#( all the hidden fae cheer him on

[cruelprincae]

Cardan: iron affects me negatively.

Eddie: this town literally used to make iron. It is in the air.

Cardan:

Eddie:

Cardan:

Eddie: wHERE ARE YOU GOING WITH THAT TORCH?!

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Beware of the Fae | Yandere Lilia

“Killian!!!” 

You screamed into the void of the darkening forest trying to ignore the fear tampering with your voice. Pushing past protruding branches and thorns of the brush you continued to search for your son. 

“Killian!!” 

You desperately call once more unsuccessfully, swallowing away your tears as you found no traces of your son. Wiping at the intrusive bubble of tears you forged on, yelling out with your haggard voice as the light of the sunset began to fade. And as the hope drained with the sunlight an old fear rebirthed itself. A fear that lived on in the forest. The fear that lingered with the naivety of children.The fear of fae.

Years ago, in a time long past you recalled the wagging finger and lecture of your parents before you could go out to play. The ones that were repeated late at night to discourage nightly raids to the forest not so far away. The stories that told you not to give your name to any characters in the forest. The lectures that said not to join in the faerie circles or step into the faerie rings. 

It was a fear that the whole town fed into; a single one of many that you wish you could forget. But in all honesty your situation was a unique one, something out of a horror novel you would have read. Mysterious bloating, obvious weight gain, to undeniable pregnancy; the kicker being that you literally couldn’t have children. Lack of genitalia or no sexual partners the situation was unprecedented and really confusing. Not just for you but for the whole town who had done the most humane option and kicked you out. Which you greatly preferred over being branded a witch and burned at the stake. They let you take off on your own as an anomaly not to be messed with left to birth your child in your home that sat closest to the woods. 

“Killian!!!” 

In the lonesome of your lone house you had Killian. Your mystery baby was a joy even as the only person you were able to talk to other than the occasional pet. He kept you busy as he discovered the small world around him showing a growing interest in the forest. In your attempt to be a better parent you didn’t plague him with the stories and reminders about the fears of being eaten or taken by the mythical fae. Perhaps you should have. 

“Killian!!!”

It was especially dark now and you were running blind but what else could you do? Sit and wait? He’s your son. So you ignored the howls of the nocturnal predators and the burning ache in your legs. 

You stopped for a minute, involuntarily buckling into the mud trying to catch your breath. As you tried to drown out the bleating of your heart you could faintly hear the sound of bells tinkling. You figured your mind was playing tricks on you, slapping your cheeks to regain some sense of sanity. Only to find that the sound didn’t stop but increased; you looked up to the growing sound to see a blur of lights. Bringing your hands to wipe at your eyes, thinking perhaps you’re just hallucinating. 

You stood up slowly moving towards the ring of dancing lights as you inspected the nature glowing with it. Listening, all you could hear was the twinkling harmony and..cheering? As you crept closer, you settled behind the tree to inspect the people dancing and jeering in a celebration of sorts. 

These people were of many different shapes and sizes with otherworldly features. Antlers decorated with flowers and moss, pointed ears adorned with jewels, tails waving with their owners. It was a sight to behold. Regaining control of your stupefied state you made sure to keep yourself hidden scanning among the shorter fae for your son’s unruly hair. Not spotting him you were about to turn and leave only to stop as you felt the eyes of someone. Cautiously you look behind you and then back within the circle trying to see who had spotted you. It wasn’t until you looked past the lights at the far end of the circle that you met with the burgundy pair of eyes. 

You’d think nothing of it if it weren’t for the fae with familiar magenta highlights holding onto your little boy curled into his lap. 

You wanted to run.

You wanted to go home and cry into your bed as you waited for your son to come home.

But you couldn’t. Not when the fae that held your son had no intentions of letting either of you go, beckoning you with a coyness unique to him. 

Fighting the tremble in your form, you crossed the dancing lights. Barely comforted by the unperturbed fae-crowd you went on cautiously stepping across the glowing forest floor. You began inching closer to him nearly a foot away you couldn’t bring yourself to look anywhere but your sleeping boy. Hearing a giggle from ahead you finally looked into his eyes. 

“We’ve finally met (Y/n), glad to have you home.”

______________________________________________________________

You sighed, continuing to pack your few belongings into the sack you once moved away with. There wasn’t much but as you stood back to see the empty bedroom, it really all began to settle in. You were shaken out of your reflection by the pull of a tiny hand against your pant leg and the call of your name. You swooned following Killian who was proudly showing you how well he packed his things; you praised him giving him kisses as you inspected his work. He broke away from you perking up as he realized someone had stepped on the property.

“Daddy!!”

Running out the door you inhaled as you made a mental note. You’d have to get used to that. The presence of another parent would be new to you, leaving out your own complicated relationship with him aside. You fixed up his sack, chucking it over your shoulder as you headed outside to the grazing mule. 

“Morning, love.”

You ignored him as you hauled the sack into the bin using the nearby rope to secure it. You tried to continue ignoring him as he playfully leaned into your view, giggling when you nudged him out of the way. 

“Daddy! Daddy! C’mere I wanna show you!” 

You’re grateful for Killian who happily led him into the nearly empty house as if he didn’t know every nook and cranny. You continued your process only flashing a smile or giving the proper response when Killian was looking your way. To say you were less than happy with the following arrangement would be an understatement. Finally prepared to leave you were in no mood to inform the other two instead opting to drown your sorrows with perishable food enjoying it in the solace of your room. Time passed as you satisfied your hunger and distracted from the creeping sorrow in your chest. 

You curled yourself on the bare mattress letting silent tears slide down the side of your face. All you felt was the sinking of the bed and the warmth of his body behind yours. You felt his mouth graze against your ear and neck as he positioned himself in the crook of your neck and shoulder. 

“He’s taking a nap. Said he was tired after working so hard.”

“Where, there isn’t anywhere for him to sleep well?”

“In the flower bed outside.”

“Flower bed? We don’t have any flowers.”

“Now you do.”

You groaned and tried shifting forward only for the fae to follow, settling even closer to you. Slithering in place his arms wrapped around your midsection, holding you in place as he rubbed your stomach. He placed a kiss along your collarbone speaking into your neck.

“I’m sorry for leaving you for all that time, (Y/n).”

You felt that same bubble of tears begin as you tried to curl away from the body already curling around you. The hand on your stomach traveled lower, unfettered as you tried to stop it on your own. 

“I really am sorry (Y/n), let me make it up to you.” His position shifted, caging you in as he settled ontop of you, locking eyes with you as he tentatively rubbed your nose against his. 

“Or at least,” He kissed your upper lip. “Let me start.”

[oliversrarebooks]

The Fairy King and His Real Estate Agent: Smartphone

TW: possessiveness, boundary stomping, truth spell

Benjamin was utterly exhausted.

He'd dealt with particularly annoying clients today, clients who had hated every little superficial detail of every house he had shown them, from the color of accent walls to the knobs used on bathroom cabinets. The type of people who seemed to be violently allergic to anything with the slightest hint of character and whose favorite activity was complaining. 

The end of the day couldn't have come soon enough, and now he sat in his car, letting his song finish before going inside, gathering his thoughts. He'd have a quiet night, at least. A chance to recharge before dragging himself back into the office at 8am sharp tomorrow.

As he slammed his car door, he felt an all too familiar prickling at the back of his neck. Oh, no -- it had to be his imagination, because he was stressed and anxious, surely it wasn't --

"Honeybee!" called a cheerful voice from across the parking lot. "There you are! Finally!"

Benjamin turned to see a young-looking and beautiful man with fiery red hair and golden freckles scattered across his skin like stars. The local fairy king was standing in the middle of his apartment complex parking lot, a sight that no longer remotely surprised him.

Often, when Ember came to visit, he would make small concessions to blend in better with humans, wearing ordinary clothing and hiding his more otherworldly features. Today, he apparently hadn't bothered. He was wearing what could best be described as a floral loincloth, his bare chest was only concealed by a dozen strings of glass beads in every shape and color, and an elaborate flower crown topped his head, right above his pointed ears. He'd hidden his wings, but that was about all.

Sometimes, Benjamin was happy enough to see Ember, enjoying the attention and the flattery and the break from his mundane life. Tonight, he was in no mood to watch his words and appease the fae's capricious whims.

Not that he'd have much choice in the matter.

"I've been looking all over for you! Where have you been?" he demanded, still with a smile on his face.

"I've been working, Ember, you know that. I just got home."

"Ugh, I don't know how you can stand to ride around in a cold metal box," he said, wrinkling his nose at Benjamin's car.

Benjamin sighed. "Look, it's not that I'm not happy to see you --"

"Of course you are! Who wouldn't be?"

"-- but I've had a really long week at work, and I'm very tired, and this might not be the best night for you."

Ember put on his best kicked puppy look. "You haven't even heard why I'm here yet! This is a matter of the utmost importance. The future of my clan might be at stake."

"You said that last time, when you saw a person eating a fancy donut and decided you had to try one."

"How can you say that wasn't important? My well-being is also critical to the future of the clan."

"...Sure."

"But I mean it this time," Ember pressed, stepping close enough to Benjamin that he could smell flowers and earth. "I have something I desperately need to show you. I've even brought a gift to exchange for your help. I'll even pledge a favor to you."

"Well..." Apparently, this really was important to him. A favor owed by the fairy king wasn't something to take lightly.

"Three favors!"

"All right, all right!" When Ember was this determined, no human could stop him. "I'll hear you out. Can we at least go inside? We'll attract too much attention out here." He glanced over to a little old lady exiting her car, who was staring at Ember with a look of unmistakable thirst. She gave Benjamin a thumbs up. He groaned.

"Yes, yes, good thinking. My enemies could be everywhere," said Ember in a conspiratorial whisper. "See that bird?" 

"The black bird sitting on the wires over there? Is that one of your enemies?"

"No, of course not. That's just an ordinary bird. But it could be." He grabbed Benjamin by the wrist and began to pull him towards the building. "Come on, let's go."

Ember's enthusiasm waned as the two entered the elevator, the fairy nervously grabbing at Benjamin's arm. Another metal box. As Benjamin understood it, Ember had a higher tolerance to cold metal and human pollution than most of his kin, which was how he could stand to be here in the outskirts of the city at all, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it.

As soon as Benjamin opened the door to his apartment, Ember flung himself at the pile of cushions that he'd built in the corner on a previous visit. He preferred the pile to the couch, which had the sheer audacity to contain metal springs. Benjamin had given up on dismantling it after each visit, another small concession to the fae invading his life.

"Do you want anything to eat or drink?" Benjamin offered, despite knowing how critical Ember could be when it came to human food.

Ember was lounging on top of the assorted cushions as though it were his throne. "Do you have anything that doesn't taste like the parking lot smells? Or at least something that has a lot of sugar in it?"

"I have Coke, that's pretty much entirely sugar."

"I'll have that, then." He seemed to be vibrating with anticipation as Benjamin brought the glasses of Coke over and sat them down on the coffee table. He grabbed his glass and sipped, making a comically disgusted face. "Oh, this is absolutely vile!" he said, then took a much larger gulp. "Now, down to leaves and roots. I need to show you what I have."

"Shoot," said Benjamin, kicking back on the couch.

Ember made an elaborate hand gesture, and a flat, dark object appeared in his palm, wrapped in a leather case. "Behold!" he said gleefully. "I've acquired one of those glowing rectangles you humans love so much!"

"A smartphone?" asked Benjamin. "Where did you get that? You didn't steal it, did you?"

"Of course not!" he said, mildly offended. "I traded with a hiker who strayed into my territory. It was definitely a trade."

"And what did they trade the phone for?"

"A bunch of our finest carrots! We've had an excessive bounty this year."

"You're saying a person chose to trade their smartphone for a bunch of carrots?"

"Yes! Well, that and safe passage from my realm. Minor details."

Benjamin pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's technically kidnapping, you know. And extortion, I think."

"Nonsense. She made the deal, and I honored it. I didn't even try to take her name, and I had Echo see her back to her campsite. You know how responsible Echo is."

"Yes, but she made the deal under coercion when she didn't really have a choice."

"It's a better deal than when humans take our land and fill our rivers with oil. At least she got something in return for it." He glared, daring Benjamin to challenge him further.

Benjamin sat back. This argument wouldn't go anywhere good, and as tired as he was, he really didn't want to make his night worse by putting the fairy king in a bad mood. "All right, fine. You have a smartphone. What do you need me for?"

Cheer returned to Ember's face as quickly as it had left. "You have to show me how to use it, of course!" he said, pushing the phone into Benjamin's hands. "You told me before that you can get information from it, more information than is contained in all the human libraries put together. And you said you can communicate with it, faster than birdsong or even wind writing. I want to learn. You have to show me."

Benjamin touched the screen of the phone, confirming his suspicions. "Neither of us can use this phone, Ember. It's locked."

"It's locked? What do you mean?"

"You need a passcode," he said, holding up the screen. "Without it, you can't use it."

"Is it like a riddle? Is it something I can guess?"

"It's a six digit number, and it'll probably wipe itself if you guess wrong too many times, so..."

"So it's impossible, then." Ember crossed his arms and flopped back into the cushions in a huff. "Tricky, diabolical humans! Next time I trade for a phone, I'll have to make sure to get the passcode, too."

"...Taking phones from humans isn't really the same thing as humans taking your land, you know," he said, unable to stop himself from opening his big mouth and picking the fight he didn't actually want. "A lot of us rely on our phones to navigate and communicate. A person could get in real trouble out in the woods with no phone."

Ember was having none of it. "The future of my clan is more important than the well-being of one human. Mastering the phone could give me a big advantage over my rival clans, one they'll never see coming. Besides," he said, leaning in closer. "it'd make talking to you so much easier, wouldn't it?"

Benjamin's breath caught as he thought of Ember actually learning to use a phone. On the one hand, there might be less surprises; on the other hand, he'd no doubt use it to accost Benjamin day and night. He decided to skip the subject. "Sorry I couldn't help you out with it. You know, you don't owe me a gift or any favors, since I couldn't actually unlock the phone."

"No, I intend to pay what I promised." Ember's eyes flashed with danger, and Benjamin realized too late he had implied that the fairy king might not make good on a debt. "I asked for your help, and you gave me the truth. I can tell you did. So I owe you for the service, even if the result was disappointing."

"Right."

"I haven't given you your gift yet," he said, and with a flourish, he was holding a bunch of carrots. 

Of course. He should have seen that coming.

He knew from experience that the carrots would probably taste better than any produce he'd ever get from the grocery store or even a farmer's market. He also knew that they'd be laced with magic. Mildly addictive at least, with a high potential for odd side effects, and the more you ate, the more you'd be bound to the faefolk.

"You know how I feel about fae food," Benjamin said.

"And you know how I feel about humans rejecting my gifts," Ember countered. "Besides, carrots are good for you! Why not just eat them?"

"You know why. The food binds humans to the fae realm."

Ember scoffed. "The magic is far less potent in the middle of the humans' domain. It'll hardly do a thing. Besides, would that be so bad, to be bound to my realm instead of this one? I know you enjoy your time there. Don't pretend you don't."

It wasn't as though he hadn't thought about it.

It wasn't as though he didn't think about it a dozen times even on good days, every day since his kidnapping and brief captivity by Ember's clan. He'd think about it when he dragged himself out of bed to go to work each morning. He'd think about it when he was stuck in traffic. He'd think about it when some client acted like they would die if they bought a home with an insufficiently large kitchen island.

He'd close his eyes and remember laying back in the soft grass of a forest clearing and looking up at the stars, bathing perfectly clear and crisp water, adorning his hair with flowers, being pulled into a dance in a field at midnight. How Ember had laughed, how warm his hands were, the mesmerizing glint of his wings.

He wanted it.

But he knew it would be fleeting. Surely a fairy king wouldn't remain interested in him for long. Ember would get bored of him and he'd be nothing more than a discarded toy -- or worse, pressed into servitude for his clan. And Benjamin had put so much effort, so many grueling hours, into building the life he had. He couldn't trade something so important for a bunch of carrots.

"I don't want to regret it," he said simply.

Ember was not impressed. "Humans like you are always thinking about regrets, like you can see the future, when you don't even have proper soothsayers," he scoffed. "I don't worry about regrets, because I already know I'm doomed."

Benjamin knew exactly what he was talking about. When Ember had first taken the throne many decades ago, a revered soothsayer of his folk had come to the coronation. She'd predicted wealth and prosperity, a great bounty preceding the inevitable, slow decline of all of fae kind -- an event they called the Long Winter. Ember was supposed to be the last of his line, and despite his outward frivolity, Benjamin knew it weighed heavily on him.

"You're doomed, too, you know," Ember added.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Benjamin, wondering if it was an uncharacteristically naked threat.

"You're mortal, aren't you? All mortals are doomed. Condemned to die on the day you're born," he said, as casually as if he were discussing the weather. "You're like a cherry blossom, or a wave crashing against the shore, only existing for a brief moment. A brief moment you could be spending with me, in my realm, before it's too diminished for even humans to enjoy."

Benjamin wanted it.

"I can't," he said.

"Don't lie to me, Bee. I don't lie to you," he said. "You can. But you won't."

"I won't, then," said Benjamin.

For a moment, the tension and silence between them was thick enough that Benjamin could feel the magic crackling off of him. And then it passed.

"You should at least eat the carrots," said Ember. "They'll help with your eyesight, since you clearly can't tell how beautiful I am. If you admired me properly, you couldn't possibly resist."

"This has nothing to do with finding you beautiful," Benjamin protested.

Ember grinned, and in a split second, he was in Benjamin's personal space, practically pinning him against the couch. "So then you do find me beautiful. As you very well should."

Benjamin's face heated as he tried to think of a response that didn't make him sound like a flustered mess. Ember decided to make the problem worse by running his fingers through Benjamin's hair and down his jawline, his touch delicate.

"You're tired, aren't you," he said, tracing his thumbs under Benjamin's weary eyes.

No point in denying that. "Yeah."

"I owe you three favors. Cash one in, and I can take your fatigue away, at least for a little while."

Benjamin couldn't help but lean into the soft touch, his affection starved body soaking it up. Ember had caught his weakness, and he knew it, too, his eyes bright, his grin growing wider and wickeder. 

"Look, Ember, I don't want to do anything too..."

"Oh, don't worry, human, I won't violate your precious integrity," he said. "And I won't take you away from here. I'll just massage your shoulders, to relieve the tension." Ember rubbed at Benjamin's scalp to demonstrate, and it felt divine.

"A massage and that's all?" said Benjamin, resolve crumbling.

"A massage and the pleasure of my company."

"Okay." 

He really was doomed. Ember was right about that, as he was far too often.

Faefolk were far more casually intimate with each other than humans on the whole were. That was something Benjamin had observed when he'd been captured by them. They freely touched, danced, cuddled, and caressed each other, and even characteristically slept in large piles. This knowledge was also what shielded Benjamin's psyche from acknowledging how close he'd become to the fairy king.

Sure, they'd exchanged gifts, and he'd taken Ember on outings that one could reasonably consider to be dates, and they were intimate in ways that Benjamin normally wouldn't allow outside of a romantic partner...

...but Ember would discard him any minute now, he was sure. And getting so attached to a fairy king was a terrible idea, as anyone with sense would remind him. And a million other good reasons he had that were suddenly hard to remember when Ember was trying to charm him.

"Off with that terrible shirt, Honeybee." Ember's nimble fingers were working the buttons with the speed of a hummingbird's wings.

"I don't think this shirt is terrible. I like it, actually," said Benjamin, allowing it to happen.

"It's scratchy, and it's full of nasty chemicals. There's even long-dead creatures in it, somehow! I can't believe this is what passes for clothing among humans."

Benjamin shrugged the shirt off his shoulders. "Better or worse than the soda?"

"Terrible in different ways," said Ember. 

Benjamin might have asked him to elaborate, but Ember's hands had found his shoulders, and he was flooded with endorphins as his skilled touch worked the knots around his neck. His mind went hazy with the pleasure, and suddenly he was quite content with the fact that Ember had visited instead of having a quiet night to himself.

The beads around Ember's neck clicked softly as he worked. "In my opinion, there's no reason you should be wearing a shirt at all."

"I don't think my clients would appreciate that."

"Clearly they don't appreciate art, then."

"Oh, they really don't."

Benjamin sank in bliss as Ember worked around his spine, nimble and warm like sunbeams. He couldn't help but relax into it, his tired eyes blinking slowly and his head swimming. He could feel gentle fingers trace symbols along his back, and he suspected Ember was casting some kind of spell on him, but he couldn't quite bring himself to care. Ember murmured a few words in his native language, which always sounded more like a song than words. So easy to float away on, filling his head with the smell of the forest after a rainstorm and the feel of soft clover under his feet.

"So, honeybee," said Ember, his voice low in Benjamin's ear, "tell me the real reason you continue to spurn my affections."

"I'm scared." The words tumbled out of his mouth without Benjamin's input. A truth spell. So that's what it was. "I'm scared that none of this is real. That I'm a toy that you'll abandon someday."

Ember's finger traced down his spine, making him shiver. "Bold words, considering how notoriously fickle mortals can be. But go on, do."

He couldn't stop himself. "I'm scared... because I always do the responsible thing. Take a job I hate to make money. Work long hours to get promoted. Buy a sensible car and live in a modest apartment. Forget about my art. Survive," he said. "I don't just do things because I want them."

Ember's finger traced a lazy circle on his lower back. "But you do want."

Benjamin could only barely choke back the impulsive thing that rose in his throat, the tide of need. "I think you know," he said. "I just don't want to be hurt."

"Your regrets will also hurt," said Ember. "You don't think it will hurt when age claims you, when your fire has been extinguished, when you remember a summer that will never come again, and recall all the things you wanted to do but didn't?"

It was hard to imagine. All his anxious mind could see was a near future where he'd made some fatal mistake, done everything wrong, ruined the life he'd spent so much time and effort and blood and tears building. He'd spent so much time escaping from his family that even now, he barely bothered to look at what was on the other side of the prison. Not being in prison was enough.

Ember couldn't be more different. He had the love and respect of his people, a world filled with beauty and creativity and debauchery and joy. He was always looking to drink in as much of it as possible, as though pleasure now could stave off the inevitable doom.

Maybe it could, and he just couldn't bring himself to reach out and claim it.

"I can't," he said.

"Lying, again? Even now?"

"I'm not lying. I can't," said Benjamin. "I can't -- yet."

"Yet."

"Yet." He knew what it meant  to speak that word to a fairy king for whom words were both law and currency. It was a promise, one that Ember would certainly hold him to.

Ember leaned over, resting his cheek on Benjamin's shoulder. "What are the conditions, then?"

"Time."

"A valuable thing. A steep price to pay. What do I get in return, if I give you time?"

Benjamin should have been expecting this, but in the haze of endorphins brought on by the massage and Ember's magic, his brain wasn't firing on all cylinders. What was something the fae wanted that wasn't him? 

"A phone," he blurted. "I can get you your own phone, set it up to work for you."

Ember sat up, clearly interested. "I do want that. You know where I can procure one?"

"Well, the phone store..."

"You'll take me to the phone store, and negotiate with the humans there for a phone I can use?" he said, eyes shining. "And in exchange, I give you time?  Time for me to pursue you? Time for your obvious desire for me to grow to unbearable levels?"

Benjamin swallowed hard, every alarm bell ringing. "Well, I --"

Ember pulled him backwards into an embrace, warm hands against his chest and lips tickling his ear. "I accept your offer."

It was increasingly difficult to think with Ember's flirtations, and Benjamin was still uncertain about what did and did not count as binding when it came to the faefolk, but he was reasonably sure he'd locked himself into this the moment he'd offered the phone. "All right," he said. "Meet me here at noon Saturday." He could hear Ember's frown, and immediately amended. "Meet me in two sunrises, when the sun is high overhead."

"I'll be there. I won't forget," he said. "And you'll keep your promise as well."

"Of course."

"So reliable. That's one of the reasons you'd make a most excellent consort, you know. You could make all the schedules and lists and plans you want, but instead of doing it in an office, you could do it entangled in flowers at my feet."

"And then I could watch as you gleefully tear the schedules and lists and plans up."

His laugh was like bells. "You understand perfectly," he said, falling over into Benjamin's lap. "But in truth, the harvest preparations are weighing heavily on my mind. It takes so much time, time that could be better spent charming you, or at least creating our matching outfits for the harvest ball."

Benjamin sighed. "I'm sorry, Ember, I don't really have time for -- did you just say matching outfits?"

"Yes, they're going to be splendid! I've been gathering the finest of the sunflowers and fallen leaves. I'll even make sure your nether regions are covered, since I know that's important to your kind for some reason."

"I -- don't --" Any relaxation from Ember's shoulder rub had gone. "I didn't agree to this. This is the first time you've brought this up. You didn't even invite me."

"Oh, yes. The harvest ball will occur half a moon from the moment when the roundest pumpkin will be plucked, and you must attend."

"How the hell am I supposed to know when -- never mind, it doesn't matter, because I definitely did not agree to this."

"Don't worry! You'll be there." Ember's eyes sparkled.

"That is not what I'm worried about. You can't just decide things like that for me"

"I haven't decided anything! I just know that you're going to be there," he said, sitting up. "Anyway, it's getting dark. I had better return to my crucially important duties before I'm missed. We're spinning spider's webs tonight, and if they aren't dyed exactly the right shades of violet, my subjects' clothes will be drab and disappointing."

"That sounds like a real emergency."

"Yes, you understand," said Ember with the utmost seriousness as he opened the window and made a low, haunting bird call. "I'll see you at the phone store, my honeybee. I'll bring the finest of the early harvest flowers and fruits to negotiate with."

"That really won't be necessary. Or helpful." 

But Ember wasn't listening, because a mourning dove had answered his call. He turned and winked at Benjamin, and in a flash he was a few inches tall and on the back of the bird. Benjamin went to the window and watched as he flew into the sunset, and then flopped back down onto his couch.

He'd agreed to take Ember to the phone store. What had he been thinking? The answer was that he wasn't, that whatever whammy Ember had cast on him had diminished his better judgement. He should've just offered to buy Ember a phone from the internet to stop him from kidnapping hikers, but no. Now he was committed, and going back on a promise to the fairy king was an even worse idea than taking him to a store.

Benjamin's gaze traveled to the carrots sitting on the table. He shouldn't. He knew he was already starting to get addicted to the food of the fae realm, and the harvest ball would only make that worse -- because he already knew in his heart he'd end up going. All the more reason not to touch them, to throw them out.

But it'd been a long day.

He picked up a carrot and ate it without even washing or skinning it. It was more delicious than it had any right to be.

Masterlist

There will likely be more of these two when I get my ideas together for them! Let me know if there's anything you'd like to see.

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

Summer of 2012

A story I found in my Google Docs I liked and thought to posts here. Small trigger warning: there is suicidal idealization mentioned within.

It starts the summer Jess is twelve. It’s 2012 and her brother shows up with an old van he bought off some man in town Jess is often told to never go near. It’s blue with a white roof, the paint peeling off in flakes and strips. The inside has grey seats that have more holes than fabric, with the stuffing half out. The dashboard is covered in filth, and the radio is missing. The smell of cigarettes and alcohol are stuck to the inside, making it almost impossible to breathe. 

  It’s old- she doesn’t know how old. It’s just old. 

“It’s a work in progress,” her brother laughs when he sees her wrinkled nose and wide eyes. He ruffles her hair as he speaks. “Wanna help Jess?” An easy grin pulls across his face, making Jess decide maybe the van isn’t so weird after all.

“Sure, Jack!” Jess replies, a grin of her own on her face. She’s swept up in a summer of reading an old owner’s manual that’s held together with duct tape and spit. She spends days with her brother’s phone in hand trying to figure out how to do spark plugs for cars while Jack spits out curses that have their mom giving him a good tongue lashing when he gets caught. Jess uses her iPod to blare music before Jack declares he refuses to keep listening to teeny bop, playing his own. She likes his a lot and only protests out of principle. 

Jack and her take breaks to laugh and talk. Jack brings out his guitar so he can show her the music he’s learning. It’s beautiful and she dances in the summer light, carefree and happy. Her hair flies around her as she dances, and her mother teasingly calls her a fae as the older woman comes out with water for them both.

Jess spends a week learning about oil and engines before she switches to learning how to wire a radio when her father brings one in. She’s the one to put it in while Jack’s the one to make new covers for the seats. She’s carefully putting the radio in when Jack shouts loudly and Jess jumps, turning around to find Jack on the ground outside of the van. A mouse apparently had been living in the seats. 

“How did we not notice that?” Jess asks as Jack shudders and declares they just won’t use that one now. 

“I have no clue. I am not talking about the mouse anymore.” Jack declares before he goes back to the seats. Jess laughs at him and goes back to her own job.

At night during the summer, they go out to the van to sit and talk. Jack brings his guitar and a lamp, while Jess brings snacks she pilfered from the kitchen. They speak quietly to one another, stuffing their faces with treats. 

“I want to be a musician,” Jack says softly as he strums a tune on his guitar. Jess is playing with some string she found from Jack’s seat attempts.

 “You’d be a good one Jack.” Jess promises. Jack smiles at her and Jess simply beams back. 

Jess does not have secrets yet, a young white girl raised in a Christian town with a homemaker for a mother and a doctor for a father. She’s young, cheerful and kind. Jess has no secrets for she has never needed to hold one. Yet she holds this one for her brother, hidden carefully away in her heart.

They go back to the van the next day, a secret shared and kept. Jack smiles and ruffles her hair while Jess plots ways to make pocket money to get him a notebook. She does and as a joke gets him a pink one, sticking a mouse sticker on it. Jack laughs at least, so Jess counts it as a win. 

It takes all summer to fix the van, but Jess loves it. She loves spending her days trying to put together the van. She loves the music Jack plays loudly on the iPod speakers, the neighbours poking their heads out to give nasty looks at the noise. She loves getting annoyed with the van and Jack taking her for a walk, buying ice cream and walking down the street eating it before they attempt to fix the van again. 

When September comes and they turn on the van, listening to it purr, all Jess can do is laugh in joy while her brother laughs with her. He talks about going on a road trip in the van when she’s older. 

“Canada is so wide Jess! Hell, Alberta is so wide! We need to make a plan- the summer after you graduate we’ll go on a road trip around Alberta all right?”

“Can we see the dinosaurs?!” Jess asks and Jack agrees, throwing his head back. It’s perfect, it’s amazing.

It’s the best summer of Jess’s life. Spent with her brother rebuilding a van together, making plans for the future. Jess turns to the start of a school year with a smile.

By October her smile is gone.

“Jack’s not doing well in school,” her parents say in low voices. It’s October and Jack seems disinterested in school. Jess listens as she sits on top of the stairs, having been about to go down when she catches their voices. She doesn’t understand- Jack’s getting 70s and 80s. It’s good, it doesn’t make sense why they’re acting like this.

“He’s not applying himself. He’s more interested in that guitar than trying. He could be doing better.” her parents say to one another.

They fight with Jack, telling him he should be doing better but Jack tells them he’s doing the best he can. He’s never been that good at school he claims or at least high shool has never come easy to him. Jess agrees- Jack’s never really gotten things like constant 90s and it’s weird their parents are acting like this. 

Jess asks once, and her mother declares that Jack should be getting better grades to become a doctor or a lawyer.

“What if he doesn’t want to?” Jess asks, though she doesn’t tell her Jack’s secret. 

“He should- it’s the best job for him.” Her mother insists and Jess doesn’t get it. She tells Jack this and Jack just snorts.

“Mom’s obsessed with picture perfect family bullshit- ignore her.” Jack tells her before he gets dragged into a fight with their dad who walked in to hear that.

Jack and their parents fight every day. Jess ends up finds herself in the park more, or at a friend’s house to avoid it. Just for peace and quiet to do homework or to spend time with a family not screaming at each other.

When she’s home and the fighting stare- Jack sometimes gets mad enough he’ll stomp out to the van. Jess will follow and he’ll take her for a drive. They’ll drive around town with the radio blaring. Jack shows her the old skatepark she’s not supposed to go near- where all the kids who do drugs and stuff hang out. 

Jess sits there with them, listening as they trade stories of fighting parents, of being smacked around and feeling worthless. One of the kids there is two years older than her. He lends her his jacket when the weather gets colder, and she sits under an old beat up leather jacket, dressed in a pink sweatshirt and jeans. 

Jess likes it, but when she catches Jack smoking in November she tells their parents. It’s the worst fight yet and Jack comes into her room to scream at her.

“You should have just kept your fucking mouth shut!” Jack screams before he storms out of her room. Jack refuses to drive her anymore. Jess feels lost and confused. Smoking is bad, and Jack shouldn’t smoke. He’s only sixteen after all. But now he’s mad at her causing her stomach to do twists and turns as she wonders what to do.

Time drifts with Jess spending more time outside her home than in, unable to take the fighting. December comes, and Christmas passes in an icy cold. No one speaks to each other, and only Jess is given gifts. 

Jess sneaks a notebook into Jack’s room- a blue one with a mouse sticker. The next day he ruffles her hair and Jess hopes things will turn out okay.

It’s December 28 when Jess awakens to screams of rage that fill the house and threaten to tear it down.

Jack’s guitar is smashed on the floor. Their father refuses to say sorry, simply saying it’s his house, his rules and Jack needs to grow up. 

Jess is twelve, it’s December 28 and the next day she wakes up to find Jack missing along with a bag full of jewelry and a stack of money he stole from their parents’ safe. The blue van is gone, as are Jack’s clothes and a pack.

Her parents claim he’ll be back, even as worry enters her father’s face. His hands shake and he swallows spit as he attempts to tell Jess this. Her mother twists her mouth and her eyes squint, clenching her fists. 

It’s December 29, 2012 and all Jess can think is that she thought the Mayan thing was on the 21. 

After Jack is gone, the fighting continues but this time it’s between her mother and father. They scream and shout at one another. Her father blames her mother, while her mother blames her father and Jess agrees.

Her father drove away Jack, and it’s all his fault that Jack hadn’t come back. When March of 2013 comes, and Jess is asked which of her parents she wishes to stay with, she says her mother.

In April, Jess turns 13. Her father is in Toronto, her brother is who knows where and her mother is trying not to cry. Jess doesn’t bother trying.

The summer of 2013, Jess agrees to babysit every day so she can avoid her mother who is crying one day and yelling the next. It’s a good summer, she gets a good amount of money and buys a notebook. She doesn’t have any place to send it though, so it stays in her bedroom. 

September of 2013, suddenly her mother starts picking at everything Jess does. She doesn’t get the right grades, she doesn’t have the right friends, she isn’t wearing the right clothes.

Jess blinks, wondering why her mother is acting like this and tries to argue with her mother who just tells her to listen to her and not speak back. Jess doesn’t understand as her mother harps and harps, telling Jess what to do.

“Well your brother decided to lash out instead of listen, and your father decided to smash his guitar,” her mother sniffs when Jess asks. “You need to listen.”

Jess doesn’t understand.

It’s December 2013, after months of her mother scolding her, taking away her phone, her iPod and even her door when Jess doesn’t perform the way she wishes. It’s December 2013 Jess decides she hates Jack for leaving. Hates her father for making him leave, hates her mother for her actions now and before.

And it’s December 2013 when Jess decides she hates herself for not being what her mother wants. 

In February 2014, Jess escapes her house to stumble around town. She simply books it out of the place when her mother decides to yell at her for getting a 60 on a test. Like her mother hadn’t kept her up with her lecture the night before. 

Jess walks around town and finds herself at the old skate park. She stands there in jeans, a winter coat and stares. A group of teens are hanging out in the chilly park, a couple of them smoking something, and another applying a new coat of paint to some graffiti. 

One of the smokes looks up. It’s the guy who gave her his coat years back. Jess never caught his name. 

“Hey, wanna come over here?” the guy calls and Jess walks forward silently to sit down next to him on the cold ground. “I’m Nick by the way.” He tells her. “Your brother never gave you our names.”

“Jess,” Jess says softly. She sits listening to people speak for the next two hours, before it’s getting dark. Nick takes her and drops her off a street over from her house. Jess walks into her mother in hysterics.

“I thought you left too! I thought you left me like your brother and your father!” her mother wails, hugging her. 

Jess hasn’t heard from either male since they left. Her mother states her father doesn’t call them, and Jess accepts it. He made Jack leave after all. 

That night her mother makes Jess pizza and doesn’t say a word about her weight. Jess hopes things will get better. That her mother’s snapped out of whatever affected her since dad left.

The next week her mother is screaming about grades again. 

A week later, Jess escapes to find the skate park.

It continues as February becomes March, April, May, June, July. As 2014 becomes 2015 and then 2016. As Jess becomes fourteen, fifteen, sixteen.

As the girl who once held no secrets suddenly held too many. She’s altering her grades before she shows them to her mother with help from a girl who goes to the skate park who is named Mary. She’s sneaking out at night to the skate park where she smokes with the others and where Nick- who is eighteen, kind and so broken like the rest of them- sneaks them beer. 

Jess’s biggest secret though is that while she still hates her mother, father and brother- she hates herself the most. She hates herself and hates herself, the hate twisting her insides and making her almost vomit from the hate sometimes. She downs beer and smokes as much as she can but sometimes it’s not enough. Sometimes Jess wonders if she should vanish like her brother. 

Sometimes she thinks if a car swerved to hit her she wouldn’t move out of the way.

It’s October 15, 2016 when Jess finds a letter in the trash. It’s addressed to her. She pulls it out.

‘Jessica,

I keep writing these. My wife Hannah says that your mother probably isn’t giving them to you and I hope it’s true rather then you throwing them away. I miss you.’

It’s the beginning and Jess looks down to the bottom of the letter, her heart beating harshly. 

It’s from her father.

Her mother comes in, and stops. Jess turns to her and stares at her mother who stares back with eyes wide. Then all Jess can see is red.

It’s October 20, 2016 when Jess is arrested for assaulting her mother, stealing her purse and car. She’s picked up in Red Deer.  Jess bought a bunch of beer with a fake ID she got from Nick a week ago, and is very drunk when she’s arrested.

“Why did you do it?” the police ask and Jess tells the truth. 

“Mom’s been hiding my dad is trying to contact me. I got mad.” Jess has the letter and the police take it. “She also yells a lot and I hate her but not as much as I hate myself.”

That gets their attention. “Do you want to kill yourself?”

“Nah, but like I won’t stop myself from dying.” Jess passes out soon after they speak to her.

She wakes up in a hospital. Jess is confused and lost as a lady comes in, and sees she’s awake.

“Hello- I’m Anne. I’m a social worker.” The woman smiles and Jess is even more confused.

Then she isn’t. Custody for her parents meant that her father is supposed to have her occasionally but her mother claimed Jess didn’t want to see him- that she threw away the letters. But Jess’s mother told everyone in town her father never contacted Jess- ever. It’s the kind of thing a custody case would have a hard time proving but Jess’s father is a doctor. He has a very good lawyer.

So does his wife Hannah who calls Jess’s father Robert and Jess never heard his name before. Her mother always says that knowing your parents first names is wrong until you’re eighteen. 

Jess is sixteen, it’s November and she sees her dad for the first time in three years. Hannah comes to, and she has a rounded stomach that Jessica wants to cry over.

Jess sees him while she sits in a hospital bed about to be transferred to a mental health center. Her father breaks down crying, while Jess just sits there. She isn’t sure what to say.

It’s December, 2016 and Jess has been in the center for a month. Passive suicidal ideation is what the doctors say she has, and they fuss over her like they do the others. It’s a good place- her father payed a lot of money for her to go to a good place after all. 

Jess gets letters and calls from her father and Hannah, but Jess doesn’t know what to say so often she spends the calls in silence. She doesn’t know what to say to her doctors or the staff or to the other patients. She does know what to say to Nick when he writes- which isn’t often because Nick states he’s hoping she gets better. 

Jess doesn’t know what to think. 

She sits in group and doesn’t speak. Simply stares at people and waits for it to be over. 

“Some days,” she mutters to herself late one night while she’s trying to sleep, “I think this is what will push me to do it.”

It’s January 2017, and Jess hasn’t left the center yet because her doctors are worried she’s showing no signs of improving. She’s in another group session and they’re pressing her.

“When was the last time you were happy?” the doctor begs.

“The summer of 2012,” Jess snaps. “I was twelve, my brother and I fixed up an old van together. Then it all went to hell.” She stomps off and hides in her room the rest of the day. 

The next day she’s handed a mechanics book and she throws it at the doctor. He just puts it on her dresser. She glares at the wall.

Two weeks later Jess picks it up and reads it front to back. The center is in lockdown because another patient tried to hang himself so they’ll all being kept inside. Jess is bored and she just wants something to do.

She reads it three times and then asks for another. And then another. 

The doctors set Jess up with an online course in mechanics and then it’s March 2017. She’s allowed to do a home visit. She doesn’t go back to her home town though. Instead she finds herself in Toronto with her father. It’s a good week.

In May 2017, she’s 17 and allowed to stay with her dad. She’s finished her course but wants to do another. Her father enrolls her in a school meant to help her learn a trade. Hannah’s given birth to Jess’s little brother Max. 

Jess isn’t happy. But she finds herself smiling.

She spends the year before she turns 18 learning all she can about cars and babysitting Max. She learns her mother’s name is Amanda, and that after a search was conducted on the house for Jess’s belongings, an address for a cemetery and a location of a storage unit was found. 

It’s Jack’s.

Jess doesn’t know what happened, and she isn’t sure if she should know just yet. She tells her father this and he understands. He knows- he’s visited. But he won’t tell until she asks. Apparently Jack left everything to Jess. Her mother never touched it and Jess decides she’ll never ask if it was because she couldn’t or because she at least had that much kindness.

May turns to June and Jess still isn’t ready. Instead she’s trying to find a job to distract from her need for a smoke. It’s then July and she’s working out of an ice cream truck. It’s August and she’s laughing on a camping trip with her father, Hannah and Max. Max is trying to eat raw hot dogs while Hannah is trying to stop him and Jess’s father is howling at the scene. 

It’s September 2017 when Jess realizes, for the first time since the summer of 2012, she’s happy. 

She hopes she keeps being so.

[danco110]

The knight opened his eyes and saw nothing, save for murky darkness in all directions. He let out a scream, but the shadows swallowed the noise whole.

The darkness encroached further, exerting a great pressure on him, as though it were offended by the feeble resistance he could muster. He struggled, but he could do only that, his body held in place.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he became aware of another presence. Though he could not see it, he felt it draw close to him. He heard a noise - sounding almost, but not quite like a voice. The knight hoped beyond hope that it would rescue him.

Then, with his defenses dropped completely, the hidden creature struck. The knight felt a grip on his shoulders, shaking him forwards and back. The almost-voice returned, growing to a fever pitch as the shaking grew stronger.

The knight wanted to scream again.

—

“Syr Dominik! I’m sorry! We only meant to make you slip, not knock you out! Just…just please wake up…You two! Keep shaking him! He’ll wake up…I’m sure of it…”

“Wynda…no. He’s gone. Look, purple.”

One of the faeries holding the knight’s shoulders pointed up to Dominik’s helmeted head. Sure enough, swirls of sinister purple mist circled the sleeper, only partly obscuring his pained expression. Wynda seized his collar herself, desperately trying to lift him up on her own.

“It was…just a prank…”

“Wynda,” murmured one of the other faeries.

“…Eriette. That’s her name, right?”

“Wynda, you can’t seriously expect to-”

“Let’s pay her a visit!”

Wynda fluttered off the ground, with an air of faux-cheerfulness.

“You can’t seriously want to fight her.”

“I doubt we’ll be the only ones.”

“…Maybe. But you’ll be the only faerie. We’re not going with you.”

“Oh, no? Say that to Damon! And…”

Wynda jabbed her thumb over her shoulder, at a sleepwalking pixie hovering behind her.

“Say that to her!”

The other two fae fell silent for a time.

“…We’re going to regret this.”

“Someone is,” Wynda growled, as she and her friends took flight.

—

[Headcanon: as Will’s knights descended upon Eriette’s lair, they found themselves joined by disgruntled faeries, ogres, and monsters of all sorts, all looking to wake their dreaming friends.]

[bone-evidence]

4 and 8 for the writing asks !

4. What is your favourite line you wrote this year?

Oh my god that's such a hard question, holy shit- Here, I'll give you a bunch since I can't pick, and since I already did question 8! With some sneak peeks to things I haven't posted yet >:D

To Cure What Ails:

Gilbert breathed in those words, let them fill him with church bells and a sobbed-out eulogy, and then breathed them out until there was nothing left in him. Just an empty shell, trembling in the cold arms of a ghost.

You Brought Me Your Illness, I Brought You My Love:

“You… you didn’t have to do that, you know.” Tolys whispered, much softer than he had before. He could whine and moan and protest himself being taken care of no problem, but to know that his dog was thought of as well… He’d try to deny it later, but in the moment, a much sweeter warmth filled his heart. “Thank you.”

Gilbert was grateful that his mask obscured half his face, because he couldn’t stop the soft smile that crossed his lips if he tried. 

My Reason:

Matthew stood up straight and looked for a price tag. When he found it, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Damaged goods. You and me both, eh?” He spoke softly to the bear. A gentle smile settled on his face as he tucked the stuffy under his arm and moved on. The books in the next aisle were calling his name. 

Witch in the Woods:

By the time Madeline finally passed out, she had completely filled two pages in her sketchbook with her muses. One page was a mix of the wolf and the fae, a recreation of the beautiful fairy dance that had lifted her spirits so. The other page was filled entirely with sketches of the wolf. Every facial expression she’d seen from him was documented, along with a guess as to what the front of him looked like as he scared away the villagers. 

That page bore the label ‘Mr. Wolf’. But in the morning, she would find the words crossed out, with a name scrawled underneath in messy writing:

Gilbert. 

Grandaddy Purple:

“I’m giving you a choice. Hypothetically, ignoring everything you’ve ever been told, what would you want?”

Gilbert moved a little, enough that he could hear his lover’s steady heartbeat and feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. Crimson eyes slid closed as he murmured his answer. “I… I think I would want to go to heaven. I always did like the sound of a house saved for me up there. Do you think God charges much for rent?"

Concerning Prussians:

 Prussia nodded, and the soft smile he received in return found itself a loving home in his long memory.

Shatter Me:

Gilbert ran a calloused hand through his choppy white hair and took a deep breath. Folklore and rumours were what would keep him safe and hidden, as much as their memory ran his blood cold.

Sweeter Than Wine:

Unfortunately for Tolys, he discovered what happens when one tries to laugh and drink at the same time. He managed to turn to the side just in time to not splatter Lovino with the wine that burned his nose. When he sat back up, slightly cross-eyed and sniffling a little, he saw his dear dinner partner trying so hard to stifle his giggles. Their eyes met, and it was all over for both of them. Their shrieking, boisterous laughter echoed across the Italian countryside, joining the song of the seagulls that wheeled overhead. 

That Special Feeling:

The pair erupted into a whooping chorus of cheering in both German and English, of love confessions and promises all shouted louder than the music had ever been playing. Gilbert stood, with Arthur securely in his arms, and spun them around until they were laughing like schoolchildren and dizzy enough to fall right into the pool of leaves. 

Oceandeep:

Arthur couldn’t help himself if he tried. He reached a hand out, slowly so as not to scare the beauty before him, and gently grazed the sharp edge of his jawline with the back of his fingers. He was rewarded with a lightning-fast snap of those deadly jaws that made him yelp in surprise. The mershark’s laughter accompanied the furious beating of Arthur’s heart, and though he was decently sure he’d been nicked, he simply rolled his eyes.

“You’re going to be the death of me, aren’t you?”

A toothy smirk broke on the mershark’s face. “Pray that I make it quick.”

Annnd that's something from almost everything I wrote this year lmao! Oceandeep, Shatter Me, Witch in the Woods and To Cure What Ails will hopefully be coming out in the new year!

[kokorowoutsu]

-- RP: @pokemon-experiments

pokemon-experiments:

He chuckled when she was amazed by the softness of his paw pad. He was about to remind her when she began to drag him along until the came to a cave and met Whimsy. "Greetings Whimsy. And is indeed nice to meet another steel-type." He was about ask how they can stay in a place like this until he got dragged along to the back of the cave. He was impressed by the set-up they had. And it seemed like they were working on all kinds of things that the ranch needed. Treating it with something he could really see until the got to the end of the cave. There he would look to Tinkerbell and bow his head. This was her home and he was going to show her the respect that he velieved she deserved. "I am. As for why I came, she's my niece. I needed to make sure that the path was safe, and that she was not being taking advantage of." He hoped the explanation was good enough for the, he assumed, leader of this group. "And you lot are fairy-types." That explained why the energy had become so dense with fae energy. But they were also steel-types. They were working with the oil that Morgan made. The same oil that he treated his legs with. "But I'd like to know why you wish to keep hidden from Ashe. Especially since it seems that your group is connected to her mother." This is what made the least sense to him. If Morgan knew about this group than why would it be an issue if Ashe knew as well.

"Unkwool! I'mma go see the o'hers!" She pointed at the forge nearby which was now officially on break since they had visitors. With that, Willow was off, pulling something out of her bag and speaking to them in Fae as they gathered around which contained berries and books that had been... borrowed on mechanics and things that Willow didn't understand but these pokemon did. Happily cheering, they soon wheeled over some books that Willow stuffed back into her bag, thanking them. It appeared they borrowed the books for ideas and then gave them back after reading.

[ It's because we're steel-types that we keep hidden. ] Tinkerbell started, eyes on Willow and the fire-types and fellow underlings of hers. [ The little one is only a quarter fae and at most just sneezes every now and then around us. She's not at risk of allergies. ] She pauses and sighs. [ There's a misunderstanding though that we choose to keep from the little one, believe it or not, to make her think she's got a secret to keep. We were told secrets are sometimes good for kids as tests. ] She shrugs and goes over to pull out something from underneath some rocks. Bringing it over, she hands him the Grandcrest Sigil. [ We were given this by her mother. She brought us here since we were displaced from our home in Paldea... that and we saved her and her team from a hot spot of trouble. ] She wouldn't go into that story though.

[ Everyone on the ranch knows about us... it's just a game for the little one to teach her about secrets and to teach her, in her mother's opinion, and mine, a vital life skill. She'll need to know to keep her mouth shut at times as it were. ] She shrugs. [ In exchange for letting us live here, the Boss asked us to make things to help and repair around the ranch. The Fluffy Man comes by with his pack to pick up things and in exchange he brings us berries as well as fresh steel-types. ] She looked to her own hammer in particular. [ The only rules we got are we can't tell the little one about the arrangement and we can't kill the Corviknight that her mate has... no matter how tempting it is. ] She huffs.

[ ... We're pretty sure the icy one knows too as well as her mate but they choose not to say anything. The Lady of the Wood -- the Boss mom -- she gave us the oil you saw. We apply it to everything we use ten times over. We're learning to make it ourselves... but i'm rambling. What brings you two by? ]

[darkthingshappen]

No. 21 FAMOUS LAST WORDS

@whumptober

Thanks to @quietly-by-myself for their amazing beta job and for giving me feedback and asking more questions than I could have possibly answered in a short story. It made this piece richer an better. If I decide to continue it, I am in your debt.

Thanks also to my normal whumperful crew who never fail to cheer me on: @oddsconvert (who was very excited for this piece and got a sneak peak at it so I could hear her feedback as well), @sparrowsage and @whumpcereal. Y'all are amazing.

Content warnings: human whumpee, non-human whumper, fantasy fic (Shockingly for me, there are no violence or noncon warnings for this one.)

This is my first foray into writing fantasy fic y'all. I hope you enjoy it.

Coughing up Blood | “You’re safe now.” | “Take me instead.”

The Fae creature laid his human rescue down.  They were at the borders of the Fae World that this little human had accidentally fallen into.  The Fae creature would pay a price for this rescue, but it didn’t matter.  Perhaps one day this single act of kindness would come back to him.  Perhaps it could help heal the rifts between their worlds.  

He leaned over the frail human, weak from even his short captivity in the Faerie Realm.  Humans weren’t supposed to be here.  The boy, at least the Fae thought it was a boy - human ages were foreign to him - had a soft look about him.  He was marked by his time with the Fae.  On the few occasions that the human creature had opened his eyes, the effects of the Faerie Realm on him had been obvious.  He would carry the Faerie touch for the rest of his life.  One green eye and one silver.  He would be able to see beyond what any human could.  

It was not a gift.  The Faerie were hidden for a reason.  Yes, they were the stuff of dreams and high fantasy, but they were also the stuff of nightmares and waking terrors.  The Fae creature tucked a lock of the human’s hair behind his ear.  He was lovely.  

The Fae had been struck by the simplicity of his begging.  Water.  It was all he’d asked for, his hand reaching through the vining bars of his cell.  The human sensed he would die as a toy and plaything of the powerful creatures that had found him.  That simple request for a basic necessity had plagued the Fae creature that sat with him now.  

The cruelty of his own people, on display in this one fragile life.  He couldn’t abide it.  He wouldn’t.  He’d forced back the vine bars and stolen the human under the silver light of the stars.  His fellow Fae would be angry, but it was the right thing to do.  The human had not invaded their realm. He had not sought to destroy or to hurt.  He’d fallen on a hike and slipped through one of the many moonlit gateways.    An accident.  An accident with lasting consequences.  

The Fae creature paused to wonder if he was indeed helping the human.  Part of the boy in his arms was Fae now.  He was no longer entirely human.  Would he be accepted in his old world?  The creature hoped so.  He certainly was not accepted here, other than as a toy - entertainment for the corrupt and the cruel.

The Fae creature had only a moment’s warning from when he heard the soft whooshing of an airborne projectile before the arrow slammed into his side.  

“No!  No!  Stop!  Please!” he cried out, shielding the boy with his body.  Another arrow struck his shoulder and he felt the magic in the tip weakening him.  Magic that only the King’s guard wields.  

“You fool.  You’ve stolen what does not belong to you,” a watery voice called from the shadows.  

The Dark Water Spirit, cultivated from the darkest depths of the ocean.  A Fae feared by all, only made more fearsome by being the King’s guard.  An assassin, messenger, and executioner all in one.  

No. No!  They were so close.  He couldn’t have come this far only to fail the human.  He looked at the waterfall by whose edge he sat.  Fear flooded over the Fae creature.  He’d been caught betraying his King.  He would face the Sidhe King’s absolute wrath for taking his lawful prey and sending him away from what the King viewed as his right.  And for what?  The small human creature in his arm?  Yes.  Yes, absolutely! He would endure it and it would be worth it, if only he could get the boy to safety.  

“Plea-” he coughed and tasted blood in his mouth.  “Please.  Take me instead.  Tell the Sidhe King that you got to me too late, that I had already freed the boy.  I will suffer the consequences willingly.  But this human has suffered enough.  Please.”  The creature inched closer toward the edge of the falls with the boy’s body still in his arms.  

“It’s not my call.  I have been sent to retrieve you both,” the watery voice replied.

“I can't let you have him.  He’s not of this world.  He has a right to go back.  To live his life.  He’s not an enemy.”

“That is for the King to decide.”

The king would indeed decide.  He would decide that the boy was an invader.  He was, without question, a human in the Faerie Realm.  That made him a danger, no matter how he came to be here.  The verdict would be a forgone conclusion.  The boy, as all humans caught by the High Faerie Court, would remain an imprisoned source of entertainment.  

“Then let him decide without the boy.”  The Fae creature dashed the few remaining steps to the tumultuous edge of the waterfall.  Pain burned through him from the arrows.  “You are safe now.  Go! And remember that at least one Faerie cared for you and did right by you,” he whispered into the human’s ear.  

Then he flung the boy over the edge, knowing that the chasm would catch him and he would come safely back to the human world.  The creature knew he was betraying his King.  But he also knew the human didn’t deserve to be used that way.  He deserved a life of his choosing, not left to fate and a King blinded by hatred.   

With the last of his energy spent, the Fae creature dropped to the soft grass and then let the darkness drag him back to the Sidhe King’s justice.  

*!*!*!*!* 

On the other side of the chasm, the human boy awoke from his long and terrible nightmare.  It had to be a nightmare, right?  He glanced around at his surroundings.  

Where am I?  How did I get here?  Here seemed to be a woodland meadow by the edge of a collection of large boulders.  He could hear thundering water, as if from a waterfall, but he did not see a waterfall, just a gentle, slow moving river.  

He glanced down at his bare arms - thin scars like vines crawled from the backs of his hands, up his arms, and across his torso.  It was just a dream.  It had to be.  But the scars… the scars that were just like… no!  It can’t have been real.  It can’t!  

The human crawled over to the river and peeked at his own reflection in the pool at the water’s edge.  His eyes.  He could see the single shining silver pupil looking back at him.  The thundering water sound grew louder and he glanced with just his silver eye to see the massive waterfall falling onto the rocks by which he’d woken up.  He stumbled backward away from the water.  But, when he turned his full vision on the place, the water disappeared.  

It had not been a dream.  Or a nightmare.  It had been real.  He’d fallen into heaven, which turned out to be hell, and he’d come back, though not unscathed.  The human with the faerie eyes and marked skin got up and ran, for sheer terror that the true Fae would come thundering down that river and drag him back. 

[ragesin]

[largely from here] ❝ —it's not some huge secret, or anything; like, I'm not ashamed of being what i am... it’s just not something i usually talk about,  because it’s not something most people can understand. ❞ she muses, while using a tiny flourish of magic to sweep ingredients back onto their shelves, (repairing a few along the way which had been damaged in the scuffle), ❝ You get that, right?... and anyways: i don’t really need to be understood.  i just want to be accepted. ❞

► MISC MEMES

         Emerald eyes peered over the bridge of folded arms, cursory glances thrown to surroundings as it's steadily rearranged back in order and ingredients were neatly packed away. The knight hadn't cleanly escaped the smattering of chaos sprung onto the store either. A generous dusting of sugar powdered much of blond locks, white blending in with the fabric of his long coat. The perpetrators of said scuffle he came across had already been shown the exit. The solid kicks in the ass graciously handed out by his boot spoke clearly:  good riddance.

         Though, they must have said something to the owner. Enough for it to stick, and enough for it to prompt this airing of thoughts after Meliodas' innocuous observation — ❛ seems like you got a lot going on, lady ❜. Or maybe the demon had that kind of face, the type that's disarmingly open  ( quite contrary to reality )  where people felt the need to freely pour their heart out to him with relative ease. A part of him within heaved a mirthless / amused scoff at that last one, dismissing the stray musing out of hand.

         Relaxed position shifted, chin now resting atop his forearms. A puff of air sent a dusty cloud of particles into the air. Soon, his sight wandered again, drawn to the owner herself.  

         Layers sat underneath the statements, applicable to people like him  ( with a thing to bury, so that no eyes may rest upon it beyond the passing of a inattentive gaze )  but he held an idle stance, unsure if he wanted to even step forward and try navigating the complexities sitting between the lines waiting to trip up careless passersby. Something like apprehension invaded the tongue, bitter and bitingly sharp in contrast to the scent of scattered confectioneries that might otherwise make his mouth water.

         ❝ ...Well now, that's part of what living's about, is it not ?  Looking out for the few people that will accept you, no questions asked. ❞  Experience coloured response, affable words twisted into something stuck between wry and cheer. ❝ Though that is like finding a gold needle in a haystack. You'd have your work cut out for you. ❞

         Assumedly, the desire of said acceptance involved her heritage. If the locales' mix of rumours and testimonies sworn up and down the river about the fairy running the residential bakery weren't somehow sufficient, keen senses determined inhumane nature the moment he stepped near the establishment's threshold. ( word of mouth like that probably did wonders for business. it got him out here, didn't it ? ) Naturally, the obvious shimmer of luminescent wings appeared to be lacking, likely underneath the veil of magic. However, fae always carried a floral scent. It served as one of the indicators of fairies, a subtle tell typically less thoroughly hidden.

         While traces of empathy stirred within, ultimately none of this had anything to do with him. After all, what he was in the kingdom's eyes was a criminal shackled to the guilt of past crimes, and he's content with leaving it at that. The only personal insight he's willing to offer would have to stem from that surface image alone, whether she was aware of it or not.

        He allowed his head to fall slightly to the right with an airy laugh, adding on a cheeky afterthought:  ❝ Well, not everyone can have their cake and eat it too. But hey. I bet your baking skills go a long way for that goal already. Tons of people would hate to admit it, but they can be won over through their stomachs. Be the best and they won't have any leg to stand on. ❞

@mielmoto

[fortitudina]

BASIC INFORMATION

FULL NAME: Prince Castaelar Tiadeth Aleanundlin NICKNAME: Cas, Cassie, Caster, Prince, Brother, Son, Your Highness, Sir, Master AGE: 137 BIRTH DATE: 8th June GENDER: Male SPECIES: Sun Elf ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Panromantic SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Pansexual RELIGION: Arshalarian ( God - Arshalaril - Sun God ) SPOKEN LANGUAGE: English, Elvish CURRENT LIVING CONDITIONS: High-end apartment in LA & Ulleanundin OCCUPATION: Dominant & Crowned Prince

RELATIONSHIPS

PARENTS: • Eilmahther Aleanundlin • Amataevar Aleanundlin SIBLINGS: • Kerlarin Aleanundlin SIGNIFICANT OTHER: • Lucien Morningstar / verse dependent CHILDREN: • • FRIENDS: • Dantanian Daeva • Aeshma Daeva • Koralitahl • Aster OTHER CONNECTIONS: • Eris Ferguson • The Malikovs • Cooper Hemming

PHYSICAL TRAITS

EYE COLOUR: grey-blue HAIR COLOUR: Dirty blonde HEIGHT: 6’1” BODY BUILD: Mesomorph TATTOOS + PIERCINGS: Elven mage’s mark upon his shoulder. NOTABLE PHYSICAL TRAITS: Scars upon his torso from where a past lover attempted to kill him.

POWERS & ABILITIES

POWERS: • Elven Magic • Energy Constructs • Elementumkinesis • Animation • Summoning • Telekinesis • Teleportation • Photokinesis • Accelerated Regeneration • Superhuman Strength • Superhuman Speed • Superhuman Stamina • Superhuman Durability • Superhuman Agility • Superhuman Reflexes ABILITIES: • Ability to bind others to a wall or floor by forming ropes with his magic • Can sing to a good level • Proficient in Hand-to-hand combat • Proficient swordsman WEAKNESSES: • Celestial / Fae weaponry • Dark Elves • Aging

PHOBIAS & DISORDERS

PHOBIAS: Dipsophobia MENTAL DISORDERS: - WHEN WAS THIS DIAGNOSED?: -

PERSONALITY

PERSONALITY TYPE: ENFP-A ( Assertive Campaigner ) MORAL ALIGNMENT: True Neutral INTELLIGENCE: Highly intelligent LIKES: • Listening to those he dominates • Wine • Animals • Singing DISLIKES: • People who drink excessively • Being called “Little Elf” DISPOSITION: Despite being a dominant, Castaelar is often seen as a cheerful being who is always eager and happy to help those who are in need. EXTRAS: ~

BIOGRAPHY

TW: Abuse, Stabbing, Alcohol addiction

Castaelar is the eldest child of King Eilmahther and Queen Amataevar Aleanundlin. He has always been raised to prepare him to take over the throne of his father one day; taught how to speak eloquently; to have proper etiquette; to hold himself correctly. But there has always been one thing about Castaelar that even his father could not finely tune.

He would spend every minute he could as a boy, learning with the High Mage of the realm and perfecting his magic in a way his parents never could. He would show his younger sister, Kerlarin all that he’d been taught; make her animals that danced through the air with the mist of his magic and watch as the joy-filled her features.

As he grew older, Castaelar began to learn more about himself and began to adventure more. He covered most of his realm at first. Many could say it was a Royal tour, but Castaelar just wanted to get away from the royal city as much as he could. He first began to delve into a new side of life during his adventures. He never needed to earn money to pay his way, everyone knew who he was by face alone, but that did not mean that he did not begin to find the more hidden parts of the realm ~ the parts that were for the more fruity of ventures. This was where Castaelar first began to find enjoyment in being dominant. He found great pleasure in pleasuring others and asserting control. Perhaps it came from having little control in his home life with his father but, this was freeing.

He saw to making being a dominant a full-time role for himself and, after returning home, he very quickly began to venture to Earth. He took on the look of a handsome human instead of a Sun Elf. Blending in was easy enough, as was finding submissives who needed pleasuring. He even became known in the area that he took to conducting his business, befriending Dantanian, a fellow dominant. The two became friends over the years and learned a lot about one another, including what they really were.

During a period when he returned home to his realm, Castaelar fell in love. The elf was beautiful and at first, she appeared lovely. However, as the relationship went on, things became more strained. Castaelar would often find himself coming home to an empty home or to her having spent the day drinking and intoxicated. It had begun to feel like the relationship was incredibly one-sided, with Castaelar putting in all the effort and her never being pleased about it. He tried to confront her one day when she came home drunk, however, rather than being rational, she grabbed a knife from their kitchen and lunged at him. He ended up stabbed in the torso several times before he could bind her with his magic and get out of the house. He ran to his father who immediately called for the guard to retrieve the woman whilst the healer saw to helping Castaelar tend to his wounds. Ultimately, the woman was imprisoned, far away from any contact with other elves aside from the guard.

Eilmahther decided from that point that Castaelar would benefit more from being the relationship between their realm and Earth, allowing his son to be free to go wherever he pleased and agreed with him, after a conversation that Kerlarin should also be taught the correct ways of conduct to perhaps become queen should she choose to. Now, Castaelar has his own home both in his realm and on Earth ~ a high-end apartment in Los Angeles, along with his own BDSM club there.

[parttimepuff]

Does Rev get a house like Gremlin? He’s got kids to take care of, or is he good where he’s at?

Thinking about it more, Beep frowned. "But there’s no house that would fit Lor." She realized before something new occurred to her. "ARE WE MOVING INTO THE CASTLE-" The Matter shouted, enraptured by the possibility. Her father tilted his head in thought. "Could we… ask for a castle?" Reverie wondered, glancing at hi brother who shrugged in turn. "I, did not ask about options." Gremlin admitted, having hardly believed he'd get one at all.

"We can get a CASTLE OF OUR OWN?" Beep continued, bouncing along. Reverie raised his wings in a gesture to get her to slow down. "That does kinda, sound like a lot." He figured. "Also, would Lor want a castle? She's outside all the time now, that's like, natural boat territory." Gremlin chimed in. The Matter quieted down, imagining boats in the wild like a flock of ducks.

Nodding, she calmed down entirely. "Oh yeah, we should ask Wiz and Lor if they wanna move into a castle." Beep realized, much as she liked her idea. "I like both ideas though, a house and staying with Lor…" She mused. "Best of boat worlds!" Gremlin joked, a big goofy grin accompanying it. "Oh my gooooood." Reverie groaned, playfully exaggerating his disdain for the pun.

"Dad's sense of humor has sailed, I guess." Beep quipped back. "HA!" Her uncle laughed, proud of how quick her wit was. Her father couldn't help but crack up himself. "Snrk. I'm being attacked." Reverie snickered. As if to prove him right, his daughter half tackled him to which he feigned being winded. She held on to him for a moment, her face hidden in his dress.

"I guess I’m just, glad I get to stay. Wherever we get a house is home if you’re there." Beep expressed. Reverie's cheerful grin shifted into one much gentler, dropping the act of being hurt. "Yeah… As long as we're together, it'll be great." He agreed, patting her head. "Not that it'll stop me from finding the best place for all of us!" The Dram Fae added, getting her to laugh.

"We will." Beep agreed, smiling visibly now. "Hell yeah we will!" Reverie cheered. "FUCK yeah we will!" She exclaimed. They'd earned it.

[wolken-himmel]

In which (Y/n) bears a strange resemblance with a young maiden that Lilia used to know from his old days as a general.

Meeting the magicless prefect brings back painful memories of a long-lost love.

Request by anon.

"Old man? You've been awfully quiet since the orientation... That's unlike you."

Silver had his arms crossed as he stood in front of Lilia's bed. The latter lay in a nest of wrinkled-up bed sheets, sprawled out like a star fish. His eyes were trained at the ceiling, and they held a distant look to them.

Lilia lazily raised his head to look briefly gaze at Silver before letting out a drawn-out sigh. "That magicless human," was all the fae said before he threw his head back onto the mattress again, as if just speaking that sentence had zapped him off all his remaining energy.

"Yes?" Silver quirked an eyebrow. "What about that human?"

The words seemingly stuck in the back of his throat and all jumbled up in his head, the fae pursed his lips and pressed his eyes shot. His heart squeezed painfully, but he nonetheless managed to seethe out, "...she reminds me of someone I used to know from way back then." His fingers twitched before he brought his hands to his face to rub his eyes in exasperation. "It's been long since I thought about her, but I swear that was her face!"

"Her face? Did the human look like that person from your past?"

"Truth be told, I can't completely remember how she used to look like... all I remember are her beautiful eyes. But... my mind keeps screaming at me that it's her — that it has to be her." Unable to help himself, a smile grew on Lilia's face despite the vexing memories that came rushing back at once. A quiet groan escaped his lips as he held his head and muttered, "It's been so long and to think about her brings me so much pain."

"...what happened, Father?"

"I couldn't save her."

Silver furrowed his eyebrows in concern, unable to think of anything else to say aside from, "...I see."

A bitter scowl appeared on the fae's lips as he rose up and scooted over to the edge to sit up. His green eyes finally, for the first time this evening, gazed into Silver's. They seemed to be filled with a lifetime of suffering and pain, only now revealing this swirling vortex of repressed emotions usually hidden by a cheerful and teasing facade. "War doesn't make any exceptions, Silver. It's horrible... I lost a lot in my time as a general. It was a hard time — and her death was the worst out of all." Lilia paused, his voice cracking. "She... died in my arms."

"What happened to her?"

"Soldiers of the opposing faction burned down her village after sacking it," Lilia murmured with closed eyes. "She ran away to warn me and my troops, but by the time she arrived by our camp, she was in a bad condition. Collapsed right in my arms and died after a few minutes. There never was enough time to properly say goodbye." By then, his shoulders were slouched forward and his gaze was trained at the floor again.

Silver furrowed his eyebrows and put a hand on his guardian's shoulder. "That sounds rough..." the second-year whispered and soothingly ran his hand up and down the other's back. "I couldn't believe how hard that must have been on you."

Lilia nodded solemnly. "I believe the only reason I survived the war was because I promised her to." His hands tightened into fists, and he gritted his teeth in pain. "I told her I would eventually return to her and settle down after the war was won," he barely managed to say before breaking out into laboured breathing.

"...but she died before you could return to her," Silver finished awkwardly.

"Yes..."

After that, a long while of silence filled the room, neither of them really knowing what to say. But the quietness wasn't entirely unpleasant: Lilia enjoyed the quaint company that Silver provided, and it wasn't necessarily words that he needed for comfort.

But eventually, Silver grew too curious to hold back all his questions anymore. Biting his lip, he blurted out, "But how did the two of you even meet?" His expectant eyes gazed at his caretaker, afraid that he had prodded a sensitive nerve or a memory that was better left dormant.

Yet, much to his surprise, Lilia actually began smiling in fondness. "That's a funny story," the fae murmured, chuckling. His hand that previously had sat idly on the bed patted the empty space next to him. "Come sit down, child." His green eyes shone in a welcoming way.

"Yes, gladly." A smile on his lips, Silver did as he was asked.

Lilia seemed to be caught in a state of melancholy as he began explaining, "It might sound very cliche, but she saved me from a certain death by tending to my wounds after an especially fierce battle. The soldiers under my command had fled and I had stayed behind to buy them more time."

"That's admirable of you."

"Yes, it was... and I was ready to face death. But then I awoke in a comfortable bed to find a beautiful maiden taking care of me. Let me tell you, at first I thought I had died and gone to heaven — but she assured me that I was still with the living."

In an instant, Silver couldn't help but ask, "Was it love at first sight?"

Genuine laughter escaped the fae's lips, and he could barely hold back from toppling over and continue laughing on the ground. "Well, she was wary of me and I was too serious at first," he explained after having recovered again. "But it didn't take long for us to... realise that we were soulmates. Yet, it seems like we weren't meant for each other." The smile on his lips disappeared without a trace.

"Don't say that. What if this magicless human is her reincarnation?"

"I would like to believe that. But time has whittled down my hope of ever seeing her again." Lilia took a deep breath before admitting, "I'm not sure if I should continue hoping."

Silver furrowed his eyebrows. "Father..."

Yet, before he could say more, he was cut off by his guardian rising to his feet and guiding the young human out of the room. "Enough for now, Silver. You should head to bed with how your eyelids seem heavy."

Silver was reluctant to leave when Lilia was about to lead him to his own room. The walk was quiet at first, the two Diasomnia students making their way through the winding corridors side by side. But, the closer they came to their destination, the more Silver wanted to ask the one final question that had been on his mind since the beginning of their conversation already.

Their walk came to an end when they arrived in front of the door to the second-year's bedroom. Lilia floated upwards to give the other a pat on his head, like he often liked to do. "Sleep well," the bat fae murmured with a quaint smile on his lips.

Silver's eyes narrowed in anguish when Lilia turned around and walked away — leaving him all alone. The latter already had distance himself from the door, now about to walk around a corner and disappear into the darkness of the candle-lit corridor. "But before you go—" Silver managed to call out and cause Lilia to come to a halt. The fae never turned around, as if frozen in his place. Silver bit his lip and gulped carefully. "You have to tell me her name."

"Her name..." Lilia closed his eyes upon feeling something akin to tears forming. "Oh, her name was (Y/n)."

°°°

That particular evening with his guardian had always been on Silver's mind ever since. Even in his dreams, Lilia's tales of his beloved would haunt the poor second-year. And well, he was sick of losing sleep — which is why one day, when he noticed you walking down the hallway with your cat monster friend, he decided to approach you.

"Excuse me?" Silver called out to you. "You're the Prefect of Ramshackle, no?"

Surprised by his greeting, you turned around to be faced with curious silver eyes. You tilted your head to the side after having looked him up and down. He was an upperclassman, you deducted — and you recognised him from the cafeteria as one of those unapproachable students from that scary dorm.

So, smiling curiously, you replied, "Yes, that would be me. And you're from Diasomnia?"

Silver nodded politely. "Yes, I am."

"I don't encounter many from your dorm," you muttered under your breath. "So, what brings me the honour?"

Before the stranger could open his mouth, Grim, who had been quietly standing by your side, tugged at the sleeve of your blazer and shot you a wary look. "Don't trust these emo kids, henchhuman..." he hissed rather loudly, causing Silver to raise an eyebrow in amusement.

"Quiet now, Grim." You waved him off, an embarrassed frown on your face.

However, Silver seemed unbothered by the remark and simply asked, "What's your name, prefect?"

"I'm (Y/n)."

His eyes lit up in utter excitement at hearing your name — the very same name the maiden from his old man's tales yesterday. A smile grew on his lips upon realising that he had struck gold, and he could only wonder how much Lilia would want to see his possibly reincarnated soulmate again. Still, he didn't want to scare you off completely with his enthusiasm.

A cough into his fist allowed him to return to his usual calm and serene state. "Well, I'm Silver of Diasomnia," he replied and bowed, yet unable to keep a smile from blossoming on his lips when he straightened his back again. "I know someone from my dorm who would love to meet you."

You perked up at his words. "Oh? How peculiar."

"Come to the Diasomnia dorm sometime, and I will introduce you to each other."

"I'd like that," you chirped, confident that his offer was genuine and held no darker intentions — unlike your cat companion, who was feverishly warning you against going to that frightening castle that was their dorm building. Yet, before you could scold Grim for his behaviour, a glance behind Silver revealed two familiar Heartslabyul students who looked mad. A sheepish smile on your lips, you quickly turned to Silver and shot him a wave. "Oh— I gotta go... Ace and Deuce must be waiting for us." Without another word, you walked past him, your fellow Ramshackle student by your side.

"Goodbye, (Y/n)," Silver called after you before setting into motion, too — making his way to the cafeteria, where his own friends were already waiting.

When he slid onto his normal place at one of the Diasomnia tables, Sebek shot him a suspicious look. "Silver, where have you been," he asked and furrowed his eyebrows, "and why are you smiling like that? You look silly..."

Silver, smiling even wider, waved his friend off. "Oh, nothing Sebek. It's nothing."

[elliot-needs-sleep]

pebble is on their soft arc so to return the favor i am tapping into my own very hidden softness and one upped fae by serenading them outside before taking them to look at the stars under a tent in my backyard, ‘twas a good time and it got me thinking about a request idea-

hear me out, Reader confessing to the characters for the request by forcing benchtrio to help them with the help of bench trio by singing for them before taking them to a dinner under the stars.

i’m just having brainrot of quackity working late in his Las Nevadas office and tommy & tubbo throwing rocks at his window (with ranboo making sure they don’t throw them too hard) until quackity notices and before Reader starts singing a love song for him and then inviting him to a dinner right outside Las Nevadas under the stars-

or or or maybe tommy tubbo and ranboo causing chaos in front of foolish’s summer home until he shows up so Reader can sing a love song and take him to an artificial island they built (with bench trio’s help) nearby for a romantic dinner-

i’m just throwing out ideas but just write for any characters you feel in the mood for :D

yours truly,

gremlin anon

Ahxjagsjva this is actually adorable, dude ❤️

DSMP x Reader

Characters: Ranboo (platonic), Tubbo (Platonic), Tommy (platonic), Quackity

Fic Type: Short story

Fandom: DSMP

It started with you ushering the boys into your house as the rain first began to fall, making them comfortable in your small spruce house as you thought of the best way to ask them for help.

It ended up with you making a batch of cookies and just asking them as they were sitting on the couch after eating them all.

--------

"C'mon guys, please? I really need your help!" You practically begged the three teenagers, hands clasped in front of you.

"Why should we help you?" Tommy tilted his head, eyes still staring past you and out the window of your small house, watching the rain fall on garden outside.

"Because you're all really good and cool and nice and I'll make you as many cookies as you want?" Tubbo and Ranboo looked at eachother for a second before nodding.

"We'll help." Tubbo smiles, but its full of mischief, and you can only see his cybernetic eye through his bangs, the nuclear symbol seeming to glow.

Ranboo nods, dark hair falling into his eyes as he does, and Tommy turns to both of them in mock betrayal, mouth gaped open and eyes narrowed, arms crossed over his chest.

"I cannot believe that you two would sign us up for this! But also, I have a few song suggestions to run by you, just some suggestions." The blond turns to you and smiles, just as mischievous as Tubbo.

"Yes! Thank you! What kind of cookies do y'all want?" You started to your right, to your kitchen, the three boys yelling suggestions after you.

-----------

Another rock hit the window above you four, and Ranboo was whispering a count down for the next one. After the third rock, the window opened up, Quackity leaning out of it.

Tommy rushes to put a disc in the record player, an old dance tune that you sung along to, the three boys standing in a broken semicircle around you, torches in hand to light you up under the stars.

Quackity had his head resting in his hand, leaned up against the edge of the window with a soft smile on his face, eyebrows raised ever so slightly, as if this was humorous to him.

The song ended after a few minutes, and then the night fell silent before you spoke.

"Dinner?" Your question was out in the open, and the male above you seemed to ponder it for a moment.

"Will these three be joining us?" He raised an eyebrow, gesturing to the three males standing beside you.

"Absolutely not!" Tommy responded for you, and you shook your head with a laugh.

"Then it would be my honor." There was a chorus of cheers from Tommy and Tubbo, with Ranboo clapping politely.

You were glad you had them as your friends.

[celestialarchon]

Celebrating 1k+ Part 1: Zhongli x gn!reader

Crossover: Ancient Magus Bride

content: fluff, little bit of angst, romance

warning: themes of depression and mental illness, alluding to suicidal tendencies

The bath water was warm, soothing your inner turmoil and washing away the stress in small tides. What a day it had been, selling yourself off in an auction was strange enough but the man or creature that had purchased you was even weirder. As the auctioneer had said beforehand, you didn’t care about your own life, it didn’t matter who you were sold to. Even so, you were taken back by the sudden dragon like skull that appeared before your face on stage, bidding unreasonably high and sweeping you away in a noir cloak to his home. Calling you his apprentice, he had immediately invited you into his home and insisted you bathe.

Your thoughts were interrupted by a giggle, your neck snapped up and you were face to face with a strange creature. The creature was human like but much smaller with wings and long claws on it’s hands and fingers. It’s face was boyish, framed by two braids with traces of green and blue in its hair. Patterns of dandelions danced on it’s skin.

“Hello, sunshine,” his voice was clear as day, like a melody in the wind.

“What are you?” You breathed out.

His pointed ears twitched and he grinned, “I’m Venti! A wind spirit of course, nice to meet ya! ehe.”

“I see,” you tilted your head, remembering that Zhongli had told you it was impolite to call the fae as fae but to refer to them with familiarity. “Are you a neighbor?”

Two other humanoid creatures peered from behind Venti, the same viridescent wings sprouting from their backs and gold dandelions printed on their skin. One’s hair was red and her skin was a darker hue of green than the others. The other was blonde with a ponytail held by a flower stem.

“You know, ehehehe,” Venti giggled, and flew down, kissing your cheek. “That Morax is no good! You’re better off with us, we could cherish you truly, little sunshine.”

The fae left with those words, leaving you to your thoughts. Sighing, you emptied the bath and dressed yourself as the door shook gently with a knock. The door swung open just as you pulled your shirt over your head, finally clothed. The man stood in the door way, his gold eyes twinkling as he praised you for being patient with him and cleaning up so well. He shifted his weight and pulled something from his pocket, offering it to you.

Shyly, you took a step towards him, allowing him to slip it over your head, he chuckled, “Good puppy, this is a protective talisman. It’s a stone called Cor Lapis that formed close to a river. Over time the water from the river wore down the stone and created a hole in the middle, if you look through it you can see a fae’s true form.”

He patted your head and led you towards your room. The silver lady, Ganyu, darted into the bathroom to take care of your soiled clothing. Ganyu was a silky, a type of neighbor who liked to do chores and she looked after the house for Mr. Zhongli. She had already taken quite a liking to you.

Zhongli sat down on the edge of your bed, tucking you in, “From now on you will be my apprentice, and I your teacher, (y/n).”

His deep voice made your heart flutter just a bit, and you turned over to avoid that calculating gaze he always held. The bed squeaked as he stood, his footsteps were heavy as he walked out of the room, gently shutting the door.

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Zhongli watched your fragile figure walking away from the safety of his home and sighed, “I suppose this will make a good lesson.”

He creeped out, following you and hiding in your shadow. Venti was trying to persuade you to leave him. For some odd reason, this made Zhongli’s stomach twist up in a knot. Still, he maintained his composure and stayed hidden from the view of the troublesome fairy and you.

“Where are you from?” Venti asked you.

“A land far from here,” You sighed, “I was passed around by relatives so I was all over the place.”

“Oh?” a crooked smile formed on the fae’s lips, “Were they kind to you, sunshine?”

You grimaced, “It is.. hard to remember. But I think if I was loved by them and did love them I wouldn’t be here at this moment.”

It grew quiet as the fairy led you further into the forest. Zhongli was beginning to grow restless. You stopped and Venti turned to look at you, still hyper. He beamed at your emotionless face.

“We’ve been walking for so long, I might get lost,” Your eyes moved to the side.

“It’s fine!” Venti cheered, “You don’t have to go back there now. We have to go far to get to our land, and the others want you so badly you know.”

“What?”

“Ehe!” Venti grinned even wider as a gold light began to shimmer behind him, “There it is. A place for us, it’ll be lots of fun and we want you with us so bad, my sunshine. It’s okay, nobody’s waiting for you. You can come with me, come with us!

He continued, “Come along now, sunshine. Won’t you come with me?”

“It’s true that there wasn’t anybody waiting for me,” You began, seemingly entranced by the melodic words he spilt, “But..”

You swatted the floating boy away from you and stepped back. Your hand flew to your head as the forest around you spun. It wasn’t right. This wasn’t where you were supposed to be.

Venti screeched as you stumbled, “Sunshine! What’s wrong?”

“I don’t care if he throws me away.” You whispered, “Mr. Zhongli gave me a home and has taken care of me. He called me his apprentice and said he’d care for me like a family. Even if he does get tired of me or get rid of me, it’s okay. He’s already done enough for me.”

“Well, it seems my puppy already knows where home is,” Zhongli’s deep voice rumbled in your ear as he wrapped his arms around you.

“Morax! Eh? How did you find us?” Venti cried out, scowling.

Zhongli’s fingers went to your necklace, fidgeting with it as he held it in the palm of his gloves, “You see, this puppy did need a collar and bell if you would. It’s not as if somebody like myself wouldn’t notice a place so full of magic and energy like this.”

Venti shrieked in anger, flying off into the light. Shame filled you as you turned to your master, head down. He chuckled and patted your head, pulling you closer to him. His strong arms wrapped around you and your feet left the ground, a panicked gasp left your mouth as he carried you in his arms.

“Let’s go home now,” His long hair tickled your face.

You nodded in response, still taken back by his sudden affectionate side. He was a strange man.

“You have a scratch on your arm,” His eyes were piercing as they stared at the wound you hadn’t even noticed, “I’ll have to take care of that when we get home. As your future husband, I can’t allow you to get scars so easily.”

“Huh?” You grunted, craning your neck to look at him, “Husband?”

“Ah, I forgot to tell you. You are my apprentice but you are also to be my bride and I your husband.” He spoke with a straight face, his eyes never wandered from the path as he continued towards the house.

Your eyes widened, “Whaaaaat?!”

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Zhongli had insisted you find a familiar, and you had. Xiao was a wonderful familiar although quiet. Most of the time, he was in his doglike form just trailing behind you. Occasionally he’d switch to his humanoid form to gobble up some almond tofu. You sincerely cared about Xiao, and he you.

Zhongli, however, didn’t seem as happy about this. He had locked himself in his room for days now. You knew he was exhausted from the battle against Signora and her experiments at the church but still, you were worried. Silver had begun to grow worried too, frantically checking on the strange man constantly.

“Zhongli?” You knocked on the door, waiting for a response.

The door opened but before you could react, you were pulled into the dark room and heard the slam of the door shutting. From outside you could hear Xiao panicking and calling out for you. Zhongli was sitting in the dark, still stuck in a partial draconian form. You could feel his claws digging into your skin as he growled.

“Why?” His voice shook as he buried his head into your shoulder, “What is this?”

“Zhongli, what’s wrong?” Your hands brushed his, gently trying to pull his claws from you.

His grip grew tighter and you winced in pain, “Why are you spending so much time with him? Cant you tell I miss you? Why can’t you see I need you right now?”

“Zhongli,” Your voice shook, “You’re hurting me. Stop it.”

He removed his hands from you abruptly and pushed away from you, his back on the wall. Your eyes had finally adjusted to the dark room and you could see the outline of his body. He had horns sticking out of his head and a long spiked tail. His hands were almost normal but his nails were long and sharp like claws. Every so often a forked tongue would make its way past his lips. His expression was confused, lonesome even.

Taking a deep breath, you crawled towards him, pushing yourself closer to him. You faced him, taking his face into your hands and making his cold eyes look at yours.

“I think,” You squished his cheeks gently, “You are jealous.”

He frowned, “What is jealous?”

“Jealousy is a feeling. It’s when you care about somebody and you don’t want to share them. You want them to look at you, spend time with you, and care for you instead of others. It’s a feeling us humans feel a lot.”

“Hm,” He grunted, “Is that what this is?”

You chuckled, he was like a child in your hands right now. You pulled him closer, feeling the sigh of relief he let out at your embrace.

“Zhongli, you’re feeling new feelings and that’s okay. If you’ll be my magic teacher, I’ll be your human teacher, okay?” You squeezed him in your arms.

“Okay.” He agreed quietly.

For a moment, the two of you stayed like that. Holding each other in the darkness, both of you were at peace even momentarily.

“You wanted me to have a familiar,” You kissed his cheek lightly, “As a part of my training. Xiao and I will spend time together often now. But you are my husband, my master, and that hasn’t changed. I promise, Zhongli.”

You pulled back to look at his face. He was blushing slightly which made a snicker leave your lips. His hair was loose and wild and his eyes were no longer empty but full of longing and adoration. The two of you had already seen so much together, your heart thumped even harder thinking of all the moments you’d spend together.

This man had taken you in and taught you magic. He’d sworn to save you from your curse of a short life span. He’d given you so much love and kindness. The time the two of you had spent together had only been a few short months but it filled you with joy.

His amber eyes bore into you, you could feel your face heating up as he continued to examine your infatuated expression. His palms trailed up to your face, and he pulled your lips onto his. The kiss was warm and sweet, innocent even.

“You are mine.” He whispered.

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“Where’s (y/n)?” Lumine peered at Xiao.

“With Zhongli in the garden,” Xiao grumbled, “Why’d you bring this brat?”

Lumine laughed as Aether climbed Xiao. She has brought cookies to share with her friend. Aether had also wanted to see the two who had saved them both only a year ago. Aether was obsessed with Xiao and his teal hair and tattoos.

Lumine smiled at Ganyu as she walked towards the back door. Ganyu nodded and opened the door for the young woman, letting her outside. It was a beautiful day, not too chilly and not too warm. The sun shone down and the blonde could hear your laughter from down the cobblestone path. She followed the sound, excited to see you.

As she approached the garden, she stopped seeing Zhongli twirl you around. She felt breathless seeing the two of you dancing in the sunlight. His long hair shimmered as he spun you around and caught you in his arms. The rings on your fingers twinkled and Zhongli took a flower and tucked it behind your ear. The tall man planted a kiss right on your lips and turned to Lumine, winking at her.

“Hey!” Lumine waved at you and Zhongli, “You’re finally back from the honeymoon. I brought cookies for you guys. Congratulations!”

You grinned and waved back at her. Lumine was overcome with bliss at the sight of your smile. Zhongli had really helped you grow more confident and you had opened him up more. The three of you ate cookies and laughed as Xiao barreled out, chased by Aether.

“Oh! How many kids will you have?” Lumine wiggled her eyebrows at you as you laughed at Aether.

“Kids?” Zhongli turned to you as you flushed at the question.

Lumine nodded, “Yes, when couples get married they usually have children and start a family.”

“Oi,” you laughed nervously, “We’ve only just got married..”

“Children would be nice,” Zhongli looked at you expectantly.

Xiao cackled at your embarrassment. As your familiar he could feel those strong emotions since you allowed him to. You glared daggers at the adeptus, but he only smirked. This was your karma for laughing at him while a child harassed him.

“Lots of them,” Zhongli muttered, “A big family.”

Your face only grew redder. Lumine laughed and Zhongli looked confused. You all spent the rest of the day talking of the future and munching on cookies.

[daebakinc]

Faeries

Pairing: I.M. x Reader (G) Prompt: Fairy/Elf/Nymph Word Count: 1.2K

~Admin V

           You’d been admiring him for years. He’d been coming to your forest since he was a child, camping with his family. You instantly knew you liked him when he played tricks on his younger brother, pretending to steal his nose or ear.

As he got older, he started coming with friends. You adored them as well, since all of them were mischievous and entertaining to watch. They especially made you laugh when they did something completely and utterly silly but thought it would make for a good joke. Like the time the one called Minhyuk found it hilarious to put dead leaves in the others’ hoods. When the group was being particularly rowdy, you liked to join in on the fun and help misplace things, or put twigs in their walking path to trip them.

           The other faeries were equally delighted by the tomfoolery. But they all agreed, your favorite was the sharpest. He was the sneakiest and most subtle. No one caught him when he hid cards during games or would switch their drinks when no one was looking. Sometimes his friends didn’t even realize they were drinking orange juice before and now had grape. He was especially good at finding forest insects and putting them in shoes and sleeping bags. He was a master at looking completely innocent when he was nothing but guilty.

Changkyun the humans called him. But to you, he would always be I.M.

           From the first time you saw him to even now, whenever he would wander off on his own to relieve himself or get sticks for firewood, he would chant to himself, “I am what I am.”  So cute how humans comforted themselves when they felt fear. On some occasions you would follow him and put a protection spell around you both. Mostly, you just watched him from tree branches.

           As he grew older his body hardened and began to look like stone. Next to his wit, it was your most favorite thing about him. It sometimes made you daydream of taking human form and revealing yourself to him. Not that you would. Humans were dangerous and mostly horrible creatures. Even to other humans they were wretched. The elders were very clear in remaining hidden. But it didn’t hurt to lust. To look. To wonder. How might his bronze skin feel if you ran your finger against it? How would his voice sound if his lips were to your ear?

           Because you were lost in your fantasies, it took you a moment to realize he was currently in your forest. The chatter of your fellow fae had finally reached you. You were hoping his friend Jooheon was with. His cowardice was most amusing. However, all the voices that reached you were saying “alone.”

           How odd. He was never alone. You left your perch and flew to the grove he usually setup camp at. It was true. Alone. You sat on a low branch and studied him. He seemed sad. Normally he was serious, but his eyes held pain. You wish you could know why. Human pain seemed more difficult to bear than any pain your Mischief may have felt.

           You moved yourself into his camp and again provided a protection spell. It made you feel sad when he wiped at his eyes. You didn’t know any magiks for emotions.

           A crow hopped next to you. You asked it to find something shiny. Maybe that would make I.M. cheer up. When the crow returned with a blue, glassy rock, you smiled and fed him a beetle who was buzzing too loudly around you.

           You waited for I.M. to wipe at his eyes again before placing the stone next to his shoe. It took him quite a bit of time before finding it. Then he picked it up and stared at it, and that’s when the chatter came back to you.

           Wolves were in the area, and they picked up I.M.’s scent. Your protection would not be enough to ward them off. You’d have to reveal yourself.

           You flew around the perimeter to see how far away they were. From the chatter, you knew they were getting close.

           If you took on human form, he might ask questions. Who were you? Why were you alone in the woods? No time for that. Fae form might freak him out.

           Suddenly you remembered; he liked glowbugs. Him and his brother would catch them in jars and watch them. Before he would sleep he’d let them go.

           You would become wisps.

           The glassy blue of the rock was the color you chose to glow. You allowed for him to see it. Unfortunately, it was still light out and you didn’t stand out as much. It didn’t help he was still lost in his sorrow.

           “I am what I am,” he sniffed and wiped at his eyes.

           That was it! He wouldn’t hear words when you were in wisp form, but he would hear the timbre of chimes. “I am what I am,” you said back, in the tone to match his.

           He looked up then, surprise clear in his widened eyes. Smart of you not to take any humanoid form. You tolled again, “I am what I am,” and made more wisps appear leading out down the path. Still, he only stared.

           You looked into his eyes. “Come on, I.M. follow me!”

           It worked! He got up and began in your direction. You quickly sped up several paces ahead with no less than five wisps to follow. As he mumbled to himself, you chanted with him. “I am what I am. I am what I am.” You pushed the path clear so he wouldn’t trip. His voice got louder as he sensed the magiks you were casting. You made the wisp closest to him vanish then appear ahead of the others. You heard the other fae chatter that you were leading the human, but you didn’t focus on what trouble you might be in. Your only concern what getting him to safety.

           You stopped when you heard a thud. A tree route covered in leaves caused his stumble. You quickly pushed against his shoulder to help him up then vanished out of his sight so he wouldn’t try to grab you. You appeared paces in front again and continued chiming.

           Finally you were at his car near the edge of a road. He stopped moving and looked at you in awe. In that moment you both heard the howling of wolves. They were exactly in his camp site. I.M. shivered as he looked back.

           You took that moment to return to your hidden form. He turned back to look for you. “Please,” he cried. “Don’t go.” He paced in a small circle still looking in all directions. “Please come back.”

           But you couldn’t. At least not today.

           The rock was still in his hands and he gazed down at it. That made you smile.

           He looked around again. Sadness was still there, but it was new. Different. You could smell his fear now, as well.

           You watched him get into his car. He picked up his phone from the other seat. You heard him call one of his friends and explain he needed their help to collect his camp things tomorrow.

           You would be waiting for him then, so long as the elders weren’t too upset with you for today’s engagements.

[boom-fanfic-a-latta]

Knitting Fairy AU

(Watch me as I come up with an entire AU and magic system for said AU on the spot at work so that I can attempt to claim having the first Knitting Fairy!Marinette AU)

Okay so: the main gist of this AU is that Marinette is secretly a fairy. Her parents do in fact know this because they’re also fairies, but the three disguise themselves as human to fit in in. It’s pretty common for fairies to hide that way in the modern day.

Each fairy has their own special creative talent, called a Craft, like Baking or Gardening or in Mari’s case Knitting. But the magic they all can use isn’t limited to the one Craft, though being skilled in one thing does offer some unique powers not shared by others. Multiples of the same Craft can exist, it’s not uncommon for two or more fairies to have the same one.

Personality-wise fairies are a mix between the mythological Fae and the more child-friendly modern media interpretation. Kind-hearted but cunning, playful but tricksters, sweet but charming. They also can’t directly lie, but are very skilled in twisting the truth. Simply put, they’re like Fae but much nicer.

Fairies have the power to use magic to enforce a Deal, in which both you and the fairy must uphold your end of the bargain. Not every deal made with a fairy is a Deal, but you’ll find yourself compelled to uphold your end if it is a Deal, and if you don’t uphold it there are consequences. Specifically owing the fairy whose Deal you’ve broken a Favor, which isn’t something you’d want to happen as you never know what they will force on you as repayment.

Fairies can also give Gifts, tokens of goodwill and kindness created using their Craft. Not every gift from a fairy is a Gift, as Gifts are imbued with magic, whether it bears any tangible effects or not.

Sorry for rambling about the intricacies of this AU’s fairy Lore, couldn’t help myself. Now, onto Knitting Fairy Mari, the reason for this AU.

Mari’s Craft is, as previously stated, Knitting, and this ties into her canon talent as a designer pretty well. One big difference, though, is that all of her designs in the AU are hand-knitted, embroidered, and crocheted. She is a needlework fiend, everyone. She works with wool in ways the world would only wonder.

Marinette has actually visited Adrien when they were younger—she could feel that there was someone lonely and wanted to cheer them up, and that someone was a young him. So little Mari decided to be little Adrien’s secret friend, leaving little gifts for him and occasionally making herself hidden to talk to him. Adrien, while he never actually sees “The Knitting Fairy”, definitely believes his magic friend is real. And Chloé, his only other friend, also believes it, after being shown a lot of proof of course (and she might also have gotten a gift or two, not that anyone other than Adrien was allowed to know it). And Mari is there when both of the blondes’ mothers disappeared from their lives.

Fast-forward to when the show starts, and we see the effects already: a nicer Chloé. Not by much, mind you, but she’s definitely noticeably less of a bully. And also, a more confident Marinette, by virtue of being a very crafty fairy.

I’ve been going back and forth between whether or not the canon superhero shenanigans ensue, but I feel it would be more fun if they did. Specifically, we get Tikki being super excited to have a fairy as a holder, because fairies in this AU are beings of Creation, and Tikki IS Creation, so Mari’s also excited to meet Tikki, because something something fairy Lore mentioning her in high regard, it’s all around a very excited meeting.

Ladybug has a new outfit complete with literal working wings because she has natural literal working wings so the transformation just makes them ladybug shaped instead of fairy shaped it’s absolutely beautiful.

The scarf in Bubbler…let’s just say there’s a good reason Gifts are a thing I came up with in this AU.

And somehow having a third identity makes juggling all of them all that easier for Mari. Somehow. Even though she can’t actually lie. It somehow all evens out. Trust me. It does make sense. I’m just as clueless as all of you on the subject of how.