#he fights magical beings to protect a prince who has no idea

[strawberrymochin]

Crown prince!gojo who has met you on his little sneak trip out of the imperial palace. He saw you lone scrubbing on a piece of silk, as slow tears trailed down your chin.

“does washing a single piece of silk cause you such great sadness?” his tone startled you, lacing with a hint of sarcasm.

You take a look on his stunning majestic brocade, and shiny silk robes, his hair tied up with a silver hair piece in which delicate blue crystals sparkled the evening sun. His attire suggested audience, unable to conceal his blood rank.

“i expect nothing from you to understand who hasn't even worked himself for a single day.” you made a snarky comment, frustrated from the overflowing tasks given by your mistress. You cared any less for pleasing or showing any respect for an notable rank.

Crown prince!gojo who had never been spoken so harshly with a taunt in air, had spiked his interests. After your abrupt leave, he got his attendants to search for you. And the next thing you know, is that you are summoned in the imperial palace to serve his highness who has requested you from the household you work in.

You who had never met any royals, and no idea who the mighty crown prince, taking over the kingdom after his father looked like, had your colour drained from your face after a single look at him.

He looked cunning with his azure eyes as his white hair, was now tied up in a knot, white robes with blue brocade and a belt of silk wrapped around his waist, which shone in the reflecting lights from the courtyard where you were summoned in.

“your highness" you bowed, your brow touching the grounds, mentally cursing your tongue to have provoked him the last day. God knows what he might ask you to do. Worse even your life being snatched away.

Crown prince!gojo who tells you to rise your head up, dismissing his attendants, now his smile looking more of mischievous. “you shifted your personality with such measures I'm impressed,” his lips creak a bit, but as of incredulity.

Crown prince!gojo who grinned even more when you unable to keep your composure snap at him. He wants you to be his companion, learning by his side before he assumes his court duties.

Crown prince!gojo who confesses to you the night you beat him in sword fight after almost 2 years spending day and night with you. Falling even more every single day.

Crown prince!gojo who clasps your hand to his chest while kissing you, under the solicitude of moonlight.

Crown prince!gojo who tells you he wanted to kiss you for so long, that his heart burned with agony.

Crown prince!gojo whose eyes darkens everytime he sees you taking with captain!geto from afar during your war practice sessions.

Crown prince!gojo who gifts you a tassal woven by him with tear drops of jades dangling from it, which is enchanted and protects you from all harms.

Crown prince!gojo whose dull eyes avoids yours during the entire crowning ceremony, face looking pale at the moment the emperor announces his betrothal to a princess of another strong kingdom.

It stabbed your heart, smeared it into Shards of glass and if you were tranced by an enchantment, you also joined the crowd praising the holy couple soon to be married.

Your throat felt dry as your heart burnt with rage. That's when finally his eyes meet yours—knowing very well this is the last time you see it.

Crown prince!gojo who cries himself to sleep as you left to join the army, never returning back to the imperial palace, as his companion anymore.

Crown prince!gojo whose heart thunders in his chest as whenever he learns you were about on a mission to fight with dangerous monsters.

Crown prince!gojo who sneaks in your room to heal your injuries with his magic, before any healer appears.

Crown prince!gojo who gets annoyed at the appearance of captain!geto, who came to check up on you.

Gojo's gaze steady upon geto as he entered the room nonchalantly, obvious to the tension in the air. He knows it rages the prince whenever he talks to you. And you know what? your captain loves to feast upon what others can't have. Especially in this case the we are talking about his highness Prince. How could he not lace his finger with you only to see prince gojo's fists rolling into balls as veins popped out on his jaw.

Crown prince!gojo who takes his leave, dismal as he exchanges cold glances with captain!geto.

This is terrible. You thought.

A/n- and it's fun for me. Lol. Shall I continue this with captain!geto?

[yan-lorkai]

I saw requests were open! I like to request PLATONIC! Lilia with a daughter (or child if you wanna make it gender neutral) who is like Ariel (the Disney princess)

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Warnings: Soft platonic yandere content, fem reader, reader has red hair but that's the only physical description.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ A/N: Lovely request, I hope you like it! <3

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Lilia Vanrouge was known for many things; mainly for being a general, the brother of Meleanor, guardian of Prince Malleus, and a loving father. His daughter, similar to Ariel, had beautiful red hair, an adventurous spirit and a kind heart. He had found her soon after finding Silver, lying dormant above the lake, a beautiful green tail revealing to him what you were.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ However, the strange part was that your parents weren't around. No matter how much he called or dived, he hadn't found them anywhere and Lilia was a fairy, who should he turn to to report a missing mermaid child? He did what fairies do and stole you (although if anyone asked, he would say he just adopted you).

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ A traveler and connoisseur, he knew a thing or two about potions. And that's how he gave you legs and what an idea that was! As soon as you learned to walk, you couldn't stop running, dragging Silver with you wherever you went. It was tiring to take care of you, but Lilia loved it. You and Silver were the best part of his day, and the memories he forged with both of you was something he would never forget.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Since you were little, you have shown a fascination with the aquatic world, always asking your father about the fish, the algae and the tides. Somehow, he supposed, you knew your home was down there and swimming came naturally to you.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Lilia, although protective, never contained your curiosity. He taught you how to fight and defend yourself, but he also encouraged your passion for music and exploration, preferring that over you wandering aimlessly or swimming, afraid that you would simply disappear, even more if you knew the truth. Nights in Briar Valley are often filled with the sound of your songs, which are reminiscent of the old ballads Lilia used to hear on his travels. Your voice is soft to his heart, like a promise of an old friend.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Despite growing on the cottage, isolated from everyone except your father and brother, you captives everyone who meets you for the first time. Your red, beautiful hair makes everyone turn around to admire and when you sing, they are hypnotized by you - even if you don't why that happens, though it's just your mermaid voice acting.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Lilia likes to tell his old stories of battles and magic to you and Silver, while you, in return, like to talk about the ancient and mysterious artifacts you found during your dives. Lilia helps you organize your items, listening to how much you like your little collection of things.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Overall, he is a very sweet and doting father. He let you run free knowing full well he can take you home if you ever strayed away, if you ever feel hurt if you didn't know you too were adopted. And if this do happens, he sooth and comfort you. You are family and family stay together.

[kenandeliza]

A Marvel Family Fantasy AU

A few days ago, I randomly dreamt of Drawing Billy and Tawny in a fantasy setting.

Billy was this kid wizard and Tawny was his companion (or an animal to ride on like a horse)

Then it got me thinking, maybe in this setting, Mary could be someone of high status in this fantasy setting (since she's in a rich family in the golden age comics)

I'm inclined to think Freddy would be a captain of a ship for irony-sake but I have a feeling pirates and fantasy settings don't match well?

It's just funny for me to think of him with a peg leg xD

After further discussion with @the-brash-spud :

Warning: Too many text :>

These are the ideas we have so far (if there are quotation marks, those ideas belonged to @the-brash-spud ):

—

Maybe Billy and Mary were prince and princess separated by birth, (i'm not sure if its a kidnapping or the baby got lost on his own) but the wizard founded billy and trained him.

At the ripe age of (insert young age below a teenager's), The wizard decided to grant him the power of shazam to turn him into the world's mightiest Wizard!

Captain Marvel!

Wizard dies and then Billy and Tawny have adventures together, maybe helping people along the way (maybe somehow found out that Mary is his sister :p idk)

“ I think you could go angst if you made the wizard get brutally hurt in a battle to protect Billy and the rock of eternity so in a last ditch effort he transports the rock to its own pocket of existence and then giving Billy powers of shazam because its as ready as he'll be able to make the kid :) and it's his last effort for Billy to be protected even if he has to do so himself because he has failed :)) made Billy cry as Wizard turns into dust in Billy’s hands :)))”

—

Uncle marvel can be a con-man/thief who took pity on Billy or realiz, teaching Billy that the world isn't always honest and he's like, "Billy, don't always give money to the poor on the streets, sometimes they faked their illness to be lazy”

" Billy: "The man in the shadowy corner needs my help."

Uncle: "No, the hell he doesn't!”"

—-

How Billy Met Freddy

Billy probably met Freddy in a bar fight. How did the kid get into a bar?

Billy looked at the man exiting the pub with a bottle.

Billy: Ohh! So this is where you get refreshments here! I wonder If they have enough Milk for Tawny..

Pub sign written NO KIDS ALLOWED!"

*Billy can only read magic scrolls and not regular alphabet*

Cue him meeting Freddy (who's armwrestling with one of the people there)

(Insert Bar fight for some reason because The child decided to drink a white cocktail thinking it was milk and the fact that Billy is a Kid)

“Freddie is definitely that kid having his ass thrown out of the bar/pub/inn”

I'd like to think he and his brother are a team, prolly sailed a ship together.

“Yes, they target slave ships. Unless you wanna go different routes. Then, he is focused on certain nations' flags that have a whole lot of red in them

Also, he goes to the bars just to start bar fights over drunks being mean/nasty to the landlady. The landlady doesn't appreciate it bc now she has a broken table and four broken chairs”

Freddy faces the Captain Nazi equivalent of a pirate [Captain Arian? Like Aryan?] XD, Freddy lost his leg the same way, from his encounter with Captain Arian.

Kit (probably a necromancer or a ghost who's cursed to be bound in the ship Freddy's in, making Freddy more attached to the ship) can still summon crewmembers.

Maybe they both meet mary during the birthday ceremony parade

Maybe Mary snuck off from her family (disguise herself as a regular girl, i know, generic plot) and then meet Billy accidentally

Billy: It's my birthday today!

Mary: What a coincidence! It's mine too!

The-brash-spud: “Billy, in his innocence, thinks ,"There must be something to us sharing birthdays!" While Freddy calls him stupid, Billy tries to get a look at the princes and then cue the lung-fu panda rocket incident, but maybe something else more fitting with Freddy being pulled along”

On an unrelated note, i think Billy knew about Freddy's peg legafter either a pirate slashed it clean and Freddy just used it to bonk his head.

Billy is still screaming from the shock and immediately casted healing spells (i'd like to think everything about billy is lightning based- so yes getting struck by lightning is a healing spell for him :D) Freddy got shocked lmao

And what about boarding Tawny on the ship?

Billy:"Please???"

Freddy: "I'm not letting a tiger into my ship."

Kit who absolutely adores animals: "YES"

Freddy:"NO!”

Kit:" Does he love belly rubs??"

Billy:" yes but you have to ask him politely for his permission-”

Freddy rolled his eyes, realizing he has to clean cat fur everyday off from the furnitures.

___

How did Mary, a royalty tag along with a kid wizard and a pirate?

“Yeah, I guess forced separation would work better. Hell, go with a scenario that will allow them to have Mary with the parents' blessings as long as she's kept safe (she isn't, but that's because she is the danger herself)”

Mary and Billy: "Yay adventure"

Freddy: "Oh great, now I have to take care of two kids and a tiger in my ship!?"

*Freddy looking at Kit and the kids + a tiger playing together, kit seems happy*

Freddy: "...i guess it's alright..”

___

How Freddy and Mary found out about the wizard?

“Hmmmm, maybe Billy takes them to the rock because they were in a pickle, and unforeseen effects happen?

They got surrounded maybe?

Also I can see the aftermath

"You were raised by THE Wizard!? THE Wizard?! A Wizard of legends so often told he is recognisable even if his name was lost?!"

"Oh, his name is Shazam-" *BANG*”

____

Hopefully i could draw these AU ideas, I don't plan on making this into a story, i just like the concept that my dream gave my a few days ago and I’m just expanding it. Sorry for too many text xD

I don't mind if you want to add something to this silly lil AU, It's just a fun thing for me to do :p

[specialagentlokitty]

Arthur x reader - our secret

Can you do Arthur with Merlin’s sister who also has magic and uses it to save him and he keeps her secret because he cares about her.🙃🙂 - @faithm120601 💜

Running through the hallways, you were cursing your brother out for making you do this.

You didn’t want to be a part of anything, but he made a good point of Arthur probably had no idea about the intruders, and that somebody had to warn him but it was too last.

Since Merlin could keep them back a little and use his magic without Arthur being there, he then left telling the prince of Camelot to you.

“Is everything alright (Y/N)?” Leon asked.

“Intruders at the front! Merlin trying to hold them off!” You called.

“What?!”

“Go! I’ll tell Prince Arthur!”

Leon nodded his head and ran in the direction you had just come from while you carried on your route.

You were close, just a few more hallways and you were be there.

Running around the final one, you stopped to take a few breaths, walking over to the doors where there were supposed to be guards.

But there were none and that put you on edge as you approached the large doors.

You could hear the signs of struggling, and you peaked through the gap in the door.

You could see anything, but you could tell there was a fight going on inside, so, cautiously you opened the door a bit more so you could slip in.

Arthur was in there, pinned to the wall, struggling to hold back the sword that was against his neck.

You didn’t know what to do, and in your panic of not wanting to let him die, you raised your hands, eyes turning gold as you whispered something under your breath.

You threw your hand to the side, and the attacker went flying on the floor.

Quickly you lowered your hand and hid yourself behind a cabinet.

“Who’s there?” Arthur called.

He looked around, but couldn’t see anybody.

He couldn’t search the room, he needed to deal with the attacker.

After a few moments you stood up.

“Sire, there’s been intruders, Sir Leon has been told and he has gone to my brother who is at the front of the castle with them.” You said.

Arthur looked at you, then the unconscious man on the floor.

“I think the warning came a bit too late.” He snapped slightly.

“I’m sorry, I came as fast as I could.”

Arthur sighed, shaking his head.

“It’s fine, who else has been told?”

“King Uther, as well as the other guards.” You explained.

Arthur slowly nodded his head, narrowing his eyes at you a little bit.

He carried on binding the man so he couldn’t break free, and began to slowly move around the room.

You watched him carefully, making sure that he was okay.

Seeing movement behind him you looked at it.

“Arthur behind you!”

He wasn’t going to be able to turn around quick enough, you saw that.

So, you did the one thing you’re good at.

Using your magic, you used it to throw a book at the man, and you quickly put your hands behind your back.

“You have magic?!” Arthur hissed.

You said nothing.

He marched over to you, standing right in front of you, sword still clutched tightly in his hands.

“Please don’t tell my brother… or Gaius…” you whispered.

He furrowed his brows.

“They don’t know?”

You sighed, looking at him, shaking your head a little bit.

“No, I knew what would happen to me if anybody found out, I never wanted to bring them into that. They know nothing of it.”

Arthur looked a little confused.

“You know what will happen to you but still you chose to use magic in front of me? Why?”

You gave Arthur a little smile.

“Because you’re the prince, it may not be my duty to protect you, but you were in danger. I would do it over again, between you dying to some intruders, and me being executed for using magic, I guess the choice is as simple as any.”

“You were the one behind the defence last week, aren’t you? Bandits suddenly disappear, what did you do with them?”

“I am, but they didn’t get hurt. I simply trapped them in a different part of the valley to you is all. Then scared them away.”

Arthur slowly nodded his head.

“Why will you not run away?”

“What’s the use? You already know, I knew what my fate would be when I made that choice sire, why run?”

He looked at you and you smiled at him.

“Please Sire, Merlin and Gaius may be confused, but don’t tell them. Tell them I left, I had to go home, I’ll write a note, it’ll be easier on them.”

Arthur sighed softly, nodding his head.

“Of course, I’m sorry it has to come to this.” He said quietly.

You smiled slightly.

“It’s okay.”

You both turned to the door as it was opened, and Uther came rushing in with some guards.

You bowed your head in respect, stepping away from the Prince.

You listened to them as they talk, but stayed lost in your own mind at the same time, not really taking the words in.

You were trying to think of what would happen to your brother, your best friend, you just wanted at least for him to be okay.

“You did this?”

You snapped out of your head, turning to the king, nodding your head.

“Yes sire, I did.”

He looked at you, walking closer.

“You brought down a fully grown man? How?”

You went to speak, but Arthur beat you too it.

“She threw the book! She has a good throw from what I saw.”

Uther turned to his son.

“Threw a book?”

Arthur quickly picked up the book you had used your magic on, and set it down on the cabinet.

“I see.”

Uther turned to you.

“In that case, thank you. I dread to think what would have happened if you hadn’t of come.”

“You needn’t thank me. I would do the same again if I had to.”

Uther smiled a little.

“That’s reassuring to hear, I will have these two taken out and guards placed at the door, more this time. Find somebody to clean this up.”

“I will do it Sire, I’m here already.”

He nodded and left, and you began to clear up the mess that had been made in the room.

After a few minutes when you were sure everybody was gone, you glanced up at Arthur who was just about to leave the room.

You decided not to bring it up there, so you waited.

Maybe he was still going to tell his father, but over the next few days nothing happened.

You found the Prince stood near some shelves, so you walked over, pretending to clean them.

“Sire?”

“Yes?”

Arthur turned to look at you.

“Why haven’t you told anybody?”

“Why would I?”

You glanced at him before turning away.

“You saved my life, I owe you that much to do the same to you at least. But you need to promise me no more.” He whispered.

You slowly shook your head.

“I can’t make that promise, I would do it again if I had to.”

“Then you risk being exposed, please, no more (Y/N)…”

You sighed, turning your attention to him.

“Okay…”

He smiled, looking around before he stepped closer.

“Thank you..”

With that, he brushed his hand against yours as he left with a little smile on his face, and you smiled as well, know at least for now everything was going to be okay.

But who knew what the future would bring

[twstgarden]

❀ ❝ general 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗻𝘀 ❞

━ lilia vanrouge x fem! fae! reader ━ what would it be like to be married to lilia vanrouge?

do not steal or translate without my permission.

being married to a powerful fae like lilia has its ups and downs. he was a remarkable husband and a father of two lovely children. he showers you with so much love and takes care of the kids very well. on the other hand, lilia is a retired general of the royal army and he's in charge of raising the young prince, so it was pretty common that there are others who are foolish enough to try and harm him.

and if they can't get to him, well... you'll be their target.

but alas, those enemies of his are foolish to think they can harm another fae like you.

"my love, stay away from them."

that's what he would always say whenever he sees you approaching a person or a group of people that he deems unworthy of your kindness and attention. you would always excuse his behaviour as being protective and never questioned him.

there are times when he'd try to cook for you and the kids as a way to show his appreciation, but it always ends with you whisking him away from the kitchen and cooking the meal instead, saying that he deserves some rest after a long day of caring for the young prince.

"allow me to make dinner for us both and our lovely children."

a smile was seen on his lips as he said those words, but the idea of him making dinner surprised you as you tried to talk him out of it, allowing you to be the one in charge of the kitchen.

"oh...! um... it's alright, my love. i'll handle it, you need your rest."

when he's not busy, he's spending time with you and the kids. he would be carrying them and playing around with them as you stand by him and smile at the adorable sight. he would often embrace you and your twin children to show how happy he is to have a family with you.

he never misses the opportunity to tell you how much he loves you, whether through gifts or little actions. "you mean the world to me, beastie~" cooed lilia as he pulled you close. giggles escaped your lips as you cast your magic on household items to let them do the chores on their own. you turned to face your husband and wrapped your arms around him, resting your forehead on his shoulder.

"i'd give up all my riches just to be with you," you replied back as you stole a kiss on his cheek. he had a goofy grin on his face before chuckling and planting a soft kiss on your lips, "you have my heart for eternity."

when he isn't declaring his love for you, you both would be spending time with the children. lilia loves to teach them how to fight, while you show them how to use their magic.

"mama! mama! look! i can make it rain now!" exclaimed your child. a proud smile found its way onto your lips as you spoke, "great job, darling! you'll get a cookie as a reward."

"what about me, mama? look! papa taught me how to slice this wooden dummy! hyaa!" spoke your other child, a son with silver hair, as he swung his sword and sliced a dummy in half. the same proud smile was still present on your face as you clapped your hands, "marvellous, both of you. you both will get cookies as a reward~"

"yay~!" cheered the children. "what about me, love?" asked lilia. you turned to look at him with bored eyes, though you had a smug grin on your face. "you are not getting any cookies," you spoke. lilia pouted before the mischievous glint in his eyes showed up as he replied, "will a kiss change your mind?"

"wha━ not in front of the children, vanrouge!"

overall, life with lilia is a wonderful experience. you wished this would last forever, though it seemed too good to be true. however, the future is nothing to worry about for now. it's best to enjoy your time while they are still with you. lilia and your children are the best gifts bestowed on you.

© twstgarden 2023 || please do not steal, translate without my permission, or use this to train a.i.

[cynicalalpaca]

I should post this here too, shouldn't I?

Explanations under the cut

Astarion: Thief of Blood.  Along with the obvious fact that he steals literal blood, his initial plan is to manipulate the player into liking him, “stealing” a bond with them for his protection.  And that was basically his m.o. for 200 years.  If he Ascends, he would turn into a Lord of Blood

Shadowheart: Maid of Heart.  I imagine that she’s spent most of her life inverted as a Bard of Mind, allowing her mind to be destroyed by the Sharrans.  The Maid of Heart is, well, made of their own identity.  It’s a creation class, and Shart is spending the rest of her life creating herself.  If she became a Dark Justiciar, she would remain a Bard of Mind

Gale: Mage of Light.  The active understanding class and the knowledge aspect fit the resident nerd of the group, don’t you think?  He’s probably the smartest party member (in terms of academic/theoretic knowledge) and uses that knowledge to power his magic.  In addition, Light is associated with relevancy and acknowledgement and boy oh boy was he desperate for Mystra’s.  If he becomes the God of Ambition, he would turn into a Lord of Light

Lae’zel: Prince of Breath.  I know the general understanding of Prince is that they destroy the aspect, but I understand them as also being able to destroy through use of their aspect.  Lae’zel is destroying Vlaakith’s empire by freeing the githyanki people and leading a revolution.  Maybe a bit of a stretch, but I was trying to avoid overlap for the origin characters.  I could also see her as a Knight or Prince of Blood

Karlach: Knight of Rage.  She’s a berserker, she fights by utilizing rage.  And the popular idea that Knights start out lacking in their aspect is pretty apt too, she’s an extremely positive person while Rage is all about more negative emotions.  I think she might ghost her inverted class- Rogue of Hope- but never fully inverts, just toys with distributing hope and positivity.

Wyll: Heir of Hope.  I fully admit Wyll kinda got the short end of the stick as he was the last character I did, but I do think it fits.  Heirs passively manipulate or inspire their aspect in others, and Wyll fights for the people as the Blade of Frontiers, inspiring Hope in those he protects.  I could also see him as a Blood aspect, as so much of his story deals with his bonds- to his father, Mizora, Baldur’s Gate and the people of the Coast

Minthara: Maid of Doom.  This is where I stopped caring about overlap lol.  Minthara is your most “evil” companion and one who approves of killing people in your way.  Doom was a pretty clear choice for her, being the Aspect of death, but also dealing with systems and authority, like the Cult of the Absolute and her place in its hierarchy.  As for her class, Maids create their aspect and make it a core part of themselves.  Minthara has been surrounded by death and hierarchies her whole life, having been born to a high ranking noble house in Menzoberranzan, leading to them being a very core part of her being.  I can also see her vacillating wildly between Maid of Doom and her inverse, Bard of Life, because she’s just that chaotic.  They both deal with death, but the Bard is a bit more passive about it, allowing others (the Cult, the player) to take lead on the killing

Halsin: Knight of Breath.  Again running with the “Knights lack their Aspect” theory, Halsin starts the game lacking the freedom he desires.  He’s literally imprisoned by the goblins, but he’s also constrained by his role as Archdruid, almost toying with his inverse of Rogue of Blood.  He craves the freedom of nature and jumps at the opportunity to gain it.  You could also argue wildshape is a form of freedom (both of form and of self) that he uses to fight.  There’s also his talk of polyamory and how he doesn’t want to be tied down.  Freedom is a recurring thing with the guy

Jaheira: Witch of Life.  Life is a pretty clear choice for a druid, as Life deals with flora and fauna.  Witch is the active manipulation class, and Jaheira is introduced manipulating plants to hold the player.  Additionally, she’s shown nurturing life by caring for various children in Baldur’s Gate, sorta like how Feferi took care of various marine animals

Minsc: Knight of Hope.  Okay this was the hardest one for me because I don’t fully get Minsc.  I’ve only played BG3, I don’t know him from any other games or comics or whatever.  But from what I do know, he was obviously one of the more offensive and active classes and Knight seems to fit him best.  He utilizes Hope- usually in the form of others’ trust in him- to fight.  Without that trust, he wouldn’t be as effective, he always fights best with his companions.  He’s also just a happy, up-beat guy, and Hope is largely focused on positive emotions

Boo: Lord of Doom.  BOO DECIDES THE FATE OF ALL.  HE HAS ULTIMATE SAY OVER LIFE AND DEATH

[yourlocalcorviddad]

Saw a post about Danny calling Dani his little Comet, this one, and then I had an idea to and mix it with a favourite Hozier song, Work Song. Feel free to add or whatever if it strikes you!

-

"Ah, shh, shh little Comet, it's ok, I've got you."

The attempt at keeping his voice steady didn't really work, but he was sure he was keeping a good hold on his emotions at least, since Ellie was calming down in his hold. It didn't mean he wasn't panicking inside at the situation but he was managing. He only had to make it a few more weeks before the others could come, then everything would be safe.

He got her settled in his bed, sleeping and calm now. He had a crib for her, and Jordan too eventually, but he couldn't really stand the thought of them to far. So bed it was.

Both clone and future self had been deaged due to the damage taken, done at Frostbite's direction to heal and better stabilise both. Jordan's injuries had come in defence of both him and Ellie, and, like a weird mirror, Ellie's from defending him and the injured Jordan when he was to weakened from injuries to fight. Ellie had just been deaged from it Dan, who he decided was going to be called Jordan too give himself some separateness, was reverted to his core. In an effort to protect and give him time to heal, he has him inside himself, next to his own core. He'd been warned it meant that Dan would likely take on more of being like his child than his future self, but he just wanted him alive, not like he didn't have the risk of it anyway, at least this time it was under his control.

There was no hope of returning to his dimension, it had been clear at that point, but they had been trying to free all the ghosts they could and get all liminal people and their family rounded up to safety before the GIW got to them. Danny, as the heir prince-until he was of age for the throne at 100-was sent ahead to bridge trust with another dimension, this one in fact, to see it they could bring their people, his people, there.

Clockwork and the Ancients and Observants worked with his parents and the others from town, and other liminality touched people, to get everyone into the ghost zone, which he had leaned also got called the Infinite Realms, safely and cut off that dimension from it.

Apparently that's what most magical creatures had done to that one anyway, long ago. He'd even met the descendents of the witches that had been hunted by, and thus placed the curse on, his family back when Amity was a village.

They'd lifted the, severely weakened by then but still present, curse after apologies were made and explanations done. It was a relief, even though it is likely what had even held him tethered to life enough to become a halfa at all, but he felt more at ease now without it.

All in all, it led him to where he was now though. A new world, a new set of rules, similar but still so different, and two kids that were essentially his.

The sudden crash outside his window on the alley side had him rushing over, ready to defend as best he could, still healing from the injuries in the last fight with the GIW, in case it was a villain attacking.

Only to pause at the sight of the, now likely unconscious, blue and black clad vigilante in the dumpster below.

"Fuck... Well can't leave him, who knows who'd find him there."

It took a bit of work, and mild use of his weak but still present powers, but he got him up stairs and into his apartment onto the, comfortable if he said so himself, couch.

Once there, he checked him over for injuries, careful not to take the domino off and keeping him as clothed as possible, but tending to his wounds as best possible. Doing so, he realised the other was probably only about 20-21, close to his age at least. It made him wonder how long the other had been a hero, and made a thought to ask later.

For now he settled in to make some food -that hopefully wouldn't accidentally come alive again-and keep an eye on his daughter and the hero.

[sleepytwilight]

hii sleepy :D could you write about a sort of like knight summoner from medieval times who thinks the boys are a prince and are bound to them to protect them? idk it came into my brain and i thought it'd be neat :D

Ohh!!! I like this ask!

𝓐𝓻𝓬𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓾𝓼

When you first summoned him, you really didn't know what happened. You thought he's some kind of magic prince because he suddenly appeared in front of you.

Anyway, Arcturus realize the monster were harassing you and was about to help you until you killed the monster by yourself.

He was surprised and when you bowed to him, he was even more surprised.

You said you'll protect him since he's a prince

He has no idea what's going on and he don't know how you can carry him up like a princess.

Okay but he actually enjoy this kind of treatment.

Okay but you need to stop protecting him every second you feels like he's in danger, he also want to protect you too.

You both ended up protecting each other, how cute.

𝓢𝓹𝓲𝓬𝓪

Spica thought you were a barbarian for a second until you told him that you're a knight from mid eartheim.

You and Spica didn't get along that well until you know Spica unhealthy sleeping schedule.

Since then you've been by his side, making sure he gets his 8 hours of sleep, eat well, throw away all the coffee-

Spica really don't really like this behavior of yours, it going on like this until one day on a mission, monsters suddenly attack you and him.

Surprisedly you defeat all the monsters because Spica don't have any energy left, he admit it he has been too harsh on you.

He became a bit softer and finally got a good sleeping schedule.

He don't have to know the fact you threatened the students to not make any troubles

𝓟𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓾𝔁

Pollux is the cutest prince ever, just admit it.

When you first saw him, you immediately go into protective mode.

Pollux in his tsundere self said he don't enjoy the fact you're protecting him (he actually likes it a lot.)

He taught you how to use gun since you can't carry the heavy sword around the academy.

Maybe teaching you how to use gun is a bad idea.

He enjoys when you addressed him "Your highness/my prince" he blushing madly fr.

He scared what will you think about him not being the real Pollux but you still want to serve him as his knight.

God how much he cried, he is happy that you didn't change your view on him.

𝓐𝓵𝓹𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓽𝔃

Why do you want to protect a big strong prince like him? Alpheratz literally asking himself why.

He actually enjoy your company, rather than a knight, you're like a friend who look out for him.

You both have sense of who to protect, both worried about Arcturus and Pollux.

It feels like a one sided friendship, your purpose is to protect your prince. He can't really change your mind can he?

When both of you found out they you two reincarnated lovers, it feels like a new world to Alpheratz.

Now he's protecting you, nothing in the world belong to him but he want to protect his beloved.

If you're a knight then he's a prince, can he ask you to be his beloved once again?

𝓢𝓲𝓻𝓲𝓾𝓼

Sirius feels awkward when you call him "My Lord" or "Master". It feels out of place, he's the one want to address you like that again.

You were Polaris, his mentor. He's just a little sorcerer who want his mentor to be with him again.

Yet you still protect him, you protected him like how Polaris used to protect him. He feels like he's about to break down everytime you asked him if he's okay.

You really love to make things complicated for him.

He realizes that as long you're here, you can't live a free life. He want you to live a life without the need to protect someone, because if you keep protecting everyone... You'll ended sacrificing yourself once again.

He's a prince that meant to betray his knight. It's all to save you don't you know that?

𝓥𝓮𝓰𝓪

Well there's two knight, it's either him or you protect. It's like a fight but without fighting.

Vega gave a lot of excuses why he should protect you, his winning chance is 50% because you know better.

You guys protecting each other, like so cute- especially in a mission when you are battling the monsters, you both are unstoppable duo.

You call him "pretty prince" just to tease him. He's a guy with pretty face lol.

When you remember him as your childhood friend, you treat him even more gentler. He'll never get use to you carry him around because you used to carry him when you both were kids.

At last, you both need to separate huh? Vega made an oath before you leave this world, he hopes for you to come back and be his knight.

[fangirlingpuggle]

More thoughts on XS Jack and Omi alignment swap idea (post here)

Heylin Omi still getting along with the others and seeing them as friends after a team up against other heylin warriors or 2, also showdowns are just games for him really and the Wu more toys than anything. So he sees the others as his friends.

Him getting upset at the idea of destroying them and Chase like 'It's ok little one Omi you can just defeat them and make them your fallen warriors".

Omi has also tried to get them to join the Heylin side... like just asking them to join, they all say no of course but start feeling bad due to puppy dog eyes.

'i mean we can't join your side...sorry...'

'ok... when I become a full Heylin prince of evil and take over the world and defeat you would you perhaps then join me as fallen warriors?...please'

'I... I mean... if that happens maybe'

'YES thank you my friends'

'...we didn't just make a Faustian deal or anything right guys'

Wuya was not happy when she heard the offer 'HELL NO, I did not turn around and start helping you for you brats to turncoat on me your being Xiaolin dragons whether you like it or not!'

Chase has considered using the yin or yang yo-yo to convert the monks to evil... Omi was upset after a showdown and maybe having his own Heylin peers may help with training (really he just wants Omi to be happy) Wuya did not let him try anything though she has chased him and his fallen warriors out of the temple a few times.

Wuya has taken over the temple... to say she took over from Fung on all the dragons training and she knew more... Fung basically retired and Wuy is now the master monk there... she still denies she is Xialoin or helping them in any way.

Guan comes to visit the temple and is so fucking confused to see Wuya there he's about to fight her when she sees him and drags him over like 'If your here make yourself useful, Kimiko this idiot will teahc you more advanced fire techniques' Guan is just there like WTF... then he runs into Chase who is now a Dad and is even more WTF.

(Chase did tell him to get Dojo but not because of the soup he did it to fuck with him because Dojo is now nearly always with Wuya or the monks...and Wuya realized what he was doing and kicked his ass... or she got the monks to Chase was just watching and laughing he gave the spear back after he didn't need the useless tool)

Omi has helped the monks save the world a few times, one time he got injured and the Monks faced angry protective dad chase the first time they actually feared there for lives and fully realized how dangerous Chase was, he would have killed them if Omi had been hurt.

Jack is a big Dashi fanboy and keeps begging Wuya and Dojo for more stories, because how did he make the WU how mcuh is XIalin magic, can I use this magic...can I combine this magic with my robots? He is also experimenting with the Wu finding out combinations and how they work together (He is also maybe trying to make his own a little)

[vermielian]

Bands of Light - Krbk fantasy fanfic

Summary: CHAPTER 1 Kirishima Eijiro and Bakugo Katsuki. Princes from opposing kingdoms, known for their power, riches and influence. Both kingdoms were once in war and showered in blood. Although, it seems to have come to a halt as the King and Queen of the Bakugo dynasty and rulers of the Solarnelle kingdom: Mountains that hold the warm glow of embers, protecting against the world's cold, offered an arrangement with the Kirishima clan and their Queens, the rulers of the Keatha Empire: a kingdom shrouded in forests where every thorn bush guards a heart, the essence of life’s vitality and love. That arrangement being offered their only child and beloved son’s hand in marriage, to bring both kingdoms peace and prosperity. Although the problem is, our ashy blonde prince wasn’t very fond of the idea of being married to a person he has never met. Especially when this person is from the kingdom he was just fighting with every fibre of his body to destroy and make weep underneath his boot. But maybe this flamboyant redhead might change things.

CW: !All characters are adults! strong language, arranged marriage, angst, violence, descriptions of war, enemies to lovers, slowburn, fantasy au, krbk, character x character, character death, near death experiences, love rival (for Kirishima), MlM, complex family relationships, suggestive scenes (no nsfw or smut), fluff, kidnapping, the Kirishimas are Pinoy🇵🇭!!, ocs

May be added onto A03 if I find time

Chapter 1 - Unruly Rivals

To put it bluntly Bakugo wasn’t at all pleased to be at this ball. Normally, the hot headed prince wouldn’t care less about the parties and gatherings his parents put together. But this was different. And it made him sick.

Bakugo lets out a scoff as his crimson eyes scanned across the marble floor of the ballroom. Scanning like a bird of prey ready to pounce and tear its next meal to shreds with satisfaction and pride. But instead he just felt the sinking feeling in his stomach worsen. Which wasn’t like him at all. The mighty Bakugo Katsuki. The only heir to the throne and only child to Queen Bakugo Mitsuki and King Bakugo Masaru. The crowned prince of Solarnelle, the one who was gifted the power of explosion magics from the gods above, the one who was always followed by a flocks of young suitors eager to get a single glance from him, the one who’s beauty shone throughout his kingdom like the sun itself, was being placed in an arranged marriage. But not just any arranged marriage. He was being married to the eldest son of the Keatha empire and one of many children from the kirishima clan: Prince Kirishima Eijiro. The prince whose family had been rumoured to have close connections to giant fire breathing beasts and who could wipe out a whole battalion of Solarnelle soldiers with his fists and sword alone. The beast of a man with fiery red hair and eyes of bright vermillion stones. He was the one he was going to marry.

But Bakugo never spited his parents for this. At least, he tried to.

Their two kingdoms have been at war for almost 2 years now, and it was putting both sides under economic pressure and strain. Not to mention the bloodshed that came from the war, which led to Bakugo further sheltering himself and forming this hard shell around himself. So Bakugo understood why he had to do this. To marry someone he doesn’t love. He didn’t want the Kingdom, his people, his family to suffer anymore than they alreayd have. Both kingdoms have suffered great losses during the 2 years of war, so he knew it was only right he performed his duty.

Although, Bakugo always thought he would able to find that someone with his own tuition. Without needing to be forced for the kingdom’s sake, and without having his whole world on his shoulders, which was already crumbling as he walked.

But while Bakugo was having his sulk session, an iconic flamboyant redhead made his way through the ballroom doors, his attire looking more exotic and dare he might say barbaric than anything else in the ballroom. This would then cause noble men and servants alike to pause and look in awe at the new sense of style they were now exposed to.

The redhead prince was draped in a fine wine red robe which complimented his hair which was styled with obsidian headgear that made tuffs of his hair stick out like devil horns. But the most striking thing about his outfit was the large fur collared cape he wore that framed his shirtless chest. The said fur that adorned his neck looking like a beast that he had skinned to show off his power. Although the Kirishima son didn’t seem to be bothered by the looks and stares of disgust and discomfort as he kept walking with the rest of his immediate family right beside him, all in their own breath taking native clothing style and each of his stunning mothers by his side as the King and Queen of Solarnelle rushed to greet them.

Hesitantly, the young prince soon made his way down the red carpet draped steps as his soft hand grazed against the cold, gold hand rail which was engraved with beautiful designs. His heavy crimson cape adorned with golden accents and a thick fur collar dragged and dropped against each step as he descended. His obsidian coloured military general’s uniform going perfectly with the combinations of golds and reds. His heavy leathered boots making a hard thudding sound every step he took. This lead to everyone’s eyes to fall on him. A low buz coming from the servants and nobles that were whispering to each other. Bakugo’s strong figure and striking beauty always left them shocked.

As soon as Bakugo reached the ballroom floor and made his way through the crowds of people to the Kirishimas. And boy did his feel his palms warm up. He never felt so angry, so annoyed, so scared to meet someone that was obviously below him in every way.

“Ah! Katsuki my dear!” His mothers sickly sweet voice called out to him which immediately made his eyes snap to her matching set of crimson red eyes, “I’m sure you know by now but, this is my son, Prince Bakugo Katsuki.”she said behind gritted teeth and a painful strained smile as he grip held tightly on to Bakugo’s shoulder.

“Ah yes, I’ve heard about the young prince long before the war even began! You have quite the name for yourself.” Queen Kirishima Taeka commented in her strong but gentle sounding voice, a light chuckle leaving her as she crossed her arms around her chest. He dark hair styled in a black bun, a few braids found here and there decorated with handmade beads and golden head pieces which went perfectly with her ruby eyes which Katsuki noticed all the Kirishima children had.

Katsuki just nodded his head firmly, choosing not to say anything in case he slipped up and said something he would regret, his eyes soon hovering towards Queen’s son. He was surprisingly…tall? Katsuki had to admit, the man looked much smaller from a distance, but now that he has a better look of him, Kirishima Eijiro was a beast. Literally. Although not monstrously tall, he still towered over Katsuki and he didn’t like that one bit as it left a sour taste in his mouth.

“We are so happy to have this change to arrange something you my lights, as you both know very well our kingdoms have not been doing well due to this war.” Kirishima’s other mother and other Queen of Keatha, Kirishima Yua, voiced out, her voice notably softer as she spoke. Her honeycomb eyes standing out from the sea of red as her curly red hair was left down but as equally beautiful and brightly styled as her lover.

“Indeed, I do hope this arrangement goes well for all of our sakes.” Queen Mitsuki smiled, her husband remaining quietly beside he throughout the whole exchange, “Oh! I almost forgot but as this arrangement may take a while I’ve prepared a manor near by for your…” Mitsuki continued before pausing, almost overwhelmed by the amount of girl they had, exactly 7 girls, “Family…heh..oh! And please don’t be afraid to ask questions as well. I do understand that some of our ways of doing things are different to yours.” She then continued before quickly changing the topic to not sound rude in front of the Queens.

“Anyways! How about we all enjoy this ball in celebration to new beginnings!” King Masaru then said, this being the first time he has spoke since he greeted and introduced himself, his hands clasped together as a soft smile grew on his face as all of their eyes moved to him. Poor man. Katsuki huffed in agreement, he didn’t want to be here longer than he had to.

“Oh! And one more thing I forgot to mention! I’m sorry dear,” Mitsuki then added before turning to her husband hand held his hand softly, genuinely meaning what she was saying towards him, “But if it’s alright with you, my Queens, but Prince Eijiro will be staying here with us, as I feel like this would help them get to know each other, no?”.

What?

“That’s a great idea actually!” Queen Yua voiced out in genuine agreement and happiness, a bright smile appearing on her porcelain face as she looked up to her wife who expressed the same agreement. “I don’t think that will be a problem, right Eijiro?” Taeka said before looking towards her only son, who still hasn’t uttered a word since he got here.

“No mother, I’ll make you proud.” He said, his voice almost holding that same flare and sparky breath as Taeka but still as smooth as honey. Although Katsuki, as much as he wanted to stay neutral about the whole situation, was almost bubbling with anger.

He wasn’t informed that the former enemy was staying, with HIM and HIS FAMILY. It was honestly taking everything in his power to not pounce as the tall redheaded man and choke him out on the cold ballroom floor.

The rest of the conversation continued on I’m a blur and swiftly came to an end while Katsuki processed everything, his eyes slightly wide in shock as he tried to hide his emotions.

“Indeed!…..hahaha!……….how about……….Katsuki?”

“…”

“Katsuki…?”

“…”

“My prince?”

“…”

“Prince Katsuki?” Said prince suddenly came out of his trance as he looked around at the people around him, his eyes coming in contact with his mothers first, her face carrying concern, leaking with annoyance concealed with a worried smile and a innocent head tilt. Although her eyes were carrying an ever growing flame and sharp anger, while his father on the other hand looked nothing but concerned for his son, his hands slightly reached out towards him as his eyes slowly spoke a thousand words. The Kirishimas on the other hand seemingly confused and somewhat put off by the blonde prince’s attitude.

“Are you okay, My prince?” Eijiro’s voice asked lowly in concern, making Katsuki at the horned man. His face making eye to ‘eye’ contact with Eijiro’s strong, scared, and slightly painted chest. This made his face bloom into all sorts of reds as he flinched backwards, looking up as well as he tried to process a response.

“I’m fine…you don’t have to worry about me.” He grumbled out as he made distance between them, the same sour taste returning to his mouth as he shot a glare towards the barbaric prince.

“Hah…that’s good then ,my dear, but as I was saying Katsuki,” his mother then said, her voice sounding more aggressive than before, “How about you take some time here to get know Prince Eijiro? You might find something in common.” She hummed with a sickly sweet smile.

Well, there was nothing Katsuki could do but say yes. So with that the blonde prince nodded his head with a short and sweet bow to the monarchs as he side eyed his soon to be husband.

“Good! Just come find us if you need anything!” She reminded as Katsuki nodded, trying to keep himself from rolling his eyes and grunting from annoyance. But once Queens and King waved the two princes off and Bakugo turned around, a harsh scowl spread across his beautiful features as his hands clenched in anger. Small explosions coming from his closed palms.

Katsuki only took a couple steps away from their parents before stopping completely near a large window draped in red silk curtains, bunched together, neatly, at the ends with a golden rope. The fiery redhead following closely as he stood awkwardly next to him.

Kirishima let out a sigh through his nose as a bright but dopey smile grew on his face. His cherry coloured eyes looking outside the window as he tried to think of something to say. Both men sitting in an uncomfortable silence.

“Look…I know that this isn’t the best of situations to be in…” Kirishima addressed with a soft smile as he looked over to Bakugo who still had a strong scowl on his face, his eyes looking anywhere but Kirishima’s. But either way the man continued, “But we have to do this for our Kingdo-“

“Don’t you think I know that?” Bakugo spat out, a raspy anger in his voice as his striking eyes finally looked up to Kirishima’s. “This is nothing more than an obligation so stop acting all sappy and sweet with me. I know what you can do.”

Kirishima was taken aback, the prince was so composed around his parents. But then again, he and his mother’s noticed the lighting grip she hand on Bakugo’s shoulder, almost how a wolf trainer back in Keatha would hold the leash of the pups. And to be honest, he didn’t know what to say.

“Look…I’ll try not to be rude to you in any way, because as you said, our kingdoms need this marriage. But don’t expect me to be outwardly affectionate are talkative with you or anything like that crap.” Bakugo then added as he sucked his teeth, his clenched fists letting off small explosions yet again, his spiky blonde hair sweeping over his eyes as he turned away from the muscular man, who was currently speechless.

“Sure thing…” Kirishima said, his voice cracking slightly as he felt his face heat up. Normally he wouldn’t tolerate any behaviour like this but something about him, about Bakugo Katsuki, felt right.

“Uh…do you want a drink..?” The shirtless prince then asked, causing Bakugo to slowly turn his head in annoyance and shock. His jaw clenched as he bit on his tongue, trying to find the words.

“What of don’t act sappy with me do you not get, shitty hair?” Bakugo asked, glaring daggers at the poor prince who only wanted to get him a drink.

Kirishima only let out a short laugh at the comment about his hair, causing Bakugo’s gaze to soften, “heh, sorry, but the question still stands, my prince.” Kirishima said as a sharp toothy smile grew on his face. This feature of Kirishima caught the shorter prince’s attention, never in his life seeing someone with such a unique smile. If anyone in Solarnelle had a teeth like those they’d surely be shunned and chased out of the kingdom, being seen as a demon or sorts. This led to Bakugo further inspecting the prince’s appearance, going from the most noticeable attributes to the least noticeable ones like how the man’s skin was beautifully tanned and sun kissed and the natural rosey colour in the man’s cheeks, or the sharp but elegant eyelashes he had that further enhanced his red eyes or the small scar that rested on Kirishima’s right eye.

“Fine..”

“Haha! Cool!” Kirishima then said, his smile not leaving his face as he went to get their drinks, his noble cloak dragging across the floor, clearly carrying some weight with it.

To say the least, Bakugo was shocked. The prince of the Keatha Empire was nothing like he expected. This is going to be hard.

———

M.LIST | ← Previous Chapter ══ Next Chapter →

[cafe-smut]

I'm having . . . Angst fic ideas

For whatever reason, royal delegation from Briar Valley visits Sunset Savannah. So our 4 Diasomnia are the main party here. They get there, Leona is there to greet them, as expected. Then the king suggests since they're schoolmates, he show them around. Neither Malleus or Leona like this idea at all, but Malleus is too princely to object and Leona just does it without saying anything. The toue is actually quite good. Lilia and Malleus manage to throw in a few taunts and insults about him being more capable of such a simple task than they'd thought, considering how lazy he is. It's normal fighting for them. The next morning when breakfast is brought, the servants chatter a bit about Leona and laugh at him.

Malleus is mildly surprised to hear such blatant disrespect but it's not bad by any sense and they brush it off. The first day passes but everywhere they go in the palace, there's always quiet whispers and laughter about Leona. Nd none of it is in jest, it's cruel. And kept far away from the ears of the royal family. Except for Leona himself, who is scarcely seen at all by the delegation.

By the end d of the day Malleus is off put in a way that has the trio concerned. "Kingscholar is many things, but he is still their prince and deserves respect for his status and power. Why does he not demand it?"

"Because it would just make it worse." It's a servant who entered the room with a snack for them that answers. "Me and my folks all worked here basically my whole life. It was ok when he was a boy, but when his magic manifested, and he got his scar, everything changed. I'm not a big fan of him myself, but he's a good prince. Not the best, but when he nearly died more than once, when he did used to try to change peoples minds, I cant blame him for not even bothering any more."

"What do you mean?"

"Aside from the assassination attempt that nearly took his life and gave him that scar over his eye less than a year after his magic presented? He's attempted to take his own life more than once. The king only knows of one time. He was quite distraught over it, attempted to make it right and made it so that no one could speak ill of his brother. It only made everyone keep their tongues tight around him and the royal family. Except for Prince Leona himself. Thus, every other attempt has been called cry for attention by the doctors and the truth hidden from him. The advisors of the king and queen know we will keep our mouths shut, what choice do we have? We still have livelihoods and protecting him isn't gonna help us any. He ain't tried since right after the young prince was born anyways, so it's fine." And then the servant is gone. And Malleus is both furious and extremely distraught.

How wrongly has he judged Leona Kingscholar for the results of a life of torment from others? And how has he himself contributed to that without realizing?

[limpfisted]

Wyll ravengard is a very funny character because he literally just. Has no idea the terrible things wrong with baldurs gate

Hes like BALDURS GATE IS A JEWEL. It WOULD HAVE WELCOMED REFUGEES 10 YEARS AGO!

Maybe thats true. Ten years ago. I doubt it. But maybe. TEN YEARS AGO. (Tbh I hope it isn't bc that means ulder made the city actively worse LOL)

But descent to avernus is a canon and it takes place the same year as bg3

There were HUNDREDS of refugees from elturel. Even more than are outside the gate now from the absolute

And they ALSO were not allowed in. In fact, some of them are beaten in the streets by the very flaming fist that wyll's dad is in charge of. For the crime of being refugees, I guess.

If u read the 5e stuff about baldurs gate its clear that baldurs gate is a truly terrible and unsafe place to live if ur poor. Even if ur rich its unsafe, but then at least u can stay in the upper city and gamble all day long away from The Poors.

Its a place defined by inequality and crime but also culture and magic and pride

Wyll sees the best in it, he sees the pride and the people and the magic. He was privileged enough to see only the best in it

As much as I love the idea of wyll as a fairy tale prince returning home and everyone loves him---ulder being from the lower city and going versus the nobles is HARD and he has had to fight to keep his power and fight to keep the lower city safe from the guild and make bad deals and lbr to work with the flaming fist, to work with the evil ass patriars, he had to let some things slide

Wyll has his work cut out for him! Just as his father did!

And I think being grand Duke would present an interesting challenge for him as a character, in that he would not be able to solve problems by fighting monsters or killing devils. He has to deal with evils of injustice, even within the people who work for him who protect him and who he may have at one point looked up to

And that's extremely difficult

There is political intrigue and frustrations and tragedy to be had

Wyll genuinely has the compassion and empathy and charm to help baldurs gate.

BUT.

The point of wylls narrative and the stuff with balduran and ansur is very much a wake up call that the fairy tale of his fathers hero balduran is built on lies and there is no one great man that can save baldurs gate. Just like there wasn't one great man that built it

Gortash himself is like, a foil to this because he believes he's the one great man who can fix every problem with literal mind control

It is MUCH easier for wyll to just step away from baldurs gate after all this. And if u let HIM choose, that's what he does

If he becomes grand Duke and his fathers heart of the gate, he becomes responsible and beholden to things we can't imagine

And tbh? Wyll doesn't have that many of his own allies like his Father had. He has to rely on people like florrick, people like the flaming fist. People who respected his father, people who will talk over and take advantage of the 26 year old who stopped his education at 17

His story doesn't really end here, u know? It's really just beginning

In fact with an evil arch Duke everyone genuinely seemed to believe in dead, so many patriars dead, Duke Stephane dead, who knows what happened to vanthampur, the flaming fist had sided with gortash, who knows what happened to the actual upper city watch.

Literally and truly. The story of the absolute, and BALDURAN is finally over. But the story of baldurs gate? Baby thats just beginning

[amazable01]

Sanders Sides as DND Classes (but trying to not be stereotypical)

(No hate to any other configurations, I just think these would be personally funny, and I like the idea of them being different classes)

Patton- Warlock:

I'd imagine he's working for a Celestial, or some Fiend or Archfey who caught him. Sticks to healing spells, but his patron's expectation will take over or he'll act on reaction, and he goes into a more volatile state. Is only on the adventure because his patron wants it, and he feels obligated to obey because 'they know best'.

Roman- Rogue:

Arcane Trickster who puts a lot of his magic into putting up a princely facade to get what he wants. Illusion magic with flair is his specialty, but he's also incredible at chatting up people and convincing them to do what he'd like them to without fighting. He steals because he has to, and the adventure is his and his brother's ticket out of this life.

Remus- Ranger:

This bitch is a Swarmkeeper with rats for flavor! While he's not particularly sneaky, he makes up for it with a swarm that is able to follow his command, and they can be stealthy enough on the battlefield to make up for his distraction. Stays with Roman, and wants to keep his brother safe on the adventure.

Virgil- Paladin:

Virgil is on the Oath of Redemption after something tragic happened and he blamed himself, I think. Extremely protective of the party, probably takes the Sentinel feat, and sticks to physical combat rather than magical due to the make-up of the party. Is on the adventure to atone, but also cause he probably bonded w/ Patt before they left.

Logan- Barbarian:

It's cause he rages, obviously /j. But actually, I think he's Path of the Storm Herald, as it has some of the widest variation in usefulness in the game but also requires a lot of strategy to make it work properly, which makes it perfect for Logan. He's probably on the adventure because he has to be, though, and not for any ulterior motive.

Janus- Artificer:

This is a bit of a leap, but let me explain. I think Alchemist Janus makes perfect sense, and with the "snake-oil" salesman vibe he generally gives off, I think he'd do well with experimental elixirs and AOE spells, since he can stay off the battlefield but also play support when Patt goes off. He's doing this adventure for the money.

[theredhairedmonkey]

Morality in the Dragon Prince

TDP does an excellent job weaving in several ways of moral reasoning without outright stating whether any of them are right. To wit, there exist the Big Three types of moralities: consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics, which we will call here (1) Outcome-driven, (2) Rule-driven, and (3) Character-driven. There are main characters who are influenced by each of these three camps.

Outcome-driven morality focuses on the ends. Creating the greatest good for the greatest number. Actions don't have values in of themselves, all that matters is what the result of those actions were, and what the benefit was. The characters who mesh most with this morality are Viren, Claudia, and Karim.

Rule-driven morality focuses on following principles and duties (like don't lie or steal), rather than consequences. Actions are inherently right or wrong, depending on whether our moral obligations were fulfilled, and are universal and impartial. The characters who mesh most with this morality are Ezran, Rayla, and Janai.

Character-driven morality rejects both of these camps. Morality isn't about achieving good outcomes or following good actions, but about cultivating good character traits such as compassion, courage, and wisdom. The idea is that pursuing virtuous behavior leads to personal flourishing, which in turn leads to good conduct. The characters who mesh most with this morality are Soren, Callum, and Amaya (i.e. the ones who are training or learning all the time).

But each of these moralities have serious pitfalls, which in turn influences the flaws of each of the characters above.

Under outcome-driven morality, the ends justify the means. It doesn't matter if Viren has to kill the princes, Claudia has to do unspeakable things, or Karim has to kill his sister. The outcomes (bright future for humanity, saving one's family, or saving one's people), at least in the minds of each person, are good, so any action taken, no matter how terrible, is justified. Hence why each of these three descend down the slippery slope of villainy pretty quickly.

No matter how dangerous. No matter how vile.

Rule-driven morality avoids this problem, but instead creates a different one: these characters become rigid and inflexible, and unable to deal with nuanced situations. Hence why Ezran gives up the crown: violence is bad, so he does what he can to avoid bloodshed, which only leads to a much larger war in Xadia. Whereas Viren and Claudia can justify too many actions, Rayla and Ezran can't justify enough to do what they should be doing.

How can I let this happen?

Character-driven morality, meanwhile, has two big problems that matter here, one impacting Soren and the other impacting Callum. The first is that virtues don't really provide clear guidance in complicated situations, so people may get roped into situations that are hard to justify. Such as...a plot to kill the princes.

The right thing? I don't know if I can do that.

The second is that what's virtuous often differs based on roles. The virtues in being a soldier (bravery, strong will, etc.) is going to be different from the virtues of being a scholar (intelligence, wisdom, etc.). But what if you are both things? What happens when what's virtuous in one role is wrong in another?

This is where Callum often finds himself in. On the one hand, being a good primal mage involves integrity, and adherence to ethical standards when using magic. Dark magic is a clear violation of that, yet on the other hand being a good prince means Callum should display duty and courage, especially in defense of those people he's loyal to. So in that case he should use dark magic if it means he can fight to protect those same people. Thus, Callum's character gets splintered into two, hard-to-reconcile halves.

Look at you. Slave to your friends, your loyalties, your pride.

There aren't any easy answers to any of these, let alone which moral code is most correct. But where these moralities succeed or fail parallels pretty closely to where these characters rise or fall.

[lavenderbang]

The Legend of 3racha

Fantasy au! 3racha x reader

Genre(s): Fantasy au! (y’all are wanders who do various quests :)), Fluff, comfort, comedy (maybe???), adventurer/wander/bounty-hunter 3racha!

Warning(s): monsters, fighting (slight blood/injury), swearing, alcohol consumption, but that’s pretty much it though

W.C: 13.7k

Summary: You and your trio of misfits are known for taking a variety of quests and odd-jobs that require your skill set. What happens when you are requested for specifically to take down a monster near the dark woods?

A/N: I had this vision of 3racha as a party (in the dnd sense of the word) and I haven’t got it out of my brain since! This has taken quite a long time to come to fruition, but it's here now! Enjoy, and as usual, ignore any typos, my brain is dumb :)

2nd A/N: Okay so I had the idea to set this in the same universe as my Felix fantasy au (which you can find here) halfway through writing this. Its NOT necessary to read to understand this fic, but there will be references if you want to check it out! Now back to 3racha being a party :3

They own my heart I’m soft...

You entered the tavern, kicking the mud off your riding boots and lowering the hood of your cape. It was gloomy outside today, cloudy and muggy with a drizzling of rain, but it was nothing you four couldn’t handle.

Four meaning the members of your little party, 3racha (Just go with it pls)

It was lead by Bang Chan, a strong, mysterious fellow who looked about as deadly as they come. He grew up alone in the northern mountains, learning everything there is to know about tracking and hunting. He could track anything, animal or beast. Despite his reclusive upbringing and outward appearance, Chan is a calm, and gentle soul; He manages everything (democratically of course), such as group funds, what jobs you’d be taking, where you’d move next, what the plan of attack was, etc. The three of you placed a lot of trust in Chan, which he received by never leading your group astray.

Then there was Seo Changbin, the proudest meathead around. Despite his shorter stature, he was easily the strongest on your team. He used to be a royal guard for the kingdom of Levanter when he fell in love with the royal apothecary. This was forbidden by the king, so Changbin was striped of his position and exiled from the kingdom. He has been on the road ever since, not having a definite place to call home. He is kind-hearted and loyal above all else, and wont hesitate to protect the rest of the group no matter what it takes. He also has a bit of a temper, but that makes it all the more fun for your team to tease him.

Han Jisung was the third, a foreign prince with a connection to medicinal magic. Jisung was lined up to be duke of the southwestern plains; he even was presented with a suitor, the princess to the southeastern sea kingdom Reve. However, not liking his destiny, he ran away, only to find his place with the group. He has an exceptional way of using charms and spells to heal. But don’t let the idea of a healer fool you; He is incredibly cheeky and playful, almost like a child. While his hyper personality has gotten you into trouble before, it also lifts the spirits of the rest of the group, which is always Jisung’s goal.

And that left you, (Y/N) (L/N). You used to be an apprentice to a great warlock; he taught you a fair bit of magic before you realized his only concern was himself. Eventually, when money ran short, he tried to sell you off to a brothel, but you managed to escape and find your place among the already established and well-known group of three. You were a powerful warlock now too, using every challenge to grow and cultivate your powers and reading up on spells when you could. You tried your best to help the boys as much as possible, as they became like a family to you and you cared for them very much.

“Thank god we are finally here.” Jisung shivered, blowing into his hands after entering the tavern, “It’s freezing.” The four of you looked around at the hustle and bustle of the tavern; joyous music, lots of chatter and laughter and the smell of warm food wafting into your nose.

“Go sit down over there, I’ll talk to the bar-hand.” Chan hummed, pointing to a table in the corner. You nodded, following where Chan had pointed and sat at the table.

“I wonder what she wants?” Changbin huffed out, digging the tip of his claymore into the wooden flooring. You had been summoned by letter by the duchess of central valley, told to go to the tavern on the northern border of the city of Miroh to receive further instruction. And who were you to ignore a request from a duchess? 

She was directly under the command of King and Queen Yang, the rulers of every city on the western half of the map. The central valley was a large dominion gifted to her by the king and queen; a summoning from her was not to be taken lightly...

“Not sure, but doubt it’s good.” Jisung speculated, folding his arms on the table and leaning his chin onto them, “I mean, why be so vague if it’s good?”

“Maybe it’s secret and she couldn’t write it over letter.” You suggested, trying to bring the energy of the boys up. Jisung mumbled anxiously and Changbin just scoffed, leaning back in his chair. You looked out the window and bit your lip nervously; it wasn’t like you were criminals, but (at least your’s and Jisung’s case) you were runaways... Maybe that had finally caught up to you? It stressed you out thinking of it, so you shook the thought from your head, laying your staff across your lap.

Soon Chan approached you and sat down in the chair beside you, folding his arms over his broad chest and leaning back on the back of the chair. His face was unreadable, mouth pulled into a line and eyes glancing around the tavern.

“So?” You asked, blinking nervously at Chan.

“We are to wait a bit longer, as the duchess hasn’t arrived yet.” Chan said flatly, earning a groan from the other two boys. A woman approached the table to take your orders; you knew her as the wife of the tavern owner Felix.

“We’ll have a round of ale for the table.” Chan said politely and nodded his head as she left. You and the other two boy perked up to this.

“I thought you said we couldn’t afford any extra expenses until our next job?” Jisung asked, tilting his head like a puppy who just heard its name.

“We can’t, but you guys look glum and could use a little something to cheer you up.” Chan explained with a soft smile. Changbin cracks a grin for what seems like the first time since arriving, and Jisung sits up, cheering at the idea of consuming something besides stale bread and water (which was all you could carry at the moment). You nudged Chan’s arm to get his attention and when you had it, you mouthed a silent ‘thank you’, which sweetened his smile to the point where his eyes turned into little crescents.

He ruffled your hair, before he said “So, what do you think the duchess wants?”

“Not sure.” Changbin sighs. Your drinks arrive and you swear nothing felt better than the warmth of alcohol dribbling down your throat. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Changbin continues, “Worse case scenario, she’s going to try and arrest us, but we’ll just have to fight our way out then.”

“Oh yeah? what if she brings thirty guards with her?” Chan quipped, amusement painted on his features.

“I’ll take them all on,” Changbin boasted, cracking his knuckles, “I would never let some silly duchess take you guys away.” Your heart melted at the notion, but it was soon interrupted by someone behind you clearing their throat.

“Silly, am I?” The duchess said, eyebrow raised. The four of you turned to see her standing there, accompanied by two guards who you thought could probably pick you up and throw you. Changbin’s face went red from embarrassment and Jisung stifled a laugh, coughing to cover it as Changbin kicked him under the table.

“Apologies, Good Lady of the Central Valley.” You quickly apologized, veering at Changbin, “My associate here seems to have had too much ale, as he’s become a bit foolish.” The duchess hummed, unimpressed.

“Excuse me, My Lady.” Chan said, bowing his head, “Why have you summoned us here?”

“We must talk in private,” She responded, before turning and calling over her shoulder, “Come this way.” You looked at Jisung (who looked just a unsure as you) and then Changbin, who mumbled out a ‘sorry’ from the previous incident. You rolled you eyes and looked to Chan, who simple shrugged and stood. You followed the duchess to the back room behind the bar. It was a small room, lined with barrels and crates of spare utensils and glasses.

“Close the door.” She instructed, to which you followed with a polite bow of your head. The four of you stood, staring at her intently before she cleared her throat again and straightened out her posture.

“I’ve never been fond of your folk.” She spat, grimacing like you were a plague, “Wanders do nothing beside bring mess to the places they visit.” Changbin opened his mouth to argue, but you grabbed his shoulder to stop him. You turned you attention back to the duchess, but placed your hand in his, squeezing it to hopefully calm the boy.

“They are brash and rude,” She said with a glare to Changbin. It made your blood boil, but you relaxed for the sake of a smooth interaction. She then glanced at the rest of your party, her face still sour, “Living in lawless lands before coming to my domain and thriving off the wealth of my people.”

“My Lady, I’m sure you have not summoned us here just to speak ill of our lifestyle.” Chan said, voice tight. You noticed the vein in his neck protruding and you realized he was just as angry as Changbin.

“You are correct.” She confirmed before sighing, pinching the bridge of her nose, “You see, my distaste aside, I have a job for you.” You blinked a couple times, not expecting her to offer you and the boys a quest.

“There have been reports of a large beast in the Dark Woods to the east that has been attacking my people. We have already lost a few commoners to this creature, and it keeps venturing more west. It is estimated that within a week, it would get as far as this city here.” The duchess explained, brushing her hair out of her face. Changbin’s hand tensed in yours, so you instinctively rubbed circles into it with your thumb.

“You want us to kill it, right?” Jisung interjected, to which the duchess nodded.

“Why not send your guards out to deal with it?” Chan asked, his tone slightly annoyed, which made you smirk. It was nice to see Chan subtly disrespecting the duchess.

“We already have.” She said, making your blood run cold, “They have never returned.”

“So you’re gonna send us cause we are disposable right?” Changbin grumbled, causing the duchess to roll her eyes at Changbin’s blatant disrespect.

“Because you’re useful.” She snapped back, “As much as I dislike your lifestyle, I am whiling to admit that you are more knowledgeable in the subject of monsters than my guards. As well as knowing the wild better too. “

“I would not ask you if I was not desperate, but alas, I care for my people.” The duchess finalized, sincerity in her tone, “Will you help by taking down the beast in the Dark Woods?”

The three of you look to Chan, who was deep in thought, staring at the floor. He tapped his foot lightly before looking back up at the duchess.

“We do not work for free, My Lady.” Chan said simply, crossing his arms over his chest, “What do you offer us in return?”

“I will pay you handsomely of course,” She answered, unwavering, “200 gold pieces for each of you to slay the beast and bring me it’s head.” Your eyes widened. That was quite a good price, as you’ve done much harder tasks for less, but Chan hummed nonchalantly.

“You’ll pay us half before we leave and half when we return.” Chan negotiated, tilting his head up to feel out the duchess’s desperation.

“I’ll pay a quarter now, and the rest when you bring me that monster’s head.” She said firmly, eyes sharp and scowl deep.

“A quarter now, the rest later, but you’ll fund our stay for the night at the inn upstairs.” Chan bartered, flashing her a grin, “We did travel all the way here, did we not, My Lady?” The duchess rolled her eyes but agreed nonetheless.

“You will leave first thing in the morning, and I expect your return before the sun sets two weeks from now.” She explained, She exited the tavern, the two, large guards at her side once again. The evening was still chilly and cloudy, so you were glad you could sleep inside tonight; the duchess frowned at Changbin, who still had his hand in yours, “I also expect you to address me with respect the next time I see you.”

 Changbin bit back his anger, wanting nothing more than to rip her head off, but simple settled for narrowing his eyes at her and grumbling. In all honesty, you wouldn’t mind ripping her head off either; but you refrained, keeping a blank expression.

“Of course, My Lady.” Chan said politely, waving her off as she got into her carriage. It sped off down the muddy street, and once it disappeared from sight, Changbin finally let out a growl, kicking at the dirt.

“How dare she treat us like trash and then expect us to help her.” Changbin shouted, finally letting himself go after behaving in front of the duchess, “Did you see the way she looked at me like I was nothing but the pavement beneath her foot?! I just- AGH!”

“Its okay Binnie,” Jisung tried to sooth the elder boy, but letting his own aggression out, “I think she pissed all of us off with that sweet opening number about how we are scum.” Chan just let out a scoff and shook his head, before taking a deep breath.

“Lets just go to the inn and rest for tomorrow.” He suggested, patting Changbin on the back reassuringly, “at least she provided us somewhere to rest.” You still held onto Changbin’s hand, it felt almost natural at this point, but it was warm and tense; so you simply gave it one more squeeze and it seemed to relax him a bit.

You were given a room upstairs that was pretty nice. There was a fireplace along the wall and an exotic rug in front of it. Above the fireplace hung a world map. There was a chair in the corner and a matching stool, but the main thing about the room was the two double beds that looked to have wool and quilted blankets on it, making them look more comfortable than anything you’ve seen in a long time. Each was accompanied by a nightstand that held extra candles and holders for more light.

“I wanna sleep with (Y/N)!” Jisung shouted out quickly, flopping down on the closest bed with a wide smile.

“No! I want to!” Changbin argued, jumping onto the closest bed too and trying to push him off. The two of them bickered and fought back and forth for a moment, causing you to giggle at their antics.

“I’m going to go and bring up something to eat from the tavern,” Chan called out over the ruckus, before nodding towards the other boys with a smirk, “Watch them and make sure they don’t break anything, okay?” You chucked and nodded closing the door as Chan left, approaching the other bed and sitting on it. You began to take off your boots when you feel the bed dip on either side of you.

“(Y/N), please tell Changbin you’re sleeping with me tonight!” Jisung huffed, only for Changbin to shove his shoulder. Jisung frowned, but held onto your arm, “I wanna cuddle.”

“No way! (Y/N), tell Jisung you’re gonna sleep with me!” Changbin pouts, holding onto your other arm. You laugh at the two of them, shaking your head.

“Both of you, figure it out yourselves.” You sighed endearingly, “Either of you would make a nice furnace for me to sleep warm, so I don’t care.”

“I suggest we arm wrestle.” Changbin says matter-of-factly, much to Jisung’s disapproval.

“No, that’s not fair! You’d obviously win! We need to pick something fair...” Jisung pouted, holding onto your hand, “(Y/N), pick a number between 1 and 10!” 

Just then, there was a knock on the door, before it opened to reveal Chan standing with a tray; it had four plates of meat, potatoes and veggies on it which he brought for the four of you to eat. But the boys barely even spared him a glance.

“Yeah that’s fair, pick a number between 1 and 10.” Changbin agreed, “we’ll guess and whoever is closest gets share a bed with you.”

___________________________________________________

“Seven is the worst number. Nobody ever picks seven...” Jisung huffs, cheeks puffy with sleep and he pushed the blanket down to crawl under it.

“I know! It’s not fair...” Changbin groaned, sitting beside Jisung taking off his jacket to sleep, “Besides, Chan didn’t even care about where he slept! He shouldn’t have been allowed to guess.”

Chan simply snickered at the boys, who had been pouting and whining for almost thirty minutes about Chan winning the silly game.

“Fair is fair, he guessed the number I was thinking of.” You explained for the hundredth time, to which the other two boys let out a groan in agreement.

“Seven is stupid.” Jisung mumbled again, eyes closed and sleepiness evident in his voice, which made you smile. Changbin laid beside him, to which Jisung immediately turned and wrapped his arms around the older male. 

“Goodnight boys.” You called, to which Changbin and Jisung grunted, snuggling up together to get some warmth. It wasn’t long before you could hear the heavy breathing of them sleeping comfortably. You opened the blankets to crawl under the covers when you hear Chan putting his boots on.

“Where are you going?” You asked, staring at him from across the room. He was only illuminated by the fireplace; if you didn’t know any better, you’d find the man standing there almost scary.

“Going down to see if I can get some local information on the beast we are fighting.” He said simply, smiling softly at you, “I won’t be long, so get some rest.”

“Do you want me to come?” You asked starting to get out of bed only for Chan to stop you.

“No, it’s alright. I’ll be back, okay?” He said gently, and with that he left, closing the door behind him. You laid back down, closing your eyes and listening to the crackling of the fireplace and small snores from Jisung. But you couldn’t help but think of Chan and if he was safe; bad thoughts of him getting in trouble and you being asleep wandered through your head.

Sighing, you got up and opened one of the windows for some fresh air. You could hear the faint chattering of the tavern downstairs, which was good; you still went and cracked the door open just a bit to hear better. If Chan got into trouble, you wanted to know about it. Next, you lit the candle that was on the nightstand and grabbed your book of spells from your knapsack and brought it back to bed where you read it.

If you were to be awake, it was best to be productive, right?

You flipped through the pages, only yawning and rubbing your eyes occasionally. Most of the spells in the book you had mastered, as you’ve read this volume maybe a dozen times now. It was hard to practice a lot of them though, as they required a lot of open space and a subject to use them on.

A few hours go by until the door opens quietly and your eyes snap up to see Chan standing in the doorway. The fireplace was all but embers at this hour, so you could barely make out his figure as he closed the door gently behind him as not to make noise.

“Hey Chan.” You mumbled, yawning. You felt at ease now that he was back and safe.

“Hey, why are you still awake?” he asked with a voice barely above a whisper, taking his boots and cloak off and coming over to the bed. By the light of your candle, you could see him much better now, eyes tired and a smile that showed off his dimples present on his face.

“Couldn’t sleep with you out by yourself, so I’m reading.” You said simply. Chan sat beside you and you scooted closer to him, placing your head on his shoulder.

“What are you reading?” He asked, although he already knew the answer. He leaned his head onto yours, squishing his cheek against it; he would often do this when you sat next to each other. Just his way to show affection you supposed.

“My spell book.” You hummed, glancing down at the pages. Chan wrapped and arm around your shoulder and pulled you even closer him, his big frame bringing comfort to you as you relaxed into him.

“You should rest now, you look sleepy.” He said, pulling the book from your lap only for you to grab onto it tightly.

“Let me finish this section first.” You said, to which Chan let go of the book, allowing you to pull it back into your lap, “It’s only a few pages. It wont take long.”

“I’ll stay up with you until you finish.” He said, and when you started to protest he shushed you, “It wont take long, right? So I’ll be sleeping in no time.” He chuckled deep in his chest and you smiled, enjoying being close to Chan. 

You went to reading, looking down at the ink-work on the pages. However, within minutes, Chan could hear your small snores and he smiled to himself at how cute you were. He slowly pulled the book from your grasp, reaching over to set it on the nightstand before blowing out the candle. He gently removed you from his shoulder to lay you down onto his chest, to which you naturally wrapped your arms around him. 

Chan felt his heart beat faster and his face grew warm, as he held you close to him. Secretly, he was really happy about winning your silly game, because it was comfortable and nice to have you in his arms while you rested.

“Night (Y/N).” He hummed contently, placing a kiss on your forehead and letting himself fall asleep too.

___________________________________________________

You woke up to a gentle shake of your shoulder, with the sun peeking right over the horizon and flooding into the room you were staying in.

“Come on (Y/N).” Jisung whispered, hand still on your shoulder, “We gotta get going now.” You groaned, pulling the soft blanket above your head. It had felt like you just fell asleep but it was already time to leave?

“(Y/N), the boys are already downstairs waiting for us,” Jisung reasoned; He tried to pull you up by grasping onto your shoulders, only for him to flop down and crush you with his weight when you refused to sit up.

“Just a bit longer, please.” You whined, taking your hands out from under the covers to hold onto Jisung tightly, not allowing him to stand up. He sighed, squeezing you gently as he relished in having you in his arms this morning because he couldn’t last night.

“As much as I appreciate this hug right now, we have to leave if we are gonna get to the Dark Woods and back on time.” He chuckled, patting your back and leaning you up, taking you with him.

You grumbled and let him go, wiping the sleep from your eyes.

“Besides, Changbin already packed up all your stuff for you this morning and put it by the door, so you just gotta get your shoes on.” Jisung explained, fixing your hair endearingly and nodding towards the door.

“Awful nice of him.” You mumbled sleepily, before getting out of bed and stretching your arms. You got your boots on and put on your knapsack, before finally grabbing your staff and opening the door. Jisung cooed at you for getting up, saying things like ‘good job’ and ‘I know you’re tired’ and you smiled at his thoughtfulness.

“Finally, sleeping beauty is awake!” Changbin teased when you came down the stairs. You rolled your eyes at him, used to his antics. Chan handed you an apple, saying breakfast was on the road today.

“Lets get going.” You agreed, biting into the apple, “lead the way, Tracker Man.” Chan smiled at the nickname, but nonetheless started the trek east. It was silent for the most part, aside from Jisung humming a tune and the crunch of your apple.

It wasn’t long until you finally got to the edge of the city when you finally made some conversation.

“So, do you guys know what kind of monster we are dealing with or..?” You asked, kicking at pebbles on the dirt road as you walked. 

“Well, from what I learned last night at the tavern,” Chan began, talking over his shoulder at you, “Rumor has it the beast is something big. I heard stories of it eating whole horses.”

“We already knew that, silly.” Jisung said matter-of-factly, earning a glare from the eldest, “The duchess said it was big.”

“Yeah but I didn’t think that big!” You complained, feeling a bit nervous about the nature of your opponent, “What else Chan?”

“I heard a story that one of the farmers warded it off with a torch, so maybe it’s afraid of fire?” Chan said, but you could hear the pout in his voice, “But I can’t know for sure how effective that is without knowing what kind of monster we are dealing with.”

“I don’t care what it is, I’ll kick it’s ass all the same.” Changbin said proudly, smirking while lacing his fingers together to stretch his arms out in front of him.

“That’s because you do the same thing for everything we fight: swing your claymore around and hope you don’t take one of our heads off.” Jisung teased, earning a scowl from Changbin, but it quickly changed into a tiny grin when you giggled along with the jokes.

“I do not!” Changbin half-whined half-giggled, nudging Jisung with his elbow, “I’ll have you all know, I’m very calculated and tactical when in battle.”

“Oh yeah? You ‘calculated’ hitting the tree and one of the big heavy branches falling on my foot while we were fighting a pack of goblins in the forests on the edge of NCity?” Chan asked in a playful tone, eyebrows raised as Changbin tried to defend himself.

“How was I supposed to know the branch would fall if I hit the tree! If anything, you should have just moved before it fell.” Changbin shouted, crossing his arms and lips pulled into a pout, “Besides, Jisung healed you up well and you were fine within an hour.”

“Not to mention, last I checked, you were the one to call for Changbin’s help that day anyways.” You said with a cheeky smile, before wrapping your arm around Changbin’s shoulders, “He was just trying to help, so don’t be so picky about it.”

“You wont be saying that when its your foot getting crushed by a stray swing of Changbin’s claymore.” Chan reasoned, huffing out a sigh, but smile gracing his face nonetheless.

_________________

After a rather uneventful week of travelling on foot, you finally reached the little village of Alsea the evening of your seventh day; it was a river-fishing village that bordered the Dark Woods. Chan thought it would be best to stay for the evening, get more information from locals about the monster, as well as be fully rested and regain the most strength for a battle.

“Alright, it’s best if we split up.” Chan suggested as you entered a crowded pub. The air smelled of mud and rainwater, as it was a hot spot for many of the local fisherman to visit after work.

“Me and Bin will go talk to some of the tougher looking fellows over there,” Chan explained, pointing to a corner where there seemed to be an arm wrestling competition going on, “You two should go ask the barkeep and see what they know. We’ll meet up in an hour or so and go to bed, alright?”

“Sounds good, c’mon (Y/N)!” Jisung said with a nod, pulling you in the direction of the bar. You waved over your shoulder at Chan and Changbin, before following Jisung through the crowded pub to make it to the bar. You hopped up on one of the stools, Jisung settling down beside you.

“Excuse me, Sir.” Jisung called to the bar-hand over the chatter and music of the loud pub. He was young, and handsome if you do say so yourself. He looked up at the two of you, putting down the rag he had been cleaning the bar with, “We’ll have an ale for me and a glass of wine for my partner here please.”

“Right away, Boss.” The bar-hand said with a nod, preparing the drinks before serving you both. He grinned at you, looking you up and down and making your face heat up a bit from the attention.

“Here you are.” He almost purred, sliding the glass towards you and handing Jisung the mug of ale he ordered, “Enjoy.”

Jisung frowned, grabbing his drink and taking a swig of it before scooting closer to you.

“This place is pretty busy,” You said sweetly, “Is every night like this?”

“Usually, but it’s much more busy when the snow comes around,” The bar-hand replied, “I guess folks are wanting to find a way to stay warm, and the atmosphere and alcohol help.” You hummed, taking a sip of your drink. The bar-hand eyed you closely, biting his lip bottom lip as you swallowed the drink. It made Jisung feel sick they way he was watching you.

“What brings a pretty individual like yourself into these parts? Alsea isn’t really a tourist spot.” The bar-hand asked, brushing his hair away from his face. Before you could answer, Jisung slung his arm around your waist and pulled you into him, causing you to let out a little squeak in surprise.

“We are actually on our honeymoon, isn’t that right, darling?” He replied in a passive aggressive tone, frowning at the man behind the bar before plastering a fake smile on his face.

You resisted the urge to chuckle at Jisung’s behavior, but nonetheless leaned closer to him and nodded. Playing pretend doesn’t hurt anyone, besides, its a fun idea for you to tease Jisung....

“Yes dearest, and what a lovely honeymoon it’s been! I thought we were going to get lost on the way here though, with all the detours you decided to take us on.” You laughed, trying to keep your voice even. You playfully hit Jisung’s leg, making him chuckle and look at you teasingly. Game on.

“I only took detours because I wanted to get here as fast as possible for my love. ” Jisung confessed(?) while dragging his hand along your waist, earning a sarcastic pout from you before he turned back to to the bar-hand, who looked a bit annoyed now, “And it was lucky I did because this is the only town before hitting the woods. We would have missed meeting this fine gentleman if not for my detours.”

“Well how sweet of you, dearest.” You sighed, downing your drink and placing a kiss on Jisung’s cheek. It quickly burned red and Jisung prayed he kept his expression at least a little bit under control. You smirked and turned to the bar-hand and smiled politely while you pushed your empty glass towards him, “We are headed out east through the Dark Woods. I heard it’s lovely this time of year.”

The bar-hand cleared his throat, regaining a bit of his composure before giving a fake smile at the two of you.

“Under normal circumstances, it is.” He confirmed, grabbing you glass and putting on the counter behind him, “But I wouldn’t recommend going there now. There is rumor of a monster that lurks there.”

“Oh really? What kind of monster?” Jisung asked boldly leaning on the bar and drinking from his glass. A bit of a direct question to ask the bar-hand, but at least it was useful.

“Nobody really knows.” The bar-hand replied, face serious and voice in a hushed tone and he leans closer to the two of you, “from what I’ve heard, it came down from the northern mountains, and its bigger than anything we’ve ever seen come from the woods.”

“do you know anyone who has actually seen it?” You probed, chewing nervously at your bottom lip as the bar-hand shook his head.

“Nobody who has gotten a good look at it has lived to tell about it.” The bar-hand replied solemnly, before sighing and brushing his hair away from his face once again.

The seriousness of this monster made your anxiety shoot through the roof. It was obvious by now this would be no easy feat to kill the beast, but the more you heard about it, the more it sounded impossible.

The atmosphere felt cold and you felt a sudden warm hand on yours. Turning to Jisung, you felt him squeeze your hand comfortingly as he smiled at the bar-hand.

“Well, maybe it’s best we don’t go through there for our honeymoon, Love.” Jisung teased, finally looking back at you with a gentle grin. He wrapped his arm around you once more, and you could feel your anxiety melt away, just for this moment.

“Well, I agree. The two of you should pick another route. Sorry you traveled here for your plans to be ruined, but better safe than sorry!” The bar-hand hummed. Jisung took some gold pieces out of his pocket to pay for your drinks, thanking the bar-hand.

The two of you hopped down off the stools, but Jisung didn’t let go of you. He held your waist firm and lead you towards the center of the tavern where it was cleared out to dance. A man was playing the fiddle and while a woman sang some folk song.

“Care to dance, Love?” Jisung asked, teasing smile on his face as he turned you to face him. You nodded and slipped you hand into his empty one and reached up to grasp at his shoulder. You began to sway around to the music, carefully avoiding others who also decided to come out and dance.

“You know, you played a very convincing jealous newlywed.” You chuckled, pulling Jisung closer to you so you could whisper in his ear, “I almost thought you were jealous for real.”

The two of you continued to dance, spinning and stepping around the space smoothly. Jisung let out a sarcastic laugh, rolling his eyes at you before leaning in to whisper to you.

“I was jealous.” He argued flatly, tightening his grip on you once again, “That stupid bar-hand was practically drooling on the counter looking at you. I didn’t like it.”

“Oh, you didn’t?” You scoffed playfully, shaking your head at him. He let his annoyance play just slightly on his face, causing you to smile, “I couldn’t tell.”

The song ended, and Jisung pulled away slightly. He still held onto your hand as he gazed at you with a slight grin on his face. He placed a quick kiss to you hand, thanking you for the dance. You let out a squeal of surprise at the action as you swatted at him with your other hand. You both laughed at each other, walking away from the dance floor as another song started.

“Let’s go find the other two knuckleheads.” You suggested, holding onto Jisung’s hand as you weaved through the crowd looking for your companions.

You approached the table at the back with a crowd formed around it, shouts and cheers heard just barely over all the other commotion of the pub. You pushed your way through to see what all the excitement was about; you couldn’t say you were surprised at what you found...

Sitting in one of the chairs was Changbin, who was locked in an intense arm wrestling match with one of the biggest fisherman you’ve ever seen. You let out a laugh when you see Changbin yawn before he effortlessly slams the fisherman’s hand down on the table. The crowd of men cheers as Changbin celebrated his victory.

“Why am I not surprised..” Jisung sighed, as you just patted his cheek soothingly and shoved your way to the table.

“Who’s next?” Changbin boasts, making a ‘come here’ motion with his hand, “Who dares challenge me?” When he caught sight of you, His expression lit up and he swatted at Chan, who stood behind his chair monitoring the whole ordeal. By the looks of it, he also seemed to be making bets on Changbin, as he was handed a small pouch by one of the fishermen. When Chan saw you, his expression mirrored Changbin’s as he smiled and waved you over.

Another man sat down across from Changbin, his arms the size of one of your legs; it was a mystery on how he even got into the building as he looked to be bigger than the doorway.

You and Jisung slinked your way over to where Chan stood, greeting him before looking at Changbin.

“Who invited Goliath?” Jisung asked in a hushed tone, swallowing as he gazed at the big man across from Changbin. 

Chan folded his arms across his chest and hummed. “I saw him earlier when we entered. I thought it was only a matter of time before he came to challenge Bin.”

Changbin sat unwavering, grasping hands with the beast of a man. He glanced up at you, to which you gave him a firm, but encouraging look. That seemed enough to give Changbin confidence, as he looked back at the man with determination.

“You guys seem to have been working hard at finding information out.” You mumbled sarcastically to Chan. The other fisherman were chattering, placing their bets as the two strong men prepared for their battle.

“We got a bit.” Chan protested, taking his eyes off of Changbin to look at the two of you, “But I’m starting to think this fisherman is our beast...”

You and Jisung chuckled at Chan’s joke, looking back to your friend to support him and cheer him on in this seemingly impossible feat. Changbin was the strongest person you knew! Surely this big scary man was no match for him!

______________________________

“I can’t believe it was over in three seconds!” Changbin whined as he flopped down on the bed, “my pride is more hurt than my arm!”

“So you don’t want me to massage your shoulder then?” Jisung asked teasingly, only for Changbin to grunt out a ‘no, please’. Jisung snickered, sitting down beside the dishearten man and began to gently rub his shoulder; an aura of blue coming up from his hands, causing Changbin to groan out in delight.

With the winnings from the bets on Changbin, Chan purchased a stay in the inn down the street. It wasn’t as nice as the tavern in Miroh, but it was much nicer than sleeping outside. Besides, you were going into the woods tomorrow to fight whatever this thing was, so it was best to get a good rest.

“Okay, so we know it’s big, it’s furry so probably mammalian, it’s prone to fire, and it’s supposedly from the north.” Chan hummed, tapping his chin lightly as he looked through one of his journals that he kept for monster information.

“Could it be a Worg?” You asked, looking up from a different journal of Chan’s to see him shake his head no.

“Worgs are usually bound to the plains, never up north or the forest.” He replied, flipping through the pages as he sat down on the other bed, frown on his face.

“Maybe it’s not from the north?” Jisung offered, turning to look at the two of you as he gently smoothed his hands offer Changbin’s shoulder, “I mean, it’s just rumored to be from the north.”

“I guess...” You hummed, closing the journal to hand it back to Chan as you yawned, “Whatever it is, we at least have a general idea of what it could look like and how we should attack it.”

“Yeah, we should rest up instead of worrying about whatever this mystery creature is.” Changbin suggested, voice muffled by the pillows. Jisung stood up, allowing Changbin to rise, “Besides, as long as we all have each other’s back, we can take on anything.”

“Like that fisherman you lost to?” Chan teased, causing Changbin to grunt, throwing a pillow at his companion. Jisung let out a laugh, earning a second pillow being thrown at his head.

“If I had all of your guys’ strength too, I could have won!” Changbin huffed, catching the pillow as Chan tossed it back to him and laying it under his head.

“I think that’s why we work so good together. We all have different strengths and we can depend of each other.” You said sincerely, going over to pick up the pillow at Jisung’s feet and bring it over to where Changbin laid.

“How endearing!” Jisung cooed before frowning, “I think I’m going to puke.” You chuckled, taking your jacket off and setting it on the chair beside the edge of the bed, pulling out the covers.

“Hang on, how come Bin get’s to sleep next to you!?” Jisung whined, coming over to your side and holding onto your hand.

“Because I slept next to Chan in the last inn and we got to play newlyweds earlier.” You replied with a grin; Jisung resembled a puppy in this moment, lip stuck out in a pout., “It’s Changbin’s turn.”

“And you had the audacity to shame us on how much information we were gathering...” Chan tutted, looking to Changbin as if to say ‘can you believe them?’. Jisung paid them no mind as he held onto your hand with both of his, almost pleading.

“Yeah, we’re newlyweds! Shouldn’t we sleep together?” Jisung bargained, “Besides, I hate sleeping with Chan! He drools and snores so loud!” Chan let out an offended protest as Changbin simple pushed Jisung away from the bed.

“(Y/N) said it’s my turn.” Changbin said matter-of-factly, causing Jisung to frown as Changbin slipped under the covers too. He laid on his back with a smug grin; an open invitation for you to lay on his broad chest.

“Next time.” You promised apologetically, blowing out the candle on you bedside table as Jisung sighed in defeat. He trudged over to Chan’s bed with a disappointed ‘fine’ falling from his lips

“Next time, I’ll just get us a room with one king sized bed and we can all sleep together if it’s going to be this big of a problem!” Chan scolded like a parent, opening up the covers for Jisung to crawl under.

“I’d rather eat one of Changbin’s sweaty socks than be trapped between all three of you.” You grimaced, causing the boys to chuckle. 

“Goodnight.” Chan called out, blowing out the candle and sliding down in the bed. Jisung latched onto him a bit too quickly for someone who “hated sleeping with Chan” in your opinion, but the two of them seemed to relax, as their forms sunk into the mattress.

You laid down, ready to sleep close to Changbin so he would keep you heated; he seemed like he still wanted to be playful, as he flipped over so his back was facing you, tugging all the blankets with him.

You lightly smacked his back before shifting so that you were flush against him. You tugged some of the blankets back over to you before you buried your face against his shoulder blades and draped an arm over his stomach to keep him close.

Changbin laced his hand over yours, keeping it in place as he relaxed into the bed, letting out a gentle sigh. He whispered out a ‘goodnight’ to you; you hummed in response, nuzzling into him. You then allowed yourself to fall asleep under the gentle thrumming of his heartbeat. 

_______________________________

Branches crackled under your boots as you trudged along; The canopies of the trees stretched far above your head, forming almost a roof that blocked sunlight due to haw thick the overgrowth was. but despite the lack of sunlight, much of the forest floor was overrun with many different species of flora.

“Ow! Son of a bitch...” Jisung mumbled, hitting the bramble he was standing in with his sword and instinctively bringing one of his hands up and shaking it. He picked out the thorn that seemingly was stuck into his finger and grumbled.

“Hey Chan, isn’t there another path that isn’t so.... poke-y?” Changbin asked, looking down at the bushes that came up to your waist.

Chan was leading you through the Dark Woods, following a seemingly invisible trail to your beast. The eldest turned back from his place at the front of the line, frowning at you all.

“Yeah, I’d assume so.” He answered simply before waving his long sword towards the bushels in front of him, “But based on these markings, this is the way the beast went. So I’m following that.”

“I can’t see anything?” Jisung huffed, his hand covered in a slight blue aura for only a moment before he shook it again to loosing his joints. 

“That’s because you’re not a tracker,” Chan replied, rolling his eyes, cutting more of a path in front of him and continuing on, “Now quit complaining and lets go.”

“Let me go right behind Chan,” You suggested, squeezing past Jisung; you whispered a simple spell into the top of your staff, causing it to start to smoke. You grabbed it three quarters of the way down, tipping the top into the bushes to burn the edges, creating a more clear path.

“That should be better.” You hummed in delight, sweeping your staff from side to side as you walked, careful not to linger in one place too long lest to light the whole forest on fire. The two boys behind you let out grunts in agreement and you continued the trek deeper into the woods.

It was calm for a while, with the four of you just listening to the stillness of the air and the sounds of you and Chan making a path before you finally decided to speak.

“Chan, if you’re following a track made by the beast, you must have some idea of what it is, right?” You asked, careful not to burn the ankles of the man in front of you as he stopped abruptly. 

He was quiet, looking out into the woods; you followed suit, dissolving your magic and silently coming closer to him, placing a timid hand on his shoulder as not to scare him. He didn’t move, eyes squinting to see farther into the distance.

Suddenly Chan crouched, whispering out a frantic “Get down!” at the three of you; you quickly comply, crouching low beneath the underbrush as your heart rate increased rapidly. Jisung and Changbin shuffle their way over to the two of you, close enough to hear their breathing as you all waited for Chan to explain anything that was going on.

That’s when you heard it; A distant thumping. It sounded like footsteps coming closer and closer to your party.

“Chan....” Jisung whimpered slightly, gripping the hilt of his sword, “What is that sound?”

The ground shook with each step the beast took; you tried to peak through the foliage to see what it was, but it was nowhere to be found. The footsteps seemed to be getting very close now, the crunching of branches loud as you could hear the beast. 

Chan looked pale, holding a shaky finger up to his lips to tell you all to be quiet. He slowly removed the black bow he carried to notch an arrow in it. Changbin prepared his claymore, gripping it tightly with both hands, his expression stone cold.

And then, the footsteps stopped.

The air was silent, the only sound you could hear was the rushing of blood in your ears and the breath of your party members. The once calming stillness of the woods had now bred a tense atmosphere, causing a sense of unease to wash over you all as the silence continued.

You shifted you weight with uncertainty, looking up and around to try and get even a glimpse in the right direction before your eyes fell on Chan, who was gazing at the three of you with a look of concern.

And then it happened in a flash

The bramble around you peeling back, a loud roar that causing a great ringing in your ears and Jisung flying up towards the sky helplessly in the grasp of this great beast, screaming and flailing around in distress.

It’s fur was snow white as it stood on two powerful legs; it was easily 10 feet tall, gnarled teeth and small eyes pulled into an aggressive expression as it roared out again, brown spit flying from its mouth. You gazed in horror as his grey meaty hand held Jisung by the ankle.

A Yeti.

Jisung!” You cried out, quick to stand and try to conjure a spell with your staff; But just as quickly as you reacted, the Yeti was faster, swatting you into a nearby tree with the back of it’s other flat hand, sending you tumbling down through the sharp branches while knocking the wind out of you and sending your staff flying.

Chan shot his arrow, landing it directly into the knuckle of the beast’s middle finger; it reacted by letting Jisung go, dropping him into the thick bushes below with a crunch. The yeti let out an anguished cry, balling its fist to crush Chan, but he leapt out of the way and helped Jisung stand.

Changbin quickly dove between it’s legs, slashing at it’s knees with his claymore. The beast turned and swatted at Changbin; it missed it’s mark, slamming it’s hand into a tree and sending one of the large branches down on the ground.

It grasped it’s newfound weapon and swung it around at the ground, nearly taking Chan’s head off if he would have held it just a bit higher.

“Chan, what is this thing?!” Changbin barked, ducking his head as the yeti swung his tree club at him, “and how to we beat it!!?”

“Yeti!” Chan shouted, notching another arrow and shooting it at the monster’s face; it was unfortunately blocked by the tree branch it weld, but not without the yeti bellowing at Chan and attempting to crush him with its foot. The oldest jumped out of the way, pushing Jisung down with him.

The beast threw its branch away, slamming it into another tree as it let out another booming roar and leaned forward, placing it’s knuckles on the ground in front of it.

You coughed, a groan of pain escaping your lips as you sat up and clutched your back; the pain was indescribable as it took the brunt of the impact, not to mention your skin was also cover in cuts from the sharp branches you fell through. Your vision was a blurry still from the initial impact, but once it cleared up a bit, you were able to see Changbin slicing once more at the yeti, getting a good cut in at its hip area. This small victory was short lived, as the beast reacted on instinct and swatted at him, sending him flying a few feet into the nearby bramble.

Chan was able to use this time to climb up into one of the trees and get a good angle on the yeti with his bow. He got one good hit in on the yeti’s shoulder before it caught sight of him and grabbed at his legs, pulling him from the tree and shaking his body until he dropped his weapon.

Jisung went to help Changbin, clutching his sword tightly as he ducked into the overgrowth and helping Changbin up; he seemed to recover fast, moving to stand at Jisung's side.

“This isn’t working!” Jisung cried out as he slashed at the yeti, trying to get it to drop Chan. The beast tried to kick at Jisung, but the healer dodged to the side in the last second before scrambling back to his feet.

“Fire!” Chan yelled, beating the yeti’s fingers with his fists as the beast flailed him about, much too distracted with trying to get Jisung, “yetis hate fire!”

You blinked rapidly, processing what Chan was shouting about.

Fire...

Fire!

You could make fire! all you needed was-

“My staff,” You mumbled, looking around frantically for the object. You pushed aside some bushes, crawling around on the ground searching for the one thing you needed to help your party.

You finally found it, laying ten feet away on some gnarled tree roots. It looked to be damaged; a big crack running along the length of it. But it would work for now.

You used it to stand tall, trying to ground yourself despite your state; you willed all the power you could into it, conjuring up a bright ball of white hot fire with one of the most advanced spells you knew. You weren’t sure how strong it would be, as you’d only performed this spell once and that was in your best condition and a fully functioning staff...

The ball grew, sending waves of heat outwards before you launched it into the yeti’s back, setting its white fur ablaze. It howled in pain, dropping Chan ungracefully and starting to slap its back to put the fire out.

Unfortunately for you, the raw power of that spell send burning embers down the crack in your staff, effectively breaking the tool for good as it slightly crumbled in your hand.

What now?

Shit! It was risky for any warlock to try and do a spell without a magic tool to direct their power.

But you had no other option as of now and you needed to help the boys.

“Fuck you!” You spat angrily as threw your broken staff to the side and picked up a branch that had fallen from one of the trees; using a different, less complicated spell, you shakily conjured a weak flame and lit the tip of the branch on fire. You then lunged forward with all your strength, using the branch like an inferno-covered spear to stab at the beast.

You continue to push it back, burning it’s grey skin until you reach Chan, allowing his to recover a bit and grab for his bow that he dropped earlier. He placed a gentle hand on the small of your back before moving to the side of you.

The other two boys had seemingly made fire, Changbin wielding a burning branch covered in foliage with Jisung behind him readying his weapon.

The beast roared swatting at both you and Changbin with it’s hands, however still trying to maintain a distance between it and the fire you held. It looked to be backing away from you as you closed in on it.

Chan slung his bow around his shoulder and unsheathed a longsword before shouting “I have an idea! I need (Y/N) and Changbin to focus the fire down to the undergrowth and make a perimeter. We can’t let it get away!”

You and Changbin exchanged a knowing look, nodding at Chan before you sprang into action. You dipped you flame covered branch down into the bushes and ran around to make a big circle. As you did this, Chan kept the yeti’s attention by swinging at it with his sword, Jisung coming to help the ranger by diving between its legs to appear next to Chan.

You finally met up with Changbin about 5 feet behind the beast, giving it very little room to maneuver without stepping in the fire.

“You look like shit.” Changbin exclaimed, seeing the state you were in with scratches and sweat covering your body.

“Thanks?!” You replied simply, tossing the broken branch into the already blazing inferno creating a perimeter.

Changbin unsheathed his claymore before calling out, “What now Chan?”

“Now we all close in and attack it with everything we have!” The eldest shouted, already starting to move in and stab at the yeti with his sword. Changbin let out a yell before rushing the beast, using both his hands to swing his large weapon at it’s waist. Jisung let out a shout too, using his sword to attack near the beast's legs.

You reached for the only weapon you carried, a dagger that sat on your hip.

But before you were able to charge, you felt a wave of pain wash over you from the center of you back; it spread like electricity all across your body, making you feel weak in the knees.

Your vision grew spotted, with the sounds and sights of your friends going in and out of focus.

Ah shit...

that stupid monster really did a number on you...

And with that high level spell on a broken staff, your body was spent.

Falling to the ground you try and stabilize yourself with your hands;

But it was no use as you slumped forward and pass out.

------

When you finally came to, the sky was dark and the only sound that filled your ears was the crackling of campfire and the soft humming of a folk-song.

You felt a strong pair of arms wrapped tenderly around your frame as you laid in the comfortable lap of one of your dearest companions.

"You should be resting." Changbin whispered, delicately brushing a stray hair from your face, "Although I'm thankful to see you have some life in you."

"What happened?" You mumbled, turning your head to look around. you seemed to be at a makeshift camp, with Jisung laying on a soft bedroll sleeping as still as humanly possible. In contrast, Chan was sat up against a tree, arms crossed and eyes shut, but seemingly asleep as well.

Your boys were safe, that's good.

You drew your attention back up to Changbin, who just stroked your upper arm comfortingly. His face has a few cuts on it and his shirt seemed to be torn, with quite a few massive bruises covering his arms.

"We beat the beast, everything is okay. You fainted, but Jisung healed you up good." Changbin relayed in a hushed tone, gazing at you softly. You frown, weakly reaching your hand up to touch one of the scratches on his face.

"He didn't heal you?" You asked, voice trembling. Your arm felt heavy as Changbin grabbed your hand, placing a kiss on it and returning it to your side.

"Couldn't." Changbin replied simply, keeping a warm hold on your hand, "You were so badly injured he used up all his energy to heal you."

Changbin's voice shook slightly as he looked away. You could see the wetness of his eyes reflecting the light of the fire as he tried not to let out a tear.

"Hey, I'm okay." You whispered, squeezing his hand.

"I was scared we were going to lose you." Changbin admits, biting his bottom lip to keep it from quivering. You could hear the fear in his tone, which broke your heart. Using all the strength you could muster, you sit up, wincing ever so slightly at the ache in your back. You scoot closer to Changbin before you engulf him in a hug, holding onto him as if he would shatter.

"I know, but I'm alright now." You affirmed, reaching to gently stroke his hair as the usual barbarian let out a quiet sob into your shoulder. He carefully wrapped his arms around you and pulled you to sit in his lap. Changbin wanted to hold you as close as possible, worried you would be gone of he let you go.

You couldn't help but feel at ease in his grasp, melting into his touch as you tried to soothe him with hushes and adoring touches on his hair and back.

You both sat like this for a while, not a sound passing between the two of you besides Changbin's shaky breaths. When he finally did let you go, you placed a quick kiss on his cheek, right where a cut laid. Wordlessly, you kissed another, and then the other.

"There, all better." You joked with a cheesy grin. Changbin chuckled at you, before you cringed from another sudden wave of pain.

"You should rest." Changbin hummed, shifting so he sat up more straight, "I have to keep watch for a bit longer, but I want you to sleep right here with me, okay?"

He helped you lay back down in his lap before he reached for his blanket that was rolled up by his pack. He covered you lovingly with it, keeping his arms around you to make sure you were warm.

"We have a long trip ahead of us tomorrow, so sleep well." Changbin wished. You hummed in response, closing your eyes and grasping onto the hem of the blanket.

"Sorry I wasn't much help fighting today. I'll be better tomorrow." You apologized, letting yourself relax in the safe embrace Changbin provided.

"Nonsense," Changbin reassured you, voice barely above a whisper, "You were brilliant today."

"Thanks Bin. Goodnight."

"Goodnight (Y/N)"

---------

"I can't believe you guy's were cuddling again." Jisung let out a huff, blue healing magic from his hands rubbing the bruises out of Changbin's skin.

"You were out cold too! You wouldn't have even known if (Y/N) slept beside you." Changbin argued, shaking his head at the healer and offering up his left arm for treatment.

"Even if he was awake, there was no way you were gonna let them go." Chan teased, turning to whisper to you, "He wouldn't leave your side from the moment you passed out. Not even while Jisung healed you."

"Knowing Changbin, I'm not surprised." You giggled, packing up your things relatively slowly; Your whole body still ached, but you were sure you'd be alright after a long rest, "I think its endearing how much of a big softie he is."

"Doesn't matter, it was my turn." Jisung grumbles under his breath. a pout played on his face as he finished up healing Changbin. The latter stood, saying a small thanks before he started to pack up his belongings.

Soon the four of you were all but ready to go. The fire was getting stomped out by Jisung, while Changbin made sure the monstrous yeti head was secured in a burlap sack.

You weren't entirely sure if the duchess meant it genuinely when she said she wanted its head, but better safe than sorry in your opinion. maybe she wanted to mount it as a trophy of the victory for her people? And if not, it would be entertaining to see her face when you brought it to her.

Changbin began the trek ahead, hoisting his things over his broad shoulders and making a move to go ahead and lead. You tried to tie the end of your bag to secure it, but you couldn't stop the trembling in your fingers enough to complete the fine motor skill. it frustrated you that you weren't back to your peak performance yet.

Jisung's healing can only do so much, especially when it came to magical damage; sure, your body was sore, but there was an underlying weakness that came from casting a spell without your staff. In the heat of the moment you didn't feel the toll due to adrenaline and being in survival mode.

A stick with no magical properties was better than casting a spell with nothing, but you would still pay the price for using such a common item with no embedded magic; weakness, fatigue, muscle spasms, and a whole plethora of other possible side effects was inevitable. Luckily it would fade as time went on, but it didn't make you feel any less of a burden now.

"Let me help you with that." Chan suggested warmly, crouching down and tying your bag closed quickly. You thanked him, moving to sling the bag over your shoulder as you stood. But before you could grab it, Chan lifted it and tossed it to Jisung, who gracefully caught it and slung it over his shoulder.

"Ready to go?" The healer hummed, smiling at you.

"I can carry my own bag." You huffed in annoyance; you began to walk over to Jisung to take it back when Chan grabbed your arm, stopping you in place.

"Nah, there is no way you're lugging that all the way back." Chan insisted, before nodding to Jisung with a grin, "Besides, Jisung strong. what's an extra couple pounds?"

"This feels like nothing to me!" Jisung piped up, adjusting it with ease on his shoulder.

"Fine." You replied, knowing it was better to pick your battles when it came to Chan when he made a decision.

"Great." The eldest responded, before turning around and patting his shoulder, "Now hop on so we can get going."

Oh... this was a battle to pick!

"What? No! I can walk just fine." You argued, patting Chan's shoulders. When he turned back around, a frown played on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest in classic Chan fashion.

"Really? Because you could barely even stand up on your own." Chan reasoned, tone firm before his eyes softened ever so slightly, "I'm sure you could walk the entire journey if we had all the time in the world. You're strong."

"But we don't." He finalized, turning around and crouching down, speaking over his shoulder, "We have to get a move on and we don't have time for you to lag behind so I'm going to carry you."

You groaned; mostly because you knew Chan was right, as per usual... You would slow the party down and you didn't have time for it if you were going to meet the duchess on time. The least you could do at this point is not hold everyone up.

"What's taking you so long? Quit smelling the flowers, we have places to be!" Changbin barked back at you three. You turned to Jisung, who shrugged and went on ahead.

You rolled your eyes and sighed, giving in and climbing onto to Chan's broad back. The man hummed, seemingly pleased by your dismay.

"If you get tired, tell me and I'll make sure I can keep up." You said, almost as a whisper because of how close you were to Chan's ear. He could feel your breath tickle his cheek ever so slight as you rested you head on his shoulder. You felt frail in his grasp, as he made note to try and be and gentle as possible while moving around.

"I won't get tired, don't worry." Chan reassured you, shifting your weight in his strong arms before beginning the long trek back to Miroh. His large hands provided sturdy support to your legs as as he walked, trying to catch up with the other two boys.

You would never admit it, but you were secretly a bit grateful for Chan, as you weren't sure if you truly were strong enough to make the journey without his help. And being secure in his hold, feeling the warmth of his body close the entire trip would definitely a plus, bringing you a sense of ease you couldn't describe.

--------

"I can't believe she's making us wait. I'm tired of hauling this smelly monster head around." Changbin complained, leaning back on his chair.

"You're lucky they let us bring that thing into the tavern." Jisung scoffed, kicking the Yeti's head lightly, "It reeks!"

"That's because it's rotting." Chan said matter-of-factly, shaking his head, "Did you guys expect it to smell like roses?"

"No, of course not!" Changbin said, annoyance ever present in his tone as you grimaced at the head, "I just didn't think it would be this bad!"

The boys continued to bicker back and forth about the head as you sat quietly, picking apart a scone that Felix had baked today. You had begun to regain a bit of strength along the journey, not feeling as sickly as you once were. You were almost certain that a good night's sleep in the inn upstairs would bring you right back to normal.

But you had to wait until the duchess arrived for you to collect your payment before you could do that. But of course she was late, as she didn't seem to care about your time; it was probably negligible in her eyes.

You ate the scone, washing it down with a entire mug of fresh fruit juice before she finally did arrive with two guards in tow. Long after the sun had set, like she agreed, but she showed up nonetheless. And when she did, you swatted at your companions to quit arguing on whether or not rotting head smelt worse is worse than Changbin's armpits.

Chan stood from his spot and bow to the duchess as she approached, "Good evening, My Lady."

"What is that awful smell!" She wrenched, scrunching her nose up and covering it with her wrist.

"The Beast's head, just as you requested, My Lady!" Jisung beamed, standing to bow as well before he presented the duchess with the grotesque thing. You watched as Changbin tried his hardest to keep himself from smiling at her expression.

"Well, I did say I wanted it's head didn't I..." The duchess huffed out, expression sour. with the wave of her hand, one of her guards takes a hold of it and takes it away, finally allowing you to breath fresh air again.

Right, well," The duchess hummed, clasping her hands together, "Might I say well done. My people are safe thanks to you, which is all that matters to me."

"We are also glad such a creature can't terrorize helpless folk, My Lady." Chan agreed, standing up straight with a graceful smale across his face.

"Yeah, super glad." Changbin grunted out, eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly, "anyways, I think it's time you paid us?"

The duchess scowled at Changbin who only smiled tantalizingly at her. "We did what you asked, My Lady." The title sounded patronizing coming out of the his mouth, but it was more so when accompanied by a haphazard nod that you could barely argue as a bow.

"It seems you still have yet to learn manners on all your travels." The duchess sighed, snapping her fingers quickly. The remaining guard pulls a bag out and places it on the table, "Thank you for your service to my kingdom."

With that, the duchess turned and walked away, practically stomping as she exited the tavern.

"Please doing business, My Lady!" Chan shouted after her before taking his seat again. Jisung followed suit, scraping his chair as he opened the bag, dumping the contents onto the table. He tucked the bag away after making sure all the pieces lied safely on the table in a pile.

"Splitting it up? Usually we pool everything together" Changbin asked, as Chan began to count the gold pieces.

The eldest nodded, jutting his head in your direction, "(Y/N) asked if we would this time." You nodded.

It was true, you had asked Chan if the earnings from this job could be split. It was pretty unusual for your group to split up earnings, as you were practically inseparable so you wouldn't make frivolous purchases outside a group setting. But this time, you felt you had a good reason for it.

"It's the most fair in my opinion." You explained, adjusting your bag in your lap, "I need a new staff and you should know that magical items cost a pretty penny. This way, it'll be a purchase that doesn't take away from your guys' funds, since you wouldn't use it anyways."

"That's very kind of you." Jisung said softly, touched at your thoughtfulness. He reached his hand over and held yours, squeezing it as a sort of thank you for your consideration. The moment didn't last long as Chan let out wry laugh.

"That crook, doesn't she have enough?" He scoffed under his breath before shaking his head and looking up at you all, "She scammed us."

"What?" You asked, looking down at the gold pieces; sure enough the piles were quite a bit smaller than expected.

"She only gave us half of what was promised," Chan stated sharply, half in disbelief and half in agitation, "and that's including what was given to use before we left."

"Last time we ever trust a high class cheat ever again!" Changbin growled, slaming his fist on the table. You could practically see the smoke billowing off him as he stood up furiously.

"It's alright, we still have enough to make ends meet." You reasoned, placing a delicate hand on Changbin's arm to calm him down. It does the trick, as he sits back down and folds his arms angrily.

"Yeah, but what about your staff? There is no way your portion will be enough for it..." Jisung said, shoulders slumping as he gazed at you apologetically.

"No, not even close." You sighed, standing and taking your share anyways, "but I'll just have to make do until I have enough. At least we have enough to put warm food in our bellies and a roof over our heads for a bit."

You tried hard to not sound so defeated; you weren't exactly sure how you would be able to practice magic without a magic embedded object to wield, but there was nothing you could do as of now. And truthfully, you had waited long enough for such a disappointment, you felt exhaustion catch up and felt more like something to deal with tomorrow.

Plastering a wistful smile on your face as you stretched your arms over your head. you placed your share in your bag before slinging it over your shoulder haphazardly.

"Where are you off to?" Chan asked, standing too.

"Bed." You said with a tired yawn, jutting your thumb in the direction of the staircase where the inn suites resided, "I'm still recovering, so I think a long rest in a comfy bed is exactly what I need."

"We'll come!" Changbin exclaimed, standing too; you shush him, and shake your head, quickly disagreeing.

"No, you guys should stay out and celebrate! don't pack it in on my behalf." You urged, smile finding its way onto your face as you looked at the three boys. You couldn't help but think about how much you adored them and how special your little family was. Sure, you got swindled, but at least everyone was alright. That's all that mattered to you.

"We defeated a huge beast and lived to tell about it! And we did get paid! Maybe not as much as we had hoped, but enough to have a few drinks and be merry." You encouraged, lips curling into catlike grin.

"(Y/N) right. There is no need to sulk on what we don't have when what we do have is wonderful company and good atmosphere." Chan agreed, cheerful expression slowly growing as he gazed back at you. He stood, grabbing a few gold pieces from his share and pointed to the bar, "First round is on me fellas!"

"Sure, why not!" Changbin agreed, collecting his share and placing it in his wallet.

"Enjoy the night. Be sure to come to bed when you're ready!" You cheered. Chan grinned, pulling you into a hug and placing a chaste kiss on your cheek before he whispered 'goodnight'. The ranger quickly slipped into the crowd, going to barkeep to get refreshments for his companions.

Changbin waved you over and placed a kiss on your other cheek, playfully telling you to dream of him. You agreed, barely able to contain the chuckles that bubbled up in your chest at Changbin's nature.

"Cheer up Jisung!" You laughed, poking the healer with your finger when he stayed slumped in his seat. A pout played on his face as you ruffled his hair, gazing up at you silently from his spot.

"The boys will keep you company, and if that fails, try the scone. perked me right up." You suggested, lightheartedness in your tone as you wave goodbye to the boys.

You scamper up the stairs, entering your usual room at the inn. You close the door behind you with a sigh, making quick work of lighting the fireplace and a few candles so you could see what you were doing as you prepared for bed. You took your boots off, followed by your jacket. You set them off to the side with your bag, trying to keep your things organized.

Just as you crawled into one of the beds, there was a soft knocking at the door. You hummed affirmatively, feeling too tired to get up and check for who it could be. Besides, it was most likely the tavern owners or one of the boys.

The latter was correct as Jisung opened the door, slipping inside before closing it behind him. He stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, much to your amusement.

"I thought I told you not to come to bed on my behalf!" You chuckled, sitting up and letting the covers pool around your waist.

"I didn't!" Jisung exclaimed defensively. He brushed his hair from his forehead as he shifted his weight from foot to foot, repeating his statement much softer now, "I didn't..."

"Then why are you here instead of celebrating, hm?"

"Because!" Jisung looked at the floor bashfully, biting his bottom lip before squeaking out, "it's my turn..."

You're only confused for a minute until you remember what he means. Snickering to yourself you open up the covers, fluffing up the pillow and pat the place beside you.

"Come on then," You invited, causing Jisung to grin joyously as he frantically starts taking off his shoes and jacket. In no time at all, all his outerwear is discarded and he practically leaps into the space beside you.

"Blow out the candle, would you?" You asked in a hushed tone, to which Jisung obliged, leaning away from you for only a moment to do what you asked. He snuggled up to you on his side so that you were facing one another before he wrapped one of his arms around your torso.

"Comfy?" You whispered, to which Jisung replied simply with a 'mmhmm'. "I've been waiting two weeks to not have to sleep beside Sweaty Changbin or Drooling Chan." He sighed dreamily, showing off his gums with a bright smile. You cant help but find him cute as you chuckle at his antics, clutching his shirt as you tuck your hands in the little space between the two of you.

"Hey (Y/N)," Jisung murmered after a few moments. You could feel his breath on your face as he spoke, tickling your flushed cheeks.

"Yeah?" You mumbled, eyes shut as you relaxed into the comfy bed.

"I'm sorry about your staff."

"It's alright. I'll get a new one eventually."

"About that... Me and the boys decided tomorrow we'd go down to the shopping district and pool our earnings together to buy one for you."

Your eyes fluttered open to be face to face with Jisung. His eyes held a sense of fondness in them that touched your heart, "Why would you guys do that? That's not fair to the three of you at all." You asked simply.

"Because we love you." Jisung said, as if he had said it a million times before.

"You do?" You feel your heart race as a well of emotions begins to fill in your chest at the notion.

"Of course we do. Why wouldn't we?"

"I don't know."

"Don't you love us too?"

"Of course I do." You replied delicately.

Because it was true. How could you not love them?

Chan was the leader, kind and thoughtful without fail. He would always try and take care of you, putting your needs over his in any given situation. He always made sure you were comfortable, doing everything in his power to help achieve your happiness and safety. He grew up alone in the mountains, but would brave the elements ten times over if it meant he could do it with you.

Changbin acted tough and strong, but truthfully was the most doting and affectionate of all. He used his strength to protect you from any harm, but when you were, he was adamant about never leaving your side until you are better. He's fight for you no questions asked; He already had his love taken once when he was exiled, he would rather die than have it taken again.

Jisung, a once foreign prince who understood you more than anyone. He was bright and playful, like a dream in a world where you have to fight day in and day out. He would heal you not only with his cheerful nature, but also his natural ability; even to his own detriment sometimes. In his mind, his body could be broken and energy spent up, as long as he was able to see your smile again it was worth it a million times over.

They were your home. Your team.

Of course you loved them.

"I love you all more than you could ever know." You spoke breathlessly, hoping to somehow convey all the feelings stirring up inside you at this moment.

"Good, then it's settled." Jisung said gently. You could tell he was beaming from the way his pitch sounded before he placed a toothy kiss on your forehead, "Now rest up. Big day tomorrow."

"Goodnight Ji." You whispered, not being able to help the corners of your mouth quirking up.

Life as an adventurer was hard; braving the likes of monsters, the elements, and scamming duchesses. But as you laid in Jisung's warm embrace, thinking about all the things you loved about your boys, you knew everything would be just fine, as long as you had each other.

____________________________

A/N: Ending is kind of dodgy/corny cause I'm always awkward when it comes to writing endings, but I finally finished this piece !!! When I tell you it's been in the drafts for l i t e r a l y e a r s... But its done now so hooray! I hope you enjoyed it &lt;3

Also if you're reading this and liked Felix And Your Tavern (the fic I mentioned at the beginning)... I do have a part 2 in my drafts as well, but it has references to this story in it and I wanted to publish this first. So stay tuned for that, as it's not quite ready yet!

[gingergari]

Hi!! (I'm sorry this is the third time I'm trying to send the ask, I think my wifi is fighting with me aksdasl) I love your Mareach babies! and the art you have of them :''v Also their names are perfect bc of all the meanings jsdskd I'd love to know more of them bc I too love twins whdjwhdw How are they when they grow up? Or even when they were still babies!

i’m so glad you like mela and pera! :^) (and dw, the internet’s been wonky here too)

on the backend of things i’ve used mela for a mareach kid for a few years but it’s only this year when i was actually like. designing her that i was like ‘they should have twins. something something runs in the family (on my dad’s side of the family his mom had twins and the twins also had twins) something something legendary star twin having twins’ so i trialed a few names (mainly arancia) before i settled on pera! :^)

i’ve been having the time of my life this semester (/s) so i really haven’t developed them very much unfortunately :( but that’s what asks are for! (so please send more if you’re curious!)

this is getting long so here’s a post cut

mela is the more excitable twin and comes up with a lot of ideas, but as they grew up she defaults more to pera to lead because she tends to execute them better and think of details mela would miss

though as kids pera would go along with whatever mela suggested bc she thought it was fun ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (mela was the one who proposed playing with fire, pera would probably just say ‘lets do it outside’)

i think they fully developed their own ‘firebrand’ around 3-4! but there were signs beforehand, like mela sneezing smoke as a baby and having a higher normal body temperature than pera

(but peach’s magic is so strong there was little doubt that her children would inherit her abilities, and they do end up doing so to some degree! fire just manifested early)

in terms of them as babies, they were definitely a handful but overall ‘good’ babies

once pera knew how to walk tho it was a wrap

very adventurous and loves pursuing knowledge no matter what it takes (nosy and persistent) meanwhile mela has that same curiosity but doesn’t really know what she wants. the happy hobby pursuer

we know mario has experience with younger children and babies (mallow, goombario if you squint a little, watt, yoshi kid, himself (PiT moment), olivia) and peach likely doesn’t have nearly as much but it’s still a different ball game when it’s your kid and two of them and being prince consort(? king? in my head he stayed prince consort but i like @istadris ‘s thing) but he does have a huge community so they do end up well traveled/being cared for and spoiled by many of mario’s companions, and especially so by luigi, peasley, and daisy

back to them being more grown up

mela is the oldest (and as such wears warm-reddish colors in accordance with my headcanon of mushroom world sibling pairs) so technically she’s first in line for the throne, but she doesn’t have as much of an interest in it and believes pera would be a better choice. pera (wears green tones) to her credit does show more interest so they may forgo tradition once more when the time comes but joint ruling was never out of the question

but they don’t have to worry about that for quite a while (but i think peach would do well to make sure both are prepared regardless because of her own experience)

as a pair they aren’t as joined together at the hip as mario and luigi were/are mostly because they didn’t grow up in an environment where mela or pera absolutely needed to protect the other (nor were they ever forcibly separated like the bros were in yoshis island) but they absolutely love each other and would be friends if they weren’t sisters

when they were little tho they were obviously fraternal and always wanted to look identical so they mostly dressed the same until they got to be maybe around 6-8? wide range ik but yeah

but i’m not entirely sure what the situation with bowser is like when they’re growing up but it isn’t as volatile as it currently is. the @justcallmerosey post with clementine giving me ideas tho👀