#i had another fever dream XD

[covenofwives]

The Cure for a Spiral

DreamXD is panicking over his upcoming talk with Dream. There's just so much he has to say and so much explaining he has to do but his self-doubt make him spiral. GeorgeHD has the perfect solution to keep him on track.

Next part in the AU. Sorry this one is so short.

---

The only times DreamXD ever felt fear in his life all involved Dream.

He remembered when his brother was sick with a fever for the first time and XD was clueless. He scoured the libraries for any medical books and followed the instructions down to the smallest details till Dream was nursed back to health.

Then when Dream went missing one day and XD would have torn the End apart to find him. The relief and frustration he felt when he finally found his brother couldn’t be matched.

When XD had learned the server was in a hunt for Dream, his heart leapt to his throat and he couldn’t dare watch anymore as Dream was dragged, kicking and screaming, to the prison.

And finally when he heard the booming call of the End portal being opened, XD knew in his heart that it was Dream. He was fully expecting the sight of his brother’s lifeless body waiting for him at the end and prepared himself for it. He did not have time to express his relief when he saw both he and George were alive. The anger came first.

Now DreamXD felt a new kind of fear, once again tied to Dream. The fear that he had backed off too much and he had severed any chance of a relationship between himself and Dream. The thought pained him to dwell on and kept him up at night worrying.

He knew he had been drastic in his actions when he interrogated Dream, but in the moment he could excuse it as being important. Now it was over and XD was swelled with guilt and the need to make amends.

As promised in his note to Dream, he met with his brother a couple days later. This time XD stood outside while Dream spoke from the doorway of George’s cottage. George just right behind him.

It had been so long since XD had seen George, or seen Dream and George together again. It was nice to see them close, depending on one another again, and it hurt XD he couldn’t be that close with them again.

The three spoke, though it was mostly Dream and XD. They came to the conclusion they needed to have time to speak and clear the air between them once and for all. Years of misunderstandings would be aired and handled.

So Dream proposed a time to talk next week. It would be held in George’s cottage for ease to Dream and XD agreed. And now every day since then, he’d been nothing but fearful.

“I mean, like it’s not a super serious talk, you know? But…well it will lead to probably serious stuff. It’s a lot we probably have to talk about.”

XD explained to GeorgeHD. Or, more rambled on to him. The sleepy God lounged over his fort of pillows and blankets, but he was oddly alert and interested in XD’s words this time. Probably because XD mentioned it was about Dream.

XD never asked what happened between HD and Dream when he left his younger brother in the care of the God, but it must have been positive. Every time XD visited he asked about Dream and how the mortal was getting on and would frown when XD admitted he hadn’t worked up the courage to speak to him. Now he told HD that the two were talking and HD was all ears.

“But it’s a sudden thing right? To suddenly delve into years of misunderstandings so like it can’t be expected to be serious stuff right away. I think it’s like laying it all out first you know then we’ll work on stuff from there. That makes sense right?”

XD looked at HD expectantly for an answer. The older God said nothing for a while until it seemed he realised it was finally his time to speak. “I’ve never seen you this nervous.” Was the first thing he said.

XD’s cheeks went red and he fought back the urge to pull his mask on. He had even gone without the wraps around his eyes, showing the void of blackness and his ever moving eyes in front of HD, though it was nothing the other God hadn’t seen before. Today XD was too wound up to have the wraps on.

“Well it’s a lot to be nervous about!” XD huffed.

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way.” HD lazily held up his hand before pushing himself to sit up properly. “Though I was worried if you didn’t stop and take a breath you would have been the first God to die from suffocation.”

“I…” XD could feel himself wanting to ramble again, and he took in a breath and slowed himself down. “I just want things to go smoothly. I don’t want to fuck this up. Dream’s giving me a chance to talk.”

“He’s probably just as nervous as you are.” HD assured him. “He’s probably pacing back and forth, worrying over every little thing he’s going to say to you.”

That was a nice thought to have. Not on his brother being nervous but the idea that Dream was listing out everything he’d want to say to XD to try and make this better was a hopeful thought. Too hopeful for XD to believe. “I don’t think he wants to speak to me.”

“Trust me, he very much does.”

HD sounded so assured and XD couldn’t help but be curious. “Has he…said anything to you?”

One of the corners of HD’s pillows caught the older God’s attention and kept his face turned down to inspect it. “It’s not my place to say. Dream should get the chance to tell you.” He looked up again. “But you’re worrying too much, I promise you. This isn’t a one chance he’s given you, he wants to talk to you as much as you want to talk to him.”

XD didn’t believe it, but he held his tongue on it. Dream certainly wanted to explain himself for his stunt and maybe he was owed that, but he couldn’t really imagine his brother wanting to talk with him. They had drifted too far apart.

“Come here.” HD suddenly pulled XD from his thoughts. A few of their ephemeral hands set up pillows for HD to lean back on, and one placed over his lap which they patted for XD to lay down.

This seemed suddenly far too nice for HD, but XD played along. He shuffled himself over and lay down with his head over HD’s lap.

“Do you have a plan to talk?”

XD looked up, watching HD watching him. It was a little unnerving, but it was also comforting in a strange way.

“Well…y-yes I do.” XD cleared his throat. “So I think we should talk about what happened in the End. I didn’t really explain things properly with him. And I never gave him a chance to explain himself. So I think opening with that is better.”

Even as XD said the words he could feel doubt filling his head. “A-Although…maybe talking about how we stopped talking in the first place is better? We could start from the beginning and work towards where we-EEE!”

A hand suddenly squeezed into his side. XD jumped, squealed and looked down just in time to see the white ephemeral helper hand of HD disappear. He looked up to HD while curling his lower arms around his sides in protection. He silently asked for an explanation.

“You were doubting yourself, and rambling off point.” HD nodded along to his words as though it was expected. “Now. Take a breath and focus. You’re going to talk about the End. Work from there.”

Like that is easy to do when the hands could appear at any moment. XD glanced down to his sides again but the hands were gone. He had no way to know when they’d appear, so he just swallowed his worry and tried to speak clearly again.

“I… I’m going to talk to him about the whole thing with the End. I’ll let him explain himself then I’ll speak from my point.”

XD gave a look up to a nodding HD who decided that was allowed.

“Then I was going to let him say whatever he wants to say.” XD continued. “like for all the years I did wrong, and try to smooth things over when I can. But…” Self doubt started to creep in. “I don’t want it to feel like I’m springing all this on him. Like-Like he doesn’t have to explain himself if he’s uncomforta-HAHA!”

Apparently that was not the right thing to say either, as another hand appeared from nowhere. XD saw it too late and could only manage to half curl his legs up before it tasered into his sides. He gave a very high squeak before breaking into giggles.

“H-Hehey!”

“You spiralled.” HD said like it was obvious. “You need to not do that.”

“I-I wasn’t spiralling.” XD defended himself, then yipped when the hand appeared again, this time at his other side. He managed to get his legs curled up and his arms blocking his sides and ribs. “N-Noho!”

“You doubt your own plans and get in your head about how Dream will react. All you need to be focusing on is how you react and how you come across as to Dream.”

XD thought the hand would disappear with just a warning, but it stayed, and it slowly drifted closer to XD’s side. He tried to turn away, but HD’s hands softly fell on his shoulders, holding him down as he helplessly looked up.

“HeheDehehehe…”

“You need to get out of your head.” HD decided. “And what better way to get you out of there?”

The hand touched upon XD’s side, making his skin jump. It got to the bit just behind XD’s top, skittering more along his back than his sides. XD cursed his more revealing back now more than ever. It didn’t tickle a lot, the fingers just skittering so lightly along his back, but it made him giggle.

HD’s thumbs rubbed into XD’s shoulders, making soothing circles into his skin. The younger God held back a soft moan. His muscles slowly relaxed without his control, making him more giggly to the fingers fluttering along his side. It was making him more tickly and distracted him from the hands materialising by his feet.

XD was allowed a few seconds of soft tickles before the hands by their feet grabbed their ankles. They made a loud squeak, and tried to pull against their legs being forced to stretch out but it was pointless. They had one on each of his ankles and one poking at each of their soles.

“HeheDehe…”

“4K is so right. It’s absolutely tragic your feet aren’t ticklish.”

A blush crept up from XD’s shoulders to his cheeks. He curled his toes to the strange tingling feeling running over his feet. It wasn’t ticklishness, but they did feel more sensitive whenever 4K or HD mentioned them.

“Y-Yohou and him are too obsessed with my feet.” XD challenged back.

“Well it’s unfair. That spot is tickly for both of us. It drives 4K mad even, but we can’t get good revenge on you.”

XD knew about HD’s tickly feet but he’d never gotten the change to tickle 4K’s. Whenever the God took off his boots around XD it was usually when they were settling down for a nap. Although now that XD thought about it, it was odd he was the only God among them to wear footwear. Like he was protecting them.

“4K’s feet drive him bad?” XD tried to ask casually.

“Oh yeah. Hysterics.” HD shrugged. “He still loves being tickled there but he can’t help but kick and roll and curl up to try and protect his feet. Too sensitive for him to keep still, he had to be held down when he asks for feet tickles.”

A lot of details flagged in XD’s head but the main one was that 4K had, at one point, specifically asked for his feet tickled and HD complied. Before XD could do anything with that fact, a quick skitter ran across his ankles, making him bark out a laugh.

“Wh-Whahat!” The skittering followed a long continuous tickle across his ankle. XD had been so busy processing the information HD gave him he didn’t notice the tickling stopping at his side or the hands no longer poking at his soles. “N-Nohohot fahahair!” XD chirped and tried to pull his legs away.

“Your ankles being adorably ticklish make up for it I suppose.” HD smiled.

“Ihihit’s nohohot adohorahable! S-SToHOhoHOHOP!”

The hands danced their tickly dance up XD’s ankles, travelling further up his legs till it reached his knees. He whimpered and pleaded through giggles, but when the hands squeezed his knees and skittered along the sides, his laughter turned soft and his pleading slowly stopped.

“I got your kneeeees~” HD’s voice was a gentle whisper.

“D-Dohoooon’t…”

“Don’t? Don’t get your knees? Or don’t stop tickling your knees?”

XD kept quiet and HD didn’t press on. They both knew the answer and it was obvious with XD little whine when the hands stopped their tickling. It was then XD noticed his ankles weren’t even being held anymore.

“So, what’s your plan with Dream?”

HD’s voice was a soft purr, nestling in XD’s head and drawing his thoughts to the surface. “Give Dream a chance to explain himself about the End. Then I’ll explain my side.”

HD slowly nodded. “Right. And then what?”

One of the older God’s actual hands came down by the right side of XD’s face. They could feel the fingers playing with a strand of their hair. “Then I… I don’t know…” XD admitted. Their body tensed, expecting to be tickled suddenly, but they were left alone.

���That’s alright.” HD’s voice eased their tension. “You have years of confusion to work through, you can’t be expected to have a plan for it.”

XD gave the slightest of nods, agreeing in part. The words of Dream ran through his head again as he thought of it.

“Why do you need a plan for me?! Why can’t you just talk with me first?! You’re my brother!”

“I think I’ve been planning too much.” XD admitted. “I think instead of planning I should have been talking to Dream.”

“The last horse crosses the finish line.” HD half chuckled. He pressed a kiss to the top of XD’s head to show no hard feelings. “It won’t be easy but I know you love Dream more than anything, and Dream is your brother. So your stubbornness for love is in him too.”

“I hope he doesn’t have my lack of forgiving nature.” XD grimaced but pulled himself to sit up. He felt weirdly rested, like he’d taken a nap.

“You both just need to talk and take it from there. It wouldn’t be fixed overnight, or even over a week, but you both taking the first step is the right thing to do.”

XD could agree with that, though talking about the first step and actually taking it were two different things. It wouldn’t help matters either that George would be there. While XD loved George as much as he loved Dream, and George deserved a chance to explain his side too, the God couldn’t help feel like it was a two on one situation. Even though he knew that idea was ludicrous. He was God for Prime sake, it wasn’t like it was unfair.

“Do you want me to come with you?”

Like a soft bell ringing in his mind, the dark clouds of doubts cleared and XD looked over to HD.

“Really?! I-I mean...would you? Would that be okay?”

XD did not want to presume their friend’s offer was just talk but they worried HD wasn’t ready for the Overworld again. XD still hadn’t gotten to ask HD about their status as the Overworld God. Or the fact he used to be the Overworld God. It seemed too personal and whatever happened made HD avoid the place.

But he offered to accompany XD so easily, and without a trace of regret on his face. HD just simply shrugged. “Well, I need to start going back to the Overworld sooner or later. And this might be a good easing in. I’d just be there less than a day. Plus, you said Dream would have his friend with him so I’m sure Dream wouldn’t mind you having one too.”

“Oh!… Then-Then yes! If you could!” XD felt his heart lift with excitement. “It wouldn’t be unfair of me to have company. And Dream likes you! So it’ll be perfect!”

For the first time in a while, XD felt excited on the idea of meeting with Dream. Years of mistakes XD promised he would make right, and he’d help Dream through whatever he was going through. It wouldn’t be too late. XD promised himself he’d fix this.

[vikersund]

Hi! I hope this post won't flop </3

first of all I wanted to finally reveal myself on this platform - many of you know me as Himbeertee_ on tiktok and twitter, Hello! Yes, I'm also here :P

I felt like last few days were like a fever dream - so I decided to write a summary/recap of my journey to Stozice.

It was not my first Joker Out show, last month I was in Żalec and both times I traveled by train and bus, so if anyone wonders how to get to Slovenia from Poland - the cheapest way is by Flixbus, but the fastest is by plane. I spent 5 hours in train and 11 hours in bus and it was only one way ride.

Me and my friend arrived at the arena around 4pm and we were 24/25 in the queue and we ended up at barricade in front of Kris, thanks to long catwalk and very long barricade. (I wanted to be at Kris' side, because duuuh i'm a Kris girlie).

If it comes to new merch - there were new winter beanies, new shirts, hoodies, socks, UM and Demoni CD's, condoms, new notebook (juhuhu hahaha), new tote bags and if you ask me... well.. those shirts didn't look good at least for me, but the rest of it was fine. I bought baby boos socks, because (to the unpopular opinion) I love the name xD

If it comes to the show alone, I will try to describe few songs. As you might have seen on twitter I managed to get the setlist (which was leaked at least day before - and unfortunately i saw some of it so I didnt experience the surprise).

The live-from-backstage intro was so cool, like I had chills, the screen was turning from the backstage to black screen or to joker out sign with the music that made your heart beat to it, it definitely built an atmosphere, we saw Jo getting ready to rock the stage, Kris leading the 5 of them to the stage from backstage, then they finally came from behind drums, which was such a cool entrance!

First song was Sunny Side of London - and now I understand that they picked it as an opener because of the "welcome" at the beginning, but when I first heard it i was kinda sceptical why is this the first song. People from the brass band joined them for the iconic balcan solo (dare I say - Kris outwhored himself during the solo).

Then we screamed for the record and we beat it, but honestly I think that the result should be higher, but because it was such an open space, the device didnt gather the sound as good as in smaller venues.

Then gola and bele sanje - honestly don't remember much of it because I was enjoying myself, maybe a little too much, but the guitar transition from bele sanje to plastika was sooooo good.

Plastika oh plastika! This song is made for concerts, everyone were screaming their lungs off and Bojan was everywhere, including the cat walk.

Proti toku - what can I say other than justice for Proti Toku! Like i dont understand why they abandoned this song at the shows...

As you already know I was at Kris' side and I had the best view on him, let me tell you. This man didn't hold back during dopamin, his moves were electric and there should be another twitter account "Kris shuffles to:"

Padam - Bojan sang the song laying on the catwalk for the entire length of the song and for a moment I was so confused where he went, because I didn't see him at first.

Then after Padam we had a small break, that included screenings of pre-eurovision clips from their vlogs and during that everyone was lying on the stage (not sure about Jure tho).

Then demoni happened and the Iconic scream was... well... demonic xD Bojan ended up almost on all fours in front of 12k audience. You're welcome or something.

Katrina - is another song which was made to being played on stage. I loved the red and white lights especially, bojan was very slutty and we were introduced to releasing fumes from the pyro stuff (not real pyro or fire on their show in Stozice).

ASTP - AMAZING intro played by a dude with trumpet, I had chills, Bojan was sitting on his knees on the stage, listening to it. I'll try to upload it to tiktok later! It is one of my fav songs. Great vocals from Bojan and Kris, the second one was very slutty af during the song (who is surprised at this point?). No Janace ending, Jan ended the song playing at the end of catwalk, nice moment between Nace and Bojan.

Omamljeno Telo - well this is the only JO song that I am not that much a fan of, but they definitely delivered their perfomance, especially when everyone went to the catwalk. We had Kris/Nace moment during the song.

Kot Srce Ki Kri Poganja - will you banish me If I tell you that I have never heard any of their unreleased songs?

Anyway I LOVED THIS SONG, can they release it on new album please? I already knew that Martin will join them because I saw pics from backstage before the show, but I was surprised to see Matic there. This songs slaps and I fell in love with the vibe martin gave while playing the bass. I couldnt stop staring at him, he was magnetic and so happy to play with others. I might cry a little when Nace gave him his bass. I loved how everyone was hugging each other before and after the song. Such a heartwarming moment, even if Martin doesnt play anymore, you could definitely see that he is still part of the family <3

Metulji - amazing perfomance, again they delivered, love the song, also amazing Jan solo at the end of the song, kinda improvised i think? At least I have never heard those sounds before.

Vse Kar Vem - well, you know who I was focused on xD I guess I have a new Vse Kar Vem iconic video for you xD

NGVOT - before the song I was wondering if they will do Tavastia 2.0 with ngvot and the scream i I let out when I saw that Bojan was far from the mic, far enough to be late to start singing the song if he had to, and then I turned to look at Kris and I already knew. This is all I've been asking for. I'm so glad that Kris is more comfortable to sing the first verse, his voice was more relaxed, less shaky than in Tavastia, I loved the way he sang "ti pa barvo las" the way Bojan does. But I still think he has to work a little bit on his voice, because I know he CAN sing (from other videos). I wonder if they will leave this song as a duet for other shows in the future or If it was like one-time thing.

Vem Da Gres - all I remember was Nace on our side and how handsome he looked. I'm not a Nace girlie, but I can definitely see why others are, and his new hair and the outfit... asdfgrew

Ne Bi Smel - this time Jan joined our side and he had a nice moment with Bojan

Ona - Another time when men from brass band joined and it was the song which had changed arrangement. I loved it. the whole vibe of the song stayed the same, but the brass instruments elevated it. (If i think about any fuck ups during the show - it happened here - the mic of the Saxophone guy didnt work at first, I've heard him from the front row, but idk if people in the back have heard him). During this song they also showed me and my friend on the screen and i cant stop thinking about how the hell it happened xD Now i am immortal in joker out stozice lore xD

Tokio - honestly don't remember what was happening - probably I was just screaming and singing.

Umazane Misli - i loved it. I LOVED IT. The way Bojan was demanding the audience who and when should they sing, and then he came down to us and let 2 people sing, and he received the THREE KAKSI ANANAS LONKERO shirt and he loved it so much, he was so smiley and took this shirt with him on the stage.

Novi val - I almost cried. This is my fav song, and thanks to Joker Out Subs and Spela the project came true, the coloful lights flashed beautifully above boy's heads. We and them were touched and it was such a special moment. At the beginning of Novi Val Jure came to our side and we could see his outfit from the closer proximity, and dare I say it was second best after Kris'.

Last but not least - Carpe Diem. After novi val they left the stage, but everyone knew it wasnt over. The break was too long and It just clicked in my head that what if they are changing into their Eurovision clothes. AND THEY DID. I just predicted it seconds before it happened. It was unreal - like i just travelled back in time 5 months.

Overall it was the best night of my life. Everything was perfect. The lights were amazing. The stage was amazing. Clothes - god, the amount of details on each outfit! Personally I think Kris and Jure had the best outfits. I couldnt really see Jan and Nace outfit details, but the looked GOOD. But if I have to complain - not a fan of detachable sleeves on Bojan's shirt.

They all delivered their performances. Not a single mistake - i am so impressed because thats a skill.

We all agree that Kris outdid himself that night. The way he moved, the way he sang, the way he was SO CONFIDENT. Like he was born to be in that exact moment.

I also loved every single interaction between boys, the group ones, or the doubles. Maybe there was no Jan and Nace astp ending but they had few moments. It was so nice to see Jan and Bojan jamming together, Kris and Nace doing their thing, Bojan and Kris' little shenanigans and even Jure and Jan had their moment when Jan ran to him at the beginning of the show.

I also love how they had movie-like credits. Everyone from their crew was credited, every person who worked on the show, team of photographers etc.

Other thing was how nice it was to being supplied with water all the time. The people behind barricade were giving us cups with water all the time, and even at the end of the show we got whole bottles.

Please don't take this post as a proper review - these are just my thoughts of the show <3

[teecupangel]

oh man as someone who has been in an isekai/transmigrator binge and as someone who ADORES throwing desmond in various eras/dimensions/worlds/universes the isekai desmond thing tickles both my fancies (and the ridiculously longass title made me cackle because thats too on point with isekai).

but i got to ask: would they have an isekai system? would there be a kind of animus-like game system for desmond to help him? would it appear with the other poor unfortunate assassins who got isekaid?

also i'm now having brainworms thinking that the soul swap round robin happened because it's, like, minerva's calculations trying to keep the timeline in check because it's a timeline where the solar flare was kept in check. and maybe one of desmond's ancestors died too soon (bets on altair) and the system scrambled and tried to ctrl+z it but plopped the wrong soul and now *another* assassin is accidentally dead so they plop another soul (the wrong one, of course) which all leads to desmond being plopped in ezio's body

I’m glad you enjoyed the longass title. It really gives off a Japanese isekai lightnovel vibe, doesn’t it? XD

I would like to include this addition from @seelezeit from the LegAss idea:

Ok but consider: Desmond -> Ezio -> Altair, Ezio's slot was open bc he went into Altair's slot. Or even Desmond -> Connor -> Ezio -> Altair but thats more a stretch

Desmond transmigrated to Ratonhnhaké:ton’s ‘story’ just screams:

But this could work?

Desmond gets transmigrated into Ratonhnhaké:ton after he got hit by Truck-kun, trying to cross the pedestrian lane (the light was green!) while looking at his phone because he got a notification that Abstergo is releasing a DLC for their latest game “Washington and the Wolf”.

Ratonhnhaké:ton gets transmigrated to Ezio Auditore’s life while he was asleep after finishing a book chronicling Ezio Auditore’s accomplishments as an Assassin (possibly written by Claudia Auditore but Achilles can’t be sure).

Ezio gets transmigrated as Altaïr after he lost consciousness while reading Altaïr’s journal before going to the ship that will sail him as close to Masyaf as possible.

To make it harder for them to not get involved and care for the people around them, they get transmigrated as children around 4ish years old after a fever that threatened their life. This way, there will be time for them to start to love the people around them and try to change their fates.

What happened to Altaïr?

He is the origin of the isekai system that appears before the Assassins and Desmond similar to the Architect from Solo Leveling or the Tower Master from SSS Class Revival Hunter. Or maybe he would be in a position similar to the Oldest Dream with the three being his sponsored ‘incarnation’? How about both? Let's go with both XD

Regardless, Altaïr appears before them by using the game mechanics that Desmond is more familiar with. To be more exact, he used the games as his basis to ‘communicate’ with the three he had unintentionally pulled from the future.

How?

Well… During the last few years of Altaïr’s life, he learns of the Isus’ plan to use his descendant to save the world. He would have left it alone since he learned the plan was to ‘guide and nurture’ his descendant and reward him after saving the world by letting him choose the future he wishes humanity to have, believing his descendant would do the right thing and give humanity the chance to make their own future.

Then he learned of the glitching probabilities of the future because the Isus did not take in consideration the actions of other humans, only focusing on ensuring that certain humans take specific actions.

Two names are given the highest priority to stay the course:

Ezio Auditore.

Ratonhnhaké:ton.

The more Altaïr finds out about these Isus and their plan, of how they played with the lives of people like puppets forced to play a tragedy over and over again, only to end in failure because they didn't care about the thoughts and desires of other humans…

Altaïr decided to destroy the Calculations.

The Calculations isn’t time itself nor is it destiny.

It is a shackle.

It is the barriers on the roads that promises that death lies beyond but lies, hiding alternative routes.

Would those routes be better than the Calculation being used by the Isus?

Altaïr didn’t know.

But, at least, this way…

They would all be free to choose their own future.

They would have what Altaïr didn’t have.

“Choice”.

Unfortunately, this ‘wish’ contradicted itself.

Because if one was to give them complete freedom to do what they wished, to be unshackled by the Calculations...

They risk the possibility of not being born in the first place.

Ezio’s actions, free from the Calculations, could lead him to not having Flavia, destroying the bloodline that Ratonhnhaké:ton would have been part of.

Ratonhnhaké:ton’s action, in turn, could lead to destroying the bloodline that Desmond would become part of.

Altaïr’s wish to ‘free’ them contradicts itself because that freedom could cause the disappearance of the people he wished to be ‘free’.

This causes an ERROR in the very fabric of time and space and Altaïr paid the price.

His very existence was wrenched from time and now he sits in an empty throne as the Overseer. Of course, his disappearance in the timeline must be fixed and that is how Ezio gets transmigrated into his time. This would cause Ezio to disappear in his original time so Ratonhnhaké:ton was pulled to take up his empty space. Desmond was pulled to fill up Ratonhnhaké:ton’s place.

And Desmond Miles’ place?

That future is no longer available. Everything after the day Desmond wakes up in Ratonhnhaké:ton’s place no longer exist.

It has been sacrificed.

To give Altaïr enough power over time and space to help the three men he had unintentionally taken out of their proper place.

A system similar to a video game interface was his only way of communication. A way to help them without taking too much power from 252 years-worth of history and probability that had been given to him.

The quests given to them lessen the price necessary to give them the rewards.

The calculation of their stats and the necessity of experience to level up creates a way to quantify how many ‘seconds’ would be taken from his reserve of history and probability to be given to them.

The ‘in-game’ shop they can access with points they receive from doing quests or even just doing mundane things have items that are priced by how many seconds they would take from Altaïr’s reserve of history and probability to materialized in their time. The points they get? They’re from the same reserve and the points are returned to the reserve when they buy something.

Unless… they use those points to add more stats instead.

Altaïr is playing a dangerous games, making the shop have objects that they would want in an attempt to ensure that he would have enough reserves to continue to help them while giving them the option to make themselves stronger faster than doing any quests he gives.

He cannot give a direct message. It would take years off the reserve just to send a short message.

So all he can do is use the system to help them.

To guide them.

To nurture them.

For them to choose a future for themselves in this new life they have been given.

[starlit-hopes-and-dreams]

Chapter 24 ~ Getting out

Hidden Depths

Previous ~ Masterlist ~ Next

Also on ao3

Genre: Fantasy whump

CW’s: despite Carr having a knife again, she doesn’t really do much with it besides some threatening actions, and I don’t think that needs a tw, do you? No? Cool lol 

WC: 3019

Taglist: @dont-touch-my-soup, @kixngiggles

AN: I need to get to a point where I start writing again instead of spending all week editing the chapter I'm about to post so uh, yeah, I'm practicing that on this one XD

Resh

It was the first time he’d been outside in days, and he couldn’t have cared less. 

His fever had broken sometime during the night, to the relief of his captors, who may or may not be keeping him alive to use him for his magic. He still halfway expected the prince to show up and drag him back to the torture chamber. He couldn’t keep anything straight in his mind. 

The summer sun’s heat beating down on his head and bare shoulders felt real enough, as did the weakness in his legs, which barely supported him. Without Lox under his arm, they wouldn’t have supported him at all. Rowan followed as he was all but dragged out of the cabin, clucking at Lox like a mother hen until the man snarled at them. 

Resh blinked against the brightness of the day, wondering why they even bothered. Half-lidded eyes scanned the encampment, not really taking anything in as he allowed himself to be maneuvered about. He didn’t pay attention to whatever Lox was trying to explain to him; why should he care? He wouldn’t have left his bed if it hadn’t been more effort to stay than to leave it. 

But his gaze focused when a head of reddish-blond hair popped up, the contrast vivid against the stark white of the linens hanging on the line behind them. Lox caught the movement too, but when the woman turned and began adjusting one of the sheets, he turned back to respond to a question Rowan had just asked. 

Resh couldn’t look away, though. The dress was wrong, but the profile, that choppy hair, the way she stood, glancing at them out of the corner of her eye… could it be… 

It couldn’t be. Carr was dead. His vision wavered through tears he refused to blink away. He couldn’t break his line of sight or her spirit would disappear, just as it had however many days ago it had been now. 

The spirit met his eyes then, and he had to blink because he couldn’t see and he had to see but then she’d be gone…

His eyes twitched, shuttering his gaze for a split second. His heart plummeted. Fuck, shit! He almost didn’t want to look again, to see that she was gone, but he also couldn’t not look. A tear slipped free as he reluctantly refocused on where she’d been, his pulse pounding–

She wasn’t. Wasn’t gone. Her gaze was filled with frustration and a longing he could read from here as her fingers moved clothespins with no purpose he could discern. Could spirits do that? Move things in the real world? Or was this the real world… could be a dream… could be a nightmare, could be… 

Resh lifted his free hand to run his fingers over his throat, ignoring the sharp pangs shooting through his chest at the movement.  There, the little indentations, the scars from the thorn collar, they were there. Real? Was she real, too? Gods, he wanted her to be real. More than anything. 

He had to check, had to see… 

Lox tightened his grip on Resh’s waist. “Woah there, take it slow, now.” 

“Oh, look! He’s actually looking around,” Rowan said. “I think that’s the first sign of interest he’s shown in, well, anything.” 

Their words faded into the background. Resh kept his gaze locked on the woman who looked like Carr. She didn’t look away from him either.

Just as he was getting ready to let himself believe it might actually be her, another man walked up and draped an arm over her shoulder. She broke their eye contact, looking up at the man. Talking to him. Not pulling away, not pulling a knife, not putting him on his ass. 

The man started walking, pulling her away with him. Still, he couldn’t look away. Couldn’t let go of the idea… was he imagining things, or was her back a little too stiff, her gait reluctant? 

Another person had come up to speak to Lox while Resh’s attention had been elsewhere. Lox’s grip was loose, and Resh was feeling a little stronger now. He could pull away. He could punch that other man in the face and make sure the woman who reminded him of Carr was okay. 

They were about to disappear behind one of the cabins, the man’s hand now in the center of the woman’s back, guiding her along. Pushing her along. He ground his teeth, hoping he wasn’t about to fall on his face chasing after someone who probably wouldn’t appreciate it. 

But before he could move, the woman’s fingers flashed behind her back, right as they turned the corner. 

Resh blinked. That… that was sign. 

Stay. The way is clear. 

Thieves cant sign. 

What the fuck. He shook his head, even more confused. He’d never understood ‘the way is clear’, and he understood it even less now. He was standing here only under the assistance of the man who’d shot him and killed… killed the women he loved… His breath caught in his throat and he forcibly redirected his thoughts. 

How the fuck was the way clear? How the fuck was a dead woman signing at him from under the arm of some guy? It was, it couldn’t be, it–

Lox pulled away from him, and Resh lurched, knees almost buckling until Rowan ducked under his arm, taking Lox’s place. 

“Can you manage him?” Lox asked them, and Rowan gave a sharp nod in answer. “Good. You know the priorities.” With that, he grabbed Rowan’s face between large, callused hands that Resh had an all too close view of, and kissed Rowan, hard. Quickly, but thoroughly. 

Resh tried not to gag. 

Rowan turned to him, their lips swollen and cheeks slightly flushed, and said, “C’mon.” 

They started moving, and Resh had no choice but to hobble along with them, trying not to wince as the movement stretched the skin in his shoulder and jarred his sore ribs. He’d expected to be deposited back in that room, but they set off across the field, passing the clothesline and going the opposite direction from where the woman who might be Carr had disappeared. He wanted to ask what was happening, but, of course, he couldn’t. 

At least, Rowan had never looked less like the prince with those kiss-swollen lips. And the clearing was definitely not in the capital, not with those huge trees looming all around. For that, he was grateful. 

~~~

Carr

They were coming. So soon and not soon enough and fucking shit, she needed the rest of her blades. 

Carr twisted the one she’d stolen from Demex in her hand, running her thumb along familiar grooves. Gods, it felt good to have it back, like she’d been missing an extension of herself. She felt more complete with a weapon on her person. 

With the blade pressed against the inside of her left wrist, Carr pushed away from the cabin and moved towards the gathering cabin, fully intending to veer off to the gates before she got there. She’d find her stash, and if she had time she’d change out of this motherfucking dress–

A flash of movement caught in the corner of her eye, and she ducked behind the sheets. 

“Arah?” 

Fuck, that was Rowan. She hadn’t moved fast enough. Carr switched the blade to her right hand, then put what she hoped was a convincingly frightened expression on her face and stepped back out. “Demex said we’re bein’ attacked…” She trailed off as she came face to face with Resh, who was leaning on the healer’s shoulder. 

She couldn’t act like she knew him. Or did it really matter at this point? “Uhhh…” 

“You’re heading to the gathering cabin?” 

Carr nodded mutely, unable to look away from Resh, whose mouth kept opening and closing but not forming anything that looked like words. 

“Well then, I could use some help, if you don’t mind,” Rowan said a bit acerbically. 

She did mind, actually, but it wasn’t like she could really refuse. “Who–” 

“A new one,” Rowan said as Carr slipped under Resh’s left arm. Their tone invited no further questions, and they started moving as soon as Carr was in place. 

Carr hoped Resh didn’t mind the feel of cold steel against the bare skin of his lower back. 

The gathering cabin was all the way at the rear of the valley, giving her plenty of time to notice things like how heavily Resh leaned on Rowan but not her, and whether slipping the knife pressed against Resh’s back into Rowan’s waist was a good move or not. 

For once, she’d really prefer not to harm someone to get what she wanted. Which was Resh, who kept giving her sidelong glances, looking like he’d seen a spirit, and damnit, she wasn’t dead and could he just get that through his head already? 

They passed several people heading down, some of whom offered their help, which Rowan refused. Carr seethed a little more each time it happened. The man who tended the animals passed them by without comment, herding a group of goats. Where the fuck he’d put them in the gathering hall was a question she’d prefer to have unanswered, because she really couldn’t get stuck in there. 

“Rowan, I can take him if there’re things you need t’ do,” she said, only for her offer to be declined. 

Fuck. Was she gonna have to stab them after all? 

While she wrestled with a conscience she didn’t much like having acquired, it occurred to her that it was much too quiet. Aside from the activity of a few stragglers, there was no noise coming from the forest around them. Carr’s eyes flicked up to the ridge, where she’d spent some time watching the camp herself. Light glinted off something metal as someone stepped out from the treeline, a bow raised–

“Get down!” she shouted, shoving Resh into Rowan and sending them all staggering sideways. The arrow whizzed over her shoulder as she fell, positioning herself over Resh. Someone released a pained cry in the distance, and Rowan started cursing. Resh shuddered beneath her. 

Rage coursed through Carr, and she lifted her head towards the cliff. “Stop shootin’ at the people you came to rescue, you dumb fucking shits!” She thought she saw the bowman startle, then they shifted back, became indistinguishable from the treeline. 

“Useless as fuckin’ tits on a turtle,” she grumbled under her breath. 

Something shook beneath her, and she looked down to find Resh staring up at her, his eyes wide. And filled with… tears. Fuck.  

Carr? he mouthed, disbelief transforming to radiant hope. 

“You fucking bitch,” Rowan hissed, and Carr wrenched her gaze away to find the healer staring at her right hand, clenched around the dagger on the ground. 

Carr jerked up and away as they lunged for it. Shit, guess she should’ve stabbed them after all. She slashed at the healer when they attempted to disarm her, and they reared back, holding a bleeding hand to their chest. 

“Resh, get up,” she urged, positioning herself in front of him. “Don’t want t’ hurt you, Rowan, but I will if you make any more moves towards me or him, understand?” 

The look Rowan gave her could’ve peeled the skin from her bones, but they backed away. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” 

“Do you?” Carr retorted. “Your crazy fuckin’ leader almost killed us for some fucking gold, and then kidnapped my friend! Only reason I didn’t slit every one of you spineless cunting fark’s throats is because you seemed like decent people. Don’t fuckin’ prove me wrong now.” 

She glanced behind her to find Resh still struggling to push himself up. His bandages, fresh and white before, now were splotched with blood. 

Carr knelt to help him without taking her eyes off Rowan. “If you’ve got what I think you’ve got in that cabin, go. Get outta here before the rest of the soldiers get here.” 

Shouts and clangs of metal replaced the unnatural quiet in the valley, growing closer and closer. Thankfully, no further shots had come from above, but Carr didn’t trust that to last. Although it was fucking ironic they’d shot at the ones they’d come to save. 

Rowan’s face fell. As they backed away, Carr felt a twinge of guilt for the likely fates of the ones outside the camp’s walls, fighting for their community’s chance of escape. An escape they’d never get to take part in. Demex, who’d been kind to her, that nasty kiss aside, would die fighting for them, and if she could, she’d make sure he didn’t die in vain. 

But first, she needed to make sure she and Resh didn’t get accidentally offed in this rescue attempt. She switched her blade to her left hand, then ducked under his right arm, the blood seeping through the bandages reminding her which side he’d been shot on. “I got you, Resh, c’mon.” 

She staggered under his weight, but they both managed to get to their feet. Where his face promptly lost what little color it’d had to begin with. Shit. “Resh, you good?” 

He nodded, but she could see it was a lie. His breathing was too fast, too shallow. Beads of sweat had popped up on his forehead, curling the limp strands of his hair. 

“What is it, what’s wrong?” 

His mouth moved, but she couldn’t make out what he was trying to say before his legs gave out. Carr lowered him to the ground as gently as she could. Which wasn’t that gently, not with his dead weight bearing down on her. 

“Rowan!” Carr shouted, her hands fluttering over Resh’s bandages, wondering if she should rip them off to find the problem or if that would make things worse. Gods, what if they didn’t come back? 

She waited a few seconds, but they didn’t come, so she decided the bandages needed to come off so she could see what she was dealing with. Instead of unwrapping them, she placed the tip of the blade under the strips of linen, ready to slice through, but then someone caught her arm. 

They almost lost the hand they’d laid on her before Carr realized it was Rowan. “Oh thank fuck, you came back. What’s wrong with him, can you help?” 

“I might be able to if you let me past,” Rowan said carefully, glancing at the knife Carr had shifted to their sternum, angled to stab up under their ribcage into their heart. 

Carr hadn’t even realized she’d moved. She dropped her arm but paused before moving aside. “Nothin’ funny, yeah?”

“Kid, I’ve been tending to him night and day for almost a week, I’m not gonna off him now. But I don’t have much time–” 

Carr tilted her head, listening to the sounds of the fighting. 

“–so if you don’t mind…” 

She moved. Her hands trembled as she kneeled on Resh’s other side, knife at the ready. Just in case. But the healer paid her no heed, instead feeling around on Resh’s chest. 

Ribs, Carr thought. Fuck. If he had broken ribs, and she’d shoved him to the ground, one of them could’ve snapped, stabbed through a lung… had he been gasping for air before he’d passed out? But there was no blood at his mouth… her mind raced through the scenarios. She’d seen such injuries before. Every one had been fatal. 

It was her breath coming too fast now, waiting for the damning verdict, that after everything, she’d ended up killing him herself. 

“I think,” Rowan began, then paused to feel around some more. “I–”

“I think you should back away from this man before I slit your throat,” a male voice rumbled. 

Rowan raised their hands, a resigned look on their face. “Waited too fucking long,” they muttered. 

Carr glared at the man holding Resh’s life at knifepoint. “Brant, you dumbfuck, can’t you see they’re trying t’ help?” When he didn’t move, she hissed, “Let. Them. Go.” 

He did, grumbling about the thanks he got for coming to save her life. 

“Well?” she asked Rowan. 

“I think his ribs are still intact,” the healer said before pulling up the bandage over Resh’s left shoulder. “He pulled the stitches again, though. Fucking pits, it’s impossible to keep them in this kid.” 

Carr let out a shuddering breath, ignoring the look Brant shot her way. “Well, why’s he like this then?” 

“I don’t know. Maybe overextended himself. But he’s not about to die, and I am, so if you don’t mind, I’ll be going now.” 

Brant moved to block them. “The pits you will. We’re rounding up the whole lot of you thieving bastards.” 

Carr bit back a scoff; those were rich words coming from him, and from the humor dancing in his gaze, he knew it. 

When she regained some control over herself, she said, “Let Rowan go, Brant. This place isn’t what we thought it was, and these people inside the walls have done nothing wrong.” 

He raised a brow. “I can’t. We found the exit to the valley before we attacked from the front. There’s no escaping this place.” 

Rowan’s breath caught, and Carr watched their face crumple. 

Oh gods. If Resh wasn’t in immediate danger, she needed to fix this. “Who’s in charge? Did the Elder come with you? There are women and children here, people like… people like us, Brant.” She watched the meaning of her words sink in. 

“Fuck,” he muttered. “Fine. You two stay here, I’ll go pass the info along. And get someone to come help with Resh.” 

Carr nodded, thankful she didn’t need to leave Resh after all. It would be okay. Once he was safe, she’d make sure to speak to the Elder, back up Brant’s words. 

She placed her hand against his cheek, the feel of several days’ stubble harsh against her palm. “It’s gonna be alright, Resh, promise.” She’d make sure of it. 

The slightest bit of pressure registered against her fingers, as if he’d turned his head into her palm in response.

Next

[missing-sock-misto]

Hi! 4, 7, 14, 20, 25 for tuggoffelees

Hi!

Asks, 4, 7, and 20 were answered here! (I hadn’t gotten around to responding before you asked, so you couldn’t have known!)

I’m going to throw in another ask as compensation XD

14-Who kisses the hardest?

In general, Tugger, but when Misto gets extremely excited he kisses hard enough to bruise, his entire body wiggling with joy.

20-What do their family/friends think of their relationship? (Repeat, going for the next closest one)

19-Who tells their family/friends about their relationship first?

Bomba finds out first. Tugger is god awful keeping secrets, and Bomba is his partner in crime and confidant. She just needs to give him a bit of a prompt, push him until he’s denying everything, then back off and go quiet. He inevitably blabs. XD

( “…You’re into someone.” “What? No I’m not!” “Yes you are, you’ve got that look!” “What look, I’ve got no look!” “Who is it?” “Drop it will you? I’m not into anyone!” “… fine fine, whatever you say.” “Thank you!” “…” “…” “…” “… I THINK I’M IN LOVE WITH MISTO!” “I KNEW IT!”)

Victoria finds out second. Misto is mortified. He had kind of been hoping that she would just… never find out. She is a good sister, and as any proper siblings would, she gives him hell for not telling her about his boyfriend for Months. She brings it up at their wedding during her toast.

25-Who needs more assurance?

Misto. He’s a fairly anxious cat, both of his abilities, his relationship, etc. He struggles with feeling like a burden, and will often hide how he feels before saying it.

In the beginning of their relationship, after Misto realized he was in love with Tugger, but before they admitted how they felt, he was painfully aware of how temporary this was. He knew that he was just a fling to him, that this was flirting but couldn’t be anything real.

He was Extremely taken aback when Tugger confessed his feelings. Those feelings of “this cannot last” faded as their relationship progressed.

Misto also has a lot of hang ups about his magic. (One day I’ll get around to writing my fic exploring this, lol). I headcanon that he grew up in the aftermath of Macavity; during a period of time when physical magic was viewed with extra suspicion by the Tribe. So Misto worked extra hard to limit and control his powers, especially his more dangerous ones like lightning. He’s terrified of losing control and hurting someone, especially Tugger.

He is also terrified of being seen as a monster, or turning into one. He’s scared that if he were to indulge in his darker impulses, he’d become like Macavity, cruel and controlling.

Tugger helps him. He’s so shameless about admiring his magic, accepting all of it, that it helps Misto find it beautiful as well. He sees the good in him, looks at him like he’s the most amazing thing he’s ever seen. And when he looks at him like that, with so much certainty, it feels impossible to doubt him.

He is quick to remind Misto that one bad day doesn’t make him a evil, that one slip up doesn’t make him a monster. His open admiration and trust in him helps Misto trust himself more.

Bonus question (to make up for not answering two)

26-What would be their theme song?

So @thunderwhenhepurrs turned me onto “Put Your Money On Me” by the Struts, which is SO good. And “Fever Dream” is a newer song and I also love it.

Thank you for the asks! 😁

[dreaming-for-an-escape]

Death Becomes Her Part 2

Summary: It did not matter to Aemond that he met Adrian once he was already married to Floris Baratheon. He fell in love with her the moment she bumped into his arms. Aemond was determined to have her as his. He only needed to rectify the situation with his frivolous doe wife first, and he knew just how.

Warning: Extreme dub-con, non-con, drinking, drunk sex, oral sex, forced blow job, multiple orgasms, breeding kink, kinda spit kink? I mean no actual spitting but once you read you understand what I mean. 18+ only though. MDNI. Aemond is an asshat. That's all folks.

Death Becomes Her Part 1:

Tagging: @wolfanddragon98 @sepherinaspoppies Enjoy! Excuse me while I go hide under a rock now xD

Aemond found Adrian drunk and crying in the cave they came across together not that long ago. He approached her in silence until he was close enough, kicking a rock to the side with his boot to alert her. 

Adrian’s reaction was slow, enlightening Aemond on just how inebriated she happened to be. In her hand was a bottle close to joining the other three bottles that were empty and tossed by her feet. 

Aemond thought back to the times he would find Aegon in a similar drunken state, prior to him getting burned. The stench of wine on his breath and clothes, rendering him barely coherent. Except there was a difference between Aegon and Adrian. While Aegon drank, behaved brutishly with the serving girls, and wept his complaints about how he was treated unfairly by mother and grandsire, Adrian drank out of sorrow. 

A fortnight had passed since Floris’ death and Adrian was still grieving the loss of her dear friend. She cried more than Aemond, though he made it seem otherwise. It was fairly easy to act the role of a heartbroken husband when a few days later his own brother died. 

The pain from the severe burns on Aegon’s face and the rest of his body could no longer be treated by milk of the poppy. And no medicine by the grand maester could stop the infection from spreading all over. Ultimately it was the fever that ended what little life Aegon had left.  

Aemond utilized the anguish he felt from Aegon’s death. He fooled many, including Adrian. Although he was truly saddened at losing his eldest brother, his sadness was pushed down when he’d been crowned in front of the masses. His dream had finally come true. Well, one of his dreams. 

Adrian had been present during the ceremony, standing next to his mother and Helaena. She held Jaehaera’s hand while Helaena held the other, watching the Crown of the Conqueror be placed on his head with Blackfyre on his hip. It felt right, and Aemond knew for certain the crown looked a lot better on him than it ever did on his brother.  

And now that Aemond was King the council expected him to remarry. A Queen was needed to be by the King’s side. A Queen who would support, love, and give him heirs. 

The council made suggestions, such that he should marry another Baratheon girl to honor the alliance between them and House Baratheon. 

Aemond did his best to not lose it in front of the council members. He’d just gotten rid of his frivolous doe wife after carefully planning her death to make it seem like a sickness. He wasn’t about to be wed and bed another woman he did not love. Aemond didn’t tell this to his council, just that he needed time to think. 

Truthfully there was no need for thinking for he already had the perfect woman in mind. 

“Adrian.”

“What are you doing here?” Adrian hiccuped, holding the bottle of rum. This was her fourth bottle, and she was almost done with it. 

Aemond walked closer to where she laid on the sandy part of the cave. The lit torch he carried made it easier for him to get a good look at her intoxicated state. “When I went to visit your chambers you weren’t there. I became worried.” 

Adrian furrowed her eyebrows. “But how’d you know I’d be here?” She was so drunk she didn’t question why he’d gone to her chambers, only about how he found her. 

Unknown to Adrian, Aemond had been aware she’d been going to their special cave on her own at night. He made sure she’d been fine those other times, watching from a far so she wouldn’t see him as she mourned Floris but tonight he would do things differently. Aemond’s patience had reached its end, and he wanted nothing more than to make Adrian his. He was determined for tonight to be sensational. 

“Call it a hunch.” Aemond replied, stopping to plant the torch deep into the sand. He found a spot nearby to spread the blanket he'd been carrying in his other hand before taking a seat. He patted his right side, suppressing a smile when Adrian walked over with unbalanced legs. She needed to hold onto his shoulder as she sat down so she wouldn't fall over. 

“Want the rest?” Adrian’s question came out slurred, another hiccup escaping her. 

Aemond’s indigo eye looked at the almost finished bottle and then back at Adrian. His lips curled upwards. “No thank you.”

Adrian shrugged, unmindful to the way Aemond was staring at her heatedly. 

“How many bottles have you finished?” Aemond questioned, already knowing the answer. He’d seen the three empty bottles that had been by her feet before walking over to sit next to him. He could also smell the rum coming off her.

Adrian waited until she chugged the remainder of the rum before attempting to answer him. She slowly raised three fingers up but then looked at the now empty bottle in her hand. She managed to throw it away from her. “Uh, four actually.”

There was a pause during which Adrian mistaked the look Aemond was giving her as one of disappointment. She rubbed her eyes, feeling the tears. “I’m sorry for being such a mess. Here I am drinking when you’re the one who’s lost the most.” A few sniffles escaped her. “I’m being stupid and selfish.”

Aemond shook his head. “I don’t think you’re being stupid or selfish.” He said, choosing words that would soften her resolve for him. To his benefit the four bottles of rum she already drank would make what he had in mind go much smoothly. “You’re hurting.”

“But you’re hurting too and you’re not getting shit faced late at night.” Adrian stated dismally, no longer rubbing her eyes to stop her crying.  

Aemond wanted to lean over and kiss her tear stained cheeks but he forced himself to remain still. He only needed to wait a bit more and then he could have her. As much as he wanted to claim her he wanted to do it slowly, gently, and with romance. He cleared his throat, fixing his expression to be one of sadness. 

“Yes, I’ve lost my wife and my brother in a short amount of time. And yes, I feel like a part of me has died with her.” Aemond told her, purposely wavering his voice. “The list of people I care about is becoming nonexistent it seems.” His indigo eye then stared directly into her dark brown eyes. “But I still have you.” He reached for her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. “Adrian, you make things better.”

“I do?” Adrian muttered, fluttering her eyes to make herself more responsive. All the rum she’d drank was making her feel sluggish. This conversation almost didn’t feel like a real one. 

Aemond nodded his head. “Yes, you do. You also make me happy.” He let go of her hand to cup her cheek while his other tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. 

Adrian sober would’ve pulled back immediately, thinking this type of closeness to be weird. However she was four bottles drunk on rum. So the twenty-three year old merely tilted her head.

Aemond hummed, a smile escaping him. “Perzys hen ñuha prūmia.” He whispered before taking the final leap and closing the space between them. A moan worked its way out of him at the feel of Adrian’s soft lips. The kiss was incredible, mind-blowing, but it was cut short by her. 

When Aemond opened his eye he saw the look of horror and guilt on Adrian’s face. She was shaking her head, hair becoming disheveled. He didn’t panic, he had no reason to. Aemond watched as Adrian tried getting up only to fall onto the blanket again after trying to walk. He carefully lowered her onto her back, ignoring her protests. They were weak and all it took for him to subdue her was to lie on top of her. 

“What are you doing?” Adrian’s head felt like it was full of water, and her vision was not the best because of the alcohol. It also didn’t help that it was nighttime and they were inside a cave.

“No, wait stop.” She tried again to get through to Aemond but he remained on top of her. “This isn’t right. Aemond, you just lost Floris.” She added, eyes welling up at the mention of her close friend. 

Aemond stared down at Adrian, enjoying her glassy dark brown eyes. Her hands were holding onto his shoulders, thinking that would stop him. How silly of his love to think so. He took joy at the sound of her gasping when he put his knee between her thighs. 

“Floris would want me to be happy.” Aemond began saying, moving his knee until it was under the skirt of Adrian's dress and pressing over her smallclothes. “She’d want you to be happy as well.”

Adrian shook her head. “She wanted to be happy with you, Aemond. She wanted to love you. She wanted you to love her.”

“Yes, she wanted all that but she’s gone now.” Aemond fired back before softening his gaze on her. “You’re the one that makes me happy, you’re the one I love.”

Adrian imagined a bunch of question marks over her head. Love? How could he love me? Aemond was her friend. Maybe in all of Adrian’s drinking she had fallen asleep and was having a weird ass dream. 

As Adrian got lost in her own drunken mind, Aemond’s knee moved so he could lower himself enough in order to get his hands under the skirt of her dress. Aemond then swiftly pulled down the stockings she wore and bunched up her dress to her waist. He kissed the inside of her right thigh the moment he saw skin and he smiled against her softness when he heard her gasp again.

“I…I don’t want you.” Adrian stammered, the rum and the way his fingers felt caressing the inside of her thighs made her feel so hot. The way her heart was beating her seemed way too fast and unnatural.  

Aemond chuckled, low. “You're not telling me the truth.” His head came out from between her thighs, and went up her body to whisper in her ear. “I know you want me as much I want you. I also know you’re already wet for me.”

Adrian didn’t have time to argue as his hand ripped off her smallclothes. She felt a chill down there but that wasn’t what made her expression drop. Aemond had two fingers touching her folds, with this thumb caressing her clit. His fingers had barely done anything but she realized late in her drunken state that she was already wet. 

An excuse tried making its way out of her but it was shoved down her throat the second Aemond inserted two of his fingers inside her, his thumb rubbing her clit a bit faster now. 

Adrian shut her eyes, her hands leaving Aemond’s shoulders to cover her mouth. Aemond used his other hand to remove them, wanting to hear the sounds of pleasure he was getting out of her. And he listened and enjoyed it. He was successful in making Adrian forget about her earlier objections and sorrow. 

“Oh!” 

“I told you. You want me just as much as I want you.” 

Adrian was not in the right mind to respond. She was too drunk and too overwhelmed by this new kind of pleasure she was experiencing. Her lack of a verbal response didn’t matter to Aemond. He only cared about how wet she was, and how she kept getting more wet by his ministrations. 

Aemond could tell she was almost to the point of peaking. So he forced himself to stop his fingering and rubbing, wanting the first time Adrian peaked to be when he was inside her. He was quick to undo his breeches, pulling them down to his ankles. 

When he looked back at Adrian he noticed the frown on her face. He almost chuckled. She didn’t need to be upset because what he planned to do next was going to make her feel amazing. She only needed to handle a bit of pain in the beginning. 

Apparently he did a good job with his hand even without throwing her over the edge of ecstasy. Perhaps it was the rum but he liked to believe his skills rendered her speechless and unmoving. She didn’t even complain when he started taking her dress off, ripping apart the shift she had underneath. 

Her breasts were now in the open for him to see and they were glorious. He took off his own clothing, eyepatch included minus his breeches that were still around his ankles. He was too eager to finally have Adrian to kick them off. His bare chest pressed against her breasts. Her eyes slowly opened, showing how unfocused they were. 

Aemond kissed her long and soft. “I love you.” He earnestly told her, and with one hasty thrust he made his way inside, breaking through what he believed was her maidenhead. In the morning he’d be happy to see the small stain of blood on the blanket confirming it had indeed been that. 

“Ah!” Adrian yelped, reacting to the pain by wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Her tear stained face hid in the crook of his neck. 

In a few hours Adrian was going to wake up not only with a terrible hangover but also with the feeling of soreness between her thighs. She would feel so much guilt as she cried in the arms of the man who refused to let her go. All while they laid on the evidence of their coupling, which also included the evidence of losing her virginity. 

Aemond closed his eye, willing himself not to spurt his seed in Adrian yet. She wasn’t Floris, he wasn’t going to pump a few times and then leave her unsatisfied. He needed to make Adrian feel good first as she already was with him. 

“You feel so much better than in my dreams. So superb, so perfect.” He bit his bottom lip before letting go, a hum escaping him. “It’s like the Gods made you for me”

Adrian moved her face away from the crook of his neck so he could see her better. She looked so confused. “What?”

Aemond smiled showing his perfect teeth. He leaned down and kissed her, slowly moving his hips against hers. 

The initial pain Adrian felt was fading and there was a tingle spreading all over her body. Her brain shut out any rational thoughts that lingered even with the alcohol in her system. She felt herself begin to move her hips along with Aemond’s as she found herself kissing him back. Her hands held onto him for support and her legs spread out enough to make room for all of him. 

“Something’s happening to me.” Adrian suddenly stopped kissing him, whimpering at the sensation of tightening in her lower belly. She didn’t experience pain, just the increasing feeling of pleasure that her drunkenness made her susceptible to it. 

Aemond knew what was about to happen to her from all the tomes he read, and his body was trembling from excitement. He hit deep with his thrusts now, using a hand to rub her little pearl of nerves faster. “You’re about to reach your peak, my love.” He kissed her softly on the lips, smiling down at her. “Let go and enjoy.”

Adrian’s whole body shook as pleasure she’d never felt before tore right through her. “Ah fuck!” She shrieked, throwing her head back on the blanket. 

The feeling had been so intense Adrian didn't realize she had run her nails down Aemond’s back, leaving red marks until reaching his rear. That triggered his own release, and he cried out of her own name while a few tears streamed down his face. 

When Adrian came back down to earth whole her body felt weightless, her face the hottest it had ever been. Her thoughts were becoming a swirling mess again, but even she was able to understand the few orgasms caused by her own hand before this night couldn’t be called that anymore. What she just experienced was an actual orgasm. It magnified her insobriety and momentarily extinguished the guilt that tried to take over. 

Aemond’s trembling didn’t end even after filling his love with his seed. He didn’t get off Adrian either, opting to snuggle against her soft breasts that were moving rapidly because of her breathing. His hands caressed her smooth thighs while his cock remained inside her tight warm cunny. He was still achingly hard for her, and he didn’t want a single drop of him to go to waste. 

Tonight would be the night their child would be conceived. Inside the cave they had found together while walking the beach and collecting seashells. He thought it was perfect. And there would be a child, a child that was a perfect blend of them. 

Selfishly he hoped for more than one child. It wouldn’t be surprising to him if he planted two children in Adrian already because of how heavy and drawn out his release had been. But he knew that was not necessarily correct, although he sure wished for it to be

Aemond could’ve stopped then but he had no intentions of ending their love session just yet. 

Adrian’s eyes were closed, meaning she could not see the look of devotion on Aemond. She only opened her eyes briefly when he started kissing down her body to be in between her thighs again. 

Aemond started tasting her delicious cunny, licking her glistening folds and twirling his tongue on her pearl. This time he didn’t stop until Adrian was moaning and digging her hands into his hair. He ended up making her climax so hard her slick covered the whole bottom part of his face, dripping from his chin.  

In fact, so much slick cascaded out of Adrian it not only painted Aemond’s bottom face but it made its way onto the blanket as well. Aemond could feel a huge wet spot beneath them and the smell of peaches was strong as ever. He growled, licking his lips before diving back in, his tongue paying more attention to her swollen bud of nerves, gently grazing it with his teeth. It didn’t take him long to get Adrian to climax again, her slick like a delicious waterfall to his face.  

After getting her to finish twice by his own mouth, Aemond thought it was only fair for his love to do the same to him. 

Aemond kissed his way up Adrian’s body. He kissed her softly, disregarding her whining. He untangled himself from her to stand up, quickly tossing aside his breeches that were still caught on his ankles. He made Adrian get on her knees, lifting her chin up to look at him. Her expression showed how blitzed out she was from her excessive drinking but Aemond decided it was because of the powerful climaxes he’d given her from his undying love.

Aemond traced her lips with his thumb, stopping to pull her bottom lip with it. His heart wanted to jump out of his chest, and he could feel his body burning with desire. Already his cock began to get hard again. His voice husked out what he desperately wished for.

“My love, I need you to open your mouth for me.”

There was a look of confusion mixed with nervousness on Adrian’s face that Aemond ignored. He put his hands behind her head, stroking her hair until he could feel her start to get relaxed.

Adrian was ready to speak or at least try to, but whatever she wanted to say was lost as soon Aemond forced her mouth to wrap around his hard member.

“I’ve tasted you, now you get to taste me.” Aemond sighed, spreading his fingers into Adrian’s hair as he guided her mouth further onto his member. He only stopped when he felt her hands on his thighs. When he looked down he saw Adrian looking up at him, blinking with watery eyes. Her mouth was stuffed with his cock and she looked absolutely stunning. 

“Your mouth is so soft around me, just as I knew it would be.” Aemond sighed, chest rising faster and faster. “Oh, you take me so well.” He hummed, using both of his hands to move her again, ignoring the way she tried speaking while full with him. He could feel her saliva drooling from her mouth on the sides of his cock, making him shudder. He stopped long enough to assure her. “Don’t worry, perzys hen ñuha prūmia. I’ll do the guiding. You just taste me when I release inside you. Taste my love for you.”

Seeing Adrian’s dazed eyes was what he needed to pull her off his member just a bit only to shove himself back into her warm mouth. Aemond kept doing this for what felt like a very long time, during which his cock became harder than it already was. 

Every now and then there’d be low choking noises coming from Adrian, along with weak pushes to his thighs but Aemond would only stop very briefly to caress her face while looking down at her. She looked so out of it, so drunk on booze and on him. He took great joy in that. 

His length was covered in her saliva and the sight made him bite his bottom lip. He was so close to finishing but he wanted her to do one more thing before he gave her his seed to taste and keep inside her belly.   

Aemond pulled Adrian off his cock, watching a trail of saliva fall down her lips. He smiled, using his thumb to clean her up before forcing her mouth open. “Lick my tip with your tongue.” That was all he said before sticking his tip inside her mouth. 

Adrian moved her tongue, not on purpose but out of puzzlement. She barely licked him and that had been enough. From below she heard Aemond moan loudly. Adrian felt his hands in her hair tightening as he pressed her closer to his groin. Startled, she made a muffled noise at being stuffed again. She then felt a surge of thick warmth fill her mouth followed by the taste of something salty. 

In Adrian’s drunkenness she didn’t think it was a bad taste, just one she was not familiar with. She tried to move away but Aemond’s hands behind her head made it impossible to do so. 

Weakly Adrian pushed against his thighs again but he gently shushed her, forcing her to stay on her knees with his dick in her mouth. She began choking, struggling more than ever before. Although worried Aemond kept her in place, encouraging her to swallow. 

Due to her lack of mental and physical strength, Adrian didn’t think she had any other choice but to swallow everything Aemond had given her. 

The saltiness made its way down her throat and into her belly where Aemond wanted. This was no way to make a child but it was a way for him to mark her. He now had the knowledge that another part of him was inside her. 

Aemond got on his knees after pulling his cock out of Adrian’s warm mouth. He kissed her fervidly, not at all disgusted that he was able to get a taste of himself. Adrian’s lips were unresponsive against his, but he was able to get her to react when he began sucking on her tongue.  

Adrian only got a few disgruntled noises out before Aemond had her on her back again. To keep her silent and submissive until the rum took over again, Aemond covered her mouth with his hand. She blinked with somewhat wide eyes, arms hitting his shoulders in such a frail manner. 

“Shh, it’s okay my love.” Aemond cooed, using his free hand to grab one of hers in order to wrap it around his cock. He took the lead by making Adrian jerk him until he was hard enough to take her again. 

By now Adrian had stopped with her weak attempts of fighting him off. Her head lolled to the side on the blanket, with some of her hair covering her face. Aemond didn’t like that, so he removed his hand from her mouth and made her face visible again. Her eyes were droopy, and her golden skin even in the dark looked as if it were glowing.   

Aemond thought she was very beautiful. He told Adrian so kissing her on the lips and then began making love to her again. It did not matter to him that everytime he told Adrian he loved her all she responded with was a whimper and furrow brows. He didn’t stop his ardent thrusting until he felt her gush around his cock, the smell of peaches filled his nose. When he finished his mouth wrapped her right breast and he suckled, wishing they were filled with milk. 

They would be once she became pregnant with their child. The very thought of her heavy with their little dragon made Aemond ready to go at it again. He didn’t even pull out, just resumed his thrusting. 

Adrian felt her body moving in a rhythm. Her unfocused eyes saw Aemond on top of her, sapphire eye shining down at her. It felt like such a struggle reaching up to trace his scar. She frowned when the movement stopped.

Aemond grabbed her hand and kissed her palm before making her hold onto his hair. She gasped when her body began moving again, taking notice that Aemond was moving with her and of the now familiar sensation forming in her lower belly. 

A few seconds later a rush of euphoria passed through Adrian and she felt wetness from between her thighs where she was the most full. Her drunken mind made the connection when she heard Aemond moan her name, his own warmth releasing in her. 

It became quiet after that, only the sound of the waves and the wind filling the cave. Despite somewhat understanding what occurred, the alcohol running through Adrian made her helpless. She could barely feel her legs and her mind was not in the best state. 

After a while of just lying down, Adrian was startled at the feeling of Aemond moving inside her again. She tried hitting his back with her hands to get him to stop but all he did in return was kiss her cheek. 

“Aemond.” Adrian called out, moaning with a perplexed blissed out face. “Stop, please.” She sniffled, words slurring. “I’m too sensitive. It hurts.” 

“One more time, my love.” Aemond wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, the soles of her feet digging into his lower back. He pinned her arms, hands digging into the sand as he began snapping his hips against hers. “Just one more time.” 

He took on a much faster pace than any of their previous love sessions. The sound of skin slapping made Adrian scrunch up her face in discomfort. A few moments later a cry escaped her, and then that cry turned into an earth-shattering moan. 

With him in control and the copious amount of alcohol in her system, Adrian couldn’t push him back. She found it easier to just lie back and let Aemond take what he wanted. It felt like a dream almost, an intense dream that had her orgasming repeatedly. In this dream the euphoria pumping in her veins was overwhelming, but the small part of her that enjoyed it would wake up later to feel immense shame. 

Except this was no dream as Adrian would find out the following morning. The shame would be real, and by then it would be too late.

“I’m never letting you go.” Aemond promised, panting like a man thirsting for water against her breasts before finishing inside her again with a guttery groan. “Gods, I love you.” He declared, tuning out Adrian’s noise of bewilderment from having shot his load into her and his love confession. She felt like a boat out in the ocean trying to survive a horrible storm.  

Aemond took a moment to catch his breath, kissing her breasts and suckling on her nipples until each bud hardened beneath his tongue. He proceeded to rub her sensitive pearl a few times to force a climax out of her. It didn’t seem right not letting her reach her peak. 

Adrian released a soft squeal he found adorable as she finished on his hand, slick covering the whole thing. He licked his hand clean not wanting her peachy nectar to go untasted. Adrian squinted her eyes at him, not entirely sure if she had seen that correctly. She quickly lost the thought once Aemond maneuvered them so he could hold her better in his arms, his half-hard cock sliding its way back inside her. He kept his promise and did not make love to her again. Aemond only wanted to hold her while being as close to her as possible.

As the newly crowned King stroked her hair he began speaking of marriage and having a child together. By this point Adrian was way too exhausted, not to mention drunk to even utter a single word. 

Aemond’s hold on her was not entirely comfortable for her, nor was the feeling of his seed mixing with her slick sliding down her thighs. She could do nothing about that, and she couldn’t stop Aemond from collecting their release with his fingers and rubbing them against her lips before kissing her messily. 

The sounds of the waves crashing on the shore and Aemond proclaiming his love for her again was the last thing Adrian heard before passing out.

[hotcheetohatredwastaken]

7 & 11 for the ask game pls

7 -- Okay a specific scene/paragraph I am especially proud of is the below snippet from Broken (the chapter is actually called Little White Lies, all of my chapters are 20k words plus and I just split them up so they're actually digestible lol)

Twilight didn’t sit, but knelt in front of him on the tile floor. He clasped Wild’s uninjured hand in both of his own. “Wild, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, but it’s a lot to explain, and I know that it’s going to sound absolutely crazy, and insane, but…” He looked away, his expression clouded.

Something was wrong. Both his and the Sheikah’s behavior was so abnormal, so off, that something had to have changed—Wild could feel it in the very air, like an invisible undercurrent of electricity.

And somehow, Wild knew that nothing would ever be the same.

“I thought after I lost them a few years ago—the portals, when I ended up alone here—I didn't that they'd—that you'd—Wild, I…” Twilight finally looked him in the eye. The utter despair there, staring back at Wild, frightened him. “I haven’t been completely honest with you.”

He began to speak, and Wild’s world as he knew it shattered.

11--Do you have playlists for any of your fics/wips?

I have one gigantic playlist of all the songs I've ever binge listened to while writing this fic on Spotify, going back over four years. It's named after Legend because I heard one song that sounded like it would vibe with him (I think it was Broken Crown by Mumford and Sons, real on the nose I know XD) and then I just never made another playlist. It has about 10 hrs of songs (which honestly is less than I thought it would be). But like, this thing is all over the place. You Do Not Walk Alone (choral) I remember was specifically listened to write Ch 77. Something Wild by Lindsey Stirling was used to write some of the early chapters of Arc 2. I was listening to Broken Arrows by Avici when I was writing Ch 57-60. And I wrote all of chapters of 63-69 (that count is after I cut 10,000 words XD) on a fever dream of a 10 bus ride (there and back) in high school while listening to Curtains from Beat saber XD on repeat. Towards the Sun from that weird alien movie was chapters 41-50. I also have all of the FMAB opening and closing songs in there as well XD.

SO, uh. Yeah, to answer the question, yes, I have a playlist. I just had a commentor on BDOR recommend some Joel Sunny stuff, so I guess that's the theme of the next few prologue chapters XD

[dropout-ninja]

:3cc Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love❤

(Picture me headbonking you like a cat)

Why would you do this to me with my 108 fics and more wips in docs not yet posted (some of which would make this list)

I am terrible at picking rankings help

Uhhhh

When I Wake From This Dream With Chains All Around Me (Hollow Knight) where my HK writing got kicked off. Longfic.

It’s Burned In My Mind and all of its associated works (Hollow Knight) absolute fever dream, wrote in a splurge of dissociation, wild time and probably my favorite fic I’ve written. Multichap.

The If We Could Just Be What We Wanted verse (Transformers Prime with a dose of a bunch of other continuities) particularly the first one (which needs edits but in terms of tone and characters and me managing plots genuinely holds up really well to the last few years), Damned If I Do (oneshot), and poor Chaotic Unity (longfic), who I had so many seeds of foreshadowing put into the first fic for and then it got read by like five perfect of the original’s readers XD

control’s graveyard (Monsterverse Godzilla. Yep.) entirely self indulgent fun times, power dynamics central, character studies on everyone, I poured into worldbuilding and backstories and I think I managed to do show don’t tell with them better here than I manage elsewhere. Someone said that I managed to keep the main character “alien and genuinely despicable” while somehow keeping them sympathetic, and that praise is put on my mental fridge forever. I reread this fic more than I do any of my other ones. Genuinely my favoritism for it is showing hard. Multichap.

Immolation (MTMTE/Lost Light) Haven’t read this one in a year so grammar wise I’m sure it’s a wreck, but my 3am brain went off on this one and its stream of consciousness style. Oneshot.

Wyrm Off A String (Hollow Knight) based on crack and others’ art, ridiculous premise, somehow the best worldbuilding and foreshadowing of a twist ending I’ve done. Oneshot.

Linger (Hollow Knight) mad niche, another one that began because of crack and shitposts I saw. Loss of self, body horror, psychological horror, non linear dream madness, what’s not for me to love. Multichap in progress

Wallow (Hollow Knight) another incredibly niche one nobody asked for, that is actually going to be turned into a multichap and has a lot of juicy to a self indulgent author tension and shenanigans already written, but I’m waiting until I’ve written most all of it before I start posting the new chapters. Dubbed by my friends as the Mean White Lady Fic. Traitor Lord my beloved. (Oneshot on ao3, multichap to be)

sometimes family is a mad scientist spider, his amoral ex, their build-a-child kit gone right, and the human sidekick (IDW2005 Transformers) oneshots collection. Quite proud of the Verity and Prowl povs. Tarantulas my blorbo.

ex cinere (House of Ashes) for capturing the voice and worldbuilding after I relistened to Randolph’s things a million times. I feel like I managed to keep aliens alien for it (short multichap)

And CarnEVILs? In MY Dirtmouth? (It’s More Likely Than You Think!) (Hollow Knight) halloween oneshot with an Elderbug pov that feels very Elderbug and Dirtmouth vibes as good here as in Chains. Elderbug did not enjoy his obligatory grimm teatime™️.

Hey look this is not five. 108 fics too difficult to narrow down for me

[loopy777]

So i stumbled unto some news regarding why the hell that darkwing duck show never happened. Apparently the team was all ready to go... Then seth rogan came along, clouted his way into taking over the project and essentially hijacked the idea, scrapped the original pitch as a sorta sequel to ducktales, and wanted to turn it into a anthology show cause he really liked one, singular specific episode of the original that was an anthology episode, and he wanted the entire show to be that.

Then he just... Left. Its not clear why, but he just killed the original pitch, then left it and its been limbo ever since, with some other pitches coming and going, most notable being the most ridiculously blatant batman beyond ripoff you could possibly imagine. Like complete, utter rippoff you'd be forgiven thinking it was an intentional parody/spoof of it, but apparently the writer wanted you to take it seriously.

Oh, and it also ripped off Della's lost in space storyline from ducktales, with launchpad, complete with coming back in season 2 or 3 after everybody thought he died out in space.

The main villain was also a ducktales rip off, basically just being mark beaks but more elon musk, and the jokerz were named the quackerjackers, but rather than being what you'd expect it was a men in black style organization led by gritty, dark future version mickey and minnie mouse(Because if the disney company didnt let disney appear in ducktales, they would definitly let them appear here XD) from another dimension.

Oh and it's a multiverse story, with the overarching plot being that the multiverse is collapsing in on itself.

It honestly sounds like a fucking fever dream. Like a bad fanfic someone made to be intentionally bad or didn't take itself seriously at all.

This pitch, in case youre wondering, was abandoned last year.

Most likely at this point we wont be seeing the reboot at all. The original team that jumped over from ducktales seems to have all scattered to fifferent projects since this one never got off the ground.

Wow, that reads like it thrown together based on whatever scifi/superhero material the writer had been watching the night before. And of course there's a multiverse in there. Everyone has Spider-Verse envy, including the people who actually own the Spider-Verse.

What's really wild, though, is that Disney announced Seth Rogan's thing before it was locked. Between that and the 23 Star Wars movies they've announced but are never going to make, what's up with them making a big deal out of nothing? The only thing I can think of is that they want to get ahead of possible leaks, but at this point it seems easier to just let the news cycle have their way with whatever info they get. It's not like Disney is getting a lot of good will with these press releases, anyway.

[ibrithir-was-here]

Another drabble that ended up having nothing to do with the word prompt but the point is to write and I did xD

Another jump around in time with teenage Daniel, who is sick and being stubborn about it

Gargantuan 

Daniel was sick.

His stomach ached, his head ached, his mouth felt all fuzzy, tears kept prickling at his eyes, not even from the pain just from how off he felt. He was hot, but also  so cold that he was wearing his thickest pajamas with his wooliest socks and a beanie pulled down over his ears and eyes, sandwiched under three blankets for good measure.

Man, he really wanted a sandwich right now, a toasted cheese and ham sandwich with a gargantuan bowl of soup. Of course eating would require sitting up and he really wasn't sure he could do that just now.

He wasn't sure he could keep anything down right now either.

He wished his mom was here. 

Being sick was never fun but being sick when you were by yourself was the worst. 

But he'd be sick three times over before he pulled her away from her trip with Rose. She went out for herself so rarely and she'd been really looking forward to it. It was just rotten luck Daniel had gotten this stupid bug two days after she'd left. He didn't want her to turn right around and  come back to take care of him and he knew she would too.

At least his mom had always been a bigger texter than caller, that way she couldn't hear his coughs when she sent him pictures and updates of all the places she and Rose were seeing. She looked so happy too.

No Daniel wanted her to have this, and he was sixteen, almost seventeen after all. He could handle a stupid bug for a few days. It was summer break and he didn't have anywhere else to be or anything else to do. He could just rest and relax and let his mom do the same.

Well, he could try to rest anyway. He hadn't had much luck so far.

Normally he didn't have any trouble slipping into the Dreaming. In fact sometimes it was too easy, he'd gotten in trouble more then once for falling asleep in class. But for the last day, try as he might, he just couldn't seem to fall into anything more than a light doze that always broke too soon.

He really really wanted to sleep. Not just for the aid it would give to his body's recovery but because in the Dreaming he would be able to escape from the pain for at least a few hours. 

And he missed his friends there, and Dream.

He really wished Dream were here too.

"Daniel" 

Daniel peeked out from under his beanie, and could just make out a pair of pale hands touching the edge of his bed. In a moment the hands were slipping the beanie off of his head and carding through his sweat matted hair as Dream's dark blue eyes of the Waking World looked down on him with concern.

"Daniel Hall, you are ill, why did you not summon me earlier?"

"Didn't want to worry you" Daniel murmured, closing his eyes and focusing on how good Dream's cool hand felt against his forehead. 

"I was worried already when you did not appear in the Dreaming last night. I was worried you had indulged in too much caffeine once again."

Daniel's attempt at a laugh turned into a hacking cough, which only deepened Dream's look of concern.

"You should not be alone while you are ill. Your mother I know is with Rose Walker, but is there no one here to care for you?" 

"Ah Dream I'm a teenager now not a kid, I can ha--" another cough cut him off, and the pink that rose to Daniel's cheeks had nothing to do with his fever--"Handle it" he finished lamely. 

Dream raised an eyebrow.

"Please, I'm fine. I just want to sleep." Daniel said, almost a plea, he was so tired, so ready to forget about being ill for at least a while. "Can't you just put me to sleep please? I'll be loads better after that I know I will." 

  Dream said nothing for a moment. Finally he started to move as though to pick Daniel up, saying;

"You shouldn't be alone. I can send your mind into the Dreaming but your Waking body needs tending as well to ensure you don't worsen. I could take you with me through the Dreaming out into Hob's--"

"Oh gosh please don't," Daniel cut him off with a groan, "I don't think I could make it across to the kitchen right now, let alone the Atlantic, not unless you want me to throw up across half a dozen dreams and your cape."

"...That would not be preferable, no." Dream admitted. 

"But still, I cannot in good conscience leave you here alone" 

"I don't want to inconvenience you," Daniel began, his face flushing again from the thought of pulling Dream away from his responsibilities. "You have your work and--"

Dream looked down at him then, and there was a look in his eyes that Daniel had never seen before. 

"Daniel, of the many things you have and have yet to inherit from me, please do not inherit my… stubbornness." 

Dream's voice was low, even more so than usual as he spoke, and Daniel felt a shiver run through him that had nothing to do with his illness.

"It is no shame to ask for aid when you need it, do not let yourself suffer unnecessarily out of a sense of duty. If you would not leave another in your state, do not leave yourself in it either." 

Daniel ducked his head to hide the tears that were prickling at his eyes again. He knew Dream was right, and honestly--he really was so glad Dream was here. But still…

"Please don't call Mom though, ok?"

Dream sighed, sitting down beside Daniel and carding through his hair again. "I will not alert her unless you begin to worsen." 

Daniel opened his mouth to thank him but Dream hushed him, adding "And I will be staying here to insure you do not worsen" 

"But the Dreaming--"

"The Dreaming will not fall apart within the space of three days, which I assume will be sufficient time to monitor the state of your health. And besides, I will need to ensure you get the proper amount of rest to help heal your physical body, and so will be returning with you each time you enter the Dreaming." 

A faint smile graced Dream's lips as he asked "Does that ease your worries?" 

Daniel smiled faintly back, and nodded. 

"Then sleep Daniel Hall, sleep and begin to heal. I will be here when you wake." 

And finally, blissfully, Daniel felt himself being pulled under and into the Dreaming. It happened so fast he barely had time  to whisper a "Thanks Dad" before he was gone, falling into a warm dream, full of sandwiches and free from even the memory of pain.

[shinygoku]

CutCat’s ATLA Takes

Here I am, jotting them down before doing a series rewatch. This is gonna be a bit disorganised, so beware!

---

First I guess I oughta put a quick disclaimer in that Zuko is one’a my biggest Blorbos, comparible with Son Goku!  ...so like, you may notice me focusing more on him than other characters or topics or whatever lol

Also I am Not interested in the Comics or Korra series...s. The former for writing that is plain ass bad, and the latter for changing so much of the setting (not for better) and uhm, also less than good writing. If I want bad takes on Communism and Anarchy I can just go look at Twitter or some rubbish. Also I know Kyoshi novels exist. I’m just talking about the OG show, even if select pinpoints of the subsidiary installments have good moments.

This got PRETTY LONG and ain’t particularly coherent, so I’ll put a Cut in here ;3

Overall Show:

Not gonna lie, some’a the Book 1 eps get pretty throughly memoryholed, even what happens in the first two! They ain’t bad, but it does take The Storm for the series to really hit its stride with the delish Backstories.

Following that solid W of an ep is The Blue Spirit, and this is actually one of the best in the entire show. Seems they initially wrote it like it was a season finale to get more eps approved, and it worked! lol

I dig that all the characters get some character focus and growth even early on

...I’m mixed on my stance on Aang’s crush on Katara. If it was a one sided thing that started off quite strong and then de-intensified over the series, I’d find it very cute and endearing. But that sure ain’t the course they took lol, but I guess I’ll sum my thoughts on shipping in its own section later.

The real highlights of S1 are in The Storm, The Blue Spirit, The Northern Water Tribe and the Siege of the North 2-parter. All these have a lot of Zuko, fancy that XD

Also I like how early it’s set up how Built Different he is, especially them last three eps. Dude gets blown up, swim through long underwater tunnels in freezing water, barely wins a fight, treks out into the arctic, gets 1-shot in a fight, and THEN starts another fight, this time with Zhao. His only true weakness really is his mental state and lack of planning, innit!

Book 2 overall kinda bothers me. Objectively it has some of the strongest points, but so much of it feels like it’s dark and dingy or really damn slow to get moving.

Strongest points are of course Toph’s entire existence, the zigzags of Zuko’s arc, and Azula’s anatagonistic omnipresence

The rest of it, myeah... while it’s more focused on a through line plot, it feels a bit monotone until The Library and eventually The Guru and Crossroads

Zuko Alone might be the GOAT episode. It’s not my favourite but DAMN it is firing on all cylinders!!!

I also like Bitter Work a lot. Gotta eat up more Parallels Episodes, babes!

The “Brainwashing” / Sleeper Agents thing feels OP. I get ya need an antagonistic force different to the Fire Nation but myeahhh... not convincing me

But yeah, then there’s Zuko’s continued character thread with the Angst Coma and the dreams and then the REALLY WEIRD turn of him being all smiley and optimistic. It always felt really fake and non-Zuko-esque to me, but I can ‘get’ that given he’s trying hard to shift gears from the status quo of before, overcompensating in the process. What’s odder still is that Iroh doesn’t seem to question it...

Like, sure, he wants to settle down and Tea Shop it up, but even if he could get Zuko to stop pining for the position in the Royal Family, does he honestly believe a day of fever dreams will have had such a profound effect last longer than a few days of re-settling? Zuko’s actions feel like someone having decided to turn their entire life around starting tomorrow and then swiftly burning out as change is a slow and gradual process in reality, and shouldn’t be forced.

So what I think is going on is Iroh himself having become blinded by what he wants, rather than a more realistic outcome. And that could be fab gear writing! A reminder that Iroh too is not immune to bias and oversights, and is indeed a human who sometimes Dun Goofs. If it is what’s intended rather than lazier writing lol

Also yeah, Zuko’s almost- side switching, I’ll save that for later ;3

Book 3 is both a high point but again there’s some episodes that are pretty lame or have less to offer, but I feel more forgiving of this one as sooo much juicy Plot stuff actually unfolds~

Again it takes the Main Plot stepping up for the quality to rise with the Day of Black Sun, and then the episodes after all feature the long-awaited Redeemed Zuko, and those times ae Gooooooood

The stupidest moment I have to complain about though, in the DoBS, is when Azula “proves” she’s an expert liar by... saying she’s a giant purple bear thing? That’s not lying, it’s absurdism, and it’s incredibly easy to say dumb shit like that without any “lying tells” that polygraphs or Toph look for (keep in mind that irl Polygraphs actually suck, they’re a Stress detector but lying doesn’t always stress liars out... LIKE AZULA, but even the biggest ball of anxiety could say “Yeah I’m Barney the Dinosaur” without triggering anything. GRAAAAAGH)

Back on track, my only complaint with Zuko joining so late is that I want mooooore, all the eps with the ‘field trips’ are such fun AND such Character Building

Ember Island Players was a great ep, though I don’t need to see the closing scene used to draw comparisons to the live action movie any more. It’s been like 500 times.

I DON’T THINK AANG SHOULD HAVE KILLED OZAI

That would be proving Ozai’s point that Might makes Right, which of course is WRONG

The show has been leading up to non-lethal ethos

Taking Ozai’s bending is a good out.

BUT. Holy shit they fumbled the ball bad

Energybending has ZERO build up or allusions even when there were chances to sneak it in, like The Library or The Guru

Commenting on a picture of a Lion Turtle and having Lion Turtle background sculptures DOESN’T CUT IT

Because that is ALL we get!!

At least have the Lion Turtle picture say “They’re so ancient they’re rumoured to pre-date Bending” or something to hook interest in

And the Guru coulda been a great way to drop the 5th Element lore in

But they waste all chances they had to set it up despite claiming they knew from the beginning that there would be a peaceful out

The Rock unblocking Aang’s chakra is also pretty bad, but I’m more inclined to forgive a moment of luck if the Energybending wasn’t so bogus

But it could be improved if Aang like, deliberately earthbent the Rock and then used it as acupressure

Both the Energybending and Convenient Rock make Aang’s victory feel less earned, which is a huge shame as we’ve seen him actually try soooo much. But alas, that last hurdle and they resort to lazy ass writing

The lst Agni Kai rules though. It’s beautiful and tragic, showing how much Zuko has grown and Azula fell. And Katara’s finishing the fight so effectively is bodacious and actually feels really smart~

WHERE IS IROH AT THE CORONATION??!?!

The end is a cute scene that is then strangled by the Red String lol, but damn, what a cool ass show

 Characters:

Aang: He’s a cute protagonist, I’ve always liked the Cheerful and Highly Powerful archetype (cough cough Son Goku), though Aang is also heavily defined by his childishness, both a strength and a flaw. As much as I enjoy him, unfortunately I think he got a bit of the short end of the stick writing-wise, he can feel a bit Flat and, worse, like Bryke’s Pet. They lean too hard on letting him get what he wants, and we miss out of the development that coulda followed if the story didn’t twist itself to give him outs. Not unlocking his Chakras properly for selfish reasons should be punished. Finding an alternative to Murder should have had him Proactive. Not getting the Girl would have been a lot more realistic...! See the Shipping section for the latter...

Zuko: Holy rigatoni, man. Zuko is the bar by which Enemies to Friends, Redemption Arcs, Anti-Villains AND Anti-Heroes are all measured. His character has so much incredible nuance!! And yeah, maybe I too am weak to the dark and handsome and yet dorky type’a fella ;3c - I’m in the kinda situation right now where I find it hard to actually phrase everything I dig about him, but that’s from having too many thoughts and they all get crammed in the doorway between my brain and ability to type lmaooo

Katara: This girl is another high water mark (pun unintended) for how to Female Character. She’s the designated Mom of the team, but she ain’t defined by it, also being one’a the most capable fighters, having a hot temper and even a mean streak. It would really suck if she had just been written primarily to Love Interest (as the early drafts seem to imply...), but in the show, she has her own agency and goals that compliment the main quest, and she manages to be both a stable grounding force while having plenty of growth of her own.

Sokka: Again, I really wonder how it woulda turned out if the original plan had been followed; in Sokka’s case he was s’pposed to be the serious, stiffer contrast to Zany Playful Aang and Wide-Eyed Idealist Katara. But his VA is very naturally Funny, and so Sokka as we know him is a bodacious blend of Wacky yet also Level Headed. It’s an odd blend and many have tried and failed to replicate this delicate balance, but Sokka does indeed feel like a real person who seamlessly switches between being the group’s eccentric and also the one making all the plans.

Toph: ANOTHER amazing W for Girl Characters, Toph is such a delight and welcome shaking-up of the existing dynamics. She’s pretty consistently one of the most amusing and Real of the crew, while hilariously OP without it feeling cheap. It’s so weird to think she wasn’t in Book 1 at all, cause once she joins you sure as hell can’t imagine her being absent.

Iroh: Everybody loves this dude, and they’re right! What can I say about him that ain’t already been covered?? Maybe just that I do like that, as wise and benevolent as he is, there are still times where he’s allowed to be wrong or short sighted (see: my previous ramblings about Zuko’s very-un-Zuko behaviour), cause it allows him to feel more Real, and Human. That he’s speaking from experience and not from reading the script. That’s dope, man.

Azula: This is hard... I feel Azula is a massively polarising character, many people enjoy her but there’s too many people who either want to pretend she didn’t do horrible things, too many people who forget she’s also a victim, AND too many people who are just blindly like ‘woo, yeah! What a #Girlboss! Azula’s so cool and automatically wins at whatever”. Like, she’s one of the more nuanced characters but the surface level is indeed of hyper competence, it’s what’s below that veneer which is interesting. I kinda feel like more people oughta talk about the moment where she looks pleased, almost triumphant at Zuko being maimed...

And the rest: Oh god, I can’t talk about every semi-developed character as there’s a lot. Sorry Suki. You’re cool too! But most characters who appear in more that one episode see to be written pretty good, again, like People, rather than just plot devices in human skin. I like that.

...

Shipping:

lol. I think the BEST route would have been to not ‘canonise’ any ships of the ragtag group of kids and teenagers. Alas, we don’t live in that timeline and have dumb ass wars over it. Anyway, here’s my hot take:

Kaatang, while foreshadowed early on from Aang’s side, is a really lame route as Katara seems to have to loose her actual personality for it to work. Also, it jars with Aang’s role as both Avatar (while they’re allowed to Get Freaky, he was s’posed to be able to detach from Earthly attachments to gain the Avatar Powers), and as a totally-not-Buddist Monk, who are NOT allowed to get bizzay. So Aang too loses insteresting notions of Duty and being able to Mature cause he just gets what he wants without having to try. Lame.

Katara doesn’t have many moments where she even looks at Aang as something other than a Friend / Little Brother / Son?? type figure, there’s only brief moments where there is potential moments from her side, and they are far between and seldom deeper than her chemistry with the likes of Jet and Haru. The most I can speak for is the Day of Black Sun, where she’s taken aback by Aang planting one on her, but when he directly and Un-Classy-ly brings it back up in the Ember Island Players, she is quite rightly reserved and when he kisses her again without warning she’s angry! And that’s never resolved!! They just Mandatory Ship them together in the end because Bryke are biased and soooo intent of having their ship even though the writing hasn’t sufficiently built up to it. I don’t dig this, baby!

Maiko is also badly written and the comics make Mai unlikable. [slow sarcastic clapping]

So the ships I do like are:

Zutura - THEMATIC PERFECTION and not because of the red and blue, fire and water juxtaposition, but because Katara and Zuko are fundamentally so similar but coming from opposite sides and thus approaches. Both so kind at their cores but quick to anger or do something stupid on impulse, both so affected by the loss of their mothers and family-motivated. The fake out in Crossroads introduces a fascinating extra crease to their interactions that lasts, and the finale?? HELLO?!?! That’s legit one’a the most compelling Ship Fuel moments ever, baybeee! Other serieses would knaw off their own leg for material that rich!

Also yes, the red/blue, sun/moon, fire/water, and that they are pretty together lol. But still, there’s more in how they are a fantastic combo when on the same side, and also the meta reality that several writers and their own Voice Actors ship it. And they’re right to!

Zukka - The new darling of the fandom and while it doesn’t have as much going for it, I can see it. At it’s worst it feels like people desperately trying to rationalise the red/blue guys from Failtron Legendary Idiot Space Show, but when people who actually care about the characters here in ATLA and draw on their parallels and interactions I find myself enjoying it. Zuko goes well with the Water siblings I guess haha

Sukka - I don’t have much to say, I just like it lol

Also in the past I liked Zukaang but now I wanna redefine it as them being allowed to be Buddies and close friends and teammates, like what the Blue Spirit ep teased at but then didn’t really follow up on outside The Firebending Masters. I want more!! MOOOOORE!!!

...

But man this post is obnoxious and long enough already lol, thanks if ya endured it all~

[eorzeashan]

Iokath + Traitor Arc Shenanigans

Eight: [Flirt] We should've teamed up sooner. I could've used a strong warrior like you at my side.

Theron: I'm going to be sick.

Lmaoooo, sorry Theron but it's not like that-- little known fact, but Eight flirts with people whose vibes he doesn't like in an attempt to make them less abrasive to him. It's not true of every situation and he uses it far less than his Nine self, but if he's uncomfortable and can't find footing with someone, that tends to come out.

In this case, the Supreme Commander of the Republic and Jonas Balkar were both people he had zero frame of reference for (not to mention Jonas' "what's up traitor" immediately insulted him) so he flirted with both.

Eight: Why suffocate them slowly when it's so much more satisfying to crush their windpipe?

Eight, that's your legacy force choke speaking. He doesn't even use the Sith ability right.... maximum killing efficiency instead....

Lana: Other top suspects include the Shroud, Darth Jadus, a rogue agent inside the Republic's Strategic Information Service...

Theron: Let's not rule out Sith Intelligence.

Has been contacted by the Shroud, works for Darth Jadus as his Hand, is a rogue double-agent for the SIS, was former Intelligence...wait a minute, that's me!

I get they were trying to do a clever nod to the entirety of the Imperial Agent story, but the context for this gets a lot funnier if you consider Eight is also in on Theron's betrayal so they're listing every exact trait he has while not breaking eye contact with one another.

Lana: who could the traitor be...

Theron and Eight:

Fast forward ahead, and we come face-to-face with Tyth. Eight's first impressions of the giant droid were "huh. it's kind of cute?" which probably sounds insane, but he tends to find weird entities like this endearing.

Eight: All right, Mister Rage. Can you drop the act and point me in the direction of the superweapon?

Tyth: [Scans] CALM. PEACE. IT DENIES FURY. A SACRIFICE MEDIOCRE.

Eight: (offended) I didn't come here to be poked and prodded.

I'm guessing the game was going off of his LS 2 gauge, but Eight always gets so mad when someone points that out, even if its true. XD How dare you call me mediocre....and nice to boot! Take that back at once! I am not a Jedi!

(Probably got so offended he woke himself up from the fever droid dream).

Lana: I know. You've been talking in your sleep.

Theron: I almost had to stuff a sock in your mouth.

Eight wakes up with drool coming out of his mouth, immediately snaps awake at Theron's comment before a shit-eating grin overtakes him. "Theron...I wasn't aware you were into such things!" Props himself up on one elbow and flips onto his stomach, "Want to shut me up, do you? With a gag, even? You naughty boy."

Cue Theron backtracking into nonsensical stuttering, with Lana wishing she had something to drink. There's probably some kind of joke you could make here about flirting with every male Shan he came across, but admin is too stupid right now to think of it.

Big steppy

Theron: But the Alliance outgrew you. Now it's rotting from the inside, the galaxy's fighting back, and you've become a symbol of oppression. So much for your dreams of peace.

Yadda yadda generic villain speech and Eight is technically supposed to be on the other side of this forcefield (Jadus moment), but keeping that in mind it kind of felt like Theron was saying this with the underlying meaning being I see exactly how this duty has hurt you so that's why I'm doing this as well.

Because his words do ring true. He was never its leader with the duty itself rotting him from the inside, the galaxy's back to a time of turmoil, and he became someone else's saint of murder for the entirety of this war when he originally struck out in search of the peace Keeper wanted for him. Not to mention the fact that he's the Outlander in this Alliance at all means this galaxy had no heroes to choose from-- absolutely none. It was already doomed.

And then the rest of this plays out as you expect, though in this AU they both ditch Lana here....which, makes me sad to imagine, but I can also see Lana being like "Eight....why? You were our Outlander--we were a team! Whatever he's said to you, don't listen to him: he's lying, I know it."

And he just smiles and says, "I'm sorry. I don't want to do this anymore." leaving her to jump out of that train alone with only her hurt and her vengeance.

[protokirby]

I stayed up all night finally finishing RWBY. I wonder when the next season will be a thing anyway-

But anyways. The purpose of staying up all night once or twice a week is for me to decrease my insomnia. It's not like it's just me making bad decisions. Bad decisions may or may not be partially involved but ya know.

Earlier, I had the urge to take a nap. Most unusual for me considering that the all nighters are my attempt at having a sleep schedule. Taking a nap during the day is against my self-given rules. But the urge persisted.

I took my nap.

It was only after this nap that a thought hit me: "I don't need to spend the entire night awake to be able to sleep the following day, just need to get little enough sleep for me to be extra tired the next night. The length of the nap I took will still have me with few enough hours of sleep that I should still be able to decrease the insomnia while still being somewhat rested".

but I am still off my rocker so watch out.

DURING THIS NAP I HAD THE MOST WONDERFUL FEVER DREAM

It was like the entirety of RWBY season 9 but with pokemon characters instead of RWBY characters. What a wacky adventure that was XD

The blueberry elite four I specifically remember replaced the main group of 4. Don't remember who was in whose role. And I don't remember any other specifics.

Anyhoo that fever dream inspired me to spend a good chunk of time editing a stupid image

and I have another au in the au pile.

This is Team CADL (edit based on this image)

It's pronounced like cattle for no reason other than I think cows are cool as flip. The plushies I sleep next to are both cows :D Also considered CLAD as the team name because it can be spelled properly with those letters but where's the fun in that? Not even RWBY does things like that clearly so why should I? :]

What kinds of semblances will these folks have? That's the best part! :D I don't know yet. I could figure that out as an imagination story (possibly) comes out of this. Or not. Depends on how much the goblins explore this au if at all.

Combining interests is always entertaining but that has no influence over whether or not the goblins try to explore it.

Might design weapons for them sometime. Crispin's will most definitely be his frying pan but with some extra magic lookin' stuff applied

[natsunoomoi]

It was clearly stated both in the manga and anime that kuwabara doesn't know about hiei and yukina being siblings and the gang will never tell him even on his death bed because kuwabara hates hiei so he wouldn't be able to live with idea of hiei being yukina's brother, right ? but seriously I do think kuwabara deserves to know since he and yukina are going to be together in the future, yeah he won't be cool about the hiei yukina situation but if yukina is happy with having hiei as her brother, kuwabara will tolerate hiei for yukina's sake and eventually start addressing him as aniki. Btw hiei hating kuwabara is my main reason for not shipping kuwayuki too.

XD Okay, cool. I thought I remembered that, but for a moment I thought that was a fever dream or something. It's been 30 years.

I don't know if hate is the operative word. Like early on that probably was the case where they really didn't like each other, but especially after the Sensui arc they all come away with a kind of tolerance and respect although Hiei still pushes his buttons, which I personally enjoy because same feeling, but Hiei tends to regard him by then as somewhat useful sometimes and there are times when Kuwabara shows some amount of caring for a fellow team mate/person in the same situation. You don't come out of that with another person with genuine hate. You can still not get along, but that's not hatred anymore.

But yeah, he does deserve to know at some point. I feel like everyone will cross that bridge if and when he actually gets around to proposing because then it's real for everyone and no one can deny it anymore. Hiei will have to even acknowledge that Yukina has feelings and then because of the practicalities of the relationship and any future children, they will have to sit Kuwabara aside and give him the lowdown. Especially the version of him at the end of the series that had gone through university and everything, but basically everyone would have matured enough that the situation would probably work itself out by then. Probably some awkward family moments, but it'll work out.

[dancing-coyote]

🐶 and 🐰!

🐰 What do you think says the most about a person?

How they treat animals, kids, and people who are different from and/or less fortunate than themselves.

(Also how they treat/talk about their exes (if they have any.))

🐶 Are you more of a dog person or a cat person?

A little bit of both! I love cats, and I will never not have at least one little void in my home (my dream is to have several! And maybe a big goofy ginger, too, for variety XD)

But I also love dogs, and I wish I had the space and energy for another husky (Belgian malinois are beautiful and give me SERIOUS PUPPY FEVER, too, but I could NEVER handle them - I'll leave that to the pros!)

(...also my fursona is a coyote, so LITERALLY a Dog Person LOL.)

[systemic-dreams]

young thrawn and thrass drabble :P

I was planning to make a comic out of this but my art skills leave something to be desired. And I honestly don’t have the time so I guess I’ll just leave this here...

The bitter wind whipped against the pfalesfir statue, its shiny silver surface weathered into black with time and neglect. Snow clung to the steely man's shoulder and head, weighing him down as he stared wistfully into the beyond - the icy tundras of Csilla where not a single Chiss dared go.

And at his feet stood a boy, wrapped up in his scarf. Blue-black hair stuck out of his cap and his crimson eyes glittered though narrowed against the cold. He gazed up at the statue intently, his gloved hands clutching at the straps of his backpack.

It was well below freezing.

But he was not deterred. His eyes scanned the statue mercilessly, attacking it from every angle, trying to unravel its secrets. There had to be a sign. A tell. Something.

Something besides the simple soldier in an unmarked uniform staring into the distance like he was ready to die.

"Vrawl!" the word came drifting through the cold wind and the boy turned his head abruptly.

A short distance away, a trapdoor had slid open and a handsome Chiss soldier stepped through it. The wind swept his hair back and his crimson eyes narrowed. He lifted a hand from his rifle to block out the elements.

"Vrawl?" he called out again through the snow.

"Vrasl?"

The soldier's eyes focused and he spotted his little brother in front of the statue.

"There you are," he said sharply, marching through the snow. "I've been looking everywhere. What are you doing?"

"I wanted to see the statue," Vrawl explained.

"It is forbidden, ra'su," his brother scolded.

The boy looked down guiltily. "I know..."

"And it's colder than space out here. You'll catch your death."

The soldier glared at him for a moment and then offered him a hand.

"Come," he said.

Vrawl took it without looking up and let him lead the way to the trapdoor. His head swivelled back toward the statue impulsively, drinking in every line and contour and shape before it disappeared over the steps they walked down.

Vrasl tapped the keypad and the trapdoor slid shut above them, insulating the passage from the cold and they both stopped shivering.

"Why did you want to see it so badly?" he asked, clipping the rifle onto his back.

Vrawl didn't answer right away. His crimson eyes watched the snow melt off his boots as they walked down the pearly white corridor, wet footsteps disappearing behind them.

"He's out there all by himself," he said. "In the middle of nowhere. And he looks so sad..."

Vrasl didn't take his eyes off the road ahead, contemplating his brother's words. He squeezed his hand tight, afraid the boy would slip away again.

"It's a monument to the Unknown Soldier," he said stiffly. "He's not supposed to be happy. And he really should be saluting."

Vrawl suddenly looked up at his brother with intense interest.

"But why does he have a likeness if it's an Unknown Soldier?"

Vrasl remained composed and intent on taking them further down the brightly lit corridor.

"One of the Ruling Families must have hired a model for the likeness," he supposed logically. "Might even be one of their sons."

"But there are no patches on his arms," Vrawl argued. "And no name on the epitaph."

"The library should have a record of the commission."

"It doesn't."

Vrasl stopped walking abruptly and Vrawl was pulled to a stop with him. The soldier looked down at his brother testily.

"You want me to check the Defense Force Archives," he realised.

Vrawl looked up at him intently, his crimson eyes wide and hopeful. He had his brother's attention and a quick pout melted the stern warrior's icy glare.

Vrasl sighed and shook his head.

"Fine. You win, little brother." He leaned down and pinched Vrawl's face. "Cheeky little thing."

The boy laughed and pushed the offending hand away.

"Let's go home," Vrasl said, resuming his march through the labyrinthine tunnel.

It soon widened into a long road, stretching across the chasm which could be seen through its transparent surface. A city of crystal and light opened up before them, crowned by ten gleaming towers of different colours in the distance.

Speeders and starships spiralled around spacescrapers disappearing into the warm red depths of Csaplar's undercity. And the two brothers walked the road into Greater Csaplar with poorly concealed smiles, fading into the background of the busy Chiss metropolis as soon as they emerged from the tunnel.

The road took them toward a crossroads with a pfalesfir plaza built into the serapfis. A fountain of silver sprayed water in neverending spirals around another statue, this one polished and shiny - a woman of great beauty in billowing robes.

"Ra'su, look." Vrawl pointed. "Can we go see? Please."

Vrasl nodded gently, keeping a tight grip on his hand.

"Just don't wander off again."

"I promise," the boy said with the hint of a grin.

"Mmm," his brother uttered suspiciously.

They walked through the bustling crowd and reached the statue whose waters emanated a pleasant aroma. Vrawl quickly found the plaque and read the inscription.

"May warrior's fortune smile upon you."

"It's a metaphor," Vrasl explained. "Warrior's Fortune is a beautiful woman sending her love to the battlefield."

"Love?" Vrawl looked up at him skepticly.

"You'll know someday, ra'su," the soldier said wisely.

"I want to know now," Vrawl complained.

"Sorry. This statue's all you're getting today."

"Mmm..." The boy pouted. "It is really pretty. She looks like Aristocra Mitth'lav'isumi."

"I told you. The Ruling Families like to make statues of themselves."

Vrawl looked up at the elegant lady of pfalesfir and pfillo-glass, golden laces tying back her ebony hair as the fountain sang a quiet but soulful tune.

"You think the Unknown Soldier was part of a Ruling Family?" he asked his brother.

"Ra'su..."

"But then why aren't they maintaining it? Why is he all corroded?"

"Ra'su, your obsession with that statue is unhealthy."

Vrawl frowned.

"Don't you want to know why it's there? On the surface of all places?"

"Perhaps he was meant to be a monument to the Expansionary Defense Force," Vrasl reasoned.

"Then why doesn't the Nuruodo Family clean it?"

"I don't know, ra'su." Vrasl shook his head. "And knowing will bring you no happiness, I guarantee it. Such matters are above commoners."

"We're all Chiss, aren't we?" Vrawl said. "Freedom of information is our right."

"Not information on military activity," Vrasl pointed out. "That only gets declassified after a few hundred years. Which is why I'm not going to find anything in the Defense Force Archives, ra'su. I'm just a grunt."

"Humble as ever, Crahst'en," a deep voice came from the crowded street.

Very soon, a man emerged from the sea of Chiss, wearing the very same uniform Vrasl was - a black suit with light silver plate and steel capped boots. But where the young man's chest contained a single bar and engraving, the tall Captain's chestplate boasted far more.

Vrasl let go of his brother's hand and raised his right fist into the air, crossing it over his chest and bowing in a Chiss salute.

"Crahstor Vuluo'lar'mitth," he said sternly.

"At ease." The tall Chiss nodded. "Your patrol ended an hour ago, Crahst'en."

"I know, sir. My brother wanted to see Greater Csaplar," he lied.

"This little man?" He looked down at Vrawl. "What's your name?"

"Th-thav'raw'loni, sir," the boy managed.

"Another Thav, eh?" The Captain leaned down to look him in the eye. "Are you a fighter? Or a smooth talker like your brother?"

Vrawl stared back without a clear or definitive answer forming in his mind.

"I don't know," he said honestly.

"Mhmm," Captain Olarm came close to chuckling. "We'll see, won't we?" He poked a finger into the emblem on his school uniform. "Already six years old. Another four and you get to come play with the big boys."

Vrasl looked down at his brother worriedly.

"Hopefully he won't get posted too far from home," he said.

"Well, with a brother like you, I think some strings will get pulled real good," the Captain told him. "Run along home now. See you tomorrow, bright and early."

"Yes, sir." Vrasl saluted once again.

"Wait," Vrawl interrupted. "Do you know anything about the statue of the Unknown Soldier on the surface?"

Vrasl froze, his eyes wide.

The Captain's good humor was washed away faster than the fountain of water behind them.

"The what?" he said tersely.

"There's a statue on the surface," Vrawl continued adamantly. "It's a soldier and it's old and almost black. He's looking towards the North Pole. And there's no name or inscription. He looks like he's ready to die. What does it mean?"

Captain Olarm looked down at the boy with the coldest stare a Chiss could give, scarlet eyes glowing brightly.

"I'm really sorry, sir," Vrasl interrupted. "He's been watching too many conspiracy vids on the extranet this week. I can't get him to turn them off."

The Captain raised an eyebrow and studied his subordinate carefully. He seemed to find something trustworthy in the young man's face and unknitted his brow.

"I see," he said calmly. Then he looked down at Vrawl. "You shouldn't let that garbage clutter up your mind, vir'chah. Stick to facts and reality. There's no statue up there. Just ice and snow."

Vrawl was about to complain but Vrasl quickly grabbed his hand and squeezed tight.

"We'll be going then, sir," he said, employing his trademark smile with just a hint of his perfect teeth.

"I'll see you tomorrow," the Captain nodded and turned on his heel to march away.

Vrawl was about to open his mouth but a very swift hand closed it and held until the tall Captain was out of earshot.

"What do you think you're doing?" Vrasl hissed. "You want to get me discharged?"

"I was just asking a question," Vrawl complained.

"The wrong question," his brother pressed. "I need you to understand this, brother. There are things that are forbidden and unspoken for a reason. Please don't go looking for it. There's only so much I can protect you from."

"It's just a statue," Vrawl persisted. "Why is everyone acting like it's such a big secret? Don't you see? There's something weird going on here."

"It's not our place to question it," Vrasl said sternly. "Do you understand?"

"No."

The young soldier sighed.

"You see this fountain?" He pointed at the pool of dancing water. "We are the tiny molecules of water that knit together to make society."

"From each according to his ability, to each according to his need. I know," Vrawl said.

"That's true for us because we're commoners. And this-" He pointed to the gilded lady. "-is the Aristocracy."

"To them we are these tiny molecules of water. Useful, but on a planet full of ice and snow, replaceable. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"No."

Vrasl sighed.

"We mean nothing to them, Vrawl. They can do anything they want. Including building a statue to no one on the surface and they don't have to answer your questions."

Vrawl was about to argue but his brother interrupted.

"All they have to do is say one word and our entire family gets sent to one of the colonies. They'll banish us to the newest one and none of us will ever see Csilla, ever again. Do you understand?"

Vrawl's lip tightened as he looked down at his feet.

"Yes, ra'su..."

Vrasl sighed.

"Good. Now, let's go home." He offered his hand. "And don't tell mother about any of this, alright?"

"Ma'resh, rasu..." Vrawl took his hand sulkily.

His brother gripped it tight and set off toward the far end of the plaza where a wide crystal shaft passed through the pfalesfir. The two of them lined up in the designated queuing area along with several others.

"I'm sorry," Vrasl said, noticing his brother's pout. "It's for your own good."

But it didn't help.

A carriage full of Chiss arrived at the platform and the door chimed pleasantly to announce the disembarkation of its passengers. The queue waited patiently for them all to alight and filed in one at a time in an orderly fashion.

"Which platform are you travelling to?" the attendant asked Vrasl.

"Hach'ahku'vrou'kai."

"Chah'ir'vahs, nara'su," she replied politely and tapped in the number.

The carriage filled up and when the last number had been entered into the system, the door closed and they began to descend.

Vrawl leaned onto the rail and watched the many roads and platforms and buildings drift by. Speeders passed and messenger bikes flew and the ten gleaming towers in the center of the city soon disappeared from view.

Vrasl pointed out an advertisement for an upcoming extranet series about the frontier but Vrawl crossed his arms over the railing and buried his head.

"Ra'su..." Vrasl reached out and touched his shoulder. "Come on, little brother. You can't not speak to me now."

"Yes, I can."

"Ah. There, see."

"Shut up."

"Hey, watch your language," Vrasl scolded.

"Why? I'm just a stupid commoner, right?" Vrawl grumbled. "My words are meaningless."

"They're not meaningless. And neither are your actions. You just need to prove yourself worthy of hearing. Worthy of following."

"Like you?"

"I'm second in my Captain's unit," Vrasl said. "And when my conscription finishes, I'm joining the Diplomatic Service."

"That's just pencil pushing," Vrawl muttered into the window.

"Pencil pushing with a lot more power," he said. "Might even be enough to ask who built a certain statue..."

Vrasl saw the reflection of Vrawl's face light up.

"Really?" He turned around quick.

"If we don't get kicked off Csilla first." Vrasl raised an accusing eyebrow.

"I'll be good, I promise." Vrawl hugged him.

"I'll believe it when I see it."

They travelled further and further down and soon the crystal city changed and morphed into pfal'mean and steel. The lights became a single warm tone of orange and yellow, like sunlight beneath the ground.

The speeders still zipped by the crystal carriage but with far less speed and grace than the ones above. Simple family and transport vehicles filled the air and flew through the suspended roads. The advertisements and billboards grew plain, less extravagant and there were no singing fountains and statues to entertain the stern Chiss.

Many of their travelling companions alighted and eventually the two brothers were surrounded by a whole new group of people heading down into Lower Csaplar.

They passed a wall of molten earth, red and glowing behind a serapfis wall, its energy collected by thermal generators on the other side. Many a plate was attached to the firewall and the black panels created ever-changing silhouettes on the red and gold.

"How do they sleep up here?" Vrawl asked his brother. "It's so bright."

"Everyone has shutters, ra'su."

"You think they help?"

"Probably..."

They travelled further down and the molten wall disappeared. More buildings sprang up and here, the light became uniform and warm. Suburban.

"Hach'ahku'vrou'kai," the attendant called out.

"That's us," Vrasl said, grabbing Vrawl's hand. "Come on, stay close."

They pushed through the crowded carriage and stepped onto the platform where a patient queue was already waiting to board.

The street was made of a dark steel and mirai'nis, greyed with age and beset by more Chiss than could be counted. Two of them matriculated from one block to the other, following the sentient flow further and further until they made a turn.

They followed the street for several more blocks and finally came to an apartment building that looked exactly like the ones beside it and the ones beside them.

Vrasl poked the intercom and the door unlocked without anyone picking up.

The two of them entered the hall and took not three steps before the landlady emerged from her little office.

"Thav brothers." She eyed them suspiciously. "Late again, I see."

"Ruastor Yoss'oto'dali." Vrasl bowed respectfully. "We were just returning from Greater Csaplar. My brother wanted to accompany me on my patrol."

"Don't lie to me, Vrasl," Sotod glared. "I've been subject to your cunning smile long enough to know when you're lying to me."

"It's true, Miss," Vrawl interrupted. "I wanted to see the Csillan Fine Art Museum. I have a project to do for school."

"Do you now?" The wizened Chiss leaned down to pinch his cheek. "Aren't you a clever little wonder? Using your brother to get ahead of your classmates."

"It was very informative." Vrawl nodded. "There was an interactive exhibit and everything."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, vir'chah." She patted him on the head. "Go on home and tell your mother now. She'll be worrying."

"Yes, Miss Sotod."

Vrasl inclined his head politely and guided his brother over to the turbolift. Sotod's wise old mahogany eyes followed them all the way in but when the doors closed, they could swear she was still watching.

"How many times have you been to the Museum without me?" Vrasl asked as the car began ascending.

Vrawl glanced up at him worriedly.

"Three."

"When?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Ra'su..."

"Alright. It was your drill days last season."

Vrasl looked down at him hopelessly.

"What am I going to do with you...?" He sighed.

"Take me again?" Vrawl smiled.

"Fine. But only if you stop going by yourself."

"I promise," the boy said happily.

"You better come through on these."

"Warrior's word," he said proudly.

"You're not a warrior, Vrawl."

"One day, I will be. Just like you and chah'su."

"Don't get ahead of yourself."

"I like to plan ahead." He smiled.

"Yes. I know." Vrasl looked away. "You remember what we talked about?"

"I don't tell mother about the statue conspiracy."

"There's no-" Vrasl stopped. "Close enough."

They arrived at their designated floor and walked out into the black hallway. A warm light beamed down from an uninterrupted light fixture travelling down the ceiling and illuminated the identical doors.

One of them bore the Chiss number seventy six on its tiny screen and four names were listed beneath it.

H’sottor Thav'oren'loni Vimrau Shits'uvi'thav Crahst’en Thav'ras'loni Thav'raw'loni

Vrasl opened the unlocked door and let go of his brother's hand. The freed Chiss ran inside and straight into his mother's outstretched arms. She lifted him up and hugged him tight as Vrasl began the long and meticulous process of removing his uniform.

"You're late," Tsuvith said, putting Vrawl down. She pressed her lips into his forehead. "And you're running a fever." Her bright red eyes glittered worriedly.

"Vrasl, what is the meaning of this?" she demanded.

"He must have picked up a bug at school." He shrugged.

"Ah, nai." She touched her son's face. "Was it that Chiru boy again? I have half a mind to send his mother a scientific journal on herd immunity for the common cold."

"I'm fine, chah'seh," Vrawl said as his nose began dripping.

"No, no, no, no..." She immediately procured several flimsi wipes.

"It's just warm in here," he said, taking off the scarf.

"That's the first sign."

"Is there anything to eat?" Vrasl wandered past in his slacks.

"Food is for men with pants on," Tsuvith declared.

"I'm wearing pants," he said, continuing into the kitchen.

"And a shirt," she called out, unsealing Vrawl's coat.

"And a shower!" she added.

"Can't wear a shower, mother." Vrasl emerged with crumbly pastries in both hands.

"Use a plate, Vrasl. I'm not raising savages."

"But-"

"No excuses." She snatched the pastries from his hands. "Go. Wash. That's an order, soldier boy."

"Yessir." He saluted, disappearing down the hall.

Tsuvith put the pastries back and returned to help her youngest out of his warm clothing.

"Did you have fun today?" she asked kindly.

"Mmm." Vrawl nodded. "I really enjoyed the museum."

"Do you have a favourite exhibit?" she asked, hanging his coat.

"Mmm. The rebirth of expressionism is beautiful. They added several new paintings to it from an Aristocra's private collection. Now it's a complete set."

"That's wonderful," Tsuvith said. "I'm glad your brother was lucky enough to be posted in Greater Csaplar. You get to see so much more than I can show you."

"You can go see it too," Vrawl said excitedly. "We can all go together when father comes home."

"Yes..." Tsuvith smiled sadly. "I'm afraid it'll be another month, vir'chah."

"But he was supposed to be home next week,” Vrawl said desperately.

"The Expansionary Fleet said they need him for one more month."

"But we need him too," Vrawl argued. "And he needs us. Right?"

Tsuvith frowned.

"His duty is to the Ascendancy, vir'chah," she said. "Someday you'll understand."

"I understand plenty," he spat and ran off before she could stop him.

He barreled into his room and threw his backpack onto the bed as the door slid shut.

The bag landed on a remote which switched on the extranet terminal. Tiny holograms flickered to life on top of the old box and Vrawl sat down in front of them to stare aimlessly at the Chiss soap opera.

"Ah, Biufaru. My love for you burns hotter than a supernova..."

"Then why are your hands so cold, ros'chah?"

Vrawl rolled his eyes.

"She has vu'rakhis disease," he groaned.

"I must confess," he said. "I have..." There was a pregnant pause. "...vu'rakhis disease."

Vrawl changed the channel and a news broadcast switched on.

"In other news, the Expansionary Fleet has discovered a new star system outside of Picket Line 99-Chu. Three large deposits of pfalium have been identified on its largest planet and will see a surplus of building materials for the coming-"

Vrawl switched the channel again.

"Today we're cooking-"

And again.

"Chai'beiyu, vir'chah. Today, Captain Suri is going to teach you about-"

"Nnngh," Vrawl growled and slammed the power switch.

The holograms on the old black box fizzled out and left the tiny room silent. Vrawl sat there with his head in his hands, running through events in his head.

He was already regretting the conversation with his mother. He'd chosen his words poorly, out of misplaced anger instead of reason. Like a child.

And his brother would be watching him now. His secret trips to the surface exposed. Everything had unravelled so quickly. Spiralling out of control.

He reached up and grabbed his backpack. There was a thick silver datapad inside and he pulled it out to study. Not his books but the statue.

He'd scanned every piece of it before his brother found him. The data transferred to the terminal and Vrawl watched the holoprojector form the Unknown Soldier right in front of him.

He stared at the mysterious man and he stared back.

"Who are you?" he wondered, alone in the dark. “What have you done?”