#i am ALWAYS happy to hear people about the circus man and magic man and how soft they are i cant believe well see them anIMATED | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ships-for-you · 4 years

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Hello^^ May I request a two black butler ship one romantically and one platonically? I’m average height and I’m my early twenties. I had long curly brown hair, but I cropped it short on a whim and I’m loving it! I’ve got green eyes that tend to change color depending on what I wear. I’m a rather soft spoken individual and I’ve been told my voice is soothing to listen too.(1)

Romantically, I ship you with: Joker!

Now this may seem like a weird matchup but hear me out!

You’ve mentioned that you don’t mind befriending people as long as it’s technically in a forced situation.

Naturally, I perceived this as a perfect way to apply this idea; what if you were working for the Phantomhive manor?

Not only that, but what if you were tasked to be a private eye before they decided to infiltrate the circus?

As someone who is generally soft-spoken, I think Ciel would appreciate it if you were to speak less, so not speaking unless spoken to.

Ciel thought you were both a valuable but disposable asset to his array of pawns on his chessboard so although he appreciates your loyalty, if you were to fail? It would hardly matter to him.

Don’t get me wrong, he appreciates the fact that you’re caring towards him.

And that you’re probably the closest to a motherly figure he’ll ever have. But to an extent.

He assigns you the task of observing the variety of acts that Noah’s Ark Circus offers as soon as he recieved a letter from Her Majesty.

Through this, he expressed the intention of you getting recruited before he watches the show so he knows what to expect while leaving Sebastian to investigate the pattern of disappearance of the children.

Speaking of Sebastian, he’s the one who provided you with the blouse and trousers to make you blend in.

Apparently men are more welcome to be recruited, as they’ve read in an article. Luckily they managed to make you simply look like a charming young lad.

You bought a ticket to the presumably 2 hour show and had decided to keep a keen eye on anything there was to observe.

Too bad, as you made your way to the tent, you bumped into a performer and fell flat on your behind.

That would’ve been alright, had he left you there but instead reached out their “hand” to help you up.

That hand was that of a skinned man’s, naturally you backed away.

“Aw, there ain’t no need to worry! It be only a prosthetic, E'ee needn’t be scared!” The performer tried to console you and chuckled as he watched you try to scramble away clumsily.

You’re not really good with talking if not required to and so you panicked. If you don’t need to talk to him, don’t. Is what you thought.

Turns out he was the ringleader.

Great. Way. To make. An. Impression.

You kept up a facade to make sure you looked over the top interested so as to attract attention from the performers.

He recognized in the crowd halfway through the show and asked you as his volunteer for a, “Dagger’s” performance.

“How about the wee lad in the centre?! E'ee seem to be in good spirits!”

They told you to stay put infornt of the target but right as the blonde boy had thrown his knife, you saw something shiny and thought it was something suspicious.

Needless to say, you turned your head and moved a bit so the knife sliced your nose a bit. The crowd gasped as the boy’s mouth dropped.

“AM INCREDIBLY SORRY MISS!”

They took you to the back after the show to take a look at the cut with their doctor, chatted about, and you brought up your request to join as you expressed your interest in the circus.

“So are ee’ a young lad or lady?”

Form there, they’d be skeptical however would recruit you by the end.

You can’t be a tightrope walker, not with your clumsiness.

Certainly not a trapeze artist either.

That left you with knife throwing, juggler, or beast tamer. Any guesses what you’re best at?

Juggler it is!

From there, you spend a lot of time with Joker when training however not too much time.

You’re usually on cooking duty first thing in the morning ever since you cooked once and they wondered what you did.

You just said it was secret and the younger members and Dagger called it magic lmao.

He likes your reaction to things that amaze you. The childish light in your eyes that he tried so hard to keep in the performers’ eyes.

He likes to bring you small gifts like small bundles of flowers or tricks that he’d like to use in their next show.

He appreciates your devotion to your friends, the rest of the first and second stringers, and your family. He knows that you write every night to your family to ensure them that you're fine and happy at the circus.

Or at least you told him you were writing to your parents.

Little compliments that seem almost flirtatious, much to Beast’s charging.

You try not to be charmed by his efforts however he just seems so genuine.

But you cannot continue. You have a task and you are falling for a criminal. Is what you tell yourself everytime he does these things.

You constantly writing every night to the Earl Phantomhive of your progress, purposely leaving out your domestic interactions with the ringleader.

The plan continues as you feign ignorance to seeing your master and colleague be recruited. Now, they serve as a constant reminder why you cannot continue as you please.

Of course, you can’t help but seem more at ease with “Black” by your side since you usually work closely together anyway.

Guess who’s jealous but laughs it off anyway? This little Pierrot.

I mean, he has no right to be. It’s not like you have an established relationship with him. He doesn’t ask how you’re close either.

He’s suspicious but he can’t suspect you since he thinks you have nothing to gain. So what if you’re chummy with a butler you’re supposed to have no way of connecting with?

He also, of course, understand that whatever he feels for you, he cannot fulfill for he also has a duty and obligation to the Baron.

It’s a fruitless romance you share with him and so you’ve merely chosen to enjoy whatever you have in the present with him.

You’ve already come to a conclusion what would happen to him in the end.

Platonically, I ship you with Sebastian!

As seen from the earlier situation proposed, you’d be colleagues meaning you’d pass by each other a lot.

I feel like you’d get along with most of the servants and occasionally Elizabeth when she visits but your dynamic with Sebastian is the most interesting and the most intimate amongst all of them.

He appreciates that you care for his master and that you don’t leave too much for him to clean up after, if not at all.

You help him clean after the other servants too and keep them in check.

He likes anyone who’s responsible enough so you’re pretty good in his book.

He’s not really the type to, “enjoy the company of others” since he’s usually too busy taking care of his bratty master’s orders however he does seem to prefer time with you than the other servants.

He appreciates how soft spoken you are therefore he finds the rare times wherein you do speak to him casually somehow precious(?) For lack of a better term.

You find yourself spending time in the young master’s library to read and he occasionally assists you when finding new and interesting material.

When you find something you like, he notices it’s always unavailable in the library.

“(Insert story lmao) again? It seems that you’re quite taken with that book, miss (y/n).”

He finds you to be the complete opposite of the humans he’s served in the past and so he’s naturally interested in your mannerisms.

He likes to observe you and you make him smile uncharacteristically for it simply finds a way to his face.

You like observing him as well as he’s unlike any “human” you’ve ever met. As perfect as a butler and as a man could ever be.

There was one time he caught you late at night outside chasing around fireflies that seemed to illuminate the silver sterlings in the garden.

He didn’t know whether to scold you for acting like a child or laugh at you for acting like a child.

Honestly, what if you tripped?

And then you tripped. Nearly fell sideways had he not done anything.

“Miss (y/n), this is hardly an appropriate time for a lady to be out and about. One could get the flu.” He’d coo but you can see that he’s slightly annoyed.

You’d apologize but would definitely do it again.

You like to be outside so you get along with Finnian as well in that regard.

Speaking of Finnian, he really likes your love for the outdoors and how caring you are for all of the servants.

“Miss (y/n), look what I’ve found near the creek! It’s a pretty narcissus flower!”

Bard appreciates how you’re very patient with him and help him when cooking meals. He’s stubborn since he can’t really let go of his flamethrower but at least he knows to be a little more patient with food now.

“That’s a pretty cool technique but I think we could speed this process up with m-” “Bard, please no.”

Mey-rin and you ofcourse share same clumsiness although hers is more related to her eyesight. She laughs along with you when you accidentally bump your hip along the servants’ tables when setting up.

You’re probably roomed with her as well and end up having nice conversations with her.

She likes your hair a lot and thinks it’s pretty and unique for the era.

“My hair just straight up looks like swine blood, yes it does! How do I have pretty hair as you, miss?”

Your “friendship” with Sebastian is quite odd and may be misplaced but as long as you don’t necessarily get in each other’s way, it’s all good.

Something I noticed very late, your eyes are literally a compliment each other’s.

~|~~|~~~~|~~~~~~|~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~|

Thank you for being patient and I hope you enjoyed your matchup! Requests are open lovelies.

#black butler x reader #black butler #black butler ship #joker #sebastian michaelis #kuroshitsuji #kuroshitsuji x reader

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izumisays · 4 years

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dear yuletide author

Thank you so much for reading this and taking part in this wonderful annual conspiracy! 

First of all, I hope you have a lovely time! If any of the fandoms below pique your interest, I’m delighted already, and ready to hear all the stories you want to tell.

Fandoms: Chihayafuru, Nirvana in Fire, Thunderbolt Fantasy

As for reading preferences, I’m happy with a wide variety of tones and genres, of any rating, ranging anywhere from lighthearted antics to dramatic casefics. But the core of all the stories I love has always been character interaction and interplay of their competences.

How the characters play off each other and bring out their best/worst, how they’d react to a divergence of events, how true they’d stay to themselves in a different setting – I love fanfiction for allowing us to reconnect with our favourite stories time and again by asking these questions. And there are so many ways to do it! To name a few favourites, I’m always game for POV hijinks, a missing scene, a casefic, canon expansion, backstories and what-ifs.

You may notice that quite a few of my requests lean towards shipfic – those, too, are welcome in a variety of tones – but I also tried to include openings for gen ideas if that’s your jam. Additionally, while it is not usually my top interest, I don’t have anything against AUs if there is something that you are itching to explore: I tend to enjoy them for a new aesthetic that fleshes out the favoured character dynamics in a new light, or a fusion that redefines the playing ground to allow the characters to exhibit their core competences in new and exciting ways.

I would be very grateful if you could avoid a/b/o and similar kinktropes, played-straight soulmate fic, and character interpretation that runs contrary to their core values. If in doubt, please reach out to me on anon - the askbox is open!

CHIHAYAFURU: Mashima Taichi, Wataya Arata, Suou Hisashi

You don’t have to include all three characters, but I’d love to see a fic that explores the connections between them better. I’m up to date with all manga scanlations.

Wataya Arata/ Mashima Taichi

In the immortal words of Henjin Meijin, Arata is that person for Taichi whose opinion makes or breaks him. (His wording may have been different, but if I go rummaging into the chapter archive to find the exact quote, I’ll end up binge-rereading year three into the night again, and then where would my Yule sign-up be?) (On that note, what kind of a MASSIVE LOSER waxes poetics about Taichi’s boyfriend problems to Taichi’s MOTHER, whom he JUST met? Suou Hisashi, that’s who.) Needless to say, that paramount opinion was not always great, and neither was Taichi’s general wellbeing.

Good news is, Arata is confident in his manliness, and he has no problem acknowledging Taichi’s ridiculously pretty and not too bad at karuta these days, and he’s also moving to Tokyo. Taichi’s definitely pretty and has an apartment in Tokyo, where a country bumpkin of paramount importance may possibly stay over until things are sorted out… eventually. Hint hint.

Jokes aside, I pine for the dynamics between the two of them. I nearly lost it, reading the Meijin semifinals — and if you can show me a person who saw them bawl as they crawled into each other’s laps on Japanese national television and didn’t bawl in response, well, that person is sure not me.

I’d like to see a story that lets them build and explore that connect. I do not object to eventual OT3, but I think Chihaya is on a quest to find her own footing and pursue other goals at the moment, and I’d really like it if she was allowed to do this (join forces with Shinobu to drag karuta into a professional league, girl!). I’d like to think that in that space, different bonds and relationships can develop and strengthen, starting with Arata and Taichi.

Taichi the overanalyzer, the hardworker and the looker, the golden boy who at some point surely hit that red button, meme-style: you will be perfect at everything, you will have everything, except the one thing that you want above all. Arata appears to be his perfect foil: steady and serene where Taichi’s scrambling and flawed, adorably awkward and disarmingly sincere where Taichi’s groomed, smooth and miserable about his own deceptions. But they don’t see it like that! And they keep tripping each other up so beautifully!

I’d love to read your take on them growing closer and hopefully smooshing their faces together. Roommates in Tokyo? Long-distance friends? Figuring out how to tell your flatmate you’ve been in love with him since you were 12? Established relationship while hijinks happen? AWKWARD THIRDWHEELING WITH SUOU?!

On that note:

Suou Hisashi & (or / - wejustdon’tknow.gif) Mashima Taichi

I cannot believe that ridiculous man. Did you see a grown ass adult swoon because his unrequited disciple I mean not-friend I mean Taichi just up and went to meet his relatives??? To help reconnect them?? One can do things like this?? What next, being able to make phonecalls like an adult??

Does not compute.

I was there, Gandalf. I was there when the story first indicated that we might be getting an unlikely team-up of the world’s weirdest Meijin and Tokyo’s most miserable overachiever. But even in my wildest dreams I did not dare hope to see them sprawled on the carpet on a humid summer afternoon, Taichi comfortable in his own skin and Suou, erm, probably not very comfortable with his fascination :D He did not sign up for this. He, a grown ass man in what must be his early twenties, is too old for this youthful seishun sakura bullshit. And yet it is he who mournfully accosts Taichi’s mom to talk about how this other boy is paramount in Taichi’s universe. He who gets offended because Taichi knowing how to adult and work the social ropes is too sexy and competent. He who finds something compelling in the painful struggle of genius and skill.

Arata - Taichi - Suou

For maximum indulgence of yours truly, bring those into one place. Arata coming to Tokyo and finding Suou a fixture in Taichi’s life how?! Suou being infinitely pissy at the Fukuyi upstart and yet dragging himself to socialize with the boys regardless like a totally-not-pathetic adult with a social life of his own? Arata being mildly puzzled about the antagonism, but in there for the sweet snacks?

You tell me! I delight in my anticipation.

NIRVANA IN FIRE: Mei Changsu, Xiao Jingyan

Is this a complex, narratively inevitable historic tapestry strangling people with its treads, full of delicious politicking and identity porn? Yes, it is.

Is my burning – nay, primal – desire so simple as to smoosh two faces together and watch them kiss? Yes, it is :’)

I mean, I will obviously not say no if the kissing is giftwrapped in the said tapestry of beautiful, politicky plot, but the fever I can’t get out of my system is this: LET THEM KISS, GODDAMMIT. LET THEM BE HAPPY. I welcome canon divergences, alternative endings, fix-its, insert eps and codas where it looks like they would have kissed (erm, or at least confronted each other in a way that would inevitably end with them making out) if only Mei Changsu wasn’t so caught up in self-loathing and fluffy foxfur coats, and Jingyan didn’t talk too loudly about his so dead, so very dead beautiful ex to hear Mei Changsu weep stoically into his beautiful white furs.

I adore Prince Jing. He is 90% cheekbones and 20% heartbroken pouting over his so very dead friends, and all of it noble and awkward and stubborn and deserving of happiness. Mei Changsu is ridiculous, and capable, and twisted into pretzels of his own creation: not above gloating over his enemies while daintily dipping cookies into his tea, he gets too caught up in weaving the tapestry to notice he is a part of it. Pull him off his high horse, Jing! Render him helpless by being yourself! Do something about being hopelessly charmed with each other, through resentment, loss, bitter pining, and narrative inevitability! JUSTKISSALREADY.gif!!

THUNDERBOLT FANTASY: Rin Setsua; Sho Fukan

I LOVE THIS SELF INDULGENT WUXIA NONSENSE AND I CANNOT LIE!

Sanfan is a mixture UTTER GLEE and deep fondness for the genre staples, self-aware and masterful playthrough of all the wuxia tropes in the book, and one goddamn well-constructed story. It plays the tropes straight, calls them out with a knowing wink, walks the tightrope between the two with panache, and just as you are relaxed and enjoying this trapeze show, it grins cheekily at you, sets the discoball on fire and pulls a bunny out of a hat. It’s DELIGHTFUL and fun and lovingly crafted, just like a good passion project should be.

I want anything that capitalizes on the absolutely hilarious dynamics between Rin Setsua and Sho Fukan (and while personally I end up using the Japanese versions of their names more often, please feel free to go with the Chinese names if you prefer). Sho Fukan does not want any of those heroic quests, he’s the human equivalent of been there, done that mood, and he just wants to REST and hopefully dump a bunch of magical murderswords someplace safe. Rin Setsua is a Totally Respectable and Non-Villainous Member of Society, of which he will inform you firsthand in the most high spoken and verbose way possible, and maybe even produce paperwork that has definitely not been tampered with. He harbours no ulterior motives, ever, and does not trail behind Sho Fukan for any reason beyond the pleasure of his company, and his mission to personally victimize and cockblock every morally derelict villain in two countries, by no-one’s request.

Whether you go shipfic (yiss!) or canon levels teamup circus (also yiss!), don’t hold back your horses. Everything about this is Extra, and should continue to be so <3

I am okay with both expanding the canon and playing with AUs/crossovers/fusions for this one, provided they retain the character dynamics. I love the extended cast as well: any characters including the Seiyou gang (and on that note, if you want to write the Seiyou backstory for Shou’s gang that has no Rin in it, you’re welcome as well), reappearance of the familiar faces from Touri (read: Rin’s victim list, past, future and present), original characters lined up and waiting to be screwed over (guaranteed) and rescued (the administration does not bear any responsibility etc etc).

Thank you for taking the time to read the letter, and I’m greatly looking forward to reading your story — and hopefully, getting to chat about these ridiculous and wonderful characters post-reveals :)

#dear creator letter #yuletide #yuletide 2020

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mor-beck-more-problems · 4 years

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Through the Looking Glass || Morgan & Skylar

Timing: Early last week

Parties: @mor-beck-more-problems, @theskyeandsea

Contains: Mentions of drug use, depictions of death and dying

Summary: Morgan and Skylar take a break from it all to have a fun, innocent time at the carnival.

Skylar basked in the rays of the summer sunset, taking in a deep breath to fully absorb the sugar-laden scent that mixed with the salty sea breeze in a surprisingly pleasant way. The heat of the day had faded and the flashing lights of various attractions blinked against the backdrop of the ocean. She could hear sounds of carnival games whirling and children laughing as they ran from one ride to another-- it was… wonderful. And nothing that she’d ever experienced before. Her mother had never liked the idea of state fairs or carnivals, calling them “backwoods entertainment” or other things like that. She’d never been to the circus either, though a part of her really didn’t mind that. The idea of seeing animals having to perform had always made her a little uncomfortable. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar figure walking up and she offered a wave. “Hey, Morgan!” She said with her usual brand of quiet enthusiasm. “I’m glad you wanted to check out the carnival with me. I, um, I’ve never actually been to one before.” She admitted with a sheepish smile.

Morgan opened her arms to Skylar and pulled her into a hug. She was a tall girl, Morgan could never wrap her up safe the way she seemed to need sometimes, but she did her best, giving Skylar a little squeeze. The weeks since they’d seen each other had taken the stuffing out of her. New medication could be rough like that, and Morgan wrestled with the urge to ask if there was anything more to it. Another hunter attack? Another White Crest wilderness mishap? “Hey, you,” she said instead.”I’m glad you said yes. There’s at least a seventy percent chance this place is chock full of magic, but I can’t help but want to go back and it’s much more fun with a friend. “And you’re definitely not alone there. This might be my second trip, but this is still my first carnival. It’s so big, I don’t think even two trips would be enough to see or try everything. But we can do our best, right? We’ve earned a little break from all the mess. And I really want you to tell me if turkey legs are still all they’re cracked up to be.” She linked their arms together and lead them under the entrance archway. There was enough sun for her to read all the signs and posters indicating what lay where on the fairgrounds and she stopped a moment, feeling the same twinge of wonder rise up all over again at just how much there was, and how simple the choices were, all just a matter of want, of color, of impulse. Nothing more weighty or more complicated than that.

Initially taken aback by the hug, Skylar relaxed into the gentle embrace, squeezing Morgan back in kind. How long had it been since they’d last seen each other? How long had it been since she’d seen… much of anyone, actually? After her run in with the hunter, she’d spent so much of her time holed up in the house or hiding at work, desperately trying to keep her head down. She didn’t know if the man was still out there, only what he was capable of. But… it had been over a month since that awful night. Over a month since she’d gained the new scar that sliced across the back of her leg. “You’ve already been here before? Did you come with Deirdre?” She asked as she let Morgan take her arm and guide her into the carnival proper. It was loud and the noises from the people around them were slightly distracting, but being close to Morgan helped her focus on her words. “Turkey legs? Those sound really great, I’d love to try one.” She said, intrigued by the idea. Something that she’d be able to eat without worrying how people would look at her. That honestly sounded really nice. As they walked through the carnival, she took in all the games and lights, the various rides that spun around in dizzying circles. It seemed so fun and lighthearted-- a welcome change from everything else that had happened to her in the past few months.

“I did, yeah,” Morgan said with a smile. “It was quite the adventure, and uh, maybe as a consequence, we should steer clear of the Museum of Monstrosities pop-up stop. And that whole, uh, area. Just in case anyone recognizes me from last time.” She gave Skylar a sheepish smile. She felt a lot of things about that particular part of their visit, but regret wasn’t one of them. She knew, sure, that there was value in preserving artifacts and remains for the sake of history, for the preservation of people always on the run or in hiding, but that wasn’t what she’d seen. Hopefully this time, they could keep things easy and safe. “Come on, I’ll get you a turkey leg and you can tell me what I’ve been missing out on while we figure out what we want to hit up first. It looks like there’s a lot of people taking pictures by that stand over there, but I can’t see what it’s for…”

Though she was a bit puzzled, Skylar nodded all the same, “That works for me. I’m not really interested in that sort of thing anyways. I figured there might be some… weirdness here. Given that it’s a White Crest carnival. But, yup, I’m very okay with not poking around that side of the carnival.” She said with an affirmative thumbs up. As they meandered through the carnival, her eyes flicked from attraction to another, Skylar could feel the tension start to ease from her shoulders. Being able to hang out with a friend, enjoy their company, do something new and interesting-- it was all just a nice break from reality. Kind of like how anime night with Rio and Winston had been. While she couldn’t remember the specifics of what had happened, it was still a very nice time. And hopefully tonight would be more of the same. “Oh, you don’t need to do that.” She said with a wave of her hand as she stood on her tiptoes, trying to peer over the crowd before them. “Um, I think it’s for some kind of lion..?” She asked, though her voice was uncertain. “Do you want to check it out? I’ve never actually seen one, so it could be neat. And,” Skylar pointed over towards one of the nearby stalls that was off to the side of the line, “There’s a turkey leg stand on the way while we wait. Two birds with one stone?”

“I think that sounds like a great plan,” Morgan said. She followed Skylar to the stall and took their turn in line, glancing up at her to see how she was easing into the day. She didn’t seem any more anxious than usual; there was even a hint of a smile pulling at her lips. But that flattened look remained. Maybe the side effects of her medication were more than just her mood. “Hey, I really am glad you got yourself figured out with your new meds. I got lucky that my happy brain shots don’t mess with me. It’s just my old prescription with an extra magic kick. But when I was first getting started, it was really hard.” She gave her a little nudge. “Anyways, I remember Turkey legs being really greasy and good. If it’s not just a little crispy on the outside and warm and juicy on the inside, throw it away as a lost cause.” She got on her tiptoes to look at the crowd by the lion’s den. “Must be a small lion. Think it’s a cub, or some supernatural critter we don’t know about?”

At the mention of her medicine, Skylar could feel her stomach twist a little, the inside of her left arm suddenly warm. But, she did her best to focus on what Morgan was saying instead, about how what she was taking really helped her. “That’s really lucky. I’m, um, I’m sorry about the other day. I just underestimated how much it was going to affect me. But it’s all good now.” She said with a nod. The pain was lessened, even now. Of course, she had some of the valium Felix had sent along with the bliss coursing through her system, cutting through the pain. But… Morgan didn’t really need to know that. As they passed by the turkey leg stall, Skylar slipped away from Morgan and bought herself one and was surprised by how tasty it was. There was a little bit of char, it was dripping with greasy, and just a little bit hard to chew through. While she was more than capable of eating with her veneers in, she was very aware of how easy it would have been to bite into the leg with her real teeth. Swallowing, she wiped her mouth before nodding in approval at Morgan. “Definitely worth the line for this, mhm!” She said before taking another bite as she looked over the crowd. She could just barely make out golden brown fur from where she stood, along with a very wispy looking mane. “It might not be very well taken care of..?”

“It’s really okay, Skylar,” Morgan said. “Things happen, especially here. We get taken away from ourselves for a little while. And then we come back. And yours definitely wasn’t that bad.” She smiled and stepped back to appreciate the scene of the turkey leg. Was it bad, somehow, to have so much excitement for something she couldn’t have? To fixate on how the skin peeled from the meat and the little bits of juice and how grease…? She could almost taste it in her mouth. She could only taste heat when it was boiling, enough to burn anyone else’s tongue off. If she reached for the wrapper, the grease would only be the memory of itself. Better to let Skylar have her fun and remember being at the rodeo on her own time, while she still remembered it at all. Besides, they might have a lion to save.

Morgan stuck close to Skylar as they made their way over. Crowds always parted for tall people and soon they were looking at...a dog. Morgan bent down and put her finger out to the animal’s snout. As he sniffed her experimentally before nosing her into pets, she noticed the seam around his head where his ‘mane’ pressed against his golden fur. Yep. Definitely a dog.

“He does tricks!” The boy handling him said. “Hey, Lion, can you roar?”

The dog wriggled into the most majestic pose he could manage and gave it his best effort.

“Lion, lay down!”

Lion laid down, puppy eyes turned upwards for approval.

“Good boy, Lion!”

Morgan exchanged a look with Skylar. Lion’s coat glowed in the afternoon sun and his tail wagged with delight as he received his ‘lion’ treats. Not much of a supernatural injustice or mystery there. “Is it okay if we pet him?” She asked.

Shifting with a slight unease at Morgan’s words, Skylar was suddenly grateful for the space between them. That, and the excuse not to respond as she took another particularly large bite of the turkey leg. Instead of responding, she offered a tentative smile and continued to shuffle forward towards the… lion. Which turned out to be nothing more than a dog wearing a scruffy fake mane, trying its very best to do the tricks that his owner commanded. In hindsight, seeing an actual lion might have been far too much for her, particularly if they were up this close. As it was, this “lion” was nerve-wracking enough. But, it seemed like a really well trained dog. As Lion’s tail wagged excitedly, eagerly looking up at his owner with a wide grin, Skylar couldn’t help but laugh a little. “If you’d like, that’s okay with me.” She said with a nod and followed behind Morgan as the two went up to the small stage where Lion sat, wagging its tail and accepting pats from the passing onlookers.

As she waited for Morgan to get her turn, Lion’s eyes lit up at her approach and darted across the stage towards her. Before she could react, the dog had stolen the turkey leg from her hand. “Lion! No, bad do-- lion! I’m so sorry, Miss, you coulda lost a finger.” The boy apologized as he grabbed Lion by the scruff of his “mane” and pulled him away. Meanwhile, the dog happily munched on the turkey leg, still very much grinning through the meaty bone in its mouth. “It’s okay, really.” Skylar laughed, shaking her head. “Well. That wasn’t exactly what I expected.” She said to Morgan as the crowd began to exit the small stage area. “Where to next?”

Morgan tried not to laugh too hard at the prospect of the golden mix dog taking someone’s finger. Lion was a lot of things, including meat hungry, but he yapped too happily and smiled too wide to look like much of a threat to anyone, even at his hungriest. But so as not to insult either one of them, she thanked the handler and went down the nearest walkway with Skylar. She looked up and down the stalls thoughtfully. “Probably not the games. Most of them are run by fae and not in the biggest at playing fair. And that game--” she pointed at one, “Looked a little weird to me the last time I saw someone play it. But, ooh, this is probably safe?” Morgan unfurled from Skylar and backed her way into a large wooden stall marked The Hall of Mirrors and Mystery. “I’ve always wanted to go into something like this before, but I’ve never had the chance. What do you think? Down for a little Wonderland walk, Alice? Feels like they have AC in here too.” She beamed wide, hand outstretched for Skylar, and slipped into the dark hall.

“That sounds good to me,” Skylar nodded as she followed Morgan through the crowd of people and they resumed their wandering through the carnival. At the other woman’s words, she raised an eyebrow, “The Fae? How did you figure out that they were running the games?” She asked, a bit curious. Did Morgan have some kind of sixth sense that came with being a zombie, that allowed her to figure out what other people were? Looking over in the direction of where she pointed, Skylar grimaced. People were just plunging their hands into what looked like a giant tub of mayo-- no, no thank you. “Mhm, I’d like to stay clear of that one too.” As the other woman peeled away from her, she tilted her head at the Hall of Mirrors. It didn’t seem too scary, unlike some of the thrill rides that dotted the carnival grounds. It was just a hall of mirrors, that was it. Looking at Morgan’s outstretched hand, Skylar nodded, “Does that make you the March Hare? Well, let’s go down the rabbit hole together.” She said with a smile of her own.

“My girlfriend has a very nifty way of looking out for me,” Morgan said with a grin. “Remind me to tell you how she won me two prizes at the dart game sometime.” She gave Skylar an elaborate curtsey and took her arm again as they moseyed inside. The mirrors were lined with bright strips of neon lights. Their reflections warbled in the first hall before their eyes like they’d been stretched out over the river. Then the room opened out to a large gallery, lined with mirrors fanned out in every possible angle, some into more halls, others into dead ends. The rest of the people with them scattered to their own corners, taking selfies and making fun of each other. Morgan let her fingers ghost over the edge of the panels she passed as she took them to the left. It was sweet, even, how much work had been put into something so simple. Then Morgan caught a glimpse of another self from the corner of her eye. She would know that Little Mermaid backpack anywhere. “Skye…” She knew exactly what day this was. Her little arms were so tired from carrying all the things she could squeeze into that dumb, plastic backpack. But the water was so high for her, she knew all her books would get ruined if she slid on the straps and carried it the normal way. She hadn’t packed enough clothes, and the neighbor’s boat had been left waiting because she was crying over the water in her socks and her ruined books. Her mother had yelled at her in front of all those strangers… She dropped Skylar’s arm. “Skylar, are you seeing this too?” She asked in a whisper.

Following Morgan inside, Skylar’s eyes took a moment to adjust to the hall, the only illumination coming from the bright lights that wreathed the mirrors in light. It was simultaneously blindingly bright and incredibly dark at the same time inside the hall. As she took in the room, she peered into some of the mirrors, a smile growing on her face as she saw how the various mirrors distorted her appearance. Some of them made her appear taller than she already was, others stretched her face, still others-- as she glanced over at Morgan, she was caught off guard by a reflection in the mirror. A small girl, with a bright Little Mermaid backpack… Blinking, Skylar looked around the room, trying to find the girl in the reflection. But, it was just her and Morgan. “I-- yes, who’s that?” Glancing around the room, she tried to look for any sign of supernatural monsters that might have snuck up behind them. Was it a ghost, trapped in the mirror? But, the expression on Morgan’s face was one of… recognition. Like she knew who the girl in the mirror was.

Before Skylar could question her further, she froze. A woman, her height, sandy blonde hair, her same blue eyes, but… much older. There were wrinkles around her eyes, the skin around her jaw tighter. And the way she held herself, was stronger, more assured. She stared at the woman, watched as her fingers began to sign something, though the mirror was too unfocused to make out the specific signs. But, she could make out the general idea. Safe, community, you are good. Swallowing, Skylar nudged Morgan, “I… Can you see her too?” The woman in the reflection looked to be about fifty. Who was she? Why did she look so familiar?

Morgan had knelt down to look at her nine year old self. She was trying so hard not to cry and Morgan felt a sickening twist of embarrassment for her. Just breathe, kid, she wanted to say. Just breathe while you still can. This isn’t gonna be the last time you lose everything, just pull yourself together. But she was just following her movements pitifully, struggling to carry herself upright with her wet things. She didn’t look away until Skylar’s call. She peered over at the next mirror and-- “Oh, Earth. It’s you. You look so--” A wet laugh burbled out of her. Morgan wiped the corners of her eyes and scrambled up to get a better look with her. “Um, I know these, she’s...comforting someone, yeah? She’s--” Older than Morgan would ever look, something she hadn’t bothered to think about before. What a life she was going to have, or might have, at least. It wasn’t going to be fun pretending to be a student or a younger friend of hers if they were even going to get to know each other that long. Morgan squeezed the girl’s arm gently. “She looks like she’s doing really good.”

The slightly off sound of Morgan’s laughter caught Skylar’s attention and she glanced over just in time to see the woman dabbing at the corners of her eyes. Not wanting to draw attention to it, she bit the inside of her cheek. It was only then that she processed Morgan’s words. It was her? No, that couldn’t be her. She looked so… assured. So calm and steady, like a tree that had weathered a storm and still remained standing tall. That couldn’t possibly be her. “I thought it might be my mom.” She whispered quietly, before reaching out to touch the mirror. Before her fingers could touch the reflective surface, the image seemed to ripple and she was face to face with her own reflection, tentatively reaching out to the mirror. The same clothes, the same choppy hair, the same blue eyes with dark rings below. “It’s me again.” She said, slightly aghast. “What was that?” Skylar asked, turning to Morgan, hoping the other woman would have some kind of answer.

“No, but she’s just your height, and the freckles--” Morgan was about to trace the pattern along the reflection when it shifted back to normal. “It...must be some kind of magic. Maybe it’s reading our memories, or the threads of fate. Showing us...our path, or some of them.” She rolled her shoulders and clenched and unclenched her hands, trying to steady herself without breath and moved down to the next mirror. “She is real, you know,” she said, putting on a brave smile despite her sniffles. “Fate? You have plenty of choices and opportunities, but once you’ve locked yourself past the point of no return, she won’t let you--” Morgan’s words died in a silent scream. She stumbled back into Skylar, trembling. Looking back at her was her body, but not rammed through with steel on the pavement. She was shot through with magic, energy warping her veins til they bulged white. There was a circle around her and a cauldron of blood at her feet. “Something went wrong,” her reflection whimpered. “I went a-a--”

Morgan backed away from her before another twisted, death-throes sound could escape her twisted mouth. “Sorry,” she stuttered, turning away and stumbling down the hall, only to find the vision of another death, this time, her body ground to a dark smear in some empty lot. She went stiff, turned again, and saw herself as it had really happened: stuck to the ground and choking on her pain as she cried. Stars above, there had been so much blood. She hadn’t remembered the blood except for what had stuck to her body. There was Deirdre and Remmy huddled around her, and the way everything burned and blurred because she was crying so hard and how she had fought because in that moment it was the end of everything: the last glimpse of the sky, the last cloud, the last look at someone who loved her, but the rest---Morgan’s hand went to the spot on her stomach as she remembered. Every time she’d tried to lift herself off that stick, she hurt down in places she didn’t know she could. She’d hurt so much she’d barely been able to speak at all. Morgan screwed her eyes shut and clamped her hand over her mouth. “S-skylar?” She croaked. She didn’t want to be here anymore. If she had been fated to die the moment she came here, maybe even fated to become this (“Not a ‘this’, never a this,” Deirdre’s voice reminded her) she didn’t need to look at it. But Morgan’s jaw was clenched, her chest barely full with enough air to speak at all. “Skylar--?” She tried again, praying she was loud enough to be heard.

“But…” Skylar’s words died in her throat as she continued to stare back at her own reflection. How could that possibly be her? The woman who’d looked at her, she’d seemed… so much stronger, so much braver than she could ever imagine herself being. No, it couldn’t be her. As she listened to Morgan’s words, she wondered just what this place was. How could it know? How could magic see things that could be, or that would be, and project them out like this. Opening her mouth to ask Morgan another question, she caught sight of another Morgan in the mirror, a black cauldron rippling with red liquid at her feet--

Before she could react, the other woman had ran in the opposite direction, away from the terrible image in the mirror. And Skylar found herself alone. Except, she wasn’t. Not really. The image of not-Morgan faded from the reflective surface and a small figure appeared, her hair cut at a lopsided angle. Skylar’s eyes widened, a lump forming in the back of her throat. Blood, she could feel the blood that ran down her chin that day. That was the day she’d bit the awful boy who’d cut her long, beautiful hair. That had been the day her mother had taken her to get her hair cut in a choppy bob, to hide the large hunk of hair that was suddenly missing. She looked at the little girl who stared back at her with tear-filled eyes and blood crusted lips. Skylar wanted to cry. Wanted to sweep her up in her arms and tell her that it would… it would be better. But would it? Would any of this ever get better? Biting the inside of her cheek, she turned and ran in the direction of the exit. She had to get out of here, she needed to leave this place.

Morgan listened for any sign that the girl was nearby. All the grief she had buried rose up from the grave she’d dug at the bottom of her soul. It pulled on her bones with the coldest fingers, twisting her until she bent double, sore and aching. Then she heard crying. “Skylar--?” She choked out. She still couldn’t get her throat to open or her lungs to work. She looked around her and saw--another self. A live one, with flecks of gray in her hair and wrinkles around her mouth. She couldn’t stop her tears from coming anymore than Morgan could now. “What’s wrong?” Morgan rasped. She looked fine enough, save for the handle of whiskey in her grip and the mess of glass and dirty clothes at her feet. But there was something wasted-looking about her, like her insides had gone all shrivelled. “What did you do?”

The older woman shook her head and hid her face, ashamed.

“S-stop. Stop that. Answer me. Please, answer me. What did we do wrong now?”

The woman only popped off the lid of the alcohol and drank deep, grimacing with hatred before bending over with cries again.

Morgan stumbled down the hall, fingers catching on the bright edges of the mirrors. If she could just stick to one wall, she had to be able to find the exit. She passed herself crying in the bathroom as Karen was dragged away by her mom, the fragile whimpers she’d made when her mom explained that she was cursed, but no worries, great great grandma Agnes did it, it wasn’t just because she had the misfortune of being born. Stars, she never stopped crying, and it was all the mirrors were throwing back at her, a cascade of nothing but misery until, all at once, silence crashed through the hall.

The Hall of Mirrors, Skylar had realized, wasn’t a whimsical place. It wasn’t a fun, happy diversion from reality. No, it was just another reminder of how awful, how terrible this place was. How… inhuman she was. As she ran through a room full of more of the strange magical mirrors, she saw glimpses of her past self, of future selves. A small girl crying in the corner of the library the day after her brother had abandoned her for his new, better friends. A woman looking wistfully out to the sea. A seal, with deep scars running across her front fins and jaws. Tears began to streak down her face as she tried desperately to find the exit. She didn’t want to see this. She didn’t want to remember her past, she didn’t want to know what awaited her.

As she rounded a corner, Skylar found herself in a nearly pitch black room. The exit? It had to be, why else would it be so empty, so dark? As she took a tentative step forward, she realized the room was dark because the neon lights around the mirrors of this section had burned out. The room was filled with the barest hint of illumination that leaked from the hallway she’d just come from. She stood there for a moment, hesitant. Was this the right way? The instant the doubt entered her mind, a doorway creaked open at the end of the hall, filling the room with rays of sunlight. And that was when Skylar let out a horrified gasp.

A crumpled woman stared up at her from where she lay on the ground. An empty vial lay next to her and behind her, something burned. She couldn’t tell what it was, she was too focused on the tangled, matted hair, the scarred… collapsed veins of her arms. Sores, she could see ugly red sores that mottled her body. Dry, cracked hands rubbed at her skin, as though trying to brush away phantom bugs that crawled against her. Skylar stared in horror as familiar blue eyes looked back at her from sunken eye sockets. Even then, the expression on her face was serene. “It’s easier this way. For everyone.” The woman-- no, Skylar realized. Hardly a woman. This version of herself in the mirror… she couldn’t have been more than a year or two older than herself. A choked sob spilled out of her as Skylar sank her head into her hands, unable to look for any longer.

In the quiet, Morgan kept her trembling hands over her ears, just in case she was mistaken. She couldn’t handle another cursed, dead end future, she just needed to find Skylar and get out. Then she heard it: the faintest flutter in the air, a breathless laugh. She lowered her arms and looked, ignoring another series of selves that twinned with her exactly, alone at what might as well have been the end of the world. Morgan wanted there to be a point to all this, a reason to keep trudging through the days, even if it was so fucking rare and next to impossible.

Of course the Morgan in the mirror hadn’t aged a bit. Her dress was a little nicer, but no one would have been able to tell them apart otherwise. The only sign this picture had been summoned from years ahead was the girl next to her. She wasn’t more than thirteen by Morgan’s best guess, still round and soft in the cheeks. She swayed awkwardly on legs she hadn’t grown into yet, and only had to rise on her tiptoes to surpass Morgan’s height, which she did gleefully with a smile that made Morgan’s chest ache with recognition. Brown hair fell down her face and over her shoulders, ornamented with an uneven cascade of flowers and tiny bones she had tried to put in herself. She was, Morgan realized, a near-perfect rendering of Deirdre, only younger, happier. Her nose was sharper and upturned and her eyes were much closer to hazel than brown, but it was that same effervescent spirit that sometimes fell out of Deirdre when they were alone and happy, rendered large over the girl’s entire body. And she had wings: a thin set of moth wings patterned gray and brown and white like the trees in winter. They fluttered in giddy fits as she tried to show off the mess she’d made of her hair and cajole her Morgan into doing something for her.

Morgan reached out for them, forgetting the glass until her fingers knocked against it. She didn’t dare ask aloud, as if doing so might jinx this future’s existence. But she knocked, trying to get their attention. Was this everything it looked to be? Were they that happy? What was the girl’s name? And where was Deirdre? The Morgan in the mirror gave her a smug smile, seeming to read her thoughts, and mimed that her lips were sealed. Morgan could have watched them until nightfall, watching for some hint about how to get to that place, but the sound of another cry, markedly different from her own, jolted her out of her longing.

Skylar. Shit.

“Skylar?” Morgan called. “Where are you?” She followed the hall into another room and-- “What the hell is that?” She rushed over, but the image of Skylar’s ruined body faded as soon as she was close enough to get a good look.”Skye?” She asked softly. “Hey, can I help you up? We’re almost out of here, okay?”

Skylar didn’t want to see this, she didn’t want to see any of this. She didn’t want to know what the future held for her, not if this could happen to her. This was just… too much to bear. Even if the other possibilities existed, this one, the one that stood before her-- she let out a shuddering sob. As awful as this final one had been, the others replayed in her mind. The ruined jaw of a seal, an older woman staring with intense longing at the sea… She didn’t want to know those existed. None of them were good, none of them were right. Skylar felt the tears roll down her cheeks as she buried her head deeper into her hands. “No. No, no, no.” She mumbled to herself.

Skylar felt more than heard Morgan next to her and did her best to quell the sobs that shook her body. Peering through her hands, she nodded. “P-please. Please, I can’t… I can’t.” She said before retreating back to the shelter of her hands.

Morgan reached for the girl, pulling her up with ease. “You’re gonna be okay,” she said. “There’s nothing to see anymore, and we’re getting out of here.” She hefted them towards the wall she’d been following and soon found another door. One push and light streamed into the dark room. Morgan dragged them out, stumbling into the fair grounds and kicking over one of the cones that blocked it off for anyone mistaking it for an entrance. She held Skylar steady and upright. “Deep breath, honey, okay?” She said. “We’re out. You can take a big breath now. We’re safe.”

Breathing, she could do that. She could do that. Skylar let Morgan lead her out of the Hall of Mirrors, burrowing her head into the smaller woman’s shoulder. What she’d seen in there, what could come to pass… No. No, no, no. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. She forced her lungs to fill, made herself hold the breath, measuring time by the rapid pounding of her heart, before letting it out. Over and over, she did that until the panic began to fade. The fear remained, the dread and horror still hovered over her like a dark cloud. But, at least she was out of there. At least she was safe. “I… Need to go home.” She whispered. “Can we go?”

“Yeah, honey, we’re going home right now.” Morgan took Skylar’s hand firmly in her own and steered them quickly back the way they’d come. She could no longer pick out any one sound or sight. The lights were too bright in the afternoon sun, the sand glared cruelly against her eyes, bouncing against their bodies like spotlights. Morgan hurried them faster, faster, not letting go of the girl’s arm for a moment. “We don’t have to do anything else today, okay?” She said. “We’re just gonna go. We’re going, Skylar, okay? It’s already behind us. We can talk about it later. For now? It’s gone.”

#wr skylar #wr chatzy #wr skylar chatzy #through the looking glass #wr #wickedswriting

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agentmarymargaretskitz · 4 years

Note

Vlogger Gary, annoyance at first sight.

Happy birthday! I know I’m very badly late but I still hope you enjoy this a little!

For the rest of you, consider an AU where Zari wasn’t the only one whose timeline got changed by Heyworld.

Ao3

“John!”

Someone grabbed his am, and he spun around as Gary called his name again. The other man looked stressed out and panicked, even more so than he usually did.

“What, Gary?” he snapped. Neron and Tabitha were gone, Nate was back, and the world was safe. There was no reason for him to be this anxious.

“The timeline’s changing,” Gary babbled as everyone continued to celebrate and cheer around them. “And because of that, my timeline is changing. Rip recruited me from the future. I’m a kid right now, somewhere out in that crowd, and I’m about to disappear and I’m scared.”

It was a lot to process in a short amount of time, but John shook his head.

“You’re not gonna disappear,” he promised, grabbing Gary into a tight hug. “You’re gonna be fine, you hear? You’re going to be fine.”

“Of course, I’m fine!”

John frowned as he was pulled back from the hug. For a moment, he drew a blank on the man in front of him. Then he remembered exactly who he was. Jeffery Green, but JJ to anyone he ever met. He worked at a museum in the future and had been picked up with the Tarazi siblings when Kuasa was after their totem. An obscure mixture of brains and chaotic energy that had saved everyone’s lives time and time again, not to mention a close friend to John.

“You saved Nate, man!” JJ cheered, slapping him on the back.

John grinned, but still felt like something had been lost in all this.

~~~~

“I can’t believe you talked me into going on this with you,” John grumbled as he walked down the hallway with Behrad. “You could have gotten anyone else- Ava, Nate, JJ?”

“Dealing with the team, my sister’s ex, and refused to go as soon as I mentioned the word influencers. You’re my only available hope of sanity tonight.”

“You wanted to come to this, Behrad,” Zari reminded him from the front. “You always keep asking what the big deal with these is all about. Now I get to show you around my life and people can hear how my little brother is an awesome superhero.”

Behrad glared. “You’re not telling anyone about that.”

“Are you sure? Because people would love to-”

“I don’t want to be on display, Zari. You know this. That’s why we went on the ship-”

John tuned out the sibling bickering as the sound of muffled music grew louder. They had been fighting a lot more since Heyworld had reignited Zari’s desire to be in the spotlight. The attention and the documentary crew that had been on the ship gave her a taste for it again. She’d been off the ship more often now to film videos or attend events like this one. JJ was even struggling to keep her aboard, and he was always the one with ideas that made her want to stay on the ship.

Things had been different since Heyworld somehow. It wasn’t the attention or the documentary crew or Ava moving in and Mona leaving. Something had changed and John couldn’t figure out what it was. It felt as though someone was missing, but no one else seemed to notice it. Although Gideon did have a problem with some phantom data, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary besides the feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

“And here we are,” Zari waved at two doormen. “This is going to be fun.”

The doors were opened up to the trio, who entered behind Zari. The whole room was lit up in purple and music pulsed around them. Huge banners advertising eyeshadow or something were on every wall along with a massive one from the ceiling. So many people filled the room, all standing out in some way. It nearly overwhelming just standing there without engaging.

Zari, however, was unaffected. This was her world, after all. “Come on, go mingle. I’ll find you when it’s time to go.”

“Is there a bar here?” John shouted to her over the music.

“Yeah, over there, I think.”

“Great, bye.”

John followed in the direction that Zari had gestured, squeezing through the throngs of people clustered together or dancing. When he finally got there and asked for whiskey, the bartender looked almost relieved. Probably pleased he didn’t have to make some fancy ass drink like the ones he’d seen some people with. Who the hell needed a color-changing cocktail with a glow stick in it?

“Haven’t seen you before,” someone said as he accepted the whiskey.

John turned and nearly rolled his eyes at the man taking a seat next to him. Clearly, he was one of these influencers JJ had been so desperate to avoid. He was wearing a turquoise suit over a gold shirt and had two studs piercing his right eyebrow. Behind the glasses with frames matching his suit, dark brown eyes loaded with eyeliner looked him up and down. This wasn’t just an appreciate glance, but one that seemed to be trying to profile him.

Something tugged in John’s gut, but he wasn’t sure what it was. Probably disgust of being cornered by an influencer or celebrity or whatever the hell this guy was. “First time. Came with a friend.”

“Anyone I might know?” the man pried as he accepted a glass of something that smelled like lavender and was the color of daffodils.

Now John rolled his eyes. “Zari Tarazi.”

“The Dragon Girl?” the man gasped. “Is she finally coming back into the spotlight? I’ve missed seeing her around. She always adds such class with events like this. And you said you were a friend? Lucky!”

John shrugged as he took a drink. He guessed they counted as friends. “I just came for the moral support. I take it you must be part of some circus with that suit?”

The man snickered. “Cute. I’m in the entertainment business too. I’m Gary. Maybe you’ve heard of my videos? Probably more of the spooky ones than the makeup tutorials. You know Beyond Our World? Exploring unsolved mysteries and other otherworldly events.”

“Definitely not,” John shook his head. “You cater to the conspiracy theorists, huh? Good for you.”

“Actually, the ‘Green Beans’, which my fans love to call themselves, have all kind of viewpoints when it comes to conspiracies,” Gary told him. “It’s the interest that brings people in, not their beliefs. Interest is what always brings people in to see the videos.”

“So how much in your videos is fake?” John asked. “You make up evidence to get people to believe in the things that go bump in the night, huh?”

Gary scowled at him. “How dare you, when you haven’t even seen anything I’ve-”

“I don’t need to see a thing,” John snapped, getting out of the seat and facing the man. “And you know why?”

Gary sat there, no emotion showing on his face.

“I know because I’ve seen it all. Ghosts, demons, villains raised from hell. I’ve walked in the shadows. They’re real, but no one ever believes in it. If they did, they’d all be panicking. There wouldn’t be a party. So I don’t need your content. You have nothing.”

Now Gary stood up. He had only an inch on John, but John was struggling to look him in the eyes when he noticed the hideous lime green loafers.

“I have enough,” Gary told him. “I don’t need you to bring me down. Sorry, Zari’s friend.”

He walked away into the crowd. John watched him go and finished the rest of the whiskey. The funny feeling he’d had before was back.

“Now is not the time for you to be standing around like some hapless idiot!”

John clenched his head as the words, his words echoed in his ears. Something flashed in his head. Trying to hold Neron off with magic and shouting at someone. It was Gary, except looking more like he was with the government. He looked hurt and distraught.

That wasn’t right though. He’d called JJ an idiot and the other man had taken a swing that knocked him out. They’d buried the hatchet about it and moved on. But now that…didn’t feel right at all.

“Hey,” a hand slapped him on the shoulder as Behrad came up beside him. “We’re leaving.”

“Yes,” John exhaled and turned to face the other man. “Please, get me out of here. Where’s Zari?”

Behrad pointed to where his older sister was heading for the door. “She’s got a head start.”

“Then we better catch up.”

They started off in the direction Zari was headed, unaware that they had a tail.

~~~~

“You okay, man?”

John glanced over to see JJ entering the library. As he did, he flickered for a brief second, appearing as the normal version of that Gary guy. He recoiled in confusion and JJ frowned at him.

“Definitely going to take that as a not okay. Was it that influencer party?”

“Yeah, something happened there. Picked an argument with someone. At least it was an open bar.”

“Exactly why I avoid those things,” JJ snapped his fingers at John just as Zari walked by. “Not even for you, my dearest Zari!”

“You’re worse than Behrad,” Zari stuck her tongue out as she joined them. “So you got into a fight? Spill!”

“It wasn’t a fight. I just disagreed with him peddling lies and exciting conspiracy theorists.”

JJ got a funny look on his face as Zari leaned forward. “What did he look like? Did you get his name? Real or screenname, I can clap him on CatChat.”

“It’s not worth it. I just felt funny around him.”

“Ooooo,” JJ hopped up to squat on his chair. “Was he a demon? An Encore? An alien?”

Zari smirked. “Or did you have a crush on him?”

“But monsters, Zari! Look at all the fugitives we’ve met in the past year!”

“But feelings, JJ. Even John has them.”

Thunk!

All three of them went quiet at the sound above them. John held a finger to his lips and started looking at the ceiling. JJ climbed out of his chair quietly and started examining the ceiling as well. Zari also was helping and had decided to start recording. Everything was silent, until there was a series of thumps that went across the ceiling and out the door. The trio looked at each other and then ran after the noise.

They made their way down the halls of the ship, following the sounds into Mick’s room. He wasn’t there, which was probably a good thing. John looked around the room for anything that they could use, but JJ had already found a crowbar and was prying off the cover. As soon as it fell onto the ground, John climbed on Mick’s chair and peering into the open airduct. There was nothing one way, so he turned in other direction.

He only saw the bottom of the shoe a moment before it smacked him in the face. John dropped out of the airduct and lost his footing on the chair. He felt himself crash downward and another body come tumbling out to land on him. It was gone after two seconds and JJ was helping him onto his feet while Zari screamed about a stowaway.

John stumbled out the room and saw a flash of green disappear around a corner. He hurried after it until he caught sight of a familiar lime green. When he turned the corner, John stopped to see Mick holding that influencer Gary tightly as he tried to squirm away. He must have followed them back to the Waverider from the party.

“This is all real!” Gary was screaming, his hand still flailing about with a phone in it. “I found proof of…something. If I die, tell my cats I love them!”

John strode forward and grabbed the phone away from him. “This is all fake, just like him.”

Gary glared at John. “It’s not enough to insult my work to my face, but now you do it on my videos?”

“Shut up!” Mick ordered them. “Who are you?”

“Wow, really? Maybe you two are aliens if you don’t know Beyond Our World?”

“If you’re as annoying on it as you are right now, then I’m glad I’ve never heard of it, Larry,” John smirked.

“It’s Gary! Gary Green, you asshole!”

A shrill scream came from down the hallway before Zari ran up to join the crowd. “You don’t know Gary Green?!”

Gary looked up. “Zari Tarazi?”

“Mick, you can let him go,” Zari told him. “Guys, Gary Green is one of the biggest vloggers. He does the most amazing videos for true crime and supernatural stuff, plus a few make-up ones. We did a collab once. It was awesome”

“Zari?” JJ called out. “Is everything okay?”

“It’s fantastic!” Zari squealed as JJ came around the corner. “JJ, you have to see this. It’s Gary Green!”

JJ froze once he got a glimpse of the man Mick was now letting go. “Gary?”

Gary gaped up at him, his mouth opening and closing for a few moments before he finally was able to speak. “JJ?”

John turned to him. “Do you know him?”

“Nope!” JJ turned around, but Behrad had come up to join them and he ran into him. “Oh, come on!”

“What’s going on?” Behrad asked. “JJ? Zari? John?”

“He snuck on the ship,” John pointed to Gary. “He’s some celebrity or whatever.”

“I have a very successful brand and channel!” Gary pouted.

“He’s the male version of Zari,” Behrad muttered.

“I know you meant that as rude, but it’s true,” Zari nodded. “But how does he know you, JJ?”

JJ mumbled something.

“What’s that?” John asked.

“I said he’s my brother,” JJ repeated. “This is my brother, Gary.”

Everyone was silent, taking in the information. No one was really sure how to react to the new information connecting JJ to their stowaway.

Zari deciding to snap a selfie with a confused Gary was probably not the most appropriate though.

#kat cornwell #ask box #happy birthday #legends of tomorrow #constangreen #gary green #john constantine #zari tarazi #behrad tarazi #jj green #ship prompt #au #vlogger!gary

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freddy-ryland · 3 years

Note

⏰ 25

Where you can find knowledge, you can find a friend.

It seemed to be the idea behind Ravenclaw, and years later after being told that Freddy couldn’t help think that it was true as she stepped out of the Library of San Francisco, the shimmer of the door tingled her magic. Her visit with Quinn was as usual, the best, but she really had to get back to her job. Standing in the busy street she tilted her head back and took in the scent of rolling fog and sea-salt, the hot dogs from the women pushing rolling carts and the jumble of words around her.

Freddy let her Sight take hold, quick flashes of what she was looking for.

Alcatraz.

The Rock.

The greatest prison known to man, and the site of a very powerful curse. Powerful enough that MACUSA had put a reward out that anyone who breaks it gets a hefty reward and the praise. But that call had gone out in her 7th year, and was still not yet broken. She’d heard awful tales, bodies sucked into blackholes, crusebreakers spat back onto shore while the muggle locals tutted over seafaring tourists testing the waters. MACUSA had at one point tried to hand out tests to qualify, but with no-one coming back to tell the tale of what was happening, then they couldn’t exactly test it.

So the challenge remained, who would escape the rock alive?

Quinn had raised her brows at the unusual challenge, but had only offered to help her research in a show of support. Her unwavering faith as deep as it was in Hogwarts. Freddy had spent a year after Hogwarts touring the world, having met a lovely Ranger in London during one of her excursions who owned a magical circus of all things. With her Library Card and access to the world at large Freddy had begun to use her Sight properly, and Unspeakable Cassandra had thrown a fit when their offer of ‘employment’ was thrown back in their face. It caused quite a stir, but with a Lib-Con card in hand, and the world at her feet Freddy raced for an unknown finish line. Today the finish line was this curse, and she knew exactly who to meet up with.

Madeline Sunby was sipping a boba tea and scrolling through her phone when Freddy found her, the bouncy blonde hopping up to press happy kisses to her cheeks and leave the sticky scent of macha on her skin. If anyone knew something about this Maddie would, her brother had been an Unspeakable and Finlay Sunby had maintained his sister was far more brilliant than him despite being a squib. The important part being she wasn’t a squib. She was a ward breaker, she could reach into magical wards and unscrew them, crack them open like a fissure, slice them in half, all with a turn of her wrist and some very focused magic.

“What have you got to tell me Mads?” Reaching out to Maddie Sunby was always a risk, she ran with a tough crowd, magical Covens operated as Gangs out here, Freddy knew that the one Maddie was in was a little less harsh but handing out trade secrets was a no-no. So they were tugged into neutral territory, FiDi was hated and this boba spot in the Tenderloin remained unclaimed turf.

“It’s a 7 pronged curse I can tell you that,” she wasn’t a curse breaker per-say, just wards and locks, trying to break curses was Freddy’s thing and Maddie knew better than to deal in curses, “Got some real Indigenous flair to it to, I suspect it was something they left after they took over the Rock in the 70′s.”

Indigenous magic. Freddy didn’t deal with that often, and it was rarely taught.

“I don’t think whatever is in there was hidden in the 70′s though, too new, someone had a Curse Key and laid it out.”

“So it is breakable.” You didn’t have Curse Keys if you didn’t want to get in.

“Yeah. Not sure how though.”

“Thanks Maddie,” the bell rang and a tall Indian woman stood in the doorway, flicking her head at Maddie, “I think that’s your cue.”

“Yeah, we got a fight night down in Sutro Baths, if you don’t get killed make an appearance and ask for the Golden Girls Coven. They’ll seat you where you won’t get blood on your posh skirt,” the blonde put on a terrible accent while Freddy laughed and she flounced out the door.

Taking a boat to Alcatraz was as easy as forking over 45$ American dollars and ignoring screaming kids. Getting to where the curse was, now that was even easier, slipping from the tour guide and downing an invisibility potion and slinking under towards the catacombs of the old prison. There were a ton of ghosts, it made Freddy wistful for Linden of all people they’d probably love it. Maybe she ought to write a letter, Freddy had dealt with a water spirit trapped behind a curse a few months ago the Slytherin might be interested in, but the Hufflepuff packed that thought away. It didn’t take long for night to fall, and for the trail to the curse was open.

Freddy was met at the door by a hooded figure, and she raised an eyebrow.

“Sorry, were you going to try and break it tonight.”

“Name please,” the man pulled his hood back, covered in piercings he looked more like a groupie for Cthulhu, “I’m from MACUSA, we always record who came down here to die, so we know where to send the blood.”

Pleasant.

“Fredricka Ryland,” she flashed a Library card, “I work with Lib-Con, and do my own cursebreaking for hire. Heard you guys were hiring. You can send my winnings to my account at Gringotts, in English galleons of course.”

“Of course,” she could hear the sarcasm drip off his forked tongue, before stepping aside, “All who enter here find only death, and await destruction.”

“Thank you!” she brightened at him before bounding down the steps while he shook his head.

The curse was annoying to look at, all fine layered lines and pictographs. It was odd, very odd. Freddy stuffed her hand into a small pouch at her waist, it was fine grain chalk, bright white and spelled to cling to magic. Holding it up to her lips she blew, and the powder settled in the air.

It was a 3 dimensional curse, 7 interlocking spells, you had to break all of them simultaneously to break the curse.

Tricky. Tricky. Tricky.

Freddy walked the half circle around it, tilting her head this way and that. The curses were for blasting, hypothermia, a... life-support curse? Freddy continued to follow the powdered strings of the magic as they looped into a detailed image of a spiders web. What in the world.

This curse wasn’t designed to keep people out.

It was meant to keep something in.

Freddy lifted her hands and held her wand in one hand, and her conduit in another.

Then she began to write, counter runes and counter lines, settling the fine black magic until it ran concurrent with the lines in the air, holding the magic only a centimeter from where the curse pulsated.

This was the hard part, matching the resonance of the curse with the resonant of her counter. One wrong vibration or timing and Freddy would be crushed under the weight of backfired magic. Eyes open wide she let out a steady whistle and the black lines began to vibrate, higher and higher she continued the sound until the lines were trembling so fast they seemed still. Then with a sudden shrill uptick and a twist of her wrists the counter fell onto the curse.

Freddy held her breath and then in a shower of grey embers, cold and dusting over her skin, the curse broke and the magic slunk away. The rock she previously thought was a rock began to melt, to reveal a finely crafted mouth and pitched brows, warm dewy skin covered in the grey frost she’d created, exposed to the freezing Bay area air. Her hair was braided neat and tight, there was a line of red ocher over her eyelids and then they blinked. Freddy leaned over, and smiled.

“Hi?”

The woman blinked and went to move, but her muscles trembled.

“Where... am I?”

“Alcatraz.”

The girl blinked and huffed, “So they did it huh? They really fuckin--” Freddy’s head began to ache just as she touched her and her eyes began to glow. The other woman gasped as Freddy pitched forward.

It was a fight, the girl but dressed this time, surrounded by several people. Each of them vicious, each other them swinging something cruel, chains and bats Freddy could tell were spelled conduits before they pounced upon her leaving the girl a bloodied mess on the ground. Freddy blinked and stared at the girl.

“You were attacked, this,” Freddy rubbed the grey frost between her fingers, “was something meant to heal you?”

“I think so, I don’t remember. My Coven,” oh she was a Coven member, “has this girl who does healing charms, but they probably don’t exist anymore. The Coven wars were in full swing when I... how long have I been out?” she finished in a rush. She was probably right, Coven wars often ended bloodied and fast, her family probably assumed her dead once they learned she was running with one.

“When was the last thing you remember? TIme wise that is.”

“Someone tried to assassinate Biden?” Freddy whistled low.

“Ya, its been around 8 years for you then,” Freddy hummed under her breath, “What's your name anyway?”

“Tullulah Youngblood.”

“Are you related to Orenda Youngblood perchance?” Freddy laughed as she pulled the girl up, who quaked on no doubt aching legs.

“My cousin how did you--”

“I worked with the Rangers for a while after I graduated Hogwarts. Listen, lets get you out of here. Think you can stand some apparation.”

Tullulah smiled and looked Freddy over, her stomach fluttered, hard and fast like when she used to look at Danai.

“I think I’ll go anywhere with my savior.”

Freddy flushed, “Flatterer, hold on,” then with a tuck in her navel, and the taller woman tucked into her neck she flashed into the room she’d rented. Depositing the sickly girl on the bed Freddy sent a missive off to MACUSA, she’d broken the curse, but somehow, as she watched the girl stretched out on the bed, still wonderfully naked and grinning. Well, maybe she didn’t care for the prize.

“So you worked with the Rangers?” Freddy turned and began to shuck off her cursebreaking clothes, or as her friends liked to call them her Indiana Jones fit and found the girl wrapped in a blanket. “Mind getting us food?”

“Yeah I’ll order, Um....” Freddy tapped out on her phone ordering pizza, meatless included. “Worked with the Rangers, I’m a freelance cursebreaker, work with Lib-Con, I was a fortune teller.” The other woman's’ eyes continued to leap up her face.

“Shit, tell me everything.”

So Freddy did, and began to weave her life in pieces, trying to ignore that fluttering in her stomach, and the way her eyes began to itch, but she shoved it down.

No, she didn’t want a vision to tell her where this was going.

She wanted this adventure to be a surprise.

#Anonymous #//I am gonna be real #this is kinda half set in my universe with my own character for a book im working on #anyway #this is 0 pain all fun things

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inkribbon796 · 4 years

Text

Where the Crossroads Meet Ch 4

Summary: As the new town settles, friends are made, and power is transferred hands.

<= FIRST

<= PREVIOUS

Chapter 4: Organization

It took hours before the town, which was now big enough to be a metropolis with the new additions to, was calmed enough for people to regain some semblance of order.

Within the next few weeks gangs and mafia syndicates would fall, some to infighting, others to the larger crime groups in the new city, like Dark’s.

The group of superheroes were crammed into Mark, Daniel, Wade, and Bob’s apartment. Mostly because the Sides still couldn’t find where their apartment had wound up, and Jack didn’t want Anti eavesdropping on the conversation.

Logan adjusted his visor, already taking notes. “Well, seeing as Gainesville is currently stuck in?”

“Egoton,” Silver answered confidently.

“Athlone,” Jackieboy Man corrected.

“We’re in fookin’ Brighton,” Bro Average gestured to the city right outside the window.

“In any case,” Logan cleared his throat. “Our various rogues have joined forces. Even if it isn’t in the way we expected them to. For now, until our cities return to their natural position on the globe, we should join forces.”

Marvin was sitting on the couch with Roman, Marvin was just filing his nails as Roman was trying to smooth out some of the chips in his nails with angry grumbling. “Far as I’m concerned,” Marvin commented as Roman frowned at the magician’s perfect-looking nails, “if Jay says yer on the level, nothing I can do ‘bout it.”

J.J was taking a nap in a chair, leaning against Marvin’s side of the couch. His mustache was twitching in his sleep.

“How do you keep them so pristine?” Roman commented with a jealous huff.

“There’s a spell fer that,” Marvin goaded with a very cat-like grin. “If yeh can manage it.”

“Of course I can,” Roman scoffed with a huge smile, scooting closer to the magician, who was already conjuring up a spell book seemingly from thin air.

“I didn’t think it was possible for you to be even more impossible to deal with,” Logic scolded.

“Come on, Lo,” Patton smiled. “It’s always good to make new friends.”

“Yeah, Lo,” Marvin smiled, thumbing through his spell book “We’re friends.”

Logan scowled at him.

“Is there a spell that can let me light my sword on fire?” Roman asked.

Marvin’s smile became sharper, a grin that became even more Cheshire-like when he saw Logan’s disapproving scowl. “Yeah, I got just the thin’.”

Jackieboy nudged Silver, nudging his head to the door, “Hey, can I talk with you?”

“Uh,” Mark uncrossed his arms, looking around the room. “Sure.”

“Won’t be long,” Jack promised.

Silver followed him out, just going into the hallway of the apartment, Silver looking around and seeing that it was empty before the two rushed to the roof, where seeing two masked heroes wouldn’t be immediately linked to anyone living in the building.

“So how long yeh an’ yer friends been doin’ this?” Jackie asked.

“Couple ‘a months,” Mark answered. “What about you?”

“Same,” Jackie. “So the pink an’ black ensemble, what’s the deal with them?”

“Dark’s a mob boss from Hell who has my whole city in his back pocket,” Silver explained. “Whoever he can’t bend to his will, he kills. We’ve been making some headway with him,making people less afraid of him and breaking down parts of his network but the fucker just doesn’t die, he doesn’t ever really seem to get all that tired either.”

“Reminds me ‘a Anti,” Jackie told him, “bastard just straight up possessed me one day an’ hasn’t left us alone since. Just has two modes: gets bored and kills someone, or is bothering us so he can kill someone.”

“Just ordinary chaos seems nice,” Silver commented. “Just once I’d like to not deal with Dark’s contacts and their vile day jobs.”

“Well Anti’s a piece ‘a shite too,” Jack chuckled. “Welcome ta the circus, what about the bar shop quartet-looking guy? He got another act ‘sides being mad and gun happy?”

“That’s pretty much it, he can also teleport, is impervious to bullets and can’t remember what he did last week unless Dark’s involved,” Silver warned.

“He an’ Anti are gonna be great friends,” Jackie groaned, the two of them talking on the rooftop for a bit before joining the others.

Dark finally opened a portal into the Manor, his aura happily as it returned to his familiar home. He followed Wil’s aura out to the back patio where Wil was sitting, without pants, on one of the patio chairs trying to drink a martini . . . and failing.

“You have two hands,” Dark told him sharply, “use them.”

“Darkling,” Wil smiled excitedly, summoning up a glass of scotch on the rock and holding it up. “Join me, you look like you’ve had a hard day, my sweet licorice.”

Dark’s glare became scathing, but still took the glass, “No thanks to you, my entire network was split up over several miles. Do you know the amount of people I had to get killed today thanks to you?”

“I’m sure they deserved it,” Wil smiled, waving his hand and more Scotch appeared.

Using his aura, Dark dragged another patio chair over with and angry, metallic screech. He sat down, glaring at Dark, taking a couple long sips.

“I could help you,” Wil offered openly.

Dark let out a noise in-between a huff and a scoff, “You’ve done more than enough.”

“Oh,” Wilford set his martini down. “How silly of me, I almost forgot.”

“What a shame,” Dark groaned.

With that same huge smile that Dark knew he couldn’t stay mad at, Dark set his own glass down. He patiently knit his fingers in his lap and just waited as Wil pulled out an ornate box out of thin air and Dark just stared at it, seeing the magic and aura billowing off of it, Dark could almost feel like it was trying to speak and talk but not in any normal or audible language.

Wilford held it out and Dark took it, turning it over. A smile slowly spread across his face. “Where did you find this?”

“Oh goody, you like it,” Wil clapped. “I found it at the bank.”

“Really?” Dark hummed as he pulled the top off and looked inside to see just a bottomless pit of magic. Carefully, Dark reached his aura in and he could feel . . . something, but couldn’t pull it out. So he reached in with his hand and pulled out a black pocket ledger. Dark sent the box to his safe.

Wil was oddly quiet as Dark looked through the booklet, it had his entire schedule on it, and Dark couldn’t deny the whispering it was trying to communicate to him, even if he couldn’t hear it.

“So,” Wil trailed off. “Am I still in trouble?”

Sliding the ledger into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, then he stood and grabbed his glass again. “Nonsense,” Dark smiled and kissed Wil. “You’re free to go, sweetheart, just don’t mess with the banks again. I hate the clean up.”

Wilford was beaming with happiness, standing up and flexing his suspenders, “I live to please, Darkling.”

“Do you?” Dark smiled, as he opened up a portal into his main office. “Sometimes I think you just like making me angry.”

“Well it’s hardly my fault that you’re so damn cute when your angry,” Wil defended good naturedly.

“Well,” Dark was starting to flip through the ledger, it had his whole week scheduled out, even events that he’d thought were hazy or impossible before his city had changed. “You best keep me from getting adorable then.”

“Never,” Wilford smiled and leaned down to kiss Dark, the Entity returning the kiss as the new town began to slowly reach a new normal around them.

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doctorhawke · 4 years

Photo

all six of my oc hawkes in one big thing, i have an au where they are all a big happy family and run amok in kirkwall

below the cut theres “brief” bios for them all (including their names because my renditions of their handwriting might not be very legible) and a little chart showing more insight into their personality makeup

all the ages are from act 1, after a year in kirkwall, relative to carver and bethany’s 20 (fyi they both survive in this au and both become grey wardens. cannot IMAGINE that any of these hawkes would let one of their littlest siblings fight an ogre 1v1 when theres literally eight of them lmfao they tag team it like they do everything)

steve hawke- he/him, age 27, adopted by the hawkes at 8. steve is a mage, a healer, and a pacifist. as such when there are fights he will focus on incapacitating enemies without harming them (force magic and mind blast comes in handy) and especially on supporting the team through healing. he’s gay and immediately takes to anders, mainly because he spends a lot of time helping in his clinic.

he strongly believes in mage rights especially as malcolm imparted a lot of responsibility on him towards his younger mage siblings, nyx and bethany. he’s protective and a bit of a worrier, though as time goes on in kirkwall he becomes more and more exhausted, and starts to cope through making light of things. post-game, he and anders are on the run.

—————————

kit hawke- he/him, age 24, bio kid, and a dual-wielding rogue. he’s bold, charming, and a bit of a pessimist- all of which kirkwall amplifies by virtue of being a crazy fucking city. kit is also pretty business minded and usually spearheads bone pit related shenanigans. varric (who deeply cares for all the hawkes of course) immediately takes to him and the two are inseparable.

kit is bi, and likes to have fun, though over time he falls for both isabela and fenris, and over time the three get together and become the most impressive trio you ever saw. all kit’s siblings are kind of like “are you serious dude, we have a limited number of friends and you end up with two of them? what about the rest of us” but considering the amount of drama and heartbreak kit undergoes over the years in relation to his love life, they all kind of figure he’s earned the happy ending. post-game the three of them become pirates on isabela’s ship and free slaves in between tracking down hidden treasure or whatever it is that pirates do, and they eventually have adorable baby twins.

—————————-

syl hawke- she/her, age 26, bio kid but only leandra’s, she actually is varric’s half sibling (though she does NOT know this and the sibling rivalry that develops upon them meeting is incomprehensible to the both of them). so syl is the shortest of the bunch, and looks a lot more like varric and bartrand than kit, carver, or bethany, despite them all being related.

syl’s the only warrior of the group (other than carver- a dynamic duo), fights with hammers exclusively, and has a tendency to be super intense. she doesn’t really get humor at all, in the rare case that she accidentally makes a joke and people laugh she assumes they’re laughing AT her. she’s also very shoot first and ask questions later, and the only hawke more protective than steve is. her big sister energy is off the charts and she’s prepared to kill any templar that so much as looks at her family. as such she’s staunchly pro-mage.

she’s a lesbian and has massive game despite not really being any good at flirting- it’s probably her sheer intensity. she and isabela have a brief fling, tallis is very taken with her, and she has a rivalry-fueled sexual tension with aveline for ages (the long road is a VERY fun quest to play through with syl). however she was always very supportive of and close with merrill and eventually the two fall in love. once they’re together they’re insanely sweet and have mega chemistry and i love them so fucking much. post-game they’re forced to leave kirkwall but end up living in the denerim alienage.

—————————-

lith hawke- she/her, age 25, adopted by the hawkes at 9 along with her twin nyx. an archer rogue, with speed taking precedence over power or precision. lith is a lot to take in okay. she’s the only one who’s pro-templar in the group, and is a rabid andrastian. back home in lothering her chantry beliefs were instrumental in keeping her family safe, as she not only knew every templar by name (as the whole family did) but also is endlessly trustworthy to them and to all the chantry sisters and mothers. countless times a templar might have come calling to take away one of her siblings or her father, but was dissuaded by lith- after all, little lith hawke would NEVER help hide apostates, right?

she supports her siblings because she believes that in the end their souls will be saved. (the only thing that freaks her out more than nyx’s blood magic is when syl casually drops that she’s thinking about converting to merrill’s religion.) she doesn’t trust mages if they aren’t related to her, and always advocates for the circle when given the chance. she’s best friends with fenris and they hang out a lot, more and more as the years pass. since merrill and anders both move into the hawke estate (which was already a bit of a circus, can you imagine the chaos?) lith finds herself more and more outnumbered ideologically and often escapes to fenris’ mansion for some quiet.

during the endgame, she sides against her family and the mages. she basically has a villainous breakdown. she helps them kill meredith and once it’s revealed that meredith had been influenced by the lyrium idol, lith’s whole worldview is pretty much shattered. post-game she leaves the city and seeks out her cousin, ash amell (i have eight wardens so im not going to get into this but basically my amell and my cousland (eve) are in a gay throuple with leliana and its dope as all hell). spending time with ash, eve, and leliana is very healing for her, but all her siblings assume she’s dead and she doesn’t see them for years after kirkwall.

—————————-

nyx hawke- they/them, age 25, adopted by the hawkes at 9 along with their twin lith. nyx is the blood mage of the group, and is an absolute icon quite frankly. they’re very chaotic, and especially close with kit, merrill, and isabela. nyx has a ton of fun fighting, and they and syl make an especially good team in combat. nyx always looks up to syl and its very sweet, and syl is the only one in the family who never once messed up nyx’s pronouns (everyone is very good about this of course, and by kirkwall its a non-issue, but even lith slipped up once or twice early on).

they have very noodly arms because they’ve never had to worry about fighting hand to hand when running out of mana, because of the blood magic. this leads to quite a bit of teasing but tbh they pull it off. nyx is bi and has a thing with isabela for a short while but in the end they’re better as best friends.

nyx and lith are very close. they’re often perfectly in sync when doing things, especially in combat, and have that twin esp thing going on which can get spooky at times. however they also bicker a lot, and obviously clash on ideology pretty much constantly. though this is the norm nyx always assumed they would have each other’s backs no matter what when it came down to the nitty gritty, and lith’s betrayal during the endgame is really heartbreaking for them.

over the years anders and nyx do a lot of collaborating when it comes to mage rights. they help him polish his manifesto, and smuggle mages out of the gallows. the only real reason nyx isn’t brought into the loop on the chantry explosion was a mixtures of anders’ crushing guilt and his knowledge that if he told nyx and not steve, steve would be really hurt. (however he couldn’t tell steve because he didn’t want the deaths to be on steve’s conscience- anders knows he definitely would have helped if it came down to that). post-game nyx goes on to be one of the leaders of the mage rebellion.

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lou hawke- he/him, age 22, adopted by the hawkes at 10. hes a cowboy and i love him. an archer rogue, he prioritizes powerful firing over speed or precision. he’s a massive sweetheart, terminally polite, and has massive ears that he’s self-conscious of and tries to cover with his hair. however whenever his hair gets long enough to cover them leandra starts poking and prodding him to get a trim and he’s always too soft to refuse for long, beginning the cycle again (and after leandra is murdered he always keeps his hair to her liking- he gets weepy if it grows too long). he’s the only hawke i’ve drawn without his in-game outfit because this fucking game doesn’t have cowboy hats or cute shirts with tassles and i do what i want.

lou also plays instruments, he’s got a guitar and a harmonica and plays the piano passably. he IS the piano man in the eyes of the hanged man’s patrons. sing us a song, they tell him, etc. he manages ten minutes of harmonica in the deep roads, citing excellent acoustics, until anders tells him to stop because the darkspawn will hear. when the hawkes get rich lou buys a horse and goes for morning rides out on the wounded coast.

lou is bi, and runs around for years with a massive crush on isabela but that doesn’t exactly work out. he ends up with jethann (theres a lot of lore here but suffice it to say its extremely tender) and post-game they leave kirkwall and end up owning a ranch not far outside denerim. lou hires lots of farmhands that end up looking to him as a father figure and its super sweet, and jethann refuses to do manual labor.

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this got insanely long i am SO sorry flkjsdlkgjlkcxjglsfkd

feel free to send any asks relating to them because i really love this family so much and could talk about them forever dlfskjlxcjglskd if you couldnt tell from this diatribe

#six fanarts #six fanarts challenge #dragon age #dragon age 2 #custom hawke #hawke #steve hawke #kit hawke #syl hawke #lith hawke #nyx hawke #lou hawke #extended hawke family au #my art #my posts #oc lore

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alindakb · 5 years

Text

Letters to my Parents - Wednesday 31 July 1991 - by Alinda

Find the full story at https://archiveofourown.org/works/15351042/chapters/35620452

Dear mom and dad,

Sorry it took me so long to write to you again, but I didn’t have any paper to write on. But that won’t be a problem anymore, because today I bought this amazing notebook, so I can write to you whenever I want.

You will never believe what happened. Well, you probably the only persons I know who will. I found out today that I’m a wizard. A WIZARD. Isn’t that cool. I’m not crazy or strange, but I’m a wizard. And in just a couple of weeks, I’ll be going to Hogwarts, a wizard school. I never knew. Aunt Petunia never told me. It all started a couple of days ago when I got a letter. It was addressed to me. It even knew I lived in the cupboard under the stairs. Yes lived, I’ve gotten my own room now. Uncle Vernon went mad when the letter arrived. He didn’t want me to read it, so he took it and burned it. But I knew something was wrong because that night I got my own bedroom. It is still filled with Dudley’s old stuff and that evening I rather had stayed in the cupboard if it meant I had gotten to read that letter.

The next day there was another letter, now address to me in the smallest bedroom at 4 Privet Drive. And again uncle Vernon didn’t let me read the letter, but I was convinced they would try to send more so I made a plan. I was going to wait for the postman on the corner of the street, but uncle Vernon was waiting for me at the doormat when I came downstairs the next morning, so I couldn’t get to the postmen before he delivered our mail. When the post came I saw that there now were three letters for me, but again uncle Vernon tore them up. He didn’t go to work that day and nailed up the mail slot. But more letters kept coming. On Friday there where twelve letters pushed under the door and around the cracks of the window of the downstairs bathroom. Uncle Vernon burned them all and started to hammer and nail up all the cracks around the doors. The next day there where twenty-four letters in the eggs. Yes, you read it correctly; they were hidden inside the eggs! On Sunday letters came flying from the fireplace filling up the house. Uncle Vernon made us leave the house. We drove for hours without breaks or anything to eat. Dudley was howling at the end of the day. We stayed in a hotel and the next morning the owner brought us a letter, addressed to me, in room 17 Railview Hotel in Cokeworth. She said she had about a hundred of them at the front desk. But I still didn’t get to read them.

That day we drove around again all day until we got to the coast and we had to take a rowboat to a shack on a large rock way out at sea. I couldn’t sleep that night. It was cold and the floor was hard and I only had a thin ragged blanket. It was storming. When it turned twelve and it was my birthday someone was knocking on the door of the shack. Everybody woke up and uncle Vernon had a rifle warning the person at the door to leave. And then the door swung clean off its hinges and a giant of a man walked into the house. He had shaggy manes and a wild tangled beard and black glinting eyes. He said I looked like you, dad, but that I have mum eyes. I never knew that they didn’t tell me that either. I’m kinda proud to look like you, dad, now that I know you died trying to protect me. Hagrid, the giant man, told me what happened to you. What that evil wizard had done.

But I will get to that because after Hagrid had come in he made a knot in uncle Vernon’s rifle and then he gave me a birthday cake. It was the first cake I ever had; at least that I can remember. I’m sure you would have made me a birthday cake for my first birthday. Hagrid turned on the fire and made tea and sausages. I didn’t really know who he was and why he was there so I asked. He got very angry at uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. I was very confused. Hagrid said you were famous, that I was famous and he talked about our world until he realized I really didn’t know. He screamed at uncle Vernon some more and uncle Vernon forbade him to tell me. But he didn’t listen and told me I’m a wizard and gave me my letter. It was a letter to inform me that I have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Then Hagrid sends out an owl to a Professor Dumbledore before uncle Vernon told him I wasn’t going. That’s when I found out they had known all along that I was a wizard. Aunt Petunia started screaming about you, mom, and that you ran off with dad and then got yourselves blown up. I got angry then; they always told me that you had died in a car crash. Hagrid also got very angry, saying that it was an outrage. So I asked him what had happened. He became very nervous but told me about the wizard who went bad, named Voldemort. And that this wizard was becoming very powerful. And Hagrid told me that when Voldemort came after you ten years ago on Halloween, he killed you both and tried to kill me. But that I lived and that is why I have the lighting scar on my forehead. It made me very sad. Hagrid said that Voldemort is probably still out there somewhere, without his powers. I hope he’s wrong and that the evil man is dead.

And I must be honest; at that moment I didn’t believe I could be a wizard. If I had defeated a powerful wizard as a baby, then why had Dudley always been able to kick me around like a football? But Hagrid asked me if I ever made strange things happen and I remembered all the time's odd things had happened, like me talking to snakes and ending up on the roof of the school, and I knew he was telling the trued.

What happened next was the best of the whole evening. Uncle Vernon said something insulting about the headmaster of Hogwarts and Hagrid became so angry. He waved around with his pink umbrella and Dudley got a curly pig’s tail. Now he’s really a pig with blonde hair. Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley went to the other room. Dudley was crying and screaming, just like Aunt Petunia. I just laughed, it was so funny. After that, we went to sleep.

The next morning an owl came to deliver a newspaper before we left for London to get all my school stuff. We took a train because Hagrid wasn’t allowed to do magic now he found me. I had to help him with the muggle money. Hagrid was knitting the whole way to London on something that looked like a canary-yellow circus tent. It looked really funny. And then in London, we went to the Leaky Cauldron. It was very weird. Everyone seemed to know who I am and wanted to shake my hand. I also met one of my professors. Professor Quirrell, he is the defence against the dark arts professor. He was very nervous. It had something to do with meeting vampires, I don’t really remember.

Hagrid opened the archway to Diagon Alley after that. It was amazing. The stones of the wall just disappeared and made an archway. There were shops everywhere, with cauldrons, owls, broomsticks, robes and telescopes. I’ve never seen anything like it and I wanted to go to all the shops at once.

We first had to go to the bank, Gringotts, to get my money. Thanks for leaving it for me. I’ve never been this rich before. I’ll try to not spend it on anything stupid. I did buy this little notebook, so I can write to you whenever I want. So you will be hearing from me much more often than before.

We had to take a little cart over railway tracks to the fault. It was very cool. I had hoped to see a dragon. Hagrid had said they have dragons at the bank. But I didn’t see any. I think I did see some fire, but no dragons. Hagrid also retrieved a package from vault seven hundred and thirteen. He didn’t want to say what it was, secret Hogwarts business.

We bought all my supplies, starting with my robes. Hagrid left me alone at Madam Malkin’s. He needed a drink after the rollercoaster ride in Gringotts. In the shop, I met another boy that is going to Hogwarts. I didn’t really like him. He sounded like Dudley. He had a pale pointed face and blonde hair that was slicked onto his head. He was bragging about smuggling in a broom. And he asked me all these questions about magic stuff. I didn’t know what to say. But that didn’t stop him from talking. I think he liked talking about himself, just like Dudley. I hope he won’t be in my class when I get to Hogwarts. And he was mean about Hagrid and he was very mean about people that weren’t wizards. I was very happy when Madam Malkin was done with my ropes and I could leave the room with that nasty boy.

After that Hagrid and I ate ice cream and bought parchment and quills. I also bought this notebook and ink that changes colour when you write. I didn’t tell Hagrid why, but I liked the idea that I now don’t have to look for little scraps of paper to write to you. It makes it so much easier to tell you about what I do and everything. We also bought school books, a cauldron, scales and a collapsible brass telescope. And then Hagrid bought me an owl as a birthday present. She is really beautiful, she’s a snowy owl. I’ll have to think of a name for her. I’m sure I’ll come up with something before I write you again.

The last thing we bought was my want. I had been really looking forward to getting one, but it scares me now a little. Mr Ollivander gave me a lot of wands to give a wave. He kept snatching them out of my hand, saying they won’t do. Until he gave me the wand I have now. It’s made of holly with a phoenix feather, eleven inches. When I took it from him I felt a sudden warmth in my fingers and when I gave it a swing a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like fireworks. That was cool. But then Mr Ollivander told me that this wand has a brother wand, and that wand is Voldemort's wand. My magic wand is the brother of the wand that killed both of you. That scares me a little.

And now all I have to do is wait for the 1st of September to go to my new school. I’ll tell you all about it when I get there.

Love you, mom and dad, I wish you would have been here for all this.

I’m going to sleep now.

Love Harry James Potter

#fanfic #Harry Potter #harry in slytherin #letters #bullied harry

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mollymauk-teafleak · 5 years

Text

come home with me (chapter one)

Ao3 | ko-fi

Bren Aldric Ermendrud has lived with Trent Ikithon as long as he can remember, suffering under his tuition for years, turning him into the strongest wizard possible- and the most miserable young man in Rexxantrum.

Until the circus comes to town, with one Mollymauk Tealeaf as it's ringmaster. And Bren sees a way to a new name, a new life and a chance at happiness.

An AU based on the story of Kvothe's parents from The Kingkiller Chronicles

For Bren, life had become all about small acts of rebellion.

They could never be much, he had to conserve what little bravery he had, sheltering it in cupped hands like an anaemic flame wavering and flickering dangerously at every breeze. But every so often it would flare and skip, a strengthening heartbeat, and Bren would slide the change from an errand run up his sleeve rather than turning it over with the goods he’d been sent to buy or he would borrow a book from the city library he knew wouldn’t be approved of, tucking it in his coat, feeling its edges press against his chest like a stab of thrilling guilt as the rest of his selection were turned over and inspected and approved of when he got home. Sometimes it was even as small as waiting until the last possible second to begin his chores, letting his thoughts wander, letting the day be his for as long as he could before he had to remember that his life wasn’t his own.

And sometimes, when he was passing the door to Father’s office and heard, for the first time in years, an unfamiliar voice, he would stop in his tracks and listen.

A small act of rebellion. Never seen, never thought of, never acknowledged by anyone but him, spent sparingly like a last clipped copper penny. But as long as he still had those to give, there was something to live for.

So Bren stopped and he listened.

He knew every single person in the small borough of Rexxantrum that Father was in charge of. He knew the bakers and butchers and grocers who would come to plead that they couldn’t pay the taxes and leave more unhappy than they came, he knew the crownsguard and constables who gave him bribes, he knew the other archmagi with their sonorous voices and quivering hands.

But this voice was new. It was rich and smooth and full of life, it was like music. The more Bren heard of it, the more eagerly he pressed his ear to the crack in the heavy oak door, like a plant aching towards sunlight.

“We are a registered troupe, Mr Trent, I can assure you of that,” the voice said, confident and sprightly, like everything was an amusing joke, “Not one ounce of trouble in the five years I’ve been in charge.”

“Be that as it may, we are a different people in Rexxantrum,” Father’s voice was low and gravelly, instantly making Bren’s heart kick with fear as he recognised the subtle signs of anger, the signs he’d been trained to hear and respond to, to do whatever he could to make them go away.

But the voice didn’t know the signs. It bulled on.

“My circus is for all people, Mr Ikithon. All people crave a little excitement every now and then, a little break from their hard working lives. In exchange for a pitch in the main square and ninety percent of the show intake, your folk can have a night of magic and frivolity.”

“Drinking and debauchery, you mean,” Father’s voice was a whip, smacking down the other and outside the door, Bren flinched, “And please do not call what you do magic. What I do is magic. You are speaking to one of the archmages of the Cerberus Assembly, sir.”

“I am fully aware of that. And you can call me Mr Tealeaf. Or Mollymauk, I don’t mind.”

Bren’s heart crashed to the floor. Couldn’t the man hear the danger in Father’s voice? Didn’t he realise he had to back away and do it quickly, beg forgiveness?

“Be grateful I am deigning to refer to you as sir at all,” the reply was chilly, the end of every word bitten off, “Your circus may go elsewhere. We have no place for your kind in Rexxantrum.”

There was a long pause. Bren knew he should turn and walk away as fast as he could, move on and forget what he’d heard, go on with his day. Father would be furious if he saw how little work he’d done that morning and what he’d do if he found him listening at the door didn’t even bear thinking about.

But he didn’t. So he was there to hear the soft chuckle and scrape of a chair as Mr Tealeaf drew back and replied, still bright as summer grass though there was an edge to his words that hadn’t been there before.

“Thank you, Mr Ikithon. I’ll be sure to write to Baron de Rolo and ask him to take your fair city off the rotation.”

This new pause was shorter though heavier, weighing like a ton of lead.

“Baron de Rolo?” Father sounded like he was about to explode. Though Bren was no longer afraid. This mysterious stranger had an unseen shield.

“Our patron,” the smile was obvious in his voice, “Though its more his lovely wife who funds our pursuits, she’ll be most upset to hear we’ve been barred from the capital of the Empire. The lady Vex’halia, of course you must know her, seeing as you’re an archmage and all. Our writ of performance is right here, affixed with the seal of Whitestone…” a rustle of fabric and paper, “…as you would have known if you’d asked to see it. It’s the law to do that for all travelling performance troupes, just so you know.”

This pause was all iron, a bitter taste in the mouth.

“One night,” Father practically snarled, “That is all. Then you leave.”

“That’s all we ever asked.”

Bren started as he heard Father’s chair scrape across the carpet. The spell broken, he he straightened so fast there was a stab of dizziness in the base of his skull and his heart lurched like it was getting left behind, barrelling to the end of the corridor and making himself look very busy pulling some books off of the hall bookcase, hoping it wasn’t visible at this distance that it was a completely random assortment, not some volumes to help him write his latest essay.

He couldn’t help his eyes sliding to the opening office door. Father was the first to step out, always in his ceremonial robes, face long and lined and hard. The man who followed was so different, so out of place here in the town house that it was like two completely different artists with completely different sensibilities had been forced to share the same canvas. He was fabulously dressed, in a long coat of plush, plum velvet that forked at the end and whose dagged sleeves revealed long arms decorated in ink and gilded metal; high waisted trousers in the same colour scheme with a split pattern, stripes on one side and diamonds on the other and long boots of supple, soft black leather. Under his arm was a hat, tall and proud, a true showman’s hat. Though quite how it was going to fit over horns that size, Bren had no idea.

A tiefling. An honest to goodness tiefling, here in Rexxantrum.

No wonder Father had a face the colour of a storm cloud ready to burst.

With a smile that said he fully understood the affect he was having on the archmage and was enjoying it intensely, the tielfing swished a long purple tail and swept the hat onto his head with a grand gesture, revealing the fact it had two cleverly concealed holes for his horns.

“You should come to the show, Mr Ikithon,” he flashed a set of sharply pointed incisors, reaching into a cavernous sleeve to pull out a piece of gold paper, holding it out to Father, “Give yourself a night off. See what the Fletching and Moondrop Travelling Carnival of Curiosities has to offer.”

“Thank you,” Father said stiffly, pointedly taking the ticket and immediately letting it fall to the carpet, as if it had never been between his long, white fingers. He made no move to retrieve it. Neither did Mr Tealeaf.

“No, thank you, sir,” the tielfing smiled and started down the stairs, “We’ll cause not a spot of trouble, you’ll see.”

Though in that moment, as he turned, his eyes- drop cut rubies with no pupils- rested lightly on Bren, there at the end of the corridor. Immediately, he felt his cheeks go red, which Father always snapped at him to control as it looked ridiculous with his auburn hair and made his freckles stand out. But the tielfing didn’t snap or look vaguely disgusted. He just smiled and winked, swift and careless, before disappearing down the stairs in a swirl of velvet.

Struck silent, Bren watched with his mouth slightly open, stirrings in the pit of his stomach.

“Bren Aldric Ermendrud.”

Father’s voice was sharp and dangerous and it rushed at Bren with a horrible, sickening certainly that he was about to face the weight of all the built up fury and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

“Close your mouth, boy,” Father snapped, striding down the corridor until he was bearing down upon him. Even though Bren was twenty five and had grown taller than Father ever would, he still managed to make him feel an inch off the ground by sheer force of will.

“You look like a fool,” he knocked the books from Bren’s arms with a hard, sharp shove, “What do you think you’re doing, standing here gawking when you should be working?”

Bren stared down at his feet, biting his lip hard, “I’m sorry, Father.”

There was a long, horrible moment of silence as Bren looked at the scattered books, lying there like limp, dead birds and prayed Father couldn’t read his thoughts, couldn’t see those stirrings inside him.

Maybe even if he couldn’t see them, he could sense the shadows of them, for he snarled, “If I hear of you having anything to do with those deviant circus folk, I will punish you more severely than you have ever known. Am I clear, Bren?”

“Yes,” he managed to choke out, fear making his voice frail and shaky though he knew that was the desired effect.

Though his hands seemed aged, they moved faster than lightning, tightening around Bren’s chin like a vice and jerking it upwards so he couldn’t help but stare into those red tinged eyes.

“Yes what?”

“Yes Father.”

After Father had turned back into his office and slammed the door shut, leaving only his harsh command to pick up those books ringing in Bren’s ears, he stayed still for a while, eyes closed, , shaky fingers pressed to his neck, counting his heart beats. If he got to ten, he would be okay. He just had to get to ten.

Ten heartbeats came and went and Bren could breathe once more. He started to gather up the books, straightening any bent pages, brushing dust from the covers. He let the simple task inflate until it took up every ounce of space in his head, focused utterly on it, allowed no other thoughts inside.

That was the best way to survive.

But then a glint of gold caught his eye. The ticket Mr Tealeaf left had become caught in the fringes of the hall carpet, looking a little forlorn, like a butterfly who’d forgotten how to fly. A few steps brought Bren close enough to read the embossed printing on its surface.

The Fletching and Moondrop Travelling Carnival of Curiosities. Admit One. All are welcome!

Before he knew what he was really doing, the ticket was in his hand. Then it was in his pocket.

More thoughts pressed in on him and he fended them off as best he could, drowning them out by reading the titles of each book aloud, carefully ordering them by author then by colour, shifting them around on the shelf.

All the while the ticket stayed in his pocket, feeling far heavier than a little piece of foiled paper should.

“Straighten your shoulders, boy. Your feet need to be planted firmly on the ground, how many times do I have to tell you?”

Bren shifted his stance in accordance with Father’s barked instructions, though he’d always felt more comfortable on the balls of his feet where he could change direction more easily.

The ground was cold and hard underneath him, the air chilled. But they had to practise in the basement, there were far too many expensive, important things to break in the rest of the manor.

Magic was dangerous, Father had always drilled that into him before all else. It was only permitted within tight boundaries, under strict rules, compartmentalised and categorised and controlled. Using it carelessly, without understanding, that was for carnival hucksters and hedge wizards, people made to squeeze pennies out of ignorant country folk.

People like Mr Tealeaf, Bren supposed, thinking guiltily of the ticket still in the pocket of his trousers, neatly folded with the rest of his work clothes up in his room.

As he’d dressed for practice, into the loose half trousers and shirt that left him free for movement, Bren made a decision. He’d tear up the ticket as soon as he could, throw the pieces out of his window. Already he was working on three different knots of stress, each one a different scenario where Father discovered he had the ticket and none of them ended well. The risk simply wasn’t worth it. Small acts of rebellion were one thing but outright foolishness was another.

But he’d already been late for practice and hadn’t had the time yet. But he would destroy it. He would.

“We will focus on Evocation spells today,” Father announced, pacing at the other end of the cavernous basement, “Your last essay on that particular subject was poor. Let’s see if something a little more direct will help you see sense.”

“Yes Father,” Bren nodded, holding his hands ready in front of him, mind already flickering through the motions necessary for the main spells he knew.

“Now, I want to see some improvement from our last spar,” Father continued, taking no note of how ready his charge was, how he had dropped into the right stance without needing to be asked, “The last time you were slow to react. It made you clumsy, there was no elegance to it. And-“

His last words were lost to a roar as a burst of fire erupted from his hands and flew towards Bren, straight and furious as a thrown dagger. Bren yelped, all his readiness evaporating as the fire engulfed him, burning where it touched, scorching his skin an angry red before disappearing as its energy ran out.

Raw and tingling, nerves frayed and stinging with the injustice of it, Bren lost his composure, “I wasn’t ready! You gave me no warning!”

“And neither will your enemies, boy,” Father replied simply, letting loose another plume in his direction.

This time Bren dodged, rolling, skin screaming where the rough stone floor scraped against it. As soon as he could, he countered with a thunderclap, making it reverberate through the floor so even if it hit, it would do no more than throw Father off balance. But he couldn’t even manage that. Father simply stilled the vibrations with a blast of his own, the exact frequency to fizzle it out into nothing. And then it was the horrific screeching energy of an eldritch blast, the one that made Bren’s ears ring. Somehow he managed to throw himself underneath it, cowering until it past.

“Like I said,” Father’s voice cut through the screeching as it bounced around the space, “Clumsy. Sloppy.”

Bren covered his face, breathing heavy. It was so unfair. Father did everything he could to break him apart, to knock him back. For him, sparring wasn’t about learning, it was about punishment. Bren didn’t feel like a student, he felt like a punching bag.

It wasn’t fair.

In that instant, all the anger, all the fear, all the emptiness years of it had hollowed out inside him was filled with something Bren couldn’t name. In the crackling, ozone stinking wake of their spells, he stood, held out his hands and let that something fly from him as he spoke a word he couldn’t recall afterwards. Not the simple spheres that had been thrown before, a sheer wall of flame erupted in the space, roaring its fury as soon as it appeared. For a moment, Father was awash in a bright orange glow.

And he looked terrified.

Bren wavered, uncertainty flooding back into him as the wall exploded out of existence. While the heat washed over him, not even leaving a lingering heat, it struck Father full in the chest, making him stagger and fall back with a cry of pain. Bren cried out with him.

The dungeon was filled with a smoke that reeked of sulphur, hanging heavily in the hair like clumps of fine gossamer. When Father stood, his clothes were singed, his hair was in disarray and there was an angry red mark lancing across his face.

Bren was already at the door, scrabbling at the handle, when Father caught him by the collar and dragged him back.

Though he knew it would only make it worse, at the unbridled fury in Father’s eyes, he desperately babbled out, “I’m sorry! I didn’t…I didn’t mean…”

The backhand hit him harder than any spell, knocking his head against the wall.

As the pain rang through him, a less sensible part of him cried out, “I don’t understand! You want me to be a powerful wizard, why do you hurt me every time I beat you-“

A force lifted him and pinned him to the wall, forcing his jaw shut.

“Don’t you dare,” Father rasped, still smoking slightly, “Don’t you dare utter those words. You are nothing, do you hear me? You are garbage. You are worthless. I am doing everything I can to nurture the miniscule scrap of talent you have and you should be grateful I am wasting my time on a pathetic boy like you. Understand?”

Bren nodded frantically, wincing as the press continued, achingly slow but relentless, caught between the implacable force and the cold stone wall.

And then it was gone. He fell to the floor, wheezing and crying, only able to nod over and over and pray it would be enough.

“Clean yourself up. There will be no dinner for you tonight,” Father snapped, turning and marching away.

Bren was still crying as he staggered to his room, lurching for his bed like it was his last island of safety. He pressed his face to the pillows to muffle the sound, knowing Father would be disgusted to hear it, and gave himself over to the storm inside him.

He knew he’d just performed a fantastic piece of magic, far above anything he’d done before, but there was no joy in it. Just a bitter ashy taste.

All he’d ever wanted was to be as strong a wizard as he could be, learn everything, read every book, find a safety and security in magic he’d never found anywhere else. But it was never going to make Father proud of him. It was never going to make the sharp words, the slaps, the strikes hurt any less.

Bren had never wanted to be somewhere else, someone else so much in his entire life.

That was when, for the second time in the same day, a glint of gold caught his eye.

The ticket was jutting out of the pocket of Bren’s abandoned trousers, like it was trying to wriggle to freedom. He could still read half of it, upside down but still, black niello letters etched into the gold.

All are welcome!

Bren tucked the ticket into his latest banned book, slipped it into his ratty old coat, the one Father didn’t let him wear. He swung it around himself, hood up, tucking his distinctive red hair into his scarf. Everyone in the district knew Archmage Ikithon’s red haired ward.

The night air was cold, reproachful, as he opened his window. But Bren didn’t stop, he didn’t even pause, he had to move before Father stopped stewing in his anger and put up the wards around his room to stop him going to get food. Out there was music and light and colour, out there was the furthest thing from in here that there could possibly be.

Out there was Mr Tealeaf, who’d looked at him and smiled kindly.

That’s what he needed right now. So that’s where he went.

#widomauk #critical role #cr fic #circus au #rothfuss au #the kingkiller chronicle #caleb widogast #mollymauk tealeaf #trent ikithon #abuse tw #cr: caleb #cr: mollymauk #cr: wildemount campaign #cr: campaign 2

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sterek · 6 years

Note

Hey! So I’m new to the fandom I watched Teen wolf seasons 1-6 within 4 days lmao, but I was just wondering could you recommend the best sterek au fics? Your blog is amazing btw!

Sorry it took me a while, but here you go! These are my favorite AU fics in no particular order :) (and thank you boo

A Crooked Way to Fly by andavs [14k G]

“We can’t just leave him here to die.”

“He’s an emissary, Scott.” Derek tried to make his tone empathetic, but Scott’s tendency to fight back on everything always grated on his nerves. “His pack is gone, he won’t survive more than a day or two either way.”

“Then we should stay with him.”

Derek sighed as he studied the man for a moment; he was too pale against the fur rim of his hood, almost grey from lying out in the snow, and his cloak was stained with dark dried blood around a protruding arrow shaft. It was unlikely he would even last the night. They would probably be able to carry on in the morning with little time lost, if any.

It wasn’t a horrible idea, Derek decided reluctantly. They hadn’t been able to set up a real camp for a few weeks in the open foothills, and they were all on edge from sleeping in exposed areas. A defensible place to sleep would be good for them, even if they were surrounded by death. They would be able to give the pack proper burials, at the very least.

“Fine. One night,” Derek relented, already moving away to check on Isaac. “He’s your responsibility.”

Put Down in Words by paintedrecs [203k, M]

“Oh,” Stiles said, his voice coming out low and breathy, “fuck me.”

“I don’t think that’s on the syllabus, but we can check to see if there’s a spot open in any of his classes,” Scott said, grinning.

“This isn’t an actual professor, though,” Stiles insisted, unable to resist brushing his thumb over the sharp line of the man’s bearded jaw. He was laughing at something off-camera, the shot taken in three-quarters view, his coat collar casually rumpled and opened to reveal a sliver of a simple grey t-shirt. The whole thing was deliberately calculated to lend him a more accessible feel, and god help him, Stiles was falling for it.

When Stiles signed up for Dr. Hale’s intro to history class, he had two goals: knock out the credits his advisor was bugging him to complete before he graduated, and spend a few hours a week daydreaming about his sexy professor’s salt and pepper beard.

Derek, a few months away from turning forty and not sure when his life had started feeling so damn lonely, had never encountered someone like Stiles before. Bright-eyed, sharp-tongued, determined to throw Derek’s carefully cultivated world into disarray…and absolutely the last person Derek should be falling in love with.

Cupboard Love by mklutz [32k, G]

He’s carefully balancing the sandwiches and the two biggest tupperware containers he could find that both had functioning lids when the front door opens and he almost drops everything right there in front of the stupid fountain.

If that’s Derek Hale, he’s definitely not a mountain man.

One life stand by Vendelin [84k, E]

Stiles is used to selling himself to make ends meet. But it's getting harder to keep those ends meeting, and there's only so much of Stiles to go around. Until a too-fancy car shows up in his neighborhood, and he meets Derek Hale.

All Derek wants is Stiles's time, someone to stay on his arm for events and smile for the cameras. It's the easiest job Stiles has ever had, the best-paying one he's ever had, and he's more than happy to sign up.

Derek is everything and nothing Stiles expects him to be, with his tailored suits, sharp mind and his quiet way of caring. But it's just a job and Stiles never meant to fall in love.

In Other Words, Baby, Kiss Me by primroseshows [61k, E]

Stiles has simple goals in life. To successfully complete his secret radar project without getting fired, to get a cottage on the Moon, and to untangle his mess of feelings for Moon Station 3 deputy, Derek Hale. Heck, he'll even settle for two of the three.

The Circus at the End of the World by mikkimouse [91k, E]

Three hundred years ago, the world ended not with a bang or a whimper, but with magic.

Since then, magic has been outlawed, and the world has clawed its way back to some kind of stability, with people and shifters alike divided between living within the walled safety of the Havens, or the small, less protected outposts dotting the frontier.

Derek Hale and his sisters, Laura and Cora, are the proprietors of Hale's Circus of Magic, Monsters, and Mystical Wonders, known colloquially as the Circus at the End of the World. They and their ragtag pack ride the rails between the outposts and the Havens, performing for those who can pay (and some who can't). Their circus is a small haven in and of itself, a place of safety for those who have nowhere else to go.

It's a quiet life...until Stiles Stilinski joins the crew.

The circus has something Stiles needs—a ticket into the Haven of Santa Francesca. His father has been abducted, and Stiles is determined to get him back no matter what he has to do.

But Stiles has another secret, one that puts him and every member of the circus in danger. And if he's not careful, it could get them all killed.

The Silent Fury by andavs, rosepetals42 [31k, M]

Derek is about to leave, content with the smell of blood as proof that the Fury is dead when he hears it.

A heartbeat.

It’s faint and uneven and even with its help, it takes Derek a full minute of scanning the clearing before he finally spots the small heap that must be the human. It’s down on the far side of the canyon, almost completely hidden by a tall oak tree and–Derek jumps down before he thinks about it.

He knows what he has to do. Furies are dangerous. Furies are fire and smoke and a funeral he barely remembers. He lands almost silently and makes sure his hands are fully shifted into claws and then slowly moves forward.

Or, a How to Train Your Dragon AU

Kindred Spirits by Stoney [104k, E]

Anne of Green Gables/Teen Wolf AU.Stiles is the adopted son of the Sheriff, brought to Beacon Hills to hopefully stay for good. A family, a best friend, school, Jackson as Josie Pye (because who else could he be?) and the mystery of a dark haired, green-eyed boy which leads Stiles to discovering a secret within himself.

Sell Your Body to the Night by Dira Sudis (dsudis) [121k, E]

"No," he repeated impatiently. "I'm not a cop. I'm someone who wants to exchange my money for your sexual services. I was told you were in that line of work."

"I, uh, yeah, sorry," Stiles said. He glanced around again and then up--the full moon was almost directly overhead. Just one of those nights, maybe. "Yeah, I am. I do that."

But Then What... by Stoney [24k, E]

Senior year is almost over, and all Stiles needs to do is keep his head down to survive. A teacher calls in a favor, leaving him stuck tutoring Derek Hale, one of the most popular jocks in school and a member of a group of douchecanoes who have bullied Stiles for years. He's someone Stiles totally hates. Totally. Like, doesn't like him even a little bit. DEFINITELY isn't attracted to him.

Except that is a total lie. Fuck his life, seriously.Senior year is almost over, and all Stiles needs to do is keep his head down to survive. A teacher calls in a favor, leaving him stuck tutoring Derek Hale, one of the most popular jocks in school and a member of a group of douchecanoes who have bullied Stiles for years. He's someone Stiles totally hates. Totally. Like, doesn't like him even a little bit. DEFINITELY isn't attracted to him.Except that is a total lie. Fuck his life, seriously.

Little Wild Animal by DiscontentedWinter [61k, E]

Derek Hale finds a feral human on his pack's property.Humans are supposed to be extinct.But then, Stiles is full of surprises.

(also read the other work in the series, it’s more original fic than sterek but i adore it!)

I Know Where Babies Come From, Derek by DiscontentedWinter [51k, M]

Stiles finds a baby on the porch.

It looks exactly like him.

Well, this is awkward.

Don't Speak by fatale [68k, T]

The Alpha pack has systematically attacked Stiles and his friends for months, testing their strengths and weaknesses. When one of the Alphas goes after Stiles, he awakens in the hospital and realizes that something's wrong. Very wrong. All sounds seem to hurt him, he can't understand what anyone is saying, and when he tries to speak, it's gibberish. How is he supposed to deal with the fact that he's lost the ability to communicate with his dad and his friends?

Without his ability to talk, his sarcasm, and his wit, what does Stiles even have left? Enter Derek, the only one who seems to make it better.

Occam's Razor by MissAnnThropic [49k, E] [and also read the sequel!!]

When Stiles goes to sleep, he’s a junior in high school. He wakes up in a world where he’s twenty-four and married to Derek Hale. Stiles just can’t seem to catch a break.

Specialized Technical Intelligence and Logistics for Earth and Space (S.T.I.L.E.S) by Yiichi [63k, NR]

“What the hell kind of a name is Stiles?” he asked.

“You know, a series of sounds spoken in a particular sequence that represent my identity, primarily, referring to me?“ the AI – Stiles – answered cheekily, crossing his own arms in front of his chest, mirroring Derek’s position.

“Ooh, this one’s feisty,” Peter smirked.

Tiny Houses by ohmyjetsabel ]77k, E]

"So this is what Stiles does. He lies in Scott’s bed and waits for Melissa to say she’s found someone to get it out of him, to cure him of the wrongness and the bad, and he dreams.

God, he dreams.

He dreams of fire and swollen bellies and that scene in Alien, of giving birth to jackals through his urethra, the whole horrific nine yards. His head is a terrible place to be, he can’t imagine his stomach is much better, why anyone would want to put a thing inside of it."

Stilinski's Home for Wayward Wolves by owlpostagain [35k, T]

“At least your puppies knock first,” Stiles snorts. “Here I thought their alpha raised them to be well-mannered.”

“There’s a sign,” Derek responds stiffly.

Stiles, whose curiosity outweighs even his hardest of grudges, abandons his chilly façade of nonchalance in a heartbeat. He jumps right up and all but pushes Derek out of the way in his effort to get to the window, and sure enough when he leans outside there’s a laminated strip of cardstock duct taped to the vinyl siding:

DON’T FORGET TO KNOCK Stiles gets cranky when we scare him

---

Or, in which Stiles Stilinski moves to Beacon Hills for his junior year of high school and accidentally adopts a pack of teenage werewolves.

The entire Bodice Ripper 'Verse byStoney!!!

Fly a Little Faster by mirrorkill [32k, T]

Everyone knows when you go back in time, you shouldn't step on an ant, just in case you accidentally kill your own grandparent or something. But what happens when you go back in time and, uh, accidentally interrupt the one event that apparently made the Grumpiest Alpha in Town into a ball of mindless manpain?

Well, if Marty McFly can do it, so can Stiles Stilinski. All he has to do is get Derek and Paige to fall in love before he gets pulled back to his own time. And before he makes anything worse. That's easy as pie, right? Right?

Enemy Lines by qhuinn (tekla) [149k, E]

This is the story of werewolf Derek Hale and human Stiles Stilinski: two people who grew up in the same town but completely different worlds, their realities split by the war between men and wolves.

Years later when Derek returns to Beacon Hills, he does it as Alpha of a military pack on a mission to capture those responsible for the region’s resistance. With his main objective, Sheriff Stilinski, out of sight, he settles for the next best thing: his son, Stiles.

Neither of them suspects they’ll need to trust each other if they want to make it out this alive.

an exaltation of larks by llassah [25k, E]

There are times when he feels as if they could fall into bed together, easy as breathing. If Stiles were not highborn, if he were an omega without connections, Derek would be sorely tempted. As it is, he resists. Derek wants, he yearns, but he resists. Still, the sight of Stiles in his cot is enough to test him, even now that it is familiar. At the end of each lambing season, he sleeps for a week, worn down by months of hard work, of relentless struggle. He doesn’t know how he’ll feel by the time Stiles leaves, how he’ll feel after long days and longer nights spent resisting the insistent tug of Stiles’s scent and the inclinations of his own foolish heart.

All Derek wants is to get through the lambing season with his body and spirit intact. He had thought that the blizzards would be the main danger, not a highborn omega with beautiful eyes and a stubborn streak.

Move A Mountain by ZainClaw [69k, E]

Stiles goes camping with his friends in New Mexico after graduation where they befriend a biker gang led by Derek: a guy whom Stiles can’t decide if he will be either relieved or devastated to never see again once their week is up.

The Importance of Turning Around Three Times Before Lying Down by otter [31k, M]

It’s like this dog has walked out of all of Stiles’ childhood dreams and into the real world just because Stiles wanted it hard enough. He is the most awesome dog ever, and he and Stiles have a bond. A deep, unbreakable bond because this animal is his soul mate, obviously. Now he just has to convince the dog of that.

Stiles's Story Time by trilliath [125k, E]

Where Stiles is a librarian who is in charge of the kids' reading hour and such. And Derek is 6-year-old Scott's adoptive dad. And Stiles has his own take on Stories and Scott loves wolves and Derek tries not to admit that he likes the way Stiles's face looks in those glasses.Or something like that.

Not Your Disney Romance by Rawren (Zimothy) [42k, M]

After a long-forgotten agreement of an arranged marriage between Derek and the daughter of another pack's alpha resurfaces, Stiles takes it upon himself to become the most amazing fake fiancé that a clueless, desperate alpha werewolf could wish for.

There is a Brotherhood by minusoneday [21k, E]

So far, college has taught Stiles three things:

1) Eight am classes are cruel and unusual and should be avoided at all costs, even if it means having to enroll in something truly hideous instead, like Econ 101.

2) Dorm security is just as tight as Stiles’ orientation leader had promised it would be, and the dude guarding Scott’s dorm in particular does not respond well to bribes.

3) Mrs. McCall clearly had no clue what she was talking about when she’d insisted that Scott and Stiles needed to branch out and room with strangers, so it’s all her fault that Scott ended up with a total dick of a roommate and Stiles got stuck all the way across campus with some guy who has a girlfriend two towns over and is thus never around.

Or, the one where pledge brothers Stiles and Scott start a prank war with Derek Hale's fraternity.

Prince Among Wolves by Rawren (Zimothy) [101k, E]

Looking for full day/evening sitter. 2 twin boys age 4. Must have exp. w/werewolves. Must be human. No pedophiles. No teenage girls. Pay negotiable.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation by grimm [118k, E]

There's something weird about Beacon Hills that Stiles can't quite put his finger on. The way everyone in town knows his name the day he arrives. The way they insist the melancholic howling that echoes through the forest every night is just a dog. The way his dad denies getting a dog, even though Stiles comes home to find one sprawled across his bed, some big black thing whose eyes gleam red in the right light. The way that massive oak tree out in the woods vibrates under his touch, pulsing with sickly life.

There's something weird going on in this town, and Stiles is determined to get to the bottom of it.

Cornerstone by Vendelin [83k, E]

Suffering from PTSD, ex-Marine Derek Hale moves back to Beacon Hills to open a bookshop and find a calmer life. That’s where he meets Stiles, completely by accident. Stiles is talkative, charming and curious. Somehow, despite the fact that he’s blind, he’s able to read Derek like no one else.

[Not!Fic] Random Craigslist Missed Connections Derek/Stiles Not!Fic of Doom by fire_juggler_writes (fire_juggler) [17k, T]

An AU in which Stiles is lonely and addicted to the Missed Connections page on Craigslist, Derek is a hermit with a persistant sister, Scott gives unexpectedly good relationship advice, and it all ends happily-ever-after.

Trust Fall by Stoney [144k, T]

Stiles is fairly certain that a case could be made for every bad thing in his life coming back to Peter Hale. This time it's pissing off a powerful witch, who retaliated by swapping Stiles and Derek a la Freaky Friday, because sure. That makes sense. Um, there are GPAs on the line, not to mention the whole thing where his dad wants to shoot Derek on sight. Except who he sees as Derek is actually Stiles, and Stiles did not sign up for filicide.

Great. Wait...does this mean he's the Alpha until they figure this out? Holy. Shit.****

Derek had stood in front of the bathroom mirror for a few minutes trying to control the panic as he saw himself as Stiles. As the loud mouthed human friend of the pack. He was going to kill Peter. He was going to kill the witch, then he was going to kill Peter. Maybe even resurrect him again just to kill him all over.

They were going to have to play this cool. They would have to stay calm and focused. Which is of course why the universe threw him into this situation with someone who physically couldn't be calm and focused.

Of course.

Stand Fast in Your Enchantments by DevilDoll, Rahciach [76k, E]

"Stiles knew damn well what a pissed-off wolf sounded like, and every hair on the back of his neck was telling him that somewhere in this room was a very pissed-off werewolf." An AU in which Derek is feral, Stiles is magical, and they eat a lot of fast food.

Safety in Silence by Survivah [66k, M]

It's perfectly understandable. Even Derek wouldn't want to be Derek's soulmate.

Where The Inevitable Isn't by Survivah [41k, M]

Stiles has a magical thingamajig that's supposed to get him out of danger. Trouble is, it took him really, really far out of danger. Like, to the point where he isn't in the same universe anymore.

"A part of Stiles had been thinking that he’d come home, and just go, 'hey, Derek, are we mates and you just haven’t said anything about it?' and Derek would reply, 'now you mention it, we are indeed! Now come to my bedchamber, where we will have super hot sex and then cuddle after!'"

"Pretend this is our den, kay?" by Survivah [16k, M]

In which Stiles is raised by (were)wolves, and he and Derek are childhood sweethearts that never stopped. Also, Kate Argent is a homicidal maniac but a very helpful plot device.

The Boy and the Beast by Dira Sudis (dsudis) [116k, M]

In which events in Beacon Hills go rather differently from the start, and a Beauty and the Beast (ish) story ensues. (Scott is not a teacup and no one sings about their feelings.)

#sterek #eternalsterek #recs #rec list #i'm missing some that sadly were deleted but!#Anonymous #asks

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eemapso · 5 years

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Which story should we begin production on? *Poll! at the end*

Howdy-Doo y'all! So here's the skinny, My good pal @skybard and I are planning to begin production of one of our collaborative stories. Our big goal is to one day be able to sell it at a future con. But there's just on dilemma . We aren't sure which one to pick. So we thought it would be a good idea to let the community decide! "Which story should we begin production on?":

Story 1: The wizard story (working title)- (Dark Fantasy, Sci-Fi, drama)

On the planet of Seron, nature is in abundance. It is made up of acres and acres of numerous different elements. Each Major element is watched over and cultivated by a "Wizard".... There were two wizards, born under the blessing of the light. A rare phenomenon indeed, twin wizards. The boy was sent to the temple where he would be raised under the nurturing guide of the guardians of light, Sars and Uryisis. While the girl, was sent to train under the guidance of the past wizard. The boy had been taught that his sister was the rightful only wizard. But one day, when rumors are heard about a plan to put a end to the people of the dark that involves his sister he can no longer sit by. The wizard goes off, to talk some sense into his sister!

Story 2: Runaway Clowns; (Mystery, Dark Comedy, violence, psychological)

An orphan boy has just entered high school, and it's difficult for a teen like him to get adopted. So, what could be the harm of running away and joining the circus? Oswald has suspicions that the local circus has been involved with the increase of robberies in their city. The crimes have been a big problem for the city, and it didn't occur to Oz that he could do anything about it. Leaving that to the authorities was the wiser choice however, learning that his birth mother was an officer changed things for him. He figured, If he could crack this case with solid evidence... maybe his mother would be proud enough to readopt him. He's got one shot at this and his path is being blocked by a bunch of rowdy and conniving clowns, that may win Oz over a little more than he'd like.

Story 3: Music Magic; (fantasy adventure, drama,)

An entire world in which its leaders harness magic through their music, a small town in the middle of nowhere is ruled by witch pop idols. They treat the residents of the town as if they are play things. One of the witches, Evonna, has begun to stray away from the original goals of the band and question what her place is in the world. She meets some interesting characters along the way. An Undertaker that has an unsettling fascination with Evonna and a creature that is a product of the witches misusing their own magic. But, what can a young witch, an undertaker, and a confused deer-like creature do against two very powerful spell casters and a whole town of innocent civilians that are swayed by the influence of their idols?

Story 4: I Am Your Arch-Nemesis ; (Romance, comedy, reverse harem, action, superheroes)

When the heroes are away the villains will play! It all started a couple years ago. The city's hero suddenly up and left. Leaving the innocent civilians alone to fend for them selves against the tyranny of hundreds of villains! The town was basically a disaster zone where villains each behaved like they owned the place! That is until one day.. when she arrived. .. The secretariat is the hero that the town needed. Armed with her wit, dexterity , and her boxing gloves, she's knocked them baddies in their place! But she must have knocked a few of them just a little too hard... There's a wolf-man hybrid, a mad scientist, a discount musketeer, a explosion happy country man, and a brooding edge lord. And they all want to be the arch nemesis that drives her wild!

Story 5: Dopple Lover; (Horror, psychological,drama,fantasy,violence)

Adrian was so excited to begin her college course. After years of saving she was now able t afford her enrollment at he dream college! Nothing could ruin her experience as a college freshman. Nothing except for her under enthusiastic professor, Mr. Ganger. He's crude, Lacks motivation. And its uncertain if he even knows the material he's supposed to teach! He is every eager student's worse nightmare! The two nearly immediately began clashing heads, and this looked to be the start of a very stressful year. that is until one day, Mr. Ganger returned to class...Almost like a completely different person. Is this change for the better? Or is it a ill omen for things to come...?

We would be ever so grateful to hear your input ! So if you see a story you'd like to read in the future please let us know by voting this poll: link

Or you could always reblog too ^^ in the end everything helps!

Thank you so very much for your time! we are curious to see which story the community chooses!

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addytheheartbreaker · 5 years

Text

Blind Memory

Chapter 1: Familiar touch in image

Somewhere on New York, Joen was at his theme park kitchen cooking up in great pride to finish up the list of the menu of his popular hotdog theme restaurant as he patiently waiting for the two masked people to run onto his amusement park. Joen always thought about his old rival friend about what happen since the rivalry with their own brothers until the peace treaty, quite funny he still remembers after the peace ceremony his rival's brother who is the leader of the 5 group of brothers let him hang out together for fun. He gladly did the things at the amusement park and circus just for him to have fun.

Joen loves to make everyone happy and he adores it when people complement him something very nice that flatters him. Of course, in the Masked Singer he had become very popular all thanks to his coach that his amusement park is now crowded with people visiting and enjoying the wonderful fun and laughter they ever had and forever in memory. Joen is actually wearing his rabbit mask today as he placing the finish chicken at the counter then he heard someone calling his name just in time to meet face to face to who it is.

Joen: Nicol Macgille! No time no see buddy!

Joen gave his visitor a hand shake. The man wearing a doberman dog masks and a military with silver armour is name Nicol Mcgille, Joen's old friend and rival, friends with a celebrity former boy band member Nick Carter. Nicol laughs and hugged his old friend before letting him go with a smile on his face.

Nicol: Glad to meet you after the last 5 years Rabbit. Anyways I could see the counter is full over there.

Joen: oh yeah, defiantly Dog. I was kinda over added the menu for the new girl. So where was she?

Nicol: hold your horses Joen, getting excited much to meet my dollface? She will be ready to greet you in perfect posture.

Joen look at him confuse.

Joen: perfect posture? Dude, I'm alright with someone to meet me in open arms. If this girl is a Rabbit fan at the show then she is more then welcome at my wonderland.

Nicol: no, its her doing not yours. Anyway, I'll get her for you.

Nicol went to find her as Joen happily hum himself till he is out of reality from his thoughts. He really enjoyed making people laugh and have fun, he is wondering what the foreign girl looks like, how she laugh was sounds like and get to know her with he favorite rides and foods and most importantly he thought about what her smile looks like and what her personality is. Hearing Nicol has return with the girl and notice the rabbit man was out of his reality.

Nicol: yo, Rabbit. I'm here!

Joen snaps out from his imagination and return back to reality to see Nicol in front of him. He look around and at his surprises, there someone behind the Dog which is actually the foreign girl. Nicol ask her to introduce him then the girl take a deep breath and went beside Nicol revealing herself. Joen look at the girl which gives him something off. The girl was a ball-jointed doll which he could see at her hands and knees, she is wearing a plain white blouse, a pink corset skirt underneath a white skirt with ruffles at the end of her skirt, black flat heel shoes wearing a skin like colored stockings and finish up is the doll girl's black, long, wavy hair just at below from her back wearing a white with highlight pink flower headband and a mask painted in half black and white.

The doll girl is very shy at first which is why she is behind Nicol before she gain her confidence as Nicol introduce her.

Nicol: Rabbit, meet my foreign friend Doll, she is from Philippines.

The Doll bow in grace is a sign of greeting, but Joen couldn't make out what she looks like, however, her mask isn't fully covered her face but her lips are exposed. Her lips was close shut, not giving a single voice for him to be heard from her. Joen felt something is wrong with the doll girl and raise his hand to gave her a hand shake at his left hand as the Dog added him some information.

Nicol: by the way, she is also a fan of you Rabbit.

Joen glady, he is about to gave her a handshake knowing she is also a fan of his. Waiting for her to grab his hand to shake it, the Doll look up to the Dog and he gave her a "go ahead" look inside his dog mask as she shyly and gently hold his hand with her left hand and start handshaking. Joen flinch in surprised a little which he had no idea but the handshake was light. Very light that signal him that he had felt this type of handshake by someone before. He look at the doll girl who is still wearing a mask with her, mouth didn't open a smile at him as if she didn't give any emotion.

Joen is still looking at her and he didn't let go of her left hand as he squeeze it a little. He felt the skin like porcelain hand from her by someone before, he is now off from the touch and the uncomfortable glance on her. As the Dog grab the Doll's wrist about to let go the handshake. He move the left sleeve of her blouse revealing a small crack on her wrist with a hint of faded red lined at the small cracks. The Rabbit recognized that crack in her wrist before. Before he let go of the handshake, a lightning strike into his head with his head twitch that he knew someone long ago. The hand he felt, the look on her mouth with no emotions, her wrist with cracks on it. Did he knew her before? His mind felt dizzy a bit and his mind send him an dark hazy image viewing something like he had never seen but felt so familiar.

A mysterious girl wearing a white hospital like gown stepping away slowly from him with his left hand reaching out at her with blood on his hand before Joen snaps out of his mind with another twitch as he let go of her hand. His hand reach out at her the same way as the image. The Doll step back and hold the Dog's arm while she still looking at Joen shyly. Joen twitch again, the way she step back from him and went to her left side while she still looking at him with his hand still reaching out at her. The same image of him reaching at the female figure from his past before someone hold his shoulder.

Nicol: Rabbit?

The rabbit man look up to see the Dog holding his shoulder.

Nicol: are you alright?

Joen: .....

Joen didn't answered but he haven't move his eyes on her but thanks to his mask, the two mask visitors would not notice him staring at her. This foreign girl, a doll girl who might look familiar to him but he won't ask her as he ignored the strange feeling at the inside.

Joen: yeah, I'm fine Dog. Anyway, two seems hungry and exhaust today huh? Why not come inside and I'll give you what you want.

The two mask visitors nodded and went inside his restaurant with hungry looks behind the mask. Joen pick up the order from them, Nicol ordered some chicken and waffles and a large cup of soda while for Doll, she ordered some chicken with fries along with chocolate ice cream and a bottle of water. Joen gave a smile at the two visitors with the Dog smiling back behind his mask, except Doll who still wearing the same look at him. Jeon did not understand why she isn't smiling and he was curious on what or why did she look so.... Expressionless....

Joen: um Nicol?

Nicol: yeah?

Joen: can I talk to you for a second?

Nicol: make it quick because I am running out of time now.

Nicol told Doll to wait at the table and said "alright, I will wait" with a softly yet shy voice. Her voice is shy and light as if she isn't very talkative often then anyone. Another strike at the head from the Rabbit hits him after hearing her voice for the first time until the two mask males went to Joen's kitchen for a private chat.

Joen: Nicol, about the girl that you are with. I felt like I know her somewhere along time ago.

Nicol: are you sure? She didn't seem like she knows you at all.

Joen: I know, well sorry for not letting go of her hand yet her touch and the look on her expose mouth from her mask, even the voice as well. My mind told me I have met her along time ago.

Nicol gave a unsure and confuse look.

Nicol: are you crazy of something? Doll told me she has been staying at Philippines for all her life until she came here this year. Have you even went to Philippines before Joen?

In Joen's head he is right. He never been to Philippines or even tour there with his brothers before. But that girl, the image on his mind kept replaying itself without stopping. Why is it hard for his head to stop whenever he look at her? Joen did not notice his old rival friend exit the kitchen and went to Doll as they talk to each other. Joen went to them then look at her.

He needs to get to know her and find out who she is if she knew what he think he knew.

Joen: so Dog, is she available to stay here to have a tour around my amusement park? I would gladly gave her the magical fun I put on this place.

Nicol: that would be wonderful for you to do that-

Addy: um... Nicol?

The dog man look at her.

Nicol: yes?

Addy: I have to go back.

Nicol: but Addy, you said you are excited to be here.

Addy: of course I told you that but I was only excited to look at this place, nothing else. I need to go back.

Nicol: Dollface, you said you missed the amusement park you are yearning to went to. He can-

Addy: it is too late for that....

Joen: w-what?

Joen surprised to what she had said. Her voice when she told Nicol was confident yet firm that he might notice a hint of frustration could be heard. He could see Nicol's dog mask sadden from her as he pat her head. Joen was worried about them.

Nicol: another time?

Addy: another time Dog.

Nicol turn to Joen with a sad smile behind his dog mask.

Nicol: sorry bud but we should be going now Joen, thanks for the food buddy. Taste delicious as always Rabbit. I'll see you next time.

Joen: yeah....

He wave goodbye to his rival friend and the doll girl, unfortunately the Doll name Addy didn't look back to him but she was actually shy as Nicol wave goodbye to him then left Joen's amusement park. Joen stayed silent from the same place at the time thinking back at what just happen. The image in his head returns and it reveals a new one. The girl's mouth was close and emotionless with a hint of sadness in it, the girl actually wearing a white dress that he couldn't make out from his memory in just a small detail, black, long, wavy hair in pigtails and her eyes were covered in a white blindfold. The image revealed the girl and her left wrist with a small crack similar to the Doll's wrist. The image stops and Joen felt dizzy for the moment he saw the image playing into his head aching him.

Why is that image even involded to his mind along with Addy the Doll who Nicol the Dog introduce him? He felt like he is getting sick and twitches his head as he teleported on his way back to the mansion. What just happen to him? The image while he teleported at the mansions outside stairs revealing to him again. And this time the image plays the same girl who seems younger then him that he couldn't make out how old she is and saw them running up the stairs. Joen is getting more dizzy and tiring him from the image playing again and went on the front down walking weirdly without a doorbell or even called out to the others that he is home.

Someone at the hallway walk passing him and saw Joen walking by as he went to his direction to greet him.

Ronnie: ah, Joen Roger! Welcome back home Rabbit, uh... Are you alright?

Joen didn't answered instead he ignore his question and walk pass him. The person who Joen walk pass is none other then the showman Peacock himself Ronnie, apprentice to the superstar in Las Vegas Donny Osmond. Ronnie look surpassingly confuse then look behind him to see the rabbit man went back to his room with no answer for the peacock man. But this caught his attention from him. He could barely see somethings wrong with him, after all Joen the Rabbit could never ignore the questions from someone at the mansion. He is very honest to everyone but he never seen Joen getting himself out of character. He did what he could do and went to the living room where Bebe and Linette was then inform them about Joen's concerning behaviour.

This concern them especially Linette who she knew almost a details about Joen except he never told her everything about himself or his rough past. Writing down at everyone's information at her typewriter with the help of Lea gathering all the rumors with her employees to find more information about them, mostly the Rabbit man himself. The Unicorn lady herself didn't get every detail or any credit of his secret of himself even asking his brothers about it. However, the 5 Rabbit brothers are so mysterious and secretive about themselves more then the other members in this mansion. Even Lea, his best friend who has been there for each other in just 8 years didn't get anything but rumors that could be either true or not. However, this is different then they imagine, something is truely wrong with Joen. The queen bee would be the one look over him for now and she seems concern for the rabbit man's behavior to whatever it is.

At the Rabbit's room, Joen removed his rabbit mask before hopping onto his bed and lazily laying his back and hold his head. The image stops playing but instead it gave him a headache which Joen groan in pain from the headache.

Joen: ugh I need some rest....

He said to himself and turn off the lights with a single snap from his figures then close his eyes to sleep.

To be continue...

#blind memory story #blind memory #mask au #the mask au #masked au #the masked singer human au #the masked singer

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the-king-and-the-light · 6 years

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Dynamo, can you describe your linemates and what they're like? And do it in a presentation pls.

“A presentation.” He sighed. “Alright, fine. I’ll add pictures n’ shit for ya.”

“I’ll start off with Magic Man first.”

“Magic Man is, from what I’ve been told, a circus robot that was made to perform tricks or somethin’ like that. If you would expect for someone like that to show off, even at inappropriate times, you’d be correct. He likes showing off his tricks to everyone, not just me, thankfully. And apparently he’s now practicing fortune telling, which is such a weird thing for Magic Man to do, but hey, what do I know? I will admit, he’s pretty good at what he does when it comes to cards and all that stuff, though I haven’t seen him try out fortune telling yet. My only complaint is…well, being a show off. But I can take show offs like him. At least he doesn’t brag, unlike somebody I know.”

“Ground Man is an interesting character. I’ve seen King make him for exploring ruins for treasure, from what I can remember. I’ve also seen him collect treasure and collect treasure for himself as well, though I haven’t seen his collection yet. I can’t remember who, but someone told me that he is the most powerful Robot Master. Even with that information, he’s not very sociable like myself. I guess he’s more of a "peaceful”, deep thinking guy then someone that likes showing off what he finds.“

"Pirate Man is…uh…”

“Brutal.”

“I mean don’t get me wrong, I get brutal as well, but not as brutal as him. This guy…was just made to be pissy. I mean, his purpose is to attack cargo vessels. You know, KILL people.”

“Now before you idiots say anything, no, I don’t aim at killing people. I was not made to kill people in the first place. I don’t have the heart to just go out and try to kill every single living being on the planet. I only get angry enough to punch or shock a human if they enter my power plant, but I don’t make it so that their faces break or have their eyes literally pop out of their sockets. That’s just disgusting. And really, really creepy.”

“…Great, now I have the imagery of those two things stuck in my head.”

“Moving on…”

“He is pretty reckless with what he does. He doesn’t like playing by the rules, like me, but even worse. He will be happy to just straight up kill you for gold or whatever treasure he wants. I don’t think he has seen Ground Man’s treasure collection yet, but if he does, I’d bet that he will fight him to the death over those things.”

“Cold Man, is a refrigerator. A refrigerator. A walking, talking, refrigerator. How do I know? He told me of course! Or rather, he told us his “previous purpose”. Besides appearance and all that, he isn’t just some normal fridge. Apparently, he was created by the man Dr.Light himself to store dinosaur DNA below zero. And then King came along and modified him to be a guard robot for whatever reason. So I guess I had met a Dr.Light bot without even thinking or realizing it. Still, that is just the most ridiculous purpose for a robot to even have. I’m sorry, but there is no more information about this guy other than being a fucking fridge.”

“Now this guy Tengu Man and his space boy are special because they were with different linemates before King came along. He decided to join us because he wanted a second go at beating Mega Man or something like that. He likes to literally look down at us and call us something like “weak” or “pathetic”, which is ironic because he’s been defeated before, and is not gonna give up on that second try. His space boy told me that he is stupidly proud of his weird ass nose, is good at reading atmosphere stuff, and likes to go fly fishing that I don’t know how that can be possible but whatever. I guess it’s because he resembles a bird with that nose and the ability to fly or something. I wonder if someone ever called him “Bird Man”. I know I will the next time I see him, heheh.”

Astro Man is the space boy I was talking about. I sometimes call him space boy because he is a robot based on space. Ok but seriously I call him space boy because he used to work in a place called a “planetarium”, which I would assume is a museum on planets. But then the old guy that Plug is always pissed about Dr.Wily came along and modified him for combat. Like with Cold Man, I don’t see the point because he’s a shy dork who I hear is the world champion at hide-and-seek. Sounds pointless to me, but I guess it makes sense because of how shy and cowardly he is. But the one thing that really bugs me are those two balls that circle around his body like two moons I guess. I can never figure out their purpose, or if they are just there for decoration. Who knows. But eh, I don’t see him anymore so I could care way more less.”

“And now, the final one that I am dreading to tell.”

“Burner Man.”

“Boy is this motherfucker so goddamn ANNOYING. He constantly gets in my face and starts telling about how fire engulfing forests work like there’s no tomorrow! He’s just so...AGGRAVATING. Oh, and I forgot to mention that he picks on me and me ONLY! I don’t know WHY he can’t just pick on someone else like, oh I don’t know, SPACE BOY, but he seems really interested in PISSING me OFF! And I have been told by an anon recently that he burns down forests because he was scared of a make believe BOMB exploding in him, which I still think is BULLSHIT because he was made to burn down the whole fucking world anyway! I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS INSANE FUCK IS TRYING TO DO TO ME!!!”

Dynamo starts taking deep breaths to calm himself down and catch his breath from yelling so much.

“And that’s all my linemates from our time serving King.”

“Ya happy now?”

#green shocker #jesus christ that was long

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nebullura · 6 years

Text

a tgs au

i wrote this as a volunteer for an event, and i didn’t have much time to write it, so everything i thought for this, i wrote it down. overall, i am very proud of what i made, so i decided to share it with you guys !

here it goes !!

It was hard, to walk around town without having people staring at him: his skin color, his eyes, his clothes, his complexion and his way of walking. Everything that Lance was was different from common and normal. It always meant a challenge for him to even step out of his small home, which he shared with his siblings, whom from time to time seemed insufferable, but that he loved with all his might.

During night time, he’d usually go to a nearby bar, mainly to meet up with his lifelong friend, Hunk, who had been helping him to find a job, with no results.

“I can’t do much, besides offering you-” Hunk would start, with kind eyes and the flames of the bar dimly lighting his worried features, but Lance would always interrupt him.

“No, Hunk, I’m not accepting your money. I just can’t.” He’d simply say, hugging himself.

Some people wondered how they were even friends, when there was an incredibly big comparison between each other: you see, Hunk, despite his skin color, had been born in a wealthy family, giving him enough rights. Not Lance, though. There were just too much in his family: his younger siblings, plus Katie. Him being the eldest one had to get enough money for them to eat, and while Katie tried to also help him, he wouldn’t allow her, until her insistence was too much and he gave in.

Lance’s family, in few words, was not liked in town. Though, he loved them, and it didn’t matter if all of them were orphans. That was just the way it was.

┈

He took his old brown jacket and blew out most of the candles on their small house, ready to go out and meet Hunk, when he noticed Katie hadn’t been asleep. Lance frowned, turning towards the kids, counting them again- nothing. Katie was not there. Where could she be?

He noticed, then, movement near the kitchen, and when he reached the spot, there she way, tying her hair with a piece of cloth, and hiding the low tied ponytail under her own jacket.

“And may I know where are you going?” He asked her, folding his arms and narrowing his eyes. He knew, nevertheless, that Pidge was going to be hard to intimidate. Small did certainly not mean naive, specially in her case.

“With you, of course. You’ve been going out more and more at night, and I know you haven’t found a job yet.” She shot back, making Lance look away and dig his nails slightly in his arms. “But I can help you. Maybe I can go around asking people, and we might be lucky enough to get you a job!” She added, with a bright smile and walking to him.

Few would believe they liked each others, since they’d usually be teasing each other. But honestly? Lance was like a brother for Katie. After losing her brother, it had been expected, and so it happened.

Finally, he sighed, and unfolded his arms. “Don’t make a fool of yourself. And try not to show your hair.” He told her, tucking some strands under her jacket, while the girl silently celebrated.

And so, both of them went to meet Hunk.

┈

“A bar? You come to a bar?” She asked him, to which he shrugged.

“I have a friend, and he’s been trying to help out. Don’t judge me.” Lance replied, opening the door and walking through, leaving a dumbfounded Katie behind.

She was about to bite back when Lance smiled, having spotted Hunk, and sat besides him. The girl rolled her eyes and followed her friend.

“...Ah, so this must be K-” Hunk started, upon seeing her, but Katie cut him mid-sentence.

“Pidge. And you must be Lance’s friend, the one helping him find a job?” She asked him, and Hunk smiled.

“Hunk Garrett, at your service.” He answered, with a small nod, and returned to Lance, searching for something inside his jacket, while the other one asked for some drinks.

“Please tell me you found som-” Lance started, when Hunk placed the paper in the bar. Lance took it in his hands, reading it carefully. They were looking for people like him, misfits. Misfits to be, what, jokes? His brow furrowed when Katie took the paper from his hands and, upon reading what it said, her face brightened.

“This is the shot you need!” Hunk exclaimed, with a bright smile, and Katie nodded, fully agreeing with his offering, though Lance did not look as happy.

“But why? Are they planning on making us, ‘misfits’, the center of attention? And -oh, please- a circus?!” He shot back, not glad with the idea, not at all. Hearing this, Hunk’s smile dropped as did Katie’s, though from realization, she went to confusion. She slapped Lance’s head, who hissed and turned to her.

“This is the opportunity you were looking for. You asked for this, you prayed for this your whole life! Lance, you can help your siblings, with this. You can always back off from it, but please, give it a shot. For them.” She tried to convince him, with a serious tone and gleam in her eyes. Well, she was not wrong, Lance thought.

He made them wait in damned suspense, when he finally sighed, emptying his glass in one swing. “I’d better not regret joining this- this thing.” His sighed, while Hunk and Katie celebrated.

┈

There had to be an interview before he joined, and there were people of all kind there: a woman who could hold her breath for too long under the water; some hairy men; a lady with a green tint to her skin… many people were there, Lance realized, people who also tried to fit in somewhere, people who also wanted to find a purpose in their lives. Just like he did.

He was not alone, though. Katie had decided she was going to be with him, and she kept her word, quitting her current job to join this new offering alongside Lance.

And finally, they had reached the desk where the ringmaster was chatting to each one of them. This ringmaster, though, he seemed too giddy and happy for this project, not like a man he thought would want to take advantage of misfits. Yeah, he was white skinned, but he seemed kind. His hair was cut short, with only the top left as a disaster, with a small puff of white hair. His dark eyes seemed welcoming and his posture, though he was buff, was also soft.

“So, who are you?” The man asked them. And while Katie found it hard to reply -she seemed struck by something this man had, of showed-, Lance took the time to reply.

“Lance McClain, and this is my- she lives with me. Katie Holt.” He introduced themselves, and added, “We do trapeze.” He simply said. There was no great magic in what they did, but this only made the man lean closer and smile a bit more.

“And why should I welcome you? It’s just trapeze.” He said in return. Lance leaned closer as well, narrowing his eyes slightly.

“You’re looking for misfits, right? You’ve got here two orphans, one of them dark skinned. And I have much more things to add- but we can walk away, of course.” He replied, rather sassy, and stood up, motioning Katie to follow him, and already thinking this was a bad idea.

But the man only smiled brighter every time. “That’s what I’m looking for here. Welcome to the family!” He said, Lance turning, not believing what he had said. He just stood there, dumbfounded, and the man laughed. “Be here tomorrow, early in the morning. I’ll be waiting.” And he kept interviewing the rest, as Katie pulled him out of the old museum.

┈

And they were there the next morning. The man had introduced himself as Takashi Shirogane, a Japanese man who had come to the United States as a young boy, and have lived all his life there. He was married, and had, as a dream, to create this place to give others real smiles. That’s where his family of misfits came in.

And so, Lance grew to love the shows he and the others put up in the circus. Hunk had become a benefactor of the circus, and Katie, who now went by Pidge full time -she never told Lance why- had been enjoying hers and Lance’s trapeze routine.

He had heard that their routine had been mesmerizing most of the time: the way he and Ka- Pidge flew in the air, from trapeze to trapeze, connecting their hands and staying in sync at every moment.

What he had also heard, mostly from kids, was ‘how pretty were the flying people’s costumes’. Pidge had chosen green as her color, using shiny cloth to make her own costume, allowing her good movements and the ability to stretch how much she wanted. As for Lance, he had chosen blue as his color, different shades, soft and glimmering, to make an elegant leotard, with certain areas to show and to emphasize. Both of them, before each performance used makeup to call attention to their eyes, for example, or to their hair.

And Lance had loved every moment of it. To fly up there, to hear cheers, to listen to children admiring them… It was something he had never thought of having. Once, he had said that no one would ever accept him in society for his skin color. But now, even his siblings wanted to be a part of all of this. They had gotten more than what he could have given them once upon a time. And Lance was proud.

┈

It was time to pull up their act, now, as the rest danced. Pidge was on the other side of the building, up high just as he was. Her hair had green streaks, intense in the tips, and fading in. Her costume gleamed under the flames and lights, as did her freckles, which she had painted green and added sequins. His own leotard also shone metallic blue, and Lance could still feel fresh the blue pain he had used to decorate his face, as well as the weight of some small diamonds he had also added.

Every time, before he jumped off the safety of the building and into the trapeze, he could feel his heart hammering in his chest, his hands sweat, and his hair blow. But as soon as he heard their cue, and he and Pidge jumped off, his eyes would snap open and he would feel like the king of the world.

And it happened as well on that show.

The cue sounded, and he stepped off the ledge, immediately feeling light and swift, having the air hit his face, as well as his hair, also with blue streaks, which fluttered in his face. But he didn’t mind- no… He didn’t care, because he was doing what he loved.

Lance and Pidge did their routine, which they changed each week, making graceful figures in the air, with the help of the trapeze. It was like a drug to him, making him addicted to this feeling- He loved it.

At some point, he noticed that Shiro -the ringmaster had told them to call him that way- had never showed up, though Lance had shrugged it off. He had closed his eyes and smiled, concentrated on his routine, doing what he and Pidge had long memorized and did with such ease and beauty.

But, on one of those swings, he was able to see Shiro in the balcony below the one Pidge had jumped from, accompanied by a man, who seemed very similar to their ringmaster, though with long, black hair, and dark, purple eyes. Lance felt time freeze in that moment: he hung from his legs in the trapeze, so he could stare directly into those violet eyes, full of wonder and curiosity. They were gorgeous, and so was the man, he had to admit. His lips parted a bit, when he felt himself move again, and his mind returned to their routine, though Lance could hear, softly, yet intensely, the man speak.

“Who is he?”

┈

When the show ended, and Lance and Pidge had returned to holy ground, he could start feeling that ecstasy he always felt after a routine: his hands moved uncontrollable, and it took him few moments to calm down, before showing his face to the public again.

“It was amazing, Katie! D-did you see the public’s expressions?! They were bewildered! We- We must do something similar another day…” He decided, taking a navy pashmina he always wore with his leotard, and hung it in his neck, while the girl just shook her head, giggling.

“Pidge, please. And, I know.” She said, after taking her own pashmina, which was colored a soft green, and draped it in her arms.

As they were walking, Lance calmed, and with every step, he regained his composure. And at the base of the steps were the ringmaster and the man he had seen, both of them with their hats off and their suits slightly rumpled. Shiro, with his ever-present man, made a motion, as for Lance and Pidge to come to them.

“Guys, this is Keith Kogane, and old friend of mine. He will be working with us from now on.” He said, allowing them three to start talking. Though Pidge seemed to be glaring at the man- Keith, while he kept staring at Lance. He didn’t know if he should take this as a rude demonstration, or if Keith was just curious or -he liked this one- surprised and out of breath.

“So what’s your act, Keith?” Lance asked, folding his arms and smirking slightly. If he was going to walk into his home, he’d better be surprising.

The young man stammered, finally replying. “I… don’t have an act.” He simply said, his eyes glued on Lance, who chuckled softly and looked defiantly at him, as if daring him to say something else, though when Keith stayed quiet, he placed a hand over his hip, not afraid to show his sassy attitude. “Everyone’s got an act, hot-shot.” He responded, and walked off, his head held high, proud, and already feeling Pidge’s glare still on Keith.

He slowed down a bit, allowing the girl to catch up with him, and as soon as they were together again, Pidge visibly scoffed. “Who is he? He seems to be one of those rich guys around town, wasting money in nothing…” She said, with a dark shadow over her eyes, though Lance could only laugh.

“Y’know, come to think of it, I believe I have heard of him before. Son of some very famous business people, with an absent mother and a gone father, their fortune passed down to him.” He said, turning his head back to look at the Asian men, only to find out that Keith still was looking at him. Goddamn him- Lance returned to Pidge, trying to hide his blush. “But who knows- he might be good for the family.” He decided, and both of them retreated to their rooms.

#vld #vld fic #fic #vld ficlet #ficlet #vld mini fic #mini fic #j's work #tgs au #klance #keith #lance #lance pov #if yall would like to see more let me know !!#queueznak

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