#cliffedg

[idksmtms]

You Are Not One Of Us (Poseidon x Norse Goddess!reader) - Part 3

Full Request - Part 2

Part 2 << PART3 >> Part 4

AN: I’m so sorry this is so late! I’ve been so busy with life and then I was so tired I kinda lost the motivation to write but I’m back now!!! Also, sorry this is so short, it's kind of a filler before all the big stuff happens!

Side note: I’m so proud of the way I choose to show their messaging systems - will continue in ending note - 

Summary: Forced apart, you and Poseidon try to find ways to communicate.  

Word count: 2,604

Trigger Warnings: she/her pronouns, AFAB reader, profanity, innuendo, age gap (even tho they are both thousands of years old), god racism?? Idk they act like “foreigner gods” is a bad thing, lusting, liking the fact that he looks older (is this a warning???), (please let me know if I missed any) 

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I do not claim to own any of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters. I do not own any pictures used nor do I claim to do so. 

Always appreciate comments, likes, and reblogs :)

After you were thrown from Olympus and forbidden to even be near your love, it stormed for two weeks straight. With every day of the storm, more houses were destroyed, more people hurt, with no sign of an end. The people trekked to Poseidon’s temples every day with offerings, they prayed until their voices were hoarse, but the rain didn’t cease. The people believed he had given up on them, that they had done something to anger him. They didn’t know the utter heartbreak that coursed with the ichor in his veins. They didn’t know that this was the true despair of a god, that it could destroy them all. 

You had been taken back to Asgard and cared for like you were newly-made, the Aesir tip-toeing around you and hoping not to set off any catastrophes. You had become numb since you had been brought home, moving around the halls of Valhalla like a lost spirit. Odin and Frigg tried so hard to bring you back, to do something that would return you to yourself, but it was all in vain. The only thing that you could possibly want was him. 

Every day you walked the fjords, standing right on the edge of a cliff, the breeze pressing on your back, hoping to push you off. You had roamed every inch of the fjords, combed every cliffedge. You waited for Pegasus to find you, to whisk you away to your love, but the winged stallion never came. You hoped for a sign, any sign that both of you weren’t lost to each other, but nothing came.

And then, when you were beginning to lose all hope, you looked down over the edge of the cliff, straight down and into the swirling waters that frothed and smashed against the sharp rocks. There was no pegasus, but a huge clump of seaweed. You had never seen the seaweed come up near the fjords before in your whole existence, not this much anyway. It was always deep under the water, or only a few specks of it floated up and washed ashore. But there was so much of it floating near the edge that it created an island on the water. 

Your heart stopped in your chest as you watched it float to the cliff wall and bump against it. Again and again it floated into the cliff, as if waiting for something before it would allow itself to disperse. You clenched your hands together, breath suddenly shallow, then took a run and jumped off the cliff. 

The water was icy, and your skin began to tingle as the bubbles floated up around you and to the surface. You waited until they had all disappeared then allowed yourself to push to the surface as well, treading water and staring up at the sky for a moment. It had been so long since you had gone swimming, since you had enjoyed the sea as you once had, and it felt immeasurably good to be immersed in it once more. You smiled, wider and brighter than you had ever done since being back from Olympus. You allowed yourself to drop into the water again and again, ceasing the swirling of your arms and legs to just float in it. It felt like a hug from Poseidon. Then you swam over to the island of kelp and began sifting through it. 

Carefully pulling each piece away and gathering it into your other hand. If it truly was a message from him you wouldn’t let any of it go to waste. It was slippery and a little slimy but you just held on tighter as you straightened out each piece and lay it in your other hand. Right in the centre of the bundle, you found five oyster shells. They were placed in a perfectly straight row in the perfect centre of the kelp and they were… perfect. You had never seen an oyster like that, perfectly black on the outside like a mussel but still rippled so you knew it was an oyster. You reached out and gently picked one up. Your hands shook and tears filled your eyes until the oyster became blurry. You wiped at them haphazardly, blinking until you could see again and the tears had mixed into the seawater. 

The oyster was just barely open, a thin crack that you tried to peek through, but you couldn’t see anything inside. You dug your nails into the opening and used whatever godly strength you possess to pry it open just enough without breaking it fully. It was a rather delicate task and you had to stop a few times for fear of cracking the shell, but when you got it open you found a beautiful pearl sitting in the centre. It wasn’t perfectly round (as you found that natural pearls rarely were) and was actually rather flat with its edges poking out here and there so it looked like a splash of water in pearl form. You picked it out of the shell, the oyster within not giving any resistance, and you held it in your palm. It seemed smooth, and glinted different colours in the grey light. You flipped it over, and you found that there were little scratches on the pearl. They were much too small for you to decipher at first, but as you brought it closer to your eye and realised that it was writing, your heart began to thunder. ‘To have and to hold’ was all it said. You stared at it, heart in your throat, and gently placed it back in the oyster, shutting it and resting it on its bed. The next was the same, except this pearl was smoother around the edges, almost like a flat oval. ‘For better or worse’ it said in the same small writing. The one after it was almost perfectly round but also flat and thin like a drachma. ‘For richer or for poorer’. The next pearl was sharp, its edges jagged and spiking out. ‘Until death do us part’. You caressed it, allowing the sharpest edge to cut into your skin and the bead of blood to stain the pearl. You whispered each word aloud as you opened the pearls, hoping that since you were in the water that he could hear it, that he would know. The final pearl was a perfect sphere and as large as the first segment of your pinky finger. The writing was inscribed around it, and you spun it over and over, reading the words until they were screaming inside your head, until you couldn’t read them anymore because your eyes were streaming with tears and you were sobbing so heavily that water splashed up and into your mouth. ‘I love you’ it read, inscribed over and over around the pearl so that it looked like it was scratched all over. 

You floated there for a moment, staring at the vows, at the pearls, then let yourself sink under the water, eyes closed. You screamed the words into the water, bubbles floating around your face, voice garbled, but you screamed until you had no air left and even your body began to tire. You wanted him to hear you, needed him to know. Then you surfaced, breathing heavily and feeling lighter than you had before coming to the cliffs. You looked at each pearl again, caressed them, then gently placed them back into their shells. You wrapped the shells up in the seaweed, creating a tight parcel and tying it up with the seaweed you had stripped away before. You stayed in the water a while longer, feeling the caress of it on your skin, pretending it was his arms wrapping around you, his fingers running up and down your arms. Then, when it became close to the time of the nightly feast and knowing the others would begin to worry if you did not show up, you grabbed the parcel and made your way back to your new home, a small house built at the bottom of the hills that led to the cliff edges. 

It was more of a hut, built in the viking style and furnished sparsely. You had lost all your taste for glamour in the last weeks, lost the feeling of being a goddess, and had conjured this place, quiet and secluded and right by the cliffs you had once enjoyed. You left the pile of seaweed in the hall of the house by the entrance, thinking of ways to decorate your house with it. You placed the shells in order on a shelf just above your bed. You didn’t want the pearls themselves to be exposed, just in case someone came snooping. You looked at them longingly and kissed each shell before making the journey back to Valhalla. You had to find a way to send a message in return. You had to. 

Poseidon sat on the beach he had once brought you to. He stared out at the water’s edge, watching a happy couple walk along it, a woman in a beautiful dress kicking up splashes of water and the man staring down at her with such devotion in his eyes. He watched them press close to each other, walk further into the water, let it roll over them. He watched them kiss, felt it on his own lips, then a wave crashed over the shadows and they disappeared into seafoam and the sparkle of sunlight on the water. 

Poseidon pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, sighing heavily and shaking his head as he muttered angrily to himself. Though he had been forced to stop the storms lest he flood all of Greece, the one in his head never ceased. You were his every thought, consuming him from the inside. He had gone to the lake on Olympus everyday for the week he had been forced to stay there after your banishment. Zeus has wanted all the gods together to feast and be merry for the return of his bolt. Poseidon had not spoken a word the entire time, glaring at his brother with such fire that even Hephaestus could not conjure a flame with such heat. The rest of the time was either spent watching Hermes, trying to figure out if all of this was really his doing, or making the trek to the lake to sit on one of the boulders, feet dipped into the water, and reminiscing on the time he had with you. 

Even since had returned to his domain, nothing felt right. The usually comforting embrace of the water now felt hollow. The feeling of the sand under his feet did not mean anything now that he couldn’t share it with you. He no longer felt like the god of the seas, just a god of… nothing. Everywhere he looked he saw something that reminded him of you. He could not escape your memory even if he were trying. Even now, sitting on the beach where you had first kissed, he could only hope you had received his pearls, his vows of marriage. 

A butterfly, blue and shiny, fluttered into view. He watched it flap its wings and fly in little twirls, as if looking for something. Then it began to flutter closer, circling its way to him.  He watched the little creature with a sad smile, wishing you were here to see it. He knew you would love it. But the butterfly kept coming closer, flittering and fluttering until it sat itself on the tip of his nose. His eyes crossed as he tried to stare at it, eyebrows knitting in a frown, as the insect flapped its wings once, twice, then laid them out flat and stopped moving entirely. Without the strength of its little legs gripping to his nose, the butterfly fell away and into his lap, laying on his thigh as still and dead as he felt. His frown deepened, staring at the creature with its legs poking up into the air and wings perfectly flat. 

The structure and pattern suggested it was a monarch butterfly, but they didn’t come in blue. It was old, at least for its species, around 6 weeks if he were to guess, right at the end of its life. With the gentlest movements, he dug his fingertips under the wings of the dead butterfly and lifted it closer to his eyes. He flipped it over and examined the backs of its wings, the beautiful blue that somehow shined even brighter now that it was dead. He stared at the black lines that swirled over the wings, creating little pockets of blue and edged with dots of white. It was in the black lines that he found writing, in the smallest letters possible. Where the lines swirled and made pockets, letters followed them. And there, on the wings of this butterfly that seemed to randomly appear on this beach and randomly choose to land on him, he found his wedding vows. Each one he had sent, returned in the beautiful writing of a goddess. And right at the bottom, in the biggest letters, ‘I love you’. He could almost hear your voice, a whisper in the wind, and he closed his eyes lest the tears fall. 

Years passed without a word from neither him nor you. You had settled into your life with the Aesir again, comforted by the pearls that sat above your bed. You opened the shells every night and gazed at them, whispering the words and hoping that somewhere in the sea he felt your love. He too returned to his palace underwater, the butterfly encased in clear ice to be frozen as long as he lived, a reminder that you had said yes, that you had married him. Both of you felt safer knowing he was yours and you were his. It was not a traditional wedding by any means, but it was yours, and you would cherish it until the end of your days. 

After the first three decades of peace and no sign of anyone knowing that you had sent messages to each other, you sent one more, another butterfly with a simple reminder that you loved him. In return you received a conch shell, not too large but still a hefty weight in your palm. When you lifted it to your ear, in the whisper of the ocean you could hear his voice, telling you he loved you. Every night you put it to your ear and let it lull you to sleep. 

So many years passed in this way, changes coming and going, empires rising and falling. Suddenly the modem age arrived, bringing its technology and skyscrapers and all of you gods into each other’s vicinity once more. Now the Greek gods were huddled in New York, living lavishly atop the Empire State building while the halls of the Aesir occupied Boston, hiding in plain sight. The battles continued, the monsters still roared, but things had become slow, the gods became lazy. While you kept your cabin in the fjords, your connection to Poseidon and your homeland, you were forced to spend much of your time in Boston to keep yourself alive, to keep your facade with the other gods. 

The clashes between the worlds of the Greek and the Norse became more frequent, though all the gods kept their promise of staying away from each other. It was not until the battle of the Draugur that this promise was broken. That after millennia you were face to face with your love once more…

A/N: I chose things from the sea as his messaging system because obvi he’s the god of the sea. But I chose butterflies for Y/n because I see her character in so many ways that I feel the butterfly embodies. I was thinking of the butterfly effect (a butterfly flaps its wings in one place and a storm starts in another) and that’s literally Y/n because she’s this small thing who’s seen as gentle and underestimated but she causes all these big things simply by existing. And then butterflies are seen as small and gentle and colourful but there’s literally a species of butterfly that drinks the tears of turtles and that felt so accurate to her character because she’s seen as small and pretty and colourful (and she is) but she can also be vicious and violent for survival. Anyway, thank you for coming to my ted talk. 

Taglist: @thicficbich1, @pasta-warlord

[themboification]

thinking about the possibility of having the drunkish cliffedge screaming at moonveaver laudna stealing a kiss scene being animated in the official show. literally running on walls rn

[idontknowreallywhy]

1 - Presence

I’m pretty sure that the more determined I am to sit and write something fluffy in a spare moment, the more angsty it comes out. This morning I was going to write some nice earth and sky but smashed the Virg instead…

And so we have some Virgil post Scott’s going MIA because that’s clearly where the fluff lies. It’s a slightly weird idea and I maybe have fallen off the mixed metaphor cliffedge here, but sensory stuff fascinates me so…

Err… I’m sorry?

In mitigation I might have an idea for a follow up scene when Scott is finally back…

(Not well proofed, thrown down in a coffee break)

💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚

It was an unexpected thing that finally broke Virgil:

The smell of washing powder.

An odour none of them ever noticed, because it was everywhere. A background chord running through all the linen in the place, over which all the other scents of the household were layered like a complex symphony. Until some of those more discordant scents became too loud and overpowering at which point the item was laundered, and a new score was opened beginning only with that familiar chord as a canvas.

By unspoken agreement, his room remained as he’d left it. Perhaps none of them had truly accepted he wouldn’t return to fill it with life again. Perhaps it just wasn’t necessary to thrust the knives of practicality into that particular wound yet… they weren’t short of space at the ranch.

Virgil would visit, once or twice a week, usually late at night when the effort of holding everything and everyone together had drained the last drop of his resolve and he needed to renew his vow to his big brother.

It required preparation though. He would shower, thoroughly, using a fragrance free soap he had ordered especially. Only when he was positive that all traces of his own cologne, hair products, coffee, his own smell were washed away would he open the door. He didn’t want to add anything to the faint music that persisted inside.

The bed had only been slept in three nights, on that brief visit home before he was deployed for the last time and so nobody had thought it worth stripping the sheets and laundering them. There was a light gloss of super-shiny gel on the pillow and the quiet but unmistakeable melody of his brother lingered.

The blue fluffy dressing gown on the back of the door had been worn longer and played the more powerful tune of his cologne, with a harmony of pancake batter, coffee and, on one cuff, a hint of whisky from the evening he and Virgil had sat on the back porch exchanging dad jokes and Scott had laughed so hard he’d sloshed his drink all over his hand.

He would check everyone else was asleep, then slip to his brother’s door, enter quietly and reverently remove the robe from its hook to wrap around his shoulders, lifting the outsized hood to cover his head. The intense familiarity was always a shock and so he’d stand there for a moment, surrounded by his brother’s song to catch his breath. Then, slowly he would kneel by the side of the bed, his face resting on the edge of the pillow and he would rest for a while and imagine his big brother’s arms around him. He could almost feel Scott’s forehead pressed against his own, or maybe his cheek resting on the top of his head. He’d promise again that he would look after the others. He’d be big brother as long as he had strength left in his body. And somehow, some strength would return. He’d made it through nearly three months now. He could keep going. He could do it for Scott.

He couldn’t linger there for too long. He couldn’t fall asleep here, couldn’t risk a sweaty nightmare eradicating all he had left.

He’d replace the robe and close the door, sneak back down the hallway and return to his own room. Then, and only then, could he allow the tears to fall.

One night he missed a step.

He didn’t check on the others. Maybe he also messed up the stealth part as he was jolted out of his bedside reverie by his youngest brother’s gasp:

“Scotty??!!”

He spun to face the doorway and was able to see Alan’s heart break all over again as the wrong brother looked out from under the hood.

That had been a long night. He’d done his best to explain what he’d been doing and held back his tears as he confessed he didn’t think Scott would come back as a ghost to visit them. He held the devastated child as they both wept and lay awake until the birds signalled another day to survive through was moments away from dawning.

He’d thought little more of it until one evening, well after the kid’s bedtime, Alan burst into the kitchen in a terrible panic and seized grandma by the hand, dragging her upstairs. Curious, Virgil followed and paused at the top of the stairs as he heard Grandma’s low comforting voice interspersed with hiccuppy sobs. They were coming from Scott’s room.

Virgil peered around the half open door to see his grandmother and brother crouched together on the floor, Alan clutching his empty hot chocolate mug and sobbing his heart out. He caught grandma’s eye and she indicated with a look that she had things under control. She’d handle this. He wasn’t needed this time. Virgil nodded and was about to back out when his gaze fell on the bed. And Scott’s robe in a heap by the pillows. And the marshmallows on that robe, surrounded by a spreading brown stain.

Virgil lied and said he had a migraine the following day. He shouldn’t be angry with an 8 year old for wanting to drink his bedtime cocoa with the ghost of his big brother. But he was. Because he, Virgil, was a terrible big brother. Scott wouldn’t have been angry. He’d have laughed and said it was cute and ruffled Allie’s hair and that was why Scott should still be here and Virgil couldn’t do this. They left his food outside the door, with a little get well soon card drawn in a rare fit of cooperation by Gordon and Alan. Alan had surrounded his name in hearts and kisses. He didn’t deserve it.

Late that night, after his usual shower he crept back along the corridor to Scott’s room, quietly opened the door and shut himself inside. Grandma had, indeed, handled it. The bed was neatly made again with freshly laundered sheets and the robe was hung back on its hook, fluffier than ever from the dryer. A new score was opened, only the starting chord could be heard.

Virgil took a deep breath in through his nose and tears filled his eyes.

He was gone.

💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚

(Ok I do need to TBC it as I can’t leave him like that… I’ll fix it I promise)

update: Part 2 “Absence” is here

[coarsely]

Heads up, 7 up tag

Many thanks to @noblebs for tagging me! The rules of this game is post 7 lines and tag 7 people. Here is a little descriptive work in Bronze Eden from the perspective of Imperator V.

The interior appears well-kept and organised. Harlequin-tiled floors are clean, and freshly swept. The walls are painted a dark olive green, that in the poor light appear almost black. A gas light mimicking the shape of a small chandelier hangs from the ceiling, but its amber light is dull, pulling everything into a subtunical yellow. A golden umbrella stand sits in the corner, next to a full shoe rack, which is below coat hangers heaving underneath the weight of heavy coats that from style alone belong to owners far out of town. Hung intermittently on the dark walls are a number of paintings, with simple wooden frames spray painted golden to give the illusion of more wealth and class than there actually is. Most depict quaint sea scenes, boats resting languidly in an overflowing dock, foamy waves crashing against a cliffedge, a large ship with proud masts riding the hills and tides of an angry sea, but others are less nautical, more familiar.

Tagging @albatris, @moonandris, @chauceryfairytales, @leahnardo-da-veggie, @xenascribbles, @charitet and @bebewrites! And of course, anyone else who is so inclined!

Taglist under the cut.

Taglist for Anti-Chronicles (ask to be + / -); @digital-chance, @solipseismic, @sengawolf, @megarywrites, @zorya-km

[lesharl-eclair]

day 15: 1 fic a day!

show kudos comments love & make someone’s day :)

harder, better, faster, stronger by @mclarenracing (M, 5.3k)

"The technical limitation is the brain" - Pierre Waché, Technical Director for Red Bull Racing, PhD in Biomechanical Engineering F1 is about always stepping in front of your competitors—constant innovation is the only way to keep afloat. Every team works tirelessly to make sure they're always on the very cliffedge of any exploitable area of technology. Or, sometimes. Quite often. Beyond it. Nothing is sacred in Formula 1.

no pairings max & checo !!

idk this fic has an excellent checo. a ridiculously good checo. red bull tech fuckery. some lines so raw they made my heart stop and restart. what's not to love <3

*

hope you enjoy :) as always, see you tomorrow & happy reading!

[sacharowan]

lewis/jenson + mountain?

I think it said 5 sentences, we are doing more than five sentences bc idk when to stop tbh. so five paragraphs :))

It's been a long time since Lewis has seen anyone this far north: it's not exactly the best place for anyone who doesn't know these mountains well. Lewis is only here because he has to be. "What're you doing?" He yells, his voice barely carried through the howling blizzard. But this man is walking towards what Lewis knows to be the Drop Off. "Hey! Stop!" Jesus, Lewis is not going to lose the first company he's had in too many years to the cliffedge.

The man jerks back, stopping in his place. "What the fuck?" Lewis can barely make out what's he's saying, but he recognises the shape of a swear on someone's lips when he sees one. Whoever this man is, he's very pretty. And strangely familiar. But that's entirely unrelated to the task at hand, which is stopping him from plummeting to his death.

"Don't go any further." Lewis holds out a hand, palm up and outstretched towards the man, pleading for him to take it. "You'll die." He's seen far too many people, travellers mainly, disappear off the edge of the world, and he is not letting that happen again

"How do you know? Who are you?" What a stupid question. Everyone knows about the man who lives in the mountains, unless this guy isn't from around here. But if he isn't, what the hell is he doing out here?

"I live here. What the hell are you doing here, Jenson?" It's been far too many years since Lewis has seen his friend. Far too many more since they spoke. And Lewis is not losing this chance now that he's within reach. But before Jenson can try to respond, the snow crumbles beneath him and he falls into a cloud of white.

idrk what this is, I thought of it at like 3am and then it got eaten by tumblr so I rewrote it :))

[baphomimi]

Walking away from the cliffedge of a bpd meltdown bc I couldn't open a jar lol

[tabitha42]

The Wizard's Apprentice - Chapter 41

Saffron is just a lowly apprentice with barely a successful firebolt to her name. So what chance does she have with the arch mage she's slowly falling in love with?

Gale x Tav, slow burn, eventual smut

Chapter 1 Previous chapter Next chapter

Gale screamed Saff’s name as he ran towards her, arms outstretched, but by the time he finally reached her there was nothing left but stone. He didn’t even get close enough to touch her before the spectator rose above her, glaring down at him, suddenly making him realise why running back to her had been such a bad idea. 

He stumbled backwards as he raised his arms and threw a firebolt, but the attack did little more than glance off its side, leaving a singed burn that the spectator barely even noticed. The single eye bore into him as it raised its tentacle. Gale hurried to cast another spell, but as he did he knew there was no hope of stopping it as it prepared to cast the same petrification ray on him that it had on the others…

Suddenly it screeched and fell back as an arrow pierced its eye, unknown liquids seeping from it as it flailed to remove the arrow. Gale looked over and saw Astarion standing on a rock above him, bow in hand, preparing another arrow. Behind him Tara flew over them and launched a fireball at the spectator that sent a wave of heat over him as it exploded, followed by an eagle that swooped down towards the spectator, shifting mid-air into a bear that fell down towards it and landed on its head with a ferocious roar, smashing it down to the ground. Lae’zel and Shadowheart leapt down from the rocks, screaming battle cries as they bought their weapons down on the creature. 

Another ear-shattering scream ripped through them as the spectator burst out from beneath them, flying up into the air. It was battered, bloodied and angry as it lashed out in attacks in every direction. The group dived for cover to avoid being hit by the petrification rays it threw at them, holding their ears against the noise of its screeches. Lae’zel was the one to emerge first, clambering up the rocks of the cliffedge next to them, before leaping out and landing on top of the spectator, driving her sword down into its head with a final battle cry. The spectator screeched, then fell to the ground, hitting it hard before finally going silent in defeat. 

The group breathed a sigh of relief as Lae’zel walked up to it from where she’d been thrown off as it fell and drew her sword triumphantly from its corpse. 

Gale had no desire to celebrate their victory, though. He ran to Saff, his heart aching as he stood in front of her. Gently he reached up and brushed his fingers over the cold stone of her cheek. He could see the fear in her eyes and could only imagine how she’d felt as the petrification had spread across her body. 

“Astarion!” 

Gale’s attention was pulled away as Shadowheart gasped Astarion’s name and ran towards the rocks he’d been standing on. He looked up and saw Astarion, arms lifted above his head as he tried to run, his skin and clothes turned a familiar grey.

She scrambled up the rocks and stood in front of him, looking at him for a moment, before raising her hand. 

“Te curo,” she incanted, but the spell fizzled in her fingers. She growled in frustration, then raised her hands and tried again, but once more the spell fizzled.

“Arg! This godsdamn parasite!” she spat, holding her head. She used to be able to cast this, but with the tadpole diminishing her powers, she could barely even get the spell started. 

Gale’s heart was in his throat as he watched Shadowheart fail to unpetrify Astarion. He turned quickly to Halsin. 

“Are you able to cast Greater Restoration?” he asked hopefully, and to his great relief Halsin nodded.

“Yes, but… it is not a simple spell. I can cast it once, maybe twice a day… and certainly not today,” he said with a sigh. 

“So it’s going to potentially take four days to unpetrify everyone, then?” Shadowheart asked, looking down at them from where she stood next to Astarion. Halsin gave her a nod.

“If that’s what it takes, then so be it,” Gale said, feeling his anxiety begin to subside now that he knew they had a way to reverse it, even if it would take a few days. “We discussed setting up camp somewhere and setting out in smaller groups to explore the area. I say we set up camp here, around them, to protect them until they can be healed.” 

The others agreed, though the mood among them was low as the group set up camp. They checked Saff’s bag in the hopes she might have basilisk oil amongst the alchemy supplies, but found nothing. Unsurprising - basilisk oil was an exceptionally rare ingredient. 

In Saff’s absence Halsin took it upon himself to look after Scratch and the owlbear cub, though the two of them lingered at her feet, whining sadly when she didn’t respond to them. They weren’t the only ones, with Gale trying to remain optimistic, but unable to hide how he kept looking longingly at her. Had Astarion been there, he might have made a joke about how there were not two, but three lost pups waiting for their master’s return. 

The camp was quiet that night. Usually, even at times like this, Karlach’s endless, contagious energy was enough to bring a smile to their faces, or in lieu of that Wyll’s optimism might have brought them some hope. Instead there was little more than muttered words and stoney silence. 

Gale looked at Saff as he stood outside their tent. He’d set it up near her, and though he knew he needed to sleep, he couldn’t bring himself to enter it without her. 

He felt the familiar brush of fur against his leg as Tara rubbed up against him, looking up at him sympathetically. 

“Gale…” she said softly. “I know you’re worried about her. But she’ll be fine, you know that. You need to sleep.” 

He didn’t have the energy to argue and reluctantly entered the tent with her, but as he laid down and looked at the empty spot next to him, his heart ached too much to sleep. His purple pyjamas lay on the pillow next to him, the ones she’d been wearing. He pulled them towards himself and couldn’t help but smile as he caught the slightest hint of her scent on them - flowers and petrichor. He pulled them into his arms, willing himself to believe it was her he was holding as he closed his eyes. 

Morning was not something that happened in the Underdark, at least not in the way Gale knew it. Instead of being woken by the sun, he was instead woken by Tara pawing at his face. It wasn’t an entirely unfamiliar way of being woken up, but it didn’t usually happen while he was still surrounded by darkness, and it didn’t usually feel like he’d only just managed to finally fall asleep 5 minutes before she decided to wake him. 

“Mr Dekarios, wake up,” she was saying, though her tone was just a tiny bit more sympathetic than it usually was. “The others are up. Halsin will be ready soon.” 

Gale had never got up so fast. 

The group gathered round their petrified companions, and as Halsin approached, they all knew a very difficult conversation was about to happen. 

“So,” Halsin began, looking across them all. “Who first?” 

The group fairly quickly decided on Karlach first - she was the best fighter of the group (though Lae’zel preferred to describe her as ‘one of the best’) and though they didn’t say it, they all felt they could do with some of her energy. 

What the group could not decide on was who would be second. 

“Karlach will not allow anyone other than Wyll to be next,” Lae’zel declared. “We might as well decide on him now.” 

“We already have enough fighters in the group,” Shadowheart retorted. “We need someone with other skills. Astarion is a good scout, and he’s more perceptive than any of us. We need that in the Underdark, where threats can be lurking behind every corner.” 

“I agree that we need someone whose skills fill the gaps that we lack,” Gale started, “but may I remind you of Saff’s knowledge of the plants of this area? She’s also the best suited to brew potions for us, without her we’ll be out of healing potions before tomorrow.”

“I think we all know why you want Saff to be next,” Shadowheart said in a knowing tone. Gale narrowed his eyes at her, but before he could object, she continued. “And Halsin can provide any information we need on the plants, and we have enough healing potions to last a single day until she can be bought back tomorrow.” 

“Yes, but-”

“Enough,” Halsin declared, bringing their attention back to him. “Karlach deserves to be part of the discussion. I will heal her, then you can all make the decision on who will be second while I meditate. I will need some time before I can cast the spell again.”

The others went quiet, allowing him to focus as he raised his hands. 

“Te curo.”

The grey faded and as Karlach’s skin returned to its normal red, she stumbled forward, disorientated and coughing. 

“Arg, gods,” she choked before finally getting her breath back and looking round. Realisation dawned on her face as she took in the sight around her, her eyes darting between her petrified friends, lingering on Wyll. 

“Oh, shit…” she murmured in shock. “That thing really did a number on us, huh… but you can bring them all back too, right?” she asked, looking round the group, not sure exactly who had healed her. 

“I can, yes,” Halsin confirmed. “But not all at once. With any luck I will be able to heal one more person today, then the others tomorrow. For now though, I need to meditate to recover enough magic to do that. I hope by the time I return, you’ll all have decided who’s next.”

Halsin’s hopes were quickly dashed as he returned to them after his meditation and found them still arguing. He insisted they do a vote, which resulted in Gale voting for Saff, Shadowheart voting for Astarion and Karlach voting for Wyll. Halsin looked at Lae’zel with a raised eyebrow. With an angry look and a roll of her eyes, she voted for Astarion. 

“Astarion??” Karlach gasped in surprise, and Gale mirrored the look on her face. Neither of them expected her to side with Shadowheart. They shared a quick look and regretted not being smarter about this - they both would have preferred either Wyll or Saff to Astarion. 

“He is the most useful to us right now,” she said simply, though it looked like she didn’t enjoy agreeing with Shadowheart on this either. 

“Very well,” Halsin said, moving towards Astarion, til Gale spoke. 

“What about your vote?” he asked. Halsin stopped and looked over to Gale. They both shared a look, each knowing exactly why Gale had asked that. They both knew he’d want to vote for Saff.  His eyes went to her, a sad look crossing his features for a moment, before he spoke. 

“I vote Astarion,” he said with a resigned sigh, before beginning to climb up the rocks towards him. “Astarion??” It was Gale’s turn to gasp his name in surprise now. 

“He has the skills we need most,” Halsin said, a distinctly sad tone in his voice, before he raised his hands and cast the spell once more. 

Astarion stumbled and coughed as he was restored, wiping the dust from his eyes. He looked around and saw Shadowheart and Halsin stood next to him, then Gale and Karlach, neither looking particularly happy from where they each stood next to the frozen forms of Saff and Wyll. 

“Ah,” he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Well, what a fun situation this is.” 

Later that morning, Gale sat in front of his tent, watching as Shadowheart, Astarion, Lae’zel and Halsin prepared to head out in the hopes of finding the Shar temple. He couldn’t deny he was bitter, mostly towards Halsin. He was even a bit bitter towards Tara for staying quiet on the sidelines during the argument, though he did ultimately agree with her assessment that the others didn’t entirely view her as a full member of the group, and her input would likely only have annoyed them. 

He kept his eyes firmly on the book in his hands as Halsin approached and crouched down next to him. 

“We’re heading off,” he said. 

“Mmhmm,” was Gale’s only response. 

“Are you sure you’ll be ok here with just Karlach?” 

“Mmhmm.” 

Halsin sighed. 

“Gale…”

He put his book down suddenly and looked at Halsin. 

“How could you vote for Astarion over her?” he snapped. “I know you care about her more than him. So why did you do it?” 

Halsin looked up at Saff, a sadness in his eyes. 

“Because they were right. We need Astarion’s skills more right now. And… I have learnt in my time as First Druid, that sometimes we have to make decisions that are best for the group, even if they hurt us.” 

Gale’s expression softened as he heard the pain in Halsin’s voice. 

“Yes… you’re right, of course,” he said quietly. “Sorry. I shouldn’t take this out on you, especially as without you we would have no way of helping them.” 

“It’s ok, my friend,” Halsin said, putting his hand on Gale’s shoulder. “I miss her too. But she’ll be back tomorrow, and with any luck, by then we’ll be able to move on from here.” 

Gale nodded his thanks to Halsin for understanding, then watched as he stood up and headed off with the others. 

The camp was quiet after they left, even with Karlach’s presence. She was optimistic and cheery as always, though behind the light-heartedness, he could tell there was a sadness there. 

Midway through the afternoon, unable to focus on his book, he decided to take a walk to clear his head. Not too far from camp, of course, just to the Selûne temple and back. As he returned to camp he saw Karlach standing in front of Wyll, but gone was the cheery façade she’d been putting on in front of him all day. She didn’t notice him as she raised her hand and gently touched Wyll’s cheek, and there was a softness in her voice that Gale had never heard from her before as she spoke. 

“Well, soldier… least I can touch you now, huh?” she said with a soft chuckle, though her smile quickly faded to a look of sadness, and there were tears in her eyes as she leant in and carefully hugged him. It was an awkward hug as she wrapped her arms round him the best she could given the fighting stance he was in, but it still brought a sad smile to her lips. 

Gale’s heart went out to her. He knew all too well how she felt seeing the one she cared for most in such a condition, and of course the greater problem of not being able to fully explore her feelings for him. While their restrictions were different - Karlach restricted physically whereas he had been restricted emotionally - it led to much the same outcome. They’d mentioned it in passing to each other before but never really spoke about it at length, which was something he felt a bit bad for now that his own problem had been solved. For now, he decided to give her the space she clearly needed, and stepped back to head away from camp again for a bit. 

Of course, stealth had never been his strong suit, and the moment he tried to do that he managed to step on a twig that snapped so loudly it even woke Scratch up from his nap. 

Karlach immediately pulled away from Wyll and looked around, ready for a potential fight, til she saw Gale. He’d quite clearly been trying to sneak away without disturbing her and had probably seen the whole thing. 

Whether it was from the look on her face or an underlying feeling given by the tadpoles Gale couldn’t quite say, but in that moment he realised she felt guilty for letting him see that, having been trying so hard to remain positive. She looked away sadly, and all he wanted to do was walk forward and hug her, let her know it was ok to be upset by this. With that not being an option though, he did the next best thing he could think of. 

Karlach gasped slightly as she felt a hand on her shoulder, and instinctively tried to pull away, thinking Gale had somehow forgotten not to touch her. That was, until she looked at the hand and realised it wasn’t his, but was instead the blue shimmer of a mage hand. She looked back at him and saw him giving her a sad but reassuring smile. He knew how she felt, and he was here for her, just as much as she had been for him. For the first time that day, a genuine smile came to her lips. 

The two of them were chatting at the campfire by the time the others returned. No news of a Shar temple, but they’d found a myconid colony that was housing a mind flayer that claimed to be able to help them. They just needed to get some mushrooms from a nearby abandoned wizard’s tower. 

“A wizard’s tower and a natural grotto rarely seen on the surface,” Halsin commented to Gale as the group got ready for bed. “I’m sure Saff will be excited to explore both of these with you tomorrow.”

Gale smiled as he looked at Halsin, knowing very well that he was trying to cheer him up. To his credit, it worked. 

“I’m sure she will,” he agreed, looking forward to it himself as well. He’d only been without her for a day, yet it felt like a year. 

The next day came and the group watched as Halsin restored Wyll. Spirits were high among them as Halsin went to meditate, and when he returned they were joking about holding a mock battle between Wyll and Karlach after he’d been offended to hear the group considered her to be a better fighter than him. 

Gale’s heart was racing as Halsin stood in front of Saff and began to channel the spell. All yesterday all he’d seen was the terrified look in her eyes, and now finally he’d get to see that look turn to a smile once more. 

“Te cur-”

There was a sudden loud spark and flash of magic as Halsin tried to cast the spell on her. The group winced from the flash, and as Gale looked back, he saw ripples of magic cover Saff’s still stone body, before fading away. 

His heart stopped. 

“What happened?!” he gasped as he looked at Halsin, who was looking just as shocked at him, shaking his hand to disperse the pain that had flared at his fingertips. 

“I don’t know!” he answered quickly, his mind racing. “Something stopped the spell.” 

Gale quickly ran in front of Saff, taking Halsin’s place, his hands a flurry of movements. He muttered incantations and the group watched as his eyes glowed purple. At first the Detect Magic spell he was casting showed nothing, but as he modified his movements, increasing the spell’s power til he was nearly at his limit, finally he began to see a faint glow around her. He tweaked his gestures, like one might adjust a microscope to bring the subject into focus, and as the glow became more defined in front of him, his eyes widened in shock. 

“What is it?” Halsin asked, seeing the look on Gale’s face as he slowly lowered his arms. For a moment Gale couldn’t answer as his mouth went dry, and when the words finally came to his lips, there was a deep fear in his voice. 

“There’s a curse on her.”

[kamaandhallie]

The Dark Lord and the Savior: Chapter 5

Wander Over Yonder x Star Wars x Dune crossover fanfic

Chapter 5: The Battle

On a barren gray planet in the colder regions of space, filled with nothing but large pointed rocks, there was a large crater filled with these sharp rocks. But in the middle of the crater is rock that protrudes much higher than any other on the planet’s surface. On it are stairs that lead all the way up to the top of the rock, for it was actually a spire, and on the very top rested a jewel that was said to grant infinite power and knowledge to anyone who got their hands on it. It was for this reason that Lord Hater and Commander Peepers were on the planet.

“There it is, Peepers! I see it!” Hater shouted victoriously, pointing at the object he was after.

Hater and Peepers stood on the rim of the crater, looking up at the tall spire that was at least a hundred yards from the crater’s edges. The peak of the spire shined a bright red, a light that was emitting from the very jewel that rested there.

“Soon, I shall obtain that jewel of infinite power, and no villain, not even Emperor Muad’Dib or Vader, shall be able to stand in my way! The universe will bow down to…Lord Hater!” Hater announced and laughed evilly.

“I wouldn’t be so sure!” a voice suddenly said, snapping Hater out of his laugh.

Hater and Peepers looked to their right, and on another side of the massive crater, they could see Darth Vader himself, accompanied by a man with a pencil mustache wearing an olive grey uniform who Peepers recognized as being Admiral Karus, the commander of the Super Star Destroyer and Vader’s second-in-command for the invasion of the galaxy.

“Vader?! What are you doing here?!” Hater asked in fury.

“Collecting that jewel for the Emperor, of course. What do you think?” Karus answered with an arrogant smile, while Vader just stared at them silently.

“Shouldn’t be surprised, sir. A powerful jewel like this is bound to get a lot of attention,” Peepers said.

“But I got here first! That stupid Vader keeps trying to take the stuff I want and make me look bad!” Hater stomped around in anger.

“You can keep sulking there all you want, Lord Hater. But we have a job to do, and make no mistake, you will be destroyed at the end once we take that jewel!” Karus told him.

“No, you won’t! Because I’m taking that jewel first!”

“No one’s taking anything!” another voice interrupted, one that did not come from any of the two parties.

Hater and Peepers now looked to their left, opposite of Vader and Karus’s position on the crater rim. On a cliffedge on the rim, they saw a lone hooded figure with blue eyes that pierced through the shadows obscuring his face. Once the figure removed its hood, it revealed itself to be a man with wavy hair donning a long brownish-yellow cape over his dark grey stillsuit. It was none other than Emperor Paul Muad’Dib.

“Emperor Muad’Dib! How nice of you to join us!” Karus greeted mockingly. “But I’m afraid you’re late to the party! That jewel shall belong to the Empire!”

Muad’Dib stared back with a cold determined look in his blue eyes. “I’m afraid not, Admiral! I will not allow that jewel to fall into the hands of the likes of you, or Lord Hater over there!” “Me?” Hater asked, confused, causing Peepers to sigh.

“If you want that jewel so bad, then you’ll have to taste the full force of the Empire!” Admiral Karus announced, as behind him and Vader, hundreds of Stormtroopers appeared, even several hovertanks. Karus had a very arrogant smile on his face, while Vader still stared at Muad’Dib silently.

“Glory to the Empire!” Karus shouted, in which every Stormtrooper cheered in response.

Muad’Dib was fazed at all, as there was not a single trace of fear or worry on his face. He obviously anticipated this, which should not be a surprise as it would be stupid for an emperor like him to not have seen something like this coming.

“Your arrogance and blind devotion is your weakness, Admiral! And your blind wrath is yours, Vader! That is precisely why you will not win!” he declared. “None of you are able to stand up to me!”

At that moment, hundreds of Fremen appeared behind him, all wielding various weapons of all kinds from knives, to rocket launchers, to pistols, to lasguns. They all had a very fierce determination in their eyes, all ready to destroy every single one of Vader and Karus’s forces with no hesitation.

“Muad’Dib! Muad’Dib! Muad’Dib!” they all chanted together.

Hater and Peepers were watching the whole thing, the both of them anxious and confused upon seeing the massive battle that would inevitably take place before them. It was only then that Hater realized how insignificant he was at the moment in between these two powerhouses, and his insecurity decided to try and do something about it right away.

“Ha! Are you forgetting about me?! Don’t forget that I also have a huge and powerful army! Watchdogs!” Hater called out.

Immediately after, hundreds of Watchdogs marched behind Hater and Peepers, all seemingly ready for battle.

“Hate’s Great! Best Villain! Hate’s Great! Best Villain!” they all chanted.

Hater laughed confidently and looked to see the fear that’d be on his enemies’ faces, but he never found it. The leaders of either armies just stared at Hater silently, none of them looking intimidated, or even impressed by Hater and his army in the slightest.

From the Fremen side, one Fremen warrior aimed his rocket launcher and fired, sending a missile that immediately, and very anticlimactically, took out Hater’s entire army in the matter of a single second. Hater’s confident smile immediately disappeared, and any enthusiasm Peepers had also faded away.

“Aw, come on!” Hater cried.

“You stay out of this, Lord Hater! We’ll deal with you later!” Karus ordered at the skeleton, before turning his attention back to his actual enemy. “And as for you, Emperor Muad’Dib, don’t be too sure you and your desert fanatics can win so easily! Fire at will!”

As soon as Karus gave the word, every single Stormtrooper behind him and Vader raised their blasters at Muad’Dib’s direction and began firing, the hovertanks joining in as well.

However, Muad’Dib did not seem scared, still retaining his composure, even with the barrage of laser blasts heading his way. But when the laser blasts finally reached him and the Fremen behind him, they were all stopped as they hit a barely visible force field that surrounded Muad’Dib and all the Fremen, leaving them all untouched.

Karus realized immediately what was going on. Muad’Dib and the Fremen had turned on their shields, and the blasters used by the Empire had no effect on the shields, unlike the lasguns of Muad’Dib’s Imperium. Karus growled as he prepared to move on to the next step.

“Stormtroopers! Forward, march!”

With that, every Stormtrooper began marching forward down the crater’s rim, ready for battle. Karus looked up, expecting Muad’Dib to respond by sending his own forces forward as well, but he never did. Muad’Dib and the rest of the Fremen remained perfectly still where they stood, and Muad’Dib himself had not changed the expression on his face at all. Karus had no idea what Muad’Dib was playing at, but he didn’t care. From the way things seemed, he’ll take out the Fremen in no time.

Suddenly, Vader’s head shifted, as if he just realized something, and he turned to Karus.

“Admiral, pull the troops back.”

“What? Why?” Karus asked.

“I sense there is something very wrong here. Pull the troops back now,” Vader insisted.

“As we are advancing first to grab the jewel? Come now, Lord Vader. Emperor Muad’Dib is stalling, we should seize that opportunity!” Karus said confidently, which he could sense Vader was not happy about, and that worried Karus for a moment.

Vader was soon proven right. The moment the Stormtrooper battalion reached the bottom of the crater and continued marching, all of a sudden hundreds of Fremen appeared out of the ground and attacked all the unsuspecting soldiers, many stabbed with crysknives and many shot with maula pistols.

“W-What?!” Karus exclaimed.

The entire marching Stormtrooper army was completely taken aback at the surprise attack, faltering their chance to strike back, and it only got worse. The moment several Stormtroopers attempted to fire back, two more Fremen emerged from the ground, these ones carrying lasguns. When they fired, a long continuous purple beam shot out, which they aimed at many spots on the battlefield, taking out hundreds of Stormtroopers instantly.

“H-How can this be?!” Karus exclaimed again.

“Deal with this situation immediately, Admiral! I’ll deal with you later,” Vader told Karus, his voice turning very sinister at the end.

“Grrh! General! Call more of our forces down here now!” Karus ordered General Vane, the officer in command of the ground troops.

“Yes, Admiral!” the general said before he ran off.

From another side of the crater’s rim, Hater and Peepers watched the whole battle unfold, both of them stunned at what happened.

“Wow, sir! Did you see that?! The Fremen were hiding in the ground the whole time, so they were prepared for this attack before any of us got here! That Emperor Muad’Dib sure is a brilliant strategist,” Peepers said.

“Peepers! Why are you complimenting him?! This is a huge problem! He’s gonna get the Jewel of Infinite Power before any of us! What do we do?!” Hater asked in a panic.

“Oh! Right! Watchdogs, battle formations!” Peepers commanded, yet he heard nothing behind him.

When Hater and Peepers looked behind them, they saw all the Watchdogs were still passed out due to the rocket blast they got earlier.

“Oh…right…” Peepers turned back to the battlefield. “Even if our army’s taken out, there must be some other way to get to that jewel without the risk of getting killed by either army.”

Hater’s commander analyzed the battlefield, trying to figure out a way to help Hater be able to worm his way through the chaos and claim the jewel. The entire crater was pretty much taken over by the Fremen, and the Stormtroopers were having a hard time just trying to step foot in it, as they had no hope of pushing through. That was when Peepers noticed several dozen Fremen going up the spire towards the jewel.

“Sir! Look!” Peepers pointed out to his boss in a panic.

Hater noticed what Peepers was pointing at, and panic and rage began to overtake him. “Oh no you don’t!”

Hater’s hands sparked with green electricity, and he began blasting each of the Fremen warriors off the spire. This got the attention of many of the Fremen warriors, who all turned to face Hater, which distracted them from the Stormtrooper army right in front of them, and many of the Fremen in the frontlines got blasted down, making way for the Stormtroopers to advance towards the spire.

“Thank you for your assistance, Lord Hater!” Karus laughed from the other side of the crater.

“No! Now Vader’s gonna get the jewel!” Hater yelled in a panic.

Hater charged up his powers again, and began blasting down the Stormtroopers this time, earning a glare from Karus.

“Can someone get rid of that irritating skeleton already?!” the admiral growled.

Many of the Stormtroopers and even one of the hovertanks began to aim at Hater, and he and Peepers quickly took cover away from the blast range just before the spot Hater was standing on was completely obliterated by lasers.

“No, Admiral!” Vader shouted. “Keep all the troops focused on the Fremen! Lest you risk making the same mistake they did!”

When Peepers heard this from the other side of the crater’s rim, something clicked in his head. “Sir, I think I have an idea!”

“What?! What is it?! Tell me now!” Hater begged, shaking his tiny commander.

“Doesn’t this whole situation seem familiar to you?”

“Huh?”

“You know, two villainous armies fighting to gain an ultimate power that lies atop a tall structure?”

Hater took a moment to search his memories for what fitted Peepers’ description, and he finally remembered. “Ooh! It’s just like that galactic conjunction where I fought Emperor Awesome, and Wander ruined my one wish!” he grimaced at the last part.

“But now you get to do the same to Lord Vader and Emperor Muad’Dib!”

“I get to fight all of them with a giant robot I control?” Hater asked with excitement.

“No! Don’t you see, sir? You’re the one who’s gonna ruin their chance at gaining ultimate power! You’re the little guy between the two big armies!” “I’m not a little guy! That’d be you,” he pointed his finger at Peepers.

“That’s not what I mean, sir! I mean you could be the one that distracts them from getting the ultimate power!”

Again, it took Hater a moment to figure out what exactly Peepers was suggesting to him, but once he put the pieces together, his green eyes widened. “Seriously?! You want me to act like Wander to distract these guys?! Again?!”

“Why not, sir? It worked pretty well the last time we faced off against the Fremen and the Stormtroopers together,” Peepers said. “All you need to do is annoy them enough, all their attention will go to you, and once that happens, I’ll swoop in and snatch that jewel from the top of the spire, and they won’t even know what hit ‘em!”

While Hater was still not enthusiastic about having to act Wander again, he couldn’t deny that Peepers’ plan was pretty sound. Besides, Hater always felt great when he boasts to his enemies on how he bested and outsmarted them. Just imagining the faces on Vader (kinda weird since he wore a mask), Karus, and Emperor Muad’Dib when they see him obtain the jewel and its limitless power was enough to bring a smile to Hater’s face and put aside all complaints he had.

“Alright, let’s do it!” Hater grinned evilly. “I can’t wait to make Vader lose!”

“Save Vader for last, sir. Here’s what I think we should do: keep blasting at all the Fremen and Stormtroopers down there, and that’ll force Vader and Muad’Dib to step forward themselves. It’s obvious neither of them would take you seriously enough to focus on you.” Hater wasn’t sure on how to feel about that statement. “But their armies are a different story! So once those two are fixated on each other, and their armies are focused on you, that’s when I take the chance to sneak past them and grab the jewel! So make sure to not blast Vader or Muad’Dib!”

“Yeah! We’ll show that stupid Vader!”

“And Emperor Muad’Dib too? Vader’s not the only one here, sir.”

“Huh? Oh yeah, him too, I guess.”

Hater got up and stood on the crater’s edge once more, his hands sparking green lightning again. He grinned and stared down at the battling armies, which he noticed the Fremen were beginning to overpower the Stormtroopers. But not for long.

Hater began blasting both the Fremen and Stormtroopers down in the crater. Many of them were taken aback at the barrage of green lightnings and explosions happening around them, and they couldn’t decide whether to turn their attention to Hater or keep fighting their opponents. 

Admiral Karus glared hard at Hater from his side of the crater, clenching his teeth and fists harger with each blast Hater fired.

“Lord Vader, we should really do something about Lord Hater!” Karus begged the robotic dark lord beside him through his clenched teeth.

“No. Keep your eyes forward, Admiral. He’s just trying to distract us. The moment we take our attention off Emperor Muad’Dib, our troops will be obliterated. Besides, Lord Hater is helping us thin out the forces of Muad’Dib,” Vader dismissed the admiral.

“But he’s thinning out our forces too!”

“Yes, but soon, Emperor Muad’Dib will advance forward as well, and I shall deal with him myself. Once he and the rest of the Fremen are taken down, the jewel shall be free for the taking, and Lord Hater will no longer be of any use to us.”

Hater continued blasting down all the Fremen and Stormtroopers within his line of sight, having way too much fun doing it as many soldiers in the battlefield keep flying around from the explosions he caused. He targeted the Stormtroopers a lot more, purely out of spite towards Vader. He glanced to the right to see if he was gaining any reactions from his enemies. Ignoring the fact he was wearing a mask, Vader did not show any reaction directed towards Hater, still keeping his focus on the battlefield, while Karus, despite him looking in the same direction as Vader, had a more visible growing anger on his face, and was trying very hard not to glare at Hater.

The skeleton then looked to his left to see if he was gaining any reaction from Emperor Muad’Dib, and it was more or less the same. Muad’Dib’s expression has never changed, still looking ahead at the battlefield with the cold gaze of his blue-on-blue eyes. It was kind of strange how Muad’Dib’s face seemed much more cold and emotionless than Vader’s mask. 

The Fremen, on the other hand, were a different story. Many of them glared at Hater with such intense anger that he could swear he saw fire in their eyes. Hater couldn’t exactly blame them, he doubted they’d be too happy seeing their friends being blasted by him. But whenever any of them even considered making a move against Hater, Muad’Dib simply raised his hand and stopped them from doing anything.

He barely ever looked in Hater’s direction at all throughout the entire battle, which annoyed Hater greatly. It already angered him enough that Vader still doesn’t take him seriously despite all the things he’s done, he did not want to accept the possibility that Emperor Muad’Dib didn’t think much of him either. It’s weird how much he was caring about what Muad’Dib thought despite not even knowing much about the man, much less liking him.

Paul watched the battlefield from his side of the crater rim. All the Fremen battling the Stormtroopers, Lord Hater blasting down both armies from the sidelines, and Darth Vader staring him down all the way from the other side of the crater through the lens of his dark mask. Through all that, Paul remained calm and composed, showing no reaction to anything before him. His eyes then turned upwards to the object of desire to everyone who was present, the jewel atop the spire. As he assessed the situation before him again, he felt it was appropriate to move on to the next step, seeing how Vader’s reinforcements brought in by his General Vane were approaching the crater’s rim.

“Muad’Dib, what should we do? Are we to do nothing?” the Fedaykin commander next to him asked, the desire to rush into battle evident in his tone.

“Prepare the lasguns, deactivate our shields. It’s time we began to advance,” Paul ordered, his eyes never leaving what was in front of him.

With his orders given, all the Fremen by the crater’s rim turned off their Holtzman shields, and two warriors moved to the forefronts with lasguns in hand. Paul saw that Vader noticed what was going on, but at this moment, the battle was too chaotic for Vader or Karus to quickly give any direct orders to their underlings, and even then nothing would prepare them for a lasgun blast.

The two Fremen warriors fired their lasguns aimed at the battlefield below them, and those two lasgun blasts were enough to mow down nearly half of the advancing Stormtrooper armies, with one aimed at the troopers in the crater, and the other at the reinforcements brought in by General Vane just beginning to march down the crater’s rim. General Vane himself narrowly escaped a lasgun blast when he ducked behind a nearby hovertank that was then sliced in half by the oncoming blast. They were about to aim at Vader, but Paul stopped them before they could do anything, ordering not to make any attempt to fire at Vader. None of them understood why, but they never questioned Paul for a moment. Why would they? He was the Kwisatz Haderach and the Lisan al-Gaib, after all.

Admiral Karus was slowly going insane witnessing what was happening. This was the second time Emperor Muad’Dib and the Fremen were gaining the upper hand against them in this battle, and both him and Lord Hater were making Karus feel like a complete joke. The reinforcements he asked for were all immediately taken out like it was nothing.

“Lord Vader, I really think we should do something right now!” Karus growled in angry desperation.

Vader still remained silent, still looking ahead and staring into the eyes of Emperor Muad’Dib, despite the two of them being some distance away from each other. Karus was tempted to shout at Vader for not doing anything, but any imperial officer who’s been in the job as long as he has knew better than to do something as stupid as that.

Karus looked in Muad’Dib’s direction again, and despite his expression remaining unchanged, it seemed like something was about to happen with him. His eyes shifted between Vader and jewel they sought, and his stare hardened. Muad’Dib unsheathed his crysknife, raised it in the air in Vader and Karus’s direction, and all the Fremen warriors began marching down the crater, with him following close behind.

Karus noticed something beginning to stir with Vader too. He never took his eyes off Muad’Dib, and neither did he. They both knew what was coming.

“Admiral, focus all your firepower on the advancing Fremen, and do whatever you can to obtain the jewel, leave Emperor Muad’Dib to me.”

Karus smiled, happy to see Vader finally take action. “Yes, Lord Vader,” he said.

Vader began marching forward into the battlefield. When he reached the bottom of the crater, he was on eye level with Muad’Dib, though they were still some distance from each other. Even from a distance, Vader was a terrifying and imposing figure to behold, with his tall build, his dark shadowy appearance, and his flowing black cape making him seem larger than he already is, it was enough to strike fear into anyone who witnessed him. But the Fremen showed none of it, even when many of them were getting blasted by Karus’s forces from the crater’s rim, for their passion and devotion to Muad’Dib was much stronger than any fear they’d potentially feel to any enemy. 

Vader pulled out and ignited his lightsaber, its red glow making his figure appear more menacing than it already was, and both he and Muad’Dib continued marching towards each other, both trying to get close to the steps of the spire before the other. Five Fremen warriors then ran ahead of Paul, all with crysknives in hand, and all of them headed in Vader’s direction. Once they were close, they all leapt forward, preparing to attack, one of them shouting “For Muad’Dib!” as they did so. But one swing of Vader’s lightsaber was all it took to take all five warriors out and send them flying back, with not a single of them managing to touch him. Vader couldn’t decide whether to admire the Fremen’s devotion to Muad’Dib, or to think them foolish.

More Fremen began running towards Vader, all with the same fury in their blue eyes, but each one that attacked were taken out just as quickly as the last, being sliced by Vader’s lightsaber, thrown away by his Force powers, or even a combination of both, and still not a single scratch landed on Vader. They weren’t even able to make him falter from his advancing march towards Muad’Dib. One Fremen warrior even attempted to shoot Vader with a maula pistol, only for the darts to be stopped midair by Vader’s Force and thrown back at the shooter. Another tried to blast Vader with a lasgun, but that also didn’t work, as Vader used his Force again to snatch the lasgun out of the Fremen warrior’s hands and throw it far away outside of the crater, before he sliced down the warrior as well.

Now there was nothing standing between Vader and Muad’Dib. The two leaders of their respective armies once again stared each other down as they advanced towards each other, while also quickly glancing up at the jewel, which shone like a beacon at the very top of the spire next to them.

Finally, the dark lord and the emperor met right at the very center of the crater. Vader with his lightsaber in his gloved hand, and Paul Muad’Dib with his crysknife in his. Vader quickly tried to make the first move by extending his hand out to use the Force, but the split second before he could do anything, he heard something that made him stop dead in his tracks.

“Stop!” Muad’Dib commanded.

Before Vader could think about it, he found himself obeying. He didn’t know what came over him, but something in Muad’Dib’s voice compelled his body to obey, not even knowing his mind was protesting.

“Throw aside your weapon!” Muad’Dib commanded again.

Vader did exactly that, as he switched off his lightsaber and tossed it to the ground beside him.

“Stay there!” he commanded one more time.

Vader obeyed, saying nothing, and stood in place. In the back of his mind, he was trying to protest against what was happening to him, but the rest of his conscious body didn’t listen. He fully expected Muad’Dib to take this opportunity to kill him where he stood, as he was currently at his most vulnerable state, yet oddly enough, it never came. Muad’Dib just changed his course and walked straight to the stairs of the spire and began walking up it, and Vader was powerless to stop him.

Hater saw everything that happened from the edge of the crater’s rim, and was completely shocked at what he witnessed. He and Peepers expected there to be an epic clash between Vader and Muad’Dib that would keep them distracted so Peepers could take the opportunity to sneak past them and snatch the jewel, but Muad’Dib stopped the fight before it even happened. One part of Hater couldn’t help but find it funny to see the big bad villain who he once admired and who constantly looked down on him was defeated so easily, but that came at the cost that his opportunity to take the Jewel of Infinite Power was about to be lost.

“Oh no! Sir, quickly! Do something!” Peepers begged in panic as he and Hater watched Emperor Muad’Dib slowly go up the stairs of the spire.

“With pleasure,” Hater said, his voice dripping with sinister anger as his hands began to crackle with green electricity again.

“No, sir! Don’t destroy him! We need him to keep Vader distracted and vice versa! Who knows how long before Vader snaps out of it!”

Hater frowned as the lightning in his hands went out. “Ugh, fine!” He quickly looked around to see what he could use to stop Emperor Muad’Dib in his tracks, and he spotted a small rock, not too big that it would cause serious injury to the emperor, but enough that it would cause him to stop in his tracks.

As Paul Muad’Dib was nearly halfway up the stairs, he suddenly felt a sharp pain as a small hard object hit the back of his head. He rubbed the spot where it hurt and turned to see a rock tumbling down the stairs, and looked up to see Lord Hater at the rim of the crater, obviously having been the one who threw it.

Lord Hater bent down to pick up another rock and threw it, which Paul dodged easily, as he actually saw it coming this time, without the need for prescience.

“Hey! Paul! Muad’Dib? More like Muad’Dumb!” Hater laughed mockingly while pointing as he began to pick up another rock. “Also, your name means ‘desert mouse’ which is a really lame name for an evil overlord. Wait, you don’t even think you’re a villain, do you? You’re like the more quiet brooding version of Brad Starlight! And I hate Brad Starlight!”

Hater threw yet another rock at the Emperor of the Known Universe, who dodged it easily again, and was trying to keep his focus on getting to the jewel. Unbeknownst to Paul, Darth Vader began to snap out of the influence of the Voice, his pure rage breaking the trance he was in.

Vader shook his head and snapped it in Paul’s direction, who was currently distracted by the rocks being thrown by Lord Hater. He used the Force to retrieve his lightsaber, and once it was back in his hand, he used his other to use the Force to pull Paul towards him. As the prophet emperor was pulled towards the sith lord, who ignited his lightsaber in preparation to strike, Paul thought quicker, as Vader forgot to account for the crysknife he still held in his hand, and he sliced Vader’s extended arm, catching him by surprise and causing him to release Paul from his invisible grip.

As Paul landed back on solid ground, he moved fast to strike Vader, but the dark lord quickly moved away and swung his lightsaber at Paul, who also dodged. The two leaders kept moving to attack each other and avoiding the other’s attacks, eventually losing themselves in a duel.

From behind a rock on the crater’s rim, Peepers’ watched this happen, and knew his opportunity had finally revealed itself. Muad’Dib and Vader were distracted by each other.

“Yes! Yes! This is it!” he said excitedly.

Peepers ran down the crater’s rim and right into the nearly empty battlefield. He ran behind Vader and Muad’Dib, who were too busy fighting to even notice him, and the little eyeball man began to run up the stairs of the spire. Ultimate power was just within his grasp!

Hater watched as the blue-eyed emperor and the cyborg dark lord fought, pretty surprised that Emperor Muad’Dib even lasted this long only having a knife in hand while Vader had a freaking laser sword. Peepers was ascending up the spire stairs, and soon the Jewel of Infinite Power would be his and he’d have his victory over Vader and Muad’Dib. 

But Hater didn’t feel like that’d be satisfying enough. Hater wanted to make sure Vader was extra humiliated once Hater got his victory, it would make it all the more sweeter, and teach Vader a lesson that he’d never forget: Never underestimate Lord Hater.

Hater looked around to find another rock for him to throw, this time to be aimed at Vader. The skeleton found a particularly big rock. It wasn’t too big that it’d be hard to throw far, but it was much bigger than the stones he’d been throwing at Muad’Dib. A bigger stone was needed considering Vader wore a helmet. He grabbed the rock and aimed it at Vader, who currently had his back turned on him and had his full attention on his opponent.

Peepers was already halfway up the stairs, getting closer and closer every second, as well as getting more tired. The spire felt much taller when you were actually going up it.

“Almost there! Almost there!” Peepers repeated to himself as he continued running up the steps.

Peepers decided to look back in Hater’s direction, and what he saw caused his eye to widen and unknowingly stop dead in his tracks. Hater had a large rock in hand, and was preparing to throw at Vader, which would ruin the one thing keeping their rivals at bay.

“Sir, NO!”

But it was too late, Hater had thrown the rock. Vader and Muad’Dib were in the middle of running at each other, preparing to clash, but the moment before that could happen, a rock hit Vader at the back of his head, causing a dent in his helmet and knocking him out cold. Muad’Dib stopped in his tracks and just stared at his unconscious opponent in surprise. He looked at Hater who threw the rock, then at the spire behind him, where he saw Peepers halfway up the stairs. 

Muad’Dib turned around and began walking up the stairs as well, causing Peepers to panic and run up the stairs even faster than before. He then saw it, the jewel, just resting on a small column at the very top. It was so close, just within reach, he was about to get it!

“Stop!” the Voice of Emperor Muad’Dib entered Peeper’s mind, which caused him to freeze in place and stop running, no matter how much his mind protested.

Muad’Dib came up behind him, slowly and steadily walking up the steps. He grabbed Peepers by his yoke with one hand and tossed Peepers away down the steps, not even pausing his slow ascent up the spire as he did so.

This time, it was Hater’s turn to panic. Not only did he just ruin their one chance at getting the jewel, but now there was absolutely nothing standing between it and Emperor Muad’Dib, and the emperor was getting dangerously close to their target.

“No. Nononononono NO!”

The skeleton lord began running as fast as he possibly could, getting from the crater’s rim to the spire stairs in a quick flash. He was coming up behind Emperor Muad’Dib, who very slowly turned around to see the Hater running towards him at full speed.

“That jewel is mine, Mouse Man!” Hater shouted as he prepared to strike Muad’Dib out of the way.

“Trip down the stairs,” Muad’Dib commanded using the Voice again, and before Hater knew it, he tripped on one of the steps and tumbled all the way down to the bottom of the stairs. “Oh, and throw rocks at yourself,” he added, which Hater obeyed and began throwing every rock he could grab at his own face.

Hater did not know how long he’d been throwing rocks at himself, but he knew he messed up his face badly. He was unable to stop himself until Peepers snapped him out of it.

“Sir! SIR!”

Hater finally took back control of his own body and stopped himself from throwing the next rock. He shook his head before throwing the rock away.

“What?! What is it?!” Hater yelled at his subordinate, both in anger and in panic.

“Look!” Peepers pointed to the top of the spire in which Hater’s eyes followed, and the two of them became consumed in fear at what they saw.

Emperor Muad’Dib stood victoriously at the very top of the spire with the jewel in his hand, which shone like a bright red beacon held in the fingers of his raised arm for everyone around to see. All the Fremen soldiers in and around the crater raised their crysknives in victory as well, all chanting Muad’Dib’s name proudly.

This was it, this was the end. Hater and Peepers both knew that Emperor Muad’Dib could now potentially erase them from existence with just a mere thought with the power of the jewel. It was only a matter of time before he decided what to do first with the object of infinite power he held.

Behind them, Vader slowly began to return to consciousness, his head still aching, but quickly becoming shocked as he saw what was going on.

After a few moments of the Fremen army cheering, Emperor Muad’Dib raised his other hand, and everyone went quiet. He then took a closer look at the jewel he held, bringing it closer to his face, it’s red glow reflecting off him.

“The Jewel of Infinite Power. Said to grant all the power and knowledge that the universe has to offer to all those who possess it,” Muad’Dib announced to his audience.

He took another minute to contemplate the object of power he held, thinking deeply as he stared unblinkingly at it. He then turned back to look at his audience, raising the jewel in display yet again.

“Only the path of Muad’Dib can grant infinite power and knowledge, not this profane jewel!” he announced before he dropped the jewel out of his hand into the floor and blasted it into a million pieces with his lasgun.

“WHAT?!” Hater, Peepers, and Vader exclaimed loudly in disbelief. They could even hear Karus exclaim the same thing from the Stormtrooper side of the crater’s rim.

Muad’Dib looked back up at his peers again, his face harder and colder than before. He threw away the chance for infinite power like it was completely worthless, which just left Hater and Peepers more confused than ever.

A starship descended down from the sky with its entrance open and its ramp open for Muad’Dib to enter.

“Wipe this crater off the face of this planet!” Muad’Dib commanded his forces one last time before walking into his starship and flew off, disappearing from everyone’s sight. 

The Fremen all cheered again, all repeatedly chanting the name of Muad’Dib as many of them pulled out their rocket launchers and lasguns, all aiming them at the spire. Before long, the spire was attacked by a hail of rockets and lasers from all sides. With all the explosions, the rockets and cuts from the lasers, it wasn’t long before millions of pieces of shattered rock flew all around and the spire began to crumble to the ground.

Panic returned to Hater and Peepers as they exchanged a glance before they dipped out of the exploding crater back to the Skullship as quickly as they could. Behind them, Vader managed to get himself up and evacuated the crater as well. He, Karus, and all the Stormtroopers all quickly head back to their own ships and fly out of there, and Hater does the same.

As Hater flew away, he looked back at the crater on the grey planet, which has now turned into a flaming pit of fire and rubble, with not even a trace of the spire left.

The Skullship flew through space, now having enough distance between itself and the danger it fled from, but Lord Hater just sat quietly inside, still in shock over what just happened. Emperor Muad’Dib had the means of ultimate power to control and conquer the entire universe in an instant in his grasp, yet he went through a rough battle against Vader just to throw it away like it was worthless. He could understand some dumb little goody two shoes like Wander doing that, but not someone as powerful as Emperor Muad’Dib. What was up with that?

“I…just don’t…understand,” Hater said to himself. “Grrgghh! Stupid Vader! Stupid Paul! They keep ruining everything!”

[bornofbloodandwater]

❛ Is that blood? is it yours? ❜ - @envychosen

        “Some.”

A trail evidently leading to the bathroom door she left cracked.

Weight heavy on one elbow, leant over the ever reddening sink, glass striking against porcelain every few seconds. Her breathing coming harsh in the quiet. What can be caught of her face in the mirror is speckled in dry blood. Not a sliver of white to her eyes, trained to the shining shards peppering her from elbow to jaw.

With every pull, her mind lurches on the cliffedge.

[runeofgold]

🔫🔫🔫🔫 Tell us how your Elden Ring ocs spend valentine’s day >:3c (idc if i’m a day late agdhdhdhdh)

OH SHIT IM BEING HAPPILY HELD AT GUN POINT!! YES OFC ANYTHING FOR YOU!!!

No matter it's a day late! Love day is everyday fr fr

LETS GET ON WIT IT AYYYYYY~

Adeian: Adeian spends today quietly. For, he it the only one in Lunashallow anymore.. Unless Maliketh's around. Then, as they always do, they spend every hour of every minute sweetly with eachother. Adeian doesn't have any special gifts, he only has himself. And you know what? That's enough for Maliketh. The two large wolf like beasts spend time cuddling on eachother, cooking for eachother, enjoying a hot drink together, (its always snowy and cold in Lunashallow..) And just in general, licking each other and grooming the other's fur lovingly. Words need not be said, for actions speak louder than words, especially cuddled up by the fireplace on this snowy day.

Graeivikk: What day is it? Oh! Right! Gotta go get a bouquet, some sweet treats, and a item of meaning for his beloved, Blaidd! He's like Adeian, usually in Lunashallow, but he's traveled far and wide over the Land's Between. Blaidd isn't even expecting it when he shows up with flowers and gifts in his arms! Graei's tail is wagging as he says the phrase. "Happy Valentine's day luv!" Ranni watches from her magic bubble, smile plastered on her face as Graei proceeds to take Blaidd out for 'romantic' sightseeing. And they have a blast! They see all the famous places mentioned in books and scrolls, but their last stop is Nokron. The eternal nightsky. Where they sit, and watch the false stars above them while Graei has an arm wrapped around Blaidd, as they enjoy the view together.

Daedra:... Really? Some silly day dedicated to love? Cmon.. You think Daedra would participate? Yes. Yes he does! He's got his love on his mind all the time, who happens to be Varre! Who stands idly at the rose chapel. Daedra rides up on Torrent, who has PACKS full of gifts, sweets, and a whole lot of roses. Varre.. Doesn't know what to say. Daedra hops off the horse, and silently offers a bouquet. Varre can't see his lover's face, but he can't help but smile. He knows Daedra is blushing. He takes the bouquet with a smile, and thanks Daedra. Daedra, who's kinda awkward, rubs the back of his Night's Cavalry helm before offering to take Varre on a romantic horseback ride. But first- his gifts. Which are all correlations to Daedra's love for Varre. Most is hand made, with love and care. They go for a ride on Torrent, and at the end of it, Varre leans on Daedra, as they sit on a cliffedge in Liurnia, watching the sunset.

Cyrus: Truly? He's never celebrated anything. A day of love? How sweet.. He's unfamiliar however. Godwyn has to introduce him to the customs- even with Loustatt being long returned to him, Cyrus still doesn't know how to participate. Godwyn happily shows him how! Cyrus is an eager learner, he's very interested in all the traditions and customs the Land's Between have! After getting an idea, he pardons himself, and returns later with an armful of flowers he picked himself. But.. Not just that. It turns out, he's braided them all together into a cloak. And by his will, these flowers are forever! Cyrus gets down on one knee, looking up to Godwyn, and in his own words, tells Godwyn just how much he means to the Outer God himself, and that he cherishes every moment spent with Godwyn. From there, they go strolling through lovely, scenic places. All the while, Cyrus describes all he sees, and how he feels with Godwyn. It's all lovely, sweet words tailored to him, specifically. His ears only.

Loustatt: From the night before, He has been preparing! He cooks up breakfast, and brings it to Godwyn the moment he wakes. He greets his ray of sunshine with a smile, and kiss to the forehead. Gently waking him, to a heart themed breakfast. Godwyn can't help but have a toothache from how sweet Loustatt is! Loustatt has prepared a plethora of secret lovely plans, all centered around Godwyn. He has flowers, and cards hidden around to point out to Godwyn. When Godwyn finds them, and reads them, his heart swells with adoration.. Sweet words, special made with him in mind, written by Loustatt's knowledgeable hand. The flowers were hand picked, just before Godwyn woke up. This day is all Loustatt giving to Godwyn, the knight expects nothing in return. Godwyn has his own heap of gifts to give! But in the end, there is no better gift that Loustatt can ask for other than Godwyn himself.

Ruhérlann: Seriously? He won't touch this day with a 10ft pole! Yuck! Love.. Who needs it? Its for dreamers and children! Ruher has his books.. He has some scrolls to jot down, the duke has no need for such a dumb holiday. How is it even a holiday?.. But even still, he longs to be apart of it. It why he hates anything, because he can't have it. When he gets those first flowers, gifts, and treats, he has to force himself to not tear up, and act like he's so high and mighty, but it pleases him. It satisfies the deep down want to love and be loved. The more that come, the more the wall he built around himself starts to come down. By the end, he has a whole bunch of gifts and flowers around him, and he's weeping like a lost little boy.. This will all be a hollow feeling tommorow, but he's enjoying it while it lasts. By tommorow, he'll be sick of the reminder of what he will never truly grasp, drowning his sorrows in his studies, looking for answers to the questions he's always had.

Hadrian: Its his FAVORITE day! He goes around decorating and braiding flowers together, weaving them lovingly and carefully. Everyone he sees gets one! Starts this whole love circle, where everyone lays in the grass, and points out the shapes in the sky, describing what they see. Hadrian has so much love to give. Hugs those who consent to being hugged! You mean something not only today, but everyday! Smile, love, laugh. If someone doesn't do it, who will? Hadrian expects little back, or even many to participate in his silly little celebration. Godrick thinks its dumb, but Haddie is happy, and that's what matters. Only Hadrian had a gift for him, and its a sweet little wood carving of child Hadrian, and Godrick. Its draped in small flowers he found, and wove together. Godrick smiles softly, and thanks Hadrian. He loves his little gift..

Tennren: Secretly, our cowardly, himbo sorcerer who acts clueless, is not what he seems! He's an ancient sorcerer, he doesn't do stupid holidays like this one.. He has better things to do. But, unfortunately for Tennren, he has an Apprentice who loves him, and his own lover that knows all about today! The reclusive sorceror is cooped up in his personal rise, overlooking his teaching scrolls, grading his apprentice's earlier work. He is not expecting flowers, gifts, or anything of the sort.. He just wanted a quiet day, but instead he is dragged out and forced to have a good time! He wants to act all bratty and upset that he was basically kidnapped to have a good time, but in the end, he had a great time! He won't admit it though. Admires the gifts too, is weary about some of the strange sweet combinations..

Verdan: What better day for the God of Love and Dreams to be here for other than the day of love! Loves EVERY THING that's going on! Like Hadrian, he goes around and participates in events, getting everyone in on the love! And being the God of love, no doubt people are smooching their lover around him! He drops in to see Hadrian, one of his known children, and comes bearing gifts for both his son, and Godrick. Who's actually happy to see him! Godrick knows Verdan is around, and isn't tied to just one person. He's happy he's back, and gladly spends some time with him, and Hadrian. Just the three of them, for the moment, being a happy family. Before Verdan is off again, to spread the word of love, promising his return one day.

[loudmound]

art therapy has breached 20k words [driving my car off a cliffedge]

[cruelfeline]

Cliffedge Cavern is a particularly memorable point of interest in Avoalet's Fountainfields.

It's initially not quite clear how to get inside this cave: there's a small entrance, but it's not quite big enough for Frey to comfortably crawl through, and besides: it's blocked.

Some brief observation of the resident Breakbeasts gives us a hint, albeit a morbid one: the teratornis have all flocked around this hole in the rock above. There's an adult skeleton there, but they seem to congregate around the hole more than anything else. Once Frey dispatches the corrupted vultures, we're able to safely drop down into the cavern itself. There, we are greeted by a single female Broken; she is easily eliminated. The only other occupants are a pair of children's skeletons. One perished next to their doll.

Frey and Cuff have a unique dialogue in this place: commenting on how they were just kids, with Frey asking why there were no adults here to help them.

The story of this place could be interpreted in so many ways. At minimum, one gets the impression of these two children hiding in this cave, barring the crawlspace entrance to try to prevent anyone from following them inside. Or perhaps, an adult ushered them in and barred the entrance after them: the last act of a desperate parent... maybe the skeleton found up above?

The Broken woman may have fallen in afterwards...or maybe she is their actual mother, compelled to return even in her corrupted state, only the memory of her hidden children driving her.

Perhaps she had been here with them all along, watching them slowly starve until the Break came and turned her, leaving her to wander next to their skeletons for eternity. Until Frey arrives to end this grotesque suffering.

No matter what one imagines, it's horrible. Two small children wasting away in a protected cave that ultimately became no more than a tomb. A Broken woman the only adult with them. And a flock of corrupted vultures circling overhead, drawn by the scent of decay wafting up from that hole.

Why does Frey want to leave Athia? Because it's filled with horrors like this.

[garykingz]

I think you and Carlos would look better riding off into the sunset together (; give him a chance

Sure! Hop in, Carlos !!

*Slams on the gas and jumps out before the car goes full speed over a cliffedge* OH NOOO CARLOS

Anyway

[sivavakkiyar]

Satie or Webern?

What a cool cliffedge! I wonder if it works like it does in cartoons

[potionwitchmaya-15]

youre not insane but i think you on purpose dropped a few rocks down a cliffedge so you could hear them go tak.... Tak.... Taktak.

Unfortunately there are no good cliffs where I live so I've never been able to do that 😔 but you're wrong I am insane