#Magic and Miracles and Beyond Chapter 9

[angel-of-the-moons]

Nothing Is Lost

Khonshu x Fem!Reader

TW/CW: Sleep depravation, child/parent death, drowning, grief, depression, anxiety, comfort, Khonshu being a dickhead again

A/N: Yeahhh this one hurt me a bit to write because ohhh boy I can imagine the voice of Merit's mother when she hears the news. Just awful. I'm sorry if this is another hot mess, but I'm hoping to get back into the groove! (Note; I could not think of good enough names for the boys so I'm just coming up with shit as I go, bare with my historical inaccuracies on this one!) I hope this rips your heart out the way it did mine!

Taglist: @drinkingwithkhonshu @astrosphereblog

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Chapter 9:

The Book Of The Dead

The goddamn old bird really didn't understand personal space.

Like, really, really didn't.

You had already run out of fingers to count on the past week how many times you awoke in the middle of the night to him sitting in the dark, looming silently.

"Honestly, will you just tell me what the dreams are?" He'd scoffed as you wiped the heavy sweat from your face.

"Will you go away forever if I do?" You sigh, flopping back down onto your bed.

"Most likely not."

"Then no." You grunt, rolling over to pull the blankets up over your shoulders. The silence stretched once more and you could feel him staring at you.

"Do I need to start charging you rent? Like, if you're not gonna help me, just go, you ginormous pigeon." You say, glaring at him over your shoulder.

His shoulders squared. Apparently, "pigeon" was an insult that ruffled his feathers (god you shouldn't have giggled at that pun) judging by how his posture stiffened.

"Not until I unravel the mystery surrounding you." He replied tersely.

"Good luck with that. You gonna be able to do that by staring at me in the dark like some kind of creeper?" You scoff, facing the wall once more.

You felt a cold chill creep into your bones, a sharp stab of anxiety filling you once again as you close your eyes, hoping beyond hope that you would have a dreamless sleep, or by some miracle that you'd simply feel rested by closing your eyes.

It wasn't even the fact you had an ancient god inhabiting your personal bubble, anymore that freaked you out. What really scared you were those fucking nightmares.

You dreaded trying to sleep every night. You got your "feeling" more and more often now, with every pang of anxiousness that filled your body. The tingling in your hands became too much to ignore at times, and it almost hurt.

After ten minutes of sleep eluding you once more, he grunted. "I know you're faking."

"It's not faking, I'm trying to sleep." You hiss, squirming beneath your blankets.

"Oh, are you now." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Yes!" You say, fatigue making your temper very very short. "You're a god, don't you have better shit to do than crawl up my ass?!"

"Not currently, no."

"Fuck off."

"No." He replies bluntly. "Not until I know how you were able to summon me."

"For the last time! I don't kn--" When you rolled over to glare at him, your hand flew out; and as it did, the glass of water next to your bed flew across the room and shattered against the wall.

You sat up then, slowly, looking at the remains of glassware with wide eyes. Then, you pout at the god sitting on one of your chairs as though it were a calm summer afternoon on an old rickety porch.

"Why did you do that?" You accuse.

"I didn't." Khonshu replies, tilting his head to the side.

"But, I didn't.... I didn't touch it..." You mumble softly.

"Magic, in case your brain is too slow to catch up." Khonshu sighed boredly. "It makes sense, now. You did not see the light in your palm just now?"

Your eyes blink slowly, feeling heavy as you stare at your palms in shock. Shit... was he right? Maybe... Maybe he was... No. No, no way in hell could your life get any crazier. It just wasn't possible. He was fucking with you because he was bored.

You swing your legs out from under your blankets and wipe at your face, your eyes puffy and exhausted. "I'm too tired for this. Can you clean that up?"

His head tilted again, his arms still crossed over his broad chest. "No."

"Worth a shot." You sigh, heaving yourself onto shaky feet. If you didn't get rest soon, you felt like you were going to drop dead.

But... you couldn't leave glass for your sleepy ass to rediscover in the morning. Grabbing some paper towels, and your mini broom and dustpan, you began the task of cleaning the shattered and soaking mess. You carefully carried the dustpan full of paper towels and glass remains to your trash bin and sighed as it tumbled into the bag within.

Your head began to bob as the edges of your vision darkened; your heart began to pound in your chest and you felt like it would explode.

Your breath was squeezed out of your lungs, and as you collapsed, you were vaguely aware of something warm enveloping you before it all went black.

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You were pouring over your papyrus scrolls, analyzing every single word, delicate fingers inking new hieroglyphs on the blank sheet nearby.

The breeze blew idly into your room, the sweet-spicy scent of your incense being blown back onto you as you chewed your fingernail, deep in thought.

You were studying the various tales of the gods, as well as scribes' accounts on things that occured within the temples and palace; a few scrolls here and there on the current state of Egypt's economy.

Your brain was like a parched field of crops, every drop of knowledge was drank greedily as though it were water and stored within every fiber of your being. You wanted to be a scholar, you wanted to learn new things, you wanted to know as much about the gods you worshipped as possible, maybe to, one day yourself, get close to them, to be blessed enough to hear their words with your own ears.

You sighed, setting your reed pen down near your inkwell as you rubbed your temple. You felt a stiffness in your hands and neck when you lifted your gaze to peer out your window. It was likely... two hours past midday, you had to assume, judging by how far the sun had sailed.

Your parents were meeting another noble--probably to discuss a marriage between you and a male heir they possibly had--or maybe they went to the palace to speak with the Pharaoh? You were honestly worried he would propose your hand to his heir, and make you his wife or concubine. It wouldn't be ideal, but your father's wishes were that you were cared for when he and your mother passed into the afterlife.

You merely wanted to study, to learn as much as you can, and imbibe the future generations with the knowledge you accumulated as you grew.

You stood, arching your back and cracking your neck and knuckles; your eyes flitted to your bed, and for a moment you were tempted to take a short nap, having one of the servants wake you when your parents returned. Or your little brother, he was out playing with your neighbor's sons, today. He promised that he would bring you the shiniest, prettiest fish he could; proving that if anything happened to your parents, he could take care of you, because you were his big sister, the greatest big sister ever! The childlike sentiment was heart-warming, and you couldn't help but indulge your brother, reminding him to be careful of the currents before shooing him and the other boys off for their fun in the Nile.

But that was four hours ago. And you hadn't heard from them in a while...

You sighed as you looked out the window, your arms resting on the sill while your eyes were drawn to the plucked lotus you had in a clay pot in the small space. It was wilting, it would need to be dumped, soon--

"MERIT!" A young voice called for you.

It wasn't your brother. He sounded panicked--frantic. As the young body came into view, Akenmatuu hopped up and down, his eyes wide and fearful as he looked up at you, his little brother close behind, looking just as afraid.

Ahrenkare was not with them.

You leaned out your window, feeling your skin grow cold and sweat begin to bead on your brow. "Akenmatuu, what is it? Where is--"

"Ahrenkare fell in the river! We can't find him!" He interrupted.

It wasn't more than a few seconds between him shouting those words and your stuttered breathing that you ripped off your wig and ran down to the street where the boys were.

They were shorter than you, their manhood not fully grasping their bodies just yet. And it was just so painfully obvious how young they were when you saw their smeared eyeliner from their panicked tears, Akenmatuu's younger brother openly sobbing as they tried to tell the broken tale; breaking off in a run to show you where Ahrenkare had fallen into the water.

It was high today, the rains causing the water to swell above the banks. You knew the animals that lived in the river were just as dangerous as the currents and swells...

But... But Ahrenkare knew not to go into the water if it was too deep... didn't he? Oh, no... Oh..oh you hoped he didn't try to dive into the water to catch the fish he'd declared he would bring you! If anything happened to him--

Your feet carried you as though you were blessed by Geb himself, the earth beneath you pushing up to propel you along as you frantically made your way to the river, flagging down a few of the men you passed, crying out that your brother had fallen in. A few of the servants carrying out their daily chores even dropped their baskets to come aid you.

The moment your sandals squished in the mud, your dress being torn by shrubbery and reeds as you rushed towards the water's edge, screaming for your brother--hoping that you would see him rise to the surface, scanning the waves with frantic and fearful eyes as the men heaved their woven boats out to sail on the water, trying to help find your baby brother before it was too late.

You looked on the bank, spotting his sandals, having small pictures of ducks and cows on the soles painted and stitched in. You picked them up, so small in your hands, and squeezed them against you, falling to your knees and crying out for someone--anyone--to bring your brother back home to you.

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It was the most horrible pain you'd ever felt in your life. Worse than the pain that came with your monthly bleeds, worse than when you injured your ankle playing as a young girl.

It felt like your heart was ripped out out of your chest--not by Anubis, but some cruel, twisted, maniacal demon bent on your torment.

The wail your mother made as your brother's pale, limp, lifeless body was placed on the embalmers table haunted your dreams. The way she clawed at her own skin, the way she doubled over him like a feral animal and sobbed made your torn-out heart feel as though it were slowly being fed to Ammit herself; intentionally being chewed as slowly as possible to make your suffering worse.

What hurt you even more after that was your father, so bereaved and heartbroken that he could barely function, his face going blank as hot tears slowly tracked down his wrinkled cheeks, his usually immaculate eyeliner running like black rivers down his face.

"No! No, he's not--!" Your mother cried, thrashing as your father and a servant pried her away from his body.

"That's not my son! It can't be! He's not dead!"

You covered your face and sobbed as a priest approached you, his face gentle and caring. Young for his age, his eyes seemed to carry a great age of knowledge behind them. His hand rested on your shoulder.

"Lady Merit... Please. Attend to your parents." He said sweetly to you. "We will take care of your brother and prepare him for his journey. We have already sent word to the workers of your family's tomb--the Pharaoh himself has paid for more work to be put into it so it will be ready to take your brother and keep him."

"It's not..." Your eyes dragged to the tiny frail body draped in the linen sheet. He looked like he was asleep, as pale as the cloth he was wrapped in.

Your shoulders slumped and you started to tremble.

Ahrenkare was gone. You would not get to see him or hear his laughter again until you, yourself passed on and prepared for your journey into the afterlife.

"Lady Merit." The priest repeated again, his hand squeezing your shoulder in an effort to ground you, to remind you that you were still in the land of the living. "I can assure you. Your brother is in safe hands. I will say a prayer as the embalmer begins his work, I will personally insure your brother is treated with the utmost care and respect as mortally possible."

He turned you away from the haunting sight of your brother's corpse; his presence warm despite the cold that gripped your body and refused to let go. "Please." He said softly.

"Take... Take care of him, he..." You choked, your jaw tensing as you tried to bite back the sob that wanted to crawl from your very soul, instead whispering; "...he's scared of the dark."

Your head hung low as your feet dragged you out, following the disturbing echoes of your mother's cries for her son, your baby brother; who had yet to be given the chance to become a man.

The priest who tried to comfort you looked at you with pain and pity; he knew you well. You came to the temples to study. Many times bringing your brother with to help educate him when his tutors couldn't. Such an innocent ba lost too soon to the next life...

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Ahrenkare had been placed in the tomb two weeks ago, and your mother's mind and body began to wither, as well as her will to live. The burden and pain of losing her only and beloved son was simply too much for her heart to carry.

She was often bedridden, now, but occasionally you would awaken to the sounds of her crying, kneeling in what had once been Ahrenkare's room--now bare of his belongings as his burial chamber in your family tomb was loaded with his things--clutching one of the only things she had left him.

A small toy, carved from wood; it was that of a warrior, built similarly to how your father looked, a symbol of the man he used to be before he was injured in battle and couldn't fight anymore. Ahrenkare looked up to him like he was Ra himself, wanting to be just as brave and as strong as your father was.

But your mother...

Your mother was dying.

You and your father could tell. She refused to eat, now; she barely drank. All she would do was stare out at the Nile, her eyes dull and lost as she looked at the sparkling waves, ignorant of the wonderful life they had taken. Oh, it wasn't anyone's fault, she knew, but... She wanted nothing more than one chance to hold him, again, to feel his cheek as she squished him against her for a kiss; to hear his laughter as she tickled his sides in play...

It was as if her ba was preparing her body for its departure itself.

You couldn't handle seeing her like that--you spent more and more time locked in your room, consuming scroll after scroll, drowning your grief in knowledge the same way the Nile had drowned your brother.

When you weren't studying, you were in the temples, leaving offerings and begging for help from one of the gods. Maybe seeking to lift your mother's ailment, or sending a prayer to Nut to ensure your brother's ba sailed safely through the night sky.

You'd left generous offerings to Anubis, maybe as a way of trying to ensure your brother's ba was not devoured by Ammit.

Right now, you were in a small temple, but one you visited often. It was the Temple of Khonshu; and you prayed excessively as of late, in hopes that maybe he would heal your mother, to lift her pain from her so she could begin to recover.

But nothing you did ever helped. And when your mother finally passed on, you were numb-struck. Still feeling from the loss of your brother, you now had to bury your mother alongside him. The comforting words of your father assuring you the gods took her to reunite her with Ahrenkare did little to balm your wounded heart.

And so, here you were. Collapsed on an altar, sobbing into an empty room, the statue of Khonshu imposing and large as it looked over you, the open roof of the temple allowing the moon to shine down onto you.

Your chest heaved as your body was wracked with sobs, your nails digging into your own skin as you buried your face in your arms.

Despite your disheveled appearance, a warm hand found its way to your head, caressing your smooth scalp in a gentle, comforting way.

"I know it hurts." The voice belonging to the hand said to you. "But I promise, they are no longer in pain. They are together, and are waiting for you, and your father."

"But why? Why now?" You whimpered, curling in on yourself, afraid to look at the kind stranger in fear of breaking down worse in the face of someone's pity.

"Nobody can say. Perhaps it was their time, perhaps there is another divine reasoning behind their passings." He told you. "But rest assured... their souls were not evil. Anubis has no reason to judge them harshly."

"It... it hurts." You sniffled.

"Yes... It will. It will hurt." He told you, his thumb caressing your skin gently. "But you just ask yourself... will you give in to the same affliction that ailed your mother's heart--or will you continue to live, and carry their memories with you? You must find out and see if you will join them sooner, rather than later."

As his hand retracted, you lifted your gaze and turned to see who the man was.

And where he was standing, was a man. A man dressed in all white, long robes flowing around him, Khonshu's blessed symbol emblazoned on his chest as he looked down at you, his face covered by a featureless mask, leaving only glowing sockets where his eyes would be.

He held his hand out to you, expecting you to take it.

"Who are you?" You ask softly. "Are you... a... a priest of Khonshu?"

"In a sense." He chuckles gently to you, his hand encapsulating yours as he brings you to your feet with care, steadying your weary body with a hand to the curve of your back.

"Though, many would consider me his Fist."

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Chapter 10: Link

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Christmas Reruns 2024–Day 3: A Christmas Miracle (3/3)

Merry Christmas if you celebrate it and happy holidays if you don’t!  One of the things I love about Christmas is watching reruns of all the old classic Christmas movies–Christmas is a big time for nostalgia.  A few years ago, I decided to incorporate that tradition into my fandom life and post my CS holiday reruns.  So here you go!  Enough holiday (mostly) fluff to get you to New Year’s Day. (With a new story posting on Christmas Day.)

Rating: G

Word Count: 2471

Other chapters: 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Notes:  Here’s the conclusion of A Christmas Miracle.  Once again, it was written in 2013 and fits within my A Wish Your Heart Makes universe.

“If you hadn’t cast the curse in the first place, dearie, Pan never would have had the opportunity to curse us the second time.” Mr. Gold hissed.

“Oh, that’s rich!” Regina said with a sneer, “considering it’s coming from the imp who provided me with the curse in the first place!”

Emma sat in her favorite booth at Granny’s and watched her adversarial family members face off. She was rather impressed. They’d remained civil for nearly two hours.

“Come on guys,” Mary Margaret said, walking up to Gold and Regina, her hand extended in a pacifying gesture, “let’s not argue. It’s Christmas!”

Regina turned on her. “Stay out of it, Snow. It’s all your fault anyway.”

“My fault?!” Mary Margaret yelled, her hands coming to rest on her hips.

“Don’t play stupid,” Regina sneered, “Or maybe you’re not playing.”

“Just a minute! You can’t talk to my wife that way!” David charged into the fight.

Regina rolled her eyes and turned back to Mary Margaret.

“Yes, Snow,” Regina continued, “if it wasn’t for your total inability to keep your mouth shut, we wouldn’t be where we’re at.”

“Where we’re at? Where we’re at?!” Mary Margaret fumed, “That's…that’s not even grammatically correct, let alone accurate!”

Emma rolled her eyes. They were arguing about grammar? It was definitely time to go get some air…before the magic started flying. She got to her feet, and wobbled for a second on her high heels. Why had she let Mary Margaret convince her to dress up? If she had to come to this party, couldn’t she have at least been comfortable?

Emma turned her back on the argument, on Neal and Henry talking in a booth on the other side of the diner, on Hook who had gone up to the bar for another drink. Pushing the door open, she stepped outside.

Hook looked up as he heard the bell over Granny’s door chime. He caught a glance of golden hair and a soft blue dress before the door closed behind Emma. The lass had been rather quiet since dinner; he wondered what was bothering her. It was obvious something was; something beyond the obvious awkwardness of this party.

The voices rose behind him, everyone trying to shout down the others. Something crashed against a far wall. He shook his head. Snow White really did see the world through rose-colored glasses. How on earth had she thought this group of people would have a good time together?

Hook took a final swig of the beer he was drinking, and then headed for the door. He had no wish to remain in what was turning into an all-out battlefield. Of course, the thought of spending some time alone with the lovely Emma, might have played a part in the decision as well.

Pushing the glass door open, Hook stepped outside. There she stood underneath the awning, shivering. Why hadn’t she grabbed her coat before she’d stepped out?

“It’s a bit cold to be standing outside love,” he commented, stepping up behind her.

“Yeah, well,” she answered, turning toward him, “it beats getting caught in the middle of World War III in there.”

He laughed and shrugged out of his coat. He draped it over her shoulders and was rewarded with one of her rare smiles. They stood there for a moment watching the snow gently fall through the dark, evening air. Hook caught strains of music coming from the convent; it seemed the nuns were ringing in Christmas with carols.

“Joy to the world the Lord is come…”

“It doesn’t look like Mary Margaret is going to be able to get in all the Christmas traditions she was hoping for,” Emma commented. “We didn’t get to the Christmas carol sing-a-long.”

“It’s a shame,” Hook commented, looking over at her, “that was the part I was particularly looking forward to.”

“Really?” she asked looking at him with skeptical eyes, “You want to sit around singing carols?”

“And why not,” he asked with a grin. “Some of the songs I have heard here in Storybrooke would be particularly appropriate to the evening at hand.”

“Such as?” she asked with a matching grin.

“When we finally kiss goodnight,” he sang in a soft baritone, “how I’ll hate going out in the storm, but if you really hold me tight, all the way home I’ll be warm.”

She rolled her eyes, but he saw the smile that draped her face. A moment later, she turned back toward the street with a dejected little sigh. They stood in silence for a minute. “…And heaven and nature sing. And heaven and nature sing. And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.”

“It’s really coming down,” she finally said looking up at the streetlight across from them.

“Aye,” he answered with a smile. “We’ll have a fine blanket come Christmas morning.”

“Great,” she said with a grimace. “Just what I wanted for Christmas.”

“Oh come on love,” he said, turning her back toward him. “Surely there was a time you liked snow.”

He expected a witty retort, but instead she dropped her eyes and turned back toward the street. “I do remember one day,” she finally responded. “I was about six. I’d been living with a foster family for almost three years. They were great; I really thought they would adopt me. One day, it was close to Christmas, I remember, my foster dad took my foster brother and me out to play in the snow. We made the biggest snowman I had ever seen. We made snow angels, had a snowball fight, the whole nine yards. Later, we went in and my foster mom had made us a big pot of hot chocolate.”

Emma fell silent, and Hook waited. He heard the pain in her voice and softly began rubbing her shoulder. She leaned into his touch. “…holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace.”

“What then, love?” Hook asked after a moment. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer.

“The next morning, my foster dad disappeared,” she answered, and he saw the tears in her eyes. “They never found him; no one knows what happened. Well, my foster mom kinda fell apart. She couldn’t afford to take care of two children, so it was back into the system for me.”

Hook closed his eyes. It must have been devastating for a little girl to lose the only family she had ever known. Turning her once more to face him, he wrapped her in a hug. She resisted for a moment, and then he felt her arms wrap around him.

“I think it’s time we make a new memory surrounding snow,” Hook said after a moment. She pulled away from him and looked questioningly up into his face.

“Yeah?” she asked, “and what would that be?”

Hook grinned. “Well, love. I propose we go play in the snow tomorrow.”

“Play in the snow?” she asked with a raised eyebrow, “Really?”

“Aye, lass,” he smiled at her, “We can bring Henry.”

“And what exactly would we ‘play’ in the snow?”

“First,” he answered, with a wicked grin, “We make a devastatingly handsome snowman with a hook. Then we make a beautiful blonde snow maiden looking adoringly up at him.”

“Are you sure the blonde isn’t rolling her eyes at him?” Emma asked with a grin. “Sounds more true to life.”

Hook put his hand to his heart and staggered as though mortally injured. “You wound me, lass.”

“Hmm,” she said grinning, “that might play to your advantage.”

“Aye? And how is that?”

“Well,” she said with a grin, “if you’re injured you’ll need someone to take care of you.”

Was the lady actually flirting with him? His grin blossomed into a full blown smile. She smiled back for a moment and then turned back to the street. He heard a defeated sigh.

“What’s troubling you, love?” he asked. She didn’t answer for so long he thought she was deliberately ignoring him. The nuns started up a new carol. When blossoms flowered 'mid the snow…

Finally she turned back toward him. “It’s just…” she made a helpless little gesture with her hands. “I don’t know…Every single time it looks like things are starting to work out, like good is going to succeed, like the bad guys are going to get defeated, like we might get a bit of peace and happiness, something else happens. Someone casts a curse, or kidnaps a kid, or…”

“Or disappears sending you back into the system…or turns you in to the police for his crimes…or sends you off to another realm with no more protection than a seven-year-old lad so that you can come back and be the savior?”

“Yeah,” she said, and he saw the tears brimming in her eyes. One escaped and slid down her cheek. Raising his hand, he tenderly wiped it away.

“Emma, love,” he said, his voice going deep and gravelly, “I can’t promise you peace and happiness, but I can promise to always be beside you, helping you, protecting you and those you love. You need never fear I’ll abandon you.”

She whirled away from him and started pacing. The lass was seething. “Yeah?” she snarled at him. “I’ve heard that before. 'I love you, Emma.’ 'You’re like our own daughter, Emma.’ 'Let’s go to Tallahassee, Emma.’ 'We just wanted to give you your best chance, Emma.’ It’s crap! All of it!”

“You doubt me, lass? Even after Camelot?” he asked and was ashamed to hear the pain in his voice.

She stopped and looked back at him. The first Noel the angels did sing…

“No,” she finally answered, “the hell of it is that I don’t doubt you. You’ve proven again and again that you will do anything for me…even at your own expense. But Hook, you’re not indestructable. What if you disappear? Or are kidnapped? Or are killed?”

Hook’s heart swelled. That was real feeling in her voice. The lass was a lot further gone than she thought. He cupped her face with his good hand again.

“Love,” he answered meaning the word with all his heart, “as I said, I can’t promise you nothing terrible will happen, but for today, for this moment all is well. Perhaps, all one can do is create the good memories to be our solace in times of distress.”

She looked up at him for several moments and then slowly nodded, briskly swiping her hands across her damp cheeks.

“So about those snowmen…?” he asked playfully.

“Henry and I will be ready bright and early tomorrow morning,” She answered with a smile.

For the first time in nearly as long as she could remember, Emma felt hope. It was hope that she found shining out of Hook’s blue eyes as he smiled at her.

“I’ve got a gift for you, love,” Hook said, holding out a small, thin box.

“Oh,” Emma said ruefully, “Hook, I didn’t get you anything.”

He smiled gently. “It’s no matter, Emma. I have no need of gifts.” He held the box out to her again, and she reached for it automatically. Lifting the lid, she saw a silver necklace with an opal and silver swan pendant. Emma ran her finger over the jewel.

“It’s beautiful,” she said softly.

“Aye,” he answered looking at her. “It is beautiful, and strong and graceful. Much like you.”

She looked down and then met his eyes. “Is that really how you see me?”

“Aye, lass,” he said gently. “Indeed it is.”

Il est ne le divin enfant… It seemed the nuns had decided to venture into French carols.

“Thank you, Hook,” she said simply. “Well, I don’t hear any yelling, so that probably means they’ve either stopped fighting…or killed each other. Either way, I suppose we should go back in.”

“A moment more lass,” Hook said. That pirate grin of his was back.

“What?” she asked warily. She had come to know that tone in his voice, and it meant trouble.

“Well, love,” he said with a raise of his eyebrow, “I think it is only right that we follow holiday tradition.”

“Exactly what holiday tradition might that be?” she asked. He pointed to a spot over her head. She looked up and saw a sprig of mistletoe hanging right above the two of them.

“You’re terrible, you know that?” she asked with a smile and a slight shake of her head.

“Perhaps so,” he answered playfully, “but your mother has her heart set on her family following the traditions this year. What manner of a daughter would you be if you were to blatantly deny her greatest Christmas wish?”

Her breath caught and her heart began to pound. Well, why not?

“Well, in the spirit of Christmas tradition…” she said with a little wave of her hand.

He looked surprised for a moment, then the grin was back. She was determined she wouldn’t let his kiss affect her, she wouldn’t! Then his lips settled against hers and all rational thought fled. All that existed was this man and the sensations he aroused in her. Her arms wrapped around his neck. She tangled her fingers in his hair, pressing closer, closer. She could never be close enough. She blossomed for him like a flower in a spring rain. The kiss went on and on. It lasted forever; it ended far too soon.

Finally, with a groan, he pulled his lips from hers.

“Emma, love…” he breathed. She couldn’t say a word if her life were on the line. She was glad his arms were still around her because her legs felt like jelly. If he were to release her, she would melt into a puddle at his feet.

Hook took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the charming rogue was back.

“Well, love,” he said gently rubbing her back. “I had it on good authority that the last time was a one-time thing. It seems I’ve just experienced a Christmas miracle!”

She rolled her eyes, but didn’t pull away. Though it scared her half to death, she couldn’t deny it any more. Being in his arms felt like…home.

“Well, don’t get too used to it buddy,” she said. Her voice didn’t sound convincing even to her.

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it, love,” he said with a raise of one eyebrow. “After all, I’d have to wait an entire year for another Christmas miracle.”

“Very true,” she said with a grin, “But there are a lot of holidays between now and then.”

He laughed. “I like the way you think, Emma. I like the way you think!”

NEXT CHAPTER->

[gaiaseyes451]

My Good Omens Fics

**My personal favorites. If you're looking for one to read, try one of these.

New WIP! Night Blooms - E, 9/10 Chapters, updates weekly. I found a strange flower in your garden that smelled incredible and tasted just as good. Only, now I can’t stop dreaming about you...

Star-Crossed - M, <1k Poem. The path to Hell is not paved with good intention. I ought to know, I laid it.

Minor Miracle - E, 4,7k. Aziraphale and Crowley both performed miracles on Aziraphale's wastepaper basket. Crowley was enjoying his covert snooping until sketches of a tall, slender figure with sharp features began to appear. A gift for @kotias

Cardamom & Clove - E, 4k. South Downs domesticity. Late one winter night Aziraphale convinces Crowley to play in the snow.

Lavender & Thyme** - G, 2k. South Downs domesticity. One autumn afternoon Crowley sits at the old upright piano in the cottage. Aziraphale joins him.

Coriander & Mint** - E, 4k. South Downs domesticity. Aziraphale is making brunch late one summer morning. Crowley helps.

Sage & Rose - T, 2k. South Downs domestic fluff. Aziraphale and Crowley share coffee and tea in their garden.

Breathless - E, 4k. Crowley has shown an interest in breathplay. Aziraphale takes full advantage of all the unique abilities of his demon’s corporation.

Where There is Smoke** - E, 4.5k. Aziraphale and Crowley helped limit the loss of life in The Great Fire of London in 1666, but the work left Aziraphale’s wings rather a mess. A gift for @kneelbeforeyourdogbabylon

The Saint of Lost Things** - E, 15.5k. Water is only as holy as the hands that bless it. If the good Father sought to grasp flesh beyond the body of Christ with his fingertips, if he wanted to feel the weight of more than wafers on his tongue… Well, a demon could practically drink water blessed by those hands. A gift for @hakunahistata

Dream of Me - T, 2.2k. After the Almost Apocalypse Aziraphale and Crowley begin to settle into their new existence on a side of their own. One evening Crowley turns up at the bookshop with nothing but a plan and hope. A gift for @adverbian

Ostinato** - E, 11k. Since ascending Aziraphale has not answered any of Crowley's attempts to contact him through conventional methods. Crowley uncovers an ancient summoning ritual discovered by humans, rooted in magic and steeped in the power of music. If the angel will not respond to Crowley willingly, then the Supreme Archangel will not be given a choice. Written for the High Pollen Event.

A Little Life**- E, 71k. Human AU following Professor Anthony Crowley and bookshop owner Ezra Fell as they build a life together and everything that entails. Mind the tags. Written for Good Omens Song & Poetry Exchange for @fuzzygoblin

Fractured - (First story in Before Eden There was a Garden series) T, 2.3k. Following Aziraphale immediately after the war in Heaven as he searches for someone and slowly forgets. Written for r/GoodOmensAfterDark Angst War.

Shatter - (Second story in Before Eden There was a Garden series) T, 2.7k. Following The Starmaker immediately after the war in Heaven as he is forced to remember. Companion to Fractured. Written for r/GoodOmensAfterDark Angst War.

Return to Eden (Final story in Before Eden There was a Garden series) E, 14k. After The Second Coming Aziraphale and Crowley are trying to pick up the pieces when Aziraphale begins having nightmares that seem all too real. Resolves Fractured and Shatter. Written for the Ineffable Smut War of 2024.

Choice** - E, 4.9k. An unidentified narrator tells his side of the story of life in Heaven before there was Hell. Written for the Ineffable Smut War of 2024.

Of Kings and Kids - T, 13k. A Very Good Omens Christmas where the Ineffables are involved in Jesus' birth.

A Carol Conversation - M, 5k. Crowley uses a Christmas Carol scavenger hunt to finally Talk About It. Written for r/GoodOmensAfterDark Secret Santa 2023

Collaborative Authorships:

Grief of a Dying Sun - E, 75k, Mind the Tags! Part 3 of a the larger The Serpent and The Owl Epic Fic. A fantasy AU that will end as it began: in the stars.

Coming Home - A Choose Your Own Adventure Story - E, 117k. Over 30 authors created a Choose Your Own Adventure fic for our ineffables to finally get down to business in the South Downs. Where will your choices take them?

Autumn Leaves, Spring Flowers - T, Multimedia fic written for @the-literal-kj based on their community theatre fic, Show the Way. A Collaboration with @hakunahistata and @angie-words

[queen-ofsunflowers]

Lives on the Line; Winner Takes All - Chapter 9 Preview

The Key

Everyone stood still as they emerged from the Abyss, eyes wide and speechless. The floors of the Iwatodai dormitory were completely cracked. Large fissures of light were bursting out of them. What… happened?!

“This is bad,” said Metis, making her way through the cracks to the other side of the room. Aigis could hear her mechanisms whirring as she scanned the energy seeping out from them. “The Abyss is becoming unstable. We still have time before it collapses, but not enough. If this fault makes it to the door, we may not be able to leave, even with the keys.”

Akihiko clicked his tongue, weaving around the floorboards himself just to get to the sofas like everyone else. “It’s just one thing after another, isn’t it?”

“So…” Junpei huffed as he plopped down on one of the lounge’s sofas. Somehow, the furniture had been spared from the fissures. “What’s the plan? I mean… no one is seriously thinking about going back to the past, right?”

No one said anything. The silence in the room was astounding. Though, Aigis hadn’t expected anything beyond that. Their current situation was one that very few had the opportunity to debate when they were capable of doing so. But transcending time… Breaking one of the laws of magic without seemingly any consequence…

“Um…” Ken said, staring down at his feet. “I’ve been thinking… Why do you think this happened? If Ryoji-senpai is right—”

“Which I am,” cut in Ryoji.

“Then who hurt Minato-senpai and Kotone-senpai? We still haven’t figured that out.” That… was a good question… and a good way to avoid talking about the heavy topic they were actually here to speak about.

“Well… that’s…” Junpei said, scratching the back of his neck, “uh…” It didn’t help the fact that it was Ken who had asked the question.

“Personally…” Ken began swinging his legs back and forth. “I think it’s because they accomplished that miracle. How they saved us and almost lost their lives. It doesn’t seem right that someone’s trying to hurt them.”

“Or undo what they did,” added Ryoji. Undo? “Think about it. Why else would anyone target those two specifically? Minato and Kotone were the ones responsible for casting the Great Seal and sealing away Nyx in the first place.”

“We’ve all seen what kind of resolve it takes to face death,” mused Akihiko, resting his cheek against his fist as he leaned against the sofa’s arm. “That resolve, and what it brought… there’s no way that we can let someone cancel all that out because of their own whim.” Several members of the team hummed in agreement. Minato and Kotone had put a great deal on the line when they chose to face Nyx and seal her away on their own. Someone’s desire to undo it when they had taken a big risk…

Aigis was fairly certain that she could feel a bit of the sensation of anger forming in her circuits.

“Yukari,” said Mitsuru, turning to the half-harpy that sat down beside her. “You’ve been awfully quiet.”

“I…” Yukari sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t know. I kept thinking that maybe… I don’t blame them. Whoever’s trying to do this. I keep thinking about going back in time. Before the last battle.”

The full chapter will be up on Ao3 on March 29th!

[kitty-is-writing]

✍🏻 WIP snippet ✍🏻

for your reading pleasure, here is a brief snippet of Forgotten Magic chapter 9, in which Mayor Cassandra Miller is really flipping her shit.

She had tried so hard to protect everyone, to make sure the outside world didn’t infect this place. Why was everything falling apart? Her family had abandoned her, the town was in shambles, that little upstart Astrid was leading half of those who remained in an attempt to overthrow her. If she had just been able to keep those damn newcomers under control, none of this would have happened! Maybe her best efforts hadn’t been good enough, then?

She had promised, though! After losing Carol, she had sworn to herself that she would not let anyone else fall victim to those lies about the world. So much nonsense about how grand and wondrous it all was, when it only sought to destroy anything that didn’t fit in. The only way to keep everyone here safe was to shut it all out, to hold the rest at bay and refuse all contact. Let the world have its mechanical follies! They shunned magic so long ago, now magic would shun them!

But the town had dwindled, people had grown old and passed away, and less children were there to grow up and produce the next generation. Those few there were had been magically weak, with some showing no power at all. The opening of the ancient gateway had seemed a miracle, the return of those original magical bloodlines lost when the town was still a ragged camp of misfits, and she had welcomed them with open arms.

Perhaps that had been a mistake. Instead of showing gratitude, they had betrayed the town and fled the valley, hiding somewhere out there, beyond her reach.

They would have stayed if you hadn’t tried to brainwash them, Cass.

“Who’s there?” She whirled around, trying to locate the source of that intrusive voice. “Show yourself!”

taglist: @eli-t-spoon @write-with-will

[anenvs3000f24]

Unit 9 Blog

Nature holds countless wonders that continue to amaze and inspire us, but if I had to highlight one particularly astonishing phenomenon, it would be the mysterious and awe-inspiring world of bioluminescence. The idea of organisms creating their own light feels almost magical, as if nature has embedded secret, living lanterns within its ecosystems. This biological marvel connects the gap between the extraordinary and the everyday, bringing an element of the fictitious to the real world. Let’s dive into what makes bioluminescence so incredible and how it reveals the complex artistry of nature. Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by living organisms, a trait seen in creatures such as fireflies, certain types of fungi, and deep-sea dwellers like jellyfish and anglerfish. The most fascinating thing about this phenomena is that it is an evolutionary marvel that performs vital survival functions rather than only being a beautiful display. For instance, fireflies use their rhythmic flashes to attract potential partners. Each species has a unique pattern that functions as a kind of coded language. In the huge, dark ocean where sunlight never reaches, deep-sea fish use their glow to communicate or attract prey. Imagine being submerged in total darkness, where the only light comes from living organisms. The primary source of light in the deep water is bioluminescence, which takes the role of the sun. The anglerfish is an excellent example of adaptation fulfilling a need thanks to its bioluminescent lure. In addition to being a tool for predators, this light represents life's resilience by demonstrating that even in the most hostile and severe conditions, nature manages to endure and flourish. The biological foundation of this natural miracle adds to its amazingness. A chemical known as luciferin reacts with oxygen to produce light in this reaction. The process, which is made possible by the enzyme luciferase, is a very effective way to transfer energy because it virtually never loses heat. The fact that this efficiency outperforms artificial light sources acts as a reminder that even the most advanced technology can still learn a lot from the inventions of nature. Bioluminescence and nature also find their way into our art and society. Consider the vivid descriptions of people discovering luminous mushrooms in enchanted woodlands in books or the frequent usage of glowing components to generate wonder in movies. The sense of wonder and excitement that bioluminescence evokes in the human mind is captured in these depictions. This mutually beneficial relationship between nature and art is a reflection of the chapters we have read that highlight the need of interpretation in creating a comprehensive understanding of environmental phenomena. The basic concept of bioluminescence teaches us that nature’s greatest feats are often its most purposeful. Our course's discussion of nature's innate inventiveness is closely related to how these species use light for communication, hunting, and survival. Chapter 8 emphasized how, in order to properly understand natural wonders, we must communicate both their aesthetic appeal and their practical use. We reach a basic function of environmental interpretation by analyzing phenomena such as bioluminescence to enhance comprehension and generate amazement that goes beyond a quick look. Bioluminescence, in all its forms, is a testament to the marvels hidden within the natural world. It challenges us to look closer, to learn, and to interpret.

[yourcoolfriendwithallthecandy]

Magic and Miracles and BEYOND Chapter 9

FINALLY I’m able to show you chapter 9. I’ve been sitting on this FOR A YEAR. Ahhh, and finally I’m able to show it to you. Just so you know, there is a miscarrage scene at the end, so be mindful of that. @the-immortal-marshal and I agreed that the baby (who was less than 12 weeks) wouldn’t make it BUT THE DOG WOULD. So Baxter LIVES. (And don’t worry Luche will give Ada another baby soon enough, it’ll be ok). Also I was listening to ‘Bodies’ by Drowning Pool while I wrote this originally. Enjoy. 

AO3

Chapter 9

Meanwhile Cor heard the gunshot and came running out of the house and yelled for Ada at the top of his lungs before a neighbor yelled at him from the next street over, they had just been passing by their front window when they heard the gunshot, just in time to see Ada kidnapped by a black van as Baxter lay on the ground crying and whimpering and bleeding from getting shot. The neighbor’s wrapped Baxter in towels to try to stop the bleeding, they had already called 911 and Cor was already on the phone with Clarus. Within moments that felt like hours, Gladio and Clarus were there, only partially in uniform but already getting their gear on.

“I have a vet on standby, get to the hospital!” Sylva ordered as she was getting changed out of her business suit into her own gear as she texted Hazel.

Meanwhile Hazel was in the middle of putting dinner away before her phone and Titus’ phone went off at the same time before their phones shut off.

“Oh no, Titus, hide.” Hazel breathed as Titus was already getting the gun out of the hidden holster under the counter top before she pushed him into the bedroom in time to have Gilgamesh himself arrive at her door.

“You are needed Noble Consort WitchHazel. Your Empress needs you, I have been informed she was taken into custody only an hour ago by Warhorn Lion. You will get her out and get her to this address as fast as you can. How many henchmen will you need?” He asked in Mandarin as he came into her apartment and she shut the door as he gave her slip of paper with an address written on it.

“This is the last time I will be your Noble Consort and this is the last time I will serve my Emperor and Empress, I don’t need your henchmen, I have an army of my own because tonight, you will leave the country, Sylva Nox Fleuret will allow you to borrow her jet and take you and the Empress wherever you want to go and she will fly the chopper there herself, I will trade the Empress for Ada, do not harm her.” Hazel demanded.

“I will trade you Ada for the Empress, after you free her.” Gil bargained.

“Deal,” Hazel agreed.

“For every hour you take, Ada will receive a strike.” Gil put to her before he left and disappeared.

Hazel ran for the bedroom and got her bags out of the hiding place.

“What’s happened?” Titus asked as he got his combat boots on.

“Cor arrested my sister and has her detained, in retaliation- Gil has Ada and I was able to barter her life for Charlie’s, for every hour I take, Ada will get a strike, aka get beaten. If I take more than three hours, Ada won’t survive the beatings he’ll give her.” Hazel answered as she got dressed in her WitchHazel gear before she threw a face mask at Titus and handed him a set of her gear which fit Titus as if it was custom made for him.

“Come on, we got to get dressed and go to the hospital.” Hazel ordered.

“The hospital?!” Titus asked in confusion.

“Sylva knows, she’s helping me, I need to go there and get a plan together.” Hazel answered as she finished getting ready at about the same time Titus did.

“I’ll drive.” Titus offered as he grabbed the keys to her SUV and drove to the hospital and once driving he reached over and held Hazel’s hand as she did her best to keep them from shaking.

“Hazel, if we live through this, I’m marrying you.” Titus informed her which pulled Hazel from her dark thoughts as he kissed the back of her hand as he did his best not to shake either as he weaved through traffic to get there as fast as he could.

“Ok,” Hazel agreed with a small she was afraid to show all the way.

“And I’ll give you all the kids you want.” Titus added.

“Deal.” Hazel nodded before they arrived at the hospital as Titus drove to the top level where Sylva’s car and entrance was while Sylva was already geared up herself as Regis was pleading with Clarus and Cor to come there and several minutes after Titus and Hazel came, Cor, Gladio and Clarus came as Yasmine, Pashmina, Stella and Luna came in to operate on Baxter using the mini operating room next to Sylva’s office. Nyx and Ravus were both sitting on the couch, waiting to get orders while Selena worked on making sure everyone had alibis and was covered legally. Pelna became acquainted with the tech Hazel brought in so he could be her set of electronic eyes as he gained access to the city’s systems while Tredd, Hazel and Sylva talked over how to break into the US Marshal’s office while Titus listened attentively.

“What the fuck?!” Cor cursed when he saw everyone as Gladio frowned in confusion before he came over to Nyx and Rauvs and asked what was going on.

“Cor! Come here now, if you want to save Ada, this is the only way we can do it and walk away with our lives.” Sylva ordered as Cor came over and looked at the plans of his office.

“What the fuck is going on?” Cor demanded.

“You arrested The Empress. Now Gilgamesh has Ada and is holding her hostage until The Empress is returned to him safely, every hour we take Ada will receive a beating, she won’t last three hours. Now, you need to give up every idea you have of ever catching Gilgamesh and keeping The Empress and they will never face justice. You knew Gil put his sights on Ada if you got too close. You knew that before we even left this summer.” Hazel challenged angrily as Cor stared at her in disbelief. There should have been no way she knew that much. Unless...

“Cor, meet WitchHazel.” Sylva announced as she gestured to Hazel as everyone’s eyes got wide with realization except for those who already knew.

“The Empress is her sister Cor. It’s family. This is officially family business. Are you really going to sacrifice all of us just to get him?” Titus asked as Cor blinked as everyone stared questioningly at him.

“The only way all of us walk away from this with our lives is if we give Gilgamesh what he wants. And he wants The Empress so we are going to give her to him. It’s the only way, if you order a swat team, by the time they get ready and mobile she will already be dead.” Sylva argued. “So help us, help us get Ada back alive, and let’s just go on with our lives the best we can.” Sylva urged. “Or would you rather try to open fire and have that sniper on the building behind me a chance to kill you himself?” Sylva gestured to the wall of glass as Tredd simply stepped to the side so that Cor had a clear view of the windows lining the outside wall.

“Fine.” Cor finally caved as he finally kicked into gear and they all stood over Sylva’s desk where the plans were as Cor and Clarus both orchestrated how they were going to do this from their side as Hazel figured out how she was going to get in, get Charlotte to the roof so that Sylva could pick them up and fly them to the airport.

Within minutes they had a plan and put it into motion with Gladio, Nyx and Ravus being the drivers. They drove to the US Marshlal’s office and once there Tredd giddily help Hazel and Titus attach C4 to the back door while Pelna walked Nyx and Ravus through all the wiring to the building and on Hazel’s count Tredd aimed a granade launcher at the transformer while Gladio and Clarus kept watch at either end of the alley.

“On my count, 3...2...1…” Hazel counted down as she armed the detonator.

Meanwhile Charlotte simply sat at the interrogation table, idly cleaning out her nails that she had just gotten done when she had gotten ambushed and all of her bodyguards killed, such a pitiable waste, she had gotten to like those particular body guards, oh well, her Emperor would replace them soon enough. She was also calmly ignoring the guy on the other side of her that was practically screaming at her to talk, how he had enough on her to get her the death penalty blah blah blah, she wasn’t really paying attention. She knew the guy with him was one of the moles as he casually leaned against the wall so she was in no real danger as she mentally wondered what was taking her sister so long to get to her and let the poor guy make a fool of himself before the mole got a text right before the back door exploded off, the lights went out and the mole shot the guy in the head.

“My apologies Empress, WitchHazel has finally arrived.” He apologized as the emergency lights came on and he used the red flashing lights to unlock her handcuffs.

“Took her long enough.” Charlotte huffed as he then led her out of the room to the hallway as Hazel, Titus and Cor came down the hallway as Charlotte started giggling to see it was Cor of all people with her sister.

“How’d you manage this?” Charlotte asked in Mandarin.

“A Miracle.” Hazel answered as she took her sister’s hand and made for a run for the stairs as Titus and Cor covered for them just as they could hear the helicopter come to the roof as Sylva landed it as Hazel and Charlotte came to the roof with Titus and Cor coming before they all came onboard and got the special headphones put on before Sylva flew them to the airport and landed next to her jet as Hazel had to put her gun to Cor’s head to make sure he didn’t try anything like trying to go after Gil now that he could see him as Gilgamesh simply smiled smugly as he offered his hand to Charlotte so she could board the plane with him and his generals before it took off and once they were in the air Hazel got a text, the address where Ada was being held before Sylva flew there and landed on the roof of the building, Clarus making sure the Sheriff’s office didn’t interfere at all as Gladio drove the boys back to the hospital to regroup. The building still had the last of the henchman leaving but Cor killed all of them and kicked their asses with such fury all he saw was red before Hazel, Titus and Cor both searched the building to find the rest of it empty except for Ada who had been tied to a chair, bloodied, bruised and a black bag over her head and was unconscious as Cor got to her first and cut her free before he took the bag off her head to see her mouth duct taped shut and her eyes swollen shut, she got beat to hell and she had only been gone for an hour and a half.

“Cor.” Hazel breathed as she noticed all the blood coming from between Ada’s legs as she pointed it out to Cor and Titus who both gulped.

“Come on, we need to get out of here.” Titus urged as Cor picked Ada up and in an adrenaline fueled burst of energy ran with her all the way back to the roof as he did his best to assure her she was ok as he loaded her onto the helicopter as Sylva flew them back to the hospital where her best team was waiting for them. Once the medical team was taking care of Ada, Sylva met back up with everyone in her office to go over alibis and to get the “official story” straight before everyone went their separate ways.

Four hours later, Ada woke up in the hospital, her head hurt, hell her whole body hurt but more importantly, her belly hurt, oh yeah she had gotten kicked, repeatedly. She could feel the cuts to her lip and face. God she could feel the trauma start to burn itself into her memory. God that was so horrific.

She needed him...Then her brain supplied her two pictures, one of Cor and the other of Luche and she immediately started to cry.

“Love?” Cor asked when his head lifted from where it was resting next to her on the bed when he heard her weak cry and squeezed her hand that he had been holding with both of his and smiled in relief when she squeezed back.

“Am I in hospital?” Ada asked shakily as she fought to open her eyes, they were so swollen.

“Yeah, I’m so sorry Love, I didn’t think...I never wanted...they weren’t supposed to...” Cor tried to apologize but the words got garbled by his emotions and he couldn’t make himself finish the thought out loud because he wanted to say all of them at the same time.

Ada opened her eyes and saw how Cor looked how she felt, like shit, stitched up and bruised and starting to scab up already. His shirt was ripped and bloodied too. He hadn’t even changed since the fight.

“What time is it?” Ada asked, it felt like the middle of the night and that she needed to sleep for 12 more hours at least. Her throat was dry and felt like broken glass.

“It’s 2 am, you’ve only been here for a few hours.” Cor assured her.

“You look awful Love,” Ada croaked as she reached out with her other hand that had an IV in it and tried to stroke his face with it while trying not to touch any of his new wounds.

“I’m fine,” Cor dismissed but leaned into her touch all the same. God he could have lost her, she could have died, she could have been seriously hurt. Well, more than she already was.

“Why are my legs wet and sticky?” Ada asked as she felt a hot wet slick and sticky substance between her legs, did she get stabbed?

Cor sniffed and smelled blood, a lot of it. He pulled up the covers off her legs and realized she was sitting in a pool of blood, he had thought it was just a stab wound before but that was already fixed.

“Nurse!” Cor yelled as he immediately got to his feet and bolted for the door as Ada found the call button on the remote and pressed the nurse button.

“Can I help you?” The nurse asked.

“Hi, I’m sitting in a pool of blood?” Ada tried not freak out, fuck that was A LOT of blood, like, she just had two periods at the same time kind of blood before Cor managed to grab a nurse and drag her into the room.

“Oh, that’s not good, get out!” She ordered Cor before pushing him out of the room. “Need a doctor in 9 STAT!” She bellowed before a doctor and two more nurses rushed into the room and pulled the blankets down as Ada carefully spread her legs, and when she did another waive of blood started to pour from her vagina, completely destroying her underwear.

“Oh my lord sweetie, were you pregnant?” The lead nurse asked as she realized and recognized what was happening.

“I...I didn’t think...” Ada stammered in shock.

“You’re having a miscarriage, I’m so sorry.” The doctor tried to delicately and gently inform her before he punched in new codes into the computer in the room.

“I’ll get some towels and we can start to get you cleaned up, we’re so sorry sweetie.” The lead nurse apologized as she touched and squeezed Ada’s arm comfortingly before the other nurse got into the cabinet and got all that there was and got a warm washcloth before helping Ada out of her bloody underwear as she started to cry and really understand what was happening before all the floodgates were opened and she started bawling her eyes out. The nurse was able to get her out of bed and into a special pair of underwear that they gave pregnant women after labor to catch all the blood before having her sit down in the chair Cor had taken up residence in as she continued to cry as she changed the bedding and put more pads down on before helping Ada get back into a clean and fresh bed and by this point Ada was near inconsolable.

“Can you, can you tell him?” Ada asked, not sure if she had the strength to tell Cor she just lost their baby that she had no idea she had been carrying in the first place.

“If you want me to, of course.” She readily agreed. “I’ll be right back with warm blankets ok?” She offered.

“Then let him back in.” Ada directed.

“Will do.” She nodded as she put the soiled linens in the appropriate bin before taking her gloves off and washing her hands before leaving the room while the other nurse got Ada fresh warm blankets. Cor looked ready to hurl from worry and grief.

“Can you tell me what’s going on? Please?” Cor begged.

“She’ll be ok, she’s having a miscarriage, you’ll need to go easy on her and be extra gentle with her ok? Did you know she was expecting?” She asked thoughtfully and Cor looked just as shocked as Ada had been as he put both hands over his mouth and shook his head no.

“Can I uh…?” Cor tried to ask as he gestured to the room, his head swimming and his heart breaking all over again and she gestured for him to go right on into the room and Cor practically ran into the room and sat on the bed and pulled Ada into his arms and cried with her as she bawled into his chest.

“Love I’m so sorry, I didn’t know!” Ada tried to apologize as Cor shook his head no.

“Listen to me Ada, this isn’t your fault, none of this, not a single fucking thing is your fault ok? It’s mine, it’s all mine, I was reckless and stupid and you’re paying the price for my stupidity. I’m so sorry Love, I’m so sorry.” Cor apologized as he cried into her shoulder as he held her in his arms and rocked her and just whispered how sorry he was to her over and over again and told her over and over again how much he loved her and how this was never going to happen again until Ada cried herself to sleep until they were moved to an actual hospital room.

[methylsalicylate]

The Madrigals and The Beast Ch 2

AO3 Link | Story art by @waokevale | Tag: #Madrigals&Beast

Chapters:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20

Summary:

In the Kingdom of Encanto, there was only Light magic, while the Dark surrounded the forest beyond the mountains. Everything had been prosperous for them, but recently the Dark has been seeping through in the form of disease, less harvest, and dead livestock.

Mirabel, the only giftless princess of the Madrigal Royal family, wants to prove her worth by making it her mission to eradicate Dark magic and restore the full power of the Light.

Starting with defeating the hideous seven-foot tall half human half rat monster hiding in the depths of the dense forest.

______________________________________________________________

“I’m leaving the Encanto.”

Right after this sudden declaration, princess Pepa’s oldest son Camilo choked on a piece of bread. He vehemently coughed for a few seconds, while his younger cousin rolled her eyes at how dramatic he was being.

Cough Cof KAF cough!!

Five seconds passed. “Are you done suffering?”

The shapeshifting teen shushed her cousin, holding up a finger. “Wait, let me cough some more to show how ridiculous that sentence was. Cough KOUgH!”

Mirabel rolled her eyes a second time. She grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the road outside their house. “I don’t know why I put up with you.”

“Wait where are we going?”

She looked back at her cousin and motioned a hand towards her ear.

Oh Dolores, thought Camilo.

When they were far enough (which probably doesn’t help since Dolores can hear things from miles away), Mirabel placed her cousin on a log near the entrance of the town.

“I said, I’m leaving the Encanto.”

“Yeah, I heard that the first time and sorry for being a bit dramatic but WHAT?!” her cousin shot up, and waved his hands around. “That doesn’t make any sense! There are at least 48 bedtime stories on why we are absolutely not allowed out there! Do you want to get eaten by the Rat monster?”

“No, but we need to defeat him!”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Listen!” Mirabel whispered, closing the distance between her and Camilo’s ear, trying to avoid onlookers from hearing her. “Last night, after Antonio’s door party, I noticed cracks in Casita.”

“Yeah, but they were gone when -”

“SHUSH! Yes I know they disappeared, but I overheard abuela talking to her picture of abuelo Pedro last night. She says that something is happening beyond the forest and it’s affecting the Light magic within, and that she is at a loss at what to do.”

Camilo gave her a confused look. “So… so you think that defeating the Rat monster would help?”

“Yes, exactly!” Mirabel started pacing back and forth, hand on her chin and eyes full of focus. “I also talked to Luisa earlier, she told me that she does feel the Light magic disappear for a few seconds at a time. There are also problems around the kingdom; the rat infestation on our fields has gotten worse, and more people are needing Mama’s food for some unknown contagious disease… Don’t you see, something is happening to the magic!”

Mirabel felt her cousin grab her by the shoulders, putting a stop to her thoughts. He looked her in the eye and motioned for her to sit beside him on the log.

“Prima, we need to think about this, ok? Don’t just jump to weird conclusions like that.”

“But you do understand, right?” She sat down heavily next to him, resting her head on her hands. “Camilo, the Dark magic feels stronger these days. I’m not sure what’s causing it, but I know that it could be trouble if we don’t do something about it.”

“Yes but why does it have to be you?”

There was no doubt about how Mirabel felt about the magic. Unlike her sisters and cousins, she was the only one who was not blessed by the Spirit of Encanto with a miracle. On the day of her ceremony, the magical door disappeared before her and most of the kingdom. Her Abuela looked concerned and she knew that the adults talked about it often. Over time, the lack of a magical talent made her feel as if she was not a Madrigal.

“You don’t have to prove your worth, Mira.”

“But! I just want to do something for the family, in my own way. I know I haven’t been of much help - “

“Not true.”

“- and I think that this might actually get me somewhere! I don’t want to see my family lose their magical gift… and I am afraid of what might happen if we let the situation get worse.”

She turned to her cousin, using her ever powerful puppy dog eyes.

“Oh no, that no longer works on me Mirabel.”

“Camilo please!” she begged. “I need you to cover for me, just for like, two to three days? I’ll be back right away, in one piece I swear!”

“How are you even going to get to the Rat guy? Going up the mountain would take weeks!”

“Ah, I already have a plan for that.” She adjusted her glasses and pointed at a farm at the edge of town. “The rats have to come from somewhere.”

“So you will follow the rats.”

“Yes.”

“And when you see the giant Rat monster? What then?”

The girl merely shrugged. “I won’t approach him, I will just observe enough to know his weaknesses. And then I come back, and we can hatch a plan. We can involve the whole village even! As they say, the more the merrier. There’s no way the Rat monster could handle an entire kingdom.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Crazy enough to try and save everyone!” Mirabel stood up, and dusted her embroidered blue skirt. “So, what do you say primo? Are you willing to help out?”

“There’s nothing I can do to stop you, huh?”

“Yep.”

Camilo sighed heavily. It lasted for around 3 seconds, again, to prove how much he hated this. He thought about it for a while. Technically, it is impossible to go across the mountains around the border. Most likely her cousin would give up after a day and come home safe. “I will give you two days. After that, I’m telling everyone.”

“Deal!”

—--------------------------------------------------—

Meanwhile, the adults of the family were gathered in Casita. The husbands were busy with work in town, leaving the sisters with their mother in the kitchen.

“I heard that Señor Carlos lost a fifth of his harvest to the rats today”, said Julieta. Her hands were busy preparing arepas but her thoughts were somewhere else.

Alma shook her head. Ever since this year started, things have gradually gone downhill. Harvests weren’t as bountiful as before, they weren’t getting enough fish from the rivers, livestock were getting sick.

Worst of all, some townsfolk are afflicted with an unknown disease. Thankfully, Julieta’s preparations are able to alleviate symptoms, but the slow and steady rise in the number of cases is worrisome.

Pepa was leaning against the counter, arms across her chest. “Mama, at this point we cannot deny that something is happening.”

“I know mija. I fear that the Dark might eventually overcome the protective borders that we have…”

“Is there anything that we can do? My food can only do so much… Pepa can’t keep raining on the fields as well.”

The matriarch nodded. “For now, this is all that we can do. We no longer have the old sword the first King used to handle the Curse… I’m afraid I will have to… try and review the remaining visions that we have.”

The sisters looked at each other with unease. Their mother hated going through the visions, and most of all, there was nothing there to find. They have gone through the collection of green glass hundreds of times, especially on the day that Bruno went missing. It was all useless, most of it being visions that already happened, some of them having no meaning to it.

Pepa placed a hand on her mother’s shoulder. “Mama, why don’t I do it for you? I might be able to find and decipher something.”

“I… alright. I will need a new perspective as well. We must try our best to help with the kingdom while we find something definitive.”

She closed her eyes, willing all the bad memories into a locked compartment in her mind. She has to be strong for her family.

“I will have to meet with the Guzman’s today regarding Isabela’s engagement. Dark magic won’t stop the joyous occasion. We are the Madrigals, we will be strong for our family, and for our community!”

________________________________________________________________

Chapters:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20

[jamiiviper]

The Jamil Essay

this is a reupload of a post i made a couple of weeks ago - previously it was an external link to a google doc, so it never showed up in any of the twst tags, but i worked so hard on this and i would really love it if more people read it, so i’m reuploading directly to tumblr.

to put it simply, this is a 3.7k word character analysis purely about jamil. and even with a word count like that i wasn’t quite able to cover everything i wanted to say, so who knows, maybe there’ll be a part 2 one day. i’ve also decided i do want to write a kalim version, so i’ll probably start working on that sometime soon! stay tuned!

trigger warnings: mentions of child abuse

jamil is the vice dorm leader of scarabia, who’s been kalim’s caretaker practically since birth. he puts on a facade of not standing out, preferring to remain completely average, and plans his life around kalim’s antics. as we learned in chapter 4, however, his true feelings are that he bears a lot of resentment towards kalim, and that he wants to stand out - he just wasn’t allowed to, as he can never surpass kalim.

in this essay i want to cover not just my personal interpretation of jamil, but also some common misconceptions that people tend to have about him. twitter doesn’t have this problem as much, but with tumblr i’ve found that there are very few jamil stans, especially in the theory and writing communities - meaning it’s quite common for people to misunderstand his character. in the fandom as a whole, it’s common for people to only acknowledge him insofar as “gay for kalim”. 

firstly, jamil’s character development in the main story - i would say he’s arguably the best-developed character in twst, since yana now has enough chapters available to flesh out characters after their main story arc ended. jamil holds very deep-seated resentment against kalim, to the point that he plotted to betray him for probably several years. he plotted to have kalim not just thrown out of nrc, but thoroughly ruin his reputation in the process. after his overblot, those feelings did not magically vanish - far from it. i think earlier twst chapters suffered from arcs being wrapped up a little too neatly post-overblot, but pomefiore’s arc has already proved itself to be the exception and thoroughly covers not just jamil’s continued dislike for kalim, but also the wider consequences for what he did.

since the twst school year begins in september, we know jamil is about 9 months older than kalim. from literally the day kalim was born, jamil’s life has been dedicated to kalim. possibly since the day jamil was born, and he was always fated to be kalim’s caretaker. it may even have been the reason he was born at all. either way, it’s not like he remembers those 9 months. all jamil has ever known is that his sole purpose must be to serve kalim. he must not have desires of his own, he must not do anything for himself - from childhood he was expected to be ready to give up his life for kalim at a moment’s notice. he can’t be good at anything - kalim must always be better (i’ll cover this in more depth in a later paragraph, this philosophy is key to his character). his own parents drilled this into him, even going to the extent of hitting him if he didn’t comply. it seems he has a normal relationship with his family despite this - he bickers with his sister like regular siblings, and pre-overblot he indicated that his desire to be free from servitude wasn’t just about him, he wanted to free his family. nonetheless, the psychological damage his childhood caused him is severe. is it any wonder his unique magic is mind control, when he’s never had an ounce of control over his own life?

moving onto his early teen years, we know both jamil and kalim were severely poisoned at one point, both falling into comas for around two weeks. although we don’t have a timeframe for jamil’s coma, we know kalim’s was when they were around 13 years old. if jamil’s was around this age too - probably a short while afterwards - i think it’s plain to see why jamil’s resentment began to build. he’d have been around the age where he first started to question why his life has to revolve around kalim. why should he be expected to die for someone he doesn’t even like, who’s spoiled and doesn’t realise how much jamil does for him? kalim takes everything for granted: status, friendships, freedom, and jamil is meanwhile left in the shadows with nothing. then one day kalim gets poisoned so badly he falls into a coma - how much do you want to bet jamil was blamed for that, at the age of 13? after that he’s expected to taste-test anything kalim eats beforehand, and eventually starts making all his meals for him because the risk of poison is so high otherwise. then one day he slips up, or it’s an undetectable poison, and jamil is the one to fall into a coma. is anyone blamed for that? does anyone pity jamil outside of his immediate family + kalim? no, probably not. after all, he’s just doing his duty, right? it’s truly… no wonder jamil’s resentment became so intense. he finally has proof that his life truly does not matter. although kalim certainly cares about him, he doesn’t understand jamil’s position. he sees jamil as a friend, an equal; jamil knows this can never be the case, and he also knows kalim is too privileged to ever hope to understand. 

fast forward on a couple of years to jamil receiving his nrc acceptance letter. he thinks that finally, finally he’s going to be free. four years of freedom - and who knows, maybe after that he can be free forever! he can finally excel at his classes and be his true self, without fear of upstaging kalim! 

and then kalim gets accepted a month late. for no reason other than his surname. 

and then kalim gets sorted into his dorm.

it’s a miracle he didn’t just overblot on the spot - but that’s his nature as a scarabia student. careful foresight and planning. this moment was, undoubtedly, the moment he started planning his betrayal. he had his one month of freedom ripped away, just like that. 

oh, don’t forget the fact that not long after, kalim was made dorm leader not because he notably embodies scarabia values at all, but because of nepotism. (side note: most scarabia stans agree kalim does actually reflect scarabia values, just not as obviously as jamil does, but either way jamil himself wouldn’t see it this way. this is a jamil essay so i won’t go in depth about this unless asked to!)

under kalim’s watch, scarabia - known for its intelligence and cunning - is turned into “the party dorm”. this seems to be the fandom’s perception of them too - i mean, just ask any non-scarabia stan what goes on in scarabia, that’s probably the answer they’ll give you. jamil would have probably loved the original scarabia; although we don’t know much about it, we know scarabia students are on a par with octavinelle when it comes to intelligence (paralleling azul’s constant interest in jamil). yet by winter break, scarabia is doing so badly in those same exams that they didn’t even place in the rankings…? without meaning to, kalim clearly harmed scarabia. instead of getting chance to study magic and show off, jamil is now essentially an unpaid, full-time party planner by the time his second year starts.

a few months later, winter break finally arrives, and jamil executes his plan to dethrone kalim. i may have just spent the last two pages defending jamil’s grudge, but his actions themselves are still indefensible. there’s evidence to suggest kalim knew what was occurring on some level - refusing to answer jade’s question about who was hypnotising him proved that 1) he probably had some idea deep down that jamil was betraying him 2) he doesn’t want jamil to get in trouble for it. nonetheless, this does not make what jamil did okay in the slightest, even if kalim allowed it to happen. jamil is, undoubtedly, the bad guy in this situation, no matter how sympathetic his childhood makes you feel. i could go into detail about why kalim acted the way he did, but again, this is jamil-focused.

i’ll skip talking about his overblot, because i covered his hatred for kalim in a lot of depth already and i want to talk about the general aspects of his personality like his desire for praise later on. so moving onto the end of chapter 4, we see jamil’s true self: a snarky, heavily opinionated boy who honestly just wants to be free to be himself.

but just like his freedom, that side of jamil once again only lasts for a brief moment. jamil almost loses everything after his overblot. practically every scarabia student hates him and wants him thrown out of the dorm - even kalim, his sole defender, can’t call him a good person. he’s a traitor. he says he trusts the scarabia students to work out that it’s better for them if he stays, but that day won’t come any time soon, and until then he’s keeping his distance from them all, because their hatred is that strong. if azul truly had been streaming to more people than just jade, his life would have been ruined beyond repair. so what does jamil do? he goes back to serving kalim. as a scarabia student, his foresight is good enough that he knows the option he hates the most is the only one that’ll be good for him in the end. for jamil, being himself is nothing short of a death sentence.

now i’ve talked for far too long about the timeline of his character arc, i can finally get to the good stuff: jamil’s personality, and how it’s changed throughout the stories we’ve seen so far.

the first thing that springs to mind when you think of jamil, other than “snake”, is probably “tired”. or “he’s going to snap”. something along those lines. which... yes, we know he is. he did snap. after chapter 4, this doesn’t seem to have changed too much, but i do get the impression that he’s somewhat less stressed out by kalim. his resentment has dissipated, for the most part (he does still openly insult him, though), so while he does grumble at kalim there’s no suppressed fury behind it. what replaced that fury?

guilt.

in 5-10, jamil tells azul that he intends to continue to obediently follow kalim around in order to restore his reputation, both inside and outside of scarabia. this does of course make him sound pretty selfish (as per usual), and in classic jamil fashion he doesn’t let his true emotions show, so it’s easy to take this at face value and assume he just doesn’t really care. i think in this case, we need to look more at his actions that we see throughout chapter 5. namely, the way it’s being emphasised how he’s silently watching kalim from afar - something he’s always done, yes, but yana seems to be really making a point of it in chapter 5. it’s not just kalim he’s distancing himself from, either. he’s staying away from the rest of the scarabia students too, as mentioned earlier. he never had any friends at all to rely on, even before his overblot. so by doing this, he’s effectively completely isolating himself. he clearly has a lot of thoughts about everything that he’s not sharing with anyone - just listen to the way he sighs at the end of the flashback in 5-10, how annoyed and frustrated he seems. if jamil was telling the truth about just wanting to restore his reputation, he’d probably appreciate kalim’s efforts, even if he dislikes kalim himself. he shouldn’t be upset by kalim persuading the scarabia students to give him another chance. not if he truly just wants to get back to normal. i think on some level, jamil feels incredibly guilty over his actions. he might not have even admitted to himself yet that he feels this way, and by saying things like “i just want to restore my reputation” he’s just trying to convince himself. after all, that’s something he has a history of doing.

ever since jamil’s first introduction, we’ve known jamil lives his life by the philosophy of “not standing out is the best way to succeed”. he hates standing out or receiving any kind of positive attention at all, because he thinks that it’ll only attract trouble. or so we thought, because as we learned from his overblot, jamil desperately wants to stand out. he’s powerful and intelligent, and he wants people to acknowledge that. he wants the praise and recognition he knows he deserves. this means that whenever he said he didn’t want to stand out, he was lying through his teeth - he probably constantly tried and failed to convince himself of this throughout his childhood. during his lab SR story, he even repeats it to himself in his thoughts, like a mantra - “I want to avoid standing out. I can’t be satisfied with this. I cannot be too good, nor fall behind, and neither should I get satisfactory grades or fail. This is the best shortcut to success.”. much like his feelings of guilt, jamil refused to acknowledge how much he truly wanted to show off, even in his own thoughts. he is awful at being honest to himself.

post-ch5, we find out that despite everything, jamil does still hold this philosophy, to some extent. he of course shows off his singing and dancing skills enough to be chosen as a main vocalist, and he says he wants to make a name for himself and show various people just how talented he truly is: kalim, his family, the asims and MC, to name a few. yet in the chapter before that, when kalim compliments his singing and dancing, he’s like “i don’t really want to stand out, but…”. which is honestly a little confusing at first because he does want to. i’d probably interpret it as something along the lines of he wants to show off to the people he cares about, but he still wants to keep his head down in general. so i think that to some extent, maybe he actually has internalised that philosophy now. the one time he truly expressed his desire to stand out, it ended in catastrophe for him. he has this tiny seed of doubt within him now, telling him his parents were right all along. but... he’s working past it, and applying himself as and when he’s comfortable doing so.

going back to him being bad at being honest, jamil’s a pretty big tsundere. there’s one person he does regularly receive praise from: kalim. yet despite desperately wanting to be praised, he often gets annoyed at kalim and tells him something like “this isn’t about me right now” or “what does that have to do with anything?”. plus when the praise is coming from kalim, it’s often in the context of kalim praising him to other people - as a servant, he can’t be seen accepting all these compliments, right? he can never be better than kalim. so he has to reject kalim’s praise. when it’s just the two of them alone, though, is when jamil gets embarrassed to the point he has to hide his blush under his hood. given his childhood, chances are that he doesn’t really know how to process being praised. he knows he wants people’s approval, but when he actually gets it, he just short-circuits. it was the same at his birthday celebration; although he wants to be the centre of attention, when it actually happens, he gets all embarrassed and tsun. i was trying not to let my own personal feelings spill in this but oh my god he’s so cute i can’t

next... this isn’t really linked to any previous topic, but i want to talk about jamil’s cooking! jamil cooks all of kalim’s meals, and regularly cooks entire feasts for kalim’s parties, too (as well as being in charge of getting any animals kalim wants to show off, decorating the dorm, making sure everything runs smoothly… you get the idea). his cooking is very good, and he has a lot of technical knowledge about cooking too - azul, whose parents run a restaurant, didn’t know about emulsification, but jamil was able to explain it to him. despite being so good, though, according to his dorm SSR homescreen lines he doesn’t actually like cooking very much. he says the fact that he cooks so much is “just how things turned out”. of course, he could just be being a tsun, but i do feel like he’s being honest with this - what reason does he have to seriously enjoy something he was forced into doing his entire life? However there is evidence that he might enjoy it after all; he’s particularly good at alchemy because of his cooking knowledge, and according to magical archives he’s completely neutral in motivation for both flying and history lessons, but has slightly higher motivation levels for alchemy, indicating that he can’t stop himself from putting a little bit extra effort into that class. i think it can be interpreted either way with the canon info we have currently, but regardless i would not say he’s the cooking fanatic people often depict him as. 

also, when jamil cooks, although his cooking is good, visually it’s usually very boring, to the point he and his sister would bicker over it. he has the technical skills to cook good food, but no idea how to present it. similarly, in his fairy gala SR he was told that although he perfectly memorised the dance, it was boring to watch - it looked like he was just executing the routine without any passion behind it. jamil is so emotionally repressed that he has no idea how to express his individuality. even in his bedroom, the only truly personal items he owns are a first aid kit (related to his servant position, not him as a human being) and a stereo + headphones set for dancing. he doesn’t have any other hobbies or interests - he doesn’t even know what people his age do for fun, because he’s never been allowed to think about such things. 

dancing is all jamil has that’s not directly related to serving kalim, really - but even that ties into his servant status. although he genuinely enjoys it nowadays and dances by himself for fun, he only picked it up as a hobby because kalim wanted to go to dance practice, and of course jamil had to accompany him. when his flashback after his overblot talks about him deliberately losing to kalim, the story focuses specifically on a dancing competition. which is why it’s honestly so important to jamil’s character that chapter 5 focuses on a singing and dancing competition. jamil finally has the chance not just to show off his skills in general, but his skills at the one thing he’s been allowed to love throughout his life. the one thing where losing to kalim at it hurt so much that it was such a prominent memory for him. when jamil was chosen as a main vocalist, he instinctively tries to say kalim would be better suited for the position, but stops himself and accepts it. it clearly means so much to him that he was chosen for this.

okay i started to scare people with how long this was getting when it was only 50% finished, i think if i write anymore people will actually be concerned for my health so i’ll leave it here. if you read all of this, thank you so much for putting up with my anime boy brainrot for over six full pages! i really.. really like jamil. again, i most certainly do not think his actions should be defended, but god if they’re not fascinating to read about. and i hope i covered the other sides to him well enough, the things that you’d never ordinarily pick up on because so few people talk about him outside of him and kalim as a pair (both platonic scarabia + romantic jamikali, i mean). he has so much depth to him that people don’t see and god i could easily have gone on for another few pages if i wasn’t forcing myself to stop. but please please talk to me if you want to hear more...

yana has treated him so well, jamil stans get too much food if anything but i’m absolutely thriving off it as you can see! thank you for allowing him to exist, yana-sensei!

having said that, i couldn’t stop myself from adding some extra facts about him below. please enjoy.

some fun jamil facts for your soul:

his sister used to bake him cookies on his birthday - specifically, these!

when jamil and kalim went to eat at the cafeteria with ruggie and leona, leona took one look at jamil and went “you look like you’d kill kalim in his sleep”

sebek and jamil find each other’s positions enviable. sebek wishes he could have been by malleus’ side from birth as jamil was with kalim, and jamil just… wishes he served someone he respected as deeply as sebek respects malleus (but he does think sebek is too enthusiastic)

jamil hates surprises with a burning passion, and despite being with kalim for 17 years is still not used to them. for his previous birthday, kalim held a huge surprise party, and i think he still hasn’t recovered from the shock

i think a lot of people already know that in his birthday SSR story he said he wanted a parrot after graduation so he could teach it to call him master, but it goes a bit further than that? it was actually first mentioned during his lesson chats, when kalim gets a parrot. jamil has to research how to care for it, and ended up wanting one of his own afterwards (but got too tsundere to admit it at the time).

also, he heard that the sorcerer of the sands’ parrot (iago) could speak as fluently as a human, and he got excited and watched a bunch of parrot videos on magicam, but was of course disappointed to find out that this was not the case.

he frequently uses flattery to try and get his way, like when he attempts to flatter vil during his SSR story - unfortunately he misjudged vil, as vil’s actually the type of person who hates meaningless flattery. because he does this so frequently, when he genuinely does give compliments people don’t always believe him.

according to the halloween event, jamil is surprisingly environmentally conscious, and insists on holding a sustainable halloween theme. after organising so many parties and seeing the waste they probably produce, i think there’s no wonder he’s so concerned about it.

[zeppelin-and-unicorns]

I want to read some WIPs!!! I've been reading only completed fanfics for a while now and I miss the thrill of receiving an email with an update and reading a brand new chapter! The only WIP I'm follow is RYLH, and I really want to follow some more! Can you suggest me a few stories please??

I can guarantee you that the thrill of readind a brand new chapter is amazing! I particularly love it!!

Here is a small list with all the WIPs I’m currently obssesed with:

The Queen Of All My Dreams by springsteenicious (also on ao3):

Four days after Chicago, Jackie is missing. Thanks to a dream that Eric has, they know where to find her. But the journey will not be as easy as they think. Through dragons, magic dreams and missed connections, will Hyde be able to return to Jackie?

I’ve been reading this story since it came out, and I’m very invested in it, it’s amazing. There’s only a chapter left, but I can’t just not recommend it, please read it.

Rated M.

88k words, 34 chapters.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Eric/Donna

We’re Not Broken, Just Bent by SparklingSoul (also on ao3):

When tragedy strikes and Jackie and Hyde are forced to live up to their godparent duties, they need to overcome their differences and work together. Along the way, they realize that maybe their relationship isn't broken beyond repair after all...

This is a post season 8 story, and it’s AMAZING. The author updates it every Friday and Monday, and the story is already pre-written so it’s not going to be abandoned.

Trigger warning for major character death.

Rated T.

17k words and 7 chapters so far.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Jackie Stargazer by MistyMountainHop (also on ao3):

A funeral brings Jackie and Hyde together after fourteen years apart. Trauma made them wanderers, vagabonds moving in opposite directions. But the rock band Hyde roadies for reconnects them in ways neither expects.

So far I’ve only read the first two chapters, and they’re pretty damn good. I decided to wait to read the rest of it though.

I already know this is going to be a very long story, so I’ll wait until the story is like, on chapter 25 or something, because when I read it, I want to make a weekend out of it. I mean it. I plan on spending the entire weekend locked in my room, eating sweets and reading the hell out of this story. I’m already looking forward to it lol

Rated M

35k words, 9 chapters so far.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Eric/Donna

Miracle by B_August

To Pam Burkhart, Jackie is the abnormal child that her husband dragged in during their vacation in Hawaii. To her peers, she's the smart and stuck-up princess that graces the school halls. To the Basement Gang, she's the annoying brat that infiltrated their ranks. To Jackie herself, she is a super powered freak who just wants to do her best. But to Jack Burkhart, Buddy Morgan, a pair of higher life forms, and those who she would later help, she is nothing short of a miracle.

I’ve been waiting so long to read a Superhero AU in this fandom, I was absolutely thrilled when I saw this popping up on my ao3 feed this week. The first three chapters were pretty great and I’m anxiously waiting for more.

Rated G

3k words, 3 chapters so far.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

In Through Out a Door by djgrannyglasses

In the Summer of 1980 Hyde receives an unexpected visitor.

Also a pretty great story, it’s only in the beginning and there’s probably a lot more to happen, but the first few chapters were very promising and I honestly can’t wait to read more.

Rated T

6k words, 4 chapters so far.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Fez/Kelso, Eric/Donna

A retro romance by poeticlyme

Jackie Burkhart, the Princess of Point has an unrequited crush on a certain paranoid burnout. Or is it so unrequited?

This author mastered the slow burn thing, it’s amazing. The sexual tension between Jackie and Hyde in this story is just... Wow. I love it.

Rated M

73k words, 21 chapters so far.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Friday I’ll Be Over You by SnooksTheAllMighty (also on ao3):

Instead of Jackie pining over Hyde and bending over backwards for him after HE cheated on HER, she sees that she deserves more. But will that mean the end of Jackie and Hyde, or will he get his head out of his ass long enough to win her back? Takes place after 6X1.

I think we were all very frustrated by Hyde’s attitude in the first episode of season 6. In this story, Jackie stood up for herself like she should’ve.

Rated T.

5k words, only one chapter so far.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Eric/Donna

Playing Pretend by isnotme

Caught up in her teenager concerns – and some wounds to heal, Jackie didn’t realize that her parents' marriage was crashing down for real, causing a major turnaround in her world.

In the edge of seventeen, Hyde had too much on his mind. With graduation coming so soon, he knew too well he was about to be kicked out of the Forman's home. But when Bud’s illegal activities came to knock on his door, Hyde saw his plans falling apart once again.

Or An AU where Jackie and Hyde get themselves in one of those fake relationship situation and somewhere along the way, they find somethings in common.

I LOVE CLICHES. This is amazing, read it please.

Rated T

37k words, 17 chapters so far.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Eric/Donna

I’d have you anytime by anonymous author

What if Jackie after panicking in her show, gave up? And what if she made an unnatural friendship? Basically a fix it of season 7.

I love a good J/E friendship story, I can’t help myself. This is adorable.

Rated T

15k words, 9 chapters so far

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Eric/Donna

Movies As Friends by rymilu

Jackie realizes a few things about herself after her kiss with Hyde. She once more tries to bag him after Michael and Donna leave to California, no longer hiding her feelings. Instead of pressuring him like before, she decides to start with taking him to the movies.

Ah, the mutual pining is everything in this story. They both have crushes on each other, and now that Donna and Kelso were in California, they decide to do something about it.

Rated M

38k words, 6 chapters so far.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

I think this is pretty much it. I hope I was able to help you out!

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Christmas Reruns 2023 Day 3: A Christmas Miracle (3/3)

Merry Christmas if you celebrate it and happy holidays if you don’t!  One of the things I love about Christmas is watching reruns of all the old classic Christmas movies–Christmas is a big time for nostalgia.  A few years ago, I decided to incorporate that tradition into my fandom life and post my CS holiday reruns.  So here you go!  Enough holiday (mostly) fluff to get you to New Year’s Day. (With a new story posting on Christmas Day.)

Rating: G

Word Count: 2446

Other chapters: 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

Notes:  Here’s the conclusion of A Christmas Miracle.  Once again, it was written in 2013 and fits within my A Wish Your Heart Makes universe.

“If you hadn’t cast the curse in the first place, dearie, Pan never would have had the opportunity to curse us the second time.” Mr. Gold hissed.

“Oh, that’s rich!” Regina said with a sneer, “considering it’s coming from the imp who provided me with the curse in the first place!”

Emma sat in her favorite booth at Granny’s and watched her adversarial family members face off. She was rather impressed. They’d remained civil for nearly two hours.

“Come on guys,” Mary Margaret said, walking up to Gold and Regina, her hand extended in a pacifying gesture, “let’s not argue. It’s Christmas!”

Regina turned on her. “Stay out of it, Snow. It’s all your fault anyway.”

“My fault?!” Mary Margaret yelled, her hands coming to rest on her hips.

“Don’t play stupid,” Regina sneered, “Or maybe you’re not playing.”

“Just a minute! You can’t talk to my wife that way!” David charged into the fight.

Regina rolled her eyes and turned back to Mary Margaret.

“Yes, Snow,” Regina continued, “if it wasn’t for your total inability to keep your mouth shut, we wouldn’t be where we’re at.”

“Where we’re at? Where we’re at?!” Mary Margaret fumed, “That's…that’s not even grammatically correct, let alone accurate!”

Emma rolled her eyes. They were arguing about grammar? It was definitely time to go get some air…before the magic started flying. She got to her feet, and wobbled for a second on her high heels. Why had she let Mary Margaret convince her to dress up? If she had to come to this party, couldn’t she have at least been comfortable?

Emma turned her back on the argument, on Neal and Henry talking in a booth on the other side of the diner, on Hook who had gone up to the bar for another drink. Pushing the door open, she stepped outside.

Hook looked up as he heard the bell over Granny’s door chime. He caught a glance of golden hair and a soft blue dress before the door closed behind Emma. The lass had been rather quiet since dinner; he wondered what was bothering her. It was obvious something was; something beyond the obvious awkwardness of this party.

The voices rose behind him, everyone trying to shout down the others. Something crashed against a far wall. He shook his head. Snow White really did see the world through rose-colored glasses. How on earth had she thought this group of people would have a good time together?

Hook took a final swig of the beer he was drinking, and then headed for the door. He had no wish to remain in what was turning into an all-out battlefield. Of course, the thought of spending some time alone with the lovely Emma, might have played a part in the decision as well.

Pushing the glass door open, Hook stepped outside. There she stood underneath the awning, shivering. Why hadn’t she grabbed her coat before she’d stepped out?

“It’s a bit cold to be standing outside love,” he commented, stepping up behind her.

“Yeah, well,” she answered, turning toward him, “it beats getting caught in the middle of World War III in there.”

He laughed and shrugged out of his coat. He draped it over her shoulders and was rewarded with one of her rare smiles. They stood there for a moment watching the snow gently fall through the dark, evening air. Hook caught strains of music coming from the convent; it seemed the nuns were ringing in Christmas with carols.

“Joy to the world the Lord is come…”

“It doesn’t look like Mary Margaret is going to be able to get in all the Christmas traditions she was hoping for,” Emma commented. “We didn’t get to the Christmas carol sing-a-long.”

“It’s a shame,” Hook commented, looking over at her, “that was the part I was particularly looking forward to.”

“Really?” she asked looking at him with skeptical eyes, “You want to sit around singing carols?”

“And why not,” he asked with a grin. “Some of the songs I have heard here in Storybrooke would be particularly appropriate to the evening at hand.”

“Such as?” she asked with a matching grin.

“When we finally kiss goodnight,” he sang in a soft baritone, “how I’ll hate going out in the storm, but if you really hold me tight, all the way home I’ll be warm.”

She rolled her eyes, but he saw the smile that draped her face. A moment later, she turned back toward the street with a dejected little sigh. They stood in silence for a minute. “…And heaven and nature sing. And heaven and nature sing. And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.”

“It’s really coming down,” she finally said looking up at the streetlight across from them.

“Aye,” he answered with a smile. “We’ll have a fine blanket come Christmas morning.”

“Great,” she said with a grimace. “Just what I wanted for Christmas.”

“Oh come on love,” he said, turning her back toward him. “Surely there was a time you liked snow.”

He expected a witty retort, but instead she dropped her eyes and turned back toward the street. “I do remember one day,” she finally responded. “I was about six. I’d been living with a foster family for almost three years. They were great; I really thought they would adopt me. One day, it was close to Christmas, I remember, my foster dad took my foster brother and me out to play in the snow. We made the biggest snowman I had ever seen. We made snow angels, had a snowball fight, the whole nine yards. Later, we went in and my foster mom had made us a big pot of hot chocolate.”

Emma fell silent, and Hook waited. He heard the pain in her voice and softly began rubbing her shoulder. She leaned into his touch. “…holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace.”

“What then, love?” Hook asked after a moment. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer.

“The next morning, my foster dad disappeared,” she answered, and he saw the tears in her eyes. “They never found him; no one knows what happened. Well, my foster mom kinda fell apart. She couldn’t afford to take care of two children, so it was back into the system for me.”

Hook closed his eyes. It must have been devastating for a little girl to lose the only family she had ever known. Turning her once more to face him, he wrapped her in a hug. She resisted for a moment, and then he felt her arms wrap around him.

“I think it’s time we make a new memory surrounding snow,” Hook said after a moment. She pulled away from him and looked questioningly up into his face.

“Yeah?” she asked, “and what would that be?”

Hook grinned. “Well, love. I propose we go play in the snow tomorrow.”

“Play in the snow?” she asked with a raised eyebrow, “Really?”

“Aye, lass,” he smiled at her, “We can bring Henry.”

“And what exactly would we ‘play’ in the snow?”

“First,” he answered, with a wicked grin, “We make a devastatingly handsome snowman with a hook. Then we make a beautiful blonde snow maiden looking adoringly up at him.”

“Are you sure the blonde isn’t rolling her eyes at him?” Emma asked with a grin. “Sounds more true to life.”

Hook put his hand to his heart and staggered as though mortally injured. “You wound me, lass.”

“Hmm,” she said grinning, “that might play to your advantage.”

“Aye? And how is that?”

“Well,” she said with a grin, “if you’re injured you’ll need someone to take care of you.”

Was the lady actually flirting with him? His grin blossomed into a full blown smile. She smiled back for a moment and then turned back to the street. He heard a defeated sigh.

“What’s troubling you, love?” he asked. She didn’t answer for so long he thought she was deliberately ignoring him. The nuns started up a new carol. When blossoms flowered ‘mid the snow…

Finally she turned back toward him. “It’s just…” she made a helpless little gesture with her hands. “I don’t know…Every single time it looks like things are starting to work out, like good is going to succeed, like the bad guys are going to get defeated, like we might get a bit of peace and happiness, something else happens. Someone casts a curse, or kidnaps a kid, or…”

“Or disappears sending you back into the system…or turns you in to the police for his crimes…or sends you off to another realm with no more protection than a seven-year-old lad so that you can come back and be the savior?”

“Yeah,” she said, and he saw the tears brimming in her eyes. One escaped and slid down her cheek. Raising his hand, he tenderly wiped it away.

“Emma, love,” he said, his voice going deep and gravelly, “I can’t promise you peace and happiness, but I can promise to always be beside you, helping you, protecting you and those you love. You need never fear I’ll abandon you.”

She whirled away from him and started pacing. The lass was seething. “Yeah?” she snarled at him. “I’ve heard that before. 'I love you, Emma.’ 'You’re like our own daughter, Emma.’ 'Let’s go to Tallahassee, Emma.’ 'We just wanted to give you your best chance, Emma.’ It’s crap! All of it!”

“You doubt me, lass? Even after Camelot?” he asked and was ashamed to hear the pain in his voice.

She stopped and looked back at him. The first Noel the angels did sing…

“No,” she finally answered, “the hell of it is that I don’t doubt you. You’ve proven again and again that you will do anything for me…even at your own expense. But Hook, you’re not indestructable. What if you disappear? Or are kidnapped? Or are killed?”

Hook’s heart swelled. That was real feeling in her voice. The lass was a lot further gone than she thought. He cupped her face with his good hand again.

“Love,” he answered meaning the word with all his heart, “as I said, I can’t promise you nothing terrible will happen, but for today, for this moment all is well. Perhaps, all one can do is create the good memories to be our solace in times of distress.”

She looked up at him for several moments and then slowly nodded, briskly swiping her hands across her damp cheeks.

“So about those snowmen…?” he asked playfully.

“Henry and I will be ready bright and early tomorrow morning,” She answered with a smile.

For the first time in nearly as long as she could remember, Emma felt hope. It was hope that she found shining out of Hook’s blue eyes as he smiled at her.

“I’ve got a gift for you, love,” Hook said, holding out a small, thin box.

“Oh,” Emma said ruefully, “Hook, I didn’t get you anything.”

He smiled gently. “It’s no matter, Emma. I have no need of gifts.” He held the box out to her again, and she reached for it automatically. Lifting the lid, she saw a silver necklace with an opal and silver swan pendant. Emma ran her finger over the jewel.

“It’s beautiful,” she said softly.

“Aye,” he answered looking at her. “It is beautiful, and strong and graceful. Much like you.”

She looked down and then met his eyes. “Is that really how you see me?”

“Aye, lass,” he said gently. “Indeed it is.”

Il est ne le divin enfant… It seemed the nuns had decided to venture into French carols.

“Thank you, Hook,” she said simply. “Well, I don’t hear any yelling, so that probably means they’ve either stopped fighting…or killed each other. Either way, I suppose we should go back in.”

“A moment more lass,” Hook said. That pirate grin of his was back.

“What?” she asked warily. She had come to know that tone in his voice, and it meant trouble.

“Well, love,” he said with a raise of his eyebrow, “I think it is only right that we follow holiday tradition.”

“Exactly what holiday tradition might that be?” she asked. He pointed to a spot over her head. She looked up and saw a sprig of mistletoe hanging right above the two of them.

“You’re terrible, you know that?” she asked with a smile and a slight shake of her head.

“Perhaps so,” he answered playfully, “but your mother has her heart set on her family following the traditions this year. What manner of a daughter would you be if you were to blatantly deny her greatest Christmas wish?”

Her breath caught and her heart began to pound. Well, why not?

“Well, in the spirit of Christmas tradition…” she said with a little wave of her hand.

He looked surprised for a moment, then the grin was back. She was determined she wouldn’t let his kiss affect her, she wouldn’t! Then his lips settled against hers and all rational thought fled. All that existed was this man and the sensations he aroused in her. Her arms wrapped around his neck. She tangled her fingers in his hair, pressing closer, closer. She could never be close enough. She blossomed for him like a flower in a spring rain. The kiss went on and on. It lasted forever; it ended far too soon.

Finally, with a groan, he pulled his lips from hers.

“Emma, love…” he breathed. She couldn’t say a word if her life were on the line. She was glad his arms were still around her because her legs felt like jelly. If he were to release her, she would melt into a puddle at his feet.

Hook took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the charming rogue was back.

“Well, love,” he said gently rubbing her back. “I had it on good authority that the last time was a one-time thing. It seems I’ve just experienced a Christmas miracle!”

She rolled her eyes, but didn’t pull away. Though it scared her half to death, she couldn’t deny it any more. Being in his arms felt like…home.

“Well, don’t get too used to it buddy,” she said. Her voice didn’t sound convincing even to her.

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it, love,” he said with a raise of one eyebrow. “After all, I’d have to wait an entire year for another Christmas miracle.”

“Very true,” she said with a grin, “But there are a lot of holidays between now and then.”

He laughed. “I like the way you think, Emma. I like the way you think!”

NEXT CHAPTER-->

[fulisha-of-light]

Misha Kiyomi Voice Lines

And then I did Misha. I tried to make her tone come off as mature and (eerily) calm given she has similar mannerisms, thoughts, and personality to Kyubey, save for some of her lines since she’s not devoid of all emotion per say.

I think I did pretty alright:

Intro Self Introduction 1: Greetings. I’m Misha Kiyomi. I’ve been a magical girl for 4 years now, so I’m what some might call a veteran. With my experiences and knowledge, I travel around with Kyubey in search of magical girls to mentor. It’s hard to learn the ropes on your own, so that’s why I help them. And once I finish my teachings... I proceed to turn them all into Witches. For the sake of the universe, of course. Self Introduction 2: There’s no need to be so formal towards me. Just call me Misha, I don’t mind. I am a traveling mentor who helps train magical girls. Whether they be old or new, I will provide my services until the time comes for them to fully mature into Witches. It is the fate of every magical girl, and I am no exception.

Personal Story Story Chapter End 1 I better watch my step. One wrong move and I could have them all against me. Story Chapter End 2 How interesting... I must investigate this further. Story Chapter End 3 I think I know what to do now. The real question is, who goes first?

Story Select 1 Allow me to teach you. I have 4 years of experience after all. Story Select 2 Interested in having your wish granted? My friend can help you with that. Story Select 3 It’s “Misha” Kiki, not “Misa-Misa”. Please stop calling me that. Story Select 4 Kyubey and I have come here in search of this Sibyl. What do you know of her? Story Select 5 Alright, let’s begin the next lesson. Are you ready? Story Select 6 The Reaper is exactly that: a magical girl killer. And we’re her current targets.

Stats Strengthening Complete: Well, well, it’s seems I’ve improved. Let’s perform an analysis and see what’s changed. Strengthening Max: *Laughs* I’ve become even stronger. At this rate, it’d take a miracle to stop me now.

Episode Level Up: Another day, another step closer to fulfilling Kyubey’s quota. Magia Level Up: And thus, my power continues to grow. Let’s keep it up.

Magical Release 1: My teachings serve to not only help other magical girls, but myself as well. Just as they grow and learn about their abilities, I get the chance to analyze the magic and find new uses for them. Tomoyoko’s seems to hold a lot of promise. Magical Release 2: It’s been 4 years since I’ve become a magical girl. My magic and knowledge have never failed me. But this whole Sibyl situation is quite puzzling. What secrets does this boy hold? I must keep him under my watch. Magical Release 3: These “Distortions” are also rather curious. Malformed Witches born from Soma’s soul gem, preventing the transformation... just how is this even possible? I need this power, and Soma’s my only chance at finding its creator. I have no choice but to keep investigating and studying him until then.

Awaken 1: Before my contract, I thought that I had the world. When you have obtained perfection through your skills and knowledge, what more could you ask for? Never did I think that there was something beyond that. For Kyubey to have chosen me... I am truly blessed. Awaken 2: My newfound knowledge is what drives me to act and fulfill Kyubey’s quota. I know well enough that I must become a Witch, but I want to see if I can survive a little longer, maybe even avoid it altogether. Awaken 3: Not all magical girls are equal. Some have wishes, power, and destinies far greater than the rest. Not having that potential myself is unacceptable. That’s why I will find the Sibyl and learn the secrets behind her success.

Home Screen Login (First login): I guess I shouldn’t be surprised to see you’re still here. But you’re not really getting in my way, so I guess it’ll be alright to keep you around for awhile. Consider yourself lucky. Login (Morning): Good morning. I’ve prepared us some coffee. Take a moment to relax before we head out today. We have all the time in the world to fulfill the quota, so there’s no need to rush or anything. Login (Noon): If you’re skilled enough with magic, you can actually avoid hunger altogether. But I don’t mind stopping to have lunch every now and again. It’s never boring either since I have someone other than Kyubey accompanying me today. Login (Evening): Now’s the time to really strike. Witches are plentiful during this hour, and many magical girls will either be out hunting or returning home. Care to join the hunt with me? Login (Night): As much as I’d like to pull an all-nighter, even I need to rest. Those girls aren’t going anywhere, so it’s good to take a break and plan tomorrow’s next move. Don’t worry about the hotel fees, I’ve got everything covered. Login (Other): Kyubey and I are not evil. We do not create Witches out of any malice or sick joy. We do what is right, and to save the universe, sacrifices are an inevitability. And ultimately, it’s a part of human nature too. You can not deny that. Login (AP full): It’s time. I’ll be taking the lead today, so stay close behind me. Witches? *Laughs* No, no. Today, we’re going to pick out who’s going to become a Witch. Login (BP full): A Witch who makes copies... how simply fascinating. Perhaps if I can get a sample, I could use this to my advantage. Imagine the possibilities with that kind of power!

Tap 1: Oh? You think I’m mad? Please, only the unenlightened would foolishly label perfect intellectuals like me “mad”. Tap 2: This Sibyl is a curiosity. Rumor has it she’s very powerful and wise, having lived for a very long time. If it’s true, then she is one hell of a rarity. But rarities like her are still just magical girls. It's only a matter of time before she too will become my prey. Tap 3: Kyubey’s race is amazing. The technology... the culture... the knowledge... All of it, it’s really incredible. Hm? You want to know? *Laughs* Sorry. You are just not worthy of this precious information. Tap 4: Kiki is certainly brimming with personality. So eager to learn and fight... and so easy to manipulate. It’s always the most innocent ones that fall first. I’m glad there’s so many of them in the world. Tap 5: Magical boy, magical girl... I don’t care who they are. At the end of the day, they all become Witches. When I'm done with Tomoyoko, Soma and the others will just become another resource for me to use. Tap 6: Chiaki is a rather cautious individual. There’s always a magical girl or two like that in any city. But I’m not worried. As long as I closely monitor her and remain in control, I can easily take her out before she tries to stop me. Tap 7: So it seems the Reaper has followed me here too. Oh Shiori, when will you learn? You’re only hurting yourself in the end. You will never have the “old Misha” back, just accept it already and stop getting in my way. Tap 8: I have no regrets. I’m happy to have this knowledge and power that Kyubey has so graciously given me. In return, I will not fail him. The quota will be fulfilled no matter what. Even if I must become a Witch myself. Tap 9: I’m thankful for your companionship, but surely you know by now what awaits you in the future. If I start to get peckish and there’s no grief seeds around... Well, I hope you’ll understand what needs to be done.

Battle Start: Are you prepared to face me? Battle Victory 1: Perfect. Let’s move on. Battle Victory 2: Another one down. Who’s next? Battle Victory 3: Don’t stand in my way.

Doppel: *Laughter* Kyubey...! Dying: *Gasps* Impossible...

[tempesrature]

The Case of the Murdered Witch Doctors | Chapter 2

Chapter: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 The Charm of Lost Things (Oneshot Follow-up) Creative Process Note Commissioned Art Piece

Pairing: Ride or Die | Ellie x Colt Summary: “The game is afoot.” - Arthur Conan Doyle, Adventure of the Abbey Grange  Word Count: 1k+ Warnings: PG-16  @rodappreciationweek @lovehugsandcandy

~*~

“Fuck I hate how you witches smell,” Colt complains as he pinches his nose and takes a step back from the short blond haired girl in front of him. “Like burnt sugar, it’s disgusting.”

Ingrid looks up from her clipboard, her pink lab coat a stark contrast to the white room, before she turns to Ellie standing next to her with a small frown. “Did you really have to pick a hot but rude vampire, El?”

Ellie shrugs with a small smile as she hooks her thumbs into her belt loops and turns to look at Colt.

After she had left the front doors of the club that night and stepped out into night, her knees buckled and she momentarily crumpled to the ground. She didn’t really think it would work. Hell, Logan—her accomplice and the one she had shown Colt holding the button—told her that it wouldn’t work. After all, everything except for her promise of Teppei Kaneko’s ashes was all a bluff. No, she didn’t change any of the locks in the club (she tried but security was too good) and no there were no agents waiting to surround the club (her boss doesn’t even know she was conducting the whole operation).

It was all a ploy to get Colt Kaneko to listen to her before she laid down her offer. The fact that it worked and he’s now helping her investigate the Kilat murder is nothing short of a magical miracle.

“We need you to confirm if the bodies were drained by a vampire or by other means,” Ellie explains as she turns to Ingrid.

Ingrid smiles and nods before she raises her hand, pink sparks dancing around her fingers, and with a flick of her wrist the body of Ernesto and Malina Kilat manifest just above Colt’s head.

“Fuck! What the fuck!” Colt screams as he looks up in horror at the two dead bodies wrapped in white sheets floating in the air before they hover down on top of the two autopsy tables in front of them.

Colt turns to Ellie, his eyes wide in absolute shock and disbelief.

Ellie smirks amusingly. “First time?”

Colt glares at her as he grumbles underneath his breath.

“So this is what we know,” Ingrid starts as she flips through her chart and pulls the white sheets down to their torso, unware of the wide berth Colt has placed between him and her. “Other than the fang marks on their neck and the lack of blood there are no other visible injuries on the body, magical or otherwise. The Kilat family are albularyos, a type of witch doctor from the Philippines, so we ran a toxicology report and it came in clean and negative for drugs, poisons, and curses. We found traces of the Fern Flower on them but not enough that it exceeds the legal amount. Seems like your old run of the mill vampire murder but we still haven’t done a proper autopsy because we’re still waiting for the papers to be approved so that could change. Any questions?”

Ellie turns to Colt as she gestures for him to look at the bodies. Colt lets out a small sigh and runs his hand through his hair before he steps forward and looks down at the faces staring back at him and somewhere deep in his heart twists a little at the knowledge that they were murdered almost a month ago and the culprit still hasn’t been caught. But he pushes those thoughts away as he reaches out and carefully turns Ernesto’s head to the side to look at the vampire bite. He takes a moment to observe and look at it before he does the same to Malina. It only takes him a minute or so, maybe even less, before he looks up at Ellie with his answer.

“These might not be vampire bites.”

“Might?” Ellie frowns, frustrated that her suspicions might be right. That the murderer might not be a vampire after all.

“Yeah, look at the bite on the husband. They’re too precise, too clean. Older vampires like their bites to be clean just like this but they wouldn’t do it if they’re planning to suck the person dry,” Colt points to Malina’s neck. “But the wife’s bite here is sloppy, almost in a hurry. It’s common for younger vampires but they’re less likely to drink all of the blood since they get full too easily. Vampires from different generational ages don’t just hang out and commit murders together.”

Ellie hums in acknowledgement as her mind turns at the new information. “Do you think those bites could be done by something else other than a vampire? Like some kind of magical instrument perhaps?”

Colt scoffs as he buries his hands in his pockets and shrugs. “Who fucking knows? If it was, I wouldn’t know of it.”

Ellie glares at his dismissiveness but she reminds herself that he’s provided her with new information that can help her investigation and she quickly tempers her annoyance. She doesn’t have to like him but she can be civil and she can be the bigger person.

“Okay, that’s enough for today. I don’t want Mona catching you two in here,” Ingrid concludes as she raises her hand again and pink sparks start to gather. With one wave, the Kilat couple’s bodies start to fade away from the autopsy table and Colt fearfully glances up above his head.

“Thanks a lot Ingrid,” Ellie says with a smile which Ingrid happily returns before Ellie turns to Colt with an appreciative nod. “You too Colt, this helps a lot.”

“Why are you even doing all of this anyway?” Colt asks, his eyes narrowing a little at Ellie in suspicion. His question hints at not only figuring out the bites on the Kilat’s necks but the fact that Ellie had bluffed her threat in his nightclub a few nights before. “With the Agency’s resources, you would’ve known this even without my help.”

Ellie and Ingrid share a look, a silent conversation passing through them before Ingrid shrugs—silently telling Ellie that it’s her decision—before she leaves the room to continue with her work. Ellie turns to look at Colt, her face impassive and her emotions controlled.

“The Agency gave this case to me because I’m a half-witch. They fully expect this case to fail and is purposely limiting my access to the Agency’s resources so I had to get creative with getting my information.”

Colt whistles as he looks at her impressively. “So this is an ego thing then?”

“Of course not,” Ellie scoffs as she crosses her arms in front of her and her eyes flit to the autopsy table where the Kilat couple had been. “They deserve justice and they deserve for their case to be investigated. They left behind a ninety year old daughter, you know? She wants answers for her parent’s death,” Ellie gazes into Colt’s eyes, her own flickering blue with an intensity that pierces his soul. “I’m sure you know what it feels like to have a parent die and not be given the due diligence of an investigation into their death.”

Colt grits his teeth, his fangs almost piercing his bottom lip as he tries to refute her statement. To respond in anger and frustration but he realizes that there’s nothing he can say that wouldn’t come out sounding pathetic and weak. So he scoffs and crosses his arms instead as he turns his head away from her. It’s absolute bullshit that the girl in front of him can seem to read him so easily.

“Glad that you understand,” Ellie grins as she looks at the time on the wall clock to her right. “I’ll text you if I need anything else, other than that I’ll see you at the meeting with Jason Shaw. Thanks for today Colt!”

“Hey wait,” Colt calls out just as Ellie makes her way to the door. “Where are you going?”

Ellie furrows her eyebrows for a moment, confused as to why he’s suddenly interested, but she shrugs and decides to tell him. It’s not like telling him changes anything anyway.

“I’m going back to the Kilat’s house to take a look around again. Maybe there’s something in the basement that could be used to replicate a vampire bite.”

Colt furrows his eyebrows at her. “And…what? You’re going alone?”

Ellie’s eyes widen at the tone of his voice before she glares at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m just saying. You look like the only thing you’ve ever fought is a garden gnome.”

Ellie bristles at the implication of his words as she stalks forward and jabs her finger on his chest. “I’ll have you know I have fought multiple magical creatures or did you forget that I’m a witch—”

“Half a witch,” Colt corrects with a smug smile.

“It doesn’t matter if I’m half or not,” Ellie rebukes with a scowl. “I’ve been doing fine with the investigation for the last month and I can take care of myself.”

“Yeah?” Colt leans back and regards her seriously. “And how many of those magical creatures did you fight were vampires? If Shaw really is behind this, would you be able to fight him on equal ground? Do you even know how long a fight lasts against a Primordial, Miss Half a Witch?”

Ellie falters and she curses at herself for internally agreeing with him. Sure, she’s held her ground in the rare chance she has to use her magic to fight but as a half-witch she has a time limit to her powers. Her magic is powerful, she studied and trained hard to make sure it’s at its peak performance, but beyond six hours and her powers wane and weaken. But Colt is right, if she’s faced with a Primordial vampire and she has to fully exhaust her powers then…she wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Colt says when he sees the look on her face before he digs into his pocket and takes out his keys. “Come on, I’m driving.”

“Huh—what? Wait!” Ellie runs after him as Colt makes his way out of the morgue and out of the building. “You’re going with me?!”

“Yeah,” Colt says as he reaches the black and white Cavalieri and swings his legs over the bike. He pauses for a moment to glance at his wristwatch and look up in the sky before he nods and turns to offer Ellie his one helmet. He scoffs at the look of absolute delight on her face. “Don’t get me wrong. If you die, who’s going to get the ashes? I’m just making sure you have enough arms to actually keep your end of the bargain.”

“Uh huh sure you are,” Ellie grins as she takes the bike helmet and places it on her head. “It’s easier to just say you like me Colt, it’s not that hard.”

Colt scowls and revs the engine as Ellie climbs behind him. “I do not like you.”

“Sure you do, I don’t blame you. After all, most creatures—” Ellie lets out a scream when Colt suddenly drives forward without warning and almost propels her backward but she quickly recovers and wraps her arms around his waist. Once she realizes what he did, she hits the back of his shoulder with a scowl he can’t see. “You asshole! I almost fell off!”

Colt lets out an amused laugh, his head tilting back and his fangs glinting in the sun as his eyes glow with a soft tone gold.

Ellie can’t help but be captured by the sound of his laughter and she’s suddenly reminded of how his mouth moved against hers in the dim private room of the nightclub. A small blush dusts her cheeks as she tries to keep her head back on the investigation while Colt easily weaves and moves through LA traffic.

[thetimelesscycle]

Tales of Arcadia Wizards Fanfiction: Hope Dies Last - Chapter 9

The Guardians of Arcadia grapple with the loss of yet another Master Wizard.

Zoe and Claire hatch a new plan.

A/N: I return!

A week later than I had planned, but I digress.

Turns out I spent my holiday actually working on some of my original pieces, which means this little project got set aside in favour of works that have been neglected for far longer. I intend to try and keep working on those stories going forward, so updates for this fic may not be quite as regular.

We'll still get there in the end, though. ;-)

Enjoy, TTC

Chapter 9

For Want of a Wizard

Like all wizards, Claire had been born with her abilities. They had always been a part of her; A silent power thrumming beneath the surface without her ever having been aware of it. It was strange to think that, were it not for Jim becoming the Trollhunter and pulling her into the wonderful world of trolls and magic, she might never have realised what she was capable of. She had pulled off her fair share of miracles since then, and it hadn’t even been a full year since the first time she’d used the Shadow Staff. Part of that was definitely luck — she’d been given a headstart thanks to Morgana’s attempt to steal her body, and the Shadow Staff itself had seemed to guide her in its own way long before that — but the rest had all been instinctual. Magic just felt right in the same way that being on stage had always come naturally to her, though it wasn’t until she met Douxie and the hedge wizards of HexTech that she realised how rare that kind of intuitive casting was.

All of them were her seniors in age and experience to varying degrees, though Zoe and Douxie easily outstripped their peers on both counts. She’d been given the impression when she asked that there was an unhappy reason so few wizards of their generation were still wandering the world today. She hadn’t asked again, more than capable of filling in the blanks even without a front row seat to history, and not wanting to waste what precious little of Douxie’s time she was able to claim for herself.

It was a calculated risk, making the trip between Arcadia and the Master Wizard’s new hideout, even infrequently and via the Shadow Realm. Unfortunately, they hadn’t been given much of a choice. The Arcane Order was still at large and Claire needed training beyond that which a hedge wizard could provide; Even a centuries old, very skilled hedge wizard. Douxie might not have been able to use Shadow Magic himself, but he’d learned the majority of his own skill the same way she had — through a sometimes painful process of trial and error — and was more than capable of steering her away from what might cause trouble. He was also an adept translator of the book she had taken from Morgana’s rooms, and she went to him for explanations even after he and Zoe had each set time aside to help her learn to read the tome’s contents herself. She found it easier to follow his directions than try and comprehend the words on the page, and with time set firmly against them the sooner she could learn to do more than open portals and create illusions the better.

Technically speaking, she had done more than that when she had fought to save Jim, but it had all been wild, desperate, and exhausting. She needed to learn how to do those things deliberately, and without pouring more of her energy into each spell than she could safely get away with. It was frustratingly difficult sometimes, even with Douxie’s relentless encouragement and stout belief that she was capable of anything she put her mind to. He’d laughed when she’d admitted as much, freely pointing out she’d picked up a whole lot considering she hadn’t yet had her magic for a fraction of the time Morgana had. She’d wanted to argue, not because she didn’t think he was being honest, but because for a moment her mind had completely tripped over the short passage of time that had passed since this whole adventure started. 

They had accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. The Eternal Night. Gunmar. Morgana. The search for the new Heartstone. The return of the Arcane Order. Jim and Toby had been at it only a few months longer than she had, yet, somehow, between them they had been involved in saving the world no less than three times. Surely, surely those adventures could not have taken place over a single year. But they had, and Douxie’s gentle amusement at her impatience had reminded her that her chosen teacher had spent nine centuries learning his craft and had still only just earned his staff.

That had put things into perspective.

So had watching Arcadia burn.

She was not a stranger to battle anymore. Even if she didn’t count the various, small skirmishes she’d taken part in there had been the Eternal Night and the Battle of Killahead Bridge to introduce her to the horrors of this millennia long war. Young though she might be, she knew what it was to stare death in the face. To stand on a pitched battlefield knowing you were outnumbered and outmatched and choosing to fight anyway. But even Gunmar had only wanted to conquer the human world — the Arcane Order wanted to burn it all to the ground — and it was there, standing in the midst of the calamity they had caused, that she most keenly felt her lack of experience.

Even without the soulless husk of Arthur to support them, the Arcane Order had them outmatched. They weren’t invincible — Deya had landed a hit on Bellroc at Killahead, and apparently caused some serious damage — but they had replaced their lost pawns with an army formed of what seemed to be every magical creature they could hold beneath their sway. She didn’t even recognise all of those swarming the streets, despite the hours she had spent pouring over Blinky’s bestiaries. There were shadow mephets, nyarlagroths, goblins, and hellheetis alongside countless others. She thought she saw a gruesome briefly out of the corner of her eye, and the stars above were blotted out by the winged outline of at least three stalklings.

It was madness, utter and complete, made all the worse by the innocent bystanders caught in the midst of it all. The three of them had been given the unenviable task of rescuing as many people from the heart of the battlefield as they could. Claire’s shadow portals were the only reliable way to transport people safely in and out, with neither the airship nor the Hextech wizards able to risk getting close to the Arcane Order themselves. That was Douxie’s role, and Claire hadn’t been able to argue when he declined her offer for assistance. Her skills were needed elsewhere, and she’d already tested her strength against the Orders and been found wanting. Douxie had promised he would manage. He’d smiled and gripped her shoulder and she’d let him walk away like a fool.

“Claire?”

The sky was spinning above her, half obscured by smoke as her mind wandered in aimless recollections, dredging up recriminations for a mistake she did not yet realise she had made.

“Claire! Wake up!”

The smoke burned the back of her throat as she unwittingly inhaled it. There was a ringing in her ears, loud and distracting and muffling Jim’s voice as he shook her urgently.

“Are you alright? Claire?”

“I’m fine,” she said, or thought she said. Her own voice sounded like a whisper, her hearing still as distorted as her vision. She coughed, her bruised sides protesting the motion, her lungs screaming for fresh air. “I’m fine. What—”

If Jim answered her she didn’t catch his reply, but he did help her off her back into a sitting position. His face was blackened with soot and streaked with blood from a dozen small cuts. No doubt she looked just as battered. Judging by the rubble surrounding them, half a building had come down with Bellroc’s last fireball. Still dizzy, she leaned against Jim a moment, trying to get her bearings, trying to gather her wits because now was not the time to lose focus.

The ringing in her ears was fading, replaced by what sounded like screams. Not sounded like, she realised, was. The smoke had parted behind them, so that when she and Jim whirled to face the source of that dreadful sound they were both given a clear view of the battlefield once more. Of her teacher — her friend —on his knees at the Arcane Order’s mercy.

“No!”

‘Magic is emotion’, Douxie had told her, something she had always known but never fully understood. Not until she was forced to embrace her fear or be rendered helpless once again. It wasn’t fear she was feeling when she staggered upright, bleeding and still choking on smoke; It was absolute, white-hot fury, and her magic reacted accordingly. The shadows took on a will of their own as soon as they left her hand, the energy torn from her fingers to join the violent maelstrom their battle had created. What she had meant to be an escape route turned instead into a whirlpool of darkness that dragged anyone and anything in the vicinity into its heart.

It should have calmed once they reached the other side, like diving beneath the surface of a pool in the middle of a storm. Unfortunately, she had unwittingly brought the Arcane Order along for the ride, and found herself emerging into chaos. Magic roared around her; Raw, unbridled, and dangerous. She couldn’t see anything, the clashing forces spinning her in circles and blinding her to both friend and foe. She could hear screams, voices she recognised, and a slow, swelling chant that settled sinisterly at the back of her mind, reeking of ill intent.

It was terrifying, but so was everything else they had faced today, and she wasn’t about to be the reason they didn’t make it out of this alive.

Giving up on righting herself, ignoring the chips of ice slicing through bare skin and the flames nipping at the edges of her hair, she let the whirlwind carry her where it would, pouring all of her focus, all of her energy, into locating her friends. She wasn’t Nari, she couldn’t simply sense the soul of any living thing, but she could picture the one’s she cared about clearly in her mind, imagine the shadows wrapping about them all in a protective blanket, and yank them to safety.

The landing was rough. They emerged from too high and crashed against the floor in a tangle of limbs and weapons. Claire had the breath knocked out of her when Krel landed on her back, a stream of what she was fairly certain were Akaridion curse words falling from his lips as they disentangled. She paid no attention, crawling on hands and knees towards the two among them who weren’t moving. Archie was closer, and she paused beside the small dragon, fingers seeking and finding the shard of ice that had felled him. She could feel the dark magic that infused it, an enchantment too complex for her to try and dispel on her own. She tugged the shard free instead, her fear easing a little when it did not resist, and watched with bated breath as the frost that had spread from its impact slowly began to melt. Archie’s wing twitched as the invisible layer crumbled away, and she nearly choked on her relief, hastily shoving the familiar into Jim’s arms as she turned to Douxie.

“Teach?”

He’d fallen face down without making any attempt to catch himself. She could still hear the screams Bellroc had been ringing out of him when they’d done... whatever it was they’d done. With a shaking hand, she reached to turn him over. There was no resistance; He rolled limply onto his back, skin pallid and face still, blood streaking the side of his face from a nasty gash on his temple. His chest had been branded with a strange rune that looked like it had been burnt directly into his skin, still bright in places, like hot embers in a dying fire.

She placed her fingers at his throat, searching for some sign of life as she pleaded under her breath, “Come on, Doux. Don’t do this again.”     

There was no pulse that she could find. She tried to convince herself not to panic. This had happened before and he’d been fine, despite the fact the fall alone should have killed him. She just had to trust he could do it again. A minute ticked by, and then another, agonisingly slow and all too fast at the same time.

“He’s breathing, right?” Toby was behind her, Jim on her other side, still carefully cradling Archie. “Tell me he’s breathing.”

“I don’t…” she moved her hand to his chest, careful of the brand as she felt for the rise and fall that would indicate life. “I don’t think he is.”

“I could not hold him.” It was a fragile whisper, and Claire looked up to find Nari crouched on Douxie’s other side, staring at her own hands as if they had betrayed her. “I could not... I was not strong enough.”

“What did they do?”

Nari startled, lowering her hands as she lifted her eyes to meet Claire’s frantic gaze. “They have destroyed his soul. I tried to stop the spell, to hold him together, but I could not... I could not...”

“No.” She shook her head, denial rising. “No. There has to be a way to fix this. I can—”

“Guys!” The exasperated shout came from the other end of the dark cavern. Claire looked up to see Steve running towards them, Blinky a stride behind. “What is taking so long? We gotta move!”

The gyres. Of course. Their escape route. Their means of ferrying an entire town of people out of danger as quickly as possible. It had been her job to get everyone here safely, and she had failed.

“Great Gronka Morka!” Blinky had reached them, shoving his way through the circle they had unwittingly formed. “What happened?”

“No time for that,” Jim interrupted, moving Archie’s weight to one arm so he could reach down and pull Claire to her feet. “Steve’s right. We’ve got to move before the Order realises where we’ve gone.”

“But—!”

“We’ll figure something out,” he promised, stepping aside to let AAARRRGGHH!!! collect their fallen friend. “Just not here. Come on.”

Stumbling, she let herself be pulled along. The battle had exhausted them all, she could see it in the faces of those running alongside her, but they couldn’t stop yet. Douxie had been clear on that. They needed to get out and away, or the Order would just keep on coming. If they could. She didn’t know if Skrael or Bellroc could control the Shadow Realm now that Morgana was gone. No doubt they were powerful enough to find a way even if the magic was not in their repertoire, but leaving them trapped within its boundaries might buy a little more time.

Jim was leaning on her almost as much as she was leaning on him when they reached the gyre, his stamina not what it had once been as a half troll. Their sorry group piled on one after the other as Blinky wrestled with the controls. AAARRRGGHH!!! braced himself in the corner as they took off, cradling Douxie’s limp form gently to his chest. Claire found herself watching him as she swayed back and forth with the gyre’s sharp turns, still waiting on a miracle that wasn’t coming. Nari huddled at the large troll’s feet, her arms wrapped around herself as silent tears rolled down her cheeks. She looked devastated; Claire hadn’t yet moved past numb.

The station was crowded when they arrived, filled to overflowing with frightened Arcadians and equally unsettled trolls. These people had faced the Eternal Night and Alien invasion, only to be left shell shocked by an ancient order of wizards marching in without warning to burn their town to the ground. She could hear Dictatious shouting somewhere amidst the crowd, trying to ferry people to where they were meant to be as if he could actually see what was going on. Her parents were somewhere in that mess, as was her brother. Douxie had been adamant they get their families to safety before joining the fight. He’d sworn he could handle the Order for as long as they needed.

He’d lied.

The guilt was an old companion, a heavy weight bearing down on her shoulders as she disembarked. They drew attention. Human or troll, people knew Jim, and AAARRRGGHH!!! was much too large to pass unnoticed. Even if very few of those present knew who Douxie really was, they seemed to recognise that something terrible had happened. The crowd parted without prompting to let them pass, battered bodies shuffling out of the way and then watching them hasten by with curious eyes.

All except one.

“Zoe...”

Claire trailed off before she had even begun, the words dying on her tongue. The hedge wizard had clearly raced to reach them, her chest still heaving from the dead sprint she had just stumbled out of, dust in her hair and rips in her shirt that had not been there the last time they had spoken. There was a wild look in her eyes that had nothing to do with her battle-worn state, and Claire stepped aside, tugging Jim with her, as Zoe staggered forward. Static energy crackled behind her as she walked right up to AAARRRGGHH!!! and his precious burden, the large troll crouching lower to allow her near.

Without missing a beat, she leant across Douxie’s prone form to grab a hold of his singed shirt. “Hisirdoux Casperan, you are not going to pull this nonsense on me again!”

The answer was, predictably, silence. Zoe waited a beat longer, then her eyes flashed down to the burning rune. “What is this?”

“The Arcane Order…” Nari answered meekly. “Bellroc turned his soul to ashes.”

Zoe went a shade paler, her voice sharpening to a verbal razor. “His soul?”

“I tried to stop them.” There was an apology and regret both in those words. “I failed. I am sorry.”

“No.” Zoe’s hand turned into a fist, Douxie shirt still clutched within her fingers. “No, that’s not good enough. I haven’t spent centuries helping Archie keep this idiot alive for it to end like this. You were a part of the Order, you must know a way to fix this. They brought Morgana back. Twice.”

“Morgana’s soul was still intact,” Nari explained, shrinking a little more with each word. “Even if I could still sense his spirit on this plane, I cannot complete the ritual alone.”

“You’re not alone,” Claire interrupted, earning the attention of both her fellow spellcasters. “You have us, Nari, there must be something we can do.” The tiny sorceress looked up at her helplessly, her lips parted without words, and Claire felt her own determination wavering. “Please.”

“Come.” Laying a supportive hand on hers and Jim’s shoulders, Blinky started them moving again. “We should find somewhere quieter to discuss this.”

Suddenly hyper aware of all the eyes on them, Claire let herself be led, finding and grasping Jim’s hand tightly in her own. They left the crowded chamber, passing by the glowing doorway where the new Heartstone rested; A triumph she had all but forgotten in the wake of all that had followed. Holding aside a thick curtain of fabric, Blinky ushered them all within the comparative privacy of his new library, then hastened to clear room on the table for AAARRRGGHH!!! to set their fallen comrade down.

The large troll did so with care, folding Douxie’s hands across his stomach. It reminded Claire entirely too much of Merlin’s tomb, and she tore her gaze away to watch Jim settle Archie into place beside his wizard. The familiar was still under the influence of whatever dark magic had been locked within that icy shard, though the paralysis seemed to have eased somewhat, his eyes no longer staring blankly into the distance. He still wasn’t conscious, and Claire thought that was probably a mercy right now.

“What the hell happened out there?” Zoe was still choosing anger over any of the other emotions she might be feeling, standing rigid with her arms folded as she searched the faces of those gathered in the room.

“We were too slow.” Jim spoke, and Claire tried not to flinch. She had been too slow. If she had been able to evacuate the town faster, Douxie wouldn’t have been trapped facing the Order alone. They’d been overrun, yes, by mephits and stalklings and all manner of dark creatures, but that was no excuse. She should have found a way. “Skrael hit Archie, and then...”

He trailed off. Scowling, Zoe moved to check the familiar herself, Nari clambering up to perch atop the table beside Douxie’s head as she did so. The small sorceress reached out as though intending to touch him, only to snatch her hand back at the last second with a guilty flinch. “This is my fault.”

“It’s nobody’s fault.” There were tears pricking at the corner of her eyes; She refused to let them fall. “The Arcane Order did this, and we are going to make sure they don’t get away with it.”

She didn’t care how. Enough was enough. She wasn’t going to lose anyone else to these monsters. Never, ever again.

“He can’t be dead.” She hadn’t realised Steve had followed them until he started speaking. “Don’t wizards like, turn to ash or something when they die?”

“That would require his soul departing to the next realm.” Blinky, one of only three in the room with the authority to comment, offered his knowledge. “Without that, I fear our wizard friend may remain like this forever.”

“What? Really?” Steve blinked, giving their fallen friend a sidelong look. “That’s… that’s just creepy.”

“One of the many mysteries of magic,” Blinky shrugged, turning to Jim. “I must go and make sure everyone is getting settled in alright. You’ll call, if you need anything?”

“Of course.” Jim nodded. “Can you let mom know we’re here?”

“Right away, Master Jim.” Blinky bustled out, AAARRRGGHH!!! shuffling behind him, and the room was plunged back into a heavy silence.

“What about Archie?” Claire couldn’t stand it, and spoke in spite of her shaking voice, “Is he going to be okay?”

“I don’t know what this enchantment is,” Zoe admitted, running her hands over the familiar with a gentle care that was at odds with the fury still radiating off her. “Curses aren’t exactly my specialty, but one of the others might be able to help.”

“I will go ask.” As eager as any of them to have something to do, Krel bolted from the room.

“And Douxie?” Toby pressed. “Is there some sort of wizard guidebook on soul reconstruction too? Some sort of relic we need to find? Some spooky, dark lair we’ve gotta sneak inside? Oh, oh! Maybe Gatto has something that would help?”

“Nari?” Claire kept her eyes on the forest guardian, the only one among them who had any true understanding of the magic that had been used here. “How do we fix this?”

“I know of no magic capable of restoring a soul once it has been destroyed.” Nari shook her head, her own gaze fixated on the unmoving wizard in their midst. “There are spells, rituals that might help if a fragment had survived, but I cannot sense any part of Douxie still with us.”

“You couldn’t sense Jim either,” Claire reminded her. “But he was still there, in the Shadow Realm.”

“Then that’s where we’ll start.” Zoe made a decision, stepping away from the table to stand closer to Claire. “We are not letting it end like this.”

“You can’t go alone.” Not about to be left out, Jim added, “The Order might still be there.”

“You stuck the Arcane Order in the Shadow Realm?” Zoe gave her a look that was equal parts bemused and impressed. “Douxie really has been training you, hasn’t he? You’ll have to ask him about that nyarlagroth he stuck in Limbo one day.”

“I will,” she promised, holding that fragile thread of hope for all it was worth. “As soon as we get him back.”

[methylsalicylate]

The Madrigals and The Beast Ch 1

AO3 Link | Story art by @waokevale | Tag: #Madrigals&Beast 

Chapters:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20

Summary: 

In the Kingdom of Encanto, there was only Light magic, while the Dark surrounded the forest beyond the mountains. Everything had been prosperous for them, but recently the Dark has been seeping through in the form of disease, less harvest, and dead livestock.

Mirabel, the only giftless princess of the Madrigal Royal family, wants to prove her worth by making it her mission to eradicate Dark magic and restore the full power of the Light.

Starting with defeating the hideous seven-foot tall half human half rat monster hiding in the depths of the dense forest.

______________________________________________________________

In a land far away, protected by dense forests and massive mountains, was a small kingdom.

Here, Light magic existed in nature. It was found in the bountiful harvests they get every year, in the river that never runs out of fish, in the fields that fed the animals, and in the living house of the royal Madrigal family, which is fondly called “Casita”.

The existence of Light magic implies the existence of the opposite kind, which is of the more evil sort. Dark magic stemmed from a wretched being, an entity known as the Curse of the Encanto. Its energy spilled throughout the outside borders, weakened due to its diffused state. The very first king defeated it with a sword made with a small amount of Light magic, creating the protective barrier and dispersing the energy outward, scattering its essence.

Currently, everyone lived peacefully under the governance of King Pedro, the 10th ruler of Encanto.

During King Pedro’s term his wife, Queen Alma, gave birth to triplets, 2 girls and the youngest, a boy. With their birth came gifts from the counterpart of the Curse, the benevolent Spirit of Encanto. These gifts were in the form of a Candle representing the status of Light magic, and a sealed box, both manifesting in the topmost room of Casita. Nobody knew what this meant, but this occurrence was seen as a miracle, and the entire town celebrated the birth of the royal triplets for a whole week.

This was not where the miracles ended, though.

—--------------------------------------------------—

“Really mama? There are more miracles?”

Julieta pulled her 4 year old daughter closer to her as they lay down in bed. It was a little early in the evening, but Mirabel was tired from playing too much with her slightly older cousin, Camilo. The boy was still outside, forced to help out after knocking a few vases in the garden outside.

“Of course. Why do you think Isa can make flowers? Or how Luisa is super strong?”

“Or how you can heal with food!”

“Yes exactly. You see mi vida, when I was around 5, my sister and…” Julieta trailed off, looking down with pain in her eyes. “Well, we were still complete back then. On our 5th birthday, three mysterious doors showed up in Casita. Your Abuelo Pedro knew it was a gift from the Spirit of Encanto, and it granted us the miracles we have now. It also gave us these marks around our arms.”

She raised her hand, and just below her wrist was a small mark of a leaf, and a straight line going around, as if it were a bracelet in the form of a tattoo. To her, this was like a small reminder that her gift of healing was meant to be shared with the people around them. Her sister Pepa had a small sun, while Bruno had a small hourglass as a mark.

“These miracles are why we dedicate our life to helping the kingdom.”

She tried to avoid sounding upset, but Mirabel noticed the change in her mother’s tone. She was still young, but her older siblings and cousins have told her about how her mama and Tia Pepa used to be a part of a trio.

“Mama… where did Tio Bruno go?”

“Ay, it is a very hard story to tell mija… It is a little bit scary too, and you are about to sleep so I don’t want you thinking about -”

“Mama please I can take it! I am a big girl now!” The child sat up and puffed her chest out, even flexing her arms to imitate her older sister.

Julieta smiled softly, and caressed her daughter’s hair. She motioned for her to lay down, prompting Mirabel to lay closer to her, full of anticipation.

“Promise me you’ll be brave tonight.”

“I promise!”

It was a hard story to tell. Even though it happened more than 20 years ago, closure was never met, and remembering the past felt like opening a still bleeding wound. However, her daughter had to know the dangers that surround the outskirts of Encanto. “You know how I can heal with meals I make, and how Tia Pepa can control the weather with her emotions? Well, your Tio Bruno could see the future.”

“Whooaa…”

“It is an amazing gift, but it also comes with consequences. He had this… vision, many years ago, of a giant rat-like creature standing behind him menacingly, with its arms around his neck, like it was choking him.”

The little gasp that came out of Mirabel prompted Julieta to stop, but her daughter stared at her with intense focus, waiting for whatever happened next. There’s no way she’s leaving her daughter alone tonight.

“We figured that it did not mean anything, that maybe it was a nightmare… But you know that Dark magic exists beyond the mountains.”

“Oh! The one from the Curse of the Encanto?”

“Yes. It was a terrible entity, spreading disease and disaster wherever it went. If it weren’t for the first king, the ancestor of your Abuelo Pedro, it would still be here. He was able to defeat it with a sword laced with some Light magic.” It was common knowledge, and more of a legend to the people in the kingdom. She still remembers how her father Pedro acted out the entire scene in dramatic fashion, complete with costumes and all.

“This vision of the Rat monster felt like Dark magic seeping through… Your abuelo and abuela were very worried about this, and it made Bruno even more anxious than he already is. Then one day… during a partial solar eclipse… We were just 10, we were playing outside and we had a small fight. Bruno walked away, and night came but he never returned… Nobody saw where he went. It was like he disappeared from Encanto.”

She paused, replaying the moment in her head.

“It was a nightmare. Everyone looked around the kingdom, but they were not able to go beyond the mountains, for it was too dangerous and treacherous. There were those that attempted but could not last a day climbing the mountains. The search lasted for months… We all assumed that his disappearance was the doing of the Rat monster from his vision, who most likely is a user of Dark magic, a servant of the Curse.”

“Your abuelo and abuela were devastated. Pepa and I cried almost every night. We kept blaming ourselves… If only I was a better older sister, if only I was brave enough… Losing one of us… losing a triplet, I felt like a third of me was ripped away.”

Mirabel stared at her with glassy eyes. She hugged her mother tightly. “Mama I don’t think it’s your fault. It’s the Rat monster! He’s a meanie!”

Laughter filled the room, Julieta already feeling more relaxed than upset. “Thank you mija. I still can’t help feeling sad whenever I remember that day… Ever since then, children have always been accompanied by at least one adult when they play around.”

She looked at her daughter, slightly being reminded of her baby brother. They both had big brown eyes.

“Mirabel, it’s very dangerous out there. Here, we are protected by Light magic, but beyond the mountains, Dark magic is everywhere. It is no longer conscious and is spread thinly all over, but it is out there. So please promise me, mi vida. Always be with someone when you go around the kingdom. And never, ever leave the Encanto.”

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Chapters: 

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 

[seriouslyhooked]

Lost Souls and Reveries (Part 23)

24 part AU written for @cssns​. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6,Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22. Story available on AO3 Here and FF Here. Banner created by the amazingly talented @shipsxahoy​!!

A/N: Hey all! So we are back with another chapter of Lost Souls and Reveries and, as is very typical of me, I found myself trying to wrap up this story and I’ve come to the realization I need a few more chapters to do the story justice. I also had multiple readers ask (okay, beg) me to pick up the story right where the last chapter had ended so I have done that with this chapter. Be advised we will move from Killian’s POV to another character who’s POV we’ve never had before. But rest assured you’ll get some fluff, some smut, and some cuteness before getting back into the drama. Thanks so much for reading, and can’t wait to see what you all think!

Hearing Emma say the words, ‘I do’ just now as they made their vows to each other out on the front porch changed the entire plan Killian had for this evening. There could be no soft and sweet or slow and steady when he knew Emma loved him just as fiercely and entirely as he loved her. It brought too much to the forefront, prompting his body to pulse with the need and adrenaline reserved only for two perfectly suited fated mates. This didn’t seem to bother Emma though, for she replied in kind, holding him tightly and clamoring for more as they moved past the front door and into their new home.

A tour might have been an obvious first step, but it would have to wait. Right now, Killian craved the taste of his love and the satisfaction that came with making her purr. He could smell her want for him and feel the way her body shook with anticipation and desire. It was like their first night spent together all over again. None of the frenzy had dissipated, and his confidence and assuredness in them had only grown stronger. He and Emma were forever. There was nothing but this – nothing but them – and he let out a growl of approval at that as he made quick work of the alarm and bolted the front door, locking them away from the rest of the world. Before she could put even a few inches of space between them he was on her, resulting in a yelp of anticipation from Emma that dissolved very quickly into a throaty moan.

“Killian.”

His name on her lips soothed him even as they drove him just a little more insane. Didn’t she realize how lost he was for her and how such strong displays of her infatuation would drive him even more wild? She was stirring the animal inside of him, making him and his wolf completely desperate for more.

“I had a plan, love. I was going to take you room by room through this house. I was going to tell you of my dreams for this place and ask you of yours,” he said as his hands brought her harder against him, her core rubbing against his hard length through the denim of his jeans. She writhed at his show of power, her eyes hazing over to a lusty emerald green. “But that plan is no longer viable.”

“It isn’t?” Emma asked, her tongue coming out to wet her lips, taunting him and splintering his already fractured control.

“No. I can’t wait any longer, love. Maybe another day, in another moment…” he trailed off, not wanting to revisit the harrowing episodes from earlier today again, but Emma understood. Instead of letting that linger she pulled him down to kiss her and fed directly into his new dream. Soon he had her caught between his body and the wall and as he tore his lips from hers, seeking out her slender neck, he hummed before nipping at her pulse.

“You unravel me, Emma,” he said as his hands roamed her body with power and precision. He held her tight, his hold absolute, dominating his love in a way more befitting of a wolf than a man. It was primal, but oh so right, for him and for his mate, as was made clear by Emma’s little keening cries for more and her ever strengthening scent. “My mate, my wife, I must have you.”

“You do. Totally and completely,” she exclaimed, her voice growing pitchy as her breathing grew more labored.

She wiggled against him, and he resented the clothes still between them. Without real care for any of it, he stripped them down of everything he could, ripping away whatever wouldn’t easily go. He pretty much destroyed the whole outfit his Emma had been donning, but he didn’t give a damn. He’d buy her a hundred more if it made her happy, and in this moment she didn’t seem to care, watching him with increasing excitement and desire with each rip and tear. When she was naked before him, he stood for a split second totally hypnotized. He didn’t know where to start. He wanted to devour her completely and he traced the lines of where he could begin over and over a thousand times in mere moments. But when his eyes landed on the place where their pup was now growing more and more every day, he was pushed to action again, overtaken by the knowledge that he’d filled her womb with his child almost from the start. She was his in every way, tying them together and building something wholly good from their union, and both those things only made him want her more.

“It’s moments like this I thank God a little extra for what you are, love,” Killian murmured against her skin, his instincts trying to decide where it would be best to take her. Sure he could gather her up and bring her upstairs, but that would take time. Time he had no interest in wasting.

“What I am?” she asked, not following.

“A perfect blend of human and shifter. It makes you strong, love, strong enough that when I take you tonight I don’t have to hold back. I would have loved you any way you came, Emma. Never doubt that, but knowing how much you can handle…” he said as he knelt before her, his hands keeping her pressed against the wall as he maneuvered her to bring her waiting heat to his hungry mouth. “Knowing I can take you hard and make you mine again and again, well that’s the definition of a miracle.”

Without further discussion he took exactly what he wanted, savoring her taste and her desire while sating some of his need for her. This urge to dominate her, to take what he wanted while also giving her everything she could ever wish for pounded through his body, and after a day as riddled with peril as the one they’d just faced, he could do nothing to curtail this. The sounds of her wild and unchecked wants were music to his ears, and he started to lose grasp of his conscious human mind. Everything was instinct as his animal took over with just basic pulsing words blaring in his head as he tasted her sensitive flesh.

Mine. Take. Claim. Mine. Take. Claim.

He felt Emma crash into her completion once and then again and again. He drew her out and never let her rest, but when she couldn’t take love in this form any more he shifted their position, bringing her down to the ground with him but having her from behind. They’d done this before but never so brazenly, never with so much rampant need. It made the back of his throat tight with a need to howl, and when Emma begged him to take her he almost did. He cursed aloud but felt that biting sense of bliss as he slammed into her over and over. He lost himself in this but it wasn’t enough. It felt like the mating moon bearing down on them, but it was just their love. No other magic was at play, save for the magic that lay in Emma. Ultimately he needed to change their position again, never feeling fully complete without seeing her fall apart and when she did he wasn’t far behind. And in those precious moments where they truly became one, Killian found that all too elusive peace that told him just how perfect they were for each other.

“That was…” Emma couldn’t seem to find the words as they lay together on the living room floor, both spent and reveling in what they’d just done, with nothing like shame or embarrassment between them. “God, I don’t even have words. Can we do that again?”

“Every day of our lives, my love.”

After a few more moments spent enjoying their togetherness and the way that their burdens felt far beyond their reach, Killian wanted to show his soon to be bride their new home. There was just one problem – in his haste to claim his mate, he’d made a real mess of their clothes, hers most notably and in the end all they had between them was his jeans and shirt.

“There are clothes upstairs,” he explained, running his hand through his hair distractedly, as Emma stood up, completely exposed and unfazed in the slightest. But then she smiled at him and he was truly driven to distraction.

“Why bother?” she asked, stealing his shirt and throwing it over herself, the hem of it coming to just about midthigh, covering her, but making her no less tempting to him in the process. She gestured to his jeans and he put them on, reveling in the look in her eyes when he remained shirtless and available for her viewing pleasure. “See? We’re golden.”

Killian laughed at her assessment before taking her hand in his and guiding her on an actual tour through their new home, a place she clearly loved, even before seeing the redone interior. It was a great gift to him to know that he had made such a good decision in buying this estate, and Emma’s enthusiasm and excitement reassured him that he could not have done better. She was enamored with this house, and thankfully she was on board with all of the changes he’d made so far.

“I can’t believe this can be the same house. Everything is so bright and airy, but it’s still timeless,” Emma marveled, taking in the high ceilings that the first floor boasted and the charming antique moldings that adorned the walls. He’d had the contracting crew paint everything a pale eggshell for the time being, wanting a clean canvass that Emma could change should she so wish, but even like this the house was somehow still cozy. It didn’t have any sort of sterile, modern malaise. It was simple sophistication, and that seemed to be exactly what Emma wanted.

When Killian first saw the house, there were some rooms that were beyond salvaging, but many were diamonds in the rough. In some spaces, like the sunroom which was directly next to their living room, the antique windows that had always been there still worked perfectly. They formed a large glass encasement facing the east, so that early morning sunlight would always fill the area. With a bit of cleaning and restoration, the gilded beauty of a more ostentatious time was made relevant again, and the effect was classic and homey all at once. The room lacked furnishings now, but Emma immediately had ideas, something Killian knew would happen. He was almost glad for this little bit of chaos, if only because it sped up his reveal of their home. With Emma’s wishes known now, he could make this place a completed, calming hideaway for them by the time they were truly wed, and that was a goal he would be glad to accomplish. In this room especially, Killian could imagine shared stolen moments. Someday this home would be filled with their children, and there would be rare segments of time when Emma and Killian weren’t attending to them, but in the early morning, when the sun was just rising, or just after dusk when the stars were starting to appear in a vast night sky, Killian could envision them curled up, sharing a coffee or a cocoa and enjoying the respite, however fleeting it might be.

Other areas like the kitchen, were beyond small fixes. The contractors gutted the whole thing, and what now stood there was a contemporary looking space that was big enough for everything they needed. There was ample counterspace, new appliances, and a kitchen island made of local white granite, and most importantly there was an open wall so that he or Emma could see directly into what would be one day be their children’s playroom when they were cooking meals. That wasn’t the original layout of the house, but Killian had been adamant with the contractor that this was what he wanted. He and Emma hadn’t discussed this at length, but he knew that her career and the service she provided to the community meant everything to her. As such, he anticipated that he would take on a bulk of watching the kids and keeping things handled over here. He was desirous to do that, knowing that providing his family with love, protection, and stability after being denied that for so much of his youth would make him a better man. This fresh start with Emma was a way to do things right, and though it might seem overprotective, he wanted the ability to keep tabs on all their little ones at any given moment.

“This kitchen is amazing,” Emma gushed, running her hand along the sleek new features with adoration. Suddenly her cheeks flushed and Killian was on her immediately, wrapping her up in his arms and demanding to know what thought she’d had that made her blush. “I was just thinking that we’ll probably be spending a lot of time in here. What with all my pregnancy cravings and everything.”

Killian knew she didn’t just mean cravings for food, of which Emma had already begun to show signs. Since he’d gotten her pregnant Emma had been even hungrier for the love between them, and that was perfectly fine with Killian. He craved Emma every second of every day, and if she liked this kitchen and had visions of satisfaction stemming from this space, then who was he to deny her what she wanted? Hell, he’d take her right this moment if she indicated that was what she wished, but clearly this tour meant so much to her, and they still had much to see.

The rest of the first floor was all pretty standard, though Emma commented again and again about how open it was and about how it was exactly like she’d always wanted. But it took getting upstairs for really overflowing emotions to emerge. Emma saw the rooms Killian had begun to design for their future children and the features he’d put in already, like reading nooks and bay windows that matched her own childhood bedroom. There was a circular ‘tower’ room that he’d converted into a library, and even now many of Emma’s favorite books were adorning the built-in shelves around the space. She had been so busy she didn’t notice him taking them from her apartment above the clinic, but seeing them now she was overcome with emotion. Her eyes filled with happy tears, and her voice grew soft and strained from all that she was feeling.

“Oh, Killian, it’s perfect,” She said, running her hands along the wooden shelves with a dreamy expression.

After a few more minutes, Emma noticed the books that adorned many of the lower shelves and in the face of them her unshed tears managed to slip down her cheeks. For there, in an area most easily reached, there were already some childhood story staples. More than a few of those were courtesy of Emma’s parents. They had saved her favorite books from when she was a young girl and gifted them back now in hopes that one day their grandchildren would enjoy the same stories. Meanwhile, though his own possessions were much less vast than Emma’s were from childhood, there were even a few bounded tales from his youth, which he one day hoped to share with his children.

“I was thinking I could put the telescope here,” Killian said, drawing her to another wall that was made almost entirely of glass and which dipped upwards, allowing for a beautiful view of the night sky. Already the stars were twinkling, and though the grounds of their house were largely obscured by the shadows of the night, the sight was still beautiful. “I always loved the stars as a boy, I figure chances are one of our little ones might be the same.”

“They all will. They’re all going to want to be just like their Dad,” Emma said, bringing Killian’s hand atop their growing pup and smiling as she did. “They’re not even here yet and already you’re the best kind of father. You love us all so much, and that’s the one thing that matters most of all.”

Killian agreed that she was right. His love for their family was forever. It was unconditional and it would never end, as long as he lived and ever thereafter. That was probably evident in the way he’d begun to style the nurseries and designed the rest of their home, but in one room there was no real hint of their children. The master bedroom would be their space, a den of sorts, built to be the essence of comfort for him and Emma. From a giant bed with flowing white linens, to the giant clawfoot tub and the walk-in closet, Killian had chosen every feature with Emma’s happiness in mind. Things in their life were already hectic, and when they had kids it would be the same, just in new and differing ways. He felt strongly that Emma and he should have this, a private little oasis where they ended and started each day together.

To say that Emma agreed would be an understatement, and she showed him that immediately, by pulling him into bed and ‘christening’ the room in a way that drew them both to bliss. All in all, it was a perfect first night together, and a miraculous stretch of time where both of them could put down their worries about of the state of their small world. They ate, they bathed, they made love more than once, and they cemented their mating bond over and over again. The monsters in their lives were pushed to a far away distance, and somehow they both managed to sleep after everything they’d gone through. Nine full hours of rest were attained, and both of them slept with only peaceful dreams, but alas, the real world could only wait for so long, and sure enough it came tumbling back in again. When it did Killian woke right away, hearing the chirping of his phone before it woke Emma and walking into the room beside theirs, which happened to be their nursery before answering the call.

“You found something?” He said, not even greeting Ruby’s call with a hello or a good morning.

“We did. Graham managed to get surveillance tape of George’s SUV. He changed the plates but there’s a recognizable scratch along the front. Definitely bear claws. Graham ran it through the national database and got a hit at the border.”

“So he’s in Canada now?”

“Yeah, but we lost the trail there. Graham’s police contacts seem to not be as international as we might need them to be.”

“So we’ve got nothing then?”

“Not so fast, Lance of all people got a message from a mountain lion clan about six hours from here. There’s something happening up there, something weird.”

“What do you mean by something?”

“Animals are acting strangely, unaccounted for tracks, and there’s a smell, or rather a stench as they put it.”

“More sick shifters?”

“Only one way for us to find out, but it sounds like it. Good news is David and Neal made good progress with a cure, and in the meantime, they found a sedative that works. Anna’s bear let them test it on him and he was out damn near all night. They’re prepping more now.”

Killian heard the sound of Emma waking up, the sheets on their now messy bed rustling as she moved and he sighed, knowing that yet again he was facing real danger and an enemy that didn’t want him and Emma to have this peace. The only consolation was that a lead could get them past this. If they could find these shifters, then maybe they could find George and really get rid of him. That was the ultimate priority as the man was seemingly decided against letting Emma be.

“Do we know anything about the area?”

“We don’t, but David seems to. He says it was a long time ago, but when he was a kid he went with George past the border. They stayed with another family of hunters who lived not too far from this clan. David had heard that family were all gone now, some sort of hunter feud gone bad, but land records show there’s a massive estate out there. No listed residents but taxes on it get paid every year so no one’s messed with it.”

“George is probably there,” Emma said, putting into words Killian’s own assumptions as she curled into his side, and he nodded to her as he promised Ruby that they’d be there in thirty minutes. When he’d hung up the call. He looked to Emma, hating what he had to say next.

“We’re going to need to send a tracking team love, and there’s a reason Ruby called me. Of all of us, it’s likely me, Liam, and your father who are most needed out there. If this place is really as rural as Ruby made it seem, we’re the only ones trained for this kind of thing.”

“Well good, you should go then,” Emma said, moving to get dressed. “But I’m going with you.”

“Emma, you don’t have to do this,” he replied. “Yesterday was a lot for you and the baby and -,”

“Oh no you don’t. There is no way in hell I am sitting on the sidelines. This is my fight too, and besides, we both know that even if you’ll worry about me with you, it’s nothing compared to what you’ll feel if we’re apart.”

How could he argue with her when she was exactly right? He would feel better knowing she was with him, danger or not. After yesterday, there was just no comparison. Fighting side by side would now always be his preference and Emma knew that and made no complaints.

Soon enough they were ready and reunited with the others, and it became abundantly clear that more people wanted to go than could easily be brought. Killian and Liam were a given, as was David for obvious reasons. He was the only hunter among them, he had a baseline awareness of the area, and he had the most resentment against George of any of them. Ruth couldn’t bear to go, and it didn’t make sense for most of the others, but finally it was settled that Emma and Anna would round out the team. On this they had only mild pushback, all of it from Elsa.

“If you’re going, I’m going,” she said, not to Liam but to Anna. His brother’s mate seemed to trust in Liam’s ability and obviously didn’t desire to be away from him, but her fiercest protective instincts only came out for her sister and for Emma. Since Emma had Killian to watch over her, Elsa was appeased on that score, but Anna was more precariously placed, and also guided by emotion that could end up being her downfall.

“No, Elsa, you have to stay here. Ruby needs you to help with tracing Gold, she can’t do it alone, and I need you to stay with him,” Anna said, motioning towards the bear who remained trapped in the crystal enclosure.

The bear had been paying attention this whole discussion, and he roared out an aggressive sound. Clearly it didn’t like the idea of Anna leaving, and Killian couldn’t blame him. But there was very little choice, especially when Anna wanted to get some kind of vengeance for him. Before he could get too worked up, Anna slipped back into the crystal enclosure. While no one outwardly gasped this time, it was still alarming, and Emma squeezed his hand tight as she watched her friend.

“I know you hate this idea,” Anna said, pressing her hand to the bears face lovingly. “I’m not a huge fan either, but I know it’s the right thing. My instincts are going haywire, telling me it has to be like this. I’ll never know peace until I know he can never hurt us – hurt you again.”

The bear growled, but the sound was aimed at George and not Anna. Surprisingly the bear then reached its claw out to grab Anna and pull her close in what was quite literally a bear hug. Anna let out a sound between a laugh and a cry, but she relaxed into the embrace for a moment. Finally she pulled back, pressing a quick peck to the bear’s cheek before promising to come back. When she was through the crystal enclosure again, she looked to Elsa, and the tears in her eyes did nothing to deter her conviction.

“I can’t leave him with just anyone, Els. Leaving at all is hard enough, but I have to. This man hurt him, tortured him, and it makes me crazy. I have to help bring him down, but I can’t if you won’t stay here and protect him for me.”

Elsa stood there quietly for a moment, her hands balling and releasing unsteady fists as a range of emotions crossed her face. She clearly hated this idea, and her eyes flicked between Anna and Emma, before ultimately landing on Liam. Killian watched as his brother whispered an assurance in his mate’s ear and then kissed her surely, and when they pulled back Elsa’s fear was somewhat eased but by no means erased. Still, she chose brave acceptance over continued argument.

“You have to promise me you will stay with Liam or Emma at all times,” Elsa said to Anna, emotion caught in her throat as she spared another glance at her mate and Emma to confirm. “Seriously, you all three better come home to me or there will be hell to pay.”

“Everyone is coming home, and that is an order,” Mary Margaret said, her stares intent on David and Emma, though she clearly cared for all of them.

It was almost humorous to see the fierceness of a mother and a wife so closely mirroring Elsa’s fear as a friend and sister. If one didn’t know better, she and Mary Margaret would seem like family, but then again they were. Truth be told, every person here were all of them connected together, whether through blood, love, or unbreakable bond and that was all exceptionally clear as goodbyes were said, and ‘see you soons’ were exchanged.

“There’s no use worrying now about how this is gonna go,” David said a few minutes later as they got into the car and he drove the clinic’s SUV out of town and due north.

“Oh no?” Anna asked, her eyes watching the landscape like at any moment she’d see her mate running through this grove of woods.

“When my wife gives an order, she gets her way. If she says we’re coming home, we’re coming home.”

The joke achieved its objective, lightening the mood and bringing a small smile to everyone’s face. And though there were no real guarantees, and the future was still unsure, Killian chose to believe that Emma’s father was right. For after all of this, they simply had to survive, and when they did it would be on to happy endings, and the days of warring villains would be past them once and for all.

………………………..

Idiot! Fool! Complete and total failure!

The snarling voice inside his mind gave life to all of Gold’s own feelings about the sham of a hunter who had driven him astray.

What a farce this had been, and infuriatingly, what a harrowing misstep they both had made. All of this magic and time, wasted. He was low on his stores, having depleted too much of his saved up power not just in the past few days but over a series of years, and the thought was repulsive to Gold. After decades of harvesting every last bit of magic he could from creatures and beasts all over this world, here he was, weak and vulnerable. That wouldn’t last too long. A few months in one of his many hideaways and he’d revive himself to a more stable position. He had plenty of treasures back home designed to help him do just that. But still, what an embarrassment, and it was all because George Nolan was too blinded by purpose to prepare for all outcomes.

Of all the things to be undone by, a mated bond was one Gold never anticipated. Surely a seasoned hunter wouldn’t be so stupid, so pitiably dumb as to miss a possible match set by a natural magic far stronger than any Gold could conjure. But then that was the problem with these humans. All of them were so guided by their own crusades and devoted to overblown ego. Still, hunters were supposed to be of at least some use. They knew of magic in this world, they were privy to more than the average so and so. Yet in this situation it clearly meant nothing and now years of planning were gone, faster than he could flick his wrist and cast a spell.

Walking through the doors of this dilapidated shack that humans called a home, Gold bit back his sneer. Or maybe he didn’t. Why guard himself now? The cat was already out of the bag, so to speak, and now it was time to clean up. He had made a mess, or at least had allowed a mess to happen, and now it was time to make things right and protect himself before this belligerent waste of space made even more trouble.

“You played me!” George said, appearing from the back of the room that was obscured with shadow with a cross bow drawn and aimed Gold’s way. “You reneged on our deal! You told me you’d give me a weapon to kill them, and look what you did instead!”

“What I did?” Gold bit out, the words filled with venom and yet sterilized from most of the hate and rage flowing in his veins. He stepped closer to George, never flinching even when the hunter raised his bow to aim at his heart. “You were the one who made the choice. Who caught the beast in question? Was it me? Oh no, it was you. I offered one after another after another. I made it as easy as I possibly could for you to have all that you wanted. I gave you access to every shifter I could find, I ravaged half a dozen packs and chose the strongest of each clan, but none of them suited you. No wolf would do. No lion would suffice. I searched high and low, but it had to be a grizzly, and for what?”

“You know as well as I do that the infusions work best with a larger beast -,”

“Ha! You and your little ‘infusions.’ It was my magic that made anything possible. Without me you couldn’t stabilize that sickness to save your life. You would have had nothing, nothing!”

“Would have had? I have nothing now! Not only did the bear not fulfill the objective, they captured it.”

“You really can’t even grasp your own stupidity can you?” Gold asked. If he were capable of pity he would have felt it in this moment, watching as George looked confused in the face of his words. “They didn’t capture the beast. The bear has a fated mate and she is a witch. A friend of your great-niece.”

“That’s not possible. I designed the virus to override that instinct.”

At this Gold let out a sharp cackle, a maniacal sound that echoed through the aging wood of this long forgotten cabin. He hadn’t laughed like this in a long time and it really was funny, even if it was also a fucking farce.

“Override the instinct? You really are as dumb as any human off the street.” George’s anger got the better of him and he shot the arrow at Gold, but Gold was faster, waving his hand and halting the motion of the weapon as it clattered to the ground. “There is nothing in the world stronger than a fated mate. True love, soul mates, they exist in all the fairy tales for a reason. As long as there has been magic in the world, love has had power.”

“Well you should have told me! How was I to know?”

“See that’s the problem with you – you think that in this deal it’s I who serves your purpose. And I’m here to assure you of how wrong you are,” Gold said lifting the arrow with his powers back from the ground and turning it back to face at George. “The only reason I let you have your little sickness was to suit my needs. I want those witches and the hybrid. You promised me them in exchange for your weapon.”

“Maybe if you had told me why you want them so bad we could have avoided this.”

Gold ignored the barb, but his own sense of foreboding crept in again. He suppressed it, refusing to allow a dying witch’s last words to haunt him any longer. He was taking control of the situation, stifling any threat, or at least he was trying to.

“But it’s too late now.”

“Too late?” Gold said with a barked out laugh. “We’ve a half a dozen more shifters roaming around these mountains, waiting to be sent to track and kill, and none of them with mates to find in that wretched pack.”

“Doesn’t matter. David knows what he’s up against now, and he may be a disgrace, but I also trained him. He’ll have found a way to fend them off by now, he and those abominations he carries on with.”

“You really believe he has that ability?”

“I do,” George admitted, angrily.

“So what? It’s just over then? You’re giving up and reneging on your deal?”

“The way I see it the deal is moot – you failed to provide -,”

“I gave you everything I promised!” Gold screamed out, and the sound of it boomed around them, echoing in a thunder clap above them. The wind had picked up inside the cabin, the air crackled with energy, and yet when he calmed, that aching sense of exhausting kicked back in. he was weak right now, and he couldn’t afford this fight. But that didn’t mean he planned to lose. Far from it. “And now you’ll see just how strong a weapon that it was.”

With a flick of his wrist, the arrow fell down to the ground again, and George let out a sigh of relief, but then the howl of animals in the night emanated from a few miles away, sending an eerie chill even through Gold’s body. Oh he was at no risk, to be sure. His magic had a failsafe – no creature in his hold could turn on him, but any block against their attacking George was now gone. After all, a deal was a deal, and if a man couldn’t meet terms… well, that was hardly his problem.

“What did you do, Gold?” George asked, but Gold just smiled, giving an exaggerated wave goodbye, laughing again as he turned for the door. “Gold?! Gold!”

The sound of desperate calling was music to his ears as he walked away into the woods, heading to somewhere no one could find him without paying a hefty price. And though it might take some time, Gold reveled in the thought that by this time next year his latest trophies would be found. The witches and the hybrid would be his, fate would be rewritten, and he would remain the most powerful creature of them all.

Post-Note: Okay so yeah, this was wild even for me, BUT I needed you guys to see a little more of how things have gone awry and to know more than Emma and the others do. When I hinted a few weeks back about a spin-off of this series, I always had tracking Gold in mind, and though the story will feature CS, it will more centrally revolve around some of our other characters. Rest assured though, Gold is now out of the picture in this story, but George and the six sick shifters are still very much an issue. We’ll get to the climactic conclusion of that next time, and in the meantime I hope you guys enjoyed, I thank you so much for reading, and I hope you’ll keep enjoying this journey with me as we hit our last two chapters (and maybe a bonus epilogue or two)!

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