#he did everything to win: parried dodged attacked...

[dairine-bonnet]

Seems my Heinrix's build is so good that he managed to kill tens of enemies all by himself being the last member of the party who survived. Besides, that can be a good clear explanation for why Lynette wants him to see as part of von Valancius dynasty given officially to Abelard, her officers and not only. (as if Abelard doesn't understand the main reasons, haha!)

P.S.

Based on my playthtrough:

*After eliminating Sire and other genestealers*

One of RT's officers: Lord Captain, the bridge is clear...

Lynette: Thanks to us and Heinrix especially! *muttering silently* Why do I pay all of them if one interrogator is much more effective?!

Warning: Blood and violence under the cut!

[candyswirls]

Hey! I understand if you're busy, but could you wrote Morholt's fights with Lion? Both if them were kind of long, with the final one lasting almost an hour. Dm for details as always.

He was large, his very presence intimidating. What his mother had told him of his father had not prepared him for the moment he laid eyes up the Primarch of the first legion.

He picked out various details and traits that he shared with his father. They looked so similar. He wondered what specifically drew his mother to him.

He drew back his thoughts and moved to be ready to step out and join the tournament.

As soon as he set foot on the grass, Lion's eyes darted to him. The gaze of a predator taking him in.

Morholt stood tall and narrowed his gaze upon his father. He was not prey. He was an equal. He was challenging him.

He couldn't possibly recognize him from under his helmet, could he?

Every fight within the tournament blurred past him. His goal was to get to the Primarch himself. Show off his skills, that he was a worthy opponent. But he couldn't reveal everything.

Finally, he stood before his father. He swung his sword, ready to meet the Primarch.

It was foolish to believe he would take this battle with ease after besting each astartes. A primarch was on a different level.

The bell rang, and Lion moved so fast that he could hardly process it. Morholt barely had a moment to think as several blows were directed at him. Somehow, he blocked most, but one grazed his size.

The Lion was not holding back, it seemed. A cascade of furious swings drove the lad backward as he tried to catch his footing.

He nearly fell over.

While they both had the same instincts and prowess, his father had honed them throughout centuries and countless battles. Sparring with his own brothers on equal footing.

But Morholt also had those insincts, and he had learned to watch and study those around him.

He retaliated with a parry, jabbing towards any undefended spots and dodging to the side as Lion blocked him.

Adrenaline coursed through him, and hidden knowledge of fighting surfaced from the recesses of his mind. It sent signals from his brain and into his muscles. Doing moves, he did not know, but muscles claimed to have practiced over and over again.

Battling his father grew to feel natural. A symphony of energy flowing through him. Goosebumps rose up his arms and legs. His body moved before he told it. The burn in his limbs spoke to him, and endorphins pulsed through his veins.

It was amazing! This was fun! The thrill and joy of battle being fully felt. By his father's face, he could see he felt the same way. So much so... that he let his guard down.

Morholt lunged forward on the attack. Lion parried, but Morholt had thrown his entire body into it. Use the primarch's shoulder, he flipped over him and stuck the landing. He spun, grabbing Lion's hand across his chest and swinging his own blade back.

Morholt breathed heavily, sweat cascading down his skin and adrenaline peaking as he held the blade at his father's neck.

Lion didn't seem concerned, slight amusement upon his face. His confidence spoke of how despite the blade at his neck, he knew he'd win easily. But not by the tournament standards.

Lion said in an even tone, "I yield."

Calibanians in the stands went wild. Riding the high of the fight. Many astartes were stunned.

It took everything within the lad to not drop to his knees in exhaustion. He carefully pulled back his sword and breathed heavily. He had a long way to go. He wasn't even the same size as his father yet. But he had still won.

Thank the stars it was not a full battle and one for death. He wasn't sure he could have won then.

Lion sheathed his sword, "Well done. What is your name? I assume you are an astartes?"

Morholt forced his body to stand at attention, throwing every lesson of etiquette and posture into it. He removed his helmet and stared into the primarch's eyes.

"I am Morholt," He answered. "My mother is Morassa of Hibernia. You are my father and I came here to join you."

Lion hummed as he reached out and grabbed Morholt's chin. He turned his face from side to side.

"Yes," He finally said. "You definitely are mine. The battle definitely spoke of that. Well then, come my son. There is much to be discussed."

***

"You have her softness," Lion muttered coldly. "That wench has ruined you with her parenting."

Anger crackled under his skin.

"Do not speak of my mother that way," Morholt warned, hand instinctually going to the hilt of his sword.

Lion turned to glare at him, "There is a reason I left her upon that planet and did not take her to wife. She was not worthy of my time, and it is a miracle she even managed to conceive and carry you. The only worth she truly -"

Morholt yelled and charged Lion, swinging heavily.

"No!" Nimueh yelled. "Stop!"

Morholt ignored her. As Lion met his blows with the same strength and fury, he swung his fist and connected it with his father's jaw.

"Take it back!" Morholt screamed. "You never deserved her! It's you who is unworthy!"

Lion growled as he cut upward, "You bastard!"

Morholt flipped backward, avoiding the blade.

The same adrenaline and high feeling from when he first battled his father was back. This time, it was carried with rage.

Keep your head level. In a battle of emotions, it does well to always hold your head high. We choose to be better.

His mother's voice echoed in his head. Yes, he would keep his head. Not let himself fall to rage as he defended her honor. She deserved that sentiment.

The fight seemed to last forever. But while exhaustion grew in his father, he could feel his energy regenerating. A new strength inside. He was not that twelve year old boy, vying for his father's attention. He had grown into a warrior and could fight with ease. To the point where he could speak while his father huffed.

"She is kinder than anyone!" He snapped as he blocked and rolled to the side. "You never saw her true inner beauty! I am the man I am today because of her! The hardest years were spent with her! Not you! She raised me! You just enjoyed the harvest but put in no work! She taught me to be honorable and brave! I can easily see why someone would be captivated with her. But I still am trying to unravel the mystery of what she ever saw in you!"

He slammed the hilt down upon Lion's head, and he collapsed backward. Morholt's foot slammed down on his chest before he could get up. He held the point of his sword over his father's neck.

"It disgusts me that despite everything, she always spoke highly of you," He gritted. "Never a bad word. She is better than you in every way! Unlike you, I am fully proud to call her a parent!"

He was about to plunge the blade in when Nimueh dove in its path, shielding his father's neck.

"Stop!" She begged. "Don't kill him!"

Lion gritted his teeth at the xenos. He wanted to cast her aside, but she was saving his life.

"Nimueh..." Morholt began.

"Don't," she pressed. "I know you're angry, and I know that claiming he's your father does little for your reasoning, but think of your mother! She would not want you to be known as the one who killed both of your fathers. Do not set a mark upon her from the first legion. Make her proud."

Morholt stared into her eyes and then glared at his father, "The only reason I am sparing you is because of this woman who's species you hate, and my mother. You would do well to remember that, Lion El' Jonson."

He sheathed his sword and offered an arm to Nimueh. He did not look back as he escorted her away.

Anger still burned inside, but he also felt... liberated. Almost giddy.

I'm great at writing daddy issues. It's because I suffer from them myself!

[deepwaterdreams]

To seek in the shadows is to invite their gaze (Star Wars : Remnants)

I'm writing a fic set in an alternate universe, where Cal doesn't destroy the holocron and become an Inquisitor on ao3, here's a snippet of the fifth chapter

Summary : The Order has fallen. The Jedi are hunted. The survivors are nothing but remnants. But some refuse to vanish.

In the aftermath of Order 66, an unlikely group tries to come together: Neera, broken but defiant, Jarek, a young almost Jedi haunted by fear, Greez, an old pilot with a broken heart; and BD-1, an uncommon bearer of hope. Fleeing a relentless Empire, they uncover a harrowing truth: their pursuer is none other than Cal Kestis, once a friend, now an Inquisitor. Together, they must face the ruins of a fallen Jedi legacy and the scattered pieces of a forgotten hope.

Perhaps, sometimes, the remnants are stronger than what tried to destroy them.

______________________________________________________________

“Down!” Jarek shouted.

Neera dropped instantly, rolling forward, trusting the boy’s instinct. A heartbeat later, she heard his lightsaber ignite. She spun just in time to see Cal, like he’d dropped out of the sky, his red blade already locked with Jarek’s blue one.

Neera activated her lance, the weapon snapping out to full length with a crackle almost as loud as the storm itself, purple electricity shining.

“I told you. You can’t escape from me,” Cal said before launching his attack.

The clash of sabers lit the jungle’s shadows, each blow casting bursts of light through the torrential rain. Cal struck fast, with terrifying precision, forcing Jarek to give ground.

Neera took her chance, swinging her lance in a diagonal strike meant to break his focus. Cal dodged, eyes flashing with fury. She was wasting his time, again, and he hated it, she could see it in his yellow eyes. Good.

Jarek jumped, aiming high. Cal parried. Neera swept low, trying to take out his legs. Cal activated the second blade of his saber. She hated when he did that.

With a sweep of his hand, he hurled them both backward with the Force, then spun his saber. The ground trembled beneath them, tree roots cracking and shifting like they were ready to give in.

Cal pressed the assault, red arcs slashing through the air, relentless. Jarek leapt aside to dodge a blow that could’ve cut him in two. Neera darted forward while Cal focused on Jarek. She struck, her electrified lance connected with his leg. He growled in pain and rage. But it wasn’t enough. He straightened, angrier, and unleashed another Force blast that sent them both flying. They crashed into the mud, the impact softened but sticky and cold, holding them down as they scrambled to rise.

Cal stalked toward them, a shadow lit by the storm’s fury, saber raised to strike, but then, a deep rumble echoed through the jungle. The ground began to shift. A massive mudslide arrived, roaring down the slope, devouring everything in its path.

“Jarek, go!” Neera shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. “Find Greez!”

She launched herself forward one last time. There was no way she was letting the Empire win. They wouldn’t get Jarek.

She attacked hard, fast, reckless. She knew she wouldn’t hold him for long, but long enough to push him back. The trees fell around them. Then she was swept up in the mudslide, tossed like a ragdoll.

She fell, into the chasm, dragging the Inquisitor with her. Far above, she heard Jarek scream. She felt resistance, something pulling against the fall.

Then darkness. And a blow to the head.

[tidaltow]

Before you say anything— No, Percy had no idea what he was doing. Yes, this was normal.

Calm down. It’ll all work itself out in the end. Hopefully.

This wasn’t the first time he had faced Childe, and if he was lucky enough to survive, this wouldn’t be the last. Percy had come across about a dozen different flavors of weirdo in his travels, but this guy really just took the cake every damn time. See, there was the flavor of “weirdo” that was just the person who frequented that tavern in Mondstadt that was full of cats like somehow the threat of cat fur getting into your food or drink was, like, the highlight of your day; then, there was the flavor of “weirdo” that was Childe.

He was his own flavor. He was the “openly laughs when a kid trips and eats it” kind of dude (as opposed to the more civilized people who had to bite their lip to stop it from happening; Percy definitely didn’t speak from experience). He was the “you could amputate my arm and I’d tell you to try harder” freak. He was the perfect example of everything Percy never wanted to be.

So, explain this:

Why did Percy’s heart seem to deliberately match the rhythmic beat of that spear striking the ground? Why did the insane grin creating a fissure across Childe’s face steal Percy’s breath for a staggering second? And why—Archons, why—was it that Percy couldn’t stop a smirk of his own from tickling the corner of his lips?

You can’t explain it, can you? Good.

Neither could Percy. Screw it, right?

“See, man, I just never took you as the type to let yourself get bossed around,” he elaborated on his earlier point, thinking that was a stellar idea. “If you weren’t following her grand supreme ladyship’s orders, you could basically do whatever you want, whenever you want. Everyone would hate that. And you’d love that everyone hates it. Super win.” Percy continued a small shuffle back, ignoring the voice in his head asking him, What the ever-loving shit are you doing encouraging this dude to be worse?

Well, he’d call it stalling . . . if Childe didn’t then decide he’d had enough of it.

Let’s set the scene here. You’re up against an unhinged treat of a fella, the person who’s staring you down with something shockingly more frightening than murderous intent; behind you is a body of water (helpful tool for later); and before you have time to even think, the previously mentioned “treat” is flying at you faster than the speed of light and swinging his weapon right at your face. What do you do? Because there are options, right? Tuck and roll. Parry. (So basically dodge or block; valid choices.) Want to know what Percy did—?

He reached up and grabbed the thing.

Apparently the little taste of Electro he’d gotten earlier wasn’t enough. As the spear came slamming down, Percy widened his stance, readied Riptide in one hand, and shot his other palm upward to catch the attack on its downward arc. It wasn’t going to feel good. He knew it wasn’t going to (somewhere at the back of his mind, maybe). But he pushed himself through it. Pretty much just told his body, Hey, buckle up. This is happening. I know it’s stupid, just deal with it and braced himself as his hand locked around the spear’s shaft right above Childe’s grip.

Newsflash: It did, in fact, not feel good. Every single nerve in his body screamed in unison, some jarring and off-key operatic performance under his skin that shattered every glass within a mile radius—or maybe just his bones. . . . Heck if he could tell. Pain hummed as a background chorus, and one he shoved even farther back to keep himself in check, to even slightly remember what the point of this was—

And before he could lose full agency of his limbs, he acted.

That hand on Childe’s spear abruptly twisted, yanking the weapon sideways in an effort to throw the guy off-balance. He stepped forward this time, meeting his opponent’s eye as he cocked his head. “Hey, you’re welcome.” Though his fingers began to feel numb, Percy urged them to as much tighten on the shaft as they did on his sword as he swung with (surprisingly coincidental) intent to give Childe a matching wound beneath his ribs.

Were he facing a different opponent, Childe would have seized the opportunity of knocking Percy to the ground to finish this. The itch under his skin demanded blood, but the rush of a worthy battle was even stronger. With great effort, he resisted the feral urge to pounce on momentarily helpless prey. That wound-up tension jittered in poised muscles.

It had been a while since anyone he'd fought had been this fun. It'd be a waste to end it so soon.

Oh, no—they were just getting started. He wanted to see what Percy could really do.

Too eager to keep completely still, Childe took measured steps forward, idly twirling his spear in one hand. The blade struck the ground with each footfall: crashing like thunder, bursts of violet illuminating him from below as he stalked closer, tendrils of Electro charring the damp grass and leaving a trail of blackened patches behind.

"Is it really so difficult to figure out?" This pause in the action only heightened the howling in his veins. His grin was all teeth as he laughed, both from the thrill and the absurdity of Percy's would-be taunts. "As one of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers, everything I do is for one simple purpose: to see the Tsaritsa's will carried out, by any means necessary."

Not many people were brave—or foolish—enough to stand in a Harbinger's way, especially against the Tsaritsa's own weapon of war. Maybe this kid fancied himself a hero. Maybe he was trying to prove himself. Maybe he just had a death wish and wanted to go out in a blaze of glory.

Childe couldn't care less about why. All that mattered was that he planned to make him regret it.

"Of course, I also have a purpose of my own." His voice darkened, laced with an edge of cruelty that turned it into a growl, "All I want is to fight as many battles and claim as many lives as possible along the way to fulfilling her orders. So you see, the only 'option' for me is whatever course of action will allow me to get my fill." He shrugged a shoulder. "Really, I should be thanking you for being my entertainment for the day."

In another flash of purple light, Electro currents engulfed him and he shot towards Percy in a bolt of lightning. Thunder boomed across the field when he materialized again, swinging his spear down at Percy's head in a vicious strike. "We'll find out together whether you're ready for the consequences!"

[snowmuttgetsweird]

Return to Yharnam!!

It's Bloodborne Season, baby!

Here's my day one progress- didn't play long, only a couple hours.

Named my character SnowMutt, decided to go for an Arcane build! Started with Noble Scion for the Arcane.

Arcane builds are most rewarding on a fresh file because bosses still have weaknesses- type advantages become less effective in NG+. Unfortunately the game doesn't really cater to a dedicated Arcane build early-game.

I won't get my first "spell" until the Abandoned Workshop, I won't get my second "spell" until the Forbidden Woods, I won't get my first DAMAGING "spell" until the Lecture Building, and I won't get my first GOOD damaging "spell" until Castle Cainhurst. Eesh.

A lot of the early-game is going to rely on Molotovs for damage, which DO scale with your Arcane. Thankfully, I know where all the good shit is, so I can also pick up an early Flamesprayer (plus Bone Marrow Ash to make it insane), grab a Fire gem that will allow one of my weapons to scale with Arcane, and I can get bagged and taken to the Unseen Village to grab a Tonitrus- all before even getting to the Abandoned Workshop! These will all carry me quite a bit through a lot of the game.

Let's go to Yharnam!

Died to the clinic Scourgebeast! Been too long I guess, lol. Picked up Threaded Cane and Pistol. Back to the clinic for round two! EZ win with a weapon, lol.

Speedran my ass to Cleric Beast to grab the Insight so I could start leveling, opening shortcuts and collecting useful stuff like Molotovs and Blood Stone Shards along the way, basically ignored everything else. Died a couple times as I started getting used to dodging again, took 'em down on the third try!

Bought some Molotovs, leveled up strength to 12 so I can equip Tonitrus later.

Went through the sewers after, picked up everything, met with Eileen- decided to replace Threaded Cane with Saw Spear, which has a much more reliable transform attack combo, meaning it does a LOT of damage, and builds a lot of Beasthood fast.

CRUSHED Gascoigne first try, gg ez. He was useful for relearning parry timing- also he TF'd late and died to a couple of my Arcane-boosted Molotovs before he could really do anything.

Cathedral Ward unlock! I always go down the side path first to grab those extra Bloodstone Shards and the Monocular, then made my way down to Old Yharnam- but not before picking up some Fire Paper from Alfred! Speedran to Djura, popped him a few times with the pistol to knock him off, exit game, continue, grab the Powderkeg Hunter Badge, you know the drill. Went through the church, hunted everything, opened the shortcut and got the Saw Spear Hunter to fall off the ladder first try. Free Bone Marrow Ash! It was about this point I realized I forgot to grab the Flamesprayer from Gilbert back at the Central Yharnam lamp, so I went back and did that after running down to Blood-Starved and opening up the shortcut. Decided to run back and spend my echoes before trying to tackle it- Blood-Starved is always a bit of a wall for me.

Actual fight went by pretty easily, but only because I cheesed it. Pungent Blood Cocktails in the corner, TF attack spammed it with Saw Spear, Fire Paper, and Beast Blood Pellet. Even with 9 skill, it went down pretty fast.

Went back and grabbed that Flamesprayer, then went and got myself killed by a Kidnapper to access The Unseen Village. Forgot to grab some Church clothes first for Adella, but I'll come back for her later- she's going to the clinic anyway. Pmuch everyone but Arianna and the granny get sent to the clinic so I can farm them for Insight and Numbing Mist. Arianna's gotta stick around for end-game, and granny's gonna gimme a bunch of free Sedatives later!

Cleaned out what's accessible of the Unseen Village- picked up Tonitrus and all the shards and armor and loot. I'll come back for Paarl later.

Aaand that's it for now!

Most of my echoes have been going into building up a stock of Molotovs and leveling. I've got my Str high enough to use Tonitrus, Arcane up to 25, and everything else is untouched for now. Saw Spear, Tonitrus, and Flamesprayer are all at +3!

Tomorrow morning, I'm planning on meeting up with Fake Iosefka, grabbing some Church gear, and collecting Adella and the granny. After that, I'm heading up the Cathedral Ward elevator to grab the Radiant Sword Hunter Badge, working my way through the alley so I can get that Fire blood gem for my Saw Spear which will be my primary PVE weapon for a while since Tonitrus has VERY low durability- at least vs Beasts and boss adds (serrated damage + fire is ideal for Beasts)- and then open up all the gates so I can meet with Eileen outside Cathedral Ward and go rek Henryk with her. Poison Daggers will be doing most of the work tbh. I'll probably try to tackle Hemwick Charnel Lane before Amelia so I can spend a little time farming Bone Marrow Ash, which will be very useful for my Flamesprayer, and should make Paarl a joke.

Basically gonna try to get as many bosses and other side content done as possible before Amelia.

I MIIIIIGHT just use the CUMMMFPK chalice dungeon to farm echoes for items (not leveling) so I can focus on just playing the rest of the game and spend more time doing co-op with other players.

I missed Bloodborne. <3

[sakurawarfare]

Amidst the golden blossoms (Lumine x Childe oneshot)

Olah! I'm back~!

First off, thank you so much for all the likes and love that you've given for my first oneshot 🥺

I'm sorry for not posting anything new for almost a month and honestly, writing this one was a real doozy. Regardless, I hope you all enjoy it and again,

Thank you very much and have a nice day!

-Sakura

Exploring Liyue was certainly a challenge. Given how the terrain is a mix of tall mountains, wet marshes and winding paths that go over and under the surface, it was completely different from that of Mondstadt. Though of course, the monsters here were a lot tougher and certainly became a pain in the ass when all she wanted was to explore this new land. 

However, Lumine would always marvel at how everything is so yellow here. In many of the worlds they had visited before, yellow always symbolizes joy and light. In Teyvat, it represented the Geo element, loyal and grounded as it painted the trees, leaves floating in the breeze and the flowers that bloomed almost everywhere she went, resonating with the power of Geo that once lorded over this vast domain.  

Though perhaps, it was the color she was most of as it that reminded her most of her beloved brother.

The girl let out a sigh as the Ruin Guard finally collapsed, fading to blue dust as she continued on her afternoon stroll. Nearing the clearing, she noticed the golden spiral she had discovered just a few days ago. 

She remembered how beautiful it had looked from afar as she first saw it atop the mountain near Guili Plains. It was fascinating to say the least, as she glided down to examine it even further. Unfortunately, she was interrupted by some hilichurls nearby that somewhat soured her mood. Even after that, once she'd activated the elemental monuments, she was ambushed by an Eye of the Storm that she disposed of with some difficulty given that she only had Fischl as her team’s archer. 

Yet at this moment, it seemed that what truly caught her eye was a blot of orange and gray that stood out from the golden landscape.

Deciding to take a closer look, she slowly approached with her footsteps slow and steady. When the figure finally came into focus, she tried to ignore how her heart skipped a beat.

Standing there was no other than Childe, or rather, Tartaglia, the eleventh Harbinger of the Fatui. 

She quietly ducked behind the rock near her, peering out enough just to see. What was he doing here?

Their last encounter had not been so pleasant. After all, she had to defeat him three times and even after that, she had to clean up after him as he decided to summon an ancient god in the midst of a temper tantrum and beat the crap out of countless of his lackeys. 

Looking at him like this seemed weird, listless and silent.  It was certainly different from the Childe she knew, given how she was well aware that underneath that boyish, annoyingly handsome exterior lay the fearsome spirit of a bloodthirsty warrior. 

He was still staring up at the sky when she heard him speak. "Like what you see, ojou-chan?" Her eyes widened, somewhat startled. "You could take a picture you know, that way it'll last longer."

She clicked her tongue. There was no point in hiding anymore. She got up from her spot and strode near him seeing as he stood in the center of the spiral. 

“So what brings you here?” he said with his usual, playful tone, a major difference from when he spoke during their final battle in the Golden House. His eyes were focused on her now, a smirk adorning his face.

“ I could ask you the same thing,” she huffed. She reminded herself to be on guard, after all this is the very same man who threatened to wipe out dozens of innocent people with zero hesitation. 

He chuckled in reply. “Staying inside a stuffy bank the whole day just isn’t my style, you know?” He placed an arm on his hip and she noticed how the action made his top rise a little bit, giving her a peek of his well-toned abs. 

He was a bloodthirsty warrior, yes, but an attractive one nonetheless.  

He continued, “Plus, it’s amazing to see how different Liyue is from Snezhnaya.”

That statement certainly piqued her interest as she asked him with genuine curiosity. She was a traveller at heart after all. “Really? How so?”

Childe looked at her, somewhat surprised. She tilted her head a bit, somewhat bemused by his reaction until she realized the absence of caution in her words. “Shoot,” Lumine thought. “I-I mean-”

“ You know that there’s no harm in me telling you about my homeland, right?” he turned to her, crossing his arms. 

She took a step back, “You can’t exactly blame me for not trusting you after you threw a whale at me. Twice.” 

The girl was surprised to see him frown, eyes lowering a bit narrowing slightly.

Since when was he so emotional? Lumine thought this is definitely a big contrast to the Childe, or rather, Tartaglia, she was familiar with. 

Although, she can’t deny that a part of her wanted to say sorry. It certainly wasn’t nice of her to treat him so coldy, especially now when he seemed to resemble the look of a kicked puppy. Sad but oddly cute. She immediately stopped her train of thought. She shouldn’t think that this man could be in any way adorable. 

He sighed. “Then how about a spar? If you win, I’ll tell you all about Snezhnaya,” she noticed how his eyes gleamed at , “but if I win, you’ll share stories about your place.”

She blinked. “ I don’t see how this benefits you at all.” Given her time with Zhongli, she knows that there should be more to their deal than just stories.

He simply shrugged. “I mean I do get a good fight out of it and honestly, I’d really want to get to know more about you, ojou-chan.” There it was again, that impish, boyish smile that made her heart flutter slightly. 

She put a hand to her chin, a vain attempt to hide the growing warmth on her cheeks.  Although some part of her told her she certainly shouldn’t be fraternizing with the enemy, there was no harm in a little sparring session. After all, she had beaten him before and this also seemed like a good chance to know more about the Tsaritsa too, if she could figure out a way to worm it out of him. 

She wouldn’t dare to acknowledge how her heart did a little dance at the thought of getting to know more about him though. 

She gazed at him, the small smile from earlier returning. “Fine, we have a deal.”

That seemed to have cheered him up as he quickly ran to one side of the spiral with her following suit and taking her place on the opposite end. 

Even as the sun began to dip in the horizon, she could see glimmer in his eyes, blue orbs glowing in the faint sunlight. There seemed to be no trace of his gloomy disposition earlier, and she could almost imagine him with a tail that swung back and forth, much like how a puppy would greet its owner.

She shook her head. She really should stop with the dog similes.

She was immediately brought back to the present when an arrow whizzed past her, the sound ringing in her ear. She tried to mask her surprise with a straight face, eyebrow raised as she summoned her sword.

“Hey, eyes on me ojou-chan,” she didn’t miss how his voice sounded deeper, huskier, almost like a low growl. Pushing that thought away, she rolled sideways to dodge the incoming arrows then lunged, quickly closing the distance between them.

She wasn’t surprised to hear the sound of metal and water clashing, as she tried to push against him. She was forced to jump back when he switched to a spear, slicing a wide arc in front of him.

He continued his offense, switching again to his blades this time. He gave her blow after blow, leaving little room for her to maneuver in. She parried his every thrust with her own strikes, matching his speed and power. Lumine scanned his movements, eyes calculating for an opening.

Just as she expected, he became more apparently irritated with her sticking to defense.

“Come on, it isn’t fun when-” Lumine quickly cut him off, releasing the Anemo energy she had secretly been building up with her other hand in front of her, making him stumble slightly as she pressed on with her own barrage of attacks.

Even as he stepped away, she made sure that the last swing contained a small gust of wind that managed to graze his cheek. As he caught his breath, she tried to mimic his own cocky smirk. “Eyes on me, Childe.”

She had meant to mock him for earlier but instead she heard him laugh, a sweet, melodious sound that resonated within her. A voice in her head kept reminding her to stay on guard, that she should take the first chance to strike back.

But seeing him like this, eyes filled with so much light and a wide smile adorning his handsome features, filled her with a sense of satisfaction that tugged at her heartstrings. 

“Ojou-chan," his laughter slowly calming, "you are simply adorable."

Lumine felt her cheeks flush as the grip on her sword tightened. "H-hey!"

"Alright, alright." His laughter finally died down as she saw him return to his former stance, his predatory gaze set on her once more yet the smile never left his lips. "Let's have some fun."

~

Their battle lasted until the moon had settled in the sky, bathing the land in its iridescent glow.

A strike here, a hit there, the two exchanged blows with no hesitation. The young warriors fought amidst the golden flowers, filling the air with the sounds of their blades clashing as the yellow petals glided along with them.

Time was lost to the two as they continued in their own world, a dance that only they knew as they kept up with each other's paces, making sure to keep the other on their toes. 

But as always, Lumine was once more the victor, her blade pressed closely to the Harbinger's nape, successfully trapping him underneath her.

He was panting quite loudly, his chest rising steadily against her own. "Fine, you win." He let his blades melt away, hands raised in defeat. 

Lumine smirked at his surrender as she could finally focus on steadying her own breath, willing her sword away as she huffed. 

"Though I've gotta say," his eyes peeked downward then back to her, "I didn't expect that you'd want to go for another round."

She raised an eyebrow in reply, continuing to stare at him in confusion. That is until she glimpsed in the same direction, finally noticing how her legs were straddling his hips as she sat on top of his stomach, the heat emanating from his body seeping into her.

"Ah!" She immediately scrambled to get off of him, trying desperately to mask the crimson that bloomed on her cheeks by sitting a few meters away. Though some part of her missed his warmth, the rational part of her brain shoved that way back inside the depths of her thoughts.

Lumine noticed from the corner of her eye that he was gazing up at the sky. Feeling her blush slowly dissipate, she moved a little closer.

"So, what do you want to know first?" He was lying down now, his blue eyes shining underneath the moonlight.

She laid down next to him, her back slightly tickled by the blades of grass underneath her as they both stared up at the sky in silence.

"Can you tell me about your favorite places there?" She faced him, trying to mask the enthusiasm in her voice.

"From what I can remember…" he muttered, "We had this huge marketplace in the center of the city where my father would always take me and my siblings to buy all sorts of trinkets and goodies for mother. Afterwards he'd take us to an old bakery that also sold Sharlotka."

"What's that?"

"It's this really fluffy cake with apples that melts in your mouyh while you eat it. The apples give it a tart, fruity taste that also balances the sugar dusting on top." He sighed. "Man, I should really make some sometime."

"Hmm, where else...Oh, we also used to go to this frozen lake just a few minutes from our house where my father taught me how to ice-fish." He smiled at the thought. "My old man would make a competition of who got the biggest fish, and he'd always say these really corny jokes just to make me laugh when I had a bad day."

"Those were definetly simpler times." He looked wistful as he spoke.

Noticing how his mood lowered, Lumine spoke in a teasing tone, "you sound just like Daddy's little boy.

He was quick to return her taunt.  "On the contrary, I'm actually a proud Mama's boy," he smirked, "where do you think I got my passion for cooking?"

"Oh?" Playing along, she rolled her eyes. "So you're saying that your cooking tastes better than mine?"

"Girlie, I'm not saying. I know that I'd wipe the floor with just my own version of a Sweet Madame."

"I'd like to see you try, water boy." She laughed.

Their playful banter died down as they continued to watch the starry sky, the two basking in comfortable silence.

Childe was the first to speak. "Perhaps when you get there, you'd need someone who could show you around the city, maybe a few spots outside it too."

She smiled. "That does sound nice." 

There it was. An unspoken promise that they would make plans to spend time with each other, not as Tartaglia and the Traveller, but as….friends? 

She huffed slightly, friends was one way to put it. She was supposed to be wary of him, push him away and strike him down when the chance presented itself. He was a bad guy after all.

Yet somewhere in her heart knew that there was more to this man than his thirst for battle and his honey-sweet tongue. 

"Lumine?"

"Hm?" Turning to face him once more, her eyes widen slightly at the foreign sight before her. For the first time ever, Childe's eyes looked unsure, perhaps even a little shy.

"Thank you for tonight." Never would she imagine that she would hear those words from him. 

"What for?" 

"It's been a while since I've shared something that wasn't work related…" he grinned, though she noticed it didn't reach his eyes this time, "I don't exactly have anyone to talk to about these things."

It finally dawned on her as she continued to stare at him, astounded at his confession. He was a lone soldier facing the world with nothing but his own strength to rely on. He was fierce and merciless, a force to be reckoned with.

Yet the Childe that she was talking to right now was the complete opposite. He was lonely. Vulnerable.

 Lumine tried to speak, but she couldn't think of the right words to say. Instead, she reached out a hand to cup his cheek, breaking him from his stupor.

This was too risky. Too bold of a move that broke all the rules she had followed this whole time. Aether would warn her not to get attached for a traveller will never linger in one place for too long.

However, here she was stuck in an unknown world, comforting one of the most dangerous people in all of Teyvat.

"Well," she whispered, "you have me."

She expected him to laugh, to scoff at her and remind her that they were on opposite sides of a war. She thought he would pull away, and turn around to leave her there.

To her surprise, he squeezed her hand in his, relishing the warmth of her palm as he gazed at her with...Was that fondness? Were her eyes playing tricks on her or was his face turning pink too?

She squirmed underneath his stare. Why was she feeling so weird tonight?

Lumine couldn't stop a yawn from escaping her lips as she tried to fight off the wave of exhaustion that overcame her. Her whole body ached from their little skirmish earlier, on top of that she still couldn't make sense of all the emotions that swirled inside her head. 

"Hey, stay with me." 

Even though her mind screamed at her to move, her body struggled to do anything in her tired state. Her eyes were becoming heavier by the second as she struggled to stay awake. It didn't help that his voice sounded so calming, echoing in her ears until she was lulled to sleep.

~

Lumine opened her eyes as light illuminated her cozy room. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, confused as to how she ended up here.

She wondered why she felt warmer than usual when a red cloth fell from her neck. She pulled it away, finally recognizing it as the scarf that Childe always wore.

He had brought her here. He actually went out of his way to make sure that she was safe despite how late it was. The thought warmed her heart a little more than she would have liked but she welcomed it all the same.

The girl looked around, wondering just where her flying companion was, cheeks warming as she took in the scent of his scarf. 

It reminded her of an ocean breeze, salty and strong, with a hint of lemon as well. Wild and full of energy, just like him.

She shook her head out of her thoughts. It was too early for her to be so sappy.

Though try as she might, she couldn't seem to wipe off the wide smile on her face as she looked forward to the day ahead of her.

[spider-pxrkers]

flustered || peter parker x reader

summary: peter decides to flirt with the new avenger, y/n. he doesn’t expect her to flirt back and fluster him, making him realize he needs to get the upper hand.

request:  can you do a peter x flirty reader where at first peter is flirting buts the reader flirts back making him flustered?

a/n: the BIGGEST thank you to the loml @drusilla-as-in-blackthorn who helped and co-wrote this fic with me! she has some amazing fics, go check her out!

warnings: making out, sexual tones, swearing, sam and bucky being sam and bucky.

masterlist || co-writer ||  add yourself to my taglist!

i do not own any gifs used. all credits go to the original creator.

“Just be cool man. We practiced for hours, she’ll totally be into it.”

Ned’s voice echoed in Peter’s head like a tape stuck on loop as he entered the Avengers Compound. He puffed out his chest as he stepped into the elevator, trying to assert some sort of confidence within him to prepare himself for what he was about to do.

Steve had called for an Avengers training session today, which meant Peter got to see you again. He’d first met you during a robbery in Queens where he’d gotten tangled up. The thieves would’ve gotten away had you not shown up and ever since that day, he’d been in awe of you.

When he found out you were an Avenger too, he swore he felt his stomach do flips. His crush on you began shortly after meeting you those six months ago and is still very much there. For a while, Peter didn’t know what to do about it, but around two weeks ago Ned convinced the boy to go old school and try the one tactic ‘all the ladies loved’, and that was flirting.

He was skeptical at first, but he eventually figured he’d give it a try. And so Peter spent the whole of the night before googling pick-up lines and watching ‘flirting 101’ videos on YouTube in preparation for today. He was satisfied with his research and felt confident.

As the elevator doors opened, he took bold steps towards the rest of the team and waited for instructions from Steve. Not everyone had showed up, but you were there, leaning against a wall as your fingers mindlessly played with each other, your eyebrows furrowed as you listened to what Steve was saying. He felt his breath falter as he looked at you, you wore simple grey sweats and a ‘Stark Industries’ tank top. It was a simple outfit but for some reason Peter couldn’t take his eyes off of you. Your eyes eventually wandered towards the boy, noticing his stare. You gave him a light wink, causing his cheeks to stain red, his eyes immediately looking away.

After the briefing, Steve announced today’s training would consist of sparring in pairs. Peter silently pleaded as he grouped everyone together and he felt his heart jump when Steve announced he would be paired with you.

Everyone made their way over to their assigned partners and he watched as you walked up to him. He mentally prepared himself, taking a deep breath as you approached. He was ready.

“H-hey, Y/N.”

Shit.

He stuttered.

Why did he have to stutter?

He glanced up at you to see if you noticed but all he saw was an amused look in your eyes, as if you could somehow tell he was beating himself up. “Hey, Parker.” You grinned at him. “You ready?”

“I-” He sighed. “Yeah.”

The two of you got into your own individual sparring stances.

He could do this. He was a man of science and he had studied for this. How hard could it be to flirt with you? He had watched other members of the team flirt with each other enough to know that he could play it off as a joke if you didn't respond well. That, or he could throw himself out the window of the forty-sixth floor, whatever would be easier. 

You threw a punch at him and he dodged it, then another, then a kick. You were on the offensive side which was fine with him, he could do defense in his sleep. It gave him time to think about what to say. He had to do this right, mostly because he knew you had at least four knives on you but he was also really worried about embarrassing himself. 

 "Hey Y/N,” He let out as he parried away from a kick, recalling one if the lines he'd memorized. “If you're enjoying yourself here, I know other ways we could use this much energy." He ducked under another one of your high kicks and punched at your stomach. 

You hadn't even faltered in your attack so he wasn't sure if you had even heard him. "Yeah, I do too Spidey, but unfortunately Steve frowns upon people fucking on the sparring mats." You eyed him, the corner of your lips tugging up at his expression.  He faltered at your words, not expecting such a direct comeback, and you took the opportunity to crouch down and took his ankles out. Suddenly he was looking up at your smug expression from the floor with, what he knew, was a violent blush on his own face. "What's wrong Parker? Cat got your tongue?" You asked tilting your head to the side, a look of feigned innocence coating you. You sauntered away back towards the starting point and raised your fists, obviously waiting for him to join you. 

You had both been sparring for about an hour and since he wasn't allowed to use his web shooters, you happened to be winning - in both the sparring and the verbal back and forth. He didn't understand how you were doing it, everything he said, you countered with something equally as clever. He was grasping at straws at this point. "Y-you sure you're not tired Y/N? Cause you've been running through my mind all day." 

He was throwing hits in your general direction with no real heat. You actually laughed at that one, no wonder. "Nah, don't worry about me Parker. I can go all night." He sighed as you landed him on his ass for the third time in a row, he wasn't going to concede but you weren’t giving him much of a choice.

"I'm not a genie but I can make all your dreams come through." He groaned as he tried to get back up.

 "Yeah and that’s if I rub you hard enough?" You lightly moved your leg to push him back on the mat. When he went to stand back up, Steve shouted that everyone could take a break. He sighed. 

You and he walked side by side to the cooler where the water bottles were kept. He went over to his gym bag and saw that he had three missed calls from Ned. He dialed back.

"Hey man how's it going? You ask her out yet?" Ned sounded excited on the other line, Peter smiled, he loved his best friend so much.

"Nah, buddy it's not working.” He sighed into the phone before bringing his bottle to his lips. “Everything I throw at her she hits me back with something better. I think I should just give up."

"What do you mean?" 

"Well, earlier I said to her 'Hey can I borrow a kiss, I promise to give it back?' and she pinned me to the mat and said I could have as many as I liked." Peter replied, looking at you from the corner of your eye talking to Steve.

 "Wait, okay, no, so she's flirting back with you? That's a good thing isn't it?" Ned asked.

Peter thought about it and how smug you looked whenever you managed to knock him down. "I don't know Ned, I think she was just doing it to get the upper hand in training."

 "Well are you still training now?"

 "No we have a break just now for a bit."

 "Well,” Peter could practically hear Ned smile through the phone. “I would say kick it up a notch, hit her with something and if she says something suggestive back then act on it, kiss her or whatever."

 Peter watched you move back to your own gym bag, watched you reach down to put your bottle in it. He thought about just grabbing you and kissing you, he wanted to, really, really badly but what if you stabbed him, or worse, laughed at him? 

 "I don't know Ned, I think I'm just going to give up." 

"Well okay man, but you have my opinion." Peter almost winced at the distaste in his friend’s voice.

"Yeah, yeah, bye bud, love you."

 "Love you too." 

Peter hung up the call, sitting down and putting his head in his hands. He didn't know what to do, he wasn't the kind of guy who could just make a move on someone, and he didn't even know if you'd ever actually thought of him that way.

You were walking towards him, looking beautiful as always, a ray of light in a dark world "I must be in a museum, because you truly are a work of art." He said in almost a whisper.

But you heard him, you had a playful look in your eye. "Well if you wanna pin me up against the wall then go ahead." 

Something came over him, he didn't even think about what he did next. He shot a web out and grabbed you as soon as the words left your lips, faster than the eye could see. He twirled so you ended up braced against the wall with Peter pinning you down, one hand holding yours above your head, the other holding your hip down.

His legs braced yours, with his super strength, you couldn't move even if you wanted to. "Well if you insist." He mumbled, his eyes darting between yours and your mouth that was currently parted in.. shock?

He was waiting on you kicking and screaming, or at least coming up with a witty comment or a joke. What he wasn't expecting was a fierce blush to rise up your cheeks and your eyes to avoid looking into his. "I, eh, I, uh well, h-h-hi." You were stuttering, he had actually managed to fluster you. The same girl who’d been spewing filthy lines back at him a few minutes ago looked so small under his lock now.

He opened his mouth to say something before hearing someone clear their throat behind him. Your eyes widened as you looked over Peter’s shoulder at Steve and the rest of the team staring at the two of you while Peter’s gaze still remained on you.

You pulled out of his grip, side stepping and moving away, quickly walking back to the training mats. Peter’s arms dropped to his sides, his eyes never leaving the wall he just had you flustered against.

You avoided Peter for the rest of the session, opting to spar with Natasha while he trained with Sam. You stood opposite Nat, dodging and throwing as many hits as you could as your mind wandered. Moments ago he was the one blushing after everything you’d said, you were sure you had the upper hand. But after he held you like that, something snapped. You could still feel his fingers brushing against your hip and you cursed yourself for getting so flustered. At first you thought his flirting was cute and just for fun, but something about the way his eyes looked into yours made you think differently. Was he taking advantage of you?

Or did he actually like you?

Training ended and you quickly gathered your things, darting out of the room. You made your way into the corridor to your room before hearing footsteps after you.

“Y/N, wait up!”

You silently cursed as you sped up your pace, walking into your room and turning to close the door before a foot appeared, halting it. You looked up to see Peter place a hand on the door as he tried to push it a bit more for him to enter. You placed your hand on the other side trying to close it. “Go away, Peter.”

“Look,” he pushed at the door harder but was met with you pushing back with equal force. “Listen I’m sorry if-” You pushed back again. “Sorry if I- would you stop?” He finally sent a stronger push this time, successfully opening the door and stepping in. You backed away from him, dropping your bag figuring he wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.

He shut the door behind him as he made his way over to you. “I’m sorry if I crossed a line back there, I just wanted to-”

“Why did you do it?” You asked, crossing your arms.

“Wh-why did I do what?”

You scoffed at him. “I don’t know flirt with me? Pin me against the fucking wall in front of the team?” You shook your head at him. “What? You think it’s fun messing with people like that?”

Peter’s stance grew defensive. “You flirted back!”

“Yeah, ‘cause I thought we were fooling around! Not that you actually-” You stopped yourself from finishing your sentence. You couldn’t do it, you couldn’t admit your feelings to him, that you actually thought he liked you back.

He seemed notice your uneasiness however, walking closer to you. “Not that I what, Y/N?” His tone was softer now, almost warmer as he now stood directly in front of you. His brown eyes bore into yours as your eyes wandered around his face, looking for any sign of insincerity.

You shook your head as you moved to walk away from him. Instead, you felt his fingers wrap around your wrist, pulling you into him as he kissed you. His arms moved to wrap around your waist, pushing you backwards until your back hit the wall by your bed with a thud. Your eyes widened before relaxing at his touch, your arms gripping his hair and neck. You felt his teeth nip your bottom lip before down to your jaw and eventually to your neck, where you let out a whimper as he began sucking on your skin, earning a smile against on your neck.

Your hands left the curls in his hair and trailed down his chest to dip under his shirt and pull it over him before discarding it to the floor. His lips reattached to your collarbone as his hands slipped down your hips to your legs, hoisting you up to wrap around him. He kissed back up your neck to your mouth where you moaned as his tongue met yours, moving you away from the wall and laying you on your bed. His forearm found its place by your head, holding him up as his other hand held you by the side. Your legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer as he lay above you, the two of you caught in your make-out session as if you were the only two people in the world.

You finally pulled away after what seemed like forever, your chests connecting as you tried to catch your breath. A light smile found his face as his hands moved to cup your cheek, studying your shut eyes and now swollen lips and tangled hair while you lay under him.

“I was stupid,” he breathed out causing you to open your eyes and meet his. His fingers continued to tug at the corner of your mouth. “I thought these stupid pick-up lines would..” He trailed off as he gently shook his head, a small laugh escaping him. “Would finally make you like me back.”

You softly laughed at him, your fingers drumming against his bare chest. “Well it worked didn’t it?”

He chuckled as he leant down to press a kiss to the tip of your nose.

“Yeah, yeah it did.” He leaned back in to kiss you again.

“Hey Y/N, Nat wanted to know if you were- holy shit.”

The two of you turned to look at Sam at the door, his eyes widening at the sight before him before a grin covered his face. “Well I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” He said smirking as he leant against the doorway. Peter’s cheeks turned red as he pushed off of you, reaching to get his shirt.

You got up and glared at the man, clearly annoyed. “What do you want Wilson?”

Sam smirked at you as he laughed. “Oo, she ain’t takin’ it too well. Hey, Bucky!” He called out.

“Oh my god.” You pinched the bridge of your nose as Peter put his shirt back on, a light smile finding his face as he glanced between the two of you.

Sam kicked off the wall before winking at you, walking back down the corridor. You could still hear his voice as he walked off. “You owe me fifty bucks sergeant!”

Peter laughed as he reached his hand down to yours, pulling you up. “You alright?” He asked.

"Yeah, I'm good." You nodded your head as you smiled walking out of the room with him before clearing your throat. "After damage control,” you said gesturing with your head to the kitchen where Sam now gathered the entire team while your hands gently tugged at the waistband of his pants. “What do you say you and I pick up where we left off?” He froze as he stared at you, his eyes widening. You grinned at him before pressing a kiss to his cheek and pulling away, skipping down the hall and leaving a very very flustered Peter Parker behind you.

[votederpycausemufins]

john mulaney voice:  Hey... What's [this story] is a lot LONGER than I first thought. that being said, this chapter itself is shorter than the others.

Before Tubbo could say anything, Tommy was in the air, a trail of smoke from his firework left behind. He held a sword in hand and flew towards where the summoned monsters were. As he reached them, Tommy saw another Hermit also in the air. “Scar? Did you summon these?”

“What?! I would never. I thought it was you or Grian!” The mayor responded, offended that Tommy would think such a thing of him.

“No way. How about we take care of them before we figure out who made them.” Tommy suggested and Scar nodded, the two of them diving at the withers, getting their attention and drawing their fire. It went well. Though there were three withers firing at the two of them, Scar and Tommy focused on damaging one of the three while dodging the rest of the attacks. When they killed the first one, Tommy dove to grab the nether star. He caught it before it reached the ground, but it was close enough he could see the damaged terrain. Another hermit was below, sword out as they fought someone with an axe. Someone Tommy recognized.

The wither sounds above filtered into Tommy’s mind as he remembered before. Back on the SMP. “You want to be a hero Tommy? Then die like one!” He didn’t realize his grip on the nether star loosen, or the fact that he was currently plummeting to the ground. “Chaos!” He was trying to find everyone. Where had they- “TOMMY!”

Tommy snapped out of it, looking for wherever Tubbo was, why he had shouted, and then he saw the ground. The island rushing closer towards him. He fumbled with his items before grabbing his fireworks just in time to launch himself back into the air. He stared down at the ground once more, trying to find Tubbo, before items started raining from above. “No! Scar!” And he flew back up towards the withers. 

One of the withers was slowly falling back down to the ground, Scar having gotten it to half its health on his own. And that was with him not being a fighter like Tommy. He slashed at the wither until it died before flying further up and attacking the final of the monsters. It got a number of attacks to hit Tommy and the teen quickly flew higher, far enough away to quickly down some golden carrots and make sure he wasn’t killed as well. After a few more attacks, the final wither was also killed and Tommy started back down to the ground. He quickly pulled out his comm and read the death messages that were reported. 

GoodtimeswithScar was shot by a skull from Wither

Keralis was slain by Technoblade

GoodtimeswithScar was slain by Technoblade

GoodtimeswithScar was slain by Technoblade

GoodtimeswithScar went off with a bang

BdoubleO100 went off with a bang

Renthedog went off with a bang

Jrumbot went off with a bang

Looking back at the ground as he put the comm away again, Tommy could see the fading colors of fireworks being launched. He dove down, even using a firework of his own to get there quicker, but as the smoke cleared, he pulled back to slow his descent. On the ground Grian was fighting Technoblade and holding his own, sword parrying the blows from Techno’s axe.

Tommy scanned the rest of the area. Tubbo was on the ground a number of blocks away, coughing from the smoke. Phil was nearby, but couldn’t move due to some of the debris managing to have landed on one of his wings. While Tommy wanted to help Grian out, he didn’t look like he needed it as much as Tubbo and Philza did, so he changed his path to go in their direction.

“Tubbo, are you okay?!” Tommy asked as he landed, quickly helping his friend up. Tubbo tried to speak, but instead it all came out as coughing. “Just go to town hall.” Tommy pointed at the large building on a nearby hill. “I know it’s gonna sound weird, but find the cat there and hold onto her for dear life! Got it?” Tubbo was hesitant at first, but then nodded and ran towards the building. 

Tommy ran the opposite way over to Phil and helped him out of the rubble. He had to be a little careful with breaking everything so he didn’t hurt his dad, but it wasn’t the hardest material to deal with, so freeing the avian wasn’t too difficult of a task. “Was that Techno? How’d he get here?”

“Dunno.” Tommy answered, helping his dad to his feet. “He’s fighting Grian right now, so we better stop them.”

Phil nodded and the two of them ran towards where Grian and Techno were still fighting. Grian was looking very angry, to the point where he seemed to be using some Watcher magic at least slightly as his wings were their alternate colors and he had more than just one pair of eyes.

“It won’t matter once you’re dead!” Were the first words Tommy could make out, the sentence coming from Techno.

“I don’t plan on dying for good anytime soon. You, on the other hand, will probably wish you could die.”

“Grian!” Tommy shouted, and the Watcher looked away from Techno and up at Tommy. The piglin hybrid tried at use that as an opening to attack, but Grian hadn’t completely looked away since he could control his various eyes independently. “Techno! Stop fighting him! Even if you win it’s not going to end well!”

But Techno ignored Tommy and attacked once more. Grian pulled his shield up to block the attack, but the axe didn’t connect. In all of the commotion, no one saw someone new enter the area until now. All eyes were on Grumbot as he had stopped the axe with a hand and then pulled it out of Techno’s hands. “Hello Uncle Technoblade.”

Everything was quiet. Tommy was pretty sure the robot was doing the same thing as when Grian and Phil had been fighting, shocking them into doing nothing. But Techno wasn’t Phil. He pulled out another crossbow and aimed it at Grum. Tommy shouted as he watched as the trigger was pulled.

Tommy ran toward where they had stood. His comm buzzing in his pocket. He couldn’t see the messages, but he knew what they were.

Grumbot went off with a bang

Grian went off with a bang

Technoblade was slain by Tommyinnit

Tommy panted, unmoving as he just held his sword in place, the blade left where Techno had been standing moments before. For a moment he was glad, but then he panicked. Had Techno gone back to the SMP when he was killed? Was he back at spawn? Was he nowhere and gone from existence? His comm buzzed again and Tommy immediately pulled it out.

Xisuma was slain by Technoblade

Okay, at the very least now he knew Techno had respawned. The question is where Xisuma was. His best guess was the spawn island since at least with Tubbo, Phil and himself, they were brought by Grian. Tommy took a moment to catch his breath slightly before rocketing back up into the air and heading to spawn. On his way there, he saw a boat heading towards the main island, so Tommy dove down towards it. “Technoblade!”

The hybrid looked up just in time to see Tommy land into the boat with a ‘thunk’ making it shake and letting a little bit of water come over the sides. “Tommy.”

“Oh my god is that Xisuma’s gear?”

Techno looked down at himself before looking back to the main spawn area. “If you mean the guy that was over there when I respawned, yeah.” Techno huffed. “Now I think you should get out of this boat before I make you.”

“No. You need to hear me out first.”

“No I don’t. You were helping the guys that kidnapped you and Phil. He said that guy was a Watcher. Phil told us stories about them growing up.”

Tommy crossed his arms. “He told you and Wil those stories. He never told me any of those. Plus, they were wrong.”

“You honestly expect me to believe you after you’ve been living with them for months?” Techno growled, moving his stolen weapon closer to Tommy.

“I believe them because they’re family.”

“We’re your family Tommy.”

“So’s Xelqua.”

Techno’s eyes widened and the sword lowered just enough from his shock that Tommy quickly stole it away before showing it into the water. “Did you just say that to-”

Tommy shook his head. “No! Of course not! It’s a plus, but I’m telling the truth. Dad knows too. None of use were sure at first, not even him. Like you said, I’ve been living with them for months, but until yesterday we didn’t know.”

“Then for all we know he’s lying. Or maybe he’s not really someone to trust.”

Tommy just sighed. “Can we just fucking go back to the spawn area so X can get his shit back? While we’re there I can tell everyone else what’s going on.”

Reluctantly Techno agreed and turned the boat around just as Xisuma was arriving with his emergency bee elytra out from his suit. 

“Alright, give him his fucking stuff back.” Tommy said as he pushed Techno out of the boat, making the hybrid grumble and take off the pilfered armor and other gear. “Alright then. Techno, this is Xisuma. He’s the admin of the server. He’s not like Dream but can be so much worse if you give him any reason to.”

Xisuma tilted his head slightly at the unfamiliar name, but mostly ignored it to take his items back. “I would welcome you to the server, but it seems you’ve already made yourself known.”

Techno huffed. “Yeah, just tell me where Phil is and I’ll be on my way.”

“Bitch what about Xel?”

“I doubt he wants to go back with us.”

“Hey I’m not fucking leaving. And I’m not sure Phil is either.”

“Why wouldn’t he?”

“He’ll want to stay with Grian for a bit probably.” Techno raised an eyebrow at Tommy. “He changed his name to Grian ages ago. Don’t know the full details though. He only really ever said he got bullied for it growing up and changed it in highschool or some shit.”

“Fine, I guess we’re staying here a bit.” Techno crossed his arms before getting back in the boat.

“Um, I seem to be missing my sword still.” Xisuma piped up, and Tommy jabbed his finger in the direction they came from. X nodded when he saw it floating on the surface of the water and flew over to grab the weapon.

While he did that, Tommy jumped back in the boat and rowed with Techno back to the island, going right up to Tommy’s beach area. Phil and Tubbo were both there, Tubbo with a certain gray striped cat in their lap.

The moment they reached land, Techno got out of the boat and walked over to Philza, who handed him the gear he lost when Tommy managed to kill him. “Is what Tommy said true? About Xel?”

Phil nodded. “Yeah. In fact he’s the Watcher that showed up. He’s gone through a lot since we last saw him.”

“How do we know we can trust him.”

Phil looked off to the side. “Well, he’s done better for Tommy than we did.”

The two of them were quiet to the point where Tommy broke the silence by going over to Tubbo. “Ey Tubzo, looks like you and Jellie are getting along. Very cool, very cool. She’s not upset at you bringing her along?”

Tubbo shook their head. “No, I tried to leave her back in that big building but she followed behind me.”

“Yeah, she sort of has a mind of her own. Grian’s not even completely sure she’s really a cat.” Tommy then looked up as he noticed something in the sky. “Speaking of which, looks like that’s him.”

The others also looked skyward and saw the bright red wings of Grian spread out as he was gliding. The avian noticed the group and pulled them in, diving down. However, shortly after doing that, Tommy watched as Grian pulled out a sword. The moment he landed on the ground, the blade was against Techno’s throat, Grian glaring up at his taller brother, his eyes red and puffy.

“Grian! Stop stop stop stop! That’s Technoblade, that’s Technoblade!” Tommy rushed over and tried to stop Grian but the avian pushed Tommy to the side.

“I don’t care who he is! He killed them and they’re not respawning!” Grian shouted, pressing the blade further, drawing a few drops of blood.

Tommy took a slight step back. “Wait, who? What do you mean? What happened?” But he was pretty sure he knew. Tommy saw the death messages. Scar was obviously respawning, and the other hermits would too. But two of those on the list wouldn’t.

“What are you talking about?” Techno looked down, showing no emotion to Grian.

“You killed my kids!” Grian yelled at him. “They’re dead and they’re not coming back! And it’s all your fault!”

It looked like Grian wanted to yell even more, but Philza grabbed him in a hug and the younger avian just dissolved into crying. Tommy and Techno met eyes, and even the powerful Technoblade flinched at the glare he received from his youngest brother.

Back on the SMP, Ghostbur kept floating around where the people had been before. He couldn’t quite remember why they had disappeared. He remembered something big with wings. He was pretty sure it was a giant bird. It looked kind of like his dad! And Tommy had been there too, but then everyone but Technoblade left. And then even Techno had left. Ghostbur was pretty sure he was supposed to stay there, but he wasn’t sure.

Then suddenly he felt something. As a ghost, he didn’t have access to a communicator, so the supernatural powers that allowed him to exist as a ghost also allowed him to interact with what would be the chat. So he was very aware when some people showed up. And since his friends and family had left, that had to be them coming back! It was a little strange they weren’t right there, but maybe they were just back where everyone else appears. Yeah, that was probably it!

Ghostbur went back towards spawn, ready to see Phil and Technoblade and Tommy. And he was happy to see there was someone right where there should be. Two someones in fact. But they seemed a little short. Techno and Tommy were tall, so it couldn’t be them, and Philza was short, but not that short. So that must mean it was someone completely different.

“Hello there! I’m Ghostbur!”

The two new people jumped slightly before turning to look at him. “Oh! H-Hi!”

“Who are you two? Unless we’ve already met. I don’t think we have, but I also have trouble remembering so maybe we have!”

“No, we have not met you before. I do not believe the two of us have even been to this world before. Can you tell us where we are?”

“Oh! You’re in the Dream SMP!” Ghostbur answered, just as one of the two newcomers checked what they had in place of a communicator.

Jrumbot joined the world

Grumbot joined the world

[charming-2d-boys]

Nobunaga’s part of this ask.

11. “You’re insane,” “You love me,” “Not right now I don’t.”

Word count: 993

-----

   “You’re insane!” You barely dodged the hit, retreating a few steps.

   “You love me!” Nobunaga almost singsonged, smiling and swinging his katana in a graceful arc, colliding with your own sword with a loud clang that resounded in the room.

   “Not right now I don’t!” You pushed back, huffing before you charged at him, trying to make him put more distance between the two of you.

   “Babe, you asked me to not go easy on you!” Your boyfriend pushed you back, making you stumble a little before you spun to the left as his sword came down exactly where you stood not even a millisecond before.

   “Yeah, but I didn’t ask to be sliced like ham either!” You tried to get his side, that he had left open and defenceless, but he quickly swung his sword sideways and upwards, effectively blocking your hit.

   “Honestly, the fact that you’ve managed to dodge is pretty impressive.” Despite the situation, you felt yourself almost smile at his praise. Nobunaga was more than quick with his sword, everyone knew that. But to be able to dodge, parry and not get cut even once in a spar with him? It was one of the best feelings.

   “One more time. I really want to see if I can cut you.” You hadn’t been able to do it up until then, but you could always try again. Your boyfriend seemed more than okay with the idea of training with you: he was keeping his skills as sharp as ever and also helping you get ready for whatever might come your way.

   Nobunaga only sighed before nodding. He waited while you wiped the bit of sweat that had gathered on your forehead before you both went to your respective places, getting ready. When he looked at you and you nodded, you took a deep breath and bowed, your boyfriend doing the same, before moving into your fighting stance, sword ready.

   It was the same process as before: hit, dodge, parry, try to gain more ground. It seemed the outcome was going to be the same as before. The muscles in your arms started hurting just the smallest bit and you wondered for how long you’d be able to keep it up. Nobunaga seemed to be doing just fine, face focused and eyes on you, your movements and face, trying to spot any weakness while also trying to not let his guard down. You might’ve been a little weaker than him, but you were determined and stubborn. He knew you wouldn’t want him to let you win so easily – it would’ve felt like an insult.

   The moment your boyfriend managed to push you back with the hilt of his sword, you’d made up your mind. You were finally going to try something that you hadn’t attempted before and you hoped Nobunaga wouldn’t be mad at you.

   Doing a mental count, you opened your eyes and smiled, clearly excited. Not even a second later, Nobunaga’s eyes widened when he was suddenly attacked, pretty much sent backwards several meters before quickly parrying. He jumped out of the next attack’s way, only to be followed. No matter what he did, he was being followed and attacked from whichever side. With how busy he was keeping his guard up and still reeling from the sudden barrage of attacks and the almost overwhelming confusion, he suddenly felt a sting on his right upper arm, near the shoulder. And then everything stopped.

   Nobunaga’s eyes were still wide, breathing somewhat laboured as he looked at the tiny cut on his arm. Nothing too much; there barely was a little bit of blood soaking through his sleeve and it only stung for a few seconds. He looked up, seeing you grinning as you showed him the tip of your sword – there was a small amount of blood. His blood.

   “What… What just happened?” You wiped the sweat with the back of your hand, mind and body still filled with adrenaline. It took a lot of concentrating and you were so tired already. But it had been worth it.

   “It’s an ability I’ve been working on! What did you think? Also, sorry for the cut and the blood, I’ll wash it later.” You should probably ask Machi to do the stitching since you might rip it further with how excited you’d be from remembering this moment.

   “That was great! How did you do it?” Your boyfriend’s excitement fuelled yours and you explained the process.

   “It’s basically a clone or a puppet, if you want. I can make it look like me and say it’s a double, but it takes more Aura and concentration and I can’t do it for too long yet. It’s pretty much telepathically connected to me, so I can think strike from the left and it’s going to do just that. The simpler the command, the more I can focus on keeping its movements and connection to me.” You were suddenly engulfed in Nobunaga’s arms, patting his back as he kissed the side of your head, proud of you. You’d grown since he’d left for his mission a few weeks before.

   “I’m so proud of you, (Y/N)! It really caught me off guard, but you got a cut on me. You win.” You hugged him tighter before kissing his cheek. “Come on, let’s go and get something to eat. I’m starving.” You nodded before the two of you left, holding hands and talking about your next training session.

   You wondered if you could rope the other Spiders into training with you and maybe giving you pointers for developing your ability better. Though you had a feeling that Nobunaga might insist on teaching you – after all, he was your boyfriend and he wanted to help you. And also praise you. And reward you. And only he could do that. The thought made you smile as you kissed his cheek one more time before continuing to walk towards the city.

[raviotherabbit]

royal pain in the ass- chapter 6

Chapter 6: Era of the Great Sea Captain Tetra saves some castaways.

[first] - [previous] - [next] read it on ao3!

  △ ▲△

There was just something about Outset Island.

Tetra hated pretty much everything about it. The people there were soft, even the fishermen who spent their days hunting down the monsters of the sea. Everyone was preoccupied with their simple lives. Rearing their children, washing their clothes and hanging them to dry, playing with wooden swords…

They all went on like this, day after day, as though a great and powerful kingdom did not lay in ruins, miles below the sea.

But still, some little part of Tetra couldn’t help but want it. She wanted that simple life, to live without a care in the world. The burden on her shoulders was heavy, but the time she’d spent on Link’s little island, where nobody needed anything from her, had lifted it.

So when she found Link on Outset, of all places, well… that just sweetened the deal, didn’t it?

Rats… Wind was his name, now, wasn’t it? At least for now it was.

The best part of Outset, though, had to be the woods. The Forest of Fairies was quiet these days, which perhaps made it all the more ideal in Tetra’s opinion. She never got a second alone on her ship, not truly, but she could here.

Gently, she placed a hand on one of the trees, tracing the grooves in its bark. She was familiar with this one. When the Helmaroc King dropped her, it was this tree that she fell into, the branches snagging on her clothes. And then she met Wind.

Goddesses, where would she be without Wind? If this one, special, stupid kid hadn’t found her that day. Part of her wanted to think she could have taken Ganondorf on her own, and that was the part of her she let control the narrative.

Still, the Forest of Fairies was beautiful. Tetra could only hope their new home would have places half as pretty. With its cool breeze rustling fallen leaves, the ever-present smell of fresh dew, and gentle harp strumming…

Wait. Who the hell was playing the harp up here?!

Her good mood thoroughly ruined, Tetra followed the sound of the harp. Eventually, she came upon one of the heroes, sitting at the forest’s cliff.

What was his name? Cloud? No, that’s close, but not right… What’s a Hero of the Clouds, anyway? That sounded stupid. Hero of the Sun? Hero of the… Wind? No wait-

Sky! It’s Sky!

Yikes, though. Sky didn’t look so good. He kept plucking at the strings of his harp, but each time he only made it a few notes in before wincing. There were dark circles under his eyes, which kept darting up towards his clear, blue namesake with desperation.

Tetra almost left right then and there.

But there was a voice in the back of her head, one that sounded a bit like Wind, a bit like an old king. A princess would try to help her people.

Ugh. Fine. This would be a good practice run, anyway.

“Hey, buddy,” Tetra awkwardly tried to put on her cheerful princess voice. “What’s- what’s up?”

Sky looked back at her, almost no emotion on his face. “Oh, Zelda.”

“It’s Tetra,” she responded instinctively, mentally cringing at her own bluntness. She’s trying to be nice now!

“Right, Tetra,” Sky nodded, as if reminding himself. “I have a question for you.”

“Alright, I can answer questions.” Tetra took a seat next to Sky, letting her legs dangle off the cliff’s edge. “What do you want to know?”

“Your Hyrule,” he gestured towards the Great Sea, expanding as far as the eye could see. “How did it come to be this way?”

Right, this guy’s the first one. “Well, Ganondorf was sealed in the Evil Realm,” she started.

“Then what happened?”

“He broke free. The people of Hyrule, they prayed to the Goddesses to save them from his wrath, and-” Tetra swallowed. “And they flooded the land.”

For a moment, Sky was silent. His grip on his harp was tight, and for a moment, Tetra was concerned he’d break it. It was such a nice piece of treasure, after all, and it’d be a shame if it were harmed.

Finally, he spoke again. “How many died?”

“What?” Tetra almost shouted, certain she’d misheard him.

“When the flood came, how many died?” Sky reiterated, his gaze focused on the waves lapping at Outset’s shore.

“I- I don’t…” she sputtered helplessly. “I don’t know.”

“This is the legacy I’ve left the world,” Sky said. “What did their blind faith bring them?”

  △ ▲△

Standing on the stern of her ship, Captain Tetra takes in a deep breath and sighs. There’s nothing like the open ocean, is there? Cutting through the waves, the smell of salt in the night air…

With Wind gone on his little hero quest, searching for new land has taken a backseat. He would kill her if she even thought about founding her kingdom without him there by her side. Well, at least try to. They both know who would really win that fight.

But it’s not so bad. New Hyrule can wait, Tetra has a chance to focus on some of her own passions.

“Captain!” It’s Gonzo, Tetra’s right-hand man. He stops a few feet behind her. “We’ve spotted the Ghost Ship at Greatfish Isle!”

Like hunting down and destroying every last Ghost Ship on the high fucking seas.

“Excellent.” Tetra smirks. “Alter course for Greatfish. We’re going to destroy some undead tonight.”

“Uh, that’s just it, Captain,” Gonzo says. “There’s people on the island, yeah? And they’re fighting the monsters!”

“What?!” Tetra snaps back towards her subordinate. “Who would be stupid enough to fight a Ghost Ship?!”

△ ▲△

Of course, the second they noticed the ship, that’s when the undead started jumping onto their islet.

“Get it off get it off get it off get it off!” Flora desperately shouts as, using the Magnesis Rune, she slams the shield from Artemis down onto the Stalfos that has an iron-tight grip on her ankle.

“Flora, use the shield!” Dusk shouts over her shoulder, focused more on parrying off the sword of a Stalfos. In the same swift movement, she drives her rapier cleanly into its skull. As much as Artemis hates to admit it, Dusk is good. “Don’t make it a mallet!”

“She knows what she’s doing!” Artemis contends, just as her sword meets the lantern of a poe. “She doesn’t need you telling her what to do!”

“Now isn’t the time for arguing with each other!” Sun’s exasperation drips off her words. She’s just barely able to duck, dodging a swing from a Stalfos. On the ground, she kicks a leg out, knocking the walking skeleton off its feet.

Artemis’s eye twitches, and she snaps back around in anger. “I’m just saying-!”

But that moment of distraction was just a smidge too much. The Poe rises behind her, raising its glowing hand, preparing for the one, fatal strike. But before Flora can even gasp, or Sun can yell for her to watch out-

BANG!

The Poe’s lantern shatters, and with an agonizing shriek, it disappears.

There’s another ship in the water, bearing a red and white sail with two crossed swords. And there, gripping onto a rope as she leans off the bowsprit, is Tetra, the barrel of her gun smoking.

“Tetra!” Artemis could breathe a sigh of relief. “Thank the Goddess you’re here!”

Tetra blinks, taken aback for a moment. “Queenie?! I thought the Time War was over!”

“Fight now, talk later!” Sun shouts over the Stalfos she has in a headlock.

Tetra nods, tilting her head back towards her ship. “Boys! Lend them a hand!”

At her word, a crew of men lapel down from the ship and into the shallow waters. With their cutlasses drawn, they begin slicing away at the Poes and Stalfos attacking the stranded ladies.

Tetra sharply whistles, catching Artemis’s attention. “Queenie, take your best, leave the other two behind! We’re boarding that ship!”

Artemis bites her cheek. Her best, huh?

Well, there was no doubt about which of them had the most training.

“Dusk!” she cups her mouth as she yells.

And Dusk almost instantaneously freezes, her rapier dropping slightly as she looks at Artemis, her eyes wide.

“Come with me to the ship!” Artemis points towards the Ghost Ship. “We need you!”

For a moment, a very brief one, Dusk doesn’t react. Then, she smirks, a smugness only a queen could have.

“It’s about time,” she says.

  △ ▲△

The second they step into the Ghost Ship’s hull, Dusk’s nose wrinkles. “I can practically feel the dust in the air.”

The whole interior of the ship seems to be filled with smog, solidifying the undead ambience. Its wooden walls groan as it’s rocked by the sea, giving off the same eerie blue lighting it had on the outside. Below them, on the ship’s bottom, were monsters. Poes and ReDeads.

“We need to get back there,” Tetra gestures towards the back of the ship with her cutlass. “Once we take the treasure, the ship will disappear.”

“Right, because you’re pirates,” Dusk crosses her arms. “Remind me how you two know each other, again?”

Artemis and Tetra exchange a glance. “The War Across the Ages,” the former explains. “We recruited many individuals adrift from their own eras.”

“But pirates? Really?” Dusk gestures to Tetra with a hand.

“I’ll have you know, I’m the greatest pirate who ever sailed this sea,” Tetra jabs her thumb towards herself.

Artemis rolls her eyes. “Come on you two, behave. You’re cousins, after all.”

“Wh-what?!” Dusk sputters. “I thought you said her name was Tetra!”

Tetra snorts. “Yeah, but to some people, it’s Princess Zelda.” She holds out her hand, winking at Dusk. “Welcome to the family, cousin!”

Hesitantly, Dusk shakes her hand. Tetra responds with a shocking amount of vigor.

“Now that that’s settled,” Artemis claps her hands together. “How about we defeat some undead?”

As if answering her question, Tetra shoots right at the ReDead’s skull. While her bullet is enough to defeat the single ReDead, the sound also draws the attention of the other monsters on the ship. Slowly, they begin shambling towards the ledge the ladies stand on.

“Oh great,” Dusk mutters to herself. “There goes our element of surprise.”

“Dusk, we should stick together,” Artemis suggests, careful in her phrasing as she draws her rapier. “We can watch each other’s backs.”

With a nod, Dusk retrieves her own sword. “Let’s go,” is the only thing she says before she jumps off the ledge.

  △ ▲△

These new guys, Sun decides, are good. They’re decent with their swords, though she knows they’d be better if they’d attended the Knight’s Academy. At least they’re good enough to make up for both Artemis and Dusk’s absences.

One of the taller pirates slices clean through the neck of a Stalfos, its head landing just at Sun’s feet. Rearing her foot up, she crushes it under her boot. Of course, she’d never admit it, but that crunch! is such a sweet sound. Like music to her ears.

Sun’s ears twitch slightly as they pick up the faint sound of clanging metal. She’s just in time to duck again, missing a swing from an angry Poe.

“Hey, pirates!” she shouts, hoping to catch the attention of at least one of them. “Think one of you can take this for me?”

The tall one with the bandana nods, quickly moving himself between Sun and the Poe. She sighs. She just isn’t equipped to deal with that, today. Maybe if she’d remembered to bring a sword…

Sure, hand-to-hand combat isn’t usually her first choice, but Sun has grown to appreciate it over the past few minutes. Hylia, not just appreciate it. She loves it, more than she ever thought she would. Who would have guessed that punching things would be so fun?

“Well, well, look who’s decided to grace us with her presence.”

Oh, that sounds considerably less fun!

Turning behind her, Sun sees what must be the monster Artemis and Flora told her about. Because as her eyes lay on him, it’s almost as if his form is wobbling, before solidifying into a figure she knows well.

It’s a shadow of Sky. A representation of her Link, but if he was dunked in black paint and given terrifying red eyes.

“I’ve heard of you,” Sun’s eyes narrow at Dark Link.

“Ah, and I know you, your grace,” Dark Link laughs, and though it’s cruel and contemptuous, some part of her head thinks, ‘That’s familiar.’

“But tell me,” he continues. “What’s Hylia herself doing so far from home?”

Sun freezes, her blood running cold. “How did you…? Who are you?”

“What, you don’t recognize your own hero?” Dark Link frowns mockingly. “You know, I thought he’d take the longest to crack, but just a few whispers about the sea, and-” he abruptly snaps. “He was as good as gone. Now that fairy brat, on the other hand…”

“Stop it,” Sun snaps at him. “Just tell me where they are.”

“Oh? And why would you care?” The shadow tilts his head, and for a moment, his confusion almost seems genuine. “You goddesses have never cared for the fates of your heroes.”

And then, there’s a spark inside of Sun, and it sets her whole mind on fire. “I am not Hylia,” she asserts, grabbing onto his arm. “I. Am. ZELDA!”

It’s a moment of pure focus, the first time she’s ever said anything like that aloud, let alone screamed it. Unfortunately, it’s also a moment of distraction, just as Dark Link wanted. He draws his shadowy Master Sword, raises it above his head, and-

“SUN!”

Suddenly, Flora pushes Sun out of the way. The sword’s hilt strikes her head with a loud, sickening CRACK! She ends up collapsing right on top of her ancestor.

“Flora!” Sun gasps, tilting the scholar’s chin up to get a better look at her. After such a nasty blow, it makes sense that she’s out cold. But there’s blood, a lot of it, practically running down her face from above her left eye.

“You hurt her!” Sun exclaims, drawing Flora as close as she can bring her. “You son of a-!”

But, just then, they’re interrupted by two more shouts. In all the hassle, Sun hadn’t even noticed the Ghost Ship’s disappearance. Dusk, Artemis, and Tetra stand on the shore, staring right at the mess in front of them.

In an almost simultaneous burst of light, Artemis and Dusk summon their Bows of Light. Tetra draws her pistol, all three taking aim at Dark Link.

“Not another move, asshat,” Tetra warns him. “Attacking a princess is rude, you know.”

“She’s a queen,” Artemis informs her.

“Attacking a queen is rude, you know,” Tetra amends.

“Well,” Dark Link raises his hands above his head. “It seems we’re at an impasse.” He catches Sun’s eye one last time. “Farewell for now, your grace.”

Before any shots can be fired, Dark Link’s shadowy mass collapses in on itself. Like a splash of water, he sinks into the ground and disappears.

As the adrenaline fades from her body, Sun suddenly looks down at the bleeding body in her arms. She tightens her grip around her descendant, instinctively covering Flora’s wound with her hands.

“Oh no,” she mutters to herself as her fingers turn red. “Guys! We need help!”

  △ ▲△

It’s just a head wound, Tetra told them. And a head wound means it looks worse than it is, and it’ll bleed more than usual. Flora’s fine, she insists, she’ll wake up soon. All they have to do is keep an eye on her bandages and wait.

“I mean, you’ve seen my Link,” Tetra explains, leaning against her ship’s railing. “He gets a concussion every other week. He’s bounced back from worse than what Flora has.”

There really was no reason to stay on Greatfish any longer, now that they had Tetra and her crew. She’d been so generous as to waive the transport fee, something about a family discount that Artemis didn’t really hear. They’re heading to Windfall Island, so that they can restock their supplies before the next portal appears.

Flora was set up in one of the bedrooms below deck, tucked safely into one of the beds. Artemis has taken it upon herself to remain by her side, at least until she wakes up. She’s just so pale, and she hasn’t moved an inch…

As the first rays of light touch the sea, there’s a light knock on the door.

“Come in,” Artemis calls out, rising from her chair at Flora’s bedside.

The door creaks open, and Dusk pops her head in. “How’s she doing?” she asks, tilting her head towards Flora.

“No change,” Artemis crosses her arms and sighs. “I know Tetra said this is normal, but still…”

Dusk steps into the cabin, closing the door behind her with a sigh. “Sun’s a bit of a wreck. I told her I’d check in on Flora if she ate something.”

“She doesn’t blame herself, does she?” Artemis questions, wringing her hands together.

“The hit was intended for her, from what I can gather,” Dusk reveals. She gently places a hand at the top of Flora’s head. “You’re quite brave.”

Artemis smiles weakly, sitting back in her chair. “How are you holding up, Dusk?”

“I’ll admit, pirate ships aren’t as bad as I thought,” Dusk chuckles lightly. “It’s quite cozy here.”

“Dusk, I’m-” Artemis starts, but she swallows and starts again. “I’m sorry. You haven’t really spent that much time travelling before, and it was irresponsible of me to assume you’d feel comfortable with it immediately.”

“Artemis,” Dusk sighs. She kneels next to her, taking her hands into her own. “I should be the one apologizing. You were trying your best, but… I’m sorry, I was rude about your night watch, and I really ruined the whole thing, didn’t I?”

“Oh come on,” Artemis scoffs, but for once, there’s no malice behind her words. Her hands return Dusk’s grip with a tight squeeze. “You clearly weren’t okay with it, and I took that personally instead of making sure you were alright.”

“I just…” Dusk purses her lips together. “I’m scared of being alone in the dark.”

“Then you won’t have to cover any watches,” Artemis asserts. “But, you know, I spent a lot of time in a warped version of your era. I even met the most peculiar woman, a princess of the Twilight Realm…”

Dusk gasps. “You met Midna.”

“I did,” she nods. “So if you ever need someone to talk to, please consider me.”

Wordlessly, Dusk leans forward and pulls Artemis into what might be the warmest hug she’s felt in years. And instinctually, Artemis hugs her back.

For a long time, they stay like that.

“You know, I never figured it out,” Dusk suddenly speaks. “Flora’s down the family tree, and Sun’s up it. When exactly does the War Across the Ages take place?”

“From your perspective? You have about two-hundred years to go,” Artemis reveals. “You’re my grandmother a few times over, by the way.”

“What?!” Dusk suddenly draws back. “Why didn’t you lead with that?!”

  △ ▲△

Waking up is quite the process. When Flora opens her eyes for the first time, her vision is blurry. Like the world’s been spun around. Just barely, she’s able to lift her head, though her neck protests such movements.

There, sitting at the edge of her bed, though. That has to be Mipha. Who else would wait for her like that, within arm’s reach should she need an extra bit of healing?

Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Daruk and Urbosa just a few feet away. They’re talking to each other, maybe about her. Their tones are quiet and subdued, though. And Revali! Revali is waiting, just by the door. That's just like him to hover, even if he pretends not to.

‘Did I pass out in the spring again?’ she wonders.

“Flora?”

But then, she blinks, and it’s almost as though the scene shifts. It’s Sun sitting on her bed, a look of hope clear on her face. Artemis and Dusk freeze, gaping at Flora’s awakening. Tetra is the one who’s by the door, though she’s clearly keeping her distance.

Right. Of course.

“Flora!” Sun springs to her feet. “You’re okay!”

And then, before Flora’s sluggish mind can catch up with her, Sun wraps her up into a tight hug. Flora’s head throbs at the sudden, jerky movement.

“Ow…” Flora groans.

Sun gasps in shock, dropping Flora back onto her pillow. “Sorry!”

“Hylia’s fucking tits-” Tetra curses, missing Sun covering her chest with an arm at those words. She pushes herself between Sun and Flora. “Do none of you know how to handle head injuries? Stop moving her around!”

“I’m sorry, it’s just-” Sun awkwardly fidgets with her fingers. “She got hurt because of me! I need to make sure she’s okay!”

“And I want to make sure my travels with you four start off on the right foot,” Tetra insists. “Without anyone dying.”

“I’m fine,” Flora croaks out.

Dusk gestures a hand to the young queen. “See? She’s fine.”

“You’ve decided you’re coming with, then?” Artemis suddenly appears at Flora’s side, lightly patting her head. “You didn’t need much convincing.”

Tetra shrugs. “I figure I owe Link this much. He’d do the same for me.”

“Woo,” Flora weakly cheers, lamely raising a fist in celebration.

Artemis gently pushes her hand down. “We’ve still got a few days left on the Great Sea, Flora, don’t get your hopes up. We’re not going anywhere until that head wound of yours closes.”

“Aw…” Flora pouts, crossing her arms.

“Get some rest, kid,” Dusk instructs her. “You look like you need it.”

“You,” Flora points to Tetra, though there’s already a drowsiness to her words. “You’re going to tell me more about your time.”

Tetra nods mockingly, taking Flora’s hand into her own. “When you wake up, your majesty.”

[descendantofthesparrow]

Harry Hook x Reader - soulmate au! lost things

=

A soulmate. Something everyone had, whether they be on the Isle or in Auradon. You had watched your mom and dad hand things the other had lost back to each other, either be a pen or a full stack of papers.

Oh, did I forget to mention? Soulmates found whatever the other lost. So say one lost their phone? The other would find it moments later.

Sometimes appearing mid-air and dropping into your hands. Your mom had once lost her wedding ring when she was cooking, your dad decided to be all dorky and “propose” all over again.

It was one of your fondest memories of them, it always filled you with the hope that one day, maybe you and your soulmate would be that way.

Speaking of your soulmate.

A pair of headphones appeared out of the corner of your eye. You smiled and picked them up, examining them.

They were a dark red with black leather for the ear cushions, little silver and gold bits and bobs decorated the headband and outer shell of the speakers, a small cross bone skull painted on the left ear.

You knew for a while that your soulmate was and isle kid, from the state of the items he lost. Always run down or used, broken, worn down, and sometimes, things you had “lost” before that he had lost again.

Like this pair of headphones, it was a pair of headphones you had bought last month and “lost” them, and now soulmate had lost them again.

You tossed them onto your bed and continued to work, knowing you would soon forget about them and they would return to your soulmate.

=

Harry growled in frustration as he tore through his room for his headphones. “goddamnit!” he yelled, tossing up his pillows, hearing them thud on the ground behind him a moment later.

“where the hell are meh headphones!?!” Harriet rolled her eyes behind him, messing with the threads of her new shirt (mostly new, her soulmate had lost it recently)

“yeh dolt it's with yer soulmate, yeh will get it back soon jus’ wait” she muttered, sneering as Harry turned to her and stuck his tongue out.

“shut up Hettie” he jeered back, grabbing his discarded pillows and tossing them back on his bed.

Somehow throughout the years, his soulmate had lost a lot of of….comfortable things, like soft fluffy pillows, blankets, hoodies, and even a full bag of food!

Sometimes he thought his soulmate purposely lost things to give him stuff. It was one of the reasons he wasn’t starving to death or sleeping on a lump of stone for a mattress so he wouldn’t complain.

“harry” he looked at his sister, pressing his lips together and shrugging.

“what” he stressed, eyes drifting to where she was pointing.

There on his dresser was his headphones, though they weren’t there a moment ago “told ya”

Harry glared at her and snatched them off his dresser, tossing them around his neck and stomping out of his room.

=

“(y/n) I swear I can't find my new shirt! I just got it last week!” Audrey whined about her shirt, it was a non-expensive one but it was comfortable and breathable. You sighed through the phone.

“Audrey, if you can't find it, your soulmate has it, so just chill okay?”

She sighed “I know I know but that was a good shirt!”

“just buy another one?” you suggested, knowing she could easily do that.

“but that was-what the-oh” you heard something in the background and you sat up.

“new thing?”

“uh…yeah? It’s a ….bracelet?”

“whats it looks like?” you trapped your phone between your cheek and neck, continuing to work on your essay.

“silver, bunch of….piraty things on it? Is the best way to describe it I guess, and some red gems on it too”

“sounds cool” you laughed, setting your phone down and turning on speakerphone. “so hows you “vacation” going?”

“pretty good, I got my hair done”

“I saw, it looks dope” you complimented. Audrey hummed back.,

“I like it too, so anything new for you?”

“yeah, headphones, and a ring” you glanced at the red ruby ring on your desk, the teeth of the skull clamping around the jewel” “so you’re sure its an isle kid?”

“has to be, everything they lose is used, the only thing that was relatively new was stuff I lost”

“hmmm, well you know I really don’t like isle kids”

“correction, you don’t like Mal” you interrupted quickly, knowing she liked Evie to an extent and Carlos and Jay weren’t really on her radar.

“yeah yeah, but if they are an isle kid I won't be mean, if it's your soulmate it's your soulmate!”

“same for you Aud” you teased, her lost things were also very…isle like, but she constantly denied it.

“oh shut up”

You glanced at your clock and sighed “I gotta go, I have a thing to do”

“im guessing cotillion?” Audrey muttered.

“yeah, sorry Aud”

“its fine, its not your fault Ben was spelled”

“I know, but still” you murmured, saving your essay and closing your laptop “alright I really gotta go!”

“bye! Talk to you later kisses!” she made a kiss sound and hung up, leaving you to get to jane to help plan cotillion.

=

You jumped as Lonnie burst into your room, speaking quickly “bens on the isle kidnapped by pirates and I need your help to convince Jay and Carlos to let us help!”

You stayed silent as you processed her words before leaping out of bed and quickly getting dressed.

“let's go!” you grabbed your sword and ran out with Lonnie,  running around to the front.

“we’re coming with you guys” Lonnie stated, surprising  Jay and Carlos, the two boys laughed nervously.

“what? We don’t need swords at the…..waffle hut?” Carlos's smile dropped and he slowly turned his head to look at jay.

“really?”

“look its either you take us or….we’re gonna have to tell fairy godmother” jay and claros glanced at each other and sighed.

“alright, but (y/n) do you eve-“

You snorted and lifted up your arm, revealing the P tattoo you had gotten a couple of years back In honor of your uncle jack.

“There are some things I haven't told you guys” you laughed, pushing past them and heading to the limo.

=

Harry raised his brow as beasty boy kept glancing at his wrist “what are yeh lookin’ at beasty” he huffed, pointing his hook at him.

“…that bracelet looks very familiar for some reason” Ben muttered, squinting at the red and (f/c) beaded bracelet.

“so wha’ its meh soulmates” Harry rolled his eyes, turning around and strutting around the mainmast.

Bens eyes widened, that’s where he recognized it, it was (y/n)s! maybe-

“Finally!!!” ben was ripped from the mast, and pushed to the plank. “so lets get this started shall we!!” Ben looked to the group had arrived, relieved to see you among them.

No matter how pirate someone was, it was hard to beat the daughter of the king of pirates after all.

(y/n) turner.

=

You glanced around, some of these guys were hardly holding their swords correctly. You kept your sword behind your back since Mal had said to keep them hidden so Uma didn’t know anything was up.

Soon, mal passed the wand to uma, ben being handed back to her. As the pirates yelled in victory, you locked eyes with the tall red-coated boy, his bright ocean blue eyes sending a shock down your spine.

‘the hell’ you thought to your self, shaking your head, about to run back to the tunnel when uma screamed and broke the “wand”

“NO!” your eyes widened, watching as Uma drew her sword “YOU DO NOT GET TO WIN EVERY TIME!” Carlos dug out the smoke bombs and launched them at the pirates.

You sighed, drawing your sword and flipping it in your hand, cringing as mal fumbled to grip ber sword correctly.

“mal space your fingers and move your thumb to the right!”

You leaped down the deck, landing in a crouch next to mal. “you focus on ben, ill handle any that come” mal looked startled but obeyed, running up the deck to get to ben.

Uma locked eyes with you, pointing her sword at you “get her!”

You smirked, twisting around and dodging several pirates blades, heh, your baby cousin could fight better than these goons.

Uam huffed, deciding to deal with you herself. You smirked as she ran at you, easily blocking and parrying her attacks.

She was quite good, possibly taught by one of the OG pirates that lived on the isle, but still.

She couldn’t best you. You disarmed her and tripped her, wincing slightly as she hit the deck with a loud smack.

“who the hell-“ her eyes widened as she caught sight of your wrist. You smirked.

“honor among thieves young captain” you purred, embedding her cutlass beside her head. As you ran to head back to the tunnel, something appeared mid-air.

A silver hook.

…

…

…

Oddest fucking timing you got ain't cha soulmate??? You ignored it, strapping the hook to your belt loops and running, not seeing umas jaw drop as that entire event happened.

“holy shit” she muttered, jumping as Harry popped up behind her and growled.

“I lost meh hook!”

=

Later in the limo, Evie finally caught sight of the hook, her eyes widening “h-how did you get Harrys hook? You never fought with him??”

“Harry who?” you muttered confused, grabbing the hook from your waist and holding it up “wait was this Harry apart of the battle?”

“yes! He was uma first mate! The one with the red coat!” Evie stressed.

You were silent for a moment before facepalming “this popped out of the air just as we were leaving.”

“oh shit” the car sounded back, Harry Hook was your soulmate.

=

A year later, the hook still sat on your dresser, delicately placed in a display case, and polished every week.

You had been unable to forget about it, unable to send it back to harry. So you kept it, not being able to go to the isle and give it back personally.

Until one day.

You dove underwater, glaring back up at the surface as you saw Audrey disappear.

You were really glad you followed your gut and took the hook with you to Janes birthday party.

Breaching the surface you took heavy breathes, swimming to the edge and lifting yourself up onto the grotto.

“come on, we gotta warn the others!” you lifted jane out of the pool.

“you go do that, I have to get my stuff!” you took your bike back to the dorms, changing out of your wet party clothes and into your gear.

You slid your loose leather jacket up to just below your elbow, putting on your gloves and ring.

Black pants with reinforced knees, calf-length steel toe boots, and your sword, hook once more on your belt loop.

As you stepped out of the dorms, you locked eyes with the vks.

“hey” you yelled out, smirking as they all jumped. “where the hell have you all been??”

“uh, getting hades ember???” mal looked you up and down, raising her brows “why are you dressed like that?”

“because I can” you snorted, locking eyes with harry “hey, I think this is yours” unhooking the hook, tossing it to harry.

He fumbled to catch it, jaw-dropping as he realized what it was “how-when did yeh get me…..oh…OH!” his cheeks turned pink, looking away from you and into his shoulder.

“yep, how’d you lose it in the first place?” you asked, watching as Harry glared at jay. “ah, gotcha” you snorted, following the group out as they had decided to go to the castle.

=

You smiled as the bridge began to build, your parents just behind you, hands on your shoulders. “you ready (y/n)” your mom asked, brushing a piece of cake off your cheek,

“yeah, and I think you guys will like him” you snickered. Your parents looked at each other, smiles on their faces.

“and why is that?”

“hes a pirate” you laughed, watching as Harry stepped over the bridge/Auradon border and locked eyes with you, a bright smile on his lips. He started to walk over to you.

“like mother like daughter” your dad laughed, grinning widely as you ran forward into Harry's arms.

“found yeh” Harry laughed, nuzzling his cheek into your hair, holding you tightly to his chest.

“I think our daughters in good hands” your mom hummed, intertwining hands with Will and walking over to greet harry.

you turned, smirking as you saw a black haired pirate girl hang Audrey recently lost necklace in front of her, Audrey cheeks Turing dark and she buried her face in her hands.

“wait Hetties soulmate is Audrey?....whoa” harry laughed, watching as his sister kissed the princesses forehead.

“i knew it” you chuckled, taking Harry arm and dragging him to meet your parents half way. “i never told you who my parents were right?”

“no?”

“yeah my moms Elizabeth Swan and my dads Will Turner.”

“WHAT?!”

---the end---

-this isn’t my best but I just had to get this idea out of my head, inspired by tik tok POVs with this au, might do a more in depth version of this--

 permtaglist

@queer-cosette​

@sephiralorange​

@lunanight2012​

@daughter-of-the-stars11​

@random-thoughts-003​

@amorathegamingkitsune​

@rintheemolion​

[marmolady]

Homecoming: Part One

Read PART TWO here!

Main Pairings: Estela x (f)MC, Graleister

Summary: Endless Ending. Estela and Taylor spend one last night in San Trobida before returning to La Huerta and facing their future. This was going to be a two-parter, but I got all long-winded, so four-parter is more like it.

Word Count: 3342

Chronology: After 'The New Taylor' and 'A Ride to Remember', sort of midway through 'Inheritance'.

Tagging: @saivilo, @edgydepressedchoicesthot, @sceptilemasterr, @greengroove @mauvecatfic​

Thanks for reading!

Parrying the blows of her brother’s sword with the easy grace of a well-honed professional-- she had been doing this since her early teens-- Estela seemed to dance across the basement floor, totally in her element. Then Aleister lurched forward, and she jumped back, effortlessly dodging his attack. But in the landing, she found herself, finally, unstuck. Under the sudden weight of her whole body, her wounded leg gave way, and she stumbled. In a split second, Aleister’s cautious approach fell away and he pushed his advantage before Estela could recover. With a final flick of his blade, she was disarmed.

Estela laughed at the look of plain shock on Aleister’s face at his own victory. “Not half bad,” she commented, impressed that he hadn’t fumbled around taking advantage of her weakness. Her healing leg injury had been a source of great frustration-- despite regular massages of the Vaanti-made ointment concocted using the leaves from The Celestial’s roof, improvement had plateaued. The last thing she wanted was to be babied. “You’re still wasting too much energy with flamboyant gestures. This isn’t ballet-- it doesn’t have to look pretty.”

“Well, it certainly doesn’t appear that ‘pretty’ has hindered my performance,” Aleister panted, recovering just enough to be rather pleased with himself.

Offering a hand to take Aleister’s sword, Estela grinned. “Like I said, not half bad. Come on, hermano. We’d better give Tio a hand in the kitchen; it sounded like he had a big spread planned.”

Brother. That was still new. Only in the lead-up to his hand-fasting to Grace a few months prior had Estela gone so far as to utter that word in relation to Aleister. He reacted as he always did, a double-take, then his cheeks going immediately pink. It had been so long he’d craved that acceptance… now that it was there, it seemed it would take him some getting used to.

All attempts at helping Nicolas out with the farewell dinner were met with strong resistance. Some butting of heads later, Estela realised it really wasn’t a hill worth dying on; if her tio wanted to do something special for them all, she’d just have to step back and let him. After all, it could well be some time before he’d have this opportunity again. Come the next day, she, Taylor, and their friends, would all be on their way, and Nicolas would once more be left to an empty house.

As much as she tried to join in the energetic conversations over dinner, Estela found herself distracted. With her return to La Huerta, she’d be taking steps to move on with her life; to come to terms with the grief she’d suffered and get some closure. And then… she was faced with working out what the hell kind of life she’d forge for herself; something that had been made all the more complicated since Aleister had seen fit to bestow upon her half of everything he’d been left after Rourke’s demise. She’d made good progress on coming to peace with that connection, but she was not fool enough to be under any illusions… she still had a long way to go.

The subject of conversation turned to the case against Lundgren-- and the subsequent clearing of Jake’s name-- and Estela shook herself back to the present.

“The evidence is fairly damning,” Aleister was saying as he loaded his fork with beef, egg and plantain. “Certainly, the prosecutors were pleased. That we have access to every file my father ever touched, and a wealth of video and audio recordings, it would be difficult indeed to look at what’s presented and not come back with a guilty verdict.”

Jake smiled wryly, the grin failing to make his eyes. “I’ll give ya one thing, Malfoy, your old lady ain’t a dame I’d want to get on the wrong side of. I guess… we’ll see. Worst case, settlin’ down out here wouldn’t be half bad.”

“We won’t rest until you’re home,” Grace declared resolutely, her dark eyes shining. “That awful man isn’t going to be remembered as anything other than a power-hungry conniving brute. I’ll stand up and make a witness statement in court myself!”

She had, Jake knew, her own haunting personal experiences of seeing that exact brutality at close quarters. It made him sick. “Hey-- I won’t have you dredging up all that. Not for me--”

Grace spoke across him, calmly but firmly. “It’s my stand to take. I had quite enough of being helpless as Rourke’s prisoner; I need to take my power back.”

Jake’s mouth snapped shut. He wasn’t about to argue with that. “The poor defense won’t know what hit it.” The words rang hollow as exchanged a subtle dark look with Estela. The optimism was nice and all, but experience had told the both of them that the world was a corrupt place and ‘fair’ barely counted for squat.

“I know you think I’m naive,” Grace said, “and maybe I am, but the fact remains that we’re not giving in.”

Taylor grinned, confident because she had to be. “I didn’t offer my life force to some crystal alien only for you to not get back to your family. This is a matter of ‘how’ and ‘when’, not ‘if’.”

Beside her, Estela nodded. “Look, we’d be crazy if we just go in assuming this is gonna be a cakewalk. But Pollyanna here is right; we’ll make it happen. We’re not the kind of people who just roll over to injustice, and anyone who thinks they can force us is in for a painful lesson.”

“Dang, Princess… I think you broke Eeyore. She’ll be a motivational speaker at this rate….”

“It’s Katniss, cabron. Y vete a la mierda.”

Jake sniggered into his beer. So, motivational speaker was a little stretch.

With dinner over, the group started disperse. As Estela made to make a start on clean-up, Taylor gently turned her around.

“I’m pretty sure me and Al can handle this. Make the most of tonight.”

Estela looked out through the window to the front porch, where Nicolas had settled with his flask of rum. She took a deep breath. Taylor was right; she couldn’t just let this time pass her by.

Cold beer in hand, she pushed open the front door and stepped out. “It seems like Aleister and Grace’s first bandeja paisa was a hit.”

Nicolas beamed at the sight of her, and clinked her bottle as she sat down in the other chair. “Of course. Either that or they are exceptional actors.”

“No chance,” Estela laughed. “You’ve seen the looks he gives poor Taylor’s cooking. Her confidence has been shot since they’ve been here. At least Grace is polite about it.”

“You must be excited. I’ve said for so long that your potential was being wasted, and now… the world is your oyster. I never thought I’d see the day.”

Estela shifted in her chair and took a long drink.

“What’s that look for, mija?”

“Well, yeah, I’m excited. Terrified, but…. If I finish this degree, I really should think of what I want to do with it. And, well, all that money Aleister’s pushing on me.”

“That gilipollas. You poor thing.”

“Actually, I’m almost getting used to the idea. As much as it freaks me out, Mom would have been so happy to know I’ve got a leg up.” A small smile crept to Estela’s face. “I keep seeing so many things I could help with. Like the schools and universities-- how much could recovery be accelerated if people had better opportunities to learn? Or physically rebuilding so much that had been destroyed, or actually protecting the wilderness of this beautiful place?” She blushed as she caught herself getting passionate. “Rourke International has the capacity to do so much; we could actually have tourists coming here. That hasn’t happened in my lifetime!”

Nicolas chuckled, looking at his niece with clear affection. But he saw the cloud of doubt across her face.

“I…,” she continued, “I just don’t know that I have the right. We just got rid of one dictator, and Mom was collateral damage to a would-be dictator.” A would-be dictator who’s inescapably part of who I am. “Money comes with a lot of power. Even if I’m using it for what I think is good… I could cause a lot of harm.” By the time she finished, her voice was but a murmur.

“True. Alternatively, you could be one of those misers who sit upon their millions while the people around them starve and suffer, buildings crumble, and forests burn.”

“So, you’re saying I can’t win?” Estela demanded.

“I’m saying, the enemy here is ignorance. Ignorance of what greater impacts of your generosity might be, and ignorance of what suffering might go on if that generosity is withheld. The fact that you are even having these doubts tells me that you are not ignorant to the consequences of your actions.”

Estela huffed thoughtfully. “I don’t suppose,” she grumbled after a little while, “that you’d let me be, even for a second.”

“Of course not! I might be getting on a bit, but I am by no means past letting you know when you ought to unstick your head from your own backside.”

Again, Estela fell quiet. She was not going to be existing in an echo chamber. She’d surrounded herself with people that she trusted, with strong opinions and varied perspectives; people who would not balk from challenging her when necessary. If she tried, she couldn’t become a tyrant, regardless of what blood coursed her veins. At any rate, she’d simply be-- for the most part, at least-- channeling funds to others better placed to make the change she wanted to see in her world. She could be as anonymous as she wanted. Perhaps… perhaps it would not hurt to put some faith in herself.

“I take it from your silence,” Nicolas said, “that you’ve realised that once again I’m right. Now, go back to happily daydreaming about all the good you will do.”

Estela sighed dramatically, but smiled at her uncle. “I’m really gonna miss you….”

“I can’t pretend I’ve been looking forward to waking to an empty house again. But the missing you will be temporary; that’s more than I could have dared to hope for not so long ago.”

The same was true for her. And there was no way in hell she’d let goodbye be forever, not now. “Yeah. You’ve got a good point.”

“Again?”

She snorted. “Shut up, Tio.”

_________________________

The night wore steadily on, and Taylor eventually had to retreat from socialising with Nicolas’ other guests to start making headway on her night-time routine. ‘Self-care’ was something she now had down to an art; she even made a point of noting down the steps taken each night so she could easily track what was most effective. By this point, she had a fairly solid schedule. Yoga was followed by a calming cup of mint or chamomile tea, sometimes accompanied by a hot bath-- though tonight it was too late for the nice long soak she’d prefer--, and then she’d wind down even further with a half-hour’s guided meditation. Jake teased her mercilessly, but she really didn’t give a damn. If she could de-stress just enough to keep the seemingly never-ending stream of horrifying nightmares at bay, he could laugh all he wanted.

Slowly, Taylor wiggled her fingers and toes, bringing herself back to the land of the living with a long exhale. Fifteen nights without being woken up by visions of her loved ones’ deaths was the best run she’d ever had, but if those nightmares were triggered by stress, then the imminent return to La Huerta might just be the trigger that would throw a spanner in the works.

The little dog, Fenix, stretched forward and licked Taylor’s toes.

“Okay, okay, I’m back! Was I ignoring you for too long? Thanks for not interrupting my meditation, I guess,” Taylor chuckled. Having the pet had done wonders for grounding her during her regular existential crises. Fenix had come a long way from the mangy worm-ridden creature they’d taken in; still scruffy even with a full coat of hair, she was now bright as a button, and with a tail that never seemed to stop wagging.

“You’d better enjoy having me to yourself while you still can, Nixie-- this time tomorrow, we’ll probably have Furball sleeping on the end of the bed as well.”

Happily oblivious Fenix rolled and tumbled in her human’s lap. Foxes with ice powers were far beyond her frame of reference, but she could sense that whatever Taylor was talking about made her happy, so naturally there was every reason to be in a good mood.

The door creaked, and a just-showered Estela entered the room, clad only in a towel.

“Hey. I heard you talking to Nix-- figured you’d finished your meditation.”

“Hey,” Taylor cooed, feeling herself practically melt as her wife reached down to stroke her hair. “I just finished; went pretty heavy on the self-care tonight, just to be safe. You ready for bed?” She let herself be helped to her feet, and wrapped an arm around Estela’s waist. “Last cuddle in your little single bed for a while.”

Estela smiled. “Last cuddle in our little single bed.”

Taylor changed into her pyjamas and nestled under the covers, waiting and watching in quiet contentment as Estela slipped into a singlet and a light pair of shorts.

“You are so, so beautiful, you know that?”

“Taylor, you tell me that ten times a day.”

“Just making sure you’re aware, lover.” Taylor pressed herself against the wall, making room on the tiny mattress.

“You ordered a cuddle, yes?” Estela kissed and nibbled along Taylor’s jaw, feeling a tremor of an exhale, then sat back to look into the sapphire gaze of her adoring wife. Beautiful just wasn’t big enough.

“So… how are you feeling about tomorrow?” Taylor ventured.

“A lot of things,” Estela admitted. “Getting on that plane to La Huerta is going to bring back a lot of stuff. And saying goodbye to Tio… well, let’s just say, we’d better have a lot of tissues packed.”

Taylor squeezed her tight. “It’s not forever this time. And I think he knows that-- otherwise you’d be leaving again over his dead body.”

That made Estela give a little snort of laughter, but then she shook her head, sighing. “I know the guilt I’m feeling is irrational. Tio is just so happy to see how much things have changed for me. He wants me to go out and live my best life. But that doesn’t mean I can stop myself feeling it, just like that.”

Taylor didn’t have a lot of life experience, but guilt? That, she knew all about. “We’re just going to have to keep talking to that irrational part of your brain, then. Honey, your tio thought you were dead for so long-- you coming back every now and then, smiling, on your way to healing… that’s just the most amazing gift you could give him. And maybe… it’s going to help him move on too.”

“Yes.” Man, I hope so. Estela knew that her uncle had closed himself off to the world. That he’d seen that he’d done his part in life, and then retreated from it. He joked around, but for so long he’d been broken inside. Now, they could make strides towards something better, together-- even if there was a distance between them. Now, Estela had hope for them both.

Taylor snuggled close, spooning her wife from behind, and leaving  lingering kisses upon her neck and shoulders.

“What about you?” Estela asked softly, turning in the warm embrace so she could meet Taylor’s eye. “I guess this will feel like going home.”

“Yeah, I guess it will be. Something like that. It’s a very… it’s a very weird feeling, you know?”

“I can imagine. It’s going to be strange to be back on La Huerta without everyone. The village is gonna be like a ghost town.”

A small smile tugged at Taylor’s lips; in spite of her own worries. Estela sure was perceptive. “It’s kind of freaking me out.” Of course, Estela already knew that, but it had never hurt to actually put the words out there. It was quite clear that they both had to look forward to a crash course in moving on. But that they were alive, and together, and free to do so… it was everything they’d fought for. “I’m bursting to see Diego again, though. It must have been so much weirder for him these past months.”

There was a grumbling, grunting sound as Fenix settled herself into a nest made out of the clothes Taylor had left on the floor. Both women chortled. Nothing like a funny little dog to keep the mood light.

Estela tenderly stroked Taylor’s hair, loving her. “You’ll have a lot to catch up on. It’s gonna mean a lot to him to have you there.” She blushed. “It… means a lot to me to have you here.”

“Good. Because you’re stuck with me.”

“Taylor, we all are. And you’re stuck with us. There’s nothing that can change that.”

As she looked into Estela’s soft gaze, Taylor’s heart swelled. If she knew anything at all, she knew that much. All she had to do was trust in that sweet certainty.

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

Motion Sickness Chapter 93

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(Winter POV)

Training with the new powers was harsh. It was an inconcrete thing. Where one might normally run laps to build up speed or stamina or lift weights to grow stronger the powers of the maiden were transcendental.

The training still took a great deal from you, as though you had been running laps or lifting weights, however. It left me exhausted and it left me weaker than normal. I had a long way to go until I reached the power of a fully realized maiden like Fria had been.

As far as I was aware even Cinder Fall had yet to master her powers. Though she had an additional helping of them being both fall and spring.

My heels clicked down a street nearby to the academy leading up to where my small apartment was. It was a cozy thing with spartan furnishings. It was so unlike the manor I had grown up in. The military lifestyle suited me after the years I spent as a child under my father.

To my father everything had to be extravagant. He needed it that way. I was different. I thrived off of the bare minimum.

There was the sound of footsteps behind me on the dark street. I turned around. There was a woman standing there.  She was nearly as tall as I was in a dark crimson dress. She had an eye patch over half her face with dark hair and a glowing ember eye. I recognized her at once.

This was Cinder Fall.

I pulled my weapon on her and she let out a short terse laugh. She summoned her own weapons to her hands. Swords made of glass, one in each palm. Just like her profile described.

I split my scimitar so I, too, had a weapon in each hand.

"So quick to arms? I just have a couple questions for you," her voice rang out melodic.

She hurled a mote of fire at me and I slipped behind a corner, into an alley that lined the street. The explosion rocked the side of the building I pressed my back against.

"This is Special Operative Winter Schnee I nee-" my scroll was blown out of my hands.

"None of that." Cinder strode up on me with a bow in her hands now. She shot my device out of my hands with an explosive arrow. It rocked my world a little and I was sent tumbling down the alley and away from the bigger street.

She inhaled deeply through her nose like she was smelling the conflagration. Fire roared up from behind her and she slammed me into a wall. She held me there with her weapons in sword formation once again.

I was a hair taller than her but she was incredibly strong. I pressed forward with my weapons, swinging one in each hand and she deftly blocked it with narrow twists of her wrists.

Her eye glowed with the power of a maiden burning away at the corners.

She summoned lightning. It crackled down onto us both and she whipped her weapons at me and it struck me high. I summoned a glyph behind me and darted forward on the magic in a landing attack.

She met my strike to the side and lashed out with a kick that caught me in the gut.

"Now about my questions…" she trailed as she prowled towards me like a tigress. "Where is the winter maiden, Winter Schnee? Is it you now? I wonder?"

I summoned a glyph at my back and launched myself again towards her. I slashed twice at her low, high then I brought forth dust from my weapon and swept fire at her. She ducked underneath the fire and came at me with both her weapons in diagonal fierce cuts.

I managed to block them all then I jumped off the wall and back-flipped away from her and hoped to gain some space.

She kept on top of me. Prowling forward she sliced at me with her weapons. I blocked one off to the side and deflected the other away from my face before I slashed at her stomach and caught her by the red aura there. She stuttered back a step.

"Well aren't you more than the General's plaything," she laughed at me.

I reared back and stabbed my weapon into the ground and brought forth another glyph. Snow white Grimm masked birds flew forward at Cinder Fall and buffeted her. She slashed through them and I let up after a few got through and harried her. I summoned a great Beowulf from nothing and it lumbered towards Cinder.

Cinder examined it contemptuously before she cut her way through it with a wave of fire.

She twirled her weapon around her and fire emanated forth. It spun around her like a dancer's ribbon before she struck out with it and I only just managed to flip out of the way of the blaze.

I came down on her with both my weapons and I cut at her diagonally then horizontally then diagonally with both of them. She only met my strikes while backing up steps to give a little ground in the tight alley. It was a touch claustrophobic for my tastes and it was only getting hotter as Cinder reved things up.

She flew at me, leaving a blaze behind her on the ground as she did. She came at me with narrow slices and sharp thrusts. Then she hovered in a tight circle around me and kicked me in the back of the head.

I fell to the ground and looked up at her. Some of my maiden powers must have flared up because she whispered. "It is you."

There was no use hiding it. There hadn't been at any rate. This was a win or lose fight for me. I couldn't afford to keep more cards in reserve. I had already nearly exhausted my maiden powers, though, with my day of training with them. I was already bone tired and nearly at my limit. Only the rush of adrenaline kept me going at the moment.  

I slashed towards her and summoned a wall of ice along the sides of the alley with dust. Spires poked out towards her from the sheet of frigid material.

It hardly slowed her down even having been caught up in it. She attacked me with more fire and the alleyway was filled with hot steam that burned my eyes and made me cough.

There was a flare of lightning as she approached me and she swung her weapon towards me and there was a zap that caught me in the center of my mass.

It tossed me down the alleyway and sent me rolling. I picked myself back up to my feet in time to meet a wild slash of glass sword. I held it at bay with my stiletto in my left hand and took a swipe at her with the scimitar in my right. It only met air as she ducked at followed it with a swing of her own weapon in her right hand.

I met it with my stiletto again. Then she took a slash at me with her free weapon. I was forced to block with my scimitar.

She flipped in place, bringing both weapons down on me and I blocked them with an 'x' of my own tools.

She kicked me in the stomach and made to summon more fire. It swirled around her in an inferno as she stepped towards me. I felt my aura burning off of me from the heat. She swept both her weapons at me and the fire followed.

Nowhere to run or duck in the alley I was forced to shield myself with glyph as best as I could. It shattered like glass and the heat raced over me.

I summoned a glyph behind me and darted over her, then back over her with another swipe. Then another in a blitz of attacks that made me shed aura like rain but it was worth it for the three clear slashes I landed on her own aura.

I made to do it again, after all, if a strategy is working, then why change it? I launched myself towards her and made for another swing but she got bodily in my way and I ended up tackling her down the alley and back out into the open street.

I slashed my blade at her and wave of lightning emanated out of it. It raced over her body and made her shudder from the force of it. It left her smoking. I saw my opportunity and slashed deeply into her aura with first the stiletto then the scimitar.

I tore out deep red chunks of energy from her body and made her scream in rage. Cinder summoned a dagger into one hand and brought it down on my head. I only narrowly dodged to the side.

She summoned her swords again and came sweeping at me with three fast blows that spun her in a circle. I blocked the first two but the last caught me across the stomach.

One little moment stood out to me as I was pushed back. One simple thing. I was probably going to lose. And if I did… when I did… the power of the winter maiden could not go to Cinder Fall.

I took my weapons and I cut at her in a rhythmic pattern. Low high low. High high low.

Cinder blocked them all with a sly smile on her face. Her grin only widened as she counter attacked with raw fire in a flare that sent me scuttling back across the street.

My own control over the maiden's powers were so much less refined and they were worn down after a day of using them hard for the first time.

She swung her weapons at me and there was a zap of lightning that crackled down her arms from her body and further into her weapons then out at me.

It shocked me and I felt my body convulse and falter. My aura hardly defended me as low as it was. It hurt a great deal.

She flew at me with flames behind her and I barely raised my weapons in time to match just one of hers. She shoved me all the way back into a brick wall. My head cracked back against it harshly and then she went and tried to sweep one of my legs out from under me. Only fleet footwork kept me up right.

Then I was forced to block her other free glass sword with my smaller stiletto. I pushed back against her for a moment before she faded back and caused me to fall forward. She tripped me and hooked the hilt of her weapon behind my neck and threw me to the asphalt. She kicked me in the side while I was down and I rolled with it to get back to my feet.

I pushed both palms down into the asphalt and picked myself up. She was on me with a wild swing of her glass sword. I deflected it and riposted with a thrust of my scimitar.

She parried it easily enough. I stuttered back a step and summoned a glyph and using dust I sent a hail of ice shards her way. She summoned fire hot enough to melt them and turn them to steam. I kept the hail going a moment longer but quickly ran out of usable dust long before I made progress through her wall of fire.

I was losing. I was losing badly and I wasn't sure I could turn this around at all. It had been a bit like fighting Cloud Strife who had bodied me as well. This was just the edge that magic provided a competent user.

I was slowing down and I would probably lose long before help arrived to bail me out.

This was grim. None of my training had prepared me for the moments before I was about to die. How could it? I'm not proud of it but I panicked a little. All my analysis was screaming at me that these were my last seconds of life and if it wasn't these seconds it was going to be the next ones.

She summoned more fire and I dived to the side to avoid being immolated. I tried to clear my mind and rationalize but that was just leading me down a dead end road. I was about to die. I was about to die. I was going to lose and I was going to die for it. Cinder was just more dangerous than I was. Even at my best I wasn't sure I would be able to defeat her and I wasn't coming into this at my best.

I had a duty though. I had a job to do. I was still going to protect the maiden powers. Cinder wouldn't take a third one today. But who to choose? My brain was stunningly calm in its analysis of candidates compared to the panic I felt regarding my own imminent death.

There was Penny of course. Penny would do well. She was a wonderful person, perhaps even a friend. But it wasn't enough. My thoughts kept being drawn back to Cinder as she flew at me again and cut at me with her weapons. I stepped back blocking both.

I needed something more to anchor myself as I died. Least I be reminded of my attacker and the powers go to Cinder. Something more than a possible friend. There was really only one candidate at the end of the day.

My last thoughts would be of my little sister. It was the right choice. I knew it in my heart. It was strong enough as well. Strong enough that my thoughts never left Weiss as I stared Cinder in the eye and blocked her lightning fast slashes.

I fell back some more and her left arm just extended in Grimm blackness and chased me with her sword. I blocked her unearthly strength three times in a half second. Then she hurled another note of fire at me and dived across the rough pavement.

Still my thoughts were on my baby sister. Would she be up to the task at hand? Maybe. I prayed so. She would have all the support that I did to succeed. But was I just dooming her to die from the same woman that was attacking me now? Maybe so as well.

But she was committed and strong. She had a powerful team of friends to support her. She could get through this. She had as good a chance as anyone else I could bear to name as my successor.

"You Atlas types are all the same. Hoarding powers. You think it won't leave the rest of us hungry." Cinder prattled as she advanced on me again with three berserker cuts. I only blocked the last, the rest cut deep into my aura. "And I refuse to starve."

She pressed forward into me.

"Give it to me," she demanded. I wouldn't. My thoughts never left my baby sister. It had a certain resolve to it that I'd never managed to place at any other point in my life. It had no true point of comparison. It was a singular focus.

I fought back with a fury. I swung at her in a triage of blows that she neatly blocked with an unconcerned smile on her face. The total bitch.

I fought back like I was about to die. I swung for the fences and for Cinder Fall's head. She kicked me back a half step and chased with a swipe at my arm that knocked me and cut me open. The wound made me cry out as it tore my flesh.

I had nothing left. I was completely empty. This was it. This was the moment. She swiped my weapons to the side hard enough that I could hardly hold on to them.

She bent backwards and thrust forward. Then she stabbed me through the chest. I choked on air and I could feel my left lung filling with blood where she stabbed me. I could feel her sword part my ribs. The cartilage shattered.

She followed it with another slash across my throat. I dropped my weapons and reached for my neck vainly. Blood flowed over the wound and I couldn't breath through the slice in my esophagus. I choked helplessly on the gore. The pain was distant compared to my inability to breath and my sudden lightheadedness.

I fell to my knees still choking.

"Give it to me," she purred again. The last words I'd ever hear.

I didn't. I thought of my little Weiss.

Then I slipped my mortal coil.

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-WG

[ozzmodeus-main]

A/N: FIRST OBEY ME FIC and it’s the shy shut in!!! might seem like a weird concept but if uve played any fromsoftware game u might know what emotions beating a boss evokes lmao. I had a full smut planned but I might make that a part two if you guys like it!! It’s been so long since I wrote fluff too so,, yay!! lol

Fluff leading to soft lime

Levi/Fem! Reader

Sweet Victory

Being invited to help Levi beat a boss wasn’t new, but the set up for this one was.

Levi had gotten an infamously hard game a while back, Help! I’ve Been Thrown Into A Lovecraftian Victorian Gothic Nightmare, and talked MC into getting the same game on her console. It became a surprise bond between her and Levi, they talked about the game constantly with each other. She’d gotten good since, working hard on buffing her character up to beat the game. It was a great trade off, the game was hard enough that she had to learn the enemies, but that made it all the more rewarding when she beat a hard boss. They both got the DLC, and over the course of a month, they’d beaten all the bosses and beat the game.

Well, almost all of them.

The one boss they’d both had yet to beat, the final boss of the DLC, who’d been so insanely hard that it took MC off guard her first try, the oh-too-familiar ‘You Died’ screen popping up as the boss still slashed at the dead player only seconds after the cutscene ended. After dedicating a night to it, she gave up, content with the other trophies she’d wracked up.

Levi was... not so well off.

He’d obsessed over forum after forum about the boss; best weapon, best armor, best character stats; everything. Eventually, he’d stumbled onto a post claiming that they’d found an exploit that made it easier to beat the boss.

Only one problem. He needed a second player to beat it. The game had an online mode that put random players together based on character level and place in the game, but there weren’t any players online at the same place.

He’d been so disheartened by it he almost gave up, but then— a sliver of hope! A shining beacon!

“You need my help,” MC said slowly, “To beat the Orphan of Saz?”

“Yes,” Levi pulled out his D. D. D. to show her the post, “As much as it pains me to use an exploit, this is a big deal! If I beat this boss, I’ll have officially one-hundred percented the game, making me the first to do so!”

“And me the second.”

Levi huffed, “Yes, yes.”

She thought for a second, “How’re we gonna do that?”

Levi explained that they could make a whole game night of it— set up a second tv, MC’s console, get a bunch of snacks(straight from Akuzon to make sure Beel had food in the kitchen), and play until the boss was defeated.

And so it was decided.

Immediately after getting home from RAD, MC helped Levi move the system and TV to his room, making a big spot for the both of them in front of the TVs out of blankets and pillows. Levi ordered with same-day-delivery, and set out all the drinks and snacks for the both of them. Once they were settled after dinner, Levi explained the exploit and what weapons would be best.

Individually, they set up the game in online mode, Levi using an in-game item to summon MC’d character to his world once she had all the items she’d need. She did a ‘greet fellow hunter bow’ emoticon to his character. Levi chuckled and bowed back.

“Alright,” he said, suddenly more serious, “Let’s do this.”

———

It took hours to finally beat the boss.

After the first few rounds, they’d memorized his attacks and tells, and got so close to beating him twice.

MC was tired at this point, playing the game so aggressively into the wee hours of the morning, and Levi was furious. He muttered under his breath constantly about ‘stupid boss’ this and ‘normies’ that.

Almost all the snacks and drinks had been devoured, and the mini-pillow fort was a mess from Levi throwing pillows in frustration.

“Levi,” MC whined, “It’s so late—“

“We can’t stop now!” He pleaded, “We were so, so, SO close last time! We can do it, please!”

She mumbled but nodded, “Okay. One last try, alright?”

Levi nodded, “Alright. This time you go in first and I’ll execute the exploit, alright?”

She nodded and waited to get summoned back to his game. Their characters stepped through the fog, and the duo went to work picking at the boss’s health.

Soon, after dodges and parries and healing, Levi landed the last hit that took out the last bit of damage on the boss’s health bar.

“Oh my god— OH MY GOD!”

MC cried out when the boss finally collapsed, a big banner with NIGHTMARE SLAUGHTERED appearing on screen.

She was so full of adrenaline from the win she completely forgot how late it was, “We, we did it! We did it!”

She was excited, happy, relieved, pumped up, a rush of emotions had all hit her at once. She’d turned to Levi, ready to give him a high five, when he’d pulled her into his arms, his lips pressed to hers. She’d squeaked in surprise, and in the movement she’d lost her balance and fell back into the soft blankets.

The kiss broke when she fell, and Levi’s lips latched to her neck. Trailing kisses and nips along her hot skin, he looked for the sensitive parts to leave marks.

“Levi-i-iah,” MC lost her train of thought as he sucked softly at a spot under her ear, small gasps leaving her at the feeling. Her fingers wound themselves into his hair, encouraging his soft nips. “Where, mph, where did this come from?”

“I’m sorry,” Levi muttered against her skin, his hands were on her waist, bunching the fabric between his fingers, “I can’t— I can’t help it. I’m so hyped up, and, and I finally beat that boss,” He’d cut himself off as his fingers wiggled a bit underneath her sleep shirt, hands grasping at her sides and stomach, “Ah, youre... so soft...”

He’d pulled back a little to admire the small start of exposed skin, his eyes flicking everywhere from MC’s bellybutton to where her shorts dipped just low enough that he could see the band of her underwear.

“Please, MC, can I... c-claim my victory prize?”

She felt her face heat at his words and their insinuation, sure they’d hugged and kissed and high-fived but they hadn’t gone this far together before.

And MC would be lying if his eagerness didn’t get her excited too.

“Y-yes,” she realized she’d said it a little loud when his wide eyes met hers, “I-I... yes. Levi, I-I want you too. Please.”

He’d visibly relaxed at her words, nodding slowly and trailing his hands up to her chest.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to thank you for your help, too.”

[zero-rider]

A grim knight in the world

He didn't know why that new wolf-knight themed Grimm scared him, but at the same time it gave him a sense of familiarity. It was concerning for him, he was surprised by the hound when it took Oscar in Atlas, but this new Grimm scared him more than the first beowulf he saw when he was still untrained and on his way for his forged transcrips for Beacon. It didn't help the fact that he made him retreat from Atlas before he could enact the plan were he had fight Salem and endure so his friends could escape Atlas alive, maybe it was a bad idea, since he was talking about a freaking magical and inmortal old hag with probably TOO MUCH free time and an enormous grudge against his husband, who was in the body of a prepubertal boy... yep, normal as eff

But he was rambling right now

After they leaved Atlas, he, his team, RWBY, Qrow and Penny fought with the Grimm wolf knight him more than once, he always retreated with just a wound and followed them to everywhere, it was almost like he knew where they would go. It was curious that the knight Grimm always aimed for him only and occasionally Yang and Oscar, but in the end, he was always the target. Not Nora, not Ren, not Ruby, not Oscar or any other in his group, him. It was even curious that the Grimm knight tried to cut Cinder's head when she was about to kill Ruby and Penny in their way to Vacuo and he could only watch from afar, he and Ruby could swear that his topaz eyes changed to a deep saphire when he helped her to stand up. He was also skeptical about the identity of the humanoid Grimm, he called himself Alexandrine Arc, whose name was of his great-great grandfather, man whose history was as lost as Blake in a mall with only blond people and whose weapon was a sword and shield combo, not a great sword similar to his own after the upgrade in that village in anima

But again, he was rambling thanks to the nerves

it didn't took him too much to put two and two together and reveal the mystery of that humanoid grimm after some fights and some small chat with him when they crossed swords, it was clear to him who the masked man was, but he needed to be sure before jumping that bridge. That's why he made a plan for that in three simple steps, Step 1; wait for his ambush and made him bring Grimm or Salem's henchmen to distract the group. Step 2; find and make him follow him to a far away place to talk freely without breaking the mind of his friends. And lastly, Step 3; confront him. This plan was also a failure, the grimm knight sure as hell knew partially what he planned but followed his lead just to humor him. And when he finally got him alone to talk in a vast death forest in the frontier between Vacuo and Vale? Well, that was complicated

"... Alexandrine, that's not your name, Isn't it?" aske Jaune, whose sword was being sheathed on his shield, the grim knight only watched "i know your name... your true name..." that got an angry reaction of the grimm

"SILENCE!" he raised his sword and dashed to the blonde, who didn't move an inch, and when the name was said, he stopped, took a deep breath and cleaved his sword on the ground

"Jaune Arc... that is your name" the Grimm knight growled, his long sword changed to how it looked before, gold guard and a shining silver blade took the place of the stylish design on the blade and the bat wing looking guard. It was Crocea Mors again, looking as new as the day he got it from that blacksmith time ago "what happennd to you to leave you like this?"

"it was my fault... i made a dangerous wager and i lost, everyone died!" in that moment, the wolf mouth of his helmet open wide and leaved his head to reveal his face. Ashen white and long hair with only one blond fringe, tired red eyes with black sclera and veins popping out from his eyes and standing out on his bone white skin.The face and those words were enough to make him sheathed his sword on his shield sheath for an explanation

"plan?... then, that mean-" before his mind could go to think the consequences of his plan, his Grimm twin confirmed his suspicious

"yes, our plan failed, Salem won" he avoided his gaze, anger was found in his voice while he clenched his fists "they died... by Salem's word and by my own hand" this time his eyes moistened

"you... what..." tears came from him too, first was Pyrrha, now he had to lose all his friends too? and the worst of all, he was their executioner? "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!!? DID YOU LOSE YOUR MIND!?" Jaune clenched his hands and even readied to fight with his fists, but the other Jaune didn't flinch

"lose my mind? how could i not?... all our life seems to be cursed by the twin gods, our family is tied with Salem and Ozpin, Remnant killed my family with reasons based in fear for the hypothetical power they could have. And after killing all my friends while i was not in control of my body, while she made me the general of her Grimm... my sanity, it died with them" he looked how his Grimm twin took his version of Crocea and give it back his dark form, only to be sheathed in a black, red and white sheath he generated with some weird looking black liquid

"did...did you also killed Ruby?" he knew very well the answer, and wondered if he was secretly a masochist for wanting to feel that wound in his heart, more tears hanged from his eyes as he downed his gaze to the dirt. As for the Ozpin and Salem being his many great grandparents, he just shoved it in the most deeper part of his mind, right now he needed his mind clear to try to understand his evil twin and his motivation, as dumb or inconsistent as they could be

"... i did, she said that she was glad to meet me at Beacon, that i was the best friend she could ask along with Penny... that she loved me... and then, she died with a smile on her face" that moment got a sad smile on his ivory face, even in her dead she looked so radiant and brave, not scared from him after their second meeting as huntress and Grimm. He only lamented the outcome and cursed that gift from his ancestor

"so?... you want my place don't you?" he asked, Jaune thought it was obvious. Both of them were family of a pair who didn't knew about couple therapy and killed possibly one, two or three of their daughters (not four, since his existence proved that one survived), so he wanted to kill him or made him take his place as the Grimm wolf knight

"in that your wrong, i came here with a task and a choice to do, those are, your world or mine?" Grimm Jaune circled him while he looked warily at his actions, how he calmed and was confused by his words

"mine or yours?" he was confused, but with the more information he had from his twin, the more he was lost at his reason to be there

"Salem stole the brother gods magic and gave me the choice to throw away everything in order to bring a dead world back to life i must sacrifice another self... That's the task i have. When someone of another world die, someone from this world is saved, in those terms, i must decimate your world to save MY world"

"... " he was lost of words, was he really that bad when his partner died or that only applied to his twin? either way, he was bound to stop him "you truly lost your mind"

"if it bring back my family, my friends... and Ruby. Then it's a price i'm willing to pay" Jaune knew he was serious, he was him after all, and that meaned that it would be a pain in the ass to fight against himself

"then i will not let you" he unsheathed his sword and pointed it to his twin, who was not amused by his answer

"just think about it for a moment, you can bring back Pyrrha, Clover and all the people who died by Cinder and Salem's hands. All this sorrow and pain can be avoided!" he opened his arms and looked around the dead grey forest they were

"if by destroying this word means that many more can be saved... then i will have to pass"

"let me say this again, you can save RUBY by doing that!" now his patience was giving up, how dared him to let his team die like that!? to let Ruby die on his arms!!? even his hands were shaking from pure anger at himself

"i know, but i would be saving your Ruby, not mine" that sounded as he didn't care about them, he did care, but those were the dead ones, the ones who were alive were fighting and succeeding to beat the small battalion of Grimm his twin brought with him

"so that's your answer? didn't we said that if our dead bringed time for RWBY's victory, then so be it!? why change that now!?" it was ironic, he disliked Salem, but right now he saw the resemble with her in his twisted version of him. it made him shiver just thinking about the process to make him look like the crazy inmortal ex-wife of Ozpin

"because that would make MY team and MY Ruby very sad, and that is something i can't allow" he did ready this time, he took his stance and prepared for the inminent fight with himself. That took the ‘you are your own sworn enemy’ thing to a next level on his mind

"and here i thought that you would understand since i am you" the Grimm looked at himself with a betrayed expresion, one that later passed to be an angered one "you will regret this!"

"i'm already regreting being me, being an idiot who didn't thought better" he ran at himself, semblance activated, shield up and sword ready for a strike

"what's done cannot be undone" his twin did the same, not before covering his face with his wolf helmet and unsheated his sword mid way to his human version

with the great sword on his right hand, he swinged his sword at Jaune, who got the cover with his shield and later did two opposite slashes at his Grimm version, the wolf knight dodged without moving to much and later crossed his sword with himself. After couple of seconds later, both of them took distance and ran at each other again

"HAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!/HOOOOOOOOOHHHH!!!" their part concluded with Grimm Jaune’s sword hitting Jaune's shield while the human one was preparing to parry his attack

Far away from the border of Vacuo and Vale

"so in the end i win despite Ozma's silver eyed pawn and my family on his side... this war has become more interesting" Salem laughed, watching the battle of his two descendants(one more perfect than other, in her opinion) from a seer Grimm in the comfort of her castle and surrowded of her minions, with mixed reactions from all of them

Watts was amazed from a scientific point view, and wondered if the process was the same as Cinder. Tyriand laughed and watched amazed the little huntsman he was interested, along with Neo. Mercury and Emerald while amazed too, they were actually a little scared about the Grimm twin of Arc. Hazel was wondering what to do about him, he was his queen child, so he was probably untouchable, but he was also Ozpin’s child, se he wanted to repay him with the same coin... what to do, what to do. And lastly, Cinder, she was pissed and hoped for both to die in a draw. It was understandable on her words, the guy not only give her a scar on her left eye in Heaven, but also tried to cut her head to save that damn red child

"watch carefully everyone, since he is my successor, the future general of my army and the key of my victory along with the maiden powers" everyone nodded, and waited for the end of the fight, if there was an end to this battle

To be continue

Part 1

[valiantly-onward]

The Serpentine War Ch. 4

A Garmadon chapter, finally! I had a blast writing this, mostly because I love Garmadon (heads up, it’s a little longer than the last few).

Chapter 4: What It Takes To Win

Garmadon dodged another strike from the side. Clouse was getting sneaky about his attacks - feinting with one dagger while driving the other up toward his enemy’s ribcage. As his enemy was usually Garmadon, it was in Garmadon’s best interest to keep dodging.

For months, they’d sparred with wooden weapons, then dulled blades, and now real ones. As if Garmadon needed to start small. But centuries with Wu and their father had taught Garmadon to recognize lessons when they were present. Chen was testing them. He was always testing them.

Garmadon let his katana spin for a millisecond, a little fun, and slammed it down to catch Clouse’s rising knife. He caught Clouse’s other arm by the wrist. They grappled. Clouse’s lipless mouth curled in a snarl.

Garmadon smiled in return, to mask how hard he was truly fighting. Clouse was slimy, but he was a worthy combatant. Worthy enough to battle a son of the First Spinjitzu Master.

Something in Garmadon’s chest hummed, but he pushed it down. Spinjitzu was forbidden from these spars. Just good old fashioned butt-kicking.

Clouse dropped the knife from his trapped hand. Garmadon looked down to avoid the clattering blade; Clouse used the opportunity to pull his second knife back and slice at Garmadon’s exposed forearm. Silver slashed through the black sleeve, grazing skin.

Just one cut, but Garmadon felt livid. How dare this creature draw his blood? Garmadon leapt up and spun - one kick, to disarm, another a millisecond behind, to break Clouse’s nose.

Garmadon landed low to the ground with one knee extended behind him, his side to Clouse. Be ready for anything, said the warrior in him.

But Clouse was on his back, his lip barely split.

Garmadon straightened. “No broken nose. A pity. It might’ve saved your looks yet.”

Clouse scowled as he felt for the blood on his lip.

“Ah, right,” Garmadon continued. “Nothing could save your looks. Thanks for reminding me.”

Clouse growled, lifting a glowing purple hand. Just as the dagger flew back into his palm, a voice called over the yard, “None of that, Clouse. Today, the victory goes to Garmadon.”

Both men turned to the approaching speaker. Master Chen was a pale man with a head of auburn hair that seemed to wilt in the sun. He’d taken to wearing strange robes now, black with red underwraps. The belt buckle engraved with snake heads seemed to be in poor taste, especially nowadays, but what did Chen have to fear? He was the most powerful man in this small bubble he’d created.

Well, the second most powerful man. He would not achieve that status again until Garmadon was gone. Chen knew this of course, but somehow Garmadon thought he still might be Chen’s favorite. He understood so little of this man, and yet so much.

Chen rubbed his chin as Clouse scrambled to his feet. “Clouse.”

“Master,” said Clouse, squaring his shoulders.

“Go check on your little pet.”

Clouse bowed and turned away. Garmadon felt his deadly glare boring into the back of Garmadon’s head.

Once Clouse was gone, Chen raised an eyebrow. “You must do what it takes to win, Garmadon.”

“I did win,” Garmadon protested.

“That? That was much too close.” Chen took his shoulder and guided him back through the courtyard. “Oh, Garmadon. Clouse has his talents. Useful talents. But a man of your skill should never come so close to being bested in combat. You are too powerful for that.”

Garmadon frowned. It was nothing Garmadon didn’t know himself. But coming from Chen, it felt strangely worrisome. Garmadon had won, and won honorably, but it seemed Chen didn’t just want him to win. He wanted him to win utterly, not barely.

There was no need for Garmadon to reorient himself to this concept. It made perfect sense. More sense than holding back for the sake of honor.

“I understand,” he said.

“Good.” Chen patted his shoulder before releasing him. “Greater things await you, Garmadon, if you choose them. Now go. I want you to meditate. Tomorrow may be an important day for you.”

He strode off to the gardens, leaving Garmadon alone on the patio.

~~~

Garmadon lay in his bed, hands folded over his chest, and tried to decide what he wanted.

He often wondered that, even hundreds of years old and having seen things that Chen could never dream of, Garmadon was still here, deferring to the man as a master.

But Chen opened the doorway into the part of Garmadon he had always been forbidden to go - by Wu, and by their father before them.

Greater things await you.

There was no battle technique Chen could teach that Garmadon didn’t know. Garmadon was already the most powerful person in the room, in any room, any place in the world. 

So what did he want?

Garmadon sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the cot. It was this: he couldn’t bear to spend years cooped up in a monastery like Wu, only revealing his power between centuries. He saw the potential of power when no one else did. And he wanted more of it. In this, Chen seemed to know something Garmadon didn’t.

Maybe this way, he’d find some peace.

He’d tried everything else. Maybe, even with staunch darkness pulsing in his blood, this was the way. Enough peace to offer Misako a whole, unblemished heart.

Misako. It was harder every day to remember the real Garmadon, not the blackened one that seemed to be slowly eating him from the inside out. Misako, his lifeline. He would fight it, for her. He had to.

He pushed himself off the bed, suddenly angry. He couldn’t meditate when he felt this way.

Garmadon pulled his screen door open. It was dark already; stars peppered the night sky above the courtyard. Garmadon tightened the belt of his gi and wandered out. Usually when he felt like hitting something, the night air helped, but not tonight.

He was considering blasting apart one of the training spinners to cool his nerves when he heard voices. Only then did he notice the light spilling from the nearest window, shadows moving behind the screen.

Garmadon cocked his head. Hm. He moved closer and his gut twisted upon recognizing Clouse’s silky tone.

“...never thought I would have to face him,” Clouse was saying.

“I have told you before, Clouse.” This was Chen. “Garmadon came to me. It is not my fault you cannot beat him. The strong survive in this world.”

Clouse made an annoyed sound. “Master - I am not weak.”

“Only a weak man would say that.” Chen’s silhouette moved across the screen. “Prove it to me, Clouse. Prove you deserve a place at my side in the world to come.”

The world to come. Garmadon frowned.

“I thought I already proved that. That’s why you have shown me this and not Garmadon.”

“Garmadon clings to his brother’s moral code,” Chen replied smoothly. “I am trying to show him the way I taught you. Yes, Clouse, you do not have his weakness. Yours is that you understand what you must do, but you do not do it.”

“I would -”

Chen’s silhouette raised a hand and Clouse fell silent.

“Prove it to me,” Chen repeated. “That is all for tonight, Clouse. You may retire.”

Garmadon heard footsteps across the floor inside as Clouse left to his room, deeper within the house. Garmadon waited for a moment, but Chen was alone. So Garmadon silently traced his steps back to his room and slid the door shut. He leaned his back against it for a moment, thinking.

It was like the old days, right after Father’s death, back when he and Wu faced threat after threat. Garmadon had learned to recognize something in the way those threats spoke - and tonight, not for the first time, he had heard it in Chen’s voice.

He knew what Wu would do.

But what did Garmadon want?

He fell asleep before he found the answer.

~~~

Clouse was in the training yard the next morning. Garmadon looked like he’d slept in his gi, which he had, and on his floor, which he also had. The bed had seemed too troublesome in the late hours of the morning.

Clouse, strangely, had no weapons with him today, but the wooden swords of months past lay on the stone before him.

Garmadon stopped by the first training spinner. His hatred for Clouse simmered for a moment. “I accept your surrender.”

“Pick up the stick, Garmadon,” Clouse sneered.

What was he playing at? No better way to find out than to play along. Garmadon strode up to him and scooped up the wooden sword. He swung it a few times with a smirk. “Too scared to face me with a real blade?”

Clouse’s smile was as unfriendly as a smile could get. He extended his sword.

They circled each other. It occurred to Garmadon that the yard was completely empty. Even while they trained, there were always a few servants hovering around. Not today.

Garmadon struck first, but Clouse was fast. They held for a moment, caught in each other’s crossguards. There was something different about Clouse this morning. An intensity anew in his expression.

Clouse yelled as he threw his weight forward, forcing Garmadon back. Garmadon leapt out of the way to dodge the strike, and he was up on the nearest spinner, light on his feet. Clouse rushed him. Garmadon parried; the wood splintered a little. He copied Clouse’s move, forcing him back - and adding a little power behind the push that Clouse couldn’t hope to counter.

Without warning, the spinner began to move. Garmadon went with it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Clouse coming for him again. He ducked under the now-spinning axe and turned, running against the machine’s momentum. Leap over a low mace. Another axe. But he wasn’t getting very far - the spinner was speeding up.

A thump behind him. That would be Clouse joining the party.

Garmadon made the mistake of glancing over his shoulder to defend himself. Instead, he got a faceful of mace.

The world went bright for moment and Garmadon wasn’t quite sure how he ended up back on the stones, Clouse groaning beside him. Garmadon shook the pain out of his head and sprang up just as Clouse raised his head. He forced Clouse down with a fist against the man’s chest. Clouse growled like a beast. His fist collided with the sore spot on Garmadon’s cheekbone. Garmadon’s falter allowed the tables to turn, quite literally, and Clouse was above him now, his eyes waning purple...

“Good Garmadon,” said Chen’s voice nearby. Garmadon gained the advantage again. “Good Clouse. But you're both holding back. Might I add he who wins this fight shall become my right hand and be granted lordship?”

Both their faces snapped toward Chen. Lordship! And his right hand? Did he mean it?

Something hit Garmadon hard in the gut. Clouse had kicked him, and now he was scrambling up, all restraint gone. That new intensity burned in his face. Before Garmadon could get to his feet, Clouse raised his hands and let them fill with that strange magic of his. Purple light cast itself at the wooden spinners. They sprung up as if they had legs and launched themselves in Garmadon’s direction.

Garmadon had a split second to make a decision.

You must do what it takes to win.

Garmadon knew how to win.

It had been so long, but Spinjitzu wasn’t something that could be forgotten. Not for Garmadon. It was his father’s greatest legacy.

The world rushed violet and when Garmadon emerged, the remains of the training equipment were scattered around the yard. Clouse was on his back, splinters of wood lying across his chest.

Clouse furiously shoved away the broken poles. “He cheated, Master! You told us Spinjitzu was forbidden!”

Chen smiled coldly down at Clouse. “He did what he had to do to win.”

Clouse looked stricken. But Chen turned to Garmadon, his expression sly and proud. “Congratulations...Lord Garmadon.”

@greenygreenland