#sleeping beast: queue

[dragonidpyrus12]

The opening to Heroes United is so good for a crossover. It's so unassuming. It's just a typical Generator Rex episode, you don't get any Ben reference in the beginning, and your only lead is the strangely familiar theme song that Rex chose to sing to Six while training.

You don't get aliens. You don't get Ben's pov or what happened on his side of the universe. You get a giant glowing orb in the sky. Not that strange with how Generator Rex lore goes, you have had robots who wanted to exterminate humankind, literal Atlantica under the ocean, there's also wereevos, not to mention the teleporting EVO known as Breach, or the entire event with One. You have so much crazy stuff going on that it doesn't feel off.

The theme song might be a lead, but you wouldn't REALLY expect Ben to show up just because Rex sung a song with the background music being the original opening instrumental... Right?

Even when Rex is trying to deal with the glowing orb, you get nothing, you can't see the lake below him in its full shape, or what might be inside the orb.

Then, out of nowhere, Holiday picks up a DNA signature. You still have no clue what it could be. It could be a crazy, rampaging EVO!

And then, as Rex gets ready to smash the EVO- a shadowed hand grabs his Smackhand. That shape... Is strangely familiar but... Different.

And then. Then you get a look at the shadowed figure. Green glowing eyes. It pulls back its fist to punch at Rex, and if it wasn't obvious who this was by now-

The familiar green hourglass is glowing on his chest.

Rex is sent flying into the ground and you realize: This is a crossover. BEN IS ACTUALLY HERE AND ITS NOT A EVO.

Peak cinema. Amazing built-up. 10/10.

[ientina1234]

Stray! No regret cuz I've got nothing to loose Ever stray, so I'm gonna live my life as I choose Cuz all things fall

I've drawn this half a year ago, but never posted it here because I wanted to redo the blog theme first (with... various results). Here is the copy-paste of the original.

I finally did it!! It took a while but I was determined! Kid me is squealing rn ahah

This is a AU very dear and near to me. Yugi here has a scar because he had a very nasty… Accident. Courtesy of other wolves

He's more cold and straightforward, with a polite front in this

As for the art, I had to compromise on the reflection. I drew the wolf with the lineart and all, but I had to blur it for the ripple effect

I think adding extra fog on the water with the reflection on wasn't the best choice either, but I decided I'm not going back to fix that 😂

This was inspired by a picture of two seagulls on some water that I saw floating around here, but it strayed too much from the reference

Had to challenge myself to do this hard-shaded, because I'm too comfortable with soft shading

[dragonidpyrus12]

@the-sn0wy-0wl @alex-a-roman @inspired-randomness

BAN ON CONVERSION PRACTICES IN THE EU. GO SIGN IT. DEADLINE IS FUCKING MAY 17. WE'RE STILL MISSING 800.000 signatures. FUCKING DO IT.

[artnerd1123]

Sleebeast…

[nmakii]

SOMEDAY, MY PRINCE WILL COME!

“did you hear? nmakii hit 700!” “…oh it’s also almost valentines.”

— happy valentines!! i got inspired by my school’s play and immediately had to do this UGHHHH so good

instruction manual:

pick a blue lock character + a disney princess!

send it in as a request

thats it. i didnt know what else to put here

i mean maybe hopefully well known princesses cause im ngl idk some stories like the story of the black cauldron

ends on february 28!

queue:

something there — itoshi s. x beauty and the beast

kiss the girl — bachira m. x the little mermaid

an endless diamond sky — kaiser m. x aladdin

dreaming of true love — itoshi r. x sleeping beauty

a girl worth fighting for! — itoshi r. x mulan

now that i see you — chigiri h. x tangled

one jump ahead — mikage r. x aladdin

honor to us all — itoshi s. x mulan

tale as old as time — isagi y. x beauty and the beast

when we’re human — kaiser m. x princess and the frog

so this is love? — karasu t. x cinderella

for the one i love — yukimiya k. x snow white

one love, only for you — ness a. x snow white

as the sun will rise — kaiser m. x beauty and the beast

make a man out of you? — chigiri h. x mulan

the gift of song — niko i. x sleeping beauty

lavender blue — hiori y. x cinderella

[dragonidpyrus12]

@shinayashipper

I really love the idea of Yugi goes out with some random characters for drinks under pressure (not the three main friends) the random characters wind up ditching drunk Yugi st party, drunk he texts Kaiba that he's scared.. and Kiaba comes to get him..cause nobody makes his rival scared..

[natewriteslol]

Hiii! I read your works alot because it's one of the active twst writers I see (I'm a dead writer myself LMAO)

Savanaclaw, riddle and Azul with a reader who's cheery and often bouncing with optimism that always has the mind boggling stories to tell. What do you mean that they literally man handed a lion because it won't stop messing around? What do you mean they were in a pit full of scorpions because they accidentally rolled down a hill? What do you mean they literally escaped a real decapitation (hinting towards Riddle LMAO) because he put one spoon full of herbs instead of a teaspoon? Like— they could go on forever! And the thing is, they have evidence of it.

Thank youuu 🫶🫶🫶🫶

A/N: Thank u so much I've been trying to stay on top of writing but it can get so hard!! But I really do try to keep this fandom alive w some goodies, anyways I'll stop yapping heres

Savanaclaw, Azul, and Riddle with a cheery, adventurous Reader!

Leona:

He didn't exactly always question your storytelling before he got to get to know you as he would rather spend time sleeping. But it seemed like literally everyone was captivated by your latest entertaining experience.

As you guys' relationship grew, it got to the point where he couldn't ignore you dropping an insane piece of lore about yourself.

"Yeah, I was accidentally poisoned before-"

"What did you just say-"

"It's okay though, the gnome did apologize and I got my stomach pumped but everything is all good!"

He makes sure to keep an eye out on you, and honestly your stories are the main thing that keep him awake during the day especially because they're real. And although it may seem he's nonchalant when you message him about where you're at, Leona always makes sure to respond as he does care.

Jack:

As your first friend at NRC and protector kinda, he would get paranoid when you would sometimes disappear. However at first Jack believed you were an independent person, and wasn't up to any nefarious activity.

Until you came back with a gorgon head in a brown sack where he was studying in the autobiography section in the library talking about that you accidentally defeated it.

He screamed in terror upon seeing the thing, causing for him to be shushed completely by offended students. But he could not care less due to the sliced head within the sack, however he quickly took you both outside and you being you didn't exactly see the problem in this situation.

Once you where in an open area near NRC's well he began to question you.

"Why-? A-And how? Why are you like this, do you know how much danger you were in?!"

"To answer all your questions in order, 1. I got lost and she had a huge problem with me, 2. I got scared and ran with my eyes closed with the sword and BOOM, just clean off, and yes I know I was in a lot of danger and I'm very sorry for not responding to your calls."

He was way too scared for both you and himself to respond and learned his lesson to keep an eye on you more.

Ruggie:

Ruggie always told you that he was a "see it to believe it" type person and he was never really believing your wild tales you would tell even if you came back with a little souvenir. He always just assumed you were pulling his leg for a bit.

Until he texted you one day over Magicam, since it was a slow day at the Savannaclaw dorm. Only for you to reply with a video, making him click on it not knowing what he should expect.

Queue you to being in an extremely angry dragon's mouth,

"Hey Ruuggieee! I'll get back to you later since I'm in a pickle right now, but I promise I'll call you when I'm done!"

He nearly passed out upon the sight because what in all of the sevens' names doing inside of that deadly beast. The beast man ended up walking to Ignihyde to possibly get Idia to track your location based on your I.P address, only for his phone to ring just as he was about to blab about what happened.

It was you!

He quickly picked up his phone to hear your excited voice blaring on the phone, "I told you I would call you back! Anyways, come over to my house I have something to show you."

You ended up bringing home a dragon's tooth and treasure and while Ruggie was overjoyed, he reprimanded you for being irresponsible.

But he wouldn't mind it too much if you brought back goodies like this just make sure to let him know so he could tag along.

Azul:

You were running late to a meeting about mending a contract between students he scammed. Since you know him quite well and is a good friend of his, the students thought your kind hearted nature could persuade him out of binding them to the Monstro Lounge for an entire semester.

He written in a small font on the contract that if you were over 15 minutes late, you would be unable to host this meeting and the deal would be off completely. The white haired boy glanced at the clock as the time ticked and he would have his own free work force.

Until you had to come 30 seconds from it being called off completely out of breath.

"Sorry Azul! But I got you a little present from the desert," you said dropping down in your seat and digging through this brown sack.

The ancient golden scarab of the Hot Sands.

"Is that-"

"The golden scarab included with the jewel eyes? Yup and I did it all by myself!" You said, extremely proud of yourself.

"Do you understand the value of what you have in your hand? And what were you doing all the way out there by yourself I just talked to you a day ago and that is damn near a 5 day journey?"

"I did this since I did the calculations and about an 1/4 of the wages that the students owe you is in the value of this jewel bug here. So if I split the riches with you, will you let them go?"

You did all of this for some measly students you knew in passing? How could you jeopardize yourself like that?

But he at the same time, respected you greatly and for your trouble and kind heart.

However, he told you to not go anywhere without telling him.

And no of course it's not because he cares about you and was scared once you told him where you went...of course not...

Riddle:

Is the first person who noticed you were gone because he likes to keep tabs on his friends. He didn't know what to expect but the red head just believed you were busy.

So, Riddle decided to shoot you a text as everyone was hanging out in the Heartslabyul dorm and he really wanted to see you.

'Good afternoon, Y/N please feel free to stop by the Heartslabyul dorm. Your company is very appreciated :)'

You quickly texted back, 'Hey Riddle! I'm gonna swing by with a surprise ;D'

He smiled at his phone, unknowing as to what you were going to bring by. Thinking you might bring by muffins or a sweet treat as such.

Not the sword of Excalibur.

You opened the door, bursting in loudly with the enormous sword slung on your back as Grim carried two sacks of gold. Everyone was completely flabbergasted, as the sword had been known to be a mythological thing not yet proven like the fountain of youth.

But there it was on your back as you grinned.

Turned out you picked up your first job at an exploration company and they sent you on a death wish mission to get this damn sword. And in contrary to what everyone believed would be the outcome, you succeeded and retrieved the artifact.

Unfortunately for you, you ended up being scolded for about two hours straight for being completely irresponsible by Riddle with some chime ins from your friends.

He admired your intense tenacity and bravery, but Riddle was super worried about you whenever you take on a quest. He forced you to have a partner whenever you go on missions and call him every time you reached an important point to make sure you were alive and safe.

"So... you really do care about me-"

"By the great seven- YES ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN KILLED IN THAT DAMN ENCHANTED FOREST-"

[dialoverswritesssx]

I can ask about sakamaki brothers hc with a s/o who gets bullied or is a loser???

p.s i like your blog ;))))

YES BUT THIS IS GONNA BE A FAST ONE !! (Also thank you 😉😉😘😘😏)

SHU

Apathetic at first 

Understands it’s something you don’t like 

Instead of being confrontational, I imagine he would do more subtle things 

For example make you sleep in the music room with him , because he knows that he has an infamous rep of ‘ owning the music rooms ‘ 

Waits for them to lay off you

Enjoys weirdness in a partner  , I think because it’s a new thing for him to experience ( and tease about lol) 

Let’s you talk to him about things 

If they piss him off , he’ll just send a familiar to deal with it

REIJI

once he realises his s/o is getting bullied , first of all how dare they that’s his job 

Starts scheming their imminent demise 

Number of small quiet ways , but wouldn’t kill those lowly beasts because that would be too quick and easy 

Prepare for them for public humiliation without being able to detect a perpetrator 

Here’s just a list of things that Reiji would do for his beloved ( make them be involved in a freak accident , rig the bullies exams to make them not have any higher education, leak pictures of them to school doing anything inappropriate, befriend their parents or important figures and make them think they are going crazy ) 

Doesn’t tolerate bullies ( especially lower life forms - oh the irony ) 

Pretty protective 

As for being a loser , just doubles up for him as he knows in the relationship theirs nobody for you to turn to , only being reliant on him - so he doesn’t really care . 

Doesn’t really care about human social standing as he believes vampires are just ‘ socially superior ‘.

AYATO

So we know how this goes

Confrontational and aggressive 

Ayato is a sadist and not a subtle one , so if they want to torture you , he would do it straight back tenfold.

And that’s that

As for being a loser, I imagine he’d just incorporate it into his own mantra , ( like how he does with ‘pancake’ )  so prepare to be teased .

Overall 0 fucks given #killthesehumans #loserhumans #donttestme 

KANATO

Oh no

Would kill them, don’t tolerate any kind of bullying.

Kills them slowly and painfully 

If then his s/o gets sad about the deaths , kanato would accuse her of actually liking the bullying and then verbally abuse her 

Kanato is a sadist , what do you expect??

Kanato enjoys his own peace and quiet , so wouldn’t mind that fact you are all alone ( plus he gets you all to himself ) 

Odd jobs here and there ( like go get me some sweets ect ) because he knows you have the time 

Quickest to snap , quickest over with 

LAITO

makes up a new kink 

Personally , I think he’s the most emotionally interesting sakamaki 

Wouldn’t necessarily be confrontational but IS smart about it

Fun fact about Laito , he LOVES blackmail

Snappy diva 

Finds out about little secrets and blackmails them 

As for being a ‘loser’ 

New kink unlocked 😈 

Teases you everywhere with the mentality of ‘ it’s not like anyone cares ‘ so does this mean he can do whatever he wants …? … probably 

Likes mind games so yeah have fun with that

Protects in his own weird way 

Overall sees it as ‘ hey I’m a freak too , let’s get freaky together!’ 

SUBARU

-cutie 

-biggest sympathiser 

Subaru never would admit it , but he likes defending and protecting you , because it makes him feel needed

Mainly because he sees you as sweet , loving and pure , he couldn’t believe the audacity of these people !

Likes being able to hang out without fear of being disrupted or having to share you with anybody, also it helps him get along better because for him , it’s a commonality ( something you share ) 

Walks around

Also happy to skip class together 

THIS WAS SUPER FUN !!Keep requests coming before exams season so I can put some posts in the queue!! ( or else I’ll be disappearing for two months 😔) going on hiatus in a week !!

[dragonidpyrus12]

My cat: I don't wanna leave you, I won't leave you

Rubbing against me with her whole head, sitting on me even if I try to move, looking at me with her big green eyes

I'm gonna cr-...and then she decided she WILL get off me

[dragonidpyrus12]

Oh my goodness this is so cute!! (I CAN SEE THE MAYA AT THE START. If that was her.) You already do super great for a beginner!! When I started digital, I did whatever I could in Windows XP Paint, and let me tell you I had no grasp of shading whatsoever. Big kudos to you, I was pleasantly surprised you had such a good grasp of it (with the horns and the legs) The coloring was super well done as well!! I adore the shape you gave Scapeghost, ABSOLUTELY HUGGABLE GHOST. Using the lasso and any other tool at your disposal (in the program...) it's not cheating at all! I've seen bg artists use the lasso to define their shapes in digital painting! It's overall a useful tool that will be your friend and will save your wrist Oh maybe tomorrow I'll link some wrist exercises, you don't want carpal tunnel, believe me. <possible carpal tunnel haver You should take frequent breaks as well! I think you have in this because of the long pause, which is a good habit to form early on! Yeahh, digital art feels REALLY weird/different than traditional, you'll get used to it, but the basics are that brushes can be adjusted, everything about them can. Layers can be used to play around with. Layers also have effects, which I encourage you to toy around with. They will only take effect if it's on top of another colored layer! I'll link some tutorials that helped me, or that I find very useful for beginners (unless you already watched those). OH also, deviantart. Deviantart has old tutorials on art, step by step, and they involve the tools and all. It might not be for IbisPaintX, but generally most art programs have similar tools. Like, 2014 old, they've helped me plenty of times.

(brad also has a tutorial on how to use the actual tablet)

I'm linking that final one because, while I draw super light, I felt super weird at the start. It might seem counter intuitive (and obv you have a screen tablet! The hovering is still the same I imagine?), but it's also a new experience which you'll learn as you go!

It's Scapeghost! They're exploring space!

speedpaint and ramble under the cut

(I added my sign after i downloaded thespeedpaint i'm sorry >.<)

I used ibispaintx and all of my braincells for this.

It's my first digital art so I have no idea about half the functions on the app but I'll learn and practice more

I thought that since Scapeghost is so smol I thought it would be easy to draw, like on paper but digital. But it isn't. Digital art is so different from traditional art i was not prepared. Two YouTube tutorials are not enough.

I mostly used the airbrush, blur and smudge tools. Those are such cool tools.

Is it cheating if I use the lasso tool to copy the stars?

[ientina1234]

Running from the past is a loosing game

It never brings you glory

Cuz when your time has come and gone

I'll be the one to carry on

-Undefeatable

[alexanderlightweight]

Welcome back lumine! Yay for feeling better and i hope that keeps going up. I'd love some more "maybe I'm the villain" if you're in the mood for it

Also, tumblr did this when i tried to queue the cider verse prompt, and it keeps crashing every time i go into the queue page why

(The "gifs" are the first 2 images, i didn't even add alt text.....)

it's been so long!!! I really hope tumblr is not still pulling that but honestly. I don't know how tumblr works half the time still.

I am actually back this time and doing better and I hope you're doing well <3

~ lumine

Timeskip for this one, after Magnus has had his kitten home for a few days and is realizing some things

maybe i'm the villain

-

Alexander is purring in his lap, sleeping peacefully in cat form and currently small enough that Magnus can continue to work despite his presence.  A miracle, considering how long it took Magnus to wear out Alexander till he was more asleep than awake.

The problem, Magnus finds as he muses to himself — distracted by Alexander’s twitching paws and little snores and the velvet fluff of his ears — is that Alexander is getting bored.

Magnus doesn’t have the time to keep him exhausted with sex constantly and it’s been made very clear to Magnus that despite Alexander being the personification of a sex kitten, he needs more enrichment in his environment to be truly sated.

Magnus adores that Alexander is a predator.

He truly does.

It’s half of what makes having him under Magnus’ control so enticing. It’s a true delight to see him squirm under Magnus’ talons and watch him submit to Magnus' fangs.

However it also means that Alexander isn’t content to just sit back and play at being Magnus’ kitten all day long, no matter that he’s tolerated it well so far.

Hence the problem Magnus is currently trying to solve.

There is no world in which Magnus is going to let his little treasure out of his territory without Magnus by his side, not now that he has him.

Magnus is a dragon.

It’s the Clave’s own fault they sent a living, breathing treasure of divinity for Magnus to hoard and keep away to defile as his own.

They left Alexander ripe for the taking, vulnerable to a King of Dominion even though they knew better. 

They gambled and they lost and while Magnus will pretend to sympathize with Alexander for being a mere pawn in a much larger game, even that pretense isn’t going to stop him from being viciously gleeful in his victory. 

The only solution — temporary though it may be — is a dimensional pocket.  Alexander has mentioned it, when Magnus wants him curled in his lap while he worked, that he hadn’t often been allowed to shift unless training or his own freetime.  

Magnus can work with that, for as long as it distracts Alexander.

There is a pocket dimension he owns, one with rare magical beasts — none too dangerous for Alexander — a magical conservatory that is in need of a little population control.

Magnus can attach the entrance to a door in the loft, ensuring that Alexander never truly leaves the protective layers of his wards and personal territory.  

After all, the dimension is yet another part of his hoard, a conservatory of magical beasts and rich lands fertile with plants that are priceless.  

Magnus would let Alexander ruin it, if it kept him close, though he knows Alexander would simply grow bored rather than decide to destroy. 

Magnus earns himself a deep, sleepy purr as he scratches his claws delicately through Alexander’s thick, lush fur.  Magnus was right — as he usually is — and his own scale oil has done wonders for Alexander’s fur in any of his forms.  It shines now, shimmering until he melts into the shadows with the same grace of every other abyssal creature.

Not now that Magnus will no longer let him be neglected.

Magnus tugs on the slim collar Alexander wears, chiming the belly quietly and smirking.  There’s a magic to ensure it adapts to him as he shifts, ensuring the physical evidence of Magnus’ claim can never be denied. When he’d told him, Alexander had seemed pleased, a smugness to his demeanor as he preened, pleased at the fact that no one will doubt who he belongs to.

—

There’s something approaching the shadowworld.

A storm that Magnus can recognize as incoming but one not yet close enough to pinpoint the direction it will arrive.

The downworld is already preparing for it.

By Alexander’s presence in Pandemonium, Magnus feels that the Clave is as well. 

Magnus still hasn’t learned why Alexander was sent to him. 

It’s quite slipped his mind, he’s been far more interested in learning Alexander better than his boy knows himself. Does it truly matter why the Clave sent Alexander into his waiting lap, when Alexander was so willing to climb up?

And despite the tensions rising Magnus finds himself writing his war plans in bed, more often than not.  Loathe to leave the expanse of Alexander’s bare skin without the cover of his covetous gaze as his treasure sleeps.

It also means that with a new hoard to protect that Magnus is going to need to move faster than planned and without hesitation to secure his territory. 

Rather than his original plan of manipulating everything into place without lifting a talon.

The leylines will need to be reinforced with ritual and Magnus will have to call in his main team of warders to secure any and all of the safe houses he’s built for his people. It is his duty to secure the entirety of the land and those he claims as his and as a dragon, he takes pride in it.

It doesn’t mean that Magnus isn’t biased in his own way. 

He is and Magnus has no intention of changing himself.

Those under his protection know what he’s like, he’s never bothered to hide his ruthlessness or that there will always be a priority in the tier of who he protects. 

Yet they flock to him.  

Lingering under the shadow of his wings and clinging to his merciful protection.

And only Alexander will be untouchable even when the next war inevitably hits.  

Magnus won’t allow him to go farther than a step away from Magnus if he has to leash Alexander to himself in public to ensure it.

After all, there is no guarantee that someone will not try to steal his treasure from him. Long have the hoards of dragons been coveted by others so therefore, Magnus will simply have to ensure there is no chance of Alexander being taken.

Alexander’s tail unconsciously curls around his wrist again, causing his boy to continually shift closer as the motion of Magnus’ hand tugs it with every letter written. Alexander is nearly crawling into his lap, asleep despite his kneading fingers and heat-searching body. 

It’s nearly distracting enough for Magnus to ignore the letter he’s writing, instead he keeps at it, reaching over and allowing himself to pet Alexander’s ears — earning himself a purr — before he continues.

Tessa is using what resources she and Jem have pooled together for information and while Valentine is truly dead, that doesn’t mean the problems he created don’t linger still.

There are rifts now throughout the world, ones neglected during the Uprising that even now ravage the world.  It keeps the shadowworld in a constant motion of disarray, never letting any side fully recover as demons and beasts slide into their world.

Greater beasts will follow.

Magnus knows that to be true.

Whether made by mortal hands or ungodly, only time will tell.

[cheekykitsune]

Agitation

Hey guys!

So here's a little Kyojuro x Reader piece for you all! It's set in the Mafia AU and while it's not super spicy, it does have a certain kind of tension to it.

Now, this post is technically an hour late...but that's because I went to bed early last night, woke up late and then had things to do, cause I'm a functioning and apparently moderately functioning adult.

Usually I queue these up to post at certain times so that I can work on other things, but either way, it's here now! And that's the important thing.

Anyways, go ahead and enjoy the mafia-drenched charm of Kyojuro!

   You blinked, barely catching the sound of the study door slamming shut over the frantic footsteps that now echoed down the hallway.

  Two of Kyojuro’s subordinates—grown men—rushed past you. Looking completely and utterly terrified; avoiding eye-contact with you as if your gaze might drag them back into the lion’s den they had just escaped from.

  You tilted your head, eyebrows raising in a mix of surprise and curiosity. Kyojuro so very rarely lost his temper—and when he did, well, you couldn’t blame them for wanting to be anywhere but in his line of sight. Still though, it was curious, you hadn’t heard any shouting. No breaking glass. No blood. Just silence.

  Which, in all honesty, was worse.

  Deciding to satiate your curiosity, you made your way over to his study—each step light and purposeful, making little sound on the polished floors. You eased the door open with a gentle push, slipping through the gap and letting it close behind you with a firm click.

  “Kyojuro?”

  You kept your voice light—careful—as you called out to him. Treating the situation like you were stepping into a cage with a sleeping beast; but not out of fear. No, it was out of respect.

  He didn’t turn around. Kyojuro stood with his back to you, shoulders taut beneath the dark stretch of his tailored shirt. One hand held the neck of a crystal decanter, the other steadying a heavy glass as amber liquid sloshed into it with a slow, controlled pour.

  The bar cart beside the window caught the late afternoon sun, casting golden reflections along the edges of his broad frame.

  You lingered at the door for a moment longer, watching the tension roll beneath the surface; then, your steps brought you closer. Slow, but unhesitant, until you were only a few feet behind him.

  “Kyojuro.” You spoke again, softer this time, but still loud enough to catch his attention—though he didn’t respond right away. Instead, he raised the glass to his lips, took a measured sip before finally speaking.

  “They forgot who they were speaking to.”

  The words made your stomach flutter with anticipation. That tone of voice always made you react like that; it told you that your Alpha was agitated—sure, he appeared to be calm and in control of himself; but experience told you that if you pushed just right, you were in for a fantastic experience.

  “I see…” You hummed, drawing closer until you could reach out and touch him if you wanted to. “And do you think you managed to remind them?”

  Kyojuro’s broad shoulders rose with a breath—controlled, but tight. He set the glass down on the bar cart with a clink, knuckles flexing as though he was trying to resist the urge to crush it in his palm.

  His head turned slightly, just enough so that you could see the sharp line of his jaw. “Oh, I reminded them.”

  Your lips curled as you watched him. “And I’d bet you didn’t even have to raise your voice.”

  Kyojuro turned fully to face you, his gaze meeting yours—his face was composed, but his scent told a different story. Smoke. Spice. And the barely-there bite of aggression still simmering under his skin.

  “You know me better than that, Love.” He chuckled humourlessly, his voice low and smooth. “I never need to shout to make a point.”

  No. He didn’t. His presence alone was enough. You had seen full-grown men fall to pieces under nothing more than a look from him. But that wasn’t what made you step closer, and it certainly wasn’t what made your fingers itch to touch him.

  It was that low, controlled rage—the kind that made every muscle in his body hum like a drawn bow.

  “You do have a way of putting people in their place, I’ll admit that.” You smiled, eyes drifting down to his chest before dragging back up to his meet his gaze. “But it does make me wonder where my place is today…”

  In an instant, his arm was around your waist, tugging you flush against his chest. The heat of his body poured into yours, his other hand sliding up your spine to cradle the back of your neck; tilting your head up as he looked down at you with narrowed eyes and a dangerous grin.

  “Careful.” He murmured; voice rough. “I’m not in the mood to be teased, my beautiful Omega.”

  “I’m not teasing.” You whispered back to him, tilting your head to the side, your breath brushing against his lips. “I’m offering myself as a distraction.”

  The growl that rumbled from his chest made your thighs clench. Then, he kissed you. It wasn’t soft, nor was it sweet. It was a claiming.

  An open-mouthed, bruising, breath-stealing kiss that pulled a soft whimper from your throat. His tongue pushed past your lips, tangling with yours, demanding more—demanding everything—as his hand tightened at your waist; fingers curling possessively.

  Your hands gripped at the front of his shirt, needing something to hold onto as the taste of rum and smoke flooded your senses.

  He broke the kiss just long enough to rest his forehead against yours, chest rising and falling with a sharp edge. “You always come to me when I’m like this. Why is that?”

  You blinked up at him, more than a little breathless. “Because when you’re like this, you need me.”

  A dangerous grin stretched across his lips at your answer.

  “You’re right.”

  And then he was lifting you—strong arms gripping under your thighs as he carried you across the room; each step filled with barely-leashed hunger. Your back hit the desk with a gentle thud, papers sliding from beneath you and fluttering to the floor.

  You barely had time to catch your breath before his hands were tugging your thighs wider, sliding up higher while his gaze dropped to your lips; a low rumble building in his chest again.

  His fingers moved away from your thighs and to his belt, undoing it slowly. Taking his time and enjoying the needy expression on your features.

  “If you keep looking at me like that, (Name)…” He trailed off, dragging the leather through the hoops of his pants. “Then I won’t be gentle with you.”

  You shivered in delight at the lowly uttered warning; delighted. You didn’t want gentle from your agitated Alpha—you wanted everything he had to give, and then some.

[dumbgoondog]

Choso Kamo Thoughts(Part 2)

Cw/Tw - Kidnapping mention, blood, lots of talk of death/dead things

Okay maybe Choso and Uraume fight for my favorite spot sometimes- SFW no smut this time.

(Also this divider eh? Pretty great huh?)

Choso who’s super into fanfics and tropes.

Choso who is SO into scary monster x freak

Choso who is sucker for beauty and the beast types of tropes

Choso who loves enemies/rivals to lovers

Choso who dissociates and imagines himself in these scenarios with someone/you

Choso who realizes he could just kidnap someone/you, but this is reality and maybe that wouldn’t go over like the stories do…

Choso who definitely has OCs, he feels like an eldritch horror oc type, old France style. High gothic

(Should I make a thang for his ocs and his stories for them?)

Choso who likes disturbing media. Not media that’s illegal or supports illegal things but things like the game Pathologic, I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, Clinical Trials, Bad Parenting, Fear and Hunger, Visage, Oxide Room 104… he’s not trying to be edgy he’s just fascinated by these things.

Pull up an image of Kenjaku, I’ll wait, just real quick for me. You see his dumb little smile? Them stitches? Good. Now, did you know Autism can be hereditary? Choso and Yuji both. Choso is sensitive to stimuli, Yuji is Hyposensitive to stimuli. I could see Yuji havin ADHD with or by itself but honestly looking at his character in depth he displays way more autistic traits than ADHD, I think he’s just excitable which makes me want to say ADHD but that’s diminishing. Unlearning ableism one step at a time. Anywayyyy

(I’ll totally go in depth about why I think Kenjaku, Choso, and Yuji are autistic if y’all wan)

Choso got into Pokémon because of Uraume. His team is —

Yamask, his buddy Pokémon/mascot. Not galarian. Yamask’s name is Eko.

Banette, found a shuppet thought it was cute learned the lore. Name, Maru.

Golisopod, ace in the sleeve. This tall white and purple Pokémon that’s considered creepy and powerful? He loves it.

✨Sobble✨. Sniping… piercing blood… its name is Simo, after Simo Hayha.

Dracovish, it reminds him of Kechizu! Name, Haratsu.

Male Frillish, for Eso! Of course there were better Pokémon to represent Eso but he loves the Royal floaty ghostly jellyfish, also king wing. Name, Fumihito.

He’s a big water and ghost type fan.

Choso is a BIG fan of aquariums. There’s something so special about them, something that makes him feel contemplative and at ease. He wishes he could just swim with them, that blue glow… queue “If I Am With You.”

Choso feels very lonely. His room is filled with the other death paintings and after he collected Eso and Kechizu’s bodies he cremated them and has their urns too. He feels so bad

Choso’s “space” theme is to represent the “soul”. Space is often used to represent the soul in media but also he can feel the souls of his brothers, while they’re alive, while they’re cursed objects, he feels the souls of them in him and his own soul. Another reason he and Mahito are friends.

Choso sometimes sleeps with his eyes open. It’s not good for him and very creepy.

Choso loves dark gothic musicals. Phantom of the Opera, Count of Monte Cristo, Jekyll and Hyde, The Devil’s Carnival, The Hunchback of Notredame, Beauty and The Beast, Elisabeth, Dracula… yeah you get it.

Choso has a special interest in cultural practices for the dead. Be it religious or just a group of peoples practices. Superstition even. He loves taxidermy, and skeletons. He certainly goes to graveyards and cleans the graves there.

Claymore, Beserk, Castlevania, Seraph of the End, Dororo, Black Butler, Wolf’s Rain, Elfen Lied, Perfect Blue, Vampire Hunter D, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Chaika The Coffin Princess - A list of Anime and Manga Choso wants to watch and or read.

Choso is 6’3-4”(194cm), I am making this up, this is NOT official, I’m basing it off of Choso being a bit taller than Geto/Kenjaku.

[thestraggletag]

Kin, Part 2 of 3

Prompt: Dragon, Transform, Capture, Marriage, Nest

Giftee: @minnl70

Summary: Chosen by the Blue Fairy to slay the last dragon, Belle defies her fate and strikes a deal with the beast, Rumplestiltskin. As they search for a way to break the enchantment, an unexpected bond begins to form, but magic is never without a price—and never quite straightforward.

Rating: M

A/N: Surprise, @minnl70, it's me, your Secret Santa! I'm away on holidays right now but I made sure to properly queue this up for you. If all goes well all chapters of this fic will be posted today, but I'll try to check to make sure they are (and, if possible, also upload the fic to AO3, which I know makes it easier to read). Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

He had arrived at the clearing a good deal before he had revealed himself. He had been half-convinced the summons was a trap, a newfound way the Blue Fairy had concocted to try and trap him. He wasn’t the last living dragon for nothing. He hadn’t outlived his kin by coincidence. While other dragons had hoarded riches he had accumulated power and knowledge, and had honed his understanding of magic and mastery of himself till he had become all but untouchable. No fairy could trespass on his territory, or surprise him. Their usual tricks and wiles did not work on him, and he had stamped down his weaknesses till there were none they could exploit. Until he could feel safe. And he was damned if he let that little slip of a girl threaten that.

She was like all the other ones, he reasoned, only with a little bit more sense, which worked in his favour. Enough to distrust the Blue Fairy, and make a choice to try and save herself, if only temporarily. He couldn’t kill her yet, but couldn’t risk her being used a second time against him. So he would find a way to dissolve whatever connection the Blue Fairy had concocted between them, which bound him to her mortality, and then he’d dispose of her. At least she would die knowing her people were safe, which is more than he could say for himself.

In the meantime, there was no reason why he couldn’t have a little fun watching her struggle, watching her try and survive in his castle, away from her servants and creature comforts. With that in mind he went early in the morning to check on his little maid, eager to see what a miserable night of sleeping in the damp, dusty floor had done to her posh look and gentle manners. Her brave facade was unlikely to have survived the night, surely.

The first thing he thought when he opened the creaky door to her cell was that it looked cleaner than he had imagined it. The strewn straw that had covered the floor before had been gathered into two piles, one of straw that was wet or mouldy and another of cleaner straw, where the chit had no doubt slept. The cobwebs had been cleared too, and the mouse holes covered with mud. The girl herself sat huddled in a corner, looking as prim as possible, though her hair was a mess and her face and arms were very dirty. Her eyes looked puffy, and her long lashes were still wet. Tear tracks were evident along her cheeks, which gave him a modicum of delight. It wasn’t quite the amount of suffering he’d envisioned, though, which displeased him.

He left her alone until she went out looking for him, and derived only a small amount of pleasure from pointing her towards the kitchen and its meager array of food, imagining the way the apples and the bread would turn her stomach, the way she would have to battle between her hunger and her disgust. He would have walked her to the kitchens himself, but he had other pressing matters. There were magical artifacts and ingredients to collect, and deals to make, after all, so he flew out just after his interaction with the little chit, content on imagining rather than seeing her unhappiness as she got to know her new home. There was no shortage of blood and gore around the castle, especially in the rooms dedicated to his studies. As a dragon he was, by nature, a hoarder. And though most of his kind tended to beautiful things- and it was in his nature too, to seek out what was pleasing to the eye- he had always focused on power. Power in the form of ancient magical items, rare ingredients and potions and knowledge and mastery of spells and incantations. 

His line of enquiry required him to cut open a lot of animals, from common vermin to oxes and the like, either in search of ingredients or to gauge the result of an experiment. Getting someone to clean up the aftermath had always been a chore, given the unpalatable nature of his work, so he never bothered, choosing only to keep clean those rooms that required it for his experiments. There were entire wings of his castle where the air was thick with the smell of rot and death. In time the little maid could, perhaps, get used to the smell. And the mould. He doubted she would ever get used to the maggots or the flies, though. 

The day proved fruitful enough, with the acquisition of two tricky ingredients he had been having trouble getting his hands on and two favours, no conditions attached, to be used at a later date of his choosing. It always amazed him how careless people were, how narrow-minded their view of a favour was, especially with no specifications. Inevitably when he came to collect and named his price someone would say something along the lines of “You can have anything but that!”, as if they had thought to put conditions to their promised favour when they carelessly gave it away.

He kept his visits to the denizens of the Enchanted Forest short but memorable, remaining unseen when it was convenient to him and growing in size and ferocity when he needed to make an impression. Too much exposure and he’d lose some of the reverential terror he had striven hard to cultivate. Not enough and people would grow complacent and forgetful of the monster in their midst. It was a fine balancing act to remain halfway between myth and reality, but he had perfected it over the years. 

When he arrived home he felt the change almost immediately. Though the little chit was nowhere in immediate sight he could feel her presence about, the definite knowledge that he wasn’t alone. It was a strange sensation, which made him twitchy. He went looking for her, finding her making use of an old bucket, a sliver of lye soap and a coarse brush, down on all fours cleaning the kitchen floor. He could see, even in the dim light provided by the few sputtering torches, that it was slow going, since he had sometimes used the kitchen to open up the animals he needed parts from, and over time a layer of crusted blood and dried entrails had accumulated on the floor, and in splatters on the walls. But now the room looked almost like nothing that violently died there, which was quite a feat.

She was looking the worse for it, though, her dress dirty, the robin’s egg blue looking more like murky grey, her hair beginning to lose its shine, hanging more limply around her shoulders. Her eyes, however, remained stubbornly luminous and defiant. 

“I thought you were a maiden, not a maid.”

He giggled at the way she jumped, clambering to her feet, eager to be in a less vulnerable position in front of a predator such as himself. He saw her glance him over- the novelty of his more human form, he was sure, which tended to be more unsettling for humans, in many ways, than his traditional dragon form- before taking a deep breath and attempting a semblance of a smile.

“I’m just making things a bit more pleasant, that’s all. No reason why my stay here cannot be productive and enjoyable.”

He snorted, plumes of smoke coming out of his nostrils and his mouth, and he watched as she followed the smoke around, fascinated.

“At this rate, dearie, you won’t get past the kitchens.”

And she’d be lucky too. He knew what his castle looked like. A noble lady was unlikely to have the stomach to tackle more than a room or two. And it would be to her benefit, since he was hardly the only danger the castle housed. Several of his treasured magical items were deeply cursed, with magic darker than even his own, and would leave his little maid with at least a missing hand, if not something worse. He told her so, cautioning to never enter a room the little wisp he had conjured for her would not dare go into, delighting in the little flickers of fear that swept through her eyes.

She was a silly little thing, that he unfortunately had to keep alive, but more tenacious than he had given her credit for, as he found out after several weeks of uneasy cohabitation. He almost never showed himself to her, but he spied on her when the mood struck him, mostly to make sure she was alive and in one piece, since he had yet to make any advances on how to break their mutual enchantment. She’d struggled with the food at first, until she’d learned to dip the stale bread in water to soften it, and to distinguish between a bruised fruit or vegetable and a rotten one. She made daily use of the well just outside the kitchens, carrying buckets of water, using an ancient wheelbarrow she had uncovered in the barn, every morning.  It was freezing cold, however, which made every bathing experience an excruciating one, he was sure. The kitchen hearth was clogged and there was not readily available wood to build a fire, so she made do with what she had.

He could have easily made things easier, but he didn’t. The complaints he so sought, however, never came. The girl cried sometimes, in the relative solitude of her room, and looked quietly miserable most of the time, but she never voiced an objection towards her treatment, or expressed any outward sign of displeasure. 

The little chit was resourceful, too. With only the barest of tools and surely the barest of knowledge she managed to find innovative ways of doing everything he set her mind to, from cleaning the castle windows inside out to removing impossible stains or even, one time, scraping congealed blood off the rafters of his laboratory, up in the tallest tower. That had been up there for decades, he had no idea how she had managed to wash it away. He barely remembered how it had gotten there in the first place.

She would not give up on a task until it was finished, pausing only to eat or when she retreated to her dungeon for the night. He found it all deeply… unsatisfying. He had wanted to feast in her misery, to delight in the sight of a human wretched by enduring even a little of the misery humans had foisted on his kind. He had thought it would be grand to see a plushy human suffer as they did, but things were not going according to plan. Blasted girl and her blasted iron pride. He understood, as the weeks dragged on and she remained respectful in her treatment of him whenever she saw him but quietly defiant, that his efforts were for naught. The girl suffered, but in silence, giving him no amount of satisfaction.

As time dragged on he found himself displeased with how his little human wilted. How her hands reddened and her hair grew matted, the cold water doing little to truly rid it of the filth and the sweat that she accumulated while cleaning. She had brought a couple of dresses with her, but both were looking worse for wear, and neither was particularly made for the cold temperatures of the castle, meaning that she spent very little time outside, which made her look pale and sickly. 

He frowned. As a dragon, he was naturally inclined towards beautiful things. Things that looked sparkling and valuable. His maid no longer looked like a treasure, and it bothered his creature sensibilities. Besides, he needed her healthy. There was no telling how her declining health would affect him, given their magical bond. So he instructed his little wisp to direct her to rooms in the castle where he knew there was clothing that would fit her. He had looted his fair share of castles over the century and had accumulated all manner of odds and ends. He had a predilection for fine fabrics, having been brought up by a couple of spinsters as a wee hatchling, so he had taken a fair share of gowns here and there, when a particular colour or texture caught his fancy, all of which he had stored in proper trunks, with all the care he had been taught as a child. There were a few things her size, including some that would be more practical for the wintry weather. 

He unearthed a big copper tub from one of the storage rooms, setting it in a corner of the kitchen beneath a pile of discarded linens, as if he had forgotten it there long ago, along with a pile of wood, properly cut and ready to be made into a fire. Then he cornered her just as she was mopping the entrance hall, instructing her to bathe herself properly, telling her the smell offended even his base sensibilities. She opened her mouth, as if to counteract his insult, but thought better of it and closed it instead.

Later that night he snuck into the kitchens, eager to see if the little chit had stumbled into his carefully-placed gifts and had followed his advice. It was immediately apparent to him that she had, since the kitchen was more luminous than usual, a healthy fire roaring in the hearth and the air damp and smelling of vanilla. He saw her curled up inside the copper tub, steam rising from the fragrant warm water- she had found the bar of vanilla-scented soap he had left deep inside one of the cleaning cupboards, along with a bottle of oil for her hair and a pot of cream for her roughened skin, her soapy hair looking almost red in the light of the low candles. Truly a beautiful human, even with dark circles under her eyes and dirt under her fingernails that would take more than a bath to remove. Fragile little thing too, naked and relaxed, not glaring daggers at him or holding her head up high in silent defiance. He made sure to make a lot of noise before retiring to bed, lest the damnable chit fall asleep in the bath and wake up pruned and chilled. 

He began to bring more food from his incursions outside the castle, sacks of flour and oats, fresh milk and butter that the castle’s larder would keep fresh, sugar and salt and spices. He opened up the castle’s orchards, enchanted into a state of eternal summer, so she could get fruits and vegetables and some much-needed sun and instructed the little wisp to guide her there. It was fascinating to him to see her growing healthy again just from a few small concessions, colour blooming in her cheeks and her demeanor brightened.

It was with a perhaps unusual bit of pride that he came to the conclusion that his little maid was a treasure indeed, beautiful in a way that few maidens stolen by dragons had been. He began to feel possessive of her, like he did of everything else he guarded in his castle. His castle reflected his newfound attachment, losing some of its gloominess in favour of letting in sunlight in the rooms she favoured and keeping dust away from places that the girl would usually spend hours cleaning. He let it happen, reminding himself that her presence in the castle was fleeting, and a few temporary disruptions to his routine were not much concern.

And it wasn’t like he was growing fond of humans in general. His frequent incursions into the outside world kept his dislike for them fresh. Greedy little things who thought the world belonged to them alone, who cut down magical forests and chased creatures away from their homes to raze the land to the ground. When he had been a wee hatchling he had been terrified of them, small and defenceless as he had been, with no kin to protect him or guide him. Over time, as he began to grow in power, he started to see humans as petty vermin beneath his notice, except when one was desperate enough to be manipulated into surrendering something he wanted.

But every now and then, very rarely, a human got the best of him. Surprised him in some way he had not been able to foresee. Very few things could even hurt him anymore, but someone had learned that squid ink was one of them, and had seen fit to catch him with a crossbow on his way back to his castle, having previously tipped the arrow in squid ink. Thankfully it hadn’t done any real damage to the wing, the membrane remaining mostly intact, but it burned like hell and rendered his magic useless till the effects wore off.

He managed to keep himself in the air long enough to make it home, shifting to his more human form with enough energy left to drag himself in front of the fireplace of his trophy room, one plume of smoke igniting it just as he yanked the arrow out, feeling chilled and sluggish as he curled up on the stone floor, feeling the squid ink spread inside him like ice-cold water pouring over him. 

He shrugged it off. It would pass. Squid ink did not last forever, particularly on someone as powerful as him. He’d recover in a few days, would get enough magic back under his control to knit the skin back together and move. He was safe in his home and if the girl chanced upon him he trusted she was smart enough to leave him be.

He woke up what felt like days later, and took a moment to take stock of his condition. He felt as lethargic and sluggish as he had anticipated, his magic responding slowly and weakly to his call, but there was no pain, and no discomfort. The overwhelming cold that had taken over him right before he had passed out was gone, and he could feel something soft and heavy draped over him, keeping him toasty warm.

The next thing he noticed was that someone was bathing his face, a soft cloth with warm water passing across his forehead, over his eyelids and down his neck, soothing the slight ache he could feel there, the remains of a fever recently broken. There was a pleasant smell too, like burnt caramel and vanilla, that seemed to engulf him. He turned his head to the side, his nose chasing after the scent, and realised his head was pillowed on something soft. Something that moved.

“Shh, try not to move.”

The cloth was removed, but before he could protest there was a hand carding through his matted hair, nails scraping just so against his scalp, soothing and not at the same time. 

“What can I do to help, Rumplestiltskin?”

“L-little maid?”

He struggled to get out from under the fog he seemed to be trapped in, feeling weak and vulnerable, exposed. 

“Yes, it’s me. I found you like this a day ago. You had a fever, but it’s finally broken. Is there anything else I can do for you? You’re still bleeding, and I can’t make it stop.”

“Get the wisp.”

A dragon’s flame had sentience of its own if a dragon saw fit to grant it, so his little wisp existed independently of his magic, unaffected by the squid ink, so with a flick of his wrist he set it out to guide the maid into his main laboratory, where he stored, in a small, murky bottle, antidote for the ink. He had told her often, during their few encounters around the castle, to stay out of his laboratories. Had gone into details about all the horrible things that could happen to her if she ventured in there. So he expected her to make a valiant attempt at following the wisp only to cower at the last minute, when common sense prevailed over her sickly-sweet disposition. Didn’t matter, though, the squid ink would fade on its own, it would just take a little longer. 

He closed his eyes, intending to rest them for a minute, but when he opened them up again he knew immediately a long time had passed. The next thing he noticed was that there was a complete absence of pain, even the faint headache he had had before was gone, and when he pulled at his magic it answered back readily. He knew before he moved his shoulder that the arrow wound was gone, his muscle and skin having knit themselves together while he slept. He turned towards the fire, noticing a small amber vial next to him, its contents long gone. He recognised it immediately as the bottle where he kept his squid ink counter potion.

So focused was he on that little amber bottle that he almost jumped off the floor when his little maid came into his field of vision, holding one of her ever-present books with one hand and a glass of water with the other.

“Oh, good, you’re awake. I brought you some water.”

“Go away.”

He burrowed deeper into the quilt she had draped around him, trying not to dislodge the pillow she had placed under his head. He thought about teleporting himself to his nest, but he knew his magic was unreliable at best at the moment and it would be foolish to spend himself so when he was just recovering. 

“This is the only fire roaring in the entire castle, and I’m too tired to light the hearth in the kitchen.”

“The wisp can light it for you.”

He knew he was sounding petulant and ungrateful but he didn’t much care. Whatever it would take to get rid of the little chit so he could have some peace and quiet.

“Flicker has done more than enough. He deserves some rest.”

“You named it?!”

He watched as the little wisp came running, as if called, and danced around the maid’s fingers, as if enjoying a caress.

“Some more sleep would do you good, I think. And maybe some food, when you’re up for it.”

He continued to go in and out of sleep, still too weak to feel comfortable using magic but not enough to complacently acquiesce to his little maid’s coddling. Eager for some solitude he tried to scare her away with his temper, conjuring up even a few plumes of fire and more than a bit of smoke, once managing to singe a bit of the hemline of her dress and the spine of one of her precious books. The latter seemed to be the only thing that truly bothered her, causing her to disappear from his side for an entire afternoon. He told himself he was happy about that, but he couldn’t deny the little twinge of relief when she finally came back, carrying a plate with shredded meat and some more water.

“Maybe you’ll be nicer after eating a bit.”

She was fearless, more so than he had previously given her credit for, refusing to shy away no matter what he did to try and spook her. She was, indeed, a most prized treasure, unique amongst humans, which would explain why the Blue Fairy had failed so spectacularly at making her a dragon’s last sacrifice. 

Too good to kill, he decided as he devoured the meat. Once he figured out how to undo what that little gnat had done to them, he would give her some of his gold and let her walk away and explore the world to her heart’s content.

[miladydewintcr]

from the regency-inspired prompts: "full stables, with multiple high quality horses halla and a sickly old horse halla kept for sentimental reasons" for ghilan'nain (and possibly andruil) AND/OR "i'll go through this so we have a chance. it's a risk worth taking." from the sacrifices sentence starters prompts, for the Stolen Throne gang (hell yeah! fellow stolen throne fan!)

Woo high-five!! So both of these prompts were incredible, thank you <3 I um, wrote both. I'm gonna post the first one here, and queue up the second one in a seperate post so they don't get muddled? (I'll tag you in it ofc!)

For @thedasweekend

tw: animal death

Rating: T Ship: Ghilan'nain/Andruil Word-count: 819

translations:

da'ghil - little teacher/guide (used here as a pet name)

vhenan - heart (also used as a pet name)

Killing the halla was not an option. In fact, when Andruil suggested it, Ghilan’nain had left her with deep, welting scratches on her arms, chest, face, in a rage.

Andruil had eventually been able to catch her hands, wrapping her in a tight hug that also, conveniently, pinned her arms to her sides, and whispered soft words into her hair until she calmed down.

“The offer is there,” she’d told her when she finally felt able to let her go.

“I won’t need it,” Ghilan’nain hiccuped, her eyes red and her cheeks streaked with tears.

Andruil had responded by wiping her tears away, and pointedly not agreeing or disagreeing with her sentiment.

It was hard for her. Andruil was a killer at the best of times, and allowing a wounded or sickly animal to continue living seemed impractical to her. The creature was suffering. It was no use to anybody. And it was going to keep using up resources- food, medicine, Ghilan’nain’s time- that could be better placed elsewhere.

Still, she found it hard to deny Ghilan’nain anything, especially when she pleaded. She could wait this out, she was sure.

Ghilan’nain took to sleeping in the stable, curled up at the back of the sick halla’s stall. Andruil had someone bring her food for the first few weeks and, then, started to bring it herself, just so that she could see her. Because otherwise she wouldn’t; Ghilan’nain refused to leave the sickly beast alone for even a moment.

Andruil was not a worrier, not usually. But she did stay and watch and make sure than Ghilan’nain actually ate the food brought to her each day, because it wouldn’t do to have her most favourite person starve.

Then she’d have two sick creatures in her stable to deal with.

Despite all Ghilan’nain’s efforts, all her attention, the halla continued to wither.

“I could make it quick,” Andruil suggested one evening. “One arrow, straight through the eye.”

Ghilan’nain shot her a look, the fingers running over the halla’s flank clenching into a tight fist atop its wool, and Andruil knew that, were its weary head not currently resting in her lap, she would currently be on the receiving end of more vicious scratches.

“She is my creature,” Ghilan’nain said, voice shaking. It was clear to Andruil that she was fighting to keep her volume down lest she spook the beast in question. “I made her. I raised her. I will not let her die.”

“Sometimes, I don’t think it’s a question of letting things die, vhenan.”

Ghilan’nain tossed her hair, and huffed.

Not a week after that exchange, Ghilan’nain met her at the stall door for the first time. The halla lay on the floor behind her, its breathing erratic.

“Fetch your sister for me,” Ghilan’nain said, almost frantic, reaching for Andruil’s hands and lacing their fingers together.

Recognising this comfort-seeking behaviour for what it was, Andruil tugged one hand free to pull her into a hug, smoothing her palm against the back of Ghilan’nain’s head. “What has happened?”

“I think you were right, and I would end her with herbs.”

Andruil mouthed a silent blessing to the ether before pulling back to look Ghilan’nain in the eye. “You are certain?”

She nodded. Her eyes were red, her cheeks wet and splotchy, and Andruil suspected she had already agonised over this decision for hours. “Tell Sylaise to bring her most poisonous concoctions. Something quick.” She turned to look at the sickly creature over her shoulder. “I would have her fall asleep, I think, and just fail to wake up.”

Andruil squeezed her hand. It would be easier still, she thought, to just shoot it. Certainly quicker. But the halla were Ghilan’nain’s, and her decision was all that mattered. “I will fetch her immediately. Will you be alright on your own?”

Ghilan’nain nodded. She was trembling like a leaf, and Andruil was reluctant to leave her alone, if only for a short while.

She leaned in to press a kiss against her forehead. “This is the right decision, da’ghil. I am proud of you.”

Ghilan’nain shook her hands out, as though she could dislodge the anxiety from her body with the movement. “Be quick?” she pleaded.

“Count the seconds.” She wiped Ghilan’nain’s cheeks with the pad of her thumb, and then turned and rushed towards her eluvian.

When she returned, hurrying Sylaise along with an assortment of glass bottles in her arms, Ghilan’nain had gone to sit at the back of the stall, a soothing hand resting against her halla's side.

She looked up, met Andruil’s eyes. “One thousand and seventeen,” she said softly.

It took Andruil a moment to realise she had been literally counting down the seconds. And despite the sincerity of the situation, the grief already hanging thick in the air, she couldn’t help but smile, shaking her head fondly as she ushered a confused Sylaise into the stall.