#Will she throw that wrench at Magnus later? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

voiceless-terror · 4 years

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all those sleep prompts are so killer and such big jon vibes!!! i would love to read anything on "- a character who refuses to share a sleeping space with anyone else, and it’s because he doesn’t want to disturb others/doesn’t want pity/is ashamed of his nightmares" with jon. bonus points if tim is involved and extra bonus points if tim also has experience with insomnia/nightmares, either himself or used to taking care of someone in his life with those issues...

Hey there! Here I am, finally writing the promised Jon/Tim that I should have written ages ago. Feels good to be on this train! I’ve placed this in pre-canon, when Jon and Tim are researchers and have just started dating. Hope you like!

“That was...really nice, Tim. Thank you.”

“Thank you? Jon, we split the check,” Tim throws an arm around his shoulder and it’s heavy and warm in all the right ways. “You know my policy on that. The person who asks you out pays the bill! Ergo, me.”

“I know, I know,” Jon relents under the pressure and burrows into Tim’s side. The wine’s gone to his head, he’s sure of it. Shouldn’t have had those three glasses. But the waiter was so attentive and Tim’s smile was infectious so he couldn’t help but say yes, of course, thank you, to every pour. “I just...I really enjoyed myself, is all.”

“I did too,” Tim’s voice goes to that soft, fond register he’s only just started using with Jon. Before it had been all gregarious charm, winks and nudges that he used interchangeably with friends and acquaintances alike. When Tim first asked him out, Jon thought he was joking; he rolled his eyes and went back to work, ignoring Tim’s look of hurt. Jon was used to practical jokes of this nature- he’s not exactly an attractive prospective partner, and several people have implied he was more trouble than he was worth. But a week later, on their usual coffee run, Tim offered to buy him dinner, his voice serious and shy and utterly unlike him. The look in his eyes was genuine and Jon had to say yes; who could refuse him, in the face of such sincerity?

It’s been a month and they’ve fallen into a sort of routine. Every week is a new spot- Tim’s a bit of a foodie, and he overheard him making a list of places with Sasha. It took up an entire page in his notebook, and Jon wonders if Tim will get sick of him before they finish it.

He stumbles on the sidewalk and Tim catches him with a steady hand on his waist. The cold air should be bracing but it is not; his dizziness increases two times over and it’s a long journey home. Tim knows this, which must lead to his next suggestion.

“You can spend the night at mine,” he says, voice purposefully light. Jon freezes. They hadn’t broached the topic yet, but he thinks Tim has some sort of idea. Rumors abound in research, after all. Tim must notice his nervousness because he stops walking, turning to face Jon with that same unbearable sincerity.

“Nothing untoward, I promise,” Tim says, and Jon believes him. Tim hasn’t lied to him yet. “I just don’t feel comfortable putting you on the tube, and you’re a long way from home while I’m right around the corner.” Jon still doesn’t respond, so Tim continues. “No pressure, honestly. I could call you a cab, it’s not a big deal-”

“No, that’s-that’s too expensive.” Living in London is hard enough, especially on a researcher’s salary. But to spend the night at Tim’s, as innocent as it may be, fills him with dread. There’s a reason he lives alone. There’s a reason it took him almost a year before he stayed the night at Georgie’s.

Sleep has never been kind to him.

Jon has nightmares. Terrible, horrifying visions of make-believe that leave him screaming and crying and choking on his breath. Georgie had been about ready to call an ambulance the first time she witnessed it, but Jon was able to talk her down.

“These happen every night?” she’d asked, her face a mix of pity and concern.

“Not every night,” he insisted. It was true. If he stayed up late, working himself to exhaustion, he could usually manage a dreamless sleep of at least five hours. But that came with its own difficulties; crankiness, irritability. It put a strain on most of his relationships.

Tim, though- Tim is kind and understanding. Beneath the mask of sociability and flirtation lies a serious, determined person. Compassionate, loving, but in a quiet way and with small gestures. He makes lists. He puts in time. He asks Jon what he wants when they go out to eat and he doesn’t laugh or roll his eyes when Jon carries on for too long.

“We can go to your place,” he whispers. “I-I think I’d like that.” Tim smiles and hooks an arm through his and Jon knows he’s made the right decision. Maybe tonight will be different. Maybe the wine will dull the terror that rules most of his life. The night is dark and Jon’s flat is cold and lonely.

Tim’s flat, on the other hand, is warm and cozy. It’s neat and organized, but cluttered enough to give it personality and charm. There’s a couch calling his name and he answers it, practically collapsing in the cushions as Tim lets out a little laugh.

“No going to sleep yet,” he instructs and Jon can’t help but let out a groan. The warmth and safety of the spot and the closeness of Tim has suddenly made him comfortably tired, and he’d like to slip off to sleep in this pleasant haze. “Not until you’ve had some food and water. I’ve even got those crusty little granola bars you like so much.”

“They’re not crusty,” he grumbles, his voice stifled by a pillow. But he’s not in a fighting mood and his mind’s currently swimming with the fact that Tim stocked his favorite snack.

“Very crusty, indeed,” Tim’s nudging him up into a sitting position and forcing water into his hands. “Drink up!”

“You’re very irritating, I hope you know,” Jon says as he leans his head onto Tim’s shoulder. Tim makes for a comfortable pillow.

“Aw, you love it.”

Maybe he does.

By the time he’s choked down the last of the bar, his eyes are fluttering and he can’t keep in his yawns. Tim puts a warm hand on his arm and it burns pleasantly as he pulls him up. “Time for bed, I think.”

The words startle Jon out of his haze and he blinks his eyes open, focusing on Tim’s gentle smile. “Er, I think-” he doesn’t want to disappoint the man, but he would rather be as cautious as possible. “I think it would be best if I slept out here.”

“On the couch?” Tim asks, his brow furrowing in confusion. “Oh- would you rather sleep alone?” Tim doesn’t seem too miffed about it, just confused, so Jon answers as honestly as he can.

“Yes.” He doesn’t want to, not really. But he needs to.

“Alright,” Tim agrees easily enough. “But you should take the bed, then. The sofa’s comfy but I know you have a bad back-”

“It’s fine for one night,” Jon responds. Forcing Tim to sleep on the sofa in his own flat seems terribly selfish.

“If you’re sure…”

“I am,” Jon assures, trying to convey his affection in a gentle smile. Tim returns it.

“I’ll just get you some sheets, then. Change of clothes, too.”

By the time Jon’s head hits the pillow, comfortably attired in Tim’s old joggers and t-shirt, he’s already half asleep. He thinks Tim’s already left the room but then he feels the warm pressure of a kiss to his forehead.

Perhaps he dreamed that, though.

__________

There’s a thread and it’s pulling Jon forward.

It’s not comfortable. Jon would rather stay here, in the library, surrounded by books and dim lights and knowledge he has control over. But there are whispers in the hallway, and someone’s telling him to go, go, go.

And go he does. Down stairs, so many stairs, more stairs than the institute ought to have. There is something watching and something pulling; Jon is being split in two and somehow this is worse than actually seeing the spiders and the eyes that have haunted him all these years. This, he feels in his soul. Something is at stake.

There’s a door. This is how it always ends, you see- with a door. And Jon’s fist, small and childish and grubby, raises to knock against the wood. It echoes too many times as Jon tries to step back, get off this porch and out of this nightmare but it is too late, the deed is done and the door is opening and a single, spindly black leg creeps out of the door hello, Mr. Spider-

“Jon!”

There are limbs holding him but it’s not the many-legged creature of his nightmares- they’re familiar and strong even as he thrashes against them but someone is screaming and the sound is haunting and painful-

And it’s him. Jon wrenches his eyes open to find himself safe and sound, held in place by Tim’s arms. His heart continues to stutter and he wheezes- Tim’s got a hand on his back and a soothing murmur going.

“You’ve got to breathe, Jon. Slow.” Tim takes his shaking hand and puts it to his own chest. “Like this. In and out. There you go. Nice and slow.” The words are calm and practiced; Tim’s done this before, with someone else. As his heartbeat resumes a normal rhythm, he wonders who.

There’s a hand on Jon’s face, gently wiping away tears he wasn’t aware he shed. Tim’s eyes are far-away, sort of, like he’s just going through the motions, slow and loving. “There we are,” he says as he finally meets Jon’s eyes. “Better now?”

“Y-Yes,” he croaks back. His hand is still gripping at Tim’s shirt but he doesn’t let go until the reality of the situation sets in. “Oh God- I’m- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you-”

“Is that why you slept out here?” Tim asks, his voice patient. “Does this happen a lot?”

“M-More than I care to admit.” Jon feels a sudden need to explain himself, to let Tim know he tries to keep it under control as best he can. “I’ve tried everything- tea, therapy, p-pills- it doesn’t work.” A note of frustration creeps into his voice. “Something doesn’t want me to sleep, I guess.”

“Just thought you were a workaholic, to be honest,” Tim pulls him into his side and Jon melts, the tension slowly leaving his body. “Should’ve known better. We work at the Magnus Institute, after all.” The laugh that comes from both of them is bitter. “D’you want to sleep in my bed, maybe? Just- just for company. I’ve been told that helps.”

“I-I don’t want to wake you.” The argument is weak and the both of them know it.

“You already have, love.” The endearment slips out unnoticed by Tim, but Jon hears it. “You’ll wake me either way, but I’d rather you didn’t wake up alone.”

“O-Oh.” There’s a lot of care in those words. Jon doesn’t know what to do with it, except agree. “Yes, I’ll- if, if you don’t mind-”

“Wouldn’t offer if I did.” He wouldn’t, Jon knows. Tim always means what he says when it comes to him.

So they curl up in his bed, an arm slung across Jon’s waist, his back to Tim’s chest. There are no spiders here, not in this bed that smells of dryer sheets and detergent and Tim. He’s almost asleep when the arm around his waist tightens suddenly.

“My brother always said the pressure helped. When he had bad dreams.” Jon opens his eyes.

Tim never mentioned a brother; it never came up in any of their conversations. Tim knows Jon is an only child, that he was brought up by his grandmother and had a lonely childhood. He didn’t realize, in all of their time together, that he knew so little of Tim’s own background, besides his publishing career.

Nobody liked to talk about what brought them to the Magnus Institute. It was like some unspoken rule, some shared trauma that somehow kept them all silent and apart.

“Your brother?” he whispers, turning over to see Tim’s face. Its dark, but he thinks he can see a brightness in Tim’s eyes like unshed tears.

“Danny.” Tim says the name like he’s asking for forgiveness that Jon can’t give. He sees a tear drip down the man’s face and he reaches for it, just like Tim did before. “He was...he was my little brother. And he was so, so good.” Tim’s voice breaks and something in Jon breaks too. “And something took him from me.” His expression is hard but his hand reaches out to lovingly trace Jon’s face, as if trying to memorize its shape.

“I’m sorry,” Jon knows his apology is not enough, that it will never fill the gap in Tim’s heart. Instead, he finds words spilling from his lips, as if sharing his own pain will help too. “I-I saw someone get taken, once. I didn’t- I didn’t love them, but- but it was because of me.” Tim’s hand is in his hair, tucking a curl behind his ear as his voice wobbles. “It should’ve been me.”

Tim draws him close and squeezes; Jon buries his face in the crook of his neck and inhales. “I’m glad it wasn’t you, Jon,” Tim whispers as he runs a hand down his back. “I’m glad it wasn’t you.” Jon isn’t Danny and Tim isn’t offering him absolution but it’s fine, for tonight.

Jon doesn’t dream.

ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27494077

#prompts #karliahs #tma #the magnus archives #jonathan sims #tim stoker #jontim #precanon #hurt/comfort #angst

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fictionalrambles · 4 years

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Shadowhunters Fandom Story - Part Fifteen

Submitted by jwrites_

Five Favourite Fics:

1. What's It Gonna Be by @lemonoclefox

Why I love this fic: I'm a sucker for Pride & Prejudice. San was able to take that dynamic and put it all in a modern day telling of it. I can't count how many times I've read this. Sometimes I read it all the way through, other times I go and find my favorite parts just to get that rush of emotions it never fails to give. The enemies to lovers is done perfectly, the dialogue is great and flows seamlessly, the way she tied in the storyline between Simon, Isabelle, Valentine, and Alec together was genius. I truly love every word of this story.

Favorite scene: Awkward - love - confession - in - the - rain

Favorite quote(s):

(Yes. Love confessions are great but have you ever overheard someone say something rude about you and then have the opportunity later that same night to be able to casually call that person out for their comment?)

"Her friend is..." He trails off, as though searching for the word, and Magnus can imagine him gesturing in the meantime. "Interesting," Jace eventually settles on, pointedly.

"Who, that Bane guy?" Alec says, and as he does, Magnus is hit with a wave of intrigued surprise. Does Alec like men? Interesting. The assumption could be wrong, of course, but Jace's tone implies that that's why he's mentioning it. "He's a bit over the top, don't you think?"

He sounds almost disdainful as he says it, as though Jace's mere suggestion is laughable, and Magnus's intrigue immediately shifts to offended annoyance. He straightens a little where he stands, reluctantly affected by it.

"I mean, love songs are great," Magnus admits lightly. "But stringing a few pretty words together does seem a bit unoriginal when everyone does it."

Simon shoves him lightly in offense, and Magnus can't help but laugh.

"Then what do you suggest?" Magnus is taken completely by surprise when he realizes that it's Alec who's speaking, and he turns to him. The guy's expression is neutral, but seems genuinely curious.

"Oh, I don't know," Magnus says, swirling his drink around in his glass. He shrugs. "I suppose I'm more a fan of showing and not telling. I'd much prefer someone showing interest in what I like and who I am, than comparing my eyes to the night sky, and whatnot." He gestures airily, then hesitates. He suddenly can't seem to stop himself, the memory of the Lightwoods' overheard conversation bubbling to the surface. "I think most people can appreciate that. Even if some of us are a bit over the top."

--Okay...I'm gonna go ahead and throw in a love confession~

"Look, I don't expect anything from you," he says, as though the words are hard to say. "You've made your feelings pretty clear, and I respect that. But I heard you talked to my mom, and with the stuff you said to her... I guess it just kind of made me a bit hopeful, or something. A bit." He clears his throat, while Magnus just listens. He turns to watch Alec's profile as the young man struggles to find the words, eyes on the view in front of him. "Either way, I'll admit that how I feel hasn't really changed. Maybe it should have, but..."

Alec shakes his head, and Magnus feels his throat go dry. He wants to interrupt Alec, wants to say and show everything that's bursting out of his chest, but he waits. Alec takes a deep breath then, turns to him. He looks determined.

"If you want me to," he says steadily, "I'll go. I'll leave you alone, I promise. You won't hear from me again." He pauses, licks his lips. "But if you don't want me to, if something has changed since last time, somehow... I'd really like to know. Because that would be pretty great."

2. 42 North 71 West by @lecrit

Why I love this fic: I was blessed with the opportunity to witness Lu working on this fic from its conception to its end. I was there and still I am blown away at the way she was able to work the time jumps. I remember thinking with every chapter I read, 'Wow. The way she is telling this story is amazing. She is amazing.' Lu has a way of presenting so much honesty in her characters. She writes them in a way that feels so real, that you can't help but understand their fears and hesitations even though it hurts. The story is a back and forth told through scenes set in the past and present. You get to see what they were and where they are. The story is beautifully heartbreaking. And she was able to make me enjoy a story that dealt with politics? What? Sorcery, I tell you. -- also, the bench.

Favorite scene: This was almost impossible to choose and I took way too long trying to pinpoint just one. But I'm going to go with one that I hold very dear. When Magnus goes to visit Alec on his birthday and he finds Alec playing the song he only plays when he's sad. That's all I'm going to say because I don't want to spoil~

Favorite quote(s):

“Magnus,” Alec breathes out.

The name feels almost foreign, as if he hadn’t uttered it in too long and now his mind is troubling to catch up with his mouth. Still, it manages to make Alec’s heart stutter.

“We should’ve stayed on that bench in Boston,” he murmurs.

The good thing is, he knows where to go to find his way back. It is inked on his body, engraved into his soul, sealed into his heart.

3. Lead The Way by Clockworkswan

Why I love this fic: Because it takes the wonderful adventure of Doctor Who and packs it in with Malec. This is the ultimate fun and feel good but you will also cry at one point fic. I always go back to it if I want a wonderfully written Doctor Magnus and his adorable companion Alec. Seriously, even if you're not into Doctor Who, give this fic a shot. It's written in a way that you will get so caught up in the adventure that you won't even realize it's based on something else. And if you're a Doctor Who fan, you're in luck with all the little Easter Eggs Heather left throughout.

Favorite scene: I really don't want to spoil anything. The planet of Ablorix. This will mean nothing if you don't read the fic (so you should ;])

Favorite quote(s):

Magnus extends a hand. It’s just like before, when they were in the hallway a couple of weeks ago. It’s just as inviting as it was the first time.

“How about it, pretty boy? Name a star. Any one will do. Or a date,” Magnus says. The double meaning is evident when he winks. He pauses then, and his expression shifts, growing solemn.

A clear shift in his demeanour happens. Magnus turns from playful to sincere in the blink of an eye. Although, there was also a serious tone to it. Magnus looks at him, and understanding eyes meet Alec’s hesitant ones. “Alexander, you seem like a man in need of a break, and I am very much a man in need of a friend. Adventures are always a quick way in figuring out what you want. What do you say?”

What does he say?

He says yes.

Of course Alec does.

Before Magnus can think of a good retort, he tries to ignore the clenching ache his stomach gives at the sight of a confident, smirking Alec Lightwood watching him so openly. He settles for pointing in a random direction. “I have to go and see a dog about a man. Meet back here in five?”

“Uh, isn’t the expression, ‘see a man about a dog’?”

“Not when the dog ran off with the man’s wife. A rather big scandal, it seems. The president wants me to try and step in. Smooth things over, so to speak.”

At that, Alec just stares blankly.

Magnus holds up a finger. “Yes, this is normal for me. No, you may not come along. Go.”

4. Love & Other Drugs prequel of Our Love Is A Harsh Chord in the Semi-charmed Kind Life series by @la-muerta

Why I love this fic: I'm kind of cheating here by listing two fics but they're a package deal. Love & Other Drugs was a smutty one-shot that left me wanting

more...

backstory. Let me tell you the pining and 'unrequited' love between those two demanded a story to be written. Which is why when la_muerta ran a poll on whether or not she should start it or another series first, I campaigned for this one like it was my job (I lost but I still got the series eventually so did I really lose?) The writing in this and with all of la_muerta's fics will hook you. The sadness over the back and forth between them is done so well. It's angst that will grip you and hold onto you until you eventually finish. Just go on the twitter hashtag of #OLIAHCfic and see my screaming.

Favorite scene: Probably the LSD scene.

Favorite quote(s):

Alec was still here, in bed with him.

How many times had Magnus wished that he could wake up with Alec in his arms? He didn't dare to move, wanting the dream to last a little longer, but Alec was already stirring.

he'll wonder if life would be a little easier if he wasn't hopelessly in love with Magnus, but it is a fact of who he is now: Alec Lightwood is 6'3, has dark hair, is gay, and is in love with Magnus Bane.

They are lying next to each other now, turned on their sides and face to face. The world is no longer warped and weird, but glowing and perfect. Magnus is tracing a path of lightning down Alec's body with his fingertips, and in a moment of clarity Alec understands that in Magnus' eyes he is as beautiful as he thinks Magnus is (it is the first thing Alec forgets when he wakes up sober later).

Words aren't enough to express how he feels, but they've always understood each other better when clumsy words don't get in the way.

5. The Lonely Hearts Hotline by @unrestrainedlyexcessive

Why I love this fic: It's funny, it's endearing, it's heart wrenching, it's sexy, etc. The way Alec is written in this fic is one of my favorite characterizations. The way his situation can resonate with so many young adults today. That feeling when you're an adult and you feel like you should know what to do with your life and who you should be but the truth is, you're still just as lost as always. Being an adult sucks tbh and even when you're an adult, sometimes life doesn't quite feel like it. Alec's character and growth in this fic is beautiful. (I also really loved Jace in this fic)

Favorite scene: A tough choice. Probably the office party and follow up scene in Magnus' office.

Favorite quote(s):

The problem with being a new grad, in general, is that the world and job force demands you have experience, but you have to live a certain number of productive years on the planet to gain that experience.

Early adulthood is no man's land. You don’t have the experience to matter and no one wants to pay you to gain it, hence how he ended up in the precarious situation he’s in: dodgy sex work by night, an even dodgier roommate, and desperately hoping an internship eventually turns into an actual paying job.

Magnus runs his tongue down the knobs of Alec's spine. "You're so beautiful," he says, pausing.

"I'm really not," Alec insists, eyes fluttering closed.

"Why are you so kind to everyone except yourself?"

"I'm a work in progress."

"Aren't we all?"

#shadowhunters #shadowhunters fanfiction #fanfiction #fanfiction blog

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silver-lily-louise · 5 years

Text

Amator Meus, Cor Meum (My Love, My Heart)

Summary: 'Go. Tell the others what we’ve learned. And tell them that I’m going to bring Alexander home if it’s the last thing I do.’ When Alec vanishes into the rogue portal at Lorenzo's party, Magnus knows he'll do anything to get him back. For the second time in his life, Magnus Bane is about to make magical history. Word count: ~4.6k

AO3 link, or read below if you prefer!

~oOo~

Unruly power crackles like lightning in the air, and it smells like ozone and ash as Magnus feels his glamour slip without permission. ‘I can’t control my magic,’ Cat gasps, and Magnus wants to go and reassure her, but the next moment he hears a familiar voice say I’m out of here, man, and whirls around too late to stop the portal being conjured. Portals can be dangerous at the best of times, Magnus knows that better than anyone, and whatever’s going on here turns this one against its maker. The warlock screams, vanishing, but the portal’s still moving and oh, god, it’s heading straight for them –

Alec’s quick enough, unceremoniously shoving Madzie away from the threat. But Magnus is a moment too late.

He skids to a halt, throwing the magic out before him, only centuries of honing his self-preservation instinct stopping him from reaching out and pulling Alec away. His Alexander, who’s disappearing before their very eyes, a soft gasp still on his lips as he watches himself disintegrate with a kind of stunned fascination.

It’s over in seconds. With nothing to hold it open now, the rogue spell succumbs to Magnus’ counter-spell. The portal – and Alec – are gone.

For a moment, no-one seems to breathe, shock stilling all tongues in the room. Or maybe it’s just the ringing in Magnus’ ears drowning them out. But then Madzie’s timid voice comes from his right. ‘Alec?’

And that’s it, Magnus can’t do this – can’t break down here, in Lorenzo Rey’s gaudy reception room, with Cat his only ally in a crowd of people who have either forsaken him or just outright hate him. He turns on his heel and strides from the room, nearly knocking the double doors off their hinges even without his magic. He walks blindly into the night until he feels his power reel back under his control, and then he conjures a portal to the Institute.

***

Jace is already in Alec’s office when he arrives. ‘Magnus,’ he says, as soon as the door opens, ‘what the fuck-‘ ‘Show me,’ Magnus interrupts. Jace’s brow wrinkles in confusion. ‘What?’ Magnus doesn’t answer, just slams Jace one-handedly into the nearest wall, the other yanking up the hem of his shirt, because he has to know. The parabatai rune sits starkly above Jace’s hip.

Magnus makes it over to a chair before his legs give out, and he buries his head in his hands. He’s alive. Alec’s still alive. His heart rate slows, and he breathes deeply, deliberately. He can feel Jace’s anxiety, thrumming across the room like the bass from a speaker, but the hand that lands on Magnus’ shoulder is gentle, and so is the insistent voice that asks, ‘Magnus, what happened?’

He tells Jace the whole story, dispassionately noting how little life there is in his voice – even as he explains that with the portal acting up in that way, Alexander could be anywhere, in any realm of this universe. When he’s done, Jace swallows hard, and nods. ‘Alright. We have to find him.’ Magnus hears a note of steel enter his own dead tone. ‘Oh, I plan to.’

***

He doesn’t sleep that night. Instead, he pores over grimoires and spellbooks and any text he can find on the veil – he has almost nothing to go on, but he has to start somewhere. By now, Jace has told the rest of Alec’s family what happened. Magnus declines Isabelle’s offer of help, because he knows for certain that whatever went wrong tonight, it’s outside the expertise of any Shadowhunter – it’s a portal mishap, it’s warlock magic, and he’s the one who has to fix it.

Dot arrives at sunrise, her familiar magic brushing against his wards as she knocks, before letting herself in. ‘Magnus?’ she calls, and he doesn’t answer, but she finds him in the apothecary. ‘Magnus,’ she says, her voice unbearably kind, and he doesn’t look at her because he can’t face pity right now. ‘Did Biscuit tell you what happened?’ he asks quietly. ‘Cat did,’ Dot says, and she closes the distance between them, placing her hands on Magnus’ forearms and commanding his attention. It isn’t pity on her face, but it’s a sweet, sad sympathy that hurts almost as much. ‘Magnus, I am so sor-‘ ‘Don’t.’ He means to snap, but he only musters a whisper. ‘Don’t say that.’ He stands up a little taller, wishing he could feel the confidence he’s trying to convey as easily as he can fake it. ‘He’s still alive, Dot, or his parabatai would know. He’s alive, and I’m going to bring him back.’ Dot just stares at him for a moment, but then she nods slowly. ‘Okay,’ she says. ‘Okay. But Cat made me promise to get some food in you. I’ll go sort something out.’ She heads towards the kitchen. She could have conjured something, of course, but Magnus is grateful for the moment alone.

It doesn’t last long. There’s a loud knock at the door, and Magnus’ chest swells with irritation as he checks his wards and feels who it is. There’s no time, no time for this nonsense right now, and he storms over to the door, wrenching it open. ‘What do you want?’ Lorenzo just glowers at him, stepping past him into the loft without asking. ‘Don’t play coy, Bane. You know what you did.’ ‘I have no idea what you’re-‘ ‘Enough,’ Lorenzo snarls. ‘The ley line under my home was intentionally corrupted, and it had the stink of Edom all over it. Did you think I wouldn’t recognise Asmodeus’ power? Your handiwork?’ He steps closer to Magnus, sneering. ‘You know, I almost feel bad for you. Obviously you planned to humiliate me, but I doubt you expected your pet Shadowhunter to get caught in the crossfire - ‘ He’s cut off as Magnus’ brittle control breaks, his magic closing around Lorenzo’s throat, around his torso, pinning his feet to the floor. And part of Magnus wants to end this insignificant brat, keep squeezing until the life chokes out of him and the fear and anger die in his eyes; because Magnus is already blaming himself for Alexander being at the party, and the suggestion that he would put anyone, let alone the man he loves, in that sort of danger -

‘Magnus!’ Dot’s voice manages to cut through the rage, and Magnus reluctantly releases Lorenzo. He doesn’t speak, doesn’t even look at the man – he just walks out, back into the apothecary. Right now, he owes every moment to someone far more important.

***

Dot stalks over to Lorenzo, holding up a hand to stave off his protest. ‘You know as well as I do,’ she says, her voice low and dangerous, ‘that murder is not exactly Magnus’ style. But he is suffering. He’s not himself. And if you come here again, I might not be able to stop him.’ Nor would I be inclined to, she thinks. She doesn’t wait for a reply, just sends her own bolt of magic to push a stunned Lorenzo from the loft and slam the door behind him. If it gets her in trouble later, then good. She’d do far worse for Magnus Bane, and if Lorenzo is going to command her as High Warlock, it’s best that he know exactly where her loyalties lie.

***

The next people to enter the loft, less than two hours later, don’t bother to knock. ‘Magnus!’ He walks out into the living room to find Clary, Jace’s arm draped over her shoulder, and his stomach drops for a moment – because Jace appears uninjured, which means that whatever’s wrong is likely on Alexander’s end of the parabatai bond. But Clary doesn’t look afraid, she looks excited. ‘Magnus, we think Jace saw something. Something that’ll help us find Alec.’

Magnus summons three chairs, one directly behind each of them, dropping into his and gesturing for the others to do the same. ‘What did you see?’ he asks, all the fatigue evaporating from his brain in the face of a potential lead. Jace steadies himself, looking relieved to be sat down. ‘Ever since last night, I’ve been dizzy. Like, really dizzy. At first I thought it was just cosmic distance, or something – the bond doesn’t like being stretched between realms. But I should have adjusted to that by now, and this isn’t going away. I think it’s something to do with where Alec is.’ ‘Plus,’ Clary interjects, ‘he said that when he was asleep last night, he dreamed of all these swirling colours – ‘ ‘It wasn’t a dream,’ Jace corrects. ‘I mean, I don’t think it was – Magnus, it felt real, from the moment I fell asleep to the moment I woke up and nearly threw up. I think – I think I was seeing what Alec is seeing.’

Magnus sits back in his chair. He can see the hope on the faces in front of him, and he hates to dash it, but in his head this is all adding up to something hopeless. ‘There are stories,’ he says quietly, ‘about a place like the one you described. Mismatched gravity, swirling, violent colour, all three dimensions spinning out of shape. All of them – all of those accounts – come from people who had near-misses with portals. People who fell through and were saved, but in that moment, glimpsed the… the in-between.’

Realisation dawns in Jace’s expression. ‘Fuck. Alec’s in limbo.’

Clary’s head turns between Jace and Magnus, hope draining from her face as she begins to understand. ‘But there’s no – there’s no way back from limbo,’ she says quietly, disbelieving, and Magnus shuts his eyes. ‘You mean… there’s nothing we can do? He’s stuck there?’ And Magnus had been thinking that. Once he realised what Jace’s vision meant, he’d begun to despair. But hearing it said out loud like that, something just snaps. Something deep in his chest, his soul, something that faces the impossible and growls – ‘No.’ He looks back at the Shadowhunters, getting to his feet, his spine straight and his lip curling. ‘No, he isn’t. I won’t let that happen.’

Clary looks bewildered, but Jace is clearly still tumbling into despair. ‘Magnus,’ he says, ‘Clary’s right. There’s no way back from limbo.’ Magnus smiles, and it’s a smile that’s only graced his features a few times in his long life. It’s the one that stares down and cows monarchs, the last one he gave his father; the one that looks at an unscalable climb and says Game on, fucker. ‘Two hundred years ago, there were no portals, either. Go. Call Idris, call Isabelle. Tell the others what we’ve learned.’ The smile doesn’t slip from his face as he turns, walking back to his books. ‘And tell them that I’m going to bring Alexander home if it’s the last thing I do.’

He waves a hand, shutting the door behind him, and produces a pen and paper with a flourish, beginning to brainstorm. For the second time in his life, Magnus Bane is about to make magical history.

***

Designing the ritual takes him six days.

He summons book after book, absorbing everything he can find on summoning spells, on restoration rituals, on the bonds between souls. Some of the texts are deep in the Spiral Labyrinth, others in the bowels of the Clave’s most sacred libraries; but Magnus is the son of Asmodeus, rightful heir to the throne of Edom. Love and rage pour gasoline onto the fire of his magic, and he reaches through wards that are no match for him, tearing through them like paper and leaving no trace. He’s never claimed to be invincible, but every defeat he’s ever suffered has been at the hands of trickery, of deceit and deception that brings him lower than his station. This heist of knowledge is one based in pure, refined power, and there are few alive who can match him in that.

He works alone in the apothecary, but there’s almost always someone else in the loft. Dot, Cat and Clary take shifts, plying him with coffee that makes his blood spark and food that tastes of nothing. When his hands are shaking from caffeine and the words begin to move on the page, whoever is there at that moment will steer him into the bedroom, coax him to rest. He always refuses, because he’s always sure that he’s close to a breakthrough. And they always win him over, because they say, You can’t help him if you’re too exhausted to function. Sleep, just for a while – it’s the only way to get him back. If he had any space for it in his brain, in his heart, he might resent the mothering; the way they put him to bed like a mundane toddler, swaying his opinion with nothing more than the obvious.

But he doesn’t. Instead, he lies down on Alexander’s side of the bed, because he can’t bear to look over from his and see it empty. His head hits the pillow, and he catches a hint of his lover’s aftershave. Since Alec disappeared, these few rest periods have been the only time Magnus has cried, one or two silent tears running over the bridge of his nose and darkening the silken pillowcase.

He dreams of running through syrup; hearing Alec gasp as the portal steals him away; Magnus’ hand always outstretched, but always just a moment too late to catch his love before he disappears.

***

When the ritual is finished, he gathers his materials. He goes to the Institute that morning, the outskirts of Idris in the afternoon. Alec’s family, bar Jace, meet him at the border, and he takes what he needs without ever stepping foot in the Shadowhunters’ precious home realm. As he turns to leave, Maryse grabs his shoulder with surprising force. ‘Please,’ she says, and in all the years Magnus has known her or known of her, she’s never looked so raw. ‘Please bring back my boy.’

And if this were anything less than what it is, if this were anything less than a grieving mother and a desperate lover finding sacred common ground, he might comment on the irony of a high-ranking ex-Circle member being so dependent on one she once looked to destroy. But centuries of life will teach you things no mortal ever could – like the sheer, staggering degree to which people can change. Or how forgiveness is the most powerful tool to build that change into something that lasts. Or how, even when you have centuries of it ahead and behind you, love is the only thing that gives life any true meaning, and everything else – habit, history, hatred – will always pale in comparison.

So Magnus doesn’t say anything. He just nods a silent promise, and turns away to keep it.

***

It’s another three days until the ritual. Three unbearable days of waiting, and wondering, and hoping beyond hope. Magnus eats slightly better, sleeps slightly better, and trains every day – because new magic is always dangerous, and he can’t afford to screw this up. He has to go in as close to his full strength as possible.

The night of the full moon, he follows Meliorn to a grove in the Seelie realm. ‘Here, my friend,’ Meliorn says, voice quiet and reverent in the still air. ‘This is the fourth most powerful site known to our realm, and the only one that the moon will pass directly overhead.’ And Magnus can feel the power of this place, feel how the veil here is nothing more than a breath of gossamer, feel the buzzing of magic in his bones that disturbs the silence of the night. ‘Thank you, Meliorn,’ he says, and with a final nod and a grasp of his forearm, the Seelie turns away, vanishing into the shadows. Magnus is alone in the clearing, as requested. He doesn’t know if this will work, and if it goes spectacularly wrong, he’s determined to be the only piece of collateral damage.

He works quietly, efficiently, drawing a pentagram on the forest floor with a thick layer of soot. When the moon reaches its highest point, his magic sings, and he can almost feel the silver light infusing the veil, pulling it thin. ‘Amator meus, cor meum,’ he says, ‘te revoco mihi.’ Magic begins to prickle at his skin, and he relaxes slightly, knowing the ritual is successfully underway.

He holds up Alec’s favourite bow, fingers ghosting over the curve Isabelle kissed as he flicks his wrist and turns the weapon to dust. ‘Officium tuus revoca mihi,’ he chants, as he uses the dust to draw a smaller pentagram in the centre of the first. ‘Meum amatorem solve, munde nihili.’ He places the next few items in different points of the smaller pentagram; bone marrow, a small piece from each of Alec’s parents. A thread from the omamori charm, intertwined with one of Alec’s hairs. An iratze rune, drawn by Max on a page that Magnus tore from an ancient Shadowhunter text.

‘Raziel fortissimum, restitue militem tuum.’ He snaps his fingers, and the offerings burst into flames, which he douses with a small golden cup of Jace’s blood. ‘Amorem et imperium nostra libere damus.’

He takes a step back, willing himself to stay steady, and recites the final words as he expertly moves his hands, shaping the magic in front of him. ‘Reveni mihi, quidam carissimus meus,’ he chants – his voice barely above a murmur now, yet still ringing with power – ‘et magiam complere ossa tua sine, et spiritum pulmones tuos.’ As he says the final words, he casts his hands forward, releasing the magic he built between them. The pentagram vanishes, only the acrid marrow-smoke remaining, and the wind starts to howl around him as a portal opens up on the ground where it once lay. The edge of it crackles with blue-white angelic light, hisses with the red-gold touch of Edom – and for a terrifying few seconds, nothing else happens.

And then a hand strikes up out of the light.

Magnus lunges forward, seizing the wrist and holding it firm, feeling the clasp reciprocated. He moves his other hand down, grasps just beneath the elbow, then plants his feet and heaves with all his might. Alexander stumbles free, and both of them fall to the ground as the portal vanishes.

For a moment, there’s nothing but heavy breathing in the still night, but Magnus pushes himself up, crawls over to the body lying a few feet away. ‘Alec,’ he gasps. ‘Alexander.’ He hauls Alec to his knees, cups his jaw with both hands and guides Alec’s dazed focus to meet his eyes. ‘Alec, speak to me,’ he says, and he can’t say with certainty whether he’s commanding or begging.

‘M’gn’s,’ Alec murmurs. His eyes sharpen a little, some of the fog clearing; his hands move to Magnus’ waist, and a small, relieved smile appears on his face. ‘Magnus.’

Magnus feels the tears of the past eleven days well in his eyes, and tips his head forward, burying his sobs in Alec’s shoulder as he feels his embrace returned. Thank god. Oh, thank god. They stay there a long time, kneeling in the gliding moonlight, both of them hanging on for dear life.

***

When they eventually get to their feet and leave the clearing, they find Meliorn, who greets them with a gentle smile. ‘I am pleased to see you both safe.’ He leads them back to a shimmering doorway, and they step through, turning to call out their thanks.

They step out to see the Institute gleaming before them, and Magnus has never been so happy to see it. ‘Come on,’ he says. ‘Let’s not keep them in suspense.’

They walk hand in hand to Alec’s office, only breaking away when Izzy and Jace leap to their feet to take Alec in their arms, all but crushing their brother in their overwhelming relief. When they step away, Clary flings her arms around Alec’s neck – Magnus sees the surprise flit across his boyfriend’s face, and can’t help the smile on his own when Alec tentatively returns the hug.

Alec places a call to Idris, and despite trying to afford him some privacy by explaining the details of the ritual to the other three, Magnus can’t help but catch little snippets of the conversation. Yeah, mom, I’m fine. Really. If you’re all in Alicante another day, I’ll come see you tomorrow – yeah, okay, Max, only if I’m feeling up to it, I promise. I love you too. It’s a world away from the cold relationship they once had, and a soft warmth blossoms in Magnus’ heart; the kind that only comes from feeling happy for someone you love.

‘I still can’t believe it,’ Isabelle says, shaking her head and tearing her eyes away from her brother, just for a moment. ‘Magnus, what you did… You found a way to rescue someone from limbo. That’s been impossible for centuries, but you managed it. Do you realise what this could mean?’ Magnus smiles at the awe in her voice. ‘There’ll be plenty of time to muse on my genius tomorrow,’ he says with a smirk, but it quickly softens into a more genuine smile. ‘But for now, all I want is to take my recently-returned boyfriend home, and sleep.’ He pauses. ‘…Maybe after a stiff drink or three,’ he allows.

***

Magnus barely remembers the walk home, the exhaustion of the ritual catching up with him, compounding his general lack of sleep over the past eleven days. What does register is the bite of the cool night air, the warmth of Alec’s arm around his shoulders, and the fact that when they enter the loft, there’s someone already there.

‘I’m sorry to intrude,’ Cat says. ‘I didn’t want to mention anything earlier, but she’s been inconsolable.’ Madzie peers out from behind Cat, and as soon as she catches sight of Alec, she barrels straight into him, wrapping herself around his legs. ‘Hey, woah, it’s okay,’ he says, bending down to lift her into his arms. ‘Everything’s okay now.’ ‘I’m sorry,’ Madzie sobs into his shoulder, and Magnus tries not to feel embarrassed about the similarity to his own reaction earlier that night. ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry.’ ‘Hey, hey, come on now,’ Alec says gently, and tilts her back so he can see her face. ‘Now you listen to me,’ he says, his expression serious, but not at all stern. ‘What happened was not your fault, okay? Not even a little bit. You didn’t make that portal, and you didn’t mess up the magic. None of it was your fault, sweetheart. Okay? You understand?’ He waits for Madzie’s nod, and then smiles. ‘Okay, good.’ He tilts her back into a hug.

Magnus finds himself staring, even as Alec hands Madzie back to Cat; even as Cat pulls Alec into a brief hug; even as they leave, Cat pausing to clasp Magnus’ shoulder. And suddenly, Magnus is alone with the man he loves, a man he never thought he’d see again, and as they lock eyes, the sheer strength he sees in Alec renders Magnus unbearably weak.

‘Are you okay?’ Alec asks, a concerned frown gathering on his forehead. That question, that tone, crumbles the last of his resolve. He practically runs at Alec, pushing him back into the wall. His hand cushions Alec’s head, but he barely feels his knuckles slam into the stonework before he’s kissing him, his own lips fierce and desperate against his Alexander’s, his other hand in a death-grip on his collar. He pulls away after a few seconds, and his voice is a low hiss. ‘You self-sacrificing idiot of a Nephilim.’ A sound swells from deep inside him, forcing its way up his throat – it’s not a laugh, or a growl, or a sob. It’s all three of those and something else entirely, something that overwhelms and demands an escape. He’s out of tears, after his display earlier. But that was relief and love and joy, and this is fear, all the fear he’s been pushing down, shoving aside, numbing himself from for the past eleven days. He feels Alec’s arms wrap around him, and for a while it’s all he can do not to shake apart.

Eventually, his shudders turn into nothing more than a subtle shakiness. Alec pushes away from the wall, and Magnus lets himself be led to the bedroom, pushed gently into sitting on the edge of the bed. Alec kneels in front of him, starting to tackle the buttons of Magnus’ shirt, and shame blossoms under the careful fingertips. ‘I’m sorry,’ Magnus says, just loudly enough to be heard. ‘I should be taking care of you, not the other way around. You’re the one who’s been through hell, trapped and alone.’ Exhaustion has always made him too honest. Alec stops unbuttoning the shirt, moving both his hands to cradle Magnus’ face, and despite his shame, Magnus leans into the touch. ‘Magnus, no,’ Alec says, and there’s such intensity in his expression that Magnus almost forgets how to breathe for a moment. ‘That’s not true. I guarantee you, this whole thing has been far worse for you than it was for me.’ ‘You don’t have to-‘ ‘No, Magnus, listen. How long was I gone?’ ‘Eleven days,’ Magnus whispers. It’s no surprise that Alec doesn’t know, without the rhythm of the sun to keep track. ‘Okay. You were here, worrying about me, probably barely taking care of yourself, for eleven days. Magnus, I was only gone for a few seconds.’

Magnus blinks, and thinks that even if he weren’t operating at half-speed right now, that one would take a minute to process. ‘What?’ he asks, intelligently. Alec moves up onto the bed, turning so that their knees knock together and Magnus can still see his face. ‘When the portal touched me,’ he explains, ‘there was a moment where I felt cold, and- and scared. And then there was a flash of light, and I was pulled towards it, and when I reached out you grabbed me. Next thing I knew, I was lying on the forest floor, with you right by my side again.’ He moves one of his hands back up to cradle Magnus’ jaw. ‘I don’t remember limbo, Magnus,’ he says softly. ‘As far as my head’s concerned, I was gone for two moments – the one where I disappeared, and the one where you pulled me back.’

If there’s a decent reply to that revelation – a way to express the surprise, and disorientation, and overarching relief – Magnus is in no condition to think of it right now. But Alec seems to get it, because he leans in for a slow, sweet kiss. ‘So,’ he says when they break apart again, and Magnus finds himself smiling at the no-nonsense tone. ‘Stop worrying about what this was like for me, okay? It was only a few seconds. It’s not even a blip on the radar.’ He moves back around to kneel in front of Magnus again, resuming his efforts with the shirt. ‘And now I’m back, and all I want to do is take care of you. Are you gonna let me do that?’ Magnus closes his eyes, the smile still playing on his lips. ‘When you put it like that, how could I refuse?’

Alec makes short work of both sets of their clothes. Magnus snaps his fingers, removing any residual hair product and makeup, which earns him an exasperated eyeroll but no verbal chiding. They clamber into bed and tangle impossibly close, and Magnus treasures the comforting heat of skin against skin, the easy rhythm of their breathing. He’s asleep in less than a minute.

~oOo~

#shadowhunters #shadowhunters fanfic #malec #malec fanfic #shtv #shs #mine #the ritual translation is at the bottom of the ao3 version if you're curious!

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jessi-writes-fandoms · 4 years

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A new beginning: An OC story

Chapter 2

Another week had passed and Remedy and Nightshade were feeling right at home. Nightshade was slowly starting to come out of her shell, mostly because Remedy would force her out of their room. Remedy had dragged Nightshade over to Swerve’s bar so she could meet some of the others, Remedy was sitting at the bar chatting and laughing with Swerve, Chromedome and Rewind, each of them exchanging stories and jokes. Meanwhile Nightshade was sitting by herself just trying to avoid the noise coming from the other side of the room. After some time Whirl had asked to join her, she happily allowed him to join her in the mild silence of the dark corner.

“You don’t talk much do you?” Nightshade Kept her gaze at the wall next to her. “this just isn’t really my scene you know?” Whirl tilted his helm in confusion. “Then why are you here? Wouldn’t you be happier somewhere else?” Nightshade gave a long sigh and looked over at the bar where Remedy and a few of the others were having a good time. “I wish I could be more open like Remedy, despite what she did back on Cybertron the thought of being hated never really occurred to her.” Whirl looked over at the others and just groaned. Popularity is overrated, sure she probably loves being everyone’s friend but she’ll learn that it’s not all happy fun time around here. Did they tell you guys about the sparkeater that was on board a while back?” Nightshade was snapped from her thoughts. “There was a what?!”

Over at the bar Remedy was telling everyone about the many planets she and Nightshade have been to on their runaway adventure over the past couple thousand years. “I gotta say my favorite planet we been to was Earth, we pretty much used our holo avatars the entirety we were there. It’s amazing no one found us, I mean weren’t a majority of Autobots and Decepticons on earth as well? Oh and the music that the organics have is amazing!” The others simply laughed and continued on asking more about their adventures. Swerve slid another glass of high grade to Remedy. “So what exactly do you plan to do when all this is over, you know the whole finding the knights of Cybertron thing?” Remedy’s sweet cheerful smile suddenly turned to a scared and sad frown, she then took a swig of the high grade. “Ratchet said I could still possibly be arrested for what I did and Nightshade could be killed.” The others stared at her in disbelief, Rewind then gave Remedy a small hug.

“They won’t hurt you guys, they just can’t! Nightshade doesn’t seem like the type to hurt anyone and you’re too cute to be locked away.” Remedy gave a weak smile and thanked her new friends for caring so much for her and Nightshade despite them still being strangers on the large ship. Suddenly Rodimus walked into the bar and sat next to Remedy. “Well helloooo nurse~ how are you enjoying your stay? What am I talking about, you love it here! Look at you being all social and getting so much attention, but I’m sure you’re used to that.” Remedy gave a questioning look, not sure exactly how to respond. “uh.... not really? I kinda been with one other bot for the past couple thousand years.” Rodimus simply gave her a sly smirk. “C’mon Rem a femme like you should get all the attention, you deserve it.” Remedy rolled her optics and turned away from the captain. “I don’t seek attention from anyone.” Rodimus let out a bored sigh but continued to pester the young nurse. “Look you’re an attractive bot I bet there’s someone on this ship you got the hots for.”

Remedy suddenly froze, a faint blush crawling across her face. Sure there was a certain mech who she had thoughts about but she just pushes them aside, besides she’d never tell Rodimus who it was anyway. Knowing him he would probably shout it on the comm system so the whole ship would know who she had feelings for. “I’m gonna go check on Nightshade, I will see you guys later.” She then got up from the bar and walked over to the dark corner where Remedy and Whirl were seated and Whirl left to leave the two alone to talk. Nightshade gave Remedy a concerned look. “What’s wrong? You were having so much fun with the others and Rodimus actually talked to you!” Remedy sighed and sat down across from her good friend. “He always talks to me and it’s always flirting and asking who I have a crush on.” Nightshade lowered her wings in sadness and darted her eyes from Remedy’s gaze. I guess it’s not surprising he would flirt with you, you’re so pretty and I can barely talk to anyone. Wait you don’t have a crush on him do you?!” Remedy raised her servos in defense. “No, hell no I would never- Why would you even assume I liked him?”

“I seen the way he looks at you, and you always said you were a sucker for smooth talkers. Remember the other day when he pulled you from the medbay just so he could ask you about your hobbies and interests, then he started using all those pick up lines?” Remedy Rolled her optics remembering that annoyingly long five minutes of Rodimus asking about her personal interests and saying something stupid. “He’s really annoying, Ultra Magnus must be losing his shit dealing with him. I just wish he wouldn’t ask personal questions about who I have a crush on.” Nightshade suddenly looked at Remedy, her wings perked up in curiosity. “Do you have a crush on someone? You can tell me I promise not to laugh or say anything I swear!” Remedy sighed and gave in. “Ok fine. There is a mech I been thinking a lot about lately. We kinda had an awkward first meeting but something about him made my spark skip a beat.” Nightshade pulled Remedy out of the bar and grabbed her shoulder. “Tell me who it is already!” Remedy took a deep breath and told Nightshade the whole thing. “It’s Drift, but it’s just a crush, a phase nothing more. I told you I can’t do relationships anymore, not after all the pain they’ve caused me.”

Later that night on the opposite side of the Lost Light Rodimus was going over some things with Drift. “So Magnus was saying we should stop at this next planet, no idea what the name of it is but- Drift are you even listening?” Drift had been in a daze the entirety Rodimus was speaking to him. He had been doing this a lot recently and it was starting to get on Rodimus’ nerves. “What’s with you lately, you’re constantly zoning out and ignoring everyone. Drift? DRIFT?!” Drift was pulled from his thoughts from Rodimus’ sudden outburst. “I’m sorry, I just can’t stop thinking about her.” Rodimus gave a questioning look to the ex con. “Who? If there’s someone keeping you from listening to me I’m gonna have a serious talk with them.” Drift sighed and decided to just come clean about the whole thing.

“It’s Remedy, we became friends but I think I like her more than that.” Rodimus simply sat there with his helm on his servo, bored out of his processor as Drift continued talking. “She’s sweet and so beautiful, she’s like an angel. When I look into her optics it’s like seeing the well of allsparks.” Rodimus let out an annoyed groan. “Yeah she’s very hot, funny you mention her because I talked to her over at Swerve’s and I asked her if she had any sort of feelings for anyone.” Drift tilted his helm slightly. “What did she say? did she say who she liked? who is it?” Rodimus leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment. “She didn’t say anything she just kinda got up and left. Swerve said something about her having a bunch of failed relationships and she refuses to let herself fall in love, some bullshit like that.” Drift’s expression changed from that of curiosity to sadness at this new information. “I should’ve known I wouldn’t have a chance with her, she probably wouldn’t feel the same way even if I was to tell her how I feel.”

“She’s a nurse all you gotta do is get hurt and maybe she’ll kiss you better!” Drift gave a deadpan look, he couldn’t believe Rodimus would suggest something so dumb, actually he could believe it. “Ok how about when we get to this next planet you ask her to go check it out with you, Magnus said It’s supposedly full of glowing flowers and amazing scenery. Swerve said she’s obsessed with beautiful scenery, he says despite her not looking for love around here she’s a hopeless romantic.” Drift let his thoughts take over, the kind of thoughts he had been experiencing a lot lately, Thoughts of He and Remedy walking servo in servo, looking into each other’s optics whispering sweet nothings to each other. He wanted no more than to just be with Remedy and make her happy. Seeing her smile made his spark jump and he wished he could see that smile forever. Her caring nature, how she saved the life of a Decepticon knowing it was wrong, she didn’t judge she simply saw someone in need and helped them. She was perfect in every way in his optics, he would one day ask her to be his sparkmate.

“When will we be arriving at this planet?” Rodimus was busy etching little doodles on the top of his desk but suddenly spoke. “I don’t know maybe 5 days or maybe even a week? You know me I barely pay attention to anything Ultra Magnus says. If I were you, I would talk to Remedy but play it cool, be smooth about it femmes love a smooth talking mech.” Drift looked over at Rodimus with skepticism clear on his face. “You’re a smooth talker and you’re still single.” Rodimus looked slightly hurt by that statement. “This isn’t about me, this is about you! Also before you ask Remedy out, you may wanna talk to Ratchet about it.” Drift gave a confused look. Rodimus simply gave a sly smirk. “Apparently Ratchet has known Remedy since she was a sparkling, he practically raised her so he’s basically like her sire. I bet he’s like one of those “dads” like they have on earth, the ones who tell guys they’re not allowed to date their daughter or whatever. Ratchet might throw a wrench at you if you ask Remedy out.” Rodimus then started laughing at the thought of Ratchet beating the shit out any mech who dares to ask out his adopted daughter.

Drift decided to take Rodimus’ advice and talk to Ratchet seeing as how he knew Remedy better than anyone else. He couldn’t help but worry that Ratchet might get angry at him for wanting to ask Remedy out, sure Ratchet had a bit of a temper at times but surely he wouldn’t actually hurt someone without a good reason. Drift stood outside the medbay contemplating wether or not he should go through with it or not, the thought of being told he can’t be with the one bot he so dearly cared about began to eat away at his spark. After a few moments he walked inside the large room. “Ratchet, there’s something I need to ask you.” Ratchet looked up from what he was doing. “What is it Drift I’m a little busy at the moment, Remedy needed a break so I told her to go get some rest.”

Drift stood there fidgeting with his digits, he thought about simply walking away but decided to just go through with it. “Ratchet, I was wondering if it would be alright if I asked Remedy out.” Ratchet looked up from his work with questioning look on his face. “Not sure why you’re asking my permission, Remedy is a full grown femme she can make her own decisions, I just don’t want her dating Rodimus.” Drift let out a relived sigh, at least he wouldn’t have to face being hit with a wrench. “I must warn you Drift that Remedy can be rather stubborn, when she wants something she’ll do whatever it takes to get it. She won’t back down from any conflict, she’s strong headed so if you and her get in an argument just save yourself the trouble and tell her she’s always right.” Drift nodded and thanked Ratchet before leaving the medbay to go recharge, tomorrow he would ask Remedy out on a date.

#transformers #mtmte #transformers fanfiction #transformers oc #oc: remedy #oc: nightshade #a new beginning: oc story #oc fanfiction #jessi writes

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centaurianthropology · 6 years

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The Magnus Archives ‘The Masquerade’ (S03E38) Analysis

Wow. We’re well and truly into it. As Jon’s team moves into place to stop the Unknowing, things were bound to get more complicated. Meanwhile, Martin’s plan is both simple and reliant on his willingness to offer himself up to pain. Both plans begin to play out, but where will they go? Come on in to hear what I have to say about ‘The Masquerade’.

We have the beginnings of both plans playing out at once. Everyone’s performances this week were awesome, but the standout was Alexander Newall, without doubt. Martin’s ugly sobbing was absolutely wrenching, as was his complete willingness to subject himself to pain to give Melanie the opportunity to get into Elias’ office. The performance was just stunningly good.

The story was also excellent, even if it cut itself off with a bang. The title itself seems to reference both the circus, and the performance Martin put on to keep Elias focused on him rather than Melanie. But before we get to discussing Martin’s plan, let’s start the discussion of the episode proper with the circus.

They’re at the waxworks, surrounded by far too many (badly made) waxworks. It’s not long before Basira realizes that all the waxworks were people. Apparently, this is what happens to those people we thought were consumed by the Anglerfish. They were turned into waxworks for the museum, creating an audience for the show that Nikola intends to put on.

We know that Daisy has set charges around the whole place and intends to blow it up with or without them there. Tim still has a death wish, but is also acting as the conscience of the group at this point. Well, sort of. He’s always seen what they do as evil, and electing to kill all the people trapped in the waxworks, especially given how many of them there are, seems absolutely reprehensible. Jon and Daisy argue that it would be sparing them, and there is a definite question of what becomes of a person trapped in a wax body. Are they even alive?

I’ve got the terrible feeling that, even as much as it’s a moral objection, Tim knows that Danny is there. One of those statues is his brother, the man Tim changed his entire life to avenge. He doesn’t want to blow them up, because he wants to save his brother.

Jon wants to stop the ritual, and he doesn’t want to lose Tim to do it. He knows Tim’s been angling to get killed, so getting things done sooner rather than later is the best way of keeping him alive. But they still have to interrupt the Unknowing in the middle of their ritual.

And Daisy, as I predicted, just threw a great big kink into the plan. We know she’s shot something or someone at this point. The episode ended with a bang, but we don’t know who she shot. It sounds fairly obvious that she was pointing the gun at Jon, but it was Tim who was shouting “No.” Did Tim get in the way? Did she shoot Jon? I’ve suspected she’s been angling to put a bullet in him from the beginning, but shooting him now complicates everything. The plan falls apart without the Archivist. And even as tough as Jon is, getting shot and then escaping is going to be very, very difficult.

Which is where I think Danny Stoker is going to come in. Now that we know the people killed by the Circus are trapped in the waxworks, I think Danny is going to save his brother and Jon. I keep coming back to Naomi Herne and Evan Lukas, and how he managed to save her through his own family’s connection to the Isolation. Danny is claimed by the Stranger, but that may give him a power in the Unknowing that the others lack. And I could absolutely see him getting them out and detonating the place himself.

I do find it interesting that Daisy insisted that Jon push the button. As much as she believes that he knows the timing of the thing, I also think she wants him to be a killer. She wants him to make the tough call, and not just fob it off on her. She still thinks he’s a monster, but I think she could justify working with a monster who is acting for the greater good.

The question is whether or not this is good, with so many people trapped there. Will Jon push the button? Will Danny? Will it be someone else, unexpected?

And who got shot? With two more episodes, having one person maybe dead or maybe badly injured is going to make this plan a lot more complicated.

Meanwhile, back at the Institute, Martin started burning old statements. Sounds like ones we’ve heard, going up in flames. There is apparently no better way to draw down Elias than that. What’s interesting is that Elias really doesn’t seem to know that Martin has more of a plan than throwing a fit at being left behind and being utterly furious about it.

This is another indication that somehow, Martin eludes Elias’ notice at every turn. To read Martin’s mind, to drag the details of his admitted feelings about Jon out of him (and wow, Jon is going to hear that, and there’s really no way he can pass it off as ‘office gossip’ now, is there?), would take more effort than Elias can expend and still keep an eye on Jon and the others.

Martin is somehow wholly distracting. When dealing with Martin, Elias can’t seem to perceive anything else. If we’re lucky, he didn’t perceive what Melanie was doing in his office (though I worry that it was too easy, and that he knows perfectly well what she was doing. Having only a few locked drawers could either be a ruse or hubris, Elias is good for either, really.)

But Martin knew it would hurt. I think he really did believe that Elias was going to drag all the embarrassing details of his infatuation out, but the fact it was his mother had to cross his mind. The details of what’s happened to his mother and what his life was like are still vague, but we now know that Martin was very young when his mother got sick and his father left. I’m fairly certain that the details of that departure may be more complicated than Elias presented it. My money has now shifted to Martin’s father being a runaway Lukas. That makes all the more sense that Elias would send Peter down to see him. After all, if Martin is the spitting image of his father, Peter would know him in an instant, and would know exactly what Elias took from him.

No matter what, Martin’s mother believed them abandoned. She came to resent and maybe even loathe her son, both for caring for her and for looking exactly like his father. She was the one who insisted on moving into a care home, and is now refusing to let Martin visit her. His letters make a lot more sense now. Why write your mother when you can call? When you can’t call, because she’ll refuse your calls.

Martin is desperate for affection. If his mother really was as emotionally abusive as Elias implies, all of Jon’s snippiness must not have seemed so severe. After all, Jon was just a bit of a dick, and when Martin was in trouble, Jon came through. It very much sounds like no one ever came through for Martin before that moment.

In ‘Colony’, Martin sounded genuinely surprised that Jon both believed him and was taking action to keep him safe. Given his past, I would imagine that this was a dramatic departure from the rejection he had anticipated, and was likely the initial moment when Martin started to fall for Jon.

But the thing about Martin that Elias doesn’t get (very much dismissing his anger as a child throwing a tantrum, fully expecting him to go back and be the docile bringer of tea that he’s believed to be) is that Martin has a spine of iron. He stood up to Elias knowing that his past—either his love for Jon or his mother—were going to get thrown in his face. He knew what he was sacrificing, and he was happy to do it.

I’ve long had the sneaking suspicion that Martin was meant to be Jon’s protector. He’s interpreted that drive more as being a caregiver, because Martin is many things, but a fighter isn’t really one of them. Not traditionally, at least. But his desire to deal with Elias without violence, and his ability to talk Melanie around to his plan, despite her being inches away from being claimed by the Slaughter, points to what I think his other great strength is: aside from being far more courageous than we’ve anticipated, is a master of soft power.

Melanie and Daisy see violence as the only way to get things done. Martin talks, he asks, he persuades. It’s a fun reversal of traditional gender roles, with the female characters more adept and interested in solving their problems through precision applications of violence, while the make character uses words and persuasion to accomplish his goals. It’s also nice to see both approaches getting respect. Too often in storytelling, if it’s women or men using soft power, it’s treated as weakness and evil manipulation. But in this story, it’s valid, and good, and may be the key to Martin and Melanie making it out of their situation alive.

If things go sideways, I have no doubt that Melanie will go full Slaughter on Elias or anyone else in her way. But for now, she’s willing to let Martin’s plan play out. He paid for it with pain, and now she’s got something that he apparently thinks will be enough to take down Elias without violence.

I hope he’s right. So far, his plan is going far too smoothly. With everything falling apart with the Circus, I have the terrible feeling that the Unknowing will be wrapped up next episode, only for everything to go wrong at the Archives, sending whoever survives the Unknowing scrambling to get back in time.

Conclusions

We are in for a wild three-part season finale, it seems, and given how many things are happening at once, how many parts are moving, and how many balls are in the air, it’s not a question of if everything comes crashing down, but when.

I’m holding out hope that Danny Stoker can save the people trying to foil the Beholding, and hopefully save his brother and set him on a new and better path. I’m hoping that Martin and Melanie can keep it together and that their plan at least goes well enough they survive it. I’m hoping that this shattered group of people, all broken in some fundamental way, at least get a while to exist together. I’m a sucker for emotional support and weird, screwed-up found families. I have no idea if that’s a possibility in this universe, but I desperately want Jon to actually care openly and to deal with that caring. I want Melanie to be acknowledged as grandly competent and to get respect. I want Basira to figure out what it is she truly wants and to get it. I want Tim to have some peace and closure in the wake of losing Danny. And I want Martin to get the family he was denied.

#The Magnus Archives #analysis

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missmaddiewriting · 6 years

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Can You Build Your New Clave on the Blood of Dead Children

AO3

Summary: Alec has nightmares following the events of Queen of Air and Darkness

Notes: Major Suicide Trigger Warning

Alec went home, excited to share the news with his family. Already planning the wedding, not knowing what waited for him when he slept. He told Magnus that he was the Consul, and the warlock decided he wanted to throw a party to commemorate it. Alec talked him out of it and instead they had ice cream and late bedtimes.

Eventually, Max and Rafael fell asleep and were taken to their own beds before their parents headed to their room.

“Hey,” Magnus said softly as he laid on his side, admiring his boyfriend

“Hey to you too,” Alec replied smiling at Magnus

“I’m proud of you,” he whispered, as he reached out and grabbed Alec’s hand, intertwining their fingers.

“Thanks.” He whispered back, kissing the back of Magnus’ hand

“I love you, Alexander,” Magnus said sincerely, admiring his boyfriend’s blue eyes

“I love you too Magnus,” Alec replied, staring back at cat eyes

“Sleep well, Angel,” Magnus murmured, pulling Alec closer to him as he fell asleep.

Alec, unfortunately, did not sleep well.

He wasn’t in his bed, in his loft, in his boyfriend’s arms, in Brooklyn. He was back in Idris, in the Gard, in the Council Hall, the Cohort members standing, with their weapons to their throats. He heard Jaime yell out to call their bluff. He watched as Amelia Overbeck plunged her dagger into her stomach and twisted it before collapsing, blood pooling around her. He did something unthinkable for a man of his position, for the leader of the fearless shadowhunters. He screamed. It was a gut-wrenching scream, full of pain and agony as if he were the one who had been stabbed. He collapsed as well, voices surrounding him. “Alec! Alec! Alec! Alexander!”

With the call of his full name, he jolted awake, only to see Magnus leaning over him, his eyes wide with concern. Alec was hyperventilating, tears streaming down his face. He quickly scrambled out of bed and into the bathroom, just in time to make it to the toilet before vomiting.

Magnus followed him in, rubbing his back comfortingly “What happened today after I left? You haven’t had a nightmare since the war, you screamed, that woke me up,”

Alec calmed himself down enough to speak “The Cohort, they-“ that was all he could get out before he burst into tears again.

Magnus pulled him close to him, trying to comfort him “What happened Angel, I don’t think they said something, because that’s never affected you this badly before,”

Alec shook his head while taking deep breaths trying to calm himself down “After I got elected, they pulled out their weapons, the guards were on their side. I was terrified, and then they pointed the weapons to themselves. They threatened to–“ He stopped, he couldn’t keep going.

Magnus nodded, “I’m sorry you had to witness that, they were kids, that must have been so painful for you,”

“It’s why we had to leave Idris, because of their threat,” he explained, “Someone said to call their bluff and this girl she-“ He broke down in sobs all over again, pressing his face into Magnus’ chest

Magnus tried his best to sooth his boyfriend, but he didn’t know what to say.

Alec continued to cry into Magnus’ chest, before eventually calming down and falling asleep again. This time Magnus cast a spell on him to ensure a dreamless sleep.

It was three weeks later when it happened the second time. Alec was back in the council hall. The Cohort with knives at their necks. He was screaming internally to stop them, to do something, but he didn’t. And one by one the Cohort members took their own lives. Zara first, slitting her throat, and the rest in other horrifying fashions. And then the screaming started again. Alec! Alec! Alec! Alexander!

Alec shoot up in bed, feelings Magnus’ hands on his shoulders, calming him down. He must have summoned a trash can from somewhere because it was by the bed when he leaned over to throw up. Magnus was soothingly rubbing circles into his back He took a moment to look around and realized it wasn’t their room, it wasn’t their bed. Then it hit him, they were on their honeymoon.

“Was it her again?” he asked softly

Alec shook his head “It was all of them,” he whispered, his voice hoarse

“I’m so sorry Angel, I’m sorry you’re tormented by this,” Magnus said comfortingly.

Alec nodded “I’m sorry I’m messing up our honeymoon,” he whispered quietly

Magnus was taken aback “Angel,” he said gently “Nightmares don’t care what’s going on, they wait for no one, don’t blame yourself for this” He pulled Alec tighter and murmured comforting words to him as he calmed down and fell asleep. Magnus assured it was dreamless, and that his husband would sleep through the night before falling asleep again.

#magnus bane #magnus x alec #magnus bane x alec lightwood #alec lightwood #malec #magnus lightwood bane #alec lightwood bane #magnus and alec lightwood bane #nightmares #tw suicude #suicide tw #tw vomit #vomit tw #consul alec #maddiewrites

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notskam · 6 years

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So I’d made a fic rec master post before where I included my fave fics from the Evakteket Best of 2017 nominated fics, and then June came with some incredible fics and I was like, I have read so many fics that are so good, especially in June alone, which was like this magical thing to me as I got to read them in pride month. Some of these fics are not written in June but I included it in here anyway. So, the intention here is to be able to share this with others who, maybe, are coming across any of these fics for the first time and I will feel so lucky and honored to be able be that person who made you check it out and give it a chance. All of these fics are incredible and I promise you that. Also, if you are a reader/fan of fics, please try and spread the word about it. The writers put their heart and soul in the work they put out in the world, and if you liked it, and if you stumbled across a rec post from the author of the fic you liked, please try and reblog it. It’s the least you can do for free stuff that moves you and makes you feel.

four movements on a first wedding by chevythunder / @icelandcurry

Tags: Accidental Marriage

Summary: Sonja catches sight of the crumpled marriage certificate that’s fallen out of his bag. The crooked smile on her face is enough for Isak’s eyes to burn.

“I’m still hoping that’s fake,” Isak says, going for a laugh. It bounces back to him, the faux joy making him nauseous. She stares at it for a few seconds longer, zoning in on the signatures, running a thumb over Even’s. “I- God, that’s... Seeing his name on one of these.”

Isak looks down, keeps looking down. Tries to block out the hurt he’s causing, the hurt he’s feeling. He hugs her tightly before letting her out the door. Her answering embrace feels like going through the motions.

Isak's spent years keeping his distance to Even, worried that any kind of closeness could trigger feelings he won't be able to suppress. Waking up married to Even after a blurry night in Las Vegas throws a slight wrench in those plans.

(--bla bla: this fic, i have re-read it an embarrassing amount of times. at first, i was skeptical about it because i don’t like the vegas accidental marriage cliche but i love the author’s style and the way they portray isak and even with utmost care, i am so glad i read and i can’t wait for someone to find it from my recs. this fic will give you all the feels, i promise--)

if you must live, darling one, just live by grinsekaetzchen / @hotchocolatenthusiast

Tags: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse

Summary: The world has ended and Even is still alive. He steps into the street, takes in the way the sun is shining onto the ruins. The silence of the town is at odds with the way the sun feels on Even’s skin. A distant warmth. The beginning of a movie. A sunrise, the hero turning his back on a ghost town, leaving.

Cut. Darkness. Fast forward to the light again.

Even starts walking.

(--bla bla: this is an amazing fic, it’s like you are watching a movie, you know? and you would want to read multi chapters of this verse because it’s such an addictive thing. i have recently discovered that i kind of have a post-break and post-apocalypse kink, oh well, if you do too, check it out. and check their other fics as well, they are really talented and i just discovered them last month--)

Cathedrals of Light, Salt and Snow by shoulderbone (lavenderforluck) / @odeto-psyche

Tags: Canon Compliant, But also canon divergence

Summary: What he wants to say, and cannot bring himself to admit: Before you there was no real me. Only a person pretending to be. Or, alternatively: Isak comes back to face death, and in the meantime, finds rebirth.

(--bla bla: i discovered this from @evakteket recs, bless immy and kit for maintaining such a cool rec blog, my rec post would look like a joke to the work they and @evaksbinder does, but i’m trying my best to show my gratitude here, i think it’s cute,, ok? so this fic, i have a high threshold for angst, as long it’s not there for angst sake and it’s realistic in the scenario, i love angst. and this fic is angsty. it’s isak who lives in germany and is not in a good place emotionally and comes back to oslo because his mother has died, and it’s his journey through grief and self acceptance. i love how isak and even come together in this fic (it’s hardly a spoiler, psst), it’s epic in all it’s glory and i love post break up getting together fic sooooo much. There’s an Even’s POV WIP sequel to this fic which is not as angsty but is equally wonderful. oh, i forgot to mention they include really cool art recs and song recs within the fic, which just.... enriches your fic reading experience ten fold. someone who puts that much effort deserves all the love in the world. i love you! --)

All the climbing, all the falling by Alene / @tristealven

Tags: Future Fic, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence

Summary: Isak and Even never saw each other after that night at the Plaza. Five years later Isak studies molecular biology in Bergen and keeps running into someone tall and blond.

It rains a lot, there are mountains to climb, and some things start to fall into place.

(--bla bla: this fic. this beautiful, beautiful fic. i can’t rec this enough. elina’s writing just transports you to that gloomy, cloudy aesthetic, especially this is a great read in this awful summer. elina and i bonded over our great love for ‘all stories are echoes’ and i didn’t even know she wrote too? and i was like mad at myself and others for not reccing me soon enough. since then i have read it three times and there’s a wonderful sequel too, so makes sure you read that as well. definitely in my top 5! --)

let's not waste it feeling wrong by @prettyisak

Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks

Summary: Isak has always been skeptical of the soul mark.

Instead of your soulmate's first words to you written on your skin, it's the last words you ever hear them say, so you don't know who your soulmate is until you lose them.

(--bla bla: this fic is a gem, the introspection and the characterization within the plot is just so refreshing and i love their writing. i love the pacing of this fic too --)

On call by MinilocIsland / @irazor

Tags: Enemies to Friends to Lovers

Summary: Isak knows what he's meant to do in life - surgery. And he can't wait to show everyone that he's good at it.

That is, if he'll ever get a goddamn chance. Not getting hindered by ridiculous, charming guys whose main advantage in the operating room simply is the length of their legs.

Or - a hospital AU, with both Isak and Even as intern physicians

(--bla bla: never thought i’d like a fic were even is a physician? this was so great, i loved it! look out for a delightful magnus here --)

i always knew by GayaIsANerd / @greathalesonfire

Tags: Alternate Universe – Soulmates

Summary: The dreams start on his 19th birthday. A woman screaming, a basement, a man slamming the door behind him, a dark bar, a kind voice telling him he’ll be okay, a blurry shot of another boy. Those are the most clear but there are other images, emotions and sensations lingering even after he wakes. There’s no clear timeline, no names or addresses or anything that could give more definite information.

The information Even doesn’t have, tells him his soulmate is younger than him, not yet 19.

The information he does have, tells him his soulmate is suffering and Even’s heart aches for him.

(--bla bla: gaya is a legend around here, and rightfully so. READ THIS. --)

dancing past the point of no return by @fxckxxp

Tags: Alternate Universe - Afterlife

Summary: Even has 24 hours to test drive the afterlife, where at the end he can either decide to 1. live for eternity or 2. let his existence dissolve into nothingness. Isak has 21 of those 24 hours to convince him to stay.

(--bla bla: afterlif au? yes, please. i love how isak is portrayed here. it could have easily been a whiny!isak which i don’t enjoy. it’s not. isak is wonderful here. --)

Far From Heaven 2.0 by grallonsphere

Tags: Future Fic, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence

Summary: When Even chooses to go study film-making in America, without first being upfront about it with Isak, he sets in motion a chain of events that will leave them both lost and damaged...

(bla bla: i found this fic from a commissioned art that popped up, and i was travelling and i wanted to read something long in one go. i forgot to check the tags, if i would’ve have, i wouldn’t have read this fic. and it would’ve been a shame because i loved it. it was really well written and if someone told me the outline of this story, i wouldn’t even give it a chance. it’s one of those fics which you have to read to get why someone liked it. useful tip: read this like an original story instead of a fanfic, it might help? i don’t know if this makes sense?? i bullied @art-vandeley into reading it and she did like it, though, so.. it’s not just me!

Phosphorescence by unsungyellowraincoat / @isaksbestpillow

Tags: Canon Compliant

Summary: Maybe they will all get there one dayTo a place of no fear. They go to Latvia.

(--bla bla: a year ago all i read was canon compliant fics, because my stupid brain could not imagine them in other scenarios, now i do love an au that doesn’t butcher their characterization, but a good canon compliant will always be my top priority and this is one of the best! the line in the summary is something you won’t forget. and it’s isak,even, eskild and linn! a combo you never saw before. it’s delightful and this feeling of ‘i wanna read 10k worth of isak and even just being themselves and bantering’ stayed with me after reading it. --)

daffodils, daisies, snowdrops & roses by puddingandpie / @annecuthbertshirley

Tags: Alternate Universe - Magical Realism

Summary: Even is a Spring. He’s new life. Renewal. Hope. Good things. It follows him everywhere he goes, seeping out of him like he has no idea how to control it.

Isak can’t take his eyes off of him. It’s intoxicating, the way he exudes happiness and warmth in a way that should be typical of a Summer, but somehow seems to suit him just right. But just watching him makes Isak’s own body run colder, the icicles that have taken up a permanent home on his hands weaving more intricate designs than usual. It’s the same response as he once had with Jonas, but this time, Even does not have the heat to break the pattern. Isak knows that if he even dares get closer to Even he will ruin him, just as is the natural order of things. Winter kills plants. Winter kills Spring.

tldr; in a world where u are assigned a Season at birth which defines your magic, isak is a Winter, even is a Spring. they shouldn't work. somehow they do.

(--bla bla: someone who just read canon compliant stuff for a while, all of these AUs just blows my mind and how well isak and even fits in those universes and are still their soft, dorky self. *enter the audio where jvn says ‘love’* --)

waxing, waning by @vesperthine

Tags: Post-Canon

Summary: They’re in a car, heading towards the E6. Streetlights become blurred dots in the watery dark, and the shadows pass over Isak’s face ( – waves of lights, waxing and waning like the moon, the tide, the moods – ) as they’re navigating through the currents of traffic.

(--bla bla: vesper is so good with real emotions. it annoys me when people dismiss fics because it’s “angst”, i’ve come to associate angst as a negative word now. i wouldn’t call the stuff she writes as angst. raw / real / emotional / introspective - all this, maybe? what do you think? --)

Naturlig seleksjon by Allieverwas, Artemis2121, Kikki1

Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, PrisonAU

Summary: Livet i fengsel er tøft. Her gjelder den sterkestes rett både for innsatte og ansatte. Even jobber hardt for sin plass på rangstigen. Bare synd at han må holde kortene tett til brystet på så mange områder i livet sitt.

(--bla bla: @vildenooras recommended me this and it was a roller coaster. i wouldn’t deliberately read a prison au and i’m so glad you did it babe, it was feel train for me and thank you for literally holding my hand when i freaked out at twists in this fic. we hate larson in this house, don’t we? --)

tender (is the night) by kittpurrson / @towonderland72

Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates

Summary: His whole body aches, like he’s regrown his limbs overnight, stretched out muscles he never knew he had.

Isak knows, in that moment, that his life has just been turned upside down.

“You bonded,” Even’s girlfriend confirms, and the pity in her eyes doesn’t go unnoticed. “Try not to move.”

(--bla bla: this fic, god this fic.my first soul-bond fic, can you believe that my first time was that good? at first when it everyone was talking about i dismissed it because the concept of soul-bond was meh to me. now i can’t get enough. i can only imagine the thought process that went in to writing this epic, oh my god. i read it one go and at one point i didn’t have internet for a few days and i was grumpy af and my friends abandoned me. apparently, i was “hard to be around with”. whatever. anyway, this is definitely in my top 5 and i’m pretty sure everyone has read it already! check out this fanart by ayesha, OMG?!!! --)

you and me from the night before by colazitron / @fille-lioncelle

Tags: Travel AU

Summary: There are only two reasons to wake up before eight in the morning: emergencies or romance. When Isak wakes Even on this particular February Friday, it's the latter.

(--bla bla: oh. cola! sweet, sweet cola. one of my fave writers in this fandom who is so consistently great with their writing, I CAN’T. SOO GOOD. exactly why i have you on subscription😎. remember SKAM Fic Week 2018 ? 7 days of awesome content. i remember telling them about wanting multi chapters of all of the fics they wrote that week. i hope you don’t hate me for that! in this fic, isak an even are just being their sweet, soft, ridiculous self. it’s nothing really. also, it’s everything and just the kinda thing i. can’t. get. enough. of! --)

A Beginner's Guide to Living with Isak Valtersen by riyku

Tags: Canon Compliant

Summary: Or, how to live with the love of your life, in five easy to follow steps.

(--bla bla: i discovered this author when @art-vandeley recommended bassline to me. of course, i read it one go. and i’m waiting for it’s update like i haven’t waited for anything else, ever. and then i went ahead and read all of their one shots. they write isak and even so well, the introspection is just so well done and it’s like poetry, like, seriously, read them. it’s breathtaking. i desperately want you to check it out so here’s a little snippet -

Rule 4: Never allow him to wake up alone. Isak hates it, and you hate the idea of him finding a you-shaped hole beside him. You will lay in bed and watch the sunrise color in his face with broad strokes. Study the way his curls lick the skin behind his ear and the perfect fit of your palm on his hipbone. You will create patterns in the moles on his back until they become constellations in your mind, complete with their own mythologies. The stories change and you will never write any of them down. Isak will reach for you before he opens his eyes, gasp like the simple act of waking up is a shock to him every single time, then he'll bury his pillow-creased face in your neck. Sometimes you'll fuck around. Sometimes you'll make him breakfast.It will be two months before you realize that on the very rare occasions where Isak wakes up first, he's doing it too.>> see?? --)

Eventyr by imminentinertia / @skamskada

Tags: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale

Summary: Once upon a time, humans knew about and feared the wights in the forest. Now the wights are all forgotten, and perhaps they have left their hills and trees and ponds.

Perhaps some are still there.

(--bla bla: enchanting is the word. this fic is enchanting. so gorgeous and i really want more, more, more... --)

to love you every day by @skamz

Tags: Canon Compliant, Advent Calender

Summary: Advent calendars are nice, but the ones you buy at the store are not really what Even wants to offer Isak. And so he decides to make one for him instead.

(--bla bla:Cristine got me for secret santa (poor girl) and wrote this incredible fic, for me?? I just re - read it recently and can’t believe my luck. also, read all of their works. they are incredible.--)

you’ll always wait for me to come home by iriswests / @juilawicker

Tags: Science Fiction

Summary: In a world where time may be arbitrary, but perhaps not linear, Even looks for Isak.

(--bla bla: i believe this is ceecee’s best work yet. it is so well written and it had me in the edge of my seat through and through. just gorgeous and i love isak and even in a sci fi setting! even and sana teams up in a refreshing way and this fic just is like watching a movie, i love it when a fic can do that. like in an all encompassing way you shut your internet off and just want to immerse in this verse. --)

All this and heaven too by @champagneleftie and @nofeartina

Summary: The first time, it’s just a hookup, a quick blowjob in a club bathroom.

The next time Isak pretends he’s never seen him before. But maybe that’s because they’re at church. And the pastor is Isak’s dad.

Even shouldn’t want the closeted pastor’s son like this, but it’s impossible not to. Especially when he’s already had a taste.

(--bla bla: this was a fantastic read. spoiler alert: look out for the romeo and juliet parallel. i swooned . you will too. --)

Dear Friend by bri_ness / @brionbroadway

Tags: Enemies to Lovers

Summary: Isak and Even work together in a failing video store, and they cannot stand each other.

Isak and Even both signed up for the Love Letters dating service, and they’re both falling for their anonymous pen pal.

Or, a She Loves Me AU (kind of, sort of).

(--bla bla: god, isak and even in this fic is so eloquent, i can’t with them. and it’’s pacing is wonderful. it’s not rushed or slow, just perfect. high-key wants a follow up to my fave bri fic. please read this fic ok. it’s very soft. --)

I even made a not so good edit for this fic, that’s how much I loved it. Bri liked it, that will do ;) check out her fics and drabble, all of them are wonderful.

Must read short fics:

you don’t have to carry the weight of your sin, we didn’t rise to cave in by @evenbechneiheim

@thefancyspin drabbles: seriously, read em all, it will be time well spent, trust me.

Also, this amazing fic/drabble by @greathalesonfire about sex is something I go back to and re-read, because, why the hell not? It’s so breath taking.

This drabble by @fxckxxp which sort of is like a missing scene thing between isak and even’s first kiss in the pool and the cuddle marathon the next day. It’s incredibly well written and easy to imagine that this is exactly what happened.

WIPS that rocks my world

Shaky målinger av livet (uten deg) by Frieda Echte (Plommesill), Peer

Tags: Canon Divergence

Summary: this is a little bit tricky. but hear me out, I have their consent to read this fic using google translate (desperate to a whole new level, eh?), they even said to ask them if i have any doubts (how kind??) and I get help from @vildenooras, amalie and sofie. SO, in this fic, Isak is in Germany due to his studies and Even is in Oslo, and they do the long distant relationship thing, it’s hard but they make it work, but life throws them few curve balls and this fic is basically about how they deal with it.

It’s so realistic and wonderful. Freida writes Isak’s POV and Peer writes Even’s, which is like, so cool, right? So, if you can read Norwegian, please, please, please read this.

Bassline by riyku

Tags: Alternate Universe - Rock Band

Summary: Isak opens up the email from his editor, skims through it for the tenth time, snagging to a stop on phrases like serial piece and North American tour coverage, boots on the ground and big opportunity. His response is quick and vague, that he'll let her know tomorrow morning, although he's known the answer from the jump.

(Or, Isak is a Norwegian ex-pat, fresh out of NYU with a journalism internship, who bags an assignment covering a band from his former hometown of Oslo on their first North American tour. It takes him about three seconds to realize he kinda has a thing for the bass player).

(--bla bla: first of all, i do not enjoy Americanized fics,, but this is not that, and it is GLORIOUS. this is the sexiest even i’ve ever read and isak is not a helpless pining dork here, he is just so grounded and in tune for his desire not being realistic to be with even, but they do get together and it’s hardly a spoiler, i wanna mention the pacing here too. wow. it wasn’t stretched to keep the will-they-won’t-they thing going the last update is at such a delicious point I AM STARVING FOR AN UPDATE LIKE YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE. also nooreva is a thing, which is like, yayy! --)

lover of my impossible soul by shoulderbone (lavenderforluck) / @odeto-psyche

Tags: Canon Compliant

Summary: We don't often reveal ourselves, when we don't actually know what there is to reveal yet. Or, alternatively: Isak returns to Oslo, and most importantly, to Even.

(--bla bla: this the Even’s POV sequel to Cathedrals and one of those fic that just makes you feel like you’ve been transported to Oslo and is invisibly stalking isak and even, which exactly how i feel when i watch s3. the music rec, the art rec, i can’t thank you enough and just reminds me of the time I read ‘all stories are echoes’ (am i plugging it too much, why wouldn’t i? it’s my #1 fave after all) it’s got that movie like feeling to it, which i’m addicted to and cannot get enough of. also, isak is so smooth here. master of wooing and even melts. and swoons. i can’t with these two. and this fic. this is also the fic where me and ayesha messages each other right after there’s an update and we gush and gush, gdkjngk --)

ok, so after the not so pretty rambling about great fics that deserves to be recced in an elegant way, i just wanna say i had this thought, that, the places the writers in this fandom has taken isak and even, all the parallel universes and all the brilliant characterization and introspection, julie could only dream of. not a diss, i will never diss the queen. forever grateful. and grateful to all the writers for your generosity and brilliance.

god sommer. vi chattes 💖

#fic rec 1 #userskamedits #skam fic #evak fic #skam fwn #fic rec #fic rec masterpost #my fic rec #this is not edited #and done in a rush #but i had short listed the fics from a03 history #thanks to ayesha for letting me know that you can't see the fics you visited in the history tab #which i never realized i could #me = dumdum #anyway i hope you enjoy all of these wonderful works #also check the previous rec post #these are fpretty much the fics i have loved a lot #also there are fics i have forgotten to bookmark and haven't found in my history #and a lot of great one shots which i loved which are not here #but this is almost all of it i'd say #and now some ramblings about the graphics i made #isak and even is this SOFT in each and every fic on this list some poin #*on this list at some point or the other #and it's my fave screen-cap ever #also: i like it very much #they are sparkling #they are in a content bubble #bye

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pinktacofury · 7 years

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Seelie Tracker

Hey guys, bouncing from Fandom to Fandom and I got the idea for this little gem (possibly trash), I hope you guys enjoy. Lurv PTF.

Summary: The shadow hunters turn to the Seelie Queen to find a once again kidnapped Clary, the Seelie Queen gives them a treasured Seelie tracker. Will Clary be found? Will Jace be able to deal with the odd little tracker without wanting to strangle her? Will the Tracker actually help them? Read on to find out.

Warnings: Mild language, some suggestive themes, dramatic Seelie Court crap.... It’s the Seelie guys.

A/n: I own none of the characters except for the Tracker the images are not mine and the Imagine does not follow show or movies.

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“I cannot personally assist you on your quest to save your friend.” The Seelie Queen stated in a deadpan tone as she glanced once more to Simon who shifted from one foot to the other nervously.

“Then who can? You have to have someone here who can manage to help us!” Jace demanded roughly as he took several threatening steps forward, several guards rushed to stop him only to be waved off by the unaffected Queen who looked nearly bored to death at the whole thing.

“I can provide you with the means to procure your friend, though I must warn you the price will be quite steep.” The Queen eyed Jace to gauge his reaction to her statement, in all honesty he looked unsurprised.

“I will pay whatever your price is just give me the means to save Clary!” He seemed frustrated, as the Seelie Queen held out a tiny bottle held on a thick bronze chain, within the bottle a small ice like crystal perched between a collection of thriving plant life, he took the bottle.

“It is not my price you must pay, take this bottle to Magnus Bane, he will explain to you what is going on.” The Seelie Queen dismissed the shadowhunters from the Court sending them off to speak with Magnus, it was lucky for them that Alec was dating the overpriced High Warlock or they would seriously be in debt.

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“You’re asking me to release a Seelie tracker to track down your sister slash girlfriend? A Seelie TRACKER? You know the price for that right? I will be stuck with the Tracker for the rest of my immortal life, they are not easy to please Jace.... You’re asking me to release a menace on the city and myself.” Magnus asked pausing the application of his eye coal too looked shocked at stubborn Shadow hunter who literally wanted him to sign away his freedom to help the woman.

“I don’t care! I Just want Clary back!” Jace shouted throwing his hands into the air angrily only to be lead out of the room by Izzy and Simon leaving Alec and Magnus to speak privately, some time later a tired looking Alec walked out of the room, his hair tousled and his cheeks pink announcing that Magnus would release the Tracker. No one asked about the arrangement that Alec had made.

“Angora, Seelie Tracker of the East I summon you into this realm releasing you of your prison, find me Clarissa Fray!” Magnus commanded a glowing seal on the bottom of the little dome shattering the glass releasing a massive cloud of glowing dust taking the form of a small maybe five foot tall woman.

“You have summoned me, you understand my terms immortal?” The small Seelie woman asked, her long white hair falling over her shoulders as she turned to look into the faces of the rest of the people in the room, lingering on Jace who turned away from her feeling nervous.

“I understand and accept your terms Angora, I shall care for you the rest of my unnatural long life. I ask that you find Shadow Hunter Clarissa Fray, we have for you her sketch book.” Magnus offered the tiny woman a regal bow waiting for her to reciprocate the notion, when she bowed in return Magnus motioned for Jace to hand her the sketch book.

“I do not see this Clarissa Fray, mayhaps the connection is not strong enough. Do you have anything else of her?” The small woman asked as she handed the sketch book back to Jace tilting her head slightly at the man and narrowing her eyes taking a few steps forward getting rather close to his face, the slight gold color of her iris’s burning as she looked into his eyes.

“What is she doing?” Izzy murmured to Magnus who stared in wonder at the tiny woman as her feet left the ground leaving Angora to hover at eye level with Jace, her delicate hands cupping his face, in all honestly Magnus had never seen a Seelie Tracker so he had no clue.

“Jace Wayland of Idris, your Clarissa Fray is near death, water surrounds the woman now, dark and alone she begs for you to rescue her. Travel to the tunnel below the falls where the sun meets the sand, make your way past the fallen tree that is where she lay trapped by stupidity.” Her eyes blazed a molten gold as just before she dropped to the floor falling unconscious, Alec managed to dive and catch her head before it slammed against the floor keeping her from hurting herself too much.

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“We should have gotten to her sooner! This is all her fault!” The blonde hunter screamed bursting into the room where Angora remained asleep drained of her power, Magnus had no clue how to help the little Tracker as she was the first he had ever seen... she had been unconscious for quite some time and frankly he was worried, if a Seelie Tracker was killed it brought a thousand years of deadly bad luck to the immortal that summoned it.

“You will not touch her Jace.” Magnus warned, a spell on his lips as he prepared to stop the shadow hunter from hurting the vulnerable Tracker.

“She had to be cryptic, she couldn’t just tell me where Clary was and now she’s dead! The love of my life is dead because of this woman!” he shouted dissolving into heart wrenching sobs just as the little woman opened her golden eyes turning to the sobbing shadow hunter.

“Tis not my fault your love was irresponsible with their life, one can only manage for so long on borrowed time.” Angora murmured crawling slowly to the edge of the bed where she placed a delicate hand on Jace’s shoulder giving a compassionate look as he turned and placed his face in the crook of her neck and shoulder sobbing into her skin as she lay there with her cheek resting on the top of his head.

“She was always getting kidnapped... always in so much trouble.” He murmured against her skin as he inhaled her scent calming a little as he cried himself to sleep on the side of Magnus’ bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Angora, your room is ready.” Magnus called from down the hall causing the tiny woman to flounce down the long carpet into the room where she gasped and let out a delicate squeal taking in the wonderful sight before her, a white canopy bed sat against the back wall with large fluffy pillows propped against the back, living fae branches and bushes filled the room cleansing the air for her of smog and other pollutants.

“I looooove it! Wherever did you find Fae branches? Aren’t they rare outside of the Seelie realm?” She asked as she ran in and flopped down on the bed rolling from one side to the other giggling contentedly.

“Angooooora, are you here?” Jace’s voiced called down the hall walking to the room he knew she would occupy when the Fae Branches arrived, Magnus had spent a small fortune on the room and the food items that she needed to survive as she was only able to consume Fae Nectar.

“What do you need Grouchy pants?” She chirped affectionately still rolling in her bed happily her long white hair blending in with the blankets, the air in the room was sweet as the plants reacted with her natural magic blooming and releasing their sweet fragrance.

“Care to go on an adventure?” He asked as he popped his head into the room smiling a little at the strange Seelie woman rolling around the bed happily, it had been nearly a year since Clary had passed and Jace was beginning to feel a little something more for the strange white haired woman.

#Shadowhunters #Jace Wayland #Seelie Queen #Jace x Reader #Magnus Bane X Reader

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renaroo · 8 years

Text

Twisted Legacy (10/25)

Disclaimer: Transformers and related properties belong to Hasbro Warnings: Canon-typical language and violence, Psychological torture and horror, Post-war politics, Canon divergence/Loose canon, Hospitalization and illness, Cultist indoctrination Rating: T Synopsis: [Canon Divergence from MTMTE and exRID #54] The legacy of the Primes has had a tainted past, one that weighs heavily on Optimus, his supporters, and those who seek the legacy for the future. But as they look forward for themselves and for Cybertron, a darkness looms that threatens to further corrupt the unsteady peace of their planet with its curious claim to be the Hand of Primus himself.

It’s up to Optimus, Windblade, Rodimus, and their teams to try and save all Cybertronians from this mysterious threat and, perhaps, change the future for the better if they can.

A/N: Again, sorry for the time lapse but it’s better than last time at least!! Right? Right? -__- Ah well. We’re officially at the end of Part II, though! So yay for that!!!

Special thanks to @secretlystephaniebrown, Isame, and squiggol for the feedback! I really appreciate it!

Part II: The Fire Down Below Chapter 2.5: Acolytes of Primus’ Light

Velocity trusted Nautica, Rung, Nightbeat Rewind, and Chromedome, and she knew that the quantum engineer was confident in the warp drive of Ultra Magnus’ ship, but it did not make her feel any less queazy to arrive at Cybertron’s main port and be met with the amount of scrutiny and security measurements that they had in place for them.

First Aid had requested her services, and Velocity was obliged to assist him -- she was just as responsible for the lives of their crew as Ratchet and First Aid were, perhaps even more so seeing as how she was left in charge of the Medbay just before the mutiny and all.

And he had warned her in their brief communication that Cybertron was going to be very protective given all the recent events.

Still, the compartment search was more than unnecessary.

“They’re all medical supplies,” she assured the guards as she hugged her arms and watched them go through each item she had brought in her subspace compartment. “I am a doctor. It’s what I’m here for. I thought, given everything that’s happened, that Cybertron would be more happy to have an increase in medical staff. Including psychologists.”

“You’re from the Lost Light, ma’am, and that was infiltrated by the terrorist organization,” the tiny guard argued strongly. “And you brought four friends who are not doctors.”

“One is our quantum engineer,” she said, nodding to Nautica to make her point. “And Chromedome was requested to come by the Prime himself, and of course he should be able to bring his Conjunx with him.”

The tiny guard tilted his helm and pointed to where Nightbeat was unloading several unusual and unexplainable items from his own compartments. “And that one?”

“He thinks there’s some sort of mystery to unravel,” Velocity shrugged. “Solas Prime couldn’t keep him off our ship once he got whiff of a case. But if you need more reason, he’s my Amica.”

That caused the bot to take pause, look back to Nightbeat, then to Rung, and then to Nautica before falling back on Velocity herself. His optics were nearly squinting at her. “You are third to claim that.”

With suspicion laden in his voice, Velocity sighed and knew she was going to have to waste more of her precious time conversing with the security rather than assisting her mentors with the Lost Light’s patients. It was threatening to put her in a mood.

“That would be because there are several of us who are all joined Amica Endura together,” Velocity explained testily. “One of which happens to be in the medical ward at the capital, and after everything we’ve been through, we would prefer to go on our way, help who we can, and check on our loved ones.”

“You can’t have multiple Amica,” the bot dismissed with a wave of his servo.

Velocity couldn’t help but bristle. “Absolutely one can! And I do. Obviously. I just explained.”

“Figures you mechs would throw such a thing around so easily,” the bot shook his head and began writing something down on his datapad before shoving all of Velocity’s supplies back to her.

Thrown off by the tone, Velocity pressed her lips together. “You mechs?” she asked thinly.

“Camiens,” he clarified. “It’s just... obscene to have more than one Amica. Unnecessary. It devalues it.”

“Then I’m happy, both as a mech and as a doctor, to be from Caminus, where one’s spark is large enough for all the world if you let it be,” Velocity responded, taking her supplies and quickly placing them in her subspace as the rest of their motley crew at last made their way over to her. “Are we ready to go to the capital?”

“Sure, I’ll lead the way,” Nightbeat said, somehow managing to still have cheer in his voice despite the general mood. He then transformed into his altmode, only to get a few coughs from Rung and Chromedome.

"Some of us do not have the most applicable of altmodes,” Chromedome said, a firm hand resting on his Conjunx’s shoulder.

Rewind vented and threw up his hands halfheartedly. “Here we go again about the altmodes.”

“And I’m afraid my scooter wouldn’t be quite as fast as those of us with wheels,” Rung added. “Not to mention those of us who have different modes of transportation entirely.”

Nautica gave a worried smile and shrugged. “Point me at Cybertron’s nearest lake and we’ll be ready to go.”

“Sorry, Nightbeat,” Velocity picked up, closing her subspace, now filled once more with her medical supplies, “You’ll need to point us in the proper direction of the capital without the tour on wheels.”

Without another word, Nightbeat transformed and showed a slight grimace on his face. “Well, that’s not nearly as fun.”

“Story of my life,” Chromedome joked lightly as he and Rewind joined the others in walking out of the security kiosk in botmode, ignoring the less than amused shaking of Rewind’s head.

While she was no Cybertronian and her experience with the planet had been fairly limited to her short visits thus far, walking the streets toward the capital building still managed to be eye opening for Velocity.

The already unsettled and curious atmosphere of the planet had shifted rather prominently to something far more uncomfortable. Like the pit one could swear their spark would fall toward within their sparkchamber that simply wasn’t there.

Last time she had visited, there were groups and couples who were all about each and every corner, with the streets busy with activity.

Sparse a cycle later it seemed that the bots all huddled in doors of buildings and indoors all together, nothing but straight, direct traffic lining the streets, and hardly anyone but the Lost Lighters themselves on the actual sidewalks.

Cybertron felt like an unhappily cold place at that point. It almost pained Velocity to her spark.

Nightbeat dutifully led them to the capitol building and once more they were met with the most unhelpful looking guards imaginable. All stood strongly opposed to letting the group forward even a single micrometer.

“Hold up, we need to inspect each of you before you come anywhere close to entering these restricted areas!” one of the guards growled out, his broad servo held up making it very tempting to smack it down.

Immediately, the entire group broke out in groans aside from Rung who merely cleaned his lenses with a soft vent.

“This is getting ridiculous!” Chromedome said, putting a hand against the side of his head. “We were asked to come here.”

“Velocity is a doctor and they need her talents immediately!” Nautica added, coming up to Velocity from behind and grabbing her by the shoulders so as to better position her up front of the group.

Velocity did not struggle against the pushing but she did give a strained glance back toward her old friend.

“Is this true?” the guard asked, tilting his helm. “We are allowing further medical staff through. But the rest of you will need a thorough search.”

“It’s true,” Velocity answered quickly. She glanced back. “Sorry everyone, but if I can help the injured--”

“Absolutely,” Nightbeat nodded.

“Do whatever you can,” Rewind urged.

“We absolutely support you, dear Velocity,” Rung assured her, leaving Velocity to turn back on her heels and offer her credentials to the guards.

They took a moment to examine her but not a moment more, waving her through the doors. Velocity ducked her head, sent a swift thank you to her friends, and rushed on in, hoping that the inside of the building would be simple enough for her to navigate and find the medical bay for.

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like Primus was on her side with that one.

Velocity circled a corridor at least twice before running into the same, scraggly looking beastformer with large buckteeth took notice of her and grabbed her by the wrist.

“Hey, you supposed to be here or are they lettin’ scrap wander in from off the streets again?” he demanded rather testily.

“What is with how rude this planet has become?” Velocity demanded, wrenching her wrist back. “I was requested here. I’m a doctor and my services are very much needed--”

“You, uh, from the Lost Light?” he asked, tilting his helm. “Well then. My sincerest apologies! Let me just lead you to the laboratories so you can deal with those overbearing bots instead’a me for once.”

Velocity cycled her optics and nearly stepped back from the bot. She hadn’t expected that reaction whatsoever. “Oh! Yes. I mean, yes! Thank you!”

“Eh, don’t thank me ‘til you work with them,” he snapped with a flip of his wrist as he led the way.

Frowning, Velocity began digging in her subspace for her medical kits. “If it’s Ratchet and First Aid, I think I already have something of a preview of what is to come.”

“Heh, if that was all there was,” the bot replied. “What was your designation again?”

“I didn’t say it,” Velocity corrected. “But it’s Velocity. And you’re--”

“Pfft, like you don’t know Lord Starscream’s righthand bot by sight,” the mech responded dismissively before finally leading her to the room. “Alright, do your stuff, Doc. And for your sake, I hope you’ve got some real talent because these guys? They’re high strung about every single spark in there.”

She gave him a glance before continuing in. “As doctors I would hope they would be...” she replied lowly.

“You bots from the Lost Light have some weird bond or something, huh? The way you all act when just a few of ya are banged up,” he said before waving some guards off from the laboratory entrance. “You guys know that’s really not normal behavior.”

“I’m really not comfortable with what Cybertron seems to consider being normal then,” Velocity said tiredly. “Thank you for showing me the way—“

The beast former was gone in an instant, and Velocity could not pretend to be anything but relieved about it as she carried forward through the room and was inducted into another bout of absolute chaos that being on the Lost Light had made her far too familiar with.

The laboratory that they spoke of was, without exaggeration, a research lab first and obviously retrofitted for medical needs second. That was made abundantly clear as she pushed past several pieces of equipment that had been haphazardly shoved together to the other side of the room and toward the entrance in order to make way for the medical beds and cryochambers that had been placed on the other end.

She could still smell the distinctive tang of soldering stitching meeting paint jobs, and there were plenty of ticking clocks letting her and all of the available medical staff know just how desperate the states of some of the sparks in their care were.

It was a horror show as a physician to approach the slabs and see once familiar faces dented in and crushed, scorched in various places with metal twisted and broken where it wasn’t melted and malformed entirely. Her spark screamed out in empathy toward them all.

“Primus,” she whispered.

“Velocity!” First Aid’s familiar voice called, turning her toward where Ratchet and some other, less familiar mechs were all standing. “I called on you ages ago, did you just get here?”

“Security on Cybertron is not the easiest to navigate,” she answered, coming up to the various doctors. “First Aid, Ratchet, what happened down there?”

“We haven’t the first clue,” Ratchet answered somewhat angrily. “But the first one to wake up is going to have a lot of questions to answer, that’s for sure.” He then looked more directly to Velocity, his expression tightening in that way that all of them who had been on the Necrobot planet and made it off tended to do however unknowingly. The face of being completely reserved while knowing a shared secret. “The lot of us have been working around the clock to keep everyone we could online, and the few of us who lack field experience could use some reprieve.”

Two of the physicians by Ratchet and First Aid’s sides immediately bristled at the jab.

“After watching the utter hack jobs you two performed on those frames, you think we are the ones who are misplaced?” the red doctor scoffed. “On Velocitron, that sort of sloppy work would have had your credentials taken away within a cycle!”

“Which makes it lucky no one here’s performing for the boards of Velocitron,” Ratchet snapped, his irritation already seemingly at an all time high.

Velocity glanced between the mechs a few times over before focusing on her mentor. She stepped up to First Aid, gripping her medical kit. “Did we lose anyone?”

He looked at her gravely. “We did,” he answered stiffly. “We have three still hanging in there but… It’s a bit of an intergalactic incident now. A lot of the dead were colonists.”

In truth, Velocity could not have cared less about the politics of it all, her spark sank at the very thought of losing anyone among their crew. Whether she knew them personally or not. But then again, there were the ones she knew personally.

“Brainstorm?” she asked quickly.

“One of the least injured,” Ratchet spoke up. “We’re expecting him to come online first. Whatever attack it was, he seemed to be hit and taken out of the action early on.”

“Who are the other two survivors?” Velocity demanded.

“A new member of the crew named Fang,” First Aid answered. He then brought his servo to his faceplate and hummed slightly. “And… well, Rodimus.”

Hearing that their co-Captain was among the survivors should have sent Velocity into a wave of relief, but she could hear one of the doctors — the red one again — vent loudly as he crossed his arms and looked toward the CR chambers.

“If you consider that living,” he said rather harshly.

Inside of her, Velocity felt her insides twist and turn at the comment but her curiosity had been piqued. Either this particular doctor was one of the crudest physicians she had ever met — a feat considering she mentored under First Aid and Ratchet — or the hesitation First Aid had shown earlier was for good reason.

Without waiting for further briefing, Velocity walked toward the CR chamber and nearly gasped at the sight.

Surviving the onslaught of the DJD and the seemingly endless amount of former Deceptions they had gathered at the Necrobot’s planet had prepared her for some fairly gruesome sights — namely when it came to the very bots she cared most about. But Rodimus’ current unconscious form seemed to bring those experiences into question.

His outer armor was nearly melted down to his protoform beneath, and there were scorches across what remained of his armor. But most terrible of all was the way his protoform and faceplate were burned down to their barest layer over the side of his right face — a handprint etched into the very barest layer of his body in truly horrifying fashion.

“Solas Prime,” Velocity said, putting her hand against the glass of the CR chamber.

“It looks bad, but he’ll make it through.”

The voice took Velocity by surprise but she was relieved when she saw that in the shadows just beside the CR chamber it was simply Drift. She was not the most familiar with him of their crew, but she knew him and respected him enough to trust him. And there was some comfort in the way he was sitting prepared in the shadows of Rodimus’ chamber. Like a guard on vigil.

“He has to,” Drift said, as if it were a matter of complete fact.

“Of course,” Velocity answered quietly.

“Until his vitals change, Rodimus’ healing is up to the CR chamber,” Ratchet announced from behind Velocity. “I’ve been keeping my optics on it. But we could really use an extra hand with the other two. Give these guys a real break. Including First Aid. He’s lacked a good recharge since before we brought this load of work to his doorstep. Researching that Red Rust outbreak and everything.” He looked at Velocity warily. “Are you ready for the responsibility?”

“Of course I am,” Velocity answered matter of factly. “I’ve been taught by the best.”

Chromia was still in recharge as Windblade looked out upon Metroplex from their capitol suite. The cityspeaker was still attempting to process all that had happened in just the short amount of time since they had been contacted by the away team of the Lost Light and all hell had broken loose in order to get them safely to Cybertron.

Starscream’s initial anger had been anticipated — even looked forward to in a sick sense that Windblade tried not to think of as speaking for her character. But the calm that had followed and his silence on the matter since then.

He was up to something, and as usual Windblade felt hopelessly behind in their game, barely scraping by in her attempts to catch up to a master manipulator while still retaining some sense of the morality she once wore as intimidatingly as armor.

There was a yawn from behind her that brought Windblade out of her thoughts and she looked instead toward her partner and bodyguard. Chromia stretched before pushing off from her habsuite and beginning to stretch and exercise in her usual routine.

“Did you recharge at all?” Chroma asked. “You know you’ve gone through the ringer lately, you could use more recharges. Especially more than I do.”

“I’ve been through nothing compared to those poor bots,” Windblade corrected with a frown.

Chromia’s optics nearly rolled. “Those poor bots were lucky that you and the Prime seem to be the only mechs with half a processor firing on this godforsaken planet, Windblade. If you two weren’t there to defy Starscream—“

“We defy because he continues to allow us to defy him, Chromia,” Windblade said, hugging her arms. “Can’t you see the politics at play here?”

“I don’t have a mind for politics,” Chromia shrugged. “That would be why I’m the bodyguard and you’re the delegate here.”

“By letting Optimus Prime and myself carry out these rouses against his orders, he is both the strong leader who is unyielding on his policies, and able to stake claim to good that the Prime and we do against the orders of the Council, along with all of the repercussions falling on our shoulders,” Windblade explained.

“Then, when there aren’t lives at risk, you and the Prime need to force Starscream’s hand, make him break his own ridiculous laws,” Chromia answered simply.

“There are always lives at stake here,” Windblade sighed, looking back to her window. “Always. This planet truly is a constant conflict.”

“Must be why I feel at odds with its charm,” Chromia replied, resting against the window with her arms crossed. “I prefer when the only one at risk for hitting things is me.”

Windblade gave her old friend a small smile. “Same,” she said somewhat cheekily. “Still, I just wish that doing the right thing didn’t also always mean doing the wrong thing. It’s getting a bit…”

“Annoying?” Chromia offered.

A reply was ready on her lips, but Windblade stopped and stared at the city square below instead. She felt a cold chill splash through her fuel tank as the news screens lit up with a hauntingly familiar and all too terrifying face once more.

“Chromia,” Windblade said lowly. “Error.”

“What?” Chromia asked, not following.

“Error,” Windblade repeated, pointing on the glass toward the vliewscreens lit up with his face. “Why is he on the news again!?”

“When since the attacks have the news stopped being about him?” Chromia tried to rationalize.

“Not like this,” Windblade admonished before opening the windows of their room and focusing to listen on the speakers down below.

“Citizens of Cybertron and its claimed worlds—“

“By the Primes,” Windblade gasped, optics widening. “It’s another live broadcast.”

"I have warned your people and your lands before of my power. The power to cleanse Cybertron and all its systems of those not worthy of the Prime’s hand,” Error proclaimed on all the screens and all of the speakers of Cybertron, drawing a silence over even Windblade and Chromia.

Windblade watched, optics wide, barely glancing as Chormia stepped forward to shield her from the invisible threat between her and the screens below.

“First I weeded us of the weak and unworthy,” Error explained, backing away enough to show more of his bulk than just the frame of his head. Then he held up both of his hands and immediately shot a powerful, blinding flame through them both. “Now it is time that the Hand of the Primes baptize you by fires. And we have already begun.”

“The Lost Light crew,” Windblade realized out loud.

“No doubts there, Cityspeakder,” Chromia muttered.

“And I shall begin by cleansing our religion, dearest Cybertron,” Error declared. “By taking what is the right of any true Prime -- by taking the Matrix of Leadership for myself. And burning all the false prophets who have tarnished it.”

They watched as all the screens went blank with the end of the threat, and then all of Cybertron let out a terrified and confused screams.

“We have to find Optimus,” Windblade said quickly.

“I was afraid you’d say that,” Chromia sighed, grabbing her lance.

While the cynicism in Chromia’s voice was not lost on Windblade, she concentrated on getting to Prime as soon as possible instead. There was little time, at least in the cityspeaker’s mind, for playful banter even as they raced down the halls and toward the science labs where Prime had been spending most of his time since the emergencies from Eukaris.

There was a mech speaking to Optimus that Windblade only faintly recognized from being surrounded by more familiar faces -- Camien faces that she knew were Lost Light crew members now like Nautica.

The one standing in front speaking to Optimus was locked hand-in-hand with a minibot who was practically radiating his displeasure toward the Prime.

“Even if I wanted to help you, Optimus, I can’t anymore,” the tall mech said with a defensive shake of his head. “I don’t even have my needles anymore. I’m... I’m recovered from the craft. Had Ratchet himself remove them. And judging by his reaction to the last time I used them... I find it hard to believe that you ran this idea by him first.”

“I am sorry if I have offended you by making such a dangerous request, Chromedome,” Optimus said lowly.

“We flew all the way from the Lost Light just because of your request, too. I think we need an apology for that, too,” the minibot raged.

“Rewind,” Chromedome attempted to say soothingly only for Rewind to shake his head angrily.

“Don’t Rewind me, Domey! You almost died right in front of us! We saw it! If you ever thought of doing it again after what we went through? After it basically killed you? I... I’d have to extinguish my own spark. I’ve not helped you at all,” Rewind cried out.

“That couldn’t be further from the truth,” Chromedome said achingly, grabbing the minibot’s other hand and lacing fingers. He then vented strongly and looked to the Prime. “I cannot perform mneumosurgery for you, Optimus, Sir. It’s not possible. I wouldn’t do it if it were still possible. I wish I could help you some other way with finding out what Rodimus and our other crewmates encountered, but that’s more of Nightbeat’s business.”

"Thank you, but seeing my options as they are currently, it seems my next step has been made for me,” Optimus vented.

“Prime!” Windblade yelled out, not waiting a second more since the conversation between the Prime and the Lost Lighters was all but over. “Error has returned -- he’s making demands and he’s specifically focusing on you and the Matrix this time! We have to get you out of danger before he makes a move.”

Optimus looked at Windblade and Chromia for a moment before placing his hands on his hips. “Then it seems Starscream’s assignment to me must have been even more opportune for him than he realized.”

“Starscream?” Windblade questioned, unable to prevent her nose from curling at even just his name.

“He has charged me with determining what happened to Rodimus and the Lost Light crew on Eukaris. And since I cannot do that while remaining here, I will do so where I can,” Optimus explained. “And keeping myself far from the public will do well to keep it safe if this Error truly plans on acting on his words. I will not be defending myself in the streets of Metroplex.”

Windblade narrowed her optics. “After all of this, you’re going to Eukaris? To be slaughtered like this crew?”

“No,” Optimus said with a shake of his head. “The Counsel is very outspoken about keeping the various colonies and Cybertron separate until they have an answer. I will be setting foot elsewhere. Getting answers from the Lost Light itself.”

Windblade’s mouth opened but she did not have a ready reply.

Only a feeling deep in her spark that something was still very, very wrong.

Megatron was receiving information from the medical station on Cybertron as quickly as the data could be carried between the stars, and it still felt far from enough.

Even with non-affiliated and even former-Decepticon members of the crew on the rise, the Lost Light remained a specifically Autobot ship. And his position on it remained purposefully precarious. And with his co-Captain among the injured — well, it was difficult to say what his position even was anymore.

The Lost Light had always been restless, but weeks after a mutiny, a plague, and now weathering an away team’s near decimation might prove to be more than the crew could bear to stomach under a Megatron ran ship.

Perhaps Optimus was going to receive the retribution he had always thinly veiled through the bogus position and the watered down Fool’s Energon.

“Just for sport,” Megatron said lowly at his Captain’s desk, reading through the filtering in reports, “I won’t break so easily, Prime. You’ll have to try a bit better to take advantage of our second darkest hour.”

Still, he hoped that the bar was still packed with that low-grade shrill water Swerve was posing as high-grade. The less drunks they had on the ship, the less likely they would have a medical emergency at the one time that they had exactly no one on the medical staff.

Still staring at the documents on his tablet, Megatron waited for something to pop out at him — good news, bad, something that resembled a clue as to what happened before threats of an official inquiry against the Lost Light were actually made. He knew his own crew at the bridge were still scrambling under the orders he gave them to find anything and everything that could be relevant to the events on Eukaris.

So far no one had come to his office to tell him they had found nothing from the ship’s various files. Megatron figured this was more of a sign of fear than of the new bridge crew’s undying need to find answers for themselves.

He was more than ready to give up on his reading when, finally, a knock came to his office door.

“Finally,” Megatron said, setting aside his tablet and leering at the door. “Enter.”

It was unsurprising to be met by Ultra Magnus’ face. He was both the only crew member left who made up for what he lacked in fear of Megatron with respect for positions and order, and the only mech who seemed even more personally dedicated to the current mystery than Megatron himself.

Magnus was the former duly-appointed enforcer of the Tyrest Accord. If that meant anything in these days.

“Word from Cybertron I suspect,” Megatron said crisply, doing little to hide his anger and irritation at even the possibility of receiving contact from Starscream again after last time.

“There is that,” Magnus answered, coming in and quickly shutting the door behind him — which was more than enough to put the captain on edge. “Though it is not what I believe you think it to be, Captain.”

“I will have to look at that as a positive then,” Megatron replied.

“It seems that Starscream saw it fit to send someone to the Lost Light in search of any answers we may be hiding from their current inquest,” Magnus explained. Then he added, “It would appear the one chosen for the task is Optimus Prime.”

“Of course it is,” Megatron snapped before he could catch himself. “I’ve never known the bot to sidestep an opportunity to dig the blade a little deeper.”

There was a twitch on Magnus’ face, one of the only tells the second in command ever gave when he was irritated or put off by his captain. It was better than most, Megatron supposed.

“It almost makes it appealing to know that we won’t be able to give him what he’s looking for,” Megatron said, glancing back to his reports — still no further updates.

When the silence carried on a moment too long, he glanced back toward Ultra Magnus. There was unease in those robust shoulders.

“Or am I wrong?” Megatron asked.

“We have found… something,” Ultra Magnus answered lowly. “Badly damaged audio from a failed attempt to hail the ship while the signal was being blocked by… some sort of technology more advanced than our own.”

Megatron tilted his helm. “The Black Block Consortia?” he asked.

“Not that I’m aware of,” Ultra Magnus replied, unease continuing to grab at Megatron’s attention. “It does appear Cybertronian in origin. But different. Colonial perhaps, but it is advanced — centuries in advanced to our own.”

Tapping his fingers against his desk, Megatron scowled. “It’s safe to presume such advanced technology would not naturally exist on a colony planet that seems more interested in trees than electricity.”

“That would be a safe presumption,” Ultra Magnus answered.

“Alright then, on with it,” Megatron sighed, rubbing at his optics tiredly. “I know there is bad news already, Ultra Magnus. It cannot possibly be worse than what we’ve been going through for the past several hours—“

“You need to listen to this audio. So far only the sound technician and myself have heard the deciphered and cleaned up version,” Ultra Magnus interrupted, highly unusual for him and enough to make Megatron lean back in surprise. “I made certain to bring the only copy to you first. To determine what your course of action will be with it.”

Staring at Ultra Magnus, Megatron allowed the graveness of his second in command’s tone to fully reach him. Then he set aside his reading tablet. “Tenser the audio to me directly. It will be erased as I listen to it so that your copy remains the only one. I trust your judgment — if you deemed it necessary, it must certainly be necessary.”

“I fear it is,” Magnus replied before complying with the demands.

Continuing to look at Magnus suspiciously, Megatron internally accepted the audio file and began to lean back into his chair, listening avidly and even shuttering his optics to keep complete focus on the sounds of their crew. It did not take long into the May Day for the screaming to begin. Then for it to be clear who, in the background of the audio, was making threats. Threats that turned into demands. Demands that turned into pleas. Pleas that turned into screams. Not of pain, but of terror.

Not even halfway done, Megatron stopped the transfer and looked to Magnus. “No one else has heard this other than the sound technician, yourself, and me?” he demanded sharply.

“Yes, Sir,” Magnus answered just as sharply.

“Can you ensure any backups are deleted?” Megatron pressed.

“I will ensure it,” Ultra Magnus nodded. “As for the file?”

“Well,” Megatron said, folding his hands together. “I suppose that entirely depends on determining what side Optimus Prime is playing for when he arrives.”

“Rodimus means a great deal to him,” Ultra Magnus attempted to explain. “I am certain he will be more understanding—“

“He will side with whatever he deems just no matter what friendships it lays bare in its wake,” Megatron corrected. “No one knows Prime more than I do, Ultra Magnus. And you are not to give him that recording until I explicitly give you permission. No matter what threat to your honor that gives you.”

“I understand, Sir,” Magnus said thinly.

“We are the only things protecting Rodimus now,” Megatron reminded him. “Until we know who our allies truly are, this is the way it must be.”

Ultra Magnus nodded stiffly then headed out the door.

Megatron vented angrily before throwing his tablet across the room and shattering it against the adjacent wall, its pieces littering the floor and the smaller, engraved desk that Rodimus had shoved in the corner — co-captain labeled on the top marker.

The former warlord slumped in his chair and rested his helm in his hand. “Damn,” he uttered lowly.

#writing #tf fic #TF: Twisted Legacy #Velocity #Windblade #Megatron #Chromia #Ultra Magnus #Ratchet #Chromedome #Rewind #First Aid #Nightbeat #Nautica #Drift #Rodimus #Rattrap #Knock Out

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