#and douxie is a precious moppet

[nikibogwater]

“Feline Paralysis”--a Tales of Arcadia fanfiction

Feline Paralysis (def): A state of immobility caused by the presence of a cat on top of one's person.

Archie's boy has been working himself too hard ever since Merlin took them in, and Archie is determined to put a stop to it by any means necessary.

It is Soft Douxie-Archie Friendship Hours, my dears. @poetryinmotion-author gave me the prompt, and I think I may have taken it way further than even she was expecting, so....yeah, buckle up, it’s time for some Feels. 🙃

Read on AO3

Or below the cut:

Archibald was on the hunt. 

It was actually a rather nice change of pace, truth be told. Archie hadn’t needed to hunt even once since Merlin took them in two weeks ago, and while he certainly appreciated having immediate access to food at all times, he had been growing a bit stiff and lethargic as a result. A cat (and a dragon too, for that matter) simply had to spend a little time stalking and chasing, or else they would lose their edge. Today’s hunt was a bit different, however. This hunt was not about obtaining food, or even just keeping his claws sharp. No, this hunt was about something a little more dear to Archie’s heart. 

Today, Archie was hunting Douxie.

Something strange had come over the boy in the last two weeks. He had been uncannily industrious, jumping at every opportunity to do even the most menial of tasks, slaving away in Merlin’s study long after the Master had retired, even badgering the old wizard for more chores to do. Douxie was no stranger to hard work, that was true. He may have been an excellent con artist, but he still had to earn his bread the old-fashioned way from time to time. But he also relished what downtime he and Archie were able to get. Douxie had a mind that liked to wander, and a great affinity for sleep. And he was still a growing boy on top of that. He needed his rest. Yet ever since they had come to live with Merlin, Douxie had hardly stopped moving, except to collapse into bed at any ungodly hour of the night, only to rise again with the sun a few hours later. It was beginning to take its toll on the young wizard’s health. He somehow looked more gaunt and malnourished here than he did in the gutters of Camelot, and his normally brilliant mind was a jumbled mess of task lists, potion ingredients, and whatever new spells Merlin was managing to teach him in between his frantic bursts of labor. 

Archie intended to put an end to this nonsense. This just wasn’t like Douxie. Whatever was going on with his Familiar, he intended to suss it out and squash it like a bug. And so, the hunt had begun. He had been stalking his quarry since breakfast, and had yet to see him so much as pause to breathe. In just four hours, Douxie had gathered and prepared thirteen different varieties of herb for potion brewing, tidied and swept the study, memorized seven new spells, milked the Slorr, done the laundry, tidied and swept the study again, and now he was occupied in reorganizing the bookshelves (which he had already done just yesterday). Archie prowled in the shadows nearby, tail flicking back and forth as he watched for the opportunity to strike. 

Douxie’s arms were full of heavy tomes, and he had a quill pen stuck between his teeth as he glanced between a roll of parchment on a nearby lectern and the half-empty bookshelf. He fumbled with the books for a moment, managing to slip one back into its proper place on the shelf before the other three went tumbling out of his arms and landed with a soft thud on the floor.

“Oh, fuzzbuckets,” Douxie groaned, taking the quill out of his mouth and crossing something off of the parchment. He set the pen down and knelt to gather up the fallen books. He wobbled a bit as he stood up, and had to brace himself against the bookshelf for a moment. Archie flexed his claws impatiently. Douxie shoved the other three books into place and checked his list again, crossing off a few more lines. He stopped for a moment, eyes darting between the parchment and the bookshelf once again, and his brow furrowed. He looked over at his Familiar, who immediately pretended he had been washing his face the entire time. “Archie, you haven’t seen Merlock’s Grimoire of First-Level Spellcasting, have you?” 

“You left it in your quarters last night,” Archie replied, lifting his glasses with one paw so that he could wash around his eyes with the other. “Though why you were studying it is beyond me. You already know all of your first-level spells.”

“Fuzzbuckets,” Douxie said yet again, dragging his hand across his weary face. “I don’t suppose you’d go get it for me? I don’t want Master Merlin to miss it if he needs it.” 

“What, and break my spine trying to lug it all the way back here? No thank you. This is your job, Douxie. You do it.” The boy shot Archie an irritated look that was only intensified by the evident exhaustion in his face. A lesser cat would have broken. But Archie had seen an opportunity here, and he intended to exploit it. He held his ground and stared back with blatant defiance. A moment later, Douxie heaved a sigh and shuffled out of the room, unaware that Archie had stood up to follow him the moment he turned away. 

Douxie’s chambers were far less orderly than the study, which was rather impressive, considering they hadn’t been living there for very long. But the floor was already a mess of open spellbooks, hastily-scribbled notes, and various magical bits and bobs to study and observe at a future date. It was almost too easy for Archie to slink into the room at Douxie’s heels and conceal himself amongst the chaos. He crouched behind a stack of books, golden eyes fixed unblinkingly upon his target, waiting for the perfect moment. Douxie rifled around the mess on the floor for a moment, checked inside the writing desk he hardly ever used, then finally noticed the object of his search sitting innocently on the bed, half-covered by a fold of the blanket. Archie tucked his paws beneath him and coiled up like a spring as Douxie approached the bedside. The boy bent down to pick up the book, and that’s when the dragon attacked.

Launching himself into the air at full speed, Archie shifted into his larger reptilian form and slammed into Douxie’s back with his full weight. Weakened and unaware as he was, the young wizard toppled onto the bed with a startled yelp. There was a moment of confused flailing and scuffling, and for one terrifying heartbeat, Archie could feel the tension of defensive magic in the air, as Douxie’s powers flared instinctively. But it was gone a second later, as the boy managed to roll over and see his Familiar perched on his chest, grinning down at him smugly. 

“Really, Arch?!” Douxie barked. “I could have killed you!” 

“Don’t make me laugh,” Archie scoffed. “The worst you could do in this state would be to ruffle my fur.” He settled down on Douxie’s chest and began to knead. 

“Arch, stop it. You’re being an ass.” 

“And you are digging yourself into an early grave,” Archie shot back, never wavering in his kneading. “Do you know how many hours of sleep a boy your age needs?” Douxie opened his mouth to argue, but Archie cut him off. “Nine to eleven hours, on average. Do you know how much sleep you’ve been getting every night since you came here?” Once again, the boy tried to speak, but Archie wouldn’t hear it. “Four to six. You spend all day running around after Merlin, and even when he dismisses you, you won’t keep still, you just go hunting around for more work to do. Your head is so jammed up with magic incantations, it’s a wonder you even remember to breathe sometimes. You are killing yourself, Douxie. And as your Familiar, it is my duty to put an end to it. You are going to lie here in this bed until I say you can get up, and you are going to think of nothing related to Merlin or your apprenticeship while you do.” 

“Archie!” Douxie protested. 

“No arguing. Now keep still.” 

“Archie, you don’t understand!” Douxie’s voice had shifted from annoyed to pleading. “I have to finish my chores. I have to study. I need to do a good job!” There was a moment’s silence as the cat regarded his boy, taking note of the desperation swimming in his sunken hazel eyes. 

“...Why do you feel that way, Douxie?” he asked softly. “Why do you feel like you’re not allowed to rest?” 

“...I....I don’t...” The young wizard fumbled for an answer, eyes darting around the room to avoid meeting Archie’s gaze. 

“Hisirdoux,” he said gently, using a tone of voice that Douxie hadn’t heard from him since he was a small child. “Please talk to me.” Archie felt his boy give in beneath his paws as Douxie let out a long, tired sigh. 

“...I don’t want to go back on the streets, Arch,” he whispered. “I don’t want to go back to hiding who I am.”

“Well, of course not. But what does that have to do with the late nights and the obsessive cleaning?” 

“...I guess....I don’t want Merlin to regret taking me in. Living here in the castle, learning magic from a real Master Wizard, having a real home...It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of. I don’t want to screw this up. But I do screw things up, all the time. I’ve mislabeled ingredients, spilled ink on one of Merlin’s books--you know, he won’t even let me practice real spells yet because even my magic is full of mistakes. I need to do better. If I can’t do this right, then....what good am I to him?” He paused and took a deep breath. “...I just want to be worth something to him.”

A long, heavy silence followed. Archie had stopped kneading and was staring sadly at Douxie, who looked uncomfortably close to tears after that admission. His poor boy, thrust out of his home and family when he was only eight for something he couldn’t control, rejected by the world, beaten down by poverty, and his only source of love was a little black cat searching for a purpose. And though Douxie put on a brave front, laughed in the face of misfortune, and did his best to carry himself with all the dignity of a true wizard, he was still just a child; a child who had suffered terribly from the unfairness of a cruel world, and was somehow convinced that it was his own fault. 

“Douxie...” Archie began softly. “...I can’t speak for Merlin. I still don’t know what motivated him to rescue you from the knights that day. But I do know that, with as many mistakes as you make, you are good enough for me. I’ve met a great many humans in my time, Hisirdoux, but you were the only one I chose to be mine. And if you are good enough for a dragon-turned-Familiar, then you are certainly good enough for that crusty old windbag. He won’t turn you out simply for being human and making a few mistakes.” Archie laid his head down and tucked it beneath Douxie’s chin. “...I won’t let him.” 

He felt the boy’s breath stutter and heard him swallow thickly. Two scarred, gentle hands came up around Archie and held him close. Douxie’s thumbs stroked absently across his Familiar’s fur as he spoke in a quivering whisper:

“Thanks, Arch.” Archie purred and pushed against Douxie’s chin, his paws resuming their methodical kneading against his chest. Another silence fell upon them, this time a warm and comfortable one. Douxie sniffled once or twice, but his hands were steady as they ran up and down Archie’s back. “...I really should finish organizing the books, though,” he murmured. “I left the study in such a mess.” 

“Now, now, Hisirdoux.” Archie dug his claws into Douxie’s shirt--not enough to hurt, but enough to make his point. “You wouldn’t be cruel enough to turn away a poor, wretched cat that has come to rest upon you, would you?” He shrank back down into his feline form and squinted his golden eyes fondly. 

“No, no, don’t look at me like that. Archie...!” Archie snuggled down against his boy and gave a contented purr that he knew could never be resisted. Douxie gave up with another sigh and closed his eyes in defeat. “Fine. Just for a little bit.” 

*****

“Hisirdoux!” 

Merlin Ambrosius had had many apprentices in the past, but none of them had ever mystified and bewildered him as much as the grubby lad he’d pulled off the streets two weeks ago. The boy was a whirlwind of energy and untempered magic, always hovering at Merlin’s side or bustling around the castle. The old wizard had even resorted to asking some of the castle servants to abandon a few of their chores, just so he would have something to keep the lad occupied and out of his rapidly thinning hair for a few hours. And now after all that, he had returned to his study after a long morning of attending to a very irate Arthur only to find half of his library strewn across the floor, and his newest apprentice nowhere to be seen. 

With an exasperated sigh, Merlin magicked all of the books back into their rightful places (Why were they even out to begin with? Didn’t Hisirdoux reorganize them just yesterday?) and stormed out of the study, already preparing an extensive lecture on the dangers of carelessness and lack of focus for when he found his young ward. A brief scan of the nearby area for magical signatures told him that the boy was currently holed up in his chambers. That was a bit odd. Hisirdoux usually didn’t spend much time there. No matter. Merlin swept down the stairs and through the hallways with the great sense of purpose that only a Master Wizard can achieve, and burst into his pupil’s room without even bothering to knock.

He was immediately greeted by a blast of fire. 

Fortunately, he was able to fling up a magical shield just in time to save himself from what would have been a very nasty burn, but to say that Merlin was displeased by this greeting would have been an understatement. He turned his furious gaze onto the culprit, who was hovering in midair and baring his fangs like a wild beast. 

“Archibald, what is the meaning of--!”

“Shh!” The ungrateful little creature cut him off with a growl. “If you wake him, I swear I will end you.” Merlin looked past him to see Hisirdoux curled up on his bed, sound asleep. 

“What in the name of all things magic is going on here?” Merlin hissed. “Why was my study left in complete disarray, and what is my apprentice doing lazing about in bed in the middle of the afternoon?!”

“Your apprentice,” Archie spat the words out like poison. “is a child. A child who has been working himself to the bone trying to please you. He has been dead on his feet for the last fifteen days, and I was only able to get him to rest through brute force and manipulation, two things which I would rather avoid using on my own Familiar when at all possible. We are grateful for your kindness, but I will not allow you to disturb him now, regardless of the state of your study!” 

Archie had been prepared to drag the Master Wizard from the room by his hair if necessary, so he was rather surprised when Merlin reacted, not with anger, but genuine surprise. 

“...Hisirdoux hasn’t been sleeping?” he queried softly. 

“No,” Archie replied shortly, landing on the floor and staring up at Merlin disdainfully. “He hasn’t.” 

“But why on earth not? I did tell the servants to provide him with a comfortable mattress.” 

“The mattress isn’t the issue. Douxie believes that if he does not make himself useful at all times and do everything perfectly, he will be cast out of the castle.” 

“Who put such madness into his head?” Merlin demanded. “Of course I expect him to earn his keep here, but I never told him to expend himself to the point of exhaustion. And as for perfection, if I had been looking for that, I certainly wouldn’t have gone searching for it in the gutters of Camelot.” 

“...Then may I ask what exactly are your intentions regarding my Familiar?” Archie inquired, narrowing his gaze. 

“I simply wish to help him, Archibald. Nothing more or less.” The cat opened his mouth to reply, but froze as Douxie gave a muffled grunt and shifted in his sleep. The wizard and the Familiar both silently regarded the boy for a moment. “...I suppose the life of a street urchin can dull one’s belief in basic human kindness,” Merlin sighed, a gentle look coming into his normally stern eyes. He looked back at Archie. “When he awakens, please tell him that I have decreed in no uncertain terms that he is in no danger of losing his home here.” 

“I...” Archie fumbled for a response for a moment. “...Yes, of course.” Merlin gave him a curt nod, then looked back at Douxie. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, then he raised his hand and, with a soft pulse of green light, pulled the rumpled blanket across Douxie’s slumbering form. Then he left without another word, closing the door softly behind him. Archie sat where he was for a minute, staring at the closed door as though he could still see the wizard who had disappeared behind it. Then, shifting back into his cat form, he rejoined Douxie on the bed, curling up against the boy’s back. 

Good enough, indeed, he thought. You are more than good enough, Hisirdoux.

[headwitchbai]

i found a thing on my phone :D

[archies-litterbox]

okay but I love the thought of moppet!douxie coming back to the castle after encountering zoe for the first time and being like "she's a witch!!! she used a spell on me!!" and merlin being like "what kind of spell?" and sweet precious baby moppet being like:

"Well, I, er... whenever I got close to her, I started feeling really REALLY nervous!!! my stomach felt all weird and my heart kept racing and I couldn't stop blushing :((("

and merlin puts his hand to his forehead because he knows this is not from a spell and morgana is in the corner covering her mouth and stifling an "awww!" and archie is holding back Cat Laughter and no one knows how to explain to moppet that he just has a crush

[rikalovesrice]

IT’S TIME TO SCREAM AGAIN Y’ALL

NEW TROLLHUNTERS RISE OF THE TITANS CLIPS  :

PART ONE : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oipklztKzFg

PART TWO : Wizard Train Battle of Fire & Ice 🔥❄️ Trollhunters: Rise of the Tit...

WHERE ON GOD’S BEAUTIFUL GREEN EARTH DO I EVEN BEGIN.

The Magical Siblings all sitting on a subway💙💚🖤

DOUXIE MY SWEET HOW I’VE MISSED YOU SO💙🖤💙🖤

BIRB ARCHIE🐦

Nari’s humming whilst Douxie excudes Anxious Big Bro energy

THE HAND HOLD🥺

THE WAY NARI SAID DOUXIE’S NAME AND THE SOFT LOOK HE GAVE HER ALDA;DKJAF;DJFADFKJAD

Nari’s little squeak when she slipped on the ice daww

T H E  A N I M A T I O N  

MY CHILDREN LOOK AT MY CHILDREN FIGHTING ALONGSIDE EACH OTHER I’VE MISSED THEM ALL SO MUCH THEY ALL LOOK SO FREAKING GOOD BEAUTIFUL BABIES --

JIM WITH HIS SERRATOR LET’S GOOOOOOO

MORE CLAIRE AND DOUXIE SIBLING DYNAMIC YES YES YES

The way Douxie, Claire, and Nari all fired their magic at the same time was absolute *chef’s kiss* PEAK (and of course Douxie had to do a little spin like I love you so much but why lol)

Also Nari has a murder plant?👀 

THE WINGMEN ARE BACK BABYYYYY🤩🌯

MY MAN STUART ALSO KREL AND STEVE MY SONS THE GUYS IN THE CHAIRS HEHEHEHE

Yooooooooo that magic cancelling thing is RAD, way ta go Krel!!

Douxie straight up smacking Skrael in the face with his staff is hands down the best scene in this entire franchise change my mind

NOOOO NOT THE SERRATOR

Me after watching Bellroc torment Jim : Ah, so this is what murderous rage feels like :)

Bellroc you SON OF A @#$%%^%$#^%@ HOW DARE YOU HURT MY PRECIOUS BEAN SON LIKE THAT I’D OTTA HANG YOU BY YOUR NAIL FOLLICLES @#$#@&@*$^! MOTHER@$&(@*@((#@#@ GET YOUR ZOMBIE @$$ HANDS OF HIM WAIT TILL HIS FOUND FAMILY FINDS OUT---

I love you so much Jim Lake Jr.. With or without the Amulet or a suit of armor or a fancy weapon, you’re an extraordinary young lad who’s been through too much, through hell and back, and you your heart of gold still shines and you’re so, so strong and you didn’t deserve that and can we please stop hurting him and BELLROC’S GONNA HANG I SWEAR --

DOUXIE YOU GORGEOUS GENIUS MOPPET DORK OF A MASTER WIZARD

Ah, so he wasn’t driving. Just...landing the plane :’)

Is that a comic book store

You know what kills me even more? This is supposedly the just OPENING SEQUENCE. 

TWO SHORT CLIPS OF AWESOMENESS AND PAIN A TASTE OF THE SOUL CRUSHING FEELS TO COME WE LOVE THAT YAAAAaaaaaayyyy *aggressive sobbing*

So. If this is indeed the beginning of the movie, will we see how Jim and the others got to New York?

From the looks of it, Nari has willingly decided to confront Bellroc and Skrael. It could be that Douxie contacted his friends in Arcadia to help with this throwdown. So they all met together to talk about the plan. But it’s heavily implied, I want to say almost confirmed, that this plan will fail and Nari will be captured (that Forest Titans gotta rise somehow T__T). And while I’ll love the found family hurt/comfort to result from this.... ouch.

Phew, man I just....Just wow. I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited for a film, God bless this franchise UwU

It looks gorgeous, I’m emotionally invested and in love with all these characters, and I’m going to get lots of snacks and I should go cause all I wanna do is gush about this and --

RoTT Countdown : 7

🗡🛡🛸🪄🐉✨🌿🌎🔥🌋❄️🌪❄️🏔⛰⛰

[itswildweirdo]

i refuse to believe merlin didn't enjoy raising douxie

i refuse

hes to to adorable too cute

you cant ignore cuteness no matter much of rock you are

he has to of at least gave him hug once

moppet douxie can make anyone smile

im pretty sure he at least noticed that moppet douxie looked nice

and has good facial features

just once

you cant say hes not cute

its either moppet douxies cute to you or your making terrible life decisions

i will not allow another precious angel to be underrated

moppet+manbun=cute

douxie+smiling=me obssessing over a character for 3 years

douxie also has the best smile both versions

[anchorsnook]

Douxie is a precious bean, moppet or not. Drawing him gives me joy. If you wanna see more, I honestly post most of my art on my insta @comicoffii so check me out there too.

[purplerose244]

Irrational - Chapter 5: I love you too much

HELLOOOOOOO!!! 🤩🤩

Here comes the fifth day of @spacecampweek with what is probably my favorite fic of the bunch! Little song-fic but not really situation in a normal world AU, where Krel is about to confess his feelings in a special way! 💕💕💕

Enjoy!! 😙

Summary: Prom is here at last, a night of entertainment, of happiness, to celebrate changes and the future. What better moment for Krel to finally express feelings that have been hidden for so long? Time to put those guitar lessons to some use...

Read it on the AO3

It was happening. No more holding back, no more thinking rationally about his chances without concluding a thing. Tonight, everything was going to change.

Prom had turned out to be an absolute oxymoron to walk into, between his deep appreciation for parties and his unsettledness at dealing with other people of different temperatures – or ‘cool’, as they liked to call themselves. Everyone was dancing like crazy, that was very good, and everyone was talking loud about nonsense, that was very not good. Adding to the unpleasantries was the music playing onto the stage, something pulsing yet in a hardly dynamic way. If this was another night, he would have liked to teach these people what real music sounded like and propose himself as a DJ, to properly say goodbye to Arcadia Oaks High. Then again, in another delson he would have not worn these kind of flashy clothes – he had lost the chance to call this a normal night the moment he had exited his house wearing a bow.

There was a lot of movement in the middle of the room, and in the middle some familiar faces. He could spot Jim’s questionable moves while Claire was laughing loudly with red cheeks, he could see Toby doing some robot moves while Darci danced along him, he managed to notice Aja spinning all over, between a super smiling Steve and an extremely radiant Eli.

It looked like they were all having fun, so much fun. Krel wasn’t… not yet.

“Hey Clint.”

He almost snorted at the sudden voice.

“Mary, I know you know my name at this point.”

“Whatever Kurt, whatcha up to?” The queen of the bees appeared in front of him, all sparkly in her pink shock dress. “Hank got all handsy, Dean is being shy, and that cute guy from Arcadia Oaks Academy that snuck in is being difficult. I’m up for some juice and it looks like you’re up to something.” And the queen of gossip too as well. She grinned at him, clearly playful. “Could it be you’ll stop being a wuss, at last? That would be nice!” He didn’t deny it. for a second. Big mistake, her eyes immediately widened, like she got struck by absolute knowledge. “Don’t tell me-”

He covered her mouth, realizing midway there that there was no point, the music was so loud it silenced everything. Despite that, he couldn’t bring her to say it. Not yet.

“Perhaps… maybe.”

Mary’s eyes turned into stars. She quickly wiped his hands off her.

“O-M-G, finally, I’ve been waiting for this for so long! Ha, I knew you were going to be the one to do it, Darci owes me five dollars! So does Logan! Pff, why was everyone betting on the space dork anyway… hey, what’s wrong?” She was perceptive. It happened after knowing each other for a couple of years. “Cheer up Kai.”

He laughed again. His chest felt like it was exploding, but in a good way. Seklos and Gaylen, for how long he had postponed what he was about to do, blaming time, work and consequences? It was terrifying in a way that was almost pleasant. Maybe. Perhaps.

“I am fine.” He swallowed, because of course the moment he had scanned the entire party, he had noticed it right away. Or rather, he had noticed a lack of him. “He… he is not here though.”

“He’s probably still bummed that he got into that accounting college his grumpy dad wants him to go but still doesn’t know about the engineering one.” Krel was holding his breath about that one too. Seamus had promised to be roommates in that case. Was it going to be weird if tonight wasn’t going to turn out the way he wanted? Was he going to be awkward around him? “Alright, I can smell burning thoughts, hashtag stopbeinganerd! You’re telling me you’re going to do it and I wanna know how, where and when, and if you try to chicken out now, I swear I’m gonna smash your precious guitar!” She sure knew how to get him riled up.

For the first time since he had come to this decision, Krel smiled, thinking of the backstage, the phases he had prepared into his head. He looked up, shaking his head.

“I believe that would be counterproductive for my plan.”

Mary’s mouth popped open, and if that wasn’t satisfying.

“No.”

“Kleb yes, I am not holding back.”

“That’s gonna be the bomb but you better don’t swoon anyone else, you dang charmer! I have all boy dates tonight and I wanna keep them focused on me only!” She giggled, patting his shoulder. “Just go for it, okay? You’re cool, even when you’re being a nerd.” It was as good of an encouragement as he could get right now. “Just wait until your dorky prince charming arri- Oh this is too perfect.” She was smirking, so much her makeup was scrunching up a little.

Krel didn’t have to turn around to know. He did it anyway.

What a view. This prince really wasn’t above physical appearance as he had first thought when he had arrived in Arcadia, powered by his absolute intellect, rationality, and general annoyance towards social interactions with amoebas. It had taken him a while, a whole while, to accept that even someone like him could get this soft inside.

Give then right time, and the right person.

Seamus was radiant, with the black jacket and the blue tie, with the polished shoes and the pulled back hair. From the relaxed eyes the discussion with his dad must had ended without a punishment, and he was actually smiling. Everything, he was so absolutely everything it made Krel choke up.

Mary was arching an eyebrow, although she most likely know what was going on. The prince swallowed, almost choking again, trying to keep his composure as usual.

Failing.

“… and… and you are absolutely sure…?”

“What in the world, Ken, yes! Yes he is completely head over heels for you, yes if you confess you bet your perfect grades he’s gonna reciprocate, yes the moment he will hear what you’ve prepared for him he might as well take a ring out of his pocket and propose in the middle of the dance room!” He grabbed his shoulders, shaking him a little. “You two are the absolute worst! C-bomb has actual guts to ask Jimmy Jam out, Darci and her Tobypie went for it naturally, even Steve is an idiot sometimes but not at dating and Aj and Eli practically gravitate around him! But you!!” She grabbed his collar, her stellar eyes turning into black holes. “You two are pining messes that I’m absolutely done with! So, I swear, Krel Tarron, if you don’t get on that stage and finally confess, you won’t have to make plans for college because this will be your last dance. Ever.” She could had stopped the threat at his actual name. That alone would have done it. Mary gave him the ‘I’m watching you gesture’, before backing down into the crowd without getting her eyes off.

Krel swallowed, nodded, watching her disappear into the party. Despite the dread of being murdered in cold blood being quite intense and even impressive, it was quickly washed away, as soon as Seamus looked at his direction with those blue eyes of him. There it was, that urge, that need to impress him somehow. It was their thing, the fulcrum of their rivalry that hadn’t stopped, even after years. The need to make the other break their mask of pride and turn it into amazement.

Bold enough, the prince grinned, winking at him. The way the blonde gaped warmed his heart. Was that pink on his cheeks? The lights were too strong and colorful, it was hard to tell.

Was it important? Not really. It was now or never.

Making his way towards the stage was a challenge itself, luckily his dancing skills were not to be ignored and swirling around these random kids was pretty easy and entertaining. The band was playing a pretty energetic movement, there was a keyboard player going absolutely nuts and a drummer doing their best. There was definitely something that could had been done to improve the whole performance – perhaps a few remixes on a DJ board, just saying –, but they were really into it. It almost felt bad going up there and show his own abilities.

Then again, Krel didn’t care.

He had a mission. With that determination in mind he immediately went behind the curtains of the stage, finding familiar locks of blue hair monitoring the situation. Having Douxie as the responsible one was still unusual, even though the ripped off pants and the numerous studs all over his suit were more likely. It probably wasn’t enough for him, he was tapping his foot over and over.

Krel cleared his voice, the older one turned, turning the frown into a smile.

“Krel, how’re you liking the show?” He snorted.

“Fine…” He really couldn’t help himself, it was too easy. “Would be better with some metal rock in it.” The smile was gone. Krel snorted again.

“Really, you’re going to put salt on it like that? Zoe already gives me a hard time because I didn’t get the Ash Dispersal Pattern to play here, don’t you get in the way too!” He turned to the band with a frown, shaking it. “‘Your music might not be a good example for the students’, fuzzbuckets, how old do you think these kids are?? Besides, how is techno a better alternative? Those moppets, I swear…” He muttered something under his breath, a curse most likely, then he sighed. “Alright, I’m fine. Extremely salty, but nothing a drink can solve later. I’m guessing you’re here to ask me something?” Perceptive. All of his friends had to be with him.

“Something like that, yeah…” He breathed in and breathed out, he was absolutely going for it but it didn’t make any of this easier for him. “Alright, I need a favor?”

Douxie smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Oh yeah? You need a favor from this random guy who got nominated supervisor as cold comfort for not having his band play tonight? Little old me?” He snickered, shaking his head. “Should have thought before you came here to mock, shouldn’t ya?”

“Hisirdoux…”

“Nope, can’t let this one go, I’m out of patience tonight and I need to get at least one gratification. How about you apologize to me? I’ll even help, start with ‘You are the best guitarist I’ve ever known’ and… whoa, wait, what are you doing?” Was it a bluff? Krel was bowing already, but perhaps his brain was messed up tonight. “Dude, how are you actually doing it? What is this favor all about?” Oh. Right. He was the most prideful person on the planet. He had almost forgot.

Krel straightened up, shrugging a little. From the tone of the current song, it seemed that this band was almost done. He peaked from behind the curtain. Seamus was talking with Steve, giggling a little. The prince couldn’t help clenching his hand around the shirt over his chest. Ah, he wanted this, he wanted all of this.

He felt a familiar wave of warm. He turned back to the guitarist, and Douxie was gaping, blinking several times. It was probably clear.

“I want to make an exhibition.” His honey eyes widened.

“… yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“… alright then.” Douxie smiled, pointing at the backstage with his head. “Prepare yourself Lover Boy, I’m announcing you right after this.” If it wasn’t to preserve what was left of his pride, Krel would have hugged him. “Is it DJ Kleb time?”

Krel moved a few steps towards the back. He stopped.

“No,” He turned to the guitarist, smirking. “It is Krel time.”

 ***

 “Alright, give it up for ‘The Raise of the Titans’! Amazing performance you guys, can’t wait to properly see you on Wednesday!” Douxie always looked confident on stage, he was born to have the attention of a public. It was something he and Krel had in common. Right now though, there was only one look the prince wanted all for himself. “Hope you’re having a blast tonight! How’s prom going?” A cheer followed. “That’s great, because we have a special exhibition right now. A special song, for a special someone! Give it up for Krel Tarron!”

The wood under his feet made a sound after every step, it was drowned by the voiced in the crowd. It made him smile thinking how many people were going to be surprised by his presence, his appearance, and especially him appearing with a guitar instead of his beloved keyboard. There was a single stool in the middle of the place, with a microphone already adjusted for his high. He thought that really needed to thank Douxie after this, for everything, as he sat down with the instrument on his lap. He had accorded it while he was in the backstage, but out of habit he did it again, the sound reverberating into his mind. It was like a reality check, a call to the place, as he finally looked up to the public.

Aja looked close to crying, absolutely overjoyed. Mary was smirking so much her cheek looked like it was being pulled. Steve looked absolutely astonished. Toby was grinning impossibly wide. Eli had his glasses shining and a bit smile. Jim had amazed eyes over him. Claire looked ecstatic. Darci was giving him a thumbs up. Everyone was there, everyone.

And then there was him. Him, adorably confused and starstruck.

Krel grinned. I hope you are ready for this, you math blonde.

“This song is for a dear person to me. I have never been able to express my feelings properly before. I have never been particularly good at.” He let another note fill his silence, it made him smile again. “But I will not shy away from it, not anymore. I went through everything with you, high school, my problems, your problems, math and space and everything between,” There was no doubt, not anymore. “I want to go beyond now.”

His mind was peaceful, his body was burning. It felt like he had never been more alive before. His fingers knew what to do, that song was a part of him. He just took a deep breath, and let the music take over.

 I love you too much

To leave without you loving me back

I love you too much

Heaven’s my witness and this is a fact

I know I belong, when I sing this song

There’s love above love and it’s ours

‘cause I love you too much

 It used to be just him, his mind, and his sister. Them against the world, with a mother that wanted her to be proper, with a father that wanted him not to be him. Everything had turned out so badly at first without them, and so not badly after, to the point he had managed to make an actual life away from Cantaloupia. Then, the escape had become home. Then, it he had become the place where he had met the only guy that was ever going to make him feel.

It used to be just him, his mind, and his sister. Now it was him and his sister, friends and family, a home and the world, and so many feelings in between. This was the right place, this was the right time, this was the right guy.

It used to be just him, his mind, and his sister. Now he could hardly imagine himself without the blonde in the picture, the one that could cloud his mind and fill his heart.

 I live for your touch

I whisper your name night after night

I love you too much

There’s only one feeling and I know it’s right

I know I belong, when I sing this song

There’s love above love and it’s ours

‘cause I love you too much

 The two of them weren’t the easiest people to deal with, their lives weren’t the easiest lives to deal with. It had been because of a cruel game of destiny or a lucky shot from faith that they had found each other, Krel at Seamus’ door whenever he felt like he didn’t matter, and Seamus at Krel’s whenever he felt like exploding? Was it bad that in their worst some of their sweetest moments together were born? Was it bad that overwise they might had not become this much of friends?

They were living in a world that was cruel and unforgiving, with people even less likely to welcome them. Krel liked to think that by knowing each other, they had managed to overcome that obstacle, and meet also the people that were fine. That were okay.

They were okay. He was okay.

He had never forgotten that one moment of them, not once.

 Heaven knows your name I’ve been praying

To have you come here by my side

Without you a part of me is missing

Just to make you my own, I will fight

 The song was a tragically familiar one. During the worst of his pining, when he thought he was never going to be good enough for him, when he thought that he didn’t deserve to feel something this pure and breathtaking, this had always been the song. Shannon had taught him the first notes after she had gifted him the guitar after a curious sequence of events, and then Douxie had taken over teaching him all he had needed to know. It was all so familiar now he hardly had to think about how to move, where to put his fingers, if it was too strong or just okay. It was cheesy in a way he never thought he could possibly be, with feelings he never thought he could have.

Aja had always listened from her room, he knew she had even though she had never said it, because before going to sleep the same delson she had always come to hug him. Mary had always told him that playing a love song to cure his – stupid – pained heart seemed a little counterproductive. Maybe she was right. But even if everything was to end tonight, he didn’t care.

He liked love. He loved love. He loved Seamus.

 I know I belong

When I sing this song

There’s love above love and it’s ours

‘cause I love you too much

 Caught by the sudden burst into his chest Krel stood up, almost making his stool fall down. He didn’t care. Right there the crowd’s cheering came to his ears, and despite how much he wanted to scan the place and look for that familiar strawberry blonde mane in between, he forced himself not to. Not yet, not until he said everything, not until he was sure he had delivered everything he had inside. He shushed his mind and let the rest of his body sing.

 I love you too much!

I love you too much

Heaven’s my witness and this is a fact

You live in my soul, your heart is my goal

There’s love above love and it’s mine, ‘cause I love you

There’s love above love and it’s yours, ‘cause I love you

There’s love above love and it’s ours, if you love me…

… as much

 When the last note left his instrument, an urge to cry mixed to an absolute pride took over. He did it, he actually did it. In his mind the song was still echoing, beautifully in the open as it was always supposed to be played. He was drained and so, so happy.

Then, as his head finally allowed in something other than exhaustion, it finally hit him the amount of people that was watching, and how crazy there were going with that applause. It was reverberating all over, he was surprised he noticed it only now. Steve was holding onto Eli and Aja, every single one of them looked close to tears. Mary was shouting something to one of her current dates, pointing at the stage then back at her, probably something like “I know him, he’s my friend, he’s cool because I’m cool, good old Kevin”. Toby was jumping up and down, with Darci laughing and applauding. Jim and Claire were holding onto each other, clapping with fervor. It was good, everything was so good right now.

Finally, Krel allowed himself to look.

Right then, his hear broke.

He wasn’t there. Seamus wasn’t there anymore. No blue tie around, no lock of blonde hair, no red freckles in sight. There was no way this prince couldn’t find him, so…

He left. He didn’t stay for him. He didn’t.

“How about that, huh?? Krel Tarron, everyone!!” Suddenly Douxie was by his side, Krel didn’t look at him. It hurt. He thought it wasn’t going to matter, but it hurt. “He will be all over you for autographs and junk later, let him rest for a moment, and welcome the next exhibition of the night!” His arm was onto his shoulders. Krel didn’t move. He didn’t want to. Then he got a squeeze, and he looked up out of pure instinct. Douxie was still smirking, like his heart hadn’t just gotten smashed against the solid ground of the ballroom. He pointed to the exist and Krel, sighing, obeyed.

He crossed the next couple of performers, who patted his back telling him how good he had been. It didn’t feel like a proud moment anymore. It felt like a waste. The guitar was hanging onto him by the lace, luckily, he would have forgotten it on the stage overwise. Krel sighed, putting the instrument down as soon as he was behind the curtains. He could deal with this.

He didn’t want to, but he could. He just needed some time to-

His hold was callous and warm. The prince knew it so well he almost didn’t have to turn. He did. Seamus had his entire face flushed. He looked outstanding.

“Come with me.” His voice was low, almost fearful, and Krel could do nothing other than follow his lead. He was dragged along as they were staying as far away from the crowd as possible, going for the exit. If anyone had noticed them, Krel was sure Steve or Mary would have taken care of them. As soon as they were out of the room, it was silence. The school looked almost dormant like this, without lights around, the abandoned lockers circling the corridors.

It was going to be one of the last times, in this special place.

There was little time for that kind of nostalgia, as they didn’t walk for long anyway. Seamus seemed in a hurry, he was moving forward without a single word. It almost made the prince fear that he had gone too far and had made him mad. Some more uncharacteristic apologies brushed his lips, at least as a precaution, no matter how weird it was going to be.

They died into his throat as soon as he was pressed against the wall. The echo of the music was gone. There were only those impossible blue eyes getting closer and closer and-

Krel would have laughed. He would have laughed in any other occasion, because this guy was rough and prideful and used to be really bad at dealing with his anger issues. Yet he kissed with the outmost gentleness, like he was genuinely afraid of breaking him, like he was terrified that at any point something was going to wake them up from this dream. Krel wanted to hold onto this dream. He held onto him, hands reaching for his shoulders, then up into his hair. They were not fluffy at all. Again, he would have laughed if he wasn’t this overwhelmed by the fact that this was happening, that Seamus was kissing him and it was happening. The hold onto his mane must had woken up the blonde, as he moved forward with urge, breathing in and taking more.

It was marvelous. It was uncertain and clumsy and they were both really inexperienced at this, and it was marvelous. Slowly the timing was getting clearer for the both of them, because despite pride and their social skills they were instead really good at learning and understanding. The rhythm drowned them both, and it almost made Krel forget he had lungs. It got him there, the urge for air, and he let out almost a strangled noise when he got out of one last kiss.

Seamus was panting just as hard, if not harder, his pupils blown. Krel had never seen him like this, it was a whole new side. He wanted to know it. He really wanted this.

“Sea-”

“Shut it.” Another kiss that made him hum, it was sweeter than before. He almost forgot the words. When he tried to talk again Seamus promptly kissed him again. He completely forgot the words. “You said more than enough, now it’s my turn.” The blonde was smiling of that beautiful smile again. “I’m gonna make every single word count.” His hand went over his hair, caressing his brown locks like they were precious treasures to keep. The urge to cry came back.

Along with another desire, that made Krel come back to his senses and smirk.

Once again, rivalry.

“Aren’t you an overachiever?” Seamus hummed questioning, brushing their noses together. It was too good, the prince giggled. “There are exactly 212 words into my song.” It was too perfect. This wasn’t an out of the world experience, this was the natural consequence of their relationship. Seamus was holding him, and he really didn’t want to be anywhere else.

The blonde seemed taken back by his words, for almost a full second, only to laugh. He brought him even closer, breathing against his lips.

The world disappeared. Prom could wait.

“Better start counting then.” He lunged forward, a quick press closer to a caress. “One,” Another one, deeper but still quick, that made Krel naturally lean back. “Two…” This time it was proper, making him decide that he didn’t really need his mind right now. There was no issue, no invention in standby, no math problem to solve. He could allow himself this. “Three.” He could take every single part of him, as a reward in a way, as a present even more. Without a single remorse Krel laced his arms around his neck, deepening every following kiss.

They stopped counting after nine.

[douxie-casperan]

"One, why do you always look so sad when I bring up Merlin with you? Two, I know you like to avoid my questions, so what are you hiding from me? Can I not change it? I know the timeline is precious and all, but how can it be wrong if it would make you happier? So, I guess that's my third... Would it be so bad to change whatever it is you won't tell me?" -(but-master)

Douxie looks at his other, far younger, self who is lucky enough not to know how much ignorance is bliss and what exactly he’s asking with any of these. He doesn’t deserve to lose it anymore than he did but perspective is a damnable beast and it’s tongue cursed but he’s not been given any real choice in the matter. He’ll make it as gentle as he can... So he pats Moppet on the head in a way Lady Morgana would do on occasion trying not to betray just how much it hurts.

“If you’re gonna ask me any of these, you’re sitting down first. No ifs about it.”

It’s clear he won’t budge even slightly on this one from how his arms have crossed and it’s another of those rare times he’s deliberately carrying a bit of authority both in stance and gaze. He waits until he’s done as he was bid before finally speaking up again.

“Before I say anything remember that ignoring the whole time travel weirdness mess I was in the same position as you once, I remember it, I know what I was thinking at the time. That’s why I know I may as well be running the slorr gauntlet while pissed to high heaven on the scale of non-existent enjoyment. So yeah, bad.”

Letting out a sigh his fingers are absently fiddling with the bracelets of his right wrist.

“I have never had any doubt whatsoever that Master Merlin’s intentions were good and still don’t. He felt he was doing the right thing, every time, using his foresight to predict a better path that no other person was ever privy to. But despite what you might think this was never perfect because he relied on his own views of things, what he felt was best and quite honestly would damn anybody who didn’t fall into the neat little setup of what was to be. That included me, us, whatever, too. With never acting exactly to those expectations it’d earn ire or being yelled at on levels no customer I’ve ever met will match because he had so much more to use on me to do it with.” Another pause to take a breath then he continues.

“His belief is that negative reinforcement will suit the end goal because you will want to avoid that and thus do better because he either didn’t know or didn’t care about the damage it was doing long term. I’m still not sure. Centuries later and he was still treating me like I was you and that I couldn’t have possibly done a thing in that entire time, that I was still the same kid who only messed up constantly and me being me still wanted to try and prove him wrong you know? That I actually managed to become something despite it being drilled in constantly that mistakes were what I was best at and those rare times of good were one off’s to be shooed aside for the next error, and the next, and the next. I lived for the times he let me just exist as something else because it was like snatching dreams while drowning in reality.”

Clink clink

“Then I did something that caused things to spiral so badly that makes everything else I’ve done pale in comparison. But you know what? I regret the mess it caused completely it should never have gotten that far but his refusal to listen means he was not an innocent party that witnessed it happening right in front of his eyes either. I’m a firm believer every life is worthwhile, there are no easy pawns to use as a sacrifice and that’s something he could never wrap his head around because his “greater good” also means some losses are worth the potential gains.” He lets out another sigh, looking at Moppet, really looking at him with a wry smile.

“The way he cares is very conditional and his way is not what we needed truly but it’s there. You have to practically get an excavation site out to get to it first because he’s a prideful old man too stubborn to admit he could miss anything or worse be wrong. At least she was always honest about how she felt, he needed a clue by four wrenched from the past to finally acknowledge the same. By righting a different wrong I never started I guess it was the first step for him to realise that perhaps I might have slowly become my own person while he took his eye off the ball.”

The bracelets crunch slightly under his grip and it seems he’s no longer able to look at him, focusing on something that perhaps is not even there.

“When he finally did say maybe I was right instead, it… It felt like somebody ripped my heart in two and smashed it into pieces and that I’d never recover from it. I’m afraid you will need to earn the words for yourself one day, it will be one of the greatest things you’ll ever earn but also the most tragic. I still have nightmares.”

[thetimelesscycle]

Tales of Arcadia Wizards Fanfiction: Hope Dies Last - Chapter 3

A moppet in distress.

A/N: I have unexpectedly received three days off work (in a good way), so we are celebrating with an early chapter. Enjoy. :-)

Chapter 3

Keep Calm and Panic

The next time he awoke he was lying on his back, resting on something far softer than the stone floor. There was a pillow beneath his head and a thick blanket that had been tucked around his shoulders; He could feel the warmth against his skin even as his body shivered helplessly, caught in the sensation of ice lodged beneath his ribs. There was a weight on his chest, a comforting heaviness that vibrated slightly and eased the fierce ache that still lingered there, and a hand that rested sometimes against his forehead or trailed in idle patterns through his hair. He must have opened his eyes at some point — someone asked if he was awake — but he couldn’t see anything that made sense and let them drift closed again.

Snatches of conversation came to him, broken and disjointed, as if he were walking in and out of a room in the middle of a debate. It seemed like an argument, mostly; Two, sometimes three, voices bouncing one off the other. Other times it was softer, just one voice speaking to him as that gentle rumble rolled on and on. 

Another sensation came and went. A touch that was not physical, warmth that briefly eased the ice in his veins before receding and taking that comfort with it. He both wanted it to stay and did not; Grateful for the gentleness but fearful of what lingered behind it.

He woke up. The rumble was gone and he was still cold. Quiet voices drifted back and forth somewhere not too distant from where he’d been placed. The pain had receded to something more manageable, though he still felt awful, his limbs leaden weights he couldn’t bring himself to move just yet. Not until he figured out what had happened.

His head was pounding like a drum, which didn’t exactly facilitate clear thinking. He tried anyway, uncomfortably aware of how wrong he felt in his own skin. It was like his own body didn’t quite fit him anymore; An inch short of his expectations, the bracelet on his wrist not the comforting weight it should have been, the magic at his fingertips a stronger force than he knew how to control. He felt stitched together, stiff in a way that had nothing to do with the physical, and underneath all of that was the overwhelming, irrational need to run.

Summoning his willpower in the place of any actual strength, he threw back the covers of what he belatedly realised was his master’s bed. That small act took nearly all the energy he had — he certainly wasn’t going to be running anywhere in the immediate future — but he did manage to lever himself upright, freezing when he caught sight of his reflection in the full length mirror on the opposite wall.

He’d never exactly been a picture of health; Pale and with ample bags under his eyes to speak of too many sleepless nights. Right now, there was no colour in his face at all. The slight roundness his cheeks had gained with the advent of regularly available meals was gone, the gauntness that replaced it making him look almost skeletal. The shadows under his eyes could have been bruises, though he had a feeling it would have hurt less if someone had actually punched him in the face. There was a strip of linen tied about his head, stained red where it rested against a wound he did not remember getting, and the tips of his hair appeared to have turned blue.

He touched the coloured edges just to be certain he wasn’t seeing things, the sight strangely familiar and yet utterly foreign, then grimaced at his reflection as his chest throbbed. He raised a hand to press against it as he struggled to remember why it hurt at all. He had a vague recollection of ice encasing his hands, pinning him in place as a glowing red stone was pressed to his chest, flooding him with furious, malevolent magic. He remembered pain, worse than anything he had felt in all his life, and then an awful wrenching sensation as a cooler, softer touch ripped him away from imminent death, leaving pieces behind as he was torn free.

None of it made sense. Not the memory, not the pain, and not the creeping sense that he wasn’t safe here. He couldn’t think clearly around the nonsensical thoughts bouncing back and forth within his skull. He stood up because he felt like he should, then wavered as the room revolted against its stationary existence. Gripping the wall for balance, he waited out the slow rotation of the floor beneath his feet, letting go only once his knees locked and his vision stopped swimming in sickening circles. He made it all of two steps and then lost his balance again, flailing wildly, taking an entire shelf of potions to the floor with him.

The crash was horrendous, and predictably cut whatever conversation was happening in the next room short. He heard and felt the approaching footsteps, blessedly numb to the pain of his own impact, and did nothing to escape them. It was habit that drove the slurred words he uttered when a hand gripped his shoulder and turned him over.

“S—sorry, Master. I’ll clean it up. I—”

“Hisirdoux, I could not care less about the state of my floor right now. Are you alright?”

He blinked stupidly, upright with Merlin’s hands gripping his shoulders, Archie hovering in fretful silence behind the Master Wizard.

“Uh...” That was definitely not intelligible. He raised a hand to touch his head, to try and order his thoughts. It came away damp, a fact that seemed inconsequential in the face of the unknown danger that was making his heart race and his wobbling legs itch to move. But Merlin had asked a question, and it was an answer, even if it was not the right one. “I think I’m bleeding again.”

Merlin made an odd noise in the back of his throat. Hisirdoux couldn’t tell if it was anger or frustration, and wasn’t given much time to think about it. The Master Wizard tugged him to his feet and set him on the edge of the bed before the room could start spinning again. Archie immediately settled in his lap, the familiar not even trying to hide the fact it was to keep him in place. He needn’t have bothered; Douxie wasn’t planning on getting up again any time soon.

It was still so hard to think, and he felt as if he was forgetting something. Something important. His attempts to grab at his skittish thoughts only made his head pound more fiercely, and he was pitching forward before he knew what direction that was, resting his burning forehead against the comfortable coolness of Merlin’s shoulder plates.

“Hisirdoux...”

For once, his master sounded more perturbed than irritated. Irrationally, that realisation had him swallowing around a lump in his throat, desperately trying to still the tremors overtaking him again. He couldn’t really hope to hide it; Merlin was holding him in place, Archie kneading quietly in his lap. He tried anyway.

“Hisirdoux, I need you to focus.” Merlin didn’t try to shift him, letting him stay where he was despite how awkward it must have made seeing to his injury. “I need to know what happened before Morgana found you. Did you go anywhere, touch anything, see anyone?”

“I’ve already told you,” Archie snapped irritably. “We were in your study all day, and I was in the room with him when he woke up. Nothing happened that would cause this!”

“And I’ve already told you that can’t be right. An injury like this doesn’t happen by accident. Someone caused this. You must have missed them.”

“My eyesight may be bad, but I can assure you I would have noticed someone attacking my own familiar!”

Torn black wings and frosted fur. His own voice cracking as grief blinded him for the bare second his adversaries needed to render him helpless.

“We told you you would die for this.”

Ice and fire

Red and blue.

“You should have run when you had the chance.”

Pain. Excruciating, inescapable pain.

He back-pedalled so fast he dislodged Archie right onto the floor, freezing when his back hit the wall and feeling his breath stutter in his chest as his eyes darted frantically about the room, trying to find the danger. It took a long time for the ringing in his ears to quiet enough for him to realise he was being spoken to; Longer still for the words to start making sense.

“Back with us, Hisirdoux?”

Merlin waited until his gaze focussed, then released the frantic dragon he’d been holding in check. Archie approached cautiously, pouncing when Douxie opened his arms in invitation. Holding his familiar close, he buried his face in Archie’s reassuring warmth. He didn’t make a sound when the first sob escaped him. He didn’t need to; Archie always knew.

“Oh, Douxie.”

He could feel Merlin’s weighted gaze on them, though the Master Wizard remained silent, giving them a few moments of precious peace. When he did speak it was with an awkward gentleness that was more rusted than Galahad’s old set of plate.

“You are safe here.” His teacher had made a similar promise, he recalled, that first terrifying night in a castle surrounded by Arthur’s knights. It hadn’t sounded any more reassuring back then. “The tower is warded against hostile magic, and Morgana and I have made sure no one but the three of us can safely get inside.”

“Four,”’Archie chipped in, only slightly muffled by Douxie unintentionally crushing him. “Merlin is right, Doux. No one is going to hurt you.”

“I—I don’t.” His breaths still didn’t seem large enough to fill his lungs, making it difficult to get the words out. “I don’t remember what... what happened.”

“At all?”

It could have been alarm or disbelief colouring Merlin’s words. He didn’t dare look to see, shaking his head by way of an answer. Merlin inhaled sharply, but kept his words calm when he spoke.

“Hisirdoux, I need to examine the wound again.”

Archie hissed at the intrusion. Douxie lifted his head just enough to peer at his master through his messy fringe, the shock of colour there distracting him momentarily before he refocused. Merlin took the fleeting eye contact as an invitation to continue.

“There is dark magic at work here. I need to make sure you aren’t getting any worse.” He offered his hand, movements as steady as ever, and uncharacteristically made another promise. “If it makes you feel better, you can watch what I’m doing. It won’t hurt.”

It had last time. He took Merlin’s hand anyway, forcing himself to sit a little straighter as he closed his eyes, becoming aware of the brush of his master’s magic against his own. The touch was careful, encasing him slowly, Merlin’s bright aura a stark contrast to his own paled, disrupted magic. He felt no danger, no ill intent, just the same gentle pull Merlin had used to guide him through countless other exercises. He found himself tensing regardless, breath catching in his throat as his master’s focus began to drag them both deeper.

“Easy...” Archie’s reassurance sounded right beside his ear. Unconsciously, he tightened his one-armed embrace around the small dragon. “You’re safe, Douxie. I’m not going to let anyone harm you.”

If only he’d been able to return that favour. If only his newfound confidence hadn’t been ripped out from under his feet so quickly he hadn’t had time to realise just how badly wrong things had gone until he was about to be wiped from the face of existence. Stray thoughts, and terrifying ones, because the memories attached to them continued to elude him with the determined agility of a feral gnome.

He would have to sit down and figure this all out later. Once Merlin was finished and he’d rested some more. For the time being, he followed in the Master Wizard’s metaphorical footsteps, slowly taking notice of the various physical sensations he had been doing his best to ignore.

He ached all over, though it had dulled somewhat since his awakening. There was a headache brewing behind his eyes that he supposed was to be expected after whatever hard surface he had introduced his skull to the first time. The knot in his chest was still there, winding itself tighter with every breath. Beneath all of that, beneath every pain vying for his attention, his magic was unsettled, stronger than he remembered it being even as it lay in latent disquiet; A calm lake awaiting the pebble that would shatter its serene face .

That pebble, as it turned out, was his first glimpse at the damage that had been done to him.

He was missing pieces.

He was missing pieces of himself.

What had been a strange sense of displacement was now a crystal clear realisation that he was not whole, dark shadows overtaking his spirit the way a troll’s flesh turned to stone in sunlight. He bolted upright in a surge of pure panic, fingers finding and grasping a vicelike hold of his master’s arms. His chest was hurting again, his lungs fighting for air as panic overtook him. Merlin’s hands closed about his forearms in a mirror of his own position, his master’s lips moving without sound.

The world faded out to a grey vista. For a dreadful few moments, that was all he could see. Sounds began to trickle back in first, his name being repeated over and over in forcefully calm tones that didn’t quite drown out the awful, wheezing noise that was his breathing. Colours followed, blurry and indistinct, slowly gaining clarity until he could look into Merlin’s eyes and see the vestiges of his own panic lingering there.

“That’s better,” Merlin spoke the moment Douxie made eye contact. “You need to stay calm.”

“Calm?” He shook his head, trembling, his magic sparking at his fingertips, seeking an enemy that didn’t exist. “I’m... there’s... What’s wrong with me?”

It came out as a cracked whisper. Merlin surprised him with the vehemence of his response. “Nothing is wrong with you,” he asserted firmly. “Someone did this, but there is no need to panic just yet. I am confident I can find a way to fix it.”

“What if you can’t?” He had to ask, even though he didn’t want to. “What if you can’t fix it? I’m...” Broken. He was broken. Cracked and incomplete. He couldn’t stop shaking; It was a wonder Merlin’s armour wasn’t rattling beneath his grip.

“Then we will find someone who can.” Merlin said it so matter-of-factly it was almost comforting. Archie’s determined rubbing against his side was more so, and he peeled his clenched fingers away from Merlin’s arms to attach them to Archie instead as the Master Wizard continued, “Are you in any pain?”

He answered automatically, “My chest hurts.”

Merlin frowned, bringing his glowing hand to hover over the affected area. Douxie caught himself shying away from the motion on instinct, his breath catching in his throat.

“I mean, it’s fine! I’m fine, no need to—”

“Hisirdoux.”

He cringed, though a strange corner of his mind railed against the reaction. Maybe his chest wasn’t the problem at all; It felt like his skull was trying to split in two.

“He knows what he’s doing, Douxie,”’Archie offered his own encouragement. “Probably.”

“Thank you for the vote of confidence, Archibald.”

“You did set him off... twice.”

“That was the work of whatever nefarious hand caused this, not my doing.”

“I’m fairly certain your bumbling didn’t help.”

“Bumbling? You ungrateful—!”

Laughter bubbled up his throat like scalding acid and emerged as another cracked sob. The conversation cut off abruptly as he tried to muffle the sound behind his hand, before deciding he was too tired, sore, and confused to pretend he wasn’t terrified out of his wits right now. Archie immediately pressed himself closer, purring in that impossibly loud way he did when he was trying to drown out his familiar’s upset. Merlin was a lot slower, sitting frozen, then stiffly slipping an arm about his apprentice’s shoulders.

It wasn’t enough, and Douxie risked rejection to turn and tuck himself closer against his mentor’s side, ignoring the hard edges of the wizard’s armour as he clutched Archie in his arms. Merlin exhaled softly, then brought his other hand up to pat Douxie awkwardly between the shoulder blades.

The warmth of his magic withdrew with the physical touch.

Douxie was still cold.

Headcanon A/N: I am a subscriber to the belief that Douxie's hair colour is due to his magic, particularly as certain scenes where the light shines off the darker parts there is a blue tint to what otherwise appears to be black. (Fanfiction research, everyone. XD)

[unexpected-possibilities]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Archie & Hisirdoux "Douxie" Casperan Characters: Archie (Tales of Arcadia), Hisirdoux "Douxie" Casperan Additional Tags: character backstory, Pre-Canon, Fluff, Birthday, Moppet!Douxie, young Douxie and Archie, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, they are precious babies your honor Series: Part 9 of A Wizard's Beginnings Summary:

Birthdays are not something kept careful track of in the 12th century, particularly not if you're but a farmer's boy. Archie offers a rather unique gift to young Hisirdoux, making it the first birthday of many that he will never forget, setting them on course for a lifetime of adventure.

[thecasperanfamily]

For your consideration: middle school aged Lin's voice cracking and dropping as it changes

asjhdgfahjksgdfaghjksdf this poor baby

The most unfair part about all of this is that Lin didn't even end up with the Deep Sexy Voice™ that he wanted at the end of all that suffering. He wanted to sound like James Earl Jones. Instead, he got stuck with something more akin to a young Michael J. Fox (who has a perfectly lovely voice, in my own humble opinion, but it definitely wasn't what Lin wanted). But at least his voice had completely smoothed out by the time he was 15, as opposed to Douxie, who we all know was still getting those precious Moppet Voice Cracks until well after his 19th birthday (how is that even possible, Wizards pls explain).

Also on a semi-related note, Lin had to wear a retainer for most of middle school and he absolutely despised it. Toby always likes to remind him that he got off lucky--braces are a thousand times worse.

Thanks so much for this brilliant submission, Non! 😂

[archies-litterbox]

y'know when merlin was waiting to catch douxie trying to take the time map in wizards..... he could have just woken up moppet!douxie from his sleep spell but he just let him snooze away curled up in his study and honestly that's kinda precious

[archies-litterbox]

A thought I have been having lately: If Precious Babie Moppet Douxie had been taken in by *anyone* other than cranky, emotionally-constipated, blind-to-even-the-most-intense-of-babieness Merlin, he probably never would've been taught anything, because anyone else would've been too distracted by his Babieness to do anything other than hold him close and cry over how sweet he is.

SO TRUE anyone else would have taken one look at him losing a fight with his own enchanted broom and just been like

[archies-litterbox]

Sometimes I forget that Moppet!Douxie and Present!Douxie are both just... Douxie. Like... no??? no that’s not an incredibly powerful emo wizard. no no no. That is a Baby. A Precious Baby. That is a Baby playing a lute with his little Baby hands. Babie.

It’s amazing how they made his past and present self so similar and yet... so different.

[archies-litterbox]

You keep mentioning the witcher, what’s it about? Is it worth the disappointments you’ve mentioned in tags?

:D oh you just asked my favorite question

okay... it's a MUCH more mature/graphic show than tales of arcadia. The show is TV-MA instead of TV-Y7 because of nudity/language/violence, so I'm putting it under a cut with the important tags over it.

I don't recommend it if you're on the younger side of this fandom. In fact, if you're under 16, do not click under the cut.

That being said, I run another sideblog about it @toss-a-coin-to-your-stan-account so I'm VERY glad I get this ask to talk about one of my other favorite shows!

[TW: Violence, swearing, mention of nudity (but only shirtlessness in the gif used), discussion of abuse/child abuse, death, ableism, sterilization, genocide]

Okay so:

There's this guy named Geralt of Rivia

(In s2 his armor is gonna have abs plated on it but we won't speak of that)

He's a Witcher

He got mutated as a kid because mages wanted him to be stronger than humans in order to hunt monsters

(...sorta like s3 jim ig)

His mutations turned his hair white and his eyes yellow (and also the process to be mutated into a Witcher is BRUTAL and only 3/10 boys taken to Witcher schools survive them)

His mom left him on a roadside to be taken to one of the schools when he was a little boy :( #mommyissues

He's very grumpy >:/

In s1 alot of his dialogue is either "hmm" or "fuck"

He's scared of needing anyone because he doesn't want to get hurt/hurt them so he's kind of a brooding loner

He does talk to his horse though

Her name is Roach. He loves Roach. You love Roach. We all love Roach.

And Roach loves him too :)

Much of the fandom has branded him a horse girl for it (and for good reason)

He's not actually from Rivia!

He almost named himself Geralt Roger Eric du Haute Bellegarde (but his mentor smacked him upside the head and told him it sounded pretentious) and... *John Mulaney voice* none of that matters, but it's important to me that you know that

He's very grumpy but when he does smile it's very precious.

In half the episodes of s1 he's tagged along by this cutie of a bard!

His name is Jaskier. It means buttercup!

Isn't he cute?

He's so cute :)

In the book series the show is based off of, book!geralt is MUCH NICER to his bard (Dandelion in the English translation of the books) but in the show he's like... this

Think... Shrek and Donkey

They're apparently friends for 22 years but the show never ages Jaskier in s1

(Cue MANY different immortal!jaskier headcanons)

(Also alot of Witcher fans like me got reminded of jaskier when Wizards showed us moppet!douxie with his lute)

It's VERY implied that jaskier is in unrequited love with geralt :( sad

One time Geralt says his singing is "like ordering a pie and finding it has no filling" and jaskier responds like >:0

also canonically Jaskier gives Geralt a bath before a court event and put chamomile oil on his "lovely bottom"

(yes that's what jaskier says)

And then there's a very forlorn bit of dialogue where Geralt is sitting in his tub getting all cleaned up and he's like "I need no one... and the last thing I want is someone needing me."

And Jaskier softly whispers "And yet... here we are."

Yeah

All this yearning happens while geralt is sitting in a tub without a scrap of clothing on him and that's a thing

Their friendship flips on a dime honestly one moment Geralt looks at Jaskier with puppy dog eyes and the next he's punching him in the gut. It's fun.

Jaskier isn't allowed to touch Roach

S1 basically centers around three storylines (which, full disclosure, is not handled very well at all)

It's centered around Geralt's storyline, as well as those of two other main characters: Yennefer and Ciri!

This is Yennefer of Vengerberg

(Aka Yenny Boo of My Heart <3)

She's a sorceress

She starts out as a very poorly treated farm girl with a hunched back and skewed jaw (it gets magically "fixed" which can be seen as playing into the "Magical Disability Cure" trope ://)

The Rectoress of this sorceress school called Aretuza senses that she can use magic (yen portals there on accident once to escape some bullies) and comes to her stepfather's farm to collect her

Her stepfather gives the Rectoress, Tissaia de Vries, four marks for her (which is barely anything, so he considered her worthless)

Yennefer is trained to hone her magic and she does get to ascend from her class (which is sort of like graduating except that tissaia would have turned her into an eel if she didn't)

The day comes where the sorceresses of aretuza get to choose which kingdom's court to join and Yennefer wants to go to aedirn but her lover betrays her *gasp* and tells this nasty wizard named Stregobor that she's quarter-elf

(If I get into how bad Stregobor is we'll be here forever so... think Merlin but Worse. Also he doesn't have the One (1) Redeeming Factor of raising Douxie and is a creep. Ew.)

Stregobor manipulates other mages into overriding yennefers own choice and sending her to Nilfgaard instead

And Nilfgaard is not good to it's mages so she was like um... no

Sorceresses are given a Transformation before they become court mages and yennefer uses hers to become more powerful. it fixes her jaw/back (even though it's not actually necessary to make her powerful.)

(This is where "Magical Disability Cure" trope comes in for some fans.)

She woos the king of aedirn into taking her into his court after all

(But one of her schoolmates gets sent in her place, Fringilla Vigo, and she ends up an Intimidating Villain. Her actress calls her Fringy for short. :) )

But it comes at the cost of her fertility - she's given an irreversible hysterectomy.

(Alot of misguided fans are like "oh it was her choice to give it up she shouldn't be acting like she was robbed" but it was either that or go to a court where she knew she'd be treated horribly so... shut up)

(Also the books are more clear in the fact that tissaia makes sterilization mandatory for aretuza students anyway so... shut up 2: electric boogaloo)

Her storyline in s1 is largely centered around trying to regain her fertility by means of 1.) a djinn 2.) dragon hearts

Also Geralt's eventually in love with her

(And so am I <3)

Her arc actually isn't about her thinking herself "monstrous" for being infertile *cough* black widow *cough* fuck you joss whedon *cough* but about her fighting tooth and nail to regain some of the autonomy taken from her, especially about her *choice* to have a child

Speaking of children, here's Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon... aka Ciri

She's a princess but her kingdom gets destroyed by Nilfgaard in s1, leaving her all alone ( :( ) and she spends the whole season running around the woods trying to find Geralt

Why?

The Law of Surprise

(...sigh)

(This is gonna be confusing no matter how good I explain it so let's go)

In the Witcher universe, there's a concept called the Law of Surprise.

It can be invoked/offered to someone else out of gratitude/desperation if they have nothing else to offer a person for their help.

It basically means that whoever offers the Law of Surprise can claim from the other person something they have but aren't aware of.

(Sometimes it's even explained as "give me what you see when you come home that you weren't expecting to find")

Geralt invokes this as a joke/a really Stupid Decision after saving the life of Ciri's father (in the books he's actually really methodical about it but... not in the show I guess)

He claims the law of surprise recklessly, completely unaware that Ciri's mother is pregnant. NO ONE is actually aware of this pregnancy until its indicated fifteen seconds after he invokes the law.

...so yeah he accidentally claimed (Aka surprise-adopted) ciri as an unborn child

He doesn't come back for 12 years until he hears that Nilfgaards coming for Cintra (Ciri's kingdom)

He comes and tells the queen, Calanthe, that he can protect Ciri but Alot Happens and he isn't There to take her to safety

So Calanthe tells Ciri to find Geralt because "he is your destiny"

She meets an elf boy named Dara in the woods (we LOVE dara) and learns that Calanthe, her grandmother, took part in the genocide of the elves and she learns alot of truths she was never told of

She spends s1 1.) Trying to find Geralt 2.) Understand her weird screaming powers 3.) Outrun Nilfgaard because they keep trying to capture her 4.) Learn the awful truth of what her family has done

(Also in s2 they give her darker eyebrows and fancy hair braids and honestly... it's Weird)

(S2 does give Jaskier a hat though)

(but apparently for about "47 seconds" according to his actor Joey Batey)

(He's also in that "The Amazing Devil" band that I hc Douxie likes :) )

(They're very good! I recommend.)

So... the whole first season is about Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri's storylines coming together! :)

So... yeah :> the reason I dread being disappointed next season is because the show has botched alot of charming elements of the book series (cutting a super important story that brings Geralt and Ciri together, making Geralt less witty/funny/kind to his Bard Best Friend, everything with the timelines of the first season (but they aren't doing weird timeline stuff in s2 I don't think), just alot of decisions to make the show edgier than the books), and between that and some Bad Rumors about how a beloved character from the books might get killed off, I'm preparing for some disappointment.

But! Who knows! I expected rise of the titans to be AMAZING, and it... wasn't, so obviously, Witcher s2, which I'm prepping to be disappointed by, is gonna be WONDERFUL. Because... PEMDAS :)

Anyway... I sort of went overboard, but if you like fantasy shows that deal with magic like tales of arcadia, but a bit more mature/violent/dealing with darker themes for older audiences, I recommend it.

Thanks for the ask! I was really happy to talk about another one of my favorite shows :)