#[THE EARTH IS SHAKING THE MOON IS FALLING FROM THE SKY-- i need this interaction so much]

[grimowled]

peers down at him.

OH, FOR THE LOVE OF--

very few could still take the prince by surprise, his most venerable father being one of them - able to appear wherever he pleased with nary a woosh! to his sudden ingress. he swiftly regains what little he has left of his reeling composure and dusts off any lingering ungainliness, instead splaying a gloved hand over his thumping! chest to bow in dutiful greeting to the unreasonably taller demon king towering over him, dismissing the distinct feeling of shrinking under the scrutinising gaze boring burning holes into him.

"... yes, father. how may I serve you?"

[lovetorn]

Life Was A Willow [Part 2]

Witch Hunter!Dream x Witch!Fem!Reader

Part 1 Part 3

Summary: It's always been hunters vs. witches, right?

Word Count: 3.6k+

Warnings for Part 2: violence, mentions of death (familial), swearing

A/N: part 2 !!!! thank you so much for the support and feedback from part 1, omg thank you !! well, i hope you enjoy part 2 ahhhhh !!

It’s 9 pm and Y/n still waits for the signal. She looks in the direction of the Castle and swings her feet back and forth from where she sits on the cottage’s roof.

The air is cold and the trees continue to rustle, the same way they do every day, but tonight, she has an eerie feeling about it. Regret slips into her mind sometimes, telling her that she is foolish for even accepting such a vague invitation by someone she doesn’t even know—but it was so intriguing and she trusts them (she doesn’t exactly know why).

Suddenly, a large pop startles Y/n out of her daze. Sparkles dance in the sky as fireworks burst from the land below. She quickly notes that the explosions are coming from the West side of the Castle and takes that as the signal. Very grand indeed.

Y/n jumps from the roof, landing gracefully on the dirt, and takes off running through the forest. She misses tree roots emerging from the earth and ducks under low branches from the undergrowth. The only thing that lights her path is the moonlight and at this moment, Y/n is thriving. The full moon allows her abilities to heighten and she places her full trust in her instincts.

The fireworks continue to explode and Y/n fills with more adrenaline, the sound making her scream out in joy. She’s excited about the meeting, and she doesn’t even know who it is. And maybe that’s what she’s eager for; the unknown.

The entirety of the concept scared her before, but now she’s exhilarated. And as the show comes to a close, Y/n nears the East side of the Castle. It’s completely silent at this end and the eerie feeling she had before creeps back. It’s not a feeling of uncertainty but one of opportunity and her instincts are telling her to take it.

When she reaches the abandoned cottage, Y/n inhales sharply. There’s no light coming from the house and the door remains closed. As she steps onto the stairs in front, the wood creams beneath her and she scolds for giving away herself to the person inside. Instead of sneaking around, Y/n stomps towards the door and swings it open.

She sees a man in the corner and makes her way towards him, her hands out and ready in case this interaction goes south.

“Who are you? And how do you know me?” Y/n calls out. The man jumps slightly and lifts his head. And in the moonlight flooding in through the window, Y/n recognises him as Dream, even with his mask off. He stands in a white button-up and brown pants, his hunter boots on and a newsboy hat sat on his blonde hair.

“Dream?”

“Hi, Y/n. I knew you would recognise me.” Y/n doesn’t want to look away from him. This is the first time she’s seen his face, and despite the darkness, she sees how handsome he is.

“Why—how? Why did you want to meet me in such a creepy way?” Y/n asks in disgust, picking a cobweb out of her hair and then off of her shoulder; they seem to be everywhere. Her expression falls back to one of admiration when she looks back at him. However, the moonlight lacked the light Y/n needed to see him properly.

Dream laughs slowly. “I forgot to bring a lighter for the lamp. Do you think you could, uh—maybe,”

“Glady,” Y/n sighs and flicks her hand towards the candle in the glass encasing. It immediately comes to life and the room becomes brightly lit. Her eyes fall onto Dream again and she finally sees him; his piercing green eyes and the scar that runs from the top of his left temple to the corner of his lip.

“Wow,” Dream mumbles under his breath. “Anyway, I wanted to talk to you, and I know that everybody I know would, just, obliterate me for even thinking about doing this, but I needed to talk to you about—“

“You’re rambling.”

“Right, right...”

Y/n squints at the man and then tilts her head. “Whose C?”

Dream’s eyes widen as he nods. “Yeah, uh, that’s me. My name’s Clay.”

The witch doesn’t say anything as she stares at him. “So why do they call you Dream?”

This isn’t where Dream thought the conversation would go, but he’s happy they’re not fighting.

“My mother came up with the nickname when I was born. I nearly didn’t make it and then through some miracle, I did. So, she called me her Dream.” Y/n can tell the story makes him emotional, so she doesn’t push any further.

“That’s really sweet, Dream.” And at the sound of his real name, Dream perks up slightly before he cracks a smile. Y/n grins back at him; a real genuine smile. The pair stand in the low lit room in comfortable silence, until Y/n’s curiosity gets the better of her.

“What did you want to talk about?” She asks. Dream nods once and continues from where he was cut off before.

“I wanted to discuss the possibility of a truce between witches and hunters,” Dream isn’t smiling anymore, instead his lips are screwed up and his hands fidget in front of him. Y/n, however, grins even bigger.

“I’m all for that, honestly. I’m tired of being on edge every day and being scared for my life. If we can find a way to create peace, even for a little bit, I’m on board.” Y/n keeps it short for now, not wanting to scare him off by how passionate she feels about the situation.

Dream’s eyes light up at the sound of her agreeing. “Really?” Y/n nods and becomes surprised when she feels Dream’s arms wrap around her. “Thank you, thank you.”

“No, Dream, thank you! I’ve been trying to convince people of this for years. I’m really glad that you feel the same way.” The pair pull apart and Dream flicks his eyes down to Y/n’s lips for a split second.

“You’re so pretty,” Y/n nearly chokes at his comment. Dream feels his cheeks burn when the words tumble out and soon they’re both flustered. “Sorry! Oh my, I’m sorry, that didn't mean to slip out—”

“Dream, it’s fine. I think you’re pretty too; especially without the mask.”

The hunter swats the witch’s shoulder playfully. “Stop~” The pair laugh together, and then proceed to stand in another comfortable silence. The wind howls and whistles outside and makes the cottage creak, adding to the eerie aura that surrounds it.

“What’s with the hat? It’s nighttime.”

Dream plucks the accessory off of his head and runs his opposite hand through his hair, the soft locks falling back into place when his hand returns to his side. “Part of the disguise, duh.”

Y/n squints at him, her expression morphing into one of mischief. “Isn’t the mask a disguise in itself, though? Also, put the hat back on, you look handsome with it.” It’s time for Dream to blush now. He covers his face with his hat and scoffs softly. “Y/n!”

The girl slaps her hand over her mouth to muffle her embarrassed laughs. “It’s true!”

The man rolls his eyes before placing the hat back on his head. “Happy?”

Y/n nods before telling him to answer about the mask.

“Well, no, nobody at the Castle actually knows what I look like—except for my best friends, Sapnap and George.”

“George? As in Prince George?” Y/n is shocked, to say the least. She now understands why Dream is so passionate about the peace between the Hunters and Witches. Prince George is known for his differing morals and ideas from his family, which makes him stand out from the other Royals. Y/n admires his bravery and courage to do so.

“Yeah, we’ve been friends since we were young. I’m jealous that he can be so open with his opinions in that Castle—Lord knows if I was, I'd be executed,” This makes Y/n’s stomach drop. “But, it’s okay, with your help, hopefully, we can convince humans and magical-kind alike, that there can be peace. A—And we can live together in harmony, without being consumed by the overbearing thought of death every moment of our lives.”

Dream stops his tangent, his face flushed and his eyes pleading. Y/n feels like crying; she has waited years for someone to be as passionate as her about this topic. “I’ll help you, Dream, no matter what; because I wholeheartedly believe we can do this. I trust you.”

Y/n shocks herself with this statement; she’s never trusted a human before.

“And I trust you Y/n.” The pair stare at each other, smiles spread across their cheeks as the night outside slips away, and then it’s just them; standing in the main area of a small, abandoned cottage that sits East of the Castle, lit up with a lantern that casts a warm glow over the pair. Y/n can almost say it looks and feels magical.

“Ok, enough flirting, let’s get planning on the truce. Sounds like a plan, doll?” Dream gives her a lopsided smile and Y/n feels her heart rate increase at the sight of him.

“Where were you?” Wilbur says. His voice is deeper than usual and fits in perfectly with the way he’s sitting ominously in the dark. Y/n stops tiptoeing towards her room and turns to face him; defeated that she got caught. However, she still remains giddy and her heart beats faster for other reasons.

“I was meeting with Schlatt—I need more toadstools for a potion I’m making.”

Wilbur squints at her, his lips curling into a frown. “I know you’re lying, and so does Niki.”

Y/n sighs and starts walking towards him. “I’m sorry—“ She pauses when she sees Wilbur shake his head.

“Don’t.”

Y/n screws her lips together and nods once. Her once excited demeanour fading away when she sees Wilbur’s look of disappointment. “I was meeting one of the new hunters, Dream.”

Wilbur furrowed his eyebrows, “What? Why?”

“We’re formulating a truce amongst witches and hunters.”

He raises his eyebrows in both surprise and suspicion. “Okay? And why are you doing this? We don’t need peace.”

“Uh, so we’re not in danger every living second?” Y/n’s nerves grow into anger. “Why are you so against the chance of maybe, finally getting this?”

Wilbur shakes his head and stands up, the chair screeching against the wood floors as he moves. “Haven’t you heard what becomes of curious minds?”

Y/n is at a loss for words while the tall man rolls his eyes and leaves, avoiding her as he circles around her to walk down the hallway.

His abrupt exit confuses Y/n. Why is Wilbur so against peace with the Hunters?

—

Dream manages to sneak into the Hunter’s Wing before they lock the front doors for the night. He sits silently on the bench in the training room and slips his boots off, making sure to place them on the floor as quiet as possible. He takes his hat off of his head and holds it in his palms, smiling stupidly at the inanimate object. The flame in the lantern next to him is fizzling out and it's hard to see 4 feet in front of him.

“Dream?” Even in his daze, Dream can sense the anger and fear in Sapnap’s voice.

“Sapnap? Why are you awake?” The younger boy walks out from the hallway and towards him.

“Me? Where were you? It’s midnight.”

Dream sighs and rests the hat on the bench next to him. “I was out.”

“Out? You mean meeting with the witch?”

Dream’s eyes widen. “How do you know that?”

“Fireworks don’t just go off for no reason, Dream. And I found the note in your room.” Sapnap says, ripping the letter from his pyjama bottoms pocket.

“Just say you have a crush on her, Dream!” Sapnap yells, throwing his arms up in defeat.

“I don't—I promise, Sapnap.”

“Fine, if you don’t like the witch, then kill her.” Dream’s dumbfounded. He stares at his best friend with such bewilderment that even Sapnap feels a twinge of guilt. Dream sighs, carding his hand through his hair in frustration and confusion.

He doesn’t reply, even when George arrives in a hurry, still in the process of wrapping a dressing gown around his body.

“What’s happened? I heard yelling.” The pair remain frozen, refusing to meet the Prince’s glare as they avoid eye contact.

George shakes his head, “Has this got to do with Dream meeting with the witch?”

“George! How do you know, too?”

George huffs. “I know everything that happens in and outside of my Castle. But, fireworks? Really?”

Dream throws his hands down in frustration. “Yes, fireworks! It was a good distraction and it was a signal for her anyway.”

George eyes the blonde before he crosses his arms over his chest. “As much as you hate to admit it, it's obvious that you’re fond of her, Dream. And no matter what happens, I’ll be by your side, okay? You know that.”

“What the fuck?” Sapnap spits. “You have his back? George, I can tolerate your ideals about the magical kind, but this is the witch who killed half of the hunter population.”

Dream stills. “What?”

“You’ve gone and done it now, Sapnap!”

“Y/n killed people?”

“Dream—“ George goes to speak, but he’s cut off by Sapnap.

“Yes! That’s why I’ve been trying to warn you! Why do you think we got this job so easily?” Dream stares at the concrete floor, his heart dropping into his stomach. He can’t believe it, he refuses to.

“Sapnap!” George snaps. The younger boy cowers away slightly, his once confronted facade crumbling at the sound of the Prince's tone. “Stop it, right now. You are in no place to tell him this, okay? You may be my best friend but that doesn’t excuse you from doing this.”

Dream chews on his bottom lip quietly as he watches Sapnap turn around and stomp out of the training room, but not before he scrunches up the letter and throws it on the floor. “Thanks.”

George’s gaze remains on the door. “Don’t thank me. He should know better anyway, considering his last relationship.”

The blonde nods once, reminding himself of the youngest boy’s past relationship with a fairy from the kingdom next door. Dream lets out a laugh at the thought.

For the next few days, Y/n hears nothing from Dream. She worries for him, has he been caught?

She stands on the porch of her cottage, hoping, begging for a sign that he is okay. Clouds plague the blue skies above and Y/n knows the bad omens swirling around the kingdom are the cause—and the inside of Niki’s crystal ball had burst with black and dark red clouds which had only confirmed her suspicions.

The wind howls through the trees and calls to her, speaking words of concern under its tongue. Y/n rolls her eyes and sighs, she knows to be careful, especially with the humans inching closer to their world.

However, a faint voice draws Y/n’s attention away from the wind and to the well in the corner of the garden. The sound confuses her at first, and then the wind’s guidance is forgotten as she makes her way towards it. The short fence around the area is still broken from the fight with the hunters weeks ago, and nobody has had a chance to repair it yet, so Y/n takes it upon herself to fix it.

The whispers from the well become a string of mumbles and are impossible to decipher as Y/n kneels with her back towards the forest—and for the first time, she is anxious about what lies within it.

But, before she can even begin picking up the pieces of wood, the sound of someone approaching her at a fast pace alerts Y/n immediately. She spins around with her hands out and is shocked when she sees Dream with his sword raised. The ground moves beneath her feet as she uses the earth’s power to aid her in meeting his strength.

“Dream?” She screams, her body struggling to resist the force of his weapon. Sparkles fall from her fingertips as she pushes back.

“You killed an entire army of people, Y/n!” Dream’s tone is low and angry and Y/n knows he would have found out eventually.

“Dream, I didn’t do that!” Y/n exclaims and Dream swings his sword backwards.

“How can I trust you? Hm? After all, you’ve killed people!” Y/n could cry at his utter naivety. She drops her arms by her sides as Dream glares at her in pure disgust.

“Instead of fighting, can we talk about this?” Y/n pleas. Her feet move swiftly beneath her, maneuvering her body away from Dream’s sword.

Suddenly, Dream brings the sword down to slice into Y/n’s arm, but a force pushes it back towards him, making the blade fly high into the air before it clatters onto the ground.

Y/n stands with her hands out, remnants of glitter falling around her fingers. “I told you! I’d never do that, and I have proof.”

“Proof?” Dream still stares at his sword, unable to meet Y/n’s eye.

“Proof. Now, how about we calm down and I’ll show it to you. Okay? Sounds like a plan?” Dream nods slowly, turning his head to face her. Finally, his green eyes soften and the raging fire that burns within them fizzles out.

“Okay.”

Y/n sighs before she begins. “When a witch kills an innocent; a human, they gain a marking on the back of their neck to signify the betrayal of the harmony between the two. However, since King James, that peace has been terminated; hence his need for hunters, like yourself.

“But, anyway, everybody in this damn kingdom thinks I killed those hunters, but I don’t have the mark,” Y/n turns around, her hand going to lift up her hair from her neck. The skin is clear, with no markings, nothing.

Dream nods, furrowing his eyebrows. “How do I know you didn’t just cast a spell to make it disappear?”

Y/n rolls her eyes. “There’s no way to cover up the marking; it’ll just shine through whatever you put over it. It’s permanent and very obvious.”

“I told you, Dream, I didn’t kill them. I’d never kill an innocent.”

“Why didn’t you show them, then? You've had proof this entire time and never thought to actually show anyone?” Dream is bewildered. Y/n nods slowly, understanding his argument.

“I don't need to prove myself to your kind.” Is all she says. Dream waits for her to continue but soon realises she's not going to. “Fair point.”

“So, why did you come at me swinging? Did you really believe I would do that?” She whispers and Dream feels his heart sink. He is speechless for a few moments—did he really think that? Or was he feeding into Sapnap’s ideology of witches?

“S—Sapnap convinced me of things. I didn’t believe it at first, but the more he went on—I guess he got into my head.”

Y/n cocks her eyebrow and scoffs out a laugh. “Yeah, he did. You could’ve easily killed me with the amount of anger you had.”

This makes Dream’s breath catch in his throat. “I—I’m so sorry, Y/n. That was never my intention—”

The witch shakes her head and holds her hand up. “It’s okay, Dream. You didn’t offend me. I’m still here, with you, right? Isn’t that enough to tell you that I’m not angry?”

“Yes! Yes, sorry—”

“Stop saying sorry, it’s annoying.” Y/n giggles, holding her hand out to grasp Dream’s.

“So—”

“Dream!”

The cottage is quiet, too quiet, and Y/n walks into the small kitchen, hoping to bake a cake to cure her boredom. But, Wilbur sits at the round dining table, his beanie and a sewing needle in his hands.

“Wil, I wanted to talk to you,” Y/n mumbles, pulling out a chair. Wilbur doesn’t meet her eye as she does so, continuing to patch up his beanie that got ripped on a tree last week.

“Why are you against harmony with humans?”

Wilbur sighs softly. He places the beanie on the table and turns to face Y/n. “Y/n, when I was young, I lived amongst the humans in a town not far from here. We tried as hard as we could to mix in and not draw attention to ourselves.”

The girl listens intently, both curious and scared for his answer. She can tell the story makes him anxious so she reaches for his hand that lays on the wooden table. “Go on, Wil. I’m here.”

Wilbur nods, his eyes already full of tears as he continues.

“However, one day, my family decided to move to a more secluded area within the town, so my father could teach me more about magic without the risk of being caught. When we entered our new cottage in the forest, we were ambushed and they killed my entire family, leaving me, the only child, alone. I was left there, with my parents' bodies for weeks. I was made to fend for myself until I found Niki in a cave several years later. I was only 7, Y/n.”

Tears cascade down both of their cheeks. Wilbur takes in a shaky breath before he collapses onto the table out of grief. Y/n immediately leaps into action, wrapping her arms around the older man and letting him use her for support. His broken sobs and heart-wrenching cries stab Y/n all over, and she immediately regrets asking him about it.

“I’m so sorry that happened to you, Wilbur,” She didn’t push anymore, and that was all Wilbur needed.

[djadins]

aurora glow | thrawn x f!reader — part one

An alien ship lands on Earth after electrical failure. You have been surviving alone, the planet being struck by an EMP-like solar flare years prior. What happens when you meet the inhabitants of this ship on your travels?

warnings: violence, explicit language, canon divergence

rating: T

word count: 2.8k

a/n: Thrawn probably is and will be OOC during this series. also, as the story progresses i’m definitely bound to get things wrong and probably accidentally add something that’s actually from star trek (so apologies!) loosely inspired by the Voyager episode ‘Gravity’ and a book I recently finished!

You saw the crash before you heard the explosion.

It had been a long time since something had lit up the sky that wasn’t the moon, sun or auroras. You weren’t very far away from the crash site, you could tell. Although, admittedly, you were still bad at measuring distances. It was on your way southbound anyways - as it was fall, and winter and the first snow would be fast approaching.

You arms tightened around the smooth handle of your walking stick, one of your favorite found items. You preferred to think of them in this manner, rather than “looting” or “stealing”. Could they even be considered that if their owner was no longer there to use them? You didn’t think so, at least.

It took twenty minutes before you were close enough to see the smoke rising out of the giant space... ship. You felt a shudder rip through your body. You know exactly what you saw but it was still a concept you had to wrap your brain around. Believing for nearly your whole life that out there, somewhere, other life had to exist... and actually seeing it with your own eyes were two different things.

You instinctually began walking lower to the ground, closer to the shrubbery and trees, checking your hip for the well hidden, small 9mm you kept on you at all times. You knew you had few bullets left and would not use it unless you really needed to. There was a knife in the inside of your boot that you would try to use instead but only if the situation called for it.

You could make out many white, helmeted figures from here. At least, you assumed that was armor and not their actual bodies. There was also one, deep, calm voice alongside a fair amount of shouting that you couldn’t quite see. You walked in a semi circle, closer to the voices. There was a lot of brush, thankfully, that you could hide yourself in.

When you were close enough to see the event that was unfolding, you instinctively held your breath. There was the spaceship, in all her glory, smoking and partially buried in the ground. You were surprised there wasn’t more outward and obvious damage, but you weren’t sure of the full extent of the electrical failure or how far from the planet it had reach. Many of those white figures were scattered around, holding some sort of weapon in the direction of the action.

The shouting figures, which were now only a few feet from you, were holding weapons you recognized. Even with their backs fully or partially turned from you, you could tell that the three of them were human. Two men, who had their weapons pointed towards select armored white aliens, and one woman. She had a short-barreled shotgun that was pointed at the tallest of the aliens.

His crimson eyes caught your attention first and you released your breath at the sight of them. They were dark, reminding you of the Red Delicious apples you had stored in your pack. His vibrant blue skin contrasted harshly against his eyes and his pitch colored hair and uniform. His hair was short and slicked back but a few strands were hanging over his face. He seemed humanoid apart from his angular face, but even with that, if he wasn’t blue he might actually pass for human.

You realized the woman wasn’t shouting at him, but the uniformed men around him. Their weapons were pointed at the three humans but they were taking no action.

“We want all the food and supplies out of that ship, now!” she shouted. “If we don’t get it in five minutes, I’ll take big blue here down!”

You were close enough to see the jaw in the tall blue alien’s mouth tighten. He pinched his lips together tightly before responding in a cool, calm voice. “As I have already stated, my men will not respond to your demands. Neither will I, for that matter.”

The woman began shouting again. You bit your lip and wondered if you had gone mad for what you were considering doing. You didn’t even give yourself time to think if this was the smart move before you picked up the palm-sized rock that was on the ground beside you. There was a large, wooden warehouse on your right where one of the human men had been standing beside, weapon ready. You were about 30 feet away from it from your current position.

You wound your arm back and threw that rock with everything you had. It smashed through a wood panel, making a sharp cracking noise. All heads momentarily turned, except for the blue alien, who’s line of sight was now firmly focused in your direction. You had already taken off from the bushes, walking stick in hand, when you realized he was looking directly at you.

While everyone else’s attention was still focused on the dilapidated warehouse, you spun your walking stick behind your back and then quickly whipped it back in front of you, hitting the woman with the shotgun square in the head. Your walking stick shattered where it connected with her. She crashed into the ground with a bloodcurdling scream and you grabbed the shotgun she dropped. All eyes were now on you as you pointed it at her.

“Drop your weapons, you two,” you yelled, partially out of breath, eyes still focused on the woman on the ground. You poked her with the barrel of the gun. “Tell them,” you warned her.

She nodded her head and looked around at the two men. You heard the familiar crunch of grass as the two weapons were dropped, but your eyes were still focused on her. Then you heard the shrieks of the men and a sickening crunching sound that followed. Two of the white armored men now approached either side of you, weapons drawn. The blue alien was still silent, but he put his hand up towards his men. They lowered their weapons instantly.

He motioned for you to back up and you did just that. The two armored men flung their weapons behind their backs and went towards the woman on the ground. They restrained her before you finally drew your attention fully to the tall man in front of you. He had stepped closed to you now that you were hanging onto the shotgun with one loose hand, the barrel almost brushing against the grass.

He held a large, cerulean hand out to you. His eyes had seemed to lighten. “If I may,” he started, “it will take my men off edge.”

You nodded and passed the weapon over to him. He held it in both hands, studying it for a moment, before handing it to one of his men.

“Why did you betray your people?”

You looked from his hands back up to his eyes, your voice suddenly gone.

You bit your lip and looked around you, fully realizing the situation you had now put yourself in.

A handful of the armored men had restrained the three humans but the rest were looking at you and the alien. They still had their weapons drawn, and although they weren’t pointed in your direction, you knew that they easily could be.

“Th.. they weren’t my people,” you stammered, looking back into his vibrant eyes.

He tilted his head slightly. “Hmm.” He took his time, looking you up and down before doing the same to them. “They resemble you. Are you of a different race?”

“N.. no. I, uh,” you struggled on how to explain. You bit your lip again. “We are all humans, from this planet, yes. But I do not know them personally.”

Another hmm escaped his lips as you wondered how on this good earth you could even understand what he was saying to you. “I am still perplexed,” he admitted. “What would compel you to help me?”

You looked down at your feet after he asked you this. You honestly weren’t sure what surged through you in what had only happened moments earlier. You looked back up at him, directly in his eyes. “I’m not sure,” you answered honestly. “I have never seen an alien before and I didn’t want you to think we were all bad.”

His eyebrows scrunched together at your response, giving you what you could only describe as a quizzical look. It was as if he was trying to figure you out entirely by solely examining you. He took a step towards you.

“You have never met another who wasn’t from your own planet?”

You shook you head. “Before the blackout, it was a widely debated topic whether or not there was extraterrestrial life somewhere in space.”

He smiled at your response. “Well, I’m happy to inform you, there are many different life forms, spread across millions of light years.”

He watched your eyes light up at this statement. You couldn’t help but look up at the sky above you. You felt infinitesimally small in that moment.

“I am Thrawn, Captain of the Thunder Wasp.”

You looked back at him and gave your name.

“I am unsure of how your people greet one another, however it is a pleasure, nonetheless.”

You held you hand out towards him without thinking at his response. Some of his men tightened their grip on their weapons at your action and you flinched. He looked towards them and shook his head. He slowly mimicked your action, bringing his hand out but not quite touching you.

You grasped his hand, slow enough that he could pull back if he was uncomfortable. You looked in his eyes and smiled, slowly shaking his hand up and down. His hand was large, enveloping yours easily. He was incredibly warm to the touch. “Nice to meet you, Captain.”

He caught on to your action, bringing his hand up and down in a synchronous motion with you. When you both released your light grip, he smiled back at you. “Please, Thrawn is sufficient. I am not your commanding officer, but a visitor to your planet.”

After this interaction, Thrawn’s men separated, leaving the two of you to yourselves. There were still four guards with the other humans and only then did you bring your attention to them.

“Dirty bitch,” the woman spat at you and as soon as she did, one of the guards knocked her in the back of the head. A shudder ripped through your body after witnessing this.

Thrawn called out your name and you focused your attention back to him. “If I could borrow you a moment, I have some questions I would like to ask.”

You shook your head in affirmation. He turned on his heel, hands firmly clasped behind his back as he walked towards his ship. You left your walking stick on the ground as you followed behind him.

The ship was tilted sideways slightly, it’s nose buried in the ground while it’s backside was raised a little above. You approached the side of the ship, where two of his soldiers were standing in position beside a door.

At the Captain’s approach, they grasped what appeared to be suction cups on each individual door. The pulled and the door split open in the middle and Thrawn walked towards it, taking a large step up into the ship easily with his elongated legs. Upon realizing you would struggle a lot more to get in than he would, he bent down and reached a hand out towards you.

You didn’t hesitate as you put your hand into his and one foot on the floor of the ship. It was angled just above your waist and you could feel the stretch burn the back of your thigh. The sensation didn’t last long as Thrawn hoisted you into the ship, seemingly using little energy on his part. He dropped your hand as soon as you were steady and the doors were manually shut behind you.

The corridors were lit with dim red lights along the wall. Shadows bounced as you and Thrawn navigated through the ship. His skin looked almost iridescent in here.

You followed him through many different corridors until he paused in front of a door. He pulled a card out from somewhere in his uniform that he swiped against the panel next to the door and it slide open automatically. Same at the doors outside, just without someone manually pulling it apart.

You looked around as you followed behind him. You were in a large room that resembled an office and had another closed door leading to somewhere else along the wall. There were many different pieces of what you would describe as art scattered through the room along with a giant desk. It had two large, comfortable looking chairs settled on either side.

Thrawn pulled out the chair that had its back facing the door you had just entered, clearly made for whoever was visiting the owner of this desk, which you could only assume was the man in front of you himself. Once you had settled in the chair, which threatened to swallow you whole, Thrawn settled into the seat across from you.

He started by asking you what exactly you had meant by the ‘blackout’ you had mentioned earlier. You did your best to explain what little you knew of it, telling him that a few years prior the sun had sent out a solar flare strong enough to act as an EMP, effectively wiping out all electronics, everywhere, and sending humans back to the stone age. Thrawn listened to you intently, without interruptions as you did your best to work through what information you had gathered through the years. You ended your long explanation by telling him that approximately once every 30 days, another solar flare would hit the Earth for roughly 12 hours and restore most of the electronics during that time. You could tell it was approaching by the aurora that would brighten the sky the night before.

You both sat silently as Thrawn chewed through the information you had just given him. Finally, he simply said, “That explains some things.”

You waited patiently for his next question while he formulated it. You had trouble keeping your eyes off of him, but didn’t want to come off as rude, so you looked around the room every once in a while.

Thrawn called out your name softly while you were staring at a painting situated over his left shoulder. If it wasn’t eerily silent on the ship, you might not have heard it. You looked over at him. He was examining you as if you were that painting hung on the wall. Finally, after a minute that seemed like an hour, he asked what your plans were.

“Well, winter is fast approaching. I aim to keep heading south where it will be warm during the season.” You looked down at your feet. “I have found it best to keep migrating through the years. Staying in one place invites danger,” you practically whispered.

“Are you all alone?”

You held back the emotional outburst that threatened to rip through you at that question. You shook your head in confirmation.

“How long?”

You swallowed hard. “7, maybe 8 seasons.”

You could feel Thrawn’s pity even if you weren’t looking at him, even though if you had looked at him you would have only outwardly seen stoicism.

“When do you expect the next flare to hit?” he asked you after a few silent moments.

You looked up at him for the first time in a while. His red eyes were soft, the color nearly washed out compared to the first time you saw him. He had folded his hands on top of his desk and was hunched over — or what a military man like him probably considered hunched over. His back was still pretty stick straight.

You pondered his question. “If I had to guess, 10... maybe 12 days. I don’t keep track very well anymore and sometimes it doesn’t follow an exact pattern. But it always happens, eventually.”

Thrawn nodded. “Would you be willing to stay with us while we repair the ship?”

Your mouth fell open. Sensing your confusion he added, “You are the only one who knows this planet, we could use your expertise.”

You bit your lip so hard you tasted metal.

Thrawn continued, voice near a whisper. “I will take you off this dying planet in return.”

His transition from ‘us’ to ‘I’ didn’t go unnoticed by you. You still sat there, silently processing his question.

You took a sharp breath in and let it out shakily. Tears prickled at your eyes.

How could you leave the only home you had ever known, if Thrawn and his men could even get their ship working again in the first place?

How could you survive out there, in space? A place you didn’t know... none of your people really knew, where you didn’t belong.

Where would you go? What would you do?

But you had no one and nothing left here.

You gave him your answer and you could have swore you saw the corners of his mouth twitch upwards in response.

[byrachel]

oh to be seths imprint and attend a wedding and realize how in love we are and dance and have fun and fall in love with life and with each other and sneak away from the wedding and drink champagne and slow dance under the moon at night and look at the sky. I would literally die a happy woman :,(

SETH CLEARWATER THE REST OF OUR LIVES

word count: 1767

summary: when her duties as maid of honor become a little overwhelming, seth takes his girlfriend to a special place to take a break away from her family

warnings: you might experience extreme loneliness because I sure am

note: i already posted about it, but this is such a cute request. this is probably one of the cutest requests i’ve ever gotten. i still want to apologize for taking so long to finish this, because I just wasn’t sure how to approach this. i hope you still enjoy this, anon!

(Y/N) sighed softly, a pained expression replacing the fake smile which had occupied her face the whole day as she finally sat down at her assigned table. She put her hands against her back, softly straightening it to relieve herself from the twisting pain she had from walking around on heels the last few hours. “Should’ve worn flats.” She murmured to herself.

The family members and friends of the bride and groom were surrounding the dance floor of the wedding venue, where they were having their first dance of the night. It was the perfect moment to sneak away, because it was the first moment since the beginning of that stressful wedding day she didn’t have to do anything, but watch her sister and her now husband be happy. 

Even with hurting feet, (Y/N) smiled satisfied as she caught a glimpse of the dancing pair between the figures surrounding them. The soft creme glow of the low hanging lights was reflecting beautifully on her sister’s diamond encrusted dress, just like she had dreamed of. As the maid of honor, (Y/N) made sure she could bring heaven on earth for her sister so she could have her perfect day and seeing her smile, which even gave her butterflies in her stomach, she knew she succeeded. Nothing could ruin her sister’s day.

(Y/N) noticed her almost empty glass of champagne she had left at the edge of the table over three hours ago, showing her how long it had exactly been since she gave her body a rest. It didn’t even look like it had bubbles anymore. She almost wanted to chug the last bit down her throat, too lazy to get herself a new drink. She also wasn’t in the mood to talk to the flirting bartender either. She was slowly going to let her tongue dry out if she had to.

As she finally found a comfortable position to sit in, a pair of familiar hands suddenly found their way to her shoulders, rubbing their thumbs between her shoulder blades. “Hey, pretty lady.” Her boyfriend whispered into her ear, shivers going down her spine as his warm breath gently brushed along her neck. 

“Hey, baby.” Her lips curled up into a soft, relieved smile when she finally felt the one person she was waiting to spend her time with all day. Just like her, he was helping to make sure everything was perfect by being dragged along by her mother. Here and there, she would see him carry things behind the bar or make sure all the equipment was in the right place, secretly craving to be by his side and enjoy this beautiful moment with him. “I missed you today.” 

Although he probably saw her sit down, she felt like Seth didn’t only know when, but also how she needed him. On days she was emotionally drained and just avoided social interaction, he was the only person she could stand being around. He didn’t expect anything from her and just lied silently next to her, rubbing figures into her belly while they cuddled. 

“I would’ve loved to stay with you, but your mom wasn’t letting me out of her sight.” Seth chuckled, letting go of his girlfriend and sitting down on the chair next to her. “She even asked me to dance with her later.” 

(Y/N) cringed, aware of how overbearing her mom could be at times. “I told her to tone it down. I’ll talk--” 

“No, don’t. It’s fine.” Seth laughed, shaking his head. “Let’s just be civil for today, your sister deserves one day without an outburst from her. And it means she likes me, which is a good thing.”

Rolling her eyes at his statement knowing he was right, she quickly nodded in agreement. The last thing they needed was her mom to ruin the last few hours when everything went great so far. 

“But now we’ve both got a few minutes to spare, can I show you something?” Seth held his hand out to his girlfriend which she hesitantly accepted.

With a raised eyebrow, she tilted her head. “Where are you taking me?” 

Instead of telling her, he smiled from ear to ear as he promised her they would be back in time before anyone needed either of them again. Without trying to draw any attention by leaving through a random side door of the venue, (Y/N) looked over her shoulder one last time before they managed to slip away unnoticed. Holding onto her boyfriend’s arm she was able to ignore the pain in the heels of her feet, feeling a slight rush of adrenaline flow through her veins. 

It suddenly felt like they were teenagers again. It brought back a memory of when Seth convinced her to jump out of her window, promising her he would get her back into bed before anyone noticed. Thinking back she asked herself why that was her biggest concern when she was going to risk her limbs by trusting a guy to catch her as she jumped from the second floor. But she did it without a second thought and before she knew two strong arms stopped her from, what could’ve been, a nasty fall and she never doubted him again. 

“Wow.” Was the first thing escaping (Y/N)’s mouth when they ended up at a dock stretched out over a body of water. The full moon shone brightly, hitting the silent streams just right. It looked like tiny diamonds were appearing and disappearing at a rapid pace. She had seen a lot in her years, but she couldn’t have imagined something so simple would take her breath away. 

“I know, right?” Seth agreed calmly, having seen it before as he observed his girlfriend walk to the edge of the dock to get closer to take in the magnificent view. “I found it when I was helping out outside earlier.” 

“It’s beautiful.” She whispered, briefly looking back at him as his arms wrapped around her waist. He rested his chin on top of her shoulder, taking the view in with her as she intertwined her fingers with his on her belly.

Even before they started the day he knew there would be a point her family would start to drive her insane, her mom’s complaining, her sister’s requests, her aunts’ bickering about things not being to their liking. He didn’t know how she kept it together so well, but he could see it was tiring her out. She needed a break and that was exactly what he was trying to give her. He was convinced her family could survive five minutes without her.

But even with that short lived break, he already could tell she wasn’t going to pick up her phone for at least a week once they got home. He already heard himself ask her ‘what’s the excuse this time’ as they came up with something on the spot for when he picked up the phone for her. He didn’t mind though, he would do anything for her. And she knew that. 

As far away as they were, the faded music of her sister’s wedding could be heard. The new melody of the upcoming song caught Seth’s attention and made him pull away from his girlfriend. Left unprepared for the cool summer breeze brushing along her exposed skin, (Y/N) looked back at him to see what he was doing. 

Once again he held his hand out towards her, a soft smile plastered across his face. “Dance with me?” 

Her gaze softened as that same pained smile from before appeared on her face. “I would love to, but my feet feel like they’re going to fall off.” 

Seth rolled his eyes playfully and tilted his head, signaling her to come to him. “C’mere.” 

As much as (Y/N) wanted to reject his offer, she couldn’t say no to those eyes. She did as she was told, approaching her boyfriend who grabbed her hands and gently pressed his smiling lips against her knuckles - earning a giggle from her - before he placed her cold hands around his neck. He pulled her closer to him, their chests touching as he did. 

“Stand on my shoes.” He grinned.

“Okay.” She breathed, finally understanding his plan as she used the balls of your feet to stand on top of his feet. They laughed in unison when it appeared she was even taller than on her heels alone, bringing her face closer to his. 

“Hi.” 

“Hey.” Seth smiled back, lowering his hands down to her lower back. 

Even with his girlfriend standing on top of him he managed to gently sway them to the melody of the music playing in the distance. (Y/N) leaned into his touch, placing her head against his shoulder while she felt Seth’s head resting against hers. Her eyes fluttered closed to take in his warmth and scent of his cologne. She would truly stay in his arms forever if she could. 

“Did I already tell you how beautiful you look today?” Seth broke the comfortable silence between them, his voice much lower than before.

Blood rushed to (Y/N)’s cheeks, the butterflies in her stomach reminding her of their first date. How he managed to make her feel like that every time he was a little too close was still a mystery, but she would never get enough of the feeling. 

“You haven’t actually.” She answered, grinning as her head still rested against his shoulder.

“You, (Y/N) (Y/L/N). . .” His movements were starting to slow down, one of his hands pulling away from her lower back to grab her by the chin. He pushed her face up to meet his gaze and he leaned in slightly leaving a slim space between them. A shaky breath hit his face as he left his girlfriend completely flustered by his actions. “are absolutely gorgeous.” 

Closing the gap between them, Seth gently pressed his lips against hers as both of their eyes closed shut. He did not care about her lipstick rubbing off on him. He was hers after all and he wasn’t afraid to show others that. (Y/N) moved her hand up the back of his head, intertwining her fingers with his long dark locks and pushed him closer to deepen their kiss. 

This wasn’t that kind of love you would have to lose before you realized you had it, it was the kind you felt and realized in the moment. And standing there on that dock with the moon shining down at them, was the moment they realized they would have this love the rest of their lives.

masterlist | not edited

[a-crash-in-time-collection]

Chapter 1: The Crash

She was floating in space. Only it didn't seem like normal space, which she knew all about. It seemed to shine with different colors. She couldn't move much, it was almost as if she was forced into her current position. Voices of old filled her head. Voices she wanted to remember. Voices she never wants to forget. But at the same time, the voices brought back memories of a different time. A different time...

"Us kids should stick together, not stalk one another. I mean, Mafia Town can be a really dangerous place" "If you want it, we'll have to settle it in true Mafia style!" "You Moon Penguins are just gonna write some loud, noisy drivel!" "This last time piece is all for me, darling." "Your contract has expired, sleep now in the fire!" "And do it quickly pup."

Her face formed a smile, before tears started to fall. Wait... why was she...

"Don't leave us!" "Hey kiddo, let's make another contract!" "Don't you dare leave, lass!" "Let's watch our movie, darling!"

That's why... she couldn't have just stayed. She at least needed to try and get home. And her kind weren't keen on creatures from other planets... who knows what would have happened to them? But with the end result, did it even matter-

A large ringing brought her out of the space-like place, finding herself sitting on the soft surface of her bed. Glancing around as she stopped the ringing of the clock, everything was in place. Her relics on their podiums, toys she made based on her time on that planet on the shelves in her room. Most of her badges she bought from the strange badge guy on a pin board beside her bed. Her umbrella was next to her dresser with the mirror.

A glance out the nearby window showed the mostly green and blue planet. It reminded her a lot of the planet that she could now only visit in her dreams. Unlike that planet, there was little if any magic. Talking animal creatures were only heard of in movies. Ghosts were just tall tales. So similar, yet different at the same time...

She got up, yawning as she stretched and walked over to her closet. Opening it, she grabbed a purple blazer and yellow scarf. She paused, looking at them both slightly. The blazer was taller than she used to be, when she first found herself crashed on the planet...

She remembered checking the vault as she passed by, only one time piece was left. She knew that wouldn't be enough to make it home, and she didn't know if she would pass another planet she could survive on in between them. So she grabbed it, and braced for impact. The ship crashed on 'Earth' in the middle of the night, and looking back on it now, she was lucky no big place caught sight of her. She remembered bleeding, maybe having a broken or fractured bone with the sharp pain coming from the left side of her body. She found herself being too hurt to move on her own right away... it was possible that she would have died...

But then two people entered her vision as she picked herself up. Both wore hats like she did, one of them actually had two. Apparently the two hat man, Reginald, had seen the ship pass in front of his airship while it fell from the sky. The two were naturally confused on why she was there, and concerned if she was alright. She remembered them offering to take her to the airship's medbay, but she was more worried about her relics, which were not the only things she had of her time with her old friends. The one with his orange hair in a ponytail that hung over his shoulder, who called himself 'Right Hand Man', offered to do it for her. However, she took liberty and carried them all herself to the airship. Needless to say, the two were surprised by the child's strength.

She now called these two 'Dad' and 'Papa', and they called her their daughter.

She allowed herself to exit her thoughts as she pulled her brown shoes over her purple socks and pants, standing up and walking over to the door of her room. It was a new day.

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up." An energetic voice spoke as soon as she opened the door. She was met with a more-humanoid Topbot, with a face that smiled at her, and silver hair that helped make them seem more like a teenager. He wore a blue and orange jacket, with the faintest hint of a green shirt being seen, and dark dull indigo pants that ended in his metal shoes that were literally his feet.

A few years ago, Hat Girl had found herself more lonely. Her dads, while they made time for her, were often busy at work. Most of the younger kids aboard the airship didn't let her play too often, and the teenagers were often on training missions or just plain avoided her. In an attempt to give her someone to hang out with, Reginald took aside a random Topbot, redesign and reprogrammed it to act as a brother to Hat Girl. He spent so long and hard on it that it felt like part of his soul belong to the machine in the end. Which could possibly explained how Platinum wasn't just following an interactive script, but was fully self aware and alive. He did have a small panic attack at first due to the sudden self awareness, but soon after he was able to cause trouble with Hat Kid.

"You ready for today, brother of mine?" Hat Girl asked, a smile forming on her face.

"Uhh, yeah." He said, a smirk forming on his face as well.

"Good, we can get started on our prank plans after breakfast." She stated, passing him and walking down the hall, humming a slight tune as she glanced out at the seemingly-night sky.

"Aww, come on!" Platinum said, racing next to her quickly, rolling his bright orange eyes. "You always have to eat before we can have fun. I don't see what the big deal is."

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Brother." She said, sticking her tongue out playfully. She never fully grew out of her childish phase. "I pity you sometimes, food is great and you're unable to experience it."

"Please. I got my Tanks and Family, that's all I need." Platinum replied, rolling his eyes as the two walked into the cafeteria area, which was currently a bit busy as you would expect from it early in the morning. "I honestly don't see why your body decides you need food. Just seems inconvenient in my option."

Hat Girl shook her head slightly with a chuckle as she walked over to the sideboard, where Burt and Fredrick were talking.

"I'm starting to get concerned over your coffee obsession, Burt." The Cheese wearing Toppat said, arms crossed as he glared at the man in front of him. The man always sounded like his throat was sore, at least to Hat Girl it did. She remembered questioning if he was alright when they first met.

"Coffee is nice, Fredrick." Burt said, the dyed orange part of his black hair covering one of his eyes, as per the usual. He always seemed to act like he had no emotions, and spent most of his days in his office or grabbing himself the drink that was currently the topic of their talk. "The fact that you never tried coffee worries me."

"I'm more of a Hot chocolate person, and besides, the smell alone is enough to turn me off." Fredrick stated, grabbing the lake of floating marshmallows in a cup along with the plate of 'Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Breakfast Bombs' he liked. "But I know all that coffee isn't healthy for you, I swear you drink more coffee then you eat actual food."

Burt rolled his eyes at the statement, before glancing around the area as he grabbed his coffee and toast. "Fine. I'll eat a little more today." With that, temporarily balancing his plate on his other arm, he grabbed one of the muffin-like items off Fredrick's plate and walked away.

Fredrick was frozen in shock for a few seconds, before huffing and glancing to the side. It was only then he realized the children of the leaders. "Oh, sorry you two, I didn't see you there. Off going to cause some trouble later I assume?"

"Possibly, possibly not." Platinum shrugged as Hat Girl chuckled, before giving her breakfast request to the cook-toppat that came by.

"I'll be taking that as a yes." Fredrick said, shaking his head. "Just uhh, do me a favor and don't go on a spree of spray-painting the inside of the vents, again. Took me and Sammy nearly the whole day to clean it last time."

"Alright, no spray paint in vents..." Platinum said, raising his arms in front of him slightly in defeat. He watched as Frederick left, before turning to his sister. "Want to finally see how many people we can surprise with airhorns tape to their chairs and doors?"

"Oh heck yeah!" Hat Girl said, giving her brother a thumbs up. And the Toppats that heard her shout began to feel a faint feeling of fear among them. They knew then that chaos caused by those two would come later that day.

-------

What they didn't know was on earth, a conversation was happening. About the true chaos.

"You sure this is... safe?" One government person asked another as they glanced at the cannon. Although cannon felt like an understatement. The place where the 'cannonball' would come out of look like it itself was 27 miles long. "For Earth I mean."

"Should be." The other replied, hoping away from the gears they were adjusting. "The material should begin to burn up after it makes contact with the toppat orbital station. The worst we should have to deal with are burning pieces of metal and stuff falling down to earth in the size of normal meteoroids."

"Am I the only one who feels this is a bit... extreme?" The first asked as they hop into the tunnel to the underground control system of the cannon. "I understand they've been a pain to deal with since they got up, but can't we just set up traps for them on earth."

"It's not just about the Toppats alone." The second stated as they followed the first, wanting to be as far away from the cannon before it blew its canon ball. "If other criminal organizations see what the clan has done, they'll likely follow in suit. Soon all crime might be unstoppable because those who caused it are up in space. Is that the world you want to live in?"

"No."

"Then we need to make a statement. And this is the only way. Now let's get to the control room, and get this party started..."

-------

Hat Girl had found herself staring out the cafeteria window as she finished her plate of breakfast, slightly blocking out what Platinum was talking about as he sat in front of her. This was a bit normal for the two, half the time they were inseparable during the day. Especially since the incident where Dad was captured, and Papa had to be turned into a cyborg to live. It was a bit of a struggle for the clan then, and even with Dad back it was a lot of work to make up all the money that had been stolen the night before they were meant to launch their station-

Her train of thought stopped as she faintly spotted something outside the window. She got off her seat and walked over to the window, placing her hand on it faintly as she glanced down at the planet they raided. There was some sort of... gray and slightly green ball thing. At first it was just a speck of dust, but it was getting bigger.. and bigger... it was coming to them, faster and faster.

"Hattie?" Platinum questioned, walking up next to his sister in confusion. "What's going on, you don't just leave a plate of food alone suddenly like that." She was a bit wordless at first, but managed to point to the strange thing. Platinum had to squint his eyes to see it. "That's... just a space rock."

"Coming FROM Earth?" Hat Girl asked, looking at her brother. "As a former space traveler, I have NEVER seen that happen, and I know that's not a normal occurrence for this planet. And not to mention it's perfectly... in the path of.. hitting... Get Dad and Papa and warn them, NOW!"

"Time to act serious for once then." The topbot said, quickly racing away from his sister and the group of toppats.

She glanced at the ball again, seeing it was getting closer and larger with each passing second. She found herself frozen like the poor souls in Vanessa's Manor, or the times she used her ice hat years ago. What was she going to do?

"Dad, Pops!" Platinum called as he reached the Cockpit of the rocket, taking an unneeded breath as he reached the door.

"Platinum?" Reginald asked, turning away from his cyborg husband as he glanced at his Robotic son. "What's going-"

"We need to move, or use Supreme Dominance." Platinum cut him off, with worry in fear shining in his orange eyes. "Now-"

At the very seconds, the 'cannonball' of metal and small bits of trash collided with the orbital station, hitting the middle of the rocket.

Hat Girl fell to her feet as the station twisted and chaos fell around her. Everything outside the window became a blur, as Toppats screamed in panic. She suddenly found her grip from the wall she'd grabbed onto slip, and she was slammed against another wall. Everything went black to her after that.

-------

It took a bit for her mind to process things as she awake, her body aching in places like she had a faint sunburn. She slowly opened her eyes with a groan, scanning the mix of dark and light. She appeared to be where the window of the cafeteria once was. Keyword there being once was because now it was a pile of glass on the grass below her. Some of the glass were close to her arms, and likely was responsible for the small cuts she saw on them. She glanced around as much as she could without getting up.

Chaos was the best word that could describe the current state of the station. Well, other then 'destroyed'. Parts of the orbital station the Toppats called home where broken and scattered across what she could only assume was a forest clearing. The earth was dragged up from a few parts finding themselves lodge into it. She was able to see a few Toppat members getting up or helping others up, while trying to take in what had just happened. Not like she could blame them, she knew exactly what happened, but was still trying to process it herself.

Their home was attacked, and was sent far from earth. Yet, judging by the fact none of them were suffocating, it meant this planet had oxygen or some other air humans could breathe in. Which made sense, they did land in a forest. But that meant they were out of the solar system...

Her train of thought was cut off by a sliver of a blur that entered her field of vision. At first she was a bit spooked out, until her vision adjusted, and she saw the familiar metal hand, only with a few faints scratches. She took the cold hand, although by now she was used to the chill, as Platinum helped her to her feet. "You ok, sis?"

"Y-Yeah." She said, letting go of his hand as she rubbed her arms slightly. She picked up her nearby fallen top hat, and made sure to check the side. She sighed in relief as her hand made badge, one that had the hats of her fathers on it, was still there, and placed that hat back on her head. "Some shards of glass cut me a bit when the window broke."

"Well... considering what just happened, it could have been a lot worse." Platinum looked around. "This is all so unreal..."

"Yeah..." She slowly walked past her brother as she glanced up at the sky, then around at all the greenery around them. Why... was she feeling like she had been here before? Her mind told her it was simply because it looked like earth, but her heart was insisting it was something more.

"Oi. Are ya ok, Reg?" Right Hand Man asked, as he helped the Chief onto his feet, worry in his human and robotic eyes.

"I'm fine. But... the others..." Reginald coughed slightly, before looking around the crash site, as much as he could without moving from his spot anyway.

As the leader of the Toppats, one skill he gained over the years was being somewhat-able to get a rough estimation of how many clan members were in his sight. And after seeing at least 100 Toppats in his vision, he knew others were likely on the other side of the rocket. Assuming at least 88 toppats were on that other side, it meant that a few were still stuck inside, likely injured or, worryingly, dead. Not to mention the children...

"Right Hand Man! Check the rumble for any trapped members!" He ordered, his voice and tone clear that there was no time to waste. He was still not fully used to his lover's cybernetics, watching his legs turn into a booster as he flew into one of the openings near the top. But he loved him all the same. He glanced at a nearby group of Toppats. "See if you can find anything from Medbay, and get it setup for any injured members!" The toppats seemed to be slightly surprised by his tone, but they quickly got to work, scanning the nearby areas.

"Sir." A voice appeared behind him. He turned around to see a man in a black jacket with his white shirt visible. "I know you likely don't want anyone else going into the wreckage, but-"

"Yes Quincy, go find the kids. Just be careful." Reginald answered, the fellow father wasting no time to do so in response, likely worried for his own daughter. The kids were in a pod similar to the leader's pod, it was one of the first things Reginald planned out when he made the blueprints. They would spend most of their days in there, it was the safest for them, especially if the place was to below up, they would already be in a pod and on their way to earth.

Hat Girl found herself walking near the nearby Woodline. That's when she noticed the traces of purple deeper down, and found herself frozen in realization.

Reginald noticed his daughter near the Woodline, and walked up to her. "Are you alright, Hattie?"

"I recognized this place." She said, looking at him. "I been here before."

Reginald's brown and blue eyes showed sudden confusion, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly. "You... what?"

"This was the planet I was on before I crashed onto earth." She responded. She then pointed out where the green of life and calmness turned into the creepy purple and black of dread and the unknown to all but her. "That ghost who's song Papa sings lives there."

"Really, the one with that Mafia, one of which went into space to try and get a toll from you?" Reginald question. He never thought his daughter was lying about the planet, but he figured he never find himself on said planet so he mostly just consider it stories.

"Yeah!" She exclaimed, childlike joy in her voice. She never really outgrew her childish side.

"Well... I suppose that means there's a town nearby, at least We should be able to get resources there." Reginald sighed, turning over his shoulder as Right Hand Man landed behind him. A look over the cyborg's shoulder showed some toppats in a little medbay-like area, some medically skilled Toppats using their skills to help the more injured Toppats, the 3rd in command Sven among them. He looked back at his partner in crime. "Was that everyone... alive in the rumble."

"Got everyone t'at was in t'e rubble." Right Hand Man stated. "Surprisingly, everyone lived."

Reginald was a bit surprised at this, but a smile formed on his face. "That's very relieving."

"So... what's the plan Dad?" Platinum asked, glancing at the Toppat leader slightly. "We can't just stay here with no place to rest, or prepare food." He paused for a second. "Well, you guys can't, at least."

Reginald brought his hand to his chin in thought, before dropping it and walking up a nearby rock. He cleared his throat, before calling out. "Can I have everyone's attention!?"

The clan members stopped whatever they were doing, except the few tending to the hurt Toppats, but he knew they were listening as well.

He took a breath before speaking. "As your Leader, I would be lying to you all if I were to claim I knew how to fix this, or the exact steps we should take next. We are the first of our kind to find ourselves stranded on a planet that can maintain life. But we cannot let this disturb us. It may be a long while, but I promise you, we will find our way home. But for now, survival is our goal, to watch after one-another, as clan and family." He paused briefly as he glanced at them all, lost souls unsure of what to do, before resuming. "Those of you who are well enough, see if you can move the walls detached from the station in order to make a temporary form of shelter. We do not know when a storm will come by, if this planet has storms at all. Look for supplies that fallen outside of the ship, only go in to retrieve items that are necessary for our survival. Go along the Woodline and look for wood for a fire. And trust in one another." With that, he backed up from his position on the rock.

Platinum watched as the clan members took a few seconds to process the orders, and the fact they were on another planet, before most started to look around. He spotted Burt and Fredrick walking up to a broken piece of wall, and seemed to start debating where the best place would go to serve as shelter. He saw Calla Fox, the one who stole the Ruby alongside Sven, slowly walk away from the Swedish man to help others look for supplies. He found himself glancing to where the purple part of the woods were hidden, his curiosity growing.

Reginald began to walk over to the wreckage that a few hours ago was the base of operations for the Toppat clan. "Hopefully we stolen enough we can sell in order to pay for what we need to fix the station..." He placed his head in his hands. "It's going to be so expensive..." He let out a muffle shout, not wishing to distract his clan members.

"Still t'ink ya s'ould 'ave let me 'unt after t'at pink-'aired government-kissin' t'ief." Right Hand Man grumbled, glancing at him. "Especially since we lost two members t'anks ta 'im."

Hat Girl watched her dads walked closer to the broken station, and went to follow them to help, before feeling a chilly hand grabbed her hand. "You said one of your friends lived in the creepy woods, right?"

She turned to look behind her, taking a second to glance at where the woods were before returning to her brother. "Yeah."

"And the creepy woods is in the direction of that purple stuff, riiiight?" Platinum voice showed intent, and seems to show he already knew the answer.

"Yea, The forest is kinda pretty in it's own way though, if memory serves me right-" She suddenly looked at him, processing the grin that appeared on his face. In response, she gave her own smart smirk. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"We sneak away from the clan while they take care of the crash rocket mess and chill with your old pals?"

"YES!" She said, high fiving her brother as she bounced in the air slightly. "I been wanting to see them all again, but never thought I actually could until now! I just... hope they aren't still mad at me for sweeping them off of my spaceship."

"Come on, with your cute face as a child, and you still a bit childish face now?" Platinum asked, warping an arm around her shoulder. "They'll forgive you in a heartbeat."

She nodded, a smile on her face as removed her brother's arm around her shoulder. "Catch me if you can then, brother." She said, sticking out her tongue with a 'bleeh" and raced into the woods. She heard a shout from her brother, something about 'cheating' by 'not telling him' and heard his metal feet click ageist the ground to catch up to her. She let out a giggle before shouting once they were a safe distance away from the clan. "Snatcher, here we come!"

[parvismaxima]

Ragnarok references in Attack on Titan

Ragnarok is a series of apocalyptic events that will define the end of the world, where gods will band together to fight against the giants in a final battle that will ultimately destroy the planet, submerging it under water. According to the legend, the world will resurface, the surviving gods will meet, and the world will be repopulated by two human survivors.

The following major battles will be fought:

·       Odin vs Fenrir

·       Vidar vs Fenrir

·       Thor vs Jormungandr

·       Heimdall vs Loki

Major warriors during Ragnarok:

Odin

Odin is the chief of the Æsir and king of Asgard. He will lead the battle against giants during the Ragnarok

(Hange and Odin both sacrificed their left eye in exchange for knowledge)

Heimdall

is the guardian of the gods and the personification of order. He will blow a horn, called the Gjallarhorn if Asgard is in danger. His senses are so good that he can hear the grass grow and he can see to the end of the world. Heimdall could hear a leaf fall. He does not need any sleep at all.

Loki

The god of trickery and mistrust, Loki has a complicated relationship with the  Æsir, oftentimes assisting them or hindering them in bringing their goals to fruition. He is the personification of chaos

Tyr

He is the God of war, and the bravest of all the Gods in Norse mythology. Tyr is interested in justice and with fair treaties, which makes him a God of law as well.

The reason why Tyr is the bravest of all the Gods is because of his most written story:

He once put his hand into the jaws of the gigantic evil wolf Fenrir. He did this while the other Gods bound Fenrir to a rock. When Fenrir saw this, he became suspicious, and declared that he would only allow the gods to put it around him if one of them would stick an arm in his mouth as a pledge of good faith. At last,  when the wolf noticed that he could not get free from the chains, he became furious and ripped Tyr’s right hand

And there in that chain, the giant wolf remained in that sordid state until Ragnarok.

Freyr

the central god of peace, prosperity, sunshine and with good harvest. Freyr is in particular associated with the horse cult, and in the Hrafnkels saga, a noble Gothi once killed a man for riding a horse that he had dedicated to the god.

Thor

The champion of Asgard, Thor’s job is to protect both it and Midgard from the likes of the Jotnar, the giants of Jötunheimr.

He has two children: Modi and Magni

Vidar

is the god of vengeance. A member of the Æsir, he is the son of Odin and the giantess Gríðr. To be honest, Vidar isn’t really an important God. Virtually all of the references to him Norse mythology are concerned with his role in Ragnarok; we know little to nothing about his origin or function outside of his one particular role at the end.

Personally, I only saw two things for Connie’s role in this story — Sasha’s comedic counterpart and someone who will justice for Ragako (however that justice might look like). Given that Sasha is gone and the series has taken a serious route, there is only one role left for him to finish

Eren’s soul: Fenrir

Is the half-giant wolf of Norse mythology. The Æsir gods raised Fenrir themselves in order to keep him under their control and prevent him from wreaking havoc throughout the Nine Worlds. Fenrir however, grew at an astonishingly fast pace, and eventually the troubled gods decided to chain him up. 

Eren’s titan: Jormungandr

The biggest beast in Norse mythology, he's a sea serpent who was imprisoned into the sea by Odin and is fated to rise during Ragnarok. In literature and prayers,  he symbolizes the destructive forces of nature, with everything from hurricanes, tornadoes, vulcanism, earthquakes, etc... His greatest foe is Thor

Before Ragnarok:

In Norse mythology, gods belong to either one of two tribes: the Æsir and the Vanir. And these tribes fought a lot. They fought so much that Prose Edda had poems entirely dedicated to the War of the Gods.

On the other hand, the Giants (Jotun) came before these two tribes and lived in in Jötunheimr, one of the nine worlds of Norse cosmology. They were banished there by the Gods, who refused them entry to their world, Asgard. In the ancient Norse stories, the Giants frequently interact with the Æsir and the Vanir, but they are usually in opposition with them.

The Æsir fought by the rules of plain combat, with weapons and brute force, while the Vanir used the subtler means of magic.

Loki is the mixed-blood son of a goddess and a male Jotun. His role in Norse mythology is unique and controversial since he appears to both help the gods and hinder them. According to the story, Loki tricked the blind god of winter Hod, an action that resulted in the death of the god Baldr, the shining god beloved by everyone.

Because of this, he was punished and cast into a cliff where he was to remain bound to a rock until Ragnarok, the end of the world.

Baldr’s death is one of the many signs that will fortell Ragnarok. First, there will come a great Winter “Fimbulvetr” which will last for years. Brothers will slay brother, father will slay son, and son will slay father. It will be an age of war

Next, the wolves Skoll and Hati (Fenrir’s sons) who have hunted the sun and the moon for a very long time, will at last catch their prey.

Loki will escape his prison to join the other Giants.

the chains that has been holding back the monstrous wolf Fenrir will snap, and the beast will run free. 

Jormungandr, the mighty serpent who dwells at the bottom of the ocean and encircles the land, will rise from the depths, spilling the seas over all the earth as he makes landfall.

These convulsions will shake the ship Naglfar (“Nail Ship”) free from its moorings. This ship, which is made from the fingernails and toenails of dead men and women, will sail easily over the flooded earth. Its crew will be an army of giants, the forces of chaos and destruction. 

Fenrir, with fire blazing from his eyes and nostrils, will run across the earth, with his lower jaw on the ground and his upper jaw against the top of the sky, devouring everything in his path. Jormungand will spit his venom over all the world, poisoning land, water, and air alike.

The gods who have been warring all these time, will decide to join arms and go to battle, even though they know what the prophecies have foretold concerning the outcome of this clash.

They will meet their enemies on a battlefield called Vigrid (Old Norse Vígríðr, “Plain Where Battle Surges”

An ominous horn blast will ring out; this will be Heimdall, the divine sentry, blowing the Gjallarhorn to announce the arrival of the moment the gods have feared. He will be the first one to stop the giants

Odin will anxiously consult the head of Mimir, the wisest of all beings, for counsel. Odin will face Fenrir, and by his side will be the Einherjar, the host of his chosen dead human warriors whom has preserved in Valhalla for just this moment.

During Ragnarok:

Odin and the champions of men will fight more valiantly than anyone has ever fought before. But it will not be enough. Fenrir will swallow Odin and his men.

Then one of Odin’s sons, Vidar, burning with rage, will charge the beast to avenge his father. He will stab his sword through the wolf’s throat, killing him.

Heimdall and his archenemy Loki will do the same, putting a final end to the trickster’s treachery. Both will inflict fatal wounds on each other, but Loki refuses to die until he sees the destruction of the worlds which happened soon after. They both died next to each other

Tyr will perish fighting Fenrir. The wolf will bite his remaining hand and he will bleed out, but not before he gives the beast a mortal wound

The god Freyr and a fire giant will also be the end of each other. 

Thor and Jormungand, those age-old foes, will both finally have their chance to kill the other. Thor will succeed in felling the great snake with the blows of his hammer. But the serpent will have covered him in so much venom that he will not be able to stand for much longer; he will take nine paces before falling dead himself and adding his blood to the already-saturated soil of Vigrid

After all these, these gods will die, the giants will alight the world in flame, until a flood finally covers the world.

After Ragnarok:

Several of the Gods will survive, among them is Odin’s sons Vidar. Thor’s sons Modi and Magni will also survive, inheriting their father’s hammer Mjölnir.

While most of the Gods will die in the mutual destruction with the Giants, it is predetermined that a new world will rise up from the water, beautiful and green. Before the battle of Ragnarok, a woman and a man, Lif “life” and Liftraser “lover of life”, will find shelter from the cataclysm in a place called the “Wood of Hoddmimir” (Hoddmímis holt).

They will now come out and populate the lush land in which they will find themselves. A new sun, the daughter of the previous one, will rise in the sky. And all of this will be presided over by a new, almighty ruler.

After Ragnarok” by Emil Doepler (1905)

 The significance of Ravens in Norse mythology

Ravens are found everywhere in Prose Edda, a collection of poems detailing the legends of Old Norse. It is the holy bird circling around Odin

In Norse mythology, Huginn ( "thought") and Muninn ("memory") are a pair of ravens that fly all over the world and relay information to him, causing Odin to become very wise.

Now I know I just said that Hange is supposed to play Odin during Ragnarok, but given the bird’s role in the Norse story, and all the perspectives being dropped, I think it’s safe to say that Eren’s been hearing his enemies pretty well, as well as seeing the literal bird’s eye perspective of the entire war

Anyway, these are all the Norse references I saw during the Marley arc onwards. What do you think? How do you foresee the final battle ending?

[sourbat]

“You’re not broken” from your choice to Pickles? :)

It’s late in the evening, and though there’s hardly a cloud in the sky, Mordhaus’ massive frame casts an imposing shadow that stretches across the empty fields. Winds blow the bitter, earthy aftertaste of strong weed. Nathan, resting on his balcony, catches a whiff and is soon drawn to the stream, a brook less than half a mile’s walk from the castle. He leaves the fortress as the sun continues to ease into the silent woods, turning the hazy orange sky into a dark, muddled purple.

The temperature drops quickly, though Nathan remains unaffected until he hears water wafting, and tastes the fresh crisp air mixing with the deepening stench of cannabis. When he catches wind of a certain voice, a smile emerges. He picks up pace, only coming to a slow once he notices the anxiety ridden in the voice, and halts when he spots Pickles on his phone, pacing from rock to the next.

“Well, yeah. Ya’ got a point, but–”

Nathan gets a glimpse of Pickles’ complexion. There’s a noticeable lack of color in his face, and despite the cold, the man looks like he’s been running laps. Nathan hurriedly counts the lines across Pickles’ brow, the speed and uneven step in his already quickened gait, and assumes it’s family. Weed gives Pickles the slight jitters, but the dark circles under the eyes can only be a product of a crazed narcissist looking to gain something from him.

Right then, Pickles’ stops. Whoever he’s talking to is unloading some serious guilt onto him. There’s a pile of stones being thrown on him, weighing Pickles down and forcing him to sink further into the earth, back bending and shoulder sinking as Pickles takes it all without saying a damn word.  The man’s receiving an invisible pummel, a repeated kick to the gut. Nathan sees the defeated expression and knows it’s Seth on the line.

Pickles sighs into the phone. “Right. Alright, then. Ok. I’ll do it.”

Pickles drops the call and shoves the dethphone as deep as he can into his pants without the sharp ends tearing into the fabric. He brings his hands behind his head and groans aloud, covering the gentle rolls of water. A few swears lets Nathan know it’s money related, as usual. Pickles going silent and reaching for the pipe he placed on a nearby stone warns Nathan that Pickles is definitely going to pay out and give Seth what he wants. Pickles shaking, blinking wide-eyed as he tries working his lighter tears Nathan from the shadows, and into the small clearing.

Nathan appears under the rising moon, right as Pickles takes a huff. “Hey, Pickles.”

A cough. Pickles pats his chest and brings his pipe down. “Shit, Nathan. Ya’ nearly gave me a heart attack.” 

“Sorry.”

Pickles shakes his head, raises his pipe to Nathan as he wipes a few tears from the corner of his eye. “Wanna have a go?”

Spurts of smoke spread over Nathan. The harsh taste of the air lets him know it’s some good stuff.  He glances around him, at the stream, the stars slowly coming into view, and the occasional glow of unknown wildlife hidden in the woods. It’s honestly not a bad place to get high, but after a shit call, Nathan isn’t sure it’s the right setting to do alone.

He takes the pipe, earning a nod from Pickles, who coughs and hacks up something wet. Nathan glances at the pointed ends of the phone sticking out from Pickles’ pocket. “You were on the phone with your brother?”

Pickles immediately frowns. “Ya’ heard that?”

“Yeah.”

Pickles carefully settles on a large rock near the water. His elbows fall on top of his legs. “What did ya’ hear?”

Nathan lights himself a smoke and inhales. “’Nuff to know you’re going to give him money,” he mutters into the darkening sky.

Pickles watches a jet of smoke spew and vanish into the night. His eyes twitch a nervous gleam, and he extends his arm outwards, ready to take the pipe. Nathan takes a step and hands it to Pickles, saying nothing as he searches around the damp soil for solid bearing, or a dry enough seat. The closest is a collection of rocks set a few feet away, but it makes sharing the pipe a bitch. Nathan decides to stand by, figuring he can handle whatever percentage of THC Pickles is dishing his way.

“Jus’ so ya’ know,” Pickles says after blowing a ringlet of smoke, “I ain’t gonna give him shit.”

“Uh-huh,” Nathan mutters as he watches the stars begin to glisten with various shades of intense white.

“He thinks he can jus’ call me and hit me up fer cash.”

Pickles takes another hit, breathing deep and not turning off the flame until there’s smoke filling the scene. Nathan’s standing, but tastes it. Bitterness wafts in the air, consuming his senses. The serene lap of water drowns in a nasty heat that Pickles spits out in another cough. Nathan feels his spine begin to tingle as Pickles starts to shake.

He rolls fingers through his thick dreads. “Thinks he can pull some ol’ cards on me. Family. Whatever, dood.” Pickles slumps forward, arm raised up to Nathan and offering him the still burning bowl. “He’s got nothin’ on me. Don’t give a crap ‘bout whatever debts he owes. People he pissed off.”

Nathan takes the pipe. His eyes shift between Pickles’ sinking form, and the developing blur that surrounds him, making him appear more a pale specter than man.  Nathan brings the pipe to his lips. “Surprised he had your number.”

Pickles shifts in his seat. Nathan hopes it’s the cold, or the poor substitute of a seat Pickles decided to rest upon. But there’s that deepening shadow around the eyes that irks Nathan, and from within Pickles’ shaky irises, Nathan’s positive he can detect that subtle hint of self-loathing and disgust.

“You ask him how he got it, right?” Nathan says midway through his hit. It’s a loaded question, and Nathan knows it. The damn remark implies Seth was smart enough to work the system and get his grubby hands on it, which, if past interactions with the jackass proved anything, wasn’t the case. Nathan flares his nostrils, letting the remainder of the smoke spill out.

“Well...”

“Yeah?”

Pickles tilt’s his head away from Nathan, right as he offers the pipe back to him.

“Nah.” Pickles slumps further. His lips push out into a defeated pout. “I, uhhh, ended up givin’ it to him durin’ the trip to Australia.”

Unmoving, Nathan asks, “Why?”

Pickles rests his arms on top of one another. He shrugs into the cold, and it goes silent for a while. For a few seconds, Nathan gets lost in the darkening scenery, the purple skies and whimper of frightened animals. Nathan sways silent, surrendering to the occasional frosty, breeze with a mild shudder.

Then, he hears Pickles sniff. “Well, you know…” he says, and although Nathan continues to stare upwards, can see Pickles wrapping himself up in a faux smile and using it as a blanket to convince himself it’s as good an excuse as any. “In case…”

“In case he needed money,” Nathan finishes for Pickles.

The silence returns, and again, there’s the gentle flow of water. The winds tear through the thick forests, sending out a low wail that, once it hits, causes both men the shiver in the dark. Nathan exhales the last bitter taste from his lips, then bends and drops the cold pipe besides Pickles. A minute passes, and when Nathan catches an angered growl next to him, drops his eyes and sees Pickles staring at the blackening roll of the brook, at his miserable reflection. 

“Fuck,” Pickles cries, shaking his head. He hits the stone underneath him. “What is wrong with me, dood?”

Nathan raises a brow as Pickles’ palms shift into fists, and repeatedly smash against the stone. When the pain’s too much to bear, he gets up, paces around some more, then swings his fists outwards with another sharp cry.

“They treat me like I’m dirt, but I keep handin’ them my number, answerin’ their calls and offerin’ them financial support?” Pickles kicks up dirt and rocks, sending bits flying and hitting the cold water with piercing cold splashes. Nathan steps back. Pickles kicks up more wet soil and stomps a foot into the mushy hole he’s made. “After everything they did to me! I can’t believe i'm still doin’ this crap!”

The scene goes on for a minute longer, with Pickles enacting a series of random kicks and flails, destroying leeks and bulrushes, and disrupting the life around the brook with flying pebbles, clumps of grass and screams. Nathan thinks to stop Pickles, in case a wandering gear decides to call Offdensen, and he thinks about joining Pickles and handing him larger stones to throw at some unlucky freshwater eels. He plays with the lighter and waits for Pickles’ personal flame to go wild and die out on its own, and for Pickles to return to him and the icy stone seat.

The weed really starts to sink in, and whatever will there was to fight is gone, replaced with heavy tranquility that leaves Pickles silent again.

The sky turns a dark blue, almost black and matching the water below. Stars twinkle and burst like lightning, keeping Nathan occupied long enough for Pickles to drown in the high, to stop stuttering and hitting the rock underneath, and eventually stand and join Nathan in the stargazing.  

“Sometimes I wonder if it’s me, y’know?” Pickles mutters solemnly. “Maybe it’s me that’s got it wrong?” 

The words cut through the silence. Nathan feels the tip of the blade lick his chest, threatening him with a fraction of the discomfort he knows Pickles is enduring.

Pickles covers the top half of his face. His open mouth exhales a cloud of hot air. “Times like these, I wonder. Like, maybe they’re all the normal ones, and I’m the one that’s fucked up. I’m the broken one.”

The words make Nathan visibly cringe. He shakes his head, offended. “Pickles,” he says, turning slightly and covering the man’s lanky shoulder with his hand. “You’re not broken.”

Pickles eyes glisten as he glances upward, offering Nathan only a slight nod.

In any other situation, Nathan would have figured that now is the time to be honest and remind Pickles of his views regarding the family. Pickles aside, everyone hosting that cursed surname was a grade-A narcissist. Everyone knows it, and yet it proves a sore subject to broach with Pickles.

The thought arises. It’s there and Nathan can feel the satisfying insults lining his lungs, ready to be expelled. He thinks to say it, but sees Pickles’ bared teeth, his exasperated frown, and he hears those words cut into him.

Broken.

An old, familiar sting returns, clearing through the drug’s influence, and settles on Nathan. He sees Pickles standing there, uncomfortable, hating himself, and the weed carries old sounds of laughter, fingers pointing and whispers aimed at Nathan.

“Pickles, you’re not broken,” he repeats, softer and forlorn.

Pickles glanced up at him again. This time, the stare lingers, catching traces of a different, though not completely dissimilar ache.

Nathan brings his arms up. “It’s easy to feel broken…” he pauses, eyes shutting as old memories arise. Ancient dreams that fill with the smoky haze of his high, but the pain is still there. The judgemental stares from adults that weren’t his parents. The classmates that refused to accept his silence. The doctors that snubbed any small improvement with his speech development, and instead focused on his shortcomings. “It’s… so easy to feel broken when everyone around you just… focuses on your faults. When they-” 

Nathan halts, watching the words slip from his grasp, float into the sky and be replaced with overwhelming anger and frustration. Something clogs his throat. Heat and pressure build as Nathan continues to stare up at the fading words, at those who demanded him to speak up, to say something, and then drops his stare to Pickles patiently nodding his head at him, getting it without ever finishing the sentence.

A lanky hand smacks the back of his shoulder. When Nathan settles, and can bring his arms down, Pickles is there, smiling crookedly through a half-chewed lip.

“Ya’ mind lettin’ me know my fault?” Pickles asks once Nathan finds himself back under the soothing flow of running water and crickets chirping. The weed recollects as he listens in on Pickles joking with him, telling him it must be his good looks or svelte figure. Nathan realizes things have shifted, and now it's Pickles trying to calm him down. Pickles putting his needs aside and trying to figure out what blew up in his mind, what sent his mind reeling.

“Your fault if you're good,” Nathan says quickly, and booms it over Pickles’ japes and snickers. “You’re too damn good for your family. You’re…the only good thing about your family, and they know it. S’not really a fault, but it makes you different. Makes you a–”

Pickles pulls Nathan close into a shaky, nervous half-hug. The gesture stops Nathan from finishing, and halts the blade from cutting any deeper.

He parts, eyes dropping for a moment, but rising once the cool air settles between them. “Thanks,” Pickles says, voice shaken, but appreciative.

Nathan gives a short nod. “I mean it.” 

“I know,” Pickles says, swaying under the guidance of a frosty breeze. He waits while Nathan looks up one final time, absorbing the abundant array of the night sky, and using the thousands of stars to smother the faint memories filled with excuses and fragmentation.

It goes silent again, and this time Nathan shuts his eyes. He listens to the sounds of wildlife and Pickles picking up his pipe to take a more controlled hit.

The two get lost and float in the gentility of nature and darkness. 

“Nathan?” Pickles asks after a while. 

“Yeah?”

Warmth returns. A hand rubs his lower back. “You okay, dood?”

“Just thinking… ‘bout stuff.” Nathan opens his eyes and faces Pickles, expression hardly indicating beyond the usual gruffness, though Nathan is sure Pickles is squinting because, like him, he can see the distant glimmer of a knife being pulled into the darkness, in the shadows of his irises. Nathan wrinkles his nose. “Y’know?”

Pickles grins, satisfied with what he sees “Yeah.”  

They stare a bit longer at the rolling water, and Nathan makes a few comments about some strange insect life Toki snuck into Mordhaus a few days prior. Pickles mentions seeing a weird beetle in the kitchen.

His dethphone rings.

“Ah, shit.”

Nathan waits until Pickles has it out before offering his hand to Pickles. “Lemme see that,” he half-demands. Curious, Pickles tilts the phone in his direction. Nathan snatches it and, without warning, positions himself and tosses the cellphone outwards, straight into the water.

The phone hits the surface with a loud plop, then sinks.

Pickles’ jaw sinks. He grabs at his dreads. “Dood!”

Nathan calms him down with a stare. It takes a second for Pickles to settle, but he does, and waits for Nathan to explain himself.

“Let’s agree to trash our phones every few months,” he states aloud, over Pickles’ hitched breathing and panicked expression. “For safety purposes.”

No talks about why in particular, or the fact that Seth is the living embodiment of everything wrong with society, but like the message before, it hits and translates perfectly with Pickles. He stares out to the water, at the rippling rings spreading and vanishing into the gentle current. His frown disappears, sinking to a silent, but approving daze.

“Sure thing, dood,” Pickles says, heading lowering as he stifles a chuckle, but even while under the influence, Nathan can see, read the red filling Pickles’ eyes as something more than just the effect of a good high.

[wwounu]

to the moon | wen junhui

—it’s a small world, an even smaller universe, and meeting junhui made it all the worthwhile. through dreams, wishing stars and memorising constellations, with him, everything felt alright.

alternatively, a soulmate au where you can meet and interact with your soulmate in your dreams, though for you, you always meet your soulmate on the moon

pairing: junhui x reader + soulmate!au

word count: 5.3k

warning: mild angst, happy ending

note: so this was the 5.3k mess i’ve been on about a week ago! i can’t remember when i’ve written this much, i’m so exhausted after writing so much... dedicated to @letsseehowhappyyouare ~ i’ll keep my message short to save the emotional-ness, but happy birthday and one year friendship anniversary!! i still remember when you wrote junhui’s name on the window while you were going home, kinda makes me emotional thinking about it hehe... you mean the world to me, i hope you know that! i and junhui (and hao!) love you so so much — thank you for being in my life bella, i hope you stay safe and happy just as you deserve and i hope you enjoy this if you go out drinking i will come and personally fight you istg

The boy on the moon, you recall his name.

You gave him that name upon the first meet, hoping — waiting — for his name to be said. The night was crystal clear like your memory, the air feeling a little different.

Pitch black horizons, auroras, delicate lights you could prick with your finger, a plain surface of grey, that view of the earth that took a while to get used to.

“Beautiful isn’t it,”

His first words were, fascinated as he was confused, sat on the pearl rock as his legs kick themselves.

“What are you standing there for?” Asks he, not turning around to confirm your presence. “Come sit next to me.”

A force pulls you closer to him, legs working themselves to take a seat next to him. The boy sighs contently, staring at the view in front.

“Are you surprised? By me, I mean.”

Closer inspection on him, you note the youthfulness in his eyes, the colour vibrant, skin radiating a slight glow — your friends told you it was the soulmate effect, a made-up term that was usually a slight filter to ‘lure’ you to your fated one.

His face was delicately scattered with tiny moles, cheeks round and bangs falling over his eyes. “No,” you answer, “I’m pretty content with what I see. What about you?”

He shuffles a little, leaning back a little as two fingers reach his chin, processing. His fingers shift to make a rectangle shape like a picture frame.

Staying in that position, his lips curl. “I wish I would take a picture right now.”

With you speechless, he shuffles next to you, staring straight ahead. That hopeless look takes up his face once more, admiring the starry sky.

“You just missed it,” he calmly exclaims, “there was a meteor shower — you should’ve seen it, those don’t happen often.”

“Seems like you know this place pretty well.” You decide to say, fiddling with your fingers.

Only a sad smile plays on his face. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“I’m guessing you’re older than me?”

The boy nods, “By a few years.”

“How long have you waited?”

“Enough,” his short answer, followed with a soft grin, takes you by surprise. In sorts, it seems almost relaxing; reassuring. “Doesn’t it matter that you’re here with me?”

Your silence serves as an agreement with him, staring down at your planet rotating.

The boy calls your name, causing you to turn. He remained looking forward, eyes fixed to the dark void. By the glance of his arms, he was tense, but his voice remained with a watery flow.

“Happy birthday,” he says quite weakly, “I’m so glad I found you.”

And it faded to black, and you woke up.

Fast forward to two winters later, where the boy on the moon lost his name.

“I don’t know a lot of people who get to meet their soulmate on the moon,” confesses the boy, tufts of hair a faded purple, going through his hair-dye craze.

“Really?”

“Do you know anyone who meets their other half on the moon?”

After some thinking, you shake your head. “Seems like we’re the only ones. It’s our universe.”

“And ours for a long time,” smiles the boy, his grin everlasting, “Y/N and Junhui’s universe… Pretty.”

Before you agreed with him, your heart picks up pace, head turning to your soulmate like an owl. “That’s your name?”

The question’s execution was similar to an exclamation, resulting in Junhui’s face to look as dumbfounded as you. Shyly, he stammers, “I’ve never told you my name?”

“I’ve been waiting since day one,” dazed, you stare at him.

“You should’ve told me…”

“It only took me two years, I’ll be patient.”

You gently punch his arm, leaning to his side. He points out an area of the world where clouds are bundling themselves to create the first snow, observing those areas.

Junhui.

Pretty.

For the boy on the moon, he never understood why there were skies without stars until you came. He connected the dots and realised that for you, they happened without a sky.

But the moment you fluttered your eyes and revealed the celestial scene, you meet eyes with your soulmate’s back, the black void splashed with blue and purple hues, making your world feel less lonelier.

On cue, Junhui turns his head, blonde hair sprinkled with stardust, eyes speaking to you. He stares at you as if he can seep into your consciousness.

At this stage, he doesn’t even need to tell you to come — you just do.

Once sat, he swings his legs. Like routine, he asks, “How are you-“

Your head hides into his chest, a pain too heavy to bear. Tears spill, heavy as they fall and heavier as they drop to Junhui’s shirt.

“Please tell me I’m enough,” a weak plead escapes, “tell me it’s going to be okay, Jun, tell me I’ll be okay…”

Junhui’s hand protectively hugs you, pulling you closer. His other hand rests on your head, playing with strands of your hair. They move, however, coming down to your ear, then delicately tracing your jawline, creeping up your cheek, a thumb caressing tears away.

“You are enough.” Junhui says quietly, loud enough for you to hear. “Say it,”

“Say what?”

“‘I am enough’. I want to hear the words from you.”

“But…” Your voice fades as you take a deep look into Junhui’s eyes, all the reassurance and care within, a galaxy of its own forming. “I… I am enough,” you repeat, frail.

“Again. ‘I am enough’.”

“I am enough,” this time you try to give some energy, tears still forming through saying the words.

Junhui gets closer, noses being hairs-width from touching. “You are enough. Everything will be okay in the end, I’m sorry for everything that’s going on right now, you don’t deserve it. I wish you knew how valued you were, because you are.”

Inhaling a sharp breath, you hold onto Junhui longer, desiring that this dream world of yours could be permanent.

“Do you think I can stay in this dream forever?”

“You’ll have to wake up one day.”

“What if I don’t what to?”

“Sometimes waking up could be for the better… Hey, look.”

You reposition your head to look at the blackness, a shimmering line flying past, tearing that darkness away.

A wishing star.

“It’s a wishing star,” Junhui states, “make a wish.”

Wishing on stars was considered as something childish, though you found yourself with eyes shut, stuck in silence. Opening your eyes, Junhui helps you to sit upright, his hand above yours to reassure his existance.

“What did you wish for?”

I wish that you were my reality; I wish that you were mine.

You gaze at him and he’s gazing back, a rare moment to capture. His eyes slanted, he waits as you process your answer, conflicted.

“Something I can never have,”

“Never?”

“Never.”

“Never ever?” Junhui’s eyes bulge wide.

“Alright, you’re sounding like a child,” groans you in a bad attempt to hide that twitching smile, which Junhui could only grin at.

He looks back at the darkness, fingers tracing the moon’s surface. “Whatever it is, it’ll come true. I know it.”

To be honest, you had some hope too, because this sky without stars turned out having a star after all.

And the wishing star was an added bonus.

It was the first meteor shower that you experienced when the boy on the moon stole something precious.

“I wish we had popcorn,” states Junhui, the show in front taking his breath away, “or would sweets be nice? I’d like something sugary.”

“Junhui, you are seriously a five year old.” You laugh at his childish state, in the same awe as he was in.

The male shrugs, passing the comment with a grin, “And yet you’re still here.”

“Of course I am. I can’t change that… Unless I never sleep-“ Junhui and you begin to ponder that idea, questioning if insomniacs get to see their soulmate often.

It opened up a lot of odd topics.

Soon, you distract your attention to the shower of stars shooting past, every shimmer and twinkle in high definition. Nothing could ever beat a moment like this.

“Beautiful…” Your lips speak for you, immersed in the sparkle of lights.

Junhui nonchalantly replies, “Yeah,” not looking at the meteor shower but at something else, just as dazed as you were, “so beautiful…” His lips spread into a grin as he watches your smile.

“Did you see the constellations over there? It looked a little bit like frog! Jun-“

Turning, your smile dissolves into a choked gasp judging by the close proximity you were to Junhui. Breath hitched, you could only notice the way he was staring at you.

Naturally, your hand moves to thread your fingers between his hair, an ash grey illusioned to look like silver strands peeking under. He nuzzles his head into your hand like a kitten, content with the touch.

You were scared he was going to disappear when his eyes remained closed until they open themselves slowly, more hesitant but trying their best to control his emotions.

“Can…“ He stammers, scared to raise his voice a little higher. “Could I?”

Without a hint of hesitation your head nods, the moment feeling more real than anything in your life; Junhui’s lips kissed against yours.

You learnt a few things through that kiss. Although it felt like practically nothing, the flutters in your chest still erupted, not able to contain themselves. How could an unreal kiss feel so… Real?

It’s one kiss, then another, spreading into small innocent pecks, not knowing how to act afterwards. But you were sure happy.

Like that, years flew with a breeze.

The eclipse was stunning — with the boy on the moon it felt beautiful — but the collision of two celestial bodies meant danger.

He’s all grown up; your boy on the moon has grown up.

Junhui matured — sort of — over time, his life finally waiting to happen in his dream college. He told you everything about it, plans, facilities, teachers, his responsible adult-self being able to buy chocolate bars whenever he wants at 2am.

On the outside, there were things that have changed, but inside? He was still yours.

He still swung his legs every-time he sat down, his expression never changed whenever he saw a rocket or asteroid, he never stopped being clingy either.

You smiled at his every word, comforted him through every cry, laughed at every joke. You knew each other inside and out at this rate, no barriers or obstacles.

Sad truth was, you were growing up.

You weren’t the giddy, head-in-the-clouds high-schoolers anymore, nor die-hard fans of something together because there was nothing else to worry about in the world.

“Care to tell me what’s on your mind?” The male’s chin props against your shoulder.

“You.” You answer, some grey area surrounding the thought, but you didn’t go further.

“About my handsome looks? My amazing charm? My intimidating gaze?” He quickly sits up, squinting his eyes to make a point. Snorting, you push him away slightly.

“Go write yourself a fanfic,” you heave, staring at your planet that you never got used to looking, watching every change and every weather change from a strange viewpoint.

Junhui settles into your side again, trapping you in his arms. “It’s the eclipse today.”

“How do you always know what’s on in the universe every single time?”

“I look at the sky often.” You react with a disapproved look. “It’s true! I love reading about astronomy and stay up to date with the moon’s cycles… Before you say anything, I’m not a nerd, I simply just love the stars!”

You break into laughter, you feel some relief in your chest through how well Junhui knows you, reminiscing old days when you were too shy to speak a single word because he did most of the talking.

“I wasn’t going to say you were a nerd,” by the pout on Junhui’s face, you could tell he was expecting it, “I think dreamer would suit you better.”

“Make that the two of us…” He replies, the kindest smile you’ve ever seen on him. “I’ve wondered what the moon looks like during an eclipse.”

“I’m guessing it’ll be dark, some would say it would be red, wouldn’t it?”

“True… But you’ll be here with me through it all, right?”

Eyes placed on Junhui for a while, your smile wobbles, eyes turning sad as his face begins to turn dark from the eclipse beginning to merge.

“Yes,” you linger on your words, the moon completely sinking into darkness, “yes I will.”

Let’s face it.

The both of you knew at that point that you would never get to cross paths in real life.

Like a blackhole, you and the boy on the moon eventually became nothing.

Come college, and everything seems to spiral downward from there.

Commitments break, people change, sleep isn’t the same anymore — your new life consisted of things you had no choice but to adjust to.

One of them being how often you saw Junhui.

Piece by piece your dreams lasted shorter, on some days you would only get to see him for a bit, on other days, you never got to see him at all.

The pair of you felt like you were at other sides of the moon, an invisible connection saying that you were there, but never going the full way in hopes to save the disappointment later.

That was the problem. You got used to it.

Maybe there would be a day everything will simmer down and go back to the glory days, but it wasn’t happening soon.

Scarily enough, you loved Junhui — so, so much — yet on more recent occasions during the dreams he wouldn’t be in, you began to wonder if he cared as much as you did.

He was your only one from the start, but who knows what goes on during his day, his other life, his real life, the life without you.

And that’s when you wish to turn back the clock. Where you wished that you were by his side through day one, that you could’ve tried to support him more, wishing absurd things such as meeting in real life, or having that once moment where you two are aware that you’re real — wishing to see Junhui in real life to know that it isn’t a dream but real.

That he’s real.

Yet to wish things like only deserved laughter from others.

So every time a wishing star would shoot past, you would wish that Junhui would come back to you soon. You counted each shooting star from them, in your dreams and in real life — 239 and counting — hoping that one day the moon will grant it.

Even if it took the sun a million years to align with the moon to reunite with the boy on the moon, you were always willing to wait for him.

While he used have you in his dreams, the moon always held fractures of him.

It’s been a year, almost two, since you last remembered seeing Junhui. Pieces would always come into your head, though each time would be a bright blur, like being blinded by a light.

You lost your track of sleep since then. On most days, they’d only last for short amounts of time (naps included) — hell, four hours would be a miracle — hence the other reason why you never got to see him.

Whenever you dreamed, he wasn’t there.

One by one your friends united with their soulmates, only leaving you with meeting yours on an empty moon. The space felt bigger when he was gone, stars dimmed their shine — their light fading — his voice quietly echoed in the back of your head each time you came back.

Tonight was like any other; the moon visible from the cold outside you choose to stop and stare at, shivering slightly. Seated on a nearby bench, hands buried in pockets, your mind lingers on the round disco ball in the sky.

Soon, your legs kick and swing up and down, reminding you of a boy who used to do the same. It took some thought, but your eyes met the slivery light against the night sky.

“Hi moon,” you begin talking, cold puffs of air forming at each huff, “how have you been? I haven’t looked at you in a while, it feels weird looking up at you when I’m so used to looking at the earth from there…”

Chuckling to yourself for chatting with an inanimate object, you proceed.

“Do you think that you can do something for me? Pretty please?” You add a pause, as if waiting for a reply, holding in a breath before saying, “I want to send a message to… Well, you know who. I keep wishing and wishing on stars but then I thought to myself, why not ask where it all started? So here I am. Please send this to Junhui, moon... For me.”

First, you clear throat, heart heavier than ever just as the moon becomes your source of focus, hope, a lifeline.

“Junhui, it’s me. It’s been a while. Are you doing okay? I hope you are, I hope you’re the happiest you are right now. Lately I found myself thinking about you again. I can’t sort them into good or bad thoughts, but they’re of you. I wonder if it’s lonely when you dream, I wonder if you live each day happily without me, I wonder if you’re missing me the way I miss you, I… I really miss you.”

Glossy eyes form through the tears threatening to fall, but you couldn’t strip your eyes away from the moon, it was practically killing you. This burden, this guilt, the feelings you selfishly claimed.

“Every time I look at the moon… I think of you. Always. My moon boy — my boy on the moon — so carefree and full of colour, I don’t understand how you do it. The galaxy must love you, because every time you’d be there, their colours shone the most. Remember when it used to be ours? That dream that happened on a winter’s night, the first time I heard your name? It was all ours. Ours. I wanted it to be you and I until the end, but here we are now.”

Although smiling felt bittersweet, you felt the closure was enough for you. The message was coming to end, feelings tied up in a present box, concealed with a pretty ribbon.

“You were the best thing that happened to me; you are the best thing that ever happened to me, Junhui. God, what do I have to do to see you without it feeling so distant, or like a blur… I hate it. I want to see you, I still want you — it’s so hard to breathe — Come back, please, come back to me-“

Hand clutched on your chest, you hide your face to let the tears fall as you try and settle your breaths, the world shaking underneath you. A face stained with tears, you decide to sit up, the glow of the moon still radiating the same shine as before.

“This is where I have to go now. I think that wraps up everything in my head. Thank you Junhui, for being my boy on the moon, for being my moon, for being the whole world I adored. To another life, my love.”

Formally saying goodbye you now stand, walking away.

There was a change in breeze as you continued, the wind directly hitting your eyes, tears forming for a second time. You curse over this, view blocked as your hands roam around your face, aimlessly walking.

But in doing that, your body hits against another, the shove quite powerful that you almost lose balance as you walk past.

You didn’t have any energy to apologise, though the corner of your eye catches the stranger’s body turn, the sound of footsteps approaching closer to you.

“Excuse me,”

A meek voice, belonging to a male figure, makes you turn. The moon captured his features well, even though you didn’t have the confidence to look at him straight in the eye, only noticing the soft hazel hair shine, the luminosity covering a layer of tiny stars within.

“I just wanted to say sorry for that, and…” His voice fades into nothing, “Are you crying?”

Upon that quick statement, you hide your face once more, sniffing. “It’s nothing. It’s, uh, my fault anyway… I was the one who ran into you.”

“Can I do anything for you?”

“No, it’s alright,”

“I don’t know about you, but I have nowhere to go — I won’t be able to sleep well at night knowing I couldn’t help someone who needs it.”

Going over his words carefully, you take the stranger’s offer, convinced that it would ruin his day if you rejected him.

“We can sit, if you want.”

You can imagine the smile on the stranger’s face as you accept his offer, walking to the nearest bench and facing the moon again. Don’t look at it, you warn yourself, it’ll just remind you everything about him again. Alternatively, you keep your eyes concentrated to the floor.

“So…” The stranger begins. “Not to pry on you, you don’t even have to tell me, but what happened? It’s good to let feelings out.”

Focusing on the way he gently kicked his legs, your mind slowly drifts and your mouth automatically answers for you. “Just… Cutting ties with my soulmate. It’s been pretty rough.”

“Didn’t work out?”

“More like I didn’t make an effort to meet in the middle with him… I let my selfish insecurities take over and it ruined everything. He doesn’t deserve someone so cruel. I got so lucky and I ruined my chances.”

Sympathetically, the stranger sighs, humming slightly. “I don’t think you’re cruel.”

“That’s easy to say when you don’t know me.”

“Hey, you recognised and accepted the thing you found wrong in you and knew it was taking an affect in your relationship. To do that is… Admirable. Was he accepting about you wanting to call it off?”

“I…” Your eyelashes bat to the moon, instantly regretting once you whip your head back down. “I didn’t get a response, per se…”

“Well, I think it’s important to see how he responds. He may be accepting towards it, but he might just be hiding the fact that you aren’t thinking about him when he wants to make it work. But I’m no love doctor, you should just give him that chance to speak. I hope everything from then on goes well between you two.”

You can only hum, considering his advice. It was something you needed to hear after a long time.

Rather than giving him a response, you curve the conversation a bit. “You said something about giving help to those needing it… What’s that about?”

An embarrassed laugh slips out of the male and his legs stop swinging, shyly burying his heels into the ground. “This may sound absurd, but I strongly believe in helping out anyone I see. It’s a bit of a personal thing.”

You don’t mean to snort but you do, intrigued with what this man had to say for himself. “Why do you strongly believe it?”

“Because of my soulmate,”

The comment keeps you silent, chest tightening over the words. Needless to say, the stranger went on, now spilling his feelings on the already messy page.

“My soulmate was a dream, honestly. No one in my life accepted me so much and cared for me the way they did, but at some point everything began to change. My soulmate began to change. I knew them so well that I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t want to overthink it. I trusted and waited for them to come to me.”

“Did they?”

“Waiting was my biggest regret. It only made things die over time, I don’t even see my soulmate anymore. It worries me if they’re taking care of themselves. It worries me that they hate me for not asking them for them to break their walls. I never got to help the soulmate I love so much and I feel like dying everyday over the one action I could’ve done to save the both of us… I related to your story so much because all the things I said to you would probably be what I would say to my soulmate — that you shouldn’t carry all the blame, that as long as we build on mistakes, everything will less messy than before… That… That although all of this happened, I don’t hate them. I’m still waiting for the day I can get to say those words.”

You catch a quiet hitch of breath from the stranger, probably holding in his breath to make it unnoticeable that he’s affected by this.

“How long have you been waiting?”

“Enough,” the man lingers, “but for my soulmate, I’ll always wait.” A smile now is placed on his face, you guess, his tone much lighter. “I miss having dreams of stargazing with them and telling dumb facts about the constellations we see,” he sighs, “I’m pretty sure if we were still together, I’d talk the night away about everything I learnt in astronomy.”

“Really? Where do you meet your soulmate when you dream?”

“Ah, you might not believe me…”

“Doubt it.”

“Space.”

“Space?” You jaw mentally drops in your head, a little shocked that you finally met someone who had the same experience as you, but you decide not to add on. “I heard it’s super rare to have dreams in there. Is it always space?”

“Yeah, which is even more rare, because people don’t have their dreams everyday in the galaxy as often as I do.”

“That’s really cool,” you finally finish, the galaxy making you think again, suddenly quiet.

You feel a nudge, only a faint brush, on your shoulder, followed by the man’s voice again, a little sleepy.

“Don’t you think it’s so divine?” He says, the context not involved as you still stare at the floor.

“What is?” Hums you.

“The moon. This is the first time it shone this bright.”

Now lifting your head, you understand the male’s point. The white light looked like a torch light with bits of silver sparkling through. An easy laughs slips out of the other as if his cheeks were permanently stuck.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

The blood in your body turns cold. The moon only shone brighter, the scene looking like one that has been stopped in time; as if time had froze.

Scared. You were scared to turn around. The cold blood turns into a rapid heartbeat, guiding its way into your neck, pulse beating at a dangerous rate.

With caution, you slowly move your head to the right, the situation feeling more unreal as you study the man by your side, his tragic love story just as tragic as yours, or what you both thought.

You could already tell it from the voice — it was at a lower octave than when you heard it the first time, but the breath between words, the small pause, the way it ended on a higher tone as if in delight and admiration.

It was captured in his eyes — you worked your way down from his starlit, shimmery brown hair falling over his eyes — the wide eyes staring ahead, eyelashes long and pupils looking glossy, small beauty marks jotted on his face — under his eye, his cheeks, his top lip — enough to create a constellation, his lips, agape, corners curled slightly to expose his grin similar to a child’s, his side profile finishing with a prominent outline from the light source and jaw that lost fat and grew defined.

“You,” you gasp, another pain coming through your chest.

The stranger turns, confused as to what you mean before you get to the point before he does.

Junhui.

“Y/N?” The other stumbles his words, confused.

“It’s-“ You clumsily reach your hands to his face, cupping his cheeks delicately. Although you tried to keep it in, it was too much to bear, let alone understand. “It’s you, you’re real-“

“I’m real, I’m real,” Junhui reassures, teary face looking like he’s feeling the same pain as you do, “I’m here Y/N, it’s okay...”

“Do you know,” you sob, “how much it hurts?”

“I know and it’s alright, we’re here. You and I-“ He chokes up a hiccup, tears rolling down his face hot when he wipes away yours, “God, it hurts ten times more to see you cry, I wish I was there for you — I’m so sorry Y/N-“

In return, you guide your thumbs across his cheek, moving his bangs out of the way and drying his eyes. “No, Junhui, it isn’t your fault okay? You said it, we see our mistakes and move on from them. We let go of what we hold on…”

“You,” chokes Junhui another time, “wanted to cut ties with me? I was waiting for you Y/N, for so long, I couldn’t last a day without you.”

“I’m sorry, I was being selfish with myself again,” You hold Junhui tight, “you were right, I should’ve made one last effort to make this break or make itself again and instead, I cowered out in both options because the pain was too much… Realising it, an unsaid goodbye would’ve been more painful…”

Your hearts remained to beat rapidly, but the tears came out less, leaving two soulmates hugging on a cold bench, silent as the winds blow. There was no explanation as to why you both cried so much — happiness, perhaps? Sadness? — but it felt like a mutual thing between you.

“What do we do now?” Junhui pushes a hair out of your eyes, sadly smiling through dried tears. His tone, shy, asks, “Can we… Make up for the years we’ve missed?”

Without hesitation you nod more than you ever could, pressing your face into Junhui’s chest.

“We can try that,”

After breaking the hug, your number is exchanged with Junhui’s, briefly discussing the chances you’d meet again, hoping you’d meet tomorrow.

Lastly, you had to say your goodbyes. An emotional night; both holding happiness and sadness. Junhui kisses your cheek, silently translating take care despite saying it constantly and reminding you text him.

Bashful of the action, you greet your goodbyes to Junhui, a grin painting your face.

Maybe this time things will mend themselves.

“Y/N?”

Your body turns once you and Junhui are at a distance from each other. He’s glowing, you first observe, in awe that this was real and not some painting.

You’re certain he wasn’t moving his lips, however the gaze from his eyes spoke from themselves, the message strongly radiating to you.

He didn’t need to say anything; he just knew.

Understanding, your head signals the slightest nod, followed with your curling lips before you break the contact, walking away from the events that happened this night.

Going back felt familiar — likewise, this was always considered as your second home — and there he was, sat on the white rocky ground, legs swinging as he memorises his gallery of stars one by one, observing each.

He turns the same way his childish self always has, as if nothing has happened, staring straight into your eyes. A fond expression; warm, sweet, tender. Loving.

Junhui keeps his eyes on you, every memory of you and him coming back to him. He’s waited for so long, it was time he had his happy ending.

“You’re here,”

Junhui can only smile.

“I never left.”

The boy on the moon had found his universe once more.

[gal-liveblogs]

RWBY Chapter 8: Players and Pieces

Hm, that title makes me think those chess pieces are about to become very important.

O.K., what on earth are you doing, Ruby? Are you... Are you riding a giant bird? Is that why you were falling from the sky at the end of the last episode? WHY are you on a giant bird? HOW did you get on a giant bird?

Ruby: Well, why don’t we just jump? Weiss: What are you, insane?

Aaaaaand Ruby’s gone. God damn it, Ruby.

That’s some stellar timing. Congrats, Ruby, you saved Jaune from hurtling even further into the forest. Hopefully he doesn’t crush you when you both land.

Oh great, before Yang and Blake can deal with the Ruby and Jaune situation a Grimm appears from the forest. I sure hope that scorpion Grimm doesn’t join the fray as well.

Nora: Yeeeeeehaaaw!

Oh. Thanks, Nora! That was easy!

Nora: Aw, it’s broken.

She has no respect for danger and I love her.

Nora: I’m queen of the castle~ I’m queen of the castle~

You are fighting hard for my favorite character.

Here comes the scorpion now! It’s fine, the other Grimm is dead and we have a bunch of warriors gathered. I’m sure they’ll be fine. What’s Weiss up to?

Pyrrha: Jaune! Jaune: Pyrrha! Ruby: Woah! Jaune: Ruby! Yang: Ruby?! Ruby: Yang! Nora: NORA!

I sure love the Name Game. Glad to see Nora knows how to play the winning hand.

Yang is shaking in frustration and I can’t tell if Nora is just happily swaying or having fun imitating her, but it’s just the cutest thing.

Oh, there’s Weiss! Boy, that bird is quite a bit bigger than I expected it to be. Gosh... How did you girls manage to hitch a ride on that?

Nora, stop being so adorable this instant.

Ren: She’s falling.

Oh no. Jaune, I know what you’re thinking. Don’t. This is not the perfect opportunity to play hero and save the falling damsel. You are the butt monkey, your role to continually fail for comedy. This won’t end well for you.

I know it’s tempting, Jaune, but don’t even try. Really there’s only two ways this is going to go. You’re going to try and somehow make things worse, or one of the other’s is going to rescue Weiss before you can do anything.

Either things are about to go horribly wrong, or Weiss is gonna smack him and call him a pervert.

Music: *is angelic* Jaune: Just dropping in?

Or this will turn out to just be a fantasy Jaune has concocted after hitting his head trying to jump out of the tree.

O.K., not a fantasy. Cartoons physics was employed so that they could float in the air for a moment before gravity picked back up. Now the question is if the punchline is them still crashing to the ground or will it be that one of the others will still end up rescuing them?

Crashing it is! At least Weiss seems fine, since Jaune acted as a crash pad. So I guess... Congrats, Jaune? You managed to save the girl?

Weiss: My hero.

She just sounds so disinterested. That’s gotta hurt him more than his crushed spine.

Oof. That was a crunch. Poor Pyrrha, I thought you’d be able to put up a bit more fight against the scorpion.

Yang: Great, the gang’s all here! Now we can die together!

Glad to see you being positive, Yang.

And of course Ruby jumps into the fray only to get immediately bitch slapped.

Holy shit! That thing has projectile feathers! I’m more scared of it than the scorpion now!

Be thankful it only skewered your cape and not your body! Still, this is legitimately terrifying!

Ruby, no, don’t try to rip your cape free just take your cape off! Trust me, it’s much faster!

O.K., yeah, wow, thanks for the ice wall and all, Weiss, but could we maybe have the getting along speech after we defeat the Grimms?

Ruby: *sighs and whispers* Normal knees...

What are you going on about, Ruby? I know you just wanted to be a normal girl with normal knees, but what does this mean? Are you reminding yourself to just act normally, or are you thankful that Weiss just said “you’re fine” and thus she sees you as normal?

Really though, these friendship building moments can wait until AFTER THE GRIMMS ARE DEAD, YES?

I’m sorry, but I have to point out Yang’s little run here wasn’t the best. She just kind of, slid across the ground. Not great animation. Very slippery.

Alright, so now everyone has a chess piece. Were those missing chess pieces already missing to begin with, or did those two dudes we saw at the start take them? You know, they two people who had character models but no lines?

So the gang tries to run, but it seems the bird has them trapped. Oh, and then the scorpion comes back too. So how’s that “just run and don’t fight them” plan going?

I love Nora’s gun. She has a grenade launcher. I wonder what it transforms into?

You know, for an exercise all about teaming up with one other person they all seem to be working with, well, everyone. I mean, it’s good to have teamwork with everyone at your disposal, but I would think you’d want to stick with your “assigned” partner and learn how to most effectively work with them.

Calling it now, that bridge is either going to collapse and make the scorpion tumble into the ravine below OR it’s going to collapse and trap out heroes in the ruin. Possibly both. Either way the bridge isn’t going to survive this fight.

Well, I was right about the bridge being destroyed, at least, but it looks like everyone is gonna hitch a ride on the bird on outta here. How did Ruby and Weiss do this the first time??

Oh, never mind, they do get trapped in the ruin after all. Looks like only Pyrrha, Ren, and possibly Blake hitched a ride.

GOD DAMN IT! NO ONE GOT CARRIED AWAY? Bullshit! You could clearly see they were all too far away from the edges with the bird came through!

Oh neat! A hammer! Let me guess, it’s gonna have some sonic blast or something that will propel her across the gap when she swings it down?

Ah, no magic nonsense, just basic physics! Yay for levers! Bye, Jaune! Now what will you do, dear Nora? Also what about the others?

Oh that is awesome! A grenade propelled scooter, basically! Who knew hammers could be so versatile?

Aw, and you were doing so well too, Nora! Now who’s going to save Blake from plummeting to her death?

Blake’s gonna save herself thanks to grappling guns!

I like that during the classic “run up all the falling rocks” moment we get to see that each of the four main girls does it slightly differently. Blake immediately gets off the unstable rocks and goes to another classic, “run up the walls”. Weiss uses her glyphs to give herself more stable footing when there are no rocks. Yang uses her rocket gauntlets to propel herself, and Ruby just stays with the classic approach.

So while Ruby has a plan to fight the bird, Jaune seems to be giving orders to the other team fighting the scorpion. Not so much orders as barking out their names and they knowing what to do already. I could be mean and say Jaune isn’t really needed here, but I’ll give him the credit has leader of this team of four. Clearly Ruby will be leader of the other team so he’s being built up as the leader of the secondary characters.

Nora is just the cutest gosh darn thing! Sorry, Jaune, but Nora has been too precious this episode. She has booted you out of the top spot on my characters list.

Poor Ren, someone get this boy some snacks. Nora, give him pats and snacks!

Wow, this is quite the plan, Ruby, How did you manage to tell the others what to do while all of you were fighting?

Ruby: Think you can make the shot? Weiss: Can I? Ruby: ... Can y- Weiss OF COURSE I CAN!

I’m a sucker for confident “can I?” “that’s what I just asked you” interactions.

Holy shit, Ruby is strong! I know Weiss puts some glyphs down, which are probably helping her with the speed and keeping momentum, but Ruby is still dragging that giant bird by her scythe!

Nice decapitation!

Jaune: Wow.

Yeah, I mean, not to downplay your guys’ scorpion, but that was really cool.

I guess we’re all back at Beacon now. Sounds like whatever piece you took assigns you to a larger team. So I guess only one piece was taken per team of two? Then, since it’s chess, there were two of each piece (excluding the pawns) so then the two teams that had the same pieces would get combined here. Still doesn’t sound like a great way to form actually good teams for four years, but whatever. How lucky that the teams that worked together fighting each Grimm ended up being the actual teams. Now they have a basic understanding of each member’s abilities!

Wait, did I just hear Yang Xiao Long? Not Yang Rose? Do you two have different fathers? You usually take your dad’s last name after all. We saw a Summer Rose gravestone. Hm. Well if they’re half sisters it would explain why they look so different.

Ozpin: From this day forward you will work together as Team RWBY, lead by Ruby Rose.

Wow, who could have guessed the team named after her would be lead by Ruby. Honestly, it would have been a jerk move to name the team “ruby” and then have someone else lead the team.

OH COME ON! NOW THE SHATTERED MOON ISN’T EVEN ROUND ANYMORE! It’s a shatter egg! I’m telling you, it’s fluctuating size and shape, that’s the cause of it breaking! The moon saga never ends!

Oh? And what is our dapper villain up to in this lonely warehouse?

Hm, I see you have various districts marked out on your maps. Also COPS! and Beacon. What dastardly plans are you concocting?

Man, you’re eyelash game is strong. Are you wearing eyeliner too?

Monopoly money!

Oh, credit cards, not Monopoly money.

A better look at the map. He’s not only marked out COPS!, but also DUMB COPS. I wonder if Forever Fall is a town or a landmark. Beacon seems like a pretty big place.

Torchwick: We’re gonna need more men.

BOO. Cliched line is cliched!

We never did find out how Ruby and Weiss got on that bird...

<Previous Ep. Next Ep.>

[ask-elementalhermitcraft]

O V E R C L O C K

Hello! Mod Seagrass here, posting another story for your viewing pleasure. Hope you enjoy! OVERCLOCK ( 2.9k ; hurt/comfort) In the former fic, I explored the details of the interaction between redstone and electricity/lightning. In Overclock, that power is taken to an extreme--with devastating consequences.  TW: injury, electrocution, rather graphic description of pain

They’re all fighting their best. It’s just a skirmish battle, nothing special, but who would they be if they didn’t put 100% into each and every fight? Habituality is the enemy of creativity, Joe’s said, and they’re inclined to stick by what he says even if they are on different sides. He’s always been a smart man.

Speaking of Joe, the other’s hunched over someone’s body trying to heal the nasty after effects of electrocution. He’s sorry, he thinks. But in the words of Joe himself, All’s fair in love and war.

—

Doc had called Mumbo over, with a glint in his eyes, and for a second he panics: had he been found out? Had he been discovered, as the mole he was? It’s an entirely logical path to take, he thinks. After all, Doc’s a pretty scary guy when he’s mad; wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of that.

He can’t hurt Mumbo directly with his element, seeing as how Mumbo would just get powered up by the charge, but he’s got plenty of other teammates that could do whatever damage they wanted without repercussions—and considering the loyalty that they’ve got to their leader (not you not you not you), it wouldn’t be a fun time.

There’s a gentle shk-shk sound, and Mumbo picks his way over to see a stack of papers spread out on the table and a small stack of fireworks. “So, what’s all this for?” He’s relieved out of his mind that those are not his personal papers that somehow Doc had discovered.

“We’ve received intel that they’re going to hit on our southern border at around 20 ticks this night. Not too bad, from what I’ve heard, but still—a loss of a pet bird stings the same as the loss of a loved one.”

Mumbo had known that already, had been warned to stay out of this fight if he could. They didn’t want him getting accidentally hurt in a struggle, and risk outing himself. He’d been very, very careful to avoid taking pain medicine in any way when around team STAR, for fear of his mouth blabbering something the rest of him resolutely did not want to say, but accidents did happen—better to stay on the safe side.

“And we’re going to…?”

“We’re going to fight back, of course. Don’t want to get into another fight, but that’s how it is,” he says with a shrug. “Ready?”

Ah. Damn. “Where’s the others?”

“Don’t need ‘em, I think. I wouldn’t want to bother them, it’s better for them to get their sleep. And just between you and me, we both know you weren’t sleeping tonight anyways.”

His blood runs ice-cold. He couldn’t have, he was so careful—

“Lighten up, man. Meant nothing by it, just wanted to say that I’ve noticed you’re a light sleeper. Now, are we ready or not?”

He nods. Better get this over with. “Yeah, let me just grab my gear. I’ll be ready in a few.”

Tucking a notebook into his suit, Mumbo rushes to grab whatever he can. Emergency supplies, healing items, the like. Hopefully they wouldn’t hit as hard, since they knew him…

—

The moon’s rising high over the swamp, and all that she hears is the sound of crackling thunder striking down again and again. It’s just him and Doc, and he’s fallen easily into his role: provide defense to match Doc’s offense.

He knows that G-Team would have most likely more members than they did, but he couldn’t quite manage to see them, is all. Joe’s here, he knows; wouldn’t want to leave their main healer behind. Iskall’s here, obviously—of course they’d bring him to a damned swamp biome. He suspects Stress is here, he can hear a quiet shattering sound echoing every now and then. And Grian’s here too, giving him a panicked glance before taking off again to try to channel some power towards Mumbo to knock him off his feet.

A powerful group, to be sure. He was almost hoping that he and Doc would be beat quickly and they could go back to the base. Luck, it seemed, had other plans.

—

The tide of battle changes rapidly when Doc realizes the swamp water conducts electricity. So far he’s been directing it at various hermits, most often Grian (he whispers in an aside to Mumbo, take out the leader and you take the whole team out) but it’s been doing minimal damage and Doc’s not willing to use their trump card quite yet.

It’s understandable, then, how his eyes light up upon the crackle that rises from the earth when he slams his trident down in frustration. Eyes darting to the side, he asks a silent question: Do you see? Can you see the potential? Mumbo nods, torn. His team or victory.

Doc’s either too absorbed to notice the conflict, or just doesn’t care. He yells silent victory to the moon, and buries the trident into the earth with a shout: “Have fun!”

It takes a while for it to sink in, but Doc is steadfast. He’s clutching the trident between his hands so tight his knuckles are whitening, supercharging it up with thousands of volts at once and dear lord it’s terrifying to watch. It’s quickly becoming a beacon in the middle of the swamp, and G-Team draws out of the shadows, attracted by the light as moths to a flame.

He almost cries out a warning then, cries out that this will hurt bad. It’s fine for him, he thinks. It’s fine for him to get thousands of volts running through his body—it just recharges him, tips him over his natural limit and grants him a rush of almost unlimited power. For his team? It’ll be bad. Doc won’t hurt them seriously enough to be out of commission forever (for all his power, he’s not a harsh or cruel man), and he sees Joe as a silent sparrow perched in a birch tree, but the experience is still quite harrowing—and he’d prefer to spare his team that pain.

He pushes it down. Pushes down the cry on his lips, and taps Doc on the shoulder—should he take to the trees? Doc responds with a nod. Hit Grian while he’s down, he says in his eyes. Remember. It’s like a house of cards—one falls and they all fall with it. He doesn’t want to, but. They should understand.

He flees.

—

He’s sitting next to Joe, who’s checking him for any injuries and quietly tsk’ing over scratches from months ago. He misses him, he thinks. They’ll be “enemies” again in a second, but it’s nice to snatch moments like this where he can.

Mumbo knows what moment he’s waiting for. Could see it in Doc’s eyes as clear as anything. He’s waiting for Grian to land, to come face Doc in the swamp. Grian’s flight is limited, free as though he might seem, and it must run out eventually.

When Grian lands, knees bent, a picture of perfect poise, several things happen in rapid succession.

Joe tenses up next to him.

The rest of G-Team floods out of the relative safety of the boggy swampland, joining Grian in the water.

A ripple runs along the riverbank, heading for Doc. (Iskall’s a smart one, he thinks. Good man.)

Doc notices the ripple, bares his teeth in some semblance of a grin, and twists the trident.

And then.

And then, electricity lights up the night sky brighter than day.

It arcs and sweeps across the water, jumping and twisting and weaving around like it was almost eager to free itself.

It runs through the water, through the millions of particles of water, and strikes G-Team like star come down from the heavens.

It hits Iskall first. It hits him as he’s attempting to manipulate this biome further into their favor, it hits him underwater and hits him hard. When he comes back up (after a long time, too long, he thinks) he’s gasping and his body is sparking all over like he’s about to explode. The pain’s clear in his eyes, and he flees from the water, dragging himself out with a pained grimace and clenched teeth. One down.

The electricity snakes towards Stress next. She’s got a little more warning, not quite the brutal direct hit Iskall took, but she’s equally ineffective in the face of the combination of devastating power and the perfect medium to deliver it. Ice forms under her feet as she tries to freeze the water fast enough to stop the electricity and fast enough for her to get away, but the speed at which the electricity arrives—it shatters under her like glass. It frames her face in a strange halo for half a second before slamming her to the ground under its force, and she manages to gather her wits enough to stumble off the swamp, thin snow-melt ice under her; hands trembling and voice shaking as she calls a warning to Stay out of the water, for the love of god, (watch yourself watch yourself and maybe you won’t get hurt the way we did).

Joe’s watching, horrified, for half a second before he snaps out of his trance and sprints to them to do what he can. They’re healing up, slowly, and would probably try to get back into battle later—but that doesn’t matter now. What matters is Grian, and Doc standing across from him with the same grin carved into his face.

He’s in shock, Mumbo thinks. At how fast his team was taken out, at how they knew of the attack. It’s the split second of hesitation before he unfurls his wings to try to take off again that seals his fate.

Grian crouches down, ready to leap up, and a single tip of his wings skim the water. Doc twists the trident again, forcefully, and then. Blue lightning leaps up, eagerly waiting to consume and twist and burn whatever it can find. And it happens to find Grian’s wings dipped ever-so-slightly into the water.

There’s a charred scent in the air, and Grian’s eyes are blown wide open. He can see the moon. There’s a little sound, and then. He tips over, falling into the water. Doc hurriedly shuts off the power (that much all over his body would hurt him more than was necessary or recoverable, he thinks) and gestures, searching the trees with his eyes.

Joe’s got his hands tied with the other two, and Grian’s just lying there. Not able to get up, not able to take off, essentially dead in the water, he thinks in some sort of morbid humor. He doesn’t want to hurt Grian. Neither does Doc, he knows, but Mumbo’s got the barrier of his mole status to fight through every single time he looks to injure with intent. He takes a deep breath (sorry sorry sorry) and steps out behind Grian, about to thrust his hand forward and bring him down even further, when.

Stress shouts, “Go! Get up!” and sends a wave of ice through her scream to lift Grian in the air. It boosts him up, launches him into the air, and Grian shakes out his waterlogged, heavily injured wings in the brief time Stress bought him enough to gain a few feet into the air.

No! If he fights, they all fight, and I can’t have the battle continuing. I can’t risk it. (They can’t get hurt further by me and Doc.)

He justifies it that way in his head, justifies leaping up behind his figure silhouetted in the moonlight to deliver a blow with redstone he has ready to Grian’s head—hopefully enough to knock him out.

It’s at that moment Doc lets out a cry of anger, and sends a bolt streaking through the air above Grian’s head to force him to flinch out of the air. It’s at that moment he slams his trident in frustration into the water again. And it’s at that moment that Mumbo accidentally takes the strike meant for Grian, and slams into the water. The still charged water. The water which is currently overflowing with raw elemental power, and looking for an outlet.

He thinks he’s fine for the brief half second he sinks into the water, thinks he’ll be able to stand it as he’s done before and maybe even receive some sort of boost. Those thoughts are dispelled in the next instant.

—

Energy’s flowing through his body and out, circling and cycling through with no regard for the mortal vessel it’s being held in, and he thinks he understands what death is.

he feels the moon

the stars

the water, the sky, the universe, he thinks he tastes blood on his lips.

he can’t taste much of anything now, he thinks. he’s raw power, unfiltered, screaming to be let free to be let out to be uncaged

He thinks he forgot his name. Did he have one?

He’s the universe. He’s the starry night blinking out a message. He’s a signal, a beacon, every single message sent out in the universe, desperately seeking a response, it hurtsithurtsithurts

He’s just a mass of carbon of raw spacedust crumbling as the sky turns and the earth turns or maybe they’re one and the same and he’s just a dot in the universe

He’s falling apart the longer it goes on, he thinks. Or maybe he doesn’t. He can’t tell anymore, the difference between him and the ground and the water he can’t remember what he was doing

He thinks he hears screaming, from far beyond. From the edge of the world, maybe.

There’s too much power arcing through him, too much for him to handle, there’s no way to direct it because how can you direct the ocean? Without direction it’s unhinged, just passing through, using him as a train station, leaving pain and pain and pain in its wake.

Hey, something shouts. Hey, no, wake up, you’re not dying on my watch, d’you hear me? Wake up! Wake up! You have to wake up!

He wants to. Maybe. It’d hurt more if he opened his eyes, right? It’d be a lot easier to just give himself over to the raw power clearly looking to burn and consume anything in its wake. He can’t tell what he wants anymore.

I don’t care if it hurts! Wake UP! Joe, work faster, please, I swear I’m not trying to rush you but do you hear it? The stuff he’s saying?

He doesn’t know what’s happening. Should he be awake? He tries to pry his eyes (eyes?) open, and is immediately greeted with overwhelming pain. Everything is too much, too bright too dark too cold too hot and he can’t stand it, he thinks that the overload that had been streaming through his body would almost be preferable. “Oh, thank God, you’re finally awake.” Who…?

Joe looks up from his work to glare at Mumbo. He gives a small, tight-lipped shake of the head, speaking a thousand words in a gesture. Had G-Team lost then?

“Hey. Hey. Look at me. How many fingers am I holding up.” He’s starting to recognize faces and shapes again, which means he unfortunately has the displeasure of seeing Doc’s face looming over him. “I won’t hesitate to slap you awake again.”

He opens his mouth, hoping he hasn’t forgotten how to talk, and croaks out, “Four.”

“Good. You’re awake and coherent, that’s gotta count for something—right?” Doc’s voice lilts up in worry on the last phrase, and Mumbo wonders: what exactly…happened? “You don’t know?” Oh. He’d said it aloud.

Doc’s face tightens. “To put it in short terms, you took the bolt I aimed above Grian. I was supercharged, already had been from the power I took earlier, and when that combined with you, that hit hard. Hard enough to knock you out of the air. Normally, it would’ve been fine, I like to think.” Oh. Then what— “When you fell down into the water, you took the full force of the power I’d discharged into it. Remember, I slammed my trident into the water earlier? That had kept the water sparking, electricity looking for an outlet. And, well. You happened to be there when you did.”

“Why aren’t I dead, Doc?” He thought he had been, maybe. He didn’t know.

“I think you responded that way to my powers because of the unique way our elements interact. I don’t know. Don’t care, really,” he said. His voice was tight with some emotion—anger? It seemed they’d either lost or reached some sort of draw, seeing as how Joe was currently over at his side.

“Listen, I’m really very sorry for what happened, it was a simple mistake. I’ll work in the future to avoid clashing like that, sorry—” Mumbo gets cut off by Joe standing up.

“You should be stable. Take care of yourself, Mumbo,” he says, giving him another look. “No deaths on my watch.” Joe walks over to G-Team, where Stress and Iskall are supporting a limping Grian, and starts to take the trek back to their base.

Mumbo looks to break the awkward silence settling between them. “Anyways, yeah, like I said, sorry about all that—”

Doc leans over and grabs him in an even more awkward hug, then lets go in an instant.

“I, uh, —”

“Listen. I wasn't mad because we didn’t win the battle or whatever. I was worried, understand?”

Mumbo sits in silence.

“A good leader looks out for their team. Remember that. And, for what it’s worth? I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks, Doc.”

“Let’s go back to base. Recuperate before the next battle.”

[apprenticeofcups]

Hi!! Sorry for the question but, what’s a natal chart and how do you make one? I keep seeing Sun signs, moon signs, rising, Venus, etc. And I’m a little confused. Would you might explaining it if possible?

no need to apologize! I’m happy to explain, especially since so much of this blog’s content is astrology now, and I’m sure you’re not the only one with questions.

basically, a natal chart or birth chart is a map of the positions of planets, signs, and houses on the day, time, and place you were born. they look like this: 

often with tables and other things around the side. (via cafeastrology)

HousesThe sky is broken up into twelve sections called houses - this is why birth charts need your birth time and the latitude/longitude of where you were born, to see how the constellations and planets fell into each of the twelve houses on that day. Each sign “rules” a house, and that’s how we determine which planets and astral bodies are in which sign. The way we determine where houses fall involves math, and there are a couple different systems for measuring them. The important thing is, your rising sign determines your first house, and the rest are measured from there. 

PlanetsThe planetary signs (Mercury sign, Venus sign) etc. are determined by which house each planet is in on the day you were born. Birth time isn’t as important here, because planets take a long time to orbit the sun, so only a few of them change houses in the middle of the day. The really long orbits, like Neptune and Pluto, only change houses once a generation. 

SignsInterpretations vary, so I’m just gonna give you mine, ripped right from the ol’ book o’ shadows. Your sun sign is the section of the sky the sun was in when you were born. This changes every thirty days or so and it’s considered the ruler of your personality - when someone asks “what’s your sign?”, this is what they mean. In general, I think of it as your primary mode, the way you interact with the world.

The house the moon was in on your birthday is your moon sign - the way you interact with yourself, the inner life supporting (or amending) your sun sign’s influence. Moon signs do depend on the time you were born, because the moon moves faster than the earth. 

Your rising sign or ascendant is the sign that was crossing the horizon at the time you were born. It’s also your first house. The ascendant rules the self or persona, first impressions, and surface reactions. 

All the planetary signs are determined by the house each planet was on your birthdate/time:

Mercury deals with learning and expressing, the flow of information. Your Mercury sign is your communication style, the attitude with which you talk, listen, and work intellectually. 

Venus is the planet of creative energy, love, and beauty. Your Venus sign is how you form attachments and the shape your magnetism and attractiveness/attraction to others takes.

Your Mars sign rules your instincts and drive. Mars embodies raw energy, impulse, and desire. 

Jupiter is the “father” of the other planets, dealing in generosity and tolerance. Your Jupiter sign dictates how you experience trust, wisdom, and understanding.

Saturn is the authoritarian, the ruler of regulations and restrictions. Your Saturn sign represents your approach to limitations, fears, and responsibilities.

Uranus is the planet of progress, shaking things up and standing out. Your Uranus sign is the way you express originality and individuality.

Neptune deals with depth, universal truth, and secrets. Your Neptune sign represents your relationship with intuition and sensitivity.

Pluto is the planet of Death in the tarot sense - rebirth, transformation. Your Pluto sign is your relationship with power, change, and upheaval.

Hopefully, that isn’t too confusing! It can be a lot to take in. If you’re interested in astrology and natal charts, I definitely recommend starting small. Get to know the signs, the planets - get your own chart done and see how all the aspects work together. 

🌠Signs & Planets

And of course, let me know if you have any questions, or find anything cool 😉☕

[sam-writes]

A Break in the Clouds

God!Ben Hardy au

Word count: 1880

Note: this took too long to put out but here it is! I hope you enjoy it!

Taglist: @angrylizardjacket @nedmjpeter @siriuslymooned @rogerandhishair @fastidious-and-a-mess @rogerinatrash @rogerlad @benhrdy @sweet-ladyy @the-killer-queenie

______________________________________

Hanging high in the clear sky, the moon shone brightly, as if in aware of what had just happened. The world had been shaken with a resounding boom as the burning object fell through the stratosphere colliding with the earth. A long tail of flame and smoke trailed behind the object as it fell faster and faster.

A figure lay curled up in a small crater. Smoke surrounding the figure drifted lazily into the sky. Slowly he began to shift, rolling onto his back with tremendous effort. Half closed piercing green eyes watched the smoke rise.

Embers fell to the ground, there was a hole in the canopy above him.

Groaning loudly he moved into a sitting position. Hissing through his teeth, the pain began to hit him. Bloodied and bruised he managed to raise himself to his feet and stagger out of the crater.

Jaime Miller had been driving nearby when they saw the ball of flame plummet from the heavens. Doing something very illegal, they sped up to get closer. Turning off of the highway it only took them a moment before they were on a dirt road heading into a now abandoned and overgrown camp ground. The moment they stepped out of the car a wave of heat hit them. It was very cold and they were wearing multiple layers of clothing, so the wave of heat was very interesting, further compelling them to investigate. They had arrived surprisingly close to the crater considering here were acres and acres of forest all around them. Grabbing the flashlight from the glove box, Jaime began their trek into the forest.

Walking directly towards a meteorite or whatever had just fallen through the atmosphere wasn't the smartest or safest idea, but curiosity ran through their veins.

He had walked from the crater, managing to stumble through the forest leaning on any tree he could get his hands on. He had made it to a break in the canopy. The sky was a masterpiece, stippled with stars and swirling with colour.

He watched the stars sombrely. Breathing heavily, lips parted slightly, hair a mess.

"I shouldn't be here... I shouldn't be- why am I here..."

Coming to a spot in the forest where the moonlight streamed through the leaves, Jaime saw a man. He was leaning quite heavily against a tree and he was... naked?

They took a moment to make sure they weren't hallucinating before taking a cautious step forward.

"Sir? Are you alright sir?" They began, trying to show they weren't of any threat.

The man turned quickly, facing them. Their eyes trailed down his body, checking him out, but not in the good way.

His body was covered in gashes and burns. Fresh bruising tinting his skin a light purple. Old scars ran the length of his torso, old and fading, yet still prominent. Jaime's eyes met the man's and they locked eye contact. The moonlight glinted off of the tears welling up in his eyes. He looked away, back up at the stars. He was visibly shaking and his chest rose and fell faster with every passing moment. He looked to be in quite a lot of pain, but the way he held himself told them that the pain was the least of his problems.

"Sir? What's your name sir?" They asked, voice getting louder.

He didn't even spare you a glance before answering. "Benjamin..."

Nodding slowly, Jaime pressed on, "Benjamin. Are you alright? You should go to a hospital."

His gaze slowly and hesitantly lowered from the sky to the ground, he dug his toes into the dirt below him. Releasing a shaky breath he looked back at Jaime almost threatening.

"I don't need your help." He tried to make himself sound confident but to no avail as his voice shook as he spoke.

Jaime took another cautious step forward, now only meters away from Benjamin. They tilted their head in an attempt to catch his gaze again. "I'll take you to the hospital. You just have to come with me." They spoke slowly and calmly, trying to convey that this was a safe situation and an offer with good intentions.

Benjamin watched them, the cogs in his mind turning slowly. His brow furrowed, confusion seeping into his features. "Why? Why help me?"

Jaime didn't miss a beat before replying, "You're hurt and you seem confused, I want to help you because you need it." They raised an eyebrow at him, as if asking if that was reason enough.

He tilted his head up, judging them silently. A tense moment passed before he spoke again.

"I'll let you help, but no hospital. I don't want to have to interact with more people."

Jaime breathed out a laugh "fair enough! Here take this." They then proceeded to strip off the top layer of clothing they were wearing, an oversized black hoodie with a small illustration of Saturn positioned where the breast pocket would be.

Slowly he took it and pulled it over his head. It was still a bit too big for him but that worked well as it covered his crotch.

It took a while to get Benjamin back to the car, he refused to let Jaime help him. He leant of every tree in his path and constantly groaned and hissed in pain.

Finally they got Benjamin to the car and he was in the passenger seat. "I'll take you back to my apartment, I have a first aid kit there, and a shower cause you seem to need one, no offence." They had to admit it was quite odd to just bring a stranger home, but it's not like they hadn't done that before under different circumstances.

Benjamin didn't reply but kept his gaze trained out the window. Jaime put the car in reverse and backed out of the overgrown parking spot.

The drive was quiet and uncomfortable. The air between them was thick and tense. No words were spoken but Jaime could almost feel how scared and confused Benjamin was.

They were lucky it was getting closer and closer to midnight when they arrived at the apartment. Jaime ushered Benjamin into the room as quickly as he could move, considering that he had no pants on. That would be a very awkward conversation to have with their neighbours.

Once inside they took him straight to the shower, turning it on cold and then backing out of the room to allow him to have a moment to himself.

The cold water was a gift from the gods. It ran down his body and over the burns, soothing the heat and sting. It washed away the dirt and grime that had been stuck to him from the fall. He wouldn't be fully clean but it helped. He ran his fingers through his hair. Feeling the water run over his face comforted him. He scrubbed his scalp with his fingers for a moment before leaning up against the wall and allowing the water to wash away his worries, even if only for a minute.

Jaime has set a pair of grey sweat pants on the bathroom sink for him to get changed into once he was done. When he emerged from the shower his hair was still dripping and he was shirtless, covered in clean cuts and bruises. Thankfully nothing was still bleeding and it only seemed minor.

Jaime patted the kitchen counter, "Come sit on here, the kitchen has the best lighting." Benjamin followed their instructions sheepishly, moving to the bench. He jumped onto it and allowed Jaime to examine him.

An overhead light was on above them, casting down a yellow glow, illuminating his hair into a halo of curly locks. They trailed their fingers lightly down the main scar. It ran from his right shoulder down to his left hip, meandering across his body. Slowly Jaime began to clean and dress the gashes and cuts. Once they were done, Benjamin was covered in bandaids and plasters. It was a look. Moving backward a bit, Jaime scanned his body for any missed cuts, that's when they noticed that Benjamin had been silent and watching them the entire time. Green eyes locked onto their face, observing their every move, every mannerism.

This dissolved into a moment of eye contact, neither friendly nor threatening; neutral observation of one another. No words were spoken once again, so Jaime began to pack up the first aid kit and moved to put it away. They threw their hoodie at him again, which he caught smoothly.

Jaime hadn't planned on letting him stay the night, really they hadn't. It just sort of happened. Waking up to him in the apartment and having to jog their memory of the previous night was a shock to the brain. They realised that in their tired state they hadn't even asked if he had seen the meteorite or what had happened to him, they had just jumped straight into helping him. Jaime had walked into the kitchen to see him sitting on the window sill, looking down at the world below. He was still covered in plasters and you could tell he was still obviously in pain. Yawning, they went to make a morning coffee, running their fingers through their hair, attempting to unknot it in the slightest.

Pulling a cereal box from the shelf, Jaime glanced over to Benjamin before asking if he wanted anything.

Benjamin made a noise that somehow meant no, Jaime poured themself a bowl of cereal and walked over to the bench, leaning against it.

"So... who are you exactly?" Jaime decided to just get it out of the way and ask.

"Benjamin, God of Spring." He muttered, Jaime had to strain their hearing to catch it.

"Mmm, course you are. Do you want anything? I could give you a lift back to your place?"

At that Benjamin rose his gaze to the blue sky above. Clouds swirled and twisted, obstructing the sun rays and causing patterns to appear on the ground. "No. You can't. You're a mortal and you have no way to help me let alone should want to."

"Alright, geez, just trying to help." Jaime was quite confused about the entire interaction with Benjamin. Unsure if they were to take any of this literally or as a outrageous metaphor for something. They settled on the latter and continued to eat their cereal. Benjamin glances at Jaime, who caught his gaze. His eyes looked apologetic but since they held eye contact, nothing was said and his gaze returned to the street below. He clenched his jaw awkwardly, pulling his legs up and resting his chin on his knees.

Jaime didn’t know what situation they had gotten themself into. They were unaware of how complicated the whole situation was. They had a big storm coming for them.

Benjamin was stubborn to accept help and look into humanity as individuals and now a whole that had caused destruction. He was hesitant to even try after what he had been told in heaven.

They are both in awkward situations and are going to have to face their unknown differences and sort out the mess they had began between heaven and earth.

[avehi-the-adamant]

In the Ashes of Teldrassil

(( Co-written with my RP partner, @kidcatgemini. Mierne belongs to her.))

The pitch-black moon hung ominously in the sky. A side effect of the ritual the Kaldorei High Priestess performed some week or so ago. It made it harder to see through  the already-dense trees and ominous shroud of ashes that remained in Darkshore… but Avehi managed. She’d had no issues so far finding the Horde forces here. Most of the time, they conveniently came to her! One by one, Horde soldiers crumbled beneath Rokaa - her rune-inscribed crystalline hammer. It was a dark reflection of the weapon she’d wielded in life, during her service as a Light-blessed Vindicator. She forged this new hammer using her practiced crystal forging techniques, as well as the runeforging she’d learned from the Ebon Blade. Fitting the newfound resolved she had found to continue her service to her people, she named the weapon ‘Undying Oath’. The hammer had spelled doom for countless enemies of the Draenei. From Twilight’s Hammer cultists, to Mantid of Pandaria, to even demons of the Burning Legion on Argus. Now, she used it to crush the Horde forces in Kalimdor - literally, in most cases.

She lifted her weapon up after the last of the Forsaken had fallen, with a displeased snarl. She derived no pleasure from killing Forsaken. Orcs, trolls, tauren… she could draw their life energy through combat, sating her Hunger for a time. But the Forsaken had no life energy to draw from, which only agitated Avehi more and more as the fighting went on. Still, she was quite proficient in slaying undead monsters like them. The war against the Scourge gave her plenty of invested experience in taking them down for good.

The Vindicator looked around, cautiously. The woods were eerily still along the coastline. She suspected the group she’d taken down wasn’t the last. Her plated hand gripped her hammer tightly, as she assumed a battle stance. Something was coming… she could smell the blighted Forsaken blood on the wind. She was ready.

What came leaping out of the woods was not a Forsaken, but a ghostly wolf… though it held the disembodied arm of a Forsaken in its mouth. It didn’t even seem to notice Avehi as it turned and perked up its ears, as if listening for something. The sound of a body falling, a flame trap going off, followed by horrible screaming that eventually died out seemed to satisfy the creature. It dropped the arm and turned to leave…

And jumped back with a yelp of surprise as it finally saw the death knight. Immediately, it shifted to a familiar Draenei form, a hand placed over her chest in shock.

“By the Earth Mother, you gave me a fright!” Mierne exclaimed.

Avehi couldn’t help but chuckle at Mierne’s reaction - she’d never gotten the jump on her before! She chuckled lightly, covering her mouth with her hand, before shaking her head.

“Apologies, Mierne. I suppose I’m more subtle than I used to be.”

She looked around once more, tail swaying smoothly behind her. Her agitation seemed to settle in the presence of her long-time friend, but that didn’t mean she’d lowered her guard at all. From what she could tell, they’d cleared out most of the nearby enemies between the two of them. Avehi looked to Mierne once again, and nodded.

“It is good to see you. Even out here.” she dipped her head. “Though, I’m somewhat surprised to see you outside of Bloodmyst.”

“I felt I had to do something after the burning of Teldrassil,” Mierne answered as she looked off towards where the large tree once was, “When word came that Tyrande was pushing back, it felt like the right time to join the battle in my own way.”

She turned her attention back to her friend, giving her a sheepish smile. It was obvious she was a bit out of place in a war zone. She’d already let her guard down.

“Not on the front lines, of course. But leading the Horde through traps and gathering provisions,” she continued, “Kharanos is here as well. I was going to meet him soon at the Alliance stronghold. Did you wish to join me?”

“--Vindicator Khanaros? He’s here?”

Her own reaction surprised Avehi. But she couldn’t help but feel a rushing return of long-buried feelings surface abruptly. She wasn’t prepared for it, frankly. Some years ago, during her Vindicator training, she developed something of a crush for Vindicator Khanaros. He wasn’t like others she typically got involved with - he was mature, stoic… steely. She recalled fantasizing about him rather often back in those days; such fantasies keeping her breathless and warm on countless nights. But it was nothing more than that. Merely a childish crush on an older Draenei male. They’d met, of course. And spoke briefly on an occasion or two. But so fleeting were their interactions… She hoped he would still remember her.

Even as she was now...

“As you say, Mierne.” she nodded once, letting the sudden resurgence of her adolescent feelings settle once again. “Let’s not keep your fiance waiting, yes? Lead the way.”

She hefted her hammer up over her shoulder, and followed Mierne to the Alliance holding in Bashal’aran.

Mierne couldn’t help but blush slightly as she followed Avehi. She still wasn’t used Khanaros being referred as such. It was hard to tell if she ever would. She still had time to think on it still, especially now that they’d agreed to slow things down a bit. Nothing had changed other than how people referred to the as.

~*~

Vindicator Khanaros shifted his weight from one hoof to the other, as he watched the treeline through narrowed eyes. Returning to a battlefield environment had been easy enough - some things you never unlearn. His crystalline hammer felt heavy, yet natural in his hands. His plated armor fit just as it always had, like a second skin. He watched, stoically, along the treeline due north. A simple glance in passing at the war table in the Sentinel’s Command Tent was enough to tell him everything he needed to know about Darkshore. The Horde had holdings both north and south of them. Much closer north, however. Were he a gambling man, he’d bet the next attack would come from there - and he was more than ready for it. The last good fight he’d had was some time ago, on Argus. And he was itching for another. Again - some things you never unlearn.

His tail flickered, however, as he turned to face the southern ramp up into the Bashal’aran compound. An aura of undeath wafted from that direction. Were the Forsaken coming up? A scout, perhaps? He snarled, and began hoofing that direction - hammer already aglow with vindictive Light.

Mierne and Avehi breached the tree line on the south side of the camp just as Khanaros began making his way over. They’d traveled mostly in silence, not wanting to alert any possible hord scouts of their presence. Noticing his serious expression and the way he was stomping over, Mierne couldn’t help but look over her shoulder to see if they had perhaps been followed.

She saw nothing. Her tail twitched nervously as she listened for any tell tale sounds from the forest, but the only sound that she could pick up were that of the heavily armoured Vindicator. She turned her attention back to him.

“Khan,” she greeted him warmly, though with a hint of worry in her voice, “Is something wrong?”

Avehi exhibited no such nervousness. At least, not from behind her. She had grown adept at finding other undead, including Forsaken. If they were followed, she’d know it. No, instead her nervousness stemmed from meeting her old mentor for the first time in years. Decades! As she crested the hill alongside Mierne, he came into view - he looked as distinguished and inspiring as ever. He wore his age well, signs of it showing in his face. But they somehow made him look stronger, rather than feeble. Experienced, not expiring. She almost staggered back, gasping lightly, as a rush of memories of him came flooding back into her mind. And emotions along with them.

Khanaros relaxed, visibly, as Mierne approached. He smiled to her… then looked suspiciously at Avehi. He could feel it immediately as she drew closer - that aura of undeath she carried. It caught him off guard, especially here. The stench of undeath was pallettable in these woods. He never expected it would emanate from an ally. Another Draenei, especially. He knew some of his kin were Scourged. He’d even met one or two, in passing. Khanaros knew that couldn’t be easy. Like the Krokul, losing the connection to the Light surely hit a Draenei hard. His suspicious look turned to a sympathetic look, as he eyed Avehi over a second time.

“No, no… all is well.” he then nodded to Mierne, as his holy energies faded from his hands and hammer. “Who is your friend?”

That question hurt quite a bit, for Avehi; while they weren’t ever close, she and Khanaros had met a couple times. She had hoped she stuck out at least a little from other trainees under his command back in the day. But he looked at her as if he never met her in his life! Had it been so long? Was she so forgettable? Or had undeath changed her that much? No possible answer took the sting out of his innocent query. She slumped, tail drooping down behind her as she looked away.

Mierne relaxed completely and smiled at Khanaros. At his presence alone, her tail began to sway happily behind her. There was something about seeing him all dressed up in his armor and seeing his powerful displays of the Light! She strolled up to him, but refrained from any public displays of affection while he was on duty… unless he initiated of course… Not that it was needed. The spark between them was obvious. Uncertain as she was about the engagement, there was no debate on how much she enjoyed her old friend’s presence.

“Ah! This is my dear friend Avehi! I have told you about her, I’m certain! She and I grew close in the marshes after the fall of Shattrath.”

She turned her head to smile at Avehi, blinking as she noticed the sudden change in her friend’s demeanour. The slumped shoulders… the dropping tail… Had Khanaros’ use of the Light upset her. She knew the undead tended to be sensitive to it...

“—Ah, are you alright, Avehi?” She asked, concern in her voice, “Are you… are you that sensitive to the Light’s presence?”

“--Aah, no. No, I’m alright.” Avehi snapped to, nodding to Mierne.

She gave a meek smile, before looking back at Khanaros. The Vindicators exchanged a moment of looks, before Khanaros broke the silence between them. He sheathed his hammer, and offered Avehi a crisp salute.

“Oh, of course! It is well, yes!” he bowed his head politely. “Mierne has mentioned you on several occasions. Always in a positive light, of course. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.”

He was proud of himself, suppressing his reflex to use his typical greeting. He had worked with Death Knights before, in Northrend and in several campaigns since. The Light didn’t always agree with them - and wishing Light’s blessings on them had often earned him scowls and scolding retorts. He imagined, to them, such was a curse. A slap in the face. He’d caught himself from uttering such a phrase now, even though Avehi was a fellow Draenei.

Avehi did frown, however, the meek smile vanishing quickly again as Khanaros addressed her. Despite, she returned the salute with one of her own. Theirs was always a professional relationship, in the past. She could certainly be professional now.

“We’ve met several times, Vindicator.” she put plainly, tone even… if not a little monotone. “I was actually trained as a Vindicator under your command, on Draenor. But… do not fret. That was some time ago, certainly. And I was much more lively back then, I imagine.”

It was Khanaros’ turn to slump slightly at the revelation. He let out a silent ‘oh’, as he looked Avehi over once more - closer this time. He had met so many Draenei in his life, trained hundreds - if not thousands - of recruits. It was ridiculous to think he would remember them all! But that made it no less awkward, in the moment. He cleared his throat.

“I… see. Apologies, I…”

Words failed him. But they didn’t fail Avehi.

“Pay it no mind, Vindicator Khanaros.” she shook her head, and offered him a weak smile. “It is an honor to be re-introduced to you, nonetheless.”

Her tail twitched behind her, erratically. But otherwise, she was extremely calm and collected. Shoulders back again, standing proudly following her salute. Making a fuss or a scene would do no one any good. Especially Mierne; Avehi didn’t want to shame or embarrass his dear friend’s fiance, after all. But despite her professional demeanor… the awkward tension was thick as could be!

Mierne has absolutely no idea where the sudden tension had come from, but she could feel it nonetheless. She glanced from Avehi to Khanaros and back. Avehi’s friendly demeanour had completely vanished, and she couldn’t help but wonder why. With how uncomfortable Khanaros was getting, she was starting to wonder if perhaps something had happened between them years ago. If so, Avehi would have said something beforehand, right?

She tried to think of something to ease the tension, but nothing came to mind. Sighing, she walked over to take Khanaros’ hand in hers, giving it an encouraging squeeze.

“All is well, yes? What better way to get reacquainted than killing Horde soldiers together!”

She cringed internally. Solving people problems wasn’t what she was good at. Awkward conversations like this were why she lived -away- from people.

“How about we sit and catch up? I’ve planted a number of traps in the area. They will alert us if enemy forces draw near.”

Her tail flicked awkwardly. Why did things feel weird?

The squeeze of his hand shook Khanaros loose of his awkward stall. He looked to Mierne, and smiled.

“A fine idea. Come, I have a tent, we can seek shelter within from the dreariness.” he offered.

‘Most of it…’ he thought to himself, as he looked Avehi over once more. 

He could tell he offended her, not recalling her from before. It couldn't be helped, but clearly it struck a nerve. As he led the two of them to the tent, he rattled his brain trying to recall something - anything - about Vindicator Avehi...

The Death Knight followed behind Mierne and her fiance, quiet and sullen. She was trying not to let this sudden rush of emotions spoil the meeting. It was a struggle, though - she didn't realize how much that silly crush meant to her, or how unresolved those feelings were left. Seeing him again brought them all back… seeing him holding hands with Mierne as they walked along ahead of her made it worse. She expected someone would earn his affections, certainly. But to have it he someone so close to her… it made it feel that much more personal - irrational as she knew that was. How long had her best friend been living out one of her oldest fantasies? Embracing that strong, stern, but noble Vindicator? Indulging in his body…?

--No, no… she shook the thought from her mind as best she could. Jealousy would poison her friendship. She wouldn't let that happen! She couldn't! Lightly, Avehi cleared her throat, as Khanaros led them both into the tent.

“I had heard you retired, Vindicator. Some time ago.” she offered, tone varying and friendly, as it was before. “Rumors, I presume?”

Khanaros parted the tent flaps, allowing Mierne and Avehi both in ahead of him. It was nothing fancy; a table, some benches, crates of supplies and a weapon rack. Still, it was nice than just standing outside!

“I had very much intended to, after Argus.” he replied. “But a war this close to home demanded my attention. I could never ignore the needs of our people.”

He smiled to Avehi, politely, seeming to relax some. At least they were talking!

Mierne set her hammer down next to the weapon rack as they entered the tent. She was surprised at all the room inside, used to her little hovels back on the isles.

She was also used to wearing a lot less than she was. Due to the area being a battlefield, she was wearing mail armor that was much more appropriate, covering her body entirely. She removed her gloves and set her helm aside, brushing a hand through her hair. Despite the mess her helm had made of it, it still looked much better than when she lived alone in the wild. She took a bit more care of her appearance around Khanaros, especially when being seen in public with him. While she didn’t care about how people viewed her, she knew Khanaros had a reputation to uphold.

“This war has indeed come too close for comfort”, she agreed, “We are fortunate the Horde cannot keep a foothold here, otherwise nothing would stop them from attacking the Exodar.”

She took a seat on one of the benches, turning her attention to Avehi, “How are things in Kul Tiras?”

“When I was there, they were… stable.” Avehi replied, taking her place in the darkest corner of the tent - her lichfire eyes glowing brighter in contrast. “The Horde has a secure holding in the north of the island, but the bulk of their forces seem to be in Zandalar.”

Khanaros set his hammer neatly on the rack beside Mierne’s, before turning to the table. He poured a cup of water from a pitcher, and offered it to Mierne. He then did the same for Avehi… but Avehi shook her head in declination. The elder Vindicator simply then took the cup for himself.

“What matters to me, now, is Darkshore.” he said, plainly. “Kul Tiras is a nation that has long left the Alliance to fend for itself. I would not see it fall, if it can be helped, but perhaps coming under Horde fire will help them see the need to unite with the Alliance in this campaign. But as I said, Darkshore is--”

“You’re of a mind to just let the Horde tear into Kul Tiras? An allied human kingdom?” Avehi interjected, eyes narrowed slightly at Khanaros. “Our presence there, defending them, is as vital as it is here reclaiming Darkshore for the Kaldorei.”

The tension returned - Khanaros felt it as he looked Avehi over. This time, it wasn’t so much awkward as it was… hostile. He calmly shook his head, as he set the cup down.

“I did not mean to imply such. Of course, if we can help the Kul Tirans, that is best.” he elaborated. “But for the safety of the Exodar, and the protection of our people, defending Darkshore is paramount. That is all I meant, Vindicator Avehi.”

“No one argues that. We’re all here, aren’t we?” Avehi retorted - the air in the tent growing a bit colder. “But if we only fight battles to defend our people, while other people suffer the Horde’s brutality elsewhere, how are we better allies to the Alliance than the Kul Tirans? No front in this war is more or less important than another.”

In unintended unison, both Khanaros and Avehi looked to Mierne, as if awaiting her to weigh in on the issue…

Mierne frowned heavily at the two as they fought. She had thought the two would get along well, given that they’d met previously, but Avehi was in an abnormally abrasive mood it seemed.

‘What’s gotten into her?’ the shaman wondered, brow twitching.

“I think this type of conversation is exactly why I tend to stay on my island!” She growled, crossing her arms over her chest, “For goodness sake, I thought we came in here to speak of more pleasant things.”

Her tail flicked sporadically next to her as she took a sip from the water Khanaros had given her. She used the pause to attempt to calm herself.

“As for my opinion on political matters I know nothing about. I stand firm in my belief that our people come first. Certainly above short lived beings like the humans. When we were in need, the Kal’dorei helped us. Now, we repay that favour. My motivations are as simple as that.”

She shrugged, not certain what else they wanted from her.

“--Of course, yes.” Khanaros cleared his throat. “Apologies. The war in general is a controversial subject. It runs emotions high, and sparks arguments by its very nature.”

He dipped his head apologetically towards Mierne, then to Avehi. He had his opinions of the war, and it was clear she did as well. Mierne was right, though - a more pleasant topic was surely in order for this crowd!

As if she weren’t already stoic enough, Avehi kept still and silent, eyeing the two of them from her dark corner of the tent. The air between them still felt a little chilly, both literally and figuratively, but much less so than at the building of the spontaneous argument. Her expression was dull, unreadable, as if carved from stone. But her continued irritation was conveyed well enough as her tail swayed, fast but even, behind her. Her hands hung at her sides, balled into plates fists.

“... Mm.” she nodded once, after a long and silent pause. “I'm sorry, I must still be worked up from fighting. Please, excuse me a moment.”

With even, intent strides, Avehi exited the tent without another word. Khanaros opened his mouth to try to say something to stop her, but instead looked to Mierne to do so instead. It didn't seem to matter, though - she left before either had much of a chance to protest it. Khanaros sighed, before swallowing down the rest of his water.

“... I am sorry, Mierne.” he exhaled, defeatedly. “I must have offended your friend deeply when I did not recognize her. Did she tell you we had met previously?”

Mierne was silent as she watched Avehi leave the tent. She did nothing to stop her. The Death Knight was clearly frustrated about something, and she suspected it had to do with something bigger than a past teacher not remembering her. She shook her head at Khanaros’ question.

“She did not. I was aware that she knew who you are, but that is the extent of it. I have not spoken to her in some time, though. I suspect it is something else that bothers her, and it is marking her bristle at smaller things.” She sighed, patting the empty place on the bench for Khanaros to come sit next to her.

“Avehi is still quite young, and I cannot imagine the trauma undeath would brings.”

Khanaros nodded thoughtfully as he took a seat beside Mierne. He exhaled a heavy sigh. It troubled him that not only had he seemed to upset a fellow Vindicator - fallen or not - but he'd also upset Mierne's friend. A part of him worried that failing to meet Avehi's approval could affect his plans to marry Mierne. He wasn't sure they were that close, but he knew Mierne well. Well enough to know that she didn't keep many close friends. That Avehi was one at all spoke to how much she must've meant to Mierne.

“Perhaps… it is my aura?” he theorized. “The Light can adversely affect one of her condition. Perhaps I am agitating her in that unintentional way.”

He slipped his arm around Mierne, casually, holding her as they sat. His tail swayed calmly, but his eyes continually glanced towards the tent opening, as if awaiting Avehi's return.

“I could… try to diminish it, I suppose…”

“Hmm… perhaps. She was acting as normal until we arrived. The Light might bother her more than she’s willing to let on.”

Mierne gave another shrug as she leaned in comfortably against Khanaros. Her tail reached over and intertwined with his in a comforting manner. She could tell he was distraught over the matter. It seemed Avehi’s opinion of him was an important matter to him. She couldn’t help but wonder why. Certainly, he must have encountered more than a single person that disliked him at some point in his long life. Avehi couldn’t be the first.

“Do not dwell on it,” she reassured him, placing a quick kiss on his cheek, “You did nothing wrong.”

Khanaros leaned into the kiss, unable to help but smile at Mierne's affections. His tail coiled about hers.

“... I know this is rather opposite of trying to diminish that aura, but…” he shrugged, giving Mierne a sheepish look. “...I was going to ask what you thought of the idea of me attempting the Lightforge Trials.”

~*~

Avehi paced outside around the camp. This was going poorly, she knew. She worried about what Mierne must've thought of all this. Her tail swayed in agitation, concerns that she'd surely upset her oldest and dearest friend! Her lichfire eyes flared with frustration, as she stood out over a small outcropping, and gazed thoughtfully at the darkened moon. She had to get this under control - this wasn't like her at all! Oh, how she wanted to walk back in that tent, and punch Khanaros in the face! And yet she could just as easily go inside and kiss him passionately. He'd be certain to remember her then, either way!

She exhaled slowly - not by any necessity, of course. Undeath did away with her need to breathe. Instead, it had become a practiced, reflexive motion to help her calm herself. She shook her head, putting aside her thoughts and feelings for Khanaros. For now. She had to salvage this, and set things right. For Mierne. She could do that.

But how? What explanation was suitable for this behavior? She could blame the Hunger… no, she prided herself in keeping that well under control. To lean on it as an excuse would undermine that. War stress? They all had that… she watched the moon, shoulders slumping as the realization washed over her - the best course of action was to come clean. To tell the truth, and reveal her crush on Khanaros. Her tail flickered, and began swaying in another way. A different pace and variance, not thoughtful anymore. Now... mustering confidence. She had made up her mind. She just needed the courage to carry out her will.

~*~

“What do you think?” Khanaros asked, turning to Mierne.

She looked genuinely surprised by his interest in becoming Lightforged. The more she thought of it, however, the more it made sense for it to be a path Khanaros would want to take. He’d been a Vindicator for longer than they’d known each other. The Light always an important facet in his life. Lightforging was naturally the next step for him in that regard. He was strong, old and wise. Surely he would have no problems passing his trials.

Perhaps it appeared as a surprise as he had so recently retired after Argus. This next step was quite the opposite of the quiet retirement he’d planned before the war broke out. But, if anything, this war proved that the fighting would not end. Not anytime soon.

Her head tilted as she thought it through. She was worried at what such an overabundance of exposure could bring. But again, she trusted Khanaros of all people would handle it appropriately.

“I think...” She said after a moment’s thought, “I think it would suit you well. If this is the path that feels natural to you, then who am I to stop you?”

Mierne smiled. Surely he wasn’t asking for her permission. Simply looking for counsel from his oldest friend… fiancé… She still wasn’t used to the thought.

“If this is what you wish to do, then you have my full support, of course.”

“Mm. I believe it is.” Khanaros smiled, tensing his arm to affectionately squeeze Mierne beside him. “It did not interest me before, when I thought I would be hanging up my hammer for good. But seeing as this war is far from over, I think it wise to give myself further to the Light, to better exact its divine judgement.”

He nodded once, firmly. Determined, now. From what he had heard, the trial was rigorous, testing body, mind, and soul, all. But now, with Mierne’s support in such a decision, he was confident all would be well.

“--It would change my appearance, I believe.” he added, as an afterthought. “Paler skin and hair, from what I have seen. Would you love me still, if I came out looking different?”

He smirked, half-teasingly. He knew the answer, of course. Their connection wasn’t purely based on appearances. But he also knew physical attraction was important in its own way. With any luck, he’d come out looking better from the Lightforging… not worse.

Before Mierne could reply, the tent flaps opened, as Avehi stepped inside once more. She looked solemnly to the pair as they sat on the bench, before exhaling a thoughtful sigh. Her tail swayed behind her, restlessly, as she stepped further inside and stood before her dearest friend, and former mentor.

“I… owe you both an explanation.” she said, meekly, shoulders slumping slightly. “I know I’ve been… stand-off-ish, yes? Moreso than is normal, even for me.”

“--It is alright, Vindicator Avehi.” Khanaros piped up, interrupting. “We… discussed it a bit, and pieced together why you are so uncomfortable around me.”

Avehi’s lichfire eyes widened! She gasped lightly, eyeing Khanaros, then Mierne.

“You… you do?” she asked, anxiously.

“It was obvious, yes, after we ruminated on it. As I said, it is alright. You need not be embarrassed or ashamed by it. I only regret I did not notice it sooner, or we could have addressed it immediately.”

The Death Knight blinked slowly. She didn’t expect such an amicable reaction! In a way, it only made her more attracted to Khanaros, with how mildly and level-headedly he addressed the awkward feelings she had for him. So mature! Perhaps he was right, and she should have come clean about this before the meeting! But… he didn’t want Mierne to think Avehi would try to act on such feelings. She glanced again to her dear friend, as if to gauge her reaction to the revelation.

“I… promise, I never intended to take any manner of action about this. It’s just somewhat… frustrating, yes? Given how things are now.” she sighed, apologetically.

“It… it is fine,” Mierne waved a hand dismissively, “No need to dwell on such things. It is a natural thing, after all.”

Mierne was fairly certain Avehi and Khanaros were not speaking of the same issues. She knew Avehi got along fine with Vindicators in the past. One she even considered a very close friend, so it made no sense for her behaviour to dramatically change this much upon Khanaros’ aura. The worry had crossed her mind earlier, but in hindsight it didn’t add up. Avehi had even told her such was not the case. Now, it seemed like she was just hiding behind that excuse...

She chose not to address it, however. For the moment, everyone was getting along well, and that was fine with her. She could discover what was really bothering her dear friend at a later time. There was no need to drag everything out in front of Khanaros.

She got up and made her way over to the knight, pulling her into a tight hug. Whatever the issue was, she wanted Avehi to know that she was always there for her.

Avehi couldn't help but smile as Mierne embraced her. She knew her dear friend would understand, passing no judgement for such things. She returned the embrace, being gently mindful of her armor as she affectionately squeezed Mierne.

“I… am glad. I worried such would make things difficult between us, seeing as you two are to be wed.” she sighed, relieved. “I'm sure it'll be easier to bear, as time goes on. I can't avoid you both forever, just because of a silly feeling.”

“Wise beyond your years, Vindicator Avehi.” Khanaros piped up as he stood.

Avehi broke the hug and looked to Khanaros, offering him a respectful bow. She found herself smiling lightly at hin, as well.

“Thank you, Vindicator Khanaros. And thank you for being so understanding about this. I know it is… awkward.” she shrugged, cheeks darkening. “At least, it's awkward for me. I imagine you must get this a lot.”

“Hmm, I suppose so. Death Knights do tend to shy from me. I cannot imagine you are alone in feeling the effects of the aura of the Light's blessing I exude.” he nodded once. “But rest assured, i take no offense. And i commend you for wishing to expose yourself to it, despite your condition. I pray you do manage to build up a tolerance to such discomforts, if only to be closer to the Light. A Draenei's connection to the Light is a sacred thing, enabling our kin to…”

Avehi kept up her facade, while her tail swaying bore the brunt of her indications of disappointment and irritation. As Khanaros went on with his impromptu sermon on the Light, Avehi nodded along. But she realized it now; he had no idea she had a crush on him. He'd misread the situation, almost as badly as she misread his misreading. Silently, she cursed to herself, eyes flickering over to Mierne. She must've misunderstood, too. Perhaps she would tell her in time. But for now, it was probably for the best she went along with Khanaros’ false assumption. It cleared her of the awkwardness, at least.

“...so that we may bask in its eternal warmth. May it be so.” Khanaros nodded firmly at the conclusion of his speech.

“Yes… may it be so.” Avehi repeated, before bowing her head politely to the two elder Draenei. “I will… see about building my tolerance in tine. But for now, your aura is rather… radiant. I think I shall go and fight on my own, for now.”

“As you wish, Vindicator Avehi. Light guide your path, and shield you from harm.” the Vindicator nodded, imparting his verbal blessing. “Until we meet again.”

Avehi looked to Mierne, smiling, before turning to depart once more. The miscommunication concealed her lust for her dear friend's fiance… for the moment. But she still felt she should tell her.

Just… not now.

~*~

[c-e-c-e-r-o]

On Love's Tail, Part 15

The usually quiet wood is filled with the sound of shifting dirt, clacking rocks, and frenzied grunts of exertion. Sær digs furiously, using the remaining broken half of his sword. After so long underground, it's become rusted and brittle, snapping in half soon after Sær started digging. A large mound of earth lies next to him, rising as the sun lowers. Sweat pours off his face in rivulets, dropping down into the loose earth as he works.

He is close to unearthing the buried man, so, tossing his sword away, he begins to shift the soft dirt with his hands. The going is slow, and by the time the few beams of light that can be seen are shining straight down, he is only just unearthing the man's helm. With renewed strength, Sær picks up his broken sword, using it to scrape away the earth, revealing a tangle of pulsing roots. They shift and writhe upon being uncovered, and one with draws itself from the man's chest, lunging forth. Sær's eyes glint, and he lets it peirce his shoulder, wrapping his arm around it and heaving, ripping it out of the ground as it emits an eerie screech. The root falls to the floor in a spray of blood, writhing and wriggling before going still.

Sær sets to work, mercilessly grabbing and chopping the parasitic plants. In a cascade of earth, the knight tumbles from the dirt, gasping his first breath in an impossibly long time.

"HO HO!" The man belts out, causing Sær to jump back, startled. The knight stands on shaky legs, then clasps his shoulders. "My friend! I cannot express my gratitude sufficiently! For so long I was trapped in this ghastly wood..." He shudders. "I, Solaire of Astora, pledge my leal service to you!"

"That's alright," Sær says, put off by the man's boisterousness. Optimism is the last thing he wants; it feels like a crime for happiness to exist while Priscilla still sleeps. He disentangles himself from Solaire. "Truth be told, my reasons are selfish. I need aid."

Solaire chortles. "Whatever you ask of me, you shall have it. I am at your whims!"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The sun sets on the third day of Sær's awakening as the group gathers for supper. The company had grown exponentially quite quickly; dig up one person, and they dig up another, and the manpower is doubled. Within the few days since they first began, they had unearthed hundreds of trapped travelers, each with their own skills and an unrelenting eagerness to aid the man responsible for freeing them; Sær.

The group gathers around a small clearing, each eating while they chatter about their respective duties. Andre the blacksmith forges shovels and axes to aid in the rescue effort, Cale maps the forest as it's cleared, Rosabeth would light fires and burn paths with her pyromancy, and Vengarl educated the group on battle tactics and stories of old. Vengarl and Sær had become fast friends; Sær brazenly told him not to get 'a head' of himself, and that gave him the hardest laugh of his life. The entirety of the company would avoid mentioning the fact that he was naught but a head and helm, and he respected Sær for being so straightforward.

Vengarl takes a deep breath, free from the smell of earth, a scent he had to suffer for decades. The only company to be had in that miserable dirt was the occasional mole or burrowing snake; many an argument had ended with a hiss and a bite. He's happy just to talk to someone with thumbs.

"Not long now," Sær ponders beside him.

"'til we unearth your wife?"

"Not married just yet," he replies.

"If she is as fair as you claim, then you would do well to keep a close eye on her. To hear you speak, one would think that she is a veritable goddess."

"Well, she is half goddess."

"Truly?" Vengarl raises an eyebrow. "Big lass, is she?"

"You could say that. Tall, long fair hair, pristine white fur..." Sær sighs.

"White fur? Such opulence is only afforded to royalty."

"Her father's a Duke."

"A Duke?!" Vengarl's eyebrows raise even higher. "What dark sacrifice did you have to make to marry a goddess and a noble's daughter!? I call bull-shite. No man- Especially a lowly undead vagrant- could be so lucky."

"You would eat your words upon meeting her, if you had a stomach." Sær sighs, saddened by the thought of Priscilla in her earthen prison.

"Cease your incessant suspiring, Sigh-ær." Vengarl growls.

"So long as you cease your incessant barking, Ven-growl."

The two are silent, then burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the wood as the rescued company work to aid their savior.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

On the night of the first moon since Sær's awakening, the group gathers in a large clearing by Priscilla's tree. The company is five hundred strong now, with another hundred sent into the depths of the forest to rescue more unlucky souls.

The forest teems with light now, lanterns lining the bridges that run through the trees. Houses, kitchens, and even staircases have been carved into the massive trees, making massive, interconnected towers that are lit up like a starry sky. The dozen or so children that had been rescued run fearlessly along the bridges, swinging on vines and carving slides into the stairs.

Below, the pavillion is abuzz with chatter as axes and shovels are dispensed among the crowd. Solaire, sporting his typical flair for theatrics, climbs the carved steps overlooking the crowd.

"My friends! Before we begin, I bid thee all to rise your arms and praise the-" Several apples, two gauntlets and a book are promptly thrown, the apples hitting their mark and splattering against Solaire's tunic.

"Get on wif' it!"

"Stick your praise where your sun don't shine!"

"If you were my sun, you'd get a right wallopin'!"

Solaire sweeps the chunks of apple off of his shirt, used to their disdain of his obsession. "Yes, well... The time has come to free the lady Priscilla from her earthen prison! Take it a day or a year, we shall not rest until Master Sær's betrothed is free!"

A roar erupts from the crowd as they all hurry to grab their tools, eager to repay their savior. Solaire walks over to Sær, who had stood against the wall listening quietly. He claps his hand upon Sær's shoulder, only for it to emit a growl. "SUN ABOVE!" He jumps back in fright.

"Watch yourself, sun," Vengarl says, for indeed it is him. His helm (and head, for they are one) is fastened to Sær's left shoulder like a pauldron, glaring at Solaire through the mouth of his helm.

Solaire composes himself and turns to Sær. "You must be quite thrilled, eh? To see your lovely lady once again, after such a tragic parting! How romantic!" His arms swing in exaggerated motions. Sær cringes. "I cannot wait to meet her!"

"I, as well," Vengarl adds. "I have seen many things, but never a perfect woman, which she is, if you are to be believed."

Sær chuckles. "I think you two will be suprised, regardless..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A day into the rescue effort, and significant progress has been made. It is made slow going by the precautions taken so that Priscilla may not be harmed, however. holes must be carefully chisled to make sure it is safe to swing an axe, while the tunnels beneath have to be perfectly supported so as not to collapse the great tree. Sær had attempted to aid in the rescue, but could not bring himself to sink an axe into the tree, convinced it would hit Priscilla. Instead he would pace about the treetop villa, nearly wearing a hole in the floorboards.

On the eve of the second day, Sær is snapped out of his reverie by numerous shouts. Flying down the slide the children had carved, he jumps off and hits the ground running. As he approaches the tree, he sees it. A tuft of white fur.

With a yell and a teary smile, he snatches up a chisel and starts furiously chipping the wood away, wood flying. The rest of the villagers join him, careful to leave support for the tree. Soon, the forest floor is littered with wood shavings, and Priscilla tumbles out of the great tree. Sær quickly hacks at the writhing roots as the rest of the company stare in stunned silence. They all gather around the giant beauty, bewitched.

Priscilla's tail twitches and her eyes slowly open. Her slit pupils dilate, exposed to light for the first time in decades. Sær gently stokes the thin fur on her cheek. "Priscilla? Darling? Can you hear me?"

"Mmmmh... Tired..." She wraps her arms around him, nuzzling his chest. Vengarl lets out a suprised shout and Priscilla flings Sær away, scuttling back against the tree, now wide awake. "Wh-what is that monstrous growth upon your shoulder?!"

"I'm monstrous?!" Vengarl says incredulously. He drops his voice to an angry whisper, muttering to Sær. "You failed to mention that your fiancé is thrice your size," he hisses. "A little warning might have been useful!"

"Two and a half times my size," Sær corrects him. "Isn't she great?!" He beams.

Vengarl would shake his head in disbelief, if he could. And they say I have lost my head.

Once the village recovers from their initial shock, They quickly take to Priscilla like wrinkles on a hollow. They watch on in awe an no small amount of embarrassment as the two lovers cuddle, feeding each other. It takes some getting used to; it's difficult for the men to fathom having such a large partner. It becomes a strange fascination to the village, and Sær and Priscilla quickly gain celebrity status due to their pairing and Sær's rescue of most everyone there.

Priscilla isn't coping to well. This is the first time in her life she has had to interact, or even be around a group. Sær has to shoo away the crowds at least twice a day while Priscilla cowers adorably behind her tail.

"Darling." Priscilla speaks softly to him on the last day of their first week together again. She lays on a large pillow, sewn by a team of seamstresses and filled with down feathers by a team of hunters. They lay warm and comfortable inside the great tree, it's now-hollowed trunk serving as a luxurious tower for the two. The walls are covered in ornate carvings, courtesy of admiring sculptors in the village. The pair had become de facto royalty, if only in name. Grateful villagers would come bearing gifts at all times of day, and they scarcely had room to store them.

"Hm?" Sær hums.

"When shall we continue our quest?" I understand the need to rest after this ordeal, but my aunt- I mean, uncle Gwyndolin will be even weaker now. After so much time trapped, we can't afford to be as lazy as you are." She pokes his forehead admonishingly. "I begin to grow worried about my future husband's idleness. I won't be shouldered with all the housework will you sleep," she says, vigorously poking his head.

Sær winces, burrowing into her chest to evade her assault. "As soon as the scouts return," he yawns. "Your mother said we can't have help, but a little information doesn't count, right?"

"I won't tell if you won't."

Said information was not long off. The next morning, the two are visited by a courier hauling a comically large scroll, so made so Priscilla can read it. She scans it as Sær stretches, still groggy. "Darling, about the artifact we need to obtain..."

"The sword?"

"Yes. The wolf gaurding it-"

"Are you really that worried about one wolf? Art thou turning craven, milady? One kick and he'll be sent across the-"

Priscilla reaches out a hand and clamps his jaw shut. "The wolf's name is Sif, the very same wolf from the legends. One he may be, but that poses a problem when he is as big as me." Sær's eyes widen.

"Oh," she says, releasing his jaw. "And he doesn't guard the sword. He uses it." She smirks. "But since I am a craven, I shall leave him to you."

[silverfickle]

Nova dnd logs

Writing some plot from my oneshot dnd campaign! It'll be a string of moments my char experienced.

-----

In front of me, is the following: a talking chicken wearing a knight helmet who just defeated an animated statue monster 20 times his own size with a greatsword that is 3 times his size, a dwarven rogue with a serious face and long flowy river-like beard who idolizes my friend Robin Hood, and a gangly half-orc wizard who’s hand is covered in blood. Well, the wizard is behind me since he’s usually frightful of most things, and only did the blood ritual on the stone altar because of sheer boredom of nothing happening.

“Are you cursed now?” I look behind me to cheekily taunt Greecle. Disgust and cowardice washes over his face and he pleads for me to stop.

After looking around more, it would seem that the only way to proceed forward the subterranean temple was to draw blood on the altar. All that arguing about what to do was futile.

The environment rumbles and the gates lower, motioning us to continue on our adventure. Nobody dares to say a word as Chase takes the lead. The irony isn’t lost on me, we’re following a 40cm chicken because he’s the strongest of us all and the hardiest. That fact will never not tickle me.

Excitement and anxiety stirs in my stomach, this is my first real adventure after all!! All the mystery and treasure awaits with every splashy, watery step I take. I’m doing it, mom!

---

Maybe that bad feeling buried in the last section of my spine shouldn’t have been ignored. I mean, it’s called a bad feeling for a reason, right?

I didn't speak up but deep down, I super hated that we glanced over the ominous prophetic plaque of words before we descended into this damp and rocky abyss. I have no idea why everyone ganged up on Rina about money and didn’t get enough information before jumping head first into the well entrance. It’s as if we raced down for the treasure without putting on our shoes first. (Well, this is kinda true for Greecle… Why doesn’t he have shoes? I can’t imagine sleeping somewhere so cold without covering up my feetsies.)

Everyone else is sound asleep on the first night of our real adventure. But I… ... ! I, Nova, am really sad !!!! Mixed feelings keep piling up inside of me. But putting down skeleton creatures with my bare hands shouldn’t upset me this much right? I’ve seen lots of things in my home forest after all.

I look around and admire the temple, crystals of red and blue softly glint in the dark, faintly illuminating the vast tunnels and spaces around us. The water reflects the hues and bounce the glow around as far as it can reach before stretching itself thin into the darkness. I hold up one of the skelly heads that wasn’t crushed with both my hands and wished for it to talk. “Why wasn’t I charming enough to convey my feelings of wanting to be friends? I could’ve saved all your skelly friends too y’know?” I frown.

Thinking about their cute heads and little swords that they swung against my neck, I wrote in my journal with mom in mind, and a poem before sleepytime.

I hope we get along tomorrow.

Whispers of my regret can’t reach you anymore

Please pass on safely without much sore

Floating in the abyss, the ripples, the splashes

Find salvation or peace after scintillating ashes

---

I have to crane my head up to look at Greecle every time he relays knowledge to us. Despite being a huge troublemaker, he's still a wizard who knows a lot more things about our world than I do. He studied the round plinth and ran around the hall to detect traces of magic to identify and to uncover. He’s super useful but it all goes unnoticed because our team members spend most of our interactions scolding him for his misdeeds. He tells us that the moss covered carvings on the stone plinth that may have lasted centuries make up some sort of calendar.

---

I pout as my sweet sentences get twisted up and interpreted in an offensive manner. There goes my chance to be friends with this fire creature. All I said was that they’re hot as hell, but maybe they’re from the realm of Tartarus and not Asphodel; I shouldn’t be too judgemental.

I try to think of more ways to befriend the creature but I’m instantly distracted as I spot an unconscious body under some singed rags.

Oh no, I have to help.

That was my main objective, my only thought. We didn’t initially agree to a rescue mission but what cycles my thoughts is one word: Survival. The rest seem preoccupied with battle, so it has to be me.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me to the body. It’s sweltering in here, I’m glad I’m wearing shoes. My feet would’ve scorched if I touched this tiled floor, my fire resistance would not have negated the pain. My eyes dart around to examine the person, hoping for signs of life. Chocolate scales faintly rise and fall, carrying a golden undertone, revealing their mighty ancestry and potential.

Ah, great! They’re breathing!

I took out the only healing potion I have to help the dragonborn. I guess we have to defeat this creature if it won’t listen to reason and have already injured this being. I whine mentally.

But a huge smile spreads across my face as the person in front of me springs back up, brimming with life, as if their life force is reignited and flickers equally as bright as the melty lava creature behind us. Their fists clench and their eyes are filled with panic.

A new friend!

---

This is one of those times where my darkvision would burn things into my sclera and instill fear in my soles, bringing forth the imagery of the roiling mass that is a ceiling sea of bats.

I don’t know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do.

I can NOT harm these animals, even if we wanted to we are easily outnumbered. But the more time we spend in this room, we will eventually be drowned in this vast sea. The bats won’t listen to us, they’ll continue to chip away at our constitution with relentless determination.

Damn it! Why is this lock so sturdy! My legs are chilled with fear, I hesitate and shiver as I mess up my aim.

The bats, they swoop down and claw us into shreds. Our skin but mere cloth for them to cut up into ribbons and string. All we can do is try to break open this chest and make a run for it. There’s no way we can face this many. We’ll get swallowed up and ground into bones if we don't hurry!

Hurry!

The acid misses.

Hurry!

The arrow misses.

Hurry!

The fists and greatsword connects.

Run!

---

In the magical darkness enshrouding us, a blue flame floats toward me, revealing itself while crackling the air softly with electricity. It reminds me of a quiet forest night watched over by the full moon. Spirits and spectres would come out and wander; some want satisfaction, some want salvation, some yearn for affection from forgotten loved ones or fallen comrades. In those quiet nights, every living being proclaims their existence, they take up space in our shared world with heartbeats or willpower. It's wonderful to be able to leave traces in the soil or the sky. Being alive is truly miraculous!

In this magical darkness, I don't see anything but a living creature that still blazes with life. It might have a past filled with joy, sorrow, frustration; it might still want to take steps out of this black void and write history. I wonder who imprisoned the servants that dwell in these desolate halls, which heartless soul would rob them of their freedom and force them to pointless bloodshed? Who is it that beckoned sturdy adventurers to plunge themselves down here and destined them to reemerge as carcasses to be cut down again? Whatever malevolent being that built this temple, whatever goal they serve, I want to get out of here without bowing down to their insolence on life.

I think about my mom who befriends the earth. Surrounded by warmth and love, she's nothing but being of kindness and nurture. Sometimes I believe she’s secretly an otherworldly guardian that looks after those around her. She wouldn’t let earnest creatures be trampled ruthlessly, she appreciates every little living being and would do anything for the needy. Ah, I miss spending time with her.

I pull out Harper and start playing a soft melody to declare my feelings.

Please let us continue with a bright future. Hear my plea and take in my wish for camaraderie.

Sharp notes from Her Sh’i’s bagpipes intertwine with my light tones. The willowy blues grow fainter and calmer.

I stumble on my words but I try my best to convey to the being that we mean no harm. I smile and sigh out of relief as the appeased creature gently places a token on my hand.

---

Somehow we have managed to take down the god and return it into pieces of bone and dirt. We ended the cycle. Rinah will remain in the temple with the community of reanimated skeletons and figure out a way to turn them back into living humans.

It should have been a triumphant win and we emerge with golden sun rays congratulating us when we climb our way back out to the surface. But it wasn’t. It was windy and gray. Various feelings mix in my belly leaving me feeling uneasy, the feelings I’ve not been able to shake away and will stay with me for a while.

I can’t help but feel swindled by fate, cruel and cunning. If I had known it was the humans who dared to anger Xibalba in the first place, I would’ve tried to appease them. Instead I felt the need to break a curse to save the ‘humans’. How foolish of me.

What’s done is done. I have unwillingly helped to slay a god that once lived to grant blessings for the people. In the same breath, I also freed some trapped souls and no more will unnecessary blood be shed.

I look to my shoulder where Shadow leisurely sits and I smile softly at him when he gazes back up to meet my eyes . At least I have you now, so it’s not a bad ending to this adventure.

Shadow gently boops my cheek, causing some numbness for a second.

I can’t wait to introduce you to mom!

[littlefaerose]

swallowed up whole pt. 1

WHO: Marley Rose (ft. The Great Flower)

WHEN: May 5th, 2018, late evening

WHERE: secluded, wooded area in Central Park

WHAT: Breaking rules left and right, Marley gate crashes (sort of) another Fae Promenade on a mission. Features flashbacks to petal messages and a seemingly paranoid Sunflower Fae.

WARNINGS: Marley breaking rules, but that’s old news, really. Also maybe some spooky, scary imagery towards the end?

I’m sorry to be sending you such an outdated form of communication, but you and I both know the Fae of your generation don’t use petal messaging and I needed to be able to contact you without interference.

I need to tell you something important that I didn’t mention the last time I visited. I didn’t want to unnecessarily worry you. You have so much on your shoulders as it is, but recent events without our community leave me with no choice but to add to that burden. I have reason to believe that the destruction of the Cold Spring circle, what was once home to you and I, was not done at the hands of humans. My subsequent trips back to Brook State Forest since our last conversation have left me with suspicions of foul play.

I think our hallowed leader of the court, Raphaelle, had something to do with it.

I know you probably won’t believe me but I have to implore you to lend your help. The Promenade is quickly approaching. I have not been allowed to attend for many years but your designation as the Flowerchild of Prophecy brings with it the perk of a standing invitation. Raphaelle trusts you, despite what rumors may circulate about where your true loyalties lay. And this only makes me worry all the more that this prophecy she speaks of may not be what she claims it to be. But this provides us - you - with the unique opportunity to dig deeper and see what exactly she is playing at.

You need to attend this year’s Promenade and find some way to access The Great Flower. It holds all of the prophecies and visions that elder fae have then been communicating back to our kind since our first thrust into life from our place within the Aether. You must request that it reveal to you the details of this prophecy and what it truly means.

It pains me to add something so weighty to your already heavy load but you among us are the only one who can do this.

Will you do this for me? For yourself? For all of us?

Marley tread nimbly through a smaller thicket of trees and brush, having slipped away discreetly as the crowds descended upon Raphaelle and the older elder fae leaders in attendance. She’d been eager to get away from the whispers - about more circles being destroyed, about their missing sisters, about her - and took her first opportunity to do so once others were distracted. It was a relief - almost too big a relief - to escape the possibility of an encroaching crowd and instead let Brooklyn Forest swallow her up. The buzz of conversation from the other fae became fainter and fainter the further away she moved, until it was just her and the silence of the trees around her.

Szara’s message had weighed heavily enough on her mind that days after her impromptu (and reckless, she might add) visit to the NYADA campus, she’d relented, agreeing to attend the Promenade. Her urgency in their face to face interaction, their rushed conversation and the pleas to consider her words, had set her on edge. Never had she heard another fae rail so negatively against their leader.

‘... you don’t understand!’

“You’re right, I don’t! Szara, you sound like a crazy person,” Marley tried to reason with the Sunflower Fae in front of her. Szara was gripping her wrists with such intensity that she was starting to lose feeling in her fingers.

‘I’m not crazy, Marley,’ Szara insisted. ‘I saw that circle with my own eyes. The place hadn’t been gutted with heavy machinery or crude weapons. It was uprooted, and by some very powerful magic.’

Marley shook her head, prying her hands out of Szara’s grasp.

“Look, I know you think I have some kind of weird immunity within the Court of Fae but I’m not without faults, Szara. I fall completely out of line with the sort of fae that Raphaelle and the rest of the elders look for. I date humans, I’m sympathetic to witches, I attend a school that wants to naturalize me and half the time I actually look forward to it!” she protested. “If they even let me near Central Park then they have to be absolutely insane.”

‘I told you - Raphaelle trusts you!’ Szara hissed, lowering her voice as she shut the blinds in Professor Larkspur’s office. ‘The others can think what they want about you but she gets the final word. There is something about you that she is invested in, so yes, you do have immunity. That’s why you’re the only one who can do this.’

By then, Marley had turned away to pace the room, raking her hands through her long hair. “But what if I don’t want any part of this?” she asked, turning yet again to move toward the opposite end of the office. “Has nobody thought to ask if I ever wanted to be part of this prophecy??”

‘It’s all the more reason for you to go,’ Szara said. ‘You need to know what exactly the prophecy entails. Why it’s so important to her.’

At some point, the silence gave way to a low hum. She looked to the trees around her, brow furrowing in confusion. “Hello?” she dared to whisper, touching a palm to the trunk nearest her, but there was no whisper in return. She pulled her hands back and scanned the area before stepping forward again.

Each step brought with it a slow intensifying of that initial humming. Her own pace slowed as she sensed a change in the atmosphere around her. The light spring breeze had stopped, but she could see something floating in the air around her. Tiny specks of bioluminescent-

“Pollen?” she breathed her question, watching as flickers of yellow gave the surrounding area the look of a pin-pricked starry night sky. She cautiously breathed in the scent of something sweet but musky underneath. It drew her forward in what she hoped was the right direction.

The trees around her started to thin out, becoming fewer and further between. The dots of pollen grew into thicker swarms, and the scent intesified as she approached the edge of a clearing lined with brush. There, illuminated by moonlight spilling through the thin canopy overhead, sat a mammoth of a blossom. It glowed even without the help of moon, puffs of bioluminescent pollen emitting from its center. Massive, thick red petals dotted with splotches of white folded over, covering gnarled, moss-covered roots. “Giant Rafflesia,” she marveled from where she stood.

The Great Flower.

Swallowing hard, she hesitated at the forest’s edge. She’d only ever heard stories of the Flower, had never seen it inperson. It was magnificent. And she, in comparison, was not worthy.

What are you talking about? a voice inside her - her own, but nonetheless - spoke up. It had the gall to come up with a prophecy about you. You’re damn well worthy enough to be ten feet away from it.

That reluctantly got her over the brush and into the clearing. As she ventured closer, the scent became all the more intoxicating. It almost had her on the ground, dizzy with sweet smoke. She pressed the back of a hand to her lips and nose, forcing herself ever forward until she reached the chasm of a pistle. She let go and held the edge of it as she shook.

Do I really want to know? she asked herself, hesitating once more.

‘You’re the only one of us who can do this.’

She still trembled but dared to ask, her quaking voice filling the space as she spoke: “I want to know about the prophecy, about the Flowerchild. Show me the prophecy about her... about me.”

As soon as she verbalized her request, a swirling mass of illuminated pollen exited the chasm. It in turn enveloped her, clouding her vision of the forest around her until all she could see was a warm glow in every direction. The humming intensified, then both it and the light went out, shrouding her in darkness.

The images that flickered before her were hard to follow, like static between changing radio stations. She saw only glimpses - city buildings covered in thick carpets of flowers and ivy, plumes of smoke and dust, flashes of people and creatures running, utter chaoes. She heard only snippets - a monstrous rumbling of earth and timber, a battle cry, her name. Visions blurred by their fast pace and intensity. Sounds warped as though she had water in her ears. Nothing concrete, nothing to hold onto, nothing to remember in exact detail... except the tree.

It was massive. And growing... growing... growing ever taller, ever wider. It expanded in such a way that made it look like it was breathing. Alive. She could feel the ground beneath her trembling as thick roots plunged themselves into the ground, spraying the surrounding area with dirt and debris. And the screaming. Aether, the screaming. It was coming from the tree but it didn’t sound like just one voice. It was many, terrified voices combining into one horrific sound of anguish.

Just as soon as the image appeared, it vanished and darkness overcame her again.

She awoke with a strangled gasp and a coughing fit, finding herself flung onto the ground of the clearing. Breathing shallowly between coughs, she winced as she sat herself up, shocked by the sudden lack of a glow and instead a frostiness she couldn’t seem to shake. She figured out what it was mere seconds later when a sinisterly quiet voice floated to her from behind, making her shoulders tense and the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

‘What did you see?’

TO BE CONTINUED.