#Rise boys deserve tails

[sarathrwizard]

I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU!

DO THE RISE BOYS DESERVE TAILS!?!

Lol, I’ve started a tag, and it says “#rise boys deserve tails”

I WANT TO KNOW YOUR OPINION!!!!

I think that tails are cool! One time I thought I was forgetting their tails when I was drawing a sketch. But then I looked at the original design and was like, "oh, they don't got tails? Okay." But yes, I do think that them with tails is pretty cool!

[b00tyyyshker9000]

LISTEN!

I may have, or may have not gave them tails.

THEY DESERVE TAILS! THE RISE FANDOM NEEDS THIS TAG RIGHT HERE:

#Rise boys deserve tails

ITS TRUE AND WE ALL KNOW IT! THEY LOOK SO NAKED IN THE SHOW!

@kraang5 @ghosty-0w0 @amat3ur-ed1t0r---art-blog @alitteraladhdmess @riseleon @captain-ryans-no1-fan-2 @donniepedia-the-encyclopedia @littlemissartemisia @anglepsycho @animal-lover-forever @marm-alarm @orangepawn39 @allyheart707

HOW DID I FORGET @bowandbrush!?!

[luna1star10]

LOOK!!!!!

[crosshatchedaces]

*hugs u with my tail* *protects u with my tail*

[bell4donn4]

Like a god - Luke Castellan smut blurb

Tw: masturbation, use of religious imagery, body worship, Luke being lowkey sub

<<take your panties off>> and you did.

You spread your leg open for Luke, who sat inches away from you.

His boxers were down to his knees, cock red and aching for attention.

you touched yourself, immediately moaning at the sensation of your cold fingers on your bare pussy.

He stared at you and every movement you made with a certain hunger in his eyes, like a starved man who’s being denied of a last meal.

He bit his own lip as he watched intently; you looked majestic- divine, almost. Luke assumed that that’s how Eve looked as she bit the apple.

And the feeling he had must have been the same Adam had as he watched his lover sin, moments before following her act.

He palmed himself, restraining from throwing his head back. He needed to see everything. He couldn’t let himself look away, not even for one second. He wanted to print the sinful image inside of his mind, he never wanted to forget.

He would’ve damn himself if he lost one your moans- one of the disperate whispers you made as you pushed two fingers in.

What a turn, for a good boy like him. The Camp’s golden boy sneaking around after curfew to consume his fantasies. You made him give in to his darkest desires.

His hips bucked forward, and in that moments his mind was emptied from thoughts. Finally feeling free from the constant pressure of the role he had, and from the cruelness of his absent Father. Of the God who created him.

If he could, he would’ve made you his God. He would’ve made altars and temples to worship you; A much more deserving creature.

He would’ve dedicated his whole life to you,like people did to Gods.

He would’ve prayed to you ever night.

But in fact, he did. To him, looking at you, touching you, making love to you felt like a rite, like a prayer.

A tail old as time, he liked to imagine the filthy things you did as that; a sacred action.

<<you look so beautiful>> he whispered.

And you nodded, taking in the compliment, speeding up.

He did as well, teasing his own self, torturing his angry tip.

The cabin was full of sounds, of short breaths and mumbled words.

The nonsense filled the silence.

<<you look so good too Luke- so god damn good>> you said, and it filled him with pride, making him almost chock.

He craved you more than anything else in the world, yet, he didn’t dare to touch you. That’s not what he needed in that moment, not what he wanted.

Luke has always wanted to feel seen, to feel safe and loved, and sitting at your feet, like a Christian sits at the feet of the Cross was enough for him to feel exactly that.

You, his God, stared at him like Jesus would stare at his disciples.

<<Y/n- I’m- >>

You nodded frenetically, your own orgasm getting closer and closer by the second.

<<yes! cum for me Luke>> you said, not as a demand, not as a order. You were so good to him, always merciful, always lenient; never mean, never demanding.

He came fast, as soon as you asked.

He complied at all of your requests, like a good follower does. He came, smearing his load in his own hand and on his stomach.

You did the same right after, a lewd moan leaving your mouth.

He still stared at you, chest rising and falling down at a fast pace, waiting patiently.

<<you did so good Luke>> your voice was broken by the fatigue.

<<t-thank you- ah- >>

[songbirdseung]

WAKING UP NEXT TO THEM / EN-

synopsis: spending the night at their place for the first time and waking up next to them for the first time.

HEESEUNG 이희승 ~

you are definitely waking up before him.

because the night before, you guys played video games till 3 in the morning.

so, you just lay there and appreciate your bambi boy.

You slowly open your eyes, the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. As you regain consciousness, you find yourself lying in an unfamiliar bed. The memories from the night before start to flood back – the laughter, the video games, and the undeniable connection with Heeseung.

Careful not to disturb him, you turn your head to find Heeseung peacefully sleeping beside you. His tousled hair falls gently over his forehead, and a serene expression graces his face. The room is quiet, save for the soft hum of the city outside.

As you lie there, you take a moment to appreciate the details – the rise and fall of his chest with each peaceful breath, the warmth radiating from his body. The room is filled with a comforting stillness, a stark contrast to the lively gaming session just hours ago.

After a while, you notice a subtle movement from Heeseung. His eyes flutter open, adjusting to the morning light. He blinks a few times, and when he finally focuses on you, a soft smile graces his lips. "Morning." As you lie there, you can't help but feel grateful for the simple joy of waking up next to someone who makes your heart race.

JAY 박종성 ~

you already know, this man will wake up early and cook for you

BREAKFAST IN BED FOR YOU QUEEN!

he'll kiss your face to wake you up

You're still lost in the land of dreams, the warmth of the blankets cocooning you in comfort. The gentle morning light seeps through the curtains, signaling the start of a new day. Unbeknownst to you, Jay is already up and about, quietly preparing a surprise for you.

"Wake up, baby" He sets the tray down on the bedside table, and you're greeted by the sight of a carefully arranged breakfast in bed. There's a stack of pancakes drizzled with syrup, a bowl of fresh fruit, and a steaming cup of your favorite coffee. It's a feast fit for royalty.

"What's all this?" "Breakfast for the most amazing person I know. I thought you deserved a little pampering today."

He leans down, placing a sweet kiss on your forehead. The gesture is filled with warmth and affection, making your heart flutter.

You sit up, still in awe of the thoughtful surprise before you. As you enjoy the delicious breakfast Jay prepared, he sits beside you, stealing glances to gauge your reaction. "This is incredible, Jay. Thank you."

"Anything for you, love"

JAKE 심재윤 ~

both of you would be waken up by layla

teeth rotting sweetness from the moment your eyes meet jake.

he won't let you get up, just continues to cuddle you despite layla's barks

The sun has just begun to cast its gentle morning glow through the curtains as you find yourself slowly waking up beside Jake. The room is filled with a comforting warmth, and Jake's arms are wrapped around you, creating a cocoon of security. Everything is calm until the sound of excited barking breaks the peaceful silence.

Layla, the energetic ball of fur, has decided that morning cuddles are overrated, and it's time for some play. Her energetic barks echo through the room, threatening to shatter the tranquility of the moment.

"Looks like someone's ready to start the day." Despite Jake's attempts to keep you wrapped in his embrace, Layla's enthusiasm is infectious, and she insists on being the alarm clock for the day.

Layla's barks escalate, and it becomes clear that she won't take no for an answer. Jake chuckles and releases you from his grasp, sitting up with a playful glint in his eyes. "I think Layla wants us up, love."

"She's persistent, isn't she?" Jake nods, and you both share a laugh as you get out of bed. Layla, unable to contain her excitement, starts hopping around, tail wagging furiously.

"Alright, let's see what our little troublemaker wants."

As you follow Jake and Layla to the living room, you find yourself enveloped in the morning routine that involves playful banter, belly rubs, and the infectious joy that only a dog can bring. Jake pulls you into another warm embrace, Layla contentedly lounging nearby. Despite the playful chaos, the morning feels perfect – a blend of canine energy and the tooth-rotting sweetness of Jake's affection. As you share a quiet moment, Layla sprawls out between you, seemingly satisfied that her mission to start the day with joy has been accomplished.

SUNGHOON 박성훈 ~

he'll feel the sun on his face and wake up before you

stares and admires your beauty (cause you're a stunner babe)

fell in love with you for the nth time

The soft rays of the morning sun gently filter through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. Sunghoon stirs, his senses gradually awakening as he becomes aware of the sunlight kissing his face. With a contented sigh, he opens his eyes, and the first sight that greets him is you, peacefully sleeping beside him.

You're bathed in the soft morning light, your features softened by sleep. Sunghoon can't help but marvel at your beauty, even in the simplicity of this moment. He takes a moment to simply admire you, the way your eyelashes cast delicate shadows on your cheeks and how a faint smile graces your lips.

Sunghoon can feel his heart swell with affection as he watches you, a warmth spreading through him. The sun seems to accentuate the radiance that surrounds you, making you appear ethereal in the morning light. He brushes a strand of hair away from your face, his touch light and gentle so as not to disturb your peaceful slumber.

"How did I get so lucky?"

He leans down and places a soft kiss on your forehead, savoring the sweetness of the moment. Sunghoon takes a mental snapshot, wanting to remember this instance – the quiet morning, the warmth of the sun, and the overwhelming love he feels for you.

SUNOO 김선우 ~

you two are in synced, the same person

you wake up at the same time and admire each other

later, you both do each others' skincare routine.

The morning sun casts a soft glow into the room, and as your eyes flutter open, you realize that Sunoo is already awake, his gaze fixed on you with a fond smile. There's a moment of quiet understanding as you both share the same thought – the joy of waking up together.

"Good morning, Sunoo."

"Good morning, my other half."

You exchange a loving look, feeling a connection that goes beyond words. It's as if you share the same heartbeat, synchronized in the rhythm of the morning. With a playful twinkle in his eyes, Sunoo leans in to press a gentle kiss to your cheek.

As the morning routine begins, you decide to do something fun – a joint skincare session. Sunoo grins, always up for a bit of banter.

"Are you ready for the ultimate couple skincare routine?"

"Absolutely. We'll be glowing by the end of this." You gather an array of skincare products, and with playful banter and laughter, you take turns applying masks and serums. Sunoo can't resist making funny faces as you carefully spread a mask across his face, eliciting laughter from both of you.

"I can't believe I'm letting you do this to me." The banter continues as you exchange beauty tips and secrets, each step of the routine turning into a shared experience. Sunoo even attempts to mimic your skincare routine with exaggerated gestures, causing both of you to burst into fits of laughter.

JUNGWON 양정원 ~

you need the bathroom? too bad, he's not letting you leave the bed

wants to stay in bed the whole day

loving the new experience of waking up next to you

The soft morning light spills into the room, casting a warm glow over the two of you. As you start to stir, Jungwon tightens his grip around you, refusing to let you slip away from the cocoon of blankets and warmth that surrounds you both.

"Jungwon, I need to use the bathroom." Jungwon, with a playful smirk, pulls you closer, his arms securing you against his chest.

"Nope. We're not leaving this bed today." You chuckle, feeling the irresistible pull to stay right where you are – wrapped in his embrace. "But nature calls, Jungwon."

"Nature can wait. Right now, all I want is to stay in bed with you." He nuzzles into the crook of your neck, showering you with affectionate kisses. A mischievous glint in his eyes tells you that he's not going to let you go easily. "What if I promise to come right back?"

Jungwon tightens his hold, his warmth and laughter filling the room. "You're not escaping that easily. Today is a bed day, and I plan to enjoy every moment of it."

You can't help but surrender to the idea. After all, who could resist a day of relaxation with Jungwon? As you settle back into the pillows, Jungwon peppers your face with sweet kisses, reveling in the newfound joy of waking up next to you.

NI-KI 西村 力 ~

as much as he is a prankster, he'll respect your sleep

he'll bask in the moments and pull you closer to him

and you'll be enjoying the romantic side of ni-ki

Ni-ki, despite his mischievous nature, decides to play the role of a silent observer this morning. He refrains from any playful antics that might disturb your sleep, opting instead to bask in the quiet joy of waking up next to you.

As you open your eyes, Ni-ki pulls you closer, his arm wrapped around you in a protective embrace. There's a tenderness in his touch, a departure from his usual playful demeanor. He leans in, pressing a gentle kiss on your forehead.

"Morning, sleepyhead." You smile, still feeling the warmth of sleep clinging to you.

"Morning, Ni-ki. What's got into you today?" Ni-ki grins, a mischievous glint returning to his eyes. "Just enjoying the view. You're not bad to wake up to, you know."

You playfully roll your eyes, appreciating the unexpected romantic side of Ni-ki. As the morning progresses, Ni-ki remains by your side, savoring the quiet moments of connection. He pulls you into a sitting position, his gaze fixed on yours. "I was thinking, we could just stay here, enjoy the morning together."

You can't help but be drawn into the romantic atmosphere that Ni-ki has unexpectedly created. You nod in agreement, both of you reveling in the simple pleasure of shared silence.

[wintfleur]

🎀 hii bestie🤭 congratulations AGAIN on 1k it is so deserved and i am so so happy for you !!!

could i possibly request prompt 014 from 🪷 with cole caufield please ?? have a realll soft spot for him atm and i think you’d write this so so beautifully🤭 okay i luv u lots and congrats again roro😽😵‍💫

౨ৎ mornings with our little pawfield

﹕─┈ pairings ( Cole caufield x female! reader )

°. — summary ( mornings with your two favorite boys )

°. — details ( g; fluff. w; just pure fluff! wc; 1.2k )

﹕─┈ prompt ~ they roll on top of you, cradling your head between their hands as they kiss your nose.

˖ ་ 💭 roro’s notes ( AHHH BECCA MY LOVE ☹️ ILY SO BADD 🩷 !!! Tysm for sending in a request and for the sweet words !!! I genuinely couldn’t have done this without youu x I hope you enjoy it bestie !!! )

1k celly masterlist main masterlist nhl masterlist

“Shhh don't wake up mommy” Cole whispered to Alfie as they made their way back into the couple's bedroom. Cole ran his hand through his messy hair from a good night's sleep, a tired yawn leaving his lips as he slipped off his slippers that he wore as he took Alfie outside. Alfie just wagged his tail faster in excitement and ran across the floor and jumped on the bottom of the bed, doing that cute little twirl he always did before laying down. 

Cole smiled and moved to his side of the bed and pulled back the white duvet to slide back into the warm bed, slowly and carefully so he wouldn't wake you up. Cole laid on his side facing your sleeping body, a fond smile on his lips as he watched your body rise and fall in unison with your breathing. You were laying on your stomach with both of your hands under your pillow, your face was smushed against the soft pillow, causing your lips to form an adorable pout he so desperately wanted to kiss. 

The duvet was pulled up to your shoulders and you looked so warm that he just wanted to pull you into his arms and hold you, but he did not want to disturb your sleep. It was far too early for you to wake up on your day off. But it seems their excited dog didn't feel the same way as him, Alfie was determined to wake up his mommy, wanting her attention and ear scratches that only she could do. Cole's eyes widened when he saw Alfie stand up and before Cole could stop the eager dog, the damage was already done. 

A groan mixed with tiredness and pain leaves your lips when you abruptly wake up to the feeling of paws on your back, the duvet not protecting you much from the paws in your back. “Alfie get off” you heard your boyfriend hiss as he sits up, alfie letting out a whine but listens, snuggling up against your side and looking up at cole. Another groan leaves your lips as your eyes slowly open before immediately closing at the bright shine coming from the curtains you had forgotten to close the night before. 

Your eyes slowly flutter open, blinking away the sleep a few times. Your eyes immediately lock with a smiling Cole as he lays on his side, his eyes already on you, admiring your morning glow like he did every morning he spent with you. He never took a single morning for granted; he knew he was blessed to have such a loving girlfriend like you. He hated being away because of his away games, away from Alfie, away from you, so he cherished every morning with you and alfie. 

Before you could open your mouth to say good morning you're cut off with your own shocked squeal when you feel alfie start licking your nose and cheeks. Cole's head falls back against the pillow as a loud laugh leaves his lips at the sight. You hide your face into the pillow, a laugh of your own coming out. Alife soon gives up on his love attack and moves to lay back between his parents, letting you lift your face up from the pillow. 

“Mmm my favorite way to wake up” you murmured as you rolled over to lay on your back, stretching your arms out with a yawn, your eyes fluttering close at the satisfying feeling. Cole chuckles and props up on his elbow, looking down at you with a fond smile as you open your eyes and look up at him “What, with paws in your back?” 

“No kisses from my favorite boy” you winked teasingly at your smiling boyfriend before placing a quick kiss to Alfie's snout, alfie wagging his tail excitedly from the attention. Cole rolls his eyes and leans forward and places a quick kiss to your forehead, brushing some of your messy hair out of your face before whispering “I'm your second favorite though, right?” 

“Depends on who's making breakfast” You smirk as you look up at him, your eyes silently begging him to make breakfast. Alfie perks up at the work breakfast, his ears popping happily as he quickly gets up and jumps off the bed. Quickly running out of the room and into the kitchen, causing the couple to laugh at their dogs' actions. He gets his love for breakfast from his mommy!

“Waffles or pancakes?” Cole asks as he sits up, your eyes traveling down his shirtless chest before quickly looking up at Cole's face, a small smirk on your boyfriend's lips as he catches you checking him out. You lean back on your elbows, the blanket falling down to your waist, you answer sassily “Do you even have to ask?” 

“Sorry sorry” Cole chuckles, his eyes twinkling with mischief, a look you know all too well. You open your mouth to ask your boyfriend what he's thinking about, but instead a squeal of surprise leaves your lips as he quickly rolls to lay between your legs. Your upper body falls back against the bed, a giggle leaving your lips as you feel Cole cradle your head softly between his hands. 

“I love you” Cole whispered as the two of you kept eye contact, the eye contact only breaking when your eyes flutter close at the soft keeling of his lips on your nose, his thumbs softly caressing your cheeks. You smile and wrap your arms around his shoulders, pulling him down closer to you, one of your hands running through his hair as you both enjoy the soft sweet moments that came with your shared mornings. 

You open your eyes and look up at your smiling boyfriend, his eyes taking in every inch of your face that he's already memorized, fully enchanted by your beauty. You whisper back “I love you.” 

A wide grins spreads across cole's lips at the undeniable love in your eyes, this feeling . . . the warmth that spread throughout his whole body as he held you close, and the feeling of his beating heart in sync with yours was a feeling he never wanted to forget, a feeling he hoped to feel for the rest of his life. Cole slowly leaned his face closer to your, having a strong desire to feel your lips on his. 

It was so close, your lips touching, but you quickly pulled back and turned your head towards the open bedroom door at the sound of Alfie barking. A loud laugh leaves your lips when Cole drops his forehead against your shoulder, a groan leaving his lips at the interruption. You scratch at the hair at his nape, causing him to rest his chin on you, looking up at you with a cute pout. You continue to laugh as you bring your other hand to softly bop his nose “Sounds like someone's hungry.” 

Cole scrunches his nose at the ticklish touch and places a quick kiss to your clothed stomach before swiftly getting out of bed. You lean back on your elbows and bite your lip as you watch Cole walk out of your shared bedroom, turning to look back at you “He gets his impatience from you.” 

You let out a dramatic gasp at your boyfriend's words, and you were quick to get out of the messy bed, chasing a giggling Cole through your hallway and into the kitchen. Another sweet morning with your two boys! 

˖ ་ 💭 roro’s notes ( AHH MY FIRST COLE FIC 🤭 featuring the cutest Alfie !!! )

°. — taglist ( @cixrosie @toasttt11 @lovings4turn x )

[medusavsviperz]

Here me out 😏. The workers at playtime co. Put the smiling critters into pairs to work with the kids for like team building or something. But Dogday is being a little too friendly with his partner and the player is like big mad and feels some punishment is in order and they decided to peg the ever loving crap out of Dogday until he is a moaning, begging mess 😘

Punishment.

warnings: smut, anal, bondage, submission

relationships: dogday x fem!reader

writing style: second person

genre: smut

"alright listen up! we are playing a game! can anyone guess what it is?" one of the workers announced, getting a rise out of the kids. hide and seek! fetch! rock, paper scissors! tug of war! the kids would scream. "correct! we are playing a game of... tug of war!! you will each be separated into teams, with two leaders!"

"the team leaders are... hoppy and bobby! kicken and picky! and finally, crafty and dogday! bubba will be keeping score. okay kids, pick your leaders!" unsurprisingly, most of the kids wanted dogday, but they had to split it up.

originally, you never had a problem with crafty. you knew she liked dogday, but honestly, who didnt? he was a very handsome boy after all. but there was one rule all of the critters knew. he was yours.

you stood in the corner with catnap, just watching the game. neither of you wanted to play. dogday and crafty were winning with a total of 10 points, one point being per game. crafty did none of the work, she just stood in front of dogday pretending to pull. every now and then her butt would accidentally touch his crotch. that royally pissed you off. but you tried to ignore it. your final straw was when dogday had the fucking nerve to hold her waist steady.

yea no. not today crafty.

she was eating it up, she loved his attention. especially if it was physical. you knew very well dogday only had eyes for you, but you can still be jealous. its natural after all. but after that little stunt he pulled you figured he deserved to be punished. it took you a bit to figure out what you were gonna do, but once you did, it was perfect.

you said your goodbyes to catnap, making sure dogday saw you hug all over him, and walked to your shared room. and waited.

and waited.

and waited.

finally, dogday walks into the room, tail wagging, and arms open ready to hug you. you put your hand on his chest as a way of saying "stop" and gave him a stern look. his tail stopped wagging immediately. "a-angel...whats wrong.. did i do something?"... "get on the floor you slut."

oh shit.

he gulped. and got on his knees on the floor. "p-please..what did i do..?" ..you ignored him and attached a leash to his collar. you walked over to "the box" and pulled out your orange strap on. "f-fuck angel what are you doing?" .. "what was that all about with craftyfuckingcorn?" you say sternly while attaching the strap-on around your black lace panties. "what are you talking about..?" ... "shit i dont know, maybe the fact that she was flirting with you and you didnt stop her?!" you lubed up the strap on, and scoffed at him. "b-baby i swear i dont like her like that.." he looked like he was about to cry. "trust me dogday. i know you dont. but im gonna give you a little reminder.."

"bend the fuck over."

he shuts his mouth and accepts his fate, removing his shorts and lifting his ass in the air. giving you a nice view of everything hes got. you land a smack on his ass and he yelps, shaking. you line up the dildo with his puffy hole, giving him no time to adjust before shoving it in. he whimper/yelps and tears start to roll down his face. "p-please" sob "ts too much.." ... "should have thought about that before you whored yourself out." you quicken your pace, one hand gripping his hip and the other pulling his tail. "god...please stop it hurts!" ... "shut the fuck up." your pace is ruthless, hitting his prostate over and over again until he is a whimpering begging mess in your hands. hes cum multiple times on the floor, but youll make him clean it up later. suddenly you flip him on his back, seeing his sopping wet face, and his needy cock bouncing with every pound you make. you grab the bottom of his thighs and hold them to his chest, hitting deeper. once you think he has learned his lesson, you slower your pace, giving him kisses on his chest up to his cheeks.

eventually, you pull out, tossing the strap-on to the side, and walking to the bathroom to grab a wet towel. you clean him up and wipe his tear stained face, before slowly jacking him off. he deserves it. "you did a good job. my good boy" he whimpers at the praise, shooting his last nut on his stomach. you clean that up, and lean him on the bed, which he gladly climbs on to. you cuddle with him and wait until he falls asleep, before snuggling up to his chest and scratching behind his ears.

such a good boy.

made by medusavsviperz

[citristik]

I did the Rise boys in my own style with some fun little design changes. I hope you enjoy Raphs big dino tail, king deserves this win

[tashacee]

It’s implied that Time and Aspect!Wild talked to each other about their moon related trauma, what was Time’s reaction to Wild describing the horrors of the blood moon? What was Wild’s reaction to Time talking about his adventure in Termina? How many of The Chain know about Termina?

I’m so curious and desperate to know how that conversation went. Could it maybe even be a short story please?

Look I know this is VERY overdue but i REALLY liked this idea and wanted to do it justice so

Aspects of the Moon

“So.” Time said, shuffling his feet. “The moon, huh?”

“Oh hell no, spooky-boy, you’re talking first, you were accusing me of being a moon-demon ten minutes ago. I deserve to know why.” Wild chuffed as he signed and flicked his tail to show that he wasn’t actually mad. But still. Sure, he’d spill his own moon trauma, but he absolutely deserved to hear Time’s first.

The old man sighed, raking a hand through his hair.

“Uh…” he said. “I… guess that’s fair.” he sighed and shook his head. “It… it’s really weird. You probably won’t believe me.”

“I came back from the dead. Multiple times.” Wild deadpanned.

Time chuckled. “I mean when you put it like that.” he laughed. “Fine. You win. So… when I was a kid. A real kid. Well. Sort of. I was ten, but it was after my first adventure, which took around two years all things considered, so I was also kind of twelve? But yeah, I was ten.”

“Time, what the fuck?” Wild held up his hands, blinking. “Were you ten or twelve, this isn’t that hard?”

Time snorted. “I’m the Hero of Time, Wild. It really is that hard. Now stop interrupting, this is my trauma I’m talking about here.”

Wild rolled his eyes jokingly, but waved for him to continue.

“Okay so. I fell into a tree and woke up in another world, called Termina. And everyone in Termina was freaking out ‘cause the moon was about to crash into the ground and kill them all. Actually that’s not true. A lot of them weren’t freaking out, they had other issues, which seemed a little short-sighted of them, but who am I to judge? Anyway, the moon kept getting closer - it had a face, by the way. The moon did. Big angry face. Very freaky -and after three days it crashed into the earth and killed everyone. So I rewound time to see if I could stop it. Um. It took a lot of times. Couple of years worth of three day cycles, but like, I kept resetting myself too so I was still ten. And then eventually I fought the moon and escaped. But yeah. That’s. That’s my issue with the moon.”

Wild stared at him.

“Time, what the fuck?”

“I did tell you the biggest thing I ever fought was the moon.”

“Yeah but I thought you were joking!”

“Clearly.”

“Fuck!”

“Yep.”

Wild nodded slowly, staring into the darkness of the woods around him. That was… wow. That was a lot. No wonder Time has issues. If even half of that was true - and Wild had no reason to doubt his brother’s word - then it was frankly astounding that he was functional at all.

“Okay. so.” Time leaned back against a tree. “What’s your story? Why do you hate the moon.”

Oh yeah. That had been the deal, hadn’t it. Time had told his sstory, so now Wild would tell his.

Ugh.

He shrugged.

“Not as dramatic as yours.” he admitted. “In my journeys - both of them, actually - every full moon rose red and Ganon’s power waxed in the air. His evil became visible rising from the ground and at the stroke of midnight, every monster that had been slain returned to life at once. You could hear them howl through the night all at once. It sucked serious ass.”

Time stared at him.

“All of the monsters?”

“Yep.”

“Even - even the big ones?”

“Sure did. Full moons… I don’t trust em.”

“No shit! No wonder you hate them!”

“Word.”

“Fuck.”

They sat in silence for a moment, both thinking about each others’ respective moon traumas. Then Wild pulled out his slate, flicked through a few sections, and pulled out his strongest bottle of whiskey, offering it to Time.

“Fuck the moon, amirite?”

Time grinned, accepting it. “Yeah. Fuck the moon!”

[t0ta11y-n0t-cup1d]

!!!!! hi !!! :) can u maybe write rise leo & donnie hcs (separate pls) with a reader who's super affectionate and just loves tf out of them.!!! like!!! reader is head over heels!!!

also i hate that u were self conscious while writing totally platonic ;( it was so great, i rly like the way u wrote it!!!🥹 made me feel all warm n' fuzzy n' shit

Touchy-Feely

꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡ (seperate) don + leo hcs w a supez affectionate reader!!! (physical touch, gift-giving, words of affirmation)

req ;; yes/no

g/n reader!! they/them prns

warnings ;; swearing, kinda ooc??

leo ;;

- so leo is naturally ALL over people he loves (think climbing all over raph, draping himself over mikey + donnie, etc)

- it'd be really accurate to say he's the same way with you!

- whenever you're in the lair, or just around the turtles/leo, you are going to be snatched up and there is nothing you can do about it!

- standing up? okay, leo's just gonna wrap his arms round your waist and lean his head on your shoulder.

- sitting down? either you're sitting in his lap or he's sitting in yours— or, he sits on the floor beside you so that he can lean his head on your thighs (i love doing that)

- laying in bed? CUDDLE TIME!

- that's all just to say that leo himself is very physically affectionate ;; if he got the chance he'd hold onto you and never let go

- with leo's self-esteem problems, i think it really helps to have a partner who's super affectionate!

- leo's the kinda guy to have doubts/ be like 'why are you even with me? i'm so lame and my brothers/literally anyone is so much better than me'

- so to have someone who time and time again shows how much they love him and proves that they only have eyes for him?

- it actually really helps! of course, those thoughts do come back sometimes, but it's nothing that a few kisses and a cuddle session can't fix!

- not to mention how you're always, always willing to tell him own much you love him!! because you do, you love him very much and will do anything to get those bad thoughts out of his head

- if he ever feels bad about himself or something he did, he always comes to you to get some comfort bc you comfort him in the best way

- like i wrote in Totally Platonic, leo's prone to subconsciously wagging his tail, making chittering/churring sounds at you, even fluttering his fingers around your cheeks bc red-eared slider DNA go brrr

- something that i think leo would be self-conscious of is money and ish, bc its not like he can really get much?? with the whole turtle situation

- but you, of course, being the angel you are, constantly reassures him that you don't need materialistic things for him to prove his love! you just want him, not anything else

- he sobs on the spot

- leo's the type of guy to fall HARD, so to know you're the same way? to know that you're as crazy about him as he is about you?

- he swoons, and wonders what he might've done to deserve such a wonderful partner.

- (literally save the world twice but who's counting?)

donnie ;;

- everybody, EVERYBODY KNOWS that donnie ain't a very touch-oriented guy, so at the start of the relationship, he'd deffo be overwhelmed by all the love and might ask you to tone it down (not in a mean way)

- once he gets comfortable tho he's all up for affection and cuddles :))

- you do ruin his bad-boy image tho. how is this man supposed to be dark and mysterious when your sweet self is out here making him absolutely melt???

- donnie typically shows his love through gifts and words!!!

- alike leo, he could spend HOURS singing your praise and just saying everything he loves about you (he's actually made a list organized by his most favourite qualities alphabetically.)

- i personally think that for donnie, being a middle child, he didn't get too much attention and we know for a FACT that he yearns for praise and love

- so you KNOW he's going feral if you so much as say 'wow, that's cool!' to one of his inventions

- donnie, while a little overwhelmed by all the love you show him, is really happy to have it

- don can get really stressed when doing his experiments/making his inventions, so it helps to have you around!!

- comes to you for cuddles and to rant when stuff doesn't go his way or an experiment fails

- DEFFO appreciates how affectionate and lovey-dovey you are.

- (also like leo) he can get down in the dumps and insecure bc he believes that his tech is the only 'useful' thing about himself

- so to hear you constantly being like "ahhh my bf!!! my wonderful talented smart funny bf!!!! my love my light of my life!!! i love you i love you i love you :DD" to him really brought up his spirits

- how could they not?? you're just too cute and so sweet!!

- it also helps if he feels kinda insecure in public!! people trying to flirt w you? you don't even notice because you're too busy looking at donnie.

- donnie totes makes you gifts and stuff (little robot to help you out w chores, maybe one to remind you every day how much he loves you :])

- unlike leonardo however, don prefers to keep pda to a minimum;; he likes having certain things to himself and in private

- that doesn't mean that he don't love it tho!!! he just prefers that some stuff stays behind walls

A/N ;; SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!! but thank you so much for the request :DD im so eepy jssbbfjs,,,, anyway MEOWSSSS can't wait to work on more fics :]] they might come (even) slower tho bc im starting classes again (AGHHHHHHH)

LUV FROM ;; CUPEZ

[b00tyyyshker9000]

HOW BRO😨

HOW WAS I ABLE TO DRAW THIS BEAN, SO FREAKING CUTE!?! Gave her a Toothless plush🥰

I GAVE HER A LITTLE BEAK! That’s what I do to the boys when I draw their side profile. Actually, they do have the slightest little beak in the show at this angle. I’ve always loved that little detail.

Lol, these two are about to be my favorite. (Gave Mikey a tail, because like I said before: #Rise boys deserve tails)

I know I drew her sticking her tongue out last time, but you can’t argue with me that she wouldn’t stick her tongue out every once in awhile.

This character belongs to @howtotrainyourdragonprince, I HOPE YOU LIKE IT! I LOVED DRAWING HER AND PROBABLY WILL DO IT AGAIN!!!! Like I said many times before, I’ll always be here to support you! Love ya🫶

Go check at this AU right now, or I’ll headbutt your grandma🫵👹

BYEEEEEE!

(Y’all I made a lot of progress compared to my last one😨)

[apomaro-mellow]

Whatever Stevie Wants 8

Part 7

Steve dressed in the outfit his mother had set out and joined his parents in the dining room for lunch. It was a scene so familiar it made his stomach turn, and he picked helplessly at his food. He endured a couple minutes of them discussing whatever was going on with the Wilsons and their troubles with the Harriet family before finally speaking up.

“I’ve gone on with this long enough. Tell me where my children are before I call the police.”

“I don’t see how you expect to do that without your phone”, Margaret said. “And that staff has been instructed to keep you from the house phones at all costs.”

“This may seem extreme, son”, Layton started. “But it was necessary.”

“Necessary for what?! You both disowned me! And you didn’t say a word until I started dating Eddie and ‘besmirched the Harrington name’, so I changed my name and you went back to ignoring me. So why are you suddenly interested enough to kidnap me and my pups!?”

“We spent a decent chunk of our lives raising you, we deserve a return on that investment”, Layton said. “We thought allowing you to slum it out for a few years would bring you to your senses but clearly we were wrong.”

“We weren’t in contact because your father and I were hard at work for you, Steven”, his mother continued. “While you were working your tail off to drag our name through the mud. There’s hardly any alpha of good standing who will have you now. Barely any betas even.”

“Well it’s a good thing I’m already mated”, Steve said, arms crossed.

“That can be undone with a simple procedure”, Layton said, getting Steve to rise to his feet.

“You wouldn’t! You can’t! I won’t-!”

“Lower your voice!!”, both of his parents shouted back.

“I’m done playing along. I’m finding my pups, and I’m leaving this place even if it’s just with the clothes on my back. It wouldn’t be the first time.” Steve wanted to flip the table but instead he just stomped away from it.

Margaret rolled her eyes. “They’re not in the house.”

That got Steve to stop in his tracks. “What?”

“Maggie, don’t lie to the boy, it’s childish”, Layton said. “We considered leaving them at the villa, but knew you’d seek them out with no regard. They’re here and they’re safe with Eleanor.”

“...Prove it.”

Margaret scoffed but Layton went ahead and took out his own phone and brought up a camera feed. He held it out for Steve to see. There, in the very same nursery that Steve had spent his own infant years, were his girls. One was sleeping in her crib while the other was on her feet, tiny hands grasping the bars as if demanding freedom. Eleanor was sitting in a rocking chair, book in hand.

“Nessa, Vi…”, Steve whispered, tears coming as easy as breathing. He knew where that room was. He could-

“You will be allowed to see them soon. But first we need to talk”, Layton said as he pocketed the phone. 

“What more is there to talk about?”, Steve’s shoulders sagged. “You said yourself, there isn’t an alpha or beta who will have me.”

“We said ‘hardly’”, Margaret said. “We have found three men who are willing to open their home to you. Despite your…checkered past.”

“Now sit down so that we may discuss it”, Layton ordered.

Steve sat down, defeated but only for now. They had caught him off guard. But he wouldn’t fall for their tricks again. Now that he thought about it, the day before his mother had pushed seconds onto him. She had never encouraged him to eat more a single day in his life. That should’ve been enough to arouse suspicion.

“So first there’s Ridwan West”, Margaret started. “I think he’ll be your favorite. He doesn’t mind taking both girls. He’s actually trying to run for office and apparently diversity is in nowadays”, she smiled.

“But if you don’t want to throw your hat in with a politician, my top choice would be Findlay Weeks”, Layton said.

“Then why don’t you fuck him?”, Steve murmured under his breath.

“The Weeks have a diverse portfolio and they don’t rest on their laurels. You could be looking at exponential growth”, his father continued, used to his son’s mutters after years of them.

“But the Weeks are more…inclusive”, Margaret said. “When we mentioned your daughters, he’s fine with adopting Violet, especially if she blooms into an alpha….Vanessa on the other hand…”

Steve dropped his fork. “You would make me abandon one of my children!?”

“Don’t be dramatic, you would still have contact with her. Eleanor is amazing with children. And of course we have other omega maids who would love another child. How many pups did Nadine have?”

“One, mother. Nadine had one”, Steve said. But he didn’t expect his parents to recall details of their staff. Least of which is the fact that while having only one son, Nadine frequently watched her nieces, nephews, and younger cousins and thus had plenty of children in her life. Steve could remember because there was a time when the house staff were his only source of comfort and validation. But sometimes they changed as frequently as the seasons, his mother rarely ever satisfied.

“Regardless, that just leaves Ethan Mcbride”, Margaret kept going.

“Let me guess, he also wants me to leave behind my black daughter?”

“Well he would prefer it if you came completely unattached”, Margaret said. “Of course, Violet would be in just as good hands as Vanessa. And this way they could be raised together.”

“By a nanny. Or a maid. But not by either of you. And I should be so lucky!”, Steve raised his voice again.

“Your father and I have done nothing to deserve this level of disrespect, Steven!”

“I’m through with this. I’m getting my children and we’re leaving.” This time, when Steve stomped out of the dining room, he didn’t stop at his parents’ protests and he went right up to the nursery. He opened the door and his heart felt full as he saw them.

Violet, who was awake, saw him first and showed all her gums in her smile. Steve reached out and then felt something sharp puncture his neck. As he fell down and lost consciousness, he could hear Vanessa’s beginnings of a cry.

“Thank you, Craig”, Margaret’s voice could be heard. 

----------------------

Wayne let out a heavy sigh as he picked up the phone and made the call. He wished with all his heart he didn’t have to make it. But the longer he waited, the worse it would become. He rubbed his face as Eddie picked up.

“Hey, son.”

“Yo, Wayne. What’s up?”

“I’ve got some troubling news. Unless you’ve heard from Steve since he left for his folks?”

“We talked just before he left”, Eddie said. “He missed a call from me and Grant though. And he hasn’t been answering any of our texts. Is something up? Is he sick?”

“What’s the last real contact you had with him?”, Wayne asked.

“...The other day he sent a pic of the girls in some get up Madame Harrington put them in. But that was over a day ago. Wayne, what’s wrong? Where’s Steve? Where are the babies?”

Wayne felt his heart break at the worry already evident in Eddie’s voice and he handed the phone over to Beatrice. 

“Put me on speaker”, she said, knowing the others were probably close by. “You all need to get ready to cancel whatever you need with Chrissy so you can get home.”

“Mom?”, Jeff’s voice came over the line.

“And whatever you do Jeffery, stay calm. If any of you lose control, then this just gets harder.”

Eddie, Jeff, Grant, and Gareth held their breaths as Beatrice told them that they hadn’t heard from Steve for too long either. That he hadn’t returned when he said he would. Steve had sent the location of the place he was supposed to be meeting his parents. But when she and Wayne had gone over there, he and the Harringtons were nowhere to be found.

--------------------

When Steve came to, he was seated on a couch in the living room. The sun’s position was slightly different. It must have been a couple of hours at least. His mother sat across from him.

“You can’t keep me drugged up forever”, he said, his words still slightly slurred as he came to.

“Oh trust me, I don’t want to. But if you insist on sabotaging your own future, I will do what is necessary”, Margaret’s voice and expression sharp.

Steve could see the future she envisioned. Him, silent and obedient next to a man twice his age. And if he kept refusing, she’d make good on her threat. He’d be drugged until they chose someone for him. She’d never gone to these extremes, but now she’d already done it twice. He bit his lip. The important thing to do now was buy time. His pack would notice his absence and sound the alarms soon if they hadn’t already.

“Do you…do you really think any of them will like me? Any of those matches you suggested?”

“They’ve already expressed interest. And your father will be able to meet two of them today for lunch at the club”, Margaret switched gears easily. “You and I can spend today preparing, they’ll want to meet you soon, maybe even tomorrow.”

“Do you think I’ll be ready by then?”, Steve asked, hoping to prolong it a bit more.

“You may have covered yourself in grime, but Harringtons are diamonds that can shine through anything. Oh I’m getting giddy just thinking about the wedding we’ll get to plan. And just think, if you and Ridwan pair well, the wedding could be in the paper.”

Steve held back from rolling his eyes. His wedding to Eddie had already been covered by quite a few news publications. But of course, that didn’t matter to his mother. He wanted nothing more than to hold his children. He knew better than to ask for that though. At least for now. He would grit his teeth, grin and bear it. He could trust that whatever nanny they employ would take fine care of the twins.

And he knew if he was ‘good’, then his mother would reward him with some time with his own children. Having to play their game made his blood boil. But it was the only way to ensure their safety.

Part 9

[gaybananabread]

Oh my gosh congratulations on the milestone!! 🥳💖 I would love something for ROTTMNT! Maybe lee Mikey and ler Leo or lers Raph, Leo and Donnie. I’d love Dragon Fruit, Oranges & Grapes! Take all the time you need and I hope you’re doing well! 💖

Fruit(s): Dragon Fruit, Oranges, Grapes

AAAAAHG THANK YOU! You're so nice all the time, just make my brain go (>w<)✨! Been a hot second since I've done something for Rise, these boys need some more love from me. (Got carried away but we don't talk about that shhhhhshsh) Again, thank you sosososo much, and I hope you Enjoy!

Lee: Mikey

Lers: Raph, Leo, Donnie

Summary: Mikey tries making a treat for his bros, but things don't go as planned, bumming him out. The boys quickly notice and, after a quick wrestling match and some questions, manage to get their baby bro back into his high spirits.

Warnings: none! This is a fic, so if you don't like that, scroll away!!

“No no nononONONO!”

Feeling his heart sink, Mikey pulled his fruity Danish pastries from the oven. The charred surfaces and burning smell of the treats brought tears to his eyes. Three hours of work down the drain…

The teen had been trying to make desserts for his brothers; they’d been really supportive during his recovery from the Kraang invasion, encouraging him and helping him wrap his arms. Even Donnie had put aside some extra time to shop for arm braces. They deserved it.

His arm had a flare-up during the baking, making him take a break to put a brace on. The timer had gone off without him in the room, his poor confections roasted beyond recognition. He sniffed, dumping the marred fruits of his labor into the trash. Maybe some music and drawing would help…

-

“Okay, family meeting.” Raph sat down with his two of his brothers, Donnie quickly correcting him. “Teeechnically, it's a partial family meeting. If we count the main seven family members and round the percentage, it's only about 42%-” He got a hand clamped over his mouth, the blue-themed turtle interjecting. “HUSH the nerd stuff! We know what we're here for, right?”

Donnie scoffed, but stopped spouting math. All three brothers knew what the problem was. Raph took charge again, attempting some order. “Mikey's been really down all day. Raph's worried about him.”

The purple clad turtle tapped his wristlet, frowning. He had been keeping track of Mikey's expressions from the past few days.“He seemed fine yesterday. Angelo’s face only drops around two today. I hadn't seen him for a few hours, my data’s a bit incomplete. I think he was in the kitchen.”

Leo blinked, seeming shocked. “Wow. Your number craziness finally paid off.” A claw extended from Donnie’s battle shell, whacking the snarky teen upside the head. Raph stepped between them before any more chaos could ensue.

“HEY! Donnie, do ya know what he was doin’ in there?” He huffed before answering, looking down. “I…do not. Dr. Delicate Touch made me promise not to install cameras; even I won't defy him.”

That was fair; none of them wanted to go against Dr. DT… Leo sighed, twirling his mask tails as he spoke. “I've tried asking, but no dice. The dude's clearly not okay, but he won't talk about it. Little hypocrite…” 

The techy teen offered an idea. “We could try to interrogate him.” Leo snorted, snapping out of his little trance. “Interrogate? What is this, one of dad's movies? Besides, it'd probably only make him more upset.”

Raph bit his finger as he thought; one bad habit he'd tried and failed to drop. He got an idea, snapping his fingers and smiling. Bingo. “I got it! Listen up boys, here’s the plan…”

-

Mikey was sitting on his bed, moping and dragging a pencil across some cardboard. He wasn’t making anything; it was just a nice way to destress. Things weren’t working as well as they usually did, though… A knock at his train car door startled him, making the typically upbeat boy flinch and drop the pencil. “C-coming…”

The metal slid open, an obviously forced smile on his face. All three of them wanted to wrap him in a hug, but they had to follow the plan. “Hey guys…what is it?” 

Leo stepped forward, looking his brother over. He took special notice of the arm braces. “Alright hermano, the jig is up. What’s wrong?”

The boy’s fake smile faltered a bit, though he tried to keep the act going. “J-jig? I dunno what you’re talking about, Leo. I’m good!” His artificial confidence got a bit stronger at the end. It was clear he wasn’t telling them without a fight. 

Raph was next to get closer, trying to sneakily box the boy in. This time, however, a small smile was paired with the chasm. 

A small squeak escaped the youngest as he backed up, recognizing the look on his brothers’ faces. They wouldn’t…would they? “C’mon Mike, this can go quickly if ya just hold still.” Oh. They would.

Feeling a slight giddiness rise in his chest, Mikey ran farther into his train car, diving for his escape hatch. Raph stopped him in his tracks, using his mystic tonfā power to catch him in a giant fist. Leo ran over, being careful of his brother’s arms as he tossed him into his hammock.

“GUys- guys wahait! Mikey squirmed and kicked, the hammock swinging as he thrashed. Leo flipped his sword, opening two portals to hold his brother’s arms safely. Didn’t want him getting hurt after all that recovery time.

“Nah, there’s no fun in waitin’. Raph’s out for giggles and the truth.” Wasting no time, Raph started poking at his brother’s armpits. A genuine smile formed on the younger’s face, giggles spilling from his lips. “Rahaphie! Nohohot thihis!” 

“But this is the best! You get to giggle, and we get to hear it.” Leo smirked, not wanting to miss out on the fun. “Big man’s right, Miguel. The truth will set you free~!” He moved his hands to Mikey’s plastron, scratching and scribbling on the area where his stomach would be. “LeheheHEEOOOOO! C-chohOHOME OHOHOhohon!” 

“Just tell the truth, Micheal. You know there’s no simple way out of this predicament.” Donnie took in the sight of them; his co-conspirators smirking, enjoying the sound of their brother’s laughter, and Mikey, laughing and sounding happier than he had all day. He supposed it was worth breaking a few of his rules for the occasion. He pressed a button on his bo, the feather he used against Shredder popping out. 

“D-dehehee? Whahat ahare youHU- NYAAAHAHAHO!” Mikey squealed as he felt the soft fibers of the feather run behind his knees. Curse him for taking off the knee pads… The armpit pokes, the tummy scritches, the feather on his knees; it was all too tickly. It was nice to be able to laugh with his brothers, though he didn’t know how much longer he could take all of them at once.

Raph chuckled, smiling warmly as his brother laughed. Those goofs were gonna be the death of him…but he loved them more than he could ever express. If it takes some playful tickles to get one of his bros to open up, then so be it. “All ya gotta do is fess up, Mikey. What’s been goin’ on today?”

He still didn’t seem like he was giving up, though it was clear he was reaching a breaking point. Donnie, ever the over-achiever, wanted to speed things up. He sent a claw from his battle shell to his brother’s knees, having it squeeze and scribble along the underside. That did him in. 

“K-GAHAHAHA! DOHOHONIEHEHE! *snrk* NAHAHAH!” Raph gave the purple-clad turtle a look, sighing. “The goal is to get the truth, Donnie, not kill him.” Dee just chuckled, continuing the metallic tickles. 

Kicking and thrashing like crazy, the teen finally reached his limit. “OHOHOKAHAHAY! IHI- *snrk* IHI’ll TEHEHELL!” 

And just like that, it all stopped.

Donnie begrudgingly retracted his tools, a small smile still on his face as he watched his little bro giggle. Leo followed suit, though Raph’s hand moved to the underside of the boy’s chin. He gently wiggled his fingers into the soft skin, chuckling as his little bro melted into the touch. His loud and bubbly laughter died down to soft, breathy giggles.

“Spill it, little man~” Raph practically purred as he said it, his tone softening with the next phrase. “We promise not to judge.” 

Mikey whined through his giggles, but didn’t squirm. Leo had long since released his arms; he just hadn’t noticed. “Uh-uhuhum…I wahanted to make youhuhu guhuys some d-dahanishehes for helpihing me throuhugh recovery.” He looked down, still not pulling away from the loving tickles. He’d never say it out loud, but he loved them.

“Ihi uhm… Ihihi kinda buhuhurned them. H-hahad a flare-up whehen they went ihin the ohohoven…” All three brothers’ expressions softened, even Donnie’s. The thought was incredibly sweet, and it wasn’t his fault his arms still hurt sometimes.

“Mikey…listen. We love ya. Even if you weren’t an awesome baker, we’d still take care of ya.” He continued to gently scritch under his chin, though the big guy limited it to one finger. Donnie jumped in, not making eye contact. “It’s not your fault you still get pains. Based on typical recovery times, you’re actually making exponential progress. Occasional aches are to be expected.”

“If you ever need anything, we’re all here for you. I could help with the baking and stuff, if you want.” Leo’s offer made his heart soar, as well as his other brothers’ kind words. Heartfelt moments like those would forever be cherished, especially that one.

He felt a few tears spring to his eyes, arms reaching for his bros’ hands. “Youhu guys are the behehest…” Raph stopped tickling, enveloping them all in a hug. Donnie whined, but he relaxed into the embrace. Mikey sighed, his heart full and the sadness from earlier in the day completely gone. He loved his brothers so freaking much…

[fieldofdaisiies]

azriel x eris | 3k words | warnings: none | masterlist

Skarlet leaves, glimmering in the sunlight that filters through the tree tops, dance in the wind, swirling and doing barrel rolls in the breeze that blows through the forest. 

His booted feet are planted in a stance atop the yellow-ish, brown grass, Eris exhales a long breath and then fills his lungs with a deep inhale of the crisp morning air. 

Large, looming trees rise out of the earth all around him and brush against the sky. The sun-dappled leaves create flickering shadows that remind him of a male, but he doesn’t want to dwell on thoughts about the shadowsinger, he has no time for such idiotic things, not when the future of the Autumn Court is at stake. He shoves the thoughts away, until there is just nothingness within his mind. 

He leans his head to the sound, listening to sounds around him – the chirping of birds and wind brushing through the leaves. The cool air is like balm to his soul, to his skin and his aching, heavy heart. In moments like this he allows himself to forget about everything – Beron, Koschei, Azriel. 

The light breeze blowing through the forest this morning sends a shudder of movement through the branches, making him even more aware of the peace that surrounds him deep within the forest. When Eris lowers his head, he can see animal trails crisscrossing beneath him. He smiles to himself – nature has always been able to calm his mind and heart. To make him feel fully at ease. To allow him to rest for a few minutes. 

It is what he needs right now. He turns his head to look around – light dances on the fern fronds, glittering off of morning dew and then the corners of his mouth kick up when howling and barking fills his ears. He closes his eyes for a second, reveling in the noises that get louder and louder by the second, and when he opens his lids again, he sees them.

Almost like a wild hunt, his hounds, twelve of them, grey and sleek like smoke, race through the forest as fast as the wind, heading for their owner who is patiently waiting for them. He set a prey, winnowed away, let them race there, and winnowed away one again – training for his precious pets. 

“Good boys!” The laugh that leaves Eris is honest, his heart feeling a little lighter now that he spends time outside with his precious animals. He inhales a deep breath of the crisp and fresh morning air, smelling so wonderful right after it had been raining almost the whole night. He fills his lungs to the brim, holding eye-contact with his oldest and most loyal dog who eagerly wiggles his tail.

“Another round.” Eris tilts his chin at the hounds and earns himself a loud snort from Cerberus, his most precious and beloved pet. Eris only winks at him and is gone in the next moment, leaving nothing but swirling pine needles and leaves behind. 

It continues like this for a while, until only after many hours, they return to the Forest House. Eris sends his hounds inside to get their breakfast which only chosen sentries are allowed to feed them, providing them only with food that Eris allows them too – his previous hounds only deserve the best. 

In the meantime the prince strips out of his sweat-drenched shirt, and his loose pants. He washes and then he is gone again, before either of his parents can question where he is heading to. 

Hunting, he will say when he returns. It is a good face-saver, the best he can come up with. He used to go hunting a lot when he was younger, it had gotten less when he and his brothers, his hunting companions, started to drift apart. 

Eris is heading to stables after collecting two freshly baked rolls from the kitchen and eating them up in a few big bites; after hours of training his hungry, but he can’t waste any time on a proper meal. 

“Lord Eris,” Margot, the masterchef greets him, showing him a reproachful look. She doesn’t like it when he hurries when it comes to food, she always wants him to eat slowly, and enjoy it. Eris flashes her a polite smile and then he slips out of the door and is gone before she can stop him and force him to eat something else, or more. 

His steps tread rather lightly on the straw-covered ground when he enters the stables, heading for his horse – the large, black horse one of his sentries has already put a saddle on for him, now handing him the reins. 

“Good hunting, my lord,” the sentry says and bows his head. Eris dips his chin in thanks and goodbye. 

With practiced ease, Eris hoists himself onto the horse's back, and with  a gentle nudge of his heel, he urges the horse forward. They begin to move, at a rather leisurely pace, but it is important to keep his lie up. It shouldn’t look like something is rushing him, if Beron should watch him depart (which he often does, always keeping his eyes on everything that happens in his court.)

Eris doesn’t mind the slow space, not when he actually wants and needs a few moments just for himself, to prepare. 

He hasn’t really spoken much to Kallax, his younger brother, in the past years. Not alone, that be it, but only in his father’s presence. Kallax, just like Eris’ other brothers, distanced himself a lot from both Eris and Beron, as well as the Forest House. The last time they all were together was probably the High Lord’s meeting…

Eris releases a deep sigh, hands not holding the reins too tightly, his horse as obedient as every other horse in this court. 

He has always been closest with Kallax; safe for the time where he and Lucien were an inseparable team… 

Kallax and him are only eight years apart, most of their life they have spent with each other (safe for the time where Kallax, Geras and Merat joined the war camps and didn’t come home that often). Even before Under the Mountain, distance started to stretch out between them. Nothing happened to harm their closeness, it just happened, subtly and over a longer expanse of time. And after Amarantha’s reign, it had fully spread out, almost like a plague, the time in Amarantha’s grasp probably having left their toll on everyone. 

His little brother is in many ways very similar to him – he loves the hounds, and he loves hunting and nature, but he is a born warrior. Not a leader. Not a High Lord. Kallax has always liked combat, preferred fighting over talking, and has mostly spoken with his hands instead of his mouth. When it comes to females, he also shares a different opinion than Eris. Not only concerning preferences where Eris most definitely favours males, but in terms of how females should be treated. Eris knows that his little brother is now often seen with a Forest Nymph, if Kallax changes his misogynistic beliefs for her, is yet to be seen, though. 

The Forest Nymph is a well-hidden secret, since the second-oldest Vanserra brother knows exactly what would happen if he found himself a lover that is a lesser fae. He saw what was done to Lucien’s…Jesminda. He was there that day. He held Lucien, made him watch…and that is something Eris will never forgive him for.

Kallax hides his Forest-Nymph, but Eris knows everything, has his ears and eyes everywhere, but of course, his brother’s secret is safe with him. He couldn’t protect Lucien and Jesminda – this time he won’t fail one of his brothers. The crisp air kisses his face when he rides deeper into the forest, already getting closer to the border, the earthy scent of fallen leaves mingling with the smell of damp soil. Sunlight peaks through the tree tops, making the colours of the leaves around him appear just a little richer. 

A feeling of trepidation blooms within his chest, making his heart feel just a little heavier. He shifts uncomfortably atop his horse, fiddling with the reins. Eris is normally not one to be nervous, but something about this meeting makes him feel a little tense. What will Kallax say? Will he have his trust? Does he have to earn it first?

Kallax is proud and ambitious, cruel in some ways, and ignorant about many things. He can be egostic and only agree to things that really concern himself and sometimes all of these traits combined get the best of him. When he was a young male, he always wanted to prove something to their father (maybe still does) and tried to be the perfect son over and over again, which formed his heart cruel in a way that Eris finds shocking, but not surprising. 

His own heart has been wrenched and wrecked by his father, destroyed and left in pieces. Beron tried to turn him into a monster, but he wants to be stronger. And he also hopes that Kallax wants to be stronger. Wants to be a better male than what Beron tried to turn them into, wants to try to be good. 

Normally, when approaching people Eris who needs to talk to about something, he is confident, not once was he nervous or unsure when talking to the Lord of Bloodshed, or the other High Lords. But with his brother it is different. 

A unique sense of anxiousness takes root inside of him the moment he spots his brother in the distance, casually leaning against a tree, one ankle crossed over the other, head tipped back, sunlight falling upon his pale face. Behind him, there are only towering ruins, stone covered in ivy and moss.

The tension doesn’t fade until he is only a short distance away from his brother.

He drags in a deep inhale, blows it out through his nose. He gently pulls on the reins, signaling his horse to halt. Sliding effortlessly out of the saddle, he lands on the forest ground with a soft thud. He pats the horse on the back, whispering some words to it and it trots away (where to, only Eris and the horse know).

Kallax’ eyes open, and a snort leaves him. 

“Eris.” Cool boredom laces his expression when Kallax pushes off the tree, sauntering casually towards his older brother. 

Out of everyone, Kallax resembles Eris the most. He is equally tall, with slighter broader shoulders, nothing but swagger in his demeanour when his eyes scan the surroundings. His hands are stuffed into the pockets of his beige breeches, his jacket made of luxurious dark green fabric, adorned with golden embroidery, and his long auburn hair is tied back into a low bun.

“Interesting choice of place, I must say.” Kallax keeps one hand in the pocket of his breeches, the other he uses to brush back a few strands of loose hair when he stops in front of Eris, letting his eyes run over his older brother. His brow kicks up a little, curiosity shining brightly within his eyes. 

“We used to come here a lot when we were younger.” Eris turns his gaze away from the younger Vanserra brother, observing the old ruins and large trees. They are at the edge of an old forest, as far away from the Forest House as possible, and quite close to the Spring Court border, near an outpost of the Autumn Court war camps. The war camps Kallax lives in.

Time-worn remnants of what once used to be a castle surround them. The ruins are covered in moss and ivy, and when they used to go there when they were younger they always pretended to be in an ancient fortress full of secrets and mysteries.

Secrets…

Towering, weathered trees surround them, shielding them completely from the outside world. No preying eyes having a chance to catch them. 

“What do you want, Eris?” Kallax exhales a long breath, then rolls back his shoulders. He looks at Eris, then directs his gaze skywards. Eris has no idea what caught his attention there, but he decides to deliberately ignore it. 

“Zen and two Autumn Court war bands are stationed at the border to Summer now. For protection against Summer and also Night.”

“I know.” Eris‘ younger brother shrugs his shoulders, ignorance etched on his face. He seems like he couldn’t care any less, like this talk with Eris is the greatest waste of his time possible. “That’s not why you wanted to talk to me, right?”

Kallax takes a few steps to the side, resting his back against the weathered stone walls, then crosses one ankle over the other. He observes Eris, gaze slowly running over his older brother, assessing him. 

Kallax is truly a born-warrior, and once Eris is High Lord he will make him his general. If it ever gets to that point. 

Eris doesn’t really know why his father never made him general of the Autumn Court armies – Kallax is perfect for this position.

“I think you can imagine why I asked you to come here.” Eris takes a few steps forward, kicking away a branch, hands clasped behind his back. 

Kallax smirks. “Beron.”

Eris doesn’t let his surprise show about his brother not using “father” but Beron‘s name. It seems odd, Kallax has always been fond of their father, or was this also just a mask? One similar to the one Eris is wearing daily? Could it be that just like he himself, Kallax also resents their father?

Eris veils his face in indifference, holding eye contact with his brother. “Yes.”

Kallax raises a brow, almost in a mocking, pitiful way. “He isn’t telling you much lately, huh?”

Eris bristles and shakes his head. There is no need for lying now, it would get him nowhere. He needs to have all the information he can get, and if he isn’t honest to Kallax now, when should he be? 

If he wants the Autumn Court to change for the better he needs the support of his brothers, only together can they make it work. Kallax as his general, Zen as Kallax’s second in command, and Geras…in some other important position. Maybe. 

“No, he isn’t, but that’s not why I asked you to come here.” Eris is right in front of Kallax by then, the tips of their shoes almost touching. 

“Oh?” Kallax raises a neatly trimmed brow.

“You know what I have to do.”

A wildfire erupts in Kallax‘s amber eyes, the corner of his mouth kicking up to form a vicious grin and then he drags his thumb across his throat.

Eris huffs and lowers his chin to his chest. Then he nods. 

“And you need my help for it?” The question is posed without any kind of emotion, but still lethality laces every word.

Dread coils in Eris‘ gut. Never, never in the world, would he ever pull someone else into this with him. It is too dangerous. He quickly shakes his head. 

“I need you to—” He cuts himself off and clears his throat. “If things go wrong, I need you to leave.”

Kallax’s brow knits. “What?”

“If things go wrong, you can’t stay here. Neither can Zen, or Geras. Beron will suspect you supporting me or following in my footsteps and I can’t risk it. He is already driven by fear — his sanity, if he ever had one, left him long ago.”

“I can’t leave. I—”

Eris grabs his younger brother by the shoulder, then pins him with a look. “You and your sweet little Forest Nymph leave the moment word about my death reaches you. You will head to Spring, with Zen and Geras. You are gone before Beron can only as much as think about going after you.”

Surprise passes over Kallax’s face, but is soon replaced by an emotion Eris has barely ever seen on his younger brother’s face. Worry.

“You won’t die,” Kallax says and his voice sounds so much younger, almost boyish and vulnerable. In this moment, Kallax reminds him of the young boy he used to be who came running to Eris, crying tears and snot, after Beron beat bloody about stupid mistakes or accidents. 

Kallax’s lips open and close a few times, then he says, “You are going to be the next High Lord, Eris. You are—”

“If things go wrong, you leave.” Eris grows impatient and shakes his brother by the shoulder.

“What about mother?”

“I will take care of her.” Their gazes are still locked, and Eris lets his brother see the honesty in them. “She will be safe.”

“You promise?”

Eris‘ gaze flicks to the ground, shoulders and chest heaving with a deep inhale. “I promise.”

Slowly, tentatively, his eyes lift and he removes his hand from his brother’s shoulder. His jaw clenches and for a moment they only look at each other, no conversation passing between them, but it is all in their eyes. The silent trust, the brotherly bond though weakened but still manifested in their hearts, and the secret promises — the prosperity of a better future.

“I can trust you, Kallax.” A statement, not a question.

Kallax steps away from the weathered ruins, finger dragging over the in ivy covered stone before he moves further away, towards the large trees looming behind them. “You are my brother, Eris. You are my family.” Kallax turns away.

“Beron is also your family.”

Kallax snorts, shakes his head and in the next moment he is gone. He winnowed away.

“Bastard,” Eris growls and fights the urge to show a vulgare to the empty place where his brother stood.

He calms himself and then a split second later mist, almost like shadows, curls around his body, and his feet leave the ground and when his eyes open he finds himself in a wholly different surrounding, large trees looming around him, birds chirping and flowers of all colours blooming wherever he looks.

And there he is, the tall shadowy figure – a stark contrast to all the bright colours, causally leaning against a tree full of lush green leaves, his eyes closed, his expression somehow peaceful. 

In a polished, velvety voice Eris makes himself known, “Shadowsinger.”

tag list for ACOCD @hnyclover @honeysuckle-daydreams13 @a-frog-with-a-laptop @queercontrarian @fandomsmultiverse @acourtofbatboydreams @chunkypossum @baileybird71 @beckkthewreck @hells-sluttiest-new-arrival @owllover123 @acotarobsessed @goldenmagnolias @honeysuckle-daydreams13 @v3lv3tf0x @talibunny30 @allyhill @popjunkie42 @skyesayshi @going-through-shit @mybestfriendmademe

general Azris tag list: @azrielsbabyg @lady-riel @moonlightazriel @aayo-whatt @brekkershadowsinger @ladyelain @banasheefan56 @a-frog-with-a-laptop @ofduskanddreams

[serenescribe]

I'm a *tad* obsessed with the idea of fae Lilia raising a completely different species son Silver, specifically jellyfish mer Silver. I am curious to see how you would interpret fae Lilia finding baby jelly Silver.

it's been a long while since the last long fic request :') slowly chipping away at them. uni is killing me. i hope you enjoy!

a side note: this was started beeeefore the latest update? actually started it before uni but then didn't get back to it till recently oTL

The thronging crowds of shoppers press in around him, making it harder for him to traverse through the crowd. Still, Lilia tries his best to shove his way past them, twisting his shoulders and ploughing through any gaps he can find. On instinct, one hand reaches up to pull down the hood of his cloak, masking his face further; it isn’t as though he’s in any danger here, or wanted in any capacity, but one should always exercise caution while exploring the boundaries of a black market.

For as long as Lilia can remember, he’s been searching for an old friend of his since the end of the war, travelling to different corners of the world in hopes of finding some inkling of his existence. Such a quest has brought him here, to a black market tucked away in the corner of a tiny island, but unfortunately for himself, Lilia has ended up empty-handed.

He’s trying to leave the area, pushing and shoving his way through the endless sea of patrons, when a sudden shrill cry stops him in his tracks. Lilia’s ears twitch. His head snaps to the side, following the source of the sound, only to come across a small group crowding around a rickety wooden stage. A tall man dressed in a patchwork suit jacket and a rumpled collared shirt talks to all of them, gesturing animatedly with his hands.

But it is what the man is gesturing at that snatches Lilia’s breath.

Because next to him, curled up in a too-small tank filled with muddied water, is a tiny little mer. Little tendrils of its tail tangle together as the creature presses thin fingers against the glass panes of the tank, auroral eyes flicking from side to side with a fervent desperation that Lilia feels in his soul. It is too young to be here, too small; Why in the name of the Thorn Fairy is this child here?

And for some reason, against the logic that tells him he should turn and leave, return to the Valley and carry on with his next mission, his next search, Lilia finds himself stepping towards the stage instead. He slips through the mob with silent steps, eyes fixated upon the petrified mer — a jellyfish, he recognises, his knowledge of aquatic animals rising to mind.

Within a matter of seconds, Lilia has gotten close enough that he catches wind of what the man is saying: “—a beauty, isn’t it?” he crows, tapping a dirty fingernail against the tank, causing the little mer child to shrink away. “We caught it out on the sea this mornin’, and we ain’t gonna let it go for anythin’ less than two thousand thaumarks!”

Disgust chokes his throat like a slimy wad of muck. How utterly deplorable, Lilia thinks, a rare flash of anger sparking through him. He still does not understand what has drawn him so much to this strange creature — the mer with dull silver hair who hugs itself, little bubbles floating through the water as its gills flutter, so impossibly tiny and small—

…Ah. He understands now.

In some way, looking upon this child, Lilia is reminded of Malleus. His mind whisks him back to a different time, when he had been tasked with raising the boy through his infant years, his childhood years, until he matured enough that Lilia no longer needed to keep an eye on him at all times. Is it no wonder, then, that his heart seizes at the sight of this blatant mistreatment? Regardless of whether the creature is fae or not — and it is not, evidently a child of the sea — it does not deserve to be sealed away like this.

Lilia could very well afford the mer. Two thousand thaumarks is quite the sum, but for someone who has been in the service of Briar Valley’s royalty for centuries like he has, he has more than enough money to afford it. But at the sight of the sleazy seller, who reeks of rotting fish and keeps toying with the child — banging his fists against the glass, sticking his grimy hand inside to grab its fragile wrist and yank it partially out of the dirty saltwater, yelling loud enough that its fins press against its head, clearly terrified—

The mer’s eyes flick towards him, locking with Lilia’s gaze. A fervent desperation flickers within them. It presses its hand against the glass again, scrabbling against the surface. A silent plea for help — and one that Lilia shall answer in the only way he knows how.

When night falls, Lilia strikes.

The auction for the jellyfish mer has been scheduled for tomorrow – a greedy move on the part of the fisherman selling it, to maximise profits as much as possible by drumming up heaps of attention. But it had worked; by the time evening fell and the terrified little child had been carted away to a dinky tent nearby, a sizable crowd of murmuring buyers had formed. Lilia had caught sight of some of them flipping through their stacks of thaumarks, counting their funds carefully.

He only has one shot at this. He has to make it count.

Closing his eyes, Lilia allows his magic to cloak him like a thin veil over his skin, shielding him from view. Stealth is his best option here; while he is more than capable of slaughtering everyone involved in kidnapping that young mer, Lilia does not wish to bloody his hands any more than he has to. His days of bloodshed and violence are long behind him, and as much as he wishes to teach the mer’s kidnappers a lesson, he figures that losing the child shall be punishment enough for them.

Besides, it wouldn’t do good if word got out that the general of Briar Valley was off slaughtering humans in another country.

With silent steps, Lilia steals past the guard — a man who keeps dozing off, jolting upwards every few seconds — and slides into the tent with scarcely a whisper. The interior is dank and dim; there is another guard there, this one alert and awake, arms crossed as he surveys the dirty tank left on the floor nearby.

A crushing feeling overtakes his heart at the sight of the mer. The young child curls into itself, tucking its chin into its chest, floating tufts of hair shielding its eyes from view. It looks lifeless, the only sign of its survival being the faint fluttering of gills. Something in his chest twists at the sight, a certainty settling within him. Lilia knows that what he is doing is right.

With the flick of a wrist, he conjures a small mist of magic, watching as it wafts over to the guard and swirls around him. Within a matter of seconds, though he fights to stay awake, the man has passed out, collapsing onto the ground — and it is only Lilia’s reflexes that allow him to cushion the fall, more from the need to avoid attracting attention than any care for the man. Slowly, he lowers him to the ground before releasing the invisibility spell, brushing off his hands on his cloak as he turns back towards the tank to see—

Wide eyes, hued with shades of baby blue and lavender and pink, gaze at him from behind muddied glass. Fingers press against the tank, and Lilia winces at the sound of a warbling trill.

In a flash, he darts forward, pressing a finger against his lips. “Shh!”

But he is too late.

Even as the child slaps its tiny webbed hands over its mouth, eyes widening as it realises what it has done, Lilia knows the guard outside must have heard it. There’s a creaking sound, heavy footsteps dragging across the ground, accompanied by a languid sigh, and it is only his quick reflexes, honed after years and years of war, that allow him to escape notice.

In a flash, Lilia has flung himself upwards, clinging to a corner of the tent, tucking himself in as closely as possible. If he’d had more time, he’d have thrown the same invisibility spell over himself but alas. All he can do is shrink back as much as possible, limbs wrapped around one of the poles holding the tent upright, and praying that the guard is stupid enough to not notice the shadow he’s casting across the floor.

He holds his breath, watching as the burly figure enters the tent.

“Oi,” the guard grunts sharply, narrowing his eyes at the mer in the tank — who thankfully avoids glancing over to Lilia, smart enough to avoid betraying his location. He ambles up to the tank before glancing off to the side. The man stiffens, having found the slumbering body of his fellow guard. “What the—”

Alright, that’s enough of that.

With the same spell he’d casted earlier, Lilia knocks out the second guard. The only caveat is that this time, the guard falls to the ground with nothing to cushion his landing, smashing into a nearby crate with a rather loud CRASH!

Lilia flinches, adrenaline igniting his veins. Dropping from the pole, he barely spares the scene a glance, racing back to the mer instead and lifting the heavy glass lid off its tank. “Can you breathe outside of the water?” he asks, constantly glancing over his shoulder for any signs of someone coming in, ears pricking as he strains to hear the barest bit of sound. As soon as the mer nods, Lilia’s reaching into the briney water as the mer raises its arms, thanking the fact that he’s wearing thick cloth and gloves, if only for the fact that the mer’s tendrils wrap around his limbs as he lifts it out and cradles it close to his chest. “Stay quiet,” he hisses, using his other hand to conjure the same spell from earlier, hoping it’ll hold through. “The last thing we want is to attract any unwanted attention.”

They slip out of the tent just before someone else arrives — another one of the fisherman’s nameless cronies, with the fisherman himself ambling after in ragged loungewear. Lilia holds his breath, skulking beneath the shadow of a tree, each step careful and calculated; he would teleport if he could, but he isn’t sure how that would affect the child, weakened and frail as it is.

So he sneaks away slowly and steadily, leaving the commotion behind, the pitching screams and demands for everyone to search for the missing mer, to get their product back — such an inhumane term that it makes Lilia want to puke. And the further he gets away, the faster he gets; before long, he’s sprinting, the spell melting off of him, out of distance from the captors for now.

The mer clings to him, snuggling close. Lilia holds it tight against him like a lifeline, a swell of such fervent protectiveness rising within him, washing over his mind and soul.

“Here we are,” Lilia breathes. His chest rises and falls as he catches his breath. Ah, he is certainly growing old, more winded from this than he would have been in his prime. His boots dig deep gouges into the sand as he walks towards the shoreline, the night’s sky twinkling overhead, reflecting in the waves to form a sea of stars.

Initially, he’d headed straight for the nearest beach he could think of, all before arriving and already spotting a small group of stragglers searching around. It had taken much longer to travel to a different corner of this island, but it had been a necessary precaution in the end; the last thing Lilia wanted was for the mer to get recaptured after being returned to the sea.

The waves lick at his boots as he walks into the ocean, far enough that the water reaches his knees. “There you go,” Lilia says kindly as he leans down, pulling the little mer away from his chest, returning it to the sea. A soft smile spreads across his lips as he watches the child reach for the water before plunging in with a splash, its form a tiny shadow amidst the lapping waves before its head breaks back above the water.

“Isn’t that better now?” Lilia croons, a warmth wrapping around his heart as the mer nods eagerly, beaming brightly at Lilia, the moonlight shining down on its silver hair. “Good, good,” Lilia says, slowly straightening up. He yawns, stretching his arms above his head, a cracking noise accompanying the motion. “Oh, I hadn’t expected to do this much today,” he murmurs to himself before shaking his head. Giving the mer one last smile, Lilia says, “You take care of yourself now, hm? Don’t go getting caught in any nets again, khee hee.”

And that would have been the end of everything. Ideally, Lilia would have stepped out of the water, using his magic to dry himself off before teleporting to the pier at the other side of the island and waiting for the first ferry to start him on his journey home. The mer would have been relegated to little more than a story to recite to Malleus upon his return, a thrilling rescue he’d mounted in the midst of what would have been another ordinary trip.

But what Lilia didn’t account for was that the child would get attached.

Before he can even make it a few steps away, there’s a rapid-fire outburst of frantic trills and clicking before something heavy barrels right into his legs. Lilia stumbles, losing his balance and crashing down with a screech and a mighty splash. Water soaks through his clothes, his cloak; Lilia spits some of it out of his mouth, blinking the salt out of his eyes, all while something curls around his leg tightly, refusing to let go.

“Little one…” Lilia stares at the mer child, its arms wrapped around his leg, squeezing with a vice grip that a lesser human would not have been able to withstand. Where was all this strength while you were trapped? Lilia ponders briefly, before dismissing the thought. He leans forward, gently prying webbed fingers away from his pants, pulling the child off of him. “Your home is here,” Lilia insists, gesturing at the sea around them. “I live elsewhere; I cannot possibly stay.”

Another round of distressed clicking and trilling. The mer stares at him with big, pleading eyes, swimming forward between his legs to cling to the front of Lilia’s shirt. “Little one—” Lilia tries again, because how can he stay? He has a place to return to, obligations to attend to, people waiting for him. But the mer child ignores him, pressing itself against Lilia with a stubborn determination that surprises him.

“Surely your family should be coming to find you soon,” Lilia tries, only to be met with the shaking of a head, silver hair slicked against its forehead. He raises an eyebrow. “An orphan?” Lilia mutters — words intended for his ears only, except he knows the mer has heard him from the way its grip on him tightens. “But— dear, I cannot possibly bring you home. I live very far away from here, and not anywhere particularly close to the sea!”

But no matter how hard Lilia tries to protest, to gently push the mer off of him, to leave it here — because this is its home, here in the sea; what will become of it, if Lilia were to smuggle it into the Valley, bring it on such a lengthy journey? — it refuses to go. And as time ticks by, the hours passing until the sunrise begins to bleed on the horizon, Lilia finally concedes.

“What a headstrong child you are,” Lilia muses, ignoring the sopping wet cloth clinging to him as he stumbles out of the sea, giggling mer child held in his arms. He gazes at it— no, him, at the child in his hold. “Do you have a name, little one?”

The mer blinks at him. “I’ll take that as a no,” Lilia sighs. Ah… what could a good name possibly be? It’s something he ponders over during the entire trip back, using his magic to mimic a glamour over the mer such that everyone shall see him as only a human child.

But it’s not until he’s sitting in his cabin late at night with the mer curled in his arms that it hits him. Moonbeams streak through the porthole, reflecting off the boy’s shimmering hair, washing it in a silvery light.

“Silver,” Lilia decides, testing the name out on his tongue to find that it feels right.

Silver, this mer he rescued by chance, the one who clung to him, who didn’t want to let go. Silver, who is his.

Leaning back in his chair, Lilia closes his eyes and smiles.