#haven't bears in trees posted in a long while

[nine-frogs-in-a-trenchcoat]

listened to how to build an ocean: instructions for the first time in a long time and i think it healed me. the existential dread that lives within me has subsided if only for a little while

[abby-howard]

Some folks were asking for my boiled peanuts recipe (as they feature in our game, Scarlet Hollow, and we made a big batch this past weekend), but it's unfortunately a bit difficult for me to post with lightness in my heart right now because this past weekend the entirety of western North Carolina, where Scarlet Hollow takes place, was devastated by hurricane Helene.

Towns I have been to and have fond memories of have been described as "washed away." The region is almost entirely still out of power, the water is all contaminated with repair efforts expected to take weeks, and there are hundreds of people stranded, including my relatives, as roads have been totally destroyed. My uncle sent a photo of the road near his house, thankfully his home is okay but I have to image it's going to take a while for roads like this to see repairs:

I know this photo has been making the rounds, but it bears posting for those who haven't seen it-- the main strip of Chimney Rock, before and after:

Trees, cars, buildings, everything is gone. And now all that debris is just sitting in lakes and rivers. This is Lake Lure today:

Pictures from Swannanoa, an absolutely lovely town with so much character, where my sister went to folk music camp as a teen, where mobile home parks were hit hardest-- people's houses just floated away downriver:

And of course Asheville is the town most people will have heard of. A city of 95k, completely isolated in the days after the storm. The River Arts District was still underwater as of yesterday:

People throughout the entire region are without power and transport and fuel and water and food, they've lost their homes and their businesses, and people have had to resort to hiking to reach loved ones to see if they're safe or whether their homes were just wiped off the face of the earth-- hundreds are still missing because it's been so difficult to get in contact with people in these isolated, rural communities that are now nearly impossible to get to because roads were washed away or collapsed in landslides.

I honestly don't even know where to start when it comes to relief funds or ways that people can help. I've been listening to the local radio station and it sounds like the area is in shock, people are coming in to help pick up the pieces but there is so much recovery that will have to happen that it's hard to know where to start.

This article from the Citizen Times has a list of places that are currently helping with relief efforts.

It's absolutely unfathomable that a hurricane could hit the mountains. The effects of this are going to be felt in western NC for a long time, and my heart goes out to everyone who is currently stranded or trying to get in touch with people who are.

[noyaspeach]

first light

Summary: Could this be how every day begins?

After a long and restless night with no sleep, you go looking for something to while away the hours. As it turns out, Astarion is just as much of an insomniac as you are, and the two of you spend the early morning together.

Pairing: Astarion x Gender Neutral! Reader

Word Count: 4,334

Tags: Fluff and Light Angst, Pining, Feelings Realization (Kinda?), Second Person POV, Soft Astarion, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Insomnia, Watching the Sunrise

Author's Note:

not me returning to fic-writing over 3 years later with an astarion fic of all things. i can't even guarantee i'll write another one considering i'm about to start college again, but i would sure like to!

i was heavily inspired to write this because of the release of hozier's album. it perfectly aligned with me becoming obsessed with baldur's gate 3, and astarion is just so hozier-coded, how could i not? as the title suggests, i was inspired by the song "first light" which is the last song on the album, based on dante's ascent out of hell and his first taste of light and freedom. i imagine it's how astarion must have felt when he was no longer forced to do cazador's bidding and when he could finally experience sunlight again.

obligatory disclaimers: i haven't actually played the game yet, so this fic is informed by clips i've seen online, gif sets, the baldur's gate wiki, and other fics. if any details in this aren't chronologically sound or if anything seems a little non-compliant with the canon of the game... now you know why lol.

still, i hope you enjoy it! this is also posted to ao3! read here!

///

You stare up at the ceiling of your tent, frustration rolling in your chest as you struggle to rest. Your eyes are beginning to sting with the lack of sleep, but simply closing them does nothing to help. You’ve gone through all of your belongings twice already, looking for something to ease you into slumber, but no amount of reading or alcohol seems to do the trick. It certainly doesn’t help that the weather has been oppressively humid all night, leaving you coated in a thin, sticky layer of sweat that doesn’t seem to leave you no matter how many layers you shed.

You can’t bear to lay around in the thick air of your tent, so you decide to sit out by the extinguished campfire in the hopes that it will do more to relax you.

You quietly open your tent flap and emerge into the mild morning air. It’s much cooler outside, and a light breeze tickles your arm, already doing wonders to dry your sweat. It’s still too early for daylight, so the camp is only dimly illuminated by the moonlight. With the lack of light, you listen out for the sounds of the forest around you: the chirps of insects beneath you, hooting owls in the distance, and a trickling stream not too far away. Focusing on these scarce sounds, you already feel much calmer.

After a moment of peace, you hear a rustle to your right. You whip your head toward the sound, hands ready at your weapon, when you see a familiar face emerge from the trees. You let your hands drop to your side again. It’s just Astarion. He appears to be returning to his tent, noticeably empty-handed. You wonder what he’s up to this early in the morning, and he seems to be wondering the same thing, eyeing you with an inquisitive raise of the eyebrow.

“Restless sleeper, are we?” He remarks.

“Something like that,” you reply. “Just needed some fresh air.”

You notice that Astarion is still in his sleepwear, the sleeves of his white undershirt pushed up above his elbows. “And what are you doing out?”

“Oh, you know. Searching for a midnight snack, so to speak.” He gestures to the woods behind him. “Unfortunately, there isn’t a very fine selection tonight.”

You grimace at the thought of Astarion catching an innocent woodland creature between his teeth. It’s a less-than-flattering image, one that’s informed by the memory of the boar he drained a while back, and one that you’re eager to dismiss.

“Is that all you’ve been up to?” You ask.

“Why? Were you getting lonely without me?” He teases. You can only roll your eyes in response. When he doesn’t receive a retort, Astarion sighs and continues. “Right, if you want an honest answer, I was going for a stroll to pass the time.”

You tilt your head to the side. “Wandering about on your own while everyone’s asleep isn’t a very good idea. If something happens out there, none of us will be able to save you”

“Trust me, darling, I can hold my own just fine. But I appreciate you worrying about my safety. It’s almost touching.” He smirks. “I would appreciate it even more if you would refrain from telling the others about my… routine here. I don’t exactly want the company.”

“Routine? How long have you been taking these walks?”

“Since the day I joined you all, I would say.” Astarion’s eyes move to the entrance of his own tent. “I haven’t been able to get much sleep myself, and I figure there isn’t much use laying on my bedroll if I’m not resting or satisfying… other needs. So, I walk. And occasionally feed.”

You search Astarion’s face for any sign of deception, but he’s being surprisingly truthful, if a little bashful. You resonate with his sleeplessness, being something of an insomniac yourself. Despite the immense toll your travels have taken on your body, you can’t seem to rest very easily at all, especially when you need it the most. Whether it’s the vivid memories of past battles replaying in your dreams, the smothering climate of whatever campsite you’ve picked out that night, or the relentless wriggling of the tadpole in your head, there’s always something keeping you up.

“I’m surprised I haven’t caught you earlier, then,” you say. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

“Thank you,” says Astarion. He smiles, and it seems he means it too. “Well, seeing as neither one of us will be getting to bed anytime soon, would you care to join me?”

You cross your arms. “I thought you would have preferred to be alone.”

“Misery loves company and all. I think I can make an exception for a fellow night owl,” he drawls.

You agree to walk with him then and quietly head in the opposite direction of both tents. You’re sure to bring your weapon with you in the off chance that something—or someone—attacks the two of you. A very small part of you still garners some suspicion for Astarion himself, especially considering that night in which he tried to feed from you while you slept. Perhaps that’s another factor in your insomnia; although you let Astarion drink his fill that night, you can’t be entirely sure he won’t try it again. That he won’t succeed in creeping up on you and draining you completely.

You shiver at the thought, but pass it off as a cold chill from the wind. As the two of you slowly move from the campsite, your surroundings become even quieter. The chirping insects from before are silent now, and the nearby stream is barely a whisper. You can hardly hear either of your footsteps. It’s at once peaceful and unsettling.

After a few short minutes, you’re the first to break the silence. “What do you usually do when you’re out here?”

Astarion thinks for a moment, and hums. “Hmm. Aside from hunting, I suppose I just sit with my thoughts. There isn’t much else to do, is there?”

You nod, but somehow you don’t think being left with one’s own thoughts is particularly relaxing for anyone in your party. You can’t imagine it’s any good for Astarion, especially.

“And what do you think about?”

“So much,” he says. “Plans, mostly. Where our next destination is, where I’ll find my next meal, what I’ll do when we reach Baldur’s Gate, how to get rid of this wretched parasite…”

“Do you ever think about your past?”

Astarion’s gaze is a bit distant until you ask that. He slows his pace and turns to you, looking unusually serious. “I prefer not to.”

He leaves it at that, so you decide not to push further. You only know a little about Astarion’s life before the tadpole entered his mind. You know he’s the spawn of an even more powerful vampire, a master to whom he was a slave for nearly 200 years, and you know he’s lived in the shadows up until now. It isn’t lost on you that this entire adventure is his first taste of freedom in centuries. You understand why he would rather focus on the future. Still, your nagging curiosity makes you desperate for more information about him.

“What about you, my dear?” He returns to his more amused attitude. “What do you do in that tent of yours to pass the time until the morning comes? Don’t tell me if it’s anything naughty… Actually, do.”

You shake your head and suppress a smile as he actually almost earns a laugh from you. “Nothing like that. I normally just try to distract myself until I can hopefully fall back asleep. Read something, sort my wares, hum a tune. Anything to relax.”

“I take it that hasn’t been working for you?”

“No. Not one bit. I’m actually kind of worried it might start affecting my performance from now on. Unlike some of the elves in this team, I actually need quite a lot of rest.”

“A true shame,” he tuts. “Although it is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, I don’t need to sleep for very long. On the other, I can’t sleep for very long. Sometimes I do wish I could simply let the whole day pass while I doze off. That would be much easier than just waiting it out.”

You hadn’t considered this. While the rest of your traveling companions are able to sleep through the night, Astarion has no choice but to wait for everyone to wake up around sunrise. All he can do is hope to get a few hours of rest before sitting through the unnerving silence of the night, the only unique sounds being the faint snores and mumbles that float from the other tents. You and he are alike in this struggle, but you at least are lucky enough to have a few nights when your exhaustion is bad enough to force you to bed.

“Well, taking a stroll like this is a good idea,” you finally say. “Thank you for inviting me along.”

A small smile tugs at the corner of Astarion’s lips. “Thank you for joining me. I will admit, it’s easier to pass the time with a… friend… by my side.”

Your heart swells at that word: “friend.” It’s a welcome upgrade from whatever you two might have been considered before.

A few minutes pass with the both of you chatting politely. As you walk, you make note of your surroundings to ensure that you don’t stray too far from camp or encounter any traps. This occupies your mind for a while, but Astarion seems to be running out of topics to discuss. Not wanting him to abandon your little trip just yet, you try to think of something to entertain him. Looking out at the forest and the sky in front of you, you notice that the moon has begun its descent into the trees, meaning morning is almost upon you two. This gives you an idea.

You stop and pivot to face Astarion. He stops too, surprised at your sudden pause.

“What is it?” He asks.

"Would you like to watch the sunrise with me?”

He’s taken aback only momentarily before he adopts his familiar flirtatious demeanor. “Trying to turn this into a romantic tryst, are you? If you want something more, you’ll have to be a little more direct than that.”

You shake your head. “No, I don’t mean anything by it. I want to know if you’ll sit and watch the sun come up with me. That’s all. It should be rising soon enough. It’s almost morning.”

He seems puzzled, his brows tightening and eyes scanning your face for any indication that you may be holding something back. When he doesn’t find anything, he settles back into an easy expression. “I seem to have misjudged. My apologies… Yes, I wouldn’t mind sitting with you.”

“Great.” You smile and begin to walk again. “I heard some water earlier, so I think there may be a stream near here. Maybe it’ll make for a nice spot.”

Astarion follows as you lead him closer to the sound of running water, and the two of you shortly come upon the stream. It’s a small, shallow brook that separates the woods from which you emerge and another expanse of trees on the other side. Right along the edge of the water is a line of smooth rocks big enough to sit on. It’s the perfect place to set up, you think.

The two of you find purchase on the edge of the rocks, feet just barely dangling off the side, hovering above the calmly flowing water. The rocks aren’t terribly big, so the two of you sit side-by-side, your knees close enough to touch. Across the brook, the trees begin to thin out, leaving a clear view of the horizon. You estimate that the sun will start its ascent in the next few minutes, but for now, the scene in front of you remains thinly bathed in moonlight.

In the quiet of the dawn, the moon casts its silvery glow on the world beneath it. Every blade of grass, every dewy flower, every mossy stone radiates with a hazy blue hue. The stream beneath you reflects this onto both of your faces, and you give a sideways glance to your companion next to you. You watch as the light dances across his cheeks, admiring how it shines in his curls, how it glistens in his deep red eyes, and how it collects in the space just above his lips. You inhale and the earthy scent of the forest mixes with the smell of Astarion’s perfume in your nose. As you do so, you realize now just how close in proximity you are to him. You’re close enough to trace his silhouette from the slope of his nose to his slender neck with your fingers if you so choose. You glimpse at the puncture marks just below his jaw and remember once more the night you let him drink from you. You remember the moment you awoke in terror before you realized who was crouched above you. You remember the uncertainty you felt as you gave him permission to continue, not sure whether it was a wise decision or not. You remember the sharp sting of his teeth entering your skin and the almost exhilarating dizziness that followed as he coaxed your blood out with his tongue. The rest of that moment is a blur to you, but you can still distinctly recall how he cradled your head with one hand, the other gently ghosting down your spine. For almost a full day after that night, the smell of bergamot and rosemary lingered on your neck.

“You do know staring is rude, don’t you, darling?” Astarion says. “Not that I particularly mind.” He leans back on his arms and turns to face you. “Not when it’s you.”

Your cheeks flush in spite of the cool temperature. You wonder when it was you became so vulnerable to Astarion’s flirting. Even though you have, you try not to entertain it. After all, you suspect his charming behavior is at least partly a ruse.

“Sorry,” you mutter and look back at the horizon. “It’s very pretty out. It’ll be even prettier in just a few more minutes, too. We’re in the perfect spot to watch the sun come up.”

“Is that so?” Astarion tilts his head as he continues to behold you. “You know, I’ve never watched the sunrise like this.”

You twist to look at him again, utterly shocked. “Seriously? Not once?”

He shakes his head.

“How come?”

He sighs. “I’m sure I must have before… everything. But I can’t seem to remember anything from back then. I lost most of my memories when I was brought back, save for a few of the important details. I suppose sunrises weren’t important enough to stick.” He frowns and stares out at a canopy of trees in the distance. “Then, as you know, it would have been incredibly stupid for me to be out in the light with this condition of mine. So, I never tried. I didn’t have very many opportunities to do so, in any case.”

Your brow furrows, but you don’t say anything. Instead, you let Astarion continue at his own pace.

“...I spent decades in my master’s lair, a- a dungeon, really. I was trapped in the darkness. The only time I was allowed out was when he needed fresh, new bodies, and even then it was always under the cover of night. For the longest time, that was all that I knew. In a way, it’s what I’m still used to…”

Suddenly his sleeplessness makes all the more sense to you.

“I know I’m free from that now, what with the tadpole and all, but…” He trails off. You understand.

After several beats of silence, you clear your throat.

“Once, when I was a child, I went playing in the woods with some of the other children in the village. There were maybe six of us in total? I don’t exactly remember. But we marched all the way from the market to the forest pretending we were a band of heroes. I was at the back of the line, right behind this boy that I really liked. I put myself there on purpose so that I could smile and blush as much as I wanted without him seeing me.”

“How cute,” Astarion comments with a quirked eyebrow.

“Yeah. I mean, I thought I was being clever, but it was pretty silly, wasn’t it? Anyways, when we entered the woods, we decided to split off into teams to see who could find the most ‘treasure.’ We just plucked up sticks, flowers, beetles, pinecones, that kind of stuff. I was paired with the boy I liked, and I was so giddy about it. I wanted to show him just how cool I was, so I climbed up every tree and jumped off every rock. Just hearing him laugh and clap for me was enough for me to keep going. So, I did. Before we knew it, we realized we had strayed too far from the rest of the group. We tried to call out to them but heard nothing in return. We were lost.”

You pause your story to get a brief look at Astarion. You half-expect him to be bored by this point, but you’re surprised to see that he’s giving you his full attention. He waves his hand, signaling for you to continue.

“We started playing late into the evening, so by the time we realized that we had no clue where we were, the sun had already begun to set. I remember cursing myself for wishing I could have some alone time with this boy because that wasn’t at all what I had had in mind. But, alas, that was the situation I was stuck in. When it reached midnight and we still hadn’t made our way back to the village, I started panicking. You should know that I used to be deathly afraid of the forest at night. I was terrified of what kind of creatures could be hiding, waiting to snatch me up and eat me alive.”

“Hmm, like vampires?” Astarion teases.

You smirk. “Precisely. You’ll remember, though, that I was stuck with the boy I liked. So, there was no way I could show that I was scared. I couldn’t display any sign of weakness or else he might not think I was as cool as I let off. Knowing this, I put on a brave face and silently begged the gods for some protection before I assembled a makeshift camp for the two of us. It was, admittedly, very shitty, but it did its job of giving us some shelter for the night. I told him he could sleep and that I would keep watch, and so I did. I didn’t sleep very much back then, either, now that I think about it. I guess not a lot has changed about me… But I digress. I stayed up the whole night, sitting outside our little fort, listening to him snore and talk in his sleep. I don’t think I could have left his side if I wanted to, considering how petrified I was. But I powered through the fear, for his sake. I was so young, but I cared about this boy so much that I felt I owed it to him to make sure he was safe.”

“You were quite the hero, even back then,” Astarion says gently. “Is this little story your way of telling me to be more selfless?”

“Not at all. I’m getting to the point, I promise. I sat there for hours as I waited for it to become day again. Eventually, I was able to focus on the more beautiful parts of the night: the moon, the stars, the lightning bugs, the sweet whisper of the wind through the leaves. The more I searched for the good in my situation, the less scared I became, until I was no longer scared at all. By the time dawn rolled around, I was at peace, actually. I was so proud of myself for making it through the night, I immediately woke the boy up to share the moment with him. Then, we sat together, kind of like this,” You gesture to your and Astarion’s seating position, “and just watched the sunrise in perfect silence. I had never watched the sunrise before. It was so nice, getting to quietly enjoy such a wonderful view with someone I loved.”

As you finish your story, you face Astarion once more. His gaze is soft as he listens to you speak, and the tender curl of his lips betrays a sincere gratitude for having shared this with him.

“Did anything ever happen between you and that boy?” He asks.

“Sadly, no. He eventually fell for some other girl in town. Last I heard, they had three kids together.”

“Hmm.” Astarion angles his chin away from you. “Well, that’s his loss.”

You look away, too, and smile to yourself.

Suddenly, the sky begins to transform before your eyes. The first gleams of sunlight begin to caress the horizon as the moon takes its final bow behind you. The forest, still coated with all the glimmering remnants of morning dew, stirs from its slumber under the streams of the emerging sun. As the sun slowly rises, its warm embrace spreads like honey between the trees, flooding the forest floor with rays of pink and amber. Shafts of light pierce through the lush foliage, creating scintillating patterns on the surface of the water that seem to dance at the promise of a new day. Finally, when the sun peers at you from above the treetops, it’s as if the sky erupts. A burst of brilliance envelopes the world below it in its welcoming embrace, casting everything in a blazing golden light.

You begin to say something to Astarion but stop when you see his face. He looks positively radiant. His face glows in the daylight, appearing even more magnificent than he did in the moon’s silver beams. His face and his hair are colored by the sun, making him look more alive than he ever has before. Every detail from the strands in his eyebrows to the smallest of moles is illuminated before you. You watch as his eyes glisten before softly fluttering closed. He breathes deeply, his chest slowly rising and falling, and he basks in the sunlight. He relaxes completely, letting the sun’s rays melt away any and all tension he may have been holding on to.

You want nothing more than to cup his face in your hands, then, and feel the newly imbued warmth of his skin as you press your lips to his. Instead, however, you carefully place your hand on top of his. His eyes blink open and he turns to look at you once more. You hesitate for a moment, ready to move away, but he doesn’t reject you. His eyes crinkle with appreciation and he laces your fingers together before gently stroking his thumb against the side of your hand. His skin is still a bit cold, but thanks to you, it quickly warms up.

The two of you sit there in tranquility, taking in all of the sights, sounds, and feelings of the early morning. Time seems to slow, then, as if the universe itself also wishes to savor this serene moment for just a little while longer.

Soon, you hear the distant sound of casual conversation as the others awaken for yet another day of arduous traveling. You sigh, knowing that the two of you will have to return to camp shortly and leave all of this behind. You don’t want to let go just yet.

“We should probably get back,” Astarion says first. “I wouldn’t want the others to think that I killed you and scurried off or something like that.”

“Yeah, that wouldn’t be very good for morale,” you joke. After a moment, you reluctantly untwine your fingers and push yourself up off the rocks. You extend a hand to Astarion to help him up, which he graciously accepts.

Neither of you moves at first until Astarion takes a step toward you. Standing so close to you, you wonder if he’s about to kiss you when he gingerly takes hold of your hands. He gives you that sincere smile again.

“Thank you again for this. It was… nice.” You almost can’t believe how vulnerable he seems right now, eyes staring into yours with no hint of false pretenses. “I’d like to do this again with you, if you’ll join me.”

“I would love to.”

“Wonderful,” he says. He lets go of you. “Shall we then?”

The two of you take your time walking back to the campsite, talking idly about what the next few days have in store. When you arrive, Karlach is the first to notice you.

“There you two are! We were beginning to worry.” She looks between you both and crosses her arms, narrowing her eyes mischievously. “Anything we should know about your disappearance?”

You chuckle. “Nothing that would excite you, Karlach.”

You walk past her and approach your tent. The rest of your team is already getting to work cleaning their weapons, armor, and other equipment, preparing to hunt, or strategizing together. Before you duck inside to retrieve your clothes for washing, you turn back and lock eyes with Astarion. He’s entered a conversation between Shadowheart and Gale, but he isn’t all that engaged. He shoots you a knowing look and another small smile which you return in kind.

As you wash your clothes in the river just south of the camp, you think fondly of the promise you’ve now made with Astarion and the many sunrises to come. Suddenly, insomnia doesn’t seem so bad.

[simplyyspring]

Memories

Liam Mairi x Fem!OC, Xaden Riorson x Fem!OC (platonic)

Summary: Genevieve Tavis has lost the most important person in her life and her older brother's best friend, Xaden, attempts to help her through her grief.

Warnings: 18+ MDNI!!! smut, death, grief, angst, hurt (with comfort), me not knowing how to properly portray Xaden. FOURTH WING SPOILERS, please don't read if you haven't read the first book I will not be responsible for the emotional damage.

Word Count: 9k

A/N: This is not the first fic I have ever written but it IS the first fic I've ever posted. I already rewrote it because I hated the first version, and the only proofreading that this version has received is grammarly spell/grammar check so bear with me! This fic was inspired by @saintsanddevils "Unravel Me" fic so please read that as well, it's amazing! I've debated expanding on Gen's story but have not decided, please do tell me if you'd like to see that! Anyways, let's get into all the angst (I did cry a few times writing this).

fourth wing masterlist what things would be like

✰✰✰✰✰✰

The sky has an orange hue as I sit on a ledge outside the Riorson house. My eyes study the waves of hills and rigid peaks of mountains in the distance — this has always been one of my favorite views. I grew familiar with it from all the summers I’d spent here while my brother visited his best friend. I catch the scent of pine trees in the wind, and the familiar rustle of the grass beneath gives a sense of nostalgia. It almost brings a smile to my face. Almost.

My hand finds the small wooden sculpture of Eilidh that Liam had whittled months ago in the pocket of my flight jacket. He had done it for everyone, but Eilidh was his first — likely because she had let him close enough to truly study her. Of course she had. She had a soft spot for Liam, though she was reluctant to voice it often. She understood our connection long before anyone else. Eilidh’s grief when Deigh died wasn’t just for him — it was for his rider as well. 

I pull the sculpture out of my pocket, my thumb brushing over the details as I study the shape of Eilidh — one I know like the back of my hand. When he had given the sculpture to me, I didn’t know what to say. It was the most beautiful thing anyone had given me — the kindest thing a person had done for me. Although I can go outside and see her whenever I please, there was something intimate about somebody turning the most important being in my life into a piece of art. I feel a knot building in my throat as the memory floods back, my eyes beginning to well with tears.

“I made you something.” 

Liam’s voice brought me out of my studying trance, causing me to look up at him. He was fiddling with something in his hands — a piece of wood? Some sort of sculpture? And he looked… nervous? I raised a brow as he handed the sculpture over to me. I took the piece, studying it for a moment. My heart nearly stopped as I recognized the features.

The wood was rough — almost as if it was supposed to represent her scales. It painted an image of her mid-flight, her wings spread wide. He must have seen her from a distance, or maybe during flight maneuvers and gotten the idea. And he’d gone through with it. Butterflies began to flutter in my stomach.

“It’s Eilidh,” he said, sheepish. 

I met his gaze, trying to find the words to say. My mouth opened, then closed — no words came out. Nobody had ever done something so personal for me. His smile faltered for a moment, and my heart almost stopped once again as I noticed his confidence starting to slip. 

“I love it,” The words were rushed as they left my lips. My ears heated with embarrassment but I managed to ignore it. 

“You do?” Liam let out a breathy sound that sounded suspiciously like relief. 

I nodded as my gaze fell back down to the sculpture, a small smile forming on my lips. “I think she’d love it too.”

“It’s alright, I suppose.” Eilidh’s voice echoed in my head, her tone playful. I let out a soft laugh. 

“She said she loves it,” I could almost hear her eyes rolling. 

I pocketed the sculpture and glanced back up at Liam. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.” I didn’t know what else to say. My feelings were all over the place — and I was never good at voicing those. Rejection and I had become good friends, but that was against my will.

“You think he’s beautiful,” Eilidh’s teasing tone echoed once again. The heat from my ears began to spread to my face. She wasn’t necessarily wrong… but that’s not the point. Either Liam didn’t notice or he chose to ignore it — thankfully.

“Of course. And tell her I said thank you,” Liam said with a grin that made my heart skip a beat, settling into the seat beside me. His knee brushed against mine, the butterflies going wild now. “I just… I like doing things for other people, and she’s always been nice to me. She never threatens to scorch me when I get too close.”

“Not that you know of.” The corner of my lips tugged upwards. 

“Noted,” A small laugh escaped his lips. He was quiet for a moment, then, “Do you need any help?” His gaze flickered down toward the books in front of me, then back up at me. 

I stared at him for a moment, my brain slowly processing his question. It happened often — I short circuited whenever he was around. I didn’t really need his help, but who was I to deny myself the pleasure of his company? “I’d love some help.”

Liam scooted closer, the scent of oak and leather filling my senses. My lips tugged up into a smile again as we began studying together.

The soft crunch of footsteps pulls me back to the present, the weight of the past few days settling into my bones. I don’t look up. There are very few people who would venture out to find me — even fewer who would know where to find me. Sure, I have quite a group of friends, but they know I’m typically fine after some time to myself. Something tells me this time is different.

My gaze finally lifts toward the large figure as they drop onto the ledge beside me. I’m half surprised that it’s not my brother, Garrick, but his best friend that takes the space. I study him for a moment. He’s dressed more relaxed than usual, but his muscles are still tense. I fully expected him to be occupied, considering the woman he loves is inside, healing. But he’s right here. Making sure I’m okay. I suppose she hasn’t woken up yet.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Xaden’s voice breaks the silence as his dark eyes meet mine. The silence stretches once again. Do I want to talk to him about this? Should I? There was a point in time where the simple thought of him brought a blush to my face. He’s Garrick’s best friend, which means Garrick found him decent enough to be close to him. We’d grown up with him, after all. He’s always been so passionate — and that passion shines through in everything he does. Even now, a leader of a revolution, it’s hard not to be drawn to him. But this is a vulnerable topic. It’s not often that I voice my feelings.

“He’s really gone.” I try to tame the shake in my voice before the words leave my lips but I don’t have any success. Xaden tenses beside me, clenching his jaw, and I look back toward the mountains. He and Liam had been placed in the same foster home — he’d trained him and watched him grow. He’d helped turn him into the boy I fell in love with.

“I’m sorry–”

“Don’t be,” He cuts me off. “If that’s what you need to talk about… then we’ll talk.” He gives me a nod before going quiet. I don’t break the silence. I don’t know what to say. I know he’s doing the same thing I am — studying the view, taking it in. I know he misses it more than any of us, and that, on top of the grief of losing his brother… Gods, I can’t imagine what he’s feeling.

I look at him again, and his eyes find mine. The typical glare they usually hold is missing, replaced by something softer and kinder. I see it often. He’s always had a soft spot for me, though he never outright admits it. 

“Gen…” Xaden’s voice is soft, his eyes scanning my face as if searching for the words to say. “You loved him… didn’t you?” The words feel like a punch to the gut. I haven’t spoken much about my feelings — certainly not with Garrick or Xaden, and certainly not with Liam himself. I’ve wanted to, but the words get stuck in my throat any time I start.

“I…” My voice trails off. There they go, getting stuck again. Part of me wants to deny it, keep it for myself, and hold on to the feeling of being in love for the life of me. My heart has been ripped to shreds, and the only person who could mend it isn’t here. Tears begin to brim my eyes as my gaze falls back on the scenery ahead. Xaden is silent, which isn’t unusual, but I know he’s waiting for me to continue. 

“I never got to tell him…” I finally whisper, my voice cracking ever so slightly. I’ve never been one to show much emotion, but recently, I haven’t had much control. I’ve been distancing myself, knowing I’ll either lash out or break down if anyone gets too close. My jaw clenches as my vision begins to blur. “... How I felt, what I thought of him. How much I appreciate him. How much I appreciate everything he’s done for me.” I shake my head, attempting to blink away the tears, but the action only causes a few of them to stream down my cheeks. 

“He knows.” The older boy nods, certainty bleeding through his tone. “He knows all of it now… and I’d bet quite a bit of gold that he felt the same.” A very small smile touches his lips as my eyes find him again. I don’t understand how he can seem so… fine after everything that’s happened. We’d been set up to die. Violet almost died. Liam did die. Xaden’s ability to be the calm in the storm will always be something I admire; it’s always drawn me to him. Sometimes, he used that ability to his advantage. He can be deadly when he truly wants to be. 

“Can I tell you something?” I ask softly, my eyes catching on the scar on his brow for a moment, admiring it. Although the feelings I once had are no longer there, I can’t deny how attractive he is. “I haven’t really been able to… talk about anything with anyone.” More like I haven’t tried to.

Xaden leans back on his hands, keeping his eyes on me as he nods, urging me to continue. I’m sure he knows all the information I’m about to spew at him, but it’ll be nice to finally let something out for once. 

My gaze lingers on him for a moment before I lick my lips and continue, “Before him, I thought I already knew what love was.” My voice goes quieter as my eyes fall to my lap, and I start to fiddle with my fingers. “I thought a… childhood crush was love. I thought it was everything I’d been looking for. I thought I was completely screwed because the man I supposedly loved saw me as nothing more than a little sister.” My eyes dart toward him as I hear him snicker, watching as he shakes his head, giving me a knowing look.

“I’m not an idiot, Tavis.” I raise a brow, ready to argue against that statement, but he continues, “And before you get defensive, I’m not judging. I would never judge you. I knew for longer than you think I did.” Xaden’s eyes leave mine, shaking his head. I can tell he’s trying to figure out what to say next. “Just because feelings aren’t… reciprocated… doesn’t mean they’re not real. It may not have been love in the sense that you know it now, but it was still an experience.” He finally finishes, giving me a slight nod. 

My eyes narrow for a moment as I listen to what he says, then I shake my head. “Okay, thanks.” I nod, “But that’s not the point.” I speak slowly, a little baffled by his response, then continue, “The point is that I felt much stronger things for him.” Liam and I had been friends before going into the Rider’s Quadrant due to Garrick and I visiting after we were placed in our foster homes, but we’d grown closer after crossing parapet. Thankfully, my brother and I weren’t placed far from each other like Liam and his sister, Sloane, had been — otherwise, I likely wouldn’t have met him.

“When we first joined the quadrant, everything changed. We immediately became really good friends.” I nodded slowly as I recalled everything, and Xaden sat quietly, listening intently. “We spent every moment we could together. Sure, eventually, I met Vi, Ridoc, Sawyer, and Rhi… they’re all amazing. But Liam and I had this… connection that I never had with anyone else.” I feel tears beginning to fill my eyes as well, and I don’t attempt to hide it this time. 

“One day, we were sparring together. We were alone… it was late. One thing led to another, and… he kissed me.” Tears left wet trails down my cheeks as I stared off, recalling the memory. 

“Quite the position you’ve got me in here, Mairi,” I spoke breathlessly as he hovered above me, his hips pinning mine to the mat and his hands pinning my wrists above my head. I couldn’t lie; I enjoyed being in this position with him. I could feel his body heat against me — and I was very aware of how his training tee outlined his muscles. I’d let my soul meet Malek before ever admitting that to him.

“You flustered, Tavis?” Liam arched a brow as his gaze focused on my features with a grin. I couldn’t tell what that look meant — Was he thinking the same thing I was? Was the fact that our bodies were touching in such intimate places driving him crazy, too? Or was he simply trying to catch me off guard?

“Me? Flustered?” I let out a scoff, fighting to deny the accusation. Admitting anything would only give him the upper hand. “In your dreams, Mairi.” I shook my head, and his grin only widened. 

I studied his features as I laid beneath him, letting my eyes fall on his lips for a moment. I noticed the catch in his breath, the way he faltered — even if it was just a little. An idea sparked in my mind. Although I enjoyed being in this position with him, I could still have some fun with the rest of the sparring match. His gaze then followed a path similar to my own, glancing down at my lips. I felt his body relax on top of mine.

As soon as I knew his guard was down, I quickly moved my wrists out of his grip and took his wrists into my own grip. I then used all my body weight to flip us over, pinning him in a very similar position. Realistically, I knew he could turn it back around if he really wanted to. But he didn’t.

“Quite the position you’ve got me in here, Tavis.” His grin was still huge, and he raised a brow as his blue eyes met mine. He was obviously enjoying all of this. I was suddenly very aware of just how easy it would be to place my thighs on either side of him and have my way with him. My skin heated at the thought, but I managed to push it away before it could become an issue.

“You flustered, Mairi?” I questioned, raising a brow back at him. I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest. 

“And if I was?” My body tensed above him. Had I heard him correctly? My eyes were trained on the freckles that littered his face, once again questioning if he was trying to throw me off for the win. Something in those beautiful blue eyes told me he wasn’t. 

I didn’t reply, but neither of us moved either. We laid there, me pinning him to the sparring mat, our breathing syncing. Suddenly — as if acting on impulse — Liam tilted his head up and closed the gap between us, pressing his lips against mine. Stunned, I froze for a moment before kissing him back.

Fireworks set off in my stomach as I moved my hands from his wrists to cup his face. Liam let out a soft hum against my lips as he deepened the kiss, and I followed, moving to bury one of my hands in his hair. I could feel his hands on my body, roaming along my waist, and his body pressed up against mine. It made me feral — something nobody ever made me feel. I’d never let anyone touch me beyond kissing and a few roaming hands. Nothing more than a make-out session. If this continued, I had a feeling it would turn into much more.

Moments later, we heard the gym doors open, causing both of us to jump and remove ourselves from each other. Our lips were swollen, his hair was a mess, and there was absolutely no denying what had happened, even if the culprit hadn’t already seen it. Heat rushed to my face, and our eyes darted toward the door to see who had interrupted. Then, we found the Wing Leader staring at us with raised brows. He muttered something about first years under his breath before shaking his head and immediately retreating back into the hallway.

Xaden’s soft hum pulls me away from the memory. “You forget that I walked in on that.” I look over at him to see his nose scrunching up in mock disgust. “I’m still scarred,” he adds, and I roll my eyes playfully, letting out a soft laugh. It almost takes me by surprise; I haven’t heard myself laugh since the night of reunification — before everything went to shit. 

“It’s your fault for walking in,” I joke, raising a brow at him.

The older boy lets out a scoff, furrowing his brows. “You act like it isn’t a space open to the entire quadrant.”

“You had no business being there that late.” I playfully glare at him, causing him to laugh and shake his head. I almost feel lighter, like all my problems have disappeared. He doesn’t say anything further as the two of us fall into a content silence. 

“You scared the shit out of him, y’know.” I break the silence after a moment, laughing quietly as the memory of Liam panicking over Xaden finding us resurfaces.

We finally reached my bedroom door after deciding that our sparring session was over. The embarrassment of being caught — and by Xaden, of all people — was like being dunked in a bucket of ice-cold water. We wouldn’t have been able to focus if we’d continued.

Liam seemed more freaked out by the event than I had expected. I was just embarrassed — he looked as if his world was coming to its inevitable end. He fidgeted with his hands, his brow tightly knit, unusually quiet. I let him sit in silence for a while, but the anticipation of not knowing how he felt was starting to wear on me. Did he regret the kiss?

I pushed the door open and stepped into my room, gently grabbing Liam by the arm to tug him through the ward that Xaden and Garrick had insisted be put in place. I had complained about the overprotective nature of it, but I admit that I appreciated the extra layer of protection in this hellhole.

“What’s wrong?” I asked him, closing the door before watching as he fell into his usual spot in the chair beside my desk. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, his body wound tight with tension and his mind obviously reeling. This wasn’t the first time he’d been in my room — we’d had countless study sessions in here — so it was a comfortable space for this inevitable talk.

“What’s wrong?” Liam repeated, his brows shooting upward as he let his body fall back into the chair. “Xaden just walked in on us kissing, and you’re asking me what’s wrong?” His hands were moving frantically, mirroring his panic. I still couldn’t pinpoint exactly why he was panicking, though.

“I’m sure Xaden has seen more traumatizing things.” I joked and let out a soft laugh. I studied his features — his blonde hair, his blue eyes, the freckles that decorated his face. It was something that I did often, though I tried to be subtle about it. He was beautiful.

“What if he tells Garrick?” His tone was now exasperated. I furrowed my brows at the question. He was worried about my brother finding out? I walked over to sit on the edge of my bed, across from his chair, keeping my gaze on him.

“Would that be so bad?” I questioned, letting out a small laugh. Sure, Garrick could be overprotective, but he was reasonable, at least. I never had an issue of him interfering with my love life. He trusted me to make the right choices — and come to him if they turned out to be the wrong ones.

“You don’t get it.” Liam sighed and ran his hands down his face. I tried my hardest not to focus on the veins that made their way from his forearms to his hands as he did so. “You’re not an older brother.” My face softened as I heard the words. He was looking at this from the perspective of Garrick himself — how he would feel if someone he trusted and considered a friend had seemingly gone behind his back and kissed his little sister.

“But you are,” I said, giving him a small nod as I leaned back on my hands. “How would you react to Sloane kissing someone you were friends with?” I raised a brow, keeping my eyes on him as I waited for his response. 

“I would be furious.” He scoffs, bringing a hand up to run through his hair before leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees once again. He was still fidgeting. “And if I fuck up? What happens? Do I lose two important people in my life?” An ache blossomed in my chest, and I wanted to kiss him until he was breathless and assured that nothing he could ever do would cause him to lose me. But I could tell he was gathering himself, reeling himself back in from the panic, so I didn’t. 

“But I guess I’d come around eventually — if she really liked them.” Liam’s blue eyes met mine as he broke the silence, causing a small smile to grow on my face. We fell into a comfortable silence as I allowed him to sort through his thoughts more, and he eventually leaned back in the chair again as he relaxed. 

“I write her letters all the time.” His voice was softer now as he glued his eyes to the floor. My heart skipped at the admission. “I know I can’t send them, and she’ll already be here by the time I’m able to… but fuck, there’s so much I want her to know, so much I don’t want to forget. So much I want to prepare her for.” The ache in my chest returned as I listened to him. I could tell he was terrified for her to join the quadrant, and it was obvious how much he missed her. He’d brought her up quite a few times in passing. I couldn’t help but wonder if Garrick had felt similarly during his first year.

“I promise there are just as many things she wants you to know.” I smiled small and gave him a nod, speaking from experience. The age gap between Garrick and I was larger, so we were able to write letters back and forth before I joined, but nothing could beat talking to him in person. Although there had always been a sense of dread about joining the riders quadrant, there was also a sense of relief that I would see the people I loved again. 

A small smile grew on Liam’s lips as his eyes drifted to meet mine again. “Do you think he’ll tell him?” He asked. Xaden was just as protective as Garrick. He wouldn’t rush off to tell him immediately, but he certainly wouldn’t pass up the chance to mention it the first chance he got. 

“I think it’s very likely.” A chuckle escaped my lips as I nodded, causing him to tilt his head back against the chair and let out a dramatic groan. “But I don’t think it will be as big of a deal as you’re making it out to me.” I shook my head, watching him in amusement. 

“Why’s that?” Liam raised an eyebrow as he turned his head toward me, still tilting it back against the chair.

I went quiet for a moment, my heart and my brain having a silent debate. One of them — my heart — told me to tell him the truth, to spill all of my feelings to him. My brain was telling me to keep it to myself — that chances are, he didn’t feel the same, and it was a spur-of-the-moment kiss. But the fact that he was so anxious told me otherwise.

“Because to him, I’m an open book.” My shoulders shrugged, and I paused for a moment, chewing on the inside of my cheek. “I’ve thought about you for… a while now. And he knows that. I’m sure he’d be pretty understanding.” My heart pounded as I kept my attention on him.

Liam froze as he listened to me. Shit. Did I make a mistake? Had I read him wrong? Did he not feel the same way about me? Was the kiss not good for him? I couldn’t stop my thoughts from spiraling — now I was the one panicking.

“A while, huh?” His voice brought me out of my thoughts. He had noticeably relaxed in a matter of seconds, his voice teasing now. Heat began to creep up my face once again. “Do you have a crush on me, Genevieve?”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. There was no way this was the same man who was freaking out just minutes before. “You’re insufferable,” I said with a soft chuckle. 

“I take pride in it.” A grin grew on his face. “You want to tell me just how long this little crush has been going on?” He raised a brow, and I could feel his eyes studying me.

I groaned, falling backward on my bed. “Insufferable,” I repeated, causing him to let out a laugh from deep within his stomach — a real one. The sound brought a smile to my face.

My chest aches as his laugh echoes in my head.

I stay quiet for a moment, my lips rubbing together. “He definitely wasn’t my first kiss, but he was my first for a lot of other things.” I nod slowly. I can feel Xaden’s gaze on me but I don’t meet it.

“I know you don’t want to hear about that, but the connection… I don’t know that I could find that anywhere else.” I stare off for a moment, attempting to ignore the sting that threatens to return to my eyes. One would think I didn’t have any tears left to cry, but I’m actively proving that wrong.

“Are you sure about this?” Liam questioned as he hovered above me, both of our shirts already discarded and thrown somewhere in the room. It was late, after another sparring session, and we were in my room. A make-out session had gotten a little too heated, and well, here we were on my bed.

I nodded, allowing my eyes to study his freckles for a moment — they were almost like constellations. My gaze then fell to his lips, already swollen from kisses. He was beautiful like this, disheveled, his guard down as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“I’m sure. I’ve never been more sure in my life.” A small smile came onto my lips, which was quickly returned by the boy. 

Liam bit his lip as he slowly trailed a hand down along my body, mapping every curve. I felt my breath hitch in response, the heat in my lower stomach only intensifying from the anticipation. I gasped quietly as he slid his hand under the waistband of my pants, then my underwear, running a finger along my already slick core and causing me to let out a soft moan. Nobody had ever touched me like this.

“So fucking wet for me,” he muttered as he began toying with my clit, adding another finger and drawing more moans out of me. “So fucking beautiful.” Liam’s words shot right to my core, only adding to the pleasure. He had to know what he was doing to me.

I felt two of his fingers circle around my entrance before sliding into me with ease, causing me to gasp and toss my head back against the pillow. The feeling. The stretch. It was overwhelming — so much better than doing it myself, imagining it was someone else touching the most intimate parts of my body.

Liam grinned as he began pumping his fingers slowly, keeping his eyes on my face. “Such a good girl,” he cooed as I felt his thumb press against my clit, adding a delicious amount of pressure. 

“F-fuck,” I moaned out, looking up at him as white-hot pleasure coursed through my body. I could feel him everywhere — his presence was maddening, and the fact that all his focus was on me even more so. It felt like too much and not enough at the same time.

Liam’s fingers began to pump faster, curling and hitting that delicious spot inside me. He mumbled praises under his breath, each of them only intensifying the pleasure. I began to feel a knot building in my lower stomach, grinding my hips up toward his hand. My back bows, the lewd sounds of his fingers pumping in and out of me filling the room. 

“I-I think I’m gonna–” My words are cut off by another loud moan. 

“I know, baby,” His voice was soft, the sloshing of his fingers pumping into me growing louder as he pumped faster. “Let it out for me. I’m right here with you. Show me how good I make you feel.” He coaxed. 

I felt him begin to kiss along my chest before attaching his lips to one of my nipples, and he only added more pressure to my clit. The pleasure grew more intense with the added sensation, my moans growing louder as I squeezed my eyes shut. My body shook against his as the knot in my stomach began to unravel. Moments later, I moan out his name as I release around his fingers, my walls pulsating around them.

“That’s it,” Liam cooed against my skin, “Such a good girl for me, look at you cumming all over my fingers.”

The words felt like a blanket over me as he rode out my orgasm, and I relaxed beneath him, breathing heavily. He lifted his head before planting gentle kisses on my neck, removing his fingers from me. I whimpered at the loss, squirming beneath him. Liam chuckled low against my skin as he trailed kisses further down my body, and I looked down as he began to work my pants off. 

“What are you–” I’m cut off by his shushing. 

“Let me take care of you,” He muttered against my skin. The heat in my stomach ignited once again as he tugged my pants down before tossing them to the floor. He then wasted no time diving in between my thighs, drawing loud moans from me again.

I blink and feel a tear roll down my cheek. I realize I’m still sitting on the ledge with Xaden rather than in my room back in Basgiath with Liam.

Xaden’s eyes scan over me with a sorrowful look. “I didn’t know you guys were so intimate…” He spoke softly, his tone more comforting than usual. I bring my hands up to wipe my eyes. I’m so tired of crying. 

I let out a soft hum in response. “We didn’t see any point in screaming it from the rooftops.” I shook my head slightly. “We never made anything official. The only conversation we really had was regarding whether or not we were exclusive.” I nod my head slightly, bringing a hand up to run through my hair.

We were exclusive. We’d decided that after I’d gotten jealous of some girl trying to make a move. I almost laugh at the memory of how dramatic I’d been.

I walked out of battle brief without saying a word to Liam. In fact, that’s how I’d been walking out of every class for the past week. I played it off as having somewhere to be, but truthfully, I simply didn’t want to face the storm brewing inside me.

“Gen!” I could hear him calling out for me. Why was he chasing after me now? Why hadn’t he done it sooner? Did he truly care, or did he just want to make sure he could still get laid? I hated myself for thinking that, but I couldn’t help it. I always thought jealousy was pitiful — pathetic, even — but then I saw her talking to him, twirling her blonde hair around her finger. His smile. Now, it had plagued me like a disease.

I felt a hand grip my arm before I could round a corner, yanking me into an empty classroom. I furrowed my brows, eyes darting around to ensure nobody was present before focusing on Liam. 

“What the hell are you doing?” I hated the way my body relaxed at the sight of him, the way my voice couldn’t be as strong as I willed it to be. The effect he had on me was always undeniable. My heart and my brain were fighting over how to feel — currently, my brain was winning, but my heart was putting up a damned good fight. 

“Why haven’t you been talking to me?” Liam asked with furrowed brows, concern lining his face and filling his eyes as he studied me. It was silly, really. I shouldn’t have been avoiding him like this. Who was I to be jealous of some girl?

“I’ve had the same question,” Eilidh’s voice echoed in my head. “You don’t have time for these pathetic and petty acts.” She was right. I had bigger things to worry about, but I couldn’t help it. He deserved proper communication, though.

I stayed quiet, my eyes glued to the wall behind him before meeting his gaze. “I saw you last week. You were… talking to someone. Some girl. She seemed nice, and you seemed quite interested in her.” My voice was soft, almost shy. I never got jealous. I had no reason to. We never agreed to be exclusive. 

“Are you jealous, Tavis?” Liam raised a brow, amusement washing over his face as he watched me.

I sighed quietly, looking away from him again. I didn’t want him to think I was possessive. I didn’t want to be that girl who held him back. He had never been the kind of guy to settle on one girl. 

“Gen,” He spoke up softly after a moment, keeping his eyes on me. I didn’t answer, not wanting to deepen my own embarrassment. 

“Genevieve.” I finally looked up at him, and he brought his hands up to cradle my face. “Nothing happened with her.”

“It sure seemed like something was happening,” I spat back, my tone more angry than I cared to admit I was. Gods, I was so pathetic. 

“She was trying, but if you had stuck around a little longer, you would have seen me walk away and find Xaden.” His blue eyes focused on my hazel eyes. My brows furrowed. 

“Xaden?” 

He nodded. “I didn’t want anyone else. I didn’t know how to deal with it. So I went to Xaden.” Liam scrunched his nose slightly, his thumbs gently brushing against my cheeks. I felt myself relax more at his touch, finding comfort in how gentle he was with his rough hands.

“And what did Xaden say?” I raised a brow as I studied him, focusing on his freckles — Gods, I loved his freckles — and taking in his beautiful blue eyes.

“He basically said I’m stupid for being so scared about it.” He laughed quietly. “A little rich coming from him considering how often he denies his feelings for Violet.”

I let out a soft laugh and shook my head, feeling a weight fall off my shoulders. I moved my arms to wrap around his shoulders and allowed my body to relax into his. 

“You could have talked to me,” Liam spoke up softly as he tilted his head down to look at me. “Probably would have cleared everything up pretty quickly.” A small laugh escaped his lips, causing me to roll my eyes. He was right, but I wouldn’t admit that.

“I didn’t think you’d want anything more.” I shook my head slightly, hating myself for how stupid I’d been.

“I don’t know what I want.” He shook his head as well. “All I know is I don’t want to do it with anyone else. This doesn’t have to be some… crazy declaration. But we can agree not to see other people if that’s what you want.”

I saw something as I looked into those beautiful eyes of his. Hope. Yearning. A million things being left unsaid. He knew I had an issue with commitment, and he was trying to navigate it the best he could.

“I’d like that,” I said with a nod, a smile forming on both of our lips. The world stilled for a moment as we held each other’s gaze. Before much else could be said, Liam leaned in to gently press his lips against mine. It didn’t take long for that kiss to turn into something much more heated.

“I remember him coming to me in a panic about not wanting anyone else,” Xaden’s laugh and his voice pull me back to reality. “I think he was just scared of getting hurt, which anyone can relate to.”

I nodded a little, staying quiet. I couldn’t think of a response. After that conversation, Liam and I spent every possible moment together. We were together the night of reunification day, the last real moment we had alone before being sent to Athebyne. The last real moment we had before Resson.

I took in a deep breath, the scent of oak and leather wrapping around my senses as Liam wrapped himself around me, his arm draped over my waist. We must have fallen asleep after our… activities that night. Xaden had finally let him have a break from being Violet’s body guard since he had decided to be with her tonight. Every one of my instincts told me to stay like this forever — wrapped up in his sheets — but that wouldn’t be realistic. 

Liam moved his arm to gently rub his hand along the bare skin of my waist, and I shifted to lay on my back, a soft smile growing on my lips as I looked up at him. His hand now rested on my bare stomach, and I lifted my own to gently run through his hair before slowly tracing my finger down along his jawline.

“What are you thinking about?” His voice came out soft and groggy from just waking up. It almost ignited that flame in my lower stomach once again, but I just wanted to lay here with him for a while longer. I went quiet for a moment, deciphering how to form my thoughts into words. 

“What things would be like if we weren’t… here.” I finally spoke up quietly. I could almost see it — sleeping in late, finding him shirtless in the kitchen making breakfast. Holding his hand just because I could, kissing him without worrying if it may be the last. The late nights spent with our friends, the laughter. The joy. Maybe in this other life, I wouldn’t feel the need to guard my love so stubbornly and could tell him how I truly felt. Some of these things were obtainable, but it was difficult to have them when we never knew if we would survive to see next week.

Liam let out a soft hum in response, his index finger tracing shapes on my skin. “What, if we weren’t forced into a death sentence?” There was a hint of amusement in his voice, though we both knew there was truth to it. That’s exactly what it was supposed to be for us marked ones — a death sentence. Leadership hated it when we moved up the ranks with ease, like Xaden and Garrick, but there wasn’t much they could do. They couldn’t deny how much of an asset some of us were to the continent.

“Somethin’ like that,” I said with a soft laugh, studying the freckles that painted his face as if I didn’t already know them like the back of my hand. He was so beautiful — like a work of art. All of him. Sure, his body was absolutely divine, but he was arguably the kindest person I had met and definitely the most patient. Liam was confided in often, and yet he never complained — nor did he judge. He was the kind of person to put everyone before himself.

His head dipped to bury his face in my neck, planting gentle kisses. “And what would things be like?” Liam asked teasingly as he nipped at my ear. That flame simmered below the surface, ready to ignite any second if he continued. I drew in a deep breath as his lips trailed down along my skin. 

I held back a breathy moan, my thighs pressing together like the traitors they were. “You’re gonna tire us both out again if you keep on with that,” I told him, resisting the urge to squirm beneath him.

“I don’t see a problem with that,” Liam responded, “the best sleep aid known to man.” He began leaving open-mouthed, wet kisses along my collarbones. I let out a sensual sigh, wetting my lips with my tongue. 

“You’re insufferable.” My voice came out shakier than intended. I had a love-hate relationship with the way he affected me — or my body, I suppose — it gave him far too much control. I allowed it, though, because the love tended to override the hate. Liam knew the effect he had, and he took advantage of it every chance he could.

“And I take pride in it,” Liam said with a teasing laugh, his lips now moving up along my neck toward my own. 

“Now answer my question.” He grinned as he pecked my lips. “What would things be like?” 

I opened my mouth to speak, but I was interrupted by an urgent pounding on the door. “I know you’re in there, Mairi!” A voice called from the other side. Bodhi? “We’re being called to formation.”

Liam and I both let out a groan as he let his head fall to rest on my chest. Bodhi pounded on the door again before Liam let out a deep sigh and got out of bed, grabbing his underwear from the floor and shuffling it back on. I pulled the sheets over my body and tried not to focus on how the muscles in his back rippled with every movement as he walked over and opened the door. 

Bodhi was standing there, already dressed in his leathers and ready to go. He looked into the room and made eye contact with me, his brows shooting up toward his hairline.

“My bad for interrupting,” He spoke up and averted his gaze from mine, looking back at Liam. His face was solemn, and he didn’t make a teasing remark like he usually would. A beat passed before he spoke again as if gathering his thoughts. “We’re under attack. Get to formation. Now.”

My heart dropped to my ass as Bodhi rushed away, and Liam closed the door before anyone else could see us. Under attack? On reunification day? How the fuck does that happen? That couldn’t be a coincidence. Liam turned to look at me, his wide eyes meeting mine, and then we both scrambled to get our clothes on.

Liam turned to me once we finished, stalking over before gently taking my face in his hands. He leaned in to kiss me before mumbling, “We can finish this talk later.” A small grin made its way onto his face. “I’d love to hear that answer.”

His voice echoes in my mind. I’d love to hear that answer. The answer I never had the chance to give him. I squeeze my hand around the wooden sculpture of Eilidh. I can feel her at the back of my mind, quiet but waiting in case I need her. I don’t know what I need. 

“He got better with it.” I smile softly. Though we never said those three words, he was always very vocal about how he felt — consistently reassuring me I was the only one he wanted, telling me how amazing I looked even when I was a sweaty mess after challenges or sparring sessions.

“I was going to tell him the last night we were together, the night of reunification. Being called to formation kind of ruined that.” I let out a dry laugh, almost a scoff. “It still fucks with me that they told us we were under attack when it was really fucking war games.” 

Xaden grunts in response. “Had to be realistic, I guess. Wanted the adrenaline rush to see how we’d do if it were real.” This time, I let out a real scoff but don’t respond because he’s right. That’s exactly what it was, a test to see how quickly we’d react. 

“And then they sent us to our deaths,” I say quietly. Xaden doesn’t respond, but I notice how his jaw clenches. I know he feels like he failed us that day — failed Violet, Liam, and Soleil especially. I want to tell him it isn’t true, that he couldn’t have controlled what happened to us that day, but I know it would fall on deaf ears. 

“I can’t get it out of my head.” My voice falls to a whisper. “He was… fine. He was healthy. He was fighting, didn’t miss a beat, and then suddenly…” I trail off, chewing on the inside of my cheek. An ache comes creeping into my chest. I’ve debated numerous times asking Imogen to wipe the memory of him, but I know that wouldn’t be beneficial.

My feet hit the ground as I dismounted Eilidh. I could hear Deigh’s cries from a mile away. Surely he was just injured — surely he’d be fine. My eyes searched the area before finding Violet’s half-silver hair, my brows furrowing as I took in the sight of her on the ground. What the hell was happening? Why wasn’t Eilidh speaking to me? Had she shut me out? Did I do something?

I rush over, the breath leaving my lungs as I take in the sight before me. Liam was lying in her arms. No color to his face. Barely awake, his breathing shallow. I couldn’t see any blood; his body seemed fine, but he obviously wasn’t. 

“Oh my Gods, what happened?” I managed to get out as I fell to my knees beside her. Violet was kind enough to gently move Liam toward me, allowing me to gently wrap my arms around him. 

“Deigh…” Liam’s voice was strained. He’d hardly managed to get the words out before coughing. I shook my head slightly in a silent plea for him to save his energy, gently caressing my thumb along his cheek. He looked so tired. So weak. I looked up at Violet and met her gaze. There were tears streaming down her face.

“He was attacked… gutted,” Violet spoke very softly. “He was… he was protecting Tairn and I. He… he didn’t make it, Gen.” My breath caught in my throat at her words. A sudden wave of grief fell over me, partially my own but primarily Eilidh’s. Her shield must have fallen. If Deigh was dead, Liam only had minutes before he followed. If that.

My eyes fell back down to Liam, whose blue eyes studied my features like they had done a million times before. 

“I’m so sorry,” I choked out, and I couldn’t stop the tears that flooded from my eyes. This would be the last time I could hold him, the last time I could look at his beautiful eyes. The last time I could admire those freckles I loved so much. 

“It’s o-okay,” He nodded, tears brimming his own eyes. “Everything will be okay.”

I shook my head as I listened to what he said. Everything would not be okay, not without him. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I should have told him how I felt. I should have told him how much I loved him. But my voice fell into a void, and I cursed myself for it. 

“Listen to me.” There was a shake in Liam’s voice. His energy was depleting — and quickly. “No matter what happens right now, you fight. Do you understand me? Don’t let this pull you into the dark; you fight it. You fight them. And you win. This is just a battle. We can still win the war.” His hand grasped mine as he met my tearful gaze. I stared down at him for a moment before nodding.

I would make every dark wielder pay for this. Who were they to take him from me? Who were they to attack us and assume there would be no consequence? This wouldn’t be over until every last one of them met the same fate. I’d make sure of it. 

“I promise. I’ll fight. For you, for Deigh.” I nodded again. “I promise.” And I meant it. That’s a promise I would keep. 

Liam gave me a small, weak smile. I tilted my head down and planted a gentle kiss on his lips, then one on his forehead, before Xaden landed on Sgaeyl beside us. He dismounted as quickly as possible and rushed over. My vision was blurred, my hearing muffled. I couldn’t focus on anything other than the ache forming in my chest. My body was frozen. All I could hear was Xaden’s voice as he said, “I know, brother,” before Liam was lifted from my arms and carried over to Deigh. I should have said a proper goodbye, but my heart wouldn’t let me.

I let out a deep, shaky breath as my eyes glued themselves to the grass below me, the spot where he’d been lying in my arms. I managed to blink away some of the tears before lifting my head to watch Xaden and Liam. I allowed myself to sit and wallow in the grief for a moment.

Don’t let this pull you into the dark. His voice echoed in my head. I would never be able to get over this — to get over him. I’d never be able to let go.

“You don’t have to let go of anything.” Eilidh’s voice finally sounded in my head. “But you do have to fight through it. We have people depending on us, Brave One.” 

I let out a slow breath, attempting to stabilize myself, and stood up. She was right. We did have people depending on us. I couldn’t wallow in my grief; I didn’t have time for that. Not yet, at least. 

So I looked out to where our friends were fighting. I studied them for a moment and assessed my surroundings, beginning to create a game plan in my head. I then quickly mounted Eilidh once again before she took off. I had a promise to fulfill.

“I don’t think that’s something any of us are going to get out of our heads.” Xaden shakes his head as he looks forward, not wanting to look me in the eye. It’s a sore subject for all of us, especially so soon after. 

“And that’s okay. You should remember him; all of us should…” His voice trails off as he pauses for a moment as if thinking about how he should continue. “But we have to remember that people die in war, Gen. If we let it eat us alive… if we let it hold us back, then they’d have died in vain. 

His words sink into my bones as I take my bottom lip between my teeth. He’s right. Liam isn’t the only one we lost in that battle. Xaden has always been great with speeches and motivational talks, but I’m not typically someone who needs them. Guess there’s a first time for everything. I don’t notice the silence until he breaks it again.

“And he wouldn’t want you to hold anything back.” The older boy speaks softly, his onyx eyes finally meeting mine once again. I can’t tell where he’s about to take this conversation.

“It won’t happen now, but eventually… eventually you’ll find someone who makes you feel loved and appreciated. And I know for a fact he would want you to do what makes you happy. No matter what that is, no matter who it is, he would want you to be happy.

I close my eyes, going quiet as I chew on my bottom lip. I don’t want to think about being with anyone else — I can’t imagine loving anybody else. The idea of giving myself to someone else makes my stomach churn.

“Thanks for the talk.” I give him a slight nod, not acknowledging what he had said. I push the idea of potentially falling in love with someone else away. It’s not an option. Not right now. I’m not sure it ever could be. 

“I should get back inside before Violet wakes up and I’m not there.” Xaden runs his fingers through his onyx locks before moving to stand up from the ledge. He reaches his hand down to give my shoulder a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

“Let me know if you need anything.” 

I don’t respond as he walks away I look back down at my hands in my lap, staring at the wooden dragon in my hands. My thumb traces over the ridges of Eilidh’s features, about a thousand emotions swirling inside me. I take a moment for myself before standing from the ledge and following Xaden into the Riorson house.

[eggrollforyou]

How Can I Say I Love You Part 2

Law x F!Reader

WC: 4191

CW: angst to fluff, parental/parental figure loss, tooth aching fluff, minor Law backstory spoilers (if you're not caught up through Dressrosa), seems like an OC but I'm too lazy for that, so leader insert 🤣, mutual pining, post time skip 

A/N: Thank you all for patiently waiting for part 2! I'm not super confident on part 2 so feedback would be wonderful!! I hope you enjoy!

Part One

He's chasing after you, running through the thick tropical forest, dodging fallen trees and cutting through vines getting in his way from catching up to you. “Y/N! Wait! I have a safe place to hideout!” he calls out to you hoping to get you to finally stop. You slow down to a jog, breathing heavily, “Well, why the fuck didn't you say that sooner, Law?” you grin at him. “I'll follow you,” you huff. He quickly leads you back toward the shore line, you hear the waves crashing and smell the sea air. Suddenly he stops and puts his hand out. You look at him curiously and he smirks at you, “Room….” You begin to question him, “What are y-” 

“Shambles.”

Suddenly you're in a room with metal walls and it takes you a moment to get your bearings. “Whoa…Law, what the fuck was that?” you ask as you set the heaping bag of stolen goods down on the floor with a loud thud. 

“Still causing mischief, I see,” he chuckles. “Don't worry, we're safe. You're on my ship.” 

“Ship?!”

“The Polar Tang. I'm the Captain of the Heart Pirates, you haven't seen our bounty posters?” he brags, cheeks slightly turning pink as he realizes what he's doing. “Well, look at you,” you beam at him. “Give me a tour!” you practically yell as you lunge forward bringing him into a big hug. You don't see it, but Law’s face and ears are pink at your show of affection. He reaches his arms around you to return the hug, hesitantly, processing as if this were real. He relishes in the smell of you, you smell like the sea with a hint of coconut and amber and his heart swells for a moment. His feelings for you rushing back like a tsunami, like they were a book tucked away on a dusty shelf in the back of a library to be pulled out again. He clears his throat and pulls back quickly, fearing you'll see how he feels for you, even after all these years. “C’mon, I'll show you around,” his voice suddenly stern and serious.

Law gives you a tour of the submarine and as he goes into the most boring explanation of what it takes to operate one, you get lost in your thoughts. He's here, in front of me again. Your heart skips a beat. You were never able to muster the courage to express your feelings for him. He was always brilliant, you knew he'd be able to make it as a pirate and here he was, Captain (and a doctor) to a crew that you could tell he loved, despite his seriousness. The Surgeon of Death. But you still saw the young man that you fell for years ago. Always ready for an adventure, ready for a fight. But he was always softer with you, late at night as you both pointed out constellations to each other, watching for shooting stars. Seeing the universe reflected in his eyes. You snapped out of it when you heard him say they were leaving in the morning. “You're leaving?” He nods. “Um…I have a huge favor to ask, could I hitch a ride to your next stop? Clearly I've exhausted what I could here…” you chuckle as you wring your fingers together nervously. “I won't be a lout, I promise, I'll take on whatever duties I need to earn my keep,” you rattle quickly. 

How could Law ever tell you no? His heart is practically jumping out of his chest, but he has to keep himself in check. Clearing his throat again, “H-how about you just stay with us for a while… A-as long as you need.” he asks nervously, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. “Are you sure?,” he nods,”Thank you, Law! I promise, I won't cause any trouble,” quick to accept before he changes his mind. He smiles warmly at you, “Yea, I’m sure. Let me take you to your quarters.” He shows you where you'll be staying, “Well, I guess this is where I'll leave you. Get some rest. I have a lot of work to do, so I'll be in my office. I'll introduce you to the crew when they return.”

“Thank you, Law. Really….it…it's really nice to see you again,” you say quietly. He nods at you, “It's good to see you too,” and he turns around and walks down the hall to go back to his office. You flop yourself down on the small bed, finally able to take a breath. How in the world does this keep happening? Maybe I should tell him? Your heart aches slightly. What would that accomplish? I'm not staying forever….maybe I should just keep my mouth shut. Back in his office Law contemplates the same quandary. I should tell her….at least it'll help with the regret….oh, who am I fucking kidding?! What does it matter, she's not staying forever…. It's pointless. I shouldn't say anything. He shakes his head at his resolution, but part of him can’t quell the excitement of you being around for just a bit longer. Looking over at his piles of paperwork he takes a deep sigh and pulls a stack in front of him, grabbing the papers on the top. 

Later that evening the entire crew returned to the ship. You giddily greet Bepo, jumping into the big ball of fluff in a warm embrace, “Y/N!!!! Garchu!” he yells as he nuzzles his soft face onto yours, nearly smothering you as you laugh. You give Penguin and Shachi a hug as well. They're still the same silly group you remember fondly. Everyone on the ship is very welcoming, but as soon as Law walks into the galley, their demeanor shifts. They quieten down from their raucous conversations as he looks over the crew giving them a nod. Shachi and Penguin loudly shout, “Captain! Look! It's Y/N,” as they wiggle their eyebrows with sly grins on their faces- as if they didn't know he was the one that brought you on board. He gives them a stern look, trying to hide his mortification. He always tried to hide the depth of his feelings about you but they knew him better than that. 

They constantly teased him, “When are you gonna tell her you like her?!”

“You never know, she might like you too.”

“Don't be a baby!”

He clears his throat, and in a commanding voice you weren’t used to hearing coming out of Law, “Everyone. We have a guest,” he motions to your direction, “Y/N. She'll be with us for a while. I've added her to rotations. The revisions are posted. I expect you all to continue to meet your duties and I expect you all to train her and get her up to speed for the next few weeks.”

“Yes, Captain,” everyone agrees. 

This version of Law looks good on him, you think. And suddenly, you find yourself pining after him again like when you were 15. You fight the blush creeping up your chest and your cheeks. Instead, you distract yourself joking with your old friends through the remainder of dinner. 

Weeks have passed and you've found your rhythm on the ship. In the time you've spent here, you've noticed that Law has grown up to be much more serious. He doesn't joke around much anymore and he's often brooding in his office. Well, you think he's brooding. You don't really know what he does in there, but he spends a lot of time in it. One day you decide to find out, walking up to his door when you were off duty, knocking gently. “Come in,” he calls out. You slowly open the door and poke your head in, “Hi! Just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing. You’ve been locked away in here for days and the smell is starting to seep out into the halls.” Law’s eyes grow wide as he tries to nonchalantly hide smelling himself by faking a stretch. You giggle at his reaction and his gaze instantly softens a bit, “O-Oh….yea, I’m good. Just reading,” as he holds up the most recent medical textbook he's drowned himself in. 

You walk in, making your way to his desk, peering over all the scattered reports and journals, “Hmmm..boring! Do you have anything GOOD to read?” you joke. He peers over to his bookshelf, “Not much, I don’t get a lot of time for recreational reading but I have stuff on that shelf. You’re welcome to read anything there….just, don’t let it leave the office please.” You look over the various books, some science fiction, Hmm, never thought he’d be into science fiction, until you see a smaller set, Sora comics. You remember him going on and on about these comics when he was younger. “You still have these?” you snort pulling a few copies out. Law glances over to see what you’re holding. “Well…yea. Those are awesome…just please, be careful with them. They’re hard to come by outside of the North Blue,” he warns. You hum in agreement as you sit down in the chair he has by the bookshelf, “Do you mind?” You ask as you peer over the top of the comic. Law nods, “Go for it.” You both sit in the quiet room, the only discernible sounds are each of you turning pages as you read. It's a quiet comfort. One that turns into a routine after a few weeks. You find yourself more in his office than your own room to relax. He's set up a small corner for you, moving the spare chair over to make space for a small end table. Letting you keep a blanket on the chair. 

Sometimes when neither of you can focus, you simply chat with a warm drink. There's always a chill in the air being in the submarine, despite the close quarters. But you find comfort in your blanket and with Law's company. Over the weeks, the crew have noticed a change in Law’s behavior. He's less…harsh. He seems happier, despite being as quiet as he usually is. It's a welcome change. 

With all the time you've spent together, you're in Law’s thoughts even more. He wishes he had the courage to say those three little words, but the thought terrifies him. He didn't want the target on his head to shift to yours by mere association. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if something happened to you. 

One evening, you were both in his office. Reading, as usual. You made a habit to start buying a few books at every island stop. Adding to Law’s library. You picked up a few books, some silly new romance series the shopkeeper recommended. Maybe it was the book giving you the courage, but you felt like you couldn't hold your feelings back anymore. You peeked over at him, watching him intently as he was lost in his own reading. You loved the way his nose crinkled a little bit when he was reading something that really caught his attention, the way his tongue poked the inside of his cheek, deep in concentration. His raven locks, ruffled and messy from him taking off his hat. 

Your heart fluttered thinking about his hands, how warm they must be. What they would feel like with his fingers intertwined with yours. Suddenly, you break the silence, “Law…” he peers over at you. “Hmm?” He hums.  “Have you…have you had any…. romantic interests?” you ask before you realize what you're saying. Your face suddenly dusted with pink, hoping he can't see your blush in the dim ambient light. Law’s eyes grow wide in surprise, he opens his mouth and closes it again, unsure what to say. He shifts, sitting straight up, “Um…no, not really...there was someone, but….nothing ever happened. Nothing..COULD happen,” he grows quiet. Hoping to keep his answers vague and short so you wouldn't press. “Mmmm,” you ponder. Could he be talking about me? Sure, our time together was short, but everything with him feels so…right. Like this is all second nature…he feels like…home. Law quickly returns his gaze to his book. He was dying to ask you the same but he didn't want to step further into the territory. “Have you ever thought about….us?” you ask pensively, staring in his direction, afraid to make eye contact. Suddenly, Law coughs, “N-no….I, uh, I think I should get to bed. Long day tomorrow,” he gets up quickly. “Stay as long as you'd like,” he grumbles as he hurriedly walks out of the office heading straight to his quarters. You're left dumbfounded in the office. Unsure what happened and unable to collect your thoughts about it. You thought you read him correctly, you thought he liked you and enjoyed your company as much as you enjoyed his. You stand up, fighting hot tears threatening to spill from your eyes. Walking back to your room, completely dejected.

At lunch a few days later, Shachi and Penguin sit down next to you, as you pick at your food, unable to scrounge up much of an appetite. “Y/N, what's up? You seem….upset,” Shachi asks. it startles you out of your thoughts, “OH! It's….nothing. Probably just need some sunshine. Still not used to living in a submarine,” you force a chuckle. They look at each other with a knowing glance but quickly return to looking at you before you notice. “Yeah, it can take some getting used to, but we've only got a few more days left until our next stop, so you'll have the ground beneath your feet soon enough,” Penguin adds. You sigh, “Yeah, I'm sure some sunshine will fix me right up,” forcing a half smile. 

You just wanted to sit and chat with Law but it seemed like he was avoiding you since that night in his office. You wanted to crack a joke and see his smile. He seemed so easily flustered now, you wanted to mess with him, make him laugh. He's changed a lot, you think. I just gotta make it through another few days and I can figure out what I'm doing next. I always thought he might've liked me, but obviously things have changed. We were so young… Maybe my time here is coming to an end. I should think about getting off at the next stop.

Later that evening, it's long after dinner, and you're finally off duty. Sitting in the galley again, playing cards and drinking games with Ikkaku, Shachi, and Penguin. Suddenly, Law comes in to grab a snack and water, taking a break from reading his medical journals. “C’mon! Captain! Take a break with us,” Shachi calls over. Your shoulders tighten and you freeze. You look over and see Law. He makes eye contact with you but quickly breaks it, swallowing the bite of rice ball he was chewing on, “I've got papers t-” he gets cut off by Shachi, “Aw, don't say that. Just a couple games and one drink, Captain, and we'll leave you alone.” You stare, wide-eyed, holding your breath as the rest of the group plead with him. He sighs in defeat, “Okay. Okay.. Just a little bit, and only to shut you up,” he puts his hands up in fake surrender. You let out the breath you didn't realize you were holding when he sits down at the table, giving him a shy but sad smile when he looks at you again. 

As the night goes on, you continue your drinking and card games. It's been several games and drinks but Law is enjoying the break and decides his work can wait a little longer. He relaxes as the alcohol works its way into his system. Before long, it's late into the night. Shachi and Penguin are passed out on the table, Ikkaku has gone to bed, and it's just you and Law. You aren't even sure what card game you're playing anymore, well into the tipsy territory after your 5 beers. “So, what are your plans when your time with us is done?” Law asks quietly, trying to hide how his heart hurts at the thought.  “Um…y’know, I'm not sure. I haven't really gotten that far yet. I just kind of island-hop where I can. I can't really make a ‘normal’ job work. I mean..especially with what I've had to do to make ends meet,” you chuckle. “Yeah…being a wanted thief will put a damper on that,” Law laughs. You suck your teeth, “Tch, yeah, I suppose. But I'm a really good shot, so I pick up odd jobs with other miscreants where I can,” you wink. Your first real smile in days. Law’s heartstrings tug at that smile. He's stolen glances of you around the ship. You've not had a real smile since that night, he can tell they're forced and part of him feels guilty. He's wanted nothing more than to be with you the entire time you've been on the ship. Hug you close, run his hands through your hair, kiss you….tell you how much you meant to him. Should I ask her to join the crew? Should I just tell her how I feel? He thinks about what it would be like to climb into bed with you, pull you into his chest and wake up to your beautiful smile first thing in the morning but suddenly he's snapped from his thoughts as he feels your hand on top of his, not realizing you asked him a question. “Law, you ok?” You ask. “Sorry, I must be tired, what did you say?”

“What are your plans? I mean, you've got being a pirate down, clearly, but do you have a goal in mind?” The warmth from your hand radiates into his and spreads through his body. Suddenly he feels flushed. “I…uh..I have a plan in the works. First, it's gotta start with becoming a Warlord,” he says quickly, snapping himself out of his daydream. “Oh? Warlord, huh? That sounds….dubious, but I'm sure you could pull it off. You've got a great crew, and your devil fruit powers are pretty formidable, I'm sure you'll get there,” you give him a cheeky grin, bumping your shoulder into his, completely forgetting how you scared him off before.

Your actions of getting close to him are bolder, the alcohol leaving all your inhibitions behind. “I look forward to reading about your adventures in the paper, now that I know to look out for the Heart Pirates and their handsome Captain,” your voice practically a whisper. Law's eyes go wide, Did she just say handsome?! You lean forward, steeling your resolve to just kiss him. You're so close to each other, you can feel each other's breath and suddenly, Law coughs, sitting up quickly, “I, uh, I gotta go. Papers to read…reports…goodnight,” he says tight lipped and he's gone before you can blink twice. You're left sitting at the table, heart cracked and slowly bleeding. Fighting the burning tears building up in your eyes, you take a deep breath and wake up Shachi and Penguin, “Get to bed boys, it's late,” as you get up to go to bed. 

Once you make it to your bed, you try to find some comfort and shed your tears into your pillow until sleep takes you. Law stands quietly outside your room with his finger about to tap on your door until he hears you. Heart aching as he hears your sobs and he quietly retreats. You fucking idiot.

Law spends the next few days absolutely avoiding you, you decide. He’s shifted his meal times to eat before the rest of the crew or when he couldn’t swing that, he would eat in his office. When he sees you on the ship, walking toward each other, he immediately veers off or turns around. It hurts you every time and it kills Law every time he sees your face fall because he’s the cause of your pain. And you continued to blame your woeful demeanor on the lack of sunlight. No one bought it but they all kept their comments to themselves. Except for Shachi and Penguin who would occasionally throw a jab at Law wondering if he was EVER going to tell you how he really felt. This is for the best. It’s best for her, it’ll keep her safe. The ship was fast approaching the next island stop to restock. You were spending your last few hours being with your friends, new and old, heart already aching because you would be leaving them, unsure when you’d see them again. When the ship docked, you left with the crew, bag hoisted over your shoulder to head into town. Law looked at you with forlorn eyes, “Are you- are you leaving?” You return his same sad gaze, “Uh, yeah, sorry. I meant to tell you sooner but I couldn't ever pin you down. But I'll be happy to help with this last restock. I'm going with Ikkaku,” as you point to the island. You couldn’t bear to leave just yet. 

You checked into the Inn and deposited your bag, heading back out with Ikkaku to run your final errands with this rag tag group of pirates that you’ve come to love in your time with them. 

“Captain, you’ve GOTTA tell her. This is like the universe screaming at you! You can’t NOT listen to the universe…”Penguin jabs at Law, Shachi standing next to him, arms crossed. They’re both clearly fed up with Law’s inability to deal with his emotions. After all, you were their friend too. Bepo walks up, “Huh? What’s going on guys?”

“We’re trying to convince the Captain to pull his head out of his ass and tell Y/N how he feels,” Shachi tells Bepo. “Oooooh, yea! Captain, PLEASE, ask her to stay! She’s been a great part of the crew,” he practically yells, unable to contain his excitement at the prospect of you staying. Law crosses his arms, “Will you three knock it off?! It’s not that easy…..I mean…she probably wants nothing to do with me at this point. I…I don’t know how to fix this, and she’ll be better off without. She gets into enough trouble on her own as it is, the last thing she needs is my target on her back as well,” he argues. “She can take care of herself, Captain. Why don't you let her make that decision for herself?” Shachi quips back with Penguin nodding in agreement. Law sighs. Ok. Fine. They're right, I have to tell her. 

You were making your way back to the ship after a couple hours running errands with Ikkaku. The closer you got, the harder it was. It meant that you would be walking away from something you grew to cherish so much. All those nights you spent finding your thoughts drifting to Law when you laid out underneath the star lit sky when you were alone, and you managed to find him again, only to leave. It made your body heavy, your chest hurt, feeling like your heart was wrenching. You took in a deep breath. Readying yourself for the goodbye you felt you were forced to make but didn't want to. I never got to say goodbye the last two times. Maybe I can find some closure with a goodbye on my own terms. You set the bags down with Ikkaku on the deck, others ready to grab it, taking them down into the bowels of the ship. Law walks over and clears his throat quietly. Ikkaku looks up, “Oh, hi Captain, I'll, uh, leave you two alone,” she walks off. It's the quietest you've ever seen her. She looks at you with a somber gaze and a half smile. You pull a hand out from behind your back, giving a small wave. 

“Look, Law, it's ok, you don't have to-”

“Y/N,” he sighs, collecting his thoughts, trying to calm his nerves. “I-I….love you. Please…please don't leave. I'm sorry I'm such an idiot…. I've always loved you. I-” you cut him off, jumping onto him. Pressing your lips to his in a fervent kiss. He grabs your body tightly, holding it to him, not leaving any space between you. As you wrap your legs around him, gripping your arms tightly over his shoulders, around his neck. He returns your kiss, pouring all of the feelings he tried to hide away into it. You pull away to breathe, resting your forehead on his as you try to catch your breath. “I love you too, Law.” He presses a long kiss, closing his eyes, to your forehead. “Don't leave, join my crew. Be with me, please. I never stopped thinking about you all these years. Let me show you how much I love you. I'll spend the rest of my days making up for lost time,” he pleads. “I thought you'd never ask,” you smile as he carries you into the ship.

Dividers by @cafekitsune

Did you like this? I'm flattered! Wanna read more? Here's my Masterlist!

Tags: @shy-writer-999 @dreamcastgirl99

[kiwiana-writes]

WIP Wednesday

If you noticed that the fic tag is new and therefore this is another fucking new WIP, shut up no you didn't.

Back on my bullshit making tumblr posts FirstPrince. Hopefully by making it a 5+1 it won't spin as out of control as the last time I did that. TBD lol.

Henry has, for as long as he can remember, utterly and completely lost his ability to function around obscenely beautiful men. (“You do understand that by any reasonable measure you yourself are one of these ‘obscenely beautiful men’, don’t you, Hazza?” Pez had said when Henry had been despairing this particular trait of his. “I’d like to think the revolving door of eager gentleman callers in and out of our flat would have clued you in, if nothing else.” “That may well be,” Henry had replied firmly, because while his list of neuroses is both long and complex, none of them are related to his own attractiveness, “but as I have no desire to have sex with myself—beyond the obvious—I fail to see how that’s relevant.”  “You wouldn’t fuck your clone?” This had, apparently, been a position Pez could not allow to stand, and the conversation had devolved fairly quickly from there.) The point is, Henry knows who and what he is. So when he rushes through from the back room at the chime of the bell over the door just in time to bear witness to the most attractive man he has ever been within twenty feet of pulling his hat off his head and shaking out his curls as though he’s in some sort of Herbal Essences commercial, and promptly drops an entire tray of brownies onto the floor, it’s not exactly surprising. It is, however, deeply inconvenient.

Forever feeling feral for whatever y'all are up to, so tagging @affectionatelyrs @anincompletelist @blairwaldcrf @cha-melodius @clottedcreamfudge @cricketnationrise @cultofsappho @daisymae-12 @dumbpeachjuice @firenati0n @getmehighonmagic @happiness-of-the-pursuit @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @indestructibleheart @indomitable-love @inexplicablymine @leaves-of-laurelin @lizzie-bennetdarcy @myheartalivewrites @notspecialbabe @orchidscript @rmd-writes @sherryvalli @ships-to-sail @smc-27 @sparklepocalypse @ssmtskw @stereopticons @tintagel-or-cockleshells @welcometololaland @whimsymanaged and, as always, anyone who wants to play! (If you take the open tag please tag me so I can see!!)

(Also! If you have one of these cute Christmas trees and you haven't tagged me, please do so so I can drop you a message! ❤️)

[beardedhandstoadshark]

Random details I found in Twilight Princess (Wii), Sacred Grove Edition

there's also Faron Woods

Latoan/Ordon

Snowpeak mansion

and Castle Town :>

Sacred Woods

The howling statue at the very start has a Triforce engraved on it, in contrast to all others, which bear the Sheikah eye. It's also the only one that doesn't summon the wolf (only "summoning" Skull Kid out to play instead) ...by using, of all songs, Zelda's Lullaby. What's a random Skull Kid got to do with Triforce stuff (unless it's not just any Skull Kid?)

despite Saria's song playing in the background, there's no actual Lost Woods magic at play here. It's regular, albeit spooky, woods. (Either that, or it does exist, but keeps away from Link.)

LOTS of water here, partially flowing in from higher places, and a good chunk of "tree" textures are actually roots. This includes all walls. (See the Faron post for why I'm insane over water lol)

Said water always seem to roughtly come from the direction of Lake Hylia, which would check out with it (and Zora's domain) being the main source of water for the entire land

you can find fish in the river, including a Hylian Loach in one corner. You know, that super rare legendary fish that can otherwise only be caught at the Fishing Pond during summer season? Yeah, that one

(here's the corner)

you can tell if you're on the right track because you start seeing man-made structures, like torches or a stone archway

you also start finding skulls here

this culminates in one of the big rooms where you fought skull kid a final time. Walls all made of stone and reaching high above, still decorated by thin pillars while the structures inside have long since crumbled down, only a single wall left defiantly standing against its entropy, and if you look at the ground of the very center, you can still faintly make up those stone tiles forming a circle.

In other words: this is Castle Town. The original, Ocarina of Time's Castle Town, that is.

Chamber of Stone

I may be remembering this wrong but iirc, the movable block here is the only one in the game that bears the trifroce symbol on it

The Time Door has letters on it. They say Time Door. It sure is!

It features the Royal Crest, but where normally the Triforce would be, there is instead a circle. (Also, here's an image of oot's time blocks, featuring what zeldawiki calles the "Symbol of Time".)

If you squint real hard, there's what could be mini versions of the Symbol of Time engraved on pillars here, and the staircase got tiny Light Medallions on it

The symbol on those guard guys' stomaches matches that on the dominion rod (and all other statues linked to that type of magic). Except those have a hole in place of the circle for the light orb to sit in.

there's engravings of what could be the 7 sages on some walls, and one of them seems to hold the rod

after completing its puzzle, the guard guys stay in their switches positions. You can compare it to the past version of the chamber inside the Temple of Time, where they haven't been switched yet.

there's engravings on their spots. They translate to "sekizou", aka "sekizō", aka "Stone Statue". Took me way too long, turns out someone else aready did it! Thank you stranger/s! o7

Much like everything else, the guards become visibly weathered between the past and present. They're pristine inside the temple, but outside they're dark gray and covered in moss.

two of the windows in the Master Sword Chamber are actually still fully intact! ...minus the glass. But in any case, the vegetation's not kept outside by walls. If anything, it's through the master sword itself.

the fog around the woods lifts after Link pulls it

and if it's daytime, there's always rays of light shining on the Master Sword's pedestal

I think I'm gonna do all the dungeons as their own post, so that includes the proper temple of time too! But yea, that's all the stuff for the Sacred Grove I could find :D

[intimacyequalsdeath]

Will you be my Valentine? Sugar day 3 Charles Lee Ray

Welcome everyone to day 3! This if you can't tell was a very last minute event decision for me to make but none the less I hope you all are enjoying it! As usual a master list for easy access will be posted when the even is over.

Notes: Minors DNI, SFW, No specific descriptions of reader or pronouns are used, Y/N isn't used either. If pronouns do have to be used then the reader will go by they/them. This fic doesn't really follow canon with the timeline of when Chucky became the doll to make it work so just keep that in mind.

"So like, Do you need to eat still?"

"What?"

"I mean you're like a doll and all now, do you still need to eat?"

"Look babe, I've only been at this whole doll thing for like a week now don't ask me stupid shit"

"Have you tried to eat?"

Chucky sighs, a long, hard, overexaggerated sigh and pressing his small doll fingers to the bridge of the rubber nose on his new found face. He's propped up on a few phone books in your living room that help him to see the tv better from the couch.

"No. I haven't. Just cause I'm a doll now doesn't mean shit. I'm still The Lakeshore Strangler"

"Well maybe you should then. Valentine's day is coming up and I swear Chuck if you don't eat the dinner I make you for the THIRD year in a row."

"Hey I've only missed it the last two years cause I had to lay low from the cops."

"And who's fault is that? Maybe you should've been more careful"

"Well if you could actually know how to fuckin' drive. I would've been able to have you as the getaway driver"

You gasped in faux shock and placed a hand on your chest as you stared at him. A sly grin overtook the doll's face and he stared right back at you, ripping his eyes away from the television.

"I can drive!"

"Yeah, drive us off the fuckin road. Look babe not everyone is meant to drive"

"Charles Lee Ray! How dare you insinuate that I can't drive. Don't make me remind you of that time you almost ran us into a tree while you were running from the cops"

"Oh please that was ONE time. Plus we didn't actually hit the damn thing did we?"

"We almost did though, and that's enough for me"

"Yeah yeah, whatever"

He turned back to old school movie that was playing on his tv, it was a murder mystery go figure and you were almost 100 percent certain it was one of his favorites from when he was alive, well as a human that is.

"Can I dress you up for Valentine's day?" you asked after a few beats of silence.

"Can you do fuckin what?"

"Dress you up, ya know like in those costumes they have the teddy bears wear"

He shot you a deadpanned look, clearly unimpressed.

"No, stay the fuck away from me with any teddy bear dress up bullshit"

"But if you can't wear an actual suit for dinner why not wear a teddy bear one?"

"Who said I'm going to dress up at all?"

"It's Valentine's day! You have to dress up!"

"No the fuck I don't"

"Sure Chuck"

You remarked, standing up from the couch and heading towards the hallway to go to bed. You heard shuffling behind you as Chucky got down off his phonebooks to follow you.

"Your not puttin me in a fucking costume" He muttered from behind you.

"Mmhmm"

You opened the bedroom door and made your way to the attached bathroom to do your usual nighttime routine. Once you were done you made your way over to the bed that Chucky had already made himself comfortable in and laid down next to him.

"What color do you want your costume to be?"

Chucky sighed and swore under his breath.

"Do. Not. Get. Me. A. Costume."

"No Chucky, of course not Chucky"

Soon the two of you were lulled into sleep, or at least whatever semblance of sleep a possessed doll could achieve. When Chucky woke up the next day there were two things he noticed.

One you were obviously not in bed next to him and two was in your place on your pillow there was a dress suit. A suit that just happened to be about the size of a teddy bear.

[cozza-frenzy]

Update on our situation

Terry here. I'll be honest, I'm only writing this down now things seem to have Stopped Happening so I can kind of take inventory. I haven't had any time to process any of this, so I'm just going to go through Simply Plural and list things. Thanks for bearing with us. It's been an awful couple of weeks.

Fusions Anarchy - Fused with Gadget, who briefly came out of dormancy Bitter - Fused with Mayhem, now goes by He/It/That Bastard (which is still funny to me) Dr. Brewer - Fused with Jeremy and Getter after a long negotiation period, to try and offset the harm they were doing to the system and to each other; seems to have succeeded, sometimes struggles a bit. Retained his identity post-fusion Holiday - Fused with Arcadia, minor changes to in-sys appearance Martin - Fused with Seamus (a new fragment); now carries some memories of our grandparents, no major change in appearance but has taken to using a cane to walk in the Inner World Papyrus - Still around but fused with Deedee (a new fragment); now in charge of "pathfinding" for Chaos' doors, increasing speed and accuracy, and making it easy to form permanent connections between areas of the Inner World Raine - Fused with Sasha, a new introject from The Magnus Archives. She identifies as both names (we sometimes call them Sasha-Raine) and uses She/They Taffy - Still around; lost Celeste's part but fused with Susan, now uses Any/All + Star/Stars Terry - Fused with Exi, I retained my identity and have a few minor changes to my in-sys appearance Returning Celeste - Returned from dormancy, and re-separated from Taffy Dagwood (Partial) - Nathan's part came out of dormancy and began communicating again; they have not re-separated Leaf - Returned from dormancy, re-separated from Raine Mello - Re-separated from Exi after they fused with me, because I'm not able to hold trauma long-term; they seem confident in their ability to tackle this, and want to try fusion again someday New Alters "Apple" (She/Her) - Introject from a source she doesn't want to disclose. In-system therapist; offers a private space for alters to process their feelings while not fronting. Soft-spoken, easily embarrassed, but a good listener Helena (She/They/It) - Brainmade. Aims to uncover repressed desires and counter harmful behaviors related to suppressing them. Uses a lot of italics while typing, speaks her mind, very flirty Hermes (He/They) - Brainmade. In-system "mailman", facilitates communication. Friendly and a little naive, "happy to help" Hex (It/They) - Introject from Discworld. Artificial intelligence that helps manage the library, and keeps an eye on the system's status. Finds human bodily functions to be "weird", can front via a hologram, not usually very emotional but very attached to their favorite teddy bear (anyone who knows its source will know why) Tabitha (She/Her) - Brainmade/"Factive" introject of our late grandparents. Holds memories of them, and is a caregiver to alters of all ages. Your pretty typical "feisty old lady", likes card games and doesn't like to be coddled Tellie (It/None) - Introject from Pendog Creative Library. Seemingly holds our knowledge of how to drive and operate the complex electronics and machines from our various jobs and hobbies. Seems to "hide in the wires" of the Inner World, existing as pure electricity until it makes itself known Yggy (Any/All) - Pronounced "Iggy"; seems to have a connection to the Inner World's giant tree. Sounds a bit like a stereotypical "hippie"; it's able to come and go as he pleases without using doors, and can help identify the source of emotional pain "Zee" (They/Them) - Introject from a source they don't want to disclose. Gender dysphoria holder; a bit jaded, prone to sarcasm, but open to exploration of their own identity, and willing to help others with theirs

I have no idea what our current headcount is, but I'll update it when I have the energy for it. We haven't had anyone show up in the past 48 hours or so, but I'll give it a full week before I decide this whole thing is finally over, and we can start picking up the pieces. Hope everyone's having a happy and safe holiday. I'll try and post something more positive tomorrow, if I have time.

[akihayakawife]

don't think anyone cares but i wanted to talk about and rate each fob album. i am rating based on personal enjoyment and not on any professional music knowledge lol i barely know how to read musical notations. not gonna include evening out with your girlfriend coz i haven't listened to it enough to have an opinion. but i like pretty in punk!

remember this is just my opinion i am happy to hear what u think even if u disagree

take this to your grave

i really really like this. i love how patrick sings in this, he got that emo dialect ON. dare i say it's one of my favorite albums by them. i just really love emo/pop-punk and i love the energy in this. i'm super bad with words and ratings this is a bad review LMAOO im sorry but i think ill rate this a 9/10. just because i feel a lot of the songs sound the same and i feel like there's albums i like more. but i really really love it.

fav songs from the album:

tell that mick he just made my list of things to do today

homesick at spacecamp

the pros and cons of breathing

from under the cork tree

i discovered fob at 12/13. i mainly listened to srar, ab/ap, fad and ioh back then. i did listen to some of futct, but i rediscovered the album at 16 and then rediscovered it AGAIN at 18. and it's so so nostalgic to me. spring/early summer of 2022 is one of my favorite times because i played this album constantly while riding my bike or getting ready to go out. again, i love the sound of it and the more pop-punk/emo direction of it. i guess a lot of it is nostalgia, but it's just so 🩷🩷 . 9.5/10 because sound wise it reminds me of tttyg and i also feel like a lot of the songs sound similar (not necessarily a bad thing), but i do like it a tad bit more than tttyg.

fav songs from the album:

a little less sixteen candles, a little more touch me

xo

of all the gin joints in the world

infinity on high

i love it!! who would've thought!! contemplating if i like it more than futct. i like how the songs sound more different from each other, but still have this pop-punk sound. obviously contains bang the doldrums which is a huge plus. lyrically i also really like. super fun to sing! i really like it. not much else to say here. there's a little bit of criticism i have (which is just personal taste) some of the instrumentals are just not my type of music. like, ill ignore what i dislike though, because the whole song is so good that i can ignore what i dislike. yk? yeah -0.2 points for that

dare i say 9.8/10

fav songs from the album:

the take over, the breaks over

don't you know who i think i am

hum hallelujah

folie à deux

liked it a lot too! i know a lot of people think it's their best album, and i see where they're coming from. i absolutely love it, but i feel like the songs were just a tiny bit less energetic than in previous albums (which, if you couldn't tell, are my favorite types of songs). but lyrically and sound wise i still adore it. i'll give it an 8.8/10 coz i prefer the others over it but i couldn't bear giving it an 8/10. lol. oh also i don't care nightcore version went platinum in my room in 2017.

fav songs from the album:

w.a.m.s

headfirst slide into cooperstown on a bad bet

what a catch, donnie

save rock and roll

the dreaded post hiatus albums. i actually considered srar my favorite album for a long time (before i listened to the others in full, lol) but i really don't think it's as bad as a lot of people make it out to be? sure, it has a lot of skips for me personally, and i prefer their old sound, and maybe its the nostalgia talking, but i do like a lot of the songs. death valley nightcore version with the aot season 1 poster in the background shaped me in ways i can not explain. you had to experience it yourself. i will say though that i really don't like fobs super popular songs (my songs know what u did in the dark, the phoenix, centuries, immortals) not sure why! i used to like them a lot more as a tween, now i just don't enjoy them. i don't hate them, and i will listen if i have to, but they're skips for me. especially mskwyditd. overall a 6.5/10 album for me.

fave songs from the album:

alone together

where did the party go (was my fave of fob for a long time!)

death valley/just one yesterday

american beauty/american psycho

i hate that i share the opinion of the mainstream but i also didn't really like this. i don't hate the album, fourth of july is phenomenal imo, i love it. but a lot of the instrumentals i just didn't like. i listen to a lot of different genres, and i love pop and pop-rock. but this album sometimes was giving annoying millennial imagine dragons maroon 5. which is a huge overstatement bc my glorious kings could never stoop this low. but you get the gist. 4/10 for me. not terrible, i just don't like it much. but the nostalgia hits.

fave songs from the album:

fourth of july

novocaine

the kids aren't alright

mania

i love and respect all mania truthers but for me personally it's just not that good. i know mania is overhated, that's not what im here to do. it's just not my kind of music and that's fine. i'm glad the band is experimenting and evolving. but it is a skip for me unfortunately. i like church though, and a few other songs are catchy. 3/10

fave songs from the album:

church

wilson (expensive mistakes)

so much (for) stardust

to be honest i haven't listened to this album often enough to really form an opinion so i will not rate it or say my favorite songs. but i still wanted to talk about it. so far this is my favorite album post hiatus! i really like it. it doesn't compare to my faves, but it's fun and definitely more my type of music. i like that it still feels a bit experimental, but more true to their origins (?). kinda feels like pre- and (the best of) post hiatus combined. it's cool :)

[the-bar-sinister]

Coda for a Soldier (2063 words) by VickytheSnake, thesavagesabretooth Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hino Rei & Mizuno Ami Characters: Mizuno Ami, Hino Rei Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, During Canon, Missing Scene, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Tragedy, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD Summary: After their final battle with Jadeite, Rei feels an emotion she can't name. Ami reaches out to try to help her.

Read it on AO3 / On our personal archive

-

The bus pulled away behind Ami as she stepped out onto the cracked sidewalk outside the Hikawa Shrine. Her glasses caught the light, obscuring her vision for a moment until she shaded them with her hand and peered up at the lovely shrine among the swaying branches of the trees.

It was long enough after the school bell rang, so she was certain that she'd find Rei here in her shrine maiden's dress—without a doubt still deep in her own head. Ami had been getting worried about her since their last meeting of the three sailor guardians in the hideout under Game Center Crown. She'd been brooding, more so than Ami had seen her before, lost in her own head and pretending every time the subject was skirted that she was fine.

But Ami was observant—and she knew Rei needed someone, no matter what it was that was really on her mind.

As if to prove her intuition she saw Rei's figure just as she'd predicted, sitting with her back to Ami, kneeling on the flagstones in her shrine maiden attire. The two crows that always seemed to be near here were there, and as silent as she was herself.

One of the crows brushed its head against her hand without a sound save for the soft rustle of its feathers as its wings subtly fluttered. Ami bit her lip, her steps carrying her closer before she finally spoke up. "...h-hello Rei." 

Ami watched Rei's shoulders move as if she had let go of a held breath. She stroked her fingers over the crow's head, and didn't yet look back at her.

"Hello, Ami."

"I'm sorry to intrude while you're working," Ami tucked her hair over her ear before walking over to kneel beside her and leaned forward to try to catch her eyes. "but I was worried about you." 

Rei laughed softly, but Ami could hear that it was forced.

"Worrying about me? Don't be silly. I'm just fine. Though I appreciate the concern." She stood smoothly, tossing her long, dark hair and fixing the hems of her garments.

Ami watched as the crows took off to flutter into the air—one landing on Rei, but the other rather surprisingly landing on her own shoulder with a trill that Ami couldn't help but feel was incredibly sad.

She stood slowly with a tired smile. "You're welcome. But Rei, I don't want to intrude too much in saying this and I don't think Usagi noticed—but it's pretty clear something's on your mind." 

Another little laugh and a toss of her hair. "Usagi wouldn't notice if someone dropped a piano on her head. Well, you came all this way, the least I can do is get you something to drink, right?"

She stroked the crow on her shoulder briefly before starting toward the house and beckoning for Ami to follow.

The crow's companion on Ami's shoulder made a squawking sound to urge her along, and Ami hurried to follow with a nod of her head. "Thank you! I'm afraid I haven't had much to drink today…

She'd been too busy worrying. The oppressive weight in the room, stemming from Rei's silence and the chaos of the last few days was palpable. Ami couldn't blame her, she was tense too. That incident with the man behind all those monster attacks that ended in his death was still fresh in their memories, the vague 'mission' they were all following as guardians, and the feeling in the air that Jadeite's death wouldn't be the end of the monsters flooding their home any time soon—it was almost too much to bear on top of trying to keep it all secret from everyone.

Was it getting to Rei too? All she had been able to do through the meeting was worry with every fretful glance Rei's way. Despite the way her classmates used to say she was cold—Ami's heart couldn't bear to see a friend hurting.

-

Rei carefully bustled around the kitchen, pouring glasses of iced tea for herself and for her guest. Ami. She hadn't been expecting her to show up, but she probably should have predicted it. If she hadn't been so distracted, she would have.

But of course, she's here because I'm distracted, isn't she? She's one of the smartest people in Tokyo of course she'd notice. I really thought I'd been hiding it well, though.

Phobos hopped off her shoulder, sulking in her birdlike way as she hunkered down on the nearby counter to watch her pour the tea.

Rei sighed and set the cups down on the table, sitting down opposite to Ami.

"I'm sorry that I worried you, Ami."

Ami was idly petting the top of Deimos' head when the cup set before her, and she turned her deep aqua eyes her way with another of her small and often hesitant smiles. "It's alright. It's been a hard week, hasn't it?" 

The image of their fallen enemy flashed through her mind again, his body consumed by the flames conjured from her own hands. 

Rei took a steadying breath. The vision was the one that kept returning to her, time and again, since that day. 

He was an enemy. He wasn't even human.

Right?

Rai took a sip of her tea. "Well. The week's been pretty quiet since we sent Jadeite packing, right?"

The look on his face when the flames took him looked human enough. None of the demons we've all exorcised before looked quite so… She didn't know how to put it beside human.

Ami's nose wrinkled very slightly. 

"It's true, we haven't heard much in the way of new activity—but Luna doesn't believe he's working alo—" She paused, jolting a little when Deimos made a heartbreaking sound and fluttered up into the air off of Ami's shoulder. "Oh…ah, oh dear. I hope she's alright. But Luna doesn't believe he was working alone…it's only a matter of time till things turn chaotic again I'm afraid." 

Rei held out her free arm for Deimos to land if she felt like it.

"I'm sure. That's the life of a guardian, I suppose. At least that's what Luna's been telling us."

A lifetime of battle. Of victory or defeat. Of killing.

There was no other word to describe it. What she had done to Jadeite wasn't exorcising a demon. She had killed something. Someone.

Someone evil, certainly. But still someone.

And he wouldn't be the last.

A shudder went through her as she took a sharp intake of breath.

Ami noticed, the sudden presence of the girl's surprisingly warm yet analytical stare falling upon her again. Deimos hopped onto Rei's arm before Ami spoke again.

"That's what she's been telling us—it's a grim responsibility, isn't it? To fight…protect Earth, and to protect a princess we haven't met yet…" 

"It is," Rei agreed. "But it's our responsibility. It's what the powers we were given are for. If we didn't do it, we wouldn't be worthy of them."

Despite her words, the moment played in her mind again. Why did it have such a hold on her? Why did he have such a hold on her?

It felt like I knew him.

The thought came again, not for the first time, from some deep part of her mind she didn't quite understand. Never with any elaboration or clarity—it'd flickered into her mind like a sparking flame not long after the fire had burned the man to charred flesh and bone. 

I wish I knew why I can't put this behind me.

Ami nodded slowly. 

"It's true, we wouldn't be. I'm not going to stop fighting for the princess we're looking for…n-nor am I going to just let monsters ravage my home. But—it doesn't make it easy, right? We're still just…teenage girls doing our best." 

"Maybe so," Rei sighed. "Even if I'd prefer otherwise. I guess we all start somewhere. Maybe eventually all of this will just seem… routine."

Ami chewed her lip for a moment before she said the thing Rei was dreading,hoping against all hope she hadn't picked up on. 

It was a vain hope.

"You mean killing? I should hope not…" Ami closed her eyes with a sadness in her smile. "I mean…the day that that becomes rote routine—would we be any better than the enemy? I think it'll weigh on us no matter what."

Ami flexed her fingers against her undrunk tea, watching as Phobos finally fluttered over to join them with a flutter of wings. "I'm still a little shaken about how that battle ended." 

"You are, huh?" Rei huffed softly. Of course Ami had picked up on it. Unlike some people, Ami wasn't stupid. Quite the contrary.

But if Ami was still shaken by it… maybe it was alright to talk about it, if only a little bit.

Ami nodded, opening her eyes again but leaving them downcast into her tea. "He was trying to kill us—but at the same time he seemed desperate." 

Rei bit her lip. Desperate. She wasn't wrong.

"Like a rat caught in a trap," she murmured back. 

That look in his eyes when she'd burned him away…

Fear, absolute terror, desperation and hurt—and some flicker of something else.

"And then he died…but he didn't die like the youma we'd been facing," Ami's brow furrowed. "He didn't vanish in a puff of miasma while cursing us to his final corporeal breath and fizzling away. He died like…like…"

The daughter of a doctor certainly had seen death before.

"Like a human being," Rei said, giving voice to the awful thought that had been turning in her mind since then.

Ami nodded. 

"Like a terrified human being. It kind of brought home that not every enemy we fight is gonna be…I…I dunno. Some demonic amalgamation of the concept of personal fitness or something. Some of them are human as we are." 

Slowly she raised her glass to her lips, taking a hesitant sip as Phobos and Deimos shuddered in perfect unison. 

Rei's gaze lowered, staring at the ice cubes in her tea. At anything besides Ami.

"I feel like I might be a murderer."

There. 

She'd said it.

"I helped you land the finishing blow," Ami murmured as the sound of the ice in her tea clinked. "I cast the spell to obscure things so you could sneak up on him. If you're a murderer, I'm an accessory."

Her breath shuddered softly before she continued. "But...it's a war, though. We don't know the true nature of the enemy we're fighting, we don't know our whole purpose—but we're soldiers. As horrible as it is, it's not quite murder."

Suddenly, her hand was on Rei's, squeezing it in slightly shaky fingers. "Even if it feels like it. And you're not the only one who's shaken by it. I'm here too…I want to be here to help." 

Rei caught Ami's fingers and squeezed them back. It was silly, maybe… but knowing she wasn't alone in her feelings… it helped.

"Thanks, Ami. I…"

She stumbled over her words, not knowing quite what to say. 

Ami's fingers curled around hers and squeezed them reassuringly.

I hope she can feel what I mean. I feel like something's got a vice grip on my chest whenever I try to get my feelings in order.

"It's okay, Rei—you're welcome." Ami said quietly. "Anything you have to get off your chest, I'll listen. And if you don't want to…or can't, I'll keep you company alright? My mother's working late today—she won't notice if I'm late coming home." 

"Will it be okay if you're not studying tonight? I hate to ask that of you."

I hate to ask that of you, but I don't want to be alone.

Ami tucked her hair over her ear with her other hand, her smile as warm and kind as ever. 

"Of course. I'm more than prepared enough for the next tests…and I can always catch up later. It'll be alright." 

Rei gave her a hesitant smile. The first she'd managed to paint on her face all day. "Then, if you wouldn't mind, I think I'd like the company."

Just a pair of teenage girls hanging out.

No, a pair of newly minted soldiers.

[bondoes-art]

Bon's Natepat planet rambles

(link to the post I made explaining myself, and also fic link if this peaks your interest)

Warning. Long post.

Map :]

Gevaar (hopefully) translates to 'Danger' in Afrikaans.

It was created by their two goddesses, Aanhi and Xynieo. Aanhi being the manifestation of life and prosperity and Xynieo being the manifestation of death and destruction. They are wives and despite them being nearly polar opposites have a very healthy relationship 😌

Creatures called cloud owls are viewed as Aanhi's messengers (They're literally just pure white owls) and magnaroks are viewed as Xynieo's (Giant black birds with serpentine tails, similar to rocs from mythology. They appear dangerous but are actually scavengers 👍) Both are viewed as sacred, and it is believed killing either is a bad omen and misfortune will fall upon you.

Gevaar is divided into 5 main sections.

The Cloud Oak Forest, containing the dragon city of Spire; the Aevis (wingy people) settlement of Fortress; and also, Wyrm Bay, named for being shaped like a draconic's mouth. This is where the fic takes place.

The Spinetooth Mountains, containing the drake cities of Avalanche, Peak, and Plateau; and the Aevis cities of Cove and Summit.

The Storm-Caster Plains, containing the wyvern cities of Moor and Four Water; and several small Aevis villages though due to their primarily nomadic lifestyle they're unlisted.

The Hundred-Scale Sea containing (as the name would suggest) hundreds of rainforest islands of varying sizes, the two largest islands contain the amphithere cities of Palm and Downpour. It is unknown if any Aevis reside here (Aka, I'm not sure if I'll shove any here).

And the aptly named Barren Desert nestled behind the small but towering Border Mountain range. Not much is known about what resides in that small strip of land, the heat often deters any would be adventures (Aka, I have ideas but I'm keeping those to myself >:]).

Also, you all are going to ignore the fact that the desert and mountains are both in the north with completely opposite climates. Maybe it was magic, maybe it was me not initially understanding geography, who knooooows.

Cloud Oak Forest:

The cloud oak forest covers virtually all of Gevaar's southwestern quadrant and is the largest forest on the mega continent. Cloud oaks are massive trees (think like a hybrid between a redwood and a giant sequoia but bigger). Lots of creatures make their homes in the branches and under the shade of these massive trees.

Some creatures are:

While residing all over the planet, the previously mentioned cloud owls primarily reside here.

Bearols. They're like a combination between bears and wolves. Canine face and ears. Body like a wolf but bulkier and more muscular and a stubby tail. They often reside in packs and can be very dangerous if they deem you as food or a threat.

Nagas. Long, flying snakes coming in all colors but black. They have feathered wings, feathered 'necks', feathers running down their spine, and a plume of feathers at the tip of their tails. They'll often be found lounging in the branches of the cloud oaks saving energy or digesting a meal. Naga's are constrictors and opportunistic, many have learned Aevis are often too 'stabby' to try and eat unless they haven't eaten in a while.

Battering rams. Animals vaguely resembling the bighorn sheep of Earth. They have spiked ram horns, dappled coats, and long plumed tails. Both males and females have their signature horns though males have two spurs on the back of each front leg. Form herds with one dominant male. Can be quite formidable in their herds but good eating if you get the upper hand.

Forest hordu. Animals vaguely resembling horses. Often appearing with green tinted coats and striped legs. They have manes running all the way down their back and long, plumed tails. Forest hordu have three pairs of legs, enabling great bursts of speed and agility. Males have spiraling horns adorning their heads, making them slightly dangerous. They appear in herds with one dominant male. Hard to hunt due to their speed.

Foxhawks and cateagles. Mini griffin-like creatures with canine and feline features. Carnivorous but harmless due to their small size.

Glow mice. Small rodents resembling mice of Earth. They have glowing spots on their backs and often have glowing mushrooms growing on their backs that don't seem to bother them. Poisonous due to the mushrooms and are often viewed as pests. Cloud owls are immune to this poison and are the only predators of the glow mice.

Bay serpents. Vegetarian, large eel-like creatures residing in Wyrm Bay, covered with fins. Harmless and edible if you're quick enough.

Sharkodiles. Crocodilian animals with gray ish scales, gills, and dorsal fins on their back. Often found resting on the surface of Wyrm Bay or on the rocky shores. Normally don't bother anyone apart from the season of leafbud (Spring) when they're extremely defensive of their hatchlings.

And of course, plenty more that I haven't spawned yet. Also, a plethora of carnivorous plants. A select few are large enough to eat Aevis and dragon hatchlings, yippie! 👍

There are also a few unnamed creatures that Fortress's Aevis have managed to successfully farm. Wild ones are still found, however.

Dragons are exactly what you think they are. Large reptilians with four legs, a pair of webbed wings, a tail, and some can breathe fire. They're the 2nd largest and most diverse of Gevaar's draconics, able to be any color and have a variety of horn shapes, scale patterns, and back spines. Some dragons have a form of hair on them that is actually a form of modified scales :] They're predominantly patriarchal due to each dragon having a specific mark on their face passed onto hatchlings via their father. The patriarchy chain was broken by their current queen, Queen Rihan. Dragons typically breathe fire, ice, or nothing at all. Some dragons are able to possess a form of magic though they are very rare.

Nate has a dragon, his name is Huivr :) I literally mentioned him in the tags so we fine. My son.

I'm not gonna ramble too much about the Aevis because spoilers so uh... Have the main queer I drew. Showing Nate actually might be spoilers now that I think about it so uh, just the idiot to be safe.

Also don't you love when your beta reader friend says you accidentally reinvented a very rough version of wingy communism for them? They're just given everything and assigned jobs based on wing color. I know the jobs based on wing color sounds weird and dumb and some of the other stuff will as well but there are reasons I'm not giving away yet. So, here's a rundown of the stuff that's revealed in the Prologue and chapter one that I can say:

The Aevis of Fortress are ruled by those with purple wings. Rose Hunter in the Prologue and her son Collin Hunter in chapter one (he's only 19). Rose was believed to have been poisoned but no one is sure by who.

At 16 years of age an Aevis is given their job based on wing color. The are very broad categories and you'll tend to find several subcategories under most branches.

Purple. Leader of course.

Red. Hunter/Butcher, with subcategories.

Orange. Guards, with subcategories.

Yellow. Teachers, with subcategories.

Green. Farmers, with subcategories.

Blue. Fishers, with subcategories.

White. Medics, no subcategories.

Brown. Artisans, many subcategories.

Pink. Only found in female Aevis (don't question how, magic wingy genetics or something) and the only Aevis deemed suitable enough to have children. But... That's a bit of an issue if you stared at Matt's wings.

Multi-colored. Due to the uncommon nature of their wings, they're assigned any job in need of fulfillment at the time. For example, librarian.

Black. Extinct. And as Matt comes to find out, no information can be found. Though, not everything in a book is to be believed.

Aevis are assigned partners sometime in their twenties. With either a pink-winged female and an any colored male. Or both any colored but unpermitted to have children. Partners that can have children are supposed to have one of each gender. But, because at least someone realized that was a bit much giving it's rarely just two and done, they are permitted to stop after four.

And that should be everything before spoiling everything. Moving on! The other regions are much less developed due to not being a main focus. But this is an info dump on the whole planet not just the cloud oak forest.

Spinetooth Mountains:

The Spinetooth Mountains covered 80% of northern Gevaar. It's the coldest reaches of the mega continent, and while not as cold as it could be given the location of it in relation to the planet's norther pole, most of the region is covered in snow for half of the year.

A few creatures make the cold reaches home.

Like the cloud owls, the previously mentioned magnaroks reside all over the planet but primarily reside within the mountains.

Goathorns. Resembling the mountain goats of Earth. Covered in cream colored wool and spiraled icy blue horns these creatures are a staple for drakes and Aevis alike. Its pelt is essential for making clothes to keep the cold at bay and the meat makes for good eating. The horns are often carved into little trinkets.

Ice giants. Ice giants are giant creatures covered in fur and scales. They appear vaguely humanoid in nature, often covered in ice and having a fluffy tail. No one is sure exactly what an ice giant is and legends speculating their origins are told by both Aevis and drakes alike. They walk on the knuckles of their massive hands, and all their fur hides a formidable beast with sharp fangs and tusks. The beasts are known to frequently conflict with the drakes of the region and have won on occasion.

Bodes. They are literally just large toads with rocks on their backs. They get up to about knee height on the average Aevis and live near the base of the mountains. Inedible but harmless.

And that's everything named. Again, less developed.

Drakes are the 2nd smallest of the four draconics. They lack wings but can breathe fire. What they lack in mobility they make up with for sheer strength, 85% of their body mass is pure muscle. They come in varying shades of red, orange, and yellow, typically with some black scales. Their horns are typically like ram horns but can be straight or slightly curved as well. Their eyes also match this theming but rarely their eyes can be an icy blue color. Like Arsonigo!

(I'll bring up the Flame War stuffs later)

Anyway. Drake society is predominantly matriarchal in nature, due to large family sizes being the norm and viewing such as good luck. They are currently ruled by Queen Aniyin. (Also, for some reason I decided to have most drake names start with A... I don't have any explanation for that.)

Again, can't say too much about Cove and Summit's Aevis because that would involve spoilers for some of the main stuff. They are notably more advanced than Fortress, and they are both much larger than it. The two cities are very intertwined, often trading goods and services via ships.

Storm-Caster Plains:

The Storm-Caster Plains is the largest of the five biomes, being nothing more than rolling hills and few trees. Unlike the cloud oak forest and Spinetooth Mountains, where they're divided into the season of leaf bud (spring), full leaf (summer), fallen leaf (fall), and no leaves (winter), the Storm-Caster Plains are divided by weather. Simply the stormy season and the off season. The area is frequently tormented by tornadoes during the stormy season, believed to be caused by the tails of spirits known as Storm-Caster's, hence the name of the plains.

Some creatures are:

Plains hordu. Relatives of the forest hordu, plains hordu have a similar body plan but lack the extra pair of legs and their coats are more natural colored. The Aevis of the region often use them to carry supplies and as an alternative mode of transport.

Rattle horns. Bovine creatures looking like a hybrid between a bison and water buffalo. A staple food source for wyverns and Aevis alike. Look in any direction and you'll likely see a herd in the distance. Just keep your distances from the males and the females with calves.

Perytons. Deerlike creatures possess feathered tails, front bird-like feet, and feathered wings. Live in herds, due to their thin and delicate stature they're relatively harmless and will run instead of fight.

And that's everything named.

Wyverns are the tallest of the draconics. Having their forelegs combined with their wings, curved horns and long, thin tails. Wyverns can breathe fire. They come in varying shades of red, orange, and yellow like the drakes and their eyes can be any color. Wyverns typical also have some kind of pattern running down their backs. Wyverns have no preferred social structure having both kings and queens, they're currently ruled by King Jhen. Rumor has it wyverns used to possess the magic a select few dragons are able to hold and that's why there have been no recorded reports of a tornado tearing apart Moor or Four Water.

Aevis that live on the Storm-Caster Plains tend to be nomadic or live in small villages scattered throughout the plains. Their way of life has no parallels to any of the Aevis residing in Fortress, Cove, and Summit. Most of the Aevis who've chosen a more nomadic lifestyle use plains hordu as a mount or to carry cargo. They live off the land though often settle down for a few months during the calm season.

Storm-Casters are spirits that the inhabitants of the plains believe are responsible for the tornadoes that scar the land. A tornado is believed to be the tail of the spirit, what the Storm-Casters look like varies but that is the one constant. And the larger the tornado, the older the Storm-Caster causing it.

Another rumor that circulates around the plains tells tale of a hybrid draconic and a young Aevis crossing the plains. Why this is a rumor is unclear, some say the draconic claims preposterous things like they don't really exist and that the Aevis will try and convince you as well. Tall tale or not, best to avoid strangers in case they try and drive you insane.

Last off the islands of the Hundred-Scale Sea (this has almost nothing unfortunately):

The Hundred-Scale Sea is a part of Gevaar dotted with hundreds of tropical islands. The two largest islands contain the amphithere cities of Downpour and Palm.

No named creatures inhabit the islands besides the amphitheres.

Amphitheres are the smallest of the draconics, resembling the nagas of the Cloud Oak Forest. Do not call them nagas, they view it as an insult. They are agile flyers, able to fly around the thick jungles they call home. Amphitheres wings act as a set of limbs with modified talons on the end, though most amphithere prefer using their prehensile tails/bodies. Amphitheres have no back legs. While not as formidable as the other three on the surface, amphitheres have to fangs that can spit an acid like venom which quickly eats thorough any living matter. It's best to not get on an amphitheres bad side. Despite this weapon amphitheres are actually completely herbivorous. Amphitheres come in any color and pattern, being nearly as diverse as dragons. Amphitheres are like wyverns and have no preferred social structure. They are ruled by Queen Yonnea.

No known Aevis reside here.

Extras and fun facts.

The previously mentioned Flame War was a war that happened almost 2000 years ago between the four draconics (I haven't come up with a reason for it starting yet lol). The main cities of each draconics have statues honoring their respective commanders. Niyara of the dragons, Arsonigo of the drakes, Nlixia of the wyverns, and Feiro of the amphitheres. Niyara and Feiro are the only two with known living relatives. Perhaps after I'm done with the wingy fic I might write a book centered around it if anyone is interested. To honor the end of the war and to make sure it never happens again the draconics throw a massive party to celebrate. It's most often hosted in Spire.

No one on the mega continent knows if any land exists beyond it, maybe room for more eventual lore?

I was originally inspired by a fic I read on Wattpad back in 6th grade that I can't remember and can no longer find. It just completely spiraled. Here's some old drawings (ew)

Apparently, Nate and Huivr could speak telepathically originally?? I also found original creepy Ruthless looking for these 😭

I tried to incorporate Mare and Phantom in the world but that never stuck and just felt like it was thrown in out of the blue.

Aaaand that's all! If you made it this far thanks for reading and if this piqued your interest go check it out!

Help it has almost 3000 words- WAAAA

[neodymiumcuilz]

HELP A FAMILY FROM GAZA - URGENT CALL TO ACTION 🍉🍉

Hello everyone. I hope you haven't forgotten about the horrific reality Palestinians face on the daily, they live a life we cannot even bear to watch. We cannot even comprehend the suffering unless we experience it. While most of us sit comfortably at home, the people of Gaza are being brutalised. Bombed, shot, hunted like animals, no regard for human life. They are being starved and deprived of basic necessities. Starvation is being used a weapon, Israel has destroyed over 1000 miles if water/sanitation networks leaving less than than 7% pre - genocide water levels. (Please message me if anything I said is misinformation or incorrect) Could you imagine?

Imagine having your home destroyed, your family murdered, your work and income gone. Your education and future stolen. Imagine loving life, and it being taken from you because you are Palestinian. Imagine sleeping on the damp, freezing ground every night, longing for a home or person that is no longer there.

I am reaching you on behalf of @hane-qazaz who is reaching out, asking four our help. A family facing the horrors in Gaza, they need our help to return to saftey and stability. They need our help to buy food, water, medicine and a shelter. They need money to buy a tent. They are forced to live in tents, for over 17 months.

He is (#287) on the @gazavetters list.

Your donation is never worthless, your donation is so much more valuable than you could ever imagine. Your donation will help a family stay warm, or eat tonight. Your donation can be turning point in the fundraising journey. You have the power to help a family, we are their lifeline. Why would you deny them life, when a simple action can go so far?

"Hello my friend, I hope you are well. Unfortunately, we are not well. Please see my post and watch the video attached to it. My house was bombed more than a year ago and I built a tin tent in its place. Now my tent has been bombed as shown in the pictures. We were satisfied and happy to live in our tent, but now we are homeless. We have been separated and divided into two parts with our relatives. Please donate to us so that we can build our tent again so that I can be reunited with my wife and children. Please, the cost of the tent is more than $800. Donate what you can. I trust you, my friend."

Please support @hane-qazaz, he seriously needs it. With our voices we can help him survive. Thank you.

Also, if you get some free time, why not check out this video here talking about Palestine and some misinformation surrounding Palestine. Thanks!!

[milos-lil-corner]

Headcanons with accompanying doodles

Below are headcanons and stuff of multiple creepypasta dudes.

Random thought from a friend: Zalgo really not liking being summoned by either their followers or random weirdos, so he would be very passive aggressive and try to cut time short to get the hell out of there so they can go back to whatever they were doing before. Not nessacarily a headcanon, but I'd like to imagine it.

Anyways, Zalgo in a a steriotypical "I really don't wanna be here" shirt

-

Since me and my friend headcanon Slender as blind ( legally, at least. It can still vaugely see shapes near itself, but otherwise can't see shit without the use of its azoth. Anyways - ), and because of their species weird thing about height, Slender might mistake a light pole to be one of its species and sort of just. Stand there, sizing it up for a couple of hours.

Imagine your walking in the woods and see a fucker the size of a two story house sizing up a lamp post.

-

It's said ghosts and demons can't get to you if you are in a circle of salt. And since Sally is a ghost, I'd imagine that salt should would work on her too.

Cue, teddy bear in a salt circle. Whoever put it there, who knows - but they are an asshole.

-

I haven't read LJ's story, so idk if the shit I'm saying would be technically canon or not, but I'd like to think he'd use his box as a place to sleep. Sure, he was imprisoned in the box for a long ass time, but hey - self torture and trauma can't get in the way of a good night's sleep.

-

'Nother thing about LJ - I'd like to imagine he would collect those dumb plushie clowns. Whether its because he finds them cute or as a way to cope, who knows.

Also, LJ's design is different from the original cause I'd like to think his little accessories and shit can be removed. Also gives the impression of him being a plush doll, which is what he is in my mind lol.

-

Ill make a post about SlenderFolk and my version later on, but here's an example of how some would sleep. They can also sleep while standing, looking like a tree from far away with their azoth just sort of hanging around everywhere to keep them upright. Course, though, if they were to feel safe enough, they can just lay down like a cat or something.

-

SlenderFolk are tall as hell, so the thought of them being struck my lighting due to how high they are is funny as fuck. Depending on how old the SlenderFolk is, I'd like to imagine they would have more lighting scars or something like that. Shows the age.

-

Little doodle of Slenderman as a welp. Result of a convo between my friend on the wholesome tragedy thats going on between Splendor and Slender. In the rp lore, Splendor is the oldest out of the bunch, with Slender being the second oldest. Splendor took care of himself and his brother during the evolution of human civilization, being all cute and shit before character development happened and their relationship turned sour.

But yeah! Slender as a lil cutie.

-

Speaking of welps - SlenderFolk call their youth welps. Course, the person showed on the ground isn't a welp, as its one of my ocs ( mechanical limbs due to unwilling experimentation by the military - it's a long story ). Again, Slenderman being blind helps create funny ( at least to me and my friend ) scenerios that double as a way to explore SlenderFolk culture and weird cryptid lore.

-

And that's about it. More to come soon :)

[madlificent]

Caito Family - Crystal Heart Clip Studio Paint Pro

Hello! Big post ahead!

Been hard at work doing a lot of draft writing and planning for our sci-fi fantasy story, Crystal Heart, so I haven't done quite as much illustrating.

However, I am working on exploring the designs of one of the main trio of characters, Maki Caito, and her parents, Desmond and Isabelle.

Maki and her parents are members of a community self-named The Gifted. They are descended from a group of scientists and explorers that attempted to tap into a massive geode full of seemingly limitless powerful energy, which was discovered to fuel the very planet they live on, Althea. The geode, named Althea's Heart by the Gifted, lashed out against the team when they attempted to mine it and the wave of energy killed many and scarred those that survived, forever changing their chemistry. They were now in tune with the Heart and Althea itself, and this connection allowed them to rapidly evolve to adjust to their circumstances, taking on animalistic or inhuman traits when necessary and becoming something more than human...

The first image, left side of the compilation, depicts Maki at around 6-8 years old, her father Desmond on her left and mother Isabelle on her right. She inherited the canid ears of her parents, who developed them to better listen to their community as they maintain leadership positions and keep literal ears out for danger. The markings visible on their skin are scars from the Heart's energy coursing through their bodies, mostly developing when the individual gains their first Heart Trait of their own.

The second depicts Maki and Desmond some 10 or so years later, after Isabelle has disappeared, presumed kidnapped by the human city of Alexandria, and Desmond has reared Maki mostly on his own. Maki has gained her first individual Heart Trait in the form of a long fox-like tail, developed for better balance while climbing and running along trees after a nasty fall left her injured in her earlier years. She now bears Heart scars as a result of her tail's development.

Phew, that's a bit of exposition, but necessary for context here. I will stop it there, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will answer to the best of my abilities! Who knows, maybe you'll help me develop something we hadn't thought of yet. 😊

[echantedtoon]

A Champion Time For The Heart Ch40 The End

(This is it folks. Just one more left after this which will be the epilogue. The place where reader meets Arceus is based off the Legends of Arceus post game fight. Link below.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8-feGjQNs8&list=LL&index=37)

-DECEMBER-

The last month of the year arrived just like that after a grueling November filled with get this- More villain attacks, but Leon got to spend some more time with you (and Allister-) doing small things like playing with Allister or just walking around and going out to eat between his training for the Masters League event being held next month just two days after Christmas. It was nerve wracking but exciting all the same to know it would be ending soon then you could get back to your little home in Galar. But one day Leon pulled you aside and told you about something that he had been planning for a while when you ran into him and Nessa at the pokemon center.

"Winter Soiree?," you asked him one day confused and he nodded. 

"Yeah! Everyone from Galar's going to be there and it's gonna be just like a big Christmas party mini festival sorta thing. I'm gonna be passing out all the presents to the little kids and I'd love for you and Allister to come! Hoppy and everyone else would be there a-and I know we haven't been able to see each other because of everything happening." You blinked as he shyly grabbed your hands. "A-And if I'm being honest-...I-I would like to be able to spend some time with you again."

You face lit up a red but you nodded. "Y-Yeah. It sounds like a good experience for Allister too."

he beamed. "I hope you're excited! This year we'll make sure everyone's presents get delivered properly."

"I'm known to lose myself in my work, but that aside," nessa butted in raising a brow, "Leon, haven't you been overworking yourself lately? You do know that you could enjoy yourself at these events too right?"

"She has a point, Lee. You're working so hard and you could use a break especially with Christmas right around the corner."

"Nonsense!," he waved you both off as you and Nessa exchanged a look, "As long as there's people expecting me it's my job to be there for them!"

"I suppose so but we haven't had the chance to hang out with Sonia either. Of course part of it's because of her research, but I'm worried about it."

"That's what the party's all about! Trust me! As soon as Christmas hits we can all get together and hang out just like the good old days, and as soon as the Masters League is over we can hang out even more!"

Well he certainly wasn't lying about that at all either. Because November ended and December began. The snow fell and the cold settled in and you made sure to have Allister bundled more than a hibernating bear whenever you all went out. Then Christmas came and it was time for the party. It would held the same place the Midnight Spookfest was just a few months ago on Halloween so you knew where to go. Along the way you ran into Sonia and Hop and later the twins who joined you all. The six of you formed a little group and walked together towards the Prince's giant manor passing by glowing Christmas lights and sparkly decorations until arriving in the front of the manor along with so many other trainers and Pasio locals. There you saw Raihan and Piers and said Hello to Marnie before they moved onto chat with other people. The smells of food ready to be served to the guests wafted through the air making everyone hungry, and a GIGANTIC Christmas tree shimmering with so many small ornaments it was beautiful. For a while you mingled with Sonia and the guys catching up on everything that had been happening with them and Sonia's research until Prince Lear made his announcements.

"Let the Winter Soiree begin!! Rejoice in the festivities and Pokemon battles! As for the presents, these lovely volunteers will be delivering our gifts this year!"

Well you were shocked when two of those volunteers who were decked out in christmas themed wear was your boyfriend and Nessa. He was all decked out in a festive green winter coat and cap and was happy to take one of the giant bags Prince Lear was directing the volunteers too. Wasn't he supposed to be taking time out of his tasks to spend time with you all..Well with a frown you walked up to him to confront him about it. When he noticed you walking up to him he beamed, but stopped noticing the frown you had.

"Leon." You threw a hand to the heavy two bags in his hands. "What's this?"

"These? Oh. W-Well I did tell you I'd be passing out gifts for everyone."

"I know that. I was expecting you to be passing them out here, you didn't say anything about taking off to deliver them around Pasio!"

"Well I didn't think you'd mind-''

"Mind!?" You frowned more. "Leon, you promised me you'd be able to spend time with me tonight. And nevermind me! What about Hop? Or Victor or Gloria? They've been excited to see you! And Sonia! I thought you two were friends!"

"We are!," he assured you with his own frown, "And I WILL spend time with you. ALL of you as soon as I'm finished! I promise you as soon as I'm finished I'll spend the rest of the night with you all." You opened your mouth to argue but he was already kissing your forehead and making off. "Trust me! I always keep my promises!"

And he left you standing there, alone as he walked off. After a second you gave a yell of frustration making a few people look at your frowning form as you stomped back towards the guys. The rest of the day you just ended up going inside the manor and chugging eggnog and just-...sitting my yourself for the next couple hours. Allister and the guys were outside playing outside and you lost sight of Sonia so it was just you for so long, you doubted Lee would be back until late into the night anyways with how big Pasio was so it looks like you were once again left alone on Christmas. Not gonna lie it did sting, but you would figure it out later. For now that food was enough to drown your sorrows in. Until it neared sundown. Allister came by with Gloria to grab some food and check on you before going back to play and you were just standing at the food table drinking something and scowling off at nothing. You didn't see the small crowd of your friends, Sonia included cheering and gathering around someone as he walked in and spoke to them for around ten minutes until Hop pointed towards your form with your back turned towards them and then the man walked on over towards you. You didn't even notice Leon walk up to you until a gloved hand reached over and you jumped when someone just grabbed a cup of some of the available eggnog before you looked over and blinked as a familiar pair of golden eyes beamed down at you.

"Hey. I don't suppose the eggnog is any good?"

You stared surprised at him for a moment before frowning and looking away. "I'm still mad at you. What are you even doing back here so early?"

"I had someone help knock some sense into me," he spoke softly, "And thanks to the help of some pokemon I'm already done. Y/n." He reached up a hand to you. "I-I'm sorry. It was a dumb idea to volunteer and not take into account how it'd impact my time with everyone. The entire reason I even wanted you to come to Pasio with me is because I wanted to spend time with you and I REALLY do want to! Honest."

"Well it seems like your Champion duties are important too."

He winced and shook his head finally grabbing your shoulder and gaining your attention. "I acted dumbly and was selfish, but I'm here now because I miss you. ...And I love you." Your eyes widened at him at that moment and he smiled. "Here." Reaching his other hand around to his side pocket he grabbed something and pulled out a very, VERY small square box that wasn't wrapped. "I even got you a present. Something that m-means a lot to me but..I-I'm hoping would mean a lot to you too."

Your eyes looked between the box and him for a moment before raising a brow. "What is It?"

"I was hoping you'd ask me that." Taking his other hand he reached over and opened the top of the box making your eyes budge out. The inside was a velvet material and nestled on the inside was two small rings that could probably fit you. A shiny gold band sat there with a small but decently sized purple stone inside it reflecting the Christmas lights and your face. Your f/c eyes widened and you again looked between his smiling face and the ring. W-Was he- "I-It's a promise ring." ....Oh. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I know it can be confusing and I know you probably wouldn't want to get married this early, but I wanted to get you something special. S-Something we could share together. A promise to one another and my promise to you to be better. That is ..i-if you want it. It's fine if you don't. I understand if this is too much too soon. I-I just thought it'd be a cute idea is all-"

He blinked when you plucked the other ring from the box and held it up to him first with a smile. "Well then...You're going to let me put yours on your ring first." Before Leon could say anything you gently grabbed his other hand and he looked wide eyed as you gently slid it onto his finger before grabbing the other ring from the box and slipping it onto yourself smiling widely. Humming a moment. "...It's beautiful. I think I can forgive you this time..." You shot a smirk his way. "But I think you deserve a present too.~"

"I-I- You-..." He gulped red faced the ring box dropping to the floor. "G-G-Gift? Me?"

You smiled, before just grabbing his cheeks and kissing him at that moment. 

This was it. The last month he'd spend here. All the battling was scheduled for later this month after Christmas and everyone was getting ready and pumped for the official event that would take place at the Star Pasio Arena. He however couldn't feel more relieved. He was about to go home soon. And you would no doubt watch everyone's performances in the stands. Which made him both nervous and excited as well. But for now he was between practicing and hanging with his mates at the Winter Soiree, which happened to be Piers and Raihan for the moment.

"Wow. It's the end of the year already?," Leon asked at one point, "I can't believe that much time has passed since we first came to Pasio."

"You're only realizing that now?!," Raihan asked him in a teasing way.

"Hahaha! It's just starting to sink in now. We've been battling all sorts of other sync pairs and even Hop and Sonia came. So we haven't had much time to sit back and relax now that I think about it."

"Uh." Both men looked at him. "I hate ta break up the warm sentiment you've got goin' here, but we've still got to show everyone what we're made of. Right, Leo?"

Leon's face lit up and he nodded. "Right! Let's keep up the great work, Lads!"

"Oh uh...By the way-.." Raihan and Piers shared an amused look between them which confused Leon because he raised a brow. It was strange especially for Piers who didn't show much emotion all the time. Raihan chuckled before looking at Lee. "How was that kiss with Y/n?"

Leon paused...before his face lit up a pink and narrowed his eyes. "We didn't kiss! An-And even if we did i-it's none of your business! Besides you don't even know if we did-"

"Dude. Everyone knows. Haven't you noticed everyone's been looking at you?"

He did notice but he just assumed it was because he was a champion. "Yeah? And?"

"You have lipstick kiss marks all over your face, Mate!"

Leon froze, a record scratch going off in his mind. ".....WHAT!?"

The end of the month came and went after Christmas. After getting embarrassed at the Christmas party Leon did keep his promise and began to visit more between training for the Master's League until the day of the event arrived. You were woken early by Allister to escort him to the Pasio Star Arena where Bea took him off your hands and you joined Sonia and Hop to Spectate the rest of the event in the stadiums with hundreds of other people. Prince Lear made an announcement, did a few lines and announced the first pairs which was between someone called Ingo and a man called Grimsley. And you watched and followed all your friends and Galar trainers. You saw Bede. He made it all the way to the sixth round before being defeated by the Sinnoh Champion Cynthia. You will admit she was pretty powerful like Leon but Bede did put up a good fight. Marnie made it one round ahead of him before also being defeated in Round Seven by someone called Emmet. Around you people were cheering for both of them and awed when both were defeated. That's ok though. They gave it their best shot and that's all that matters. Gloria however made it to the third to last round before also meeting defeat by Cynthia's hands. Victor was defeated one round behind her to Raihan and Allister made it three rounds above Gloria before being bested by a gym leader named Misty. Defeated and defeating one another until people were dropping left and right until only the champions themselves were left. Champions Red from Kanto was defeated by Champion Lance fom Johto. Steven Stone from Hoenn was bested by Cynthia from Sinnoh. Iris lost to Diantha from Kalos. And Selene of Alola/Orange Islands lost to Leon, and then at the very end there was only two left. Champion Cynthia from Sinnoh and Champion Leon from Galar. Leon was rocking that Sygna Suit Nessa decided for him which you wouldn't lie, made him look absolutely handsome, and then the battle began. Which ended in a...Tie? Ok. No biggy. A twenty minute break was had before they battled again. And it was..another tie?...Ok. Let's try again. Fast forward to the end of the day and after three more tries the Prince declared that the two would share in the victory of the Master League Champion title. Ah. So the unbeatable Champion still retains his title. It was a bit of a blur after that. You remembered the after party where he wouldn't let go of you proudly wearing his own ring and receiving congrats from anyone and hugging you to his side, and then the next moment you were all on a cruise ship back home after saying goodbye to anyone. Arriving at Hulbury docks, getting on the train, going home. And then arriving at Wedgehurst to a whole group of people including everyone's families.

Leon was home. His home. Your Champion. His Y/n. Your Home. Everything. Both. Yours and his. The whole day was a magical blur. You remembered feeling Leon's happy tears fall onto your forehead and you cried as well still hanging onto each other like a pair of koalas in front of a your family and friendsbut you didn't care. By the time you two finally pulled apart the everyone began taking their own turns hugging each other and pushing you all towards the inevitable welcome back party Leon's Mother insisted on throwing for everyone, which was just a dinner with everyone celebrating but you didn't care. The entire time Leon holding onto you in one way or another or vise versa. It was all such a blur of a night. You remembered eating a little bit, panicking for a moment your boss would get angry you just left work to eat with Leon, giving the guys a hug, and just...talking. Just talking and being held by Leon who seemed to do nothing but smile and hold you the entire time...until it got dark. Like REALLY dark and really REALLY late into the night. By the time you realized it, you were already so tired but so happy. You couldn't remember any other time you cried so much or felt so happy it felt like the whole world was becoming whole again. All your focus on Leon and his focus on you so it was quick a shock when you were finding yourself standing in front of your house having been escorted none other than the man himself and having him convince you to go to sleep. Mrs. L and Mrs. G had insisted you should stay the night at theirs but you felt like sleeping in your own bed despite being so happy to see everyone again.

"Get some sleep," he spoke softly, forehead pressed against yours, a few happy tears falling down his face, and two soft hands holding your cheeks. Perfect smile on his features. "I wanna spend more time with ya too but it's late..and you're tired. Tomorrow I'll be back and I'll take you out to see some pretty flowering fields nearby. I promise you." Followed by another kiss to your forehead.

You did whine at the loss but your urge to sleep overtook any other emotion. So you stumbled your way inside after a few more moments. Silver and the Zen were both happy and anxious to see you after so long but sleep still won out over everything. You were already so exhausted you hardly even noticed you going through the routine of taking a shower, brushing your teeth, and getting into your favorite pair of fuzzy pjs before just collapsing into your bed. Eyelids heavy and darkness consuming you as you fell into a fast deep sleep. The darkness of your dream was interrupted however in the most strangest ways. Because you woke up. Or at least...you thought you did-

"At last...Thou haveth been found. Divine childe from thine differ plain of being.''

Cold..It was so cold. Like winter had come early and seeped into your blankets, except you weren't covered by anything except for the clothes on your back. And you weren't laying on any soft cozy mattress like when you first went to best. It felt..cold and glasslike the ground under you. Like you just decided to fall asleep on a giant pane of glass in the middle of winter. It was the cold that beckoned f/c eyes to open above you, shivering and teeth clattering together from the cold feeling. And what was above the young woman made her gasp at the holy sight above. It-...It was almost as if the universe itself was in front of you, swirling shades of purple and black swam before you in the shape of the galaxy with some invisible force holding it above you. Silence fading in and out as twinkling stars shown around you with the beautiful sight of the fully moon lighting it all. The moon looked so close and so far at the same time. What the-...Where were you? Were you dreaming? This felt too real to be just a dream. Were you seeing some kind of old game footage like the first time you arrived in this world??..Had you died? Is this the afterlife? No..No that wasn't it. Before you could get too far into your questioning, you slowly, body shaking and teeth now clattering together from how cold it was, stood on legs more wobbly than a newborn deer. Your hands came up to rub your arms in a failed attempt to warm you up looking around. Black...EVERYWHERE WAS BLACK!! Like eternal night other than the endless night stars and full moon above you. Nothing anywhere. Spinning in a complete circle, you still found yourself completely alone. Right. Alone. This MUST have been some crazy dream right?

"H-Hello?!," You called out tentatively finding your voice trembling and throat dry from the cold croaking. Like a creepy tunnel your voice echoed into the dark abyss. ...No answer came back to you. "I-I-Is an-nyone there!?"

Dead silence.

Ok. Obviously this wasn't a dream. This was a freaking NIGHTMARE!! You felt dread creeping in on you and you would've started panicking if it wasn't for a voice. One you thought you heard before, One so feeble and far you almost thought you had imagined it. Then you heard it again.

"This way.''

The words- That voice came from behind you and you snapped behind you seeing no one.

"H-HELLO!? HEY! THIS ISN'T FUNNY!? C-C-C-C'mon! Ju-Just s-s-show yourselves al-al-laread-dy!"

"This way," the voice repeated only now you were facing the direction it came from.

This person-..thing...It couldn't be serious right? Your mind was playing tricks on you surely!...But..you had no other choice but to follow it huh? Sigh. You sighed, looked around you one more time, again saw nothing, and then turned forward to behind walking. To be honest it felt like walking on a treadmill. Never leaving the place you stood except you didn't feel the ground move under your feet or the stars go past you, maybe your feet were just too cold. Then, after a short while of walking you saw it. A small dull light coming from in front of you. You grew more excited and your pace quickened. That was it! The exit! At this point you were all but running, excited to leave this place wherever it is was you were. You'd probably wake up once you reach the end. Boy Lee would think this one would be a doozy to hear. Probably get a laugh outta it too. The closer you got the more blinding the light became. Up until you had to close your eyes against the harsh glare. Still you continued on and while the light gave you hope it also took away your sight until with many blinks and your hands rubbing your eyelids, they slower adjusted to the light and it wasn't as bright as you initially thought it was. And your eyes blinked down once your leg bumped into something almost making you trip over and blink at it. Until your eyes fully adjusted. And widened as you realized you were staring at....Uh..Well you were staring at..The light was coming from...

A floating rectangle???

Yes. Before you floating just a foot above the ground was a stop sign sized rectangle that was glowing a white with a slight blue-green tint to it. Your f/c eyes followed it up to another one just like it. And then another. And another. And another. All one foot apart and starting to head upwards like some kind of stairs...Wait..WERE these stairs?? You kept staring at it totally bewildered-

"Up, Young One. Ascend."

You flinched. There it was. That voice again. It sounded male in gender and echoed both inside and outside your skull like a drumroll. Wait. Did that thing say up? You blinked at the apparent stairs again. It wanted you to go up? Seriously!? A long flight of stairs?! Your mind couldn't have dreamt up an elevator at least?...You sighed but followed the strange voice's instructions and began to climb the glowing staircase upwards. Step after step you took moving upwards in a seemingly never ending stairway of glowing floating rectangles. After a while you got to a point where you couldn't tell where you began or where it ended, as if you weren't even going anywhere again like when you were walking, but there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Er. Stairs I mean. Because when you looked up, you saw something at last that made you give pause once again. Upwards above you was a GIANT circular platform surrounded by faint purple lights resembling the aurora borealis. Was that where you were supposed to go? Looking around there was nothing and no where else to go. You couldn't even see the bottom of the stairs anymore as they faded into the darkness below. Guess there was only one way out of this mess. Looking back upwards you continued your climb all the way up until finally at last you were standing on the strange floating platform. The platform was about as big as half your standard large parking lot and strange circle patterns were glowing in it's floor. You stopped when you were about half way in the middle of it and looked around. And still nothing although you didn't feel so cold anymore now.

"HELLO!?," you hollered out again your voice echoing around as you looked around for any sign of life. "Hey! I'm here already! Where are you!? Show yourself!"

"Be Not Afraid!"

That voice again. Echoing. It sounded like it came from everywhere and no where at once leaving you looking any which way to find it. Up at the stairs. Down at your feet. Around and around at all sides seeing absolutely no one. Then it happened. Something blocked the light from you making you freeze as a long shadow fell over you. ...You felt yourself gulp feeling a VERY massive presence behind you eyes boring into the back of your skull. And then you slowly turned around. And you saw it. Irises shrinking and jaw dropping. White blinded your vision as red and green eyes bore down at you from four stories high and feet across. The thing a monster above you-

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" Your body moved on it's own. Peddling backwards and making you crash onto your backside flashbacks of the giant corviknight when you first showed up flashing before your eyes. Making the giant pokemon blink and wince.

"I sayeth be not afraid."

"HOLY ARCEUS!!," You cried out staring at this...this..thing wide eyed scooting backwards and pointing at the thing towering over you. "What the heck are you!?"

"Oh..Thou hast already answered thine question," it answered you tilting it's head at you. "It hast taken me many a moon to find thee."

You paused. Staring at the giant thing in front of you like a goldfish before lowering it's head. "....What?"

It looked eye level at you now as if trying not to frighten you again. "Thoust tis gazing upon thy god of this realm."

God?...Wait. This thing was a god?? Not any god you could think of like Thor or Hercules. Wait. Did the pokemon franchise even have a god? Well there were legendary pokemon which were like demigods and the strongest among them was-....Was-...Your eyes widened more as a glass breaking sound went off in your head again and the thing chuckled at your expression.

"HOLY ARCEUS!!!"

"Thee one and only."

"I-...W-What the-" ARCEUS!? YOU WERE BLOODY TALKING TO THE ARCEUS!? "W-Wha-...How-...WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING HERE!?"

"I haveth summoned thee to correct the mistake of mine children."

"Wa-..Y-Y-Your children!?"

It nodded before lifting it's head back up and you stumble/wobbled back onto your foot. "I'm afraid the fault of thou's arrival to this plain of existence would be none other than my own children. Perhaps thou knowest thy children of time and space?"

You continued to stare at him before raising a brow. "Are-...A-Are you talking about Dialgia and Palkia?"

Arceus nodded. "Indeed."

"Wha-...H-How the heck?! What did they do to me!?"

"It seems that not too long ago now mine two children had gotten into a rather terrible spat. The worst one in nearly a millennia. Twas the fighting so passionate that they had opened up portals to your world. Resulting in many a person crossing over."

You still stared at him....before you scowled. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. WAIT A MINUTE!!" You pointed at him. "Are you telling me that the only reason I'm here is because I fell through a portal two legendary pokemon made!?"

Arceus looked a bit more embarrassed now. "When down to it..yes. Tis what happened. And thoust was not thee only one. I had toldest thine children to fix their mistake."

"....And did they?"

"Yes...Well. Mostly. I hast seen them mend the rifts and heal thine wounds towards one another but send back the humans they did not. Instead they deemed it worthy to bend space and time to thine will and make thee a part of thine new world."

Make you a part of this world-...THE ID CARD!! Your eyes widened as you realized. THE OLD BAG SONIA DISCOVERED AT THE CRASH SIGHT!! That was them!? It must've been them! That was the only way to explain it! Things were starting to make so much sense now.

"So Dialgia and Palkia fought and during that fight managed to open portals between this plain of existence that they exist and somewhere where they only exist in video games and anime?....That....actually makes sense in a really, really weird way. But that still doesn't explain why you're here."

"With mine children not doing so I hast taken it up in mineself to right thine wrongs and return thine human children to their rightful home."

Your eyes widened. "You can do that?"

He nodded. "I apologize on behalf on my children for thou's troubles and thee's wait for mine arrival. For there was a many humans which fell and I hadst to prioritized the ones who would cause more trouble than thou."

"You can...really send me back? Just how many were there!?"

"A plenty but do not be alarmed. Every human was sent back happily, some more forced than others. However thy childe is thy last to return home and thus thou shalt get to chose thy fate."

"You mean...I can chose whether I can leave or stay?"

"Correct. Thou hast shown bravery and compassion where others shant. I commend thee and thy good deeds. Therefore shalt get my reward here. Chose. Stay in this new world or return home from wince ye came."

You...could go back? You could go back home!? Back to your mother and old home and life. You could ...you could go and make a new life for yourself. You could leave and get your own life and job and chose your own college since you had the guts to never listen to her! And she still must be worried about you. And...that was your goal in the beginning r-right? To get back home. But...you did and have so much here. You had friends. A job. A home. Pets- Er. Pokemon. And you and Lee-...You'd have to start all over again if you went back, and Dialgia and Palkia made you an identity here. You now existed in both worlds. But you could only chose one.

"What...happens if I go back? T-T-To my old world."

"Nothing. It would be like if thou never left at all."

"Really?"

"Thou would be sent back to the exact time they disappeared. You'dst be wearing the clothes thou wore when you disappeared. Thou's age would be the same before you left. It would be if thou never ever even left for a second...But. Be warned. If thou shalt pick this path, you shall never be able to return here again. And everyone here shall forget you." Your brows shot up! "Every evidence of you even being here would fade away. Photos. Memories...Everything. Your friends would forget about you."

They ...Would forget you? All of them. The journey you made with your friends? The way you raised Silver? Leon and your feelings?

"W-What about my Mom?! In my own world I mean? W-What would happen to her?"

"Thine same scenario. In fact thoust hast been here for so long thy mother hast most likely forgotten as your existence hast most likely already faded from there as well. But fear not Human Child. It shalt all be fixed once I send ye back."

You stared at him. She....had already forgotten about you? But all of it would be fixed once he sent you back..If you decided to take him up on his offer to send you back. But would that be the best thing? Yes you missed her but...There was so much more here. And your world didn't have two families who loved you like their own or Smart Hop or always hungry Silver or ambitious Postwick twins....Or..Lee. ..It was decided. You inhaled a shaky breath stealing your nerves before looking back up at Arceus who still stayed ever patiently.

"Hast thou decided?"

You nodded. "I have. I-...I-I'd like to stay if that's possible."

"Art thou sure? I will only make this offer once and if thee choses to stay.." He shook his head. "Thine choice is final. I shalt not make this offer again nor will I send thee back to your old home. Think carefully before thou gives me their final answer."

"I'm already sure. And I'd like to stay."

"Tis that thine final answer?" You nodded and he hummed. "....So be it. As thou walkest onward upon thine own path, upon thee and upon this creation where thou now dwellest, I bestow my blessing. Take heed upon thine new life and tell not a soul of our meeting. Fair thee well, Human Childe Y/n of thy different world."

With that your vision began to fuzz and blur. The darkness shifted and spun around you like you were drunk and dizzy. Faster and faded everything spend up as the double vision of Arceus faded...And you woke up. Shot straight up from your cozy bed in your own little house in the dark. It....It must've still been night time! Leon walked you home only a few hours ago. After a moment you slowly laid yourself back down and stared at the ceiling for what must've been ten minutes or so processing what had just happened....Before you again smiled.

"...I'm home."