#Writing Prompt Fill

[oleander-eat-ice]

Let Me Break Your Ribs and Climb In Next To Your Heart by TheShenanijiang (@theshenanijiang)

Alpha Nie Mingjue mated Omega Wei Wuxian at the Qishan Wen Grand Conference and then let him go back to Lotus Pier. When Jiang Wanyin staggers into the Unclean Realm, NIe MIngjue looks for his mate, but does not see him. When he finds out Wei Wuxian was thrown into Burial Mounds he loses his mind. Wei Wuxian is the only one who can bring him back to himself to hopefully win the war.

Relationship: Nie Mingjue/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian

Tags: Mentions of Jiang Cheng, mentions of Lan Xichen, mentions of Lan Wangji, Alpha/Omega, Omega Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Alpha Nie Mingjue, Feral Behavior, Captivity, Sunshot Campaign (Modao Zushi), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Violent Sex, Unconscious Sex, Nie Mingjue can go a little feral as a treat, Size Difference, use of scent as a poison

[mslanna]

Good morning to youuuu!! Or good night! I have a spicy idea: Raphael going through your phone and finding some spicy pictures + getting to know how to use a phone 😭🤣🤣 old man

I've Known You Only Now

I've Known You Only Now on AO3

Raphael manages to come to the material plane of earth and finds Tav at a comic con. But they remember nothing. Reverse iseaki, kinda. mangled as per usual 🤷

It is a weird place this material plane called earth. And whatever conventions are, Raphael is not sure he likes them. He ran into many people pretending to be some of his merry and of adventurers, even some how posed as himself. Which was preposterous, but he let is slip. They were all so eager. To be seen with him, talk to him, offer their souls for almost free and their bodies for even less.

Coming here was worth the trouble it had been. And then there is Tav. He'd know his little mouse everywhere. It helps that they wore the impossibly underpowered armour of their first meeting. Raphael smiles at the memory. It makes up, somewhat, for the insultingly cheap accommodation they lodge in. Not that Tav seems ashamed, considering they brought him along without much persuasion.

The mattress sinks disgracefully under his weight and there is only one chair in the tiny room. The chair, though, is stacked with clothes. Some look hauntingly familiar. Tav retired to the bathroom to slip into something more comfortable. Raphael is curious as to what that might be. The occasions on which he saw Tav in casual garments were few.

Tav being in this material plane explained where they had gone to when the elder brain exploded. Raphael refused to believe they were dead from the start. His mouse did not die. It is good to have his truth confirmed.

Not that Tav went by their name here, or seemed to what happened. Something he can certainly help with. And they are so pliable, open for his every suggestion. All it took was one conversation and Tav cancelled all their plans.

Raphael picks up the phone rectangle and scrutinises it. Tav used it to cancel their plans with their friends (immediately) to let them know they wouldn't be back until the next day.

Raphael will see about that later. First he has to reawaken Tav's memories. Maybe something he can work with is hidden in the phone The lock screen is an image of him in full armour, glowering. He appreciates. But what else hides on the device?

M for Mouse is an obvious password. The letter is also a greasy smear on the display. Raphael unlocks the phone as he observed Tav dong earleir. And stares. The home screen is a picture of him, alright, but naked and bloody. The profile is gorgeous, if he says so himself, and thankfully the image cuts of at the waist.

Unsure what to do next, the icons on the home screen don't look like anything familiar except for the musical note, Raphael swipes and gets an error message. Not his fault. Skip. He is returned to the previous screen and tries the other direction. More unknown icons. And the Gallery. His lip quirks up.

Camera is first. The folder contains random images of his little mouse, everyday items and occasions like food. He thumbs back to the gallery and opens the next folder.

Mouse on holiday with a sibling by the looks. The pictures are suffused with the bright light of southern skies and deep blue seas. Tav shines with happiness, out-radiating their sibling by ages. Raphael doesn't understand why Tav was talking about them as if the other was the good-looking one earlier.

But they like the Ocean. Good to know. Something he can work with needs be. Raphael smiles as he opens another folder. Another holiday. Same content. His little mouse looking so relaxed. They obviously need some time off. That can be arranged.

He browses more folders, wondering if he can find something spicy. A preview, so to speak. Instead, there is a folder titled "oh no" that has an image of him as thumb nail. Whatever was 'oh no' about him. Raphael fumes silently and opens the folder.

In comparison, it is huge. More images than the other folders combined, probably. And they are all of him. Raphael blinks and fast scrolls to the bottom. It takes a while, but no, all files are pictures of him. He scrolls back up slowly.

Most pictures are just him in various places, outfits, and angles. He frowns at some that show less than perfect renditions. Whatever does Tav want with those. Even more surprising are the artistic renditions. Many overemphasise the bump on his nose and the wrinkles.

And then there are – nudes. All drawn, naturally. Artistic nudes and – not so artistic ones. His eyes widen. The one thing he can say for the images is that none show him humiliated in any way. Except by depicting him in states of ungodly arousal.

Tav has drawn a crude arrow on an image that cuts off at the waist while his face shows decidedly what happened there and written in shaky letters "my head there" on it. Raphael almost blushes. That naughty little thing. The name of the file being "I Wish" adds to the overall flavour.

Reluctantly, he scrolls on, while his head provides the most delicious ideas to the scenario. Who'd have thought his little mouse was this far gone for him? Something to exploit, certainly. For his own advantage, of course; pleasure being incidental, naturally.

For his sanity and the structural integrity of his trousers, Raphael looks through the other folders. But there is nothing showing his little pet in similar situations. A shame, really. He'd like to see it. Instead there is images of Tav in different outfits and wigs. They look a little silly in most but so very happy, he cannot begrudge them.

The other little images lead to confusing places full of words and images by other people. He closes them and returns to the gallery. He's still musing over his unexpected finds when Tav re-emerges from the bathroom. They look – underwhelming, if still stunning.

Their light blue short-sleeved shirt has big white flowers patterned over it and buttons down the front. The trousers are of a light cotton, the kind that is usually held up by elastics. Raphael can't help a knowing smile.

Tav blushes a little, but keeps their trajectory and flops down next to him. They glance at the screen in his hands and let out something akin to an embarrassed chuckle. "Found my collection, huh? At least you didn't call my mum."

"I don't see that purpose contacting your mother would serve," he replies. Tav's hair is lightly damp, still, smelling of sandalwood, bergamot and cinnamon. There was no need to shower. They did it anyway. Prepared for absolutely everting, it seems.

"A truly remarkable collection. Though I hoped there might be images of you in precarious situation as well." Raphael puts an adventurous arm around the human leaning against his side.

"I'm not stupid," Tav replies.

"Only horny." He scrolls back down and relished in the delicious blush turning their face bright red. "I was offered several souls in exchange for this today."

Tav buries their face in his arm. "You got so lucky in the looks tombola."

Raphael sits back a little and takes Tav's chin between his fingers. "You really don't remember who I am, do you?"

They shake their head, eyes wide and blush giving their face an intensity that makes itself felt in less polite regions of his body.

"Let me show you." He stands and even in human form his crotch is at an unfortunate height now. But Tav stares up at him, curious and unafraid, just as he remembers. With a smile he rolls his shoulders and stretches into his cambion form.

[polizwrites]

❝  i have to make an example outta them so no one else tries to hurt you again.  ❞ (Writer's choice of pairing, whichever you feel fits the prompt best!)

❝I have to make an example outta them so no one else tries to hurt you again. ❞ Tony had never heard the man he loved sound so cold, so calculating.

"You can't," he protested. "You'll lose your commission, your entire career."

"I don't care." Rhodey turned to him, his eyes burning with rage. "They have to pay for having taken you captive, for having nearly killed you, and for trying to force you to kill for them. I will make them bleed for you, Tony." A bared-teeth grin slowly spread across his face. "I will make them bleed."

Send me a pairing and a prompt from this list and I'll write a 5-ish sentence ficlet for you!

[emperorsfoot]

re: your writing prompt post; Danger Noodle takes up knitting or sewing, struggles a little bc of his snake hands, makes his dads Dare handmade gifts

Noodle was having the absolute damndest time!

He way trying to learn a yarn craft. Danger Noodle started off with knitting, but when that proved too difficult he switched to crochet; but crochet was shaping up to be too difficult too!

It wasn't that Noodle didn't understand the concept of looping the yarn and pulling the thread through. It was that his body was not built for this very human (and humanoid) craft.

Danger Noodle was a Snakeman. He stood and walked upright like a humanoid, but he was a snake and so did not have arms. Instead, he had four extra serpentine necks that ended in equally serpentine mouths. He did not have hands or fingers to hold the yarn and crochet hook with.

One of his adopted fathers, Tri-Klops made prosthetic hands for him. They were an attachment of his armor. Metal plated sleeves that hugged his extra snake-necks together on either side to give him the silhouette of arms, and both 'arms' ended in three toggle-like fingers that Noodle could manipulate mechanically with the mouths of his snakeheads inside the sleeves.

But the toggle-like fingers did not serve well for something that required fine motor skills like knitting.

Crochet he thought would be easier, you were just pulling the yarn through the loop to make another loop. Much simpler than knitting. But even crochet was proving to be difficult.

In his frustration, Noodle pried his armor off to try and hold the hook and yarn with his snake mouths. But now the yarn was getting caught on his fangs!

Noodle just wanted to make handmade gifts for his dads and his secret-boyfriend, Prince Dare.

Was that so much to ask?

Since he wanted it to be a surprise, Noodle couldn't ask his dads for advice. Tri-Klops might be able to think of a solution for the issue of fine motor control with his prosthetic fingers, but then Tri-Klops would know. Tri-Klops and Trap Jaw told each other everything, and so if Noodle told Tri-Klops, then Trap Jaw would know too and the surprise would be spoiled for both dads. Noodle had to ask someone else.

Beastman knew how to crochet, and knit. Both. He made baby blankets for both Danger Noodle and Prince Malkyn when they were still babies. Noodle could ask Beastman for advice on how to do the craft. But Beastman was also not known for his description and might carelessly blab to Noodle's dads. As helpful as Beastman might be, Noodle couldn't go to him either.

There was only one other person Noodle could think of that might be able to help him.

Danger Noodle went to Zalesia.

Zalesia was a ruin far to the south of Snake Mountain. At one time it was thriving metropolis, but now it was a labyrinthine warren hurried under the sand. The only part of the once great city that remained on the surface was the giant stone sculpture of a ram skull, the head of Zalesia's Goddess, Bash-Or. The massive ram skull also served as the entrance that lead into the cavernous ruins bellow.

Inside the ruins, Noodle was met by the Faceless One.

The Faceless One had been the last King of Zalesia, the one who oversaw the city's fall. For his failure to protect his city, the Faceless One was cursed with immortality. He was confined to the ruins of the city he could not protect and spent the last 1000 years being its caretaker. He must have picked up some skills in that time. If for no other way than to pass the time.

"I don't usually see you here without my grandson." Commented the Faceless One.

That was true, Noodle's best friend, Prince Malkyn, was the Faceless One's grandson. Noodle only knew the Faceless One because Malkyn brought Noodle with him when he visited Zalesia. Sometimes, when they were younger and the adults had Evil Warrior missions that were dangerous, all the adults sent their kids to Zalesia with Malkyn to be watched over by the Faceless One while their parents fought. All of the New Evil Warriors knew the Faceless One.

But they didn't usually come to Zalesia without Malkyn.

Noodle held up his incomplete and misshapen crochet project. It was supposed to be a cap for Trap Jaw to wear under his helmet. But it looked like a lumpy wide-net sack. Something to catch fish with, not something to be worn on a head.

"I'm trying to learn a new skill." Noodle explained. "But-"

He held two of his long serpent necks out so the Faceless One could see that he had mouths instead of hands at the ends of them.

"I'm having trouble just holding to hook and the yarn." He finished.

The Faceless One was hard to read. True to his name, he did not have a face, and so there was no expression on his sanded smooth head for Noodle to read.

Noodle stood with bated breath and slightly apprehensive.

Another reason he did not usually visit Zalesia without Malkyn was because Noodle was afraid the Faceless One did not like him.

Danger Noodle might have been adopted and raised by Trap Jaw and Tri-Klops, but his biological father was King Hiss. A thousand years ago, it was the very same King Hiss who razed Zalesia. Noodle was the son of the man who destroyed the Faceless One's city. The Faceless One was an immortal ghost because of Noodle's father.

Noodle tried to give the Faceless One his space.

It was impossible to say exactly what the Faceless One was looking at since he had no eyes. But he did tilt his head down at the incomplete and lumpy crochet cap, then lifted it to look at Noodle's face.

"What tool are you using?" Asked the Faceless One.

Noodle pulled out his crochet hook.

The Faceless One shook his bare head. "That is shaped for a human hand. You need a hook adapted for a hand with no fingers."

The Faceless One trend around and started drifting down a corridor.

Was Noodle supposed to follow him?

Noodle did follow the Faceless One. In his 1000 years of haunting, the Faceless One had cleared the passages of debris, excavated some of the buildings, restored some parts of the ruins, and started using some chambers as storage for artifacts while he cleared out the places they were supposed to go.

It was one of these storage rooms the Faceless One led Noodle too.

"In Zalesia, sometimes, people would be born with their fingers fused together." Explained the Faceless One. "Or someone might lose one or more fingers to accident or violence. The Shepherdesses redesigned tools so that people who didn't have all five fingers could still do things."

From out of a trunk, the Faceless One pulled out a bulbous handle that looked like a fat teardrop shaped from wood, and coming out of the tapered end of the teardrop was a metal hook, like a crochet hook.

"Try using this." Suggested the Faceless One.

Noodle accepted the adapted crochet hook and had to admit that, yet, the thicker shaper was more comfortable to hold in one of his hand-mouths. He tried doing one stitch as an experiment. Now that it was more comfortable to hold, Noodle found that he also had better control over the yarn too.

"This one is an antique." Said the Faceless One. "If you are willing to wait, I shall made a reproduction for you out of new materials that you can take with you back to Snake Mountain."

-

A better tool was not the sole fix, but it did set Noodle in the right direction. Now that it was comfortable for him to make stitches, and had better control over the yarn, all it took was some more practice and Noodle became proficient enough at crochet that he was able to make grifts for both his dads and his secret boyfriend in time for Lifeday.

A cap for Trap Jaw to wear under his helmet.

A cozy to put around his visor when he wasn't wearing it for Tri-Klops.

For Dare, Noodle made a scarf and gave Dare very clear instructions not to wear it to the battlefield. If any of Noodle's friends saw it, they would recognize it, and then their secret relationship would be exposed.

And, Noodle also made cap for the Faceless One. He didn't need it, the Faceless One did not get cold. It was not a practical gift for the undead sorcerer. But Noodle wanted to thank the Faceless One for the adapted crochet hook, and also show him how much better he'd gotten.

Noodle liked to think the Faceless One liked his gift. He was wearing it the next time Malkyn brought him to the ruins.

Noodle didn't mention it and neither did the Faceless One, but Noodle liked to think they understood each other.

END

[sofullofloveicould]

march writing challenge 2023 - day 19

shuffle your playlist seven times

The sound of a car horn blaring wakes me up, and I blearily rub my eyes against the sunlight streaming through the still-open windows. 

My head hurts, dimly, in a raw kind of way, and my hair smells like cheap tequila. The air is warm for March, but a breeze floats through and makes me slink back further into my bedspread.

It’s with that movement that I realize I’m still wear whatever I went out in last night, what’s essentially a bedazzled bikini running uncomfortably against my skin. I don’t remember much, just a vague sense of bright lights and shaking music. I find a glass of water sitting next to my charging phone, and I gulp it down gratefully as I check my text messages. 

There’s one from someone named Chase, a simple call me x. 

I delete the conversation and the contact and call Laurie instead. She picks up on the third ring.

"Girrlll, you were WILD last night!" She's doing something else in the background, with her phone likely propped up against something as she does her neurotic post-night-out cleaning.

"Shit, was I?" I roll out of bed and strip the gemstone-studded clothing off, tossing it into the ever-growing "to be washed" pile. "Don't remember squat."

"No fucking way, I mean we all were on the juice las' night, but you must've had like fifteen before some fuckwad took you home."

I run my fingers through my hair. It's tangled in the back, into one matted deadlock. "Was his name Chase?"

"Might've been. Some blonde bodybuilder type. Rich daddy, too. Did he not stay 'till morning?"

"Of course not." I slip into a clean pair of sweatpants and a sports bra, picking up some random discarded trash from when I had stumbled back last night. "Filled me up a water, though. Texted me asking to call."

"Don't" Laurie says in that no-nonsense way of hers. "Chivalry is dead."

I wasn't gonna, considering that I don't even remember if he was good or not. "Of course not. He couldn't've handled me anyway."

@deity-prompts credit for the prompt list

[hallaburger]

scars + beckett phillips/dimitri varvatos (odd hours)

It happens when Dimitri is stripping him, methodically peeling his sweat-drenched t-shirt off of his skin in the middle of the night, after Beck has woken up from his nth night terror. The war, for all its physical ravages, has left deeper wounds that Dimitri fears might never fully heal, yet he does his best to tend to them. After all, humans - even half-fey ones - are frail and their minds delicate.

"I'm not made of glass, you know," Beck mumbles in the dark of their room, shivering with the sudden air on his overheated skin.

Dimitri tosses the shirt aside and crosses to the armoire to dig out a clean one. "I know," he says gently, returning to the bed, "but is it a crime to want to take care of you? Arms up." Beck obliges with a sigh, and as Dimitri leans in to pull the shirt down, he notices something he hasn't before: a thick, silvery scar, jagged across Beck's ribs. His jaw tightens, twitches, as his eyes turn gold with fury.

"Whoa, Meetch - what's wrong?" Beck asks suddenly, tone thick with anxiety.

Dimitri doesn't realize he's snarling until then, and flinches to clear his head. He clears his throat and swallows the saliva that's filled his mouth, then reaches out with tender fingers to trace the line of the scar. "I didn't know you were hurt... when did this happen?"

Beck shivers, this time from the sensation of Dimitri's gentle touch. "Oh. Uh... actually... that's a story I should probably tell you another time. Let's just... get back to sleep, okay?"

Dodging questions may be an Olympic sport for Beckett Phillips, but Dimitri can tell that something is seriously wrong. Who is he covering for? Why? "Beck, please," he implores him in the pale moonlight. "If it's bothering you, I can help."

Beck takes the shirt from him and puts his arms through the sleeves. "Really, it's okay. It doesn't hurt."

Before he can duck his head into the neck opening, Dimitri covers the scar - or as much of it as he can - with his warm palm. Beck freezes, pinned in place as if waiting for Dimitri to make another move. They watch each other for a long, tense moment, their breath mingling between them. As he searches Beck's eyes, a sudden, horrible knowledge sinks blunt claws into Dimitri's heart. "I did this to you," he whispers, tears springing to his eyes. "When I was..."

When I was under her control.

Nausea bubbles in his stomach like a poisoned cauldron. He could have easily killed Beck, and never would have known it was his fault. Had Beck fought back? Had Beck just accepted it in order to protect him?

"Hey," Beck murmurs, covering Dimitri's hand with his own, "I promise, we'll talk about it. Just... not right now, okay? Right now, I want to spoon until we both pass out again, and then wake up in the morning and have coffee and toast and watch stupid cartoons with you. Can we do that?"

Dimitri nods, swallowing his tears and removing his hand from Beck's side. "May I kiss you?" he asks quietly, fearful of the answer. But Beck smiles and nods, and leans in to kiss his wolf, his tender hand reassuring against Dimitri's jaw. Dimitri melts against him, relief warming his veins. They settle back down in bed, Beckett's chest pressed flush against Dimitri's back, an arm wrapped around Dimitri's middle. Beck's breath tickles the back of Dimitri's neck. The room falls quiet again as Beck sleeps, and as he feels his own fatigue drawing him downward, Dimitri thinks how lucky he is that they're both alive.

beckett phillips (28, M, he/him, demifey)

dimitri varvatos (229, M, he/him, werewolf)

from Odd Hours (WIP modern fantasy/adventure/romance) by L.D. Stewart (das me!!!)

[glow-in-the-dark-death]

A Week (He Will Take You)

~

Danny moved to Gotham for school, while there he noticed that Gotham's ambient ecto was really murky for lack of a better word.

This didn't really affect him too much besides a mild headache every once in a while but that also just might be stress from all his school work so maybe not.

Anyway

This murky ecto seemed to effect the people who lived there or more importantly the ghosts,

They were visible to the human eye like most ghosts back in Amity but instead of looking very much like a ghost they still looked like humans if a bit off putting.

They all seemed to be continuing their normal lives as if still fully alive, with the people around them none the wiser.

Danny noticed this and began approaching them to figure out what was going on.

Apparently the murky ecto in the city had made it so that they were strong enough to still continue a somewhat normal life but not be able to cross over to the GZ.

In other words they were stuck in Gotham

Danny was the Ghost King so he could easily fix this problem, all he needed to do was give them a bit of pure ecto for around a week to fully stabilize them them then he would just open a portal into the GZ and they could cross over with all their things also transferring into the GZ for their new haunt.

Unfortunately this looked rather worrying to an outsider,

Imagine you're used to your neighbor being very outgoing so you and others see them a lot suddenly this man seems to appear in their life out of nowhere an at exactly one week, your neighbor and all their belongings in their home disappear no trace to be found.

You tell people and they begin saying the same story they knew someone and them a man with black hair and blue eyes appeared in their life, then they and all their things disappear in exactly one week.

Of course the police in Gotham do the bare minimum so they're no help.

But it starts to begin a trend, especially online.

"Oh careful or the blue eyed man will make you disappear in a week"

This of course after time catches the bats attention, Gordon had already given them all the information he had.

"Young adult early twenties, dark hair, blue eyes"

That was it.

The bats look into it and from their point of view Danny is a serial killer.

But they can't find the connection between all of his victims, they range from young children and the elderly from different backgrounds absolutely no connection,

Worrying enough he doesn't just make one person disappear he has taken entire families up to over a dozen, without anyone figuring out how he's doing it or why at all.

The disturbing thing also being that he seems to take everything in their home, leaving it like it has always been empty

Like no one had been living in it.

People have tried to take photos of Danny get some kind of evidence of his existence, but when they try to do it, it either comes out completely corrupted or their devise simply shuts down fully.

Danny of course has no clue what is happening he's just happy that he's able to help so many ghosts, and is trying not to fail his exams.

~

Danny leaving the house he just helped: "That went easier than I expected!"

Neighbor peeking from the window: "Shit it's that guy! "

~

Red Hood marching down into the cave: " The fucker took many from my territory without me even realizing it!"

~

Tim: "I'm pretty sure his kill count is nearing the hundreds and he just started like maybe 4 months ago, this is bad."

Barbara: " I think I got a theory, this matches up with the new school year beginning so maybe their not a Gotham native which narrows down my suspect list."

Bruce: "Hn."

Tim: "Yes thank you B for the insightful commentary"

~

Danny trying not to fall asleep while on his way to class: "Strange I keep seeing shadows following me, oh well must be the stress!"

Bats who are pretty sure Danny is the killer: "Has he done anything suspicious yet?"

~

Just an Idea

[luxaofhesperides]

Soulmark AU + Sleeping Beauty ; requested by @candeartist422!

For the last few years, Duke’s been waiting for his soulmate to die.

It sounds cruel to say it that way. But the waiting is more painful, he thinks, than just mourning a lost love. It’s not like most people ever meet their soulmates anyways; his parents weren’t meant to be, but they still loved each other and had a life together. He wishes he could turn his focus away from his soulmate, but Duke is a romantic at heart and has always wanted to find the other half of his soul.

But since he was fourteen, his soulmark has dulled, fading in and out of color. What was once a vibrant blue crystal star, with eight points and a swirl of watercolor hues around it, dimmed more and more until Duke was sure he was watching his soulmate die slowly. 

His soulmate didn’t die then. Whoever they are got better, his soulmark gaining color, but it never went back to the way it was. For years after, Duke would check at the beginning and end of each day, keeping track of when it faded and when it regained its color. 

He thought his soulmate was sick. In and out of hospitals, fighting to stay alive.

And then it went nearly colorless. 

Duke doesn’t remember much about that day. He knows he woke up, brushed his teeth, the lifted up his shirt to check his soulmark in the mirror. The blue was almost completely gone, the star on his left hipbone nearly gray with how colorless it was. He started at it for a moment, shocked, and reality slid away from him as he retreated into the safety of his mind, fully dissociating. 

Bruce had found him when Duke didn’t show up for breakfast. He held him and offered quiet words of comfort that Duke couldn’t understand, but just having someone with him lessened the hurt of losing his soulmate. 

Seeing the color come back the next day, faint as it was, hurt even more.

A year later, Duke still can’t break the habit of checking his soulmark twice a day. It hasn’t changed at all, still faint and dim, but carrying just enough color to show that his soulmate was still alive. At the very least, they were still breathing, but his chance of ever meeting them is basically zero. Still, he can’t help but hope, wishing that he could meet them even once before they die and leave him forever. 

“Same as ever,” he murmurs to himself as he brushes his thumb against his soulmark. He’s terrified that he’s forgotten how beautiful the blue of it was when his soulmate was healthy. 

Duke doesn’t let himself think on it too much anymore. Though his thoughts often turn to his soulmate during quiet moments like these, the busy nature of Gotham is usually more than enough to pull his attention back to the here and now. There’s no use in obsessing over his soulmate anyways; they’re just going to die, sooner or later, and Duke knows he’ll never get to meet them. They’ll just be another empty space in his life, right next to his parents. 

“Come on, Thomas, focus,” he tells himself firmly, then gets dressed and heads down to the kitchen for breakfast.

The manor is quiet. It usually is in the mornings, with everyone from the night shift dead asleep and trying to get as much rest as they can before they have to start their day. Not that many of them stay in the manor these days; Duke and Damian are the only permanent residents at the moment, but Steph usually stays half with her mom and half in the manor during the summers when she’s home from college, and the others drop in whenever they feel like it. 

Bruce lives more in the Batcave than the manor, so he doesn’t really count. It’s also why Duke is surprised to see Bruce awake and dressed like a normal person, drinking coffee in the kitchen as if this is a normal occurrence. 

“Morning,” Duke offers.

“Good morning, Duke,” Bruce replies. “Sleep well?”

“Well enough. Alfred out or something?”

“He may have kicked me out of the Batcave to clean it up a bit,” Bruce answers tiredly. “Want me to make breakfast?”

Duke has heard the horror stories of Bruce’s attempts to make edible food in a kitchen. In the interest of not dealing with food poisoning, Duke shakes his head quickly and says, “Nah, it’s fine. I was kinda wanting to eat out for breakfast. Get out there as me, and not a mask, you know?”

“Mind if I join you? Alfred may forgive me for not sleeping if I willingly go outside.”

Duke laughs. “Sure man, as long as you pay.”

“I’ll drive, too.”

“What, don’t trust me behind a wheel?”

Bruce gives him a tired look, eyes dead and dull. “I have taught all my children how to drive. The day I willingly let them take the wheel when I am not actively dying is the day I’ve been replaced by a robot clone of myself who doesn’t know better yet.”

“That is… very specific. Is that a thing you usually worry about?”

“I’m Batman. I have to worry about everything.”

Yeah, that tracks. Duke wouldn’t be surprised if he has at least five contingency plans for that scenario, should it ever happen. “Well,” he says, “Right now, all you need to worry about is having your wallet and driving us down to The Foodie Nook. I’ve been craving their breakfast plates for ages.”

Bruce doesn’t object to his choice of restaurant and follows Duke down to the garage, grabbing a random set of keys and pointing it out to the many cars he owns. One near the front blinks its lights as it unlocks and Duke cheerfully tosses himself into the passenger seat as Bruce opens the garage door. 

The drive into Gotham is smooth. They don’t hit traffic until they reach the bridge that leads into the city proper, taking them away from the quiet of Bristol. The morning is busy, but not enough that Duke worries about being out as the Signal to help keep the peace. It’s a normal type of busy, one borne from people going about their lives, feeling safe enough to go out. 

The Foodie Nook is entirely local and very popular, so the parking lot is nearly full. But they expanded their space last year, which means he and Bruce don’t have to sit outside while they wait to grab a table. Bruce keeps conversation light and casual, well aware of the many listening ears around them, and it’s nice, feeling normal for once. 

Well, as normal as life can be with Bruce Wayne™. The server who comes to lead them to a table realizes who she’s talking to after she gets a proper look at them while holding open the door and promptly stutters over her words. 

“No need for any special treatment,” Bruce laughs lightly, “We’re just here for breakfast. Nothing special.”

“Of course,” she replies, cheeks red. “Um, right this way! We’ve got a table by the windows for you. Just two, yeah?”

“Yup! Just two. Thought this was a good day to spend some time with Duke. He’s a great kid, you know, I’m glad I was given the opportunity to foster him.”

The sunny, cheerful Bruce Wayne persona is so different from the usual Bruce he works with that it feels like he’s standing next to a stranger. But his words are sincere and warm his heart, filling up the gaps that his soulmate has left. 

“Here you are!” their server announces, showing them to their table. “I’ll be right back with some menus.” She’s gone in a rush, and other customers glance over before quickly averting their gaze. 

It’s one of the unspoken rules of Gotham: give the Waynes their privacy while they’re out in public. Questions and conversation are for public events only, but if they see a Wayne out and about during a normal day, everyone leaves them be unless spoken to first. Duke used to follow those rules as well when he was just another Gothamite. It’s strange being on the other side of that now that he’s in with the Waynes.

Duke barely has to look through the menu when it’s handed to him. The breakfast plates are his favorites and he gets one every single time he comes to The Foodie Nook; stacked full with breakfast foods from around the world. As a kid, he loved the Mexico Plate, but these days he’s craving either the Brazilian Plate or the Vietnamese Plate.  

He can’t decide on which one and thinks about tossing a coin to decide, but seeing how that’s Two Face’s whole thing, he decides to hold off and settle the matter with eenie-meenie-minnie-mo. 

He gets the Vietnamese Plate.

Bruce, on the other hand, reads through the entire menu like it’s a novel, then leans over and says rather loudly, “Duke, what’s a tort-illa.” 

The pain he feels hearing that is only worsened by the amusement in Bruce’s eyes. He’s doing it on purpose, playing up the Brucie act for the public so he can psychologically torment Duke. A few nearby customers choke back laughter, turning away to hide their smiles. 

Duke shakes his head and says, “Don’t worry about it. It’s just food. Don’t ask any more questions, I just want a peaceful breakfast.”

“Well then,” Bruce replies, “I suppose I know what to order now.”

As if she was summoned, their server reappears before them, cheeks still looking a little flushed. “Hi! Ready to order?”

She writes down their orders quickly, valiantly keeping a straight face at Bruce’s mispronunciation of tortilla, then heads off to deliver their orders to the kitchen. 

Rather than draw out a conversation with Brucie Wayne, Duke settles for playing a few idle games on his phone; his current favorite is one quiet cat cafe game where he directs cats into fulfilling cafe orders. 

Bruce, despite being out in his civilian identity, is working. He’s on his Batman phone, which looks the same as his other cell phones except this one has a bat symbol sticker just barely hiding a Superman sticker on the phone case. His brow is slightly furrowed as he reads whatever file he’s accessing from the Batcomputer. It’s a little worrying but it could be anything. Bruce makes the same expression when he reads one of Tim’s snarky comments getting quoted in the news.

But that’s not Duke’s problem! He’s here to enjoy his breakfast and it will take the end of the world itself to remove him from his seat before he’s done eating.

The game takes most of his attention until their food comes out, and by then Bruce has tucked away the smallest of his Batman mannerisms. They enjoy a normal, peaceful breakfast. Bruce ends it by asking their server if she has any debt that’s weighing her down, then giving her a tip that’s at least five thousand dollars above that. 

She does cry and Bruce hugs her. It’s very sweet. 

As soon as they get back into the car, his easy going smile drops and Duke knows some superhero nonsense is about to take over his day. 

“Duke,” Bruce starts, seriously, “I received a message from Zatanna.”

“Don’t drag this out,” Duke says, “Just give it to me straight. What terrible thing is about to happen to us?”

“It’s nothing too big. They just recently defeated a magical being who had been tearing apart secret government facilities in Illinois. He had both magic and a high tech weapon, which they confiscated and are delivering to me. The government agency he was fighting was suspiciously interested in the weapon, and based on their behaviors and newly revealed work, Zatanna made the decision to turn the weapon over to us so it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.”

Bruce smoothly merges into traffic as he speaks, getting them onto the road back to the manor. There’s a look in his eyes that means he’s keeping a lot unsaid, and Duke knows without a doubt that whatever this government agency was doing is bad if Zatanna needs Batman to act as extra security. 

He’s not sure about her decision to trust the weapon to be safe in Gotham, either. Sure, Batman will keep it as safe as he can, but with their luck, it’ll end up in the hands of a Rogue and lead to a lot of death and destruction. 

As soon as they cross the bridge and return to Bristol, Bruce steps on the gas and the car tears down the road. Without any other cars to worry about (or traffic laws), it takes barely two minutes to reach the manor, when the gates open for them and let them into the garage. 

Alfred waits for them by the door, looking them over with a critical eye. “I see you have managed to go outside, Master Bruce. What’s the special occasion?”

“Just breakfast,” Bruce answers. “I’m heading back down to the Batcave. Zatanna will be here soon to deliver a weapon.” He’s gone before Alfred can say anything more, hurrying down the hall and turning the corner, disappearing from sight as he heads towards his office. 

“I see we have yet to break that bad habit of his. Did you enjoy your morning out, Master Duke?”

“Sure did, Alfred. I’m, uh, also going down to the Batcave. He’s definitely not telling me a lot about what’s going on, so I’m just going to read about it over his shoulder. I’ll be back up for lunch, though!”

“And perhaps you’ll be able to drag Master Bruce away from that cave of his,” Alfred comments wryly as he walks with Duke towards the office. He gives Duke a nod, then splits away from him, returning to the kitchen where Duke can hear Damian speaking to someone, probably Tim by the annoyed tone of his voice, and mentally wishes Alfred luck in handling them.

Duke sets the correct time on the clock in Bruce’s office and heads down to the Batcave, taking the steps two at a time. 

Bruce is already at the Batcomputer, shoulders tensed, when he arrives. 

“More bad news?” he asks as he makes his way over.

Bruce doesn’t bother looking away from the screen as he says, “More details about the fight. It seems the magical being called himself a ghost and was going on a rampage due to a betrayal. He says they nearly killed his son.”

“Oh, yikes.”

“And two of the scientists working with the government agency said that he stole their son and is keeping them from saving him.”

“Yikes,” Duke says with more feeling.

He doesn’t get to hear anymore details about JLD’s fight with this ghost when he catches a flicker in the corner of his eye. Duke turns and stares at the empty space in the Batcave near the medbay and watches as colorful magic gathers and swirls in dizzing circles. The portal opens a moment later and Zatanna steps out, looking exhausted and lightly singed. 

“Batman,” she greets, holding a white gun that looks like it belongs in an early sci-fi movie from the 60s. “The GIW is trying to arrest us. Constantine keeps burning their badges and documents so it shouldn’t be a problem, but they are determined to get this back. I wouldn’t be surprised if they came after you next. They’ve got some way of tracking things, but I didn’t have time to get any details before I had to leave.”

Bruce takes the gun from her hands carefully, looking it over with a sharp gaze. “Why would a ghost want to use a gun?”

“I don’t know. He had a variety of powers, too.”

“What does this do?”

“Shoots ice. He never let it go and nearly burned me alive for taking it before we subdued him.”

“We’ll keep it locked up,” Bruce promises. 

Zatanna sighs. It looks as though a physical weight fell off her shoulders. “Thanks. I’m going to head back to stop Constantine from getting into a fistfight with the GIW agents.”

She opens another portal with a waved hand and a muttered spell. Bruce is already walking away to set the gun down on a work station, so Duke is the one to wave Zatanna goodbye. 

By the time he reaches Bruce’s side, the gun is already dismantled, all pieces neatly set aside. Sticky notes denote which pieces go together and in what order. It looks the same as most guns, save for the aesthetic, but the heart of it is a glowing blue orb, large enough to cover the entirety of Bruce’s palm, and it brings a chill to the air.

Duke stares at it and feels his soulmark burn ice cold.

“Duke?”

It’s in his hands. He doesn’t remember reaching out to take it, but it’s in his hands. He can’t take his eyes off of it, cradling it gently and bringing it closer to his chest. 

It’s the same blue his soulmark once was. Before his soulmate began to fade, before every day became a waiting game to see how long his soulmate will last before they die. 

This has something to do with his soulmate. He’s sure of it. 

He won’t let anyone take it from him. 

“Duke. Give that to me.”

He doesn’t feel like he’s in his body. He’s detached, floating somewhere outside his body, puppeteering his limbs, making them move without feeling the motion. Shadows condense around his feet and Bruce takes a step back, wary. 

“Duke,” he says again, but Duke can’t find any words, can’t draw on his voice, can’t even look away from the bright, bright blue of the orb. It pulses lightly in his hand like a heartbeat. 

Bruce reaches a hand out. 

He’s pulled back by shadows before he can get close, and Duke holds the orb against his chest, right against his heart, and feels the cold seep into him. 

“Duke. I need you to look at me.” This time, Bruce’s voice has Batman’s growl in it, a heavy command that he can’t help but instinctively follow. He looks up and meets Bruce’s eyes, but he can’t focus. All his awareness is in his hands and the heartbeat of the glowing orb.

“I have to protect this,” Duke manages to whisper. “I… I think it’s alive.”

“Okay. Let’s get you to the medbay so you can sit down. We’ll figure this out, Duke.”

Bruce slowly, carefully, sets his hand on Duke’s shoulder. He keeps his attention away from the orb, so Duke allows it and lets Bruce guide him to the medbay and onto one of the medical cots. Bruce leaves him after a minute of quiet fussing, muttering about calling Zatanna.

Whatever. None of that matters when the heartbeat of the orb grows stronger, steadier, and Duke feels it match the beat of his own heart.

Time slips away from him. Distantly, he hears people move around the cave, speaking in low tones. A hand presses against his shoulder, warm, then moves away. 

The orb in his hand moves. 

Duke blinks slowly, then claws his way back to awareness, pushing past the haze that’s fallen over his mind. The orb turns over in his hand, then cracks right down the middle. The glow grows stronger, washing the medbay in blue light and a symbol appears on the orb.

It’s his soulmark. 

Later, he won’t be able to say why he did it. There were no thoughts, no reasonings, no explanations. Duke simply moved on instinct and lifted the orb up to his face and pressed a soft kiss against it. 

One moment, the orb was still.

The next, it had burst in a flash of light that blinded everyone in the Batcave, and then a thin, injured teenager had fallen into Duke’s lap. 

Hands immediately grab him, pulling him away from Duke. The teenager puts up no fight, eyes barely open, but he reaches for Duke weakly. On his wrist is the bright blue snowflake, the color strong and vivid. 

“That’s me soulmate,” Duke whispers as he watches Bruce and Tim set the boy down on another medical cot. 

“What?” Tim says, turning to face Duke, concern clear on his face. 

“That’s my soulmate,” he repeats, louder. Then, panicked, he pulls up his shirt enough to see his own soulmark; the color is still dull, weak, barely there, but it’s more blue that it has been in a while. He doesn’t need to say anything. Tim sees the dullness of his soulmark, looks at the boy, and puts the pieces together on his own.

“I’ll call Doc Thompkins,” he says, already moving to fix everything. Bruce remains where he is, making sure the boy is tucked in and breathing steadily before he returns to Duke. 

“Are you alright?”

Duke swallows roughly, unable to tear his eyes away from the boy. He’s pale and thin, as if he’d been starved, and there’s frost beginning to spread on the bedsheet from his fingers. “He’s my soulmate,” Duke manages to say. “He’s been dying for two years.”

Bruce’s eyes a hard, a determined light in them. “We’ll save him,” he promises. 

If anyone can, it’s Batman. 

If anyone can, it’s them, Batman and the Signal, and their entire network of family and friends. 

Duke’s been waiting for his soulmate to die all this time. Now, he’s going to save him.

[starsandskies]

So, it's that time of the year again! ♥

At this point, I'd say that this has already become a tradition so here it is, the prompt list I'll use this year.

Like always, feel free to use it, mix the prompts, skip them, or do whatever you want with them: art, writing, edits, moodboards… it's your choice!

And, of course, tag me if you feel like it (here or on Twitter, @/LuaSpicyHours), or use #StarsAndSkiesKinktober if you want me to share your creations! 

Transcript of the list under the cut ♥

Day 1: Dirty talk

Day 2: Against a wall

Day 3: Orgasm control

Day 4: Stockings

Day 5: Praise kink

Day 6: Thigh riding

Day 7: Risky places

Day 8: Threesome/Moresome

Day 9: Naked-Clothed

Day 10: Knife play

Day 11: Leather/Latex

Day 12: Role reversal

Day 13: Oral

Day 14: Sensory deprivation/Sensory play

Day 15: Cock rings/Cages

Day 16: Flashing

Day 17: Biting/Biting marks

Day 18: Body writing

Day 19: Pegging/Strap-ons

Day 20: Facesitting

Day 21: Masturbation

Day 22: Breeding kink

Day 23: Bondage/Restraints

Day 24: Dom/Sub dynamics

Day 25: Impact play/Spanking

Day 26: Voyeurism/Exhibitionism

Day 27: Choking/Breathplay

Day 28: Lap dance

Day 29: Masks/Costumes

Day 30: Hair pulling

Day 31: Aftercare

[deepwaterwritingprompts]

Text: I bring wine soaked bread to the park for the pigeons, with their countless rotating wings and many eyes of blinding white. I believe they used to call them angels, a long time ago. 

[minty364]

DPXDC Prompt #128 part 1

Danny wasn’t sure what exactly happened, but one moment he was hiding out in an alley trying his best to wrap the bandages around his torso and the next he found himself in front of a clown. His thoughts began to blur further as he began to panic. His first instinct was to tighten his fists and move into a defensive position but when he tightened his fist something happened. The clown that had been right in front of them was there and then he wasn’t. The gun he was sure he wasn’t holding before fired and sent the clown away from Danny.

Shock began to set in as he looked down on what he had done. Everything had moved so fast he couldn’t even comprehend it, he didn’t even get a good look at the one he so swiftly ended. The force of the gun caused him to fall back, breathing heavily he stared at the gun before quickly setting it down on the ground making sure the safety was on, he wasn’t risking another death. With the weapon safely placed on the ground he finally decided to take in some of his surroundings.

His soulmate was wearing a helmet and what looked to be some armor, they were in a warehouse of some sort. Danny had forgotten what it felt like to be human and he’d pay a lot more attention if the panic from murder wasn’t setting in. The clown wasn’t moving, they layed there a heap on the floor… Danny really murdered someone. Okay, he could deal with this. 

…

Who was he kidding what the hell was he supposed to do? It was then that he saw movement from the corner of his eyes and he truly knew he was fucked. Someone was right by his soulmate while he had his gun pointed at the clown, did his soulmate want the clown dead? His mind was still racing incoherently as he tried to piece together what exactly just happened. 

A minute passed  or what felt like one, Danny swore Clockwork messed with his sense of time sometimes. He slowly raised his hands after he realized the other wasn’t going to speak, he slowly turned to see the absolute worst person to help in this scenario. 

Batman, Danny was pretty sure he was fucked. He was so entirely fucked and it was then that he realized how truly he messed up. His head snapped back over to the clown and yep that’s the Joker, oh he just killed the Joker in front of Batman in his soulmate's body. Did that mean his soulmate knew Batman? Danny was absolutely stunned into silence, he had nothing he could say, who knew his soulmate would have a life probably just as messed up as his.

“Jason…” Batman’s gravelly voice broke Danny out of his thoughts, oh his soulmate's name was Jason.

Danny who finally finds his voice says, “My soulmate's name is Jason?” The voice modulator startled him and it was then that all hell broke loose.

Voices started crackling into his ear with several different people starting to speak at once.

“Did he just say soulmate?”

“Jason this better not be a prank”

“Wait, who pulled the trigger?? I heard that gunshot”

“Enough, keep coms clear” Batman commanded and everything went silent he then turned to address Danny, “come with me, we’ll need to find Jason so you and him will be alone to switch back. We’ll talk about that after.” He didn’t motion with his hands or jerk his head or anything but Danny knew exactly what he meant. 

He swallowed harshly and then followed. 

—————

Jason found himself no longer holding his guns, no longer in front of the damn clown, and his armor and helmet were gone. He was wearing clothes closer to rags than street clothes and his entire body seemed to ache. This must have been his soulmate's body and they were having a way worse time than Jason was at the moment. There seemed to be hastily done bandages around his waist and he honestly felt like he’d been hit by a truck. He was in an alley thankfully although that also meant he triggered the switch. Everyone knew when you got close enough to your soulmate you switched bodies.

Jason had to get to the closest safe house and hopefully he could do some proper first aid on his soulmate. He stumbled to get on his feet and began to make his way out of the alley. 

Im going to update the original post as the master post and you’ll be able to find all future parts there.

Master Post:

next :

[oleander-eat-ice]

To Live in Satisfaction by TheShenanijiang (@theshenanijiang)

Nie Mingjue is strongarmed into taking an omega to produce heirs for the Nie clan. He picks Wei Wuxian after seeing him interact with Nie Huaisang.

Relationship: Nie Mingjue/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian Tags: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alpha/Omega, 10 year age difference, Alpha Nie Mingjue, Omega Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Wedding Night, And all that entails, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Nie Furen Wei Wuxian, Falling In Love, Happy Ending, Genius Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, just no one knows it yet

[duchesschameleon]

Charlie my love!! could i please request stealing each other’s clothes and not admitting to it - while wearing them with Oscar (bc he is my fave guy & i am in desperate need of some fluff after this weekend) 💛💛💛

lee!!!! of course!!!

“well, what do we have here?” you look up from your spot on the couch to see oscar leaning against the doorway smiling at you. “if you wanted to wear my clothes all you had to was ask, darling.”

“what do you mean?” you ask, looking up at him. “this is clearly *my* sweatshirt!”

“it has my number on it!”

“cause I bought it that way!”

oscar raises an eyebrow at you, walking over to the couch.

“what are you doing, osc?” you ask as he closes in on you.

“just checking…ah ha!” he leaned over you to check the tag of the sweatshirt. “that’s a mclaren team gear tag, darling.”

you groan, but it quickly dissolves into giggles, and you collapse into oscar. “okay you caught me, I stole your sweatshirt. all of mine are in the laundry.”

“and the truth comes out.”

send me requests!

[thatbuddie]

MARIA HIIIIII i would love love love “What’s worse is, this is the first time I’ve genuinely felt this way about someone.” if it sparks inspiration 💕

oh my god it definitely sparked inspiration but i don't know how it ended up being this kskskks i hope you like it, kris *mwaaah*

never ask for any of it back

buddie | 2.4k | outsider pov, getting together, love confession

“Yeah.” Eddie nods. “I’m his best friend. I can’t count the number of times Buck’s said that to me. His best friend.” Hen has heard Buck use those exact same words before, as well. She’s heard him say them jokingly, in passing, earnestly, in joy, in despair. She has always, always, been able to hear the meaning behind them. She wonders if Eddie has ever been able to tell that when Buck says best friend he means soulmate. “Well, isn’t he yours as well?” Hen asks him. “Of course he is,” Eddie needlessly confirms. “He’s the best friend I’ve ever had. But I’m greedy, and I ruin everything, and I want more. I want so much more. I want him. All of him.” So have him, Hen thinks. Eddie, let yourself have him.

(read on ao3.)

[sofullofloveicould]

march writing challenge 2023 - day 14

a song that starts with the letter f

1993

My voice pulls itself out of my throat, cawing along to some Madonna song I barely know.

There must be hundreds of people at the bar, but my eyes catch yours in the fluorescence. I stumble off the stage and out the door, never breaking eye contact.

When we make it outside, panting and laughing, I rest my head in your lap, sitting slouched against the alley behind the bar. I’m giggling, and your fingers are carding through my hair. I don’t know what you’re saying, but you’re hiccuping through every word, and your breath catches on your a’s. The ocean’s music undercutts the shaking music inside, and I cna see the far-off twinkling lights of the Hollywood sign.

The bulbs went out sixty years ago, but it dosen’t make a difference. They spark and shine, glowing bright under my eyes.

We moved to California, but it’s just a state of mind.

I think I would’ve loved you anywhere. It hurts, like my raging headache or your teeth bruising my neck, up and down, your mouth tasting like tequila and a joint, getting me drunk off your taste.

I shift, pushing my face into yours, the memory of this moment leaving me quicker than it comes. Our whole bodies are mashed together, lips slipping off one anothers, kissing their foreheads, chins, cheeks, but we always make it back, pulled together by a force of some kind.

I’m signing tomorrow, at a bar on the other side of town, and you’re back to living your life, something with order and direction, and I’ll cover my neck with makeup, but maybe I’ll leave a spot or two out, just so eveyrone knows.

For now, I take of my stilettos, to long to walk in like this, and wrap my arms around your head and your legs across your waist. You’re dazed, so I pull your arms around me, leaving them to settle in the small of my back.

Hollywood may be heroin city - but I’d rather shoot you up any day.

credit to @deity-prompts for the prompt list

[starsfic]

(lmk AU where mk is the fourth ring of the samadhi fire instead of mei)

Prompt: mk screams his sorrow and anger out in a ball of flames, the gang watches in horror while macaque and nezha tries to escort them out from the horrible situation, it ends with wukong being the one to run through the fire, reaching out to mk

“You… lied.” lmk prompt where mk is fourth ring of samadhi fire instead of mei, and the monkie kid screams at his mentor out of rage

“You… lied.”

The accusation slams into Wukong hard, reaching deep into him to hit where it hurts. For a moment, he's just a student again, kneeling in front of his master. Except, unlike Subodhi who is reasonable even when angry, there's no way to stem the anger.

It's justified anger, to boot.

"Did you know?!" Xiaotian sobs-screams, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Were you going to hurt me?!"

"No!" Wukong protests at once. "Kid, I swear, I had no idea I transferred that to you!" His chest no longer aches and burns. "I thought I still had the ring in me!"

Nezha gasps the same moment Pigsy and Macaque say "What?!"

Xiaotian blinks. His eyes are hard to make out in the flames, but Wukong can imagine them, big and brown and hurt. "So..." The flames die down just a bit.

Just a bit.

Wukong makes the mistake of relaxing.

"YOU WERE GOING TO HURT YOURSELF?!"