#took me far too long to realize that was a goat and not a dog | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

emeraldborealis · 2 years

Text

Hand In Unlovable Hand

Pairing: Billy Loomis x Fem!reader

TW//CW: Codependent relationship, arguing, allusions to past sexual assault if you squint, drinking, general dark-ish themes, angst.

A/N: This oneshot was inspired by the song No Children by The Mountain Goats, it's also a bit differant from my other oneshots but I'm sure you will still enjoy it.

Words: 2,401

I hope that our few remaining friends give up on trying to save us. I hope we come up with a fail-safe plot to piss off the dumb few that forgave us.

"How long do you think it will take for everyone to get tired or our shit?" I asked curiously glancing over to Billy, the light from golden hour playing gracefully with his handsome features.

"The way you say that makes it sound like you want everyone to leave you." He looked over to me a questioning look in his brown eyes as he tried to read me, and every possible thought that could be going through my head.

"Not everyone just all of them. So- What do you think it would take for us to be left alone again?" I turned away from him looking back out at the sunsetting over Woodsboro.

I hope the fences we mended fall down beneath their own weight.

"You don't try to be better! You don't give any effort, not in our friendship, and definitely notin your life. I can't keep babysitting you, I can't be on watch duty all the time making sure you don't hurt yourself, or others! If you really wanted to hurt yourself you would have done so by now." Sidney screamed at me standing by the door, her hand tantalizing the doorknob, threateningly close to storming out.

"I'm trying to get better! I am!" I screamed back at her waving my arms around for emphasis.

"If you really were trying you wouldn't still be with Billy. He's not good for you. And you're not good for him either. What you two have is a sick codependent relationship and one day it's going to fall apart. And don't even get me started on your drinking problems, how many times have you been in rehab now? Five?" Her hand fully gripped the handle now just waiting for the final straw to break the camel's back.

"What the hell do you know?! We are fine for each other. And it's not like anyone else is lining up for either of us anyway. We have each other and we're perfectly content with that. And I'll have you know I have been clean for three months now. So why don't you just shut the hell up already! I don't need you to babysit me anyway, I don't even want you in my life. You're insufferable and smothering." The venom in my voice took her aback, she looked stunned in place, paralyzed from my words.

"Fine." She swung the door open storming out, fuming and hurt, the sound of the door slamming behind her made me jump. Hot tears began to stream down my face at the realization of my own words, how could I have been so cruel to her? But she was cruel to me too. This wasn't only on me. Right? Thoughts of doubt filled my head as I slumped down onto the floor my body starting to be racked with shakes and tremors.

And I hope we hang on past the last exit, I hope it's already too late.

"Just- keep driving, I don't want to face the consequences yet. I don't think I can mend what I've done this time." I took another swig from the whiskey bottle in my hands letting the spice of the rye burn my throat as it numbed my thoughts.

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Billy glanced over to me from the drivers seat, one hand on the wheel and the other comfortingly on my thigh.

"I- I don't know what I want." I averted my eyes from him and to my passenger side window, watching the streetlights flash by on the dark highway as we passed the exit back to Woodsboro.

And I hope the junkyard a few blocks from here someday burns down, and I hope the rising black smoke carries me far away and I never come back to this town again.

"Do you remember when you got chased through that old junkyard by that scary ass dog? You ran so fast but had no where really to run, and Randy had to pull you up onto that car pile. Wasn't that the first time you met the others?" Billy asked gingerly replaying the memory in his mind as I laid my head down on his chest, listening to his heartbeat and letting it echo throughout the cobwebs of my mind. His heartbeat was always comforting to me, proof he was here, proof he was alive, proof that he loved me.

"I hope that shithole burns to the ground. That place was just a hotspot for dumb teenagers to do horrid shit, and get away with so much. No one would blink an eye when someone tried to say anything about what really happened there, why would they believe that it wasn't welcomed or wanted, I mean 'consider the source' is all they would say. I hope I can get the hell out of this town, away from everything that happened there. And I hope I never come back." My hands gipped onto his shirt, fighting with the bad memories of all that had happened there from flooding into my mind and drowning me in recollection. Forcing me to relive it again and again.

"One day we'll make it out. I promise." His arms snaked around my waist pulling me closer into him and his safety and warmth.

In my life, I hope I lie and tell everyone you were a good wife, and I hope you die, I hope we both die.

"Why can't you just stop moping all the damn time? I swear all you do is bitch about everything. You are an awful wife." Billy fought with me picking up a few empty bottles strewn about over the room from the past few weeks to throw them away.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry you have to lie about me being a 'trophy wife'. But did you ever stop to think that maybe I don't want to be your wife anymore? I'm sorry I'm not good enough for you. And I'm sorry I've been through shit and that that's an inconvenience for you. Maybe you should think about how miserable it is for me." I fought back crossing my arms over my chest standing my ground.

"Fuck! You just don't stop do you?! Woe is me- Woe is me. I've heard it y/n! You're so annoying. I really hope you'd die sometimes. Hell, I hope we both die. We can do it together and both end our suffering." He got up in my face sneering down at me, his eyes holding something dark and looming.

"You don't mean that- You don't mean that." My arms fell to my sides and I took a step back from him.

I hope I cut myself shaving tomorrow, I hope it bleeds all day long.

"It's that familiar inkling in my head. The one that makes me want to make myself suffer, to make myself bleed. To make it look accidental but let it just keep bleeding. To let it sting and burn to remind me that I deserve it." I confessed the thoughts swirling about in my mind as I sat at the corner of the bathroom counter peering temptingly at my razor in the bathtub.

"Come on love, don't listen to it. You've been doing so well. It's my fault you feel this way again." Billy took me into his arms, holding me close to his chest he tenderly leaned in placing a soft kiss to my temple. "I shouldn't have said those things, I'm sorry. I really do love you. Please don't forget that, no matter what I ever say to you. I love you, and I need you."

Our friends say it's darkest before the sun rises, we're pretty sure they're all wrong.

"It's never going to get better is it? It's just going to keep going to shit and never make any improvement, everyone's just lying when they say things will get better. They're always lying about everything. What the hell do they know anyway?" I ranted to Billy sitting in his lap, the movie we were watching long forgotten and turned off so we could talk and vent uninterrupted.

"Nothing. They know nothing. Things don't change, neither do people. They just leave and make things worse for everyone, it's human nature to suck." Billy agreed looking into my eyes with admiration, he gently brushed a stray strand of my hair behind my ear, before cupping my cheek in his large calloused hand leading my head to his to lean his forehead against mine.

I hope it stays dark forever, I hope the worst isn't over.

"I don't even know if I want things to get better, I don't know if I'm really opposed to things getting worse. It's like I only know how to live in misery. Like I'm scared to let things get better, because I don't know how to live a 'happy pretty life'. I'm used to things sucking and I don't really know how to let things be good." I cried my eyes out to Billy letting him comfort me by rubbing circles up and down my back.

And I hope you blink before I do. "I'm not going to let you win this, you understand that right?" Billy invaded my bubble in another heated argument attempting to intimidate and scare me into submission, it was a habit in fights that I wasn't sure he knew he had.

"This isn't a competition! There's no winner or loser in an argument! Is that really what you think? Is that how your parents would fight? To win or lose? Because that's not how these actually work. What even is winning an argument to you? Pushing the other person to their limits until they just give in?" He paused looking a bit taken back from my words, his mouth opened to say something but nothing came out, he just shook his head at me and let his eyes burn with anger into my face.

I hope I never get sober. "You promised me that you'd stop drinking, you were doing so well too, what happened? What happened to getting better and getting out of this shithole?" Billy walked into the living room looking down at me on the couch, but not before taking notice of all the mostly empty bottles of alcohol on the coffee table.

"I realized the world hurts too much to exist in it sober. People hurt too much to not have a buzz to be around them." Their was a look of disappointment in his eyes as he glared daggers at the bottle currently in my hands.

"Give me the bottle, you're done." I held the bottle of cheap booze closer to me refusing to give it up. "I'm serious y/n, give me the damn bottle." He made a swipe trying to take it from me but I moved it out of his grasp in time.

"No, I'm not giving it to you." I refused stubbornly drunk, clutching the bottle in my hands like a lifeline, something that Billy was supposed to be for me, not cheap alcohol. Maybe that's why it bothered him so much when I drank to the point of risking alcohol poisoning. I was supposed to rely on him, not alcohol.

"You're going to drink yourself to death, and I'm not letting that happen. So give me the damn bottle. You're quitting, cold turkey. You're done." He finally got his hands on the bottle and yanked it from my grasp, grabbing the other mostly empty bottles from the coffee table he took them and dumped them down the sink in the kitchen before throwing away the now empty glass bottles.

And I hope when you think of me years down the line you can't find one good thing to say.

"When you find someone better and they ask about me, I hope you can't think of one good thing to say." His voice was filled with spite and venom, not really for me, but for himself.

"Is that really what you want? For me to hate you? To resent you? To leave you? I'm not your mother so stop acting like I'm just going to step out on you because of some stupid ass reason. You can't just push me out." I grabbed firmly onto his shoulders making him look at me, I didn't want another fight but if that's what it took for him to understand, then I would fight him on this until I was blue in the face.

And I'd hope that if I found the strength to walk out you'd stay the hell out of my way.

"Stop being snappy with me! I didn't do anything!" I raised my voice with him tired of his snide remarks and short fuse.

"Didn't do anything? Yeah, that's the problem. You never do anything." He raised his voice to my level challenging me.

"Don't even start that shit with me. I'm in no mood to fight with you right now." I let out a deep sigh putting my hand to my forehead to calm the headache that was already starting to come on.

"Well that's just about all I ever feel like doing according to you. Gosh. You must hate me, probably just waiting for an opportunity to leave and get the hell away from me." He scoffed at me folding his arms over his chest closing himself off.

"I could never hate you, not really. I can't leave you- because I need you. No one else could ever love me, or hell, even put up with me. You're all I've got. But, If I ever found the strength to leave, you better stay the hell out of my way and let me leave."

I am drowning, there is no sign of land, you are coming down with me. Hand in unlovable hand.

"We're never making it out of here, this town is going to engulf us in it's toxic facades and fake innocence. There's no escaping it, no matter how hard or for how long we try, this town will always catch up with us. But I guess we're going down together, hand in unlovable hand." I extended my hand out to him, not even sure if he'd take it.

"Yeah, I guess we are." Reaching out he laced his fingers with mine, giving my hand a firm squeeze. "We'll always be together, because there's no one else for us."

And I hope you die. I hope we both die.

#billy loomis x reader #scream 1996 #scream #oneshot #billy loomis #x reader #scream franchise #scream movies #angst #reader insert

54 notes · View notes

baroquebucky · 3 years

Text

grasp

soulmate au where when you touch your soulmate you see glimpses of your future with them; the winter soldier touches you and realizes there’s so much more out there

series masterlist // previous // next

part four

word count: 4.5k (worth it omg)

masterlist

a/n: hi bffs !! hope u all enjoy this chapter i am v proud of it :] let me know what u guys think i love reading ur feedback and talking w you guys !! (srry for any typos :P)

You were giddy with excitement, texting steve that you were ready to be picked up when he was ready. Your hands fiddled with buckys dog tags, a smile on your face while you waited on the couch for Steve.

It had become routine for you to join steve on his visits to wakanda to visit bucky. T’challa had been kind enough to allow you to tag along, saying soulmates should never have to deal with all the two of you had gone through.

You phone buzzed with a message from steve letting you know he was on his way. The excitement in your chest grew, having so many stories to tell bucky.

The drive and the flight felt long despite you sleeping through most of it. Finally stepping out into the fresh air and greeting the royal family, making small talk with shuri as t’challa and steve walked towards where bucky was staying.

“i should get going, I’ll be sure to meet up with you tomorrow so we can talk about it!” you smiled brightly at the girl and she nodded, waving you off.

Shuri had been kind enough to tell you about the designs for Bucky’s new vibranium arm, she had asked for you opinions and what you thought he would prefer. It warmed your heart and had brought the two of you closer together.

Bucky knew you would be coming, he made sure his long hair was tied neatly, his heart racing as he heard steve approaching. He smiled, taking in a deep breath and checking himself out in the mirror one more time.

Steve knocked on the side of the hut twice, a smile on his face as he waited for his best friend to move aside the bright curtains. Bucky opened them with a smile, saying hello and pulling steve in for a hug.

“you know you can just let yourself in right?” Bucky joked, “wheres y/n?” he asked as soon as they pulled apart. Steve rolled his eyes, a playful smile on his face.

“don’t even care about your best friend anymore?” Steve joked and bucky frowned, “kidding, kidding, she was talking with shuri about something, should be here in a bit” he smiled at his friend a bucky nodded, moving so he could enter his little home.

You walked quickly, excited to finally be with bucky after two long months. You couldn’t stop the excitement that grew in your chest, heart racing as you got closer to him.

Finally you reached the hut, knocking three times before stepping away slightly, focusing your sight on the goats next to the huts. The sound of the curtains moving brought you attention back, making you turn your head back.

Bucky smiled at you, before he could say anything you threw yourself into his chest, wrapping your arms around his waist.

“well hello to you too doll” he joked and you giggled, not bothering to let go of him. As you pulled away you beamed up at bucky, saying a breathless ‘hi’ before he smiled back at you, a charming smile on his face as he kissed your cheek.

The two of you walked in, hands intertwined as you joined steve the three of you falling into easy conversation, talking of your recent missions and adventures.

“no, yeah steve got his ass handed to him” you laughed, the blonde rolling his eyes and mouthing a ‘no,’ bucky rolled his eyes at his friend, knowing he probably did.

“so you took down how many people?” Bucky asked you, a proud smile on your face as you replied.

“eight guys” you boasted, “didn’t even break a sweat” you smirked. Steve and bucky looked at each other before laughing, bucky pulling you into his side, kissing the top of your head.

“you didn’t even leave your bed the next day from how sore you were!” Steve teased and you frowned, moving to punch him.

Bucky wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you into his lap. You landed with a huff and Steve grinned at you.

“you never get sore it’s not fair” you shot back, bucky resting his head on your shoulder.

Steve shrugged his shoulders, the three of you continuing to bicker and laugh until the sunset. You were leaning on Buckys chest, his arm wrapped around you as you rested your eyes. Steve and bucky reminisced on some fight they had in the 40s laughing at how minuscule the problem now seemed.

“I’ll leave you two for the night, it was good seeing you buck” Steve smiled, the three of you getting up from your spots.

“it was good seeing you too steve, glad to know you can still hold your own” he joked and Steve laughed, the two men hugging tightly before letting go. Steve turned to you, a smile on his face before moving towards the door.

“I’ll come get you in the morning” he called out, letting the curtains fall behind him.

Bucky let out a small sigh of relief and you looked at him, shocked at his action.

“i know you didn’t just let out a sigh of relief because he left!” You gasped and bucky blushed, turning to you before crashing his lips onto yours.

You melted into the kiss, letting yourselves get lost in the other. Your hands played with his hair, it was longer than last time. The two of you pulled away breathless, hearts racing.

“cant do that when he’s around darling” Bucky smirked, leaning in to kiss you quickly a couple more times, soft giggles leaving your lips as he beard tickled your face.

“still rude” you teased, placing soft kisses on his face as the two of you sat down, cuddled up as close as possible.

Bucky chuckled, looking at you with starry eyes and a bright smile. He swore you had never looked so pretty, sitting there with the moonlight peeking in and lightning up the small hut.

“stating is rude you know” bucky rolled his eyes, leaning in to kiss you, smiling into the kiss when you pulled him in for another.

“missed you so much doll” he mumbled, your foreheads pressed against one another, eyes closed for a second before pulling away.

“not a day goes by where i don’t think of you James” you sighed, heart sinking as you realized you would be leaving him once more in the morning.

Bucky noticed the shift in your attitude, placing his fingers under you chin and moving you to look at him.

“i promise you,” he mumbled, placing a kiss on your forehead, “once I’m free from all the shit HYDRA did to me, were gonna be together” he smiled at you softly.

“just wish it could come faster” you frowned and bucky nodded, a small smile on his face as he placed another kiss on your forehead.

“we have forever to be happy baby” he spoke, turning to you, “right?” you smiled, heart fluttering at his words.

“I’m yours forever lovebug” you assured him, moving to kiss his cheek.

“and I’m yours forever dollface” he smiled, heart racing the thought of a forever with you. Bucky wished he could fast forward and just be happy with you. But he knew he had to get through this, he just had to fight this final battle and he could be free.

Just one more fight and he could be happy, with you.

Morning came far too soon for either of your liking, waking up to the sun shining in your eyes. Your legs tangled with Buckys and his arm wrapped securely around your waist, holding you tightly.

“buck” you grumbled, wiggling to try and get out of his grip. You gave up when he never budged, waiting a couple minutes before trying again. “James” you called out, he moved a little, eyes fluttering open and landing on you with a smile.

“mornin doll” he mumbled, voice raspy and deep from sleep. He loosened his grip and let you wiggle out, stretching and letting out a yawn.

“goodmorning” you smiled sweetly, grabbing a couple things before getting ready. Bucky laid on his side, a sleepy smile on his face while he watched you get ready for the day, heart sinking a bit when he realized you would be leaving today.

“wish you could stay longer” he mumbled, his words weighed on your shoulders, causing you to slump a little and frown. You turned to look at him after you had finished getting ready, giving him a soft smile before sitting across from him.

“i do too angel, but you know how things are” he sighed softly, getting up and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

“we still have at least two hours before steve comes, get up so we can enjoy the time we’ve got” you beamed, a bright smile on his face. Bucky admired that about you, how optimistic you were even in such an unfortunate situation.

Deep down you were upset, you were hurting and you were angry that the two of you had to go through so much to be happy. You shoved away those emotions, choosing instead to focus on what little time you had with him.

Bucky got ready quickly, giddy to get the day started. You helped him feed the goats, giggling as their fuzzy lips tickled your hand when you fed them.

“i named this one butter” he smiled, pointing a light colored sheep, “he’s kinda chubby” you teased and he gasped, a hurt expression on his face.

“i cant believe you come here and insult my goats, i raised them! they’re my children!” He teased and you rolled your eyes, walking towards him with your arms extended, he huffed, turning away from you. Laughing when he so easily melted into you after wrapping your arms around his waist, your head resting on his back.

“sorry for bullying butter, i am once again asking for forgiveness” you teased and he let out a low hum, you rolled your eyes. “I promise to not insult your goats-” Bucky turned around, brows furrowed and you groaned.

“i promise to not insult your kids, and i will give you all the kisses you want” you finished, arms crossed and bucky looked at you with a boyish smile, leaning down to kiss you.

It was quick, but it was sweet and made you swoon, smiling as he continued to pepper kisses all over your face. You yelped as one of his goats rammed his head into buckys leg.

“seems like someone wants your attention” you teased and he smiled, continuing to place the hay out along with a couple other things for them to eat.

The two of you were sitting along the bank of the river, sharing stories of what you had missed between your last visit.

“y/n!” Steve called out and your heart fell, a tight smile on your face when you saw the way Bucky’s expression fell. You squeezed his hand, kissing his temple before standing up, pulling bucky up with you as you walked back towards the hut, grabbing the backpack you had brought.

The two men talked for a bit while you gathered everything, double checking that you didn’t forget anything. You smiled as you rummaged through your backpack, holding the stack of letters you had written for bucky from the past two months.

You handed them bucky with a smile, apologizing for your handwriting in some of them.

“i already put yours in your bag doll, my handwriting is amazing” he teased and you punched him lightly.

The goodbyes always hurt, the way your heart tugged in your chest, like it was telling you to stay, that you were meant to be together.

You always ignored it, letting it only resurface at 3 am when your heart hurt and you longed for your soulmate.

Just this last fight, he just had to be truly free from HYDRA and you could be happy.

“don’t worry lovebug, I’ll see you soon” you comforted him, holding him tightly before letting go.

“see you soon” Bucky smiled, his heart sinking as you and Steve walked away, laughing when you turned around and waved at him, a bright smile on his face.

Before leaving you met with shuri, offering a couple more inputs on Buckys new arm before saying goodbye to her, she gave you a tight hug before letting you go.

You did see them soon. Although the circumstances were different. It wasn’t a ‘yay i get to see my soulmate and my friends and have a good time!’ visit.

It was more of a ‘oh god this purple guy wants some crazy crystals and is gonna kill half the universe with them please help’ kind of visit.

The plane landed and you greeted the royal family as usual, nervous as you followed shuri to her lab. Everything was moving so fast and your heart was in a frenzy. You had arrived earlier than the others, shuri sending a jet for you so you could be there when bucky got the arm.

You gasped as you saw the final product, a smile on your face as your fingers ghosted over the black and gold arm.

“shuri this is incredible!” You praised and she smirked, shrugging her shoulders.

“it’s what i do” she replied, closing the box before calling T’challa over so you could go give the arm to bucky.

“we think you should give it to him, explain to him what’s going on and all that” shuri spoke, T’challa and okoye nodding at her words.

“but-” okoye cut you off, her words gentle.

“it’s whats best for him” she assured you and you nodded, taking a deep breath as you waved goodbye to shuri.

T’challa and okoye accompanied you, a soft smile on your face as you saw him throwing the hay bales for his goats. Your smile grew when you noticed he had since gained two new friends, two cows laying down and one standing close to him.

“good to know you made new friends while i was gone” you called out, smiling as bucky looked at you with wide eyes. A smile on his face as you walked closer to him.

“doll!” He grinned, walking over to hug you as T’challa set the box down on a bale of hay. “what’s happening what’s going on? It hasn’t even been two weeks since last time” he questioned, looking at the two behind you.

“not that I’m not happy to see you but” he cut himself off, noting the fact you were suited up for a fight. You interlaced your fingers and sighed softly.

“c’mere” you spoke softly, pulling him along to the box. You have him a soft smile, letting go of his hand and opening the box.

He finally looked into the box, the shiny new vibranium arm gleaming in the sunlight. His heart fell. That’s why your heart was in frenzy, that’s why okoye and T’challa were so tense.

“wheres the fight” he spoke quietly, eyes not leaving the metal arm.

“on the way” T’challa spoke and he nodded. Okoye and T’challa left the two of you alone after explaining to bucky how to put the arm on.

You were silent, petting the goat you recognized as butter while bucky put the new arm on, changing into his suit while he was at it. Your heart ached.

One more fight, you had told yourselves for the last two years. Just one more fight and you could be together and be happy.

But the universe was cruel and decided to make the two of you wait longer, to put yet another barrier between the two of you and happiness.

it’s okay, after this fight everything will be okay

The words rang in your mind, letting out a shaky sigh. How bad could this fight be? It’s not like you hadn’t fought countless other villains before.

Bucky walked out suited and ready to go, though he was reluctant he knew it’s what had to be done. You gave him a small smile, shamelessly checking him out, not bothering to hide the smirk on your face.

“you know, under any other circumstances i would definitely not let you leave that hut” you teased and he blushed.

“I’ve only seen you suited up a couple times doll and it makes my heart face everytime” he shot back and you rolled your eyes, thinking back to when you and steve visited him immediately after a couple of missions.

The two of you walked hand in hand, getting a feel for his new arm as you made it to the plane, greeting steve with a smile and reluctantly saying hello to Sam.

You stood with bucky and Sam as you saw wakandas defenses go up, your mouth opened in awe as you watched it.

Not long after you saw something hitting it, breaking apart as it made contact and you and Sam flinched a bit.

“god i love this place” bucky spoke, watching alongside you and Sam. You heard Rhodey speak up not moments after.

“don’t start celebrating yet, we got more incoming outside the dome!” He called out, your eyes wide and you saw multiple things falling, planting themselves into the ground.

You let out a shaky breath, bucky bls your hand for a moment, squeezing it and kissing your temple.

“one more” he whispered and you smiled, nodding your head. “one more,” you repeated, hope blossoming in your chest.

You stood alongside bucky, looking back in awe as you saw all the hundreds of people, all ready to fight. Your stomach was in knots, your hands were shaky and you looked at bucky.

A small smile made its way onto your face. You would be okay.

“they surrender?” Bucky asked as steve, natasha and t’chalks returned.

“not exactly” steve sighed, you watched wide wide eyes as you all hundreds- maybe thousands of those things running towards the barrier.

You and bucky began shooting, taking out some of the ones which had made it through, sam and Rhodey already in the air. Your heart was thumping in your ears as you heard T’challa giving orders to open the barrier, bucky looked at you, eyes sparkling as he smiled at you.

“we’re gonna be okay, i promise doll” he assured you and you nodded, taking in a deep breath before taking off in a sprint alongside everyone. As the barriers opened, all of them got in, it was all a blur, shouts and groans coming from all around.

You shot as many as you could, making sure to try and keep everyone safe. You had lost bucky on the battlefield, everyone clashing. You didn’t have time to look for him as you continued shooting.

One of them knocked you over and you let out a groan, reaching for your ankle and swiftly stabbing it in the neck, cutting it open for good measure and rolling away before it’s blood could land on you.

You took the knife out, immediately throwing it and hitting one of them in the head and killing it before it could reach you. You were breathless as you continued to fight, running out of bullets.

“fuck” you whispered, eyes wide as you saw one of them running directly towards you. Scrambling to took one of your knives from a body on the floor, trying to throw it before the creature got too close. You were too late, by the time you turned around it had tackled you to the ground, sending the knife clattering to the floor.

You used all your strength to keep it from biting your head off, screaming as your limbs almost gave out.

You heard the sound of thunder above you, a bright light in the center of the battle field. You sighed out of relief when something hit the creature off of you, smiling widely as you realized who it had been.

Thor.

You got up quickly, grabbing another gun from the floor and laughing lightly when your eyes landed on the god of thunder, he was joined by a raccoon and some tree. You felt a weight lift off you shoulders.

“you guys are so screwed now!” Bruce cried out, joyous as he saw his friend.

“Bring me thanos!” Thor cried out, lightning emitting from his body as his eyes glowed, hitting the ground and electrocuting all the creatures around him.

You continued to shoot, frantic to try and minimize the number of the things on the field. It seemed like they would never stop coming, an infinite amount of them constantly bombarding you all.

The panic arose in your chest, you continued shooting, focusing on the endgame. You just had to finish this fight. You and bucky could get through this.

Your eyes were wide as you heard a deep rumbling, watching in horror as what seemed like giant spikey wheels erupted from the ground.

“fall back! fall back now!” T’challa cried out, your eyes searched for bucky, landing on him quickly and running towards him.

“y/n!” He called out, sighing in relief as he you ran next to him, stopping when you both saw wanda take some of them out.

“thought you were hurt” he spoke loudly between the gunfire, the two of you standing back to back as your shot.

“I could find you i got so worried” you replied loudly, glancing back and seeing a creature getting ready to pounce on the two of you.

“get down!” You yelled, pushing bucky to the ground and taking the knife he had strapped to his waist.

You reacted quickly, ducking slightly and thrusting the knife up into the air, the creature effectively cutting itself open, its insides pouring out as it flopped to the ground.

You helped bucky up and he smiled at you, in awe of your actions.

“thank you doll” he sighed out and you nodded, smiling for a second before going back to fighting.

“vision needs backup!” You heard over your earpiece, you and bucky turning to look at each other, nodding before taking off in a sprint towards the woody areas.

As the two of you arrived you stopped, catching your breath before realize how eerily quiet it was. Bucky looked over at you, concern on his face.

“‘M fine” you panted, wincing when you stood up straight, “just out of shape is all” you teased and bucky smiled.

“only you would make a joke while we’re about to face the most powerful being in the universe” he spoke and you smiled.

“if i don’t then who will” you shot back, walking quietly in search of the titan.

Your eyes landed on the rest of the team, running towards the titan and easily being thrown to the side, you and bucky ran together, raising your guns.

Neither of you even got a shot out before being tossed into the surrounding trees, wheezing as your back hit the trunk. You rolled on the ground, winded as you held your side.

Bucky recovered quicker than you, rushing to your side and helping you up.

“are you alright darlin?” there was worry in his voice and you managed a nod, moving to stand up, he threw your arm over his shoulder, helping you up.

You stood up with a wince, arms wrapping around him, holding him tightly and kissing his cheek before pulling away. You picked up your guns, handing one to bucky.

“ready?” you spoke and he nodded, the two of you ran to where you had last seen thanos.

Your heart dropped as you saw the mad titan snap his fingers, a bright light flashed before your eyes and bucky shielded you with his body.

When you looked back you saw his arm and the stoned sizzling, your eyes were wide and your lips trembled. No. No. this can’t happen.

“what did you do?!” Thor yelled, panic in his voice. Thanos quickly looked around, opening a portal and leaving into nothingness.

You walked over to steve quickly, bucky trailing behind you.

“Whered he go?” You spoke quietly, “where did he go!” You shouted.

“y/n?” You heard bucky say from behind you, steve and Thor looked over.

You turned your head, your eyes meeting with Buckys blue ones. The same baby blue ones you had seen on the highway, the same ones you saw on the helicarrier and when he found you after SHIELD fell.

It was the same bright blue eyes you would look into while cuddling by the lake when you visited him in wakanda.

They were wide, full of fear and panic as he looked at you and back to his hand as it turned to dust.

“bucky” you whispered, going to reach out to him, his legs turning to dust beneath him. You ran to catch him, wanting to hold him and tell him it would be okay.

You were to late, getting only a handful of dust as you reached for him. You felt your heart break in your chest, a pain you had never felt before. Falling to your knees you touched the ground, letting out a shaky breath and trying to calm yourself.

You shook your head, teary eyes as you watched those around you turn to dust.

“Sam!” You heard Rhodey call out. You could hear okoye shouting for t’challa.

You looked at steve in thor, hot tears in your face as you sobbed quietly.

You looked at your hands, ready for them to turn to dust, you could see the way they shook even through your teary vision.

A moment passed and nothing happened, you looked at your legs, expecting them to fade away but they never did.

No. No, not again. You shook your head, bringing your hands to your chest and curling into yourself.

“i cant lose him again” you whispered to yourself, “not when i was just getting him back, not when he was barely in my grasp”

You wiped away your tears as you heard natasha run to where Rhodey, Bruce, rocket steve and you were. You watched silently as steve flipped over visions body, your stomach hurt at the sight of it.

“what the hell is happening?” Rhodey spoke, looking around as steve let himself fall to the floor.

It was quiet as all of you looked around, natasha’s eyes landing on your broken expression. Your eyes were red, and you looked at steve, hoping he knew what to do.

“oh god” he let out, breathless as he looked around.

“I’m yours forever doll, no matter what happens” bucky smiled at you, his eyes bright as you bit your lip to hold back your smile. You handed him a gun, everyone around you running to get in position.

“and I’m yours forever my lovebug, we can get through this” you assured him, holding out your pinky as he quickly looped it in yours, bringing it to his chest and pulling you into his arms.

“one more fight” you whispered, the hope that you had wilted away, you grasped onto the flashes of the future you had seen.

—

taglist ! (send me an ask if you want to be added!)

@felicityofbakerstreet @newyork47 @classygirlything @ebxny27 @hhaydenn @miaangel24 @shawnie--jo @quinnmaddie @mugscraps @bucky-32557038 @marvelfansworld @hey-there-angels @buckys2thicc @groovyvalentine @daughterofthemoon92 @livetay84 @pearlruth @euphoniumpets @lady-loki-ren @pastel-boy-sungjae

#bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes blurb #bucky barnes series #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes angst #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes one shot #bucky barnes #bucky x you #bucky x gender neutral reader #bucky barnes x gender neutral reader #bucky angst #bucky fluff #bucky barnes smut

628 notes · View notes

wonderwomanfantasy · 3 years

Text

melting point

a part two to snowfall

Werewolf! Bakugou x Deaf!Reader

warnings: none? some suspenseful stuff that's about it

word count: 1,000 (about)

summary: what a sweet little thing you are, perfect for some big bad wolf to come to snatch you up, luckily Bakugou is there to protect you.

As the snow settled, and the trade fair came to an end several things changed about your little town, where change so rarely occurred. The first was a foreseeable change, your family came into a bit of money after selling you wears, assuring your family would have a comfortable winter and spring. The second was that the blonde man you’d happened to run into decided to settle on a plot of land previously unoccupied. The last change was the wolf attacks.

As far as you knew there was never a problem with wolves before, but now chickens and even cattle were being found half-eaten. It was horrible really, the thought alone of some bloodthirsty dog stalking somewhere nearby.

Even with how scared you were, at least you kept your head about yourself. Some other townsfolk went as far as to say that it wasn’t a wolf, but a monster. You burst out laughing when you first heard that. Monsters were things for kids, tall tails that served as a warning to stay out of the woods at night. You were surprised at how seriously some people were taking that idea.

You watched as two old women talked, catching bits of their conversation as they turned to you.

“- I tell my kids to stay in at night- once the sun sets they have to be home,”

“-with that beast out there- Carlson lost two sheep last week,”

You shook your head and continued on your way. There were plenty of hunters in town, you felt safe knowing one of them would catch the animal responsible.

You turned your head up to the glacious sky. It was the cold bitter part of winter, no snow or cheer, just waiting for spring to come.

Luckily for you, you looked down at where you were going before you started walking again. Bakugou Katsuki was standing right in front of you. You gasped and stumbled back almost falling, luckily he wrapped an arm around your waist catching you. His smirk seemed to say “we really should stop meeting like this,”

You squirmed and he released you “watch where you’re going,” he signed you felt your face heat up with embarrassment.

“I could tell you the same,” you shot back, He just smiled at you and brushed past you. You glowered at him as he passed until you realized that he was carrying a stack of logs over one of his shoulders, then your face soffened. Just how strong was he?

You couldn’t seem Bakugou, you supposed that it had been so long since anyone had moved into town that any new fae stood out, but it seemed like he was everywhere. He seemed to frequent the butchers at the same time you did, you found him buying thick woolen sheets from your mother one day then had to buy firewood from him the next, and of course, he was always there to catch you when you tripped.

And even though he was cocky, arrogant, and angry, you found yourself falling for him. There was just something that drew you to him and you found you didn’t mind seeing him so often.

“A defenseless girl like you shouldn’t be in the woods this late,” bakugou signed to you, appearing out of nowhere as he so often did. You straightened quickly and crossed your arms. The worst part is you knew he was right. Your parents would have a heart attack if they knew that you were lost in the trees this close to sunset.

The truth was your father had asked you to set some simple snare traps in hopes of catching a rabbit or two as a test of your independence and well, you’d gotten a little turned around. A completely understandable mistake.

The harsh January wind whirled around you, biting at your face and piercing your clothes like knives. “Don’t you know there’s a monster in these woods? What if he caught you and gobbled you up?” he was teasing you. And you didn’t much appreciate it, but still, he probably knew the way back to town.

“But you’re here to protect me aren’t you?” you signed taking a step closer and putting your hand on his broad chest. For a moment he just stood there in awe, you had to admit it was pleasant seeing him so caught off guard.

He mouthed something that looked like “that’s right” and took your hand leading you out of the darkening woods. He even stayed back so you could show up at home unoccupied sparing you your pride. You thought, not for the first time, that Bakugou Katsuki would make an excellent husband.

It was a bitterly cold night when you saw the beast. A storm of hail and sleet beat down on your roof as wind raced around you causing the very boards of your house to shift. You were held up in the barn laying on a soft bed of hay wrapping your two goats in blankets and tucking their ears into woolen hats so their ears wouldn’t freeze. Your mother swore they would be fine, they were tough old things after all. But you had grown up with these goats, and it broke your heart to think of them succumbing to frostbite.

When you came into the barn they had been shivering and huddled in a pile of hay, reaffirming your decision to come here in the first place. You rested with them for a moment, building up the courage to brave the elements again.

The barn door shuddered as the rain beat down on it before it burst open. You jolted, falling backward into a pile of straw. Your sweet goats cowering behind you. And as the hail pelted your face, you saw it in the dark of the night. A set of glowing eyes and a hulking massive body creeping towards you.

You’d never seen a wolf, but surely this was too big to be a wolf, four times the size of a normal dog. The creature bore his teeth in a horrid snarl coming to the entry of the barn filling the doorway. You trembled and prayed that someone would come to save you. There was no way you could escape.

But suddenly the wolf shifted, tilting its head to the side and dropping the intimidating sneer. His approach seemed much less intimidating, but that didn’t stop you from crying as he came face to face with you. His hot breath beating on your face. He snorted and turned leaving the barn. You stood on shaky legs and ran as fast as you could back to the house, shaking your father awake to messily sign to him what had happened.

It only took a day for the news of another attack to spread through the town like wildfire, and this time you didn’t feel like correcting anyone when they called it a monster.

“I heard you fought the beast,” Bakugou teased, you had heard that too, the story had been tweaked along the way that you had bravely managed to escape instead of the monster simply leaving you alone.

“You really are a handful, always getting yourself into trouble aren’t you?” he teased. You were used to his teasing by now but it still made you heat up with embarrassment

“And I suppose you could do any better?” you signed angrily

“I could,” he stated matter of factly. You deflated a little, of course, he was right. He was so strong and self-confident you knew he could have done much better in your shoes.

“And if you married me, I could protect you too,” he signed leaving you stunned, had he really just proposed to you in the middle of teasing you for being a weakling?

Bakugou smiled to himself as you gingerly walked into his embrace, placidly accepting his marriage proposal. You were such a scared little rabbit, he almost felt bad. Of course, he would never hurt you or scare you like that again, you were his mate after all. He wouldn’t have even come to your barn if the rain hadn’t been obscuring your delicious smell.

Now that he had your heart all he had to do was win over your father, and with how well he’d ingratiated himself to your family that shouldn’t be hard at all. What a sweet little rabbit you were, trapped in the arms of a wolf.

#katsuki bakugou #bakugou #bakugou katsuki #bnha bakugou #bakugou imagine #alpha bakugo #alpha bakugou katsuki #my hero academia #my hero acadamy #my hero academia imagine #my hero academia abo #my hero academia head cannon

408 notes · View notes

souichioneshots · 3 years

Text

Souichi x Farmer!Reader

Souichi goes to visit one of his oldest farmer friends for some straw. In return, he makes her a voodoo doll and things get a litttlleee steamy

ahaha idk lol

Souichi heavily breathed through his mouth as he continued to walk down the treeless path. The summer sun shining down on him was making him sweat bullets, and having a large leather satchel cling to his body was starting to make him feel sick.

“Why does she have to live so far away…” Souichi mumbled to himself as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.

Passing a couple more rice fields, a large Japanese-style cottage finally came into view. It was surrounded by a couple of mango trees and 2 PVC greenhouses. He could see from the outside that they were once again filled completely with strawberries and tomatoes.

As he approached the house, he realized that all of the cars were gone. He thought for a second that he came all this way for nothing, but then he heard a familiar voice echoing in the distance.

“Kuro! Way to me! Shiro! Lie down! Hairo! Lie down!!” Souichi quickly made his way to the back of the house, where the voice was coming from.

As he pushed past a large bush, he finally saw you. You had been herding a large trip of white-tan goats and your 3 dogs, Kuro, Shiro, and Hairo were also doing their best to keep the goats in place.

“Y/N!” Souichi called out from a distance, getting your attention.

“Hmm? Souichi!!” You turned around and called back, jumping slightly in the air.

Souichi laughed as the goats also turned in his direction and let out a little “meh” sound as a greeting.

“Give me a second. I’ll be done in a bit.”

Souichi watched from under the shade of a tree as you continued to order your dogs to do their job.

You and Souichi had been friends for as long as he could remember. It was actually his grandmother who introduced him to you when he was younger. She used to get straw and other ritualistic material from your family when she practiced magick, and now he was getting stuff from you as well.

Today, he had come for his usual satchel fill of straw, and anything else you would give him as a gift. You loved to give him gifts. From fresh rice, to mangos, and even white strawberries.

Everyone in the town knew your family used magick because there was no way mangos nor white strawberries could grow in the weather conditions this part of Japan had to offer.

“Sorry for the wait!” You held onto your straw hat as you ran up to the boy. “We actually built a new barn last week for the straw. It’s this way.”

Getting up from his spot, Souichi walked with you to a small open barn located on the other side of your house.

“Woah…” Souichi looked up in awe at the massive amount of straw you had stored up this season.

“Pretty impressive, right? It’s the largest haul we’ve had in years. Praise Ninigi.” Turning towards the sun, you bowed once. Souichi quickly turned with you and did the same.

You laughed a bit at his sudden action. You knew that without his grandmother around, he wasn’t sure how to act in these types of situations. So, he mostly just copied you.

Putting your hand out, you gestured for Souichi to give you his satchel.

"Do you need me to tie them up or can I just stuff it in here?" You asked as you walked over to a large pile of loose straw.

"Just like that is fine." Souichi replied.

Picking up a handful of straw, you neatly placed it inside. When it was finally full enough, you closed it up and handed it back to the boy.

Although it was a lot, it still felt surprisingly light. Hopefully, it won't go to waste this time.

Sitting on a large straw stack, you took off your hat. You shook your head side to side as your long hair flowed from inside the hat and down onto the straw you were sitting on. You had been growing your hair out since kindergarten. Never cutting it once. Just the sheer length of it made you look like a goddess yourself. Although it was a big distraction when you worked, you planned on using your ‘virgin uncut hair’ in future rituals. At least, that’s what you told Souichi.

Patting the empty space next to you, you asked Souichi to sit next down.

“Ma actually took away the voodoo doll you made me last time you came over… Think you can you make me a new one…” You said in a sad voice as you looked at the boy.

“Again?” Souichi replied, sighing loudly.

Although your family practiced black magick in order to keep the farming business alive, you were strictly forbidden from practicing curses and other types of voodoo until you turned ○○. In the meanwhile, your mother forced you to tend to the farm and learn how to be a proper worker. That’s why whenever Souichi came over, in exchange for whatever he wanted, he would teach you anything he knew about black magick in secret.

Currently, you were learning how to make straw voodoo dolls.

You didn’t really have anyone in particular that you wanted or needed to curse, but you wanted to be prepared just in case anything happened in the future.

You smiled widely as the raven-haired boy took out a pair of pruning shears and red string from the front pocket of his satchel.

Grabbing a couple handfuls of straw, you placed them on your lap for him to freely use.

“Don’t look at me like that. You’re making it by yourself this time.” He sternly said.

“Eh~? But I’m tired from doing chores all morning…I’ll give ya a kilogram of rice if you make this one for me~�� Souichi just shook his head no. He would need a better incentive if you wanted him to do this for you again.

“Hmmm…Aha! I’ll give you a whole box of fresh white strawberries as well!” Souichi smiled as you offered him exactly what he wanted. There was a reason your family sold their strawberries for over 20,000 yen a box. Getting them for free from you was one of the best parts of coming over.

“Fine. But this is the last time. And pay attention this time.” Humming happily, you handed him a handful of straw.

“First, make a circle with your thumb and index finger. Then place enough straw to fill it completely. When you get the right amount, you use some string to… Uhh... Hold this.”

Handing you the bundle of straw, he used the shears to cut a couple pieces of string to use.

“…Hold it up straight up…Yeah, like that. You tie up the top end around here. Next, you repeat this with another section of straw. When you finish that, you slide one section into the middle of the other. Then you just tie it up here, and here. Lastly, you part it in the middle for the leg sections… And then you tie up those ends and…Done!”

You let out a small whine as your mind failed to keep up with Souichi's speedy motions and vague explanation. You wanted to ask him to do it again, this time much slower, but you knew he would just go at the same speed again.

Cutting the extra pieces of straw that stuck out from the ends of the voodoo doll, he made it look presentable.

“So, what do you think? Pretty good, right?” Souichi proudly said as he handed it to you.

“Yeah! I think it might even be better than the one you made me last time!" You replied as you examined the doll in awe. "So, all I need in order to curse someone is their picture?” The straw crunched in your fingers as you opened up the chest section a bit.

“You can also use their hair, and at times when your hatred towards them is at its peak, you can just write down their name on a piece of paper, stuff it in the middle there, and it’ll work.”

You hummed in amusement as the boy once again explained to you the way straw voodoo dolls worked.

“Hair, huh…” You said to yourself in a voice so quiet not even Souichi could hear.

Moving closer to him, you spoke in a loving voice. “I never did thank you for the last doll you made me, did I?” Putting the doll down on the empty space next to you, you moved to place a quick kiss on the boy’s cheek. “Thank you.”

“Ah! Hehe…I-It was no problem… I can make you more anytime you want really…” Souichi turned his face away from you, trying to hide the blush that had grown on his cheeks.

You were always the affectionate type.

“Then, I should probably thank you in advance~” Bringing your hand to his face, you turned him towards you. Souichi’s body burned with embarrassment as you placed multiple kisses on his cheek again.

“You know, you can also thank me for always giving you so much straw~” You teased as you tapped your own cheek, hinting for him to give you a small kiss back.

Closing his eyes, Souichi moved to plant a kiss on your cheek. However, you also moved back to face him as well.

Souichi’s eyes shot open as you pressed your lips against his.

The remaining straw on your legs fell to the ground as you moved to straddle the blushing boy.

You were perhaps a bit too affectionate really.

But Souichi wasn’t complaining.

Souichi’s eyes fluttered closed as he melted into your kiss. Your hands caressed his face as you quickly deepened the kiss.

Souichi playfully bit your bottom lip as you tried to pull back for air, forcing you to return back to him. He liked to experiment with different ways of teasing you every time you spontaneously kissed him like this.

Slowly, your hands ran through his hair, making it messier than it was before.

"Ow!" Souichi pushed you back and yelled in pain as you suddenly pulled his hair.

Moving to sit up, you gloated.

“Haha! Now that I have your hair, you have to follow everything I say or I’ll curse you to death!” You laughed as you help up a single strand of dark hair. You were expecting Souichi to try to get it back from you, but he didn’t.

Looking back at you with an equally victorious smile, he moved his hands in front of you, showing off the contents it held.

“That makes two of us~ Kekekeke~”

Your smile dropped and your eyes widened in shock as you saw the shears in one hand and a large amount of your hair in another.

Bringing your hands up to your head, you felt the difference in hair length on each side.

“How could you…” Tears ran down your cheeks, making Souichi stop his cackling.

“I hate you!!” Pushing yourself off the boy, you got onto your feet and started to run towards your house. “I’m telling Baphomet!!”

The goats in the barn loudly cried as you mentioned the name of the deity your family religiously worshiped.

“Crap! No!! Y/N!!” Jumping off the straw-stack, Souichi threw your hair and the shears onto the ground.

“Wait!! I’m sorry!!” Souichi exclaimed as he chased after you.

Just before he could grab ahold of you, you ran into the house. You were so upset that you didn’t even bother to take off your shoes.

Souichi slipped on the grass as he tried to stop himself from going any further. He knew he couldn’t enter your house without your given permission.

Souichi felt his mind go into a panic as he saw you approach the large altar in your living room.

The goats in the barn cried even louder and banged their horns against the wooden walls as you pointed towards the boy outside your house.

Just before he could run away for safety, your three dogs surrounded him. Souichi let out a high-pitched cry of fear as the dogs barked and growled, forcing him to stay in place.

He made a big mistake messing with the daughter of the Baphomet worshiping family.

#souichi x reader #souichi tsujii x reader #fluff #yall kiss a bit #ehehe

266 notes · View notes

prismadog · 3 years

Note

I'll be back with spamming asks and prompts for the found family AU soon, I just started taking an antibiotic and it's taking a lot from me and I decided to, for some reason, take in two more stray cats. Past the point of feeding and fixing but to building them a home area and grooming them. I skipped over having four and went straight to five so it's an adjustment getting the other three okay with two others hanging around, plus my one is an indoor-outdoor so she has a home area outside as well so we have to let her get used to having neighbors. But I mean, they were twins, can't separate them. Since I just took in two more cats I'll ask this:

Has shrub ever just picked up random animals and adopted them? Other than her wolf pack? Just any animal she sees, hostile or peaceful? And how would Xornoth or even the other rulers react? Like the rulers at a meeting and they see a bobcat or something and Shrub just goes, picks it up, and declares their name is now Shroom or something while said bobcat is confused or trying to get away?

(=^-ω-^=)

“Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are God. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are God.” – Christopher Hitchens

"For what it’s worth: It’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you find you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over again." -F. Scott Fitzgerald

don't push yourself too hard, okay? make sure to get plenty of rest!

kitties!!! I love kitties! and I bet those kitties are happy right now! and twins definitely can't be separated, that would be a crime against kitties everywhere! X3

sorry it took me so long to respond - it's been a but busy [again, ugh]. I hope at the time you see this that you're doing better! :)

if Shrub hadn't before, she definitely does now!

I've been thinking, and I would say that when she still lived in the gnome colony - before Xornoth - then she most certainly tried adopting the wild mobs/creatures of the crimson forest/soulsand valley.

fun fact: I have decided to name this gnome colony Nunem [No-name] because I couldn't think of a good enough name

Nunem, [gnome colony]

Shrub was a lonely child and often wandered into the forest just so that she could get away from the strict rules and the silence. she just wanted to be able to talk out loud and be herself without fearing for her safety or getting in trouble with the elders.

so, she would go out into the crimson forest, not too far from the colony but far enough away that she could just sit and talk to whatever would listen to her. sometimes it would just be the trees, sometimes the creatures that roamed about.

if it were creatures, she would try to play with them and even tame them. at first, she tried to bring them home but the elders always got in the way - once it was a baby hoglin! she named him Mr. Bitey because he kept trying to bite her.

the Nether is home to few [fanmade] creatures:

netherbugs - similar to silverfish/endermites, inspiration comes from the irl fire beetle

hellhounds - black leathery-skin dogs that wander the soulsand valleys

fire salamanders - kind of like axolotls but think hellish, bigger, and live in lava lakes/pools

warped gows: mashup of a cow and a goat, size and jumping ability of a goat with goat horns but has the spots/udders/and face of a cow, color palette matches warped forest

golems - made of netherbrick and guard the fortresses

winged hoglins - about half the size of a regular hoglin, created because that would be both cool and terrifying, they're not as hostile as regular hoglins though, more just...annoying

sprites - they're kind of like fairies but really small and really mean, live in the warped forests

of the list above, Shrub has tried to adopt: several netherbugs, a hellhound, fire salamander, and a flying hoglin. the others on the list she didn't come across until after Xornoth adopted her.

from canon content, she's tried adopting: a hoglin [see Mr. Bitey above], a few zombie piglins, and a strider the lives in a lava pool several dozen blocks away from the colony.

the colony - mostly the elders/warriors - would take the creature away from Shrub and either kill them for food or set them aside to be used as sacrifice for the demon. she hated this and so stopped trying to bring the creatures home.

With Xornoth

after being whisked away by the demon, Shrub was able to travel more and see more biomes than the crimson forest. she found a few more mobs in the world and would try to play with the creatures she came across.

it was like it was in Nunem where she would sneak off to talk/play with the creatures. she would sneak out when Xornoth wasn't looking/when they were busy and would just spend time by herself.

this. this worried Xornoth. they are the epitome of "I've only had x for a day and a half", except, altered. for them, it would be more like:

I've only had Shrub for a day and a half but if anything happened to her, I would harness the power of Exor and fucking obliterate everyone and everything in this gods-forsaken hellhole.

the moment they noticed she'd gone, they would go out and search for her and call out for her. she always came running back at their call and they would question her about where she went, but she never really answered, she didn't want to answer.

they didn't know why she wandered off until after one time where she came back, unknowingly, with a few creatures following her - a large hoglin with a baby winged hoglin, a few hellhounds, and somehow a golem. seeing these mobs so near their gnome freaked them out for a second, they thought her in danger, and snatched her up and they went to attack the mobs.

Shrub realized what was going on fairly quickly and immediately stopped Xornoth from attacking, she begged them not to hurt the creatures. she explained that they were her friends.

Xornoth was wary, for good reasons, but saw that once the creatures were around Shrub, they were passive - and boy, was that quite the revelation, seeing known hostile mobs just...not attack something. they sat her down for another talk to find out why she had these creatures following her and why she never told them.

she didn't want to say anything at first about what had happened in the past in Nunem, but decided it best to tell them. she told Xornoth that she really liked the creatures and loved to play with them and talk to them and she really really wanted to adopt them but she was worried that they [Xornoth] would take the creatures away from her and kill them.

they started to question why she would think this when they've been nothing but kind to her, but almost immediately came to the realization that the gnomes who sacrificed her were cruel enough to take her creatures too. this, they asked her and she confirmed it.

they then told her that if she wanted to befriend hostile creatures, then she was more than welcome to. the only thing they ask of her is that she's careful, she runs away if there's danger, and that she doesn't bring them into the shelter. Xornoth tells her that they would never kill, not even harm, a creature that she deems worthy of her time and care.

this makes Shrub very happy and she gives them a big hug, maybe even calls them "Dad" for the first time, and then immediately introduces them to the few creatures that've followed her home - there's Tiny [the large hoglin] and Jumbo [the baby winged-hoglin], Ash and Soot and Sand [the hellhounds], and Rocky Boulder [the Netherbrick golem].

the creatures are wary of the demon for some time but eventually are passive with Xornoth too. most of them just come and go as they please, sometimes bringing their offspring or with the winged hoglins, bringing her gifts - kind of like crows or ravens would to humans they like. Rocky Boulder is the only one that stays at the shelter, guarding it like it would a fortress.

eventually, Xornoth starts to enjoy the creatures' company as much as Shrub does. they even pick up her habit of naming them and feeding them and sometimes, maybe possibly letting them sleep in the shelter. one they especially like is Rocky Boulder because the golem keeps Shrub safe when she decides to wander off.

the Overworld

at first, Shrub's only thought is to survive in the new world so she doesn't really have time to adopt a bunch of animals/play with new creatures, but of course, she does it anyway. especially once she's welcomed into the direwolf pack and knows that she's well-sheltered.

I'm going to retcon something from one of the Emptober prompts and say that Rocky Boulder also comes with her and Xornoth into the Overworld. [I've only had the Nether golem for about a day, but I love it so now it's an integral part of her life!] the direwolves have never seen a golem so that's quite the experience for them, but it doesn't attack them so they don't attack it.

fun fact: in this AU, I've decided that golems aren't going to be the mindless wandering protectors that're in Minecraft. they're going to be a bit smarter, maybe not the smartest mob, but they definitely know what they're supposed to do and where to go. they also have feelings which...oh my minecraft gods, is kinda sad because of Sausage's iron farm :( [I just made myself sad]

so Rocky is always there, always watching over her, even when she wanders off because it's sworn to protect her. which...the other rulers, once they meet Shrub, are going to be like "WTF???".

Shrub, like in canon, is going to adopt a parrot and a cat, except the cat is actually a black panther that she found in the jungle. so, instead of Lord of the Stars the housecat, we have Lord of the Stars the jungle cat that also happens to live in the gnome's home. Stars is allowed to come and go as he pleases.

but that's not all she adopts! she also has some forest animals that like to wander into her yard, unafraid of the direwolves, because she went out and befriended them. she gets some farm animals - pigs, cows, sheep, chickens, and goats - from some of the rulers as trade items, though they're more or less just pets too because she can't bring herself to breed & kill them for food.

the rulers quickly find that their new friend has a way with animals, like an almost supernatural gift, and it doesn't just work on the regular animals - it works on hostile mobs too! not all hostile mobs but a good share of them.

and the rulers, if they visit Shrub's Undergrove, they'll come face to face with more than just the direwolves and Rocky Boulder.

maybe at first it was just the couple animals, but later once she's established her empire, they find a lot more than what's normal. they'll find a panther, a small pack of hellhounds, multiple winged hoglins, a few foxes, a mountain lion and two young bobcats that don't like each other too much, a few wild boars that hang out with the domesticated pigs, a couple of gows that live with her goats but will jump into the cow pen too, zombie piglins that stand guard at her nether portal, a ravager that Xornoth brought home, a couple creepers that refuse to blow up on the gnome, and one singular enderman that likes to sit with the creepers and will stand in her house during rainstorms.

this is...well...it's certainly...something. they knew she had a way with creatures but to this extent that she has pet creepers? well, let's just say they have mads respect for the little gnome girl.

and then Xornoth, well, they lived with her before, they raised her, and they're not shocked at all when they pop over for a visit and find the Undergrove home to several various hostile and passive creatures. they just accept it and introduce themselves.

Mushroom Cows

I didn't include the mushroom cows in the above passages because I wanted to give them their own special section due to the idea I came up with shortly after I first got your ask.

so, one thing Shrub wants the moment she hears about them, is a mushroom cow, at least a couple of them. so she goes out into the world to search for the mysterious mushroom cows, her new friends keep an eye out as well for the creatures and maybe a couple direwolves or Rocky Boulder come with her to protect her.

it takes her days, maybe even a couple weeks, before she can find the Mushroom Fields. at one point she has to cross an ocean which terrifies her but Lizzie and Jimmy are there to help her [I've just now, at the moment of typing this, decided this, plus it'll be a good bonding experience!] but they get to the fields and Shrub gets to find her cows!

she only takes two back with her because any more and it could potentially damage the ecosystem. she doesn't want that so she only takes two. the seablings help her get them back across the ocean via boat - and not the tiny minecraft boats, oh no, a good and proper ship that they've borrowed from Joel - Joel didn't feel like an adventure because he wanted to build so he gave them a ship, told his wife and brother he loves them, and watched them sail off.

she thanks the seablings for helping her and returns home on her own now that the scariest parts - the water - are over. and when she finally enters the Undergrove, she's practically drowned in a sea of excited animals that haven't seen her in what feels like forever!

but she's also met with a ~surprise~.

her dad is there and they have two brown mushroom cows standing in a pen. Xornoth knew she wanted the mysterious cows and went out too to find some for their child. but, uh, on the way back, there was a bit of an accident and the red cows turned brown because of a lightning strike - how that happened, Xornoth really doesn't know.

she's extremely excited about the even rarer brown cows - she never knew there were variants! the two of them work on a new pen together, one to house all the cows and the other farm/pet animals. it's a fairly big pen, more of a field really, and they build a little shelter too so they're not all standing out in the open.

as is tradition [which I've decided is a thing too], there's a naming ceremony where she and Xornoth go through and name all the new animals, welcoming them and giving them citizenship.

#empires smp #found family au #xornoth adopts child!shubble au #shubble #xornoth

16 notes · View notes

minkmousesworld · 3 years

Note

Hi! I was scrolling through your blog and oh mah lord its amazing 🥺. May I request a forest!au raccoon dog!Tanjiro x snow leopard!reader where the reader is injured, crying and shaking and Tanjiro is trying to calm them down? It's Oki if you can't! I hope you're staying safe and hydrated! Also, don't forget to take breaks bby 🤍

- 🌌

hello, honeymouse♡ thank you for your request! I wasn't sure exactly how you wanted it done, so I left it to my choice. I hope you like it! thank you so much for being so sweet. don't forget to rest and drink water♡

⌞ʟᴏꜱᴛ ɪɴ ᴀ ꜱɴᴏᴡꜱᴛᴏʀᴍ⌝

𝔲𝔫𝔦𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔰𝔢: forest au

𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰: UST, comforting, mention of blood (wounds), mention of panic, mention of escape

𝔡𝔞𝔯𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔤(𝔰): raccoon dog! Tanjirou Kamado x snow leopard! Reader

writer's note: as I was advised, after I completed the request, I fell asleep... and recently I woke up because of the alarm clock, which I put on "just in case". and I realized that I didn't publish. ouch. also! it's so cute when you use au names(´ ω `♡)

Winter.

In your home, in the mountains, it was almost always winter. Pure snow lay on the mountains, untouched by the hot sun or the footprints of others; except that mountain goats and other snow leopards touched it. And you were comfortable with such a neighborhood.

Down below, it was different. Even the air here wasn't as clean, but it was easier to breathe in. You'd even enjoy it.

If only your lungs weren't burning from running for so long.

When you stepped on the fresh snow with your broad paws, you left shallow, bloody footprints, which the snowfall immediately covered up, covering your tracks. It was hard to move, every step was like stepping on sharp stones, but you tried to get as far away as possible, limping and gasping for breath.

Even if you had no idea where this road would lead you.

The wind began to howl even rougher, driving you forward in icy gusts. The blood flowed more slowly, took on a maroon color and froze on you in thin lines. Even the thick fur didn't help with the cold, which was chilling to the bone.

It seemed that with each breath of frosty, dead air, everything inside you cooled and froze. Trapped in the forest, you had no idea where to go to find shelter.

Running away from one death led you to another. You tried to wipe away the tears that had gathered in your eyes and prevented you from seeing further.

Too much stress.

You snuggled up against the tree and buried your nose in the bark, catching your breath. Memories of the past flashed slowly before your eyes, as if frozen. The moment when you were born, when you lived in a cave; when your mother first took you on a Groundhog hunt; when she said that "a good Snow leopard always knows their snow, and a bad Snow leopard dies in the mud".

When she left and you were alone, surrounded by snow and caves. It wasn't something painful, although at first it was unusual to realize that the only reason you might want to see other snow leopards is "mating season". But soon moving forward, finding a cave to sleep in, and getting food was all you cared about.

While the inhabitants of the forest built burrows, formed pairs and hid from the rains and snows, you ran around the mountains, balanced between cliffs and killed future food, sometimes breaking down from the mountains with prey in your teeth, just to make sure that you would have food.

Until They came.

Wrapping a long tail around your leg, you tried to hide from the wind behind a thick trunk with the last of your strength. They smelled of blood and dead things, and you were running faster than you knew what was happening. That alone saved your life.

"Strangers always bring trouble" — that's what your mother told you. She was a very wise snow leopard. [If you had the strength left, you would hope that They didn't reach her, she deserved more].

You put your arms around your shoulders, hugged your knees to your chest, and hid your face in them. The wind will soon stop, and you will be able to find food for yourself. Then go back... there will be no strangers there. You hope for this and that you will find your way back.

Your eyes were uncomfortably close from crying, and your cheeks ached from the cold. It was morning by your biological clock, the time when it was time for you to fall asleep in a cave, tucked into a strategically advantageous corner.

Your head was spinning — from the other air, from the cold, or from fear, you didn't know. The body that had carried you forward on pure fear and lust for life was now a weak meat that needed to rest. Perhaps a little sleep will help you feel better ... Thick fur will protect you from frostbite, frozen wounds from the cold will not disturb.

The wind became weaker. You were sure that by the time you woke up, there would be no wind at all, or it would be very weak. The spirits of the Mountains are merciful to those who need their mercy.

But you couldn't rest.

The smell (pleasant, tart, a stranger) suddenly came up to you. Following the smell, you heard the soft rasp of snow. Something was creeping up on you.

They. They found you.

You didn't understand when you abruptly got to your feet, one paw gripping the trunk of a tree to keep from falling, and when your body became so weak that the sudden rise made you dizzy. It wasn't important.

Your entire body was focused on the outsider, who, meanwhile, was in no hurry to come out of hiding. It was sitting in a thicket of thin branches, and at first you thought you were imagining it.

Before something jerked their ear and you froze in horror. Your throat is parched from the cold; even if you could speak, what would you do? Purred?

Your fingers ached, and you knew that with claws as broken as yours, you would rather catch on to this creature than scratch it. Run away? But where? What if it gets you faster?

Meanwhile, the creature twitched its ear again and... crawled out. It looked a little like a gopher: round, small ears; intelligent, curious eyes. Only the color of this creature was dark, which made it perfectly hide in the bushes and near the trees, but it looked like a bright spot against the background of snow.

When it came out of hiding, looking timidly at you, you didn't move.

It (he? she? the creature looked androgynous, and you didn't understand what gender it was) looked defenseless and tiny, like a weak herbivore that was attracted by an unfamiliar smell. So it wasn't a threat.

Herbivores do not attack without provocation.

But it began to come closer, coming too aggressively fast in front of the bushes.

"Shhh...", the creature stretched out its arms, "it's fine…"

And you staggered back in horror and fell to the snow. The creature paused, letting you catch your breath a few times before starting to get closer. Tears began to gather in his eyes again, making the creature blurry.

But you didn't even try to wipe away the tears.

"Don't cry... It's okay… Don't be afraid of me…"

The creature stretched out its arms. Checkered clothes, hair in a short ponytail, short stature. If you run now, it might catch up. Better to bite. Poor view to aim at the neck.

Even if the review was good, you wouldn't jump at it. Just running.

But it seems to have understood your intentions.

"Wait! I really---"

You immediately rushed back, but fell due to weakness in your hands.

The tears began to gather in her eyes even faster. Your chest ached even more, and you couldn't stand it anymore, sobbing, shaking, trying to crawl as far away as possible. Your body ached for pain and resentment, for your weakness, but your mind screamed that it would devour you, strangers bring only trouble.

The creature stopped. Then it reached into the bag (which, it turns out, was behind its back), and took out something.

Meat.

"You must be hungry," it said softly. "I just want to feed you. Will you let me?"

You couldn't take your eyes off the meat. Not yet frozen, large… you were sure you could smell it. Your body began to whine about hunger, your mind was silent.

"Here, food… I'll just come over to give, okay? I'll leave right away"

The creature crouched, became even smaller and more defenseless, and slowly began to come closer. When it was at the minimum safe distance, it carefully threw a piece of meat closer to you. And then it went away, as promised; timidly (I think, even with regret) looked at you and... went behind the bushes.

And you were left alone. The meat was softer than you thought, but a little bitter. Maybe it was a little rude to chase the creature away like that. On the other hand, what if it was afraid of your reaction and therefore ran away? You just wanted to protect yourself.

With such thoughts, having been sated and warmed, you fell asleep. And even the wounds seemed to hurt less.

◇◇◇

You didn't know what you were dreaming about. The dreams were vague and frightening, and you couldn't get out of them. The images became more eerie and bloody, the sounds grew louder and higher, and you felt trapped.

The only thing that calmed you down was the gentle melody you heard when things got particularly creepy. It was as if there was no escape. Like everything was fine.

The spirits of the Mountains are merciful to those who endure all trials with fortitude, and send their helpers. Sometimes, in your dreams, that creature appeared — with a gentle smile, which said that everything was fine.

And you believed it.

And then they fell back into oblivion.

◇◇◇

You woke up in a warm place.

Earthy air and little light... it was a hole. And you would have rushed up to find the owner and find out what you were doing here, but your body was too weak and your mind was too exhausted. You took a deep breath and looked up. Definitely a hole.

"Good morning", you heard a gentle whisper nearby. "Are you feeling better?"

And after a couple of seconds, next to you sat... a creature.

There was silence. He (up close you could see that it was a rather cute boy) looked you over tenaciously before he began his monologue again:

"You had serious injuries, so I brought you to my house", he raised his head, looking around as if for the first time, "do you like it? Not as cozy as my family's burrow, but after I became an adult, I tried to recreate the same atmosphere at home..."

The boy turned to you with a sunny smile.

"My name is Tanjirou. I am one of the raccoon dogs, Kie's son. You probably haven't heard of me… But I'm still happy to see new residents in the forest! It is sometimes quite lonely here, especially during heavy snows. It's a great stroke of luck that I managed to find you! You're so inconspicuous in the snow!"

Tanjirou paused, looking at you. You only nodded weakly, supporting the monologue.

"You're not from around here, are you? From somewhere in the mountains? I... ", the boy suddenly fell silent.

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter where you're from, I'm glad to see you anyway! You can stay with me as long as you want, but I won't let you leave until your body is healed! It's important to take care of yourself, you know? And take care of each other too! We're all friends!"

He looked at you kindly again.

"You're lucky you were able to come down. When I saw you, your wounds were monstrous… You're very strong… Is that what I was talking about? Oh, yes! In the forest…"

And under his quiet, lulling voice, talking about all sorts of nonsense, you involuntarily fell asleep. Only at the edge of consciousness did you feel a light, soft kiss on the forehead, and a quiet "sweet dreams" before falling asleep.

◇◇◇

Tanjirou kept his promise and nursed you for a long time until you looked like a healthy snow leopard.

He constantly brought you food and water; changed your bandages and smeared your wounds with medicinal herbs; helped you warm up your muscles when you were finally able to get out of bed on your own. He massaged your shoulders and didn't ask what happened. During bouts of fever, he brought down the temperature, sometimes sat with you at night and gently held your hand, even if you convinced him that you could handle it yourself!

Tanjirou just shook his head, refusing, and did not move away.

◇◇◇

"The season of flowers is here", Tanjirou once told you, as you were doing muscle exercises, preparing to get completely out of his care. "The snows are gone. You?.."

You gave him a curious look.

Tanjirou hesitated uncomfortably and looked away.

"Recently… I mean, you don't look like that anymore...", Tanjirou took a deep breath, and continued quietly: "I mean… Are you planning on leaving?"

You didn't even have to turn your heads to know which face he asked it with.

Sometimes Tanjirou looked like a real puppy.

#🐹.🌌#kimetsu no yaiba scenarios #demon slayer scenarios #tanjirou kamado x reader #tanjiro kamado x reader #🍮.forest au #gender neutral reader #🍑.tanjirou kamado #🍭.comfort #🍭.ust

308 notes · View notes

kookie-doughs · 3 years

Text

Y/N L/N AND THE HALFBLOODS

Percy Jackson X Reader

-Y/N L/N met Percy Jackson and everything was now ruined.

CHAPTER 17: I Swim For The First Time...?

It was Annabeth's idea. She loaded us into the back of a Vegas taxi as if we actually had money, and told the driver, "Los Angeles, please."

The cabbie chewed his cigar and sized us up. "That's three hundred miles. For that, you gotta pay up front." "You accept casino debit cards?" Annabeth asked. He shrugged. "Some of 'em. Same as credit cards. I gotta swipe 'em through first." Annabeth handed him her green Lotus Cash card. He looked at it skeptically. "Swipe it," Annabeth invited. He did.

His meter machine started rattling. The lights flashed. Finally an infinity symbol came up next to the dollar sign. The cigar fell out of the driver's mouth. He looked back at us, his eyes wide. "Where to in Los Angeles... uh, Your Highness?" "The Santa Monica Pier." Annabeth sat up a little straighter. I could tell she liked the "Your Highness" thing. "Get us there fast, and you can keep the change." Maybe she shouldn't have told him that. The cab's speedometer never dipped below ninety-five the whole way through the Mojave Desert. On the road, we had plenty of time to talk. Percy told us about his latest dream. The Lotus Casino seemed to have short-circuited my memory. I couldn't recall what the invisible servant's voice had sounded like, though I was sure it was somebody I knew. The servant had called the monster in the pit something other than "my lord" ... some special name or title.... "The Silent One?" Annabeth suggested. "The Rich One? Both of those are nicknames for Hades." "Maybe..." he said.

"That throne room sounds like Hades's," Grover said. "That's the way it's usually described." He shook my head. "Something's wrong. The throne room wasn't the main part of the dream. And that voice from the pit... I don't know. It just didn't feel like a god's voice."

The crooked one... Annabeth's eyes widened. And looked at Percy. Who had a look of realization. "What?" I asked. "Oh... nothing. I was just—No, it has to be Hades. Maybe he sent this thief, this invisible person, to get the master bolt, and something went wrong—" "Like what?" "I—I don't know," she said. "But if he stole Zeus's symbol of power from Olympus, and the gods were hunting him, I mean, a lot of things could go wrong. So this thief had to hide the bolt, or he lost it somehow. Anyway, he failed to bring it to Hades. That's what the voice said in your dream, right? The guy failed. That would explain what the Furies were searching for when they came after us on the bus. Maybe they thought we had retrieved the bolt." I wasn't sure what was wrong with her. She looked pale. "But if Percy already retrieved the bolt," I said, "why would we be traveling to the Underworld?" "To threaten Hades," Grover suggested. "To bribe or blackmail him into getting your parents back." I whistled. "You have evil thoughts for a goat." "Why, thank you."

"Only mine is there. I'd rather get Y/N's than mine." Percy said gripping my hand.

"Huh?"

"You lost them thanks to me." He smiled weakly. "A-Anyways, the thing in the pit said it was waiting for two items," I reminded. "If the master bolt is one, what's the other?" Grover shook his head, clearly mystified. Annabeth was looking at me as if she knew my next question, and was silently willing me not to ask it.

I have every answers. I could tell you. What do you wish to know? We are to help one another after all...

Could you tell me how I could save my parents?

Save them? As I told you only we could save them. Being there, you'd know your only option. Only you could do it. Do you wish to know more?

What's this quest?

A trap. Next one?

Who is my parent?

Hahaha, that is a question I shan't answer. Just believe in all gods. Befriend them and you'll know. You could trust them all.

Even Zeus, Hades and Poseidon? They kinda suck...

Unless you're positive they aren't your parent, you don’t have to.

Yeah, can I have like... I don't know... I kinda want Hephaestus. He seems coolest. I an NOT blessed in like singing and all that so I can’t be Apollo's.

I've already given you a parent. My apologies. The one I chose would be... quite a friend. Would you want to know more?

Well not re---

"Y/NN!! Ask more about the quest and Percy's dream!!!" I hear Annabeth scream at my ear.

"Oh my gods! Don't scream at my ear!" I yelled pushing her away. "What do you mean ask about Percy's dream? Who will I ask? The driver?"

"You----"

"She can't remember whenever that happens." Percy explained. "They already told us."

"What are you guys talking about??"

"Nothing. We were thinking about the pit..." Annabeth sighed.

"You have an idea what might be in that pit, don't you?" I asked her. "I mean, if it isn't Hades?" "Y/N... let's not talk about it. Because if it isn't Hades... No. It has to be Hades." Wasteland rolled by. We passed a sign that said CALIFORNIA STATE LINE, 12 MILES. The problem was: we were hurtling toward the Underworld at ninety-five miles an hour, betting that Hades had the master bolt. If we got there and found out we were wrong, we wouldn't have time to correct ourselves. The solstice deadline would pass and war would begin. "The answer is in the Underworld," Annabeth assured us. "You saw spirits of the dead, Percy. There's only one place that could be. We're doing the right thing." She tried to boost our morale by suggesting clever strategies for getting into the Land of the Dead, but my heart wasn't in it. There were just too many unknown factors. It was like cramming for a test without knowing the subject. And believe me, I'd done that enough times. The cab sped west. Every gust of wind through Death Valley sounded like a spirit of the dead. Every time the brakes hissed on an eighteen-wheeler, it reminded me of Echidna's reptilian voice. At sunset, the taxi dropped us at the beach in Santa Monica. It looked exactly the way L.A. beaches do in the movies, only it smelled worse. There were carnival rides lining the Pier, palm trees lining the sidewalks, homeless guys sleeping in the sand dunes, and surfer dudes waiting for the perfect wave. Grover, Annabeth, Percy, and I walked down to the edge of the surf. "What now?" Annabeth asked. The Pacific was turning gold in the setting sun. I thought about how long it had been since I'd stood on the beach at Montauk, on the opposite side of the country, looking out at a different sea. I felt anxious being near the water. Percy took my hand.

"What?" I said slowly pulling away from him.

"Trust me and come with me." He said looking at me in the eye. "Percy," Annabeth said. "That's stupid! She can barely stay alive up here!"

"If the water pulls her could you save her?" He glared at the two. "As long as she holds me she'll be safe." He gripped my hand.

"I-I'll trust you... But I have to make sure you won't let me drown... I-I need---" Annabeth then sighed and walked over to us taking our wrist.

"If she drowns I am totally not siding on you during the war." She hissed at Percy while tying Aphrodite's scarf on our wrist.

"how do you have that?" Percy asked.

"I forgot I gave it to her." With our wrist attached by a cloth, he held my hand tight then we kept walking, up to my waist, then my chest.

"I'm scared..." I gulped. Percy pulled me closer. That's when my head went under. I held my breath at first. It's difficult to intentionally inhale water. Finally I couldn't stand it anymore. I gasped. Sure enough, I could breathe normally. Percy was smiling at me, with his arms still around me. We walked down into the shoals. I shouldn't have been able to see through the murk, but somehow I could tell where everything was. I could sense the rolling texture of the bottom. I could make out sand-dollar colonies dotting the sandbars. I could even see the currents, warm and cold streams swirling together. I felt something rub against my leg. I looked down and almost shot out of the water like a ballistic missile. Sliding along beside me was a five-foot-long mako shark. I almost screamed until I saw how cute it was. The thing wasn't attacking. It was nuzzling me. Heeling like a dog. Tentatively, I touched its dorsal fin. It bucked a little, as if inviting me to hold tighter. Percy took my hand and wrapped it on the fin, he grabbed the fin with both hands, so I followed his actions. It took off, pulling us along. The shark carried us down into the darkness. It deposited us at the edge of the ocean proper, where the sand bank dropped off into a huge chasm. It was like standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon at midnight, not being able to see much, but knowing the void was right there. The surface shimmered maybe a hundred and fifty feet above. I knew I should've been crushed by the pressure. Then again, I shouldn't have been able to breathe. I wondered if there was a limit to how deep I could go, if I could sink straight to the bottom of the Pacific. Then I saw something glimmering in the darkness below, growing bigger and brighter as it rose toward me. A woman's voice, "Percy Jackson." As she got closer, her shape became clearer. She had flowing black hair, a dress made of green silk. Light flickered around her, and her eyes were so distractingly beautiful I hardly noticed the stallion-sized sea horse she was riding. She dismounted. The sea horse and the mako shark whisked off and started playing something that looked like tag. The underwater lady smiled at me. "You've come far, Percy Jackson. Well done. And you brought... a friend." I wasn't quite sure what to do, so I bowed. "H-Hello..."

"You're the woman who spoke to me in the Mississippi River." Percy said. "Yes, child. I am a Nereid, a spirit of the sea. It was not easy to appear so far upriver, but the naiads, my freshwater cousins, helped sustain my life force. They honor Lord Poseidon, though they do not serve in his court." "An... you serve in Poseidon's court?" She nodded. "It has been many years since a child of the Sea God has been born. We have watched you with great interest." I felt so out of placed being here so I wrapped my arms around Percy tighter. "If my father is so interested in me," Percy said, "why isn't he here? Why doesn't he speak to me?" A cold current rose out of the depths. "Do not judge the Lord of the Sea too harshly," the Nereid told him. "He stands at the brink of an unwanted war. He has much to occupy his time. Besides, he is forbidden to help you directly. The gods may not show such favoritism." "Even to their own children?" "Especially to them. The gods can work by indirect influence only. Why do you think they're trying to find who Y/N's parent is? They helped raising her, that's why her scent is gone."

"M-My Olympian parent raised me? I don't remember anyone... I'm pretty sure neither my mom or dad are Olympians... or Greek."

"Well that is what they're trying to figure out."

"Well, what's my father doing then?"

"That is why I give you a warning, and a gift."

She held out her hand. Three white pearls flashed in her palm. "I know you journey to Hades's realm," she said. "Few mortals have ever done this and survived: Orpheus, who had great music skill; Hercules, who had great strength; Houdini, who could escape even the depths of Tartarus. Do you have these talents?" "Urn... no, ma'am." "Ah, but you have something else, Percy. You have gifts you have only begun to know. The oracles have foretold a great and terrible future for you, should you survive to manhood. Poseidon would not have you die before your time. Therefore take these, and when you are in need, smash a pearl at your feet." "What will happen?" "That," she said, "depends on the need. But remember: what belongs to the sea will always return to the sea."

Percy took the three pearls and pocketed it. "Oh... but there are four of us. We'll need one more."

She looked at me and Percy. Then looked at her empty palm. "Your father..."

"I'm not leaving any of them if I need to use this." Percy said firmly.

She sighed and out came another pearl. Instead of handing it to Percy she handed it to me. "The lord does not like you. He's been firm and obvious of that fact. But... as his son refuse to leave you..."

I took the pearl reluctantly and thanked her. "What about the warning?" Her eyes flickered with green light. "Go with what your heart tells you, or you will lose all. Hades feeds on doubt and hopelessness. He will trick you if he can, make you mistrust your own judgment. Once you are in his realm, he will never willingly let you leave. Keep faith. Good luck, Percy Jackson." She summoned her sea horse and rode toward the void. "Wait!" Percy called. "At the river, you said not to trust the gifts. What gifts?" "Good-bye, young hero," she called back, her voice fading into the depths. "You must listen to your heart." She became a speck of glowing green, and then she was gone. "Your dad... must really hate me to leave me in Underworld when worse comes to worse..." I muttered burying my face on his neck.

"Don't worry... I won't let him hurt you, just because whoever your parent is raised you." He kicked upward toward the shore. When we reached the beach, our clothes dried instantly. Percy told Grover and Annabeth what had happened, and showed them the pearls. Annabeth grimaced. "No gift comes without a price. Not to mention Y/N is hated." "They were free." "No." She shook her head. "'There is no such thing as a free lunch.' That's an ancient Greek saying that translated pretty well into American. There will be a price. You wait." On that happy thought, we turned our backs on the sea. With some spare change from Ares's backpack, we took the bus into West Hollywood. We showed the driver the Underworld address slip we'd taken from Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium, but he'd never heard of DOA Recording Studios.

"You remind me of somebody I saw on TV," he told Percy. "You a child actor or something?" "Uh ... I'm a stunt double ... for a lot of child actors." "Oh! That explains it." We thanked him and got off quickly at the next stop. We wandered for miles on foot, looking for DOA. Nobody seemed to know where it was. It didn't appear in the phone book. Twice, we ducked into alleys to avoid cop cars. Percy froze in front of an appliance-store window because a television was playing an interview with somebody

"—my stepdad, Smelly Gabe." He explained.

He was talking to Barbara Walters—I mean, as if he were some kind of huge celebrity. She was interviewing him in our apartment, in the middle of a poker game, and there was a young blond lady sitting next to him, patting his hand. A fake tear glistened on his cheek. He was saying, "Honest, Ms. Walters, if it wasn't for Sugar here, my grief counselor, I'd be a wreck. My stepson took everything I cared about. My wife... my Camaro... I—I'm sorry. I have trouble talking about it." "There you have it, America." Barbara Walters turned to the camera. "A man torn apart. An adolescent boy with serious issues. Let me show you, again, the last known photo of this troubled young fugitive, taken a week ago in Denver. He has taken a young girl that goes by Y/N L/N with her." The screen cut to a grainy shot of me, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover standing outside the Colorado diner, talking to Ares. "Who are the two other children in this photo?" Barbara Walters asked dramatically. "Who is the man with them? Is Percy Jackson a delinquent, a terrorist, or perhaps the brainwashed victim of a frightening new cult? When we come back, we chat with a leading child psychologist. Stay tuned, America." "C'mon," Grover told me. He hauled us away.

It got dark, and hungry-looking characters started coming out on the streets to play. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm a New Yorker. I don't scare easy. But L.A. had a totally different feel from New York. Back home, everything seemed close. It didn't matter how big the city was, you could get anywhere without getting lost. The street pattern and the subway made sense. There was a system to how things worked. A kid could be safe as long as he wasn't stupid. L.A. wasn't like that. It was spread out, chaotic, hard to move around. It reminded me of Ares. It wasn't enough for L.A. to be big; it had to prove it was big by being loud and strange and difficult to navigate, too. I didn't know how we were ever going to find the entrance to the Underworld by tomorrow, the summer solstice. We walked past gangbangers, bums, and street hawkers, who looked at us like they were trying to figure if we were worth the trouble of mugging. As we hurried passed the entrance of an alley, a voice from the darkness said, "Hey, you." Like an idiot, I stopped. Before I knew it, we were surrounded. A gang of kids had circled us. Six of them in all—white kids with expensive clothes and mean faces. Like the kids at Yancy Academy: rich brats playing at being bad boys. Instinctively, I drew my knife. When the knife appeared out of nowhere, the kids backed off, but their leader was either really stupid or really brave, because he kept coming at me with a switchblade.

Percy then pulled me behind him and swung Riptide. The kid yelped. But he must've been one hundred percent mortal, because the blade passed harmlessly right through his chest. He looked down. "What the..." I figured I had about three seconds before his shock turned to anger. "Run!" I screamed taking Percy's hand. We pushed two kids out of the way and raced down the street, not knowing where we were going. We turned a sharp corner. "There!" Annabeth shouted. Only one store on the block looked open, its windows glaring with neon. The sign above the door said something like CRSTUY'S WATRE BDE ALPACE. "Crusty's Water Bed Palace?" Grover translated. It didn't sound like a place I'd ever go except in an emergency, but this definitely qualified. We burst through the doors, ran behind a water bed, and ducked. A split second later, the gang kids ran past outside. "I think we lost them," Grover panted. A voice behind us boomed, "Lost who?" We all jumped. Standing behind us was a guy who looked like a raptor in a leisure suit. He was at least seven feet tall, with absolutely no hair. He had gray, leathery skin, thick-lidded eyes, and a cold, reptilian smile. He moved toward us slowly, but I got the feeling he could move fast if he needed to. His suit might've come from the Lotus Casino. It belonged back in the seventies, big-time. The shirt was silk paisley, unbuttoned halfway down his hairless chest. The lapels on his velvet jacket were as wide as landing strips. The silver chains around his neck—I couldn't even count them. "I'm Crusty," he said, with a tartar-yellow smile. I resisted the urge to say, Yes, you are. "Sorry to barge in," Percy told him. "We were just, um, browsing." "You mean hiding from those no-good kids," he grumbled. "They hang around every night. I get a lot of people in here, thanks to them. Say, you want to look at a water bed?" I was about to say No, thanks, when he put a huge paw on my shoulder and steered me deeper into the showroom. There was every kind of water bed you could imagine: different kinds of wood, different patterns of sheets; queen-size, king-size, emperor-of-the-universe-size. "This is my most popular model." Crusty spread his hands proudly over a bed covered with black satin sheets, with built-in Lava Lamps on the headboard. The mattress vibrated, so it looked like oil-flavored Jell-O. "Million-hand massage," Crusty told us. "Go on, try it out. Shoot, take a nap. I don't care. No business today, any-way. "Um," Percy said, "I don't think..." "Million-hand massage!" Grover cried, and dove in. "Oh, you guys! This is cool." "Hmm," Crusty said, stroking his leathery chin. "Almost, almost." "Almost what?" I asked. He looked at Annabeth. "Do me a favor and try this one over here, honey. Might fit." Annabeth said, "But what—" He patted her reassuringly on the shoulder and led her over to the Safari Deluxe model with teakwood lions carved into the frame and a leopard-patterned comforter. When Annabeth didn't want to lie down, Crusty pushed her. "Hey!" she protested. Crusty snapped his fingers. "Ergo!" Ropes sprang from the sides of the bed, lashing around Annabeth, holding her to the mattress. Grover tried to get up, but ropes sprang from his black-satin bed, too, and lashed him down. "N-not c-c-cool!" he yelled, his voice vibrating from the million-hand massage. "N-not c-cool a-at all!" The giant looked at Annabeth, then turned toward me and Percy to grin. "Almost, darn it." I tried to step away, but his hand shot out and clamped around the back of my neck. "Whoa, kid. Don't worry. We'll find you one in a sec." "Let my friends go." "Oh, sure I will. But I got to make them fit, first." "What do you mean?" "All the beds are exactly six feet, see? Your friends are too short. Got to make them fit." Annabeth and Grover kept struggling. "Can't stand imperfect measurements," Crusty muttered. "Ergo!" A new set of ropes leaped out from the top and bottom of the beds, wrapping around Grover and Annabeth's ankles, then around their armpits. The ropes started tightening, pulling my friends from both ends. "Don't worry," Crusty told us, "These are stretching jobs. Maybe three extra inches on their spines. They might even live. Now why don't we find a bed you like, huh?" "Percy! Y/N!" Grover yelled. My mind was racing. I knew I couldn't take on this giant water-bed salesman alone. He would snap my neck before I ever got my sword out. "Your real name's not Crusty, is it?" Percy asked. "Legally, it's Procrustes," he admitted. "The Stretcher," I said. I remembered the story: the giant who'd tried to kill Theseus with excess hospitality on his way to Athens. "Yeah," the salesman said. "But who can pronounce Procrustes? Bad for business. Now 'Crusty,' anybody can say that." "You're right. It's got a good ring to it." His eyes lit up. "You think so?" "Oh, absolutely," I said. "And the workmanship on these beds? Fabulous!"

Percy looked at me weirdly. When I gave him a nod he must've understood. He got closer to hold my arm. Crusty grinned hugely, his fingers still didn't loosen on my neck. "I tell my customers that. Every time. Nobody bothers to look at the workmanship. How many built-in Lava Lamp headboards have you seen?" "Not too many." "That's right!" "Y/N!" Annabeth yelled. "What are you doing?" "Don't mind her," Percy told Procrustes. "She's impossible." The giant laughed. "All my customers are. Never six feet exactly. So inconsiderate. And then they complain about the fitting." "What do you do if they're longer than six feet?" "Oh, that happens all the time. It's a simple fix." He let go of my neck, but before I could react, he reached behind a nearby sales desk and brought out a huge double-bladed brass axe. He said, "I just center the subject as best I can and lop off whatever hangs over on either end." "Ah," Percy said, swallowing hard. "Sensible." "I'm so glad to come across an intelligent customer!" The ropes were really stretching my friends now. Annabeth was turning pale. Grover made gurgling sounds, like a strangled goose. "So, Crusty..." I said, trying to keep my voice light. I glanced at the sales tag on the valentine-shaped Honeymoon Special. "Does this one really have dynamic stabilizers to stop wave motion?" "Absolutely. Try it out." "Yeah, maybe I will. But would it work even for a big guy like you? No waves at all?" "Guaranteed." "No way." "Way." "Show me." He sat down eagerly on the bed, patted the mattress. "No waves. See?" I snapped my fingers. "Ergo." Ropes lashed around Crusty and flattened him against the mattress. "Hey!" he yelled. "Center him just right," I said. The ropes readjusted themselves at my command. Crusty's whole head stuck out the top. His feet stuck out the bottom. "No!" he said. "Wait! This is just a demo." Percy uncapped Riptide. "A few simple adjustments ..." "You drive a hard bargain," he told us. "I'll give you thirty percent off on selected floor models.'" "I think I'll start with the top." Percy raised my sword. "No money down! No interest for six months!" He swung the sword. Crusty stopped making offers. I cut the ropes on the other beds. Annabeth and Grover got to their feet, groaning and wincing and cursing me a lot. "You look taller," I said. "Very funny," Annabeth said. "Be faster next time."

Percy looked at the bulletin board behind Crusty's sales desk. There was an advertisement for Hermes Delivery Service, and another for the All-New Compendium of L.A. Area Monsters—"The only Monstrous Yellow Pages you'll ever need!" Under that, a bright orange flier for DOA Recording Studios, offering commissions for heroes' souls. "We are always looking for new talent!" DOA's address was right underneath with a map. "Come on," Percy said. "Give us a minute," Grover complained. "We were almost stretched to death.'" "Then you're ready for the Underworld," I said. "It's only a block from here."

Previous | Masterlist | Next

Taglist?

@gayer-than-the-gayest-gay @the-natureofme @booknerd-3000 @katara720 @ynfics

#Percy Jackson #Percy Jackson X Reader #Percy Jackson X Y/N #percy jackon and the olympians #luke castellan #Luke castellan x reader #pjo #Y/N L/N #Y/N L/N and the halfbloods #Lightning thief #Book 1 #Chapter 17 #fanfictions #Fanfiction

43 notes · View notes

virgil-writes · 3 years

Photo

ash & soot

Long before the Winters come into play, a monster stalks the Forbidden Forest that surrounds the Village. Karl Heisenberg is sent to investigate, and heads deeper into darkness to find his prey, a thorn on his side and someone just like him. (Heisenberg x OC)

chapter 12 - cabin fever

SFW, around 5K words.

chapter 13 - liebchen (ao3 only, smut)

The sheets underneath him were worn but comfortable, ancient-looking in design but well taken care of. The bed frame is barely there, mattress a well-placed lattice away from being on the floor. He can’t remember the last time he’s been on a bed, the last time he’d laid his body down at all, for any reason. His back complains every other second, not because of the comfort of the bedding, but because it had gone without for so long. A wonderfully comfortable blanket covers him up to the hips, the soft mattress almost makes him feel like he is floating. Fuck, he really missed having a proper bed now.

He inspects himself carefully, still not fully convinced this is not a fever-induced hallucination. His hand is where it should be, and so is his leg, and every other part of his body that he recalled having before. There are half a dozen new scars that he can count, all healed over perfectly like they’d opened years ago instead of hours, forming a map of stories he would rather not tell. He is shirtless but is wearing pants now, his trench coat and hat nowhere to be found. He pushes the blanket aside to find the damn woolen slippers waiting for him on a woven rug. It doesn’t take him long to realize where he is, but nothing resembles her, no personal belongings on the nightstand, no desk or mirror or even a dresser. It looked as if the room was rarely visited, kept clean but empty, and he wondered if sleep was a foreign concept to her, too.

Hesitant, tentative movements take him down the ladder and into the living room, and he expects to find her hard at work at something or another, humming a tune while she cooks, petting the goat and telling it asinine, cutesy things in a soft voice. But the house is silent and she is nowhere to be found, the dog sits in front of the closed front door and watches his every move. It is not aggressive but watchful, like it had been given the task of keeping an eye on the ailing man and alerting his owner in case anything was amiss.

“I’m fine, fleabag.” He laughs at the dog and gets a huff in response, an acknowledgment, and the shepherd moves from its post at the door to give him passage if he so desires. Heisenberg gives it a well deserved pat on the head as it passes by, tail wagging hesitantly as it tried to make friends with him. He is glad to be alone - if anyone ever used this against him, he would deny it.

A plate awaits him at the dinner table, and despite his intentions of running out of there before she could see him again, breakfast is an offer he cannot bring himself to refuse. Bread and jam, a robust omelet served with sprinkles of cheese and herbs. He can almost see the aroma the coffee has left behind, and finds the pot on the side of the wood stove, cup and saucer set for him nearby.

He eats slowly and in silence, chews thoroughly before swallowing, as if he fears some abrupt movement would rip reality apart and throw him back into the pit of suffering he found himself in the night before. There is no blood, no pain; no sign of the madness he had come so close to drowning in. He is safe and comfortable, there is good food in his belly and a warm hearth to keep the cold at bay. His problems are far and cannot catch him, and maybe if he keeps stalling to finish breakfast he can stay in this bliss forever. The world is quiet outside, and so are his thoughts, for once in his life.

A shirt and sweater are neatly folded and arranged as to call attention on the couch, no doubt to replace his blood-stained, ragged trench coat. He feels naked without it, he muses as he pulls the moss-colored shirt over his head, and it feels awkward not to wear the hat and the glasses. It would be unpleasant if she were to catch him now, free of his usual regalia; he felt that she would see right through him, stare deep into his eyes and find out all he had worked so hard to hide.

He did not feel like Karl Heisenberg, Lord of the Village, powerful mutant capable of unspeakable acts of violence. He was… Karl, middle-aged immortal man who enjoyed tinkering, was a big fan of meat an potatoes and didn’t know what to do when he had time to waste in his hands. Karl, of German origin but Romanian by birth, come from a long line of miners and steel workers. People of few words and fewer luxuries, hardy of constitution and blunt to a fault. He had been content to be those things and nothing more, to carry on what the Heisenbergs had done for centuries, until life dumped him on his head and led him to where he is today.

But not today, because maybe just today he can forget, and let his gracious host distract him with her mystery and the delicate curves of her buttocks. Perhaps tomorrow he would go back to treating her like a tool he would use and discard, but today she would be none the wiser, and neither would he. The fresh air of the mountain and distance from the cramped confines of the factory would do him good, he decided, help reinvigorate his spirit and refresh his ideas, spark some inspiration. And if not, well, the food was excellent and she was easy on the eyes.

A pair of boots that didn’t belong to him were by the door, just the right size to fit him. He had walked all the way up barefoot, he remembers, but he would very much like to know how she seemed to have everything that he needed readily available. Was she clairvoyant alongside being a healer? Did she bleed money that she could buy information on him from the Duke and the apparel to go with it? He opened the door to find her outside, looking like the cat that ate the canary, a couple meters away from the gate that separated her plot of land from the heart of the forest. She had just emerged from amongst the trees, heavy coat over her shoulders and leather boots to keep the ice off her feet. Her hands were free, no basket for foraging or firewood in her arms. No sign of a knife or any other kind of weapon, but judging by the look on her face, he could swear she had just committed murder. Her eyes told him she would not speak of it.

“Good morning, pumpkin,” he began, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest, at least trying to fish an explanation out of her. Instead she pretended to forget the suspicious circumstances and focused on him instead, her face lighting up at the sight of him up and about, like she didn’t expect to see him anytime soon. Had it been that bad?

“Good morning, my lord. Are you well?” Shame and madness aside, he thought, things were going swimmingly. “I hope the accommodations were to your liking.” Once again with the pleasantries, with the caring for what he thought of her hospitality. Did she get a kick out of being so kind? That was the most foolish thing he had ever heard. He tried to come up with a witty response that would catch her off guard, but the night had been long and there was too much tiredness swamping his mind, and all he got was honesty:

“Quite. Hadn’t slept in a bed in decades.” As if to validate his words, he stretched and grunted in approval, pains he did not even realize he’d had gone like magic.

“Well, it remains at your disposal,” was her response as she chuckled, wiping her hands on the embroidered apron before gesturing an invitation. There was dirt on her palms. “It may not be much, but it’ll give you a good night’s rest.” She motioned for him to follow, something he would grow accustomed to.

“You know,” he began, following her into the shed, accepting the shallow basket she handed him. “I bet it’d be even better if you were there with me.” She hummed in approval, a smile as devious as his on her face. The damn woman would always catch him off guard; Heisenberg was not used to being flirted with, words thrown about only half-seriously, only to make the villagers blush and Alcina mad. He had never followed up on any of it, because it was always meant to annoy, and the fact that she not only took him seriously but fired back pulled the rug right from under him. And boy did he like it.

They laughed but spoke no more of it, tension like static in the air, both fully aware the joke had more than a few nuggets of truth to it. A dozen different scenarios ran through his mind, on ways he could take her, mark her, ruin her. Inside the shed, behind the stables, propped on the porch railing. Standing, face pressed against the floor, legs tightly wrapped around his waist. She smirked as she passed by him, smirked like she could tell every image that went through his mind. Smirked like she knew he would not do any of it, that his flirting was just a front and he had never found the courage to take the plunge, not even once. Her wink was the cherry on the cake, the challenge that made his cheeks flush at just the right moment so that she wouldn’t see it.

The morning was spent tending to the animals and the garden, and she instructed him on how to feed the chickens and keep the tiny goat happy. Its name was Prince and it demanded to be treated like royalty, lest the puny humans faced his wrath and for now adorable headbutts. The thing followed him around the whole time, demanded his attention when he collected the eggs from the coop, when he let the horse out of the stable to let it stretch its legs. Only when the weather took a turn for the worse did it scurry off to hide in the pens with its mom, settling down on a nice and dry bundle of hay.

He was put in charge of firewood while she tended the garden. The innuendos were kept to a minimum, but the static never left, and he felt her eyes heavy on him as he brought the axe down, muscles flexing and veins showing on his forearms with the effort. Maybe he ought to do more housework around her, and she’d come around and do his bidding without hesitation.

When the wind blew away his hat, Heisenberg realized there would be no going back to the factory unless he hurried. The storm had been mounting for days now, but he had never been one to pay much attention to the tells of weather; he rarely left his hideout, and with the factory being mostly underground, he would be trapped inside for a few days at best. He had perhaps half an hour for a journey that would take him one or two under such bad weather, and he would have to be lucky for the bridge to hold if it got too bad. She wasted little time paying attention to his inner turmoil, and went about securing the animals instead, making sure they had food, water and a warm place to spend the night. Snow was falling fast by the time she was done, and she ushered him in when he’d stood there too long, snow coming up to his shins already. They brushed off as much as they could on the porch before heading inside, water dripping down their shoulders. There was a long pause as they both watched the storm come down through the living room window, a knowing silence that the day would be long, and the night longer, and neither would be leaving that cabin for at least the next day.

“Well, it seems the bed is yours for the night again, my lord,” were her words as she bolted the door, a hint of joy in her voice. He imagined it was a lonely existence, secluded in the mountains and feared by all, not part of any community and especially not theirs. She always seemed so happy to see him, to see another human whose first instinct wasn’t to attack her. He would pity her if he cared, if his existence wasn’t equally as lonesome, if he hadn’t fashioned it to be exactly what he wished. He’d never needed anyone yapping about everything and nothing in his ears, interrupting his work and diverting his attention from what really mattered. Alcina was insane to have taken in the girls, really; children sounded like an exhausting chore that never ended. He never understood why she always looked so content in spite of it all. His mother always told him one day he would understand, he would want to keep someone close, and then he would want someone else just like them to cherish and love, to teach and share the good and bad moments. He would turn a hundred soon and never quite felt like it; maybe in another hundred years?

His only answer was a lopsided smile, tired and sad, and he tried to brace for the barrage of questions and comments that were certain to come. She was trapped inside her living space with the stranger who emerged from the guts of the forest, come from a village rife with death, where he was sovereign save for Mother dearest. He was the favorite son and the most powerful, gifted with strength and wits and influence and power. Those he could not talk down he could easily buy out, and those he could not buy out he could easily destroy. He was a fabled recluse and rumors ran rampant of the work he’d conduct in his factory, of treasures he kept deep underground. It would be a long day, the first in forever that he would spend so close to another breathing, talking human, and he did not know what to expect aside from a lot of chit-chat and a mounting headache. Surely she would like to know all about him, now that he couldn’t run away from her. Surely she would pry into his motives, pepper in questions about his siblings and the village. A thousand smug answers he conjured in his mind, each snappier than the other, every retort a question thrown back at her. It was only fair, of course; she had thrown much at him, bits and pieces of improbabilities that he couldn’t put together, and if she intended on digging deep, he would do the same.

To his surprise, all she did was leave her boots behind next to him and proceed to ignore him, going about her daily life like he was of no consequence. He found himself stunned, rooted in front of the door with a puzzled expression on his face. She looked at him as if to say well, this is it, make yourself at home and enjoy the day, and once again the domesticity of it all broke him more than words could ever have. He felt weird as he reached for the papers he had brought with him the night before, tucked next to the myriad of books on her shelf. They remained silent when he took a seat at the table and pushed open the schematics to get a better look at them, the potted plant centerpiece serving as a paper weight so he could work properly.

First, she dusted the shelves, reorganized her herb cabinet and found a place for his hat. The curtains were drawn and she took a peek outside, checking on the pens and the stable to make sure the animals would have a comfortable enough day. Then she bound off to a corner of the living room, producing a basket with threads and fabric, yarn and needles that she brought over to the couch. She sat cross-legged, close to the fire, and only spared him a brief glance before tending to her needlework. He felt weird as he reached for the papers he had brought with him the night before, tucked next to the myriad of books on her shelf. They remained silent when he took a seat at the table and pushed open the schematics to get a better look at them, the potted plant centerpiece serving as a paper weight so he could work properly. The first few minutes were nerve-racking, his paranoia telling him he would look away and find her peering curiously over his shoulder, trying to steal away his secrets to use against him as leverage. He read the same words again and again only to realize he hadn’t understood them, eyes turning to her every minute to make sure she still hadn’t moved. She caught him eventually, eyebrow raised in his direction as she tried to make sense of the situation, mouth turning into an “oh” as she jumped off the couch and stood on the tips of her toes to reach the very top of the bookshelf. A minute later and she had brought him a candle and holder, a half-empty box of matches in her other hand. She stood at the other end of the table and pushed it in his direction, still not curious regarding his work, but figuring that, even in daylight, the cabin was dark and he likely was not used to doing things by candlelight. It took him a moment to process and bring the light closer, shocked as he was to see that she intended to leave him to his own devices but cared about his comfort.

The hours were a blur then, when he convinced himself she would not surprise him, and his suspicions were correct; a change of environment had done wonders for his creativity, solutions jumping at him paper after paper, a multitude of new projects and ideas for him to try once he was back at the factory. He can’t remember the last time he had been so productive, the last time he had folded everything in and told himself he was done for the day, because he had done more than enough. She had brought him tea and bread at some point and he had eaten absentmindedly, crumbs and drops of jam staining the papers, but he could not bring himself to care. After tea she had brought him coffee, and then a jug of water, and while he felt a bit like a caged animal being fed periodically, it did wonders to keep his work flowing.

Night had already fallen when he finally took a break, got up to stretch his legs and look around to see just what she had been doing this whole time. Her crafts basket was back in its place, a sock taking shape on the needles. A book abandoned where she was sitting instead, the little witch nowhere near it. Instead she was busy preparing dinner, swaying her hips to a tune but quiet as a mouse, like she was going out of her way to give him peace and quiet. He appreciated it, try as he might to deny it, how she cared without meddling, made herself present but not intruding.

Maybe he should hire her to be his assistant, help him organize the half-done office he had begun building on the upper floors of the factory. She certainly would be great at helping him keep his affairs in order - and by that he meant she would keep him fed, mostly, the one thing he kept forgetting to do and that always set him back. He could provide her with something better than this, surely, her very own quarters with modern wonders such as electricity and proper plumbing, a bathroom of her own, maybe even a fridge. Had she ever seen a fridge before? He imagined she would decorate the place with all manner of silly things that would only serve to gather dust, knickknacks and wreaths and woven things, and that it would smell of flowers and fresh-baked bread. Her responsibilities would include housekeeping and Heisenkeeping - organizing his papers so he wouldn’t lose them, keeping track of all of the family meetings he had to attend, dealing with the Duke for supplies so he wouldn’t have to. He’d reward her handsomely, give her days off, be a good employer unlike his parents had been. Not a bad plan, if he did say so himself.

He had only forgotten to factor in that she was, still, a powerful, self-described blood witch. He had been entertaining himself with the thoughts of having her around as he watched her prepare dinner; she’d gone hunting in the morning, he realized, two hares hanging upside down from an iron ring. She took one down to place it at the cutting board, its insides clean but pelt still intact. He had no doubt she would be skilled at skinning it; when one lives as long as she has with no contact with the outside world, such skills are necessary for survival. What he did not expect was the way she’d go about it: a firm hand grabbed a handful of fur, gave it a gentle twist and pulled, effortlessly, the entire thing coming off in her hand, no cuts and no tears, neck and head and all. He could see the knife from where he was sitting, placed blade down into the ceramic jug.

Heisenberg bent forward to see better when she did it the second time around, and it was as unexplainable and horrifying as the first. Gross but humane, like she simply coaxed the skin to slide right off the flesh. If the thing had been alive, he imagined it would have been quite painful, a whole human suit in her hand and living flesh left behind. The thought almost makes him gag, a disgusted sound escaping his lips and making her realize she’s not alone. She slowly turns to face him with a sheepish smile, like a child caught red-handed. “Pretend you didn’t see that?” She offers, but he shakes his head no. Not in a million years he would forget the sheer brutality of it. He waits but she doesn’t explain it, goes back to making dinner like nothing had happened.

“Could you do that to something… Bigger, darling?” He approaches her slowly, like a predator carefully stalking its prey, though he feels far from a position of power at the moment. She nods her head yes. “Like, say, a good ole’ human?” He whispers in her ear, a shiver running down her spine at the sudden intrusion and hot breath against her skin, flirting his go-to attempt at getting back the reigns of any situation.

“Want me to test it on you, my lord?” She quips in the same whisper tone, and he is wise enough to back off for now.

“Think I’ll pass.” Before he can run back to his seat, she hands him the smaller, bone-bladed knife and pushes a bowl of potatoes towards him, the sudden motion startling him and eliciting a chuckle out of her. Looks like he’ll have to earn his keep. For a while they work shoulder to shoulder in peaceful silence, save for his grunts of frustration at not being able to peel a potato successfully. It’s been a long time. “You ought to show me what you can do one of these days. I’m awful curious.” She considers it for a second, head moving left and right, knife following the movement.

“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” and she doesn’t mean metal bending and knife juggling, he knows. He can’t think of a reason why she would want to see him, truly see him, monstrous appearance and all, but if that’s the price to pay, he’ll gladly do it. It would be good for his ego, too, that priceless look on her face as he shifts into the stuff of nightmares.

There are no more gruesome sneak peeks for the night and soon the stew is ready, he helps set the table and she finds a bottle of wine she’d stashed away for a rainy day. She explains over dinner that he was quite feverish when he arrived, and it’s a wonder he made it through the night. He truly was sturdy, no ifs or buts about it, she said in appreciation. There were cuts and bruises all over him, all shapes and sizes, like he’d fallen through glass. Did he have an accident at the factory? There was genuine concern in her voice, though they both knew that she knew better.

His curiosity gets the better of him and he experiments with a few questions, each answer leaving him further in the dark. How old was she? Somewhere around a hundred and thirty. She remembers being old enough to read around 1902, when she saw the date on a newspaper she fished out of the gutter, but beyond that time was either a blur or she’d been too young to remember. Where did she come from? Not a clue, but she’s been around: she’s seen Italian castles, been to centuries old British pubs. She’s seen the Brandenburg Gate and visited Chateau de Versailles. She’s bathed in the beautiful waters of the Greek coast, made a pilgrimage to the volcanic beaches of Iceland. She’s never made it past the ocean to the Americas or down to the warmer climates of Africa, but time has never been an issue, and she figures she’ll get to it eventually. He asks her why all the wandering, is someone after her? Her breath hitches and her eyes lower, shoulders slump, a deep breath before the replies. Something like that, and he understands maybe it’s best if he doesn’t push.

They returned to the topic of his feverish display once dinner was over, with her cautioning that he had been lucky this time around, lucky that she was home, lucky that he even made it across the bridge and found his way home. Home, her use of the word is deliberate and strokes something warm and fuzzy within him. Disgusting. There was the matter of the shard, he took a sit on the couch as she reached into a drawer to pull out a bundle of clean cloth, and he feigns confusion when she unwraps it to reveal a piece of metal shaped similar to an arrowhead. He recognized it, the shavings of a project he had worked on… Maybe a year ago? It’d been sticking out through his ribs when he arrived, she said, and it looked anything but recent; infection had taken around it, skin red and swollen. She could see that it was agonizingly painful - had he not noticed it at all?

“Ah, so that’s what it was.” He blurted without really meaning to, a humorless chuckle that left her confused. “I’d been feeling this weird poke in my ribs for the longest time - thought I’d broken something.” He shrugs and she nods, clearly aware of their peculiar situations, perhaps now beginning to comprehend just how many layers of fucked up he was made of. “You’re a miracle worker, doll.” His fingers instinctively trace over the spot where the shard had been, nothing there but a scar that had healed remarkably well. “How can I ever repay you?”

Money, gems, jewelry? She didn’t strike him as the materialistic kind. No, she was all about the meaningful gestures, the showing of kindness. There were a few ways he could think of showing his appreciation - slamming her body against the wall to press a hard kiss on her lips, a nice, firm tug on her hair as he nibbled on her neck. Or maybe something softer if she was so inclined, more romantic even, like a well-placed, resounding slap on her ass cheek. “I’ll be sure to think of something, my lord.” Was the answer she gave, though he was sure she meant something else entirely judging by the way she let her coat slide off to reveal her bare shoulders as she set about getting ready for bed. Her hands gathered more and more of her skirt until it’d reached the middle of her thighs, delicate lace adorning the band of her stockings, tiny suspenders disappearing from sight but serving to peak his curiosity. She undid the hooks that kept it in place, fingers threatening to roll the garment down agonizingly slow. Instead she turned to look at her enraptured audience, the pose propping her ass up and so close to his hands. He had thought it had all been an act, carefully orchestrated to put him on edge, but the gasp of surprise she let out told him otherwise. “I am so sorry, my lord.” She quickly let go of it all and stood up straight, a flush running across her face. “I am not used to having visitors.”

“You needn’t stop on account of little ole’ me, darling.” He is quick to say, rich laughter that filled the room with mischief. Heisenberg sprawls further onto the couch, legs parting like an invitation. Best seat in the house, in the whole village even. “I did enjoy it.”

When it was time to say goodnight, he kept his composure and even helped her move one of the pillows and blanket down the ladder. If his mother were alive she would chastise him for not being a gentleman, for not refusing vehemently to let her sleep on an uncomfortable couch instead of her own bed. But the day was over and so were the pleasantries, and he would have to take the time to cleanse her off his mind, ease himself back into his usual mindset. She was impossibly alluring, impossibly annoying, impossibly loving. There was no figuring her out and it seemed there would be no delving deeper in. Playtime was over and it was back to work tomorrow as soon as she storm had passed. He needed to shed away her kindness before it managed to ooze under his skin, but she had no intention of making it any easier on him.

“Here you go,” Heisenberg had no time to stand on ceremony, shoved the pillow in her direction and flashed her a smile to keep up appearances, mind wandering somewhere else, somewhere where he did not care about her. It was better this way. “Good night, sweetheart.”

Even though he tried, he never truly reached that fabled place where she was of no importance. Not that he would ever acknowledge it.

#resident evil village #karl heisenberg #karl heisenberg x oc #karl heisenberg x reader #virgil writes

9 notes · View notes

abizarreyodelingincident · 3 years

Text

LU: The Sacred Beast (for a farmer)

The Sacred Beast (for a farmer)

His skin was burning.

Black particles floated up from the ground, toward a sky an unnatural shade of dusk. Spots danced before his eyes. He couldn’t…

Illia. The kids. He… he had to stand.

His bones shifted.

Link blinked away tears.

His groans of pain echoed through the air and in his head. Where was the monster? He… he had to get away from the monster before he passed out.

The back of his hand flared, and set the rest of him on fire. Pain took over his mind, blinding him to everything but itself. He knew that something had changed in him, but as his suffering receded, so did his strength.

Darkness claimed him, leaving him only with the knowledge of his body changed by the magic of the monsters. The last sensation he registered was that of his nails -- hard, split -- hitting a mount of dirt in the path.

***

“Get that beast out of here!”

It took six guards pushing with all their mights, but they managed to throw Link off his hooves. The poor adventurer headbutted the stone rails leading to the South gates. He shook his head, more annoyed than hurt by the impact. On the other hand, the stone rail had crumbled. When he narrowed his eyes back at the guards, they clearly gulped.

Now, if only they'd just let him through already.

Not for the first time, Link really wished he would have been cursed into a more intimidating form. Maybe a big dog or a wolf would have been better. He certainly wouldn't have been dragged out of town by the horns, at least. Link entertained the image of those damned guards cowering before a mighty wolf before shaking his head. Daydreams wouldn’t get him anywhere.

***

Link tilted his head as he pushed an ear against the singing stone. Some animal instinct of his couldn't help notice the otherworldly cold around it, nor the faint voices whispering through its ritualistic structure. Notes, howled to a moonless day. And fainter still, an invitation. Suddenly, he knew what he was meant to do. That didn’t help much.

How in Farore's name was he meant to play those melodies in this form?!

Oh boy...

Link glanced around for a bit, partly out of heroism, partly out of embarrassment. He couldn't let anyone lose their hearing from what would happen next. Maybe that skull kid would, and he guessed that'd be punishment enough for the puppetry attacks. Seemed a fair trade in retrospect.

“Well?” Midna asked, scratching her vibrant flame-red hair. “Any clues, farm boy?”

He shot her a grim look, then cleared his throat. It came out shaky, and off-key.

Her shadowed form went still. “Oh no, farm boy. You are not braying that. I can't block my ears in this form. I'm not even corporal!”

Link resolutely ignored the ghostly jab in his ribs. Alright. Alright, the notes. He had to hit the right notes, correct?

Seconds later, the skull kid fled the Lost Woods, dozens of horrified critters running past him with their ears covered in whatever way they could manage.

***

The realm of the dead shifted to accommodate two beasts, sacred, a chasm away and yet less than a stride apart. Below, Hyrule Castle was witness to the impossible meeting between ancestor and descendant, proud chosen of the Goddesses and legends of grand tales.

The last notes faded away, a sense of serenity cloaking the world as both lowered their heads.

The Golden Wolf did a double take.

“... Why are you... Shouldn't you be a wolf?”

Link pawed at the ground and aimed his horns.

The Golden Wolf cringed. “Huh, right, right, sorry. I suppose I expected my descendant to be a wolf too… not that it's wrong to be something else! At all! It's just that the goddesses spoke of the Sacred Beast, and then my spirit took this form and… you know what? Let's just get to sword training, son.”

***

“A Sacred Beast to counter a Dark Beast. Giddy up, Link. We're in need of your horns again,” Midna said from his shadow.

Link didn't groan.

He had long since learned to channel his rage into rearing hindlegs and a skullbash strong enough to decapitate a bulblin. He let the shadows engulf him, took in the comforting weight of Midna on his back, then pawed in challenge before the glowing glyphs.

Beast Ganon was very surprised, a moment later, when his mad rampaging got cut short when he slammed himself face first into a snarling goat that didn't move an inch.

His tusk broke though.

***

Link jumped at the sound of skittering pebbles. Ever since the old king had told him he was destined to save Hyrule from the Calamity, he'd been fearing failing a second time. It felt like the second he would relax, the whole world would collapse on top of him. Anything and everything that could threaten his mission would.

He'd startled himself awake every night since the revelation. Berated himself for resting, for letting himself be vulnerable in the open where any random monster, or even ill-intentioned traveler could kill him without a fight.

He couldn't fail.

He stumbled as his foot hit a root on the path, his body suddenly heavy and his sight blurry. He straightened up against the rocky side of the cliff. No. He had to stay alert. He couldn't let down his guard. Even if his eyelids weighed more than a talus.

The noise came from above him.

Link scrambled out of the way.

The creature that trotted down the slopes of the cliffside stood about as tall as a horse, and the pair of long, linked horns only added to the height. It also had hooves, but... broken or something. Link wasn't intimidated – he'd dealt with scarier – but he kept his arrow notched just in case it turned out territorial. The last horned animal he'd gone too close to had chased him up a tree. Stupid horned thing!

This one though... it brayed softly, almost comfortingly. Link blinked. Did wild beasts do that? Without thinking, he put his bow away and reached very slowly.

It did not snap teeth at him.

Did not startle away, fleeing like they could see all his failures.

His hand met warm coarse fur, and his breath hitched.

The animal nipped his sleeves, not hard enough to even dent the fabric, and knelt. Then tilted its head.

“You… want… climb?” he pushed out, struggling to find the proper words. “Me... on you?”

It nodded. Could it understand the hylian language? Maybe his hand gestures? Every other animal so far had fled from him the second they heard him coming. The only ones that didn't were the little four legged ones that barked when he got close to a stable. Tame. Right, that was the word.

He stared some more at the animal. It reminded him of... Gasping, he pulled out his Sheikah slate and swiped through the compendium. Goat! That was it. This animal looked a bit like a goat. Bulkier, and its horns weren't right, but the fur and the body was way too similar for it not to be a goat too.

Link grinned at the animal. “Goatie. You're a Goatie.”

It did the face some Hylians made when he was proud of remembering something they said was obvious. Wild almost cringed, but a burst of noise stole his attention, and he whirled around, rusty sword in hand.

“Haha, die, Hero!” some Yiga assassin crooned as it appeared in a blast of red magic and paper talismans. “Ganon's takeover will not be sto-GAH!”

The goat had rammed straight into the assassin's chest and sent them flying. As circumstances or Hylia had willed it, it just so happened that the Yiga had laid their ambush between a cliff and a hill. Whilst the goat hadn't hit them past the cliff's edge, it had indeed thrown the assassin down the hill, where they started to roll. Cursing. Hitting trees, bushes and unfortunate foxes all the way down to a small stream. Where a handful of lizalfos nested. Yikes. That looked painful.

The goat snorted, then turned up its nose at the poor Yiga.

With vivid blue eyes the same shade as his, the goat gestured for Link to get on its back. This time, he did not hesitate.

Horses were fun, Wild decided right there and then, but Goatie was so much better.

***

“Whoa! What's that thing?” Sky jumped to his feet, nervously eying the horned beast that had calmly trotted out of the bushes.

Amongst those that had drawn their swords, only Wind and Hyrule didn't sheath them back immediately upon recognition.

“Sky,” Legend deadpanned, “that's a goat. A farm animal. Not a bloodthirsty predator.”

Blushing faintly, Sky apologized, putting his sword away. “Right. I... I never saw one of these before.”

Time quickly pat him on the back, never letting the goat out of his sight. “Better be more cautious than not. Especially since farm animals can be quite dangerous in their own right. A well-placed kick from a cow or a horse will send you to the healer just as quickly as a bite from a wolfos. That goat's horns are... larger than I'm used to.”

“Yeah, I admit, I've never met that breed before. Anyone?” Legend swept the camp with his gaze.

Most shook their heads, but Warriors put a hand to his chin. “I swear I've seen one like this before.”

Even the goat looked nonplussed at that.

“Really?” Wind asked, glancing between the animal and his big brother. “You know how to tame one.”

The goat pawed the ground.

“No, no, it was during the War of Eras, and I had to jump through timelines a lot during that time period. It's not native to my Hyrule, but it's from one of yours.”

Hyrule piped up. “Maybe it's from Twilight's world? Too bad he's gone scouting.”

Wild finally blinked himself out of his daze. “That's… that's my friend. Helped me save Hyrule and everything.”

Four stared. “A goat helped you defeat Ganon?”

Wild scratched his cheek, willing himself not to remember the loneliness, the void opening up inside him as he realized his friend couldn't accompany him to the very end. The solemn look, that last nuzzle before he had to face his destiny inside the ruins of Hyrule's old heart. The tearing sound of black particles as they shot toward the sky, and nothing was left behind him...

Wild gulped. “Okay, not specifically Ganon, but I'm not sure I would have survived on my own without his help.” With a shaking smile, he knelt by Goatie and ran a hand behind his ears. His old friend gently nipped his fringe. “I can't tell you how many Yiga imposters this big fella headbutted straight off a cliff.”

Hyrule's hands stopped just inches away from the goat's fur. His legs tensed up, as if he was getting ready to dodge when he was a threat. The goat only turned placid blue eyes at him, as if to tell him 'you see a cliff somewhere?'

Hyrule's own gaze replied with 'I see your horns' which was fair enough, really.

***

Four froze on top of the stump. Wow. He thought he was observant, but that one had blindsided him. No wonder Wild and Twilight were so close. That explained a whole lot, including many things he now realized were quite humorous.

“... Alright, Twi, this'll be our little secret, but... can I just say that your eyes still freak me out? Especially from this far below?”

“Why do you think I stare at the Pretty Boy so often?”

“... Think you can teach me this power?”

***

“I swear, if this animal tries to munch on my clothes, I won't be held responsible for what happens next.”

The passive, square pupils would haunt Warriors' next nightmare.

They also involved cliffs.

***

“No wonder he doesn’t want to tell the others. Can you imagine the Captain’s reaction?”

“It’s not just that.”

“It’s a factor though,” Wild said.

Time gave them both flat looks. “More importantly, he’s worried about their reaction to the magic he’s using.”

Four raised an eyebrow. “Why? What magic is he using?”

Time’s reply was suspiciously fast. “No clue, but that’s his secret to tell. Remember that.”

He was quick to leave, a bit too quick. Four might need to get to the bottom of this. In the meantime though, he showed Wild a smirk.

“... I still think he’s a bit shy about his beast form.”

Wild snorted.

***

“So, you've noticed how the old man is always calling Twilight 'kid', right?”

Wild raised an eyebrow and shrugged. “Yeah, and? Time's an old man. We're all green boys to him, that's all.”

“-except,” Legend jumped in, sharp, “he only calls Twilight 'kid'. Not you, or the little pirate or our resident smithy or, heaven forbids, me. Only our farmhand, who is coincidentally the second oldest with Warriors here.”

Wild discreetly looked for an exit, and to his despair, found none.

Warriors placed a hand over Wild's shoulder. “Look, it's obvious those two have a close bond. He's taking Twilight under his wing, showing him the ropes, having secret meetings. Not to mention the way Malon always had a soft look for him at the ranch.”

Okay, he didn't know what was going on there, but he also had a feeling he was going to hate everything that would come out of Legend's and Warriors' mouths. Tension was locking his muscles into places even as he tried to figure out an escape plan before he was subjected to an interrogation that would end up with Twilight's secret being revealed. He really didn't want to see Twilight's reaction to being betrayed so.

“Here's what we figured out. Time is Twilight's father. They just don't want to admit it so that our teamwork is not affected.”

Wild screamed on the inside.

“And you might be thinking that Twilight's too old to be his son, but consider this: time travel. Twilight is Time's kid from his future and they're both aware of it, so it's why Twilight looks up to him so much, even if they were a bit hesitant at first.”

Mental-Wild screamed louder.

“You... ”

“Don't even try. Twilight grew up on a ranch. He told us his dad taught him swordplay, and you can't ignore how similar their technique with a blade is.”

… Alright, that last one was a pretty good question. If Twilight was separated from Time by a good few generations, how in the world did they have this kind of technique? “He told me he's adopted.”

Warriors rolled his eyes and became instantly more punchable. “A weak deflection, Wild. The evidence doesn't lie.”

Legend stared a few seconds longer, then smirked. “No, no, Warriors, it's okay. I get it. Twilight and him are pretty close too. I'm sure they share a few secrets too. It's only natural. Wild can't deny or confirm anything, right?”

“No, I'm telling you he's not-”

Legend patted him on the shoulder, and was lucky Wild didn't smack him. “We understand.” Legend smugly ruffled his hair.

Seriously, Twilight better appreciate how much effort it was to keep this secret from the others!

***

Warriors threw his hands in the air. “Okay, there's no way Goatie following us is a coincidence. We're in the middle of the desert! There's no food to graze here!”

“I'm telling you,” Wild groaned. “He's the Sacred Beast, sent by the goddesses in Hyrule's time of need.”

Hyrule looked away from the ruins' carving he was trying to decipher. “Huh?”

“The Kingdom!”

“Wild, your pet goat is great and all... ” Legend carefully slid behind Time and away from the large farm animal, eyes wary. “But you don't have to pretend it's a goddesses-given gift just to keep him around. Nayru knows I've had my share of non-divine, regular animal companions too. And they talked.”

Hyrule and Wind perked up. “Oh, really?” the little pirate asked.

Legend launched himself into a succinct if entertaining description of the time he snuggled inside a kangaroo's pouch in order to jump over ravines and hidden caves. Goatie watched from the other side of the campfire, poking Warriors whenever the soldier seemed to doze off.

***

“Twilight!” Wild shouted, scrambling through his slate to summon up a bow and arrow.

Stupid world hopping. Stupid sunny day. They'd landed in one of Akkala's grassy fields, and it had seemed safe. He'd catalogued the location of the worst of Ganon's minions all over the slate, and there really shouldn't have been anything out of the ordinary here of all places. He'd told the others as much. They hadn't completely relaxed, but they hadn't been prepared either for a lynel straight up rampaging into their camp.

Nor for the small horde of lesser creatures flanking it.

At some point, the lynel had managed to corner his big brother alone by the edge of a cliff, the remaining creatures forming a wall between them. Then a club swing had ripped the Ordon Sword out of Twilight's grip, and Wild's heart had sunken lower than his stomach.

He had to save him!

Wild weaved between a pair of lizalfos that Sky and Warriors ran through the next second, ducked under a moblin's foot that was burned to a crisp right after and slid with his bow at the ready. The lynel had picked up Twilight in one of its enormous paws and lifted him off the ground as if he didn't weigh thrice as much as Four.

Heat and light flared at the back of the lynel's throat.

He wouldn't make it.

“No!”

Twilight grabbed the sides of the lynel's head with both hands.

Even the monster paused, too surprised to react.

Wild winced preemptively.

Twilight slammed his forehead against the lynel's skull.

The impact rang like a bell.

The lynel collapsed.

Twilight landed with a dull thud on top of the beast's massive arms, and they could only rush forward in an attempt to help him away before it stood back up. Other monsters scampered, horrified at their leader being downed in one blow. Yet, as the Links were but a few body lengths away, the lynel's eyes flickered open, fangs glimmering with the flames licking the back of its throat.

With a barely human howl, Twilight grabbed the sides of the lynel's head again. It whimpered.

The Links all stopped right in their tracks to cringe preemptively. Someone, likely Wind, muttered “Oh shit.”

The resounding crack of bones sent a shiver down their spines.

The lynel's chin dug three inches into solid ground. Its eyes rolled back into its skull, and its tongue lolled out onto its beard. It wasn't getting up again.

Twilight staggered away, glaring a storm at the retreating monsters. “And fracking stay the goshesses away from my herd!” he slurred at them with a shaky fist.

“So,” Legend began, as shell shocked as a pale Warriors, “remember when you described Twi as having a head as hard as a goron's teeth?”

Warriors mutely nodded.

“Turns out that was an understatement.”

***

Legend subtly put his magic mirror to the side, pretending he hadn't seen a pretty interesting reflection moments earlier. With faux nonchalance, he picked up Twilight's hawk mask. The effect on his sight was worth experimenting, but it was the appearance it gave that Legend sought.

“You know, this kind of reminds me,” he started, watching his fellow hero for his reactions. “In a faraway kingdom, it is traditional to don masks in the likeness of beasts to honor the survival of those that became one in the dark world.”

Twilight, to his credit, appeared entirely guileless. “Huh, and here I heard you became a phantom, unable to interact with anyone else, never to realize you've become lost.”

Well, he had the 'helpless' part right. But Legend wouldn't let that little game distract him. So, Twilight didn't want to come out and say it outright?

“What kind of beast would you want to be?”

Twilight didn't even hesitate. “A wolf, obviously.”

Four choked on his saliva.

Awkward silence fell on top of the clearing as three out of the four heroes exchanged baffled looks, before two of that same number decided that Twilight, apparently, couldn't lie to save his life.

“OBVIOUSLY!” Wild screeched.

Beads of nervous sweat rolled on the sides of Four's face as he nodded. “Y-yeah, I mean, it's kind of the logical choice for Twilight. I can't believe you don't see it.”

Wild frantically rushed to Twilight's side and gestured to his pelt and hood. “He's so wolf-like! With his... goat pelt... and goat head hood.”

“Preys!” Four jumped to his feet, struck by frankly divine inspiration. “Preys he took down like a wolf!”

Cool as a cucumber, Twilight grabbed his little brother by the shoulder and pulled him closer. There was something in his expression, something sharper, and perhaps even a bit feral. It glinted in the flash of teeth he showed, before the grin softened. “See? They agree with me.”

Legend stared, his neutral expression hiding the surge of disgust that had flowed through him at the idea that they considered this a convincing argument. The sheer insult that they thought he bought that. At least, their reactions pretty much gave away that they knew about Twilight's caprine form.

His smile intact, Twilight extricated himself from the other two's grip, ruffling their hair as he went. “Well, that was a fun thought, but I think I ought to scout for a bit, lest we get ambushed by monsters in our downtime.”

And with that, he left, shameless. Legend felt a vein pulse on his forehead as he noticed the goat emblem painted on Twilight's shield. His mind became torn between a massive groan of exasperation and crippling shame that he hadn't made the connection before. Had anyone else ever met a goat just like Goatie?

Four and Wild eyed him nervously. But the second Legend tried to hold their gaze, they decided that they really, really needed to get back to brainstorming the forging of a weapon for Wild. Good luck with that, he thought, idiots.

Mere moments later, Legend found Twilight leaning against a tree, shaking all over from silent laughter. He was clutching his ribs, whimpering as he bit down on his knuckles not to explode.

Oh.

Teary eyed, with a massive grin on his face, Twilight breathed out a long sigh of relief. “Did you see their faces?”

Legend blinked. Apparently, Twilight couldn't lie to save his life, but he could play others around him like cheap grass whistles.

Despite himself, Legend said: “I'm impressed.”

“I really shouldn't... ” Twilight admitted with a sly grin. “But you don't know joy until you've forced Wild to try and cover up for you. Even though he constantly needs someone to do it for him, he's just so bad at it.”

Legend smirked. “And here I thought you were a stick in the mud. Turns out under that exterior of a solemn, serious young man hides a troublemaker with a good poker face. What would our dear leader say?”

For a second, Twilight eyed him as if he had sprouted a second head and started dancing. Then, he snorted and patted his shoulder. “Veteran, you should see what the Old Man's capable of.”

Mildly disturbed, Legend found himself grateful when one of Wind's bokoblin jumped out of the foliage and attempted to assassinate them. It was a welcome distraction from a much scarier prospect. The short-lived attack also led him to discover the source of Twilight's shapeshifting.

The cursed stone lit up with orange lines, inches away from Twilight's eyes. “Yep, that's how I do it. During my adventures, I needed a bit of help, but now I can control it myself. Still pretty dangerous for someone else though.”

“So, you use dark magic... to turn into a goat.”

“Pretty much. What about it?”

“Nothing. I just needed to say it out loud.”

Twilight pondered, then shrugged. “I suppose that's fair. Now, I really do need to scout our surroundings if there are bokoblins lying in wait like this. You're coming?”

With a nod, Legend followed in his footsteps. He hadn't thought he shared too many points in common with Twilight, but apparently, his companion was full of surprises. It made him wonder what else there might be under that plain, good country boy façade... Eh, he supposed he would find out eventually.

“By the way, dark magic turns me into a pink bunny.”

“No way.”

BONUS

Ordon saw the serenity of its pre-harvest morning suddenly destroyed by high-pitched screaming.

“I told you he's not Time's time-traveling son from the future! See? This looks nothing like Lon Lon Ranch! It's not even in the right spot on the map!”

Legend shrugged, leaning against the goats' enclosure. One of said animals trotted a bit closer, and Legend briefly pondered if Twilight would use cursed artefacts for the sole purpose of getting the jump on one of them. In the end, it was seeing said farmer, in all his inglorious bumpkin garments that actually convinced him that the goat sniffing at his sleeves was just a goat.

“There were a lot of correlating details. Twilight being Time's son would have explained a lot.”

Twilight's subsequent pause and shrug were entirely too innocent. “Well, I am adopted and no one knows who my blood parents are, so I guess it's possible...”

“OH COME ON!”

#Linked Universe #Linkeduniverse #LU Twilight #LU Wild #LU Time #LU Legend

63 notes · View notes

graveyard-tales · 3 years

Text

OKay, branching on this idea, I love the idea of Cas and Dean raising Jack and falling, kinda sorta but not really, into the farm life but by complete accident. (whomp, this got longer than I intended)

Dean buys an old rundown home in rural Kansas. I mean a totally shit house But Dean has experience in construction and what he doesn’t know he can watch videos and wing it. He’s pretty good at fixing shit and he’s confident he can accomplish it. It’s a lot of work and it’s slow going but with Sam and Cas’ help, it goes smoother than he thought. Logically he knows he can probably ask Jack and the kid could snap his fingers and materialize a cool ass house but Dean want’s this to be his by his own hands.

That and now that Jack is a child, it’d feel weird asking his kind of five year old kind of son to make him a house. Especially since there would probably be slides to ride downstairs an the living room would be like a bounce house.

Cas lives with him of course, it didn’t even occur to him that Cas would live anywhere else. Doesn’t matter that he technically still has a room at the Bunker, which Sam and Elieen, despite not living there themselves, have turned it into a sort of info hub / hotel for hunters / safehouse for supernatural beings in need / auto shop for whenever Dean is in town and a hunter/friend needs a tune-up.

They kind of just not talked about the confession but they’re good. They’re great! Cas is still his best friend and Dean doesn’t have to process one of the worst moments of his life that could possibly lead to one of the best but he’s not thinking about that. Dean’s got a house to fix. And because Cas lives there, Jack lives there. Privately hey all agree it might be best anyways, for everyone to live away from all the grief and trauma that happened there.

One morning Cas mentions something about having chickens. They certainly have the space for it. He talks about a book that Jack had taken from school and how he never took the time to appreciate the variety of them. Later, out of curiosity and boredom, Dean look up chickens and finds out there are super low maintenance, plus they’d have free eggs. So he just builds a coop. Long and larger, maybe more than it needs to be and totally fenced and presents it to Cas and Jack who immediately start ordering chickens. Dean ends up having to go back and add more nesting boxes because no one could decide on which chickens to get, not to mentions the types of eggs various chickens lay.

Dean likes to pretend that he doesn’t really care about the chickens but when he goes out while they’re roaming the yard or sitting in the coop, he always has one specific chicken on his lap. He names her BBQ, Jack calls her beebee-cutie, to which Dean makes a scene of hating but calls her that whenever it’s just Dean and her.

Cas starts a garden on his own. He’s decided that he too is retired. Fuck if angels can officially retire or not but he is and he want’s a garden with fresh and pesticide-free vegetables to feed his son and no one is going to stop him. And Cas loves every second of it, the garden is his and every plant is his babies. He also grows berries. He and Dean set up a tiny little orchard with the various fruits they can grow in the area. The property already had a giant walnut in the front of the house.

Dean doesn’t even think about asking, he just gets Cas bees. He doesn’t fuck with it and it’s on the far end of the property but they’re there doing their bee business. Cas loves and tends to them with much care.

They have two little pygmy goats one day. No one in the immediate area has goats and Cas didn’t buy them so where the fuck did they come from? Dean sees the little farm picture book that Jack was reading and he has a pretty good idea after that. Cas is good at sighing like he means it and tells Dean they just have no choice but to take care of them and Dean grumbles as he spends the next several hours researching fucking goats.

They’ve technically had cats since they bought the place. Three feral cats that they can recognize and of course started feeding. One keeps it’s distance, one won’t get closer than a two feet out of reach and one just decided that they were their cat after the first hotdog was tossed.

Dean is adamant that they will not get a dog. No, it’s not because he’s afraid, shut up. Cas understands and is the one that persuades Jack into not asking for one let alone materializing it out of thin air. And that’s that until Dean comes home after driving through a torrent storm with a bundle under his coat. It’s a little mutt, one can only guess what the breed actually is but even as a puppy they know it wouldn’t get bigger. Dean goes on justifying why he has it, how he isn’t heartless and couldn’t leave it in the rain. That the moment the rain lets up he’s taking it to the pound. That by the end of the week he’ll take it to the pound. That by the end of the month he’ll have found a good home for it, yes he’s actually looking.

The dog’s name is rain and she’s Dean’s special baby girl.

Dean and Cas take turns taking and picking up Jack from school so they just assume that that they’re together. They live together so Sam and Eileen think they’re together but in secret. Everyone who meets them think that they’re together but Dean and Cas.

Dean never brought up the confession so Cas just assumes that Dean is sparing him an outright rejection.

Cas never brought it up so Dean just assumes that Cas must have changed his mind. Cas doesn’t want to fuck me??? Must have been a fluke I guess, that doesn’t make me feel terrible, nope nope nope.

Because these fuckers never talk to each other they just fall into a domestic farm-ish life with their kinda-god son. They don’t even try not to be affectionate with one another, which leaves Cas confused often. Never really voicing it but he starts to realize what they have before Dean is. Cas likes to reflect in his garden, and among his bees. He also talks to the chickens and even though they can’t talk back in a language he understands, he deems them very insightful. Looking back and examining the now, Cas realizes Dean’s feelings before Dean does. Somehow he is not surprised but annoyed he may have to be the one to make a move on his behalf.

Because of all the honey, eggs, fruits and vegetables, beyond what they can consume, jar, dry and even throw Sam’s way, Cas and Dean open a stand at the farmers market. Dean blocks Sam from mocking him because he isn’t there to buy, he is there to sell, so he retains his right to be the mocker not the mocked. He’s the eldest, Sam, it doesn’t have to make sense to be right.

Dean becomes instant friends with the elder woman to the left who makes pastries from her peaches and pecans and the lesbian couple to the right who make candles and soaps.

The old woman mentions what a cute couple they make and Dean just doesn’t respond and Cas just pointedly looks at him. Dean is starting to suspect something at this point.

The couple’s dog have puppies at some point and they offer one up to Cas and Dean and Cas accepts before Dean can refuse. And since he won’t admit he’s terrified of their huge ass dog, because he’s not, he can’t exactly argue against it because Dean technically has a dog so it’s only fair Jack can have one too.

I could literally go on and on but this post has gotten away from meeeeee. I just love this idea so much!!

#Dean Winchester #Castiel #Jack Kline #Supernatural #Idea Bank

12 notes · View notes

blankdblank · 3 years

Text

Ash Pt 14

“The line of Luthien shall wither to wrath and ruin and burn within my clutch.” The words had burned through the ages and one by one a line of Kings had joined the ever growing names on plaques etched in tombs of the fallen. Tombs of the claimed and slain. Slain in means of a similar goal, annihilation of everything a certain now formless Maiar had built with his own blood soaked hands. King by King, brother by brother, son by son those of the attainable mortal line sired by the mighty Lord Elros now long since lost a single hidden Prince had just been taken into notice of the Maiar bent on destroying him. Not a decade yet he imagined his task succeeded, but not now.

Two days prior the link to his former self tumbled into his path. Right where he hoped to now have a means to return. When there are so many and much to corrupt fingers and feet could do a great deal more than any whisper in the ear of a mutilated servant who knew no life else than the blind wandering path to pass on his proclamations to those too deaf to hear it. However that creature did more for him than a corrupted thief had ever done that once coveted his portal to the physical form for the past five centuries. Hidden away, forgotten, mocked by the name that creature had given it, my Precious.

Stumbled aside from avoidance of an angry mountain goat that knocked the blonde Prince into the hot springs Estel dropped to the ground and in a means to help himself up picked up what he had curiously discovered. A single solitary rather ordinary looking gold ring. Far too large for himself he tucked it away in his pocket and stood to giggle at a second goat that bumped the King in after his son in a means to help him out of the water that issued a group of Elves to shoo the animals out of one of the spring baths at least to grant turns for those willing to bathe.

It started at first with an echo, an echo of a name the boy had yet to hear, “Aragorn,” faint as the wind in a vast dessert. And now within his dreams there was a figure in each doorway, formless, faceless and tall rasping that name again and again. At least until a large growling dog that by the size of the boy seemed to be ten feet tall, nails clicking in each step across the stone or wood floors of whatever room his slumbering self was in to cross the room and charge at the specter who fled the gnashing jaws bent on tearing it limb from limb.

Each day to awaken more tired than the day before and clinging to the stuffed dog doll that he continued to borrow each night from the same woman that in each glance his way washed a sense of calm over him that these dreams and haunting voice had dared to threaten in his formerly carefree youth.

“Es-,” Thranduil chuckled in the clutch of small arms around his leg from the boy who had darted from the wagon that bore similar scratches in the back corner that he had seen in his dream the night before. Down the King bent and lifted the child up in one arm to climb in an easy one handed fashion onto his Elk’s back, “Now you may ride with us in these enclosed fields.”

Miles of green surrounded you in the rank widening stretch of fields towards the distant drop of a pathway that would guide you further into the cavern where the kingdom could be seen. Smiles and giggled floated between jokes and tales until again you slowed to a gasp worthy sight. Down another woven pathway you rode and ended in an open courtyard where once you were helped down the small boy latched his hand onto yours and began to tug you away. Too fast for the ruling Lord who turned to sigh out, “Welcome, to Imladris.”

It didn’t take long however for the twins and Princes to discover where you had been taken to guide you back for a chance to bathe and dress for dinner. Free again to ease into one of your blouses and foldaway skirts in the favored yellow and black you smiled ready to explore the halls a bit more only to spot Thranduil in a towel on the other side of the door to your bedroom that you closed again. Lowly in both shock and amusement he chuckled and said, “I apologize, I assumed you were still bathing.”

“You are doing this on purpose,” you said that made him fight not to chuckle again.

“I swear to you I am not.” You heard another door close and he stated, “I am in my room.” After a moment he paused and to the sound of your handle turning and door open he stated, “Should you find sharing an apartment with me uncomfortable other arrangements can be made. I merely wished for you to have the best.”

“This was all planned. I will not up-heave things now and trouble others. We do however require a warning system for when you have an inclination to strut your bare self around.”

That had him laugh loudly and reply, “I was not strutting.”

“When I was young men who could not hold a candle to you strut like foxes, if you aren’t strutting you should.” Again that had him laugh in shock for the clear compliment on his physical form that by the sound of your abrupt departure he might have to find you hiding later from what other meanings your words could be taken as. Taken still as a child and now as an adult clearly time to come to realization towards the appeal of a possible husband had been creeping into your life upon freedom outside of mere daydreams while imprisoned. Although you had no reason to be embarrassed since you were as good as courting and therefore eventually to be engaged and wed afterwards. Already you had compared him to the tastiest of pumpkins that could tempt any to choose him, amongst ample compliments upon his taste in attire and other things so there were hints that on a purely physical level you could find him attractive.

“I have heard a great many things about you, Queen Jaqiearae.” Upon entrance into a courtyard overlooking a waterfall you froze and turned to the common tongue speaking stern voice of a white robe clad long bearded elderly man with white staff in hand topped with what looked to be a pointed tower. Long hair slicked back in solid white to match the beard that bore a streak of black in the center of his lower lip downwards. His steely blue eyes locked on you as you faced him fully and felt the shift of his gaze over your loose gem and feather accented star speckled raven curls loose around you down to your waist that shifted on a gentle breeze.

On said breeze however a second tall elderly figure came into view. This one with salt and pepper hair and beard more wiry than the first in a long courser grey robe with a matching pointed hat he removed in sight of you and to the tap of his brown staff topped in a swirl of branches similar to a folded flower. His bright blue eyes however locked upon your silver flecked purple eyes that shone brighter in the warm sunlight and after his moment of awe his head bowed to you, “Queen Jaqiearae, I am Gandalf the Grey.”

The white Wizard spoke again, “And I am Saruman the White.”

In a nod of your head you stated, “Hello. Radagast mentioned you both, so have others too.”

Saruman, “Radagast however shared nothing of how you found yourself here. There was no mention of another Wizard being assigned to aid in our task and then suddenly whispers of a Loote-Viirin washed upon the shores of Dale are passed upon wind feather and leaf to every corner of the lingering greens of these lands.”

“Well, it’s, sort of complicated.”

Gandalf stepped forward post huff at his friend’s tone that clearly had you take a step back and fold your fingers together across your belly as if a child scolded and lured your eyes to him, “Radagast has shared of the bewitchment that man used to barter for and trap you. Merely, are you aware of any calling that brought you here?”

You shook your head, “I backed into a bookshelf, I couldn’t get myself up when I saw the wave.”

Saruman cut in, “A face then, surely within the waters or flames?” His brows tightening in his try to gain an answer.

You shook your head, “I tucked up, something hit my head.”

Saruman, “Something or someone?”

“My eyes were closed.”

Gandalf, “Were you reciting an escape charm?”

“No, I just asked for, someone to save me.”

To your words and gaze shifted between the two Gandalf spoke again, “And saved you were.”

Celeborn from a walkway if his own stated, “I do hope the Wizards of the White Council do not intend to spend this entire festival interrogating our newest arrival.”

Saruman at that stated, “No, however we shall allow our young Queen to enjoy her festivities. Now that I have seen her for myself there are questions to be asked and council to be taken amongst the Valar as towards her purpose. I shall consult the oracles.” To the side he turned and muttered to Gandalf in a tongue the others could not understand. “Both eyes Gandalf, spare no attentions to this young spectacle.”

He moved to leave only to hear you retort, “If I am a spectacle to you then I can state you are a territorial gopher of an old man.” That turned his head with eyes on you in fiery shock for how this stranger had known the tongue of their kin. “And if anyone should be keeping both eyes open it’s me. I’m new here for all I know you’ll try to lock me away like that dead pompous captor of mine! I was 15 when he took me! Over a thousand years I spent locked away and the first thing you ask me is ‘who sent me’ and ‘what I apparently was sent here to do’? Well why don’t you go and share what you were sent to do?! Why don’t you try to show something other than arrogance and suspicion, but no, it’ll rain fire before that happens I bet! Don’t you worry Saruman the White! I won’t be stepping in anyone’s toes so you don’t have to watch me! Where do you think I would go I don’t even barely know anywhere but Dale, Greenwood and I’ve been to Erebor once, Once!” You stopped with a finger raised between you to accent your point to the confusion of the Elf watching.

Abruptly you turned and continued muttering to yourself to Celeborn’s amusement, “But no, must be sent to come and conquer the planet by how you’re muttering on about,” your voice dropped mockingly, “‘Both eyes Gandalf,’” even Gandalf had to chuckle at that. “Both eyes on what?! I can barely cross my room without smashing into a trunk. Ooh, careful mr tree,” you said in a turn avoiding a small flowering sapling, “I might overthrow ownership of your pot. And don’t you dare think I’m innocent little daisy I might just trample you too on my way to razing this kingdom to the ground.” Loudly you groaned and finished in another turn past Elrond who was on his way to follow the raised voices.

When you passed him you said in Quenya this time, “Careful there Elrond apparently I’m to be watched. I’m the most sinister thing around apparently according to the leader of the staff brigade.” To himself he held back a chuckle and simply strolled to the courtyard where he found the Wizards and Celeborn and sighed on his way to remind the Wizards that they had agreed to be kind to the young Queen they had now irritated into a storming path to who knows where in this kingdom she’d yet to be toured properly.

Right into your path however Thranduil, Legolas and Tauriel came into your path and the King said with a kind smile, “There you are,” his smile shifted in notice of your agitation, “What has happened, my Darling Starlight?”

“Apparently I’m, dangerous,” the final word you accented with a lift of both hands to wiggle your fingers on either side of your head.

More humerous than intimidating Legolas chortled to Tauriel’s glance away to remain silent and simply Thranduil sighed and stepped forward and took claim of your right hand he folded around his bent elbow and stated. “Perhaps then a proper tour is best to allow you time to simmer down in danger while Elrond and Celeborn speak to those doubtful Wizards. Hmm? We have a picnic prepared at the end of it for you. I know you will be pecking by then.”

Every scenic inch of the kingdom all the way to a waterfall view of a wildflower painted clearing where the picnic was waiting for you had you in awe of the different feel of this place. Most turns with glimpses of the Wizards, both still here, and deep in conversation amongst one another until they had seen you when the food was gone. Inside the ring of pillows stacked like a wall you made good use of the unsettling King who wouldn’t stop staring at you between adoring smiles to the sight of the dozens of butterflies and hummingbirds and bumblebees that came to inspect the new arrival with bright flower decorated beads in her hair. That even in being proven to be fake was still brilliant enough to still encourage lingering stares in circling flights around the group.

To his side you moved and leaned into his chest to peer out at the view and settled in more to his arm that draped around your middle and chin that rested on top of your head fully pleased in this new position even if it cost him a diminished view without all of you in it. Fully aware of the intrigued band of artists who had taken the new face in the kingdom as their muse for ample sketches since you had arrived later to be displayed or gifted to you and the clearly enamored King.

It was this bond that had the speculation pause. Together Saruman and Gandalf took notice of the lace of your fingers between his on the hand rested on your side through a content sigh in the warm afternoon. It was then in the bright sunlight the antler and bitten gemstone necklace that slipped from the fold in the collar of your blouse that they knew why you were called here. Wizard yes. Queen unlike one they had encountered in a good age or longer by their reckoning. Radagast had named your kin in connection to those who once tended the Two Trees. And in the gentle flowering of the gardens around where you had passed and stretch of the trees that seemed to draw breath to ready a song deep down. Underneath all of the questions and unknown they could feel that danger might be drawn to you but you were no harbinger of doom as many who seemed too pure in ages past had revealed themselves to be.

“So how long does this flower festival last?” You asked to Thranduil’s free hand gliding along your free hand on the blanket beside your outstretched legs.

“It would appear the rains have delayed the openings of many a blossom, so it should be near to a week yet and then the weeklong parade of adoration for all that thrives here shall begin.”

“Just a week?” You teased and he chuckled lowly and pressed a chaste kiss to the side of your temple.

Murmuring sweetly by your ear in a low velvety hum, “That, my Darling Starlight, is precisely why our kingdom is far superior when it comes to celebrations.”

“Now who is telling lies?” Elrond said in his cross of the garden. Determined to come and welcome you to a games display where you struggled to learn the intricate rules to the card game on tournament for this night. Until you had to call it a night to the loss of your pretend purse you tried to master it. Then headed to your apartment to continue on the pair of stuffed sock dolls you were cutting patterns out for Estel since he had taken so much to yours.

Not half an hour later Thranduil found you inside the sitting room and smiled in his plop down beside you, “Here you are. I have won back your purse and reined victorious and won you this,” atop his plan he presented you a rather impossibly shiny looking green apple that had you giggle and accept it in a shift of fabric from one hand to the other.

“Thank you.”

“They are very tasty. No expensive prizes for three days yet, but it is a start.”

“I will stick with the apple, thank you.”

You giggled to his determined gaze and settled it at your side to continue pinning strips of the pattern together and he asked, “Another garment?”

“No, I was going to make Estel a set of stuffies of his since he’s taken to mine so much.”

“Brilliant, he will be eternally grateful,” he said in a lean in to kiss your cheek and shifted back, “Can I help?” You nodded and showed him where to pin pieces together so you could get started on stitching the first group with a pre-strung needle.

...

The bed was lovely and the room was so neatly put together. It did however lack a broad wall of a body to lie on the space beside your lounge bed and so cat naps were a must as it was hard to sleep the night through alone again. The sight was quite commonplace and the assumed final week and nerves from the Stone Giant portion of the trip had others assuming you were merely working that tension from your body. As people would randomly find you curled up on lounges or armchairs. And each time you would wake to blankets draped across you that you had no clue where they belonged. So you would simply fold them and slip away to find another activity or meal that would fill your days. Thranduil had taken to his own discussions with the mighty Wizards whilst you were asleep to share more of what he knew to drive them from ever daring to interrogate you again along with still keeping your confidence to not share anything too personal that might upset you should it be passed around.

Awoken by the muffled sound of someone calling for Estel your pre-breakfast nap on a swinging bench underneath a tree came with a face to the blanket culprit. Tauriel who had been tasked to keeping an eye out for where you might be hiding tucked the folded woven blanket behind her back and flashed you a quick grin to your hand rising to pinch the back of your sore neck from the awkward slump you had been in to recline on the deep seated bench. “Morning, Your Highness. This is a lovely garden for a nap.”

“Yes it is, though I might suggest a sideways slump for yourself by the knot my tactic gave me.” To the end of the bench you slid and up you rose in a roll of your head and shoulders that sounded with several pops that later would relieve the tension lingering in your shoulders. In a glance around you asked to the next call for Estel, “They still can’t find him? I didn’t even see him after breakfast in his usual meal with the other kids.”

Tauriel, “No, the Lords Ellohrir and Elladan presumed he might have gone to one of his hidden coves.”

You nodded and said, “Well maybe I can whip out my compass and help find him. Must be hungry.”

“That would be most helpful Lord Elrond does panic when he cannot be found, last time it took hours to find him Lord Elrond found him asleep near the orchards and refused to sleep for near to a week to watch him around the clock.”

“Makes me wonder how he survived his own three children.”

Tauriel chuckled and said, “Lady Celebrian often sent him to visit her father and mother to get him some rest from the stress by what I have been told.” You giggled and walked with her towards your room to grab your bag and she added, “I also know several tales of how King Thranduil tolerated Prince Legolas’ youth for when you wish to know them.” That had you grin with her and hop up the first of the steps onto the open walkway for the shortest distance to your shared apartment.

The calls didn’t cease and had you pick up your pace and unbuckle the securing strap of your removable skirt that once you walked through the front door was in hand and once you were in your room flew to the closet to put itself up so you could not be hindered in searching for the lost boy. Locked in place your foot stopped you at the sight of your bed where you eyed the covers torn away and bunched along the wall and just the crouched goat alone on your bed.

“NoNo,” you murmured only to turn your head to a panicked shriek muffling the growl that stirred it. A loud howl split the air and you gasped, “NoNo!” Open handed you sprinted out the door with the bag that flew to your grip from the bedside table. Behind you Tauriel drew her blade on her thigh having thrown the blanket in hand to your bed. The both of you skidding and racing as fast as you could into an open field where the herds of steeds had once been grazing until the trouble, steadying your breath as best you could until you spotted the foe everyone seemed to be panicked by.

“Huan! It’s me! You know me!” Celebrimbor shouted with hands raised open and empty to show he wasn’t a threat to the peach mist surrounded twelve foot dog snarling and snapping at the Elf who was trying to calm down the creature he assumed to be his reborn and confused friend from his youth. Around them guards lined up ready to act if need be and the great dog couldn’t be calmed or reasoned with as none in the crowds that had fled the area could say just where or how he had come to be here.

Hard and heavy from the search for the boy all the armor coated and armed Elf Lords between the Wizards came into view assessing the situation only to watch you break through the guards’ line to shout, “NoNo!” Jaws dropped to the dog’s turn to face you in the fall of your curls half into your face and over your chest and back in the sudden stop and all at once when you asked in your tongue none else knew, “Where is TikTik?” The great dog gave a concerned whimper and your lips parted.

Celebrimbor asked you, “This dog is familiar to you?”

“She’s my sleep guardian, oh this is not good.”

You said dropping to your knees to set your bag on the ground to the dog’s loud howl and Thranduil asked, “What does she want? Your guardian?”

In a strill tone from panic you answered sharper than you meant, “She wants TikTik! Her mate, they’re a pair, Estel had him last!”

Celeborn, “That stuffed dog he borrowed? How could it be paired with this creature?” He asked in her panicked sniff around another ring of bushes nearby Estel liked to hide in often laced with his scent still from the day before.

“They’re a pair, she’s a protection charm you give them to your children when they sleep, they keep away omens and specters. They only come alive when separated by more than ten miles,” you paused with a pant and locked your ready gaze on his to say, “She’s awake, that means, if we don’t find TikTik she’ll destroy anyone and anything in her path and I can’t stop her.”

Elrond rasped in a failure to catch his breath, “Ten miles…Estel could not have traveled ten miles alone.”

“And no one has seen him all morning, perhaps even through the night.” You said again lowering to dig your arms into the bag that you continued to sink into at impossible reach for the size of the bag.

When your head dipped inside Thranduil eased past the dog that circled you to sniff a trio of woven trees the boy had climbed with you. The empty tree had her whimper again and howl loudly in hopes of hearing an answer of her mate that sent a chill through every heart around her in the sink of the shared panic as for who had taken the child and set off this beast as their only warning. “What are you searching for?”

Out again with hold of something you grunted in answer, “We need The Duke.”

“Duke?” Thranduil asked, “Which Duke?”

He glanced to the other Lords and then back to you when he saw a glowing chain your hands were fixed on in the sudden lift of the bag that to an impossible degree began to widen for what the crowd saw to be a silver beak on what was moments later revealed to be a ten foot across and high swan’s head with the start of a neck to follow. “Come on Duke,” you muttered and continued to pull for the rest of the thirty foot neck. Mouths dropped open in what would be revealed to be a swan ship that stretched to 156 feet long not counting the neck that in its full reveal eased upwards to an elegant curve. Hearts once slumped now soared from those of the Teliri Elves who stood in the presence of a ship like those that the Feanoreans razed to cinders they imagined the crafting of which to never be seen again since having left those scorched shores for these lands.

In your sprint down the side Elrond shouted to Celeborn’s teary eyed gawk at the marvelous albeit roughly polished sides on the ship, “READY TO ARMS!” Guards in the distance and those who were near gathered their armor and weapons with other Elleths who had seen the ship went to fetch the armor and weapons of the unarmed Lords who they knew would not abandon this chase for the child who all rushed to put on. Halfway down the side of the ship in a leap up your hand fixed upon a disguised foot rest. And you pulled yourself up to the built in ladder to a hidden door that once pushed inwards NoNo raced to dive over your head to join in on the ship knowing you were on the way to find her mate and the child with him.

Thranduil was first to dart and follow you up the ladder with his own already armed guards after Legolas who impatiently waited for his own chance to get into the impossible ship both Wizards were still gawking at in the soar of your bag up onto the deck for you to grab. Right behind you once on the deck Thranduil stepped aside eyeing the sanded and sealed wood deck that showed patchwork breeds of wood used as if chosen from scrap piles out of shortages of wood.

The main level consisting of rooms on his left underneath a balcony edged by open archways surrounded by staircases on either side that led to a second set of rooms under another balcony where the sideways mounted wheel was bolted the wrong way around. Above that area was another level of a sealed room behind where a mast should go with a set of steps to take you higher to another open floor that gave an open path to the highest crows nest just fifteen feet from the rear level of flooring with just another spot where the tail mast should go with secures for the sails now empty of rigging. On his right however towards the literal head of the swan ship he followed you. Past the open circular staircase that led down into the ship into the covered dome of a metal comprised room ended with a balcony on the front of the ship to peer out the front. Curious of where you had gone a panted breath had him look up and find your feet in the tunnel up the open neck to the head. With aid of the mirror like walls his hand stroked across the rough to the touch patch on the otherwise smooth metal walls underneath the built in ladder you wiggled into the head.

Right onto the seat there in Legolas’ reach of his side they saw you settle and plant your feet on the pedals behind a series of overlapping rings around what even them in their novice knowledge of the ships of old to be the power core of a crystal encased star. Hard and steady you pedaled hoping to spark up the star engine panting to yourself, “Come on Duke. Spark up handsome. I’m so sorry I left you so long. Please, I know you want to soar.”

All across the deck amazed soldiers filled the space and made room for more on what would have been even larger than the largest of their former fleets they had memory of being crafted. Small bits for those amongst former ship crews who could feel every inch of their bodies throbbing with memory of what their former roles had been before they had been grounded showed that this was obviously yet to be finished entirely to perfection. Perfect enough though to merely exist while they circled the tower in the center of the circular drop for the lower levels. The sides of the tower above their heads was topped with a glass dome above open archways that clearly led to what they knew as one sunlight access point to the greenhouse, around which they saw the larger glass dome near to the head of the ship for the larger portion of the greenhouse below.

“YES!” you were heard to squeak to the telling glow and hum of the now pulsing light of the star core between the spinning rings of the engine to channel that power lower. The spread of which rippled across the scaled outer layer of the neck and head that over the back and inside gave the illusion to be see through allowing sight to the wheel. Again post wiggle back down the tunnel you were spotted and held back a flinch to the hands that helped you down to the ground safely again. Once there a moment you paused to peer up at Thranduil who was smiling at you in awe, “Told you I had a swan ship.”

“Yes you did,” he chuckled and followed you in your reluctant turn to ready the rest of the ship for flight above the spot it hovered just a few inches off the ground.

Back down the deck you passed through the parting guards who bowed their heads to you and the King past the other Elf Lords who trailed after Celeborn who practically raced to see how he could help to get this beauty off the ground. Eyes all fell to the sideways wheel that each wondered how that would steer this properly, however on either side of it with a squeeze of the levered handles on the metal posts that you eased down to a 45 degree angle and let go their eyes shifted over the deck to the sound of mechanics moving underfoot. Knowing what this was Celeborn raised his foot to the raise of yours and the both of you pushed down the levers to the ground, hands fixed on separate grips on the wheel that together when the levers touched the ground gave way for a hard won turn. Up again you let the levers rise to the same degree then pushed down again for those on the outer walls from the now visible open doorways to the level of flooring they were housed in to see the extension of wing like layered sails that were tied up to the securing chains that held the shape. Twelve good cranks and fully extended the wings rested in their proper extended wrapped position to begin the flight process.

Firmly you gripped the levers again and lifted them back into place. Again he looked over the wheel in your crouch to grip a looped handle secured in a notch in the ground that you lifted and pulled firm out and kept hold of to grip one side of the wheel you pulled hard to its rightful position revealing the second pin groove that you lowered to lock the wheel in place. Just the flat looped head of the pin locked in place had the wing sails shiver themselves loose and open to glimmer then glow brightly. Right away they puffed up as if filled with wind to the powerful glow that spread from end to end that began the lift of the ship to the hurried tug of the final guards onto the ship they sealed the door to behind them.

Celeborn asked still in awe, “Where did you obtain this ship?” he asked to your glance at the Wizards in their own browse of the upper deck with sight of the dog who was staring out the front balcony of the ship impatiently for her Mate.

“I built it,” you said and looked him over in the drop of his jaw, “We have a 14 month long race around the world, only sons can compete, but I got to digging in the junkyard of broken ships and managed the Duke together. Only half the size of my Dad’s, his is called The Emperor, nearly 300 feet not counting the neck. It’s a nice starter ship size.” You looked the Lords over and said, “I know it’s rough, but it flies just fine.”

Glorfindel stated, “No, the silence is from awe. This ship resembles those destroyed in Teleri in the middle of the Kinslayings initiated by the Feanoreans.”

“Ah, parallels again.”

Celebrimbor asked, “Aren’t there supposed to be masts?”

“There are,” you said and turned back to the level up behind you where you opened a hatch in the ground revealing another wheel that you cranked the lever beside it to stir up a glow in the floor beside you. Rippled back the metal patch of floor folded revealing rotating rings that to a turn of the wheel in a spike the mast rose up from the middle upwards in growing vine designs on the open metal masts. That to rotations of the wheel timed to cranks to each layer both above and below the crows nest platform complete with railings that grew from the floor of the lookout to full height in its rise. The pattern of how it was done had a pair of former crewmen found the hidden hatch to lift the rear mast that from the sides of the ship out of hidden doorways accepted hold of the enchanted chains that secured to the tip on their own.

From there down again you led the way to the curved stairway down to the metal patch of floor for the tallest mast that two more Elves neared you to help you raise up the incredible mast like the others would have several of the Elves touch it to simply have a feel of the craftsmanship unlike the wooden masts their former ships bore. Celeborn did just that upon your rise to your feet again stating, “Simply magnificent. How did you master this?”

“Well, took me a year to design it. Dad’s has a wooden mast, but I couldn’t go around chopping down trees. My cousin could barely manage the wood for the floors and stairs for me, the wood from the junkyard wouldn’t have worked right. Most of that was bowed or splintered.”

Celeborn, “It is beautiful. My Ada built ships, took nearly a century each, to have done this in less than a decade is a wonder.”

Legolas asked in a check of the ship’s place nearly level with the crevice walls around the city beneath you all filled with those behind who wished you all the best of luck and safety in your search. “How does it fly?”

That had you smirk and head back to the wheel where at the wheel into your bag you reached bringing out the enchanted compass you opened with your thumb and said, “Estel,” that began to spin and aim to where the boy was. Around the center knot of the wheel your hand folded and with your palm you pressed inwards, from the center outwards a change of the color of the wood from mahogany to silver triggered the wing sails to lift up into elegant arches, the end of which had enchanted star ore chains to lock the sails up to the masts. Each and every silver glimmering sail rippled to the wind and from its float upwards now forward at an angle to turn with grip and tug on the wheel to follow the direction of the compass.

Just the motion alone bolstered hope that this could be achieved rather quickly with ease thanks to this enchanted ship that Thranduil now mentally wondered how it could be used in travel between kingdoms to your preference in the future if you desired over the two week long treks from here to there and back again. Saruman however asked in his approach, “I am curious, you mentioned this protection charm, is there any way to tell who has perhaps taken the child?”

“There is a spell the one who casts it can use to see where the child is but my Gran made them, and she’s passed now so that plan is moot. If it’s a person then that’s one thing, but if it’s something dark, then it would have to be powerful to have survived an attack from TikTik to ward it off.”

Elrond, “Like a dragon?”

You shook your head, “No, dragons are no match for this charm. They know better. Something stronger.”

Gandalf, “Another Necromancer perhaps?” he asked with eyes on you already when you looked his way.

“Perhaps, how frequent do they pop up here?”

Saruman looked to you, “Just the one that we know of.”

You nodded and said, “I’ll see if I can work up a net for some hints then.”

A swivel of your head for who to leave charge of the wheel to found an anxious guard who crept closer and bowed his head to you with hands extended upwards in hopeful acceptance of the compass, “May I, Your Highness?”

Thranduil explained, “Kuu here was a Captain amongst the Teleri fleets. We will be in skilled hands.”

You nodded and relented to pass over control of the wheel compass and wheel that had him smile in timid strokes of his fingertips across it. Away from the wheel you began the way to the central curved staircase with the Lords and Wizards behind you. Beyond the tower to let light in lower you followed the steps into the highest of five lower floors, through which behind you curious guards meandered into each of the either empty or sparsely filled rooms that gave hints of purpose.

The sound of a panicked slam of a door back into place in its lean forward had you turn and peer back to the wide eyed guards now holding the door who nodded when you said, “I haven’t exactly gotten around to hinges for some of the doors. So, keep an eye out for falling timber.”

Scattered chortles followed your path onwards again amongst the guards who rippled the warning up to those on the deck should they explore themselves, a pair who on the level below the wheel learned that the hard way as well and nearly screamed out of shock of the heavy door coming loose.

Open rooms without doors yet to be formed had each head swivel to peek inside until you reached a large room that opened through a glass wall packed with pinned up papers, maps and tables with models of locations or oceans in between complete with markups of paths to maneuver to gain shorter times to soar across them.

Thranduil asked, “Are these your plans for the race you were to take part in?”

“Yes,” you said in a glance at Celeborn’s inspection of your travel papers to Elrond’s inspection of one of your models. “Look familiar?”

Elrond said, “This appears to be Beleriand.” Luring the others over while Thanduil came with you to the bookshelf along the wall you opened the glass pane doors to a couple of them to fetch a few books.

“That’s Gorlumbtihg. Where the brilliant minds are invited to study.” You said taking the books to the desk you settled down and splayed out to open each of the clear journals loaded with pasted in notes and diagrams around sketches and excerpts you had written on various topics that over your shoulder Thranduil eyed uselessly but with unflinching curiosity to know each secret of this touch of your home that you yourself had built. A sign that not all of your past was terrible.

Elrond took hold of the folding crystal itinerary that upon opening played a trapped in message in a small cloud of mist above it that showed the kingdom and ruling family and the pathway you were designated to take and which port you were assigned to have taken and the aid there who would play as your host during your stay. When the video was through Glorfindel brought more from a basket over to the group who all watched them all unable to understand the words spoken but caught the basics of what you were expected to do and where to go.

Gandalf in a creep closer to your side asked in a point to the journal on the left of the three asked, “What are you searching for?”

“I know I have something on a radar of sorts to know what we might be facing. The race has you cross territories of various creatures and I had some models, one might be easy to whip up on the way.”

Saruman, “What supplies do you have on board that we might gather?”

To that you sighed and answered, “Not much past my greenhouse. But I can see what I can find around the place.”

Thranduil stated in a rest of his hand on your back, “I know you can muster something up.”

Thranduil shifted his gaze from the journal to the moving portraits in a propped up tri-fold album that his free hand moved to shift to a better view of the mother holding an infant, a second with you and a couple in front of a market and a third with a sideways image of several people. “Are these your relatives?” he asked timidly, halfway afraid that he had hold of the image of the man who strangled your mother and put such fear and doubts into your heart.

“My Gran and me in the first, my parents and me in the second with the shop, the third is the rest of our family. Copied those when I was being packed up to leave.”

Between flips through the journal you answered questions from the others from the itineraries that showed more similarities between your worlds landscape-wise. “Ooh, here’s something,” you said to something that looked to be a stew recipe that had the group shadowing your path to the greenhouse that was full of a row of potato plants opposite varied sturdy plants. One of a few of each you brought out of the dirt and diced in shapes and varied ways you then shook around in a large cauldron then promptly flipped that over to plant it on the ground and planted your ear on top of it.

One of the Lords was about to speak only to have Gandalf lift a finger to his lips and crouch down with you to listen himself and mutter, “Screeches, grunts and, the clash of metal.” He said in his straighten up again. “Estel has been taken by orcs.”

“There’s a whisper,” you added that lowered the heartbroken gazes to you again. Gently you knocked on the cauldron that had NoNo suddenly appear at your side in a cloud of mist who leaned in to listen herself and her feet shifted excitedly to the muffled echo of a howl showing the link between the trick to check on the boy proving TikTik knew you were coming and shared with you through NoNo that Estel was safe but scared. “Estel’s safe but scared, but there’s this whisper around him. Can’t be a ghoul,” you said lifting up from the cauldron that once you lifted revealed a puff of smoke revealing the ingredients had turned to smoke in the expenditure of the trick’s time limit. Thranduil’s hand lowered that yours laid inside of to climb to your feet again and you said, “Ghost wouldn’t be strong enough, something possessed maybe?”

Your eyes landed on Saruman who stated, “There is no shortage of beasts who could be possessed amongst the company of orcs. Many a foul thing has crawled from the murky underbelly of this world to steal an innocent being. How long will your charm last to protect the child?”

“Oh you can’t break it, and even if he was taken TikTik won’t let anything serious happen to him.”

Creaks of the sails and shelves enchanted to remain upright with items inside that shift or slide to the motion when not full around the greenhouse had you all wish to go up again to see just where you were headed before a tour was requested of the rooms at the other end of the ship.

Pt 15

All –

@sherala007, @mariannetora, @jesgisborne, @knitastically, @catthefearless, @theincaprincess, ggbbhehe4455, @lilith15000,

Not nsfw(smut) - @otakumultimuse-hiddlewhore

Ash - @devilishminx328, @fandomsstolemylife00, @lilith15000

#Thranduil x OC #Sauron #Estel #Curse #Protection Charm #Welcome to Imladris #Sauruman the White #Gandalf the Grey #Where is the Boy #Cat Naps #The Duke

13 notes · View notes

highladyluck · 3 years

Text

Fortuona Athaem Devi Paendrag playlist

Direct link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5KLghlM9nCF1WLKBNoLt5z?si=b1e1d244810e4ae9

26 songs, 1 hr 23 min. A character playlist for Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag, aka the High Lady, aka the Daughter of the Nine Moons, aka “Precious” but only if you’re Mat Cauthon, aka Fortuona Athaem Devi Paendrag, aka the Empress of Seanchan.

She’s a fascinating mixture of good and evil, person and tool, sympathetic and unsympathetic by turns. I tried to capture that in this playlist, which is organized roughly chronologically by her personal timeline.

There are spoilers in the playlist and commentary for Winter's Heart through A Memory of Light, since this is meant to mirror the narrative.

Track List:

1. Second Child, Restless Child – The Oh Hellos

2. Game of Survival – Ruelle

3. Sit Still, Look Pretty – Daya

4. When I Rule The World – LIZ

5. Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival

6. The Thief and the Moon – Shawn James

7. Pomegranate Seeds – Julian Moon

8. Zebra – The Magnetic Fields

9. Jolene – Dolly Parton

10. Maybe, This Time – OK Go

11. Big Guns – Ruelle

12. Fascinated – Ivy

13. The Bullpen – Dessa

14. Pretty Little Head – Eliza Rickman

15. Greek God – Conan Gray

16. Emperor’s New Clothes – Panic! At The Disco

17. Rat Queen – The Mountain Goats

18. Carmina Burana: O Fortuna – Carl Orff

19. you should see me in a crown – Billie Eilish

20. Muse with a Dagger – Taylor Castro

21. Please Don’t Say You Love Me – Gabrielle Aplin

22. Daisy – Ashnikko

23. Mother’s Daughter – Miley Cyrus

24. I Walk The Line – Halsey

25. Glory and Gore – Lorde

26. Trouble – Stripped – Halsey

Commentary and lyrics underneath the cut. Listen to it here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5KLghlM9nCF1WLKBNoLt5z?si=b1e1d244810e4ae9

1) Second Child, Restless Child – The Oh Hellos

See, I was born the second child With a spirit running wild, running free

The Empress’s second child, the only one who goes across the ocean.

2) Game of Survival – Ruelle

Are we the hunters? Or are we the prey?

"Keep this doll to remind you that I will always hear you if you say my name. If I am still alive, of course."

3) Sit Still, Look Pretty – Daya

Oh, I don't know what you've been told But this girl right here's gonna rule the world Yeah, that's where I'm gonna be because I wanna be No, I don't wanna sit still, look pretty

Tuon wishes she looked more intimidating, and threw a full-blown temper tantrum when she was told who she’d have to marry.

4) When I Rule The World – LIZ

When I rule the world, then I'm gonna make you sweat Dog collar 'round your neck, on your knees and scrub the deck

I promise I didn't forget about the sul'dam thing. This should be as jarring as her initial POV in Winter's Heart is.

5) Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival

I see the bad moon a-rising I see trouble on the way I see earthquakes and lightnin' I see bad times today

Such a good “Seanchan invade Ebou Dar” song! I definitely stole this from someone else’s Mat playlist, but I don’t think it’s on 8tracks anymore.

6) The Thief and the Moon – Shawn James

Said the Thief to the Moon "I'll extinguish your light soon I'll put an end to all the light that you shed On this world in its darkened state"

I can imagine this as a Seanchan myth; covers Tuon's opinion on her prophecy & getting kidnapped.

7) Pomegranate Seeds – Julian Moon

Kore, Kore, fauna and flora How did you get your throne? (Hey!) You made a deal You traded daffodils For a kingdom of ash and bone

Had to sneak in a reference to Tuon's middle name. Tuon's POV on her bargain with Mat.

8) Zebra – The Magnetic Fields

so there's one thing I crave when my days become ho-hum and blah I want a zebra

Took this from my Mat/Tuon book playlist because it is truly the funniest song on there. It's a zebra in our hearts!

9) Jolene – Dolly Parton

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene I'm begging of you please don't take my man

This is very tongue-in-cheek, but at the same time, if you pay attention you can see that Tuon's particularly annoyed by/threatened by Joline Maza.

10) Maybe, This Time – OK Go

So listen, I'm not trying to prove anything at all here But don't you think that maybe, this time, you were wrong?

Mat to Tuon after confiscating the a'dam from her.

11) Big Guns – Ruelle

Every little move is fixed Like a game of chess The blood on your hands is thick And you're placing bets Can't hide in the den of lions

A really perfect song for Tuon's 'lion on the high plains' realization; I know technically Mat doesn't have cannon or grenades yet, but shhhh, the rapid-fire crossbows are more or less machine guns. Let me have this. Call it foreshadowing if you must.

12) Fascinated – Ivy

Never turned out like we talked about Never could tell how to read your mind Never found out what you're all about In this lifetime, baby, you will be mine

Tuon's POV on the marriage ceremony.

13) The Bullpen – Dessa

Forget the bull in the china shop There's a china doll in the bullpen

Returning to Ebou Dar to kick ass and take heads. This was the song that made me create this playlist, because of "china doll in the bullpen," which is such a great description of Tuon.

14) Pretty Little Head – Eliza Rickman

Catch yourself a looker, let him go, go, go Wanna have your baby, but I'm so, so slow

Tuon misses Mat, but don’t you dare breathe a word about it. Besides, it’s just business.

15) Greek God – Conan Gray

And since you always swear that you wanted me gone Then why don't you go get your gun? 'Cause you don't really hate me (You're a little baby) You don't wanna end me (You wanna befriend me)

The Tuon vs Rand confrontation (take two, where Tuon's actually there.) Rand has quite enough confidence, really, but most of the song really works.

16) Emperor’s New Clothes – Panic! At The Disco

Welcome to the end of eras Ice has melted back to life Done my time and served my sentence Dress me up and watch me die

Declaring herself Empress after meeting with Rand.

17) Rat Queen – The Mountain Goats

We who have never once tasted The stench of defeat Victory sweet as the dregs of the fast food dumpster Look how they jump when we show up Like they've just seen a monster

H/T to @anyboli, who first suggested this to me as a Tuon song. This is a good soundtrack to planning the raid on the White Tower…

18) Carmina Burana: O Fortuna – Carl Orff

O Fortune, like the moon you are changeable[…]

I literally cannot imagine a Tuon playlist without this song. It’s White Tower raid time!

19) you should see me in a crown – Billie Eilish

Count my cards, watch them fall Blood on a marble wall I like the way they all Scream

Yeah, this was inevitable too. I’m using it for that absolutely horrifying POV of hers where she's in the damane training room and decides it's time to plan a full-out attack on the White Tower.

20) Muse with a Dagger – Taylor Castro

You're making fun of my people Pretend I don't hear you Cause I won't forgive myself For fueling or burning you

Tuon's thoughts on Mat in the garden. This didn't lean as as far into the dagger/knife imagery as I'd hoped for- remember, this is the blog that insists Athaem means Magic Dagger Curse- but it seemed so strangely apt for the two of them that I had to include it.

21) Please Don’t Say You Love Me – Gabrielle Aplin

There's no need to worry when You see just where we're at Just please don't say you love me Cause I might not say it back

Her conversation with Mat in the garden.

22) Daisy – Ashnikko

Respect a bitch, I'm a maverick Flexible, so elastic But don't you dare bend a bitch backwards

This is what you married, Mat. (The Mat POV version of this character sketch is probably Cake's Short Skirt Long Jacket.) I will not apologize for the number of #girlboss songs on this playlist.

23) Mother’s Daughter – Miley Cyrus

Oh my gosh, she got the power Oh, look at her, she got the power So, so, so Don't fuck with my freedom I came up to get me some

The confrontation with Egwene. I see this as mostly Egwene's POV, with Tuon doing a sort of echo, the way she does in the original scene. They are fascinatingly alike here, and the way Egwene controls the scene and gets in Tuon's head- when that's Tuon's signature strategy- is amazing.

24) I Walk The Line – Halsey

You've got a way to keep me on your side You give me cause for love that I can't hide For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide

Tuon admitting that her heart tells her to return to save Mat (and the armies of the Light).

25) Glory and Gore – Lorde

Glory and gore go hand in hand That's why we're makin' headlines (Oh! Oh!) You could try and take us (Oh! Oh!) But victory's contagious

The Seanchan army comes back for the kill.

26) Trouble – Stripped – Halsey

Don't forget me, don't forget me I wouldn't leave you if you'd let me Hmm, when you met me when you met me You told me you were gonna get me

Death threats are just their deranged way of flirting; if Tuon wanted Mat dead she wouldn't warn him, you know? And in that final scene with the fireworks Tuon's telling Mat that she wants him around, and he understands it as such.

#this is my celebration for hitting 200 followers!#SURPRISE IT'S MORE TUON CONTENT #this is what you get for following a blog with a tuon pun in the username #wheel of time #wheel of time playlist #playlist #tuon paendrag #fortuona paendrag #fortuona athaem devi paendrag #tuon athaem kore paendrag #problematic fave tuon #wheel of time spoilers #the gathering storm spoilers

11 notes · View notes

sparksflamesembersashes · 3 years

Text

Random musings on 10.18 Find Me

Other Carylers have spoken about the episode and their interpretations of it and what it means for Caryl and their future and I've been sharing those and don't have that much to add to what’s already been discussed. Others have written well thought out and detailed analyses and interpretations and said it way better than I ever could. Most of them have been writing about Caryl forever and I started less than a year ago. I do want to speak to some technical stuff and a few other things, since I never do know when to shut up. Spoilers for 10.18 below the cut.

Brief talk on techie stuff... Wow, the cinematography in the plus six are really taking it up a notch. 10.18 has some of the most gorgeous images in the history of the show. The colors, the framing, and Caryl; separated by a stretch of water that's a literal stand-in for the divide between them, in an episode stuffed with signs and symbols and parallels. "Find Me" has some of the most visually breathtaking shots in the history of TWD... and do you know why? Because the plus six were filmed on digital cameras, for the first time in the history of a show that has always been shot on 16 millimeter film. Turns out, the digital process not only has fewer "touch points" (thanks for nothing, COVID) but it's also cheaper, faster, and easier on the environment.

TWD almost switched to digital for Season 2, and while AK claims now that they can still give it that classic TWD look, in a 2019 interview posted on comicbook.com, she said they were committed to shooting on film to preserve it's look and feel (confirming that film and digital are noticeably not created equal, an opinion/truth they are apparently backing off of, now). If the new episodes look different, its because they are. I am torn between which style I prefer. The grainy, Kodak-y type images of TWD as shot on film are increasingly rare on any screen, simultaneously nostalgic and beautiful and born of toxicity. The gallons of chemicals used in developing standard film are not environmentally friendly and probably need to go the way of the dinosaur.

Digital is wonderful in its own ways, so minute in its details, and can easily capture images and light conditions otherwise incredibly difficult to duplicate on actual film... But digital doesn't look the same, it doesn't feel the same, in the way that CD's and vinyl records don't sound the same. Purists curl their lip at the new and improved version of the medium, but the truth is,most people don't notice the differences.

TWD has always used the sun and the moon to their best visual advantage and both the celestial backdrops show up in "Find Me." The sun filtering through the trees onto Daryl or in his general direction has made repeat appearances in S10. Is this a metaphor for his finally finding his enlightenment? (Or is it nothing deeper than AMC uses the light to make everything look as cool as possible?)

10.18 shows us more of Daryl's soul (in a single episode) than we've seen before. His character goes through all sorts of colors, screaming in the rainstorm, grimacing as puppy Dog licks his face, meeting and spending time with this strange, lonely, gruff, almost mirror reflection of himself, someone who is grieving and angry and alone. Fighting with Carol! A real fight, but an honest and not altogether unhealthy one. You gotta work through to acceptance and let go of the past before you can look forward to a future, and these two have enough trauma issues between them to fill a psychiatric journal. They’ve a long, arduous road ahead of them, but they WILL reach their destination. Together.

Daryl throwing the fish at Leah's door and Leah throwing the fish at Daryl are my favorite moments in the episode. I laughed out loud. I did not get the impression that they only encountered each other once every several months, I took it that the time jumps measured the progression of their relationship, i.e. that it took that long for them to warm up to each other. When Daryl did go to stay at Leah's, it was literally out of necessity, as he was getting frost bitten in the woods and probably would have lost at least a digit or two had he remained in his camp.

For the first time, I didn't really enjoy the Caryl banter? (Please don't hurt me.) There was a sadness, a tension, and a sense of loss there I just couldn't shake. Carol was trying to run away from the horrors of the Whisperer's aftermath, and Daryl knew it, and he was annoyed by it. Carol's attempts at lightheartedness seemed forced. I feel like Daryl is a man with a whole lot on his mind at this point, and that Carol is a woman who is habitually trying not to think about the real stuff if she can avoid it. She jokes and banters but she's almost too cheerful... or maybe it just seems that way because Daryl's so grim. Not grim as in we're-all-facing-our-end-of-days-doom grim, but not in a laughing mood where Carol's concerned. He thinks she's running again, and seeing Leah's cabin reminds him that Leah probably ran from him, too. He lost both his brothers, Rick and Merle. Daryl has abandonment issues and an overdeveloped sense of responsibility going back as far as we know. He loses people and can't find them again, no matter how much he searches.

Revisiting Leah's cabin, the devastation of Alexandria, and everything that's been building up over, about, and because of Carol has pressurized within Daryl till he finally takes a shot, and who can blame him? But he also shows his development and maturity by trying to express his disappointment with controlled words of frustration (compared to camp- or barn-rage Daryl in S2), telling Carol exactly what it is she does that's widening the chasm between them.

Carol to Daryl early in the episode "I don't want to lose you because you can't figure out when to stop," and Daryl to Carol "That's on you. 'Cause you don't know when to stop.") Daryl doesn't know when to stop searching for his lost brother and blaming himself for things, Carol didn't know when to stop her revenge-fueled pursuit of Alpha. Daryl also tells Carol "That's all that matters. You being right." (after she says she was right to go after and destroy Alpha to avenge her son.) At the end of the ep., Carol says it again: "I was right" (this time about their luck having run out), then she goes to fix the door.

So now Caryl know and have established what gets each other's goat. That could be a good thing, but tptb will undoubtedly attempt to convince us its a bad thing,, ya think? Neither of the characters knowing when to stop and their mutual annoyance over the fact could be something the show runners milk for a while.

Î wanted to know whether Daryl went back to the cabin after leaving his note, to see whether Leah had returned to it, or not. I want to know what Carol did with the note. Did she take it with her, or did she put it back? They never showed us. Daryl seemed anxious and tense about her finding it, and I did not miss the symbolism of Carol being the woman who eventually finds the note Daryl left behind years ago: "I belong with you. Find me." I mean, how perfect is that?

Contrary to spoilery bullshit stinking up the Twittersphere, Carol did not seem exactly “upset” at finding the note, though clearly she was sad. She knew exactly what the note was, so Daryl must’ve told her about it, that he left it. Maybe he didn't tell her exactly what it said or everything about Leah, but my impression was that she realized what it was and where they were, and it was all yesterday's news to her. Seeing the note seemed to make her sad for Daryl because she knows Daryl can't handle losing people, and that he punishes himself for failing to help or save people by pushing everybody away and isolating.

Leah didn't so much choose to be there in the cabin as she ran for her life from a dangerous situation and the cabin was just the place where she and her bitten son ended up.

So many yawning gaps in the Leah storyline. How often did they see each other? Did Daryl move in with her toward the end of their relationship? I felt like he did after the time she found him freezing in the woods, but that he'd leave for days to go look for Rick, or hunt, or who tf knows. Maybe he'd leave to see or meet Carol. Carol knew about Leah, but when? Before, or after it was happening? Why is that important? I just want to know when he told her. Really hoping they didn’t leave things purposely vague so they can fill in the gaps to screw with us later.

Timing is everything. Like, how much time passed between Leah telling Daryl to choose, and the time Carol told Daryl she couldn't keep visiting? Or did he leave Leah's cabin and return to it that same day? Which would imply Leah abandoned Daryl practically the instant he walked out the door following her ultimatum. It seems like Daryl was gone a while, it was dark when Leah told him to choose, and daylight in the scene with Carol at his camp and when he was walking in the woods. It could have been days. That makes a difference. Leah was obviously not Daryl's first choice, no matter that he ran back to her in the end.

The fact that Carol knew about Daryl's relationship with Leah is a crafty move on the show runner's part because we can't really be pissed at Daryl if Carol knew about it the whole time and was cool with it.... but we all know now that Daryl didn't tell her everything.

No one is talking about how Leah obviously abandoned Dog, she left him shut in the damn cabin for who knows how long after she left. And she DID leave. The cabin looked abandoned when Daryl left the note. He obviously went searching for her with Dog, but for how long?

Not to say there was nothing between them, but I never felt for an instant that Leah had Daryl's heart, or that he ever offered it up to her in the first place, but I am also 100% sure that’s because I’m ride-or-die for Caryl and can’t bear to entertain the thought. No matter what else they were, Daryl and Leah are isolated, damaged, traumatized people who wanted someone to hold on to. Someone to try and forget with. It's not like there were a lot of other people around to choose from.

So did Leah just leave Dog behind because the memories associated with him were too painful? (i.e. he was born on the day Leah's son died) Or did she feel that Daryl needed the companionship and gambled that Daryl would drop by soon and take him in? It really bothers me that she just split and left the dog locked in the cabin like that.

Grateful they didn't show us anything extra of Daryl seeming to genuinely give a shit, tbh. (Throwing a fish at someone's door, having sex with them, sleeping in their bed or eating their cooking doesn't necessarily constitute giving a shit in this world, just saying.) That was both refreshing (cuz u know, Caryl is endgame), and kind of tragic. I felt like Daryl was rather emotionally detached the entire time, but that Leah was maybe falling in love with him. Not in a good way, but in a possessive, demanding, all-or-nothing type of way.

How very very clever of AMC to leave us with all these ambiguities. So much room for interpretation, so many gaps to never be filled in. Bastards. On the bright side, all these holes in the story and missing material provide endless new opportunities for fanfic writers like me who can't break free of the bonds of canon. So, yay, I guess?

I am sad to give up the virgin Daryl trope, I was beginning to think that one was ours in canon to keep, but you know, it is what it is. It was a good, long run while it lasted, and I'm grateful we got to write inexperienced Daryl fics while we could still entertain the fantasy that Daryl was actually inexperienced. So, R.I.P. virgin Daryl. I'm not as upset about his getting laid as I thought I'd be (although it was incredibly underhanded, AMC, to pull this shit so very late in the game, there better be a good reason for it).

All the Leah thing means to me right now is that our man has probably picked up some skills during his time with her, and Carol's gonna be the ultimate beneficiary. Plus, Daryl's evolved over the years from throwing a fish at a woman's door to delivering her dinner on a tray with a flower, so...progress was made, even if he didn't start out with the woman we wish he had. (News Flash: The love of his life was unavailable and actually married to another man at the time, so there's that.)

There are a staggering number of Caryllels in this episode. Someone once said here that Kang loves her symbolism and they weren't wrong. No matter what's to come, we can be confident about where this road ends. At this point in TWD, to not eventually give us Caryl canon would be the absolute greatest trolling of a fandom in the history of trolling fandoms, and besides, we're getting a spin-off.

Another thing, the fact that Rick and Leah both basically disappeared on him shines a bright light on Daryl's determination to stick to Carol like glue in 10A and B. He was terrified that she was going to disappear on him, too.

What happened to the Caryl fandom following the spoilers wasn't worth it. How many times have we freaked out over spoilers? You think we'd learn. And you KNOW we are valued because AMC went so very far out of their way to provide the vaguest-ever depiction of a sexual encounter for Daryl. Remember the Eugene spying scene with Abe and Rosita, guys? Shane and Lori screwing on the ground in the woods? They could really have tortured us, and they chose to be kind.

I'm looking forward to "Diverged." Honestly, I could give a shit about most of the other characters, but they'll have to make do for us over the next couple of weeks. Just about the time 10.18's been dissected and interpreted to death, Caryl will reappear on our screens and mess with our hearts and minds some more. I can't wait.

Thank you for coming to my rant, and Caryl on!

#caryl rant #caryl spoilers

12 notes · View notes

a-libra-writes · 4 years

Text

Queens - Daenerys x Dragon Owner!Reader

this was a request! finally got it finished whoop whoop. I took a lot of liberties, sorry about that~ 😅

Summary: Daenerys meets a strange woman who has far more in common with her than most.

Daenerys thought she would feel something. She thought she’d hear something, at least. Instead, there was a yawning opening of a cave, completely silent and dark. Just stepping in a few paces, she could feel the temperature drop in spite of the broad daylight outside.

The sound of Jorah’s armor was close to her. She could hear the knight’s worry without even looking at him. “Khaleesi, we can’t be sure it isn’t a trap.”

It would be the boldest trap she’d ever heard of. While word was beginning to spread about the Mother of Dragons and her three children, each story more exaggerated than the next, it was odd that this particular rumor was kept so quiet until now. She could scarcely believe it, but here she was, wishing it was true.

People said all sorts of absolutes - There are no more dragons, there is no magic, there is no khalasar led by a khaleesi - yet, hadn’t she seen the contrary? The more Daenerys heard absolutes, the less she believed them.

So here she stood, at the entrance of the supposed location of another dragon, and the person who hatched it. A bold rumor, but weren’t the things they said about her even bolder?

It wouldn’t take long to investigate, and Daenerys tried to hide the anticipation pulling at her. She insisted on going herself, throwing some excuse out, in lieu of sending her bloodriders or Jorah. She left the safety of Qarth for just a day to see this for herself.

Daenerys walked into the coldness, her strongest child on her shoulder. Drogon’s lack of fear gave her courage. If anything, he smelled the damp cave air in curiosity. Would he smell the dragon first?

The cave floor was mostly solid beneath her feet, with a few patches of spongy spots here and there. Her eyes began to adjust to the darkness, and several feet behind her, Ser Jorah was holding a torch. Dark as it was, the light reflected slightly off small piles of bones. Daenerys stopped at one of them and looked at it carefully. Drogon hopped off her shoulder to do his own investigation. The bones were charred black, and brittle. The small dragon happily took one in his mouth and gnawed at it, snapping it into fragments.

“Goat and sheep, it seems,” Jorah said, nudging one of the bigger bones with his foot. “The way it’s broken up, it wasn’t consumed by humans.”

“Nor scorched by them.” The bones still carried the faint and familiar smell of fire. It encouraged her rather than frightened her. “Let’s press on.”

They came to a narrow passageway that opened to a large cavern. Here there were small, makeshift torches and a little burning brazier on the floor. Daenerys squinted her eyes to make out the shapes in the shadows. There were bundles of blankets neatly laid about, some bowls and urns, even a small chest that gleamed with some kind of metal.

She was studying so carefully that Drogo’s sudden movement startled her. The dragonling returned to her shoulder, pressing his talons into her shoulder almost too tightly. His small growl, mighty as he thought it was, only echoed slightly off the wall.

She saw what he was upset with. A form emerged from the shadows, a tall set of wings rising up from shoulder blades. Daenerys steeled herself until the form entered the light, looking more like a woman and less like a monster.

The wings sat at her shoulders, then the dragon’s head rose. Its golden scales glinted in the limited light, yet Daenerys could still see the red of its eyes. Her breath caught as she stared at it, a beautiful creature nearly the size of a dog, perched on the woman’s shoulders. Daenerys forgot about Drogon’s smaller talons pressing into her own skin.

The woman regarded her just the same. “How did you find me, khaleesi?”

The woman spoke with an accent Daenerys couldn’t place. She used the tongue of Valyria, although it was awkward in her pretty mouth. “You know who I am?”

“Most do. You do not hide.”

“As you are?” Daenerys couldn’t believe the rumor was true. She had so many questions, but it was all coming in a jumble. “Why are you here in a place like this? Why aren’t you … For so long, the world thought dragons were gone.”

The woman said nothing at first. While she looked down, her dragon had yet to stop staring directly at Daenerys. “Magic could never be truly gone. People just don’t look hard enough.”

Drogon chirped at the gold dragon, whose response was a deeper and louder chirp. Daenerys watched it in awe, wondering if this is what others felt when they saw her’s. She marvelled at the little things, of course, but in front of her was what they would be, and they were still growing.

“You should go,” The woman said. Her voice had become hard. “You should leave here, khaleesi, and leave Qarth.”

How had she known? Daenerys thought, but a different question got to her lips. “Will you not come with me?”

“Why would I do such a thing?”

“The world believes dragons are dead. When mine are grown, I plan to take back what is mine - the throne my family was killed for. If you came with me -”

“No.” The woman said swiftly. “I know all about your ambitions, khaleesi. I won’t be a part of them.”

“They aren’t mere ambitions.” Daenerys felt her anger rising, and she understood what this woman was saying. “And what do you plan to do with that dragon? Hide away in this cave? What happens when he becomes older?”

The woman cast her eyes down again. She said, “That is not something to concern yourself with.”

Daenerys caught how she touched her dragon’s golden muzzle, and as the shadows danced, she noticed deep marks in the woman’s shoulders, the old stains on her dress. The khaleesi now realized it was dried blood, and the marks patterned into her shoulder and arms were scars.

Daenerys wouldn’t be dismissed so easily, but the woman was turning away from her. Even her golden dragon seemed to share her disinterest, and both the khaleesi and her dragon were left watching them disappear into the darkness. Daenerys realized there was more to the cave than she initially thought.

She stepped forward, but Jorah said, “We shouldn’t.”

The woman disappeared into the blackness of the cave, and only the meager little room and its low burning torches were left. Drogon restlessly flew from Daenerys’ shoulder and away from her, toward the mouth of the cave, where the open sky was awaiting him.

“Khaleesi, we’ve spotted it.”

The chair scratching across the floor echoed through the grand chamber, but Daenerys paid it no heed. She was close on Grey Worm’s tail as he added, “Quickly.”

He didn’t need to tell her twice. Daenerys nearly ran ahead of him as she came to the wide balcony of the grand pyramid. Against the brilliant blue sky, she saw it. Its scales glittered far more beautifully than any jewels that had been laid at her feet. Under the sun, it was radiant, just like her own. She couldn’t mistake that gold color.

It was as large as a small house now. If she were someone with poorer eyesight, or someone more ignorant, she could mistake the dragon for Viserion. However, her youngest mostly had scales of cream, and was not nearly so big. Not even Drogon was this size.

“How long has it been here?” She asked impatiently.

“Only minutes. It came from the clouds.” Grey Worm said. “The people think it is your’s, khaleesi.”

That was for the better. It had been so many moons since she’d met that woman in the cave. Her eyes still haunted Daenerys, but more than that, her calm posture as her dragon dug its claws into her skin. Daenerys visited that cave several times before she left Qarth. Hadn’t the woman warned her about it? But where was she? Why did she hide herself, and her dragon, and for how long?

She hated these unanswered questions. For a moment, Daenerys thought they’d never be answered -- what if that woman had died, and now her dragon roamed free?

No. The way she could control it, as young as it was … She must be here in Meereen.

“Have the streets searched.” Daenerys said. “I’ll have a description given to the Unsullied, even a picture painted, if that’s what they need. She must be here.”

The gold dragon had become a fleck in the sky, gone quickly as it came. Daenerys wondered if her own children had seen it, but they didn’t fly overhead. This was the time they spent hunting, anyway. They’d become more independent, and wouldn’t be back for hours.

It was startling to see the woman in the brightness of her throne room, and not the darkness of the cave. Daenerys had replayed those quick moments over and over so much, she thought she’d memorized the woman’s face, but now she realized how much she missed to the shadows.

The woman was far younger and prettier than she’d initially thought, and the light in her eyes made her look far less apprehensive. Her hair was done simply but neatly, and while she had a proper dress that was clean and well-fitted, it was just as simple. Her only fine accessory was a stylized broach that held the front of her dress together. Daenerys couldn’t make out the shape from where she sat.

“Khaleesi.” The woman gave a polite bow, not looking confident in the gesture.

“There is no need to bow to me.” Daenerys decided as she said it. “Nor should we act so formal here. Will you speak to me in private?”

The woman hesitated a moment before nodding in agreement. She followed Daenerys to a more cozy and private meeting chambers, where all were called out, even Missandei. A young serving girl gave them a large pitcher of water and poured two cups before exiting.

Daenerys was buzzing with too much curiosity. She got straight to the point. “I’d like to have your name.”

“Y/N,” The woman said.

She said it far more easily than Daenerys expected, given how … restrained she was in their first meeting. She hadn’t expected that name, either, but it fit.

“Y/N.” Daenerys tested it out for herself. She looked at the broach and finally made out its shape: A circle of teeth carved like a dragon’s encircling some deep green rock. Perhaps it was an unpolished emerald.

Y/N looked almost lost without the darkness to hide inside, but she still looked Daenerys in the eyes. “I told you to leave Qarth, and then you came to Meereen … With some roads in between.”

“You’ve been keeping track of me?”

“I don’t need to. All of Essos speaks of you now.” Y/N glanced aside, toward the window.

Daenerys followed her gaze, and she saw the faint glittering of the dragon’s wings in the sun. It must have been coming back.

“Yet they don’t speak of you. There’s a fourth dragon in the world, and this is only the third time I’ve seen it.” Daenerys turned back to Y/N. “You can’t tell me you’ve spent all this time hiding in that cave. Where have you been? Where has your dragon been?”

“The same places as me,” Y/N said, a little twinkle of humor in her eyes. “Well, just higher up, I suppose.”

A silence passed between them, one that wasn’t entirely comfortable, but it wasn’t strained, either. Daenerys looked at the woman, she was closer than she’d even been before. She looked tired. With this closeness, Dany could see the partially faded scars running up her shoulders and around her arms.

Y/N noticed her staring. “I can’t control it anymore.”

“... What do you mean? Has it tried to hurt you?”

“No, because I pick my battles. It’s grown too large and strong to keep close.” Y/N sighed and pushed her cup away from her. She’d hardly had any water. “This is why I came to see you, khaleesi. I was hoping to slip away from it, but it followed me all the same. I hope that hasn’t brought trouble.”

“It hasn’t. Why would it?”

Y/N’s eyes were lovely with the sun falling on them like this, especially as she tilted her head and let some of her hair brush across her scarred shoulders. Her eyes were much older than the rest of her. She’d been carrying this burden for years, and Daenerys had a feeling she’d only seen a small part of it.

“One dragon is difficult enough, but you have three of them. It won’t be long before you lose your hold on them, khaleesi.”

“They’re my children,” Daenerys said firmly. “I’ve taught them and trained them since their birth. I know how to control them.”

“You know how to control children. Dangerous children, who will only become more powerful. One human can’t hope to --”

“I’m not one human,” Daenerys’ note isn’t harsh, but it is harder than what she used before. She squares her shoulders and sits upright, a proper Queen all respects. “I’m Daenerys Targaryen, and my ancestors rode dragons to conquer Westeros. I intend to do the same.”

Y/N was not subdued by this. Daenerys should’ve found the obstinate look in her eyes a challenge, a slight, but it was good to see something other than fatigue on the girl’s face and body. She merely nodded. “As you say, khaleesi.”

Five days later, a sobbing farmer dropped a burnt bundle at Daenerys’ feet. Swathes of cattle and sheep had been burnt and eaten whole before, but this was the first time she saw a little charred body. Her dragons didn’t even eat it all.

Y/N said nothing as the father’s body shook with anguish. She sighed deeply when he left, and that was all Daenerys needed to understand.

At Daenerys’ request, Y/N stayed in a guest room. She almost seemed as though she’d refuse the request, and was more or less pushed in and ordered to rest. Her first day, she bathed herself quickly and slept for nearly twelve hours. Then she ate bits of the dinner that was brought to her, and went right to sleeping again.

Once she emerged from the chamber with a new dress, a proper meal and more sleep than she’d had in months, Y/N was radiant. The sun of Meereen seemed to favor her, as everything from her hair to skin shone when she walked the gardens of the Great Pyramid. She was most at peace here, a rare moment when her expression wasn’t cloudy and troubled. Y/N was loveliest like that.

Daenerys felt silly for watching her enjoy the gardens instead of talking to her. Y/N bowed her head as Dany came into her view. “Good morning, khaleesi.”

Daenerys had a sudden wish to hear her name from those lips, not her titles. She pushed the distracting thoughts aside. “I wanted to talk to you. Could I sit here?”

“Of course.” Y/N gave Daenerys room on the stone bench she was resting on. Her new dress was technically a single bolt of soft cloth wrapped around her body and secured in place with a pretty metal belt and fixings on her shoulders. They were a gilded gold, like her dragon’s scales. When Daenerys gifted it to the woman, she feigned that it was something she did for all guests. Privately, Daenerys hoped she liked it. Y/N wore it often, so she must have. That was a pleasant thought.

Y/N tilted her head in curiosity. That’s when Daenerys realized she hadn’t said anything further. “I’ve been thinking about the boy, the one … that was brought to me, and what you said to me. You didn’t want me to chain the dragons.”

“I still don’t,” Y/N’s smile fell just slightly. That disappointed Dany more than she thought it would. “Did something happen? Are you considering it again?”

“No,” Daenerys said quickly. “I was just thinking. You seemed to have experience with this. … I don’t know much about you. I wanted to learn more.”

Y/N’s smile may have left, but the blush on her cheeks was even better. Daenerys hadn’t expected it, nor did she expect the girl’s eyes to flutter down in modesty.

Daenerys took Y/N’s hand in her own, and the warmth of it was kinder than the sunlight hitting her cheek. The gesture had surprised Y/N - she looked up with those pretty eyes, but she didn’t pull away. If anything, her cheeks looked even more pink.

“I want to learn more about you,” Daernerys said, careful with her words in case any more would spill out. “You know about me, after all.”

The smile was back in full force, and it’s sweetness was almost too much. “I said I heard the rumors, khaleesi. If you wish to know me, then I’d like to know you better, too.”

“It’s a deal.”

She squeezed the slightly calloused hand in her own, comforted by the way Y/N squeezed back.

She woke up feeling cold. Daenerys didn’t open her eyes, but she sleepily reached forward to confirm her suspicions. As luxurious as a feathered bed with silken covers was to Y/N, it was still other. Sometimes she struggled to settle in comfortably, especially when she was already kept up with her restlessness.

Daenerys sat up and rubbed her shoulders. A lazy night breeze drifted into the room, and she blinked through her sleepiness as she saw the outline of Y/N sitting at the open window. She’d thrown a robe on and curled herself up on the ledge, looking down at the still streets of Meereen.

“I’d think you’d be looking at the stars,” Daenerys said once she was at Y/N’s side. It was nearly a full moon, and a silvery light was washing over the two of them, like it was made just for them. Daenerys hadn’t had such silly thoughts for some time, but Y/N tended to bring them out in her.

Y/N opened her arms and Daenerys comfortably rested against her, still tired. She patted the khaleesi’s long, curling hair, almost the same color of the moon itself. “I am very familiar with the stars. It’s the city that’s new to me.”

Daenerys closed her eyes and took in Y/N’s scent, fresh from the bath they took hours ago, but the soap was giving away to her own natural scent and warmth. Her skin was smooth now, from months of enjoying the soaps and oils, and her face stopped looking so drawn and weary. She smiled more than ever, laughed even, but there were still nights like these. Y/N had spotted her dragon with Drogon that morning, and since then, she’d be withdrawn.

“They only grow stronger,” Y/N said. Her hand was running down Daenerys’ back now, and Dany shivered pleasantly. “I’m glad they’re fond of each other.”

Daenerys hummed her agreement. It just seemed right, their dragons joining together as a family. It made Daenerys feel like her bond with Y/N was stronger than most, something more binding than a marriage. A bonding of dragons, emphasizing the bond of their hearts.

In the few daydreams she allowed, she thought of this being stronger than any marriage, something more than a queen to stay at her side. They’d be the new Visenya and Rhaenys for Westeros, but without a king. They didn’t need one.

Daenerys didn’t tell these fancies to Y/N. Not yet, anyway.

It was hard to stay tired with such things running through her head. Daenerys sat up and gave a proper kiss to her lover, whose lips she was already missing. The smile was back, so Daenerys kissed her neck.

Y/N was ticklish, but she didn’t attempt to move Dany away. She just reclined further into the the cushioned window sill, and Dany gladly rested against her. She brushed her hands across Y/N’s shoulder and arm, across scars that were visible even in the moonlight.

There were other marks besides those, ones that Y/N hid for years. Dany suspected she was the only person who had seen them. Burns and bites, covered by silken and linen dresses, proof that Y/N’s dragon had become too much for the cave they stayed in for too long.

I don’t begrudge my dragon for it, Y/N had said. I was the one trying to keep a bird in a mountain.

Those were the same words she used when the child’s body was dropped at Daenerys’ feet, more or less. She gently touched Dany’s arm. Khaleesi, please don’t. Don’t keep them somewhere without their sky, without the fresh air.

All three of her dragons had come to be fond of Y/N, as well as they could be, because she understood. She may have only raised one, but she seemed to just know the other three. Rhaegal was especially fond of her, Viserion preferred her dragon, and Drogon was surprisingly steady around both.

Daenerys sighed in contentment and nuzzled against Y/N’s neck, planting a few kisses there before she settled in.

Y/N’s voice was full of sweet amusement. “Love, I cannot carry you back if you fall asleep.”

“You shouldn’t have moved.”

Her response was a chuckle and a kiss to her brow. Sleep was beginning to take Daenerys, aided by the complete comfort and affection she was bundled in. She was well and truly asleep when Y/N began stroking her hair again.

The wind whipped harshly above them as a set of powerful wings flew above their heads. Y/N’s hair was tied back, but several strands still escaped from her braid as Rhaegal took flight. She watched him rejoin his brother in the cloudless sky.

Daenerys was at her side, waiting for her. She didn’t have to ask anything. It had been a long time coming, but Y/N was ready. She’d made her peace with it, and she’d walk forward with no fear or regrets.

She straightened the leather gauntlet at her hand, meant for keeping her hand protected from the harsh scales of her dragon. It had been a trial for the both of them, but they were stronger for it. Y/N looked toward the sky, spotting the dear creature. She knew it was looking down at her, always aware of where its rider was.

“They can smell the sea air, too,” Y/N said. “It’s gotten them worked up. They’re ready.”

“So are we.” Daenerys said. It wasn’t overconfidence or blind bravery in her words, only the truth. They’d been ready for the better of a year, and now it was finally time to realize what she’d been waiting a lifetime for.

“What did you say their names were? The conqueror queens you descend from,” Y/N said, remembering as she spoke. “Visenya and Rhaenys. That was it.”

“We’re greater than conquerors, closer than sisters.” Daenerys took both of Y/N’s hands in her own, facing her with eyes full of power and adoration. An intensity that was unique to a Mother of Dragons, one that Y/N was very familiar with. “We are queens.”

Y/N had heard the word before, but now it held such great power. A new world, a new kingdom across the sea, just waiting for them. They would be kind and just, yielding to no man, constrained by no chains.

Queens and liberators, not conquers and butchers. Y/N could see it in those violet eyes, the ones that always held the world, yet still had room for love and compassion. The ones that belonged to her, just as she belonged to them.

#daenerys targaryen x reader #got imagines #got x reader #daenerys targaryen #game of thrones #libra fics #i know i keep using this gif its just too cute

392 notes · View notes