke looked at the humans and thrilled, tossing his head back. The other looked between him and the humans curiously.

Hawke thrilled again, eyes focused on Asha. The girl smiled and whistled at him. That seemed to please him. He turned and both gryphons took off, off to wherever gryphons went during the winter months.

Alexos chuckled watching them until they were past the treeline, well out of sight. He turned to look at Asha and frowned seeing the sad look upon her face.

"I'm gonna miss him," she sighed, pulling her knees to her chest, resting her head on her arms.

He patted her back. "Yeah… I think I will too… but at least you had time with him. And you can brag to everyone about him."

She scoffed, a slight smile forming on her lips. "Oh no… nobody would believe little Asha could tame a wild gryphon, but you mister Alexos? Everyone would believe you did it."

"Nonsense!" He waved a hand dismissively. "Only with your help, Ash," he beamed at her.

Reluctantly, she let herself smile. "Obviously."

#Aeon Harshal #writing #writers on tumblr #Winged Bluejay #first draft #feedback welcome #novel #original work #original novel #fantasy #fantasy romance #romance

[pleb-the-original]

Day 28: Gryphon

(Man I’m on a roll today. This one was pretty easy to come up with, nature documentary again. The hardest part was finding the right eagle to mix with the lion bit. I cross-referenced habitat ranges and african eagle species and picked the Bateluer. No one ever specifies what kind of eagle goes with a gryphon so why not make it properly African?)  And now we move on to the vast savannas of Africa. This wilderness has been the home for many incredible species on planet Earth for ages. But change has come for these lands just as it has everywhere else. No where else is this evident than our recent discovery of a gryphon nest. It appears that gryphons create ground nests using dried remains of various flora from around the area as we have caught the mother gryphon collecting various plant matter. Contrary to common visual representations of them, these gryphons appear to have the front half of bateleur eagles. We do not know how many behavioral traits of the gryphon come from either the bateleur or the lion but we have observed some mixing of the two. For example, drone footage has captured that there are two cubs inside of the nest. They were caught engaging in play behavior similar to lion cubs. Their plumage however matches typical fledglings at 5 weeks. Later footage also showed their mother coming back from a successful hunt. Shockingly, the cubs suckled milk from the mother like a mammal and then afterwards ate regurgitated food from the mother’s mouth like a bird. The current hypothesis is that the cubs nutritional needs require a large amount of protein which can be provided by both milk and meat. Sadly we have not been able to get much drone or helicopter footage, as the father remains nearby and divebombs anything it deems a threat that gets too close to the nest. Unlike bateleurs, the parents have yet to desert the nest despite many intrusions from potential predators. Instead, a strange behavior has been observed where the mother gryphon would actually hunt alongside regular lionesses. That is when we observed the father taking on parental duties although we have also observed co-parenting behaviors. These and many other paranormal species will be a delight to study as they come into our world. Quite frankly, I saw we welcome them with open arms. 

#chimeraquest #prompt list #writing #creative writing #gryphon #spec bio #mythology #griffin #tags won't let me do the regular spelling for some reason

[elwynten]

Chapter 40

Remnent" Week 23

Professor Ozpin had sent Professor Goodwich to escort me to his office.

Ozpin introduced me to Qrow. "It's nice to finally meet you Qrow. I've heard a lot about you from Ruby and Yang." I said, holding out my hand.

Qrow took my hand in his and shook it briefly. "It is nice to meet you. Is there any reason we are meeting."

"Straight to the point, I like that. I don't know if Ozpin has told you about Amber yet or not. So, I'll tell you. Amber is alive and well. She's been healed and is out of the medical pod that was keeping her alive." I started.

Qrow's eyes about bugged out of their sockets. "She's alive and well? How is that possible?" He asked.

"I healed her. Ozpin was there when it happened." I told him.

Qrow looked over at Ozpin. Ozpin nodded his head in agreement. "He healed her. I don't know how, but he did." Ozpin confirmed what I had said.

"One of the people that attacked Amber is in custody and headed to prison. The other two really didn't know what they had gotten themselves into. So, they have turned their lives around and are getting ready to be law abiding citizens and possibly go to a Huntsman Acadamy." I continued.

"Why aren't they in custody, as well?" Qrow asked me.

"It's a long story but put simply… they both were in bad positions when Cynder showed up to 'help them out'. Thus she 'used' them to gain power for herself. Now they don't want to be criminals anymore, they are on the straight and narrow and want to help people now." I told him.

"I don't get it. How could they change their minds like that?" Qrow asked.

"That is another long story. But what we need to talk about now, is you." I told Qrow.

Qrow looked confused. "What about me?" He asked, looking back and forth between Ozpin and myself.

"Because of your Semblance you have taken to drinking and being a loner. Both can be rectified. That being, your Semblance can be nullified temporarily or permanently, and with that being done you'll have no more reason to drink so much." I told him.

Qrow looked indignant. "I don't drink to… Yes, I do." He conceded and his shoulders slumped.

"And that's one thing we'll be taking care of." I told him. "And to help with that. You will have a new Companion."

A smallish Gryphon walked out from behind Taima and I. He walked over to Qrow and sat down beside him.

"His name is Chand. And so, you don't think you're going crazy or hallucinating, the two of you can communicate telepathically. He can also talk out loud, just like you and I can." I told Qrow.

Chand: (Eagle/Snow Leapard) Male Mythical (Griffon) Size L2 Regeneration L1 Intelligence L2 Strength L1 Durability L2 Shapshifting L1 (Eagle, Snow Leapard, Dog, Farret) Agility L1 Elemental Blanst (Ice) Sustenence L2 Flight Speed L1

Qrow looked down at Chand. Qrow's mouth fell open as he looked at his new Companion. Then he quickly looked up at me and back down at Chand. "I can, I can, hear him in my head!" He exclaimed.

Taima giggled. "You'll get used to it, Eilwyn did." She told Qrow.

I turned to Taima and smiled at her. Then I turned back to Qrow. "And anything he can do; you can also do. That means he can change into an eagle, a dog, a Snow Leopard" I motioned to Chand in his Gryphon form. "And a ferret. Which means, 'you' can change into all of those animals also, as well as combinations of those animals. So, you can stay human and have eagle wings on your back so you can fly, or you and/or Chand can change into a dog with wings to fly that way. He's three times as strong as normal, more durable, and more agile. He'll tell you everything he can do." I told Qrow and Ozpin.

Qrow looked shocked. "That is difficult to believe." He said shaking his head in disbelief.

I chuckled. "It took me a while to get used to it myself." I started. "Back to your Semblance. It has been nullified; you no longer cause bad luck to happen around you anymore. That means you'll have to get used to bad luck NOT affecting anyone or anything you fight." I told him.

Qrow looked stunned. "I won't cause bad luck to anyone around me anymore?! How's that possible?" He asked me.

"Correct, no more bad luck. I have the ability to nullify anyone's powers or abilities, temporarily or permanently. How I can do that is another long story." I replied. "What you have to do now, is decide what your new 'Semblance' will be. You have a choice between creating and controlling fire, summoning wolves or telekinesis." I told Qrow.

Qrow looked confused, yet thoughtful. "No more bad luck." He said again, more to himself than to me or Ozpin. "And a new Semblance?"

"Personally, I believe telekinesis would work well for you. You can use it to knock things out of the way, knock people off balance and the like. It would almost be like bad luck for them, with it effecting only those you want it to effect." I told Qrow.

Qrow nodded his head in agreement. "That sounds good. I like how that sounds. Telekinesis should work well." Qrow told me.

I closed my eyes for a moment then opened them up again. "There you go. And remember you'll be able to lift two to three tons with practice. And this telekinesis does not rely on your Aura so you will never have to worry about not being able to use it.

"That's it? That's all there is to you giving me the ability to perform telekinesis?" Qrow asked confused.

I grinned. "That's it. That's all it takes for me to give anyone any ability I want to give them." I replied.

"That's hard to believe." He said again.

"Understandable. I still have difficulty believing everything I can do." I told him. Then continued. "Now another reason you're here. I need you to find Oscar Pine and bring him back to Beacon Acadamy. He's a fourteen-year-old farm hand on his aunt's farm." I told Qrow and told him the general area where Oscar should be, in Mistral. "And I also need you to find Maria Calavera and bring her back here. You would also know her as… The Grimm Reaper." I added.

"The Grimm Reaper? She hasn't been seen for years. She's dead." Qrow told me.

I shook my head, no. "Not so. She's still alive. Although she was attacked and lost her eyesight. She was able to have an optical visor affixed so she can see, but she went into hiding." I told Qrow.

Qrow staired at me with his mouth open in shock and surprise. "A-are you sure?"

"I'm positive she's alive. In fact, shortly after the Vital Festival starts, she'll be heading to Atlas by way of Argus." I said. "She will be going to Dr. Pietro Polendina to have her visor worked on." I added.

Still looking confused. "How do you know that?" Qrow asked me.

I shook my head. It was getting old having to keep telling people the same things over and over again. "I can see bits of the future. Not everything just parts. And one part I have seen is where Maria Calavera will be in a few months. But the important thing to know is, I can heal her so she doesn't need the optical visor anymore and I can also de-age her if she wants." I told Qrow.

Qrow shook his head in disbelief. He then ran his hand through his hair. "You're saying that you can heal The Grimm Reaper, you have already healed the Fall Maiden, and that you've already incarcerated Cynder."

I nodded my head in agreement, and I grinned. "Correct on all points."

"And now you want me to find a fourteen-year-old farm hand and the Grimm Reaper."

"And bring them both back here to Beacon Acadamy."

Qrow looked at Ozpin. "Are you on board with this?" He asked.

"Yes, I am. So far, Mr. Tengee has been correct 100% of the time."

"If he knows the future. Does he know about Salem?" Qrow asked Ozpin.

I cut in. "I don't know everything about the future. I only know some things about the future. As for Salem…" I waved my hand to a table by one wall. "May I introduce you to Salem and Tyrian. And yes, they are the real deal. I've just morphed them into animals." I told Qrow.

Surprise, admiration and doubt spread across Qrow's face. "You captured Salem? How?"

"As I said before, I can nullify abilities and powers, people have. Just like I nullified your Semblance. I nullified Salem's magical abilities, her Semblance, and her immortality. Then I changed her into a hamster." I informed him.

"That means everything we've fought for is finished." Qrow said with awe.

"Most, but not everything. There are still people to be found and helped or contained or dealt with. And there is still Grimm to be killed, and villages to be protected. But the biggest problem has been taken care of." I told Qrow. "I believe Professor Ozpin knows everyone that needs to be found. So, I'll go back to my Team. I'll let Ruby and Yang know you're in town. I'm sure they would like to see you while you're here. Till next time." I said to Qrow and Ozpin, then headed to the elevator to leave.

#Remnant #Pern #RWBY #Vale #Beacon #Beacon Acadamy #Dragons #Dragonriders #Dragonriders of Pern #Qrow

[sekhisadventures]

The Young Lion in Chains

Stormwind City, shortly after Sylvannas shattered the Lich King’s Crown

It was a warm day that day in Stormwind.

Nelen had been sitting at one of the tables outside the Blue Recluse reading through a book he’d managed to track down about the Loa of the various Troll Tribes while enjoying some cinnamon buns and a hot mug of tea.

He was in his human form, appearing to be nothing more than a mage approaching middle age when suddenly he felt a strange sort of disturbance.

He looked to the north and saw the clouds part as two black specks swooped down from them, the mage slowly rising to his feet. Some sort of large predatory birds perhaps?

Then suddenly a bright flash of light came from the direction of Lion’s Rest and the mage froze as he heard a loud wolf-like howl!

“That’s King Greymane…” he gasped. Every worgen in the city could hear that and they’d know what it meant instinctively. It was a cry for help! He looked around at the other patrons, noticing several of his kinsmen among them as they heard their king's cry.

Needing no more prompting, the Gilneans all transformed as one and fell to all fours, tearing off towards Lion's Rest! Their King was in danger, he needed his pack! Nelen ran alongside the other worgen, his eyes glowing pure violet. Normally he tried to resist the urge to change, but if Genn was willing to let out a call like that it meant that the situation was already dire indeed!

When Nelen and his kinsmen arrived it was to a battle already begun. Genn Greymane had already transformed into his worgen form, snarling and glaring up at the sky as King Anduin took shelter under a dome of holy energies, his father’s sword Shalamayne already in hand, and their attackers…

Nelen roared in fury! Their armor was different, black instead of glowing white like before, but the winged humanoids were unmistakable. Sylvannas’ val’kyr were attacking Stormwind!

He immediately focused his arcane energies, drawing a magic circle on the ground under him from sheer will before channeling the energies around him into his claws, “Slaughter the val’kyr! For Gilneas and the Alliance!” he snarled as the other worgen howled in agreement. Weapons were drawn, guns were fired, spells were cast, and the val’kyr suddenly found a sky full of magical bolts, bullets, and arrows harrying their progress.

Still, it was only hampering them. Some of the worgen were trained with magic or ranged weapons but many were melee fighters and not able to combat enemies that could fly with any effectiveness.

The Stormwind City Guard was helping, but mostly they had shortbows if anything. Nobody really expected an attack from the air that didn’t involve an airship!

Slowly but surely the val’kyr were able to close the distance between themselves and the two kings, Greymane and Wrynn, despite their efforts, and Nelen’s vision began to swim.

So much arcane energy, so many powerful spells, his arms began to ache and his mouth went dry. Arcane magic was powerful, but very draining.

As he paused to catch his breath and redraw his energies however, his ears perked up. From the direction of the city's outer walls came a loud screech like a giant eagle as several dark shapes swooped over the buildings. Gryphons, and on the back of each one was a dwarf holding a hammer crackling with electricity, their bodies painted with blue woad as the lead dwarf called out, “Alright lads! Lets show these buzzards what th’ Wildhammer Clan is made of! CHAAAAAAAARGE!”

Nelen grinned, wildhammer gryphon riders! At this the val’kyr hesitated. This was an enemy that could fight them on their own terms!

Then one of the val'kyr reached into a pouch on their belt and pulled out an orb swirling with pure blackness that made Nelen’s fur stand on end…

The winged humanoid's face was hidden behind their skull-like helmet, but Nelen could almost imagine it smirking as it crushed the orb in its fist and a sudden wave of darkness burst out of it! The blast knocked the defenders off their feet and caused the gryphons to shriek in agony!

Two of them fell, spiraling to the ground with a cry of pain, but the other two gryphons managed to stay airborne. However, the orb had the desired effect.

The dome of holy light protecting Anduin and Genn shattered like glass, the boy king falling to his knees, gripping his head and crying out from the sudden assault!

As soon as he did two Val’kyr reached out towards him and chains materialized from their hands, shooting towards him and twisting around his struggling form like serpents! The val’kyr immediately took to the skies, dragging Anduin off his feet and towards the clouds as Nelen struggled to shake off the effects of the spell.

One of the dwarves was having none of it however. He glared and spurred his gryphon on, raising his hammer. “Dirty trick ya overgrown chicken! Time fer me ta fry those wings!” he shouted, aiming his hammer, then throwing the enchanted weapon, aiming for the val’kyr!

Nelen's eyes widened as his mind raced. That would cripple the val’kyr, but they were past Lion’s Rest now and over the ocean now... well above the ocean! Several dozens of feet!

He immediately summoned a burst of arcane energy and aimed it not at the val’kyr, but at the hammer to knock the weapon off course!

The dwarf’s jaw fell as his attack was blocked, the wildhammer watching the val’kyr flee as he turned and shouted, “Are ye outta yer mind ya mangey mutt?! Why’d ya stop me?!”

Nelen struggled to his feet and shouted back, “King Wrynn can’t fly! If you take out the val’kyr he’d drop like a brick!” The dwarf looked back at them, then down, then did some mental math, then winced and rubbed his head in embarrassment at that, muttering something Nelen couldn’t pick up from that far away.

The mage was right however, if the hammer had hit its target then Anduin would likely have fallen to his death. All they could do now was wait and hope that the val’kyr’s goal was capture rather than execution. With any luck, an opportunity to save Anduin would present itself.

Next Story

Previous Story

#warcraft #warcraft roleplay #fanfiction #adventures in azeroth #shadowlands

[shintorikhazumi]

(Dianakko Week) There’s no way she- (3): “There’s no way she tamed that.”

@dianakko-week​

A/N: Okay! So I’m really sorry if day 2 confused y’all ;-;. I just couldn’t reveal as much info to be clear as I thought ;-; I dunno if this chapter will do any good of explaining, but here’s to hoping  that it does! T-T Also apologies if the whole story goes south or off the rails since I’m really running on fumes this week and am at peak exhaustion capacity woo! So these chapters/days might just be getting weird and incoherent idk. Sorry. This is kind of like... going back and forth between days 2-4 in terms of theme, I think. But well. uh... Idk anymore.

Enjoy?

~Shintori Khazumi

Day 3: Familiars/Animals

“There’s no way she tamed that.”

“I’m just glad you’ve all settled in just fine.”

“Honestly? Same.” Barbara sighed, looking into the orb that showed Lotte and Sucy’s faces. “I guess it’s just that we’ve been here for a few months- two? Three? It’s a good start.”

“How’s her majesty holding up?” Sucy asked teasingly, but with concern clear in her visible eye.

Barbara bit her lip, not really sure of the answer herself. “She never showed me or Han, but I know that she’s cried to Akko-with Akko” Barbara shook her head fondly, recalling their sweet dork. “-when we all went to bed. It went on for a few weeks. Right now, she’s... she’s holding up. She’s tough, we all know.”

“Yes. You all are.” Lotte said with a smile that quickly melted away into a deep frown. “I can’t believe they burned down the mansion.”

“I can’t believe they were able to get through Diana’s cloaking spell.” Sucy commented. “Something isn’t right, but no one can pinpoint just what it is yet.” She said, swirling an ominous-looking fluid in one of her flasks.

Barbara nodded. “Well, anyway, I’ll get back to you later. I’m on dinner duty and the sun has been sending me warnings.” She chuckled, noticing the changing hues of the horizon. “Talk to you again sometime?”

“We’ll update you on the situation.” Lotte assured, waving to her friend before the connection cut and the orb turned blank.

Barbara sighed, standing up from the table to return the orb on their shelf in the living room of the cozy stone cottage they had settled in, deep in a forest of some unknown country far away from home.

It was a new world with so many unknowns. Maybe too many. Including why Diana and Akko had been targeted this way. Diana had told them that she’d been stripped of her position on the magic council, and had been ‘warned’ that she would someday suffer the consequences of not complying with the other members. So far, that was all they knew. They just found that Diana had a hunch that they needed to leave soon. They were so glad they did.

Barbara began prepping in the kitchen, getting all her ingredients from the fridge that she’d need for the dish she wanted to cook. Suddenly, a chorus of yells from her two teammates caught her attention, telling her that they were close to home, along with their other friend whose name was pronounced loud on their lips-

“AKKO?!”

//

“What?” Akko shrugged, clearly not getting why this was such a big deal. Florence was one of her sweetest familiars!

“No, no, no. Not ‘what?’, Akko... how... why? Who? Where did you even-” Hannah stammered. “There’s no way she tamed that. Right, Diana?” She turned to their team leader, still staring up at the very real, and very large griffin.

“Akko... how did you even... you say this is your familiar??? A gryphon of this size? We all know that contracting familiars are difficult, but you just-”

She and Hannah watched as Akko continued to play with the somehow puppy-like griffin, Akko rubbing it’s belly as it rolled on the grass in front of their home.

“Diana.” Akko deadpanned. “You literally kept a Kelpie at home.” She saw Diana open her mouth about to deny the statement, and cut her off. “Don’t lie. I saw you feeding it by the lake the other day.”

“Well...”

“I watched you train it the other day.”

“I-”

“I’ve also seen it playing in the fountain in the yard back at home-” As that word slipped, Akko realized her mistake, seeing Hannah giving her a disproving look as Diana’s face looked momentarily downcast, before masking it with a smile.

“Diana-” Akko tried to reach out, but her girlfriend had taken a careful step back, leaving a pang in Akko’s heart. “I’m sor-”

“I’ve been caught red-handed, I suppose.” Diana laughed mirthlessly, a hand rubbing up and down her opposite arm as she looked off into the distance. “Oh look at that! The sun is setting. We should go inside.” She quickly changed the topic, being the first one to turn around and head for their house, not waiting for her companions to follow.

Hannah groaned, smacking the back of Akko’s head. “Nice going, Akko.”

“Hey!”

“Make sure to hide that familiar somewhere and wash your hands before dinner! Barbara’s going to have your head the next time you touch her table with those filthy hands.” She warned before disappearing into the cottage after Diana.

“I already know that. You don’t have to tell me.” Akko scoffed, crossing her arms before getting nuzzled by her Griffin, a cute confused look on his face. She smiled, petting it’s side before doing what Hannah had told her to do. “Come on, Florence. Let’s get you back in with the others?”

Reaching into her shirt, Akko pulled out a locket, casting a spell on it that made it larger, revealing a briefcase that looked like any other. However, as she turned the dials of it’s lock code, multiple sounds spring forth from it as the case shook.

Florence nuzzled against her back, whining about her actions. Akko got the message. “Sorry, buddy. I know it’s been a while since I let you out free, but I don’t have anywhere better to keep you all yet. Hang on just a bit more? For me?” She rubbed the Griffin’s head before holding the briefcase closer to him and Florence disappeared into the container. “Thank you.” She patted the lid.

After closing it securely, she spun the numbers to form a different code that brought about silence before shrinking it back into the size that she kept around her neck.

“I hope they waited for me for dinner.”

//

“Are you alright?”

Diana looked up from her seat on the small porch, gaze warming as she was met by the sight of her old friend with two mugs in hand, steaming and warm. She simply nodded, patting the seat next to her.

Hannah nodded, settling down next to Diana and handing her her drink. Before Diana could even greet and thank her, a thick blanket was draped across her shoulders from her other side. Barbara promptly took seat on that free space, leaning her weight against Diana and closing her eyes.

“Girls...”

“You can trust us with your pain as much as you do with Akko, you know?” Hannah murmured, Barbara nodding against Diana’s side.

“...I know.” Biting her lip, Diana tried her best to form the appropriate words. Seconds slipped by and she continued failing at being open to her best friends. “I’m sorry. It’s still a little difficult.” She felt the pair sigh on each side of her, and felt a little bad.

“We suppose that one is on us for constantly placing you up on a pedestal. Both then and now.” Barbara chuckled, the statement supposedly lighthearted despite all three knowing it was the heavy truth. “Just know that when you’re ready, we will always be willing to listen, yes?” She turned her body around, enough to embrace Diana, Hannah mirroring the action as they both squeezed her tight.

Diana squeaked as they planted a kiss on each side of her face before laughing at how bashful she was being.

“Well, that’s all from us. We’ll be heading in now.”

Diana had wanted a few more minutes of time with them, but as she followed them with her eyes, she saw someone else waiting by the door.

“Fix this.” She heard Hannah whisper to the dejected-looking Akko, loud enough for all of them to hear. Barbara giggled as she entered the house first, and Diana found her own chuckles slipping out as Akko grumbled her way towards Diana until she stood face to face with her.

“...”

“...”

“Hi.”

“Hello, dear.”

Diana felt her heart ache in a bittersweet way as she saw tears form in Akko’s eyes, and the girl kneeled in front of her, relocating Diana’s mug of hot chocolate somewhere safe on the wooden porch before taking both of her hands in hers and kissing each knuckle.

“I love you...” She whispered, holding Diana’s hands to her forehead as Akko bowed her head to hide her face from her. “And I’m sorry...”

“Darling...” Diana sighed with a smile. “Come here.”

Diana watched Akko briefly hesitate before gingerly snaking her arms round about Diana, snuggling into her fully.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. You didn’t mean to hurt me or anything.”

“But I did.” Akko sniffled, remembering that Diana had entrusted her sorrows and fears to her for nights and nights since they lost their old home, and how carelessly Akko had mentioned it while Diana was still touchy about the subject. “So I’m still sorry.”

Diana turned her head slightly to the side, enough to place a tender kiss on Akko’s cheek, “Then, Thank you. Thank you for apologizing, Love.”

“Mmm.”

They stayed that a way a few moments before Akko pulled away, a big grin plastered over her face.

“I have something to show you. Just to make it up to you.” She’d said, turning to the sky with lips pursed to release a unique whistling sound that Diana was not so familiar with.

She decided to face where Akko had been directing her attention, squinting at the night sky dotted with stars she knew all too well. She didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, so what was Akko trying to do-

There was a flash of gold and of a passionate color. It wasn’t lightning, Diana knew; neither was it the twinkling of the stars overhead.  So what exactly...

Then it came closer, perching on Akko’s arm that she had left outstretched.

Diana’s mouth gaped, a surprise much similar to what she had experienced earlier today, returning.

“Akko, this is a...”

Akko scratched the back of her head sheepishly, smiling adorably awkward as she attempted to ‘introduce’ them. “Alfred, this is Diana. Diana, this is Alfred.”

Diana nodded at the creature that stared at her with it’s bright beady eyes. Literally bright, it was in its entirety.

“He’s a baby phoenix.”

Diana nodded solemnly, still in awe. Of both the creature and Akko who was currently petting it with a magically protected hand.

Diana knew that Akko always had a strange affinity for communicating with animals. Even back in her years as ‘Luna Nova’s Dunce’- or so many had labeled her as (Diana was forever mad at that fact)- Akko had already shown her uncanny ability to empathize with non-human beings. She so easily befriended fae, was able to get along with both of Chariot’s own familiars: Alcor and Arcas of all creatures. There was also the fact that she had learned fish language in her own unconventional way and had become increasingly fluent in it and other magical creature languages over the next few years.

Now that she really about it, she realized that she usually saw Akko tending to the magical animals used by the security sector of the council, or doing work related to that. She had at first seen it as them pushing all the mucky work onto her like cleaning stables for pegasi, or feeding the more exotic research birds.

Seeing Akko right now, she felt like it should explain a whole lot more than she thought she knew about her. It made Diana feel slightly ashamed and insecure that she had yet to uncover this fact about her own lover that she had been with for so long now.

Diana shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts. This wasn’t the time to doubt their relationship with one another.

In this new light she was now viewing Akko in, Diana now suspected one of the reasons why the council desperately tried to keep Akko from quitting back then despite not making much use of her at her actual supposed job. They had probably realized all too quickly, and for reasons Diana doubted were good.

But did Akko know this? Was she aware?

Diana fiddled with her hands. Maybe she should ask.

“Akko?” She tugged on the girl’s shirt sleeve.

“Hmm?”  

Diana took a breath. “I know... that one of the reasons you left your old duties behind was because you didn’t really love the job at the council... and all that.” She watched Akko nod slowly, hands stilling from caressing Alfred.

“Go on?”

“But I can’t help but think now that there’s another reason... you know, something more?” Diana looked at her dearest friend and lover with hopeful eyes, wondering if she’d tell her something she didn’t know. Something that wasn’t in the written letters Akko’s various familiars had brought to her during the moments they were apart, something that she couldn’t have observed despite having worked in generally the same establishment because they had been firmly kept apart.

Why did it suddenly feel like Diana... didn’t know a lot about Akko?

She felt a pang in her heart, only supplemented by the silence that Akko had met her with.

“Sorry.” She quickly said. “Maybe it wasn’t right of me to ask.” She was about to get up when Akko stopped her, a hand holding onto Diana’s, silently bidding her to stay.

Diana sat back down and Akko rested her head on her shoulder, rubbing patterns on Diana’s hand with her thumb as she began to speak.

“Diana, did you know? That magical creatures have so much more magical energy stored in their bodies than any other living things? So much so that a magical sparrow could probably power Luna Nova for almost a week, maybe.” Akko chuckled and Diana smiled at the lovely sound.

Nodding, she responded. “Well, I knew something of that nature, yes. Did Pisces teach you that? Chariot?” She asked, squeezing Akko’s hand gently in hers.

“Partially... but...” Akko sighed. “I also found it out myself.”

Diana nodded, not wanting to interrupt anything.

“You know me so well Diana, so I’m sure that you’ve noticed by now that I have...” Akko paused, in thought of how she should word it. “Quite a few? Familiars?”

Diana snorted, bringing their joined hands up to her lips and kissing the back of Akko’s hand. “A lot, dear. A whole lot.”

Akko giggled alongside her before calming and adopting a more serious look. Diana lent her ears once more, preparing herself for what was to come.

“It started when they discovered I could easily befriend them. The magical beasts and creatures.” Akko frowned, surely remembering things she did not want to. “They sent me out to catch, acquire, and well tame magical beasts. Pfft-Like I could do that.”

Diana was about to argue that Akko could- as could clearly be observed, but was beaten to the punch.

“It was much easier than I believed it should be.” She admitted. “At first, I had no clue what they needed it for. I assumed more research on animals, extending our knowledge, and all that good stuff, you know?” Akko huffed, lifting her other hand up to guide her little phoenix into flight so that it would return to where it came from.

Diana guessed it was because Akko didn’t want it understanding what she was about to reveal next.

“Of course, I had felt bad about intruding into their habitats and taking one of their kind, but I had hoped that after whatever observations the council and researchers had, I could just return them to their families and homes.”

Diana felt Akko’s grip tightening around her hand, breathing shallowing.

“Then one day, I saw these beautiful, beautiful creatures in one of the outer courtyards...” Akko squeezed her eyes shut, painfully recalling the memory of what she saw that day.  “They killed them, Diana. Killed them in order to power some device that I have no clue about. I saw it in passing when I accompanied the secretary around before I was shut out.” Akko confessed.

Diana leaned her head on Akko’s, mind flying to places she had tried forgetting about because of the pain they caused her as she tried to make sense of what Akko knew, and what she had also found out.

“That’s when I decided to quit and go to the places I believed more beasts resided in...  especially the more endangered and possibly more powerful ones from what I had looked into, and what Chariot and Pisces had told me. I thought that maybe I could keep them safe that way. I’m sure the council had someone replace me in my... ‘work’.”

Akko allowed herself to fall over and lay herself on Diana’s lap, turning around to bury her face in the woman’s stomach.

Diana felt arms wrap around her waist, and she brought her hands atop Akko’s head to comb through silky chocolate strands. She felt the tension in Akko’s body release, before hearing another quiet, “I’m sorry”.

Diana would have asked what for, but they both already knew that.

“I just couldn’t tell you at that time. Not when you were also trying your best to establish your position in that very same council. I thought it would put you at risk of losing your job... or worse.”

Diana could just hear her choke up on that word, having now been acquainted with the ‘worse’ bit.

“So I decided to distance myself for a bit. I’m sorry, Diana. I’m sorry.” Akko murmured against her stomach. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

Diana could feel a wet patch growing on her stomach. She continued to gently run her fingers through Akko’s hair in hopes of soothing her lover and reassuring her that it was all alright. That she understood. That she was grateful that Akko did it to protect her.

“I just wish I had told you back then, now that all of this happened. It’s still very much my fault, isn’t it?” Akko sniffled, turning away to wipe her nose on her sleeve. “Aaagghh, I really am sorry. To you, to Hannah and Barbara, and to everyone else.” Akko tried to slow her breathing in order to stop crying as she looked straight up at the night sky. “This is all my fault.”

Her view of the starry sky was obstructed, but replaced with the blues of a summery morning, even though it was the dead of night.

She was entranced, just like she’d always been since a long time ago.

Akko felt her eyelids flutter shut as Diana leaned down, closer, closer, and closer...

Thwack-

“Ouch!”

Akko’s eyes shot open as she was met with a stern Diana.

“Don’t just take all the blame like that and treat this whole thing as your decision solely. We all came here on our own accord. Hannah, Barbara, and I. Actually, didn’t we drag you hear in the first place?” Diana scolded a thoroughly shocked Akko.

“Y-yes.”

Diana’s expression relaxed as she chuckled, finally giving Akko the kiss she’d been expecting. “That’s why, my love, please. Continue to trust us.”

Diana could swear she could read a million I love you’s written all over Akko’s face. The sweetheart.

“Besides. I have things I need to discuss with you all as well. And I think- no. I know that it is connected with what you’ve just told me tonight.”

Diana nudged Akko up, guiding them both back on their feet.

“But for now, can we finally get some shut-eye?” She looked at Akko with a pleading face that the latter dared not say no to.

“Definitely.”

Diana squealed as she was hoisted up into strong arms and carried into the house, across their small living room and into their shared bedroom, careful not to make as much noise when they passed by their friends’.

As Akko lay Diana down on the soft sheets, she peppered kisses about her face, the pair giggling and whispering until they were all out of mirth.

Tomorrow was another day, and it might just be another frightful one.

But well, they had each other and it didn’t matter as much anymore.

“I love you.”

“I love you more.”

Snuggled beneath the covers, to the soft cooing of the breezes of the forest, they began to drift to slumber-

“Oh, that’s right, Love.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you mind showing me your other animals?”

“Not at all, dear.”

“Great.”

“Any reason why?”

“I just want to see Hannah’s shocked face again if we ever find something like a manticore or minotaur with you, haha.”

“...”

“I’m jesting, Love- Akko... why are you wearing that expression? Akko... no way... No. Really?!”

“...You see...”

“There’s no way you tamed that!”

A/N: If you’ve seen fantastic beasts- I just loved the suitcase concept. Also I dunno, I thought of the whistling thing and wondered if it was an actual summoning technique and found a transcendental- was it- whistling. Welp. It’s almost 2am and I’m doing this while also doing my lab reports skgmdsoigndfngsdr okay. Time to di-p. Time to dip into work. Ciao!

~Shintori Khazumi

#dianakko week 2021 #diakko #diana cavendish #atsuko kagari #hannah england #barbara parker #lotte yanson #sucy manbavaran #lwa #little witch academia #fanfic