#funny adventures of bell and hammer

[red-tree]

"Funny adventures of Bell and Hammer №23 (maybe I'll post some other parts but they are all quite old...)"

"and thank you all for 111 followers, wow!! it's unexpected"

[urdreamydoodles]

X-Men x Reader (Part.1)

A chaotic night at the carnival with your boyfriend (Part.1)

You and your boyfriend embark on a chaotic carnival adventure, where their unique personalities lead to unpredictable situations.

Characters: Logan Howlett, Remy LeBeau, Kurt Wagner, Scott Summers, Erik Lehnsherr, Warren Worthington III, Bobby Drake, Pietro Maximoff, Wade Wilson & Cable

Let's forget mutant rac*sm for one night, 'kay? No humans looking you weird because of who you are. These headcanons are pure joy.

Logan Howlett (Wolverine)

- Logan wasn’t exactly the carnival type. When he suggested taking you to one, you weren’t sure what had gotten into him. But there you were, walking hand-in-hand with him through the bustling crowd of people, the scent of popcorn and fried food filling the air. His rough exterior clashed humorously with the colorful surroundings, and you couldn’t help but laugh at the way he grumbled every time someone bumped into him or a ride screeched too loudly. He glanced down at you, raising an eyebrow. “What’s so funny?”

- “You are,” you teased, nudging him with your shoulder. “This doesn’t seem like your kind of thing.”

- Logan grunted but gave a small smirk. “Figured you might like it. And besides, could use a little break from the usual crap.”

- You smiled at his thoughtfulness, squeezing his hand. You weren’t sure how long the peace would last, though, knowing Logan’s knack for attracting trouble. As if on cue, you spotted a strength-testing game nearby, the kind with the hammer and the bell at the top. Logan’s eyes narrowed as he noticed it too, and you instantly knew what was coming.

- “Wanna give it a try, tough guy?” you teased, already imagining the chaos this could cause.

- “Oh, I’m doin’ it,” Logan growled, determination in his voice as he dragged you over to the booth. The carnival worker looked a little too confident, like he’d never seen someone like Logan in his life. Logan picked up the hammer with ease, spinning it in his hands before positioning himself in front of the game.

- “You sure about this?” you asked, giggling at the way he sized up the machine like it was his next battle. But before you could say anything else, Logan swung the hammer down with full force. The bell didn’t just ring—it practically flew off the top of the pole with a loud clang, leaving the carnival worker standing there, slack-jawed.

- People around the game burst into laughter and applause, while Logan just shrugged and handed the hammer back like it was nothing. “Cheap machine,” he muttered, as if it had been a weak challenge. You couldn’t stop laughing, your sides aching as you tried to catch your breath.

- The carnival worker, still stunned, offered you both a giant stuffed bear as a prize. “For your troubles,” he said, eyeing Logan warily. You gladly accepted the bear, knowing Logan wasn’t the type to care about prizes.

- As you walked away, you leaned into Logan, wiping tears of laughter from your eyes. “You broke the carnival.”

- “Wasn’t my fault,” he grumbled, though there was a hint of pride in his voice. “Damn thing wasn’t built right.”

- Despite the chaotic start, the night continued with more laughs as Logan tried his best to blend in. He won you a few more prizes, though you could tell he was holding back on most of the games, trying not to cause too much destruction. The bumper cars were another story, though. The moment Logan got behind the wheel, all bets were off. He went after anyone who came close, slamming into other cars with a grin that told you he was enjoying this way too much.

- When the night ended, you were both loaded down with stuffed animals and prizes. “Well, that was… something,” you said, glancing up at Logan. He looked more relaxed than you’d seen him in a while, and despite the chaos, you were glad you had come.

- Logan gave you a sideways look, his hand finding yours again. “Yeah, it was somethin’,” he agreed. “But don’t think I’ll be doin’ this every week.”

- You laughed, pulling him close for a kiss. “Maybe once in a while. Just for fun.”

Remy LeBeau (Gambit)

- “You ready for dis, chérie?” Remy asked, his grin wide as he led you through the carnival entrance. His excitement was contagious, and you found yourself getting caught up in the lights and sounds, despite knowing that anything involving Remy was bound to lead to some kind of trouble. He held your hand loosely, his thumb brushing over your knuckles as he scanned the carnival with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

- “Ready for what, exactly?” you asked, raising an eyebrow. You knew better than to expect a quiet night when it came to Remy. The man thrived on chaos and fun, and carnivals were like his personal playground.

- “Everything!” Remy said dramatically, sweeping his arm to gesture at the carnival games, rides, and food stalls. “We gon’ win every prize, eat everythin’, and maybe—just maybe—I’ll take you up on dat Ferris wheel.”

- You laughed, already bracing yourself for whatever chaos Remy was about to unleash. He dragged you toward the game booths first, eyeing the ring toss with a suspicious amount of confidence. “How ‘bout we start with somethin’ easy?”

- Remy tossed a few rings with the finesse of someone who had probably spent his life perfecting sleight of hand tricks. He made it look effortless, hitting the targets every time. The game worker handed you a small stuffed animal as a prize, but Remy wasn’t satisfied.

- “Non, non, I got more in me,” he said with a wink, flipping a coin in his fingers as he eyed the larger prizes. You tried to pull him away, knowing what was coming, but it was too late. Remy wasn’t playing fair anymore. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed a ring that glowed faintly with kinetic energy, sending it perfectly onto one of the highest-scoring targets.

- The worker’s eyes widened, clearly confused by how Remy had managed that, but he handed over the grand prize—a ridiculously large stuffed tiger. “Here you go,” he said, casting Remy a suspicious look.

- “Merci, mon ami,” Remy said smoothly, handing the tiger to you with a flourish. “For you, ma belle.”

- You could only shake your head, trying to hold back your laughter. “You cheated,” you whispered, though you couldn’t help but smile at the way he was grinning like a kid who had gotten away with something.

- “Just a lil’ help,” Remy said, shrugging as he slung his arm around your shoulders. “Dat’s the fun, non?”

- The night continued in much the same way. Remy charmed his way through every booth, somehow managing to win every game despite the odds. He even convinced you to go on the Ferris wheel with him, though the moment the wheel started turning, he leaned over and whispered in your ear, “You scared of heights, chérie?”

- “Not until you said that,” you muttered, gripping the safety bar a little tighter. Remy laughed, pressing a quick kiss to your cheek as the Ferris wheel carried you both up to the top. From there, the chaos of the carnival seemed far below you, and for a moment, everything felt perfect.

- That was until you got off the Ferris wheel and Remy decided to try his luck at one last game—a dart-throwing booth. “Watch dis,” he said confidently, picking up the darts. You watched, amused, as he tossed the first dart with perfect precision. It hit the target dead center, earning him another prize.

- But as Remy lined up his second dart, someone bumped into him, causing him to miss the target completely. The dart hit the edge of the booth and sent one of the stuffed animals flying into the air.

- The game worker let out a startled yell, and before you knew it, Remy was laughing so hard he could barely stand. “Oops,” he said, though you could tell he wasn’t sorry at all.

- You grabbed his hand, pulling him away from the booth before things got worse. “I think that’s enough chaos for one night.”

- Remy flashed you a grin, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Ah, but you had fun, didn’t you?”

- You couldn’t deny it. “Yeah, I did. But next time, maybe we try something a little less… explosive.”

Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler)

- “Zis is amazing!” Kurt exclaimed as he looked around the carnival, his excitement contagious. His tail flicked back and forth as he took everything in—the lights, the music, the people. You smiled at his enthusiasm, knowing that Kurt’s childlike wonder could turn even the most ordinary event into something magical. But you also knew that wherever Kurt went, chaos was never far behind.

- “It’s just a carnival, Kurt,” you teased, though you couldn’t help but smile at how happy he looked. “You act like you’ve never been to one before.”

- Kurt grinned, his fangs peeking out in that charming way that always made your heart skip a beat. “Ja, but every time is like ze first time when you’re with me, mein Schatz.”

- You rolled your eyes but let him lead you through the crowd, his arm wrapped around your waist protectively. You could already see him eyeing the different carnival games with curiosity, and you knew it was only a matter of time before something went wrong.

- The first sign of chaos came when Kurt spotted a haunted house attraction. His eyes lit up, and before you could protest, he had already bought tickets and was dragging you inside. “Zis vill be fun!” he promised, his tail curling in excitement.

- The haunted house was dark, and cheap jump scares popped out from every corner. Despite knowing they were fake, you still jumped every time something came at you. Kurt, on the other hand, was having the time of his life, laughing at every skeleton or ghoul that leaped out from the shadows. His hand remained on your lower back, guiding you through the twisting hallways, but you noticed his tail twitching in anticipation.

- Just as you both rounded a corner, a particularly loud scream echoed through the room, followed by a life-sized animatronic zombie lunging toward you. Without thinking, Kurt instinctively "bamfed"—disappearing into a cloud of smoke and reappearing right in front of the zombie. “Ach! You scared mein Schatz!” he exclaimed dramatically, holding out his hands as if scolding the fake creature.

- You burst into laughter, doubling over as Kurt’s display turned into a full-fledged performance, complete with mock outrage. “You realize it’s not real, right?” you said, trying to catch your breath between giggles.

- “Real or not, I vill not stand for zis disrespect!” Kurt said, grinning as his tail curled around your wrist. He gave a wink before "bamfing" again, appearing just behind you and wrapping his arms around your waist.

- As the haunted house continued, Kurt couldn’t resist teleporting around, jumping ahead to surprise you or appearing beside some of the animatronics to “challenge” them to a duel. By the time you reached the exit, both of you were breathless from laughter, and the haunted house employees were giving Kurt curious, amused looks.

- “Zat vas wunderbar!” Kurt declared, pulling you close for a quick kiss. “Ve should do zat again, ja?”

- “Maybe without the bamfing next time,” you teased, though you couldn’t deny how much fun it had been.

- The rest of the night continued in much the same way. Kurt’s excitement was infectious, and he couldn’t help but teleport around the carnival, grabbing prizes for you and whisking you off to different booths. At one point, he even teleported both of you onto the Ferris wheel, much to the operator’s confusion.

- As the night came to a close, Kurt wrapped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you close as you both watched the fireworks light up the sky. “Danke, mein Liebling,” he whispered, his tail wrapping around your wrist gently. “For making zis night perfect.”

Scott Summers (Cyclops)

- Scott had insisted on going to the carnival with a plan. A structured plan. “We’ll hit the games first, then maybe the rides, and after that, we can grab some food,” he said confidently, holding a map of the carnival in one hand as he walked beside you. You couldn’t help but laugh at how seriously he was taking it, but that was just Scott.

- “You know, you can relax a little,” you teased, nudging him playfully. “It’s a carnival, not a mission.”

- Scott gave you a half-smile, adjusting his sunglasses. “I just want to make sure we get to do everything. There’s a lot to cover.”

- You appreciated his effort, but you knew Scott’s love of structure would inevitably clash with the chaos of the carnival. It didn’t take long for things to spiral. The first sign of trouble came when you reached the ring toss booth. Scott, ever the perfectionist, was determined to win you one of the giant stuffed animals. After missing a few rings, though, you could see the frustration building in his expression.

- “I don’t get it,” he muttered, lining up another ring. “I’m hitting the target dead-on. Why won’t it stay?”

- You bit back a laugh, knowing he was taking this far too seriously. “Maybe it’s rigged?” you suggested, trying to lighten the mood.

- Scott frowned, clearly not convinced. “I’m going to try again.”

- This time, you stepped forward, placing a hand on his arm gently. “It’s just a game, Scott. We can always try another one.”

- He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I just wanted to win you something.”

- Your heart melted a little at his earnestness, and you leaned up to kiss his cheek. “You don’t have to win me anything. I’m happy just being here with you.”

- Scott’s expression softened, and he gave you a small, appreciative smile. “Thanks.”

- Just as things seemed to calm down, the Ferris wheel caught Scott’s eye. “Let’s ride that next,” he suggested, glancing at the line. “We’ll be able to see the whole carnival from up there.”

- As you both waited in line, everything seemed to be going smoothly until, suddenly, one of the carnival workers tripped over a loose cable, causing a small electrical issue that made the Ferris wheel stop mid-turn. You both were stuck at the top, dangling in mid-air.

- “Great,” Scott muttered under his breath, looking at the non-functioning ride. “This wasn’t part of the plan.”

- You couldn’t help but laugh, leaning your head on his shoulder. “I guess even you can’t plan for everything.”

- He gave a resigned chuckle, shaking his head. “Yeah, yeah. Guess you’re right.” He wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pulling you close as you both watched the sun setting over the carnival from your vantage point in the sky.

Bobby Drake (Iceman)

- Bobby was the definition of carefree and fun, so when he suggested going to the carnival, you knew it would be a night full of laughter and mischief. “I’m gonna win you all the prizes,” he declared confidently as you both entered the carnival grounds, his hand laced with yours.

- “You sure about that?” you teased, raising an eyebrow. “What if I’m better at the games than you?”

- Bobby grinned, giving you a playful wink. “Oh, I *know* you’re competitive, but just wait. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.”

- The first game you both hit was the basketball toss. Bobby stepped up, flashing the carnival worker a confident smile. “Watch and learn, babe.”

- You crossed your arms, smirking as you watched him make his first shot—and miss. “Looks like you need some practice,” you teased, stifling a laugh.

- Bobby shot you a mock glare before lining up his next shot. This time, he nailed it, and you couldn’t help but cheer for him. “Told you I had this,” he said, accepting the prize from the worker—a small stuffed penguin, fittingly enough.

- As the night went on, Bobby’s playful antics kept you entertained. He made sure to try every game, even using his powers in small, sneaky ways to give himself an advantage. At one point, he froze the water gun in the shooting game just enough to keep it steady, winning a giant stuffed bear that he proudly handed over to you.

- “How many stuffed animals do you think we can carry?” you asked, laughing as Bobby piled yet another prize into your arms.

- “As many as it takes,” he said with a grin, but you could see the gleam in his eye that told you he was up to something.

- Sure enough, when you reached the ice cream stand, Bobby couldn’t resist using his powers to show off. He created a small ice sculpture of a penguin on your cone, earning a round of applause from the nearby kids.

- “You’re such a show-off,” you said, rolling your eyes, but you couldn’t stop smiling.

- “I know, I know,” Bobby said, bowing dramatically. “But admit it—you love it.”

- As the night continued, Bobby couldn’t resist getting into a bit of chaos. When you both reached the bumper cars, he made sure to freeze the track just enough to send everyone spinning wildly out of control. You could hear people laughing, completely unaware of the small patch of ice Bobby had created beneath their wheels.

- “Bobby!” you scolded, though you were laughing too hard to sound serious. “You’re going to get us kicked out!”

- “Nah, they’ll never know,” he said, giving you a wink as you both raced around the track, dodging the other cars. It wasn’t long before the ride attendant started looking suspicious, though, and Bobby quickly melted the ice before anyone could catch on.

- By the end of the night, you were both loaded down with prizes and stuffed animals, your sides aching from laughter. “Best. Night. Ever,” Bobby declared as he wrapped his arm around you, pulling you close.

- “Yeah, it was pretty amazing,” you agreed, leaning into him as you walked toward the exit. “But next time, maybe we keep the chaos to a minimum?”

- “Where’s the fun in that?” Bobby teased, planting a kiss on your temple.

Warren Worthington III (Angel)

- Warren always had an air of elegance and class about him, even at a carnival. From the moment you walked through the entrance, his hand resting on your lower back, he looked slightly out of place among the flashing lights and crowds. Still, he indulged your excitement, smiling at the prospect of a night filled with games and rides.

- “I’m not exactly used to this kind of... environment,” he admitted, adjusting his shirt as if he were still in some high-class event. You laughed, giving his arm a playful squeeze. “Don’t worry, Warren. Just follow my lead. We’ll start with something simple, like the ring toss.”

- At the game booth, Warren gave a polite nod to the carnival worker and then tried his best to follow the rules of the game. Unfortunately for him, his first few tosses were way off the mark, despite his best efforts. His wings twitched in mild frustration, and you could tell he wasn’t used to failure in any form.

- “Here, let me show you how it’s done,” you teased, stepping up and grabbing a ring. To your own surprise, your first throw landed perfectly around the bottle. You turned to Warren with a grin. “See? It’s all about aiming where you’re not trying to go.”

- Warren chuckled softly, though you could see the competitive spark in his eyes. He was always one to rise to a challenge. After a few more tries, he finally won, and with his natural grace, he handed you a giant stuffed bear. “For you, love. Even if it did take me longer than I expected.”

- Things really started to get chaotic when you both decided to go on the bumper cars. You didn’t think much of it, but Warren’s wings made it difficult for him to comfortably sit in the small car. “This... might not have been the best idea,” he muttered as he tried to squeeze in.

- You were already laughing as you got into your own car, watching Warren struggle to fit his wings within the tight confines. As the ride started, Warren immediately became a target for all the kids driving around, probably because of his wings sticking out awkwardly. Every few seconds, a car would bump into him, sending him jolting forward.

- “Why did I agree to this?” he grumbled, trying to avoid another hit. But when you managed to ram your car into his with a mischievous grin, Warren shot you an amused glare. “You’re going to pay for that.”

- The rest of the ride was a blur of chaotic bumper car mayhem. You laughed the whole time, but you could tell Warren was both trying to enjoy himself and maintain his dignity. By the end of it, his feathers were slightly ruffled, and he gave you a look that said he was never doing that again.

- As the night continued, Warren did loosen up, especially when you convinced him to go on the Ferris wheel with you. The view from the top was breathtaking, and for a moment, he seemed to relax completely, his arm around your shoulders as you leaned into him. “Now *this* I can get used to,” he whispered, his lips brushing against your temple.

- By the end of the night, despite the chaos, Warren admitted he had fun. “Next time, let’s try something a little more... refined,” he teased, though you knew he’d come back to the carnival with you any time you wanted.

Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto)

- Erik wasn’t exactly the kind of person who frequented carnivals. You knew it from the moment you suggested it, and the slight arch of his eyebrow told you he wasn’t thrilled about the idea. “A carnival? You’re serious?” he asked, arms crossed.

- “It’ll be fun,” you insisted, grabbing his hand. “Come on, Erik, when was the last time you let yourself just relax and enjoy something silly?”

- He sighed, though the corner of his mouth twitched upward. “For you, I suppose I can make an exception.” That’s how you found yourself walking into the brightly lit carnival with one of the most powerful mutants in the world by your side, looking decidedly out of place but determined to humor you.

- It didn’t take long for things to start going wrong. Erik, being the master of magnetism, unintentionally interfered with several of the carnival rides. You were both standing in line for a simple spinning ride when it suddenly shut down. The operator seemed confused, scratching his head as the machinery stalled.

- “I didn’t even touch anything,” Erik muttered, though you shot him a knowing look. “Really, I didn’t.”

- “Maybe we should stick to games where you don’t have to be near anything metal,” you suggested with a grin, tugging him toward the balloon dart booth.

- Erik’s mood lightened a bit when you both started playing the carnival games. He didn’t have much interest in stuffed animals or prizes, but watching you get competitive at the ring toss and dart games made him smile in his own subtle way. “You’re really getting into this, aren’t you?” he teased, watching as you missed another shot.

- “It’s harder than it looks!” you argued, but Erik just chuckled. With a flick of his fingers, he subtly guided one of your darts into a balloon, making it pop instantly. You turned to him with wide eyes. “Did you just—”

- “No idea what you’re talking about,” he said smoothly, smirking as the carnival worker handed you a prize.

- The real chaos came when you convinced him to try the strength tester, the game where you hit a hammer and try to ring the bell. Erik didn’t even bother to use his full strength—just a quick, casual swing, and the bell practically flew off the top, clattering onto the ground.

- “Well, that’s one way to win,” you said, trying to stifle your laughter as the carnival worker stared in shock.

- Erik shrugged, looking mildly amused as he glanced at the broken bell. “Not my fault they didn’t build it properly.”

- By the end of the night, despite the mishaps, Erik seemed to have enjoyed himself more than he’d admit. “It was... tolerable,” he said with a smirk, pulling you close. “But next time, let’s do something less likely to fall apart around me.”

Pietro Maximoff (Quicksilver)

- Going to a carnival with Pietro was a whirlwind—literally. From the moment you stepped through the gates, he was off, zipping from one game to the next, barely giving you time to catch up. “Come on, slowpoke!” he called out, already standing at the dart booth before you could even take your first step.

- “You’re impossible,” you muttered, but you couldn’t help but smile. Pietro’s energy was infectious, and you knew tonight would be full of chaos.

- It started with the games. Pietro was determined to win you every prize in the carnival, though his speed made it hard for him to slow down enough to actually play. At the ring toss, he zoomed through several rings before realizing none of them had landed. “This game is rigged,” he grumbled, crossing his arms.

- “Maybe you should try slowing down,” you suggested with a grin, stepping up to take your turn. To your surprise, you managed to win on your second try, earning a small stuffed animal. Pietro looked at you with wide eyes, clearly impressed. “Okay, maybe you’re just better at this than I am.”

- The real chaos, though, came when you convinced him to go on the carousel. It seemed like a harmless enough ride, but as soon as it started moving, Pietro couldn’t resist the urge to speed it up. Before you knew it, the horses were spinning around at an alarming rate, and people were shouting in surprise.

- “Pietro!” you yelled, holding onto the pole for dear life. “Slow it down!”

- With a laugh, he finally let the ride return to its normal speed, though the other riders were clearly a little dizzy when they got off. “What? I thought it could use a little excitement,” he said with a mischievous grin.

- “You’re going to get us kicked out,” you teased, shaking your head as you both moved on to the next attraction.

- The bumper cars were a whole different level of chaos. Pietro’s speed allowed him to dodge every car with ease, leaving the other riders frustrated as they tried to catch him. You, on the other hand, found yourself being bumped into every few seconds as you tried to keep up.

- “You’re supposed to be on my team!” you shouted as Pietro zipped past you, laughing as he narrowly avoided another car.

- “Sorry, babe, no teams in bumper cars!” he called back, clearly enjoying himself.

- By the end of the night, you were both breathless from laughter and running around the carnival. Pietro wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you close as you walked toward the exit. “That was fun,” he admitted, his usual cocky grin softening a bit. “We should do it again sometime.”

- “Maybe next time you’ll slow down long enough for me to actually enjoy it,” you teased, though you knew you wouldn’t change a thing about the chaotic, whirlwind night you’d had with him.

Wade Wilson (Deadpool)

- A carnival date with Wade, was bound to be one of the wildest experiences of your life. The second you stepped into the carnival, he was bouncing around like a kid who’d had way too much sugar. “Oh baby, this is gonna be epic! Carnies, cotton candy, and chaos—three of my favorite things!”

- Wade insisted on playing every game, but instead of trying to win prizes, he was more interested in “spicing things up.” At the dart throw, he purposely hit the ceiling instead of the balloons, declaring, “It’s reverse psychology! They’ll never see it coming!” The poor booth operator was at a loss for words, especially when Wade whipped out his katana, threatening to “pop them all at once.”

- “Wade, no weapons at the carnival,” you reminded him with a chuckle, pulling him away before he could get you both kicked out.

- The real chaos began when Wade spotted the Ferris wheel. “Do you know what this needs? A dramatic Ferris wheel kiss!” Before you could protest, Wade dragged you into a cart, somehow managing to cause a malfunction that stopped the wheel at the very top. The two of you were suspended in mid-air as Wade dramatically dipped you, trying to plant a kiss while also almost flipping you both out of the cart.

- “Wade! We’re gonna fall!” you shrieked, laughing despite yourself.

- “Then we’ll fall in love—literally!” he quipped, still holding onto you with one arm while the other waved madly for the carnival operator to fix the ride.

- After finally getting back on the ground, Wade couldn’t resist trying the bumper cars. This, naturally, turned into a high-speed chase where he decided to narrate the entire thing like a car chase in an action movie. “And Deadpool swerves to the left, narrowly avoiding that kid with cotton candy! But wait, here comes the love of his life, ready to T-bone him from the right!”

- By the time you left the carnival, both of you were banned from at least three rides, Wade had convinced a few people he was actually part of the entertainment, and you couldn’t stop laughing. As the night wound down, Wade gave you a surprisingly soft smile, taking your hand in his.

- “Y’know, this wasn’t half bad,” he said, squeezing your fingers. “You’re pretty fun, babe. And that’s saying something, ‘cause I’m the king of fun.”

- “You make chaos fun,” you teased back, leaning into him as you walked out of the carnival. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Nathan Summers (Cable)

- A carnival with Cable was a different kind of adventure. Nathan wasn’t exactly the carnival type, and you could tell by the way he scanned the crowd the moment you stepped in, his metal arm gleaming under the bright lights. “Do you ever stop being on alert?” you teased him, looping your arm through his.

- He gave you a half-smile, the kind that made your heart race. “Force of habit. But if you want me to relax, I’ll give it a shot.”

- The night started off relatively normal, at least by Cable standards. He begrudgingly tried a few games, and while he wasn’t exactly into it, you could tell he was making an effort for you. “This is rigged,” he muttered after missing a shot at the basketball hoop, his brow furrowed in concentration.

- “Or maybe you’re just out of practice,” you teased, and for a moment, you thought you saw a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. But things took a turn when you both decided to ride the carousel.

- Halfway through, the ride glitched, and suddenly you found yourselves not in the carnival but in a different time period entirely. “Nathan, did you—?”

- “I didn’t do anything!” he said, his eyes narrowing as he tried to figure out what had gone wrong. The carousel horses were now galloping through a war-torn landscape, and Cable immediately shifted into battle mode.

- “We have to get out of here,” he growled, using his telekinesis to shield you from flying debris. Just when you thought you were stuck in this alternate timeline forever, Cable managed to fix the glitch, and you both tumbled back into the carnival with a thud.

- “Okay, no more rides,” you panted, laughing as you collapsed against him. Cable chuckled softly, wrapping his metal arm around you protectively.

- “Yeah, maybe we stick to something a little less... chaotic,” he agreed, pressing a kiss to your temple. But despite the madness, you couldn’t deny that the chaos had been kind of thrilling.

- As you left the carnival, Cable squeezed your hand, his usually stoic expression softening. “Next time, let’s just do dinner,” he said, his voice low and sincere. “I think we’ve had enough excitement for one night.”

[officialstrawhat]

Rose of Dressrosa- Chapter 8

Sorry, it's been a while! I'm back on a writing kick and hope that I can write more as the summer nears!

Chapter List

Summary:

After King Riku is dethroned, Doflamingo takes you under his wing and asks you to follow only one strict rule: "Do not leave the palace alone". However, your sense of adventure is too great.

Law had only one thing in mind... Revenge. And you seemed like the best way to do that.

Word Cound:1.2K

Note: Not Edited. Gif not mine.

Warnings! : Dark themes, manipulation, death, murder, creepy/ obsessive doffy, creepy photos/invasion of privacy.

Chapter 8

When you regained consciousness, the strange shield and Law were gone.

Above you, the moon hung high and cold, casting long skeletal shadows across the ground. Your head throbbed violently, but panic soon drowned out the pain. Frantically, you pressed a trembling hand against your chest, searching for a heartbeat.

Nothing.

A hollow, terrifying emptiness answered you. He had stolen your heart.

A chill deeper than fear slithered down your spine. What were you supposed to do now?

Numbly, you walked back to the palace and went through the motions as if everything were fine. At breakfast, Viola’s eyes widened when she saw you. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but shut it quickly, looking away. The others? They barely noticed you existed.

You sat stiffly, trying to focus on Baby 5’s cheerful rambling about some man she met in town, but your mind kept drifting back to last night—until Diamante’s sharp voice sliced through your haze. You strained your ears to listen.

"A strange light was seen at the outskirts of town," he reported.

"Double the guard," Trebol ordered lazily, waving a hand.

"Has Caesar made contact yet?" Gladius asked.

"As I said before," Monet replied with thin patience, "Caesar is willing to meet our terms."

Diamante snorted. Monet turned toward him sharply, eyes narrowed. "What?"

"It's just funny how desperate you are to prove the Young Master's little pet project is a complete failure."

"Y/N!" You jolted violently at the sound of your name.

"Didn't you hear me?" Buffalo growled. "Pass the butter."

You mumbled your apologies and did as he asked.

"You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost," Baby 5 said, her voice soft with concern as Buffalo spread the margarine on his toast.

You nodded. “Didn’t sleep well.” Rising from your seat, you muttered, “I think I’m going to lie down.” You didn’t wait for her to respond. Instead, you walked stiffly back to your room.

What were you going to do? How the hell were you going to get out of this? Should you just come clean to Viola? 

Would she even help you after what you said to her? No way...

Your eyes caught the bag you'd packed. The whole thing now felt idiotic. How could you have been so stupid! Shame quickly turned to fury. Your blood boiled as you angrily grabbed the duffel bag strap and hurled it against the wall. Its contents spilled across the tile floor. With a sigh of regret, you stalked over and dropped to your knees, beginning to pick up the items.

Tales of Grand Adventures was splayed out, and your stomach dropped when you noticed some pages were bent. As you picked up the book, something slipped from its pages. It was a small, folded note.

You snatched it up hastily, a phantom pang of your heart hammering against your ribs.

Meet me by the clock tower. Midnight.

OoOoOo

The tower loomed ahead, bathed in silver moonlight. Each step you took seemed louder than the last, echoing in the silence.

Your skin prickled.

You were being watched. You were sure of it.

A sudden movement caught your eye—

DONG!

The bell struck midnight, the sound reverberating through your bones.

From the shadows, he emerged. Silent… Predatory…

"You," you spat, unable to hide the venom in your voice.

"Me," he answered, almost amused.

“Im here.” You took a step forward face hard, "What do you want?" "I want revenge," he said simply, the words hanging heavy between you.

"On Doflamingo? Why?"

"You don't get to ask questions."

"Then why am I here?"

"You're going to help me," he said, stepping closer. The cold glint in his eyes made your stomach twist.

"And why would I ever—?"

Pain exploded in your chest. You staggered forward, gasping, clutching at the invisible force squeezing the life from you.

He lifted a small object in his hand. It was your heart. "One wrong move," he whispered, "and I'll kill you."

You didn't notice how close he was until He grabbed your chin, forcing you to meet his merciless gaze. "Understand?"

Fury and terror warred inside you, but you forced a small, shaky nod.

"Good." He shoved you back roughly. "You’re going to find out what Doflamingo’s up to."

"What?! Like how he runs Dressrosa?" you sneered.

He laughed, it sounded dry and broken. "You are dumber than you look. Dressrosa’s nothing. A distraction. Whatever he's doing... it isn't about being king."

"Then what?" you demanded.

"That’s what you're going to find out. Starting with Caesar."

"And how am I supposed to—?"

"You’ll figure it out." He disappeared back into the shadows. “You have until tomorrow.”

OoOoOo

The corridors of the palace were deserted. The silence was heavy, suffocating even. You stopped at Doffy’s office door and, with shaking fingers, you crafted a wooden key out of the dirt in your hand and slipped it into the lock. The door creaked open, revealing darkness.

Inside, everything was immaculate. Too immaculate. Not a speck of dust. Not a page out of place. Your eyes landed on a vase of flowers sitting neatly on the desk.

They were wilting.

Dying.

Just like you would be if you didn't do as Law asked.

Moving quickly, you rifled through the drawers. You found balanced ledgers. Records of property. Nothing out of the ordinary. Until you found a locked one. You created another key, unlocked it.

Inside were letters. Bundles of them. Lifting them out of the drawer, your eyes scanned the curly written words: "Young Master, the trials have failed...",  "Young Master, potential genome link discovered. Awaiting further instructions...", "Young Master, SMILE has reached three percent efficacy. Additional tests pending..."

You were replacing the letters when you spotted something underneath an envelope. It was a photograph. You pulled it out, and your breath froze in your lungs.

It was you… 

Asleep in your bed… Blankets kicked off…

Vulnerable… Exposed…

Your shirt had ridden up to reveal the majority of your stomach, sleep shorts twisted indecently low. You didn’t know when- or how- that picture could have been taken.

Revulsion clawed up your throat. Your hands shook violently as you shoved the photo back and shut the drawer. You needed to get out of this room.

Now.

OoOoOo

Later, you met Law under the cover of darkness. When you briefed him on what you found, the corners of his mouth curled in satisfaction.

"You got what you wanted." You glared at him. "Can I have my heart back now?" 

"No," he said, voice cold as steel. He leaned casually against the wall, as if you weren’t standing there with a hollow chest. "All you did, Princess," he drawled, "was confirm that Doflamingo’s dealing with Caesar. Now we have to figure out what they’re making."

He straightened up, moving off the wall, voice dropping to a razor-sharp whisper. “Doflamingo comes back next week." "I don’t know how much more I can find," you said, fists clenching. "Then I’ll get what I need myself."

You blinked. "What?"

He was close to you now. You had to tilt your chin up to meet his gaze. “Get me into the palace,” he said, eyes gleaming dangerously. “And what exactly are you planning to do?" you swallowed.

His grin was feral, and for a moment, you could’ve sworn he was going to move closer. Instead, he stepped back and turned away, his voice cutting through the night. "Burn it to the ground if I have to."

[mordoriscalling]

48 Weeks (4/4)

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)

Throughout the 48 weeks that Geralt and Jaskier spend apart, their relationship develops.

Aka, part 3 of the Singer and the Sailor AU no one asked for but I wrote anyway. The events of this story happen after Stay or Sail Away but before Homecoming.

Weeks 37-48

Week 37

“I think I’m gonna write a book,” Jaskier announces.

“What about?”

“I’m not sure.”

Geralt snorts.

“I definitely have a story in me to tell,” Jaskier says defensively, “I can feel it. My music is about stories too, but I’m not ready to write a book yet.”

“When you think you’ll be ready?”

Jaskier smiles in a way that doesn’t bode well. “Maybe after my dear White Wolf tells me of all his sea adventures.”

Geralt does not like the implications of this. “No.”

“Geralt!” Jaskier whines, “You wound me! First you bewitch me body and soul, and now–”

“Don’t quote Pride and Prejudice at me, it’s not working.”

Jaskier pouts. “At least one little story? Pretty please?”

Geralt sighs. He still hasn’t learned to deny Jaskier anything.

Week 38

“I know this is a weird question but... is Eskel straight?”

Geralt feels a chill down to his very bones. “What?”

“I just... need this information. I don’t want to jinx it so I won’t say anything more for now.”

Geralt clenches his jaw. Eskel’s only two months older than him and in some ways, the two of them are all too similar. “He isn’t”, Geralt answers, “he’s mostly into women but there’re some men who catch his eye.”

Jaskier smiles like a cat that got all the cream. “That’s fantastic.”

Geralt grips the phone so hard his knuckle go white. “Indeed,” he grinds out.

Jakier’s face falls. “Geralt, what’s–”

“Have to go.”

He hangs up without another word and tries not to let this hurt him. He did see this coming. Yet, all the moments he and Jaskier shared, all the songs Jaskier sent him, everything of this is right there, painful like hell.

He misses home more than ever.

Week 39

“Geralt, what’s wrong? Talk to me.”

Geralt doesn’t want to. He didn’t reply to any of Jaskier’s frantic texts since the last video call. He only sent a message about when he would be able to talk this week and sure enough, Jaskier called at that time. Geralt wishes he didn’t. He wishes Jaskier just left already.

“Not bored of me yet?” he asks bitingly, all the bitterness of the past week coming up to the surface again.

Jaskier blinks. “I don’t understand.”

That angers Geralt even more. It’s not that hard to understand that he’s fucking hurt. “Stop fucking playing with me,” he growls, “Just say you want Eskel and leave me the fuck alone.”

“What.”

“You seemed happy to hear that he’s into guys,” Geralt answers, “so fuck off and go to him.”

Jaskier’s eyes widen. “Oh gods,” he says, then starts laughing.

“This isn’t fucking funny,” Geralt spats, furious now. Rejection is bad enough but ridicule is so much worse than that.

Jaskier stops giggling abruptly. “Oh no. I hurt you.”

Geralt grits his teeth and doesn’t reply.

“I’m so, so sorry.” The look in Jaskier’s eyes seems sincere. “I asked about Eskel’s sexuality because I have a plan to set him up with my friend Essi. I was happy to hear that he’s mostly into women because Essi is most definitely a woman, and a wonderful one at that. I’m trying to talk them into a blind date because I’m just sure they’d hit it off.”

Geralt suddenly feels like an idiot.

“I didn’t want to give you that impression,” Jaskier goes on, “I apologize, dearest. Eskel’s great but I love you.”

Geralt finds he can’t say it back today; Jaskier is too good for him. Instead, he musters an apology. Jaskier accepts and slowly, the tension between them eases, but the hurt lingers for some time.

Week 40

“Lambert is such a prick.”

Geralt huffs a laugh. “I see the first meeting went well.”

Lambert returned from his deployment a few days ago. Jaskier met him and Aiden yesterday.

“Well enough, I suppose,” Jaskier replies, “We called each other names but that was the fun part.”

Geralt chuckles. Jaskier rambles on about what’s going on back at home: Ciri's doing good at her piano lessons, Yennefer still tolerates Jaskier, Eskel and Essi have agreed to go out together. As Geralt listens to the cheerful chatter, his chest tightens.

Christmas is in two days. Spending the holiday on the ship isn’t bad – their celebration is almost like home – but Geralt hasn’t seen his loved ones in nine months. Usually, he would be on his way home around this time. Nine months is how long his deployments typically last. When they’re longer than that, being away from home starts getting unbearable again.

The sea can’t soothe him today.

Week 41

It’s their last video call of the year and Geralt wants to come clean.

“My hair used to be dark brown, even darker than yours.”

“Geralt, you really don’t have to–”

“But then in went white in a matter of a few weeks.”

Jaskier says nothing for a while. He looks unsure but Geralt waits for him to ask. Finally, he does. “What? How?”

“Blaviken.”

“Blaviken?”

Geralt swallows hard. His hands start sweating but he makes himself go on. “That was the name of the ship. I was twenty-seven, only a lieutenant. There was a sub-lieutenant there, Renfri. She and I... we had an affair, but we broke it off before we got deployed. During the deployment, she... she wanted to take revenge on one of the officers in command who harassed her in the past. She had a few of the guys on the ship on her side. They... took one crew member hostage, demanding the officer’s immediate resignation.”

“Holy fuck,” Jaskier breathes out.

Geralt’s heart is hammering in his chest. He forces himself to continue. “I was ordered to reason with Renfri but I didn’t succeed. She told her guys to attack me. I defended myself and knocked them out. Then Renfri attacked me herself because I ruined her revenge, and I...” He takes a deep breath and takes in Jaskier’s face for what he knows is possibly the last time. After drinking his fill, he looks away and confesses, “I hurt her too. Really badly. She never fully recovered and left the Navy the moment she could. I faced trial, it was a miracle I didn’t get expelled. People started calling me a Butcher and I was so fucking...” He trails off because his eyes are starting to prickle. The cruel disillusionment of that time – when he realised he would never be a hero after what he’d done – hits him all over again. It haunts him, even now, just like the way Renfri’s body went limp in his arms.

When he can speak again, he only adds, “After everything, my hair went white.”

He can’t even glance at Jaskier. A mixture of self-hatred, shame and remorse rises up his throat like bile. He listens to the ringing silence, waiting for Jaskier to finally say that it’s over.

Jaskier’s words are quiet and sorrowful, “I’m so sorry you went through that.”

It’s such a shock that Geralt can only stare. Jaskier’s eyes are brimming with compassion, which he never got from anyone but his family. No one else cared what truly happened on Blaviken. He was reduced to the Butcher, hated and feared. His infamy followed him like a shadow and Geralt wanted to out-run it more than he ever wanted anything in his life. And so, he worked himself to the ground to prove himself, then to keep his job because Ciri came into his life.

Eventually, he got promoted to lieutenant commander, then to commander three years ago. From the Butcher he became the White Wolf, known not for how he had hurt people but for how he cared about crew safety, demanding complete adherence to the rules. He’s now feared for his strictness, and it’s said that he could even become a Royal Navy captain.

Yet, Geralt noticed that he'd started drifting away from his family, especially Ciri, he slowly understood that enough was enough. The sea is what Geralt knows and finds solace in, but he wouldn’t be where he is now without the support of his loved ones. He’s been choosing the sea over them for long enough. 

And now, somehow, Jaskier has become one of them. It’s irrational and too quick but Jaskier tells him he loves him even when he knows about Blaviken. Geralt decides he wants to keep him in his life indefinitely.

Week 42

“Happy New Year, my love.”

“Happy New Year,” Geralt replies, a smile tugging at his lips. He’s sure the year will be happy, with Jaskier there.

“I have a song for you,” Jaskier says, “to kick this year off with something good. It’s just... what I wish for us.”

“Something good” doesn’t begin to cover it. The song is slow and sensual, and it speaks of being in love. Of Jaskier being in love with him, loving and admiring him despite and because of knowing him well. Geralt listens to the song on repeat until he dreams of it, wishing that it was true.

He suspects that Jaskier has a wrong idea of him – an ideal which he won’t be able to live up to once he comes back. There’s a good chance that he’ll let Jaskier down and what they have won’t last.

And yet, he’s selfish and wants it to be real.

Week 43

Jaskier turns thirty-six today and Geralt has only one thing to say.

“I wish this too, Jaskier.”

Jaskier’s smile is watery and beautiful. “Happy birthday to me, indeed.”

Week 44

“Ciri keeps talking about that boy –”

“What boy?”

“You know, the new one in her class? Dara?” Jaskier looks at him expectantly. After a moment, the name rings a bell. He nods and Jaskier goes on, “I think she likes him.”

Geralt freezes. “Likes him?”

“Well, not likes him likes him but... they’re attached at the hip already. It’s great to see her make a friend like that, you know.”

Geralt hums in understanding. Ciri is friendly but other children are a bit hard on her. Many teachers are fond of her and the kids are jealous, thinking that it’s because Ciri’s parents are of high status. Ciri did earn her position as the favourite but it is true that no teacher would want to get into the black boots of a high-ranking government official and a Royal Navy commander. Now, Jaskier entering Ciri’s life only added fuel to fire in this aspect.

Sometimes Geralt thinks he shouldn’t have fought Yennefer tooth and nail when she wanted to send Ciri to the poshest school they could afford at the time. Geralt didn’t want his daughter to grow up in that environment but Yennefer wanted her to receive a top-quality education. In the end, Ciri went to a state school with high educational standards, but when the problem with other kids’ treatment of her appeared a few years later, Geralt regretted his stubbornness.

At least Ciri has always taken it in stride. She’s even more stubborn than he was, refusing to let it get to her, and Geralt adores her for it. It’s a relief, though, that she’s finally made a close friend.

“Thank you for looking out for her,” he tells Jaskier.

“Honestly, Geralt, I’m honoured that you allow me to do it. Yennefer would never let me.”

Geralt chuckles. “She wouldn’t.”

“And yet, despite her clear disdain of me, I’m starting to like that witch-bitch.” Jaskier sighs dramatically. “Alas, it appears she’s actually admirable and has a good taste in everything. Especially men.”

Geralt rolls his eyes.

Week 45

“Essi and Eskel are now a couple!” Jaskier exclaims excitedly in lieu of greeting.

“That was... fast.”

“That’s because they’re a perfect match!” Jaskier boasts with a grin, “I knew exactly what I was doing, I’m one of the best matchmakers out there.”

“What does it make Lambert?” Geralt asks.

“What do you mean?”

“He did matchmake you. With me.”

Geralt can clearly see the moment the realisation hits Jaskier.

“God-fucking-dammit, I’ve been bested!” he laments, "By fucking Lambert!”

Geralt quickly regrets pointing that out. Jaskier refuses to shut up about it.

Week 46

It’s Geralt’s forty-first birthday. The crew sang him happy birthday to his utter disgust, at which the fuckers were delighted, and now it seems that yet another person wants to celebrate his existence.

“I have a gift for you, love,” Jaskier says with a smile.

He props the phone against what Geralt assumes to be the music rack. When Jaskier sits down, Geralt gets a great view of his face as he starts playing.

The slow piano melody entrances Geralt at once. After some time, Jaskier starts singing, his voice low and soothing. The song is full of gentle, loving, grand promises. Geralt’s breath is taken away as he watches Jaskier sway to the music with his eyes closed, basked in the afternoon sunlight, looking like a creature from another world.

All the songs Jaskier’s written for him speak of such a strong feeling that Geralt is afraid to reach for it when he returns. If it were to crash and burn, the disaster would be spectacular. All his previous relationships ended badly; he knows he should be cautious.

And yet, Jaskier lures him in. He’s bright and full of life, ridiculous and annoying, warm but sharp. Jaskier feels like safety, he has from the start. And so, Geralt lets himself have this.

“Siren,” he murmurs after the last notes of the song die down, “thank you. It’s a beautiful gift. You are a gift.”

“Godness, Geralt,” Jaskier breathes out, “don’t say such things.”

“Why not?”

“I can’t be responsible for my actions when I hear you say something like that.”

“Maybe I don’t want you to hold back,” Geralt replies, “You are a gift.”

Jaskier’s gaze darkens. “Just you wait, Geralt Rivia,” he says huskily, “the things I’m going to do to you–”

Week 47

“All right, young lady, time to show off!”

Jaskier angles his phone so that the camera shows both him and Ciri as they sit by the piano in his house. Ciri smiles at Geralt and waves in greeting. Geralt smiles back, giving her an encouraging nod, and she places her fingers on the keys.

“Ladies and gentlemen, and everyone in-between and outside of that spectrum,” Jaskier says in an announcer voice, “I present to you Cirilla Vengeberg-Rivia, who will play Chopsticks for this esteemed audience!”

Ciri snickers and then begins. She plays slowly, yet to Geralt’s untrained ear, she keeps the rhythm and doesn’t miss any notes. The song lasts only a minute or two but Geralt is still very proud of her.

“Good job, Cub,” he tells her, making her smile.

“Indeed!” Jaskier seconds, “You’re a talent, sweetheart.”

“Maybe I got it from dad,” Ciri jokes.

The joke warms him to his very core but he snorts because the very notion is beyond ridiculous. “I wouldn’t be able to play well if my life depended on it.”

“Have you tried, though?” Jaskier asks with a smirk that bodes trouble.

Ciri grins like a brat she is. “We could learn together, dad.”

“A splendid idea, Ciri!” Jaskier exclaims. “Now, how can we talk your dad into it?”

Geralt faces two pairs of bright eyes and matching mischievous smiles, and he knows he can’t say no.

Week 48

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“I can’t believe it.” Jaskier lets out a small laugh. “Am I dreaming? Just... it’s been so long.”

“Hmm.”

They don’t talk much, only smile at each other. Geralt can almost sense Jaskier’s excitement through the screen, and he shares the feeling.

Tomorrow, he returns to his family. Very soon, finally, he comes back home.

To Jaskier.

*** 

A/N: Thank you for reading! If you’d like to revisit this fic as a whole, you can do so on AO3. 

The list of "Jaskier's" songs in this fic: Vor í Vaglaskógi by KALEO Movement by Hozier Wish That You Were Here by Florence + The Machine Pass Them By by Agnes Obel Muddy Waters by LP Venus by Sleeping At Last Coming Home, Pt. II by Skylar Grey Angels by the xx I Hold You by CLANN

It would be... a hell of an album.

[hello-robin-goodfellow]

FAVORITE MOVIE LOVE STORIES

THANKS FOR THE TAG: @superkingofpriderock​

Belle and Beast (Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast, 1946)

Since i was a kid, Beauty and the Beast has always been my favorite western european fairy tale. I relate at the same to the Beast’s desire to be accepted by the society that fears and looks down his appearance and to Belle’s mixture of fear, curiosity and fascination by the hybrid anthropomorfic creature. And with their great chemistry, the actors Josette Day and Jean Marais really captured those feelings in this classic adaptation directed by Jean Cocteaus

Damiel and Marion (Wings of Desire, 1987)

A 1987 film by Wim Wenders originally called Der Himmel über Berlin (lit: ‘The Heavens Above Berlin’).The film depicts two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, wandering in Cold War era Berlin and listening to the thoughts of humans. Among those humans are an old man looking for the now-destroyed Potsdamer Platz and recalling the good times he used to have there; Peter Falk As Himself; and Marion, a lonely French trapezist desperately looking for a purpose in life.  The angels don’t directly intervene in human existence but sometimes give comfort to humans who need it, like a woman in labor, or a suicidal man on a tram, or a motorcyclist who is dying in the street after he was struck by a car. However, Damiel yearns to be human himself and to experience life as a mortal does. Eventually he falls in love with Marion, the trapeze artist, and has to make a difficult choice: to become human himself in order to be with her, leaving Heaven.

Queen Fantaghirò and King Romualdo (Fantaghirò/The Cave of the Golden Rose franchise, 1991-96)

Fantaghirò (known in the english speaking world as The Cave of the Golden Rose) is a series of five television films produced in Italy by Lamberto Bava (Mario Bava’s son), telling the adventures of Fantaghirò, the youngest of three princess sisters, who traines to become a brave warrior as a way to get free of the sexist restrictions imposed at her life by her father. Her kingdom has been at war with a neighbor kingdom for years, and one day the rencently crowned young adversary king, Romualdo, decides to end the war by personally challenging the best champion of Fantaghirò’s kingdom. Fantaghirò, disguised as man, presents herself as this champion, and their love story begins when Romualdo falls in love with the beauty of her eyes. What’s interesting about this couple is how their personalitys complement each other: Fantaghirò with a more combative strong temper, and Romualdo with a more sweet and calm temper.

Marianne Danielle and Doctor Van Helsing (The Brides of Dracula, 1960)

While watching Hammer Horror’s Brides of Dracula, i finded adorable how Doctor Van Helsing cares for Marianne Danielle (whom he befriends while arriving at Transilvania), how he wants to protect her and respects her feelings, to the point of trying contain his sorrow when she announces her engagement with Baron Meinster. I always imagine that when he defeated the Baron (who is revealed to be a vampire), and flee the wind mill with Marianne, he declared his feelings, she reciprocated, he teached her how to fight vampires, they married and became a battle couple searching to purge the world of the vampires. This is a pairing who deservers more love, fanart and fanfiction.

Fininha and Clécio (Tatuagem, 2013)

Tatuagem (Tattoo) is a movie set in the late 1970s, during the period of the Brazilian Civil-Military Dictatorship, that tells the love story between Fininha, an young soldier, and Clécio, an actor and playwrighter who produces satirical plays for a underground theater called Chão de Estrelas (Floor of Stars). Their romance is one of the most sweetest ever captured on film, but we also feel a certain unease that the fact of Fininha being at the service of the military who persecutes the theater artists will break the couple apart at any moment…

Karaba and Kirikou (Kirikou and the Sorceress, 1998)

Kirikou and the Sorceress is a 1998 French animated film, directed by Michel Ocelot, loosely based on a West African fairy tale.  It tells the story of a tiny baby boy, named Kirikou, who is born in a spectacular way (all by himself, without effort of his mother nor outside help) and can speak and walk immediately after being born. After a couple of questions, he learns that a wicked sorceress, Karaba, has cursed the village and devoured all the men and boys, except his uncle, who is on his way to fight the sorceress. He tricks the sorceress, saves his uncle as well as the children of the village (twice!!), brings the water back to the dried-up spring and, among other things, discovers the sorceress’ true motivations: Karaba is evil because of all the suffering she went through at the hands of men, including a very subtly implied rape. All the bad things that she allegedly had done are ultimately proved to be false. She does hate everyone, but she gets better. Despite being a baby, Kirikou asks Karaba in marriage when she pulls a Heel–Face Turn, saying that he doesn’t like little girls. She doesn’t accept, of course, but then her kiss turns him into a handsome young man.

Nina Shah and Lisa MacKinlay (Nina’s Heavenly Delights, 2006)

Nina’s Heavenly Delights is a Rom Com about a cooking contest,  directed by Pratibha Parmar. The death of her father Mohan brings prodigal daughter, Scot with Indian ancestry Nina (Shelley Conn) home again to Glasgow, her mother, siblings - and the family restaurant, “The Taj”. Being able to keep the latter now hinges on the cooking skills Nina learned at her father‘s knees. In the “Best of The West Curry Competition” she will have to face the former fiancé she left at the altar, Sanjay. In this competition, she will count with the partnership of Lisa, who owns half of the restaurant since Mohan’s death and already seems to be very much part of Nina’s family. And in the proccess, Lisa also becomes a part of Nina’s heart… 

Lady and Tramp (Lady and the Tramp, 1955)

I grew up watching VHSs of the old Disney 2-D Animated movies over, and over, and over. And a thing that i find funny is that most people tend to quote movies from the 1990s Disney Renaissance as when Disney Couples started to met each other first instead of fall in love at first sight, bu when we make a retrospective, in actuality it was Lady and Tramp who started the trend. First they met at Lady’s house and have a verbal fight due to diverging points of view about humans, them they encounter each other again at the streets when she flees from Aunt Sarah, and they walk trough the zoo to unleash Ladys muzzle, Tramp takes her to dinner at Tonys (wich us gives Bella Notte, one of the most romantic scenes in movie history)… every step that a real couple takes to meet each other is taken by Lady and Tramp.

Orfeo x Eurydice (Black Orpheus, 1959)

Black Orpheus is a 1959 film, a French production shot in Brazil and in the Portuguese language. It is a retelling of the ancient myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, set in Rio during Carnaval. Orfeo is a trolley conductor who moonlights as a dancer in a samba school. He is engaged to be married to the gorgeous and passionate Mira, but doesn’t seem too enthused about it. On his trolley car, he meets Eurydice, who has arrived in Rio from the countryside because she is being chased by a mysterious man who she thinks is trying to kill her. Orfeo and Eurydice fall in love, but the strange man—Death himself—is still stalking her.

I TAG: @jgvfhl​ @johnnyclash87​ @lioness--hart​ @mademoiselle-princesse​

[grouptalekindnesssoul]

The Dragon Guarded Weapon

Warnings: Contains darker themes

This is also a first draft! So, any feedback is appreciated. It’s also very rough. 

As if spawning into a game, a young woman appeared in the center of the street. She then shook her short hair out of her blue eyes before slipping through the crowd with practiced ease, headed for a weaponsmith’s. She nodded to two other girls of about the same age as she passed. The black dyed hair bobbed as one slung a bow over her shoulder. The second had no obvious weapons, but a satchel was hanging across her body. 

“You must be the adventurer newbie. Look around, find something to your liking. I’m guessing something lightweight?” The towering, honey-toned smith asked, his voice like boulders crashing together. I shook my head and looked around, hovering over a wicked set of knives before pointing to a hammer.

“That looks to be my style” He looked at me funny but handed it to me. I tested it out by swiping it through the air. I rested it on the ground as I strapped on the sheath, standing just taller than me. 

“It suits you. Where are you off to now?” He asked as I paid. “Guards building. I’m fighting the head so we can take missions. My teammates agreed to a one on one, with me as the representative.” I smiled maliciously. He chuckled softly. 

“Don’t be too inhuman with that. I’d hate for her to come to me in a fury and demand I change your weapon” I waved as I left, smiling proudly. As I walked towards the door, Rebecca and Maddie joined me, arriving just as they were starting to look for us. I brushed past them and emerged into the courtyard training area where Captain Valerie was waiting. 

“Ready?” She asked. At my nod, she raised her shield and started circling me. She tried to jab at me with a solid sword, but I hooked my hammer to the edge of her shield. Pulling it back, I tapped her chest lightly before she could get in a counterstrike. 

  “I believe that is a win for me,” I said with a bow. She scowled at me but yielded. 

“Meet me at noon tomorrow for your first assignment”. I followed my teammates out of the courtyard. We retired to the large house on the edge of the residential section that we all shared. They both had rooms on the first floor; the ground floor was the kitchen, living room and dining room; my room was the attic. The second floor was empty at the moment. We all enjoyed dinner together before retiring. Early the next morning, I slipped out to get to the weaponsmith’s just as they opened. 

“Well, what can I do for you, little badass?” The Smith chuckled, using his height advantage to tease me. 

“I was wondering if there was any way to protect the handle. I realized that it was vulnerable, but metal would make it hard to grip and my hold on it changes throughout a fight” I said as I unsheathed it.

“Plus this is a two-handed weapon which makes a shield useless.” He finished. I nodded, as he inspected it thoughtfully. I examined my hand as he processed my request. “The best advice is to try and move faster so they don’t get to destroy it, and carry some smaller weapons just in case” He handed me a few daggers and knives, which I paid for.

“Thank you. This helps Mr. Smith” I called as I left with a smile. He waved back

“Name’s Rhett! Better call me that or I’ll give you-” I wandered out of earshot and through town for a few hours, before returning home and changing into my travel clothes. My dark brown boots with shorts and a crop top. I swung a cloak over it all to complete the look and hide my hammer and satchel. I met Rebecca at the bottom of the stairs. Her brown hair was tied in a ponytail, fingers tapping as we waited. Maddie was applying makeup since she insisted that despite leaving the town, she must still look fashionable. I played with the strap of my satchel as the time crept closer to noon. Finally, she came downstairs in a skirt and tank top, her bag draped over one shoulder. She sashayed out the door and we were forced to follow. I fell behind slightly, aiming to not be associated with that type of chichi behavior. Rhett was headed back to his shop as we passed.

“Hello, Mr. Smith!” I called cheerfully

“Why, Little badass! I thought I told you to call me by my first name!” He chuckled as I passed.

“I know! My name’s Katie by the way. Kat, Delphine, and crazy girl all work though!” I joked. I could hear his rumbling chuckle as we continued walking. We bumped into Captain Valerie just a few moments after the noon bell chimed. 

“You’re almost late. Anyway, here’s your assignment. I almost gave it to another team but I suppose since you're here I’ll still give it to you.” I glared at Maddie before glancing it over.

“This is too hard. Let us warm up to our new status by giving us something easier” 

“Hm...here, this is easier,” She said with a sneer.

“Perfect,” I said, headed out of town. I passed the paper to Becca as Maddie blew a kiss at a passing guy.

“You realize she gave us a harder assignment?” Rebecca asked as she looked it over.

“Of course. I was gloating her into that. We can handle it though, so don’t worry.” I shrugged triumphantly. There was a picture of a goat bodied, snake-headed and scorpion tailed creature. The subtitle read: 

Herd the triple-venimeux. 

“Well. Goodbye Bailymena. Hello triple-venimeux!” I drawled. Becca rolled her eyes in my direction. Our archer was fiddling with her hair. “Maddie, we’re going to leave you behind at this rate. So stop worrying about your appearance and let’s find these beasts.” I prodded her arm. She huffed in my direction before speeding up to walk beside Becca. Snatches of their conversation drifted back towards me

“Always controlling everything isn’t she?” that was Maddie

“I’ve known her...A teensy bit but...heart’s in a good place” Becca’s response was harder for me to hear since I stopped. I knew I was bad but...that bad? I started walking again to catch up. I didn’t want them to realize I’d been listening and had been affected like that. Once I caught up I smiled before pushing them down. A stream of discolored liquid landed on a tree hissing. It missed our heads by mere seconds.

“WE FOUND THEM! KATIE, LEAD THEM” Becca pushed me towards the origin. I stumbled to my feet as Maddie drew her bow. I could see that the lead one was large and brown. Behind it, upwards of a few dozens others crouched. The brown lead bared its fangs at me. I ran. Beelining for an enclosure in the distance. I ducked as I heard a hiss from behind me. Narrowly missing losing my head to another venom stream. 

“My head could use a little help!” I called over my shoulder. Maddie was busy driving a smaller poison green necked one away from Becca. I threw one of my knives at its tail, causing it to whirl around and zero in on me with a vengeance. A sapphire blue diamond-patterned one lashed out with its tail while my back was turned. I rolled out of the way just as the point of its tail hit where my heart had been. I slashed at the tail, hurtling onto its back. I tried to direct it towards the cage. The one who’d attacked first raced towards it. He apparently sensed something I didn’t. I leaped off just as the one I was riding ran through and the gate closed. I lay panting laboriously as I calmed down.

“You ok?” A voice said somewhere above me. I looked into a grease-streaked feminine face. Their brown hair was wild, despite being trapped in a ponytail.

“Uh...Yea. I think? I had a few close calls there.” I said standing up, brushing off my pants. 

“I tossed food in there. They would’ve come running once they smelled it. I’m Ross, designer of this monstrosity of an enclosure. I live in Bailymena as a mechanic usually though.” They wiped off their hands on dirty cloth.

“Katie. I’m a new adventurer with Rebecca and Maddie over there.” I nodded at the two running figures. “We come from the same place on our first journey. You may have seen us around.” 

“I have. Ross seems to always have their hands fiddling with some sort of machine. I’m Ki, the blacksmith who rooms with this crazy girl.” A curly brown head popped up from behind an anvil. The shorter girl it belonged to offered me a hand to get me on my feet.

“Nice to meet you Ki, Ross. Thank you for saving my hide.” I said as I took it. Ki’s brown eyes twinkled as she looked into my face. Ross grumbled as they fiddled with a screwdriver, muttering something about how it wasn’t anything huge and I interrupted their flow. They then shook their head, as if leaving behind the thought.

“Glad you weren’t harmed,” They said energetically as if returning from a trance. Maddie flopped on the ground once she reached us. Becca glanced over the two. 

“Come on. We have a long way to go before nightfall. Thank you both for uh...helping?” Becca poked Maddie with one toe with a scowl.

“Oh. Uh..See ya, I guess. Good Luck!” Ki said, deflating slightly. I hugged her before grabbing Maddie’s leg. She offered me a sad smile as Becca stalked off with a huff. I mouthed an apology as I dragged our prone teammate after her. Ross waved, tucking a stray clump of hair behind an ear. They seemed to recede back into her quiet concentration as we left them in the dust. I dropped Maddie and stalked up to my hazel-eyed companion.

“Why? Why did you run off like that? Nightfall is soon and we could have stayed with them!” I hissed under my breath.

“And return to town with only one task completed?! We’d be ridiculed. But you don’t care because you’re the one who can do no wrong!” Becca’s voice shot up several octaves as she shouted back at me. I threw up my hands in exasperation. I glanced at the sky to see the horizon held only the slightest hint of orange. The rest was the deep blue of night. Maddie was stacking some kindling as we fought. I bent next to her and struck one of my knives against a branch to produce a spark. Becca sat down heavily on the opposite end of the fire. I tore into a granola bar before being startled by a noise. My teammates were unbothered or didn’t notice it. I glanced around reaching for one of my weapons. I caught a pair of green eyes watching us through the fog that was forming, before disappearing back into the woods. I moved closer to the fire uneasily. Becca and Maddie went to sleep within the next hour unawares. I stayed up for a while watching the dying embers before I finally drifted off. I woke up to a gag around my mouth and my arms tied soundly behind my back. I had also been disarmed much to my embarrassment. I tried to pull my bindings over anything sharp on the ground like a rock, but there was nothing. 

“Whatcha gonna do with her now? That Captain’s, Valerie? Was it? tip paid off. But why’d you grab only her Boss?” A hiccuping voice interrupted my search. Another, smoother and silkier man’s voice answered.

“The others are untouchable. Adventurers she said. This one will be sold as a slave, if she’s lucky” A sinister laugh sent a shiver down my whole body. A steel-tipped boot kicked my side, causing me to curl up and cough up some blood. The owner grabbed my arms and forced me to my feet brutally. I stared into steely amber eyes on a deep skinned man in an immaculate suit. His black hair was carefully arranged. 

“We have a long way to go. Truman, keep an eye on her.” He said turning on one heel. 

“Ricardo. Boss.” The man, Truman, stammered out

“I told you, Ricardo is not to be used by any other than my family or business partners! And I will NOT HAVE MY HIRED HELP QUESTIONING ME!” I stood there limp as Ricardo grabbed me and threw me towards a wagon in the distance. I felt a branch tear into my right leg. I made a vague distressed noise through my gag as I watched blood gush from the wound. “GET BACK! I WILL DEAL WITH THIS ONE MYSELF” was hurled after Truman’s fleeing figure as he ran past me. He sprinted up to the wagon in the distance. I was fumbling to put something over my wound with my limited range of movement. Ricardo ripped me to my feet. “Of course you go and get yourself hurt. Maybe I can hide it with a longer skirt..” He mused to himself. I tried to twist away from him, and he let me. I fell the moment I tried putting weight on my leg. He continued on about how that would be a problem as well as he pulled me up once more. I tried to shout through the awful thing still muting me. He drew a jeweled knife from his sleeve. I shrank back as he moved it closer to me. He scoffed and cut the gag in one neat stroke.

“No screaming girl.” He said haughtily 

“Katie. My name is Katie. And I’m afraid I can’t walk since you threw me onto a sharp branch” I made known with the slightest hint of sass. He chuckled as he hoisted me into the air, still keeping my wound away from his suit. 

“Don’t get used to this. I only am doing this to make sure there’s no more damage that will result in money loss” He said, silencing any hint of humor. I glared at him, which he didn’t notice. The fog had thickened to the point I feared I was leaving a trail of blood without noticing. A scream ripped through the air near us, with a response of a hoarse roaring. Ricardo stopped as Truman came bolting out of the woods directly in front of us. A scrawny golden large cat was close on his heels. It sniffed the air and stared at me hungrily. The only thing that stopped it from approaching was my growl and a horrible imitation of its roar by Ricardo. It sprinted after the poor henchman. The unfeeling man holding me dropped me right in its trail as screams echoed through the fog. He rolled me over a few times until all I could smell was the choking scent. I was still gagging as I was once again hoisted into the air. I bit back a scream as pain from my leg made my vision blur. I moaned as my vision faded in and out with every small jolt. I finally gave up and let myself pass out. 

When I woke up, I was bouncing in the wagon, tied next to women of various ages, but I appeared to be the youngest. A few still had gags, but most were only tied at the hands and feet. My feet were free and my leg was bandaged up. The woman directly next to me was a short, medium-toned middle-aged one. My other side was facing the opening to the wagon, which was currently sealed. The woman beside me moaned slightly as she shifted, revealing bruises between her two-piece outfit, on the side she’d been just laying on. 

“Are you ok?” I murmured to her. She looked at me with warm light green eyes. After a quick acknowledgment, she looked away again. I looked away too just as the wagon’s flap was opened. A man stood there. I could hear someone complaining that they had to change a girl’s dressings since it had already been a day. The man who had just let light in grabbed me as I realized I’d been out for at least a day. Most likely closer to a day and a half or more. 

“Here you go Jayce.” The man carrying me grunted as he handed me off to a weedy, extremely pale older man. With uncaring precision, he changed the bandages on my leg. Ricardo walked over as I mumbled 

“Food? I’m really hungry” Jayce glared at me. Ricardo however, stood me up and untied my hands, leading me back to the wagon, where a short distance away a fire burned beneath a pot. He handed me a bowl with soup and a spoon. I hobbled a short distance on my own to sit down. I smiled that I could support my weight at least enough. I pretended to eat until barely anyone was watching then flung my bowl into the fire where it caused a huge ruckus. I pushed myself to my feet and moved as quickly as I could to the wagon. Grabbing a discarded knife, I jumped into the wagon and began cutting women free. I started wailing as well, hoping someone was nearby and would recognize it. Other women took up the cry as I pushed them towards the woods, finishing freeing them all. I hobbled after them as two women appeared, just as the first of the group reached the woods. They stepped aside as the freed prisoners rushed away. The taller of the two watched with unblinking eyes as the last of them besides me disappeared. The shorter brushed her brown hair out of her face as she turned to return to whatever they were doing. The black-haired girl snickered as men called for her to help catch the fleeing women. She led the way back into the forest as my leg finally gave up under my weight and the stress I’d been putting on it.

[idontworkforsega]

🤔 How about...a Amy vs Omega prompt...with Sonic cheering for Omega in the background just to mess with her!

(This was the only image I could find of the two. lol)

@cutegirlmayra is usually the one who does Prompts… but I can give it a go?

Friendly reminder, Cutegirlmayra is on Prompt Shutdown, meaning I’m also not taking new prompt requests. Please keep your ideas safe and sound until she reopens them on her blog again. :)

How does she start these things off again? Oh right!

Prompt:

The Sonic Heroes blazed a trail into the new era following Metal Overlord’s demise, however, they still had an appetite for adventure and battle! To determined which team was the strongest, they held a competition…

The Team Battles!

One player from each group would be assigned to compete in different activities and sets, and funny enough, Team Rose was down to their last contender, Amy Rose.

With determination in her eyes, she pulled her fists up forward and had a spark flare up in her heart. “This is my chance.” She looked to the screen, seeing that Knuckles had beaten Shadow and Cream in the last arena.

That was simply for tactical advantage though, the game was to find something in record time. Cream was almost going to make it but Shadow Chaos Controlled near the location. Right before reaching for it, Knuckles burst from the ground and clamped down on the item with his mouth, refusing to let it go till he was declared the victor.

It ticked Shadow off, but Cream and Cheese flew back to Amy safe and sound.

“We’re sorry, Miss Amy…” Cream’s eyes bent in submission, clearly disappointed she couldn’t score a point for the team. “I wasn’t quite as fast enough as Mr. Shadow… nor as ingenuitive as Mr. Knuckles…” she hunched forward, her little Chao repeating the same action with his cute remarks as well.

“Chao, Chao…”

“There, there. You two did your very best.” Amy’s compassionate heart couldn’t be limited, and especially not here, with her friend looking so down and blue. “The next test is going to be primarily about keeping the upper hand. It’s like king of the hill, but we have to keep one primary spot till the timer runs out. I think this is about power and speed.”

“Endurance too… Maybe…” Big shrugged, smiling as usual in his cheery way.

“Right.” Amy turned back to him and nodded. “Big’s already won the Flicky challenge. Gathering them all up last second by lassoing his fishing line around the other teams Flickies.” she giggled at that, motioning what had happened with her hands. “I’m sure I’ll come out on top with this one too.”

“You sure sound confident.”

Amy’s heart gasped with the familiar-sounding voice, doing an Irish jig in her chest as she slowly turned around to see the man of her dreams.

His smile could slay millions of frowns, dry up a billion tears, and keep the world a better place… if it’d only look her way, it could do far more!❤️

“Sonic!” She swooned, holding her hands together and up by her left cheek as swarms of hearts fluttered in her eyes.

Sonic looked to Cream then, “Great work out there, Cream! You really put everything into that challenge! Me and Tails were really impressed!”

“Y-You were?” she blushed in pride, comforted a bit more than before. “Thank you, Mr. Sonic! Mr. Tails!”

Tails blushed too in embarrassment, scratching the back of his head, “Ah, gee. It’s the honest truth!” he then nodded to Amy, “So, you’re going up against Sonic and Omega next round?”

Amy’s face suddenly looked as though a large bell had smacked her on the head, draining the color from her face and leaving her condemned. “S-Sonic… And Omega?” her knees suddenly trembled slightly, and she had to turn away, shivering at the idea of facing not only her true love but also a behemoth of a killer robot!

“What’s wrong, Amy?” Sonic raised an eyebrow, deciding to play the teasing jokster of the bunch. “Scared you can’t take on the big boys?” He narrowed his eyes, smirking.

The challenging tone of his voice sent a new wave of thunder throughout Amy’s body from her core, reaching out from the center and giving her new vigor and life.

Her eyes, shining white with heaven’s lightning turned back to Sonic, “I’ll see you on the field!” she bolted as fast as she could to the entrance arena, where Omega was also speaking strategy with Rouge and Shadow.

“THERE ARE NO EGGMAN ROBOTS PRESENT IN THESE COMPETITIVE ACTIVITIES. REQUESTING TO ABORT UNNECESSARY ACTIONS AGAINST YOUR FAMILIAR LIFEFORMS.” Omega seemed to be asking permission, but something about his body language made you think he was begging.

“Don’t worry, Omega. I’m not all too thrilled to be participating in these strange contests of strength and unity either.” Shadow stated, looking off to see Amy rushing by them. “It does seem pointless… but Sonic and his friends are offering Chaos Emeralds to the champion team. That’s incentive enough for me to compete in these ridiculous feats.” He walked up to Omega, seeming to side with him on this one. “We’re choosing you for this match. You’re sturdy. Plant your feet on the ‘X’ and keep the others from budging you off. We should be fine.”

“Hmph, I wouldn’t be so sure.” Rouge flew down beside the two.

“What have you heard?” Shadow crossed arms.

“Sonic is the next pick for his team, and I hear Amy is taking the slot as well.” Rouge dusted off a wing and then some of her arm. “Shame, I thought you wanted to have a go at Sonic again.”

“I’m only after the Chaos Emeralds now… But our time will come.” He narrowed his eyes, “He’s rash and leaves people apprehensive. Amy will most likely be distracted into fighting either with him or against him. It just means Omega has a safer chance at securing this game more easily now.”

“Oh? You doubt she’ll side with him?” Rouge seemed to lean more on the fact that she’d help him win. “Why do you suppose that?”

“From their interactions… it looks like she’s got something to prove.” Shadow concluded, “I honestly don’t think she’d just back down in front of him.”

“ANALYZING EMOTIONS.” Omega turned to Amy, scanning her from a distance.

His eyes lit up momentarily and Amy turned around with a ‘Hey!’ instantly.

He turned his head in an owl-like movement back to his teammates. “IDENTIFIED. SHE APPEARS TO BE FUMING WITH MOXIE.”

“You better believe I am!” Amy cried out, “Let’s up the anty a bit, shall we?” Amy turned to Sonic, who had just raced up to the starting line as well.

“Oh? A wager?” Sonic flicked his nose, “Now that’s my style!”

“If I win, you have to marry me!”

“Pass.” Sonic disregarded the statement quicker than when he joined in the topic. He placed his hand on his right cheek and looked up to the sky, immediately bored by the once interesting prospects and began tapping his toe, waiting for the timer.

“Awoohhh! You’re not being very fun!” Amy complained.

His head rose a second, and he swung around to her, “What was that?”

“Fight me! I’ll show you I can go head to head with the fastest hedgehog alive!” she beamed with a brilliant drive in her, but Sonic just stared…

He shook his head, “Better idea… I know you can take me head-on, Amy.” Sonic seemed to happily consent to that fact. “But what about Omega?”

“What about him?” Amy’s gaze pierced through Sonic’s subtle hinting.

“Heh.” Sonic seemed to regain his mischievous nature, and continued, “Let’s see how long you can go with Omega. He’s not like the usual trash-heaps Eggman throws at’cha. What do you say?”

“It’s a trap.” Shadow and all of Team Dark walked over to the starting line then, Shadow clearly not having any of Sonic’s ploys.

“Oh?” Sonic leaned away from Amy, “Easedroppers. What are you so afraid of? A girl and her mighty hammer?” There was a double-edged sword in his words, but Amy just glared at him, not pointing it out right now.

“He’s only trying to get you to focus on Omega and let him seize the prize.” Rouge countered, but Sonic just turned himself away.

“She’s right, Amy. But man, I would have really loved to see that fight.”

Amy felt a bit torn, hearing him say ‘love’ so casually like that…

“Word of advice,” Rouge didn’t particularly like Amy, but she could see what Sonic was trying to pull here. She turned to angle herself towards Amy and make an even bigger distance between her and Sonic. “Don’t let men so easily manipulate you.”

Manipulate?

The word clung to Amy’s ears. It stung. Sonic may be playful at times, but he would never hurt Amy with lies.

Now her head was reeling… who should she go for?

Omega moved into position, along with Sonic, both to her right and left and in front of her.

Tails began the countdown till the timer started.

She studied their backs, gauged whether to go for Sonic or Omega first. She couldn’t not go after one of them… but if she went after Sonic, she knew she wouldn’t be able to stop Omega’s large frame from sitting pretty on the target. As for Omega… many would think she was working for Sonic, being… 

Manipulated.

“On your marks!” Tails’s voice boomed.

Amy’s eyes settled to the ground, her head lowered in conflicting feelings that battled one another. Victory and defeats in a matter of seconds, an entire age of war waged on while Tails’s voice continued.

“Three!… Two!… One! Go, Heroes!”

Amy took off, immediately figuring out what she would do next.

She wouldn’t be the only one to play cleverly in this game…

She went for Omega.

Her hammer slammed into his shoulder, knocking him slightly off stride as he swung an arm back at her.

“PINK HEDGEHOG HAS ENGAGED. PREPARE FOR OFFENSIVE MANEUVERS.”

“Bring it on!” Amy cried out.

“Woo! Go Omega!” Sonic called from the front, booking it to the spot they needed to claim on a hill.

Amy’s anger spiked then, ‘Did he lie about not wanting to see this match!?’ But he sat high and mighty on the hill and clapped, looking eager to watch the two squabble.

Amy swung another hard hit into his side, but Omega stopped running to focus primarily on stability.

“Tsh, that girl.” Rouge was enraged and disappointed, seeing her do exactly what she thought she would. “You’d think a girl would be smarter than that.”

Shadow watched intently… Seeing something that perhaps Rouge hadn’t noticed yet.

“Don’t swing so hard, Omega! She didn’t mean it!” Sonic’s commentary was annoying Amy for once in her life. She actually wished he would just stop. “Remember that one time you told me not to blow up that robot, Amy? Can I ask the same from you? Heheh.” Sonic snickered, not realizing his jokes were falling on deaf ears. “Woo!!!”

Tails also sweatdropped, not exactly proud of Sonic’s behavior. “He’s acting rather… eccentric now, isn’t he?”

“Eh, should have known.” Knuckles sighed, folding his arms. “Amy wouldn’t want to hurt Sonic. She’d rather see him succeed than have her hero fail because of her, you know?”

Cream and Big looked down a little worriedly to the match too, not sure as they both turned to each other.

“Do you think Amy’s okay?” Big asked.

“Don’t worry, Big. I’m sure Miss Amy has a plan to get us that point!” Cream tried to stay cheery.

“Chao, Chao!” Cheese also looked determined to not give up on her.

Omega looked up to Shadow and Rouge, “REQUESTING ADDED FIRE POWER SUCH AS MACHINE GUN EXTENSIONS.”

The two shook their heads, very adamantly.

“THEN… SECONDARY WEAPONRY WILL BE ENGAGED. BRUTE DESTRUCTION.” He rose his arm and was about to swing it down on Amy.

“Woah!” Sonic’s eyes widened, “Amy! Look out!”

Amy heard that, but only Shadow noticed her smirk.

The arm came down… the dirt and dust seemed excessive, but Sonic was already looking over Omega’s shoulder, having raced up to see if Amy would be okay.

Something red was laying on the ground…

“Amy!” Sonic whacked back Omega, crouching down by it. “Amy..?”

When the dust cleared, it was Amy’s red headband, but nothing more.

“Huh?”

“OPPONENT DISENGAGED. HEADING TO TARGET LOCATION.” Omega turned around before his scanners picked up on an image at the location. “PINK HEDGEHOG SPOTTED. INGITING BOOSTERS FOR MAXIMUM MOVEMENT.”

“What?” Sonic turned around, seeing Amy plant her mighty hammer down on the ‘X’, claiming it as her own.

“Some match, eh, Sonic?” She grinned.

Rouge looked amazed, “She fooled him?”

Shadow smiled, closing his eyes. “It appears she has fooled you as well.” He looked back over to Rouge who looked slightly appalled by the idea but conceded and sighed.

“I guess you’re right. She took his own dirt and flung it right back in his face.”

“Sonic’s not going to let a friend of his get hurt. She used that to her advantage as he had used her fondness for him against her.” Shadow explained, “Well done… Amy Rose.” he seemed to smile for a moment.

Cream and Big cheered, holding each other’s hands and jumping for joy, exclaiming, “She did it! She did it! She did it!”

But there was still a while left on the clock, she had to hold her position.

Sonic recovered from the mixup and headed right to her, making it there far before Omega did and throwing out a kick.

“That was a cheap blow!” he teased, but was in good spirits.

She blocked, keeping a stable footing and flinging him behind her.

“Ahh-yoh!”

“Remind me to show you how mighty my hammer can really be!” Avenging her honor felt sweet, but not for the big titan…

“SAFETY MEASURES DISABLED. PREPARE FOR IMMEDIATE SHOVING.” Omega blasted forward through the air, only hovering somewhat as he angled his shoulder to ram into Amy.

She moved her hammer into place.

“10 seconds on the clock!” Tails shouted out.

Now the intensity was rising…

Amy held her hammer firm in her hand, taking a deep breath.

‘9…’

She counted.

Omega swung his arm at her, Sonic came up from below to grab her leg.

‘…8.’

She let Sonic pull her to her knee, saving her from Omega’s hit but resisted being fully pulled off the hill.

‘7.’

She took Omega’s force and used it against him, hammering into his legs and then slipping her hammer in a fluid motion behind her and hooking Sonic’s side.

‘6.′

It was all slow motion clockwork, as she flipped Sonic into a twirl that he quickly got out of, but momentarily was unaware of Omega stomping down on the spot Amy was trying to procure.

‘5.’

Amy tossed her hammer, having Omega’s robotic eyes follow it as his primary threat level was hyper-focusing on it.

‘4.’

She watched his head completely turn to leave her in his blind spot, and with him toppling over, grabbed his arm to toss him over her.

‘3.’

Aiming for Sonic’s disoriented body that was just now landing back to the ground, getting ready for a comeback.

‘2.’

Sonic’s eyes widened as he had just gotten back his footing, but now Omega was being launched through the air at him, his thrusters still on!

‘1.’

Amy watched as the hulking mass of Omega slammed into Sonic and pinned him to the ground. She steadied her footing, and watched in amazement as the bell donged her ultimate triumph.

“Amy wins!” Tails exclaimed, completely flabbergasted as was everyone.

“I knew Miss Amy wouldn’t let us down!” Cream excitedly wrapped her arms around Cheese, embracing him in a victory hug as Amy stumbled back from the top of the hill, gasping for air.

“S…Sonic?” She motioned a hand to him.

A little blue head wiggled out from below Omega.

He gruffed in defeat, clearly annoyed, but smiled up at Amy. “I deserved that.” he winked, “But next time… no tricks!”

“Only if you’ll hold to it.” She sighed in relief, he wasn’t too upset with her.

“Now, uh… think you can… help get him off of me?” Sonic sweatdropped.

“Emm… No.” Amy’s eyes turned devious.

“Wha-what?” Sonic’s eyes shrank, knowing that look.

She approached him on the ground…

“W-wa-wait a second, Amy!” He struggled to get loose, but Omega had swirls in his eyes. “D-don’t do this!” he stretched his frown out to show his teeth, terrified as she came in for a smooching!

“Emm~ Muah, muah!” she kissed all over his head, making him cry out as though in pain.

“No! Stop! Help! Someone! Ah! Heeelppp!!”

She laughed and giggled, as Rouge shook her head, looking to Shadow who looked uneasy at seeing the open display of affection.

“How awful…” Shadow muttered, not even wanting to approach and help his friend while the act of ‘pecking one’s cheek’ was being done repeatedly under his poor fainted friend.

“Well, well. Looks like two can really play the same game.” Rouge looked a bit too proud to watch Amy get back at Sonic, placing a hand daintily by her cheek and lowering her eyelids to the two. “Women perfect everything. Even deception~”

“Let’s not go that far.” Shadow seemed to not want to agree with that, and moved to Omega’s head, hitting it a few times as Omega came back to life.

“OPERATING FUNCTIONS. SYSTEM STABLE. IT APPEARS I HAVE BEEN BAMBOOZLED. I REQUEST UPDATES TO RECTIFY THIS ASTONISHING FAILURE AT THE EARLIEST CONVENIENCE. REQUESTING THAT BE NOW.”

“Yeah, you’re not the only one. But you’ll be alright.” He patted his friend’s head and squatted down beside him. “Knuckles, Big… Care to join me?” Shadow humorously gestured to helping Omega off of a trapped Sonic, still getting pelted with Amy’s love and affection.

They all seemed a little awkward when approaching, but agreed.

Sonic tried not to underestimate Amy’s abilities ever again…

Fanfiction Entry 599 (x)

[terrifictoontoys]

New war and old enemies a star vs Fan fic

Star and her Parents are having dinner with eclipsea and a in Meteora in the monster temple. Eclipsea has been queen for one week and moon has had her memories back for two days now.

Moon pokes at her food not really in the mood to eat she glances at her husband River Who is hungrily Eating away at a drumstick with his plate full of meat and corn he was eating like he had been starving because he has he neglected to eat during his hunt for his wife.

Sitting across from them Eclipsea Was politely smiling well Meteora we’re sitting in a high chair next to her eating so mashed corn.

Star was sitting next to her mom wishing Marco was there to join her in this awkward silence but he decided to go back to earth for a little while to help his parents since his sibling would be born soon.

Star decided to try and make conversation two out of genuine curiosity she asked

“Um...so Eclipsea how have things been you know now that your queen Again”

Eclipsea “Oh well to tell you the truth I haven’t been able to Attend to many of my royal duties because I’m focusing on freeing Globgor”

moon stands up “oh of course that good for nothing Monster is distracting you just like before. The muimans need a leader but all you care about are monsters”

Eclipsea too now stans in anger “how dare you speak of my husband that way” River and Meteora stop eating they along with Star nervously the too Women Meteora suddenly start crying.

Eclipsea “Now look what you’ve done you’ve upset my daughter.”

Eclipsea picks up Meteora and Holds her close Star and River jump to there feet. River grads Moons arms and Restrains them behind her back Star steps In front of Moon.

Star “ ok well thanks for dinner Eclipsea but we Should probably get going”

River stars dragging Moon away “yes let’s go Moon pie”

Star Moon and River are now walking though the forest.

Star stops walking And and says “mom I’m sorry I gave Eclipsea back the wand I just I thought she derived to be queen she’s the Rightful heir to the throne and I think she can change things for the better”

Moon turns around to face Star “look Star I don’t agree with your decision but it was yours tonight and it’s in the past now. We need to move forward and I thank the best way to do that is to leave the kingdom”

Star “but where will we go.?”

River “don’t worry we can Live here in forests ’ll build a yurt”

Moon looks at River “ I was thanking maybe we could go to another dimension”

Meanwhile. In the Luctior Castle. Tom is Lying on his bed holding a picture of Star Marco and himself. all three we’re smiling in the photo but Tom smiles fake.

Tom “ sadly wonders out loud “why have I been fighting with Star so much. Maybe my parents could help me figure this out.”

So Tom stands up and uses his fire powers to teleport to the throne room he sees his dad there his mom is absent. Tom approaches his dad he’s not really sure if he should talk with him about this because he usually speaks to his mom about These issues.

Tom “where’s mom?” Tom asked with a look of sadness on his face.

“She’s in the Garden maybe I can help you with whatever is bothering you.” Replied his father Dave.

Tom “well dad it’s just ever cents Star broke up with me all I wanted was to win her back but now that we’re back together I’ve been feeling miserable. We’ve been fighting all the time. I don’t get it dad you said if I tried to win her back she would know how much I cared about her.

Dave Was now avoiding eye contact with his son.  

Dave “Son I have a Confession to make the truth is...king River and I have been trying to get you and Star to date.”

Tom “ WAIT WHAT is that why you and River started fighting at the Silver bell ball.? And why you told me to impress Star by building a carriage to take us to the blood moon ball?.

Dave “yes. River and I but that if we could get you and Star to dance she would have feelings for you again”.

Tom angrily yells. Those feelings aren’t Real you to manipulate us into dating why? why would you do that.”?

Dave “for hundreds of year’s the Butterflies and Luctiors have been allies. Ever since the alliance started your ancestors have been trying to make it permanent the only way to do that is through marriage but none of the arranged marriage is ever worked out and they always ended before any marriages actually took place so we thought if we pushed you too in the right direction you would fall in love.”

Tom “I can’t believe you did this Why would you care about the stuff you weren’t even royal when you meet mom you serve coffee at a diner.

Dave “I only did it because your great grandpa said he would curse me if I didn’t help.”

Tom “grampa Relicor? I guess now I know why you told me about the blood moon ball.”

Dave “ I know your mad son.”

Tom “interrupts I’m not mad dad” He says… his whole body ignites on fire i’M ANGRY”. He screams.

His dad Cowers in fear I. I know I’m so sorry son. I Shouldn’t of done it.

Tom “ lets out a deep breath And the fire was extinguished.

Meanwhile on earth Marco and his family are in the room they will turn into a nursery. Marco and His dad are building a crib while his mom supervisors from the Rockingchair. Marco reaches for a hammer on the floor but it’s gone.

Star hands in the hammer. Star “Here you go”

Marco “oh thanks Star”. What Star? Marco stands up and looks at store in her parents.

Marco “what are you guys doing here?”

Star “ where your new next door neighbors.” Star says happily

Marco “ whoa really?. That’s so awesome!. Rafael and Angie walk over to the butterfly Family Rafael shakes Rivers hand and Says “welcome to the neighborhood amigo”

Marco says to Star “this is great now we can graduate together”.

Star “Yeah and now but I’m not a royal anymore I can get any kind of job I want”.

Star and Marco excitedly hug and suddenly fire irrupt from the ground it quickly evaporates just as fast as it came leaving Tom standing there.

Star “Hi Tom” Marco “Hay buddy”

Tom looks so nervous and kind of sad “Hay umm Star can I talk to you for a second.”

Star “sure.” Star follows Tom into the hallway they shut the door behind them. Star “ so Tom what’s going on.”

Tom “Star This is going to be hard for me to say but I realized we don’t know much in common. and well I haven’t been very happy for a while and I don’t think you have either so I thank we should break up.”

Star a bit sad Asked if they could still be friends Tom  said yes.

Star “I got it admit I kind of expected this would happen with how much we’ve been fighting. And the truth is I may have started dating you again because I was convinced I wouldn’t see Marco again because he was with Jackie.”

Tom “I kind of figured that was the case. I always New you feelings for him. I think you guys will make a great couple.”

Tom and Star hug as they do so Star says “ Thank you Tom for everything”. The two end the hug Tom steps back Star “And Tom I know you’ll find someone.”

Tom once again ignites his body on fire and disappears Star smiles bittersweetly and walks back into the nursery.”

Marco “Hay Star where is Tom?.”

Star “ he probably went back home.” Marco “oh well are you ok you seem kind of sad?.”

Star “ yeah I’m OK it’s just Tom broke up with me.” Marco “ I’m sorry star I know how hard that is.”

Marco put His arm around star Angie looks at the two of them and says. Marco why don’t you take a break you and Star should go have fun.”

Marco “ yeah star why don’t you go find us a movie to watch together and I’ll make us some of my super special cheesy nachos.”

Star “ok that sounds fun.”

Later star and Marco sit on the couch next to each other watching a movie eating nachos and are cuddled in a blanket star looks Marco and blushes.”

Star “ this is kind of weird.”

Marco “ yeah this movie does have a lot of plot holes.”

Star “I’m not talking about the movie i’m talking about us being single at the same time. Marco is now sitting up looking at her, Star grabs his hand and he starts blushing.

Star “Marco I need to know the truth how do you feel about me.

Marco Gazed deeply into Stars eyes. Marco “The truth is I think your smart, funny, cute. nice. kind. gentle. You always trying to help people and make things right even when it’s not your responsibility. You always make me feel like I can do more you never make me feel like I’m less important just because I’m human. You always make me so happy when I’m around you. And regardless if we’re fighting monsters we’re just sitting here watching moves every Day with you is a great adventure and I never want it to end And well I’m in love with you Star. But I Never told you because when we met you were a Magic princess from another dimension and i’m just a safety kid from earth I figured I wasn’t good enough.”

Star grabs Marcos hoodie and Pulls him in for a loveing kiss.

After a few seconds they pull apart.

Star “Oh Marco I know you probably don’t see it but you’re a lot more than just the safe kid and I’m in love with you too.

End of chapter 1

[greecllings]

silence

t+

the adventure zone: balance

summary:  Magnus finally had Kalen within his reach, but there was no way he could have guessed what would happen.

fic # five of my @badthingshappenbingo​ card! this one is ‘human shield’+magnus reqed by @magiwou-meowvin​!!

read on ao3

Magnus stared the governor down, watching his every movement; the gentle lift and fall of his coat, pressed and adorned with jewels and badges the man should have never earned. There was a playful malice on Kalen’s face, as if he was daring Magnus to make his move. He was empty-handed, his back towards the door of Hammer and Tongs, and Magnus so badly wanted to rush the man, but he had a gun in his pocket and Magnus knew that if he moved even an inch towards the governor he’d be shot before Magnus could take more than two steps.

And so they stood, staring at each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move. There was no sound but the soft, hollow sound of shallow breaths from either man, as if even the spinning dust that Magnus could see in the moonbeams that shone through the display window of the shop were anxiously awaiting the inevitable fight.

And then the small bell at the door rang, singing through the silence, announcing that someone was entering the shop. It was just enough of a distraction; Kalen’s attention waned for a millisecond, leaving him wide open and distracted. Without worry for whoever had just entered the shop, Magnus charged, his whittling knife grasped firmly in his hand. Kalen wouldn’t have enough time to draw his gun, meaning Magnus had an easy kill.

As Magnus rushed in, Julia entered the shop; she had pushed the door open with her back, a load of wood stacked neatly in her arms. Magnus had no time to even think of stopping, of warning Julia about the governor before Kalen spun around, grasping Julia by the shoulders. Julia dropped the logs in surprise, and as they clattered to the floor in an awful cacophonous choir, breaking the deafening silence. A small yelp from Julia followed the logs hitting the floor, but was cut short when Kalen spun again, facing Magnus once again as he pulled his gun from his side. He held Julia between himself and Magnus, gun to her head and crooked grin on his face.

Magnus slid to a stop in front of Julia, not a moment too soon; his knife hovered so close to Julia’s throat, the tip nearly grazing her jugular. Fear and confusion swam through her irises, only strengthened by the sight of Magnus hanging over her, knife in hand and malice in his eyes--though that quickly dissipated once Magnus realized that his knife was hovering over Julia, not Kalen.

He stepped back with no hesitation, his knuckles turning white against the hilt of his knife. “Let. Her. Go.”

Kalen’s laugh pierced through the silence that still hung thick and viscous in the air, sending a blood-curling shiver down Magnus’ spine, “Worried about your precious woman, Burnsides?” The way Magnus’ last name rolled off of Kalen’s tongue, as if the name itself was an insult meant to wound Magnus’ pride, made bile rise in his throat. “No… no, I don’t think I will let her go.”

“I said let her go.” His fingernails dug into the flesh of his thumb as Magnus forced the words from his throat.

“Or what, Burnsides? You’ll rush in as always, hoping to catch me with your knife before I send a bullet through your precious Julia’s head?”

Julia shook her head as much as she dared between Kalen’s gun and his grasp, “Stand down, Magnus.”

Magnus’ grip on his knife tightened.

“I’d listen if I were you, Burnsides. I’m only here to talk.”

Magnus exhaled through his nose, doing his best to vent the rage that burned through his body. He didn’t want to stand down.

And yet he loosened his grip on the whittling knife, letting it fall to the floor with a gentle clattering sound. Kalen’s smirk grew into a twisted grin as he watched Magnus step back and cross his arms, angry heat still burning behind his irises.

“Let her go now. I pose no threat.”

Kalen shrugged, “I don’t know, Burnsides. I quite like having… an extra defense, if you will.”

Something tugged at Magnus’ chest, a mix of panic and pure fury that Magnus was sure he’d never felt before spreading through his body, boiling his blood and chilling his veins.

“And I’d quite like to slit your damn throat.”

“Magnus,” Julia whispered, a desperate sharpness in her voice. He broke his stare with the governor, letting his eyes fall down to look at Julia. She motioned down with her eyes, at the arm around her neck, and it was only then that Magnus noticed how weak Kalen’s grasp on Julia was.

He almost had to laugh.

But he didn’t; instead, he returned his eyes to Kalen’s, his glare just as hard and full of hatred as it had been before.

“What do you want?”

Kalen chuckled—Magnus almost found it funny how evil of a laugh the man had—and shrugged gently, not moving his arms enough for the gun to slip from its position over Julia’s temple, “I want… I want us to be friends.”

It was Magnus’ turn to laugh, a sharp exhale with just enough malice to make Kalen’s eyebrow twitch. Slowly, Magnus shook his head, “you should have thought of that before you barged in here with a gun and took a hostage then, huh?”

“Oh, I’m more than willing to let her go. Once you agree to my terms, that is.” Kalen’s cocky grin had grown; Magnus had to admit, the man was quite good at hiding his fear behind his disgusting smile, although his fear was still present in his widened pupils and the beads of sweat at his hairline.

“No negotiations, I’m presuming?”

“Of course not. I am the governor. You’re just a carpenter.”

Magnus fought the sudden burst of rage that rose in his throat, “What are your terms then, Mister Governor? ”

“I want… well, I want a truce, of sorts.”

“A truce?” Magnus repeated, his eyebrow raising in disbelief.

“Yes! I’m sure you want one as well, correct?” As Kalen spoke, the arm he held around Julia began to relax ever so slightly--it was unlikely Kalen noticed, but Magnus did. So did Julia, clearly, as she took it as an opportunity. Just as quickly as she had been grabbed, Julia pushed herself upward with as much momentum as she could muster still pressed against the governor’s chest, catching Kalen’s chin with the top of her head. Magnus watched the realization dawn on Kalen a millisecond too late, and couldn’t help but smile as the force of the impact sent Kalen backward and onto the floor, his gun clattering on the ground beside him. His head hit the floor of the shop with a sharp thud that echoed through the room for a moment before becoming still.

For a moment, the Hammer and Tongs was as quiet as it had been before; Magnus waited in silence, as did Julia, for any sound from the governor now sprawled on the shop floor. All that filled the air was the gentle sounds of breathing, although Magnus truly couldn’t tell if they were coming from the governor, Julia, or even himself.

Julia was the first to move; she bent down, placing her ring and middle finger under the governor's nose. She sighed, “Still alive.”

“Damnit.”

“Don’t worry. There’ll come a better time.”

Magnus moved towards her, falling to his knees beside Kalen. Beside Julia. “I guess. For now, though…”

“We have a body to dispose of!” Julia grinned, clearly forming a plan. She turned to Magnus, her eyes shining almost silver in the moonlight, “Grab his gun. He doesn’t need it anymore.”

Quickly, almost as if afraid Kalen would wake and grab it first, Magnus moved towards the gun, sliding it into his pocket before turning back towards Julia. “Do you have a plan?” Magnus asked.

A playful grin tugged at the corners of Julia’s mouth, “I think I do. Let’s go humiliate the governor.”

[paigenotblank]

nine/rose, secret admirer

tagging @doctorroseprompts for providing the prompt list.

prompt: secret admirer

pairing: nine x rose

AO3  TSP

A Not So Secret Admiration

Rose was browsing through the sci-fi new releases at her favorite bookshop, when she heard a whispered argument from the brother and sister who’d recently taken over the shop from their grandfather. She didn’t want to intrude, but at the same time she couldn’t help overhearing.

“What crawled up your arse this morning?”

“Donna!”

“No, seriously. You’ve been a right prat since I got in this morning.”

There was a heavy, masculine sigh.

“Did you eat breakfast? You know how you get when you don’t eat.”

He mumbled. “Didn’t have time.”

Rose heard a feminine snort. “Mr. I Don’t Need More Than 4 Hours of Sleep, didn’t have time for breakfast? An’ what were you doing this morning instead of eating? Shagging that ex of yours that’s been sniffin’ around, tryin’ to convince you to sell the shop and take her traveling?”

Rose couldn’t resist peeking around the bookcase. John, Donna’s brother, ran a hand down his face. “Was goin’ over the books again last night and fell asleep upstairs. Didn’t wake up ‘til 15 minutes before we opened. An’ for the record, I haven’t seen Reinette since she eloped with Louis.”

“Right. Sorry.” Donna’s expression softened and she patted her brother on the arm. “But you’ve got to take better care of yourself. That’s the fifth time in two weeks that you’ve slept here. You can’t keep-”

“I brought in a camp bed. It’s fine.” He ran his hand over his close cropped hair. “I’m missing something. I know we can turn this place around and bring in a lot more money, I just have to figure out how.”

“John…” Donna bit her lip. “Er, so how bad is it?”

“We managed to turn a small profit this month, but with all the debt Gramps managed to get into, we still don’t have the money to make any new hires. Sorry, I know you’d rather spend more time at home with Gramps and the kids.”

“A profit’s good, yeah? A step in the right direction at any rate. I know how you get when you put your mind to something. If you think we can turn it around, then it’s only a matter of time. An’ don’t worry about me, I can stick around a bit longer. I mean after I get back from my holiday. I’m still plannin’ on going-”

“No. I know. I wouldn’t ask you to cancel. And thanks.”

“That’s me, best sister in Chiswick. Now get your arse next door, and get somethin’ to eat before I have to leave for the school run.”

Rose’s eyes widened and she blindly grabbed a book from the shelf. With a bright smile on her face, she walked around the tall, bookcases toward the front of the shop.

“Rose! Didn’t see you there.”

She shrugged. “On my lunch break and you know I can’t resist checking the new releases.” She handed John her book and credit card and rested her elbows on the counter. “Also, I just wanted to tell you how much I loved the Madman in a Box that you recommended.”

John’s brow furrowed in confusion for a moment, before his eyes took on a glint of mischief. “So much that you wanted to read it again?”

“Oh, yes! Definitely plannin’ on it.” She smiled at him with a hint of tongue poking out the side.

His eyes darted down to her lips and he had to clear his throat. “You know you can reread the copy you bought last week.”

“Huh?”

He held up the book that she’d handed him. The very same Madman in a Box that she’d purchased the week before.

She gaped at it for a second and blushed. “Uh, oh, this one’s for a friend. A, erm, a…a gift for her birthday.”

He grinned a lopsided smile, one that might have looked daft if he wasn’t so bloody handsome, that caused another flush to appear on Rose’s face - although this time it had nothing to do with embarrassment. “I was just teasing.”

“Right. Yeah. I reckoned.”

He handed her the book and credit card back. “I hope your friend enjoys it as much as you did.”

“Thanks. Laters.” She gave Donna and John a small wave and headed out the door.

“My God, just ask her out already.”

John startled and crossed his arms over his chest. “What? I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”

Donna crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes.

John shook his head. “Just leave it. She’s not interested in me.”

“She absolutely fancies you. Ask. Her. Out.”

John moved to fiddle with the buttons and levers of the antique cash register. “I’m too old for her. An’ even if that wasn’t enough, she’s…she’s like a ray of sunshine. An’ ’m a storm cloud. She’d never-”

“John, Rose is one of the most compassionate people I’ve ever met. She had a rough childhood, but she fought all the stereotypes and people telling her she wasn’t good enough and made something of her life. She’s exactly the type of woman you need, one who can understand everything you’ve been through.”

“But what about her? What does she get? A broken old soldier? She deserves better.”

“Oi! That’s my brother your talking about. He’s a brilliant, hard-working, adventurous, and fantastic man. Any woman would be lucky to have him.”

John flushed at his sister’s praise and mumbled, “Thanks.”

“Now get your arse next door, and let Miss Tyler butter your scone.”

“Donna! What- I- What’s that even mean?”

Her peal of laughter followed him from the shop.

–

The few mornings later, John was rushing to open and found a steaming cup of coffee and a white bag of freshly baked croissants complete with little jars of assorted jams waiting in front of the door. He looked around but the early morning street was deserted. He picked up the treats and noticed a message written underneath the Bad Wolf Bakery logo: Hope you have a brew-tiful day! xx

He pushed the door open to the bookstore and scratched his head. Who on Earth sent him breakfast? Oh! Breakfast! Must be Donna’s doing. Knowin’ she can’t keep an eye on me while in Egypt. An’ she always signs her texts with ‘xx.’ I’ll have to remember to thank her when I talk to her later.

In his rush to prepare the store for opening, the thought was soon forgotten.

–

All week, it was the same. He’d taken to sleeping in his office while Donna was away, but without fail, every morning, just before opening, there was a coffee and something freshly baked waiting for him by the front door. Sometimes there was a funny little coffee pun or joke about books written on the cup, other days a simple ‘xx.’

He was sipping that morning’s said coffee, when the bell over the door signaled a customer.

“Rose! You’re here early today.”

She bit her lip and gave him a small grin. “Yeah. My mum got caught up in a work emergency, so I’ve got to pick up my little brother from his créche during my lunch break an’ I didn’t wanna miss our, erm, out on any new releases.”

“Blimey. You must be my best customer.”

“Oh…” Rose blushed and lowered her eyes to the floor.

“Love me an avid reader.” When she’d garnered the courage to look once more at John, he was giving her a soft smile. “I’m the same. ‘S why I run this place.”

“I thought you got it from your granddad?”

Running a hand along the close cropped hair at his nape, his grin turned sheepish. “Aye, but coulda sold it. I love books though, me, and running this place is a dream come true.”

Rose smiled up at him. “Nice neighborhood too.”

John swallowed as his eyes narrowed in on her lips. “Yeah, like the neighbor a lot.” Rose’s lips formed a perfect ‘o’ and his gaze flew up to hers. “I mean, the neighbors! All of them. I didn’t mean to imply- Not that you’d be- I, er, I meant that everyone’s been really great since I got here. You included, of course. Don’t know what I’d do without your breakfasts. Probably starve. Or scare away all the customers. I’m a right grump when I haven’t eaten. And I’m gonna stop talkin’ now.” He covered his eyes with his hand.

“I, er, I’m just gonna go check on those…” She pointed toward the book cases.

Rose ducked into the first aisle she came to and leaned against the shelves trying to calm her fluttering heart. What’d he mean by- Was it a Freudian slip, or just a mistake? I thought he might- An’ he was staring at my lips, but then… Ugh. Get a grip. He’s obviously not interested or he would’ve already asked you out and the sooner you get that through your stupid-

“Rose?”

She pushed off the bookcase and smiled brightly. “Yeah?”

“Biographies today?”

Rose glanced over to the books on her left. “Oh, uh, yeah. Thought I’d change it up a bit.”

John stepped right into her personal space and reached up to one of the upper shelves. One whiff of his cologne and it set her heart back to hammering wildly in her chest. God, he smells good. How does he have any right to smell…that good? She bit the inside of her lip to keep from embarrassing herself with a moan or sigh.

“Then I think you’ll really enjoy this one.”

Rose took the book he’d pulled down for her and stared at it. She couldn’t make her eyes concentrate on the words of the title - his nearness was overwhelming all her senses.

“Y-yeah. Looks great.”

He tilted his head and examined her face. “Are you okay? You look a little flushed.”

“Yup! Never better.” She forced a big smile and tried to hold her breath without being obvious about it. Seriously, what kind of cologne is he wearing? It made her want to push him against the stacks and snog him senseless.

He took a step closer to her, and-

“Well, don’t you two look cozy?”

A squeak of surprise from Rose had John turning around.

“Donna! What are you doing back? I thought you weren’t due back ‘til-”

“Cut the trip short.”

“What? Why?”

“Egypt wasn’t what I expected. You know how I was gonna go barefoot? But it was all bus trips and guidebooks and ‘don’t drink the water.’”

“Let me guess, Lee drank the water?”

Donna sighed and nodded. “He was miserable. I was miserable. So we decided to just come home.”

“Sorry.”

Rose stood clutching the book, trying not to attract the notice of John’s sister. Not that she didn’t like the other woman, quite the opposite. It seemed, though, that more often than not, she was around when Rose was making a fool of herself in front of John. And she always gave her such a knowing glance. God, I must be so obvious.

“Eh, it’s okay. Missed the kids anyway.” Donna turned her sights on Rose.

Shit.

“Hi, Rose. You’re in awfully early today.”

“Hi, Donna. Sorry to hear about your trip.”

Donna waved away her concern and her mouth tilted into a smile. “It’s nothing. I’m more interested in whether my idiot brother finally asked you-”

“Donna!” He hissed at his sister, before grabbing the book from Rose. “C’mon, Rose. Let me ring you up.”

Rose looked from John to Donna and back. “Asked me what?”

The tips of John’s ears turned a delightful shade of red. “Oh, er, whether you, erm, might like to…” Her eyes shone with hope. “Erm, I’ve been thinking about…oh, having a book signing here, if I can manage it, I’d like to get Davis T. Russell.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, you know, the author of Madman in a Box.”

She smiled as she handed her credit card over. “Yeah. That sounds amazing.” Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

He handed her back her credit card and watched as she walked out the door.

Donna slapped him upside the head.

“Oi!”

“You really are an idiot. Book signing?”

He rubbed the back of his head. “‘S somethin’ I’ve been thinking about doing. What?”

“Just ask her out.” Donna picked up John’s coffee cup and took a sip. She nearly gagged. “Ugh. Cold coffee.”

“Well, yeah. It’s from this morning.”

Donna’s eyebrow rose as she noticed the ‘xx’ on the side of the cup. “Two kisses?”

“Yeah? It’s how you always sign off on texts.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Well, you’ve been buying me breakfast all week.”

“What? No I haven’t.”

“Donna, all week since you’ve been gone, breakfast has been waiting for me at the door with your two little x’s sign off.”

A cheeky grin blossomed over Donna’s face. “Wasn’t me, sunshine. Sounds like someone’s got a secret admirer. Though, come on, not really all that secret, is it?”

“What does that mean? Who?”

Donna rolled her eyes. “It says it right on the side of the cup. Who do we know that owns a place called Bad Wolf Bakery?”

“You can’t mean Rose?”

“She has a huge crush on you to the point that she comes in every single day to see you.”

“Donna…”

“The same Rose that you just let walk out of here even though she was waiting for you to ask her out!”

“She wasn’t.”

“She was.”

John glanced at the door. “You really think…?”

“Yes! Now go after her.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. John rushed out the door and toward the bakery entrance.

He pulled open the door. “Rose!”

She squeaked, hands at her back from tying her apron back on. “John?”

He walked up to her and with his intense stare asked, “Have you been sending me breakfast all week?”

“Er, yeah.”

“Why?”

She bit her lip and her eyes darted nervously around the shop. “Oh, well, I knew that with Donna away that you probably wouldn’t have time, and then when you didn’t come in at your normal time for your coffee… I, erm, just wanted to make sure you had breakfast.” She blushed under his scrutiny. “‘S the most important meal of the day.”

The way he was looking at her had her pulse racing, and she jumped when he finally spoke. “Would you like to go out for dinner with me?”

“Wha’?”

“I, er, a date? I…really like you an’ ‘ve been wanting to ask you out for a while. Just too big of a coward, me.”

“Yeah? I’ve been hoping you’d ask me out for a while. And I’d love to.”

The two stood grinning daftly at each other until Amy threw a dish towel at them for blocking the register.

–

One year later:

John took a sip of his coffee and savored the last of the morning’s quiet moments. He’d be unlocking the shop’s front door in a matter of minutes.

Rose walked through the newly built archway that connected their two stores carrying two mugs. She handed one to Donna and snuggled into John’s side holding the other.

“Thanks, Rose.” Donna took a sip of her tea and asked, “How was the honeymoon?”

“Barcelona was beautiful.”

“Did you two even make it out of the hotel room to see any of it?”

Rose shook her head and raised herself onto her toes to kiss her new husband.

John chuckled. “There may’ve been one or two days of sightseeing.”

Rose slapped his chest. “Oi!”

“Is it my fault I have the most ravishing wife on the planet?”

She stuck her tongue out the side of her smile. “Well, yeah, but Donna doesn’t need to know all the dirty details.” She turned dancing eyes to her new sister-in-law. “And believe me, they were very, very dirty. Filthy even.”

For once in her life, Donna blushed. “Oh my god, you’re as bad as him! Too much information!”

Rose shrugged and primly stated, “You’re the one who asked.”

John stole another kiss from his radiant wife. “Ready, love?”

“Ready.”

Rose walked to the front door of the bakery as John prepared to open his own. They’d merged their lives as they had their livelihoods. Bad Wolf Bakery & Booksellers was open for business.

[baekchelor]

INNSBRUCK [ I ]

Genre [Rating] : Angst [ M ]

Words: 2.5k

Pairing: Baekhyun x Reader

Outline: A Baekhyun Winter Tale.

“The very first time I saw you, it wasn’t any different than any other time I’ve seen yousince. The world was newer, but you were just the same. It was— love at first sight.”

You decreed not to pronounce his name. You would not dare to even think of it, keeping your eyes closed all nine hours of the flight from New York to Austria, right up until the moment the wheels of the planed touched down in Innsbruck. Half asleep, mind drifted elsewhere, would be much easier to quiet the second thoughts. It felt like a lifetime since you'd scream at each other, though it had only been a few days. Ever since the relationship halted to an end on Wednesday night, your whole person felt turmoiled. The absence of his voice, his warmth, his stupid groggy laugh: it was something you ignored how you lost. You didn't even remember what exactly led towards the slipt, things escalated far too fast and became a blur to your present self. What you were confident, though, was the particular name mentioned frequently during the argument. Baekhyun. Timoth —I mean, who mustn't be named, had always been a tad sceptical about your acquaintanceship (if you may call it that) with Baekhyun. His eyebrows knitted together in a frown whenever you announced a trip to Seoul to meet up your best friend and Baekhyun's bandmate, Oh Sehun. Lips pursed if you divulged there might be a slight chance you ran into the former. "I knew it would happen, I did.” Sehun’s voice is so flat, so steady, that it deepens the grimace on your face. "He caused almost all your fights." “That's not true." Sehun almost slams the breaks to be able to look at you with that straight-face that would linger for as long as it took you to comply with his words. It takes just a minute before you let out a sigh and nod, defeated. Ever since you confessed to you-know-who there was a time you kissed Baekhyun, shared a bed with Baekhyun; he came to loathe the man to the point he would bring up his name during every argument. A few weeks before, this little holiday trip would have infuriated him. But what happened those final days at his flat in the Bronx, had left him completely out of the blue. He didn't have to know you would spend Christmas with your Sehun —and Baekhyun. What possessed you to agree on such a trip? You ignore. Maybe you were too angry at him, and that's why you hopped on that plane, or perhaps you didn't give a shit about Baekhyun's existence at all. Lie. You did give a shit, your body a bundle of nerves due to the upcoming encounter. You draw your knees to the chest, leaning away from Sehun and against the passenger-side door, feeling somehow claustrophobic under the big grey Austrian sky, snow falling and twirling around. If someone had asked where you planned to spend Christmas, your answer would have been New York, not locked in a cabin with Oh Sehun, Byun Baekhyun and company. You had planned a lazy day at home, wearing festive pyjamas with your [former] boyfriend and only driving to his parents' house once the sky turned dark. You were planning on enjoying the different dishes and the quiet conversations in French between you-know-who and his father, planning on chatting with his sister Paulette over the current boy pinning over her and serving a cup of lavender tea to his grandmother. You hadn't planned on breaking up two weeks before Christmas Eve and run off all the way across the ocean beside your best friend. The car speeds up. With closed eyes, you try to fight back the tears. None had gone as expected. Instead, the evenings would be dreadful to share with the very man that broke your heart three years ago. You didn't know what to anticipate, you greeted each other, smiled at each other and didn't mind to hang out, but those encounters were as sporadic as half an hour, not as long as fifteen days. You picture it couldn't be as hard as you imagined. Once upon a time, you whispered nothings to each other huddled up on a sofa, the world reserved just for the two. 

In the side mirror, you watch the town grow smaller, thinner, until it disappears completely. But then, a few seconds later, snow-covered pine trees flash against the glass, almost as if they were rushing away from you. The highway is paved with uneven cobblestones that glow silver when sunrays hit the spots of snow over them. At its end, the road seems to drop straight into the woods. A sense of cosiness sneaks up around you. The thought of a cabin in the middle of the forest seems endearing. You can't wait to bury your nose between the yellow pages of your favourite novel, fuzzy blanket up to your knees, right beside the fireplace. The thought makes you smile. Turning off the car, Sehun stares at the large, perfect chalet which aspects are a bit too astonishing to be called in such term. “Pretty sick, isn't it?” “Indeed.” “Come on,” he says, hopping out of the car and coming around to open your door. “I've got a surprise for you.” Before you have time to ask about it, Sehun has already pulled out both your bags from the trunk, urging you to walk ahead of him and into the house. You want to protest, but stop yourself. This is your best friend trying his best to make you feel better. He opens his palm for you, revealing a bronze key that you take. Once the door is open, the bags are shoved to the corner as you scramble to tear off the snow in your shoes. Sehun shuffles inside, slippers on, as the warmth of the chalet welcomes him. With a nod, he encourages you to follow the corridor down to the living room, your feet moving in awe as you take in the surroundings.  Sunlight bathes the wooden floor and white walls, the air tinged with the aroma of apples and cinnamon in beseem with the Christmas wreaths framing the chimney. The fire cracks inside, eyes lulled by its dance before they land on the forgotten mug resting on the coffee table. "Hello?" you venture, head peeking around the space. Please don't be Baekhyun, please, please, please. "Is anybody here?" A warm hand grabs you by the shoulders, and before you know it, you are caught up in an embrace. The person lets out a scream, which at first frightens you until the resemblance in the voice rings a bell. You scream too and squeal, and bounce as you hold hands with your best half, non-blood sister, Aisha. "What are you doing here?!" Her big brown eyes travell mischievously to her side, where Sehun is already standing. "You're welcome," he grins, all so cocky and proud of himself. You laid reluctant to the idea of Innsbruck the moment Sehun picked you up at the airport and blurted out Baekhyun would keep you guys company. The heart hammering in rebellion against your ribcage complained of how bad the idea seemed, and how vulnerable it made you. Your mind, in agreement, also took charge of escalating every single possible scenario you could face during the holiday, urging you to ponder about your way of survival. It seemed difficult. Byun Baekhyun had set fire to your world, and although it was extinguished long ago, you suspected it wouldn't be comfortable to bare with his company. However, now that Aisha and Sehun are there to preserve your mind distracted, and your body away from the devil, you couldn't help but feel a tad at ease. The day transitions calmly. You and Sehun bury yourselves in a Cook Book found shoved in a drawer, hidden beneath layers of cloths. Pasta Carbonara is the chosen dish, mainly because it suggests to be the easiest recipe included by the author. Although you don't suck at cooking, like Aisha, you ain't precisely chefs; so if you wanted to ensure a mouthful that night, a simple dish was the perfect option. Once the pasta is safe out of the pan, forks twirling the noodles around, the three map out your days at Innsbruck over a bottle of merlot. If you manage to follow through the schedule, the hunched nightmare will end up a dream. Junmyeon and Minseok arrive around noon, flanked by a new face under the name Lu Han. He was a former member of EXO, and whereas four years ago he left the group, remained close to them. Especially Minseok and Sehun. The time shared with them is short, they're way too jetlagged to engross into substantial conversations, but it is enough to decide you like Han. He is handsome, funny, and looks adorable when the corner of his lips wrinkle in multiple waves when he laughs. Not long after the three boys scurry upstairs to rest, Heechul walks in. Black sunglasses cover half his face; his chin covered under a wool scarf. He is tired as well, and just like Junmyeon and the others, hurry upstairs to crawl to bed. By the time Aisha and Sehun are plotting some weird late night dinner back at the village, your lids grow heavier and stubborn to doze off. Your friends pout, Aisha almost dropping to her knees and begging you to come along, both eager for some adventures. You turn them off, promising a night out in town the next day. With lips still pursed, they agree. You finally ponder over who mustn't be named when you turn your back to your closed bedroom door and walk over to the bed, wondering if it was the right choice to leave New York instead of trying to talk things out with him. He had called. Yes, he had. Like twenty or thirty times before the woods and the weather robbed the service from your phone. Maybe it was destiny talking. What if it was written in the stars? You laugh. Right. The thoughts of him continue as you sit on the edge of the mattress, bending over to rummage through your still unpacked bag in pursuit of dental floss and toothbrush. His image in your head, black hair and green eyes, persists as you walk to the bathroom, hands twisting to open the faucet. The water is warm (Thank God!) and you bring your wet palms to splash the liquid in your face, hoping it will wash away the thoughts of your ex-boyfriend. You're unsure to be prepared for a life without him, neither you feel hauled back to him. For goodness sake, you can't even recall the exact detonate of the breakup. Did the argument start over a toaster? You think so. The foam had already formed in your mouth when a loud noise downstairs startles you. First, the door slams closed, next what-sounds-like a vase collides against the floor, and then, furniture grides along the wood of the storey. You put on a robe and hurry out of the bedroom the moment heavy footsteps climb the staircase, familiar giggles throbbing in your ears. Holy shit. At your sides, your fingers fumble with each other; grappled to hold onto the closest thing they can find to squeeze as the recognition of the silhouette in the dark confirms your suspicions. It is Baekhyun. With some long-legged blonde that has wrapped her limbs around his waistline. The uncomfortable nature of your body language is evident to him -and any living creature that could witness you right now, to be honest. Only a fool couldn't distinguish it at meters away - it is a scream, how you attempt to fold into yourself, keeping your arms as close to your chest as possible, like you were hoping to keep the pieces of your heart together. If he were near enough, standing by your side rather than mingling with that blonde, he would pinpoint your pulse hammering at the base of your neck, as alike as it drummed when you first touch each other. Baekhyun disentangles himself from the girl, eyes locked on your figure as in a whisper, he asks her to leave. She obeys, concealing her wounded pride and disappointment the best she could manage, but failing miserably. It's not like you're making a great work to hide your feelings either, and you hate it, with all in you. "I didn't know you were here," he murmurs, gazes united, as he moves in your direction. It takes a blink of an eye to have him right in front of you. With him so proximate, your nostrils can perceive his aroma —like Baekhyun and alcohol and a faint hint of lemon. He smells like freedom and recklessness, a rendezvous, or what it feels like to entwine hands and jump off a cliff. His face is close to yours as well, nose pressed against the soft bridge of your nose, and his eyelashes are fanning the little hairs of your scalp. It’s easier then, although the weight of the world quickly descended over your shoulders,  to think of him and only him. It's also easier to stutter. "It w-was kind of a last minute thing-g." “If I'd known I-,” he shushes softly, an apologetic tone to his voice. “I would have never..." Baek’s index finger traces a slow path to behind your ear and back up; forehead now rested against yours. Fighting back the journey to memory lane is helpless — both standing alike, if not the same way, like the night you locked lips the very first time. Even the smell of alcohol is the same, and you can swear he also drank mojitos tonight. You're drunk as well, of the memories itching your skin, reminiscing it burnt under his touch as his sticky lips dragged with yours, bodies pressed together as his beautiful long fingers raked through your hair, and your waist and your hips. His breathing was equally as heavy as it is now, so as your body, trembling from his proximity. That man, that damn man, is your weakness. Always have been, and you feared, still will be. "Baek..." It's been forever since you called him by his nickname and he delights in the sound, relishes, yet he can't be deaf to the bewilderment in your voice and takes in the small furrow to your eyebrows. You look confused and tense, even with your eyes shut as gently as they can with a headache beginning to undergo. He shakes his head, a sigh confined in his lungs and ed as he permits his head to travel down, coming to a stop once his nose has reached the tip of your earlobe. Baekhyun clears his throat, “I'm sorry.” When your eyes pop open,  he doesn’t encounter the expected reject around your iris. Your gaze is sweet, almost endearing, slipping off the distant facade. He shifts a bit but decides against the desire to touch you once more, aching to feel your skin again. It's been so long, and he's been so stupid. And you've been so fucking stubborn. But the urge is too strong, unstoppable, so the gifts himself the chance to touch you once more, be close to you once more, linger just a second —the damaged skin of his lips land on your collarbones, where it leaves a peck. "Goodnight."

[psyga315]

Rewriting Pooh’s Adventures

With everyone getting obsessed with rewriting, I decided to rewrite myself. However, I’m going with an old topic I used to touch up upon: Pooh’s Adventures.

Basic gist: Take a movie, insert clips of Winnie the Pooh, done. However, Pooh’s Adventures ends up having such a huge meta-plot involving villains having apprentices or the reasons behind the team ups that I can’t help but see some sort of nugget worth salvaging. So that’s what I’m gonna do. Rewrite Pooh’s Adventures to be a more streamlined story.

First off, some guidelines:

1.       It won’t be in video format. While Pooh’s Adventures is mainly shown through video, I feel like it would most benefit from something like written prose or comic format. Unless Sony Vegas suddenly becomes cheaper to access, the most people will have is a defunct application and a scramble to find an application that isn’t a free trial or overtly complex.

2.       No crapton of characters. I made a parody of Pooh’s Adventures where Pooh had 100 people that followed him, only for the number to get quickly decimated to about twenty or so. I’m not exaggerating the number at all. I remember at least one Adventure where a character outright states the absurd number of 78. As in “It’ll be just the 78 of us”. And that number grows with each character added. So, obviously we’re gonna stick to a low number, especially starting out.

3.       The Adventures in question are multi-chaptered “Episodes” of a long season. Not sure the approximate length, but 12 episodes seems like a good guideline.

With that out of the way, let’s begin:

This is a long post so...

PROLOGUE

It’ll be simple: Pooh and his friends at the 100 Acre Woods sans Christopher Robin. The set up might be a re-telling of Pooh’s Grand Adventure, but during their trip to Skull, they find Bowser there and he captures them, establishing his connection to Pooh.

EPISODE 1

Bowser then sells them to Queen Grimhilde who has them work alongside Snow White. Grimhilde has Ratigan and Fidget who keep tabs on her for Bowser. Prince Charming ends up getting replaced by Ash Ketchum, who had been separated from his friends as they faced a “legendary Pokemon”. And this inevitably gets to crossover shipping between Ash Ketchum and Snow White as she slowly realizes that Ash is the person she’s been wishing for, though Ash has cold feet about committing to a relationship, especially when he still wants to go on journeys.

Pooh is, for the most part, that kind of spectator protagonist, as are his friends. They witness the journey rather than partake in it. Of course, sometimes the characters take a course of action, like Tigger who Grimhilde easily manipulates into hunting down Snow White in trade for freeing him and his friends. This drives an already huge wedge in between Tigger and Rabbit and makes a conflict for Pooh on whether to trust one of his closest friends. Pooh, while not taking an active role, is going to be the most affected by these adventures.

The episode ends as usual, with Grimhilde dying, albeit the lighting bolt that broke the cliff is from Pikachu’s Thunder attack. Ash has a guilt trip over murdering someone in the heat of the moment (he realized he does love Snow White, but was too late to save her, at first) that he shut himself away. It’s here that he encounters newly appointed Conscience, Jiminy Cricket, who serves as Ash’s companion for his B-plots. Yeah, Ash is the deuteragonist for the story, at least for this first season. And yes, I do mean season.

Bowser, for now at least, is this overarching villain who always enters Pooh’s life in one way or another. Mostly through his associates or allies. As foreshadowing to his eventual final fight, Ratigan gets slightly angry, only for Fidget to calm him down and the two retreat. Upon hearing that Grimhilde is dead, Bowser mourns a bit for her before he mutters: “He won’t be happy to hear this”…

EPISODE 2

With Pooh and friends now freed from Grimhilde’s grasp, they go on a journey to find home. This lands them in France where they grab the interest of an inventor named Maurice, who instantly adores and wants to help them. They soon meet his daughter Belle who gripes about this man named Gaston and you know where this is going.

Ash, meanwhile, upon the advice from Jiminy, seeks to try and find someone to regain his strength. He finds Gaston and, upon hearing how he’s a hero to the town, effectively becomes a second LeFou and hangs on his every word. Though it isn’t until Ash eavesdrop on a conversation between Gaston and an old judge named Frollo that not only is Gaston a dick, but that Frollo, like Ratigan, is working under Bowser.

Gaston quips about how Frollo supposedly died at Notre Dame, only for him to chuckle and go “the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated”, all while he seemingly holds onto a wooden talisman. Ash tries to confront Gaston, only for him to beat him up and leave him for dead in the snow. There he’s taken in by the Enchantress and healed up. Jiminy recognizes her as a fey, akin to the Blue Fairy. She warns Ash that what he did against Grimhilde stained his heart with darkness and that it would take an act of equal value to cleanse it. In other words, Ash must revive or otherwise save someone’s life, even indirectly. She also warns him that dark hearts will attract other dark hearts, even if they are slightly tainted. In other words, Ash is gonna find himself bumping into villains more than Pooh will.

Speaking of, the experience at Beast’s Castle helps Pooh to better trust Tigger. There may also be a nod to the Christmas Special where they joke about that time a piano tried to kill them (may be in feature length though) and after Gaston is killed, Ash and Pooh reunite and go off on their next journey. Maurice helps Pooh out by inventing a means for easier transport. “I call it the Wah-gon.”

EPISODE 3

There, they go to Agrabah where we get a little more insight as to the villains as Jafar has a brief chat with a dark fey named Maleficent about Bowser’s plan to get revenge over Grimhilde’s death, with a brief aside that Bowser plans in involving him into the matters.

Meanwhile, Ash and Pooh are easily separated. Ash ends up with Aladdin and is concerned about his thieving considering the Enchantress’s warnings about dark hearts attracting dark hearts. However, he eases up as Aladdin hands a spare piece of bread to a child. Pooh ends up in Jasmine’s palace, where, like before, her father ends up being enamoured with the stuffed animals. Jafar easily spells trouble for Pooh and friends, especially after he mentions someone named Bowser Jr. as a potential suitor for Jasmine.

Details are rough here, but I do want to see a scene where Jasmine initially gets interested in Ash over Prince!Aladdin, if only to hammer in the point that Jasmine loved Aladdin for himself and not for his riches. There’s also a bit where Jafar, after getting the lamp and becoming a sorcerer, gloats to Maleficent about obtaining more power than her. They have a brief clash to which Bowser interferes and tells the two to knock it off. Maleficent merely glares at Jafar and leaves, telling him that pride comes before the fall. Jafar is soon defeated and with a free Genie, he decides to tag along with Pooh, just for a bit while he stretches his legs.

EPISODE 4

There’s a rather light-hearted episode about them encountering Alice and going to Wonderland. For the most part, it’s just a silly episode to break away from the more serious stories. Even a funny bit where Ratigan tries to recruit the Queen of Hearts, only to find she’s off her rocker and goes “okay, screw this, I’m outta here”. Because Wonderland is meant to be wacky. That said, there’s two important bits of information: one, Alice recognizes Pooh as Christopher Robin’s toy and explains about how he’s been busy with school but that he’ll always have Pooh in his heart. And two, Ratigan mutters that he’ll try “the other Queen of Hearts.”

EPISODE 5

Another light-hearted, but more serious story involves Cinderella. Having been through this before, Ash and Pooh resolve to beat up Tremaine, only for the Fairy Godmother to interfere and tell them that by doing so, they’ll increase the dark stain in Ash’s heart. For Tremaine to truly be defeated, they must instead help Cinderella. The group take her advice and leave to help her. The Godmother is happy at this change and waits to help Cinderella in her time of need…

Only for Maleficent to find the Fairy Godmother and kill her, taking her wand. Genie is the one that replaces her in the “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo” sequence (citing he can’t stand to see a pretty woman cry) and stays out of helping her because he knows Pooh and Ash have it handled.

Ratigan is seen “helping” the mice, only to instead tip off Tremaine and her sisters about Cinderella. Pooh and Ash see Ratigan during the “break Cinderella out” scene and confront him, only for him to obtain control of Lucifer through a magical bell given to him by Maleficent. He uses Lucifer to nom at least some of the lesser important mice before being forced to retreat after Ash sics Pikachu at them. Ash still feels a little shook given how the last time he used Pikachu, he murdered someone, but Pooh reassures him that he’s helping Cinderella.

A dark idea I have that might not be featured because this is involving way too much than what is necessary is that Maleficent comes in Cinderella’s time of need and offers her power in trade for her allegiance to Bowser. In a moment of weakness, she accepts and burns the Tremaines, her hair turning blackish brown from the ashes. She goes full coocoo for coco puffs and embraces the teasing nickname she is given, renaming herself Cinder Fall. You can see why I’m not so keen on the idea, though if it sounds like a fun idea to you guys, I might include it.

Instead, Ash confronts Prince Charming (who ends up being the same Prince Charming that would have saved Snow White) about Cinderella and the two trade opinions. Ash tells Prince Charming that if he truly loves Cinderella, he has to be the hero and save her, while Prince Charming tells Ash about how he feels like marriage is an obligation, especially after his father passed away and it was made imperative that he married. Tempted to go further with this, go all Once Upon A Time, and reveal that he’s really the Pauper to the real Prince.

Tremaine also confronts Ash and tells her the backstory she had from the 2015 remake, where she had married Cinderella’s father and tried to make it better for them, only to realize that she had lived in the shadows of both the deceased mother and of Ella herself. She merely wanted to bring joy to their lives only to get slapped in the face and be indirectly told that she’ll never be significant in their lives. Ash shoots her down by pointing to the depressed Cinderella and telling her that rather than bring joy, she brought misery and despair and says how she will merely become a shadow that haunts Cinderella’s dreams.

So, after the glass slipper breaks, rather than bring out the spare, Prince Charming decides to go with his gut and accept Cinderella as the woman he fell in love with. Tremaine has one last talk with Cinderella where she breaks down and apologizes, only for Cinderella to forgive her. However, Tremaine is so wrecked with guilt that she feels like she can’t be forgiven, and goes into exile. Ash realizes how, like him, she too has a dark sliver in her heart that must be overtaken with an act of equal value. He goes off to follow her as Genie parts ways with Pooh to travel the globe.

EPISODE 6

This is a turning point as it’s a two-parter.

Pooh, following on a letter given to him by Alice, goes to the Darling estate, close to where Christopher Robin lives. However, they get a detour when Tinkerbell accidently puts pixie dust on Pooh and the happy thoughts of reuniting with him end up making him fly. Meanwhile, Ash finds Ratigan about to manipulate Tremaine to the dark side and confronts him. Ratigan ambushes them though and takes them to Captain Hook’s ship where they’ll be taken to Bowser to complete their corruption.

Thankfully, Hook has a one-mind track named Peter Pan and is busy fighting him instead of transporting them to Bowser. Once he gets more serious about killing Peter Pan, Ash believes it’s because he lost his hand to him and confronts him on it, only to be told that he lost more than that: Peter Pan killed his wife. Ash, having met him at some point during the battles between him and Hook, doesn’t believe him and that there has to be more to the story than that. Tremaine proves to be an effective lady on the ship and puts the pirates in line, helping Ash escape in the huge climax.

During said climax, rather than getting chased by Tick Tock like in the original, Hook tries to get Peter Pan to admit his murder. Maleficent appears and tells Hook to hurry up. The way she enters via green fiery entrance causes Hook to notice something off and remembers how his wife died: green fire. He asks Maleficent if she killed her. Maleficent gloats about it, telling him that she did kill his wife and blamed Peter Pan for it, if only to ensure that he’d side with Bowser. She reminds him that he’s only Bowser’s lapdog and that he should do as told if it’s good for him. Hook takes out a sword and swears revenge…

And then Maleficent explodes him with magic a la Watchmen. She groans and as Ash tries to fight her, she goes “ENOUGH OF THIS!” and uses the Fairy Godmother’s wand.  

EPISODE 7

Ash wakes up in another timeline where Hook survives, never knowing of Maleficent’s actions, but Peter Pan has grown old and has kids. He tries to tell Hook the truth, only for him to refute Ash. He has gone on too long without revenge and the fact that Peter Pan gets to have a happy life and not him drives him to the deep end. Tremaine, meanwhile, tries to get through to Peter’s son, who has grown upset with his negligence, something she feels like she has done to Cinderella.

Pooh, meanwhile, is on another timeline where it’s Wendy who grew old and had kids. Basically the plots for both Hook and Return to Neverland happen side by side. However, Pooh is able to get through to Hook a lot easier than Ash by simply being dumb enough to let Hook come to the conclusion that Maleficent killed his wife himself. He swears vengeance on them, gives up fighting Peter Pan, and takes them back to London just as Ash returns from his version of Neverland. When the wand is used, it split the realm into two timelines, hence why London is the same. Ratigan is there to try and capture them all right here and now.

Ash retaliates by having Pikachu fight him. The fight is where Ratigan loses his temper and goes all out. The two are evenly matched until Pikachu steals the bell from Ratigan and causes him to fall off of Big Ben (with a little help from Peter Pan, who ends up getting synchronized between Hook!Peter and RTN!Peter thanks to returning to London.) Ash, not wanting to have any more blood on his hands, uses Pooh and his friends as makeshift cushions to save Ratigan and tells him to run. He does… then finds Maleficent who monologued about using the wand for her own purposes. Thinking she wants to overthrow Bowser thanks in part to his anger, he tries to fight Maleficent… only for her to step on him and call him vermin.

Oh, and at one point during this two parter, there’s a nod to Ash never aging from Peter Pan and possibly an implication that Ho-Oh gave him that immortality. And also the words “all of this has happened before and all of it will happen again” becomes a pretty relevant phrase throughout the two-parter and throughout the next couple of episodes.

EPISODE 8

Wendy informs Pooh that Christopher Robin has gone on a field trip to the amazons, so that’s where Pooh and his friends go with the help of Hook’s ship. This is where Hook departs, telling them that if they ever need a lift to simply call him with a repurposed communicator device that Bowser originally gave him. There, Pooh meets Jane, Christopher Robin’s aunt, who is out wanting to research for gorillas. There, he also meets Clayton and Injun Joe. Having met the Neverland Injuns, Pooh assumes both Clayton and Joe are friendly. Spoilers: they’re not.

This time, Ash is with the heroes and Pooh is with the villains. The reason is that Ash sympathizes with Tarzan as he had encountered someone like him before (The Kangaskhan Kid) and also how Tarzan’s savagery had him confused that he’s the one he should be worried about, not Clayton. Meanwhile, Pooh gets friendly with Clayton, while Rabbit and Tigger’s schism gets to its boiling point, causing the two to split. Tigger encounters Ash and finds the gorillas. He then goes to Clayton and tells them the location of the gorillas. This causes Clayton’s true nature to be revealed, to which Rabbit and Tigger just grow further apart.

There’s a brief war between man and gorilla, though in the moment of this, Maleficent appears before Clayton and Injun Joe and tells them to accomplish their gorilla hunting mission for Bowser. To help, Maleficent uses the Fairy Godmother’s wand to turn the in Injun Joe’s heart to turn him into a vicious Beast named Injurin’ Joe. Yes, I’m going with that. However, Joe’s new powers get to him and rather than Clayton hanging himself, as soon as he’s defeated, Joe kills and eats Clayton. Ash fights him, only for Pikachu to come in and save him with a Thunderbolt to the chest, killing Joe. Ash’s flashbacks are triggered and he shakes. Keep in mind that he’s a ten-year-old and had not only witnessed death, but also murdered two people at this point. Needless to say, Ash isn’t all right in the head, but Tremaine comforts Ash. By this point, she’s become the mother of the group, much to Rabbit’s dismay.

Jane informs Pooh that Christopher Robin sadly was lost at sea during a storm. The group is devastated. Too devastated to even move on…

EPISODE 9

A group of sailors hired by Professor Porter escort the group home on the ship, only for the storm to kick up again. Jiminy, in the midst of this, recognizes a whale that attacks them as Monstro, the very same whale that ate Geppetto and Pinocchio. With no time to react, the group is nommed by Monstro and this becomes our Belly of the Whale episode. With the very real fate of being digested by Monstro, Pooh and the others must make do with the fact that Christopher Robin may have died.

Pooh is depressed knowing his journey is for naught, Piglet is upset that Tigger and Rabbit are fighting amongst themselves, Eeyore is depressed because he’s Eeyore, Ash is convinced he’s doomed to be a villain, Tremaine is confronting her cruelty over Cinderella, and overall everyone’s bummed out. That’s when they hear a familiar voice. It’s Christopher Robin! Turns out he isn’t dead, but rather saved by Monstro. Jiminy wonders how that makes sense since the last time he met him, he wasn’t so nice…

Turns out he wasn’t. He expels them out before the newly crowned Queen of the Sea: Ursula.

EPISODE 10

Ursula, after granting the group the ability to breathe out of pity, tells them about how Bowser wanted them alive. Pooh & friends to once again be Bowser’s slave and Ash & Tremaine to become fully corrupted. Ash is tempted to use Pikachu to thundershock her, but that’s when Ursula stops him, pointing out that with each kill he racks up, it’s another stain on his heart. When it becomes fully tainted, he’ll be one with the darkness.

She locks them up and gets ready to meet Bowser. However, Ariel, in the process of trying to nab the trident from Ursula, finds Pooh and his friends, then breaks them out. Ariel ends up being fascinated with Ash and Tremaine given they’re humans while Pooh goes over and takes the Trident from Ursula. The group fight Ursula and manage to defeat her, only for Maleficent to appear and attempt to capture Pooh and his friends… Then Pooh uses Triton’s trident and causes a disruption with the Fairy Godmother’s wand, splitting the group including Maleficent. They split across time once more…

EPISODE 11

Ash awakens in the Fairy Realm where the Enchantress finds Ash. Her not knowing who Ash is confirms he’s in the distant past of Sleeping Beauty. Pooh and the others end up in a cottage where three kindly old ladies and a growing girl take them in, the present time of Sleeping Beauty (the past). And lastly, Maleficent and Tremaine end up at her broken castle in the future (the present).

Let’s break this down:

Ash and the Enchantress come across a beautiful fairy with hawk-like wings. To his surprise, she is Maleficent. Yes. I’m. Going. There. Anyways, this is the eve where Stefan goes to kill Maleficent to be crowned king. However, he can’t go through with it and so cuts off her wings. Ash confronts Stefan about this to which Stefan comments how he is willing to do anything to be king, but killing the one he loves is a line he couldn’t cross. He says that Ash should be grateful that Maleficent was spared and goes off into the night.

Pooh learn about the situation from the fairies and realize how much of a dick Maleficent is. The fairies conveniently leave out the bit where she used to be good until Stefan screwed her over. Prince Phillip is revealed to be a cousin of Prince Charming. The plot goes pretty much like Sleeping Beauty/Maleficent, except without Stefan going crazy-go-nuts in-between scenes.

Tremaine and Maleficent discuss about what Maleficent wants, as she recognizes the wand from the tales she used to read Cinderella. A wand with infinite powers, even reviving the dead if need be. She asks why she holds such a power to which she tells her about Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother. Or rather, she tells her about how she held so much power and yet did nothing when Cinderella suffered under her heel or even before Tremaine entered her life.

Tremaine is both upset and angry at this, but this time not to herself, but at the Godmother. Maleficent rubs this in by telling her about the Enchantress and how she turned a prince into a beast, with the servants being turned into items just to spite them. She gives her the revelation that fairies used to be nice and good, hearts of pure light. Then man intruded on their lands and turned them rotten. Now they wish to exact revenge on humanity, with Bowser giving them the means to do so. What she left out was that the fairies only do so to rotten humans. Those with black hearts. Prince Adam was selfish and so turned into the Beast. Injun Joe was cruel and so turned into Injurin’ Joe. Only to those who are pure of hearts or have a chance at redemption do the fairies intervene and help them.

And that’s what the Blue Fairy does: intervene. And boy is she pissed. Maleficent murdered her own kin for power. Maleficent calls her out by showing the wand. What kind of all-powerful being just sits there and does nothing while people suffer? With the wand’s power, she will save everyone, starting with herself. Before the Blue Fairy can do anything, she casts the spell and goes back in time.

Ash, due to the time travel on Maleficent’s part, ends up getting warped back to the point where Stefan is about to cut off Maleficent’s wings, only for Maleficent, the Blue Fairy, and Tremaine to appear. Maleficent tries to kill Stefan before he can do the deed, but Ash stops her and shows her how he couldn’t go through with killing her in the past. That, deep inside, he truly loved her enough to spare her. Maleficent, however, is far too gone to reconsider and before she can attack Stefan, the Blue Fairy rams into Maleficent and forces her to the present.

By this point, Pooh & friends are at the scene where Phillip is captured and the fairies go to break him out. It’s revealed that this is before Maleficent has teamed up with Bowser, let alone team up with him. Pooh and Christopher Robin break Phillip out while Rabbit and Tigger, finally finding a common ground, beat up the goblins while Piglet and Eeyore get the wagon ready for the group to ride out on. Soon, Ash’s group emerge and the two Maleficents, as they share the same time now, merge and the result is a more powerful dragon, the likes of which not even the fairies can stop. The Blue Fairy, however, summons Charizard and Ash hops on him to fight Maleficent in a sky battle while Pooh and the others figure out how to defeat Maleficent. The fairies enchant Phillip’s sword, but it can’t pierce the scales. Pooh, however, figures out a weakness and as soon as Maleficent roosts, he climbs on her. She can’t feel Pooh because he’s stuffed with fluff and during the battle, Pooh slowly and surely starts to rip apart her scales, eventually leaving a piece of flesh where Phillip can impale her. For added cool points, this is right after Ash’s Charizard does that “fly around the world” Seismic Toss he’s known for.

With Maleficent dead, Ash looks at the remains of her: the Fairy Godmother’s wand. He frowns and mutters that she’s the one whose darkness overtook her heart. He picked up the wand and with that resolve in mind, he goes to Stefan and tells her about Maleficent, only for him to break down into tears and realize the consequences of his actions. Tremaine notices this and reconciles with Stefan, telling him that what’s done is done and that they can only work towards a brighter future. She announces her intent to stay with Stefan and Aurora. Blue Fairy takes everyone back to present time where Ash finds that Tremaine had lived a good life with Stefan and Aurora, having found her one true place and redemption.

It seems like the happy ending is achieved since Pooh is reunited with Christopher Robin and Ash seems to have resolved his inner conflict, buuuut there’s one more obstacle that comes in and attacks Pooh and Ash: the same legendary Pokemon that split Ash from his friends. It descends and transforms into a warlock, who declares that Ash killed his sister, Queen Grimhilde.

EPISODE 12

The man introduces himself as Maliss and wants revenge on Ash. Ash steps forwards and tells him to kill him if it satisfies him. To which he does… Only for Pikachu to take the bullet. Cue that scene where Pikachu talks and everyone freaks out. Thankfully, Pikachu is spared thanks to the Blue Fairy’s intervention, but she ends up weakened from it. She reveals the reason fairies only intervene for good humans and punish bad ones. The pureness of someone’s heart fuels the magic. If the magic is to benefit a cruel person, then the fairy is punished for it by giving their life force. Same goes if they punish a kind person. It was put in place by Mother Nature herself to keep the Fairies in balance. There’s also one other problem, one that explains why the Fairy Godmother didn’t just bring Cinderella’s mother back: life must be paid with life. Essentially, Pikachu’s wounds transferred over to the Blue Fairy.

As the Blue Fairy dies, she tells them to seek out a wizard named Merlin. Before Maliss can continue his onslaught, Mewtwo intervenes and teleports them to his hideout: Skull, the same place Bowser was at. It turns out that the reason Bowser was there to begin with was to try and strike an alliance with Mewtwo, only for him to rebuff. Ash tries to talk to Mewtwo, given how he met him, but he tells Ash that he doesn’t remember Ash. The only human he does remember his is creator, someone named Dr. Spengler.

He explains that, like the previous Mewtwo, he escaped, but was without purpose. That’s when the Blue Fairy came and told him to prepare for a battle against the forces of Darkness. He basically gets Pooh up to speed about how Bowser is this evil dude who has legions of villains and he won’t stop until the world’s in his grasps. Ash feels guilty over what happened and goes to sulk. The Blue Fairy’s wand activates with the Fairy Godmother’s wand and sends him to an alternate universe entirely for a brief moment. There, he meets an adult Snow White who is happily married, not to him, but rather the Prince Charming that was meant to marry Cinderella. Snow White finds Ash familiar, but can’t seem to put her finger on it. Ash wants to tell Snow White how sorry he is for not reciprocating her love, but realizes that she might not even know what he’s talking about, so he words it as a “I have a friend” situation. She tells Ash not to lose hope and that true love can break any curse.

Ash flashes back and, with that resolve in mind, he goes off to revive Snow White with love’s first kiss. Snow White wakes up and they have a touching reunion. Maliss comes by to crash the party, but Pooh, with the help of Mewtwo, stop him. Bowser then arrives, fed up with Pooh’s constant interference and how each of his allies fell to him. He attacks Pooh while Ash fights Maliss. It’s a pretty climatic showdown, but Pooh is shown to be on the ropes despite putting up a good “fight” (read: running from Bowser). That is until Aladdin shows up on Carpet and slashes Bowser with a scimitar. Then Tarzan throws a spear at Bowser. Peter Pan flies in with his knife. I’d add more returning characters, but Adam’s no longer the Beast, Wonderland is explicitly a dreamish realm with no desire to interfere with this war, Ash is pulling double duty for Prince Charming, Ariel can’t walk on land yet, and Phillip died of old age.

But the point still stands, Pooh may not have strength, but he has something Bowser can never have: friends. This is made poignant when Christopher Robin, the friend that kickstarted his adventure in the process, being the one to defeat Bowser by tipping him and having him on his back. Bowser retorts by saying how his circle of mages are his friends and that he will come back with many more. Before the group can finish him off, a large owl flies in and carries Bowser off, telling him that his father wishes to speak to him.

Ash, meanwhile, utilizes a weakness of Maliss: he uses a cape that turns people into stone. Ash grabs the cape and uses it on Maliss, turning him to stone. He falls down and gravity finishes him off. Ash feels guilty at first, but doesn’t have the same twinge of malice he had when he killed Grimhilde nor the fear when he killed Injurin’ Joe. He feels Snow White hugging his back and realizes why. He wasn’t fighting for revenge or in the heat of the moment. He was fighting to protect the people he loves.

With everything neatly wrapped up, Ash leaves with Snow White to find his friends, Mewtwo stays in Skull while petting a wolf he calls Aisling, and Pooh and Christopher Robin have a heart-to-heart about school and how Christopher Robin tells Pooh that while he won’t always be around, he’ll still have a place in Pooh’s heart. Roll credits, everyone lives happily ever after, right?

WRONG!

EPILOGUE

Bowser is brought to a world of darkness by the Grand Duke of Owls. There, he is brought face to face with a robed man he calls “father”. The man demands to know why some of Bowser’s strongest wizards have been put out of commission, to which Bowser tells him of Pooh. He is intrigued by the notion that Bowser was defeated by a fluffy teddy bear, but also embarrassed. He declares that Bowser’s son, Bowser Jr., will depart to far-east Asia to prepare for the oncoming storm. Bowser tries to protest, grabbing the man by the collar. The hood falls off, revealing a skeleton.

The skeletal man reassures Bowser. He’s training with a powerful empire and that when he returns with his betrothed, he will be the most powerful Koopa in the land. Bowser is pissed, but acknowledges what needs to be done. “I know… I must avenge Mother….” The skeleton then tells the Grand Duke of Owls to fetch him a potato sack. Confused, the DGoO obliges and goes over to fetch a sack. The skeleton then summon forth bugs to go over and infest the bag, eating the potatoes and eventually making the sack its home. It then rises and stands straight up before contorting the bag to make arms and legs, and finally, a head.

“What brings me to your service, oh Wiseman?” Oogie Boogie asks.

----

And yeah, that’s basically how I’d rewrite Pooh’s Adventures. Took about a good 6 hours to write up the first season. What do you guys think?

[dungledrags-recap]

Quests and Adventuring, LLC: The Ground Floor [youtube link]

Official Description: Woah, it's a one shot! Run by Benji?! Woah!!! Unofficial Description: A very interesting party of adventurers is hired by an interesting company to do a Quest.

Previous Session: [It's the first ever!] Previous Recap: [Still the first ever!]

We're taking a break from the normal Dungle Drags story this week for a one-and-possibly-more-shot! All new characters and even a new DM! Our DM for this session will be @benjamindisco and you can find their art of the characters at this [link!] And  item art at this [link!] The map art is at this [link!] Also some NPC art (and Some Dude) at this [link!] And even more at this [link!] This recap is a little longer than usual, as we meet an entire cast of characters this session!

"A call for adventurers went out across the land..." Our adventurers arrive separately at a typical medieval-fantasy-setting building, which opens up to reveal... a not very typical interior, a lobby complete with fluorescent lights, couches, and a water cooler. Our four adventurers seem to be the only adventurers to answer the call. A sign asks them to please discuss their backstories while they wait in the lobby, as good communication is the backbone of every party. Gregmas (@skullshoal) sits down in a chair and BooBoo the Fool (@starsnot) climbs on top of some filing cabinets, as Ozmira Timeteller (@krshush) and Teszin the Calm (@talondragonblood) discuss what the sign means by backstory. BooBoo the Fool introduces himself, with a truly amazing flip off of the filing cabinet, as a 2'3" tall ever-smiling goblin in a clown outfit. Ozmira introduces herself next, she is a 3' tall chrono-hopper gnome with heterochromic eyes [more character art here!]. She shakes BooBoo the Fool's hand, but gets hit by a hand-buzzer. BooBoo the Fool moves exclusively through somersaults and various acrobatics, and rolls over to Greg, who is a 2' tall elf [more character art here!]. He shakes BooBoo's hand as well, also getting buzzed.  Both BooBoo and Greg wear bells. Greg introduces himself as Greg, Gregmas for long, and he is one of Santa's elves. Next to be introduced is Tezin, who rides a very large duck. Very large. Tezin once spilled an Enlargement potion on Benny the Duck, and he has been large ever since. BooBoo attempts to convince Greg that all ducks are that big. Tezin introduces Poohgo [link], a small talking owl that rests on his horns. Poogho reveals that he's been summoned by Tezin. Tezin is also a 6'11" minotaur, not including added Duck height.

BooBoo the Fool rolls down the hallway, to explore, and is hit in the face with a door opening. A voice behind the door calls the adventurers in by name. They enter a small book-filled office, where Melinda, a gnome lady, sits atop a pile of books. She explains that the Quest Item was stolen and put upon a ship called the Heart's Cage, and when the party brings the Quest Item back, they'll be paid two thousand gold. Quests and Adventuring, LLC seems to know a lot about the adventurers, but offers bonus goodie bags! After the signing of a contract, of course. While Gregmas signs with a fancy quill, BooBoo signs with facepaint. Each party member receives a Goodie Bag of Holding, and both Gregmas and BooBoo climb inside theirs. These bags include a healing potion, a brand-loyal t-shirt, and a wand, the art for which is at this [link.] Greg, Tezin and BooBoo don their t-shirts, though BooBoo wears his like a cape. Melinda ushers the party out of the room before her next appointment arrives, and the party catches a slight glimpse of her next appointment, a man in a red hood with a white mask and a blue scarf. The party conveniently exits the room straight onto the docks, which is where they need to be for their quest! It's also about ten pm, as opposed to 3pm which they'd thought it was. A couple NPCs hang around the docks, and a few buildings stand around the dock, including Feline Fine Bar & Grill, Melvin's Menagerie, and The Tip (The Hottest Nightclub In Town). BooBoo does a fun handkerchief trick, resulting in Poohgo and Greg getting drawn in and a little too dizzy.

All the ships at the docks follow a theme, each named something very similar to The Heart's Cage, though the actual Heart's Cage is not in sight. BooBoo approaches a beagle, which talks, scaring BooBoo, and walking away. The party discusses whether or not all animals can talk. Also, Gregmas is 480 years old, and BooBoo is 3. The party asks around the docks for information, but none of the NPCs seem to know where the Heart's Cage is. They're denied entrance to the nightclub, and a trashcan calls out to them. Specifically a hooded figure in the alleyway behind the trashcan, who offers them information. The hooded figure pulls down their hood to reveal a wizard, who offers information in return for crystals.

Greg uses his Naughty and Nice tome to cast Ray of Frost on the Crystal Wizard, and the Crystal Wizard poofs away. BooBoo eats some garbage, taking two points of damage. The party searches for the wizard, but cannot find them. BooBoo and Greg... get married? I think? It's about 2am now, and still no luck in finding the boat. The party enters Feline Fine Bar & Grill, and slightly harass Henrietta the barkeep. Henrietta mentions that the boat they're looking for is full of scary people, and the party harasses her a little more, via balloon animals. She tells them where they can find The Heart's Cage before fleeing to the bar's backroom. The party approaches the ship, which is crewed by many dogs, of various headgear, who seem to be guarding something.

The party gets into an altercation with these dogs, which turns into combat!

Tezin wields a lute-hammer, which is a spiky lute he plays and also hits people with. Ozmira uses daggers, as well as speed. BooBoo uses rage, a comically large hammer, and ancestor spirits of... clowns. Greg is a pact of the tome warlock, whose patron is Santa.

BooBoo gets Polymorphed into a frog, Ozmira unlocks a door on the ship, BooBoo gets hit with Crown  of Madness. Tezin falls unconscious, Ozmira uses her health potion on him. Gregmas pets sweetpea. A wand is cast, making the party fly, and another, making Gregmas invincible. BooBoo throws the empty wand and Ham catches it, off the side of the boat. Ham is swimming with a stick, Muffin is asleep, Sweetpea is petted, and Lady Margarette Snugglesworth IV is on the floor in laughter. The party, with a befriended Sweetpea, descend into the ship.

Within the ship is a dragon skeleton, named Ryan, who can speak, and has the Quest Item. Ryan is also only seven years old, and wants a very good joke in exchange for the Quest Item. The party do... not have any jokes. Ozmira, however, steals the Quest Item, and sneaks away in the general chaos. Gregmas casts Friends on Ryan. Gregmas, with Sweetpea, as well as Tezin and Poohgo and Benny The Duck, exit the room while Ryan is friendly. BooBoo tells a funny clown joke, and Ryan has a laugh, and falls asleep. BooBoo leaves then, as does Ozmira.

The party now has the Quest Item, and they flee from the ship. Before they leave, Tezin waves his wand, and turns the party invisible. They turn in the Quest Item to Melinda, and she informs the party that their payment will be delivered in two business weeks.

And that's where Quests & Adventuring, LLC: The Ground Floor ends!

Next Session: [This is a oneshot!] Next Recap: [This might be the only one we get!]

[mightystargazer]

2018 Readinglist

Drew Hayes Bloody Acquisitions

Drew Hayes The Fangs of Freelance Fred

Drew Hayes Second Hand Curses

Gregg Hurwitz The Rains

Gregg Hurwitz Last Chance

Dean Koontz Oddkins

David Timson Ghost Stories of an Antiquary

Kay Hooper Stealing Shadows

Kay Hooper Hiding In Shadows

Kay Hooper Out of Shadows

Kay Hooper Touching Evil

Kay Hooper Whisper of Evil

Kay Hooper Sense of Evil

Kay Hooper Hunting Fear

Kay Hooper Chill of Fear

Kay Hooper Sleeping with Fear

Kay Hooper Blood Dream

Kay Hooper Blood Sins

Kay Hooper Blood Ties

Kay Hooper Haven

Kay Hooper Hostage

Kay Hooper Haunted

Kay Hooper Fear the Dark

Kay Hooper Wait for Dark

Hunter Shea The Jersey Devil

Matt Haig The Humans

Terry Goodkind Nest

John G. Hartness Cold as Ice

John G. Hartness Into the Mystic

John Conroe God Touched

John Conroe Demon Driven

John Conroe Brutal Asset

John Conroe Black Frost

John Conroe Duel Nature

John Conroe Fallen Stars

John Conroe Executable

John Conroe Forced Ascent

John Conroe College Arcane

John Conroe God Hammer 

John Conroe Rogues

John Conroe Snake Eyes

John Conroe Winterfall

Bentley Little The House

Terry Goodkind Nest

Stephen Blackmoore Dead Things

Stephen Blackmoore Broken Souls

Stephen Blackmoore Hungry Ghosts

Peter Cawdron Alien Space Tentacle Porn

A. American Hope

Dean Koonz Richochet Joe

Sarah Lyons Fleming Until the End of the World

Sarah Lyons Fleming So Long Lollipops

Sarah Lyons Fleming And After

Sarah Lyons Fleming All the Stars in the Sky

Robert Bevan Critical Failures V

Perrin Briar Genesis Flowers

Larry Correia The Adventures of Tom Stranger

Larry Correia A Murder of Manatees

J. R. Ward Covet 

J. R. Ward Crave

J. R. Ward Envy

J. R. Ward Rapture

J. R. Ward Possession

J. R. Ward Immortal

Milo James Fowler Captain Bartholomew Quasar

James Smythe The Echo

Ian Tregillis The Mechanical

Ian Tregillis The Rising

Ian Tregillis The Liberation

Harvard Lampoon Bored of the Rings

Barry J. Hutchison Return of the Dead Guy 

Mark Tufo Demon Fallout

Mark Tufo Defeat's Victory 

Morgan Hobbes The Totally True Adventures of Gustav Gustavson

Barry J. Hutchison Dial D for Deadman

Christopher Moore Practical Demonkeeping

Christopher Moore Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove

Christopher Moore The Stupidest Angel

Richard Johnson Weekend at Vidu's

Brian Keene The Rising

Brian Keene City of the Dead

Daniel Fite The Zombie Chapters

Edward Zajac A Swift Kick in the Asteroids

Donald E. Westlake The Busy Body

Dean Koontz The Whispering Room

Christopher Moore Bloodsucking Fiends

Christopher Moore You Suck

Christopher Moore Bite Me

Sue Perkins Zoopedia

Anthology Zombies, The Recent Dead 

Anthology Zombies, More Recent Dead 

Brett J. Talley That Which Should Not Be

Christopher Moore A Dirty Job

Christopher Moore Secondhand Souls

Christopher Moore Coyote Blue

Al K. Line Hidden Spark 

Al K. Line Dead Spark 

Al K. Line Wild Spark 

Kim Stanley Robinson Icehenge

Bentley Little The Mailman

Zach Bohannon Empty Bodies

James Peters Black Swan Planet

Peter Meredith The Edge of Hell

Peter Meredith The Edge of Temptation

Gerry Griffiths The Beasts of Stoneclad Mountain

Christopher Moore Fluke Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings

C.G. Mosley The Island in the Mist

C.G. Mosley Monsters in the Mist

Russell James Cavern of the Damned

Mike Bockoven FantasticLand

Michael  McBride Snowblind

Michael  McBride The Killing Grounds

Kevin Hearne Scourged

E.F. Benson's Ghost Stories

Donnie Eichar Dead Mountain

Corey Taylor A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven

Viktor Zarkov Megatooth

Steven Bird Erebus

Robert Bevan 5d6 Caverns and Creatures

Richard Kadrey Suspect Zero

Keith C. Blackmore Mountain Man Prequel

Dave Jeffery Frostbite

Christopher Moore Fool

Christopher Moore The Serpent of Venice

Seth Shostak Confessions of an Alien Hunter

P. K. Hawkins Titanoboa

Matt Serafini Island Red

Christopher Moore Island of the Sequined Love Nun

Ambrose Ibsen Asylum

Ambrose Ibsen Forest

Ambrose Ibsen The Occupant

Lucas Pederson Leviathan Ghost Rig

Kara Cooney The Woman Who Would Be King

Jonathan Maberry Mars One

John J. Rust Reptilian

Greig Beck Beneath the Dark Ice

Greig Beck Dark Rising

Greig Beck This Green Hell

Greig Beck Black Mountain

Greig Beck Gorgon

Greig Beck Hammer of God

Greig Beck Kraken Rising

Michelle McNamara Ill Be Gone in the Dark

Stephen R Donaldson The Kings Justice

Jerry Dubs Imhotep

Christopher Moore Lamb The Gospel

Barry J. Hutchison Planet of the Japes´

Bentley Little The ignored

Marty Essen Time Is Irreverent

Thomas Tryon Harvest Home

Dean Koontz The Bone Farm

Dean Koontz The Crooked Staircase

Christopher Moore Sacre Bleu

Benjamin Wallace Junkers

Alex Laybourne Terror from the Deep

Christopher Golden Ararat

Alice Hoffman The Museum of Extraordinary Things

Jim Butcher Storm Front

Jim Butcher Fool Moon

Jim Butcher Grave Peril

Jim Butcher Summer Knight

Jim Butcher Death Masks

Jim Butcher Blood Rites

Jim Butcher Bombshells

Jim Butcher Proven Guilty

Jim Butcher White Night

Jim Butcher Small Favor

Jim Butcher Backup

Jim Butcher Turn Coat

Jim Butcher Changes

Jim Butcher Ghost Story

Jim Butcher Cold Days

Jim Butcher Shadowed Souls

Jim Butcher Skin Game

Jim Butcher White Night

Jim Butcher Working for Bigfoot

Stephen King The Outsider

The World of Lore Wicked Mortals

Hugh Howey I, Zombie

C. Gockel Archangel Down

C. Gockel Noa's Ark

C. Gockel Heretic

Anthology Aliens Bug Hunt

Shea Ernshaw The Wicked Deep

John F.D. Taff The Bell Witch

Adrienne Lecter Incubation

Adrienne Lecter Outbreak

Adrienne Lecter Escalation

Adrienne Lecter Extinction

Adrienne Lecter Resurgence

Adrienne Lecter Unity

Adrienne Lecter Affliction

Adrienne Lecter Catharsis

Barry J. Hutchison The Time Titan of Tomorrow

The Cabin at the End of the World

Chuck Wendig The Blue Blazes

Larry Correia Saints 

Dirk Patton Voodoo Plague

Dirk Patton Crucifixion V Plague

John Connolly Every Dead Thing

John Connolly Dark Hollow

John Connolly The Killing Kind

John Connolly The White Road

John Connolly The Black Angel

John Connolly The Unquiet

John Connolly The Reapers

John Connolly The Lovers

John Connolly The Whisperers

John Connolly The Burning Soul

John Connolly The Wrath of Angels

John Connolly The Wolf In Winter

John Connolly A Song of Shadow

John Connolly A Time Of Torment

John Connolly A Game of Ghosts

Barry J. Hutchison The King of Space Must Die

Dave Itzkoff Robin

Greig Beck The Void

Jim Butcher Furies of Calderon

Jim Butcher Academs Fury

Jim Butcher Cursors Fury

Jim Butcher Captains Fury

Jim Butcher Princeps Fury

Jim Butcher First Lords Fury

Mark Tufo Etna Station

Bentley Little The Resort

Rebecca Roanhorse Trail of Lightning

Michael Rutger The Anomaly

Scott Smith The Ruins

Zach Bohannon Empty Bodies

Zach Bohannon Adaptation 

Zach Bohannon Deliverance

Zach Bohannon Open Roads

Zach Bohannon Damnation

Zach Bohannon Revelation

Stevens, Marc First of my Kind, 2nd Edition

Peter Clines The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe

Nathan Hystad The Event

Michael Crichton Next

Graeme Reynolds High Moor

Graeme Reynolds Moonstruck

Jim C. Hines Janitors Of The Post Apocalypse

Thomas Sweterlitsch The Gone World

Michael McBride Subhuman

Jeremy Robinson The Others

Jeremy Bishop The Sentinel

James D. Prescott Extinction Code

Alan Dean Foster Relic

Bobby Adair Dusty's Diary

Adam Cesare The Con Season

Richard Kadrey Hollywood Dead

Margaret Atwood Angel Catbird

Bethany Blake Death by Chocolate Lab

Bethany Blake Dial Meow for Murder

Bethany Blake Pawprints & Predicaments

Jeff Strand The Haunted Forest Tour

Adam Cesare Tribesmen

Adrienne Lecter Exodus

Ted Dekker The Bride Collector

T.W. Piperbrook The Last Survivors

T.W. Piperbrook The Last Escape

T.W. Piperbrook The Last Humanity

T.W. Piperbrook The Last Command

T.W. Piperbrook The Last Refuge

T.W. Piperbrook The Last Conquest

T.W. Piperbrook The Ruins 1

T.W. Piperbrook The Ruins 2

T.W. Piperbrook The Ruins 3

T.W. Piperbrook The Ruins 4

T.W. Piperbrook Outage 1

T.W. Piperbrook Outage 2

T.W. Piperbrook Outage 3

T.W. Piperbrook The Reckoning

Bobby Adair Zero Day

Bobby Adair Infected

Bobby Adair Destroyer

Bobby Adair Dead Fire

Bobby Adair Torrent

Bobby Adair Bleed

Bobby Adair City of Stin

Bobby Adair Grind

Bobby Adair Sanctum

Tony Peak Signal

Steven Brust Good Guys

Stephen King & Bev Vincent Flight or Fright

Myke Cole Control Point

Myke Cole Fortress Frontier

Myke Cole Breach Zone

Graeme Reynolds Blood Moon

Michael Hodges The Invasive

Jeff Strand Dead Clown Barbecue

Echoes of Evil

Dean Koontz The Forbidden Door

James D. Prescott Extinction Countdown

Sam Sykes Humane Killer

Dan Simmons Summer of Night

Dan Simmons Children of the Night

Dan Simmons A Winter Haunting

Myke Cole Gemini Cell

Myke Cole Javelin Rain

Myke Cole Siege Line

Adam Cesare Video Night 

Deborah Sheldon Devil Dragon

Peter Meredith Generation Z

Peter Meredith The Queen of the Dead

Peter Meredith The Queen of War

Tim Powers Alternate Routes

Richard Roberts I Did NOT Give That Spider Superhuman Intelligence!

Richard Roberts Please Dont Tell My Parents Im a Supervillain

Richard Roberts Please Don't Tell My Parents I Blew Up the Moon

Richard Roberts Please Don't Tell My Parents I've Got Henchmen

Richard Roberts Please Don't Tell My Parents I Have a Nemesis

Richard Roberts Please Don't Tell My Parents You Believe Her

Michael McDowell BlackWater

Hunter Shea Mail Order Massacres

Jeff Strand Dweller 

Adam Cesare Zero Lives Remaining

Ezekiel Boone Zero Day

Ted Kosmatka Prophet of Bones

Steven L. Kent 100 Fathoms Below

Keith C. Blackmore The Missing Boatman

John Connolly Bad Men

Jeremy Robinson Forbidden Island

Chuck Wendig Under the Empyrean Sky

Chuck Wendig Blightborn

Chuck Wendig The Harvest

Shingles Audio Collection

Robert E. Howard The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard

Paul E. Cooley The Black

Paul E. Cooley Arrival

Paul E. Cooley Outbreak

M.R. Forbes Forgotten

M.R. Forbes Forsaken

M.R. Forbes Unforgiven

Jeremy  Robinson Kronos

Jeff Strand I Have a Bad Feeling about This

Mark Tufo Whistlers

Mark Tufo Atlantis

Mark Tufo Convergence

Mark Tufo Valhalla

Laurie Forest The Black Witch

Simon R. Green

Simon R. Green Man with the Golden Torc

Simon R. Green Daemons are Forever

Simon R. Green The Spy Who Haunted Me

Simon R. Green From Hell With Love

Simon R. Green For Heaven's Eyes Only

Simon R. Green Live and Let Drood

Simon R. Green Casino Infernale

Simon R. Green Property of a Lady Faire

Simon R. Green From a Drood to a Kill

Simon R. Green Dr. DOA

Simon R. Green Moonbreaker

Simon R. Green Night Fall

Rob Dircks You're Going to Mars!

Stephen King Elevation  

Drew Hayes Pears and Perils

Alma Katsu The Hunger 

Hunter Shea One Size Eats All

Joseph Fink Alice Isn't Dead

Jonathan Mayberry Glimpse

Jack Ketchum Off Season

Jack Ketchum Offspring

Jack Ketchum The Woman

Chuck Wendig The Blue Blazes

Bobby Akart Yellowstone Hellfire

Bobby Akart Yellowstone Inferno

Laurie Forest wandfasted

Greig Beck Abyss

Barry J. Hutchison Dial D for Deadman

Barry J. Hutchison Dead Inside

Barry J. Hutchison Dead in the Water

[xiakha]

FFXIVWrite2022 Prompt #22 - Veracity

"I heard she once ate an entire aurochs flank in one sitting!"

"Aye, but it came back out in three!"

"I heard she goaded the Ixal into summoning Garuda just so she could tell her she was pretty!"

"Aye, but Garuda told her she wasn't her type!"

"I heard she forged the best copper rings in the land using only her fists as hammers and rage as fire!"

"Aye, but they were the wrong sort of ring!"

Once a moon, a group of adventurers would gather at the Quicksand to swap stories and catch up, but mostly to play the game of "What the Warrior of Light Has Done." They used to play a more personal boasting game, but this was much more fun and put none of their egos on the line.

A few moons ago, some shifty character started sitting on the side of them, listening in to their boasts and shouts. That was fine, they enjoyed an audience.

Today, that shifty character was joined by two Miqo'tes and a Roegadyn lady.

"I heard she slew a Legatus because she wanted his helmet as a goblet!"

"Aye, but she never got the smell out!"

"I heard she drank enough in one night to empty a bar!"

"Aye, but she filled it back up after a bell!"

"I heard she took on five Roegadyn warriors at once!"

"Aye, but 'twas solely done in bed!"

It was a typical call and response boasting game, where one came up with a boast and the next person gave a retort that undermined the boast in some kind of way, and it was good fun to set up bawdy jokes and poke fun at the Warrior of Light's abilities, it's not like she'd ever hear or happen upon their game.

"I heard she made the Archbishop cry for Halone's Mercy!"

"Aye, but then they forced her to bathe!" The shifty character interjected for the first time in all of his nights watching the party. The group he was with apparently were about as shocked as the adventurers were, with one of them, a violet haired Miqo'te, choking on her drink.

"I heard she united the Azim Steppe and Doma!" said the man again, looking at his friend suppressing a coughing fit.

"Aye, but only to chase her out!" said the Roegadyn lady, lifting her drink in the air as a toast. The adventurers responded in kind, and the game was joined.

"I heard she bested the Garlean Prince in single-handed combat!"

"Aye, but imagine if she had used both hands!"

"I heard she rode the Ixion!"

"Aye, but she was walking funny for weeks!"

"I heard she's found riches beyond counting!"

"Aye, but she can't count very high!"

"I heard she took out a Castrum on her own!"

"Aye, but that was from her smell alone!”

"I heard she lead the charge to liberate Ala Mhigo!"

"Aye, but she primarily liberated it of its spirits!"

“I heard she can hold her breath for hours underwater!”

At this point, everyone, including the platinum blonde Miqo’te from the second group, had taken a turn taking jabs at the Warrior of Light, so everyone turned expectantly to the last person who hadn’t spoken up yet.

The violet haired Miqo’te.

“But I actually did most of those things...” she mumbled, “Not in those ways or for those reasons...”

She sighed, “Aye, but that’s what she tells all of her ladies!”

Both groups let out an uproarious cheer and the game continued with another round of drinks called for.

“I don’t really like this game...” Xiao said into her drink.

[forge-born-blog]

Forge-Born chapters 1-5

Chapter 6 Geneva island of amazons.

                                                     Forge-Born                                                  A New Odyssey                     Bang! .... Bang!!..... Bang!!.... The sound of mighty thunder as metal meets metal. Bang!!... Bang!!... Bang!!!... With each clap a flash of light illuminates the dark room. Between each strike we gain a glimpse of a humanoid like figure, only this is no man. The creature is truly a nightmare of an image. No even creature does not explain this being, a more apt description would be god. Hephaestus God of the forge. As Hephaestus strike his hammer against a large mound of steel he begins to speak loudly to himself, as though he were addressing someone else. " It was long ago in a time before man, before beast, before gods, before the entities Gaia and Uranus. When all that existed was Chaos and Darkness. A single spark was all it took and in moments the course of history would change. From this spark formed order, formed Gaia and Uranus. For millennia that spark was not to be seen, until one day the spark flashed once more and mankind had came into existence. Today I hope to be given a chance to see that spark. He places his hands on some object and they begin to glow a bright red & white. The object begins to glow and now we can see it. It appears to be a sculpture of a boy made of steel. Today is the day a new legend is born. With blood of iron and body of steel. The legend of the Forge-Born." Chapter 1 "Father!!" A young voice screams. "father look!" The boy points to the sea. As he does Hephaestus steps onto a beach staring at the boy. Now in the sun we can truly see Hephaestus. He is large taller then any man butt a far cry from a giant. His skin is thick like an elephant with discoloration all over grey white black his skin tone varies in blotches like ink blots. His eyes are sunken and unresponsive as though the intense sunlight doesn't bother him. His mouth is more like a beast with jowls and fangs. His body is strong, or at least it seems that way until you see him resting one palm on cane. As he slowly limps across the beach cane in hand he ask the boy." My boy how many times must we have this conversation." "Oh right heehee" the boy attempts to contain his laughter. Hephaestus somehow seems delighted with the boys laughter rather then angry. "Well what is it, tell me what do you see?" "Out in the water it's some big object with a tarp flowing into the wind." "Oh I see now" Hephaestus grins. "what is it father another sea monster?" "No boy it's a ship." "A ship... wait father does that mean there are humans." "I would most likely assume so." "Wow really?..” The boy gazes at the ship with wanderlust  "Father one day I'd like to be on a boat like that." Hephaestus's face sinks as he mutters "someday I hope you will get the chance."      7 years later         The forest is silent when suddenly a loud boom goes off. As the smoke clears we here a man coughing."Damn seems I was bit off on the ratios." As the man begins to stamp out small embers we notice the face is familiar to that of the young boy. Only now as a man he is something more akin to a warrior. His face is Fairly well, no Adonis but easy on the eyes. What stands out most though are his ember eyes. As the man is finished stamping out the fire a loud voice is heard throughout the forest. "Vulcan where are you what manner of messes have you made today?" Shit. the man responds. "Nothing to worry about father I've got it all under control." Hephaestus retorts "funny you said the same thing last time and now Pygmas has no eyebrow." The man's reaction is one of embarrassment. “Well whatever it is it can wait. I need your help on the forge.” After walking an acre Vulcan nears a mountain with a house along the side down below is a large cave that Vulcan enters. In it we see Hephaestus hard at work hammering down some item on an anvil. Surrounding him are 5 giants with one eye who all seem to be busy with their smithing. Finally Vulcan nears Hephaestus "Good now take this and hold it steady around the horn." Vulcan follows the gods instructions and grabs a circular object and presses it firmly against the edge of the Anvil horn. As he does this Hephaestus grasps a large hammer and starts beating against it "another shield huh." Vulcan remarks."Maybe , if you hold it still enough." As the two work together on the shield they begin to banter back and forth until Hephaestus ask a question. " So Vulcan what was it this time another one of your science inventions." Vulcan responds quickly speaking as soon as Hephaestus finishes his last syllable" yes I'm onto something amazing I just need to run some more test." "Could you use any help." Vulcan ponders his answer for a few seconds." Honestly I could, but I really want to try this one on my own father" “Oh can't wait to get out of your old man's shadow ehh boy." Hephaestus grins as he says it. "That's not it I just want to prove this to myself; to prove that I can become a builder like you." For a moment Hephaestus pauses then continues to beat on the shield " I'm very proud of you don't worry someday you will become an even greater craftsman then me." Vulcan almost cries at those words. All his life he's never admired anyone more than Hephaestus, he knew of the other gods yet the one he was always amazed by was Hephaestus. His father was strong willed and wise. Even while being a god he was humble and never thought himself above any creature and to top it all off he was an amazing craftsman. He could build anything : jewelry,trinkets, mechanisms, coliseums, and yes even weapons and armor of unimaginable quality. Suddenly they hear a loud bell. "They're here" Hephaestus says. "Who" ask Vulcan." The ones picking up this shield. As Hephaestus finishes putting on the last of the grips on the shield he tells Vulcan to greet his guest upstairs. Now inside the upper floor he sees a man draped in black and a younger one draped in purple and black he recognizes the first man but has no clue as to the second. While standing there pondering the mans identity Hephaestus walks in from behind him ah hades it's been some time uncle. Glad to see you the man shrouded in jet black cloak and corporeal darkness speaks and as he does so it fills the room with dread. "yes same for you Hephaestus  and you as well Vulcan." Vulcan pushes his curiosities aside and realizes his rudeness" Apologies lord hades" hades smiles although even though it is innocent to him on the outside it looks sinister" No need for apologies Vulcan you are family after all." Hades points to the smaller individual beside him donning similar attributes only in a purple shade" Excuse me allow me to introduce my son regon. It's his shield we've come to collect today." "Ah good to finally meet you Regon I've heard a great many things of you." Says Hephaestus, Regon then responds "As well I you smith. However I must admit I've heard nothing of you having a son Vulcan was it. Vulcan clenches his fist as though he's just been threatened and prepared to fight for his life. Hades speaks up "Regon do not pry. The smith is a powerful ally and respectful man leave it alone." Regon nods silently. " come with us the shields downstairs the cyclops are testing it." Hades is then reminded of something." Speaking of cyclops Hephaestus are you waxing them now?We ran into Pygmas on lookout and he seems to be missing the hair on his brow." Ha!Vulcan immediately covers his mouth trying to contain his laughter, you can see his body quiver as he chuckles with his right hand over his mouth and left hand to his side. The party just ignores him and heads towards the shield. When finding himself alone he uses the opportunity to break away and head towards his own lab deep in the forest. He has work to do otherwise he would have stayed. He rather enjoys hades as he seems to be the only God that respects his father and regularly pays him visits, he's also the only God his father allows him to speak to or come into contact with. In fact as a young boy when hades and Hephaestus were deep in conversation he would allow him to play with Cerberus. He doesn't know why the other gods hate his father or why they can't know of his own existence, but he came to realize long ago through his father and the cyclops stories, that the gods weren't the merciful or flawless beings they're portrayed as. While Vulcan fires up a forge in his workshop Hephaestus is back home speaking with hades. "Thank you again smith for the work you've done." " No need hades you practically keep me employed and I rather enjoy our talks. Not to mention you've kept the identity of Vulcan to yourself and for that I owe you greatly. I'd rather he not get wrapped up in the world of the Divine and immortals. "Speaking of that Hephaestus did you know where Zeus was headed today?" " No I'm afraid I have not contacted Olympus in years. I'm sure you're aware of my strained relations with our family." " Quitewell smith, then it pains me to say but I felt I should give you warning today Zeus visit's the Moirai.” The air turns hostile as a terrified Hephaestus exclaims "The sisters of fate! When hades?" " I do not know nephew I just felt the need to tell you so you might prepare yourself. I will be taking my leave I cannot interfere with my brothers affairs, however I felt I should warn you. Sorry that is all I could do." As he says this hades and Regon fall into a dark abyss. "Thank you hades for warning me, you've done enough." As hades disappears. Hephaestus shouts VUUULLCANNN!!! The words sound loud and carry deep into the Forest. Moments before this Vulcan was leaving his workshop and heading back home. "Finally!" he says to himself "A sword that isn't worthless." Vulcan raises an clothed item into the air, his face covered in ash and carbon with a grin as wide as the crescent moon. Vulcan thinks maybe with this he can go out to the world of man. Sword at his side he can become an adventurer and see the world. With this he wouldn't even have to fear the gods. Suddenly he hears his father cry out for him more panicked then ever before something is wrong just as he turns and pushes off the ground to run a flash of light comes down cutting through the air colliding with the earth, with a tremendous crackle and boom knocking him to the ground. This is thunder and what follows thunder is destruction. As he looks up at the ravaged earth in front of him he sees him. The King of gods, Power incarnate, Clade in lightning ZEUS and his eyes scream bloodlust. Chapter 2 abomination Gobsmacked and in awe. Vulcan lays they're paralyzed unable to run with frozen feet, not even able to find his voice to scream or speak. So shocked he even forgets how to breath Vulcan lies helpless. For years he's heard of the gods of there amazing power and heavy auras but he never expected anything like this. The pressure emanating from this god is like an ocean filling the air dragging him to the bottom helpless against it. He now truly understands what places gods above men. Lying there deprived of oxygen he begins to lose the strength in his body, but just as his eyes begin to close he catches sight of a familiar figure walking towards them with a cane." Vulcan did I not warn you of the presence of gods. It appears you'll have to learn now, focus your mind and will. Remember to not give in to a greater force, push back on the aura with your own and most importantly hide your fear.” With those words Vulcan begins to fall in and out of consciousness. As he begins to practice his father's teachings the weight on his chest gets lighter. Zeus and Hephaestus stand there watching the young man. To the world outside this sight is unexplainable and would go without understanding, but to those intertwined in the Divine this is nothing new. Thousands have died from sheer presence of the Divine alone. Gods can intensify or diminish the aura they place forward. Although many wouldn't know it from the current sight Hephaestus knows all to well Vulcan is gifted in this form of combat via godly presence. Against any average Devine being he would have already returned to strength but this is Zeus. Hephaestus stands there torn over his sons predicament, alas there's nothing he can do. He could fight Zeus in an attempt to stop the overwhelming pressure he exudes, but not only would he lose that fight in order to do so he would have to unleash his aura as well and with his and Zeus's combined pressures Vulcan would not survive. All he can do is stand and watch his son cling to life. Finally there's a breakthrough both men sense it a will of iron refusing to be crushed by the weight. Vulcans eyes open as his body rises like an undead corpse, gasping for air. Hephaestus is pleased Zeus however has not lost his angry demeanor. As Vulcan slowly makes his way to his feet with his arm pressed against the ground for support shaking, he can't believe it Zeus didn't lift a finger and he nearly died just from being in his presence. Hephaestus steps in front of Vulcan shielding him from Zeus's gaze before asking "what is it you are doing here Zeus?" Zeus responds with furry in his voice." Watch your tongue Hephaestus It is your king you are speaking too." Hephaestus bites his tongue and waits for a response. Zeus caring not for the concerns of Hephaestus waits some time before responding "I am here regarding a prophecy given to me by the Moirai." Hephaestus hesitates and thinks of his question before speaking. " May I ask what this prophecy is exactly." " The sisters have informed you have done the unthinkable. You have broken the greatest rule. You created new life where there was none. I am king of all none but me shall be allowed to create life. Hephaestus was I not lenient when the sisters gave me the prophecy years ago of your betrayal" Hephaestus interjects "Zeus, father I told you there was no betrayal I would never forge a weapon to kill you." Mid sentence he is cut off by Zeus" How dare you call me that you are no son of mine I casted you out of Olympus I showed leniency and even now you mock me with that abomination behind you." Vulcan is perplexed could he be referring to him. What's this on about Hephaestus creating life he understood all to well of the rule of life how none is supposed to create it not even gods for such life would go against nature itself. He knows such an act could never be forgiven and that the creature could not be allowed to continue living. Still why does he speak of him that way Vulcan is no creation. He was told he was the son of Hephaestus and a lower God. He knows nothing of his true origin. Many might be confused with this statement believing Gods to have created life many times however there are rules firstly life cannot be made where it did not previously exist you may turn a tree into a mortal however you may not turn stone to man. Two if it is made from nothing it may not have will nor mind of its own hence golems and lastly it may not be given the ability to pass on to a new generation. In creating Vulcan Hephaestus broke this covenant incurring the wrath of Zeus. "Your creation neither man nor God this creature does not belong in this world. Step aside and allow me to destroy it and I may be merciful to you afterwards. " Vulcan's heart clenches itself. To think the one who stands above would desire his death what could he do he couldn't possibly fight and hope to win. Run how can he outrun lighting. As Vulcan's heart races a comforting voice reassures him.  "Calm down my son no harm shall come to you. You have as much a right to life as any living creature and I will defend that right with my own life if I must." As he says those endearing and heartfelt words he stares at Zeus and says "I challenge you for the right to rule Olympus on the grounds of my blood as one of the twelve seats." Zeus grits his teeth seething with anger the surrounding environment begins to shutter. Hephaestus has invoked the right to challenge only a shameful God and weak ruler would refuse. Very well I will kill you first, then the abomination. I shall return with an audience at sundown to oversee. After Zeus leaves Vulcan drops to the floor exhausted. After a few hours the sun begins to set Vulcan wakes up at home. Suddenly it all comes back to him he leaps out of bed screaming no. Hephaestus comes and hugs him telling him to calm himself. Vulcan looks up at him tears in his eyes and ask why he challenged Zeus he cannot hope to win. Hephaestus looks down at him and says " Because you are my son." "But I'm not I heard him I'm not your son I'm not human not God I'm..I shouldn't exist." "Vulcan weather or not you should have existed isn't important the fact remains you do exist you feel you bleed you cry and laugh. I can no longer lie to you so I will tell you the truth Vulcan. Many years ago I lived with the Olympians at first I wanted to be one to be accepted by them but I never was for that I grew to despise them I became angry and vain and did many things I'm no longer proud of. Eventually in time I began to forgive them and place my heart at ease after that I was able to see the evil of the gods and there indifference to the plights of man. I pleaded with them and begged them to help the humans to show mercy, but alas my words fell on deaf ears. The gods were a conceited lot but still they were my family and I loved them and I had no intention to take my family to war. So instead I took up an oath of pacifism I vowed to never participate in there wars or the wars of man and that I would never forge another weapon. When Zeus demanded weapons I refused this deeply angered him he felt as though it was a challenge against his authority which had him grow paranoid of my betrayal. So he sought out the sisters of fate for guidance on the matter. That was when they informed him of a vision they had that I would forge a new weapon one that would kill him. Opun hearing these words he attempted to end my existence, but perhaps some small ounce of fatherly affection remained because he did not deliver the finishing blow; instead he banished me from Olympus and barred me from ever forging another weapon. In time I found this island of cyclops other creatures resented by their father for there imperfect figures. I became like a mentor to them taught them to forge and communicate. Still though life was lonely I missed my family even though they were cruel and unkind. I became so lonely I came up with an idea. What I was about to do was blasphemy to the highest degree. I was about to break the supreme rule of the Divine. Life shall never be created from nothing only Zeus himself may ever create new life. This law stands above all others the punishment for breaking it is death. In my lost state I began to work on my finest craft ever I would forge his bones of steel his blood of hot iron and his flesh of copper & bronze. Still such a task is no mere small feat. Although the law exist even without it none could perform this feat. Creating new life is tricky when Zeus Aphrodite and I created woman we nearly abandoned the efforts but some force greater than our understanding aided us. For you it was the same try as I might you remained a statue of metal. I don't know how or why but somehow something breathed life into you my son and on that day you came to be a creature born of the forge.” "But that means I am an abomination."  "Look at me son it is true you are neither God nor man. However you are no monster you deserve life just as any man. Here I found this beside you" he hands him the clothed item from before “I found it beside I had hoped you would not mind I had a look at it." Vulcan removes the cloth reveal a jade tinted blade. It's beautiful almost like an ornament. He's almost too afraid to ask but somehow finds the courage. “What did you think?” "Interesting indeed your work with a blade is truly remarkable however it is undeniably yours the work of a young man."  " What's that mean." Ask Vulcan "It's truly exceptional and Finely forged, incredibly sharp and well made. Only it's not suitable for combat. It's to be expected your young and inexperienced in war. Your blade is impractical it's appearance is a beauty and like that of a proper heroes blade but it would never be used In combat. You see a smith must not only make the strongest weapon he must also take into account the warrior wielding it and its purpose. Sometimes you have a smaller warrior so a large or long blade is impractical sometimes they have armor or shields so a sharp edge is useless other times it simply does not feel right from the grip or isn't designed to swing according to the Warriors method." With the more he describes the more Vulcan sulks which Hephaestus takes notice of. "Don't be disappointed Vulcan you are a fine craftsman and the blade is incredibly durable and sharp it shows how well your technique and skill at the forge is. This lack of foresight was on me I taught you all the secrets to the forge save  weapons. I wish I had more time to teach you but I'm afraid our time is up the sun is setting. Take this he throws a bag at Vulcans feet. What is this for are we going to run. No boy you will I will stay here and fight. But why we can bo-- I gave my word I challenged him now I can not go back on that. A man is nothing without his word. Humans taught me that and hopefully they can teach you the same. Go there's a ship waiting for you at the north beach. Inside that bag is a map you will head to Geneva a small island not far from here where you will meet your guide. You already know how to read the stars, but take this it's something I've been working on It will help keep you going in the right direction. Hephaestus shows him what appears to be a primitive compass. But father I can help you or maybe I can offer myself to Zeus you shouldn't have to die for nothing. No. Please! dammit boy I...fine you want to help. Hephaestus drops the compass. pick that up we will have use for it later. As Vulcan reaches down Hephaestus strikes him over the back of his head breaking his cane over it. He looks down at the unconscious Vulcan then back at his broken cane and mutters "You've got a hard head boy." He proceeds to pick him up and throw him outside into the arms of a brow less cyclops. "Pygma take care of the boy." Pygma nods and vanishes with Vulcan into the forest. As Hephaestus makes his way down the stairway he hears Zeus land and call for him Hephaestus show yourself I've come for your challenge with witnesses Apollo Hera and Athena. As he reaches the end of the staircase he heads to a corner of his workshop towards a locked trunk. Hephaestus! Zeus shouts I hope you have not suddenly realized you're fear and become to cowardly to face me. A golden draped man by Zeus speaks up "Father I must admit picking on a crippled and feeble old man does not sit well with me must this continue." Now one of the women by Zeus interjects "Careful Apollo the smith may be weak in body and his mind may also have confliction, but he is a seat on Olympus  for a reason even after being cast out. Father I beg you reconsider the smith would pose a great loss to us" "Silence Athena the smith has laid his bed... but if it will put you all at ease, I will make it quick.. " quick huh..." The sound of Heavy metal rattling follows the voice. "Perhaps you have forgotten just what a battle is like Zeus" the voice comes from the cave as a grinning Hephaestus steps out clad in armor from head to toe an arsenal of weapons on his person. He stands with one hand holding a large spear pressed into the ground almost as if replacing his cane the other hand holding a flail attached to a long chain. It's as though he were a gladiator of great legend. Chapter 3 Even Gods Bleed The other gods stand in shock of the sight before them. Zeus is enraged at the sight of Hephaestus in armor. "What is the meaning of this smith? I thought this was duel among gods." Unfazed he responds " It is"  “then why do you sully it with trinkets.” “Father you seem to misunderstand nowhere does it say armor or weapons are forbidden.” “I would think your pride wouldn't allow such a poor display.” “ Yes pride would stop most men however men are foolish a warrior knows the battlefield is not to be treated as a playground things like pride matter not in battlegrounds. You do what you must to win to survive to protect the ones you care for. Today you threatened my son and I would swallow my pride before I ever let you bring him harm. Come father today one of us shall die here on this battlefield.” After recognizing the danger Athena voices her concern. “Zeus be wise this is the smith and those are his hand crafted weapons I recognize them this fight will be dangerous nothing requires you to face him like this.” “ Silence Athena very well smith I shall teach you you're toys mean nothing before true power” as he says this Zeus hurls a thunderbolt. The smith slams down the spear into the ground in its path after nearing the spear the lightning draws to the staff discharging into the ground. Hephaestus spins his flail before throwing it at Zeus smashing against his face it flings Zeus clear across the field. “Father your power is what gives you strength but me my gifts of the forge lend me strengths I could never attain on my own I may be old & broken but do not believe me  helpless by any means." Zeus snarls at Hephaestus the smith grips his spear and with his good leg pushes off the ground leaving a crater at the point of liftoff. Zeus takes hold of the spear catching it as it pierces him. Only allowing it to penetrate a mere inch of flesh, then creating a burst of lighting that sends Hephaestus flying into the mountain behind them. After coming to his feet Zeus takes the spear and breaks it over his knee Hephaestus stairs at him with a fierce eyes “as I said Hephaestus toys” he says as he drops the broken spear. Then in almost an instant Zeus stands in front of Hephaestus still processing what just occurred Hephaestus is unable to react as Zeus buries his fist into his face following that blow is a flurry of strikes each more powerful than the last. Even fully clad in armor seems to mean nothing as Zeus's power does not appear to be diminished in any way. Hephaestus knows the strength of this armor well he once tested it against against the might of a tsunami and yet not even a scratch, but here it may as well be simple cloth. Finally after growing tired Zeus ends his onslaught he stands menacingly over the bruised and bloody Hephaestus. In that moment it what appeared to be a a man clinging to his last bits of life Hephaestus pulled his hammer from his side gripping the handle firmly he raised it to the air his arm shaking barely able to hold it. In this moment tears came to his eyes as he thought of his son, he knew it had not been enough time he could not die yet. So with every ounce of his being he whispered one word" Forge" he followed those words by striking his hammer down on the mountain behind. In a mere moment after contact a mammoth sized steel gauntlet erupted from the wall punching Zeus. Forcing him out of the mountain falling to the ground below with a large thud. Zeus and the other gods look up to the mountain to see Hephaestus axe in hand looking down upon them. He jumps down to Zeus as he sees this he respond by hurling lighting at him but Hephaestus pushes down with his axe splitting the bolt in two the landing all his weight on Zeus then grabbing at his shoulders he opens his large jowls and begins spewing fire and magma. Through the magma reaches Zeus's hand wrapping around Hephaestus throat stopping the red bile. With the fire gone we now see Zeus's face angry covered with burns and scorch marks. With his free hand he strikes Hephaestus but Hephaestus returns with a blow of his own forcing Zeus to relinquish his grip back and forth the gods trade blows however this is no equivalent exchange as Hephaestus strikes get weaker and far more infrequent, sometimes taking two or three blows before delivering his own. Hephaestus then grips the blade at his side and slices at Zeus's leg. Zeus responds but not quickly enough to avoid injury just to avoid a more serious strike. He then takes a few paces back as Hephaestus raise his sword at him. “Aiming for my legs eh truly a warriors cunning.” Zeus mentions. “Well I have to do something to slow you down after all my leg isn't quite as spry as yours.” Hephaestus points to his weak leg trembling at the strain. Zeus stairs at both legs then comments

“It's quite incredible how you've been able to fight while balancing on one leg.” “I've had practice. Tell me father would you reconsider allowing my son to live if I surrendered now and agreed to forge for you once again.” “I've already told you smith you're no son of mine and that abomination is no son of yours I cannot allow such a being to exist that challenges the very nature of the universe itself.” “ You mean you could not allow anything to exist that cannot owe it's very existence to you. This has nothing to do with gods the boy could never hope to challenge your place in the universe his power is not Devine. He's closer to man then God. Why should his life be invalid simply because he is neither, because his very existence is a blight on your dominance over this world.” “ Hephaestus  before I kill You I will rip out you're heathenish tongue.” “I see then” he stares at Hera and the other gods “mother brother sister please know that I tried to seek a peaceful solution I did not simply seek bloodshed.” As the blood began to drip from his palms they begin to glow and the blood begins to boil and burn. As Hephaestus breathes embers fill the the very air he exhales. He grabs his hammer then places one hand to the floor and again he utters the words " forge" instantly multiple large blades protrude from the ground aiming for Zeus. In retaliation he unleashes a wave of thunder atomizing the blades. From his side appears Hephaestus his open hand reaches for Zeus's face igniting the very air it passes through. Zeus however manages to avoid it Hephaestus quickly changes tactics shifting his position using his hammer he delivers a backhanded strike smashing Zeus's nose. After catching sight of this Hephaestus remarks "it has been a long time since I have seen you bleed father." Chapter 4  Hephaestus God of the forge Out far off the coast of the island floats a small ship in which Vulcan still lays unconscious. As the battle between gods rages on in the distant island, the sounds of the clash awaken him. He awakens unaware of where he is he looks around surprised to see himself surrounded by water. After getting his bearings he realizes he must have been knocked out and placed on this ship. The sounds of the battle shift his focus to the island. His chest Tightens as even out here he can feel the gods crushing auras. He thinks of the struggle his father must be facing, without hesitation he turns the ship around and heads for the island only by some act of universe or perhaps a god, a gust of wind catches his sails pulling him further out to sea. All he  can do is watch the island get smaller and smaller in the distance for he is now at the mercy of the winds and the sea. Back on the island the tide of battle has once again shifted as Zeus fueled by rage at his own blood ferociously beat down Hephaestus. However Hephaestus seems to be pleased. The smile over Hephaestus faces further infuriates Zeus prompting more brutality. Zeus doesn't understand so he ask " Why do you smile Hephaestus once I've ended your existence I will chase your abomination. None can escape me for I see all.” “ Hah you fool father you've become so arrogant in the time since I've seen you I'm fully aware of your sight and that of mothers which is why I gifted him a device imbued with magic capable of hiding him from you.” “ What. You lie smith.” “You know me well Zeus you know me to be capable of such feats.” Arghhh! Zeus lets out a howl as he summons thunder to strike Hephaestus. Leaving a giant scare in Hephaestus chest. Hephaestus however has accepted death and does not fear it. He thinks of his long life of his ups and downs his younger years. Hephaestus was not like other gods he wasn't born perfect. Angry at Zeus for having Athena with another women Hera set out to make a child of her own with no help from any man. She would give birth to what the world would see as a monster. At his birth Hephaestus was already horribly disfigured and ugly he resembled more the creatures of Tartarus then the Adonis's of Olympus. Still his mother loved him then. She named him Hephaestus after one of her other lovers. Zeus however could not stand him, while he gazed at the hideousness and imperfection of Hephaestus it drove him mad not only was he monstrous in form but his body was frail and weak smaller then most babies and barely clinging to life. He could never call such a pathetic creature one of his pantheon his existence was a smear on all the gods and his name. Still he chose to accept the child as his own for the sake of Hera but made sure to keep him out of view of the world. Every Night however the sounds of his cries would drive him mad as it only reminded him of his failure. This continued for some time until one night Zeus awoke in a fit of rage, Hera hearing the babies cries awoke to find Zeus standing at the cliff side of Olympus holding the infant. She pleaded and begged him not too but he ignored her cries as he threw the child with all his might down into the sea and rocks below. Zeus now believing himself to be rid of the blight returned to sleep. Only fate would still not be so kind for Hephaestus. The frail boy miraculously survived the fall. Only his body was mangled his leg broken beyond repair the infant was in pure agony. He cried but his howls were swallowed by the ocean as he began to drown. For sure he would have died had this sight had naught of caught the attention of a nearby water nymph.  The nymph dragged the child to an underground cave under mount Olympus here he nursed the child back to health. After a few years the child had been lucky enough to to survive and grow healthier and more hardy a complete contrast to his frail form as a child sadly however the leg could not be saved. A pity thought the nymph if not for that the child would have grown to be an unrivaled gladiator his physical prowess far surpassed any being before him. Sadly however he will never be able to walk without support. How cruel the gods are thought the nymph. More years had passed and Hephaestus grew interested in the forge after years of isolation for fear of Zeus actions should he found out the boy was alive and the nymph saved him the nymph pleaded for Hephaestus to remain in the cave. Owing everything to him Hephaestus agreed to stay they're till he reached maturity. Finally after a decade more he set out into the world it was not long after he made a name for himself as a smith. Eventually one of his pieces of jewelry made its way to the gods they demanded the name of the maker Hephaestus they replied. The gods were shocked although not relieved they still did not care for Hephaestus even in time hera began to regret ever having conceived him. Still they admired his craft. And order him forge items of equal beauty for them. Hermes was sent however upon hearing this Hephaestus refused still angered over the gods treatment of him and the loss of his leg. Request after request was sent and refused until the gods began to threaten him. Angry Hephaestus came up with a plan he sent Hera a beautifully crafted chair all the gods gathered around to see. Hera loved this chair it's only flaw once seated she could not unseet herself for sometime the gods laughed at Hephaestus joke only after hours had passed and Hera could not move they realized the severity Hephaestus had trapped Hera. None could release her not even Zeus so they sent gods down to ask Hephaestus free her they asked kindly he refused so in response they sent Aires God of war to threaten him but Hephaestus was different from the others he held no fear. In fact it was Aires who was shaken upon return to Olympus. Still the gods the pleaded until eventually he was offered a seat on Olympus and the hand of Aphrodite. Pleased Hephaestus released Hera. In the coming years Hephaestus would grow to have many more stories most erased or forgotten to history. In time his anger at the world grew until one day he would realize his faulty and the corruption of the gods. In time because of this he began to pity his family. He begged and pleaded for them to see there errors, but still no god respected him. Only his uncle hades also scorned and cheated by the gods would see the true worth and nobility of Hephaestus in time the gods grew more cruel to mankind and he grew more compassionate to them. This was the tragic and beautiful trajectory of his life. Even now as his father stands beating him to death Hephaestus cries for him for his family for humanity for his son. He forgave the gods long ago for they're mistreatment of him for the hundred unspoken stories of the wrongs they've done him the stories he was too ashamed  to tell his son. Hephaestus lead a sad life however he would do it again for all the brief glimpses of happiness he experienced. He regrets not being around to see his son grow and enter the world but he knows the wisdom he imparted on him would make him into a fine man. He knows one day he will find love and happiness and for that dying here right now would be a faire price to pay. With one last breath Hephaestus speaks once more to Zeus “father I forgive all the gods cruelties to me I forgive Aphrodite and I forgive Aires I forgive you mother and even now as you take my last breath from me I forgive you father. I know in your heart you do not hate you simply feel this is the only way to maintain order I know it brings you no pleasure or relief to kill me which is why you sent the nymph Zeus looks shocked. I know you feel responsible for maintaining order and that you've refused to shed tears for me not out of lack of compassion. I can see in your eyes this pains you far more than me.” He pauses needing to take a breath due to his condition. “But even though I love you all I cannot condone your actions you have been abusive to the humans cruel even. You have ruined lives and dictated them you may be gods but you have no right to rule over them. You toy with their emotions and force them to submit. Which is why I could not stand idly by any longer. The sisters were right I did forge a new weapon but not to slay you to defeat you to free humanity from the plague of the gods. For it is no mere weapon, he will break their chains. Cast the gods from their thrones. He is blood of iron and body of steel he is forge born he is my son and the last hope of not just humanity but of the gods as well, because he won't just save humanity from the gods he will save you from yourselves. He will open your hearts to love. Father he is my last gift to you.” And with those last words the brimming glow emanating from Hephaestus fades as he lies unresponsive broken bloody not the death deserved of a man of piece. Off in the distance still fighting against the winds Vulcan senses one of the auras weakening growing more frantic he struggles greater even cursing the sea and winds until finally the aura disappears completely. Even without eyes he knows all too well what has occurred. He drops to his knees in tears giving up his struggle as he howls at the loss of his most precious person. Today he is all alone in the world. A freak a monster an outcast with no place to call home. He kneels there weeping allowing the winds to drag him further out to sea. Chapter 5 a new odyssey Out in the oceans alone sits a young Vulcan his eyes red and sunken. He lies there motionless and and unresponsive to the world he is dried out and his stomach growls. A near few feet from him stand his supplies within its content are food and water for a week but still it remains untouched. For days he wrestled with his grief he was angry at Zeus at the gods for allowing it and mostly at himself for being helpless. It has been five days now since his father's death had it not been for his inhuman attributes he would have succumbed to dehydration already. However the effects of it have begun to take hold his mind is hazy and he sees ghost which are not there. The Sun's light has reddened his skin and dried his lips so much they're cracked and bleeding. A little bird flies onto the edge of his ship. It stares at him for sometime analyzing him almost as though he held intelligence. Finally after some time while lost in thought he heard a voice “Vulcan.”  Vulcan looks around but sees nothing . “Vulcan” again he hears it he begins to believe it is perhaps the sea playing tricks on him. The bird now flutters to him landing on his knee. He stares at it and it opens its beak and and the words “Vulcan have you gone deaf.” He cant believe his ears or eyes he believes the effects of the ocean and dehydration are now at play. What bird can talk he thought. So he ignored it believing it to be in his head the bird continues to call him. The bird even begins to peck at him unfortunately for the bird however although Vulcan looks human his skin is actually like copper and bronze  in fact as a child he often wrestled with snakes and beast thinking them to be playing all the while they were attempting to eat him but their teeth could not pierce his flesh nor could they crush him. In time the bird gives up flying away Vulcan believes it to truly have been a vision until ploop a birds droppings fall on his head he immediately sticks his head in the water to clean the feces off him. When he returns to the ship he spots the bird on his deck. He bears his teeth as he scowls “why you little shit I'm gonna roast you and have bird for dinner.” “Serves you right for ignoring someone.” Okay now he knows he's not crazy this bird is really talking to him “so you're real.” “ As real as the shit in your head now listen close if you don’t want me to shit on your head again” Vulcan nods his head. “What are you doing boy?” “Why I'm doing Nothing.” “ Exactly. You lost your father not your life” “ You know about my father.” “I know a great many things boy.” “ Who are you.” “ That does not concern you, you're actions however do concern me. It has been five days since your father's passing and yet you sit here throwing away the life he sacrificed his for.” Vulcan hears those words as they echo into his heart. Tears once again well up. “No boy no more tears the time for tears are over now is the time for hope.” “What's there to be hopeful for I've lost everything. And I'm currently being hunted by the most powerful being in the universe at any moment he so chose he could summon lightning upon me to drown me in this ocean" “ If he can boy then why does he not do so. To play with you, perhaps the gods are very cruel. Or perhaps you're father was far smarter then you gave him credit for. On that device he gave you to guide you” Vulcan stares at the compass he's been clutching on one hand. “On that contraption is not only a guide but a ward one powerful enough to hide you from the gods. They can't kill you because they cannot find you.” “Very well bird you have erased one concern but what about my first what have I to live for now.” “ You have you to live for boy you can now see the world as you've always wanted you can gain justice for you're father.” “ Justice hah” Vulcan laughs hysterically “you mean me to kill Zeus God of Thunder. I truly despise Zeus as well as the other Olympians but I was never taught to seek vengeance doing so would only tarnish my father's legacy. And even if I desired the death of the gods what could I do against them for centuries man has been at they're mercy why because they are loyal and subservient no it is because they are weak and incapable of fighting the gods.” “ True they are but still many have tried..” “ and many have failed” he cut off the bird “failure is the first stop on the path to success.” At those words Vulcan resend so to his mind to a time he was a young boy at the forge he sat there with a crudely made helmet weeping. When along came Hephaestus he stood over him and asked why he cried Vulcan responded because he had failed it was nothing compared to Hephaestus work he wasn't gifted at the forge. Hephaestus stayed silent for a moment then walked away. After a few minutes he returned to the weeping boy and dropped something at his feet that made a clang sound as it hit the floor Vulcan stared at the object unsure of white it was it was a piece of metal with a strange shape and varying thickness Vulcan finally gave up and asked what is it. Hephaestus chuckled and said “it was meant to be a chalice for wine.” Vulcan is puzzled now that he was told he can make out a rough shape of a chalice the, but it is so badly deformed and tempered he can hardly accept it. “That Vulcan was my first ever forged item. Like you I wept only it was for three whole days I began to think about my failure about how much that cup and I shared in common how my parents believed me to be a failure and casted me out. When I thought of that I stopped my tears because I realized I wasn't a failure I didn't deserve to be tossed aside and I would prove that I would forge the greatest chalice ever. Time after time I tried again and again to make a chalice one after another they failed some worse than others, some ashamedly worst then the one that had come before it but with each I learned I grew and one day I had accomplished my task it came out perfect. Vulcan failure is merely the first step in the path to success.” With those words Vulcans tears fade and a smile crept across his face. Then almost mirroring the child Vulcan In the presents eyes were given new life the somber expression was replaced with a confident smile as he took to his feet and ran towards his supplies terrifying the bird nearly crushing it as it screamed hey watch it. He took large gulps of water and food nearly choking himself he lowered the sail and steered the Ritter towards the direction of north on the compass. He turned one time to face the direction of his island even though he could not see it and shouted he turned back and thanked the bird only it had disappeared. He laughed Unsure if hid had been real or not but it did not matter because it had given him what he needed now with life in his eyes he scans his map and compass and set sail for Geneva. And thus began a new odyssey.

Preview-  chapter 6  Geneva island of amazons