#catch the attention of the neverseen

[bookwyrminspiration]

What if when Sophie came to the lost cities the black swan had been overthrown, and their leaders arrested. So by the time she arrived, she doesn’t have that same support. I think it’d take the story in a crazy, but fun new direction.

oh that would be very interesting--not only would she have significantly less guidance at the start of the series, but depending on how the Black Swan were handled, the attitude towards Sophie could be quite different; she'd be the product of known convicted criminals, not just the odd human girl.

She was observed when she first arrived, but I imagine that would've been much more intense in this situation. I wonder when she would've arrived, actually. Because Alden didn't find Sophie by his own work, Mr. Forkle led him to her. So without him, when on earth would Sophie have been brought to their world? Would they have discovered that sort of information through a mind break and located her around the same time, or would years pass?

I'm imagining the Mr. Forkle who posed as her neighbor might've escaped being arrest, which would create an interesting dynamic with her having one singular influence and resource.

But that aside, without the rest of the Black Swan able to work masterfully behind the scenes, there'd be no notes, no clues to prompt hidden memories. It would require a lot more work on Sophie's part to figure things out--which, depending on when she was brought to the lost cities and how (agreeing it was the best decision vs council forcing her, for example), she may or may not be capable of.

I'm also curious how that would impact her morals and sense of right; we see her learning from and guided by the Black Swan for most of the series before she branches out, following their methodology and beliefs on the limits. If they were never there, what's stopping her from going a step further much sooner? Especially if she's being more heavily monitored/judged and in order to make any impact she has to push harder--side note: I feel like in that case she might become similar to Tam in her disdain, she didn't do anything but exist and need help and this is what they did?

Would she be allowed to attend Foxfire with a significant association with a serious criminal organization? Even if she hasn't done anything yet, she might. And if she doesn't go to Foxfire (or is too old when brought), her friend group would be entirely different. She might not even have a friend group and it would instead be her against the world, perhaps a few misfits gathered along the way. Fitz might still be around because he found her, but Biana might stay bratty. She wouldn't meet Marella or Jensi, and she wouldn't have been adopted by the Ruewens (because confirmed huge Black Swan association when he thinks they killed Jolie? no way) so no meeting Dex. If she doesn't go to Foxfire, I could see them sending her to Exillium, in which case she might keep Tam and Linh as friends--but with a very different dynamic, since I think Sophie would be incredibly bitter.

Actually now that I'm thinking about this maybe she'd be picked up by the Neverseen. At least temporarily and in the same way that Rayni was--not that she's for their atrocities, but because they extended a hand when no one else did. Which!! Could then be an interesting exploration on how she wasn't a criminal, but via seeing her as one/as dangerous they limited her options and made her into one. She wouldn't have joined the Neverseen if they'd treated her properly, but they didn't, so now she did. Except they don't see it as their fault, as a consequence of their boxing her in, but instead as confirmation of what they always feared.

indeed, Nonsie, there is a lot of potential for a very different but fascinating story here. I've barely scratched the surface of all the implications and everything you could do with it!

[synonymroll648]

i actually wrote 500 words last night just it was before you answered the ask so i did write 500 afterwards soo here

- Tam wrapped his arm around her and grabbed her hand out of her hair holding it keep her from ripping her hair out

“and the worst part is he was right, i do understand, i know what it’s like to have Dad give all his attention to Fitz, i know what it’s like to have him say over and over again that we need to carry on this Vacker legacy, and as Vackers we need to make an impact,”

she said doing the best impression of her Dad though her tears. Tam ran his fingers through her hair still holding her hand.

“i think, if i hadn’t joined the black swan and he told me that we could change the world together” her words started to get caught in her throat but she managed to choke out “i would have joined the Neverseen in a heartbeat”

she looked over Tam feeling her makeup dripping down her face

“because i loved him…” she let out a sob “and some dumb part of me still does because he’s my brother.”



vacker angst is honestly my fav brand of angst <33 loving someone bad because you remember good parts of them is. like. it goes hard in the emotional damage department, let me tell you.

anyway! uh. here. snippet of among us fanfiction i'm writing for a graded assignment lmao

-

 If this really were a catching-up conversation like I wish it was, I’d just end right there with a wistful, ‘And the rest is history.’ But this is a document that’s gonna get translated into court records, so I’ll give a little more for you to work with, because you’re one of the real ones, Br- Charlie. 

  From there, from talking to them more than just occasionally waving as I passed Pink in those weirdly creepy halls in the ship, I got too attached. I like to think that if I’d kept my distance, I would’ve caught them. Maybe, in another universe, that’s what happened, and in that world, I’m one of the heroes too. But that’s not our world. What happened in our world, in my world, is that I looked at Pink and saw just the kind of friend I needed inside a spacesuit. Not a foreign enemy. I looked at Pink and saw a goofy somebody that I could stop being a nobody with.

[three-gulons-in-a-trenchcoat]

Okay but imagine Sophie and Keefe being forced to hide out in like a little storage closet for hours to avoid the Neverseen or their parents or something. The whole time they have to snuggle up together and he is just relentlessly teasing her because he can sense her emotions and knows she is enjoying the cudddling

The Great Gulon Incident 2.0

words: 3.3k

[notes: this is a long one! really really sorry that this took so long to get out but it's here now! I really like how this one turned out :) although the title isn't very creative heh]

____________________________

“We shouldn’t be doing this”

Sophie had mumbled those words under her breath at least five times at this point, but this time it seemed to catch Keefe’s attention. He glanced over at her, a smirk resting across his face.

“Aw come on Foster, live a little! Tell me the last time you pranked someone, especially Forkle.”

Sophie rolled her eyes, eyeing the bag he had slung over his shoulder wearily as it jostled around, “You should be more careful with those.” she hissed, “have you forgotten you're carrying around live, stinky bombs?”

Keefe snickered quietly, making his footsteps softer as they neared the Foxfire gates, “Don’t worry, I know how to handle these guys, I happened to learn a few from the supposedly very handsome boy who caused the Great Gulon Incident.” He winked as he said the last part, and Sophie scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Keefe had hailed her last night, asking if he could leap over for some “important business”. Sophie had been expecting something more along the lines of actually serious but learned that he instead had wanted to snag some of the gulons that were residing at Havenfield.

“And why exactly do you need ten gulons Keefe?” she had asked him, raising an eyebrow.

Keefe resembled the look of a pouting child as he twiddled his thumbs, “It's been ages since I’ve pulled off a good prank Foster,” he whined, “I think I'm going through withdrawal! The least you can let me do is led a few stinkers for the cause.” His eyes resembled a cute baby alicorn, and Sophie felt her resolve slowly chipping away.

Eventually, she threw her arms up in the air, sighing loudly, “Fine” she grumbled, holding up a finger when his face broke out in a wide grin. She tried to ignore the flickering flame in the back of her chest, itching to cause mischief, but ultimately gave in, “You only get five gulons, Keefe…. and I want to come with you.”

Keefe grinned wider, if that was even possible, and quickly wrapped an arm around her waist, leading her to her desk, “I’m so glad you agreed to help the cause Foster!” he brandished a notebook out of thin air, “Now let me show you the plan….”

She was snapped out of her memory when Keefe shoved the sack of gulons at her, nearly knocking her off balance.

“Ah- sorry, I just need to unlock the gate” Keefe quickly apologized as he pulled out what looked like a keycard and swiped it over a sensor next to the doors. He tugged the hood of his black cape over his eyes and face, stepping in front of Sophie slightly as if to block her from view.

“What's wrong?” Sophie asked, frowning when Keefe all but shoved her into the doorway and through the large crystal halls.

“Sorry,” he said again, “There are security cameras hidden behind the large pillars.”

Sophie smirked, “How did you manage to figure that out?” she asked, handing him back the bag of gulons.

Keefe huffed quietly, “I found a map of the security cameras when I was pulling a prank on Dame Alina last year.”

“You really think far ahead in your plans,” Sophie remarked, following Keefe down the hall. She could have sworn his ears turned pink, but that could be a trick of the light.

It wasn’t long until they reached Magnate Leto’s office, and Keefe used another keycard like before in order to get inside. His face seemed to light up slightly as he untied the cord and gently opened the top of the bag. He leaped back quickly, gently tugging on Sophie's arm as the creatures toppled out of the bag, looking very disgruntled.

One of them let out a large burp, emitting a green-gray gas that had Sophie curling her lip and coughing slightly.

“Come on,” Keefe said, tugging her back slightly, “This is the part I wouldn’t stick around for.”

Sophie let Keefe drag her into the hallway, a giddy feeling settling inside her gut as Keefe shut the door, rather loudly.

They locked eyes, and Sophie felt a laugh bubbling up in her throat, Keefe seemed to have the same problem. Sophie clutched her stomach as a giggle made its way up out of her mouth, she quickly slapped a hand over it, her eyes wide. Keefe laughed at her expression, nearly doubling over.

“Come on.” he wheezed, grabbing her hand, making her blush slightly, but she was too busy trying to contain her laughter that she didn’t pay any attention to it.

They raced down the twisting halls, letting their laughter out freely as their footsteps echoed around the crystal halls.

They slowed slightly, still giggling quietly. They didn’t even notice that their hands were still entwined.

Then Sophie heard it.

Footsteps.

They froze at the same time, fear flashed across Sophie's face, and Keefe's eyes darted around, looking for an exit as the footsteps drew closer. They couldn't run towards the footsteps, but they also couldn’t run back where they came, since it would bring them back to the very stinky office.

In desperation, Keefe yanked Sophie towards the first thing he saw as the elf rounded the corner, closing in.

He covered her mouth as she let out a quiet yelp, pressing her against the wall of a supply closet as he dragged the door shut with his foot. They both flinched when it clanged loudly next to their ears.

Sophie locked eyes with Keefe, who has hunched over her rather awkwardly, trying to keep one hand over her mouth, and one over his own to stay silent.

“Are you certain you heard footsteps?” A voice asked, and Sophie's eyes widened at the same time as Keefe's. They knew that voice.

“I also heard laughter.” Lady Zillah said, and Sophie could hear her walk closer towards their door, the shadow underneath the crack growing larger. She glanced at Keefe, who had panic pacing in his eyes.

“Maybe you just thought you heard something,” Tam said through a yawn, making the shadow stop, “I mean, it's almost dawn, shouldn't we be locking up for the night aways? I’m getting pretty tired.”

Lady Zillah sighed, and Sophie inhaled sharply when the shadow grew slightly closer.

The mentor turned away, “Fine, but we are practicing even more tomorrow night got it?” Sophie breathed out harshly, hearing Keefe do the same.

“Whatever,” Tam grumbled as the footsteps silently retreated deeper into the school, presumably towards the gates.

Keefe finally let his hands fall away from both of their faces and Sophie took a deep breath of air, blinking a couple of times to adjust to the darkness.

“That was close.” They both said at the same time.

Keefe slightly huffed with laughter, nudging past Sophie to get to the door, “We’re lucky we weren't caught” he admitted as he reached for the handle, “It would've been worse than The Great Gulon Incident.”

“Ah, so are you finally admitting that you were the one who did it, Keefe?” Sophie asked teasingly.

She waited for him to reply, but he stood frozen, his hand on the doorknob.

“What's wrong?” Sophie asked, just now noticing how small the supply cabinet seemed. A bad feel brewed in her gut.

Keefe turned slowly, slight panic, with a little bit of guilt etched across his face as he sucked in a breath, “We may or may not be locked in a supply closet.”

Sophie felt her face drop, and she rushed past Keefe (which only took about a step) and tried to turn the doorknob, but to no avail.

She let out a puff of laughter, partially disbelief, that she had somehow ended up in this situation, with Keefe of all people.

“You alright there Foster?” Keefe asked, his breath ghosting along her neck, making her shiver.

She remembered hearing about a game that humans would play. Seven Minutes in Heaven, where they would lock two people in a closet like the one they were currently stuck in, and in seven minutes those two people could do anything they wanted until the time was up.

She pushed the thought out of her mind quickly before Keefe could notice her shift in emotions. He raised an eyebrow, opening his mouth to say something.

“Can’t we just bust down the door with telekinesis?” Sophie said quickly, her voice slightly more high-pitched than usual. She cleared her throat, her stomach dropping when Keefe shook his head.

“Two things,” Keefe said, holding up his hand with one finger raised,“ One, these doors are made of a crazy strong metal, like, as thick as the doors at Luminaria, that's why it was so loud when it shut, and before you ask, no, I have no idea why the doors are so thick, they just are.”

“Second,” he said, holding up a second finger, “The security here recognizes when a door is unlocked, or when a door is, ya know, exploded from the inside.” he mimed an explosion complete with sound effects and Sophie rolled her eyes.

It fell silent, and Sophie stared at the ground, “So” she hedged, “We can’t get out of here.”

Keefe shook his head, “Not until morning, all of the doors unlocked at around six, which is normally when all the mentors arrive.”

Sophie dragged a hand down her face, trying to ignore the panic and sudden other emotion she was feeling.

Embarrassment maybe? No, that didn't seem right, it seemed almost fluttery, and she tried to stamp out the feeling before Keefe felt it, but she saw his eyes flicker.

She swallowed thickly.

“Are you sure?” her voice squeaked slightly, and she cleared her throat quickly.

Keefe's eyes seemed to glow slightly in the dim light, and it was then that she realized how small the supply closet was. Sophie and Keefe's feet were touching, even though they were on opposite walls.

“Oh, I'm sure,” his voice had dropped an octave, and Sophie felt her cheeks flush. He moved slightly, pushing himself off the wall and positioning his leg in between hers as he leaned next to her ear, caging her in with his elbows braced against the wall behind her, “What's wrong, Foster? I’d say you almost seem nervous.” his tone was different, deeper, it lacked its usual teasing tone.

Sophie found it difficult to breathe, and when she did take a shaky breath, it didn’t help, because all she got was a lung full of Keefe.

He smelled cool and minty, almost like the peppermint bark that her human family used to make around the holidays, with a hint of the ocean, no doubt from the white foam waves that he said he swam in every morning. Sophie suddenly felt herself imagining what he would look like after swimming in the water, with his hair flat against his head, and sweat curling around his jawline and his shirtless chest-

STOP! her mind screamed, forcing herself to shred the image from her brain and frantically trying to stop her emotions from getting even more out of control.

She could feel his breath hot against her neck and she shivered as she felt his lips curl into a sly grin. She forced her eyes to look dead at the wall in front of her, certain that if she glanced at Keefe, things would definitely go south, not that Sophie would be complaining-

Stop. her mind growled again, more firmly, as if bating this other, more feral Sophie with a wooden bat into a dark corner of her mind. Shoo! Come out later, when you’re not stuck in a supply closet with one of your closest friends who can also tell what you’re feeling at all times.

Keefe's right hand came up to her hip, and she shivered again, partially from well, the fact that his hand was on her fucking hip, and partially because the supply closet was getting really cold.

“Are you cold?” Keefe's voice was right next to her ear, allowing her to hear that he had a deep timbre to his tone that Sophie had never noticed. And she’d be lying if it didn’t make her legs feel like they turned to jello.

“Y-yeah.” She breathed, hating how she stammered.

Keefe pulled away from her, and she naively thought that it would better, now that she could actually breathe and not inhale his intoxicating scent.

But oh how she was wrong.

Because when Keefe pulled away, she could see his eyes, and his jaw, and his biceps, and his lips, and she hated how her eyes quickly dropped to his lips. But could you really blame her?

Yeah, feral Sophie got another smack with the bat.

She shook her head, pulling away slightly as Keefe removed his hands from the sides of her head. He kept his leg between her thighs, and Sophie pretended not to notice as she shivered again, hoping the cold could be blamed for the pink on her cheeks.

“I told you to bring a cape, Foster.” The teasing tone was back and Keefe finally, finally, took a step back, removing his leg from between hers.

She actually felt like she could breathe again.

“I didn’t think we would get stuck in a freezing supply closet.” Sophie retorted, bringing her hands around her chest, looking away.

Keefe sighed softly, and Sophie glanced at him right as he draped his cloak over her shoulders, pinning it in place with her Ruewen crest that she carried everywhere, even if she wasn’t wearing a cape.

Keefe said something after that, but it was drowned out by the ringing in her ears. Because if she thought that Keefe leaning over her in his scent was overwhelming, she severely underestimated what being wrapped in his cloak would do to her.

She didn’t realize what she was doing until she did it. Bringing the hood to her nose, she took a deep whiff, savoring what his scent felt like in her nose. And wow, she had never felt this safe before.

She snapped out of it suddenly. God Sophie, what are you doing? furiously trying to act like she was trying to warm her nose and not try to sniff his cape like a fucking weirdo.

She glanced at him.

He stared at her, a mixture of amusement and- was that almost pride? No, it couldn’t be that. Sophie felt her face turn pinker. To get away from her mounting embarrassment, She chose to look away from what was causing it.

“W-Why are the supply closets so cold at night?” she asked, blaming the slight stumble in her words as an act of the cold as she averted her eyes from his piercing blue ones.

Keefe blinked, wrapping his arms around himself right as Sophie realized how cold she must have just made him.

“Foxfire gets cold at night normally, so it's not like I didn’t expect this, which is again, why I told you to bring a cape.” he gave her a pointed look and Sophie scoffed.

She was about to reply when a full-body shiver racked Keefe's torso, making him clench his teeth.

She frowned, beginning to unclasp her crest from the cloak.

“You don’t have to-”

Keefe was cut off when Sophie stepped forward and flung half of the cloak over his shoulders. Sure it was slightly cramped, and it caused Sophie to be squished into Keefe's shoulder, but she wasn’t exactly complaining.

Keefe stood stiff for a moment, then very gingerly wrapped his left arm around her waist, pulling her slightly closer and causing the cloak to cover her more. He bent his legs, tugging her down slightly so that they were now sitting on the floor, and unfortunately for Sophie’s poor little heart, in a very compromising position.

Sophie was sure her face was practically maroon as she awkwardly straddled Keefe’s lap, and she looked anywhere but him as he readjusted the cloak.

“You can turn around if you want,” Keefe said softly, his ears slightly pink, “It would probably help the cloak to cover you better.”

Sophie nodded mutely, shifting around in the blond's lap until she was sitting comfortably against his chest, her racing heart didn’t slow down as Keefe stretched out his legs, almost touching the other wall, and let her do the same until they were practically miming the same position.

Keefe's hands were still on her hips, and she could feel her skin burning from underneath the thin fabric of her tunic.

“Is this ok?” Keefe asked, his voice was softer then she had ever heard, and he sounded slightly unsure of himself.

“Yeah, this is fine.” granted, it came out a little more breathy than Sophie was hoping for, but hopefully Keefe couldn't feel how fast her heart was still pounding in her chest.

But oh how he could.

Keefe was eternally grateful that Foster didn’t manifest as an empath. Because if she did, he would be screwed.

His heart felt like a stampede of mastodons as Foster shifted again, bringing her legs slightly closers to her lap, which caused her to fall further into Keefe's torso.

Over the years of living with his father, Keefe had learned how to hide his emotions behind false smiles or jokes, and right now he was grateful that Foster didn’t turn behind to look at him. And he prayed to whatever god was up there, that she couldn’t feel his hands shaking as he readjusted the cloak again, shamelessly giving her more of the fabric for her to curl closer into.

And he’d be lying if he wasn’t absolutely preening at the way Foster looked in his cloak. Pride swelling in his chest as she sighed slightly, seeming to get over her initial embarrassment and burrow into the folds of the black coak.

Of course, there was the other part of his brain, which was screaming over and over, HOLY FUCK YOUR CRUSH IS IN YOUR LAP THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME CHANCE WHAT ARE YOU DOING JUST STARING GO KISS HER YOU ABSOLUTE DUMBAS-

“Keefe?”

He hummed slightly, and Sophie could feel the vibrations from where she was curled on his lap.

“How long do you think we’ll be stuck in here?”

He shrugged,“ at least for a couple more hours I’d guess.”

She felt his head lean forward, and she squeaked when his hands came around her hips instead of tucked into his side. He hesitated for a second, and she felt her face burn, trying to ignore the fact that they would be in this position for a few more hours.

Suddenly she felt his chin on her shoulder. His breath fanned across her right ear and cheek. Sophie fought not to shiver because she doubted Keefe would believe her if she told him she was still cold.

“Why?” Keefe questioned, and Sophie could hear the timbre of his voice again, vibrating next to her ear.

A voice in the back of her mind told her that she should be on the other side of the room, frantically trying to hide her flustered emotions from the empath, but…

She sighed, leaning her head against his, feeling his eyelashes flutter next to her cheek as she closed her eyes, “Just wondering.” she mumbled, a small smile creeping onto her face as Keefe pulled her slightly closer under the cloak.

Keefe echoed her smile, tugging her back against his chest and bringing his hands across hers. A slight blush tinged his cheeks, but he could feel her emotions against his chest, and they were…

Flustered, yeah. But also… calm, and almost, soft.

Exhaustion pawed at the teens. And Sophie found herself burrowing further into Keefe's chest. And Keefe found himself curling closer into Sophie.

They could deal with the aftermath of this prank later. Right now? They were comfortable, warm, and happy.

____________________________

[author-luna]

Villain!Sokeefe/Ruewen family AU

Hi there everyone! A little while ago, a friend and I were talking about Sokeefe and what might happen in book 9, and then I had this idea for an AU where Sokeefe as well as the Ruewen family (Gardy, Edaline, Sophie and alive!Jolie) have been villains all along.

The idea couldn’t leave my mind so here I am.

Word count: 2.9k

Trigger/ Content warnings: mentions of nightmares

Please don’t hesitate to message me / tell me in the comments in case I should add any warnings!

My idea for it was that during Keefe’s time with the Neverseen, they were able to get him on their side

They make him work as a double agent, while thinking he is loyal to them

His joining is fueled by the fact that he feels like the Black Swan isn’t doing anything to help them nor are the utilizing them how they should

He knows that they could defeat the Neverseen in the bat of an eye, if only the Black Swan helped them reach their full potential by not sheltering them

But Keefe has his own agenda, which involves shattering both the Black Swan and the Neverseen

In his opinion, both organizations are hopeless and the best way to actually achieve what they want is a different approach

His plan is to get both the Neverseen and the Black Swan to destroy each other as well as the council, leaving the elvin world exposed

Then, in mits of all chaos, a new organization should take the position of power and work to redefine the elvin values and society

He has thought quite far ahead, but a lot of stuff is still up for debate and he doesn’t really mind because he knows he’ll come up with something in time

After he comes back, he finds it harder to play pretend than he originally thought it would

He can’t bring himself to think about the betrayal everyone would feel after they find out

Even worse, how Sophie would take it all in

After all they’ve been through and how she still trusted him, he can’t take any risks

One day though, when he and Sophie are both hanging out together and the topic of the Neverseen comes up, he can’t take it anymore

It slips out of him before he can even think about it

and suddenly it’s quite, too quiet and yet so unnervingly loud because the blood is rushing in his ears and the air is swirling and Sophie is just shocked

he scrambles to explain what he meant, cover up or anything

but then Sophie just starts shaking and oh god he really messed up didn’t he-

he is convinced that she hates him now but then the shaking turns into faint giggles and the giggling turns into soft laughter which then erupts into a laughing fit and he just wants to call Elwin so he can check on her

after a little while Sophie calms down and sits down, her hands in her lap and her eyes looking at him expectantly

at first our boy is just confused but the she tells him to sit down and explain

when he looks at her like she went insane she tells him that she knows him, he would never do that if he didn’t find value in it

so, he sits down and tells her all about it

from the very start, how he spend his stay to how they recruited him and about why he joined and his own plans

Keefe talks for a while, and when it all come to end, he is surprised by how much better he feels, almost like a weight has been lifted off him and he could finally breathe

Sophie stays quiet for a while, her eyes looking into the distance

Keefe stars fidgeting and pulling loose gras out of the ground because the silence is heavy and he thinks that she definitely hates him now

when Sophie finally looks at him, she is smiling, s m i l i n g and he thinks she finally went crazy

she seems to have read what he thought on his face because now shes pouting and she hit his arm in a playful manner, which leads Keefe to throw a handful of grass on her and suddenly they’re rolling around, chasing each other and laughing like normal people

when they finally stop to catch their breath and they find themselves under Calla’s tree which is ironic, Keefe thinks

the silence now isn’t heavy, it’s comfortable like they've came to a silent agreement

when Sophie speaks up, Keefe can’t help but feel nervous

he is expecting a lecture, a list of things he already knows, maybe even a screaming match because that’s what he deserves

instead, Sophie just whispers a single phrase

‘I trust you’

and it’s enough to bring tears to his eyes because she still trusts him, she isn’t going anywhere and she is still his friend

and then they talk for hours

it’s about everything and nothing in particular

they exchange stories and jokes, laughter echoes through the air followed by a light hearted silence and for the first time in ages Keefe feels like everything might turn out good and he dares to hold on that bit of hope he usually tries to suffocate

Sophie herself feels the same

she thought about yelling at him or scolding him, but deep down she knows that it doesn’t matter

and when she said she trust him, she meant it with each fiber of her body

a little voice in her head tells her that she’s laughing with the enemy and that she’s foolish for trusting him, that she’s a traitor herself for doing it but she snaps back saying that maybe she wants to be a traitor and that she doesn’t care, and the voice shuts up

for the next few days, the voice keeps whispering that she is the enemy as well because she’s trusting Leefe, but whenever she says that maybe she wants to be the enemy, the voice shuts up and that makes her think

Keefe made good points, his plan could use some improvement but the point still stands

her thoughts are constantly running and circling back to the same question ‘Where do I stand? What can I do?’

and at night, the overthinking gets to her

her dreams are haunted by what if’s, but one dream stand out to her

that night, she dreamt of her friends, her family, Keefe and herself in a future where there is no Neverseen

in her dreams, her friends and her were at the beach in San Diego, Linh is playing with the water and everyone is just having fun

when she turns around, she sees Grady and Edaline laughing with her human parents and she hears her human dad’s barking laugh echo as he retells a story from her childhood

she feels a hand on her shoulder and when she looks up, Keefe is standing besides her, looking fondly at the scene

he notices her staring at him and he looks down to her,a soft smile on his face as he whispers ‘We did it Foster’

she jerks up from sleep and she could swear that she can still hear the laughter, smell the water and feel the lingering touch of Keefe’s hand on her shoulder

that night she realizes that this is the future she wants, one where she doesn’t need to hide her human self

she lays awake for hours, and the next morning she finally makes a decision

in the night, when she lays awake, she mentally reaches out to Keefe, and when he opens his mind to hers, he is confused

but with an unbelievable determination she tells him that she is joining him

there is a lot of arguing from his side, but Sophie expected as much

she tells him that if he doesn’t want her to work with him she’ll join the Neverseen on her own so he gives up for now and tells her he will make arrangements for her to meet the others

after the meeting, they take Sophie in as part of them

obviously they don’t trust her from the start and she has to work very hard to earn their trust

they give a lot of assignments that involve morally questionable things that Sophie at first refuses to do but gives in

wherever she goes to these type of missions, she mentally seeks out the comfort of Keefe’s mind, who gladly will distract her, comfort her and talk to her until she feels better

it isn’t a pleasant thing for her to lie to her friends so openly, and she often struggles with hiding it, but Keefe is always right there to help her

they keep talking at night, just basking in the security of each other’s mental presence

because sometimes, things don’t seem that bad when you have a friend by your side

Sophie’s telepathy gets even stronger with the help of Gethen, who teaches her how to hide things securely from Fitz and Mr.Forkle

‘Gethen is okay I suppose’ Sophie begrudgingly admits one night during their nightly hangouts, after Keefe asked her about their training session

he teases her and laughs at her when she threatens to mentally slam a pillow at his head, but secretly she find that his laugh is quite adorable

after the Nightfall fiasco, Vespera and Gisela finally start trusting Sophie more because she kept up the facade so well

they call a meeting with her to ‘formally introduce her’ and during the meeting, she’s a bit nervous

of course, she has been kinda member all this time, but now being officially part of them was making her giddy with nerves

they do the protocol of introducing her to everyone, making her swear herself in, talk about her position yada yada, but the only thing she can focus on is Keefe's hand that intertwined itself with hers under the table and three familiar hooded people in the back

at some point during the meeting he had grabbed her hand to stop her from tugging on her eyelashes and to keep her grounded and steady, and to be fair, the soft circles his thumb kept tracing over her knuckles and the menatlly reassuring things he said to her were soothing and kept her from freaking out

but as much as she wanted to focus on the meeting, her attention kept going up to the three hooded figures in the back

she couldn’t help but feel like she had seen them before, their posture and presence so familiar

she was so distracted she barely noticed how everyone left the room, leaving only Gisela, Vespera, the hooded figures, Keefe and her in the room

when Keefe squeezed her hand, her attention snapped back to the room and she noticed that the figures came closer

Gisela suddenly asked her and Keefe to keep calm since they would now let them into the identities of three of their members

once the hooded figures let down the hoods, Sophie might have yelped in surprise and Keefe might have pulled her closer,just to put his arm around her and there is a tiny chance that Sophie buried herself deeper into his comforting side hug

in front her stood her parents, her elvin parents and with them their daughter she saw them mourn

it didn’t make sense to her how Edaline smiled at her and how Grady sheepishly scratched his neck and especially not how Jolie, the Jolie form the pictures and Prentice mind, shyley waved at her

Gisela and Vespra left them alone and told them to explain and sort it out

the moment they left, Keefe and Sophie started bombarding them with questions

finally, Grady and Edaline explained that Jolie had joined the Neverseen a while before she joined the Black Swan and how she recruited them

her death and all the mourning was just an act to keep everyone from questioning them when they try to get information or when they try to spy on the council

Jolie told her about how she was able to make herself a new identity under the name Trix

upon asking how she could be Trix if his ability was being a Guster and Jolie being a Conjurer jolie answered that she kept gusts of wind stored in the void that she could use and redirect to her liking

they tell them about their positions and how they actually always assisted them in some way, and Sophie feels abit betrayed for not knowing earlier

her and Jolie talk for a bit, getting to know each other and Sophie decides that Jolie is quite amazing

Edaline notes that they should go before someone notices their absence and Sophie takes her home crystal, leaping her and Keefe back to Havenfield

for a second they stand in the living room, hands intertwined and faces close

and before they could speak, they hear someone clear their throat and Sophie lets go of Keefe’s hand in embarrassment

Keefe is a bit upset, he already missed the way Sophie’s hand had fit into his own and the comforting feeling of rubbing his thumb against her knuckles

with a glare, Grady sends him home

after Gardy leaves him alone, he smirks to himself and makes it his mission to hold Sophie’s hand often

now time skip to Unlocked

at first, Keefe didn’t plan on telling Sophe where he’s going because he still was convinced that he is a danger for her

but 2 nights away from the lost cities and he suddenly found Sophie towering over him, hand on her hips and a glare so deadly he probably would have been 6 feet under

sheepishly, he asked her what she was doing here and she just punched his arm

cue an hour of lecturing about how they were in this together and he shouldn't have left without telling her

that’s when it dawned on him

why was she here, and if she was here with him, who was in the lost cities

she sat down besides him, setting down a backpack and saying that she was also a runaway

for the next month or so, they wandered around the world

with her teleporting, their birthfounds and Keefe’s new abilities, they had no problem at all with traveling and staying undercover

in the lost cities, Grady and Edaline helped keep the suspicions at bay

they covered for them and made sure no one found them

cue another showdown between the Neverseen and the Black Swan

this time, it’s a full force one and everyone instinctively knows that this battle is the last

all the intelligent species hold their breath as the war rages, gnomes and elves fighting on each side with all they’ve got

there are losses of course, but the biggest one is when Sophie and Keefe suddenly appear in the middle of everything

their friends stop and look at them with bewilderment, and it soons turns into shock when Keefe takes out a microphone like thing and tells everyone to freeze

as the battle stops, Sophie whistles a tune and Silveny descents from the sky

she lands in front of them and gently, Keefe helps her up and sits behind her

their friends would love to follow them with their eyes, but their gaze is fixed into the distance, and so, they don’t notice how Silveny flies them up to the middle and how Sophie starts expanding her mental grip on everyone

when she finally has everyone listening to her, she takes turns with Keefe to tell them about the future, how both the Neverseen and the Black Swan can’t guarantee a good life for them and the council even less

they end their little speech with them asking their friends to trust them, and Keefe sends everyone but Fitz,Biana,Linh,Tam,Dex,Marella,Wylie,Stina,Bronte Grady and Edaline to sleep

they land and talk with their friends, telling them everything that has happened, from them joining the Neverseen to their time in the human world

and as they stand there, all the stories told and feeling laid bare, they hold each others hands

they know that there is a high possibility of their friends not forgiving them or even not wanting them back

they also know that they might have to leave the elvin world behind forever

that's why they hold each other, because they know that as long as they have each other, the world can throw anything at them and they will get around it

because when Sophie lovingly whispered ‘As long as we have each other, we’re invincible’ after Keefe woke up from a nightmare, it was a promise

and as Keefe whispered a ‘It’s us against the world’ back, it was a mutual understanding,a promise and a reassurance that tells the world ‘We belong with each other, each a heart and a soul that is stronger together’

so when Biana breaks out into a sprint to hug them and everyone joins, hugs exchanged, laughter echoed and stories told, they don’t let go

the future might be uncertain, but it’s a bit better if you have friends with you to stand against the uncertainty

[a-lonely-tatertot]

Kam and physical affection

Wow, anon you can't just give me this and expect me to not write an entire fic about it.

Just Keep Holding Me, Cause This Entire Time You’ve Been My Life Line

a/n: This is what I do instead of my school which I am currently behind in I hope you’re happy probably the fastest I've ever written and posted a fic so eyy, also unlocked spoilers

words: 1715

tw: nothing 

The first time it happened was an accident. The brush of knuckles that sent sparks of adrenaline through Tam’s arm. What the heck? he had thought. 

He had watched Keefe for a while now. How careless he was with his touch. He’d give Sophie hugs and friendly forehead kisses when she was tired. Sophie would lean into his touch. Fitz, Keefe would randomly throw over his shoulder when he was getting too uptight, too Vacker-ish. He bounce around till Fitz was giggling and weakly saying “stop stop” between gasps and everyone knew he really didn’t mean it. Biana he’d give piggyback rides, or catch her when she would dramatically pretend to swoon. They would dance around each other for fun, swinging, dipping, something they had done since they were kids and were not above showing off. When Dex was around Keefe’s arm was always around his shoulder, or he was giving cheek kisses and making Dex’s entire face seem on fire. Linh and Keefe would always greet each other with a hug and Linh lifting Keefe up off the ground for a second. Marella and him traded arm punches, fistbumps, high fives, whatever. Even Stina when she was in a good mood he would rest his head on her’s or link his arm through hers and drag her to some shiny thing he saw. Ever since Tam had known him Keefe was touch. But the one person he never touched was Tam, and Tam couldn’t explain how much he ached for it. 

When their knuckles brushed Tam tried to play it off. Tried to ignore the way his stomach flipped the way his arm buzzed. He just wasn’t used to it okay. But later that afternoon it happened again, and Tam caught Keefe’s gaze knowing he knew exactly what he was feeling. 

-

They were researching for the Neverseen and Tam and Keefe had ended up in the same time slot. Keefe was grabbing a book that was high up and was half climbing the bookcase when, as Tam had warned, he fell backward. Keefe grabbed wildly Tam’s arm and Tam gripped Keefe’s shirt. “Didn’t I tell you this would happen?” Tam scolded him when he caught his breath. 

“Yeah well I had to at least try,” Keefe said. Huffing Tam shook his head but didn’t say anything. Slowly he realized how close they were. How he was touching Keefe. How he couldn’t catch his breath because ancients why did Keefe have to look so good dissolved and grinning? He had probably been holding on for too long by then and he was trying to tell himself to let go but it wasn’t happening because Tam wanted the moment to last forever. But Keefe was noticing. “You can let go now Tammy, I’m not gonna fall over again,” Keefe laughed.

So Tam let go, ignoring how much he didn’t want to. They went to get the ladder and he banished the way he felt from his mind.

-

Keefe was out, Tam wasn’t. Everything in him was awake, screaming, replaying Keefe’s twisted face over and over as the shadowflux entered him. He hated every second. Please let him be okay, Tam begged. Please.

He was cradling Keefe’s head in his hands trying not to cry because that’s not what everyone needed. He needed to be strong, to get them out of there. Sophie said something, said she would get Keefe to Elwin, and all Tam could do was nod. And she was running and he was staring at a crime scene where he was the killer. 

-

Keefe was awake. Keefe was awake. And Tam was standing outside of Elwin’s door. To apologize? To see how he was? To make sure there was still some chance that Keefe would want him in his life? Honestly, Tam had no clue but he was here. Elwin answered the door and smiled softly in a way that tore Tam’s insides to pieces with guilt, before calling out to Keefe. Keefe showed up with a pad and paper and a grin that Tam didn’t know why it was directed at him. 

Shady McSilverbangs! Keefe’s messy handwriting wrote. Tam expected him to be mad, to not want to see him, to throw insults at him through paper. Not to greet him with a smile and a new nickname. 

Suddenly it was just the two of them, and suddenly Tam was getting dragged by his hand up stares to Keefe’s room where Keefe only gave him a second to breathe before he was crushing him in a hug. “Hi,” Tam whispered, arms hesitantly wrapping around Keefe. 

“Hi,” Keefe said so softly Tam thought he imagined it. 

“Everyone said I shouldn’t come, but I was just so scared you would hate me I’m so sorry-” Tam was cut off by Keefe squeezing him lightly.

“I don’t hate you. Not even for a second,” Keefe whispered. “I’ve never hated you.” All Tam could do was nod weakly into Keefe’s shoulder. 

They stayed like that for who knows how long until Keefe pulled away to show him around. They talked for hours, sometimes through paper, sometimes just speaking softly. When Tam went to leave finally, and the sun was starting to sink, Elwin came up to him. 

“I’m glad he talked to you, he’s barely talked at all.” Something like pride swelled up in Tam’s heart as he left.

-

It had been ten months. Ten months since Tam had saw Keefe’s face. He didn’t get a letter like Sophie and he honestly tried not to feel hurt but it didn’t work. Ten month’s later, in the middle of a fight with the Neverseen who, once again, trying to capture them he saw Keefe’s face. At first, he thought it was an illusion, maybe he was just too tired from fighting. Or maybe blood loss? He was bleeding. 

“HAHA SUCKERS THE CAVALRY HAS ARRIVED!” Keefe’s distinct voice shouted from the distance, and Tam couldn’t help but grin as the world seemed to pause in surprise. Someone, probably Fitz or Dex let out a whoop and everything started up again. He was fighting, metal clinks surrounded him, and he could taste copper in his mouth. He pushed and pushed surrounding the figure in front of him in tendrils but there were too many and he was surrounded. 

“Hey Shady looks like you could you some help,” Keefe called. 

“No shit get over here!” Tam called back. They fought on, somehow Keefe had learned to focus his power,  putting the Neverseen around him to sleep. “That’s useful,” Tam noted.

“Yeah. Hey,” Keefe spun around to face him and gripped his arm, “when this is over we need to talk.”

Tam couldn’t help the butterflies in his stomach. Apparently, ten months made everything worse, he cleared his throat, “Yes we definitely need to talk, but I think Sophie deserves an explanation more than me.”

“I’ve been sitting on this for ten months I can only wait so long Tam,” Keefe said something unnameable fulling his eyes for just a second, then he was off and something else was stealing Tam’s attention.

-

Everyone made it out alive, and the Neverseen was crippled in the process. So all and all it was one heck of a win for them. When it was all over and the Neverseen had retreated and Tam got himself out of his daze started to search for Keefe. He found Keefe getting dragged by the ear by Elwin who was happy and very very pissed and was making that very clear. 

It took about an hour for Elwin to get done yelling and checking everyone to make sure they were okay. As soon as Elwin said he was good to go Tam found himself getting dragged by Keefe back into the forest where they had fought. “You better not be trying to kill me,” Tam said acutely aware of how Keefe was holding his hand. Keefe let out a chuckle before turning to face him. 

“Uh no actually,” Keefe started and the first thing Tam noticed was that he was nervous. Why the heck was he nervous. “You know the first thing I noticed when I was in the Forbidden Cities? Well, other than the fact that ice cream is absolutely delicious. I noticed I missed you. I missed our banter, and I miss your smile that you do when you think no one is looking. The way you seemed too short circuit every time anyone seemed to show the smallest bit of affection for you. I even missed your bangs,” Keefe chuckled again and rubbed the back of his neck before continuing. “It took a lot of thinking and a new friend to tell me that I actually had a crush on you, which sent me full throttle into a sexuality crisis so that was fun. Apparently, humans have so many names for that stuff? Yeah well um, I guess what I’m saying is that-” he paused and Tam was thrown into a small rabbit hole of panic and wondering what he was saying. “Tam, I really like you, like ten months pinning and realizing I was so stupid leaving you type of I like you. And if you’d let me I’d really like to be your boyfriend.” Tam’s eyes widened as he tried to process everything. Keefe dropped Tam’s hand like it had burned him, “I mean unless I read everything wrong and you don’t feel like that I’m really sorry I shouldn’t have said that I’m going-”

Tam kissed him. Full throttle kissed him, their teeth clacked and his mouth hurt for a second but when Keefe kissed him back it didn’t matter. He grinned into the smile and let Keefe hoist him up and spin him around like some stupid human romance movie that Sophie had showed him. Not even the fact that their friends had seen them and started clapping and whooping and probably trading money could embarrass him. “So is that a yes?” Keefe asked softly when they stopped for a breath and leaned their foreheads together. 

“No,” he said in complete seriousness and watched as Keefe’s eyes widened. “Yes, it’s a yes you idiot!” 

Keefe let out a startled laugh before kissing him again and a new round of shouts rang out.

[ravs6709]

Within The Background- Platonic Marellinhiana

Woo, the last of my requests! Platonic Marellinhiana, requested by @completekeefitztrash (sorry for taking so long, whoops). It's really Biana-centric and deals with her scars that she got during Nightfall. And just all of them being supportive.

I'm not someone who has scars, so if something ends up being a little insensitive, please let me know! Kinda injury tw, but its more of the effects than the actual pain itself

Enjoy!

•~•~•~•~•~•

Biana Vacker was someone who was used to standing out. She'd been doing it all her life, she was a Vacker, born for attention.

But with the whole Neverseen thing going on, she wasn't the one with the attention. It wasn't like she needed it, it was just something she was so used to. And you could call her selfish or self-absorbed, but she kind of missed it. It was a little difficult to see Sophie run off with Fitz and Keefe all the time, while the rest of them were left behind.

She wasn't going to ruin things just because she was jealous though. She knew better than to do something like that. She channeled all that frustration, converting it into something more harmless, something she could use to protect her friends.

During Nightfall, it'd been the first time that those pent up feelings had let loose. She didn't even hesitate before going after Vespera, and she didn't realize what had happened to her until after she'd gotten away.

And at first? She felt ashamed. She wore more simple dresses, hiding away the scars. If she was faster, stronger, better, she wouldn't have been injured and Vespera would have been captured. She distanced herself from the others, and for the first time in her life, she hated the attention. She'd wanted to stand out, but not like this. Not for failing.

It took a while for her to mentally recover. A large portion of it was due to the support of her friends.

•~•~•~•~•~•

"What are you two doing?" Biana asked, stumbling across Linh and Marella in a relatively isolate, open place.

"We're trying to practice our abilities," Linh explained. "I'm finally gaining control over the water, but I don't want it to only work out if I'm being enhanced."

"She's also here for damage control, in case my fires become too wild," Marella added.

"Oh, you can continue," Biana said, sitting down.

She didn't know what exactly they'd been doing, but she was astounded. They'd been practicing separately before, but then they turned to each other. Reds and blues shot from their hands, hot and cold and it was all beautiful. If this was just then experimenting, she couldn't imagine what they were capable of in a real fight.

Her fingers pressed together, and her legs shook with a surprising amount of energy. Maybe she should join them? It was more productive then sitting there, doing nothing.

As if Linh had read her mind, she spoke. "You could join us too, if you want?"

Biana smiled softly at that. "My ability isn't as offensive as the two of yours."

"There's other things we can work on than just power. Precision, timing, you could work with it? Right Marella?"

Marella nodded. "No point shooting flames if it doesn't hit anyone."

So during a lot of their free time, they had gone to the open field and practiced their abilities. Biana worked on moving more gracefully, hoping that in a real fight, she'd have speed and stealth to her advantage.

She reached up to stretch, only to wince at the dress' sleeve falling to uncover her arm.

"You... you don't have to hide it from us," Linh told her. "I don't think it changes you."

Biana closed her eyes and thought it over. It wasn't really about ruining the 'perfect' skin. The existence of the scars themselves wasn't too bad. It was what they represented. She couldn't stand to have people stare at her and be reminded of the way she failed.

"You fought really hard during Nightfall," Marella said, her tone a little heavy. "You went face to face with an actual criminal, who has experience with this type of thing. We're all children with little experience, so we fought out best. It's pretty inspiring."

"Neither of us think you failed. All it means is that we have to practice harder," Linh continued. "To me, the scars meant that you tried, they represent how brave you are."

"Which is something that I would have never expected from 'Princess Prettypants'. You've grown from the spoiled selfish elf you were, and that's what matters to us."

Biana smiled. "Thank you."

A small conversation like that wasn't going to change her opinion so easily, but that evening, she managed to get herself to look in the mirror for once and not feel completely ashamed.

The rest of the progress needed to be made would be done by her. But those words were the push that she'd needed.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Their training kept continuing, even if they didn't have many chances to actually fight. Biana was usually invisible, her goal usually to reach Linh while avoiding the water. When Marella's control got better, her and Lihh would trade places.

When Biana had to evade the fire, it was exhilarating. Getting hit by the water wouldn't hurt that badly, but fire was an active threat, and would actually burn. She had to be light on her feet if she didn't want to be hurt.

It was going to be easier if there was the threat of a fire. There would be no tensing up of freezing, because she was used to it now. She could jump straight into action. And if the fire belonged to Marella, it only made it that much easier to trust it.

"That was tiring," Marella said after they were done, and laid down on the field.

Biana and Linh laid down at her sides, and tried to catch their breath.

"We're doing a lot better," Marella stated. "We're getting stronger."

"We've really come so far together," Linh agreed, and Biana noticed that Marella shifted a little so she could hold Biana's hand. Then she offered the other to Biana. She took the hand.

"When Sophie needs us, we'll be ready to help her. Right?" Biana asked.

"Right."

•~•~•~•~•~•

Taglist- @keefeinnit @my-swan-song @impostertamsong @subrosasteath

Wanna join/be removed from the taglist? Just let me know!

[liz-tries-to-write]

Stay With Me

Pairing: Sokeefe (sort of)

Word Count: 363

TW: blood, angst, death

“No!” Sophie screamed, her voice breaking as she lunged for him, catching him just before he hit the ground. “Keefe!”

His inhale was more of a gasp as he collapsed in Sophie’s arms. Keefe’s hands reached for the large throwing star in his side, covering his tunic in red. She sunk to the floor, his head resting on her lap. The sounds of the battle around them faded away, all of her attention focused on the beautiful blond boy in her arms that was slipping away from her.

“Oh my god, Keefe. No, no no no no.” Sophie fumbled for the stash of Panakes blossoms hidden in her cloak. She grabbed a handful and tried to place them in Keefe’s mouth.

“It’s too late for that, Foster,” Keefe told her, his voice barely even a whisper. Blood was everywhere, soaking his and Sophie’s clothes. “I should have known it would’ve been my Mother Dearest. I could never live up to the legacy she had planned for me,” he smiled a sad, pained smile.

“No, Keefe! It’s not too late, it can’t be,” she responded, frantically undoing her cloak and pressing it to the wound. She couldn’t take the throwing star out because that would just make him lose more blood, but she could do her best to stop the bleeding. “Stay with me!” she pleaded as his eyelids fluttered. “I won’t lose you,” she sobbed. “I can’t.”

“I’m sorry, Foster.” He glanced up at her brown eyes, pouring every last ounce of his energy into his voice as he murmured a soft “I love you, Sophie.” With that, his body went slack, his eyes glazing over before shutting for the last time.

“Keefe? Keefe! No!” she sobbed into his chest, which was no longer rising and falling.

Everyone in a 20-foot radius dropped to the ground, overcome with an overwhelming grief as Sophie’s emotions poured out of her. Another Neverseen battle, another loss. In the midst of all the chaos, Lady Gisela had thrown a large throwing star at Keefe, hitting him solidly on his right side.

“Stay with me,” Sophie whispered into Keefe's chest, her voice muffled. “Stay with me.”

But he was already gone.

[everliving-everblaze]

Shattered

I recently entered in the Discord fanfiction contest. I did lose, but I’m very excited to be able to share my entry at last! I really put a piece of my heart into this one. I hope y’all enjoy!

This takes place while Sophie is being held hostage by the Neverseen in the first book. It details Keefe’s reaction to the news.

Trigger warnings: This deals with depression, even going into some sort of suicidal thoughts.

Word Count: 612

Related Song: “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again” - Danny Gokey

Don’t shatter.

Keefe closed his eyes.

You can’t shatter.

A tear leaked out of the corner of his eye. He let it come.

Why shouldn’t I shatter?

The thought crept in, invading until it was all he could think about. He had no reason to live unshattered when Sophie was gone.

Dead.

He sobbed, tears now pouring down his face. Shatter, each whispered to him. Shatter, shatter, shatter.

He had no real family. Even the Vackers had pushed everyone away since Sophie’s death. No one knew how to handle it.

Just shatter.

But Sophie wouldn’t want him to shatter.

His breathing came faster and faster. Why shouldn’t he let go and drift into the void? Be lifted out of this pain? Sophie wasn’t coming back. Sophie wasn’t here. And no one loved him. No one would mourn for him.

Let go.

Keefe slipped into the darkness.

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

Come back.

A soft voice penetrated Keefe’s consciousness, but he wasn’t strong enough to reach for it.

Memories pounded him. Hugging Sophie when she cried. Fitz laughing as they played base quest. Making a joke that brought joy to those around him.

But it wasn’t enough to pull himself back. More memories overwhelmed him. Cassius yelling at him for disappointing the family. His mother ignoring him as he asked for help. He was a disappointment. There was no point in living. He didn’t deserve to live. He was better off shattered.

The good memories fractured, disappearing into his mind. He tossed back his head and laughed. There was no point in keeping them. He let the darkness come again.

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

Keefe, I need you.

Keefe thrashed as the voice came again. Why couldn’t it leave him alone? Why did it want him to come back?

Keefe, please don’t leave me.

The words shoved into the darkness like a spear, tears falling from them.

And Keefe listened.

The voice sent more memories. Biana laughing at his jokes. Dex grinning at his praise. Reassuring Sophie.

But Sophie is dead.

Thick, hot anger poured into his mind, suffocating the voice of calm. But then the voice broke through with one final transmission.

I’m Sophie. I’m alive.

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

Keefe’s eyes whipped open and he sat up.

Sophie. She brought me back.

Gentle arms enveloped him. He closed his eyes and rested his head on Sophie’s shoulder. Everything would be okay.

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

Weeks later, Keefe lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Sophie was back. His friends still loved him. And the dark didn’t feel quite so suffocating when he lay down at night.

Everything wasn’t perfect, but he was happy.

He played base quest with his friends. They worked together on their homework. His father had even offered a few kind words at some points. He still couldn’t seem to catch his mother’s attention, but life at home was bearable when he had friends to turn to again.

Maybe everything didn’t have to be perfect for him to be okay. For his life to be worth living.

He walked over to his white desk and pulled out his sketchbook. Flipping through, he found his newest drawing.

All his friends stood together, smiling. Sophie was laughing, her arms around Keefe’s neck. Fitz and Biana were looking on, smiling. Dex was standing in front of them, making faces. It was a small moment, but it was perfect.

No matter how long he had, 80 years, 800, or 80,000, maybe he would be okay. Maybe there were small bits of hope he could cling to when the dark tried to creep back in.

And maybe shattered tears didn’t have to mean letting go. Maybe they could bring healing.

He could choose to let them.

[everysongineverykey]

ATTENTION, EVERYONE!

THERE IS A HYDROKINETIC LOOSE IN THE OGRE CAPITAL!

IT’S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE!

NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THE HYDROKINETIC IS GOING TO DO NEXT, LEAST OF ALL THE HYDROKINETIC!

SHE’S NEVER BEEN IN AN OGRE CITY BEFORE, SHE’S AS CONFUSED AS YOU ARE!

THERE’S NO EXPERTS!

THEY TRY TO FIND EXPERTS ON THE NEWS, THEY’RE LIKE “We’re joined now by an ogre who once saw a Pyrokinetic in a Black Swan hideout-”

GET OUTTA HERE WITH THAT SHIT!

WE’VE ALL SEEN A PYROKINETIC IN A BLACK SWAN HIDEOUT!

THIS IS A HYDROKINETIC LOOSE IN THE OGRE CAPITAL!

When a hydrokinetic’s loose in the ogre capital, you’ve gotta stay updated.

You’ll walk around all day like, “ooh, what’d the hydrokinetic do?”

The updates, they’re not always bad.

Sometimes they’re just odd.

It’ll be like, “The hydrokinetic cleared an entire path to the palace?

“i didn’t know she knew how to do that.”

The creepiest days are when you don’t hear from the hydrokinetic at all.

You’ll be down in the city like, “Hey, has anyone, uh…

“Has anyone heard-” *sound of water running*

Those are the quiet days when people’ll be like, “Hey, maybe the hydrokinetic has finally calmed down” and then ten seconds later the hydrokinetic is like, “I’m gonna run towards the nurseries and flood ‘em with my water powers. I’ve got water powers and great hair, I’m a hydrokinetic!” THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT YOU’D SAY, YOU DUMB FUCKING HYDROKINETIC.

And then you’ll go to brunch with people and they’ll go, “There shouldn’t be a hydrokinetic in the ogre capital.” and it’s like, “We’re well past that.”

And then other people are like, “Well, if there’s gonna be a hydrokinetic in the ogre capital, I’m gonna doom the entire gnomish race to extinction” and those don’t match up at all.

And then for a minute it seemed like maybe we could survive the hydrokinetic, and then 5,000 miles away, the Neverseen was like, “I HAVE A PYROKINETIC AND I’M GONNA BURN DOWN ETERNALIA!”

And then before we could say anything, the hydrokinetic was like, “IF YOU EVEN FUCKING LOOK AT ETERNALIA I WILL DROWN YOU ALL WITH A FLOOD! I DARE YOU TO DO IT, I WANT YOU TO DO IT. I WANT YOU TO DO IT SO I CAN DROWN YOU WITH A FLOOD, I’M SO FUCKING CRAZY.”

“YOU THINK YOU’RE FUCKING CRAZY, I’M A FUCKING REBEL. I RUN A FUCKING TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. I’M FUCKING CRAZY.”

And all of us are like, “Okay.”

Like poor Mr. Forkle with those goddamn kids. “Okay.”

And then for a second we were like, “Maybe the Council will punish the hydrokinetic.”

And then the hydrokinetic is like, “This mission is being carried out under complete and total secrecy so the council can’t catch me.”

SHE CAN DO THAT?

THAT SHOULDN’T BE ALLOWED NO MATTER WHO THE HYDROKINETIC IS.

Sometimes if you make fun of the hydrokinetic, people will get upset.

These are the people who came with the hydrokinetic.

I don’t judge anyone.

But sometimes I ask people. I go, “Hey, how come you came with the hydrokinetic?” And they go, “WELL, THE OGRES WERE DANGEROUS!”

And sometimes they’ll go, “Well, if you’re mad at the hydrokinetic, how come you weren’t mad at the ogres when they did the same thing to the gnomes three and a half years ago? You’re beating up on the hydrokinetic, but you didn’t beat up on the ogres when they did essentially the same thing to the gnomes five years ago.”

First of all, get outta here with your facts, okay? You’re like the kid at the sleepover who at midnight is like, “it’s tommorow now.” Get the fuck outta here with your technicalities.

But when they say, “how come you weren’t mad at the ogres,” i say, “Because i wasn’t paying attention.

“i was paying a lot less attention before it was a hydrokinetic.” Also, i thought the ogres were pretty smart, and they seemed good at their jobs, and i’m lazy by nature.

AND NOW THERE’S REBELS AGAIN. WHEN I WAS A KID, “REBELS” WAS JUST AN ANALOGY YOU WOULD USE TO DECIMATE ELVES WHEN THEY SAID ALL OGRES WERE TERRIBLE.

NOW THERE’S NEW REBELS. I DON’T CARE FOR THESE NEW REBELS AND YOU MAY QUOTE ME ON THAT.

THESE NEW REBELS, “Oh, elves are bad, oh, elves try and take over your land,” it’s like, YOU KNOW WHAT, FUCKER?

THE KID I’M PROTECTING IS AN ELF. I KNOW ALL THAT. HOW DO YOU KNOW ALL THAT?

(I’m allowed to make fun of Keefe, I asked him, and he said yes.)

[bookwyrminspiration]

Hey! I’m a big fan :)) can you analyze Biana and not only the battle as being born a third child, but also the love “square” that occurred before Nightfall, including before Sophie came in the picture?

Hello! I'm very flattered, and also thank you for your patience as I answered this. I'm only now starting to catch up on my asks, but hopefully if I can keep up the pace I'll eventually get back to answering them within a week!

as for Biana, there's a lot to be said about her experience in the elven world, so let's get into it! It's strange just how brushed over it is that she's a third child in a world where having more than one is seen as...extremely unusual and unwanted. Her status as a Vacker, practically elven royalty, protects her from a lot, but it also puts a spotlight on her. It's also possible that Fitz being a second child and the youngest telepath to ever manifest helped shield her a little from what others (like the Dizznee's) experience. There's hope for her, I guess is a way to put it; if her brother, a second child, manifested so strongly, then she's got a better chance of being something.

However, just because people don't talk about her being a third child doesn't mean she can escape her thoughts about it. For such a prestigious family, she is evidence of them (her parents/family) being different. She is the living proof that her parents didn't ignore the "rules" just once, but twice. She's living in so many shadows her entire life. There's the strain of being a Vacker--and the only Vacker daughter--and the strain of being a younger sister. Her brothers are both successful (well, Alvar went off the deep end but she didn't know this at the time), one the eldest and set to be in the nobility (or maybe already in the nobility? I can't remember) and the other one of the strongest telepaths in their world, already a star pupil when he's just like two levels ahead of her. And what is she? All she had was her appearance, the beauty of the family until she could prove herself to be something more. She has so many names to live up to, so many things to prove to herself and others (she doesn't need to prove anything to others, but she wanted to). Those are big shadows to overcome!! That's a lot for one kid, which is a huge battle to overcome--not only getting out of others shadows, but being satisfied with herself.

And then there's the whole love square situation. There's a lot of different parings, so I'm assuming you mean the Sophie-Dex-Keefe-Fitz one as that was the main square situation going on before Nightfall. This centers more around Sophie given that she's the main part of this square, but this is also a lot of pressure that she's trying to remain oblivious to! She's got the world on her shoulders and the last thing she needs to worry about is 3 people (one of them her adoptive cousin) crushing on her and trying to get her attention.

We've looked at the romantic interests several times from Sophie's perspective, but seeing as we're focusing on Biana right now, let's look at it from her perspective. Those three boys are a main part of the composition of their friend group. Keefe and Fitz are really central to everything, and Dex has been there from the very beginning--since before Keefe and Fitz really became Sophie's friends! And all of them were focused on her, which I'm assuming impacted their relations with the rest of the group. Anytime Biana is with Sophie and another one is there, she has to bear witness to their confusing attempts to get through to her while being subtle. We've laughed at how it is from Sophie's perspective and her being oblivious, but Biana isn't! She's there the entire time just...watching it happen in real time, aware. I hope she doesn't get second hand embarrassment because I know being friends with Sophie would make it real bad

Sophie and everyone who isn't in love with her wants to be productive, wants to defeat the Neverseen. That...isn't made easier when they get off track with crush stuff. Biana does like talking about that kind of thing (if I'm remembering right)--Marella too, to an extent--but seeing as this situation so closely involves her brother, she's more hesitant to engage in it. Everything will come back to Fitz, and he doesn't want to think about him in that light. She said in Fitz's short story that the only reason she was bothering him about Sophie was because it distracted her from Alvar being home, but I think part of it could be an attempt to just get the love square situation out of the way. Being Sophie's friend, it's plagued her for years, so if she has to get involved to get things going than she will. if it's her brother, fine, as long as it's over and she doesn't have to deal with it anymore.

As for the love square before Sophie came into the picture, I'm not exactly sure what it is you're asking me to look at! The love square came to be only because Sophie was there, and the members of it weren't friends before that. Keefe and Fitz were and Biana spent time with them, so is that what you're asking about? Things like Biana and Keefe's almost kiss, people using her to get to her brother, etc? Whatever it is, I'd be more than happy to look at it! I just request a little more direction first because I'm not 100% clear at the moment and don't wanna accidentally talk about the wrong thing if I can help it.

Biana is a fascinating character, so I really appreciate the opportunity to look at things through her perspective. I wonder if we'll ever get a short story from her...or Dex!

[bookwyrminspiration]

Ohh your response to that ask for me wondering- how do you think the triplets and his parents reacted to Dex being “dead” and then returning?

oh, this, nonsie. This is excellent.

his parents would be so relieved and paranoid, anxious to let him out of their sight, half-convinced he isn't real and that he's actually still gone and trapped with the neverseen, or even dead. Constantly checking on him, asking how he's doing, always thinking of the things that could've happened and the things they could've/should've done to help, trying to catch up for a lifetime of setting him to side

But another part of it is that they haven't gained more energy or time or changed they way they approach everything, he's just now the most important thing and that's why they're paying attention, which has got to hurt. it's like they'd try to fix all the times he was left alone all at once, overwhelming him with their concern while failing to not be too overbearing. They care about him, but it seems to be all or nothing. They either leave him alone or won't leave his side.

i don't even know how the triplets processed him being gone. so I'm not sure how they would react to his return. I don't think they were ever made fully aware of what happened to him with the Neverseen. They'd been told he died, but elves are notorious for not understanding death, so i imagine that's more severe with children. That's not to say children aren't mature enough to understand death and loss and grief. They might just try to go back to how things were, bugging him and teasing him and just being there when he really just wants to be alone and process. I think they'd pick up on the heavy atmosphere though, the stress from their parents and how it seemed to center around Dex.

From that I think they'd either just try to leave the situation alone, sensing that something's weird and they don't want to be a part of that, giving their parents more of a chance to worry over Dex and give him more attention, or they'd try to lighten the mood. being even more chaotic, cheerful, troublesome, just trying to get rid of all the doom and gloom the only way they know how. Which is chaos. Which is not great when everyone's trying to calm down and settle into the aftermath, but they don't know what else to do.

it'd be such an unexpected immediate shift, and Dex would be caught so off guard. All the sudden his family is showing so much interest in him and paying so much attention and he doesn't know what to do with it. When you've been left alone your entire life it's incredibly disorienting to start receiving attention and answering questions and just engaging with others. The other week my parents asked me if I wanted to pick a show for the family to watch and i literally froze because I'm so accustomed to engaging in my interests on my own and deferring to my little sister in family situations that I literally couldn't think of anything. I think that'd only be worsened after enduring a trauma like Dex had just gone through.

He's used to be alone. He knows how to be alone. He doesn't like being ignored, but he likes being alone. And now that's suddenly been taken from him. All he knows is to learn and process things on his own, he doesn't know how to do it with his family asking questions and wanting to be so involved in his life.